A Tail's Misfortune

Transformation

SME

Copyright © 2023 Scott M. Edwards

All rights reserved

The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

ISBN-13: 9781234567890
ISBN-10: 1477123456

Cover design by: Art Painter
Library of Congress Control Number: 2018675309
Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Title Page

Copyright

Chapter One:  Ten Days; Free?

Chapter Two:  Ten Days; Hope

Chapter Three:  Ten Days; New Acquaintances

Chapter Four:  Nine Days; I'm An Alien

Chapter Five:  Nine Days; The Threat In The Shadows

Chapter Six:  Nine Days; Done Being A Victim!

Chapter Seven:  Nine Days; A Good Day

Chapter Eight:  Eight Days; Freak Out

Chapter Nine:  Eight Days; Stephanie

Chapter Ten:  Eight Days; I’m Not Human

Chapter Eleven:  Eight Days; Endless Winter

Chapter Twelve:  Eight Days; Fox And The Cat

Chapter Thirteen:  Eight Days; Into The Dream

Chapter Fourteen:  Seven Days; A Timid Daisy

Chapter Fifteen:  Seven Days; An Unsettling Encounter

Chapter Sixteen:  Seven Days; D and Green

Chapter Seventeen:  Six Days; It’s My Time

Chapter Eighteen: Six Days; Stirring the Pot

Chapter Nineteen: Six Days; The Groomed Wolf

Chapter Twenty: Six Days; First Date, Unfortunate

Chapter Twenty-One: Five Days; Salvaging A Friendship

Chapter Twenty-Two: Five Days; Unexpected Respect

Chapter Twenty-Three: Five Days; Angel or Trickster?

Chapter Twenty-Four: Five Days; The Devil Within

Chapter Twenty-Five: Two Days; Nothing But Problems

Chapter Twenty-Six: Two Days; The Innocent Warrior

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Two Days; Sisters-In-Arms

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Two Days; Bubbling Cauldron

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Two Days; Sister Bonding

Chapter Thirty: Two Days; The Wolf And The Fox

Chapter Thirty-One: Two Days; Girls’ Day Out

Chapter Thirty-Two: One Day; Dad’s Back

Chapter Thirty-Three: One Day; Calm Before The Storm

Chapter Thirty-Four: One Day; Shared Misery

Chapter Thirty-Five: One Day; A Broken Girl

Chapter Thirty-Six: One Day; Unlikely Allies

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Two Hours; Amphitheatre Of Hell

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Forty Minutes; The Strong Make Mistakes

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Eight Minutes; Jin’s Wrath

Chapter Forty: Happy Birthday

Chapter Forty-One: A Mother’s Gift

Chapter Forty-Two: SCC Foundation

About the author

Special Thanks

Chapter One:  Ten Days; Free?

Sora rubbed her left shoulder as she stood in front of Miami Beach Senior High’s psychologist’s office; Ms. Patterson wasn’t there at the moment, and there was a reason for it.

Doctor Mary Jernigan—a highly regarded psychiatrist that specialized in teenage development—was currently borrowing the office to meet with her during school days since the time suited Mary’s schedule.  She was the fourth one that her father had hired to help her work through her ‘troubles.’

Taking a deep breath, Sora’s hand hovered over the blocked window, showing a chart with a happy face at the top and a frowny face at the bottom.  When can I finally be through with all these people…  No one helps me anyway.

She glanced up and down the hall where a few seniors seemed to have snuck out a few minutes early since the end-of-school bell was about to ring.  If only I could get out early to see her at ‘her’ office rather than here…  At least then she’d be doing something for me.

Sora knocked on the door.

“Come in.”

Entering the cozy office, Sora dully scanned the far-brighter-than-needed atmosphere; it reminded her of how she hated the school psychologist always waving at her in the hallways as if she didn’t know what was happening.  At least she didn’t have to deal with her BS.

A couch and cushioned chairs were put in a circle to ‘share emotions’ with filing cabinets and a computer desk strategically placed.  Different tests and games meant to gauge aptitude were sorted by age group on shelves, and the ordinary school carpet was covered by many colorful rugs.  Odd abstract paintings adorned the walls—things her father might like—attempted to make the room even more vibrant.

Sora slid off her backpack to drop it beside the couch, falling into the well-conditioned leather in silence.  Mary gave her a small smile before it fell a tad as she scanned a thick clipboard filled with papers.

She’s going to make me start!

“Gah… always the same…  There, I started.  Happy?”  Her psychiatrists were some of the few people she could actually be openly hostile with and not face many consequences.

Mary puffed out a small stream of air before swapping her legs in the opposite direction and setting the documents to the side.  “Good afternoon, Sora.”

“Mmmgh…”

Trying not to look at the smiling woman, Sora crossed her arms.  It was challenging not to with how the chairs were set up as Mary sat facing the couch on one of the cushioned seats.

In her mid-thirties, she was a thin lady with a kind face, standing a little taller than Sora with curly brown hair.  Her speckled navy-blue dress shifted with her legs, drawing attention to her similarly colored six-centimeter cutout heels.

“Did you have a good day?”

Hidden left index finger tapping against her side, Sora’s green eyes slid to her knee-length black skirt, trying not to let her temper get the better of her.  “What does it matter…  Can we just skip past all this nonsense about you actually caring?”

Pushing herself straighter, Sora refused to make eye contact.  “Humph.  Nothing’s going to change.  You’re just like Dr. Mason, Dr. Jones, and Dr. Hallmark, after all.  You’re going to pretend to be sad for me and then stab me in the back.  You’ll make my dad believe I’m an attention whore, and keep me in this hell hole.”

She bit her lower lip, stomach twisting as the silence stretched after her outburst.

Several seconds passed before Sora caught Mary moving her clipboard off of her lap to the desk beside her.  Sighing deeply, the psychiatrist started, “Haaa…  It’s been four weeks since I took over for Dr. Hallmark, and I’ve had a chance to go over many of the records they’ve kept, which I will say has been… concerning, to say the least.”

Sora forced a toothy smile, trying to release some of the tension in her breast.  “Great!  So, we can move past all the monotonous crap so I can go home and cry into my pillow?”

Mary folded her fingers together in her lap, a frown on her lips as she studied her in that perplexing way that didn’t let on what she was thinking.  “Mmh…  Would you mind if I started this time, instead of me allowing you to repeat everything and further agitating you?”

“Huh?  Heh.  You want to tell me how I should be feeling?  Wow, we skipped a ton of sessions!”

“Let’s see…  You’ll be turning sixteen soon, right?”

“Ten days…  Why—want an invitation?”  she mocked, rolling her eyes.

“I don’t expect anything from you, Sora…  Your father hired me after Dr. Hallmark left the state following his… accident, and I was recommended to him.”

“Yeah, do you see the pattern?”  Sora growled, arms tightening against her stomach.  “I get a psychiatrist and they end up booking it to a new state and get hurt—a new country for Dr. Jones—heh, I’m the cursed, attention-seeking client that ruins practices.”

Mary’s fingers unwound to pick up her clipboard again.  “I don’t think you’re attention-seeking or cursed, Sora…  Despite what I’ve read so far from Hallmark, Jones, and Mason…  I think you have been severely overdiagnosed, so I’m taking you off all of your meds.”

Mind coming to a screeching halt, Sora’s eyebrows came together as she studied the unhappy psychiatrist.  “Excuse me…  I don’t need to have Howie or Ron watch me take my meds anymore?”

“No,” she promptly replied, flipping through a few pages of the thick stack of papers she was browsing, “and I notified all the concerned parties before our meeting.”

“That’s…  You’re lying,” Sora snapped, unable to believe the abrupt change.

“You will be able to confirm it when we are finished, and to be clear, we shouldn’t take you completely off your anti-psychosis medication all at once, and we don’t want to upset the balance on the others too quickly, but we can slowly start cutting it down…”

“I knew it!”

“You can confirm what I’m saying with Ron and Howie, if you want.  I totally understand if you have trouble believing me after everything I’ve read.  To be honest, after speaking to Ron and Howie, I have confirmed you have experienced adverse effects congruent with a severe misdiagnosis that is… most troubling,” she mumbled, flipping to a new page.

“I’ve gone over your school history, the tests administered by your previous psychiatrists, their notes, interviewed hotel staff, your previous caretaker, and many statements you’ve made—”

“Not all of those are mine; some are lies!  I’m not making it up!”

“I believe you.”

A shiver ran down Sora’s spine at the declaration.  “I’ve… heard that before.  You’re just trying to trick me.  T-To keep me calm.”

“Hmm…  One recurring theme I’ve seen in these files is a lack of foundation at the start for many of the medications they’ve put you on…  Some I’m appalled at, and find the evidence given for their diagnosis quite lacking in regards to any of the DSM standards, which is… troubling considering the reputation and standing I’ve heard of my esteemed colleagues.”

She put a finger on one of the pages.  “There is quite a bit of characterization regarding the girl named Kari, and an… unusual amount of coverage and emphasis on her innocence to the accusations you’ve levied against her.”

“She’s the worst!  I swear, she has mind control powers!”  Sora hissed, leaning forward in frustration to dig her nails into her thighs.  “You say all this, but give it a few weeks, and you’ll be calling her an angel like everyone else, but all she does is bully me!  And no one believes me!”

Tears forming in her eyes, Sora coughed.  “I just want to go to a new school…  I want to leave!  Why do you doctors always convince my dad I need to stay here?  That I’m lying and want attention?!”

A small puff of air came from Mary.  “It’s not a hard case to make…  If I’m being honest, Sora, your father is away on business as a highly regarded financial consultant for Fortune 500 companies and is often away for months at a time between jobs.  You refused any more caretakers after your previous one quit…”

“Nobody but Ron and Howie even try to understand, they’re all so patronizing and bossy!  I’m just this spoiled rich girl that doesn’t deserve anything.  No, I have to give people money or expensive stuff, and if I don’t, they’ll rip my clothes or put gum in my hair!  What am I supposed to do?!”

Mary slowly nodded.  “I’m not saying they were right, Sora.  What I’m saying is that it isn’t a hard case for someone to make.  Your friend Wendy cut ties with you—”

“Kari!  It was all Kari’s bullying!  Wendy didn’t want to get involved with her—I don’t blame her.  It’s, no, everything is Kari’s fault!”

“Mhm…  Everything goes back to Kari…  Three years ago, when she moved to Miami from Russia, is that right?”

“She’s a monster!  A succubus or something!  I know I sound crazy—but I’m not!  She has p-powers over people or something!  Everyone’s scared to talk about her.  So…  So, I had to go to someone who will help me!”

Mary’s lips pulled in, vision lifting to study her.  “What… did you do, Sora?”

“I—did something yesterday that I probably shouldn’t have, but…  I don’t have any other choice…  Dr. Hallmark didn’t do anything about the video I gave him!”

“What video?”

“See!  Everyone covers up for Kari…”  Sora took a deep breath.  “So…  So, before Summer Break, when Kari shaved off all my hair…  You’ve seen how fast it grows in the pictures, right?”

“I… haven’t, no…  There is a mention of you claiming she cut off your hair, but Dr. Hallmark stated you eventually admitted it was your own doing.”

“Damn him!”  Sora cried.  “No—it’s not…  I know it looks fine now, but this is how fast it grows!  Three months, and it’s already halfway down my back…”  she trailed off, sniffling a bit after hearing Dr. Hallmark’s lie.

“You do have pretty hair,” Mary commented, “ thick, shiny copper; it’s your most striking feature, given your unique Japanese and Irish genes… but what does that have to do with someone that will listen to you?”

Sora’s nose twisted as she pulled around a few of her silky locks.  “I hate it, but I can’t get rid of it!  All the girls bully me about it—call it a weed that won’t die…”

Mary cleared her throat.  “That’s… horrible.  Many girls would be jealous—especially if it grows as fast as you say,” she agreed, eyebrows coming together with concern as she continued.

“I-I didn’t want the bullying to continue, but I was scared.  The last three years were just…  Last year I set up a camera in the locker room where some of the girls normally bullied me, and—and I recorded her and her group shaving me… while saying all the nasty things she usually says, like how I stink all the time,” she mumbled.

Mary rubbed her hands, uncomfortable vision shifting to the wall as her features turned more serious.  “That’s…  What did you do with it if Dr. Hallmark didn’t help you?”

Biting her lip, Sora shifted on her seat.  She hadn’t had a psychiatrist take this tone with her before, and it made her even more nervous.  “I-I, umm…  I sent it to the police station yesterday.”

Mary’s left hand closed around her mouth as she looked down at the floor; she seemed to need a moment to contemplate a response, making Sora’s feet knot together.

A small lump moved down the woman’s throat before her fingers locked together, and she took a deep breath before saying, “Sora…  You know this isn’t—”

She cut off as the bell rang throughout the school, causing Mary to go silent, deep in thought.  “Hmm…  Since I’ve gotten your file, I’ve been trying to piece together the inconsistencies and faults in your files, and…”

Mary closed her eyes and leaned back, hands tightening against her abdomen.  “I’ve learned that Kari is connected to some very… very dangerous people, Sora.  I don’t know who they are, but you know Kari better than most, and I don’t know their intentions yet, but you’ve told me about the teachers and students that suddenly change their opinions of her overnight.  Right?”

“Yeah!  So, I’m right?  You don’t think I’m making this up?”  Sora asked, hope sparking in her heart.  “She has some kind of power over people!”

“Hmm…  I don’t know about powers, Sora,” Mary muttered, rubbing her left arm and looking to the door, “but she certainly is connected to people in powerful positions that don’t like people snooping around.

“You’ve also expressed your suspicions that your previous psychiatrist, Dr. Hallmark’s,  hospitalization was, umm, due to Kari’s involvement, and…  I wouldn’t say it is her, but possibly someone connected to her.  It’s… a courageous thing you did, but…  No.  Hmm, let’s be hopeful,” she smiled.  “Have you received any calls from the department?” 

Sora held her breath as she nervously shook her head.  Anger, frustration, and anxiety boiled to the surface, and she couldn’t hold back any longer.

“The students know Kari’s a bully… teachers know… you know… everyone seems to know.  Yet—yet everyone made my dad think I’m crazy!  Makes me stay for some exposure therapy crap!

“They told him I’m seeking attention because he’s always gone on business.  For three years—three years, she’s bullied me!  Bullied everyone!  Yet no one stops her.  No one will help me, so I had to go to the police!”

Mary nodded and set her clipboard to the side the moment she took a breath.  “I’m not saying it didn’t happen, Sora.  I’ve been…”

She trailed off as her phone vibrated on the desk beside her.  It caught Sora’s attention because typically she had it on silent—the conversation had come up in the past.

Glancing at it, Mary’s lips tightened.  “Sora…  I have to take this, but—mmgm…  Why don’t we continue our discussions away from the school next time?  I’ll write the principal a note excusing you from class.”

“Really?”  Sora’s heart sang for the first time in what seemed forever.  Anything to get away from Kari was a light at the end of the tunnel.  Maybe, just maybe, this doctor would be different.  “You won’t go back on it?”

“No…”

Sora hesitated at Mary’s tone while she read whatever text she’d received.  It seemed to bother her, so it had to be important, which concerned Sora.  “Is… everything okay, Dr. Jernigan?”

“Mmm-hmm?  Oh, yes, well…  No, it appears to be something involving my husband, but we needn’t talk about personal matters,” she smiled, and even if it didn’t look fake, Sora believed it must be.

“Okay…  My pills?”

“I left instructions with the hotel staff assigned to you, and… I left some notes with your father.”  She swiftly replied back to the text as she got to her feet, Sora following.  “I’ll message you later today about rescheduling, and naturally, heh, I won’t be charging your father for this since we didn’t even get ten minutes in!  Sorry, Sora.”

“No!  I’ve…”  Sora’s voice caught, feeling a bit of heat rise to her face.  “I’ve just…  You really believe me?”

Mary puffed out a short breath, her smile softening.  “Yes, Sora.  I’m not trying to placate you; it wouldn’t help you in the least.  We’ll talk in-depth about this when we meet next but in the meantime…  As I’ve told you…”

“I know.  I know.  Heh, don’t cause trouble, right?”

Mary would have hugged her, Sora assumed, but after the number of psychiatrists and therapists she’d had, she knew they needed to keep boundaries.  Still, Mary was becoming one of her favorites, just by this short conversation.  If she was being genuine, that was.

Moving to the door, she opened it to head into the hallway, where the wave of students flooded the walkway, preparing to head home.  Just before the door closed, though, she saw Mary get a phone call, and the paranoia started to set in.

Mary said Kari was connected to influential people…  But Dad has a lot of friends in powerful positions, too.  If she can get him to believe me, then maybe…  No, if she can help him see I’m not crazy, then I could just be homeschooled…  Maybe Wendy would actually be friends with me again.

Lost in thought as she walked to the front entrance, she almost tripped when someone called out her name.  “Sora!  Hmm-hmm.  Done so soon?”

Sucking in her bottom lip, Sora looked to her right to find Jenny leaning against the wall.  Despite her popularity, most of the teenagers gave her nervous waves or cheerful, quick greetings, obviously threatened by the girl.

Having incredibly thick, long, brown hair, Jenny usually tied it back into a ponytail since she was the school’s second-best athlete behind Kari.  The tall girl was the Queen Bee’s right-hand gal.  If there was someone that had nearly as much influence as Kari—or made her life as much of a hell—it was a close toss-up between Jenny and Lori.

“Jenny…  Umm, yeah… what’s up?”

Pushing away from the wall, Sora was forced to look up at the giant girl—185 cm tall—as she casually strode up to her.  The brunette was intimidating, for sure, at only slightly shorter than Kari, and as could be expected, she was wearing her gym clothes.

“Yo, Kari wanted to see you.”

Expecting as much, Sora tried to release the tension that tightened her chest, which felt impossible.  Also, she knew if she resisted too much, it would only be worse tomorrow.  Now was the game of mitigation.  “Haaa… right now?  I-Isn’t it almost volleyball practice?”

Jenny just snickered and slung her arm around her shoulder in a friendly way, guiding her toward the gym.  “Teach is a bit busy, so we should have enough time for a short chat with the girls!”

“Perfect…”

Hoping she didn’t plan on anything too extreme today, Sora breathed to ease her knotted stomach; it might just be money, but she didn’t bring her purse, and generally, that was more Lori’s department as the 3rd in command.

The crowd parted for Jenny, more awkward waves and chuckles as they passed, knowing precisely what was up if Sora was with any of Kari’s little pack of ravenous wolves.

Sora glanced up at the lanky girl—she was shockingly strong for her thin arms and legs.  It was rare for her to come and fetch her herself, and that made Sora believe Kari demanded it.  No one bossed Jenny around but the Alpha Bully.

“Umm…  What’s Kari w-want?”

“Stuttering again, huh; meds not working?”  she joked, giving her a small smirk.

Bitch…  Mary basically confirmed they’re probably causing all of the problems!

“Eh-heh… I, umm, I-I guess not.”

They stopped outside of the gym, a small, unreadable smirk on the bully’s face as she smacked Sora’s butt to move forward, making her yelp.

“Ack!  Jenny…”

“Don’t keep the boss lady waitin’, flat-ass.  I’d love to see you meet up with your ol’ pal again, but I got somewhere to be.”

The bully probably did it on purpose because she was wearing a skirt.  A few boys’ eyes darted their way, making Sora blush while trying to restrain herself from rubbing the tingling area.

Hesitantly moving through the closed double doors to escape a second threatening slap, Sora hissed out a long stream of air as they closed behind her.  Tingles ran along Sora’s spine when a girl on the opposite side locked it with a key only the janitors were supposed to have.

As she feared, the only janitor she knew was standing a short distance away— Wendy—her old best friend who worked part-time for the school.

She grabbed the straps of her backpack to stop her hands from shaking as she saw Wendy’s muddy, brown eyes centered on the floor, her left hand rubbing her elbow and refusing to look at her.  Kari…  Why did you force Wendy to be here?

Looking between the scattered teenagers setting up volleyball nets for the girl’s volleyball team to see if there were anyone besides Kari’s gang, she couldn’t spot one that wasn’t connected to the girl.  She realized she wouldn’t have the cushion of strangers with the door locked, as well.

Kayla stepped around her after locking the door, a big grin on her goofy face as she motioned her thumb to the locker room.  “Kari’s waiting!  Oi, thanks for the key, Wendy!  Hah, c’mon, Sora, let’s go!”

Sora walked silently past the athletes, and she saw Wendy join them out of the corner of her eye; neither of them managed to look at each other.

“Gloomy much?”  Kayla giggled, slapping Sora on the back.  It seemed the other girls were more comfortable getting physical lately.  “C’mon, lighten up!”

“Ugh…”  Sora let out a weak laugh.  “What’s this about, Kayla?”

“Hmm?  Wi-dunno,” she shrugged with a cackle.  “I was told to lock the door and bring ya in; I’m the fisher today!”

“A fisher, huh… funny.”

Glancing at Wendy, she saw she was wearing a pair of ripped jeans they’d gotten together three years ago, around the time Kari showed up in their middle school.  They looked a little small on her, but she was also a lot skinnier since the last time they’d spoken.  Sora cursed at Kari, Wendy’s terrible drunk mother, and her fate; life had only gotten worse by the year.

Nerves mounting as they entered the girls’ locker room, Sora’s fear settled in when she finally saw the pack leader herself.

“Brought her, Boss!”

Kari sat on a bench between them, amber eyes somehow shimmering with her neutral expression as she appraised Sora.  “Hmm…”

Wearing all-black sportswear, a fitted polyester t-shirt, shorts, and training shoes, Kari was ready for her rigorous sports routine.  A gym freak, she played and excelled in everything.  Being 190 cm tall, and as toned as a Sports Magazine model, she had everyone wrapped around her pinky finger.

Kari wasn’t smiling like the other six girls standing around her, causing a nervous silence to ensue as they waited for her to speak.  Lori sat next to her, using one of the brushes she’d stolen from her a few months back to straighten her long brown locks, not looking particularly interested in the gathering.

After the awkward pause, Kari scratched the back of her head, shoulder-length, black hair shifting, and she seemed a lot more agitated than normal.

“I didn’t see you at lunch, Sora…  I was hoping to catch you before the school day ended, but I got a call that pissed me off.  So, I had to cool down a bit.”

Sora held her breath, clearing her throat, and crossed her arms under her bust as the girl’s assaulting eyes berated her.  All the girls stood stock still as Kari continued, nose twitching, and Lori even stopped brushing her hair.

“I like to think of myself as a patient and understanding person…  I’ve learned a lot since moving here.  But some things really… set me off.”

Fingernails digging into her side, Sora saw a concerned look across Wendy’s face, still refusing to meet anyone’s gaze.  Wanting to pull Kari’s attention away from her, Sora cleared her throat—probably not a good idea, but she never liked putting Wendy in Kari’s crosshairs.

“Umm—ahem—d-did I, umm…  What d-did I do this time?”

She flinched as Kari stretched, cracking her neck, seemingly attempting to work off some tension before dropping back to the bench with a low grunt.  Sora could have heard a pin drop in the still atmosphere.  She hadn’t seen Kari this upset in a long time.

“Show her.”

Lori clicked her tongue, a grimace crossing her face as she set the brush down to take out her phone from her back pocket.  “Dammit, Sora…  You’re always so stupid.  Kari may just kill you if you do shit like this.”

She made a short guttural grunt before opening a video and holding it up for Wendy and her to see.  Sora’s face drained of color; it was the video she’d sent to the police department.

“I-I d-don’t—”

Sora’s stammers cut off as Kari loosely held up her hand, closing her eyes and taking a long, deliberate breath.

“I get it…  I do.”

“W-What?”

Sora took a step back, but two of Kari’s girls blocked the exit.  It didn’t make sense.  How did she get a video she sent to the police?  She couldn’t think properly as Kari continued talking.

“Being the… little vixen you are, you thought you could upset the balance of my school by sending this to the police.  Surely, if anyone could help your place in life, it would be the good defenders of the people.  Right?”

Sora couldn’t speak—she didn’t know what else she could do or say—Kari’s underlying livid tone and tense stretches said it all: she was dead meat.  All she could do now was wait for whatever punishment Kari had in-store.  It wasn’t like screaming or yelling would get her anywhere while trapped inside the locker room, and Kari knew it.

Kari mournfully shook her head, eyes opening to stare at Sora.  “I let you live here, Sora.  I let you stay, despite everything everyone told me, but you’ve forgotten the cardinal rule…

“Life is simple, Sora,” she snapped, flexing her fingers, “you have power, or you don’t… you don’t, Sora.  You don’t have a backbone—at all—so you didn’t confront me, and instead… you did this…

“Well, at least you did surprise me a little,” she grunted, hands resting on the bench as she leaned back to stare at the ceiling.  “Hmm…  What to do with you now?”

“You could always kill her!  Heh, like she did her mom!”  Lori chimed, making Sora’s skin crawl and several of the girls shift nervously.  “I mean, how many chances have you already given the girl?”

Dammit!  It’s not like I meant to kill my mom in childbirth, you son of a…

Kari clicked her tongue a few times, leaning forward to give the smirking, brown-haired girl a side-long look.  “Lori…  What did you tell me when I first came to Miami?”

“Humph,” she grunted, looking to the left with a slight pout.  “It was different back then; gah, she’s just… such an eye-sore.”

Seeing the casual girl return to playing with her phone, Sora wouldn’t put it past the insane bully to actually stab someone, and the others could see it too by their shifting eyes.

Wendy forced a chuckle, drawing everyone’s focus to her.  “U-Umm…  Can I go now, Kari?”

Just as everything went quiet, a twinkle appeared in Lori’s brown eyes, her vision shifting between them.  “Oh!  I know what our little fox’s punishment should be, Kari!”

Sora felt like she’d been punched in the gut.  Out of everyone, Lori was the worst—even worse than Kari in some respects.  She’d been the one to suggest butchering her hair, to begin with.

“S-Should I buy everyone c-clothes?”  Sora stammered, trying to get ahead of it.

“How kind of you!”  Lori cooed, getting up to move behind the nearby lockers to pull out Wendy’s janitor trashcan with its supplies in pouches on the side.  “We can do that on Saturday with your new fashion statement!”

A lump formed in Sora’s throat as she extracted a pair of scissors.  “Again…”

Kari rolled her eyes.  “Lori, I’m not feeling like…”

“Just give me a chance,”  Lori defended, flexing the blades with a bright grin, and Sora wondered if she’d jump forward to stab her as her eyes twinkled.  “I know it needs to be worse than before—she won’t get the lesson otherwise—so…”

“Worse?”  Sora choked, reaching up to grip her copper locks.

“Our little fox’s hair grows too fast anyway, so, hmm-hmm… why not do the hair and clothes this time.”

“H-Huh?”  Sora squeaked, eyes going wide.  “Y-You can’t… if I go b-back…”

“We’ll give you a towel!”  Lori scoffed, wearing a big grin; as if that was the issue.  “We gotta make it stick, and what better way to do that than showing everyone juuust how crazy you are!”

She’s the devil…  You’re the crazy one, Sora internally shouted, knowing pushing Lori would only dig her a deeper hole through experience.

“Please, don’t do this to me, Kari…”  Sora cried, attempting to supersede Lori’s insanity as her face turned red and her nose burned.  “I can’t g-go out n-naked!”

“Towel!”  Lori sang in response, pulling out the white article from her locker that would just barely cover her top and bottom.  If it was windy or she stumbled, the embarrassment would kill her for life, and she knew there would be girls following to take pictures.

Wendy’s hands tightened at her front, nervous gaze darting to her.

Sora’s thoughts went wild.  No!  Don’t do it, Wendy!  They might make you join me!

“Isn’t… that a bit much?”

“Hmm?”  Lori’s smile faded, pointed eyes drifting to her.  “Did you say something, garbage collector?”

“…”  Wendy’s eyes shot to the floor, fingernails digging into her stomach, unable to respond.

“That’s what I thought…  Well, Kari?  You saw how she reacted.  Is that a worthy punishment for that phone call you got?”

If that’s all…  No, if Mary called Ron and Howie then this could further prove my point!  It’s just… but… I don’t know if I can go through with it!

Realizing she was quaking, her focus darted to Kari as the Alpha Bully dumped cold water on her head.

“Mmgh…  No.”

“No?”  Lori blinked.  “I was sure you’d be willing to do that…  What’s on your mind?”

Kari rolled around her head and streamed out a hot puff of air that Sora believed she could feel on the back of her neck.  “I’m sick of this game, Lori…  You and Jenny keep convincing me to let her stay, but I’m not having fun.”

What…  Lori and Jenny convince her to let me stay?  Kick me out!  Sora wanted to scream.  Let me leave!

Lori’s fingers curled into a fist at her side, vision wandering back to the bent-over black-haired girl.  “What… heh, are you saying, Kari?”

Sora’s whole body went numb as Kari spoke.

“It’s a little harsher than what I was thinking, Lori, but… we’ll go with your suggestion this one last time.”

“Last?”  Lori whispered.  The hums and mumbled words of the surrounding girls died at the statement.

Kari’s bright amber gaze iced.  “I’m finished with this game.  After today, I want you to leave, Sora… for good.”

Lori choked.  “W-Wait, what?  But think of—”

She cut off as Kari’s stern glare slid to her, making all the girls shiver at Kari’s intensity—she was serious.  It was a look that said, challenge me one more time, and see what happens.

Kari’s focus slowly returned to Sora.  “I’ll give you a week to set everything up—homeschool, transfer schools, leave the state, I don’t care.  I want your foul stench of an existence out of Miami Beach Senior High by the end of the week.  Period.”

She stood, her penetrating, frigid stare making Sora quake with fear as an aura of imminent danger cascaded like ice through her bones; the girl looked four meters tall, towering over her.  “If you stay…”

Kari trailed off with a murderous look of contempt before leaving the locker room, carrying the crushing atmosphere with her.  “And don’t make a scene, Sora; I’m pissed as it is.”

Sora finally managed to choke for air with every other girl present, including Lori, at a loss for time for several seconds.

“Shit…”  Lori cleared her throat before walking around the girls to face her, one hand on her hip and looking more agitated than Sora had ever seen the psychopath.  “Humph…  Guess Kari couldn’t help herself… you, eh, really did piss her off.  Mmgm…  Honestly, I’m shocked she was that civil.  Hehe… dammit.”

She took a deep breath, her bright smile returned as she held out the scissors to Wendy.  “You do the honors!”

“I-I’ll do it—”  Sora instantly replied, reaching for the scissors, but Lori tilted them at the last second, poking her palm and making her wince.

“Uh-uh-uh!”  Lori growled.  “Wendy does it, or she joins you!”

A lump dropped down her old best friend’s throat as they gave each other frightened stares; Sora never wanted to put Wendy in this position.

“It’s f-fine, Wendy,” Sora coughed, trying to force a smile.  It may not seem like it to those watching, but this was the happiest day of her life.  “I—umm…  It’s fine…”

“But Sora…”

“Just do it already!”  she snapped, making Wendy jump and clutch her breast, causing Lori to smirk.

“Yeah, Wendy; just do it already,” she mirrored, dangling the scissors in front of her.

Shakily taking them, Wendy’s shame-filled eyes fell to Sora’s flats and stockings, but Sora gave her a look that said it was okay.  She’d gladly have this temporary embarrassment—even if it was extreme—if it meant she could finally be free of Kari, Jenny, and, most of all, Lori.

Wendy tentatively reached up and took a clump of Sora’s hair, slid the blade between the locks, and cut, a tear running down her cheek as Lori snickered.

“Oh, I love watching old friends meet up again!  Wendy was your first friend, right, Sora?  Grade school, as I remember.  Humph.  I remembered hearing a rather funny joke she told you at lunch one time…  I hated those days.”

Sora only partially heard her as happy tears flowed down her cheeks.  The image made Lori’s eyes light up with delight.

“Make sure it’s sloppy and looks bad, Wendy!  Don’t be so even with it—there we go—and don’t forget the underwear!  Ooh, pink today, Sora?”  Lori smirked as if asking who she was possibly trying to impress.

The only thing going through Sora’s mind was, ’I’m free.’

Chapter Two:  Ten Days; Hope

Remaining as still as possible, Sora couldn’t make Wendy feel any more awkward than they both felt, so she kept her focus on Lori’s light-brown eyes.  Sora burned in anger, the psychopath seemed to get off on her bright-red cheeks as each article was cut off, yet she noticed Lori’s nervous taps against her folded arms.

The other girls around the locker room looked uncomfortable yet obviously wouldn’t speak up and draw Lori’s attention; not that Sora wanted their pity.

Still, if this was the end of it, then she could handle at least this much, and the order came straight from Kari’s mouth.  There wasn’t a damn thing Lori could do to go against the Alpha Bully, which made Sora want to smirk—fortunately, she managed to hold herself back.

Several tight expressions came from Lori’s mutters as Wendy moved to her underwear, moving through her clothing as quickly as possible after snipping off most of her hair in uneven patches to be done with the horrible experience.

“Mmgm…  Why…  Dammit!  Slow down a bit, Wendy, or do you want to join her?”

“S-Sorry…”

Attempting not to look too vulnerable as she hugged herself, Sora internally poked at Lori’s barely subdued agitation.

What’s wrong, Lori?  Trying to figure out how to convince Kari to get me to stay?  Dammit, I can’t believe it was you and Jenny who were the ones forcing me to stay!  Why?!  Is it because you kept wanting free stuff?  Well, get used to not having a little money bank, bitch, because I’m out of—

Once the last clothing fell away from her hips, she stumbled back a bit as Lori threw the white towel at her.  “Don’t you dare use your gym clothes…  Hey, you, Hannah…”

“Y-Yes?”  the taller pretty blonde to her left gave a start.  The forgettable girl—at least, to Sora—was fairly popular and, in order to not be bullied in middle school for outshining Lori, had become somewhat of a reluctant lapdog.

“You know what to do.”

“Yeah…”

“Alright, I gotta go—I’m pissed—oh, and make sure to clean this shit up, dumpster girl,” she grunted, ramming into Sora as she exited, making Sora almost trip on the bench.

Yeah, she’s gotten ten times worse since last year.  What’s up her ass; no more free makeup to cover her pimples?  Boo-hoo!

The other girls filed out, including Hannah, who would likely be waiting to follow behind and record her for Lori.

Now alone, Sora let her pent-up lungs release their air in a slow stream while giving Wendy a melancholy smile.  She could only hope that finally, maybe, they could both be free from this hell.

“Sorry, Wendy, b-but if I leave—”

“Sora…”  Wendy cut her off, moving with defeated shoulders to her trashcan, getting the dustpan and broom to clean up the clothing and hair.  “Can we just… not?  Look, it’s great—I’m happy for you, but yeah…  My life’s hard enough—I don’t need a target on my back.”

Open lips closing, Sora’s fingers tightened against her naked sides, vision drifting to her old friend’s shuffling, beat-up shoes.  Right…  Wendy doesn’t just have Kari to worry about…  There’s no way Jane would be okay with Wendy hanging out with me again—stupid…  If only…

Swallowing the saliva caught in her mouth, Sora cleared her throat and walked beside Wendy, whispering, “Yeah, I d-don’t want to cause y-y-you trouble at home either…  Can I use the scissors?”

“Sure…”

Not looking at each other, Sora took the item to the mirror to try and make her hair at least somewhat presentable; stepping away, she turned her head left and right to examine her handiwork.

With sparkling, larger-than-typical jade irises, copper hair that stemmed from her father’s Irish side, and Asian, smooth skin that tanned well from her mother’s Japanese side, people had generally commented on her beauty throughout her life.

She wasn’t too ‘shapely’ yet, but she still had at least two years before her curves stopped growing, so there was still hope for a bit more of a figure than she currently had.

Sora knew she wasn’t ugly, and even with short-cut hair, she could pull it off fine like this, yet being told day after day by other girls that she stunk, had weed hair, and looked weird didn’t help her self-image, as much as she tried to ignore them.

Her focus shifted to Wendy in the mirror while wrapping the towel under her armpits, positioning it as low as possible to give her bottom a decent amount of cover.  Sora was worried, sometimes her balance wasn’t the best—probably because of the meds, as Mary insinuated, like her stuttering—and she didn’t want to embarrass herself further if she stumbled.

Wendy’s cheeks were flushed while bent down, passively staring at Sora’s chopped-off hair, and seemingly deep in thought.  By her trembling lower lip, she could guess the brown-haired girl was wondering if she’d be the next target if Sora left.

If I can just get Jane to let her be homeschooled with me…  Why does she even hate me so much?  I mean, why do I even need to question it?  It’s obviously because I’m a spoiled rich girl, and she’s a drunk loser that forces her daughter to get a job to help pay for rent.  I wish I could help you… but Jane’s too proud to accept money from a rich girl.  Stupid.  Everyone’s stupid.

Not wanting to put any more pressure on Wendy, Sora ran to the sink and tried to get the rest of her cut hair out before washing her face with cold water and drying off with her own towel; a decent amount of lingering, loose hair was stuck to the cloth.

“Sorry…”  she whispered as she left, but Sora hesitated by the entrance as she heard Wendy start to cry when she left her sight.

Leaning against the side of the tiled wall, Sora’s nose burned again as she clutched the towel at her chest.  Wendy…  I’m sorry being my friend hurt you so much.

She gathered her courage and moved into the gym; Kari was the center of everyone’s attention as she served, spiking the volleyball so hard it made the opposing girl wince upon redirecting it to bounce off the ceiling and hit out of bounds.

There was a reason she’d had scouts tracking her progress through seasons since middle school: she was the pretty sports prodigy with a shining future, and everyone wanted to feed off her indomitable confidence.

Sora would have admired her too if she didn’t know how ruthless she really was; the girl really was physically gifted and, after what Kari said, she wondered if Lori and Jenny were the influences that drew the rotten side of her out.

Shivering as she caught sight of Hannah, Sora’s jaw tightened in her momentarily lapse in judgment.  No…  Kari only believes in the strong.  There’s no room for weakness when it comes to her, and if someone does show it, she’ll eat them alive.  She is the Alpha Bully that makes it easy for everyone under her to pick on whoever they want.

Kari didn’t look her way once, as if she wasn’t even worth her time as she dominated the volleyball practice, drawing a moderate crowd that couldn’t keep their eyes off her.

She really is a succubus…  There’s no way she can be stronger than all the boys and not be using some kind of magic, Sora internally grumbled while double-checking her towel, and shoved open the door to exit out the back.

Her hand came up to shield her eyes from the blazing sun that touched her tan skin.  Swallowing a hard lump in her throat, Sora’s fingernails pressed against her arms as the soft sea breeze tingled her hair with the cloudless sky, doing nothing to mitigate the Miami heat.

Hannah followed soon after, not looking too thrilled about the task she’d been given, but Sora knew it was more about Sora wasting her precious after-school time than the act itself.  No, Hannah could care less about bullying Sora—she wasn’t worth her attention.

Sora’s cheeks flushed further as she caught confused glances from a few of her peers walking through the field to hit up the nearby shopping centers of Miami’s lively South Beach area, and to pull her mind away from the questioning stares, she tried to pretend no one was around her.

No one will think a thing when I get further away from school; they’ll just think I’m heading to the beach!  I just need to get away from school…

Quivering, Sora thought about the hotel staff that managed the over fifty-million dollar suite her father owned in South Beach.  Ron and Howie never judge me when I tell them about Kari, but there’s not much they can do about it since they’re just staffers at the hotel.

She’d refrained from mentioning anything about Kari having powers to the two since when she’d brought up her thoughts to Dr. Jones, it had given just the ammunition needed to convince her dad she was making things up.  Mary had the documents, so it didn’t matter what she said.

Still, she had to keep what few people she had in her corner and not scare them away to remain sane—the unneeded meds didn’t help—it hurt a lot that her dad didn’t believe her, but he was trying to do his best.  Instead, it was the stupid people Mary mentioned that were screwing her life up.

It doesn’t make sense!  she internally screamed, feeding off her boiling blood to move past the shame of only having a towel on as a covering in the middle of the bustling city of Miami.  Kari didn’t sound like she wanted me around at all—which is fine; I’ll leave.  Yet Lori and Jenny want me to stay to bully me?  The hell?!

Lori, sure—she’s a damn psychopath…  But Jenny?  Jenny doesn’t really care for me; she mostly ignores me.  Why would she want me to stay?

Everything she’d come to think about the Trinity of Bullies had come into question after Kari shut down Lori.  It had been shockingly therapeutic to see the nutcase get a taste of Kari’s heat, but it still didn’t make sense.

Taking a deep breath, Sora started down Dade Boulevard toward 24th Street.  Students avoided her by habit while most tourists and joggers ignored her, which was nice.  At the intersection, she crossed over to Pedestrian Bridge.

Finally away from school!  I just need…  No…

Halfway across, she slowed to a stop, her heart thumping against her ribs as the crowd of tourists and locals flowed around her without pause. Straight ahead of her was Lori, making Sora’s throat catch as she leaned against a green signpost with an innocent smile.

There’s no way she’d do anything in public, right?  Although… it is Lori…

Teeth grinding together, Sora pushed forward; she couldn’t cross without moving past her.

It was the middle of the day with tourists flocking, and joggers running up and down the avenue, but she’d recently learned about something called the ‘bystander effect,’ which she had first-hand experience in.

A low growl rumbled in Sora’s throat as Lori’s smile widened with each step closer she took.  Don’t, Lori…  Get your kicks out of seeing me naked with a towel in public, and let me go…

Lori played with a fruit smoothie in her hands, taking a few sips while waiting, and when the straw dropped from her glossy lips, Sora’s gut tightened.

“Well, well, well,” Lori clicked her tongue, showing a testing grin as she looked her body up and down, “what a bold little fox you are.  Going out with only a towel on—mmh, daring.”

Sora’s chest tensed, cheeks burning; a few tourists frowned as they scooted around them, but carried on, and Lori swiftly closed the distance, whispering in Sora’s ear, “You aren’t going to transfer.”

Sora forced a smile.  Lori didn’t have the balls to go against Kari—she was bluffing.  “K-Kari told me I had to.  Are y-you telling me I should let her know you want to c-challenge her?”

“Mmh, stuttering as usual…”  Lori’s smile didn’t waver as she shook her head.  “No, no, no—you are going to go against Kari’s order.”

“Hah!  Funny.  I don’t think so!  If she s-says I need to go, then I go.”

Shaking her head again, Lori licked her lower lip and her tone darkened.  “I’m telling you… you aren’t going anywhere.”

Lori walked past, the wind of her movement grazing her hot cheeks, and Sora took a shuddering breath and exhaled; it was over.  Her tension eased, and she took another breath to calm her pounding heart.

She didn’t…

A freezing smoothie poured over her head and into her towel front, yet Lori’s whispered words against her ear were colder than her drink.  “I said, you’re not going anywhere!  Don’t think of skipping class tomorrow, or Wendy will get it.”

The surrounding crowd backed away with surprised shouts as the remainder of the smoothie splashed across the ground, and Sora stood in silence as Lori continued across the bridge without a backward glance.

Terror seized her at the implication; she couldn’t breathe.

Wendy…  Dammit!  What do I do…  What can I do?  I can’t let this opportunity pass me, but if Lori starts targeting Wendy if I don’t…  What can I do?!

Sora’s frozen mind snapped back to reality as a man ran over to her from a nearby boat booth.  “Hey—you alright, girl?  That was horrible!  Do you have her name?  I’ll let the…”

She nervously checked to ensure her now-stained towel was secure before putting on an embarrassed smile and wiping a clump of the smoothie out of her hair.  “N-No—no, I’m fine.  Just a little… heh, a l-little school-girl fun—it’s nothing serious.”

She looked up at the man’s doubtful lifted eyebrow, noting how tightly she was holding onto her towel.  “Mmh…”

He was thin, but muscular, with light scruff and thick, light-brown hair that curled slightly around his palm tree hat; his face was chiseled by a master sculptor, and his bronze irises were penetrating with concern.

Shifting to look past the gathering throng, he crossed his arms with a low grunt.  “Humph…  She slipped into the crowd.  Do you know her address and name?”

Sora put up a hand.  “No—I s-said it’s fine.”

Nose twisting with agitation, he eyed her while rubbing the back of his neck, and the crowd started to disperse as they saw him handling the disturbance.  Sora knew he couldn’t do anything, and just wanted to go back to her hotel, take a shower, and cry into the spray.

“Hmm…”  He nudged his head back to where he’d come.  “I work at the little boat stand over there.  We sell a few pieces of clothing; you can take a shirt and shorts.”

Sora was about to refuse but stopped at the man’s next statement.  “If you don’t at least take the clothes, I’ll call the police and see what they have to say about an underage girl going around with only a towel on!”

She nodded, thankful that he had at least spoken quietly so others wouldn’t hear.  “Thank you…”

He clearly wanted to see some kind of punishment come to Lori, and as much as Sora would have loved that—she wasn’t feeling the most secure at the moment—she knew she couldn’t pursue it.  The man’s sympathetic smile and attempts to stick up for her helped her pained heart.

“The name’s Frank, and I don’t think that was a prank, or, humph, ‘school-girl fun.’  Your hair was slaughtered for starters…  You know, there are people you can talk to…”

Sora shook her head emphatically.  “Really, thank you again, Frank, and I have s-someone that believes me…  I think.”

“So, it’s not just school-girl fun,” he growled, his hard stare making Sora swiftly retreat, her face sheet-white.  “I don’t like what I just saw, and no one even stepped up…  Pathetic.”

His tone made Sora quiver a bit; it was as if he’d taken Lori’s action as a personal attack.

“Umm…  I’ll take the clothes and pay you back later, b-but I’m fine… I’ll b-be fine…  I don’t want to talk about it right now…”  she mumbled, gingerly following him back to the booth with multiple people’s eyes on her.

Frank reached into his pocket to extract an old, vintage brass watch with two mechanisms, one sprouting out of the first, and opened it to reveal a bizarre, tangled mess of gears that had the illusion of shifting around each other into infinity.  As she stared at it, it flipped and turned in oddly out-of-sync directions, confusing her.

He scowled as he watched the horizontal, vertical, and slanted gears work and flip around one another.  “It’s not right.  Mmm… adjustments need to be made.”

Popping his tongue once against the roof of his mouth in a slight agitation, he snapped it shut and stuffed it back into his pocket, but not before she saw a rough, black, chalk-like drawing of a man inside.

Shuffling behind the stand while poking through the merchandise between sizes, he mumbled, “Just know there are people that care about you that can help—no matter what you’re facing.”

Sora just chuckled weakly.  “Y-Yeah.”

Sora nodded as he produce a red t-shirt with the word Life! written across the back with a white, outlined heart and cream shorts that came just above the knee, a red heart on the left side.

She used the stand as best she could for cover, pulling the baggy shirt on first before pulling the shorts over the ruined towel and shirt; shockingly, it fit her hips perfectly.

Exiting the booth, towel in hand, she wiped at her hair to remove what she could of the smoothie as Frank stood nearby, looking at his unusual watch again.  “Is… there anyone I can call?”

Sora felt tears coming on at how protective he was being, and she could totally see her father doing the same once Mary set all the fake doctor reports straight.  “No…  I’m f-fine now.  Thank you—a lot—it m-means a lot.”

Frank’s lips pressed together as he scratched at his lower back and pocketed the watch again.  “Huh…  If that’s what you want.  Just… don’t ever think that you’re alone.”

Thanking him again, she walked back to the fancy hotel she called home, adding a light smile as she passed the barrier gates and entered the main lobby.  Finally, she was away from the cruel world and in her safe little bubble.

Cynthia, a hotel tenant, frowned at her appearance; the woman’s sharp eyes were always watching to make sure she made it back to the hotel, recording the timing.  Sora observed her light-brown pigtail disappear into the office, likely to tell a senior staff member about her appearance.

A short sigh leaving her lungs, Sora waved to the front desk tenants as they called for the private elevator to take her up to the suite her father owned.  She stared at her reflection in the metallic door while waiting: what remained of her hair was matted with blended fruit, but the clothes Frank had given her weren’t a bad fit.

She bit the inside of her cheek as the doors opened, and she entered to direct a feigned grin at Howie.  “Hey, Howie!”

“W-What happened?”  Howie gasped, looking utterly mortified.  “Your clothes—hair…” 

She rubbed her shoulder with a wry smirk, shrugging while glancing to the left.  “Oh, I don’t know; what excuse should I use this time…  I know!  Heh, I got a f-fly strip stuck in my hair—and, uh… on the way back I s-spilled a—umm, my smoothie on my…

“No, that’s not right,” she huffed between stutters, eyes rolling as she thought of another angle.  “Honestly, a friend thought it w-would be funny to spill a smoothie on my head…  Yeah, that’s a g-good one, huh?  It was all for fun, of course,” she sarcastically chuckled.  “I know what it must look like—I’m totally crazy—huh?”

Howie let a low hiss blow through his teeth.  “Good one…  Your friend spilled a smoothie, on your head as… a joke?  And if something like a fly strip got stuck in your hair, obviously, being the ‘thrifty’ girl you are, you wouldn’t go to a hairdresser… like three months ago with the gum?”

Sora backed into the corner, tight gut and pent-up tension easing as she talked to the frowning man.  “That’s what happened—at least, that’s what Dr. Hallmark would have everyone believe…  But good n-news!”

Closing the double doors and taking out the key to lock them inside so no one could interrupt them, Howie crossed his arms.  “Are you going to slide past everything else?”

Mary’s conversation suddenly sparked to life in Sora’s mind, she pivoted the conversation.  “Wait…  Mary—did she…”

“Yeah, Sora…”  he said with tight eyes.  “I heard about you being taken off your pills from Dr. Jernigan, and, after she interviewed all of the hotel staff, everyone started to see that everything we were told had been a lie…  Why the hell would a doctor—multiple doctors—do that to you?!  The lawsuit coming once your dad is back in town…  It doesn’t make sense.”

Trying unsuccessfully to hold back tears as he confirmed Mary was on her side, Sora sucked in her trembling lips.  “So… s-so… you b-believe that I’ve been—I’ve been bullied f-for the past—the p-past three…”

She couldn’t get the words out before Howie nodded and moved in to bring her into his arms as liquid fell from his own eyes.  “Yeah, Sora…  Ron and I always suspected there was something else going on but…  I’m sorry, Sora.”

“N-No—it’s just…  Thank you for always listening, H-Howie…  I’m going to—to get my dad to h-have me homeschooled…  My meds?”

“Dr. Jernigan told us to have you taper off the anti-psychotics with one pill rather than two, and we’re reducing the others too.  Don’t worry, we’ll eventually get you off them…  She seemed to really care about helping you, Sora, and attempting to follow up all the inconsistencies in your files…  She asked us so many questions.”

Sora let out a nervous chuckle.  “My, heh, friend isn’t a p-professional at cutting hair, h-huh?”

“No…”

Sora felt her laugh escape her, and she just focused on breathing.  Letting out her emotions for several minutes, hope filled her breast.  Thankfully, everything was changing, and so rapidly—three years—after so many people who would cave to whoever stood behind Kari.

Her father finally found the right woman to help her—that actually wanted to help her.  Frank was right: there were people out there that would help.

Howie supported her for several minutes until she could get her tears under control, making her feel secure in his big arms.  He input her penthouse ID for the forty-eighth floor, her eight-year-long elevator attendant sniffed before clearing his throat and saying, “I hope you know that I’ll be texting your dad about this one…  They won’t get away with everything they’ve done to you, Sora.”

Cheeks already puffy, Sora tried to laugh through her building emotions again.  “You don’t h-have to!  He’ll be here in eight days…  He can see f-for himself.”

Howie’s lips pursed as he scrutinized her again, lower lip pulled in.  He’d known her since she was eight years old—without a doubt, he’d call him the moment she left.  “You don’t need to go to school—probably ever, after this…”  he trailed off as Sora choked and shook her head, rubbing her wet cheeks. 

“I have to—at least for t-tomorrow…  Wendy m-might be targeted if I don’t go, and… and you know how much her mom h-hates me.  I’m a strong girl—I can handle this m-much with you, and… and…”

She smiled , for the first time in what seemed ages, it felt real as she held up her arm and flexed.  If she had people to believe in her, that was all she needed, and if all she had to deal with was Lori, she could do that.

“With t-things changing…  I know it may b-be a pipe-dream, b-but I want her to join me—i-in homeschool—is w-what I mean.”

Howie tried to reflect her positivity, but she could see the hurt, shame, and anger he tried to hide, which saddened her.  “If… you’re…  I know how much Wendy means to you…”  Sucking in his lips for a moment, he choked, “I’d love to see that happen.”

The elevator dinged at her penthouse, and Sora exited into the foyer, waving Howie off and feeling on cloud-9; she really was free.

Spinning in a circle as she entered the hallway, she tried to calm her racing heart while studying the extravagant living space.  Her father was friends with the owner of the hotel and had purchased it ten years back for a bargain; a deal because of his connections.

It was a three-story, ten-thousand square meter penthouse with a contemporary design around Bubinga wood.  It hosted close to seven-meter, double-open level, ceilings, with expansive views of the ocean and the Miami Beach cityscape.

One of the selling perks was the car elevator and massive garage that could house eleven cars—her father was a car guy and filled every spot—there was also an on-premises restaurant, lobby bar, fitness center, cigar and wine lounge, and east and west pools, with many more entertainment options.

She had the whole penthouse to herself while her dad went around the world on business—often for many months at a time.  Several international companies paid him very well for his services as a consultant, but he always made time to come home on major holidays.

There were also times her father hosted extravagant parties in the penthouse, and while growing up, she’d had a rather amazing caretaker that set up all sorts of fun activities for Wendy and her to do.

She walked past the foyer and into the massive living-dining room to release a hot stream of air while leaning against a white, leather couch to collect herself.  “Hmm…  Thanks, Howie…  M-Mary.”

Recalling the psychiatrist’s comment, she did a quick glance at the expansive ocean view, and a worried sting struck her chest at the possibility of someone getting to her, but the fact she’d conducted her investigation for the last several weeks without her catching on at all and how everyone’s opinions were already changing told Sora the cat was out of the bag.

Sora’s vision shifted to the front room’s granite floor, which gleamed beneath the natural light shining through the colossal windows, before staring out of the stunning, vast ocean view.  Even if Kari has powers, she wants me gone…  This has to be real…  It has to be!  This is the time for me to not back down…  I won’t be Lori’s pin-cushion anymore; I won’t back down!

Taking in a deep breath, she let it out with a grin as her focus moved to the large balcony and infinity edge spa visible through one of the dining room doors; a long, charcoal-black, granite countertop bar with padded chairs was spaced in the center overlooking the vast view.

Should I get cleaned up and go get some chicken to grill tonight?  I could order room service, but… where’s the fun in that?!

Humming cheerfully as she went to the stairs to reach the second landing, she passed through the flex room to the second master bedroom; it was time to set her feet in and start fighting back in this battle if Lori’s alpha general and whoever backed her wasn’t going to interfere.

Should I call Dad tonight about homeschooling?  She felt a wave of relief pass over her at just the thought.  Yes!  I just need to fight against Lori’s bullying for the week, and then I’ll be free…  I’ll get Wendy to join me, too.  Somehow.  No!  Whatever it takes!  This isn’t for me now; it’s for Wendy!.

She opened her immense wardrobe to pick out a chiffon white and gray strap dress that extended to her ankles and placed it on her bed.  Selecting white undergarments, a pair of brown heels, and a silver bracelet, she took them to her bathroom.

Sora undressed and threw the garments Frank had given her in the laundry chute; the staff downstairs would clean them and she could return the articles the following day.

She activated the tablet embedded in the dark-tiled wall and opened the calendar.  Wednesday is picture day…  But that doesn’t matter now; I’m out!

Turning on Spotify, she played the pop station as she washed, getting out part way through to find scissors to even out her hair in the fogless shower mirror, and, once satisfied, put on her chosen attire.

Returning to her room in high spirits, she took her purse off the dresser—not taking the expensive items to school for obvious reasons—and moved to sit on her bed to extract her phone; she should have left it on the wireless charger but forgot the night before.

“Hmm…”  She frowned while looking at the front screen; she had a voicemail from her father.

Activating the recording, her dad’s deep, Irish-accented voice came through on speaker, adding their cultural endearments that made her giggle.  “A mhuirnín, how are you?  I, uh, got a rather shocking text from Mary.  No more meds?  I have questions, but that will have to wait; I’m swamped at the moment—eh…”

His voice cut out as someone hesitantly spoke to him, sounding as if he had the same stuttering speech problem that her meds had caused and a Chinese accent.  “The hell you mean the files aren’t complete?  Dammit, I got places to be in a week, man!  what do ya think you’re bein’ paid for, huh?!

“Ahem, sorry, Darlin’,” he mumbled, making Sora giggle.  “Aye, I can’t be happier if I understood what Mary's text implied, and…  Aye, I have questions, of course.  I, eh—I know I didn’t call much the, umm, the last few days, but I have a massive gift for ya this year regardless—it’ll be great.

“On that note, I have a massive deal this week, which will require me to go dark—ugh, worse time possible—believe me, I know.  It’s such a major deal that they want everyone involved to hand over their phones and hash everything out.

“Only the CEO and Chairman will have theirs to communicate.  I love you so much, a chroí, and I will do everything in my power to get done as soon as possible!  I’ll move heaven and hell to make it back for your birthday—believe it!

“The company is sending me back on their private jet Monday, so I’ll be there Tuesday morning!  Sorry, you know how long a flight it is from Seoul.”  He cut out for a second.  “Ahh, got to go, a chuisle—heh, people not doin’ their jobs, which cuts out on my time with you…  Ya hear that, Kazuko?!”

“Yes, Mr. Moore!  Apologies, Mr. Moore!”

“Just get it done; we’re on a tight schedule!  Eh, sorry, again, a chroí!  I’ll see you next Tuesday!”

Sora couldn’t stop her chest from shaking with laughter; her father sounded like the man he was hassling about getting all the company information to him—stumbling all over the place—as if his daughter were his boss.

“Hmm…  No, t-that’s f-fine, Dad,” she brightly replied to herself, flipping to her phone’s front page to smile at the last picture she’d taken with Wendy; her dad’s large smiling grin behind them on their last Tahiti vacation.  “I can be strong like you, too.”

“Mmgm.”  Loosening her neck, she couldn’t find anything from Mary—it would probably come later—so she stood up and set her resolve.  “Nothing t-to worry about!  Okay, pull yourself together, Sora, and let’s go get some stuff to celebrate!  Whatever Lori has planned—whatever—I can h-handle it!”

Placing her cell phone inside her purse while looping it back around her left shoulder, she made her way to the elevator.

Let’s do this!

Chapter Three:  Ten Days; New Acquaintances

Making her way to the elevator, Sora waved at Howie again.  “Hey!”

The man chuckled.  “Didn’t I just say goodbye to you an hour or two ago?!  And aren’t you looking pretty?  It’s great to see you smiling again.”

“Aww, thanks!  Just going to run down to the c-corner store and grab a steak to cook on the grill!  Want me to pick you up one, too?”

“If you’re offering, I won’t turn down a steak!”

“Sounds good,” she grinned, getting into the elevator.

He pressed the button for the lobby, leaning against the side as they dropped floors.  “Oh, before I forget, the meds, eh, med—singular, heh—it’s in the morning with Ron.  We’re supposed to alternate your other ones every second day to start with.”

“Normal t-time?”

“Yup.”

“Okay…  Man,” she ran her fingers through her still slightly damp hair, “it’s gonna be so nice when I don’t need to take any of this crap.”

“I hear you!  Let’s just…”

“I k-know.  I know.  Haaa,”  Sora let out a sigh.  “Temper my expectations.”

Going silent for a second while folding his arms and staring at her, Sora glanced at her front with a frown.

“Is there… something on my dress?”

“No.  No…  I’m just happy seeing you excited to go out.  It’s been a while since you’ve worn something like that or your jewelry.”

“Yeah, well… I didn’t want my nice clothes to get ripped or my jewelry stolen and pawned off.  Umm… any barbecue sauce?  You can take it home just before Ron trades out for the night.”

“Heh, whatever you want, and you know I’m not… picky.”

She gave a short sigh upon seeing the dark rings under his eyes.  “It must be tough since Ray and Ireen got new jobs.  Never liked them anyway, but yeah…  Must suck for Ron and you having to work such crazy hours until they find a replacement.”

Howie eased around his tight neck with a low chuckle.  “It’s been a bit rough, and standing around in an elevator all day can kill my legs—especially when you can’t sit down in case one of the VIPs come in, but, heh, you make it worthwhile!”

“S-Stop it!”  Sora giggled, playfully punching his shoulder as the doors opened to the lobby.  “Gah, and I can’t w-wait until this s-stupid stutter is gone!”

“I know how much it bothers you, but it can be super cute!”

She exited, giving him a doubtful backward glance as he waved her off.

“Mhm…”

Pushing her purse strap up, she sighed and returned passing greetings to the veteran staff.  Stepping outside, the blazing Miami sun kissed her skin and she released a pleasant, unbridled purr upon smelling the nearby ocean breeze.

Okay!  Know what, I should grab some cash for Frank!  He did scare off Hannah and Lori, she thought while proceeding to the two-story corner store that carried just about anything she generally needed.

A smile brightened her lips as she relived the look on the blonde’s face when the big, 205-centimeter-tall, bear-like man’s eyes settled on her.  It’s not often people stick up for me.

Holding her wrist behind her back as she basked in the Miami Beach's vivid energy, attitude changed, it was great to see packs of tourists and locals dressed in bikinis and beachwear.

Sora could have picked out a good, summer hat after seeing a few women with various shades of the covering, but then again, she could also play her butchered hair off as a fashion statement.  Few people noticed her, far more busy going about their day.

Taking another deep breath to flavor the refreshing scent of palm trees and the salty ocean wind of her home, Sora giggled as she saw a car driving down the street, missing most of its parts, a mattress tied to the hood.

Good ol’ Miami…  Never a dull moment in the city of entertainment and insanity.

She didn’t rush to the corner store, but, eventually, the large windows and stucco came into view.

Sora made it to the corner store without issue; the two-story building was spackled white and locally owned.  It was the closest market to the hotel, so she visited it regularly for anything she needed.

Catching her reflection in the glass as she neared, a small frown came on.  She had liked her long hair, despite what other girls said about its copper color.

“Well, it will be back in a few months,” she sighed, reshaping it for a second before entering the store; once inside, she did her typical scan for any of Kari’s girls.

Not many kids from her school lived in the busy heart of Miami Beach’s ritzy district, considering there were few actual living areas since most of the housing in this area was dedicated to expensive hotels for tourists.

It wasn’t uncommon for the high school girls to cruise around the place, but only Lori was psychotic enough to try something in such a public area and away from Kari’s little bubble.

Luckily, she didn’t find anyone she knew, and it seemed shockingly bare for its location and the time of the day.  There were only a few packs of people she could see, and most appeared to be tourists.

A man and woman in their forties, apparently on vacation, were recording each other with their phones and speaking French; Sora picked up on a few words but didn’t pay them more than a passing glance.

The middle school girl killing time in the unique clothing section near the front left stole her eyes for a moment, yet it was the two girls around her age, partially hidden to the side of an aisle browsing food, that kept her focus as she proceeded to the ATM.

She took them as tourists by the very unusual sing-songy language they spoke that Sora couldn’t place, and the blonde certainly made them stand out; she was about the same size as Kari and perhaps even more toned.

The short girl—around ten centimeters less than Sora—looked Korean, if she had to take a guess.  She had silky, raven-black hair, a thin body, somewhat tan skin, and stern eyes that were a clouded, topaz hue.

A hand on her hip as she pointed at various items with a slightly exasperated tone, she wore tight, black jeans and a close-fitting, white and black split shirt; Sora couldn’t figure out how she wasn’t burning up with the humidity and heat outside.  Slightly jealous, Sora noticed that she didn’t seem to wear nor need makeup.

Sora’s hands hesitated at her purse as the Korean cut off before shifting her posture to stare right at her, and caused her to fixate on the slitted contact lenses she wore.

Weird… but it is Miami.

Extracting her wallet from within her purse, a shiver ran down Sora’s spine as a sense of danger cascaded through her bones; turning back to the pair, the air in her lungs froze.

The Korean’s eyes flashed crimson, an intense glare locking Sora in place, yet the pressure collapsed when the blonde put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed, muttering something in their odd language that made the shorter girl’s brow furrow and take a second look at her.

A few more words passed between them before the Korean grunted and walked around the corner, leaving the blonde to smile and wave at her as if nothing had happened.

Releasing an uneven stream of air, Sora blinked a few times while rubbing her dry throat.  No one else seemed to notice the rapid exchange, but Sora wasn’t sure if part of it had been her meds making her see things.  Ever since she’d started taking pills, she did occasionally hear voices and imagine things that weren’t there, but nothing that intense.

It almost felt like…  Kari can sometimes give me that feeling.

A shiver ran through her body again as she shook her head and rubbed her temple.  Just chill…  Damn.

She did a double-take on the blonde, who did notice her gaze and wave, working through very broken and incorrect English.  “Sal-u… citations…”

“Yeah… hey,” she muttered, scanning her appearance.

The girl’s beach-golden hair was intertwined in a soft, fishtail braid that hung below her shoulder blades, her glittering, bright-blue irises holding a curiosity in everything she examined.  Her brown, leather bandeau bikini seemed to be made of actual animal hide that was stitched together, and around her neck was the most beautiful gold-twined laced necklace she’d ever seen.

Sora traced the twined, aureate threads of the ornament that played around each other in a diamond design of a gem-encrusted eye, some kind of radiant ivory jewel the size of a golf ball with a void-like core, with silver spikes on the top and bottom of the center-piece connecting it to the golden twine.

She must have come from a phenomenally wealthy family to wear something like that around, and Sora couldn’t help but notice the contrast in her wild-looking attire—including the leather wrap around her feet and shins—to the stunning showpiece.

Shaking her head and discounting her previous experience to one of her somewhat infrequent episodes, Sora returned a weak smile and gesture before returning to her business.

I gotta get off these meds…

Sora shot one last look back, leaning to the side a bit to stare down the aisle to confirm if the Korean girl’s eyes were still glowing red, but it just got her a dull look from the raven-haired girl with her slit-contact yellow eyes.  It had been her imagination.

Stupid pills.

Scratching her elbow with agitation, Sora tried to filter out the loud French tourists’ conversation in the back and got her card out to access her checking account that her dad regularly allocated funds to for her every-day-use.

Hmm… $93,234 available…  I’ve been using more than I generally do on Lori’s stupid perfume collection.  I must have bought almost every damn brand in that ridiculous chic store she always has me go to…  Well, that ends now!

Extracting $100 in twenty-dollar bills with a huff, she placed them in her purse and glanced over at the clothing section, where the middle school girl was browsing swimsuits.  Continuing to look around, the summer hats nearby caught her interest.

I have a spot for a new hat… after Hannah took my black one last week.

She moved to the area, sliding by the brown-haired girl, and looked between the three available colors; the floppy, tan hat with a big bowknot wrapped around it looked cute and could go with a few outfits.

Taking it off the rack, she jumped as the younger girl touched her back, attempting to scoot by.  “Sorry, but can I…”

“Oh, yeah!  No problem.”

The teen paused about a meter away, studying the item in her hand before looking Sora up and down.  “Umm… super cute clothes, by the way, but… I think you’d look better with long hair.”

Is she trying to compliment or diss me?

“Thanks, uh, I’m going to grow it out again.  That… eh, is a pretty floral pareo.  T-The black with blue and white flowers is nice.  Where did you get it?”

She glanced down with a grimace.  “Ugh… I like my pure white one better with this bathing suit, but I got it for sale online.  Thanks for noticing.”

“Yeah.”

Expecting the conversation to be over, Sora turned away to study the stitching to see if the bow was just wrapped around or sown into the article when the girl chuckled, scrutinizing her again.  “Lori really did a number on your hair; my sister told me about it on the walk home today.  I heard she has something planned for you tomorrow.”

Sora closed her eyes and released the air filling her lungs before turning to the younger girl.  “Figures, and here I thought you were just being awkwardly friendly.  Who’s your sister—Jackie?”

“Amanda.  I heard Kari wants you to leave, so, heh, I guess she won’t be coming home with a bunch of clothes anymore.  To be honest, I was always jealous because she’d always hang it over my head…  But jokes on her; I sometimes steal her clothes!”

Not expecting the snickering girl to make her chuckle, Sora rubbed the back of her neck and shrugged.  “Meh, Amanda’s not that bad, to be honest; she usually lets the others walk all over her.”

“Oh…”  The girl’s smile fell.  “I thought…  Huh.  Anyway, umm… later, rich girl.”

Sora watched her return the tank top she was carrying to the rack before leaving with downcast eyes.

Guess she thought her sister was one of the cool kids…  Not really how it works with Lori in the mix.

Walking to the small fresh-meat section while picking out a mineral water along the way to wash away the bitter taste in her mouth, Sora selected two decently-sized tenderloin cuts and made her way to the front to checkout.

Of the three registers, two were backed up with four people waiting, with the center only having one, and it seemed for good reason: the foreign girls she’d seen before were attempting to check out—at least, it looked like they were trying.

Sora got behind them, a curious smile playing at the corner of her lips as she studied the long horde of miscellaneous goods the pair had placed for purchase; the selection ranged from snacks and sodas to cereals and various types of meat.

Zack, one of the employees Sora had talked with before, had his arms crossed and a matching expression on his face while glaring at the two.

“As I said, it’ll be five-hundred, thirty-three, seventy-two.  Do I need to take off a few items?”

Sora believed she caught their names between the odd language the two spoke; Jin—the Korean girl—appeared to be frustrated with Eyia—the tall, confused blonde—as she attempted to explain something to her.

After a few cryptic phrases, Jin turned back to Zack, and to Sora’s amazement, spoke perfect English; it was so casual that her accent even carried a Miami cadence, utterly deviating from her previous tempo.

“Ugh…  Sorry, we’re new to this place.  Is it possible to barter?”

Zack’s face blanked.  “Is… this a social media video?  You’re joking, right—there’s no hidden camera?”

Jin blinked in bewilderment.  “An online video for amusement?  No…  Is bartering not something done here?  I was sure bottlecaps were a thing here,” she mumbled to herself.

“What… bottlecaps?  Uh, yeah… we only accept cash or credit.”

“What… type of credit?”  Jin pressed, left eyebrow narrowing fishily.

Zack sighed and rubbed between his eyes, repeating, “What type of credit…  Mmmgm…  Mastercard.”

“Ah… those plastic currencies,” she mumbled with a somber nod before turning to the blonde and flipping to the sing-song language on a dime to explain the problem.

Eyia’s eyes brightened with her smile as she held up her left hand, where a golden ring that hadn’t been there previously—Sora was sure—was promptly pulled off and offered to the grinning Korean.

Flipping around to offer it, she presented the item.  “I am afraid we do not have such plastic credit but might gold be an option?  We have a ring…”

Sora couldn’t help but giggle at the girl’s attempted payment.  “R-Really?  You are t-trying to barter with jewelry!”

Unfortunately, the comment brought everyone’s gaze, eliciting instant regret as Jin’s cheeks reddened, her cold, golden irises darting to her.  “Is that a problem, Little Fox?  I’m not in the mood for tricks.”

Sora’s cheeks flushed as she stepped back, unsure what to say with the questioning stares aimed at her.  Fingers tightening against her purse, Sora hastily shook her head.  “N-No, I’m sorry.  Ugh, that was pretty rude of me.”

I can’t believe I just came out and did that…  Yeah, they’re definitely not from the US, and I made fun of them…  Not cool.  The ‘Little Fox,’ though…  Does she think I’m Native American?

Hot air shot through Jin’s nose as she haughtily tilted her head.  “It was rude, but at least you have the guts to admit it; we are not used to this Miami, so naturally, we’d have trouble.”

Sora took a deep breath to calm her racing heart as a sudden thought drew her away from the conversation.  Wait, is that the inside joke Kari’s group always uses against me?  These girls definitely aren’t with Kari, though…  Is it that I look Native American?

Feeling bad now, she cleared her throat, attempting not to stutter, not that it typically helped.  “Umm… Here, I’ll pay for your stuff as an a-apology.”

Dammit!  It had to be the last word!

Jin’s tight jaw slackened, a suspicious edge narrowing her eyes and bypassing the stutter as if she hadn’t even heard it.  “What… is your game?”

“Heh.  To say sorry and g-get out of here faster,” she laughed, internally cursing again; it always got worse when she was nervous.  “Zack, umm… if you c-could add these to the order…”

Knowing she was good for it, Zack happily snatched her items and scanned them to place them in a separate bag as Sora scooted past the pair to tap her card against the machine.

“And… there.  We good, Z-Zack?”

“Yup.  Receipt, right?”

Sora puffed out a long stream of air.  “You know I n-need it to track my purchases for my dad.”

“Just had to ask,” he said, with a wry grin, handing it to her to place in her receipt pocket.

“Alright, uh…  Want some help carrying some of this out?  Do you have a taxi or car nearby?”

Jin and Eyia looked at each other uncertainly, the Korean mumbling something that the blonde nodded to.  “Eh…  Sure.  I wanted to ask you something anyway.”

“Okay,” Sora shrugged, moving to load the items in the cart, but the super-tall amazon of a girl somehow snatched up most of the plastic straps herself and effortlessly hoisted them over the side.

The Korean rolled her slit golden eyes with a short huff as the blonde shot a victorious smirk in her direction.  “This doesn’t count as a victory,” she grumbled.

“Damn…”  Zack whispered, lifting an eyebrow at the somewhat unreasonable number of items Eyia seemed to effortlessly balance and leave with.  Of course, she was smashing a lot of goods, but it was still more than a little impressive.

“We’re gonna stop off at a sitting area at the nearby park.  You good with that, Little Fox?”  Jin queried with a lifted eyebrow.

“Sure… and, heh, can we drop the L-Little Fox stuff?  My name is S-Sora.”

“Mmmgh…”

A bit put off by the girl’s disinterested grunt, Sora kept her silence as she followed behind them.  Eyia appeared to want to be a little ahead of Jin, and there was an unmistakable rivalry of sorts that was primarily initiated by the blonde.

Their unusual language caught her ears again as they went; she couldn’t place it, and eventually, the question bubbled out of her mouth.

“Uh…  Would you mind telling me where y-you’re from?

Jin huffed, making the bags sway in her hands as she passively scanned the crowds; Eyia drew a ton of attention.  “Nowhere you’d be interested in.”

Not knowing if she was rude or just blunt, she rephrased it.  “I’m just w-wondering what language you’re speaking.  It sounds pretty,” she added, hoping the genuine compliment would break the ice a bit.

“Pretty?”  Jin started chuckling while leering at the proud blonde ahead of them, her head held high.  “Personally, I think it’s pretty lame, and limited, might I add, but what other language would you expect from a blockhead race like Asgardians?”

“Huh…  Like… the m-movies?  Is it a made-up language Eyia created?”

Jin shot her a side-long look.  “How’d you know her name?”

“Umm… I guessed based on what sounded like names from your c-conversation?”

“Humph.  Are you being facetious?  Typical foxes,” she huffed, rolling her eyes.

“F-Facetious?  No.  I don’t know if you’re being serious or not.”  She repositioned her hands around the bags to readjust the hat on her head.  “I just wanted to help a bit since you aren’t from here, but now you’re being rude.”

Eyia shot a questioning look back at them for Jin to groan, “Freaking Asgardians…  Haaa.  Fine.”

She motioned for them to stop off at a park beach table that led to the sandy shore to their far left.  “We can wait here; Eyia wanted to thank you personally for paying for our stuff.  Although… I still expect the guy to run after us and accuse us of having false plastic money.”

“Wow, uh…  I guess you don’t have a lot of t-trust for people,” Sora hummed, more interested in their past than put off by the comment—she could relate, in a way—everyone was always looking for handouts from her or expecting things.

Setting everything down, Sora was a little taken aback when Eyia stepped up and hugged her, practically squeezing the air out of her and lifting her off the ground.

“I—s-ooo—salu-tation!”  she brokenly cheered.  The crushing embrace was as if she’d been put inside a vice-grip.  “Feed—nice!”

“You’re hopeless…”  Jin moaned, a palm to her shaking forehead as she seemed to instruct the blonde to set her down.

“Haaa!  I—ack…  She’s so… s-strong!”  Sora cried, choking with tears in her eyes as she bent over to wheeze and try to fill her compressed lungs again.

The confused blonde gave the bored and frustrated Korean a worried look, speaking more gibberish for her to return it.

“Eyia says she’s sorry.  She hasn’t met many people… like, ever… in her life, so… yeah.”

“N-No problem…  Ack…  Umm—j-just give me a sec…”

The blonde hovered nearby, shooting questions at Jin as Sora recovered, and, after several seconds, they all sat down.

“I-I’m fine now…  Wow, but that’s… insane.  How often does she w-work out?”

“Irrelevant.  Anyway,” Jin bypassed, taking out some salt and vinegar chips to start sampling their food, “what’s up with you?”

“What do you mean?  Do you, umm, not like Japanese people or something?”

“Huh?  No.  That made no sense; why would I hate someone Japanese?  Humph, these chips, though, are… interesting.”

Eyia took a handful to chow on before chattering with the Korean.  Sora didn’t know what was even happening anymore, but it tickled a bit of fascination inside her.  Even for Miami, these two were pretty weird, and she’d seen some odd foreigners.

After a few back and forths with the blonde, Jin seemed to give up.

“Haaa…  Alright, I guess you’re a different kind of fox, Sora…  I suppose you’re not too bad.”

“Thanks?  Umm, by the way,” she whispered, now truly curious about her characterization, “why do you keep calling me a fox?”

“Why would I…”  Jin seemed totally at a loss for words as she scratched her forehead before glancing at Eyia to make a few comments; the blonde shot her the same bewildered expression as Jin hummed and leaned forward to scrutinize her.  “You don’t believe you’re a fox?”

“No?”  Sora questioned, wondering if this was some kind of furry test as her focus wandered between the two girls.  “Should… I?”

“Hmm.  Weird…”

“Right?  Uh… why would I, heh, be a fox?  D-Do you think I’m a furry?  Because… I’m not—not that there’s anything wrong with that!”

Worried she might have crossed a line, Sora’s attention moved to study the pile of meats in one of their bags, “You, umm…  Do you have a place to store the meat?”

Jin’s serious expression broke into a short snort as she jabbed a thumb at Eyia, now happily scarfing down fruits without a care in the world.  “Got it covered.  Eh… so, names are a good start, I suppose…”

Running her fingers through her silky-smooth, raven locks, she brushed them back before giving her a half-smile.  “My name is Jin-Kyong, and this is Eyia…  Sorry about her speech.  I’ve been trying to teach her how to roll English off the tongue, but—ugh… alright, Sora; I suppose I have been a bit rude.  Water under the bridge,” she casually waved off.

Breaking away from her previous topic, the girl leaned to the side and looked away as she spoke.  “Thank you for the food.  Oh, but you can call me Jin, since we’re in America,” she mumbled before saying something in that strange language and nudging the blonde next to her.

Fiddling a little with her necklace, the tall girl looked unsure how to answer but eventually fumbled through a response.  “M-My—na—mmgm… name is Eyia?”

She struggled to work the words around her tongue, making Jin’s lips tighten.

“Yeah…  As you can see, it’s a work in progress.”

The raven-haired girl swapped to ‘Asgardian’ to talk to Eyia again, and Sora heard her focalize on the word is.

Swallowing and clearing her throat, Eyia put on an expression that said she was ready for battle, “My… name—is—Eyia!”

Sora couldn’t help but smile a little.  She’s actually super cute.

The Korean started teaching the other girl something else soon after, giving her a thumbs up to show she’d done well as they opened some soda and took a sip.  Jin immediately shut her mouth, smacked her lips, and looked down at the bottle in disbelief.

Her focus darted to Sora, down at the item, at Eyia, who was already chugging the liquid, and to end the entertaining show, Jin followed suit, finishing it in one go before pointing at the label in wonder.

“This can’t be… orange!?”

“Eh…  yeah?”

“For real?  Wow…  That’s actually pretty magical, all things considered.”

Magical…  I wouldn’t go that far, but okay.

“Uh…  Can I ask where did you guys come from now?  Out of the country, I assume, since you seem so excited to be in America?”

Examining another bottle of soda, Jin popped her tongue against the roof of her mouth a few times.  “I came from Tibet, I guess you could say, and Eyia… from some island off Norway.  I met her when exploring—what flavor is this one?”

It must have been a pretty remote island, and I guess reading English is hard for her, but damn, vocal-wise, she’s perfect.

Sora sat back and crossed her legs, beginning to enjoy the conversation after the bizarre start.  “What are you two doing in the United States?  It’s grape flavored, by the way.”

“Meh.  Just traveling.  Eyia wanted to see a sunny place, and this was near, so we came here.  That’s that.  This is supposed to taste like a grape?  Well, it doesn’t.”

Intrigued, Sora shrugged, “Yeah, I guess it kind of doesn’t.  Where did you learn to speak English so fluently, and how do you not have any money if you are traveling abroad; are you traveling with your parents?”

Jin’s brow creased at her questions.  “I speak every language…  And definitely not with my parents.”  Her eyes narrowed as she looked up at Sora.  “But you should know I can speak anything?”

Sucking in her lower lip for a moment before releasing it, Sora pushed her hat up with a frown.  “Huh?  Why would I know that?  Besides, isn’t it impossible to speak every language?  You’re joking, right?”

Jin sat back with a thoughtful hum, the bottle lip tapping against her mouth as she thought.  “You think we’re speaking a made-up language?”

Forcing a smile, Sora chuckled.  “I suppose all languages are kind of made up, to be fair.”

“Heh…  I guess Asgardian isn’t the most common language around this area, and it is a little less refined than Olympian, I suppose, but it gets the job done… barely.”

Sora shook her head in bewilderment.  “Asgardian…  L-Like the movies?  I-I thought I heard wrong…”

Jin looked over at Eyia and scratched her head before struggling to speak again, but the Korean cut her off.  “Anyways.  It’s been great talking with you, Sora, and thanks for the food, but we really should get going.”

She spoke to Eyia again as the blonde gathered up all the bags, and just before leaving, Eyia waved, all the goods swinging in a frenzy before practically screaming, “Salutations!”

Returning it with a strained smile and wave, Jin chuckled before correcting the apparent Asgardian girl—Sora would have bet on Amazon first—and she couldn’t help but giggle at hearing the Korean focalize on goodbye between the strange phrases.

Eyia flushed and waved again, voice dropping octaves.  “Goodbye, Sora.”

“Ooh!”  Sora clapped.  “Impressive, Eyia; that was s-super clear!”

Jin made a dismissive gesture.  “Yeah, yeah.  Later, Sora.  We’ll probably see each other sometime in the next few days.  At least, I expect we will.”

With pursed lips, Sora watched them go without pushing the topic.

We’ll see each other again in the next few days?  I must have heard that from the pills…

She blinked, and they were gone, making her internally panic for a second.  “No…  Please, don’t say I just had a conversation with…  Ugh…”

Not wanting to think about it, Sora clung to the idea it must have been real; after all, she had the receipt, so maybe they actually left at some point, and she just kept hearing the voices, but that still didn’t make sense, she hadn’t had an episode that bad before.

Sora groaned while looking up at the still-bright Miami sky.  Just…  Let’s go home, make some steak, and go to bed! 

She saw a few middle school girls walking across the street and a lot of elderly folks—it was Miami, after all—but no one else paid her much mind.  Whatever Lori had planned tomorrow, she’d handle then; it was about time she stood up to the psycho.

I just hope Lori doesn’t stab me by the end of the week; that’d be the worst.

“Mmh…”

Not the worst—stabbing Wendy would be the worst…  No, heh, stabbing both of us and then herself as some kind of insane final revenge would be the worst, she half-jokingly concluded.

She passed security into her hotel lobby and took the elevator up, joking around with Howie about the girls she’d met.

Once inside her penthouse, she kicked off her heels, dropped off her stuff, and got everything ready to grill the steaks.  She followed a recipe to do a 20-minute marinade before throwing it on the heated metal and making dinner for two.

She got done sooner than she thought, blending up some mashed potatoes and using some leftover gravy she’d made.  Cooking was fun to do when she was younger, and it always tasted better when eating with someone else.  Unfortunately, Howie and Ron had practically been her only friends for the last three years.  Once finished, she had Howie go on his 15-minute break to eat inside with her.

After waving the man off to complete his shift in peace, Sora groaned and went to her bedroom to stretch and shed her public attire.

Slipping off her dress and accessories before removing her bra, she put them away and changed into white, silky pajama shorts,  spaghetti-strap shirt, and slippers; it was comfy mode time!

Instead of going to her office to get homework done—because she was out this week—Sora had an enjoyable time flipping through streaming platforms until she found a good show: an Asian Drama, her favorite.  Bundling up in a blanket on the loveseat of the long couches in the theater room, she grabbed some popcorn to finish out the night.

She paused the show halfway through when she heard a ding sound through the overhead speakers, indicating the laundry crew had finished their job, which was earlier than usual, and suddenly Frank’s handsome face popped back into her head.

Crap.  He’d definitely be gone by this hour.  I’ll have to give him the money tomorrow; hopefully he’ll still be working the booth.

She resumed the show, knowing the staff would place it on her desk to put away where she wanted, and once the credits hit, Sora rechecked her phone, but Mary still hadn’t messaged her, spiking her paranoia.

I hope she’s okay.

Feeling the stress,  she changed into her bikini at 8 p.m., ready to contemplate in her personal spa on the deck and unwind.  She pretended to be the steak she’d just marinaded a few hours earlier with an amused smile, allowing the heat to melt her worries away.

Kari’s done with me, and I can finally move on with my life.

She soaked for the healthy side of an hour before cleaning up and jumping in bed, but it didn’t take long for a groan to bubble through her lips.  “How could I forget my phone on the patio…”

Rolling out of bed again, she slunk downstairs to the first level to open the sliding glass door to the strong ocean breeze.  Snatching up the item, she returned upstairs and plopped her butt into bed while shooting her dad a text:

I know you won’t get this for a while, and I’m really liking Mary.  Like, you have no idea how much!  I know I said I hated her before, but she actually seems like she wants to help me.  So, about what we talked about a few times…

She paused, fingers hovering over the keys.

I want to start homeschooling and get away from the public stuff.  I’m sure Mary will agree.  I’m pretty sure she will.  I’ll look up a list of possible instructors tomorrow that I can send you, but I know you’ll probably want to find someone you’ll like, too.  I also want Wendy to join me.  I know it’s asking a lot, and I’ll talk to her about it.  I just want things to go back to how they were.

She sent it before following it up with another.

Love you!  And I hope the big deal goes through!  Things are looking up here, and I can’t wait to see you next week!

Scooting to the side of her bed, she smiled and placed it on her wireless charger, so that it wouldn’t be almost dead tomorrow, and nestled underneath her blankets, feeling the bliss of lying in bed after a challenging day filled with emotion.  Not only that, but it was the first night in over three years she hadn’t had to take any pills.

Can I really make this happen in a week?  What’s Lori planning to do tomorrow?

It took over thirty minutes to clear her mind and fall asleep, with her last thoughts being:  Now, nine days until my sixteenth birthday and seven days ‘till dad’s back home.

Chapter Four:  Nine Days; I'm An Alien

Fire crept into Sora’s veins as she jolted awake, needles digging into her chest; every twitch was a dagger, working into her joints.  Heart rate spiking, she tried to scream, but every muscle was locked in place, only allowing tears to stream down her cheeks as she stared at her dark ceiling.

It felt as if her nails were being torn apart, the skin underneath lacerated with paper-thin razors.  Bones compressing into powder and barbs burrowing into her skull, her brain was about to rupture just above her ears while white noise crushed her fractured thoughts.

Vision swimming, everything went black, leaving her to stare into a void, and, after what seemed an hour, her lungs spasmed, pulling in air with sharp gasps that brought raw ice creeping down her throat.  She whimpered, the pain seared her senses for what seemed an eternity until a sharp wave of numb, relieving bliss took its place, leaving her body limp and unresponsive.

Mind reeling, the soft sounds of the building and the rhythm of pattering rain gradually filtered into focus, breathing a wave of life back into her thumping heart.

Her lead-like eyes easing open to a jumbled mess of colors and shapes before they drooped, and sweet nothingness wrapped around her consciousness, sinking her into a welcoming abyss.

* __ * __ *

A short yawn bubbled up Sora’s chest, ending in a cough as she stretched under her sheets, fingers gripping her throat before trying to rub the raw sensation away.  Arching her back to twist left and right, she puffed out a long stream of air before sitting up and cracking open an eye.

“Mmgm… Ack!”

The blinding light punched her in the face, making her see spots.

What… the hell happened last night?

Blinking, she massaged her forehead and waited for her vision to adjust.  Nothing felt off, besides the light, and nothing that came close to the torture she’d experienced the night before.

Was all that pain a dream?  Wait…  Was it from not taking my night pills?

“Ugh… that has to be it,” she hissed, falling back into her bed to spread out, but one change made her brain freeze.  “No…”

Running her fingers through her hair, they met thick layers; she grabbed a clump of the copper locks and pulled it around.  Her lips parted in disbelief as she twisted it, examining the bright and shiny sheen; it looked like it had just been treated.

“There’s… no way.  I’ve never grown hair this fast—I’m tripping—it goes halfway down my back…”

Throwing off her covers and realizing it was actually dark outside still, a frown came to her lips at how clear everything was, despite the dim lighting.

She proceeded into her walk-in closet, a little surprised at how well she could see in the dark space; still, she flipped on the light, wincing at the radiant glow.

Waiting for her eyes to adjust, she turned left and right to study herself in the body-length mirror inside.  In it, her light-green nightgown was nice and pretty, enhanced by the color of her luscious locks falling down her back.  They seemed real, but it was impossible.

“Huuu-mmmh…”  she breathed, lips tightening before she gently tugged on it.  “Ack—definitely not a wig…  Did I… dream everything… yesterday?  Shit.  No.  No.  No, no, no… where’s my phone?”

Rushing back to her bed to snatch the device off the wireless charger, it woke with Face ID from the shining closet bulbs’ reflection on her skin.  Worryingly, she flipped to her texts before releasing a relieved sigh.

“Dad’s text was real; Mary talked to him.  So…”

Not trusting her eyes, Sora rubbed them and blinked a few times before reading it again; it was the same.  Mary hadn’t texted back yet, but as long as their conversation was real, then everything was fine.

I’m not crazy…  Kari had Wendy cut my hair off yesterday.

Vision rising uncertainly, she fixated on the shorts and baggy shirt Frank had given her yesterday, still on her dresser as she hadn’t put them away yet, and if those were real, then her encounter with Lori had to be.

I’m not crazy.  I’m not!  Then… why is my hair back?

Stomach squirming as she lifted the copper locks again, her watch buzzed, showing she’d entered workout mode by automatically detecting her heart rate.

My sleep tracker!

Swiftly returning to her phone, she synced the devices and checked the data for her breath to catch.

413 beats a minute for… three hours?  That’s nuts!  All of this is!  It started at exactly midnight…  What the hell happened to me?  It even has warning markers at the spikes.  Is…  Is it broken, or…  None of this makes any sense!

Scratching her forehead with agitation, she glanced down at her bed.  There wasn’t any sweat, and nothing seemed wet as she ran her hands over the sheets.

“Okay…  Howie will know if…”  She paused at her door, looking at the marble floor of the showroom.  “He’ll be sleeping, though…”

She inhaled, body relaxing while controlling her breathing, and a tiny smirk split her lips as her worry immediately melted away.  “Well—what does it matter?  I have my hair back—probably, unless I’m crazy—and I didn’t take my meds last night, so…  Did they stunt my hair… growth?”

A dull groan rolled through her throat.  “Ugh…  Don’t be stupid!  As if.  The real question is, what will I tell Howie and Ron?  Hmm.”

Massaging her right shoulder and shaking herself out, Sora couldn’t help but feel light as a feather.  The feeling was uncanny, and after jumping a few times, she confirmed the heights she could reach had increased by a decent margin.

So weird.

Somewhat over it, she walked to her bathroom and activated the touchscreen panel on the wall, a playful smile twisting her lips; stressing about it wasn’t going to help.

What’s a good rap artist?  I’m typically not much into rap, but I want a good, catchy rhythm right now, and it feels right…  Hmm, Chrome says Atmosphere has good vibes.

Sora typed it into Spotify and played Sunshine, apparently one of their most popular songs.  The hidden speakers around the bathroom began to play the music, and the lyrics made her realize she did need some fresh air.

Setting the command to play the song throughout the penthouse, she strolled to the middle-level patio and threw open the sliding glass doors to be blasted in the face by the fresh ocean breeze, nice and calm in the hours before sunrise.  Surprisingly, she noticed it was colder than usual on her high balcony, yet it didn’t bother her at all.

Eh, it’s just out of summer, I guess, even if it is early.

She started feeling the slow, piano-laced beat and mellow rap as her head swayed to the music, a purr sliding through her throat as she exited to lean over the balcony glass to stare at the sea far below.

Smiling at the morning surf, rising and falling on the hotel’s private beach, she allowed the wind to carry back her loose hair.  Why does everything smell so much more vivid?

Mind clearing as she let the relaxing sound of the ocean cleanse her worries, Sora went back inside and threw off her nightwear, tossing them in the corner of her bathroom, not caring to bother with the chute.

Stepping into the shower, she activated the three taps to start all the ceiling faucets and stood in the water; it was freezing and felt so good.  It quickly warmed, and Sora turned up the heat, chirping with pleasure as steam rose around her before humming with the songs; everything felt so fresh.

Sora took her time brushing and washing her newly grown locks before applying her skin and hair products on the center bench.  After a few minutes, her brow furrowed while listening to the raining liquid, and, closing her eyes, the song faded into the background.

The swishing of water tickled her ears as if she could follow it down the pipe, hearing several sharp turns the stream made as it continued into the building.

Eyes opening, the music shifted back.  Am I dreaming?  I have to be, because this is insane!

She turned off the water and moved to the side closet, removing a towel to dry off and straighten out her damp hair, using different-sized toothed combs to untangle it and finishing it off with a boar’s hair and nylon bristle brush.

Applying her after-shower skincare products, she lifted an eyebrow at how her tan skin glowed; it was cleaner than ever.  What in the world happened last night?!  Will anyone believe me?

Switching the playlist to Smooth Jazz – Instrumental, she closed her eyes and hummed as the sound expanded all around her; it was like she was in a concert hall.  I can’t be imagining it; my hearing is so much better!

Vision clearing, she completed her morning routine before heading back to her room to search for clothes, debating between several outfits as the instruments played in the background.

She picked out a loosely-fitted, white V-neck shirt accented with black roses, black shorts, and a brown belt before examining herself in the mirror with a smile.  Why would I ever think ‘this’ was ugly?  I’m super cute!  I can see what Mary’s been on about.  What’s this…

Leaning in closer, she peeled back her lips to notice her canines had become pointier.  “Okay…”

Dismissing it with slight interest as she carefully slid her tongue across them, Sora checked her watch—67% battery life was fine—and added a turquoise, teardrop pendant necklace before stuffing her phone in her purse.

She puffed out a sigh as she caught the time when she was done, eliciting a frown.  6:15 a.m., hmm?  I didn’t oversleep, at least, and for some reason, I’m… not afraid to head to school.

“Huh…  Breakfast?  Mmh…”  Laughing internally, a slight twist came to her lips.  “Why don’t I grab something on the way?”

Making sure her wallet was in her purse with her phone, Sora extracted her orange-tinted sunglasses before shaking her head; it would still be dark for a while yet.  She then slipped on her brown wedge sandals, turned out the lights, and stopped the music before double-checking everything and heading for the elevator.

Sora pressed the button and grinned at the late-night/early-morning attendant  “Hey, Ron!  How was the night?”

I hope I’m not losing my mind!  Please, don’t say I’m making all this up.

Ron’s eyebrow lifted as the metal doors slid open, scrutinizing Sora’s toothy grin with her hands held behind her back.  “It… wasn’t bad.  You seem to be doing good…  Howie told me your hair got butchered…  Did you get a wig at some point because it looks real?”

Yes!  At least I’m not seeing things now…  I think?

“Uh… to be honest, I don’t know what happened, and, heh,” she shifted a little to examine her copper locks, “I totally feel a little crazy.  Kari had Wendy cut off my hair yesterday, but… no, this isn’t a wig.  Am I crazy?”

“Huh.  Weird…  I don’t know what to tell you,” he shrugged.  “Umm.  Huh.  Yeah, so, we just going to go on like… nothing strange happened?  Wait, and Howie didn’t say anything about Wendy being the one to cut off your hair?  As in your best friend Wendy, Wendy?  What?!”

“Haaa.”  Sora rubbed her temple and motioned for him to enter the penthouse before holding up her watch to catch his interest.  “I’ll tell you while you get my pills—heh, pill, I guess, whoo!  Also, talking about weird shit, let me show you my sleep data.  I had a really off night—like… nothing I’ve ever experienced.”

“Good or bad?”

“Bad,” she hissed, rubbing her shoulders and shivering as Ron took the key out of the elevator to head inside for their quick morning routine.  “It was like someone snuck in and just tortured me all night…  It was… brutal.  But I didn’t have my meds last night, so… I bet I’ll have some side effects or something.”

“Not that soon, I don’t think, and your hair just ‘magically’ grew back…  Not that I’m doubting you—I’ve seen it grow fully back in three months, so, yeah…  Huh.”

“Right?”  Sora grumbled.  “It’s like, when can I just be a normal girl?!  Gah.  I’m not crazy, though?  It’s all back?”

“As far as I can see.”

“Can you tug it to make sure?”

Ron stopped in the front room to give her a pointed grimace.  “I’m not going to pull your hair, Sora.”

“Just… watch me do it then—ack…  See!  Oof.  I just want to show you I’m not making this up—I swear—I went to bed and woke up with all this grown back!  I’m totally an alien, huh?”

Laughter shook Ron’s chest as he proceeded to the kitchen to open up the medicine cabinet where her father had installed a safe.  It had been Dr. Jones’ recommendation to add, along with his diagnosis that she was crazy, not that she’d ever given them any reason to think she would steal or sell the medication.

Using the second key on the ring to open it, Ron took out one of the bottles, lightening the weight Sora felt against her chest as he hummed, “Do you think Kari is a part of the alien armada, sent here to brainwash the masses, starting with your school because the youth are the future?”

Sora snickered at his joke; Ron was great at brightening her mood.  “Ooh!  I can see it.  The slow and steady conquest, huh?  Does that mean I have a special gene or something that makes me immune to their brainwashing, and I’m the heroine that’s the last hope for humanity?”

“Wooh, making me sweat here, Sora!  The fate of humanity on the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old?”

“Sixteen in nine days!”

“Praise the gods!”  Ron mused, lifting his hands to the sky.  “Humanity is saved; our hopes rest on the shoulders of a sixteen-year-old!”

“Hey!  I just learned recently in World War II that this one thirteen-year-old Navy gunner was a hero, and I’m three years older than him!  Humph.  I can totally take out some alien bullies.”

“Woah!  Excuse my ignorance, Hero of the Teenage Alliance!  It must be rough holding the flag against the high school alien threat.”

Sora giggled, nearly in tears.  “You have… no idea!” 

The tall, brown-haired man’s lips softened into a small smile as he took a tablet out to give her, and Sora filled up the glass she typically left by the sink before popping the pill in her mouth and swallowing.

“Wait…”  Ron’s paused.  “Weren’t you supposed to be the alien?”

Sora’s running mind tripped, falling down a hill to hit every rock and branch along the thought trail until she came to a screeching halt at the bottom.  “Hmm, maybe I couldn’t be brainwashed but I got super alien powers?  The last resistance, a struggle between human and other!”  she giggled.

“Heh, you could write a novel about that kind of stuff, Sora.”

“Mmh-yeah…”

“Back to the point—and not trying to dredge up bad thoughts—but do you want to talk about what happened to Wendy?  You don’t hate her now, do you?  Are you two fighting, or did she join Kari’s circle?”

“No…  No, Wendy’s fine—she was forced to do it; she didn’t do anything wrong.  Well, no, she’s not fine, but… yeah,” Sora sighed, brushing back her hair as Ron locked the cabinet.  “I want to get her away from school, too.  It’s just her stupid, envious, horrible witch of a mother that’s the issue.”

Ron puffed out a long hiss, his grimace showing what he thought about the woman.  “I don’t know anything about Jane’s life, but yes, I can see how you hate how she came between you two.  You don’t blame Wendy for your hair?”

Pulling her purse strap back up, Sora followed Ron back to his post and shook her head.  “She’s just as much the victim as me…  She has it bad enough with her mom, and—oh, I learned it’s all Lori’s fault!”

“Hmm?”  Ron scratched his temple, looking down at her as they moved through the hallways.  “Kari’s not the ring leader?”

“No, she totally is, but Lori kept convincing her to keep me at school to bully and steal all my stuff! It’s like I’m just an unlimited credit card for her,” Sora huffed, crossing her arms.  “If I don’t do what she says, she’ll hurt Wendy, so I have to get her out now that Kari’s grown bored of me or whatever.  I guess I’m just too much trouble or something.”

A quiet hum rumbled in Ron’s throat upon entering the elevator again, studying her appearance.  “I know I can’t be much help; my opinion doesn’t go all that far, and I’m just your semi-chaperone while your dad’s away, but if there’s something I can do, let me know.”

Heart and nose burning as she looked up at him, Sora closed in to hug the man who was one of the few people that never judged her.  “Thank you, Ron.”

“Of course, heh… and are you going to go to school dressed like that… with your purse and watch?”

“Yeah!  I’m setting my foot in the sand!”  she determined, hot air streaming out of her nose as she pulled away.  “Lori only has power because of Kari, and if Kari’s not going to back her, then she loses almost all her support.  If Mary is going to stand up to whatever has everyone else scared, then I can’t show her I’m weak.  No one helps a crybaby victim.”

“I, hehe, wouldn’t say that, Sora,” Ron whispered, “but I’m happy to see you so motivated.  Is there anything I can do?”

“Mmh… no.  Well, other than listening to the ramblings of a crazy girl, heh, that has ridiculous, nonsensical hair!  Ugh…  See, even the universe is out to get me—I’m not paranoid—Howie will tell you my hair was all cut, and then the universe is like, ‘Wham!  Let’s see how legit she sounds after this!’  Boom—magical-hair-grow-torture-serum!”

Inserting the key as she semi-joked around, Ron pressed the button to go to ground level; luckily, it seemed no one wanted to use the elevator in the short period he’d been away.

“If you can steal that formula, you could patent it and make your dad look like a poor scrub, huh?”

“For real!  Hah, but you think the cosmos are gonna do ‘anything’ to help anyone?  Not me, that’s for sure!”

Knowing her time with him was running out as the elevator descended, Sora eyed the attendant she’d known most of her life.  He’d been married at twenty and two years later, he had a buddy that got him a job at the hotel.

Oddly enough, Sora didn’t know much about his wife Stephanie other than her love for cold, sweet things and how stunningly beautiful the light-blue-eyed woman Ron made her out to be.  According to him, she had even dyed her waist-long locks the same shade, loving the color since she was a little girl.

Ron typically joked about how lucky he’d been in snatching such a gorgeous woman’s heart, but he wasn’t bad looking either.  Sure, he was somewhat lanky but reasonably handsome, and Sora figured he’d only continue to fill out since he’d only just recently hit his thirties.

Pondering the last three years in which Ron had taken on a more prominent role in her life, she couldn’t help but remember the woman that had been almost like a mother to her growing up and how her previous psychiatrists’ lies had caused a wedge between her long-standing caretaker and her father, ending in her resignation.

Ms. Noelia Aguayo, a Cuban immigrant, refused to give Sora any medication, and had rejected the claims thrown against her.  Sometimes, Sora wished the woman hadn’t gone to bat for her, but the Cuban woman wouldn’t back down, which led to an ultimatum, and even if she didn’t want to, she walked to prove how serious she took the claims.

Noelia had principles that wouldn’t allow her to take part in anything she believed was wrong, and Sora was both bitter and happy at how adamant she’d been since Noelia had helped raise her, which led to her current situation.

Ron and Howie had taken on more of a role in her medication since she was thirteen and didn’t need a nanny anymore.  Her father told the men they’d never need to find another job so long as they were there for her, and they had fulfilled that promise.

Even on their days off, Ron would be there for her evening and morning meds, while Howie handled the afternoon.

Sora puffed out a short breath before trying to lighten her mood with another topic.  “How’s Stephanie doing—six months pregnant, right?”

A tender smile lit Ron’s face with some laughter.  “Yup, and she’s running me dry with these late-night ice cream sandwich deliveries.

“Ooh!”  Sora smirked and nudged his side.  “The preggo-hunger got you up against the wall still, huh?”

“Uh-heh-he, I wouldn’t call it that in front of her!”  Ron forced a grin.

“Have a name picked out for him yet?”

Ron leaned against the glass wall, streaming air through his teeth with a look that said they were at an impasse.  “I want Braxton, but… ugh, she’s leaning toward Björn.”

“Bj-what?”  Sora mumbled.  “Where’d that name come from?”

Ron shrugged.  “Eh, I think it was originally Old Norse… or something like that.”

“Huh.  Didn’t think Stephanie was into that kind of thing.”

Another person into Norse stuff, huh…  Maybe it’s not as uncommon as I thought?

“Well, yeah… Steph is pretty versed in history.  It’s like a hobby of hers—”

They fell silent as the elevator stopped several floors before the lobby, but no one was there, making them wait until it shut again.

“Humph.”  Ron peeked out with Sora, looking left and right, but no one seemed to be in the fancy hallway, which was weird, as only a few floors actually connected to this private elevator.  “Odd.”

“Yeah.  That doesn’t happen too often,” she whispered.

“Erm…  Anyway, I’m just feeling a bit off about all this…”

Sora lifted an eyebrow.  “The elevator?”

“No.  No… being a father—what if I’m terrible?  What if I don’t support Stephanie like I should?”

“Impossible!”  she flatly denied, giving him a stern look that made him chuckle.  “Quit sweating that!  Just look how good you are with me.”

“Teenagers and babies are two different topics, Sora…”  Ron argued, watching the doors close again.

“True.  True.  You’ll still do great!”

“Maybe.  My dad wasn’t… the best role model.”

Sora made an X sign with her hands to catch his focus.  “Nope!  I don’t know anything about your dad or whatever, but I’ve known you for nine years, and you’ll be a terrific father!”

“Right…”  The doors opened sooner than Sora would have liked, causing Ron to wave and swap gears.  “I’ll always be in your corner.”

“Don’t change the subject!  But… thank you,” she said quietly, before laughing and stepping out with a quick gesture.  “You’ll do great, and tell Steph that I’d like to swing by and see if I can feel him kick—you keep teasing me about it, and I want to feel it myself!”

“Fair!”  the man chuckled.  “I’ll bring it up to her before I crash, and, Sora… will you promise me to talk to your dad about your hair?”

“Hmm?  Oh, yeah, sure.  And you better!”  Sora pointed with narrowed eyes.  “Maybe we can go on an ice cream run together later and watch some Japanese drama or something—you guys can come over!”

“I’ll be working, sadly.”

“Boo!  I’ll hire some random person on the street to man the elevator.”

That made her laugh.  “Wouldn’t that be wonderful?!”

“See you later tonight.”

“Sure thing!”

Sora waved at a few senior employees who wished her a good morning as she proceeded into the lobby and made her way to the street.  A few quizzical looks from a few people said they wondered the exact same thing as Ron had: that she’d had a wig made.

Paul opened the door past security with a smile, and Sora thanked him as she stepped out onto the dark, early-morning walkway of the hotel entrance to make her way to the open gates that would take her into the public walkway.

After several paces, Sora came to an immediate halt as spots filled her vision on the brightly-lit hotel grounds and her skin prickled as a sharp gust struck her exposed skin.  Nausea spontaneously hit her in the gut as she stumbled to the side, grabbing her stomach with millions of sounds and smells filling her senses.

Fingers swiftly moving to her ears, Sora squeezed her eyes shut with a gag as panic gripped her chest, yet everything dulled in seconds to be replaced with the most heavenly aroma she’d ever experienced.

Identifying the bright, pleasant, and slightly nose-tingling heat of dijon mustard, Sora’s watering vision peeked open—now she smelled the scent of nuts and something like stewed fruit, similar to the bottles of sherry from some of the parties she’d been to with her dad.

Bacon tickled at the edges of her mind before everything seemed to collapse, faculties returning to a somewhat normal state.  It went so quickly that it left her in a partial daze as she reflexively swallowed, tasting the lingering flavors on her tongue.

Licking her lips, she looked beyond the few people around the driving space that gave her questioning stares before moving in the direction of the school.  It’s coming from this way…

Chapter Five:  Nine Days; The Threat In The Shadows

Darting past cars with nimble steps, Sora crossed the road at the crosswalk and began making her way toward the bridge that would bring her to 24th Street, noticing the morning joggers were out.

She slowed around the area Lori threatened Wendy and dumped a smoothie on her head, noticing that Frank’s shack appeared to be closed until later in the day.

Studying it in passing, Sora couldn’t recall the makeshift stand being there for long—maybe two months—and she definitely would have remembered someone as handsome and large as Frank.

“Humph… guess I’ll have to give it to him later,” she mumbled to herself while proceeding on the path to her school.

Losing track of the scent here and there, Sora grew a tad anxious when it vanished again, seeing dozens of other students walking through the field.  Yet, not soon after, she caught the aroma again.

Yes!  There it is…

Her thoughts deviated upon catching sight of Hannah with two of her lackey friends, Sarah—a Hispanic sophomore with bleached hair—and Briana—an African American freshman that seemed to be favoring cornrows recently.

Changing angles a bit to evade their vision, Sora continued on her quest to find whatever food had caught her nose, using a slow group of early-morning tourists as cover.

The three bullies typically had her buy them manicures or used her funds to change hairstyles every month, and since she was heading in the direction of the salon, she didn’t want to get sidetracked by them inserting themselves.

Successfully dodging anyone who might try to stop her, Sora hummed upon making it to Purdy Avenue and halting outside an Italian restaurant; she’d found the source.

“Ugh…”

Her lips tightened as her eyes settled on the closed sign and dim lights; the times showed it was open from twelve to twelve.

She sampled the air again before puffing it out, anxiety filling her chest as the divine flavor wet her tongue; she’d never experienced something so vividly through scent alone.

Sora could taste the rich blend of spices that coated her nostrils, and whatever meat she was smelling made her mouth water with anticipation at sinking her teeth into it.  She tried to tell herself the tantalizing ecstasy she envisioned had to be a lie, but it was impossible to deny with every breath she took.

Chest tightening with anticipation, she sighed before forcing herself away from the aroma and to a food cart that would satisfy her for the morning.  First block starts at 7:20, so I should head back and let Lori’s spies tell her I didn’t chicken out.

Mind putting her lunch plans on the backburner, Sora got in line behind the single customer in front of her while digging through her purse for one of the twenties she planned to give to Frank; she could stop off at an ATM after school to grab a bit more.

Thinking about the image of Lori’s confusion when she saw her little trim hadn’t stuck made Sora smirk.  Lori may be a sociopath, but Kari and Jenny were really the only two she was scared of because they seemed to have the brainwashing powers.

“Heh.”  Jenny does whatever Kari says, no questions asked.  Even if she wants me to stay, she won’t do a thing to upset Kari.  Actually…

Sora’s eyebrows came together as she stepped forward when the businessman took his item and left; the Latino behind the stand changed his gloves and smiled at her, Cuban accent a bit thick.  “Hola, what it be, chica?”

“Breakfast burrito, please.”

He nodded and began frying the sausage, eggs, and cheese; she’d add the items she wanted herself after for his assistant—son most likely—to wrap it, but Sora’s thoughts took a complete 180 as she realized something.

I haven’t stuttered once this morning!  Not with Ron and not here…  Is it finally gone?  Please say it’s gone!

“Umm…  How’s your morning?”

The man grinned, keeping his eyes on the food.  “My English not too good—morning decent—esposa coming soon.  I am very happy.”

“Congratulations!  Esposa… wife, right?”

“Sí!  She comes, eh… week after next—ah, and here.”

“Thank you, and exciting that your wife is joining you.”

“Gracias!  Gracias!  Gracias for customer service.”

“Mhm!”

Putting a few toppings like olives, onions, and mild salsa on it, his young-adult son wrapped the item before handing it back to her and giving her change.

“Have a nice day,” he said in far better English than his father.

“Thank you!”

Her heart pounded with excitement as she put the money away in her side pouch; Sora wanted to cheer and cry as she walked back toward the school.  I didn’t stutter once!  Not once!  Yes!  Yes!

She finished the burrito on the journey back, and every bite brought a tingling explosion into her mouth she’d never experienced before; the sausage especially brought on a punch she wasn’t expecting.

Nearing the building, Sora threw the wrapper into a garbage can, using a napkin to wipe her mouth and applying chapstick again from her purse.  Her focus lingered on her watch with a frown as it caught a beam from the street light.

What happened last night…  Are all these noises, smells, and tastes just in my head?  Well, obviously, they are, but…  Shoot, I forgot to see if Ron saw how high my heart got…  Yup, it still shows over 400, she confirmed, checking her phone as she walked by the rapidly filling parking lot.  So many weird—ugh… what is that?

Nose crinkling, she looked up to see Kris—a junior in Kari’s inner circle and soccer buff—hanging out beside the doors leading into the school.

Something dirty, wet, and ragged nearby made Sora grimace, and it only increased as she drew closer to the girl.  When she reached the entrance, she had to cover her nose, unsuccessfully attempting to guard herself against the stench.

It soon became painfully obvious what was the source, and the older juniors and seniors seemed to be ignoring how bad Kris smelled.  It was as if she’d rolled in a dung heap, and Sora couldn’t return the girl’s smile as she tried not to gag.

“Glad you could make it, Sora!  Lori said to keep an eye out for you; she’s waiting in your classroom right—”

“Ack,” Sora choked, making Kris pause.  “Did you… kill someone, and drag the corpse into the gym?”

“Huh?  The hell!?  No…”

“You reek!  Do you live with a skunk?”

“Yo, cut it out,” she grumbled, cheeks darkened as a few boys gave them a questioning look on their way into the school.  “What’s up with that?  I don’t stink!  You don’t smell all that great either—not that I smell!  I have deodorant on, and—”

Sora waved her hand to get her to shut up, vision shifting from her to the filling hallway, and a sudden, succulent thought popped into her head.  “Umm…  Where’s Kari?”

“Ugh—no, it’s not Kari that wants to see you; keep up!  Lori’s in your classroom right now—”

“I know what you said,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes while glancing at the wall to her right.  “Kari should be running track right now, right?”

“Probably?  Wait, wasn’t your hair—where are you going?!”

Flipping around for Kris to puff out a frustrated sigh and chase after her, Sora walked the school’s perimeter.

“Are you going to run back home?”

Sora brushed back her hair, annoyance touching her voice as she repeated the girl’s comment.  “Keep up, yourself, Kris.  I asked where Kari was.  Clearly, I’m going to find her.”

“What…  Why?  If you don’t see Lori before the bell rings, she’ll probably do something to Wendy.”

She was a little surprised to hear the concern in the girl’s voice; it was probably more or less her trying to protect herself than anything else, but maybe she wasn’t entirely on board with everything the psychopath did.

“Do you know what Kari told me yesterday?”  Sora asked, glancing at her while moving to the grass to cut a corner quicker.

“Uh, no…”  she hesitantly whispered, scanning the throng of gathering students.  “I just heard Lori had Wendy cut your hair and made you walk home… umm, naked,” she mumbled.

Interesting…  Arriving at the field, Sora grinned upon seeing Kari in gym clothes, running the track at a speed that would make a college recruiter salivate.  I can’t believe I’m actually going through with this!

Devious thoughts tickling her tight stomach, Sora raised her hand to wave at the tall, black-haired girl, drawing her attention.

“Kari!  Hey, Kari!”

Kris almost tripped beside her.  “W-What are you doing?!  Kari hates being interrupted…  Oh, shit—why are you getting me involved in this?!”

She gagged as Kari’s amber irises narrowed upon coming to a stop, vision shifting between them.  More than a few eyes were on them as Kari seemed to growl and walk over to meet them.

Sora shivered at the Alpha Bully’s approach, a tense atmosphere always following the girl when she was agitated, and to bewilder Kris even more, Sora turned her back after getting Kari’s attention to guide them into a small, boxed-in square.

“Do you have a death wish?”  Kris hissed, rubbing her arms and glancing around the deserted area, fogged windows in the inlet closed.  “K-Kari—I, uh, I don’t know what she’s thinking…”

“Shhh.”  Putting a finger to her lips as she smirked at the panicking junior, Sora returned her focus to the tall scowling girl that rounded the corner.  “Good morning, Kari!”

Fingers flexing as she stopped a meter away, a suspicious tint overcast Kari’s face while watching Kris—a good thirty centimeters shorter—fidget under her gaze.  “Just because I told you to leave, Sora, doesn’t mean we’re friends…  Why is your hair back, and… that scent?”

Holding her wrist behind her back, Sora’s locks weaved against her shoulders as she shook her head, and she couldn’t believe how calm she felt.  There was an odd, strong perfume Kari seemed to be wearing that contrasted Kris’ stench; probably the more bizarre part was that she’d notice that right now.

“I wouldn’t have come, but yesterday, Lori met me on the way back home and told me that if I didn’t come, she’d hurt Wendy, and now Kris is saying she has something planned for me in my classroom.”

Sora’s smile strained as Kari’s fingers curled into a fist, her nose twitching slightly.  “What trick are you trying to pull?”

“I’m not.  Kris can tell you.”

Shifting to the side, Sora directed Kari’s attention to her, making the junior take a step back, face turning white at being in the spotlight.

“W-What?  I don’t know—I just was told t-to bring her—”

Now who’s stuttering!  Sora internally mocked, jumping in to interpret.

“Lori dumped a smoothie on my head and told me to stay, so… I was wondering if you changed your mind?  I’m just, heh, a little confused, Kari; should I leave, like you said, or should I obey Lori’s order instead?”

Hand tightening around her wrist as Kari closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath, Sora’s stomach squirmed, wondering if this had been a good idea or not, and when the bully’s amber irises opened, there was a sharp edge in them that made Kris and her freeze.

“What did Lori tell you to do, Kris?”

“I’m just—I was told t-to watch for S-Sora and—and to bring her to her class!  I don’t know anything about not leaving school, or—or anything like that.  I was told to look out for Sora, so—so I did!”

“Haaa…”  Kari sucked in her bottom lip for a moment, and Sora couldn’t tell if she was pissed or not, but the towering girl almost seemed to grow two meters taller as her bright, amber irises returned to her.  “If this is a trick, Sora…  I’m done with these games.”

The tense atmosphere broke as she moved to the school’s side entrance, muttering, “Kris, go tell Jenny I want her—and we’re not done, Sora.”

“I, umm, okay—she has PE with me, so…”

Sora remained in the same place as the two split in opposite directions, leaving her alone, and a short chuckle bubbled out of her tight chest.  I did it…  I actually did it, but… what will Kari do if Lori tries to turn it back on me?

“Hmm…”

Figuring it was better to know what the psychopath said in case she had to come up with a defense, Sora pulled down her shorts a little and adjusted her purse strap before jogging after Kari.  Tilting her wrist to check the time, she found it was about twenty minutes before the bell rang.

She zig-zagged between groups of students in the hallway, and, judging by the relieved expressions on several faces, Kari hadn’t passed them too long ago; no one wanted to draw her attention when she was pissed.

Sora paused for a second as she saw Theodore Thomas down a branching corridor, locker open with Wendy beside him, hands held behind her back as she smiled and laughed at something he said.

Sora lingered for a moment.  Theo and Wendy?  Doesn’t Theo work after school?  So… they met while cleaning…  Huh.  I haven’t seen her smile like that in a long time.

Shoving her curiosity aside, Sora reminded herself that she needed to have a talk with Wendy before the end of the day and continued to stalk Kari.

Entering the junction before her classroom, she heard the door open with a few girls’ voices leaving after Kari dismissed them.  Sora ducked into the nearby bathroom to evade the throng, dispersing with confused mumbles to one another.

Several classmates were hanging around her first block class—History—likely not wanting to get involved in anything Lori had planned.  Everyone quickly split upon Kari’s entrance, however.

Sora pulled in her bottom lip upon leaning against the side of the wall, attempting to strain her ears to hear what was happening inside, and, with the door shut, she hesitated just before drawing closer to look through the window.

The bustling noise of slamming lockers and chattering students faded into the background for Kari and Lori’s conversation to take the foreground, making Sora wonder if this had something to do with her lowered medication, yet she didn’t move.

Her heart slowed as she focused, hearing Kari throw her weight into a chair with a short huff.  “Lori…  What were you planning to do with Jessica and the others?”

I knew Kari didn’t know!  Sora cheered inside, and Lori's stammers were like chocolate on her tongue.

“I, umm, I was just—heh, I was just getting business done…  Y-You know—get things through Sora’s thick skull!”

Sora couldn’t stop the silent laughter rumbling through her abdomen with Kari’s pause, and she could see the tall, black-haired girl rubbing her temple with mild agitation.

“Taking care of business… without informing me of anything?  And what’s this I heard about a smoothie being dumped on Sora’s head?”

“Who told you that,” Lori defensively growled, desk scooting back as she stood.  “Was it Heather?”

“Sit down, Lori.”

Kari’s tone put a shiver through Sora’s spine, and she hugged her sides as goosebumps tickled her skin; she’d never heard Kari talk like this to anyone in her little pack.

“Kari, I…  Okay, umm, yeah, I dumped a smoothie on Sora’s head—so what?”  she mumbled, an edge of fear in her thick throat that made the bully swallow.  “She pissed me off when we were cutting her hair, so…”  she trailed off, and a long, pent-up hiss eased out of Kari’s lips, telling Sora she was holding her forehead and staring at the desk to avoid losing her temper.

“Lori…  Mmm-hmm.  Did you tell Sora to… ignore what I said?”

Sora didn’t want to breathe, her air trapped inside her lungs to not miss the response.  Judging by her earlier statement, Lori blamed Heather for ratting on her, likely not believing Sora would ever confront Kari herself about it.

Throat apparently too sticky with saliva, Lori didn’t respond, causing Kari to repeat herself and deliver it with more force.  “Did you tell Sora to ignore what I said?  That you’d hurt Wendy if she didn’t?”

A short cough came in response before the psycho of their school stumbled through her squeak of an answer.  “I…  I didn’t say I’d hurt Wendy if she didn’t leave—just… she had to come today.”

“That’s not what I asked.”  The high-pitched noise Lori made in the silent atmosphere by sucking on her lower lip put a quake through Sora’s bones as Kari tapped her fingernails against the desk.

“I’m sorry…”

“Hmm.  Umgh…  Lori, you wouldn’t do this on your own.  Who?”

Sora was shocked at how panicked Lori’s laugh sounded.  “Kari—heh-he, I messed up—I’m sorry…  I just…  I was…”

“Did Jenny put you up to this?”  Kari growled.

“No!  No!  Jenny, umm—no, I haven’t seen Jenny s-since school yesterday…”

“Who, Lori?”  Kari repeated, and the sharp sound of snapping wood made Sora flinch.

“Kari, I—I didn’t have a choice…  Devin—”

“Dammit!”

Sora jumped as a cacophony of noise hit her ears, causing her shoulder to bump into the brick wall, and Kari’s guttural, deadly roar grew loud enough to be heard outside, drawing anxious glances from a few nearby students.

“How long has my brother’s pet been threatening you?”

“I—Kari, I just didn’t know—know what to do…”

“Dammit, Lori,” Kari snapped, the sound of desks shoved to the side and a dull explosion within forced another jump out of her; Sora had never heard her lose control like this.  “You should have come to me!  Tell Jenny to meet me in the city.  The hell I’m going to sit by as Devin sticks his nose into my territory!”

Sora hastily retreated to the bathroom as Kari stormed out in a rage, her threatening countenance making everyone leap out of her way as she moved to the side exit, leaving school to confront whoever this Devin person was.

Shaking with adrenaline, a faint smile split Sora’s lips.

What was that crash!?  Did she throw Lori over a desk or into a wall—and when did Kari have a brother?  That reaction, though!  Is that who Mary was talking about?  Is he the one with the real power in the police department that gave Kari my video?

Yeah, if she hates him that much, no wonder she was pissed…  It was more about having it given to her by her brother than me actually recording her.  Is he some kind of Miami mobster or something—the Cartel?  So…

Recalling how all her psychiatrists sudden changed in attitude, Sora’s thrill dampened.  It explains a lot, and them being from Russia…  Does that make them legit Bratva?  If so, I can see why everyone lets Kari do whatever she wants, but… if that’s true… why does he specifically want me to stay?

More questions flooding her mind than ever before, Sora peeked around the bathroom corner as the classroom door opened again.  Lori’s gaze was downcast while stumbling down the hall as if in a daze, gripping her left arm; she was heading right for her.

Entering the bathroom, Sora started the sink to make it look like she was just washing her hands; she did a short check, confirming the area was empty just before classes began.

“Hmm.  Oh, didn’t you want to see me, Lori?”  Sora innocently asked, frowning as she saw her face.  “Wow, uh—what’s up—you look like shit.”

Brown locks sticking to her wet cheeks, Lori’s expression tightened upon seeing her.  “Sora…  Just—leave me alone—get lost, okay?  Don’t breathe a w-word about this or—or I’ll kill you.  Got it?”

She seemed so preoccupied with her internal thoughts that she didn’t even mention her restored hair, and the typical edge in her voice was broken as she went into a stall to cry.

Only a momentary flash of pity crossed Sora’s heart before she smirked, huffed, and exited.  She’d probably learn it was her who ratted her out to Kari by the end of the day after confronting Heather, but it was whatever; she’d gotten the result she wanted.

Lingering several more seconds to hear the psychotic bully's hiccups and sniffles, Sora rolled her eyes, remembering all the times the situation had been reversed.  At last, she had something over her head, and it served her right.

Sora couldn’t help but giggle on her way out, making sure Lori heard her, and she halted at the edge when the girl barked, “Don’t get cocky—S-Sora!  You’ll regret that…”

“Hmm-hmm.  Really, Lori?”  She turned around to lean against the tiled wall, feeling uncharacteristically feisty after smelling the sociopath’s blood.  “Do you really think you can do anything after working for Devin?  Really, Lori?  Devin!”

Not knowing who in the world this person was but figuring what response it would elicit, she laughed silently at the sudden reverse of Lori’s tone.  “How do—what do you know about Devin…”

Sora just giggled maliciously.  “Good luck, Lori, and, heh, I’d be careful who you target next!”

Letting her stew in her shackled mind, spinning conspiracy theories, no doubt, Sora relished making one of the most hateful people in her life drown in her own paranoia.

Content with the result of her handiwork, Sora casually walked to her nearby class, successfully back on the track of leaving this public hellhole.  Yet, before disappearing today, she wanted to at least have the chance to speak to Wendy, which lunch would allow.  Everything was looking up.

The musical hum in her throat faded when she got a look inside the room, scooting past a small group of her classmates.  Mind going blank as she followed everyone else’s gaze, Sora wasn’t sure what she should think, and Elizabeth pulled out her phone before thinking better of it and putting it away.

Wood chips littered the shiny tile from a mangled desk, and powder still hung in the air from a hole in the brick wall.  Absurdly, they could even see another student on the opposite side looking through.

Kari… punched through a brick wall?  There’s no way… she’s inhuman…

Chapter Six:  Nine Days; Done Being A Victim!

Finding it a little difficult to breathe as she tentatively entered the classroom with the rest of the students in her class, Sora examined the damage Kari had done.  The whispers she heard from the others weren't even questioning how she'd done it, which was insane.

Okay, so…  Kari, a 16-year-old girl, can crush desks and punch through a brick wall?  Sure…  Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.  What the hell is she?

Moving to the back wall, she reflexively swallowed as she noticed the teens on the opposite side doing the same.  It made sense; the hole was at least twice the size of a fist, and it was clearly done from within their classroom, with the explosion going out the opposite side.

Even if someone says it was Kari that did it…  No shot.  Who would even believe a story like that?  If someone did try to take them seriously, they'd just get the same treatment I did.

She shied away from the area as a boy poked at the residual damage, causing fragments to scatter on the floor.  More desks were thrown to the sides, likely shoved aside when Kari went full rage mode, and on closer inspection, Sora saw slight damage to the wax over the tiles.

Chatter was minimal with the students edging in, but the discussion soon petered out when everyone realized this was real.  Anything involving Kari already made people cautious, and if that wasn't enough, now they had this unreal bit of evidence that told Sora it was good she never tried to fight the Alpha Bully.

How would anyone explain this—

Her unease didn't last long before Jessica came jogging into the classroom with three other girls from Kari's inner circle.  They had a similar scent to Lori, and while still offputting, it was a tad less putrid.  It was obvious what their intention was by the putty and a school poster in hand.

The seniors threw dirty glares that told them not to breathe a word before covering up the hole on both sides and carrying out the desk.  Their face said it all: you don't want your face to look like that wall.

One of Kari's members must have stalled the teacher in the opposite classroom for whatever Lori had planned, and by the time the bell rang, the rooms were more or less tidied up, excluding a desk.

Jessica hung around the entrance, wet paper towel holding the last of the wiped-away dust before she threatened, “You didn't see anything.”

Parting words delivered, she let the door swing shut, leaving them in silence.  This had been the most extreme commotion and insanity that she'd seen from Kari—she was typically really clever about what she did—and even Sora thought telling this to Mary might get her back on the meds.

Five minutes passed after classes started, and Sora pulled out her phone to scan the web.  A lot of desks were empty, with rumors spreading, leaving only a dozen or so students sitting around the room.  Still, Mr. Quest—their History teacher—hadn't made an appearance.

Searching for 'Miami Beach Senior High Monsters,' all she got was the school's website and apartments near the building, but there was an article about them changing the symbol from 'Home of the Hi Tides' to 'Home of the Wolves.'

She puffed out a short huff and scanned the faces of the other teens around the room.  I bet more than a few will ask their parents to transfer after this…  At least those near enough to hear it, but maybe they'll just think she used some kind of bomb or something?  I bet most people will just call their friends crazy.

A frown touched her lips as she crossed her legs and leaned forward to rest her chin against her hand.  I don't feel that scared anymore…  I just want to know what she is!  If I know what I'm dealing with, then at least I can stock up on garlic or something.

She giggled at the thought, wondering if she should start bringing silver or herbs to school before remembering she was getting out of this hell hole.

Five more minutes passed, causing whispers between friends, and Sora's thoughts settled back on Kari's revelation; she had a name now.

“Hmm…”

Devin…  Her brother's pet, huh?

Sucking away her chapstick, she applied another layer.

Mary did some digging and found some scary stuff, so…  Is Kari a Russian-made super weapon?  Is she sent here as some kind of sleeper agent?

Her eyes dulled while she reconsidered her thoughts.  Right…  A Russian-made super-agent is infiltrating a Miami high school and bullying kids for the pride of Mother Russia!  No, I don't think she's talked about Russia in the last three years—like at all—other than that's where she came from.

She sat a little straighter before puffing out an exasperated sigh.  What if she lied?  Big brain theories…  Kari speaks Russian.  Bah, that doesn't even matter!  She's probably more of a monster with intimidation powers or—

All gossip died as the door opened, revealing a disheveled man in his mid-thirties that looked like he'd just woken up thirty minutes ago, threw on the first set of clothes he could reach, ran his fingers through his hair, and booked it to class.

“Wooh!  Uh-heh, humm…  Well, a lot fewer students than I thought there'd be?”

Scratching his scruffy chin, he set a briefcase on Mr. Quest's neat desk and sipped a cup of coffee for a second while scanning the silent class.  “Hmm.  Right…  I'm Mr. Handburg, and I'll be subbing in for Mr. Quest.”

Sora's stomach shifted uneasily as she raised her hand, drawing attention to herself.

“Ahh,” he nodded and shifted to pop open his briefcase to look at a sheet at the top.  “Ms…  Sora, is it?”

“Mhm.”

“Wonderful,” he chimed before clearing his throat.  “What's your question?”

“What happened to Mr. Quest?  Why isn't he here?”

Lips bunching to the side, Mr. Handburg put a hand on his hip and sighed, scanning the intent looks on the other students' faces.  “I suppose you're all wondering the same thing, hmm?”

Taking another sip of his coffee, he set it beside his briefcase.  “I'd love to tell you why Mr. Quest isn't here today, but, heh, I'm just a substitute teacher called in at the last second.  I suggest you go to the office and ask after him once school ends.  Besides, I'm sure he'd love to hear some of his students cared enough to inquire about his health.”

Sora sat back, holding her purse in her lap while looking at the various expressions from the few students that decided to come to class.

Everyone seemed to be having the same thoughts: it didn't make sense that Kari had anything to do with Mr. Quest not being in class, and this Handburg substitute would have been called before Kari's outburst.  Sora's mind was on another possibility, though.

It's not impossible that something bad happened to our teacher, it could even be related to Kari.  Her brother was likely the reason I've been forced to stay here.  Does that mean Lori and Jenny are being blackmailed by this Devin guy or Kari's brother?

Elaborate plots working in the background spun circles in Sora's brain as she drew inward.  Kari didn't necessarily have to hate her brother but was having issues with someone under him.  The real question was why and how did Devin know about her?

It was obvious it was Devin that pushed Lori to keep her around Kari, and if Jenny was in on it too, it added a whole new level of paranoia in her; by Kari's brother's orders or not was still unclear, and who was involved with whom, yet there appeared to be a much deeper power dynamic at play than she'd always believed.

Shifting in her chair, she glared at the poster hiding the hole in the wall.  Jenny and Kari both moved into Miami together, and it's always been evident that they're closer than just school buddies.  Kari asking if Jenny put Lori up to it, too…

“Sora, was it?”

She jumped as her name was called, returning her focus to the front of the room as Mr. Handburg called her name.

“Y-Yes?”

Dammit!  I think that one doesn't count, though.

The man's soft chuckle followed.  “I'm just calling roll; it seems a lot of students are missing.  Do you know the reason why?”

She swiftly shook her head, drawing everyone attention again.  “Nope!  Umm.  It is the first week back to school, so…”

“True.  Hmm…”  He took another sip of his coffee and cleared his throat.  “Let's see—I assume since it is the first week of school, you're still getting to know one another, get books, and the like—being the second day of school.”

Several students nodded, and Sora lost interest as she stared out the window.

What is happening today!?  Maybe this is a dream…  Kari, a wall-punching monster…  I’ve had some weird, realistic nightmares, but nothing like this…  Stress?

Sora's mind went blank as two strange scents wafted into the room; they were very different from one another and demanded attention, yet the strong smell wasn't necessarily putrid, and the sensation made her realize a flaw in her thinking.

Wait…  When have I ever smelled something in a…  What?!

She straightened, locking eyes with two girls that opened the door and walked into the room; Jin and Eyia caught sight of her instantly, causing the blonde to smile and wave with the Korean's yellow, slitted irises lazily wandering the space as if unimpressed.

Their substitute teacher caught the questioning stares from the other students, muttering, “Who…”

“Eyia—Jin?”  Sora blurted out, making Handburg trail off.

A smirk twisted the corner of Jin's mouth, her left hand exiting her pocket to give her a quick gesture.  “Yo, Sora!  I told you we'd probably see each other again.”

Mr. Handburg recovered swiftly.  “You know each other?  Are you two a part of this class?”

“We're new to the area,” Jin smoothly replied with confidence in every fluid word she spoke.  “Sora helped us the other day.  Right, Eyia?”

The tall girl wore a beaming smile as she nodded, now in a baggy blue T-shirt, jeans, and white sneakers; it looked like she'd raided a homeless shelter.

“Jin say salutation, Sora—my, eh…  Drinks fantastic—were yesterday.”

At the confused expressions, Jin chortled.  “As you can see, Eyia's getting better with English, but she's got a long way to go.”

“I try—Jin teach good!”  she cutely added, seemingly melting Mr. Handburg's heart.

“Wow, so… you both are transfer students—studying abroad, I mean?”

Jin gave a weak shrug.  “Mhm.  Mind if we go chill next to Sora since we know her?”

“By all means.  Uh, I'm going to go check out a TV and find an appropriate video we can watch and discuss; this is history class, after all.  Talk amongst yourselves in the meantime.  I'll, um, be back in a bit.  Oh, what language does Eyia speak—Jin, was it?”  he asked, glancing at Sora, unsure how he should take their abrupt entrance.

Asgardian, but not like I'm going to say tha—

“A rare form of Norwegian,” Jin said, motioning for the girl to join her as the blonde respectfully bowed to Mr. Handburg like she came from one of the Asian countries.  “You don't have to worry, though; she can comprehend English a bit—eh, speaking is just hard.”

Sora couldn't help a light glare crossing her tight eyes at the explanation.  Sure, tell me it's Asgardian and everyone else—ugh, wait… unless I heard that yesterday and was having an episode when talking with them.  I hope I didn't come off totally insane.

“Wonderful.  Alright, I'll be back in a bit.”

He exited, leaving Sora to watch the two proceed down the rows to sandwich her.  She hadn't heard Norwegian spoken very often, but if it was what Eyia used, it certainly was musical and lovely, if cryptic.

Everyone couldn't keep their eyes off the two as Jin's voice and tone shifted instantly to converse with the blonde; whatever they were saying, the cheer in Eyia's face turned to a somber frown while shifting her focus to various areas of the room.

Dropping into her seat to the right of Sora, Jin popped her tongue, not paying anyone else much attention.  In contrast to Eyia, the Korean was wearing the same clothes she'd seen the day before and, considering Eyia's priceless necklace—likely hidden under her shirt—nothing about the pair made sense.

“Ugh…  What's up?”  Sora whispered, trying to keep her voice down.  “Do you really go to school here?”

“No,” Jin mockingly snickered.  “So… this is what school is like in this Miami, huh?  A lot of mutts acting like they own the place,” she mumbled, shooting a slight frown in Eyia's direction as she pointed at random things.

“I guess?  Uh, so, wait…”  A thoughtful grin twinkled in Sora's eye.  “You two don't have any ‘plastic money,’ heh, and need help getting lunch again?”

Her answer came from Eyia's sparkling blue eyes at the word.  “Food—of special, Sora?”

“Mmh-hmm-hmm-hmm.”  Jin's strained smile said it all.  “Well, okay—let me be straight—I'm… trying to show Eyia what it's like to live like… normal people, and it's kind of challenging to show her things when… well… you're broke.”

Sora's previous panic involving Kari and whatever plot was working in the background was soon overshadowed by the atypical conversation; mirth filled her belly as a playful tilt came to her mouth at the girl’s weird antics.

“Hmm?  A pawn shop didn't work, trying to sell your silver and gold?”

“Yeah…”  Jin rubbed the back of her neck and made a sound with her tongue.  “I tried that approach, and, you see, they ask too many questions… and have paperwork.”

I knew it!  She totally can't read English.  Still, even if they're just after a free meal, their company more than makes up for the cost, and having hopeful moochers rather than bully moochers is a huge improvement!

Sora held out her hand to the Korean with a grin.  “If you want lunch, I've got a place I already picked out this morning.  Want to join me?”

“Haaa…”  Jin took it and leaned to the side to glare at Eyia's radiant expression.  “Okay, fine—she isn't your typical fox.  Thanks, Sora.”

Eyia giggled as she shifted to shake her hand, too.  The girl fumbled a bit with the action, following Jin's mumbled prompts.  “I—told Jin—good be you, and helpful!”

Sora couldn't help but stare at her shabby appearance, turning to give Jin a lifted eyebrow.  “Did you dress her like a homeless woman to try and make me feel bad?  There's no way I'm going to go to a nice restaurant with her wearing that.”

“Tch, no,” Jin huffed, crossing her arms, and Sora caught a few students chuckling at the comment, returning to their conversations or phones as tension settled down.  “We ran into some pushy women that gave them to her; the girl can't flippin' turn a gift down!  It's annoying.”

Sora giggled at the duality the strong, tall girl seemed to show.  “But that’s good!”  Feeling much better, she turned to Eyia and gave her a thumbs-up, speaking a bit slower so she could hopefully follow her words.  “We will do some quick shopping before lunch.”

“Sho… shopping?”  she carefully mimicked, lips parting in a questioning glance at the Korean.

“Think it through,” Jin grumbled, leaning against her desk and resting her head against the back of her hand.  “What did we do yesterday with food?”

“Oh!  Food—barter f-for drinks?”

Jin's eyes closed, breathing in deeply before easing the air out and clarifying in the musical language.

“Wow,” Eyia whispered, sounding utterly impressed as she studied Sora.  “Sora barter—c-clothing… attire… panties—”

“The first one works, bud,” Jin rolled her eyes.  “No need to embarrass yourself further.”

Sora couldn't help but smile at the girl's innocent and true shine.

“Spectubiliar!”

“Quit trying to use words I haven't taught you,” Jin groaned, her black locks draped over the desk as she hung her head.  She was obviously fed up with the large, Norwegian girl as she continued, “And then brag about how fast you learn.  Sora, when is this lunch?”

Laughter bubbled up Sora's chest at the two; they clearly had their own little dynamic.

“Umm…  We'll probably go out at 12 p.m. or so.”

“Huh.  Sooner than I thought.”

They fell silent as Mr. Handburg returned with a flat-screen TV and a short documentary on World War II, and the following lesson and discussion more than piqued Eyia's fervent interest as she attempted to listen.  Jin had to tell her to keep her voice down as they whispered back and forth.

The bell rang for second block, causing everyone to rise and stretch after sitting so long.  Jin began to speak as Sora pulled her purse over her shoulder, catching her attention.

“Eh…  I'm not feeling this school stuff.  Where do you want to meet for lunch—that good?”  she added at Eyia's small frown and huff.

Turning to the windows, Sora hummed.  “Eh… how about the south parking lot sidewalk—I have someone I need to talk to before I go, so… whoever gets there first will wait at the end?”

Nodding, Jin gestured to Eyia.  “Cool.  See you there around twelve.”

Eyia towered over her, making Sora scoot into her desk a little; she'd forgotten just how tall the Norwegian girl was, and in the first coherent sentence she'd heard from her, she said, “You smell nice today.”

A bit taken back by the random comment, Sora mumbled her thanks as they left, Jin streaming out a long breath of air.

I smell nice today?  Okay, not strange that my nose has been on the fritz since I woke up.  She shook her head.  Wait, she said that pretty clearly…  Did she practice that phrase?  Maybe Jin taught it to her… too weird—life is weird.

Getting up, she made her way through the halls to her next class, pausing as a conversation caught her unusually sharp ears.

“Did you hear?”

“About Jenny not showing up today?  Yeah.  It's not like her—wasn't she supposed to stay with Hannah?”

Leaning against some lockers, Sora listened to a few of Kari's gang members whisper among themselves.  She could smell the same putrid scent from them that Kris had, and now that she thought about it, Lori's was a bit similar, as well.

“Kari's looking for her—something about Devin and Lori.”

“Do you think Lori's with Devin?”

“Wait, isn't that, like, a leader in that one pack Kari—”

“Shhh!  What are you three talking about—shut it!  If Kari's nearby, she'll get pissed if she hears you say anything like that.”

“My bad—it's just…  Did you hear what she did to the wall?”

“Like I said—keep his name out of your mouth.  Shit.  It's not hard.”

The girl seemed to hesitate and let the conversation die as Jessica interrupted them, briskly breaking up the group.  “Stay in your lane, and don't be stupid.”

Sora frowned while staring at the ground, keeping herself obscured behind other students.

Devin is a leader in some kind of gang…  A pack?  No…

A lump dropped down Sora's throat while piecing the links together.  Smell like dirty dogs, and they call each other a pack—why didn't I think about it with all the things they've said in the past…  Are Kari and her girls werewolves?  It would explain the hole in the wall and mutilated desk, but…  Am I in some kind of fantasy novel or something?!  This is nuts!

Okay, but what if it's not, she internally reasoned, looking back at all the signs of Kari's gang being top of the top sports athletes in the state.  Is Kari in some kind of internal feud with her brother's pack?  An Alpha thing?

“Wow…  I really am crazy,” she snickered.

“Sora!”

“Yo!  Ya brought your purse today, huh?”

Her internal debate came to a screeching halt with a groan as her thoughts were interrupted by two unsettling high-pitched voices.

Perfect.

Mouth bunching to the side as she looked back, Sora discovered Sarah and Brianna approaching—the hairstyle crew—more than likely wanting her to get them a premium session at the salon for picture day this week. 

Sarah's bleach-blonde hair tilted to the side as she initiated.  “Sora, hehe, ya missed a bullet today, girl.  I heard from Hannah that Lori was gonna have something special planned for you—wait…  Yo, what's up with your hair?”

“A wig?”  Brianna muttered, closing in on her left as Sarah did her right, boxing her against the lockers.  “Damn.  It must have cost a fortune to look that good.  Nice!”

Sora's left eyebrow narrowed while sampling the air; she couldn't smell anything special about them like Jessica or the others—well, other than strong perfume—and the lack of intrigue made her slightly irritated.

“Sarah,” she sighed, sweeping her long, copper locks back while glaring at the Hispanic girl, “still shaking down middle schoolers for pocket change?”

A bit shocked she’d led with the pointed jab, Sarah looked at her friend to back her up—it was pathetic, really.

Brianna snorted, moving in closer to intimidate her.  “Humph, why would she need to do that when we have a little rich girl like you?”

“Okay.  I'm gonna stop you there!”  Both girls blinked as Sora firmly moved the African American girl back by the shoulder.  “This little thing we do—yeah, we're not gonna do that anymore.”

Sarah crossed her arms, shooting a forced smile at her friend before returning to Sora.  “Eh… what?  When… did you get this bold?  Do you really want to…”

Sora's hesitation evaporated as a heavy cloud of annoyance filled her mind, all fear and doubt vanishing while turning to Brianna to interrupt the girl.  “Haaa.  You know what's funny?”

“Huh?”

“What's funny, Brianna, Sarah, is that maybe if you saved your money instead of buying Cartier perfume to try and compete with Lori, you could afford lunch or go to the salon every once in a while.”

“Excuse me!”  Sarah demanded.  “Does the little rich girl have something to say to us?”

Sora's demeanor didn't waver as she tilted her head and vision to the Latino girl, making her step back and swallow a lump in her throat.

“You're excused since, heh,  I realized you're all nothing but tramps.  Oh, I know!  Look at it this way: without me, you're nothing, Sarah—you have nothing, and heh, why is that, hmm?

“It's because your daddy,” she said to Sarah, “and your mommy,” she said to Brianna, “decided they didn't want you.  Sad, pathetic, single household pitiful bullies.  So, now your poor 'parent' must work extra hard to provide for your harrier tails…  Oh, I'm sorry, you probably don't know what that means.eheh.”  She laughed, feeling more free than she had for ages.

The sound of the bustling hallway came into focus with Brianna and Sarah unable to process her biting words as a small audience drew around them, but they couldn't remain silent for long, and Sarah stammered.

“W-What did you say you—eh…”

Sora pushed between them, making Brianna stumble back a little to come mere centimeters from Sarah's face, cutting her off and making her skin pale.

“You heard me, tramps.  Now,” shifting to Brianna, Sora asked, “do you want to start something, or are you heading to class?”

She brought up her watch, causing the time to flash as the display brightened, “Because second block is going to start soon…  Oh, that's right, you failed math last year, Sarah, so maybe I'm being rude to the special needs—maybe you don't know how to decipher numbers.”

Sora brushed by them with the impressed looks of several students.  “See.  What would you two do without me?  Talk about pathetic losers.”

Reaching the next hallway, Sora felt her legs almost give out, a thrill of endorphins flooding her pounding chest.  I didn't just—I totally did!  Yes!  I can get used to this.

Pride at being that verbal hero in the face of her oppressive bullies filled her chest and quelled any sense of fear.

It was perfect!  I was perfect!  Smile beaming, she strolled toward her next class, wondering what other surprises she'd find with these stupid meds leaving her system.

I totally need to talk to Mary about all this, but like…  Yes!  It's like, finally!  Get out of my face and leave me alone, people!  Heh.  What else am I supposed to do…  Should I talk it out and sip tea while saying bullying is terrible?

No!  Screw that!  I don't need Mary to tell me what I did was right.  I need my bullies to leave me alone, and if I can give them a little taste of hell while I'm at it, all the better!

Chapter Seven:  Nine Days; A Good Day

Thumbs poking out of her pockets, Sora never felt as free as she walked through the halls after third block.  None of Kari’s girls even looked at her, and she couldn’t care less if they did.

Since discovering her enhanced senses, she’d been testing them out in class.  Amazingly, she could smell the perfume, cologne, and even cat piss—which she was less enthusiastic about—left on other students’ clothes. 

When it came to the unique stench around many of Kari’s gang, it came in varying strengths.  Even odder, Kari had a somewhat pleasant scent, if a bit overpowering.

If she was concentrating, she could also hear conversations down the halls while listening to the teacher, and it wasn’t just her sense of smell or sound, as sliding her fingers over her desk showed her grooves and sensations she’d never experienced.

Having no plans to return for fourth block, Sora scanned for her best friend while making her way toward her locker, hearing her voice before rounding a corner, where she spotted Wendy together with Theo.

Not hesitating, she edged around a few students to join them.

“Yo, Wendy, Theo.”

“Hmm?  Oh, umm… who?”  the boy sheepishly questioned with a smile.

“Sora,” she huffed, adjusting her purse strap at Wendy’s sudden frown.  “We’ve been in the same school for a while.”

The brown-haired girl cleared her throat.  “Umm, Theo, can you give me a second?”

“Sure.  Uh, yeah, I’ll go get in line.  Pizza, right?”

“Sounds good.”

Sora scooted closer to the lockers as he waved them off, shooting a glance back.

Once he turned the corner, Wendy crossed her arms and stumbled through her words.  “What do you want?  I’m sorry I cut your hair—looks like you’ve got a nice wig, though.  But, please, don’t try and ruin things with—well, just…  What do you want?”

“Hey!  Hey!”  Smile straining, Sora held up her hands in protest.  “I’m not here trying to get between Theo and you—I didn’t think you were dating anyone…”

“We’re not dating,” Wendy mumbled, shifting eyes saying what was on her mind.

Not yet, huh?  Nice!  Sora internally cheered for her.

“Okay.  I get it—”

“What does that mean?  He’s a nice guy.”

“No!  Woah, hey—I didn’t say he wasn’t.  Chill!”

Wendy pulled on her dress, right fingers rubbing her upper arm.  “Sorry…  I’ve just worked so hard, and…  He asked me yesterday if I had lunch plans, a-and so…”

Didn’t ask; tell me how you really feel!

Trying to suppress the snickers threatening to show themselves, Sora grinned.  “Nice!  I just wanted to let you know I’m going to start homeschooling soon—I mean, heh, you know what Kari said yesterday.”

“Mmhm?”

“Yeah.  So… I was wondering—if you wanted to—you could join me,” she shrugged, the pressure suddenly hitting her chest.  “Don’t say no right away!”

“Sora, I, uh…”

“Just hear me out!”

A few other students turned their way at her tone, making Wendy swallow and lower her voice.  “Okay…  What?”

Taking a deep breath, she eased it out as her fingers found her purse straps for support.  “Umm…  I know your mom hates me, andI know things are super difficult for you at home… but Kari’s group is bad, too…  I know this isn’t easy to hear—I just thought…  Just think about it.  Maybe we could find something for your mom, too—maybe…”

Wendy sighed at Sora’s weak shrug and wandering gaze before a melancholy tilt came to her muddy brown eyes.  “Thanks for always thinking about me, Sora… even after everything I’ve done.”

“It’s not you,” Sora grumbled, scratching her temple.  “It’s like the whole world was always trying to break our friendship, and… and you really are my only friend.  Not that I’m saying I’m desperate, and that’s why I’m asking!”

Wendy bent over in laughter, holding her stomach.  “You’re funny sometimes, Sora!  I didn’t even think that.”

“Ugh… sorry.”

“No, it’s fine.  Umm…  I should get going.”

“Yeah,” Sora swallowed the sticky saliva in her mouth.  “Yeah, me, too…  I met two new girls, by the way.”

Wendy’s brow furrowed after closing her locker.  “Who?”

“I don’t know—eh-heh, they’re kind of weird… a lot of weird stuff has been happening lately.  Oh!”

“Huh?!”

“No, it’s just…  Mary’s taking me off my meds,” she whispered, showing a beaming smile.

“No way.  Is she your new psychiatrist?”

“Mhm!  I really like her so far.  Umm, can we talk about it later—maybe you can come by sometime soon?  You know, to talk… like old times?  I can get something we could cook on the grill or something?”

Wendy tucked her lower lip under, not looking at her as a low hum rumbled in her throat.  “I, erm… I do have a lot I have to do today and tomorrow…  I’m a janitor, and then I have a lot to do at home…”

“No, I get it!”  Sora quickly returned, waving her hand.  “I totally do.  It’s cool…”

Brushing back her bangs, Wendy chuckled.  “I’m not saying no, Sora…  Umm.  Yeah, we can catch up sometime.  Text you?  The same number, right?”

“For sure!  Umm, yeah, yeah—the same number.”

“Cool.”

“Yeah… uh, talk to you later?”

“Later!”

Sora waved her off, feeling as if she’d just entered orbit.

Yes!  Yes!  Yes!

Releasing the squirming butterflies in her stomach, Sora practically skipped out of the school; her life was getting back on track.

Her dad was getting things set up to spend more time at home, Mary was actually trying to help her, Kari didn’t want anything to do with her, and now Wendy was open to patching up their friendship.

Sora’s teeth flashed as she caught the tall blonde and short Korean girl standing at the end of the parking lot, watching cars leaving for lunch.  Not many teens left the premises for food, but with a student body of over 2,400, plenty of cars exited the school grounds to hit up the many local restaurants in Miami Beach.

Eyia’s animated, unreserved waves and big grin contrasted Jin’s nonchalant gesture, making Sora giggle.

“I see the—d-dress is not a you!”

“Really… you’re not skilled,” she shot back at the girl’s beaming grin.  “Yo, Sora.  Don’t mind the airhead; she thinks she’s a genius at English now.”

“Pants fire, yo, girls stop—what chariot red paint?!”

“Huh?”  Sora’s lips parted in question as she followed her pointing finger to a used red car from over ten years ago, pulling out with laughing boys going out for lunch.  “A… car?”

Jin sighed.  “She wants one so she can race…  The stupid girl wants to compete in anything and everything.”

“Best is I!”  Eyia roared, puffing up her chest and causing many students to look her way, each probably wondering if a homeless girl was asking for money by her appearance.  “Jin, not good games with number slots like I!”

“Wait!  Wait!  Wait!”  Sora snickered at the revelation as Jin hit her face by rubbing her temples.  “Did you, heh—did you spend all the money you got on slot machines… how?”

“We had to try and get it back somehow, and it worked for me in the past…  Eyia spent five bucks and got two back—now she thinks she’s the Goddess of Games.”

Eyia’s face shone with pride.  “Jin no win!  I win!  Haha!  Slot exchange Sora win much?  Sora and I battle!”

“Hold up,” Sora laughed at the absurdity of it.  “You want to have a contest to see who wins a slot machine first?”

Jin threw out her arms.  “Didn’t I tell you she’s stupid?”

“I no dumb-dumb!”  Eyia said, leering down at Jin as if she were a worm.  “You lose sore and keep red rump!”

“You have no idea why I’m pissed…  So stupid…”

Sora motioned for them to follow her.  “Let’s go get you some actual clothes, Eyia, and then we can have a slot battle.”

“War!”  Eyia screamed, her vigor making Sora and those nearby jump.

“Woah!”

“Damn…”

“Okay, girl…  Yeah, war…”

Sora couldn’t get over how nothing phased the ‘Asgardian’ girl, but nearing the end of the parking lot, she noticed a sharp change in Eyia’s demeanor as she slowed to a stop.

“Jin…”

Jin tapped her shoulder with agitation, jaw tightening as the blonde turned to stare across the parking lot, and to Sora’s surprise, the Alpha Bully herself stood among a few of her pack, notably lacking Jenny and Lori.

A shiver ran down Sora’s spine as a sharp, chilling breeze suddenly pressed against her skin, followed by a cycling heat with Jin’s low growl, “Don’t, Eyia…  It’s got nothin’ to do with us.”

Sora’s enhanced vision caught Kari’s tight fist as she stared between her two new acquaintances, and for a second, she thought she saw Eyia’s deep-blue irises glow.

Jin put a hand on the blonde’s stomach and pushed her toward the crosswalk to leave the school grounds.  “Not your problem!”

The tense atmosphere broke, and Sora discovered her lungs were frozen.  Choking a little, she mumbled, “Ack… What was that!?  Do you know Kari?”

Jin and Eyia seemed to be in a somewhat heated exchange in their cryptic language, but after a few back and forths, Eyia crossed her arms with a growl and seemed to relent.

The Korean grunted, hands in her pocket as she shrugged.  “Meh.  Know one, ya know them all, but we’re here on holiday—not to start a fight…  Right, Eyia?”

“No understand barrier spoken be right not!”  Eyia shot back, further confusing Sora.

Jin rubbed her forehead before getting into another mysterious argument, leaving Sora to speculate.  If she wasn’t having another episode, to her, it sounded like they knew ‘what’ Kari was because clearly, after the classroom incident, she wasn’t human, which presented another questioning thought.

Eyeing the two haughty girls, Sora swallowed the lump in her throat.  What are Eyia and Jin…  Is Eyia really someone from Asgard…  Norse Mythology?  If Kari’s girls are werewolves, she’s probably some alpha or something…  A werewolf princess?  Wow…  Okay, don’t think about her in a big poofy dress—not where my mind should be going.

Internally laughing at the thought of Kari waving around a wand and wearing a tiara, Sora tentatively waited for the two girls to calm down enough to interject.

“Uh… Eyia, want to stop in there and grab some clothes?”

Eyia blinked.  “Sora say speaking again?  No, I grasp speaking.”

“Because you’re too focused on stupid things!”  Jin barked.

“No stupid!”

“Uh-huh… whatever.”  Jin sighed and pointed at the shop to translate what she’d asked, causing Eyia’s expression to brighten.

“Yes, Sora!  Gifts accepted; you the thanking!”

Sora laughed with the blonde; these girls were so much fun.  “Great.  Okay, let’s get you some official threads.  You want something, Jin?”

“Hell yeah!  Heh, eh… by the way, would ya mind giving me the amount you spent after we’re all done?  I’ll get it back to ya.  We ain’t the dine and dash types—eh-heh, need any rings?”

“Haha.  No,” Sora mused.  “I can give you the receipts, though, sure, but I don’t expect you to.  It’s just been a long time since I’ve been able to hang out with anyone my own age.”

“Shame,” Jin smirked as they crossed the street.  “Own age, heh… right.  How old are you?”

Sora grinned, holding up her fingers.  “Nine days ‘till sixteen!  You?”

Jin rubbed her chin, adding a half-smile.  “Nine days, huh?  Interesting.  Oh, check it—some nice clothes in the window!  Heh, likin’ the mannequins.  It’s been so long since I’ve seen stuff like this.”

“Uh-huh…  Well, let’s get shopping!”  Sora cheered.  “How about we get at least three sets you like?  Sound good?”

Eyia’s lips parted in disbelief as she seemed to count off the numbers on two hands before looking to her translator.  “One… two… three—three!  Jin, three?!”

“That’s right, fatass,” she snickered, slapping her on the butt to get moving beyond the window.  “Quit hanging onto old grudges and just chill—live a little, girl!”

“How equip armor do you?”

Sora lifted an eyebrow as Eyia went to the nearby child’s section to hold up a pair of shorts.  “Huh?”

“Don’t be embarrassing—again…”  Jin growled, pointing at the other section and guiding her that way.  “We went over all this with the charity women.”

“No fit?”  she mumbled, holding the pants up to her chest.  “Head small too for z-z-zipper?”

The Korean hung her head.  “Did you see anyone wearing those on their head?  C’mon, I’ll help you again…  So freaking innocent.”

Sora had no clue if they were role-playing or not, but it was entertaining to hang around them.

Jin bobbed her head to the Post Malone song that came on over the store speakers, and Sora went between aisles to pick out some everyday clothes as the shorter girl taught Eyia how to put the items on.  Smiling at the semi-peaceful atmosphere,  she found a lovely blue dress for Eyia and added a new set of matching underwear at an adjacent shop to the blonde’s wardrobe.

The petite Korean went for more of a simple crop top and shorts look, looking to Sora to help her with sizing.  The girl totally couldn’t read English, despite her vocal prowess, and a ploy or not, she was happy to play along.

Starting to get hungry, she guided them down the street, enjoying her newfound freedom.  “I thought we’d eat at an Italian restaurant.  Is that okay?”

“Sure,” Jin said, examining the shops around them and visibly happier while studying her new outfit.  “Thanks, by the way, Sora.  I never thought we’d meet someone like you here.”

“Mhm!  It’s been fun.  You want the receipts?”  Sora asked, internally expecting the answer.

“Uh…  No, you can just tell me the price.  I’ve been keeping track of it when we checkout, and I’m pretty sure we can pay you back in gold rings.”

Sora shrugged.  “Sure, and we can figure things out later.  Let’s just enjoy ourselves.”

“See,” Jin grinned, nudging the blonde, who was still examining her blue dress with a brilliant smile, “I told you foxes knew how to have fun.”

She wanted to ask so much about their comments and whatever passed between Kari and Eyia but didn’t want to ruin the positive vibes, so she kept her peace, yet on the route to Purdy Avenue, Sora began to grow a little self-conscious under Eyia’s continued scrutiny.

“Uh… is there something you want to say, Eyia?” 

“Not say.  No,” she evenly replied, adjusting her dress strap before looking at the landscape.

Jin lifted her shoulders.  “Don’t ask me; the girl’s weird.”

“Not weird.  Normal me.”

The Korean smirked, shooting her a lifted eyebrow.  “And who would you have to determine normality, Ms. I Love War?”

Well, okay then…

Sora’s eyes popped open, and a wide grin spread across her cheeks as the divine scent wafted through the air; this time, it was even more angelic.

“That’s the smell!  I want it,” she whispered, saliva gathering in her mouth.

Jin and Eyia sniffed and frowned, but the blonde didn’t seem to catch anything; the Korean was more vocal, though.

“There’s a lot of food in the area.  What specifically?  Italian, right?  Uh… yeah, nothing really stands out to me as exemplary.”

“I don’t know,” Sora replied as she picked up her pace.  “It just smells so good!”

“If you say so.”

Following Sora’s lead, they arrived at the Italian restaurant and went inside; there were only a few customers eating, and a waiter saw their entrance and the shopping bags Eyia carried.

Noticing no one was at the front desk to meet them, he made his way over to seat them; Sora caught his name tag—Fletcher—as he motioned to them.  “Party of three?  Do you have a reservation?”

“Yup, three of us, sorry, no, we don’t have a reservation.”

“Okay,” he nodded, looking at the chart at the desk and ticking off a table with a Sharpie before leading them across the floor, but they paused as Sora stopped at a booth, looking straight at the dish on the table.  The man sitting there, playing with his cellphone, shifted to give her a puzzled stare.

“Umm… yeah?”

“What did you order?  It looks delicious!”

“Oh, uh…”  His focus wandered to the plate in front of him.  “The coniglio?”

“Mhm.  Yeah, I want that,” she stated, gesturing at the meat on the man’s plate.

Fletcher took out a piece of paper to write it down.  “Well, alright…  The coniglio.  Thank you, Sir.”

“Yeah, no prob.  I like it.”

Fletcher nodded.  “It’s a classic Italian recipe; rabbit braised in dijon mustard and white wine, added with some spices and bacon.  It comes with leeks and sautéed spinach on the side.  The cost is forty-eight dollars.”

“That’s fine.”

“Right,” the waiter chuckled nervously.  “Umm, should we first seat you?”

Jin giggled as Sora’s cheeks darkened.

“Yeah, sorry.  I just got excited.  Sorry,” she repeated to the man at the booth as he waved them off.

“Heh.  No problem.  I hope you like it; I get it at least once a month.”

Taking a seat, Eyia and Jin had her help them with the menu, and Sora hid a smile at seeing the Korean’s shifting posture; she was probably self-conscious about not being able to read, so Sora didn’t press or bring it up, pointing at the items and talking about them to not make her feel awkward.

She couldn’t help a laugh when they went down the list with what they wanted, making the waiter’s brow furrow as they kept going.

“Umm…  Ma’am, I don’t know if…”

Sora dug out her black card and held it up with a grin.  “I’ll take them all—doesn’t matter what the price is.”

Jin’s concern at the man’s questioning look evaporated as his gaze fixated on the card, likely knowing she’d give a large tip by seeing the metal and fancy card.

“Of course, Ma’am.  Anything else?”

Sora looked to the two girls, who shook their heads.  “Nope.  I think that’s good.  Heh, I’m guessing it will be a bit to get things ready?”

“A bit… heh, yes, but we’ll get the appetizers out as soon as possible.  Drinks?”

Wanting to show the vacationing girls a good time, Sora slid her finger down the list.  “Just get them whatever they want.  Excluding the alcohol, of course,” Sora joked.

“Of course,”  the server gave another weak chuckle.  “I’ll just… leave your menus then.  Be back shortly.”

“Thanks!”

Jin whistled softly as he left, scratching above her left ear.  “His tune changed fast…  How much plastic money do you have—actually, is it metal money?  Are you giving him the metal card in exchange?”

Eyia’s sparkling blue eyes looked like she’d just seen an exciting movie.  “Defeat Sora big nemesis!  No block food like Jin defeats!  Undefeatable Sora plastic weapon!”

The Korean growled, folding her arms to glare at the blonde.  “I wasn’t ‘defeated’ by the store clerks… I just didn’t get the food because we don’t have the cash.”

Eyia just let out a guffaw.  “Jin red rump sore loser.”

“I told you, I’m not!”

Sora laughed, having not felt more entertained for years.  She never knew what would come from the pair, and a few hours passed, food constantly being brought to their table.  Somehow, the girls packed it down like no other, even starting to draw a crowd with how they were packing down the items.

Ginger custard bomboloni doughnut after doughnut, the girls popped them down—some of the staff took bets—and Sora became convinced they weren’t human, considering they ate enough for ten people.

However, Sora waited patiently for her rabbit, salivating when the dish was produced.  Jin snickered at her anticipation while Eyia was wholly preoccupied with her feast.

“You don’t expect rabbit to actually be that good, do you?”

She shook her head, staring down at the meat in front of her.  “I don’t know.  It smells… mmm, divine!  It’s the spices and this cooked meat smell… kya!  I just have to have it.”

The delicious scent wafted up her nose, spices filling her lungs; she’d never experienced this level of excitement for food, yet her heart was racing.

Fingers shaking, she stabbed the braised rabbit with her fork and cut off a piece with her knife.  Biting into it, tears leaked from her eyes as the blissful flavor washed across her tongue and slid down her throat.  Despite its sweetness, the spices were unlike anything she’d sampled, almost alien, making her tongue pop.

She licked her lips, having to take a moment to collect herself and dab at her eyes with the napkin in her lap before pressing her tongue against the roof of her mouth to savor the blend of flavors and swallowing the lingering saliva in her mouth was like the second course.

Then, she noticed Eyia, Jin, and the staff’s startled expressions.

“Is it really that good?”  the Korean asked.

Wiping at her eyes, Sora nodded.  “Yeah, it’s astonishing!  Like a symphony of flavors washing through my mouth.”

“Well… okay.”

Chuckles were heard across the restaurant since Eyia and Jin had pulled a lot of attention with their two-girl war on food.  Sora was in seventh heaven, though, and couldn’t be bothered as she savored her humble meal compared to her disaster-level companions.

Fully satisfied once finishing the last bit, she puffed out a long stream of air and nodded before producing her card.  “Thank you for the meal!”

Fletcher took it with a short chuckle.  “I’ve never seen customers like you three.  It was fun to see the progress, and I think your friends hold a record.”

Eyia grinned and flexed her arms without reservation.  “I be is strong in belly—eat many creatures of poison!”

Jin slapped her forehead, but everyone couldn’t help laughing at her unusual statements.  Sora, however, was 90% certain she wasn’t joking.

Her card was accepted, and the receipt should have made her groan since explaining it to her dad would sound crazy for just two girls with bottomless pits for stomachs, but it didn’t bother her all that much for some reason.

Leaving a healthy $150 tip, as appropriate for the price, she exited around 4 p.m. and went to a nearby ATM to pull out a bit more money to allow Eyia to gamble.  Sora was a little leery at the fake IDs they produced to use arcade games—to the clerks and Sora’s confusion—marking them as 18-years-old when they weren’t even gambling.

The tell was definitely their total ignorance of everything in Florida, of basic things in a 1st world country, and the fact they thought they needed an ID for arcade games, not to mention their licenses when they didn’t even know much about cars.

Definitely aliens of some kind, Sora internally snickered.

Letting it slide just to have a fun time with the girls, she withdrew a bit more money to let them play, and sure enough, the blonde was a precision fiend when it came to timing games, hitting payout after payout.

Seeing her jump in excitement at every ticket that came out—to Jin’s chagrin—was cute.  The Korean enjoyed experimenting with every other type of game—although she suffered Eyia’s jabbing, broken-English comments—and it was as if she was watching an Olympic competition of air hockey with the two going back and forth.

Ending their day at the arcade near 8 p.m., Sora waved off the girls, saying she needed to head back; she had her 10 p.m. meds to take, after all.

Jin kept four fingers in her short front pockets as she nodded.  “Sounds good.  I really misjudged you, Sora.  You’re pretty cool.”

“Thanks!  I thought today was fun, too.  Mind hanging out again soon?  Maybe we could hit the beach or something—grab some swimsuits?”

Jin smiled with Eyia paying close attention to the conversation while hugging the army of stuffed animals she’d won.  “Yeah.  Sounds good.  We got some stuff we’re gonna be doing the next two days, but after that, we should be free for a bit.”

“Meet at the school parking lot around the same time?”  Sora offered.

“We should be able to do that.”

“Great!  Later.”

“Later.”

Eyia couldn’t wave with her item-filled hands, so she did it with her body.  “Day good, Sora.  Had plethora fun and beat Jin at the hoc-oc-cky of air!”

“Two of three,” Jin complained, “and it’s not hoc-oc-cky, it’s air hockey…  Plus, I let you win one.”

“Nuh-uh!  I big win; you red bum mad!”

“Uh-huh…  Could you be any less embarrassing?  Heh.”  Jin jabbed a thumb in the girl’s direction as if saying, ‘can you believe this chick?’  “See you around, Sora.”

“Mhm.”

Heading off, Sora pushed her purse up while tapping the side with a song in her heart.  What a great day.  Wendy’s going to think about homeschooling with me, I found some weird friends, and Lori got told off by Kari.  How could it be better?  Oh, and can’t forget the food…

“The many, many plates of food,” she mumbled to herself with a laugh.

What a good day.

She paused halfway back home as an unmistakable tinkle resounded around the entire area, muting all other sounds; she couldn’t place it, but it tickled at the back of her mind.

Searching for the source, her gaze settled on a thin black cat, staring right at her from across the road, atop a car hood.

As she focused, she fixated on the feline’s bright—almost glowing—amber irises in the dying sun.  It wore a golden earring on its left ear, a brass bell around its right leg, with—the strangest feature—two tails weaving behind it.  Each black-furred appendage was dyed a deep red.

The moment it tilted its head, a large truck came between them, and the two-tailed cat was gone.  The strange creature reminded her of some of the Japanese drama shows she watched.  Two-tailed cat…  A Nekomata?  Well, that’s not ominous.

“Huh.”

Putting it out of her mind, she passed the 24th Street bridge and frowned at seeing the booth where she’d met Frank; a man was there, but it wasn’t the giant, handsome one she’d met the previous day, yet something else caught her attention that put an edge of unease in her chest.

Wendy?

Her dark-brown-eyed best friend was leaning against the side of a sign, staring at her old sneakers.

Making her way to her, Sora held up her hand.  “Hey!  Wendy, uh… what’s up?”

Wendy started, looking up at her approach, and mumbled, “Oh…  Sora, I thought you would already be home.  You’re looking nice.”

“Thanks.  I was out for a while.”  She was about to ask if she recalled the old arcade they used to go to but decided against it, redirecting her thoughts.  “What brings you here?  Usually, your mom wants you home before 9, right?”

“Yeah…  Umm, actually… Lori came up to me after school.”

Sora bit her lower lip, heat flaring in her chest.  “Mmh… and what did that psychopath want—to tell me to come to school tomorrow or something?”

Wendy didn’t make eye contact as she slowly nodded.  “I heard about what you did today…  Some of the track team saw you call Kari behind the gym to talk to her with Kris.  Umm…  Lori’s convinced you had something to do with Kari being mad at her or something?”

Aiming a half-smile to the side, Sora couldn’t help a soft chuckle.  “And she’d be right.  It was me.”

“Really?”

Seeing the disbelief on her friend’s face, Sora shrugged.  “Yeah, well, I’m done being their pincushion.  If Lori wants to step to me, then let her.  I don’t care anymore if Kari’s not going to back her.  I’m done with public high school anyway.”

“Wow…  So, you’re really going to do homeschool?”  Wendy whispered, fidgetting with the hem of her shirt.  “I didn’t know if you were joking or not.”

“No, I’m outta there!”  Sora laughed.  “Done!  Maybe I’ll stop by and tell Lori myself.  Who knows—I’m just not that scared of her.  Kari’s the real monster, and she’s cool with me leaving.  Is what it is.”

Wendy studied her in silence for a few seconds before smiling.  “It’s nice seeing you happier.”

“You’ll consider homeschooling with me?”  Sora pressed.

“Umm…  Maybe.  I don’t know,” she whispered, running her fingers through her brown hair.  “I can still work after school with Theo, so… I don’t know.”

Glad she was at least considering it, Sora breathed out her relief.  “Don’t sweat Lori; she’s just a bitch without Kari.  I’m over her, and maybe we could hang out on the low tomorrow.  What do you think?”

“Mmh… maybe a little.  I’ll text you.”

“Okay.  I need to get back, so…”

“Yeah.  Oh…”

Sora held open her arms, adding a strained grin.  “Friends again?”

“I don’t know why you’d want to be friends with me… but okay,” Wendy whispered with a nervous chuckle, closing in to hug her; it felt so warm and cozy to finally reach friendship again.

“See you tomorrow… maybe!”  Sora joked, making Wendy laugh as they broke apart.  “We can do some light shopping or just hang out?”

“Sora…”

“What?”

“Light shopping for you is like three new outfits!  I can’t go home with that.”

“Okay!  Okay!”  Sora laughed  “You got me!  We can just hang out.”

“See you, Sora, and the wig looks great.”

“Not a wig!”  Sora winked, tugging a little on her locks to Wendy’s questioning look, but she let the mystery go unanswered as she turned to jog away, a smile on her lips.

Thumping heart settling with her internal cheers, Sora went to the booth across the walkway, waving down the employee.

“Hey!”

“Hello!  Lookin’ for some merch?”

“Looking for Frank.  What days does he work?”

The man hummed.  “Ah—know Frank, do ye?  Frank works on-call; the name’s Glen.”

Hands held behind her back, Sora nodded.  “So, he only comes when you’re busy?”

“Yeah, had a terrible cold yesterday, so Frank filled in.  Funny thing is, this mornin’ Frank gave me this kinda tonic that cured me like that!”  He snapped his fingers with a hearty chuckle.

Glen shrugged while scratching the scruff at his neck.  “Yeah, Frank’s a strange one.  Every time I call, something interestin’ happens.”

Laughing, Sora dug into her purse to hand him the money.  “This is for the shorts and shirt he gave me.  He was a real help.  The extra money is for his trouble.”

I’m glad Frank was there yesterday; he helped my mood a lot.

Cutting their conversation short, she said, “Take twenty yourself for the trouble.”

He gave her a thumbs up and a toothy grin.  “Thanks, little lady!  I’ll make sure he gets it.”

Waving him off, she hurried to the hotel, taking in the Miami bustle as people prepared for the nightlife after work, and arriving at the lobby, she waved cheerily at a few staff before heading to the private elevator.

Howie seemed to be on staff at the moment, giving Ron time with his wife.

“Yo!”

“Hey, Sora… I heard from Ron that you got a wig.  Looks good, girl!”

“Thanks!”  she lied, happy the man was covering for her rapid hair growth.  “I’ll be back to normal in no time, and you know how fast it grows.”

“True!”  he laughed, pressing the button for her penthouse.  “Really has been crazy, huh?  Ron should be in at 10 for your meds and to relieve—”

Sora frowned as he yawned.  “Not getting much sleep?”

“Mmgm…”  He smacked his lips.  “It’s been a bit rough, but the overtime is boss; I expect a fat check in two days!”

“Heh.  Nice.  Got a new girlfriend yet?”

“Ugh… don’t remind me.  Daisy keeps texting…”

“No!”  Sora flatly denied.  “No shot, you’re going to give her another chance after all the drama she causes?  You don’t need that in your life.”

“Yeah… maybe you’re right, but… she always sounds so sorry and wants to make us work.”

Sora gave him a hard stare and shook her head.  “Maybe the first or second time, but how many times has she broken up with you just to come back two weeks later, having thought some other dude will ‘treat her right’…  She’s using you, Howie.  Don’t be a simp for her and get a girl that will treat you right!”

“Haaa…  It’s so easy for girls to find new dates,” he grumbled.  “It’s different for men.”

“I don’t know,” Sora mumbled.  “I think you’ll do fine.  You make decent money and are an attentive guy, which is why Daisy always goes back to you… because you’re reliable, but you need to find a reliable girl.”

“Maybe you’re right…  Ugh.  Well, thanks for the pep talk, Sora.  Don’t be a simp?”

“Don’t be a simp!  Girls like men that challenge them.  Okay?  And I’m not talking about Daisy!  She had her chance, and now it’s time to give another girl on the market an opportunity.  ‘kay?”

“Alright, heh, my little dating coach.”

“You’ll do great!  Just put yourself out there, and you’ll reel in a nice catch,” she winked, moving into her penthouse as the doors opened.

“It’s good seeing you happy again, by the way.”

“For real, and I’m talking to Wendy again!”

“Huh!  You can’t leave me on that—”  he croaked, but Sora teasingly stuck out her tongue as the doors shut, waving him off.  “See you tomorrow, maybe!”

Snickering at the cliffhanger, Sora got prepared to relax for a bit before Ron showed up for his shift.  Once comfortable, she went to the freezer to thumb through a few desert options and pulled out some vanilla ice cream—adding hot fudge, of course—before heading to the theater room to watch the next episode in her J-Drama.

Ron rang the bell at 10:02 p.m., indicating he was ready to come in for the pills.

She ended the show to meet him, luckily it wasn’t at a very important part, though she’d be keen to finish the episode.  Informing him about the magical day she’d had, the man chuckled at the oddities and got out her night meds.

“It’s nice that you and Wendy are patching things up.  A lot’s changed in two days, huh?”

“Yeah!  It’s insane.  Mary, Kari not caring about me anymore, and now Wendy…  Eh-heh, am I dreaming, Ron?”

“I’ll pinch myself if that helps?”

His suggestion made Sora giggle; it seemed out of the blue.  “How is that supposed to help?”

“I don’t know; I’m just saying I’m not going to pinch you!”

“No fun.  Still, it really is crazy…  My dad’s coming home soon, too, and he’ll be home for a long time.  Maybe permanently!”

“Exciting!”

“Right!?  Wait…”  Sora’s eyebrows furrowed as a thought struck her, and she looked up at the man with concern.  “What does that mean for you?  Will you be okay if my dad’s around more?  You won’t get paid as much, right?”

“For real?”  Ron smirked, handing her the much smaller cluster of meds than she was used to.  “Don’t be worried about me.  Steph and I will do fine.  Your dad has set us up for a long while; besides, we live by pretty simple means, so it isn’t a problem.”

“Are you sure?”

“Aww, you’re too much, Sora.  Of course.  In fact, I’ll ask Steph about hanging out tomorrow.  How’s that?”

“I’d love that!  But… you’ll need to sleep.”

“So you can ask her all the dirty secrets about me, huh?”  he winked.

Sora laughed.  “I guess so.  Thanks, Ron.  I’d like to spend more time with Stephanie; she always seems so busy with… stuff.”

“Stuff!”  the man laughed with her.  “Yeah, she does have a lot of hobbies, but they’re not expensive ones.  You can ask her a ton of stuff, but just watch her.”

Sora held up her arm to flex.  “Don’t worry about your wifey with me on the job, Ron!  I got all her preggo needs covered tomorrow!”

“I’m counting on you!”

Taking her meds and laughing with the man on her way out, Sora brushed her teeth and finished her nightly prep before jumping into bed.

Snuggling under the sheets in the air-conditioned penthouse, she couldn’t wait for tomorrow and swiftly drifted off to sleep.  Now, it was eight days until her birthday.

Chapter Eight:  Eight Days; Freak Out

Jerking out of sleep as a jagged saw bit into her skull, Sora’s mind went utterly blank, unable to process anything beyond the crippling pain that assaulted her brain.  Unable to move, her bones turned to jelly with her muscles writhing under her smoldering flesh while razors methodically diced her nerves.

After an eternity of debilitating torture, her trembling eyes snapped open as she jolted upright with the piercing sting reverberating along the length of her spine, yet all she saw was a void of swirling color.

Sora’s sticky mouth opened, but her vocal cords refused to respond—or her ears couldn’t hear her screams.  Tears dripped down her cheeks nonetheless, and moments later, her jaw latched shut as her blood boiled, surging through her veins.

The pulsating spur from the pressure of her clamped teeth sent her tongue against the roof of her mouth in silent anguish as another sharp spike pounded against her spine, shooting Sora back into her bed to lock her muscles against the escalating cramps.

As if to mock her, the harassing incursions refused to let her rest, splitting Sora’s head from the inside out as if her ears were being drilled into her skull.  It seemed to last infinite days—a cancerous miasma that slowly corroded her body and mind—then, abruptly, the invasive torment ceased without warning.

Sora lost track of time as she lay in her sheets, sweat slicking her brow while panting; she couldn’t believe it had ended, and only the dulled sense of her wet skin carried through to her brain beside her heart, thumping against her ribcage.

Hearing blurred, sense of smell dead, and sight a mixture of inexpressible colors, she waited, not able to tell if hours or seconds passed.

After an unknown period, she finally built up the courage to slide to the edge of her bed; lifting her quivering arms took so much effort, yet at least she didn’t feel any more pain.

Is…  Is it over?

Calming herself, she stammered a sigh and placed her feet on the floor to attempt to reach her bathroom.  She paused while staring at her hazy thighs; Sora couldn’t feel her legs, and, not willing to believe it, she tried to stand, only to topple to the granite floor beyond the carpet her bed rested on.

Lying motionless with her world spinning, Sora dully stared up at the ceiling, too bewildered to be afraid.  What’s happening to me?

She glanced at her clock for the numbers to slowly come into focus: 2 a.m.

I can’t feel my body…  Hearing’s shot…  I can’t smell anything…  What happened to all my sharp senses yesterday?  It can’t be the meds… can it?

She winced as a dim pounding reverberated through her mind, and straining her ears to center on the first sound she’d heard, Sora swallowed with its increased pace.  The internal noise was so powerful she could swear someone was beating the rhythm right next to her, and the volume continued to rise, and the louder it became, the more her senses returned.

The blissful fragrances and flavor of the rabbit, spices, and toothpaste residue in her mouth became pungent and sharp, quickening her stuttering mind.

Sora was first curious, but curiosity soon became alarm as the thumps against her ears escalated to drums—louder, louder, and louder still—she darted up, clapping her palms against the side of her head to no avail.

Swaying a little with her lurching stumbles, Sora rebalanced herself on her way to the stairs, tumbling down the last few.  Not feeling the pain beyond the disrupting rhythm bouncing through her mind, she scrambled to her feet yet fell several times before making it to the patio door.

The pace, level, and intensity of the beating escalated with every breath and step toward the spa, and the noise became a cacophony of thunderous resonations that trampled through her brain until she ducked her head in the warm water.  Instantly, the sound dampened.

Relief came until her inflamed lungs sent her choking and sputtering out of the liquid to be tripped back into it by the harsh reality that awaited her above water.

Falling into the pool, she fought between the two torturous realities until realizing she could float face up on the surface, allowing her nose to barely rise above the surface.

Breathing deeply to ease her quaking chest, a whimper bubbled through her throat; the noise left a ringing thump at the back of her skull.

Unable to do anything but freely float across the water, she eventually maneuvered to the resting area to lay against the cushioned area that supported her head in a resting position just under the surface, letting her hair weave freely around her.

Liquid soaked her nightgown, yet it barely registered to her beaten and battered mind, instead focusing on the cool night breeze stinging what little of her skin was exposed with crisp clarity.

The slow current dragged her hair down toward the edge, making strands stick to her neck and cheeks, and her migraine eventually became bearable since she’d submerged her head in the water.

Sora closed her eyes, finding specific noises she could concentrate on: the motor, bubbles rising, water motion, and tubes’ suction.

Depressed, she opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling overhead.  I don’t want to live my life with my head half submerged…  Is it my heartbeat I was hearing?  Am I turning into a monster or alien or something…  Were my meds suppressing it?  I want answers!

She focused on the pounding and concluded it had to be her heartbeat.  Obviously, this pain comes from sounds, like my heartbeat, but it’s all too sharp… too loud.

Swallowing nervously, she lifted her head and winced as the noise resumed, forcing her back under.  Maybe it’s a temporary thing, like last night.  At least, I hope it is.

Letting the warm liquid marinate her skin, she breathed a heavy sigh and noticed a strange scent that carried along the ocean breeze.  She shifted her gaze to the right, finding the same black and red-tipped, two-tailed cat sitting on her balcony railing.

No way!  I’m on the forty-eighth floor; how did it get up here?

The cat cocked its head and then leaped backward, plummeting to its death.

“Hey—”

She sprung up, mind spinning as the noise returned with ear-splitting resonance, and spots dotted her vision while falling forward into the spa.  Regaining her senses, she kicked down and broke the surface again, gasping for air as another dazing blast struck her mind.  She staggered, falling back into the water.

Half submerged, Sora lay in paralyzed bewilderment while staring up at the ceiling, water sloshing around her as she tried to recover.  Why—drowned like this!

“Haaa…”

Fact.  I can’t get out of the water without losing my mind completely.  Fact.  I have a freaking horrible migraine!  Fact.  I’m an alien…  It’s the only explanation.

Giggling to herself, Sora smothered it with a growl, yelling, “Why do I keep doing that?  Laughing instead of crying in misery!”

Flailing around for a minute in a mild tantrum, she breathed heavily as waves cascaded over her body and noise rolled around her skull.

She let a giggle work around her stomach again that escalated into a full laugh.  “I’m so weird!  Ugh…  No reason to fight it, I guess…  Just let me sleep!”

Her body suddenly felt heavy, and her mind told her to close her eyes.  Pushing herself to the spa’s dozing area again, she rested her head on the incurved cushion and fell asleep.

* __ * __ *

Blissful heat spread through Sora’s muscles as she stretched, feeling smooth bubbles float over her skin to reach the surface.  Her mouth was a desert as she opened her eyes to discover the rising sun.

“Mmgm…”

Lifting her fingers, she glared at her wrinkled and sensitively soft skin before standing up.  Sora instantly stiffened, waiting for the sound, yet nothing came.

Hesitantly easing her wound-up muscles and straining her ears as she worked around her neck, Sora experienced a multitude of temperate noises cycling through her mind.  Even weirder, she could filter them all out to a sole source or just tune the throng to a normal radial area, controlling the volume.

“See?!”  she mused to herself with a slight laugh.  “What did I tell you, Sora?  Just a little fritz!”

Walking into the kitchen, she felt a strong ocean breeze tickle her head, making her reach up to scratch her scalp.  Her body locked up as a heavenly tingle ran from her head to her spine.

Releasing the trapped air in her lungs, she looked up, subconsciously attempting to see the top of her head while pursing her lips.  “Huh?  What the hell?”

Poking something that twitched against her finger and made her blink, Sora walked to the guest bathroom and flipped on the light as water trailed behind her.  Not believing what she saw in her reflection, she blinked a few more times, yet it took her a few more seconds to fully realize what she was looking at before letting out a light scream.

Leaning closer, she frowned and brought her hands up to tap what she could only describe as animal ears; touching the top edge, Sora experienced another jolt shoot down her spine.

“No…”  Stunned, she brought up both hands and pressed them down.  “No…  I’m a dog… fox… cat?  Huuuh?!  They’re too big… way too big.  A Kitsune?”

The sensations rippling back to her brain from her palms pressing down on them left her speechless, and after a few seconds, her shoulders drooped before tugging at the edge of her right ear to be sure.

“Ack!  Stupid!  Aargck!  How is this real?!”

She spun in a stumbling circle, arms spread open and expecting something to happen.  A god, demon, or monster, it didn’t matter what so long as it could give her an answer, yet nothing and no one came to her rescue.

“What about my ears…  No…”

Pulling back her hair, Sora searched in vain.  She’d lost her human ears, but after a second, she debated if that was a bad thing; human and fox ears did have a weird vibe together.

“This can’t be happening!”  Legs spreading into partial splits, she dropped to the countertop in defeat, holding herself up with folded arms.  “Spectacular…  Now, I’m an animal alien.”

Snickering at her half-joke, Sora didn’t feel all that scared anymore; it was more of a shock than fright.

“That’s right, Sora!  Take it with a positive perspective!”  she coached herself.  “I mean, how many other girls would love to be a fox-girl… but ears without the tail is… mmh.  Maybe that’s the next stage?  Possible…”

Pursing her lips into a pout while spinning in the mirror to look at her dripping nightgown, she straightened and moved closer to examine her newly acquired ears.

It was the same color as her copper locks, though the reddish sheen got darker near the tips, and the inside was quite light-colored with black deeper in.  Studying them closer still, she discovered a thick bunch of hair around the interior of the ears, thinning near the openings.

Sliding up to her feet, Sora stepped back and studied the size in relation to her head; they were reasonably large—fifteen centimeters, she judged—and their base started a little way above where her normal ears had been.

Tilting her head back and forth, she watched the ears stay stiff as her wet locks weaved with her motion.  “Hmm, a Kitsune…  It explains a lot, I guess.”

That confirms all of Kari’s comments about foxes… even Jin.  She paused at the thought.  Have I always been a fox-girl, and everyone’s been trying to suppress my change or something?

She rubbed them from the base to the tips, experimenting.  The blissful sensation sent tingles throughout her entire body; it felt as damp as her hair.  Sora flipped to the inside, lightly scratching it with a fingernail; a strange purr escaped her throat unlike any she’d heard.

Hands darting to her throat for a second, Sora’s palms rediverted to slap both ears down.  “No!  No!  NO!  This is not rational!  What’s happening to me?  Am I a Kitsune or a human or an alien?!  I don’t know…  I need help… a lot of help!”

Growling in frustration, she stomped around the bathroom for a minute before looking back at the mirror in desperation.  Who could she go to?  Could she go to anyone?  Would they believe her?

What will Wendy, the staff, Jin, and Eyia say…  What will Kari and Lori do to me if they find out I grew ears?

To her surprise, the new appendages pulled back, making her look extraordinarily vulnerable yet at the same time super cute.  Unable to help a smile, she laughed silently as an answer instantly came to mind.

Ron!  Ron always believes me!  He understands my hair’s supernatural, so… why not ears?

Hope filled her breast, and Sora shook her head with a small smile, flinging her wet hair in all directions as she giggled.  Now having fun, she approached the mirror to stare into her bright-green eyes, noticing that her irises and pupils had elongated.

“Cool.  Okay…  Umm-yeah.  Clean yourself up, get dressed, and see what Ron thinks… because I can’t be tripping this bad!”

Turning off the light and closing the door, she let a half-smile light her right cheek as the room slowly came into focus.  Even though it was pitch black, she could see; although, it wasn’t quite as good as daylight, but only slightly.

She studied the counter, her eyes widened as colors started to shift, and she saw various purplish and green highlighted colors all over the place; everywhere she looked, she could see fingerprints and other odd impressions.

With the feeling of wanting it off, the colors shifted back to a clearer vision than she was accustomed to, countering her earlier thought of it not being as good as daylight.  She leaned close to the mirror to examine her eyes and found them glowing in the dark space.

Grinning at the revelation, she shifted to study the bathroom overall.

Note to self: call the cleaning crew!

Walking to her room, she lifted an eyebrow as she caught sight of her digital clock; it was only 8 a.m., yet that brought questions as to why Ron hadn’t spammed the doorbell until she was awake or come up to knock on her door for meds.

“Well,” she hummed, vision drifting to her phone.  “Should I text Dad?  Not like he’ll get it for a while, but… this is pretty big stuff.”

Swallowing the sticky saliva in her throat, she cleared the lump in it before adding what she hoped was a cute smile as she practiced the scene in her mind.  “Uh-heh… Daddy, your little girl has turned into a Kitsune.  Surprise!  Heh-hehe.  Nailed it!”

Sora giggled again while moving to the closet to find something to wear, not caring about the water still dripping onto the granite floor.  What will Ron say?  Can Stephanie still come over?  I hope so!

“Okay… good impressions,” she mumbled, scanning her vast wardrobe of choices.  “Good impressions…”

Chapter Nine:  Eight Days; Stephanie

Picking out a lovely white summer dress and combing her hair, Sora rechecked the clock before heading to the front room.

8:13 a.m. is late for my morning meds, but I guess we’re running on weekend time since I told Ron I’m not going to school…

Pacing a little bit in the front room, she breathed in and out, trying to not get distracted by the twitching fox ears on top of her head.  Hearing so much was beyond strange, and all the sounds she could access at the tip of her fingertips—eartips?  she wondered—were so enticing since she could gauge their distance perfectly.

The elevator gears, running water, air conditioning unit, neighbors, and even the random breezes against the glass were hard to escape.  It didn’t help that her other senses also seemed to have been hyper-enhanced.

Swallowing the sticky saliva in her throat that still held old spice and flavors from her treat at yesterday's lunch.  “Should I tell Ron?  He’ll be coming up soon anyway, so fat chance hiding it,” she mumbled to herself while poking at an ear.  “I bet the internet would say I’m stupid for telling anyone about a change like this…”

Sora came to a halt as she heard the elevator rising above the typical short motions it had done thus far for the lower floors.  Well…  I can not be insane about this!  I have fox ears…  How do I imagine that?

Reaching up to rub the tip, she drew in her lips, not knowing exactly what to think; it was just weird.  Steeling her nerves, she bravely marched to the elevator and pressed the button to force it to open without Ron ringing the bell.

Hands on her hips and expecting the worst, Sora watched the reflective metal slide back to reveal Ron, alone and looking slightly surprised at her posture.

“Yo… what’s up, Sora?”

Sora pointed up at her head.  “Hmm?”

“Yeah… nice fashion… oh.”

She tugged on them to demonstrate, wanting to get the bothersome intro out of the way.  “Ack…  I woke up with these…  I told you I’m an alien!  What am I supposed to do?  What am I—I’m not crazy, right—right?”

Ron stepped back to lean against the back of the elevator, eyes closing as he looked up at the ceiling, perplexing Sora.

“Ron?  Are you in denial more than me?  C’mon!  So… they’re real?  Am I an alien fox-girl or something…  Is my dad a fox man?”

The sudden questions floating through her mind ceased as Ron puffed out another breath and gave her a small smile while moving to pull the key out of the elevator.  “Sora… mmh.”

“Mmh?  Is that all you have to say?  I got fox ears, Ron—what am I supposed to do?!  Am I going to get taken by some secret government organization to be experimented on or something?  I’m kind of freaking out here!”

Ron’s calm expression made Sora’s stomach squirm.  She didn’t like how he just stared at them while considering some mystery he wouldn’t share.

“I get you’re pretty uptight, Sora, but can I suggest something a bit extreme?”

“Okay…”  she mumbled, nervously shuffling back a bit.  “What kind of extreme?  I mean, you’re kind of freaking me out?”

He pointed down.  “I’m going to get Stephanie.  I think she can help you… a lot more than I can.”

“Okay, uh…  How?  Don’t tell me, heh, is Stephanie a Kitsune too?”  Sora asked with a ray of hope.  “Will she be able to tell me what’s going on?”

Ron opened his mouth before closing it, his face straining a tad.  “Eh… yeah, something like that.  Uh…  I’m guessing your dad wanted to be here to tell you that you’re not human… probably, but I don’t think we have a choice at this point since…”

“He’s gone?”  Sora slowly finished, unsure what to make of his abnormal reaction.  “You… aren’t going to like… report me to some agency or… or you haven’t been secretly watching me, making sure I don’t change, right?  Were those meds to stop, eh, all this from happening, and the lower dose triggered it?”

Laughter shook the man’s chest as she shook his head.  “Now, there’s a scary thought!  No, I knew you weren’t entirely human since… well, since Stephanie kept warning me we shouldn’t be anywhere near you when she found out, but I’d, heh, kind of grown fond of you by then.  Oops.”

“Uh-huh…  So, you’re just going to get Stephanie to help me… Preggo Steph?”

Ron’s bottom lip pulled under as he sucked on it for a moment.  “Honestly, mmh… I don’t know how much she can help you, but… I’m going to ask her to try.  Obviously, you kind of need anything you can get right now, and my wife’s the best I’ve got outside of your dad, I’m afraid.”

“Obviously, I need help,” Sora returned, playing with her dress a tad as she tried to reconcile with Ron’s confession, a man she’d known half her life.  “Just wait here, huh?  What about my meds?”

“Heh.  Really?”

She shrugged.

“I guess you really are underwater, huh?”  He held up his thumb.  “It may make Steph a bit pissed…  I’m sorry if she’s a bit ornery, but I’m going to bat for you here!  I just hope she doesn’t force any condition like moving away to a new world or something.”

Sora’s lips parted, yet it took a moment for her to process the fear.  “Huh?!”

“An expression!  Probably…”  He chuckled while putting the keys back in and waving to her.  “Just trust me, Sora.”

“Okay…”

Hands gripping her dress front, Sora slowly staggered into the front room to drop into one of the couches as he left.  She didn’t know what she was doing if she was being honest with herself—which scared her—but what other option did she have?

It’s not like the internet would have ‘real’ answers regarding sporadically growing fox ears or losing your human ones overnight.  Well, there were probably some explanations, like total insanity or a complete loss of reality, yet would even that explain her symptoms?  She didn’t know; she just wanted someone to tell her she wasn’t crazy.

Fiddling with her fingers, dress, and hair as the agonizing minutes passed, Sora watched the sunlight gradually increase to brighten the expansive Miami ocean view in silence, listening to the elevator intently for it to rise again.

Her nerves were nearing their limit after only five minutes, and she got up to pace again.

Why did Dad have to have this stupid merger thing this week of all weeks…  When I turn into a Kitsune.  Was Mom one?  What kind of Kitsune am I?

“Ugh!  There are so many types in Japanese dramas and media…  Will I turn into an evil Kitsune and go after Kari?  Would I be evil for doing that?!  Jin and Eyia definitely knew I was a fox…  Why did everyone know but me?!  Why didn’t Dad tell me?  Did he know?  Was Mom one, and is… could she be alive?!”

Plots and misgivings spun a web in her heart, yet everything was brushed aside as her ears stood on end, twitching three times when the elevator began to move after ten minutes of hell since Ron had left to fetch his—presumably monster—wife.

“Okay.  Okay…”

Rolling around her shoulders, Sora waited in the hallway, a few meters away from the reflective doors, and, when they opened, she couldn’t help but stiffen once getting her first look at Ron’s wife.

Light-blue skin was the first thing that caught her notice as the tight-lipped, gorgeous woman locked eyes with her, but she wasn’t any ordinary beautiful, blue-skinned woman.

Probably just under three meters tall with a mass of thick, glowing turquoise locks that fell to her calves, Stephanie wore a simple black dress that showed her pronounced, pregnant belly.  Stephanie was a giant, and she could now see why the far smaller man hadn’t brought her to a meet and greet.

Ron waved at Sora’s stunned expression as his wife smoothly exited the cramped space to straighten to almost her full height in the tall walkway.  “Sora, eh-heh…  So, this is Stephanie—Stephanie, Sora…  I’ll let you two be.”

Noticing that the giant goddess of a woman was very regal and muscular in every other place but her belly as the doors shut, Sora realised how outmatched she was.  She didn’t know what to do in the chilling atmosphere the woman brought as a cold wind swept through the hallway to graze her skin and brush her copper hair back.

“Uh…  Umm…  Hi?”

Stephanie’s illuminated irises closed, and she took a deep breath before letting it go, speaking volumes as to her attitude: she did not want to be here or talk to her.

The woman’s voice held an elemental affinity that seemed to lower the temperature with every soft yet commanding word she spoke.  “Hello, Sora.  Why don’t we sit?”

“Sure…”  Sora shuffled back to the nearby sofas and armchairs to see the giant hold her belly tightly while her guarded eyes darted to various corners of the room, seemingly seeing things she didn’t like in the least by her downturned lips.  “Did I do something wrong?”

Her sharp eyes softened at her honest question, and Stephanie shook her head while gingerly using one of the love seats on an L-shaped sofa to rest on.  “It isn’t anything to do with what you’ve done but what you are, Sora.  Haaa… Ron speaks nothing but praise for your fortitude and wishes to help you.”

Moving seats to a cushioned chair across from her, Sora’s ears drew back, and she hugged herself in the unusual chill the woman brought.  “But… you don’t like Kitsune?  I think I’m beginning to see not many do…  Heh, everyone seemed to know what I was before me.  Weird, huh?”

Sora’s gaze lifted as the woman released a solemn sigh.  There was pity on her face, yet still an unwillingness to be sitting across from her.

“I will be candid, Sora.  You are not a Kitsune.  You are a Founder, and our two factions… are not on the best of terms.  You could consider me an illegal alien in your Existence, meaning I risk more than you know by simply interacting with you.”

“Founder…”  Sora repeated in a low mumble, testing it on her tongue.  “So… factions.  What do you mean by that?  Is there a big war going on or something?”

“Hmm-hmm.”

“What?”  Sora asked at the giant’s soft laughter.  “I’m just…  I just want to know what’s happening.  I thought I was crazy, and then I stopped taking pills, gained these ears, and met weird people, mmgm…  My life is falling apart and freeing me at the same time!  It’s just… it’s so confusing!”

Stephanie’s cool gaze didn’t falter at her rambling cries, yet her response snapped Sora’s mouth shut at the implications.

“Your pills had nothing to do with your transformation, Sora.  They were a meaningless plot in the grand schemes of your future as a bringer of misfortune.  Your father or mother should explain these things to you, not a Celestial.”

“Is… my mother still—”

Stephanie’s jaw tightened as her frosty, blue eyes darted to an empty corner of the room with a hiss.  “Do not misinterpret my actions, Abomination.”

Sora’s tongue shot to the roof of her mouth at the venom in her tone and the ice that crept over the sofa the giant sat on, and after a second, Stephanie breathed out slowly, grasping her belly.

The woman’s tone lightened when returning to her.  “I do not hate you, Sora, but the web spun around you… the sticky threads of plots woven in darkness—plots that your family knows nothing about… the colossal, divided factions that all hold a vested interest in you, and… Gloria’s looming presence over this Existence.”

Shaking her head, Sora found her tongue and sat forward, her gut churning at the sudden revelations and words she knew nothing about.  “I just want to know if all of this is real…  What do I do?  I’m so lost!”

Stephanie held out her hand, alarming Sora as ice began to form around them, making the world glaze over in a thin sheet of black crystals while the woman spoke.  “I can’t hold your hand as Ron wishes me to, Sora.  It would cost us everything…  But I can give you my advice on what I can see with my limited vision.”

Happy to have anything of worth to give her direction and excited to learn she hadn’t killed her mother in childbirth, Sora hugged herself tighter.  All she wanted was simple answers.

Listening carefully to the giant’s words in the frosty environment, Sora’s instincts told her that the icy shell had to do with the ‘abomination’—whoever she spoke to before—and this was somehow blocking its vision.

Stephanie carefully rose to her feet and motioned for Sora to follow her to the now blackness that had overtaken the window, and Sora’s vision adjusted to the darkening space as Stephanie radiated a gentle blue glow.

“You are the daughter of Mia—a Third Generation Founder of the vulpes, your race.  You are the lineage of the First Vixen, your grandmother.  As a Founder—a Primal Entity of this Existence—anything involving you will blur the causality of the future, yet there are so many forces working around you that even as a Second Generation Celestial, I cannot foresee what misfortune will come from the future you bring.”

Sora swallowed and coughed, rubbing her throat as she tried to puzzle through the surprisingly cryptic and blunt information.  “I’m a Third Generation Founder vulpes… a fox, right?  What about Kitsune?”

“I don’t have time to discuss branching topics that will be given to you in the future,” Stephanie whispered, glaring at the wall of black ice as massless colors swirled in incomprehensible patterns.  “You are not insane, Sora.  You are being manipulated—and you must find out by whom and resolve it.”

Realizing she had to take whatever bits of wisdom Stephanie was imparting at face value if she hoped to make sense of this, Sora accepted it; growing ears earlier that morning helped to drill this new reality into her brain.

“Can you tell me who’s manipulating me?  Is it one person—many?”

“You will receive help from competing factions or those who are aligned with your family, no doubt,” Stephanie sighed, turning to smile down at her.  “Ron sees you as a daughter of sorts that… he wishes we’d have had by now…  Birth for an Aurgelmir is a prolonged process.”

She offered her colossal hand for an icy black rose to form within her palm.  Accepting it, Sora had to catch herself as it tried to slip away; it was heavier than it looked.  The moment it touched her hand, she felt the anxiety leave her with an incredible rush of soothing relief.

“I can offer you comfort in knowing this is real, Sora…  You are not ‘entirely’ human, so far as I can sense.  Soon, there will be nothing left of your humanity, and only because of those that have chosen to support you have I given you this much.

“In time, you will realize you have a more profound heritage than most understand…  One Celestials know well.  Trust in your instincts, and do not be so quick to judge or believe every monster that comes forward to engage you.

“Know every creature has their own motive in connecting with you, some good, others not so much, and, as you try to navigate this new, blooming world you are stepping into, know that you hold more influence and power than most can fathom.  Be wise, Sora… learn fast, and know nothing good comes without sacrifice.”

With those ominous words, Sora blinked as the world fractured, and the snow flurried around Stephanie before blowing down the hall to slip through the elevator doors, leaving her with an icy rose that refused to melt in her sweaty palms.

Unable to process anything else for the next several seconds as her eyes wandered, eventually, her focus settled on the rose, and a small smile brightened her lips.  “I’m a Founder…  A vulpes Founder… heh, whatever that is—like a fox…  Cool, I guess?  It’s a start.  Thanks, Ron… Stephanie.  At least I know what I am now.”

Collapsing back into the chair as she watched the sun peeking through the window begin to warm the room again, Sora wiped at her cheeks; a few tears fell out of her eyes, and she couldn’t tell why—likely overwhelmed—but gradually, she pieced together everything Stephanie told her in the short discussion.

Now, she was left wondering why the hell her father hadn’t told her any of this; Ron and Stephanie insinuated he knew.  If he knew there was a world of monsters and ice goddesses, then why did he believe she was looking for attention or crazy… then again, maybe that was something to do with her being a vulpes Founder.

Stephanie did say the meds weren’t even that big of a deal in the end, but it was a huge deal to her.  It still didn’t explain why he hadn’t sat down and had a talk about this with her when she thought she was going insane.  Sora decided: when he got home, he’d have a whirlwind on his hands.

Lifting the rose up from her lap, Sora giggled.  “I’m losing my grip…  I’m such a headcase!  Wow…  Monsters and weird factions manipulating me behind the scenes.  I’m in a fantasy story.  Freaking crazy…  Well, it is what it is, I guess.”

She got up as Ron rang the bell, probably worried about how things had gone.

Overall, she did feel better after speaking to Stephanie, even if she’d been a little prickly and cold.  It seemed to come with the territory, which made her snicker and realize why Ron was so hesitant when speaking about his wife.

She was probably a handful, but hey, she was also a giant, toned, blue goddess lady.  Ron had scored a keeper, and she seemed to care about him and their child a lot by her answers.

Now, she had to figure out what to do about her chaotic life because clearly, Kari’s brother seemed to be the manipulator, or at least one of them.  She had a start.

Chapter Ten:  Eight Days; I’m Not Human

Sitting in a short daze while playing with the black ice-rose, a small smile lifted Sora’s eyes.  The help Stephanie had begrudgingly given dispelled all doubt that had clouded her heart, and she kept returning to the Celestial giant’s unique appearance.

Sora went upstairs to grab her phone, suddenly wondering if everything magical and crazy that she’d started to notice was due to this change happening to her body.

Sure, Kari had always stood out as supernatural to her.  When she was fifteen, she was practicing with the men’s college basketball team, but everyone just thought she was super gifted.  Then again, she’d been called a ‘fox’ by Kari since the start, but it never registered that she actually meant it literally.

Placing the rose on the desk, Sora snatched her phone off the wireless charger, throat becoming sticky as she saw Mary had left a voice message an hour ago.  Unsure what to expect, and not wanting to give her hopes up, her small smile fell a tad as she tempered her expectations.  She backed up to settle on her cushy bed and played the message:

“I apologize for not getting in contact sooner.  I’d like to know how you’ve felt after the reduced medication; we can meet at my office tomorrow if you’re available.  How does 8 a.m. sound?  I can inform your school to excuse you from classes.  Let me know how that works, and I hope you have a lovely day.”

Tapping the side of her phone for a moment, Sora brushed her hair over her shoulder and fell over her messy bed.

Mary’s really trying…  I don’t think I can get away with trying to lie to her.  Would Dad want me to reveal I’m a vulpes Founder to Mary?

Lips becoming a line, she turned to her left to stare at the dragon and angel painting mounted above her bed.  It came from a vacation to France they’d been on when she was thirteen, just a few months after Kari moved to Miami.

Dragons and angels… do they exist?

Pulling her eyes away from the distraction, she released the air pent up in her lungs.

Maybe I shouldn’t tell Mary everything, and Stephanie doesn’t want to draw attention to her family.  I can’t put Ron in danger…  I don’t know who I can tell, but I’m apparently super strong.  Guess I’m growing into it.

Her eyes widened as she sat up and pulled up her phone’s calendar to stare at her planned events, her birthday in eight days. 

It can’t be that cliché, right?

“Heh… hehe.  Well, I guess we’ll see,” she whispered, deciding that just showing Mary she had these ears would prove she wasn’t crazy.  Plus, Sora wanted to see how Mary would react, and if she knew something more about this change.

Fingers sliding across the screen, she texted:

8 a.m. sounds fine.  I have something important to show you, too.  Can’t wait!

Sora’s thumb hovered over the send icon before pressing it; then she remembered that she didn’t have to talk about Stephanie or the things the woman warned her about.  If there was someone she could trust, it was Ron, and the fact Stephanie seriously didn’t want to get entangled in whatever madness was swirling in the darkness surrounding her made her words all the more real.

Vision settling on the black rose the giant gave her, Sora flipped around on her bed to kick her feet in the air to search the keywords Stephanie had given her.

Vulpes:  Basically, all forms of foxes.

I’m a 3rd Generation Founder of all foxes, huh?  Sora internally mused, searching the term and coming up with a blank.  That means Dad or Mom is a 2nd Generation.  No, wait, she said ‘Mia’ is my mother, which… is her name—duh—I know my mom’s name…

Her thoughts came to a momentary halt as she glanced toward the pictures of Wendy, Ron, and her dad around the room.  Yet, there wasn’t a single photo of her mother in the suite, and the only one she knew of was the one her dad kept in his wallet.

The memory of her was just too painful, when she was six, she had a distinct memory of asking about her, and the look on her father’s face from that question had left such a lasting impression, she’d never approached the topic again.

Later, she’d come face-to-face with the fact she was the one who killed her—or so she’d believed—Sora hadn’t wanted to dredge up bad memories, often avoiding even thinking of her.

A small flame of anger touched Sora’s heart as her jaw tightened.  Dad never said I killed Mom, but he didn’t give me any explanation to think otherwise!  Lori was the one that put the idea in my head when we were in fourth grade, too…  She was just jealous and probably wanted to make me feel bad, but it stuck.

Nibbling on the inside of her lower lip with the building agitation, her ears twitched a tad as she replayed all of the memories of Lori’s snarky comments over the years; they’d gone to the same elementary and middle school, and she’d always been a complete witch.

She shifted uncomfortably on her bed while flipping back to the search engine to return to her queries; it would be good to learn more about Stephanie, too.  At least she could talk to Ron about it when she met him again.  Hearing the sounds Ron made—thanks to her new and questionably improved ears—she knew he was biting his nails in the elevator, waiting for her to initiate the talk.

Primal:  Essential or fundamental…  Related to an early stage in evolutionary development; primeval.  Primal comes from the Latin word ‘Primus,’ meaning ‘first.’

Sora lifted an eyebrow at the grandeur of what Stephanie’s words meant.  I’m just some Kitsune…  I’m like, the goddess of all Kitsune or something?  I’m the foundation of all vulpes…  Oh!  Founder… Okay.  That makes sense.

Existence:  The fact or state of living or having objective reality… all that exists… any of a person’s supposed current, future, or past lives on this earth.  Existence comes from Latin ‘exsistere,’ meaning ‘coming into being,’ from ‘ex’ or ‘out’ plus ‘take a stand.’

A little confused about how Stephanie phrased this part of her explanation, she spelled it out in her phone’s notes to better connect the dots.

Essentially… she’s hinting that there are ‘other’ Existences, but I’m a primal Founder in ‘this’ Existence.  A little strange… but sure.

Flipping away from herself and to Stephanie, she studied some of the terms the woman had used to describe herself.

Celestial:  Positioned in or relating to the sky, or outer space as observed in astronomy… belonging or relating to heaven… supremely good.  Celestial comes from the Latin word ‘caelestis’… ‘caelum,’ meaning ‘heaven.’

Recalling the otherworldly beauty of the frosty, giant, blue-skinned goddess, Sora pursed her lips and nodded; it fit.

Although, considering she’d been frightened of Founders and this Gloria person made Sora shiver.  Just how many of these interested factions were circling her like vultures?  At least, that’s how she was seeing it at the moment.

The other name she’d given to herself made Sora straighten a little, though it took a few times to get the spelling right:

Aurgelmir:  (Norse mythology) Aurgelmir, ‘the first being,’ was a giant who was created from the drops of water that formed when the ice of Niflheim, a cold, dark, misty world of the dead, met with Muspelheim, a hot, bright, glowing world of fire.  The primordial giant was slain by Odin and his brothers, who fashioned everything that was from his body.

Swallowing at the implications, Sora shivered as her ears pulled back.  Wait, Aurgelmir  was a person?  I thought she said she was an Aurgelmir…  Regardless, I guess Odin killed Stephanie’s dad and used him as raw materials to create… Existence?  Wait… so… okay, let’s just put that on hold because my head’s starting to hurt!

Sora closed the window and stretched out before scooting off her bed.  Not sure what she should do with the rest of her day, she glanced at the black rose on her desk.  Whatever she did, talking to Ron came first.

She slid her finger over the eternal rose’s polished obsidian surface, feeling the comforting rush of peace from the supernatural item that soothed her troubled heart.  Somehows, the thorns were sharp yet didn’t cut into her skin, making her smile.

Stephanie gave me this gift to assure me that this is all real…  She really is nice but just wants to protect her family.  Nice job, Ron… way better at picking a good woman than Howie.  What am I saying?!  Ron got a freaking super-babe giant heavenly goddess!  My man’s a freakin’ god!

“Howie!”  Sora huffed, rolling her eyes with a stream of air puffing through her lips while thinking about her other elevator attendant friend.  “Boy, do you need help picking them?”  she giggled to herself

Picking up the flower to show Ron her prize, she happily moved to the private elevator to call it, waiting for the doors to slide open with a happy hum in her throat.

The nervous man’s face came into view as the doors slid back.

“Sora… uh, how did it go?”  the man laughed weakly.  “I think Steph is mad at me because she just kind of… went back home…  Not that I blame her!  She has trouble shrinking her size, being pregnant and all…  A black rose?”  he whispered at the end of his short ramble.

“Thank you for convincing her to talk to me, Ron!”  Sora chimed, motioning for him to exit the elevator.  “I, heh, don’t think it really matters if you leave for a bit, I’ll just lie and tell them I forced you to stay if they try to get mad at you—or bribe them, hehe.  You know I can do it!”

Ron forced a laugh but didn’t resist as he took the key out and moved to join her in the front room.  “I… assume things went well?  I’m a bit surprised, eh… you don’t know the daggers those eyes of hers can throw!”

“I bet!”  Sora snickered, shooting him a grin and wink.  “You’ve got the moves, pulling a woman like that.  Haaa, you should try to coach Howie because his love life is a wreck!”

“Oof… he tries, but you’re not wrong.  Unfortunately, Daisy’s kind of got her claws pretty deep in Howie.  Poor guy.”

Left eye narrowing, Sora’s lips dubiously pulled to the side.  “She… wouldn’t happen to be a monster, too?”

Ron rubbed the back of his neck, dropping into the chair next to the love seat his wife had used.  “I couldn’t say, to be honest.  We hang out every once in a while—go out, drink, and chat—but it’s mostly to have someone to complain to.  He’s a good guy, though.”

Sora wasn’t so easily convinced at this point and knew she would probably give everyone a leery eye for the foreseeable future.

Still, it was something she could probe with Howie when he changed shifts with Ron in the coming hours, and she had to grimace at the thought that Ron had covered for him the other day due to his drama-inducing girlfriend.

“How are you doing, by the way…  You’ve been up for a long time, right?”

He yawned and gave her a thumbs up, but she could see the dark bags under his eyes.  “On my fifth energy drink, and I think I dozed off standing in the elevator for a good thirty minutes last night, so I’m good!”

Sora laughed, but her eyes were soft.  “Have a good sleep when you get back… uh, and I know Stephanie doesn’t want to get involved with the mess surrounding me, but… if she wants to hang out…  I’m just saying, I can have room service bring up a bunch of food—we can watch some Norse shows…” she trailed off.

The tall, blonde ‘Asgardian’ girl and small, slit-eyed Korean girl’s faces flashed through her mind.  If Asgardian pop culture followed the real mythology, they’d be connected to Odin and Thor.  At least, that was what her gut told her, but she was no historian or western mythology fanatic.

Ron rolled around his neck and chuckled.  “I’ll pose the offer for her, and she may actually take you up on it… she’s a sucker for food!  It’s a crime she’s pregnant, since she can’t have wine…  Ah, she was such an alcoholic!  Although, heh, she can’t really get drunk on normal wine; she just loves the taste.”

Happy to learn more about the frosty giantess, Sora snickered, trying not to think that Eyia and Stephanie may be somehow enemies or something.  In any case, she’d probably know all of the people she’d been in contact with, considering how she talked and glared at some invisible ‘abomination’ hanging around, which wasn’t creepy at all.

“If she can’t get drunk, then does it matter?  Besides, she’s some kind of goddess, right?”

“Meh.  I just go by whatever she says and accept it.  Something about Existence essence mixing in a certain way, I don’t know.  I just follow The Foolproof Man’s Guide to a Pregnant Wife:

“You need something, Honey?!

“Right away, Dear!

“You’re right, Sweetie!

“Anything you want, Babe!

“I’ll get it done!”

Sora giggled at his animated calls.  “Sounds about right!  She really did help me, and I don’t want to hurt you, her, or your baby…  I care about you a lot, Ron…  You’ll tell me if I am putting your lives in danger?”

Ron sat back with a sobering smile as he crossed his arms and looked down at his lap.  “There’s always going to be danger when it comes to Steph, Sora; it’s about mitigating and preventing them.  Steph is just really uptight right now because there’s something really big she’s preparing for that she can’t skip out on.  It’s really not you.”

“No, I totally get that!”  Sora protested.  “I just don’t want to hurt you.  Umm…  I won’t keep you, though; I know you’re tired.  I just wanted to let you know that I really like Stephanie and think she’s amazing for wanting to protect your family and respect how much you care about me.  I, heh, guess I’ve put her in a horrible position…”

Reaching up to rub her left ear, she chuckled.  “Stephanie told me to be cautious but also to trust I could handle myself… and that meant a lot.  I’d like to repay her somehow… which I guess would be not letting you guys get stuck in the web around me… I can already see so many threads now that it’s crazy I didn’t notice them before.”

She got up and held out her arms for him to hug her, adding a bright smile.  “I’m torn, too, because I don’t want to lose you or her now…  Pretty selfish, huh?”

“I just noticed you haven’t been stuttering at all.”  Getting to his feet, Ron sighed.  “And, heh… well, you need someone who believes you in your life, and I knew once Noelia left in protest to all the psychological claims someone would have to be there for you.”

Sora’s eyes softened as his surprisingly muscular arms closed around her back, and she could hear his calm, thumping heart.  “Yeah, I think my change is countering the meds or something…  Hmm, I should try and reach out to her again to thank her.  Do you have her number?”

He grinned while pulling away to reach into his pocket and retrieve his phone.  “I do, in fact.  I don’t know if her number still works, but I can give it to you.”

“Thanks!”

Jogging upstairs to get her phone, she felt so much lighter; it felt like she could go forever.  Once back downstairs, Sora got her old Cuban caretaker’s number, and while Ron didn’t see why he should even bother with her medication, Sora had him give it to her anyway since she didn’t want him to get in trouble.

Sora waved him off after finishing and looked down at her phone with a frown; she didn’t know exactly how to approach the topic with Noelia, so she decided to put it off until tonight after some further thought.  For now, she felt one drawing thing that needed to be resolved.

Fingers tightening around her phone, she glared out of the massive window at the vast Miami Beach view of the sparkling, early-morning ocean.  What mattered was that Wendy did still go to the school infested by whatever monsters Kari had under her, and the devil of her school, Lori, had warned her to come to school through her best friend.

The threat was obvious, which was why Wendy fidgeted so much yesterday.  An indignant flame lit in Sora’s breast while remembering the hell Lori had inflicted on her throughout her life.  School year after school year, the bully had been a thorn in her side.  No more.

An inner strength bloomed from the heat rising in her chest that spread throughout her body.  Looking down, she expected to see some kind of glowing aura or something flashy, but no such thing happened.

Instead, an assurance flooded her muscles with Stephanie’s words acting as a foundation.  She was more than just some helpless human girl.  She was a 3rd Generation vulpes Founder—and her bullies could choke on every word they ever said to her.

Sora’s ears pulled back as a cold glare overcame her; she went upstairs, slipped on a pair of secure sandals, put the black rose and her phone in her purse, and pulled it over her right shoulder.

She put on a smile for Ron, letting him know that he could text her any time if Stephanie took her up on the offer, yet the moment she exited the lobby, she prepared her heart for a fight.

I’m done being stepped on.  Kari’s done with me already; it’s just Lori and Jenny.  Well… it’s about time I confront my dragons.  I’m not weak, and I won’t be bullied anymore.  I’m not human… well, apparently not for long.  I’m a vulpes Founder.  What’s Lori?

Chapter Eleven:  Eight Days; Endless Winter

A big smile brightened Sora’s cheeks as a gust sent her hair weaving to the side, caught by the surprisingly strong sea breeze in the bright Miami morning.  After the morning she had had, she felt invincible.

Moving along 24th Street, her big fox ears didn’t get nearly as many looks as she thought, and, if she was being honest, Sora found herself rather enjoying the attention it brought.

Everything was so vivid and clear to her as she moved through traffic: music, the wind, conversations, and all the smells that filled her nose.

It became a game to find odd scents that didn’t quite line up with the humans walking around her.  It was so strange knowing she wasn’t like them, yet the thrill of a secret hugged her chest.  Elated, she caught herself hoping this fever would never leave.

Sampling the air to discover lunch options, her stomach shook as she found Eyia and Jin’s scent; if there were monsters that she thought were trustworthy, those pair were certainly up on that list—Eyia was too innocent to lie.

As she crossed the bridge that led to her school, a sense of the coming danger caused her tongue to slide across her lips.  It was as if she discovered a hunger for the sensation that stirred inside her mind and twisted her gut, so strong she could taste it.

The boating stall was empty, but she was too preoccupied to pay it much mind.

Okay, Lori, show me what I’ve been afraid of all this time!

Pulling out her phone to check the time, a savage twist came to her lips—Lori’s lunch bell was just about to ring.  A snicker rolled through her throat upon seeing several slackers that had dodged class early to get a head start on the restaurants.

It was as if fate had timed her stroll because the bell rang shortly before she arrived at the entrance.  Lori would take some time to be told she was out front, but she didn’t doubt the bully’s information network.

Her ears, cute outfit, and lush copper locks were undoubtedly drawing eyes as she waited by the flag.  Giggling, she was amused at hearing a few boys and girls wonder if she’d found a boyfriend.  Typically, she kept to a more bland profile to not outshine her bullies, but that didn’t matter now.

Sure enough, the 3rd-wheel queen bee of the Miami High bully squad must have gotten a text because Lori was on the prowl; Sora only had to wait five minutes by the flag out front—she was impressed.

Sora’s head tilted a tad as she heard the girl growling and grinding her teeth.  “Stupid fox.  She’s ruining everything!”

Sora relaxed, one hand on her purse as her other pulled the strap up more.  “Hey, Lori!  You wanted me to show up, right?”

Students paused as they saw the inevitable confrontation, lingering to see what would happen and drawing a crowd.  It made Sora’s stomach do summersaults in excited apprehension.  These people couldn’t hurt her; she was a Founder!

Lori slowed to a stop with a forced smile, but Sora could smell her apprehensive rage, and her twitching nose was a dead giveaway: she was pissed.

“Sora…  Ears, huh?  Heh.  Okay, so… yeah!  I wanted to have a little chat—why don’t we go behind the school?”

Pulling her lips to the side, Sora’s gaze wandered between the small crowd they were drawing.  “Mmh…  I’m not really feeling it.  I’d rather there be a crowd—hello!”

A few students chuckled at her wave; obviously, Lori wasn’t so amused.

The girl’s fingers drew into a fist, trying to contain her anger; Sora has never seen her so pent-up without releasing the powder keg, yet they were in full view of the school.

“If… that’s how you want to play it, fine.  You told Kari about me pouring a smoothie on your head?  Now you come to school dressed—like that… and you’ve bought a damn wig, huh?  Are you trying to, heh, tempt me to make an example out of that, too?”

Sora shifted her hips to the opposite side and slid her fingers down her dress with a short chuckle.  “I thought you knew I was filthy rich—aren’t I adorable?”

“Huh?!  Say that again,” Lori snarled, thumbnail scratching at her index finger in what Sora took as a nervous twitch.  She was losing control, and Sora was here for it.

“Yeah!  I’m the pretty little Hollywood star in this little drama you started—but I thought you knew I was a bitch?  Of course, I spoke to Kari!”  Sora guffawed.  “Am I having too much fun?”

Mutters followed as she tilted her ears to the left, giving the red-faced girl a side-long look.  “Aren’t I the attention-seeking vulpes, there to steal your man—wait, that would require you to have a man…  My bad!”  she chimed with a toothy grin.

“Bitch!”

Anticipating shouts and laughter rang out as Lori closed the distance, swiping claws aiming for Sora’s eyes, yet her attack slowed to a crawl, allowing Sora to spin out of the way.

Her hand lowered to her dress to keep it from flying up while finding perfect balance in her sandals; her other hand slipped into her purse, applying pressure to keep it in place.  Her fingers found the cool black rose within, soothing her thumping heart.

“Do you really want to start a cat fight out—woah!”

She hopped around the lunging and snarling girl, laughing as she punched and slashed at her.  Yet, it was effortless and almost sad how easy she read her telegraphed, slow attacks.

Frivolously dancing around her attempts to grab and tackle her, Sora breathed in deeply, discovering the scent of blood—it came from her assailant.  Lori’s gnashing teeth sharpened, and her fingernails thickened into claws, yet few would realize it in her rabid, wild assault.

Curiosity sparking in her chest, Sora was well-beyond thought at this point, acting on pure instinct as she sought to discover the source of the smell.

“Maybe you should start running in the morning, Lori; you seem to be tiring out!”

“Shut up!  Stop… running away!”

In truth, Lori was picking up in ferocity and increasing her pace, yet so did Sora.

Feeling a tingle across her back, Sora ducked impulsively, secured her purse, and dove left, smoothly rolling across the grass to a standing position as one of Kari’s gang member’s hands shot out to grab her.

“Nice try—oof?!”

Sora put a hand to her mouth as Lori’s fist came out and struck the girl across the face, driving her to the ground.

“Stay out of it!”

“Lori!”  Sora taunted, shaking her head.  “Are you really this desperate for attention?  Or do you need to feel powerful—because I’m pretty sure teachers are going to be called soon if this goes on.”

Lori’s eyes showed disgust and hate as she huffed and puffed.

Sora could smell a strong scent of fear, yet it wasn’t directed at her.  There was something else the bully was seeing in this fight, and Sora didn’t like that.  It could be Kari; then again, it could be her brother, as well.

Angst gripped her chest; she had to know.

“I don’t need attention!”  Lori shouted, sprinting forward.  “I need you dead!” 

A sudden inspiration flashed across Sora’s body—an innate and reactive feral knowledge in her intense desire to learn the truth.

Instinctively, Sora pushed forward, darted around Lori’s thrust, and stopped right in front of her face, feeding her thirst into her attacker like a tsunami.  Lori tensed and tried to pull back, but she was far too slow.

“Shit!  Get—”

Sora’s bright, green eyes bore into Lori’s dark brown, and her index finger swiftly came up to press a fingernail under Lori’s chin, forcing eye contact; delightful emotion and knowledge flooded her flaring mind as she peered into her soul.

“Why are you still playing their games, Lori?”

Her brown eyes shot open half a second before her muscles loosened, and a whimper escaped her lips, “Damn you and your… fox tricks.”

Everyone nearby froze in shock as Sora held Lori in an invisible vise that locked her in a compliant position with their eyes only inches apart.  Sora hardly recognized her own voice as it came out in a feigned, hurt cadence, her mockery bringing tears to slide down her victim’s cheeks.

“Oh, poor, Lori, being used and hurt by the mean wolves.  Everything’s spinning out of your control.”

“P-Please, Sora…”

“Shhh.  Every time, Lori, you let your guard down—their lies, excuses, and plots… twisting your mind…  You’re so consumed with their problems that it’s not even worth living, but you’re trapped—hah!”

“Please…”  Lori whispered, beginning to shake while begging her not to say it.

“So trapped that you can’t even kill yourself to escape…  Sad.”

Eyes dimming, Lori couldn’t break the interaction, and the students around them shifted uncomfortably as Sora continued to dig inside her bully’s emotions.  And finally, finally, at long last, she had the upper hand on the girl that had made so many people’s lives a living hell.

“Not a monster, but not a human anymore…  Lost in the folds of an abomination to both.”

A quake ran through Lori’s soul at the words she’d told herself in the mirror.

“Hide from the monsters you keep inside, but that won’t stop the monsters outside, will it?  Kari’s brother…  Heh.  You hate and fear Kari, all the same.  Forced to lie to your dad—oh, but he doesn’t care for you, despite your cries and pleas for attention.”

Lori managed to shake her head in helpless desperation, yet Sora’s magic-fueled claws dug deeper and deeper.  “I just… want to be free of it all—let me go…”

“No.  No, Lori…  Remember how strong you felt with your sisters… cutting my hair—forcing Wendy to cut off my clothes,” Sora joked.  “Does Kari really care for you?  You don’t know, but you know you can’t find much reason to care for yourself.”

Reaching the core of Lori’s bleeding heart, she understood the blood she smelled: Devin had found her at home, but the enslaved girl couldn’t bring her dad into it since he was all she had left.  So, she let him cut small gashes in her forearm as they talked, biting her other arm not to scream when it grew too painful, yet always needing to release to report.

“A pitiful, helpless slave in body and soul…  You don’t have control or a future—you’re already dead.  Everyone will forsake you in the end…  Abandoned from the start—the scapegoat for broken promises…  A used and broken tool to be discarded.”

A tainted IV fed into her veins after discovering the final words that broke Lori into a crumpled heap on the grass—finding what she’d sought hadn’t been as satisfying as Sora had thought it would be.

Hiccuping on the ground as Lori hugged herself, Sora’s burrowing magic still digging into her ripped heart of secrets, not a soul spoke in the oppressive miasma that hung in the atmosphere—a dark, emotionally charged fog that she suddenly realized she was producing.

“Stop—I can’t…  You can’t know—I died that day…”

The distress and hopelessness etched across the broken girl’s face drove Sora back; still, Lori couldn’t break eye contact with her from the ground.  Unable to reconcile with the cold reflux gripping her chest, Sora turned and walked away, causing the magical link she had created to snap, freeing Lori of at least one thread that bound her soul.

Sora had to escape.  She hadn’t expected to connect to the psychopath of their school—of course, was she any better at this moment?

Lori’s emotions surged through her, making her stomach churn.  Sora was disgusted, but not with her three-year bully—she was revolted by herself.

“Kari’s going to kill you!”

Sora halted for a moment to smile at the girl—the one that tried to grab her—but her eyes were already showing some swelling that would only increase.

Shut up—just shut up.

“Not if I get her first!”  Sora shot back, leaving the crowd speechless with a fake grin as she fought past the depression and anxiety that coated her tainted blood.

Leaving the school to walk the streets, Sora streamed out a long puff of air, yet all she tasted was the bitterness in her mouth, stifling her appetite.

Wandering randomly, she eventually ducked into an alleyway to lean against the wall.  Sliding down, not bothering to adjust her dress, she contended with the hollow pit in her heart while staring at the concrete: misery, pain, self-hate, and hopelessness assaulted her from all sides.

Lori… wants to die, and her psychopathic behavior is her only way to achieve that.  Kari’s brother has been using her as a spy since the beginning, yet she couldn’t tell her…  Lori’s a slave…  No will of her own.  All she can do is cry and wait for the inevitable.  All she can do is say yes—obey…

Sora’s eyes snapped open—ears pricked up—a familiar bell chimed through the area, snapping her out of the emotional spiral.  Scrambling to her feet, she dashed out of the alley, following the sound.

That’s the third time—should I chase it?

She darted around tourists to slow to a stop in front of the Italian restaurant; it was too late to ask if she should engage the two-tailed creature.  Across the street, sitting on a car hood, was the cat, tails still with vivid red tips; mischivous large eyes smiling at her, the cat darted into an alley, disappearing from view.

Backing into the hot window, Sora closed her eyes to shut out the world and breathe as the cold winter storm returned.  Even Lori was contending with something so much worse than she thought.

I won’t cry…  I won’t… cry…

She couldn’t control the tide after connecting to Lori’s utter helplessness—worse than Sora had ever felt.  Lori truly felt like she had no one and no choice—she didn’t—something bound her to Kari’s brother in a band that made her a living puppet.

I won’t cry…  I can’t… cry…

Lips pulling in and nose flaming, Sora’s chest shook as tears slid down her cheeks, drawing awkward looks from a few people.

Chapter Twelve:  Eight Days; Fox And The Cat

Sora sniffed back her emotions, reassuring and waving off the few people that stopped to see if she was alright; it was challenging to keep the tears from running down her cheeks as she processed Lori’s experiences.

Ducking into the Italian restaurant, she went to the bathroom to clean herself up.

For some reason, almost everyone looked her way, as if she had some kind of attention magnet, and, wanting to be invisible, Sora was surprised when she didn’t see herself in the mirror upon entering the restroom.

She choked a bit before locking the door and leaning against the wall to cool down.  After a few breaths, she started the sink and splashed water on her face.

Wiping the soothing liquid away with paper towels, Sora passively studied the empty room before she closed her eyes and wished to see herself again; when the world cleared, she was staring into her puffy, bright, lime-green irises.

I can go invisible…  she dully thought, running her fingers through her hair; it was somewhat annoying not having human ears to tuck her locks behind.  What should I even do?

Sora dropped her purse on the small counter and pulled down the toilet seat to sit and calm her queasy stomach and tight chest.  It wasn’t as if she liked or respected Lori—far from it—but Sora couldn’t turn off her heart.

Lori’s done crying out for help… not that I can blame her after dealing with Kari and her brother for over three years… the torture Devin does to her.

Touching her breast, Sora felt her thumping heart through her dress and swallowed as ghostly claws moved down the back of her arm.  It hadn’t been as if she was merely empathizing with Lori but literally slipping into her shoes for a time.

I absorbed her emotions and what she felt… so I could understand her—it’s cruel…  I did it to know how to crush her, and now… now I feel like I betrayed a friend.  I hate it…

“Mmgm!”

Fingernails scratching her scalp while forcing down her ears, Sora hissed out the residual emotions and rolled around her tight neck to ease the tension.  The vulnerable sensations were tempering, but that wasn’t the issue.  Now that she explicitly knew the psycho’s emotions, she was shocked to empathize a little with Lori, which was something she never thought she’d do.

Five minutes of silent, inner searching passed before she got up and used the products she carried in her purse to freshen up.  Vision hardening, Sora knew what she had to do.

I need answers.  Lori’s still a terrible person.  Even if I understand why she is, it doesn’t change what she’s done.  I’ve got powers now, and I can hurt myself by not knowing how to control them… like this backlash, or whatever it was I did to Lori.

Feeling better, she checked her clothes—luckily, the back of her dress hadn’t gotten too dirty—and reapplying her invisibility, Sora smiled as she vanished in the mirror.

Illusions, and with only a desire?  Nice.

Examining how she felt while using this magic, she did notice a sort of pulse—like the wind against her arm, but in reverse—which was probably whatever energy source she was using; so far as she could tell, it was limitless.

“Hmm.”

Sora exited the bathroom and snapped her fingers beside a server’s head to test if sounds were masked.  She jumped back when the woman gave a short shriek, almost dropping her tray before glancing around to discover the source.

Oof.  Sorry.

Carefully weaving through the restaurant, she entered the street again.  Sora didn’t get far before pausing as a tingle ran through her spine with a minor rush that entered her veins.  It had probably been there before, but she hadn’t been searching for unusual sensations.

Vision rising, she traced the force to the blazing Miami sun and sky.

So weird…  Am I a plant or something?

Absently moving to the nearby traffic light, dodging a few people, Sora released her invisibility; after all, as cool as magical invisibility was, almost being plowed into by oblivious people was distracting and annoying.

A few people did a double-take at her sudden appearance, but naturally, they dismissed it as a trick of the eye.

Her five senses heightened as she actively scanned her environment, looking for anything out of the ordinary, and she discovered dozens of more pulses or waves feeding from and being released by her body.  She couldn’t tell what they all were, but it was a start.

Energy from the earth was easy to identify, yet it wasn’t quite as powerful as the heavenly aura she was gathering, which masked many of the other lesser sources.

Beginning to walk across the street when the pedestrian sign flicked on, she noticed ripples from the people around her that Sora took as their spiritual force, but it was only a guess, and making it to the opposite side of the road, she continued to experiment.

Smiling, she wished for all the forces to take on another form and spun in a small circle as they took on colorful beacons of flourishing rhythms; there were shades she’d never seen before or twirling whirlwinds of sparkling light that snatched her attention.

Interesting…  Cool, but I have no clue what any of it means.  Yeah, I need a teacher!

She tried to get the universe to tell her what they were and was met with utter silence.

Well, heh, I guess there are limits… or maybe I don’t know how to speak the language of the universe?  Interesting.  Interesting.

The joy of discovery in the new, unfolding world helped to redirect her from the mess she’d experienced when connecting to Lori, and stopping outside of the alleyway she’d seen the two-tailed cat enter, Sora puffed out a long stream of air.

Okay…  Can I track things that aren’t human?  Ooh… wait…

Breathing in deeply, she released it, sampling the scents that lingered in the area.  There was a distinct difference between various odors as she filtered out the typical ones she looked for, like food, and centered on the odd smells.

The humans around her all had a distinctive flavor, making it easier to find anything that didn’t match up with the same scent.  On the other hand, the cat had a vastly divergent, and strangely familiar, enticing fragrance that she couldn’t place, which bugged her.

Without knowing how, she had the distinct impression the cat was a female, and while it did give her ominous vibes, it wasn’t precisely detracting.

Curiosity budding again, she cautiously stepped into the area.  Inside was a chain link fence at the back, big green trashcans with yellow lids, and what looked like an old homeless shelter, currently empty.

Sora’s ears pulled back upon spotting the black cat, her red-tipped tails stiff as she groomed herself.

“H-Hey!”  she tentatively engaged, fingers tightening around her purse strap.  “Uh… I think you’re kind of… like me?  Ah-heh.  Unless I’m totally losing it.”

The cat paused, lazily looking up and narrowing one greenish-yellow eye as if asking why Sora was even talking to her.

“So… are you a monster cat?”

Feline eyes drifted away, answering with a haughty meow before rising, stretching, and jumping over eight meters to disappear onto the flat roof above.

Sucking on her bottom lip, Sora slowly nodded.  “Mmh-mhm… seems on brand with my life recently,” she giggled.  “Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained!”

Glancing back at the street, she saw a few people glancing her way in passing, but the alleyway was a dead end, so no one really lingered, continuing on with their own business.

Sora wrapped herself in an illusion and shook herself out.  “Heh.  I can jump up a building,” she scoffed, pumping herself up.  “I’m a vulpes Founder—yeah… whatever that is—just… jump, and don’t think.  Isn’t that how most superhero movies are?”

She thought back to the Power Troop show she’d seen as a kid; it worked for them, and Moon Princess didn’t have trouble jumping, well, other than being a total klutz, but she could make this jump, no problem.

“Okay…  Here we go—eh, let’s just check my sandals real fast…  All good—okay!”

Tucking her purse under her arm, Sora bent down and jumped, fully intending to reach the roof.  Instead, she only half made it.

“Eep!  No way…”

Hand coming out to not smack into the brick, she was shocked when she stuck to the side, fingernails having transformed into claws that bit into the wall.  Even more surprising was that she could hold herself in that awkward position with one hand.

“Oo-kay…”  she hissed, head whipping left and right as she processed her predicament.

Though her dress was hiked up to her thigh and sandals gripped the brick, Sora was surprisingly calm for being stuck, hanging over four meters in the air with her fingernail-claws.  Repositioning herself, she tightened her armpit around her bag and took another leap of faith while willing her claws to retract.

And… I’m going to die.

Soaring higher over the alley—invisible with her magic—Sora barely crested the roof’s edge to hop to a stop.  “No!  No!  No…  Safe?!”

A relieved sigh shot from her lungs, and when she looked up, she didn’t have time to ponder the miraculous, supernatural feat and new abilities she’d stumbled upon; ahead of her, sitting on an air conditioning unit, was the black cat—yet, she wasn’t a cat anymore.

“I’m, heh, not dreaming, right?”  she breathlessly asked.

The Chinese elementary girl gave her a dull look; her black, crimson-tipped ears shifting and two ruby-ended tails flicking at Sora’s sudden arrival.

“Nilly doesn’t like foxy-foxes chasing Nilly.”

Sora blinked, and the cat was gone, only for the girl’s high-pitched, childish voice to appear beside her, making her skin tingle in panic as the girl leaned to the side, studying her face.

“What do you want with Nilly?”

“Uh…”  Stumbling back, Sora gripped her purse harder.  “Umm, hold on.  Let me process this for a second…  I just jumped up a building—I have claws!  Wait… you can see me?”  she finished, realizing she should still be invisible.

That cat—she assumed was named Nilly—tilted her head to the side with her ears, wearing a skeptical look that said she was wondering if she was insane.

“Why… wouldn’t foxes have claws?  And Nilly can see all the things!  Nilly’s super strong—better than everyone because Nilly’s Nilly; foxes can’t hide from Nilly!”  she boasted, puffing up her chest and crossing her arms as if Sora should worship the ground she walked on.

Heart pounding, Sora took a moment to identify the unusual Chinese cat-girl, and, by her extensive general Asian drama passion, she figured Nilly was either a Nekomata or Bakeneko; both creatures were monstrous, supernatural entities that were typically malevolent but not always.

Plus, this girl was an elementary girl… unless it was trying to trick her by taking on that form as a changeling cat.  But other than being startled by her sudden movement—more like teleportation with how fast she’d moved—Sora couldn’t sense anything malicious from her.

Taking the short reprieve the girl left as they studied one another, Sora’s gaze slid down the cat-turned-human’s appearance.

Nilly’s ink-black locks curled in, reached under her jaw and halfway down her neck, with her bangs covering most of her forehead and extending in between her eyebrows at the center.  Most interestingly, the sides of her hair formed around her cat ears and curved in under her large feline eyes, framing them.

She didn’t appear to have human ears, like Sora, but a golden ring, attached just above the center point of her left furry apendage drew Sora’s attention.  The slim girl had a slightly flat nose, and curved, mischievous lips, not to mention incredibly smooth skin.

The cat was dressed in a short, red summer cheongsam that boasted golden bow-ties sewn around the edges.  Slits along the dress’ sides allowed for her fluffy bloomers to be pronounced, displaying frills at the ends that extended halfway down her thighs, and a golden bell was strapped around her ankle.

Okay, she internally monologued, trying to convince herself not to turn and jump off the building and return home to process.  My first random monster meet-up… set a good impression, Sora!

Awkwardly waving, Sora straightened and tried to reintroduce herself.  “Hello, umm—how are you?”

A short huff blew through the girl’s cheeks as she seemed to lose interest in her, studying her sharp, red-painted fingernails.  On second thought, Sora hoped it was fingernail polish, not blood.

“Nilly’s fine.”

“Uh, my name’s Sora.  Is… your name Nilly?”  she asked, slowly shifting her purse strap over her shoulder and easing her hand inside to grip the black rose for support.

Nilly’s large eyes somehow opened further as her gaze returned to her.  “Fox ears!  You’re a fox!”

“Uh… yes?”  Sora shifted nervously, wondering if she had short-term memory loss.  “Can… we talk for a bit, Nilly?”

Eyes now narrowing suspiciously, the girl began circling Sora to her left.  “Nilly didn’t give fox Nilly’s name!  How does fox know Nilly’s name—Nilly’s famous, you know—everyone knows Nilly?!”

Sora opened her mouth, paused, reflected on her odd behavior and statement, and mumbled, “Umm-mmh… because you, uh, keep saying your name aloud—like, like in third person?”  Sora tried to explain.

Nilly pursed her lips in a manner that said she was unconvinced and, flipping backward, nimbly jumped twenty meters into the air, twisting like a professional gymnast before landing on the opposite roof, dashing away at an alarming speed.

“Wait!”  Sora cried, unable to even take three steps before the girl was nowhere to be seen.  “I… ugh.”

Taking a deep breath as she came to the edge, Sora put her hands on her hips while scanning the rooftops.  On a desire, she could see Nilly’s scent like a smoke trail; the issue?  It was basically everywhere.

A grin lifted her cheeks as a bell jingled in her search for the elusive two-tailed cat, and she hopped off the building to land with perfect dexterity between two groups of people.

Fortunately, she was invisible and didn’t flash the pedestrians as her dress fluttered down around her waist; at least, she hoped she was.

Scanning the multitude of sounds, Sora discovered Nilly’s specific tingling ring and began tracking her through the streets.  Her scent may have been an endless, mysterious trail, but the jingles were not—checkmate!

Sora retained her invisibility in her hunt, continuing to track the cat without paying much mind to the tourists and locals around her.  Even so, it took nearly an hour to corner Nilly at the youth center’s playground—the cat was a speed demon.

However, the Nilly she’d met was nowhere to be seen.

Instead, sleeping on a slide, lay a teenage Nilly, seemingly in middle school now  Probably even more impressive were her clothes that had perfectly adjusted to her sporadic development.

The moment Sora stepped onto the street, just before the playground, the monster cat opened her eyes and lifted herself up to glare at her.  One difference Sora noticed besides her age was a new golden earring, just above the base of her left cat ear.

Nilly’s feline eyes followed Sora as she neared.  “Who are you…  A fox?”  she asked suspiciously, glaring at Sora’s ears.

Frowning at the continual amnesia, Sora stopped a few meters away, attempting to give her some space.  “We met on the rooftop… I think?  Remember—my name’s Sora, or… maybe you’re Nilly’s older sister?  No… you smell the same.”

The girl’s brow furrowed as she seemed to be thinking hard about her words, and a few seconds later, her black locks weaved left and right with her head.

“Nope!  Nilly doesn’t remember Sora, and Nilly doesn’t have any sisters, Nilly’s Nilly!”  Sitting up straighter, she growled, “How do you know Nilly’s name?!”

Nilly’s Nilly, Sora mused, humming thoughtfully while tapping her lower lip with her thumb.  What a statement.  How about a different approach?

“You told me your name, Nilly,” Sora chimed.  “Nilly and Sora are friends!”

Nilly looked utterly taken aback at the shocking revelation, large eyes narrowed further as she studied Sora closely.  “Foxy friend…  Does Nilly have a foxy friend?”

Both hands resting on the sides of the slide, she pushed off and flipped into the air, dexterously landing on the metal edges to lean forward with a frown.  “Nilly does have a foxy friend… but Sora’s not Nilly’s foxy friend?”

“Sora could be Nilly’s foxy friend!”  Sora offered, kneeling to look up at her with a bright smile.

Nilly’s cheeks lifted into a dazzlingly cute grin that suddenly became more sinister after displaying her sharp, feline teeth.  “Yes, Sora can be Nilly’s foxy friend!”

Hopping off the slide, the girl nimbly walked over to the swings and started pushing herself back and forth, seemingly done with their conversation.

She’s the most frivolous girl I’ve ever met!  Even my recent changes can’t compare.

Sitting on the swing next to her, Sora asked, “So, umm, what kind of cat is Nilly?  A Bakeneko or Nekomata?”

Nilly hummed thoughtfully as she bobbed her head from side to side, her twin tails weaving with the motions.  “Nilly’s a cat, and Sora’s a fox; a fox is a fox, and a cat is a cat!  Hmm… but Sora’s not totally a fox…  Hmm?  Sora’s a swishy-swashy throw-a-ma-bob!”

Sora’s ears peeled back while trying unsuccessfully to envision whatever object the cat described.  “I’m… a what?”

A sudden frown caught Sora off-guard as her yellow irises drifted to Sora’s rear end.  “Hmm.  Why doesn’t Sora have a fox tail?  Foxes have tails,” she stated, suddenly counting them off with her fingers.

“One tail, two tails, three tails, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine tails!”  As she exclaimed the last number, she seemed to realize something significant.  “Yes…  Why does Sora not have foxy tails?  Nilly likes fluffy tails.”

Swallowing, Sora fiddled with her left ear as it twitched at the sudden turn in the conversation.  “Umm…  I’m a vulpes Founder, and I only just got my ears like… today.  So… I don’t know.  Do you—I’m kind of…”

Nilly’s face dawned with understanding as she interrupted her.  “Nilly sees, Nilly sees!  Sora’s a foxy-fox Founder—nine tails, nine days, nine stuff… foxes like nine.  Nilly likes Founders—some Founders—does Sora know Nilly’s really strong?!  Nilly’s a hero!”

Sora was lost by the sudden slap of information that struck her across the jaw to respond—nine days—her birthday.

I didn’t even realize it!  That first pain I had… was yesterday, most likely at the start of the ninth day before my birthday.  Kitsune grow tails every one hundred years, so… Founders grow one every… day?  I haven’t… grown a tail yet—so weird—so… maybe not?

Absently rubbing her ear as Nilly spouted off some tale about battling an armada of sardines, Sora tried to make sense of things by using what she’d learned from Stephanie and the sporadic cat.

On day nine, she had that terrible pain, but other than slight sense enhancements, not a whole lot changed yesterday.  Well, her stuttering stopping was undoubtedly a huge deal, so there was that.  Today, she grew ears and began to explore her magic more, which meant she had another seven days’ worth of changes, or so logic dictated.

“…giant pufferfish turned superstars—”

Sora held up her hand and interrupted the girl’s extravagant gestures as she recounted an incoherent, bizarre story involving various fish she’d gobbled up.  “Nilly, do vulpes Founders like the number sixt—”

She trailed off as the cat’s tails went completely stiff, fur bristling as Nilly stared up at one of the few gray clouds that spotted the heavens; a strange shiver ran up Sora’s back and prickled her hair as the girl jumped to her feet.

“Nilly needs to go!”  she hastily cried.

Dismissing the sensation, Sora sighed, not wanting to chase her across town again.  “Why—aren’t we having fun?  You can tell me a—crap.”

Nilly vanished, already halfway toward the youth center, jumping over bushes and fence lines to get to the building quicker.

A slight frown touched her lips as silence followed, and a familiar note echoed across the park—the sound of a raindrop—a smile spread across Sora’s face.

She doesn’t want to get wet…  Ah, well, this should give me time to get more information.  Why is she even in the city?  Don’t Nekomata and Bakeneko usually enjoy mountainous terrain…  Hmm, but that would be pretty rainy, too?  Weird…

Walking around the fence line, she hurried inside the building; it was time to really get some answers from the sporadic cat monster.  Following the tinkling bell attached to her ankle didn’t take long.

Sora got a few wide-eyed looks from children around the entrance as she released her illusion, but the parents didn’t pay her any mind.

Why are there so many kids here?  School shouldn’t be over yet…  Unless I’m tripping and lost track of time—ugh… 4 p.m.  Okay, that makes more sense.

Finding Nilly a few rooms in, Sora chuckled, seeing the enthralled teenager standing on a chair as she watched kids bowling.  In an oddly cute display, her ears twitched every time the ball hit the pins and returned.

Walking over to her, Sora asked, “Do you want to bowl, Nilly?”

Nilly’s head darted around.  “Fox!  Fox!  What are they doing?”

The kids kept eyeing Nilly but continued bowling.

“They’re playing a game,” Sora explained, sitting across from her.

“Can Nilly play?  Nilly’s good at games!  Nilly’s the best!”

Going with Nilly’s flow, Sora giggled.  “Sure, Nilly can play, but can Nilly first answer Sora’s questions?”

Dropping down to sit, Nilly nodded earnestly.  “Nilly answers; then, Nilly plays!”

Yes!

“Okay… so, why has Nilly been following Sora?”

Intense concentration crossed the girl’s face as she weaved back and forth, and after a full minute, Nilly folded down her ears before opening her blank eyes.  “What did Sora ask Nilly—can Nilly play?”

“Uggh.  Figures.”

There’s no use in getting information out of her when she’s hyped up like this…  She is really interesting, though.  At least she knows my name now; it’s progress.

“Okay!  Sora wants to play with Nilly.  Follow Sora.”

Nilly flipped almost two meters into the air and cheered.  “Nilly plays!”

The kids’ jaws dropped open.

Smiling, Sora brought her over to the counter, where the attendant looked at them uncertainly before she broke the silence.  “We’d like some shoes and a bowling ball.”

The man’s eyes locked with Sora and his face altered, a broad, unnatural smile appearing.  “Yes—yes, of course!”

Nilly snickered.  “Foxy-fox magic.”

What?  Did I just do something to him?!

She watched in disbelief as the man started gathering handfuls of shoes and dragging them across the counter.  Even more worryingly, he started collecting several bowling balls before Sora cried, “Wait!”

The man instantly halted his actions, halfway bent over.

Nilly shot her a sly snicker.  “Sora’s not a really good foxy Founder!”

“I’m sorry!”  Anxiety welling in her chest, she fidgeted with her purse while glancing around, hoping no one noticed the odd actions.  “I just started using my powers today,” she hissed, turning back to the man.  “Please, get us two bowling balls and wait.”

Nilly’s monstrous fangs gleamed in the overhead light.  “Nilly likes Sora; Sora’s funny.”

The man complied without comment, looking to be in a daze.  Discovering her own shoe size in the mass of footwear, she helped Nilly find some shoes, to the cat’s displeasure.

“What’s wrong with Nilly’s shoes?  Nilly likes Nilly’s shoes!”

“If you don’t have these shoes, then you can’t play the game,” Sora explained.

Her expression instantly changed.  “Oh!  Okay—give Nilly shoes.”

It’s worse than dealing with a child!

Getting Nilly and herself into shoes, Sora stared at the man in fear as he stood still, waiting expectantly for more orders.

Please say I can reverse this…  Did I just turn him into a slave?

“Nilly—uh, how does Sora stop her… fox magic?”

Rolling the bowling ball around the floor with glee, Nilly shrugged.  “Nilly doesn’t know!  Foxes use foxy magic, then stop foxy magic—Sora’s just a bad fox.”

“Thanks…”

“You’re welcome!”

Sora massaged her temples as their antics started drawing a crowd of children.

All I did was ask for something—was it my desire?—he looked at me, and he suddenly became my slave…  What is that?  My eyes had some kind of effect on Lori, or was it purely my desire?  I don’t know!

This seems completely different, though.  Before… I just walked away from Lori… but I did something different to her: I, like, jumped into a bath of Lori’s experiences.  Let’s not do that again!

Forcing a smile, Sora timidly said, “Umm… thank you for your help…  That’s everything.  Alright, let’s g—”

Swiftly turning to Nilly—she wanted to escape the area as soon as possible—Sora paused as a bunch of kids gathered around them, one particular bold boy stepping up to her while glaring at her ears.

“You’re too old to wear fox ears!”

Well, that’s rude!

Sora sighed and bent down to his level, a wry grin spread across her lips, and she leaned in to whisper in the kid’s ears.  “They’re real ears—touch them—see?!”

The boy’s eyes opened wide as he slowly reached forward and poked her ear.

A tingling sensation shot down its length, causing them to twitch.  Startled, the boy leaped back and then moved closer, rubbing them with an awed expression before Sora pulled away and winked, putting a finger to her lips.

The boy nodded, looking like he had an important secret, and motioned his friends to return to their game; they followed expectantly, asking if her ears were real and leaving Sora with a smile.

“Eh—Nilly?!”  Sora yelped as the girl suddenly jumped on her back to play with her ears.

“Nilly likes fox ears, but foxy tails better!  Foxes need foxy tails!”

“Nilly…”

Sora slowly got her off, face as bright as a tomato as the cat ran over to a lane and threw her large bowling ball without an ounce of strain.  It raced down the path and knocked every pin flying; Sora was worried it had damaged the machine.

Nilly cheered, dancing around in a circle.  “Nilly’s the best!”

Nilly’s going to wear me out!

Sitting down, she glanced back at the man behind the desk, where he was shaking his head as if in a daze, staring at all the shoes with a confused expression.

He doesn’t remember any of it?  Wow… these powers are super dangerous…  I didn’t even mean to charm him.  Fox magic, huh?  Would Jin and Eyia know more about it?

Sora’s eyes snapped open.

Wait, Lori knew about me being a fox!  Kari, Jenny… everyone in her crew always had their little fox derogatory nicknames for me since the start.  Did they know I would become a vulpes Founder… for years?

Her attention snapped back as a shadow appeared centimeters from her face.  Nilly danced away as Sora yelped again, giggling at the reaction as her tails twisted around her legs.  “Such a bad fox!”

Working around her jaw, Sora swallowed nervously.  “Nilly, are… are fox Founders bad?”

Nilly gave her a look that said she was stupid.

“Foxes are foxes!”  she repeated, throwing Sora’s ball down another lane and cheering as it dropped every pin again.  “Nilly’s undefeated!”

Sora smiled.  “Right, foxes are foxes.”

I decide my own actions…  At least, I hope I do.

Ears pricking, Nilly looked to the exit and shouted.  “It’s over!  Nilly chase time.”

Sora turned toward the door and listened, though she heard only light pattering from drips.

Chase…  As in hunting?  That was a quick shower.

She sighed as Nilly slipped her original shoes back on and ran through the door.

Well… I have a feeling that I’ll see her again.

She checked Nilly’s and her equipment back in at the desk, but the man didn’t even seem to recognize she’d gotten shoes or bowling balls.

Humming with concern, she went to the Italian restaurant, ordered the rabbit dish to satisfy her unruly stomach, and, after finishing three servings, went back to her hotel.  She decided she needed to cool off for the day and zone out to some dramas.

Chapter Thirteen:  Eight Days; Into The Dream

The darkening sky pulled Sora’s gaze on her way back to her hotel, and she passively scanned through scents on her typical route, curiosity drawing her into a rabbit hole of internal thought.

Kari and many of the bullies she’d caught wind of at school stood out, helping her better differentiate between humans and creatures.

The girls had the same general putrid aroma of wet dog and nose-twisting, half-rotten corpse, punch-to-the-gut feeling as Lori.  Not that she was frightened—because she wasn’t—but it was just something better avoided than smelled in person.

A shocking number of inhumans roamed around her home city—she even caught sight of a few of them.  It amused her how totally human they looked, but there were a few oddities she picked up on—sparkling auras or illusions—she saw past the disguises to their mostly human appearances.

Sora kept her distance and obscurity while observing the hidden world she was now peering into, amused and realizing Stephanie’s statement that she was stronger than she thought was turning out to be very accurate: not one half-human or creature could see past her full invisibility.

She made a game of identifying the different species by their unique energies or how they flavored her tongue with every breath, causing her mood to improve with each new addition to her growing list.

Humming to various songs she could eavesdrop on with her shifting ears and swaying, Sora dodged people like a little girl, trying not to step on sidewalk cracks.  It had been so long since she’d just strolled the streets and enjoyed killing time.

When the front doors to her hotel came into view, Sora counted at least fifteen different species of creatures besides humans.  The majority came from a partial fish-like race with gills and what appeared to be magical necklaces that hid the inhuman parts, but she did see a colossal man that was some kind of hidden half-orc.

Kari, her gang, and Nilly were the obvious ones, but she confirmed Eyia and Jin were among the oddities after sampling the residual areas.  It almost felt like the pair wanted to be noticed, challenging anyone to test them with how fiery the aura they left tasted.

Seven others she hadn’t, as of yet, discovered their identity popped out, but the five most spine-chilling she knew were, without a doubt, Stephanie, Nilly, Eyia, Jin, and Kari—in that order.

The mercurial feline was literally everywhere; she figured it was some kind of defense magic or something because, like Stephanie, no one could compare to the unusual vibes they released.

Sora couldn’t wait to get back home to sample the giant blue Celestial’s scent and compare it to everything she’d learned that day, but knew what she’d probably find from her interaction with the goddess.

Unraveling her illusion—excluding around her ears—Sora waved to security.  She had stopped caring who saw her pop into existence outside of the hotel since they’d just dismiss it.  The freedom she’d begun to feel throughout the day was liberating.

They returned the gesture, and she waited as the private elevator descended.

She didn’t miss the many scents of various creatures that had passed through its doors from months past—likely traveling monsters or half-breeds—and she wondered how many people there were with distant ancestors that didn’t know about their unusual lineage.

“Hey, Howie!  Howie?”

The man’s sunken eyes and weak smile greeted her, looking utterly spent as he yawned.  “Hey… Sora, umm… sorry—I just haven’t been sleeping well recently.”

Entering, Sora’s eyebrows drew together while examining the swirl of colors and unsettling vibes surrounding one of her very few friends.

Yeah… something’s definitely up!  What’s with this aura compressing around him?  Gah!  I need to learn how to better read this stuff, but it hasn’t even been a day since I started exploring all these feelings.

“So… you took some time off, and Ron covered your shifts…  What’s going on?”

The man groaned as the doors closed, stretching out and smacking his lips; he was clearly having a terrible time staying awake.  “I, uh… I’ve been trying to work things through with D-Daisy.  Man, she’s got it rough…  Her boss is a monster slave worker.”

“No kidding…”  Sora mumbled, noticing his wrinkled clothing.  “You haven’t even been able to take a shower yet, have you?  I’m… kind of worried about you, Howie—you look terrible.”

“Thanks,” he snickered, rubbing his eyes.  “Things will work out…  Daisy just needs someone to cuddle next to and talk out her problems.  She’s really not as bad as you think.”

Sora lifted an eyebrow.  “Mmh-hmm…  We’re talking about the woman that breaks up with you, has problems, and comes running back to your feet to suck the life out of her favorite play toy here?”

“Oof!”  Howie winced at her biting tone.  “You, uh… heh, feeling spicier lately?  I’m glad you feel up to dressing up and going out more, but… I haven’t heard you talk like that about someone in…  Just, wow.”

Running her fingers through her copper locks, Sora sighed and leaned against the side of the elevator to glare into her own lime-green irises.  “Sorry, Howie…  I know you like her, but I just don’t like how she twists you around her pinky whenever she needs someone before throwing you away when she’s had her comfort fix—it’s toxic.”

A sad grin lifted his lips before shrugging.  “Haaa…  Relationships are complex, Sora.”

He closed his eyes to lean his head against the mirror, and Sora frowned at the emotional waves of soothing violet colors swirling around his body.

“Her hazel eyes pull me in, and she really does need me… I can feel it, and I don’t really know how women feel, but men…  It’s nice knowing someone needs you.  She confides in me, needs me near, and can’t lose me… even if there are times she feels inadequate and tries to push me away.”

The soft emotions coming from Howie felt natural, yet there was also some noxious magical presence lingering on him; it wasn’t a scent, which made Sora think it might not be Daisy herself.

Still, the fact something was harming Howie didn’t sit right and irritated Sora.  He may really love Daisy, and she hadn’t considered the possibility Daisy always broke away from him because she didn’t feel like she deserved him, but that was still toxic for Howie.

“Okay,” she mumbled, looking at her hallway as the door opened.  “I’m sorry…  I just don’t like seeing you hurt or like this.  Just… take care of yourself more.  I’m sure Daisy—if she does love you—wouldn’t want to see you like this.”

Howie yawned before nodding and giving her a thumbs up.  “It’s—just a hard week for Daisy.  Thanks for caring about me so much, Sora.  Love is compromising, and I’m glad she comes to me instead of someone else for her troubles…  It shows she’s capable of being vulnerable around me.”

Sora chuckled softly while moving out of the elevator.  “Wise advice from my sleep-deprived front door attendant?”

“And friend!”

“Hehe.  And friend…  Try to get some sleep, even if it’s just short naps—in fact…”

She stepped forward with a grin and snatched his walkie-talkie from his belt.

“Hey!”

Pressing the button, she cleared her throat.  “This is Sora Moore!  I’ll be stealing Howie for the next thirty minutes.  I need help with something important, so let anyone trying to get in the private elevator know there will be a wait!”

“Sora…”  Howie sighed, but Chris, the manager, responded.

“Thanks for the heads up, Ms. Moore.  I hope you have a lovely evening.”

“You, too, Chris!  Oh, would you like some steak?  I bought a little too much, and I have no idea how to make this stuff right—maybe I should hire a cook, huh?  Hehe.”

“Hehe.  That would be wonderful, Ms. Moore.  Thirty minutes?”

“Thirty minutes!”  Sora chimed to Howie’s shaking head.  “Eh, heh, starting in five minutes.”

“Eh-heh… thirty-five minutes it is.  Please, don’t make a habit out of this, Ms. Moore—we are short staffed, and I have other duties I need to perform.”

“Mhm!  Thanks, Chris.  I’ll make you a good piece, too.  A girl needs to learn how to cook!”

“If you say so, Ma’am.”

Making a peace sign, Sora tossed the radio to Howie before ushering him inside.  “Cake!  Being a spoiled little rich girl has its perks, huh?”

“Sora…”

“How many times have you yawned?”  she huffed, pulling him in to guide him to the couch.  “I’m just being a good friend.  Plus, how many times have you taken care of me through the years?”

“Just… five minutes?”  he yawned again as Sora pushed him onto the love seat to head to the kitchen.

Sora gave a reassuring chuckle.  “Sure.  I’ll wake you up soon.  First, I gotta go figure out how I’m going to cook this steak.”

Taking out the ingredients and swiftly turning on the grill, she popped her head back around the corner with a smile upon seeing the man she’d known for over eight years passed out on the couch.

Nice!

Her smile fell as she saw the swirl of magical forces increasing around his sleeping frame; it wasn’t life-threatening but certainly draining.

Not nice.

After quickly seasoning the meat and placing it on the hot irons, she returned to study what was happening to Howie.

Taking a deep breath, she let it out.  Interestingly, even with her enhanced senses, she couldn’t smell Stephanie’s presence at all, making her conclude Celestial wiped every trace away, which made sense since she was in hiding.  The gorgeous, pregnant, giant blue goddess made it clear she wouldn’t be much help to her in the future, so she was on her own to figure this out.

Sora tried not to nibble on her lower lip by applying chapstick while studying the chaotic forces weaving through the man’s spirit.

Something’s leeching off his emotional energy… but there is a very slow draw against his life force.  At least… I think that’s what this is.  It’s super low… the pull is primarily drawing out his emotions, yet… to where?

The vortex was mesmerizing, drawing her into a tiny bubble within Howie’s soul.  Her eyes widened upon deciphering the cryptic pulses, finding a hidden tether—incredibly weak compared to her magic—it was just strong enough to allow her to follow it through Howie’s spiritual network like a needle and thread.

Hissing as her timer went off to flip the steak, she swiftly went outside, took care of business, and returned to her examination.  She almost felt ready to go on a full-blown inquisition to discover who was stealing minutes off Howie’s life, but thirty-five minutes went by faster than she would have liked.

As promised, she woke the man by shaking his shoulder and making him start; Sora mirrored him as the bubble and thread snapped, making the answer click in her brain.

Dreams!  They’re getting to Howie through his dreams—stealing any healing his spirit does when sleeping!  It’s totally emotionally draining…

“Eh?!  Oh, eh… is it—time?”  Howie yawned, looking totally unrested from the nap.

Sora nodded, not wanting to burden him with any more bad news on his already long night, but she was not going to let this go.  “Feeling better?”

“Oh, yeah!”  he lied, waving her off with a reassuring grin as he got up to stretch.  “Hyaah—sorry for making you worry…  Umm, oh, I smell those steaks—mmh.  Who needs to hire a cook?”

“Well, hehe, I did kind of have one before.  Umm, yeah, let’s go get some plates, and—”

They looked up as the speakers overhead buzzed—Chris.

“Ms. Moore, Howie?”

“Yikes,” Sora motioned for Howie to get the steaks on the plates with the microwaved broccoli packet.  “I’ll stall!”

“You’re incredible…”

“Thanks!”

Sora giggled while jogging over to the elevator to open it to the big dark-skinned man inside.  “Chris!  Howie’s just getting the broccoli and steaks off the grill.”

Chris snorted as she motioned for him to come in.  “Broccoli on the grill?  That’s new.”

“Not on the grill!”  Sora huffed, rolling her eyes with exaggeration to make him laugh.  “Umm… can I ask you a favor?”

The man frowned, crossing his arms at her hushed tone and concerned expression.  “Shoot.”

“Eh… Howie’s not doing well, and I’m worried about him.  I know you’re short-staffed right now—Ron and Howie have been working crazy overtime…  I’ll look after the elevator for a while if you need—I just think he should get some rest.”

His dark brown eyes softened at her fidgeting—totally not on purpose to draw more sympathy—and he sighed, rubbing his close-cut black head.  “Girl… do you know what your father would do if he learned I’d put you in the elevator to meet random tenants?”

Sora’s smile became strained.  “Eh-heh… be glad I’m trying to do a little work?”

He shook his head.  “Some sketchy rich folk can check-in, and I ain’t putting you near some of those creepers.  Wait… you’re not stuttering?”

“Noticed!”  Sora grinned, truly happy he’d caught on, yet her cheer dampened when realizing he’d expected her to stutter through their conversation.

“Yeah… I suppose that has something to do with your new psychiatrist.”

She nodded, glancing back at Howie as he returned with the two plates of food—she’d only made two since she had already eaten at the restaurant.  “Actually, I’m meeting with her at her office tomorrow morning—she checked me out of school.”

“I liked Dr. Jernigan,” Howie commented, trying to not look half-dead, but he wasn’t fooling anyone.

Chris sucked on his sizeable bottom lip for a moment after seeing how Howie looked: his wrinkled uniform and haggard appearance weren’t a good look for the hotel, but it was the hotel’s fault since they didn’t have the staff.

“Haaa.  Howie, go home and rest up for the night.  I’ll cover for you this once.”

Yes!  Sora internally cheered in victory.

Yet, Howie tried to sabotage all her efforts!

“Sir, I can work—”

“Not like that, Howie,” Chris firmly responded.  “Come back in for your normal shift, clothes ironed, showered, and groomed—I don’t need people complaining a five-star hotel is running a homeless shelter.”

“…”  Sora kicked herself at the embarrassment that suddenly passed through her friend’s somber, downcast smile and nod.  “Understood.”

No…  I didn’t want to humiliate him…  I’m sorry, Howie.

She saw them off, staying in the hallway as the pair left, with the two promising to bring the plates back after taking turns eating in the break room.

“Well… that could have gone better,” she whispered to herself, taking off her sandals and putting them away with her purse before turning off the grill and cleaning up.

Jumping onto her bed, she realised she hadn’t messaged Noelia yet. 

Whatever!  There’s more important things going on!

Glancing at the clock—6:50 p.m.—she closed her eyes while remembering the unique spiritual signature of the magical invader she’d identified in Howie.

A dream predator?  Wait…

Sora sat up, brushing her hair to the side as she reflected on what Howie explained; she had a very sharp nose now, and as amusing as it had been when walking around, Sora could smell when someone had sex recently due to the unique hormones they produced, which wasn’t hard to spot in a place like Miami.

I didn’t smell any woman’s scent on Howie’s skin or clothes… nothing that would indicate cuddling or sex, yet the emotional drain he experienced was similar to the people I saw on the street… just more extreme.

Trying not to be embarrassed about the topic by focusing purely on the inconsistency and the possible reasons for it, Sora puffed out a long breath.

A dream predator…  Can I follow that back since I identified their signature?  Kitsune are supposed to be able to go into people’s dreams and stuff, so a vulpes Founder should be able to, right?

“Hmm…”  she glanced at the clock again—6:58 p.m.

What if they’re stronger than me?

She snorted, feeling surprisingly amused by the thought.  Throughout the day, Sora had learned she was pretty strong—in fact, she kind of scared herself with how powerful her magic seemed to be as she explored it, and Sora had another seven days worth of growth, or so it appeared.

Knowing Howie would crash when he got home, if not sooner, she dressed in her pajamas, did her nightly routine, and jumped into bed after setting her alarm, snuggling underneath the sheets.  It was early, but her friend’s safety came first.

Heart slowing, Sora closed her eyes and focused on the magical feeling she’d had of the thread that invaded Howie’s dreams, and willing herself to drift into oblivion to track the string back to its course to spy on it, Sora wandered into the land of dreams.

Energy drained out of her as a world of colors, images, and fantasy spun around her descent into the dreamscape; Sora drifted through the gentle sway of emotion and thought, pursuing the single, distinct line she’d identified.

Hours seemed to pass, and Sora soon realized the person was trying to be discreet and careful not to cause too much of a wave, but they couldn’t hide from her; fear infused the tether with a pained, hungering need that she sampled to better understand.

However, a convulsion in her chest caused her to stumble and fall off the tight edge she’d been walking, falling into the darkness as lava bubbled out of her breast, making her curse.

No!  Not tonight…

She was cast into a world of nightmarish visages, birthed of darkness, yet they recoiled in fear from the brilliant flames that embraced her.  Titanic, terrifying monsters of people’s night terrors fled in her paralyzed free fall, yet, for some reason, entering the dreamscape had removed most of the pain.

Magic in flux, the radiating fire and pulses she released left her in isolation until she struck the bottom of some acidic pool in some space-horror nightmare.

Groaning, Sora stumbled to her feet in the murky muck, a protective aura keeping any negative force from sinking their claws into her; actually, the way the terrified horror fish around her acted, she was the monster.

“Ugh… stupid transform—huh?!”

She twisted her hips, basically capable of flight in the nightmare, and stared at the copper-hued, energy tail that exited between her striped pajama shirt and shorts; it acted no different than her ears, fingers, or legs, instinctively moving without thought.

Mouth tight, she pulled her gaze from the new, ethereal appendage to the apprehensive nightmarish piranhas around her.  “Well… I got my tail, boys—Nilly will be thrilled.  Wooh… I guess.  Mmgm…  Now, where was I?”

Without much left to do but accept it, Sora pushed it out of her mind to figure out where the crap she was and how to get back on the trail, focusing on her desires and the spiritual signature again.

Where are you…  No, it would be better to just follow the path I left wherever I fell to get to the thread again.

Manipulating the dreamscape surprisingly easily, she felt her magical fuel leaving her at a far more noticeable rate than anything she’d done before, yet it wasn’t all that concerning, considering she could draw from the force around her like an energy bar, purifying and absorbing the nightmare.

She smiled after a time as she rose out of the darkness, realizing what she was actually doing in creating her own light: Sora was practically an angel, passing through the nightmares of others, frightening them away or purifying them into the uncorrupted bliss they were meant to be.

Finding the thread after a time, Sora followed it to a little dream sphere, created by magic instead of pure desire and thought and an attachment to the person’s actual dream.

Slipping inside like a shadow, Sora was beginning to grasp the basics of navigating this place.  Her unnaturally potent magic as a vulpes Founder probably played a role in why she was left alone, as well, but she was cool with that.

Sora landed on the floor of a small roadside restaurant and smiled as she turned to the window and listened to the bustle of the busy establishment.  It was dark and raining outside, and a sharp breeze carried the scent in to mix with the noodle ramen spices of the Japanese food.

She passed through the tables and imaginary people like a ghost, analyzing the framework of the person creating this dream sphere.

It was surprisingly weak compared to some of the other magical forces she’d studied over the past day, which said something.  If she could tell that after only a single day’s worth of looking into this world, this dream predator had some work to do.

Of course, she could have a warped perspective due to being this fabled vulpes Founder, whatever that was.

Sora’s internal musings halted upon seeing Howie at a table, accompanied by a pretty blonde woman with hazel-green eyes.  She was dressed to impress with a cream blouse and skirt, twisting her golden locks into a cute braid—this girl was the source of the dream, and she could guess what her name was.

Fingers balling into fists, Sora’s eyes narrowed as a combative spur urged her forward, Howie’s words ringing in her mind about love making her ears twitch.

Daisy doesn’t meet with Howie in person at all!  She’s literally his imaginary girlfriend in dreams—and he doesn’t even know it!

The woman giggled at Howie’s tired, choked joke before freezing as Sora cut the string keeping him tethered to the woman’s dream sphere.  Presenting herself by unraveling her magic, Sora stood before her, arms crossed as Howie vanished mid-sentence, returning to his own dream.

“Huh…  Who—”

Sora smoothly slid into the seat her ‘date’ had occupied, wearing a strained smile.  “Hmm-hmm.  Daisy, I presume?!  It’s a pleasure…”

The woman shivered as she turned to see everyone in the area paralyzed; Sora had completely taken over the space, trapping her inside by instinct with the swirling anger bubbling within her heart.

Daisy’s face paled, yet she instantly adapted to her sudden invasion, showing she’d dealt with similar instances.  “What… do you want with me?  This space is controlled by Yez’ela.  If you have a business, you should bring it to her.”

“Yez-who?”  Sora lifted an eyebrow, crossing her legs as the confused blonde studied her; it did make Sora feel powerful that she instantly backed down.

“Yez’ela…  You’re a Nogitsune, correct?  Red hair… a flaming tail—unless you’re putting on some show for… I don’t know what reason.”

Daisy held up her hands with a stressed smile.  “Look, I don’t know what issues you have with Yez’ela—or if you want to take over this area…  I try to keep my head down and do my job…  Do as I’m told—I’m a very compliant girl.”

Sora’s head tilted with an eye.  “Job…  Is Howie nothing but a job to you?!  Sucking off his emotional energy and some of his life force—forcing him into this… place every night to make him believe you care for him?”

“Howie is… just like any other mark…  I know I may not have much variety to offer Yez’ela… if you’re here on her behalf, but it’s… it’s not how it seems.  I’m just not all that strong, so… I do what I can.  Yez’ela hasn’t told me it’s been a problem…  She asked to increase the offerings, so… I have.”

Her shifting hazel eyes and panicking spiritual energies transmitted like flashing lights, bewildering Sora as she lied.  Daisy was terrified of her, thinking she was some kind of rival dream predator or an enforcer from this Yez’ela monster, but it wasn’t fear for herself—she feared for Howie.

She continued to ramble, nervously playing with her golden hair.  “I understand everyone’s been forced to increase their load—it’s… I’m trying to work things out—I know it may not be her… typical flavor, but…”

“Hold up!”  Leaning back, Sora puffed out an agitated breath, lifting her tail and flicking it to the left; it felt a little good to maneuver the appendage, but the woman flinched as if she’d whipped her.  “Okay…  You know who I am, right?  I’m sure Howie’s talked about me, or you’ve seen me in his dreams—or something?”

Daisy forced her focus away from the animated tail to Sora’s narrowed eyes.  “Umm… I know you’re taking the form of a girl Howie knows.  I get not wanting to reveal your true identity—but… no.  Should I—have…  Umm, do you… want Howie?  H-He’s in Yez’ela’s territory…  You’d need to…”

“Slow down!”  Sora growled, tapping the table with her fingernail and hissing out a sharp breath.  “I’m… so confused!”

“Heh… heh-eh… I am, too…  What do you want from me?”

Sora studied her turbulent, fearful twitches and chaotic spiritual waves.  “What are you?”

“I’m… one-quarter Succubus… on my father’s side,” she carefully responded, and Sora couldn’t find any deception.

“A Succubus…  Seriously?”

“What good would it do me to lie to a Nogitsune?”  she nervously laughed.  “I don’t want any trouble…  I just… can you tell me what you want, at least—what can I give you?”

Sora bit her lower lip as she grew more accustomed to looking beyond the woman’s weak filters, defending her spirit, and spotted black spots marring her insides.  “You’re… dying?”

She winced, nervously brushing her bangs behind her ears.  “Wow… umm, I didn’t think you’d look that closely at me…  I don’t… like killing—I know, you must think I’m beyond weak—eh, stupid… but I meet all my quotas for Yez’ela.  I just… live differently than you.”

“Huh…”

“Huh?”

Sora deflated like a balloon.  “I don’t believe it.  You do like Howie…  What, you don’t want to cheat on him by stealing other men’s life force and emotions—so you’re killing yourself to be loyal?  Does he even know you’re a Succubus—well, one-quarter?”

“Please, don’t tell him!”  she panicked, leaning forward as her long fingernails bit into her palm.  “Did I offend you?  I’m sorry—I’m not judging you for killing and stealing people’s souls!”

“Stop!”  Sora half-shouted as she threw up her arms in defeat.  “You’re making me feel guilty now…  Ugh.”

Daisy snapped her lips shut, not looking her in the eyes.  Sora felt like the monster, but she couldn’t let Howie’s state slide or how she’d treated him over the years.  She was certainly pretty, and Sora could see why Howie may be entranced by her, excluding the whole Succubus part.

Connecting the dots, Sora streamed out a sigh.  “Let me see if I get this straight…  You have to gather energy for some… overlord of yours—or something—and you also need soul energy to live, so you take the minimum from Howie to keep going.  Did I hit the nail on the head?”

Sora wanted to scream as she felt and saw the trembling woman’s eyes and heart, tears sliding down her cheeks.  “If you need a soul… you can take mine,” she whispered.

“You really are a total wreck—stupid—do you even have a clue how this will work long-term?!”

“What do you want from me?!”  she cried.  “Are you just here to torment me?  Learn more about Yez’ela to fight her?  I-I’m just a grunt…  I’m a slave…  Howie’s the only good thing that’s happened to me—please, don’t take him!”

Having heard enough, Sora slapped her hand on the table, glaring at the woman.  “Here—c’mon!”

“What…”

“Are you stupid?  You totally are, but I care about Howie.  Take my hand!”

“Okay!  Okay…  What are you… doing?”

“Honestly?  I don’t know!  I just do things!”

Sora fed her magic into the woman’s body, a little surprised when her flaming tail tinted a cobalt blue; the force she sent mended the damaged parts of her soul, somehow making her skin and features even more lovely.

You’re welcome, Howie!

“Do you feel better—what did I do?”

Daisy’s trembling fingers retreated to hold against her breast in complete shock.  “I… don’t feel the hunger…  You placed a regenerating seed within me that provides for my needs…  Why would you do that for me?  How did you do that?!  It’s... endless?”

The weight pressing in on Sora’s chest lightened, and she got to her feet, suddenly feeling tired after all the traveling and magic she’d done.

“I want you to go to the hotel Howie works at and meet me outside at 7 a.m.—don’t go inside and meet Howie, in case he’s there; it’s hard to tell their shifts right now—just wait for me outside.  Okay?”

“Okay?”

Leaving the overwhelmed Succubus in a whirlwind, Sora exited Daisy’s dream to return to her own.  She could care less for this woman, but it was clear Howie loved her, and if Howie’s happiness was tied to hers, that was enough for her to help the woman so she could be there for her friend.

Chapter Fourteen:  Seven Days; A Timid Daisy

Sora’s ears stood on end as the chime of her alarm roused her drifting mind; groaning, she reached over to stop her phone’s vibrations with a yawn, yet paused upon seeing her sheets thrown off the bed—she seemed to have tossed them off at some point during her restless sleep.

Shifting to her side, Sora puffed out her cheeks with a slow stream of air while observing her new, fifth appendage as she stretched her arms, legs, and back.  The night’s previous events sparked through her mind as she studied the fluffy fox tail pulled over her hip.

“Haaa.  Right…  I have a tail—wait, no way…  Nilly was here last night?  Huh.”

She could smell the all-existent cat; then again, Nilly was basically everywhere, so she may have been, and she may not have.  That was what it was like to smell the conundrum that was Nilly.

Not letting her thoughts be added to the list of places Nilly rested, a curious smile twisted her mouth as she lifted the soft bushel to stroke her copper fur; twisting and stretching it was no different than her arms or fingers.  From its white tip to its darker base—everything was within her unconscious control.

Further inspection placed it about at her beltline on most of her pants—maybe a little below—and her silky night shorts had been pushed down to make room, putting a frown on her face.

Dropping to her side, Sora rested her head against her mattress with a short huff, hair bunching around her left ear and folding against a pillow.

“Well… this is a problem and a half,” she grumbled.  “A tail is cool and all, but… my clothes aren’t exactly made for one.  Hmm.”

Sora spent the next few minutes pondering her options and what this meant, but a quick glance at her digital clock—showing the time, temperature, and relative humidity—showed it was 6:22 a.m., and it seemed to be raining; of course, it was sort of expected in August.

She’d told Daisy to meet her at 7 a.m. since her appointment with Mary was at 8 a.m., and it wouldn’t be a good look to ask her to wait before standing her up.  She had to figure out what was happening in Miami somehow, and a Succubus was as good of an informant as any.

Sliding to the edge of her bed, she was about to get up to browse through her wardrobe for something she could use in her extensive collection; she could get custom ties or buttons and hidden slits designed sometime today, but she had to have something to go out within the short term.

She carefully stood up and tested her balance, hopping on one foot and then the other.  It was natural, even if she could tell her weight and manner of walking had changed—she chalked it up to magic—the interesting part was how light and agile she felt.

Using the gymnastics training her father had sent her to when she was ten—one of her phases—she tried to perform a few simple moves before going for a back-bend-over.  It was effortless, and her flexibility had shot through the roof, considering she hadn’t really made a habit out of stretches for a few years now.

She went into the splits and did a bridge, arch, lunge, and handstand, ending with a jumping pike; with every action she took, her body knew how to position her tail as if the experience had been woven into every muscle fiber.

Giggling as she twisted in front of her walk-in-closet mirror and examined herself from multiple angles, she couldn’t help but notice how good the long tail and big ears looked on her, as if they were always meant to be there.  It even seemed that if she stretched the new appendage as far as she could, the tip reached all the way to her stiff ears.

Wasting minutes just testing out her new developments, Sora hoped that the transformation would stop here; she didn’t need to grow fur in other, less desirable areas.

She scanned her wardrobe with dissatisfaction; she could go with a long dress or skirt with a high-waist strap or a wraparound skirt, but the thought of constricting her tail under it made her ears pull back with agitation.

A mini skirt would only flip up at random if she flicked her tail—which she just did—and with how instinctive and good it felt to express emotion with it, Sora didn’t want to restrict it, yet would also rather not flash her butt to people.

Cutting a hole wasn’t really an option since it was so thick and poofy that she’d have to make an unreasonable slit to get it through; having a professional create an opening with a button seemed to be the way to go.

In the end, she was forced to go with some of her most low-riding shorts in her wardrobe—a dark brown pair her father would glare at—and her underwear wasn’t any better; still, her tail pushed the top down a tad, but some illusionary magic helped to make it more natural.

She opted for more of a simple look today: sandals and a white twist-front tank top, wanting to feel the rain on her feet.

Taking the items to the bathroom, Sora tried to do a quick shower, washing out her hair and cleaning her skin before turning what little time she had left on her tail.  It fascinated her how sensitive it was, and flicking her soaked fur around made her giggle as she splattered her tile walls.

Curiously patting it dry, a thought crossed her mind, and she tried to use her desire magic to extract the liquid—it worked—droplets of water pulling away from her fur, hair, and skin to gather into a globe above her hand.

“No way,” she whispered, dropping the small sphere to the drain before going to the mirror and attempting to do the same with straightening her hair—success again—she checked the usual places for shaving, only to find them already hairless.  “So cool and convenient!”

She winced when trying to teleport her clothes onto her body, shoulders drooping with sudden fatigue, and worse, they didn’t even move.

“Ugh… note to self, don’t go crazy with magic.  Way to start the day, Sora,” she mumbled to herself.  “I need to sunbathe.”

Upkeeping her illusions grew to be a bit of a chore after the sudden energy drop, telling her there was a limit to the things she could do, at least so far as her development was coming along.

She quickly dressed and moved to the front room, breathing a sigh of relief as the nighttime darkness touched her skin, renewing a bit of her magical energy.  Noticing that it was nearing 7:02 a.m. at this point, and she did need to go meet Daisy—she had been the one to set the time, after all.

Rolling around her neck, she jogged to the elevator, snatching her umbrella from the closet next to it, and called it; experiencing a lag after entering the hallway, she groaned.  It seemed to be tied to the sky—day or night—but the quick boost would help her maintain her illusions until outside.

The doors opened to reveal Chris—Howie was still off, which was wild, and made her do a double-take—the hotel manager yawned as he waved.  “Morning, Sora.  Time for your meds, right?”

“Uh… yeah.  I’ll take them in a second!”  she hastily returned, throwing out the strange shift schedules.  Entering the box and keeping her invisible wagging tail away from him, she took a casual note of his sleepy appearance; these new powers were turning out to be so much fun.  “Where’s Ron?”

“Couldn’t make it due to wife-troubles or something.  He’s a good husband,” Chris mumbled.  “Can’t say no to that excuse.  A man needs to be there for his woman.”

“Totally!  Umm.  She’s okay?”

“So far as I’m aware,” he shrugged.  “He called back in saying he was at the hospital and everything was fine.”

“That’s a relief!  The baby is fine?”

Chris gave her a soft smile.  “He said it was just a late-stage fright, but everything was A-okay.  They’ll be back soon for him to finish out the shift, not that there’s much left of it.  So, I told him to spend it with his wife.”

“Wow!  I’m sure she’ll really appreciate that,” Sora chimed, internally pumping a fist for the blue giantess getting more time with her hubby.

“Honestly,” the man groaned, “Ron should be off today if we were up on staff, and that’s on me.  I need to take some of the load off Howie and Ron; I didn’t see how much it was affecting them until that trouble with Howie.”

“Aww.  You’re doing great, Chris!”  Sora encouraged, hiding her nervousness at what she was about to ask since Chris was the manager and a stickler for the rules.  “Umm.  Right, sooo, first, I need to go bring up a woman I asked to meet me—I took longer to get ready than I thought—oh, and I kind of need to get some clothes refitted…  So, uh, can you let some of the staff know I’ll need some help bringing down some suitcases?”

“Heh.  Uh-huh.”

Realizing how extensive this change would need to be, she forced a laugh as he complied, taking them to the ground floor.

“Uh, by the way, can I borrow one of the luggage roller thingys?  I kind of have a huge refitting thing I need to do.”

“How big is huge?”  he mumbled, lifting an eyebrow.  “Also, I can’t let just anyone into your suite without getting an ID—your father’s rules.”

“Huh—since when?”  Sora inquired, vision falling to the floor as she searched her memories.  “Wendy never had to do anything like that.”

“That’s Wendy—not some random refitting lady—Wendy’s been coming by since you were in grade school.  I, uh… haven’t seen her for a while, actually…”

“I guess…  Mmgh…  Okay, fine.  Let me work it out.”

He shrugged.  “It’s just protection for the hotel and your father.”

“Haaa.  Like I said, I get it,” she grumbled, running her fingers through her hair.

Ron or Howie probably would have let me…  Well, she is Howie’s dream girlfriend… weird—she’s weird.  Totally not what I expected.

Exiting the elevator, Sora jogged out of it, feeling her illusions only just hanging on as her energy leaked out; attempting magic outside of her current reach really did have a nasty toll—all that lightness and power she’d felt after awakening had been slashed, as well.

Her agitated mind cleared as she slowed to a halt, halfway to the door with the showy, three-tier lobby glass windows allowing energy to pour back into her, yet it wasn’t her returning magic that snatched her attention.

Sora’s gaze settled on a single woman that sat in a comfortable armchair.  She could smell that she wasn’t human, but not a person seemed to know the oddly fashionable lady existed.

She couldn’t help but study the woman, nervously folding her arms at the bone-chilling shivers that cascaded down her spine to the tip of her tail.

Drawing in deep breaths, Sora couldn’t place what this creature was, yet, whatever she was, she may even tie or surpass Nilly in how indescribably ominous she was.  It almost seemed intangible—impossible to categorize—and something not to approach.

An elegantly designed parasol sat next to the woman, and a closed paper fan was resting on the arm of the chair.  She wore a black slit dress and a black mob cap tied with a large black bow; the hat sat on bleach-blonde hair tied into several locks with thin, ebony ribbons.

Her waist had a black, non-reflecting belt, and the layered dress folded around her curved form; fingers to wrists, the woman’s hands were covered in inky silk gloves that almost seemed to absorb all light around it, flaring at the edges with strange designs.

The long sleeves and high neck were very out of place for Miami, and her face was hidden behind a newspaper.  Even weirder, Sora’s sharp eyes caught the writing on the paper—forget language, it was covered in bizarre symbols in mismatched places.

Her fair, long legs were bare and shifted to cross the opposite way, emphasizing her black, ten-centimeter  stilettos; the motion made her tiered dress flutter.

A high-class aura made her straighten out of instinct, and the more Sora’s eyes traced her for answers, the stranger her presence became.  Her outline seemed askew, not fitting properly, like the woman had been cut out of reality and pasted back into place.

Her eyes centered on the woman’s sculpted features as the newspaper lowered to show a soft, carefree face.  Sora placed her in her late twenties or early thirties by her somewhat mature features, yet she questioned that as she seemed to get slightly older and younger every time she blinked.  The thing that snagged Sora’s attention was her irises: deep purple with shifting lines like an ever-changing maze.

Staring for a moment, Sora snapped out of her reverie as the woman smiled curiously, resting her gloved fingers against her right cheek with a slight tilt of her head.

Smiling and suppressing a shiver, Sora apologetically waved and walked out of the hotel.  She had conflicting feelings, both wanting to talk to her and not at the same time, but the pressure against her chest said to stay away.

“Morning, Sora!”  one of the security guards nodded to her.

“Morning, Jack.  I’ll just be out for a second.”

Exiting, her shaky fingers opened the umbrella; she felt like she’d just escaped some kind of spider’s trap.

Swallowing the saliva that had gathered in her mouth, Sora sighed upon catching sight of a single woman standing off to the side of the road, holding an umbrella low so as not to reveal her face, but her cute braid gave it away.

Not even changing your hairstyle?  Sora mused, energy redoubling now that she was outside, and the rain seemed to amplify the rejuvenating effect.  What kind of Succubus are you?  At least you changed your clothes.

She made her way to the woman to stand about a meter away, studying her outfit: Daisy was wearing tight black pants, a belt, and a colorful, shoulderless blouse.  The Succubus was around the same height as her in real life and looked to be in her early twenties, which she probably inherited from her monster ancestry.

Sure enough, she could sense the unique magical pulse inside her that acted like a heart, yet what Sora smelled was her nervousness and discomfort from… whatever she’d done to her last night.

“Hello there, Daisy!”

The woman jumped, fearful, hazel-green irises locking onto her.  “You… really are the girl in the hotel…  How long have you known about me?!  No, forget that!  You need to take this out of me!”  she pled, fingers tightening around her umbrella.  “It draws too much attention!”

Sora groaned, rubbing her neck while glaring at the fidgeting Succubus.  “Okay.  Let’s try this again.  Hello, Daisy, how are you?”

“Mmgm…  Not good,” she hissed, biting her lower lip and closing her eyes.  “I have to meet with Yez’ela today…”

“Skip it.”

“What?”

Sora nodded, feeling oddly combative and confident as her magic rushed into her; it was as if the water was washing away any anxiety or fear.  “I don’t care about some Succubus overlord or whatever.  I care about Howie, and he cares about you.”

“You’re wrong,” Daisy mumbled, rubbing her arm and unable to look her in the eyes.  “Howie has way better women in his life… I’m just the toxic girl using him—you’ve said it… I’ve seen it in his memories, which… is why I don’t know what you want from me?  You’ve hated me for years.”

“Shut up about that,” Sora dismissed, shifting to glance back at the hotel entrance.  “I’m so sick of feeling powerless…”

Daisy’s eyebrows drew together.  “Excuse me?”

Wondering if the high-class woman would still be inside, Sora sighed.  “Look.  I’m going to need you to quit being such a downer…  I thought Succubi were supposed to be all charming and the life of the party or something.”

“I’m… lost,” she hissed, rubbing her forehead.  “You’re so erratic—I-I’m trying to keep up.  All I know is you told me to be here, and… and now you want me to ghost Yez’ela?  Do you even know who she is?”

“I will,” Sora huffed, taking a deep breath; she did feel kind of off at the moment.  “Give me a second…  I think I’m just going through a phase—low energy, rain, night, or something—just… give me a few minutes.”

“Okay…”

The sound of falling rain came into the foreground as Sora analyzed herself and the forces swirling around the atmosphere.  There was a pulse of dreadful energy emanating from within the hotel that she took as being from the unusual woman, but the rain helped to minimize its effects.

She wasn’t typically so abrasive with people she had only just met, and she didn’t want to make the young woman frightened; being friendly would get more than demanding.

Her vision wandered back to the front entrance when the woman’s presence seemed to vanish in an instant, popping the oppressive field like a bubble.  Releasing the tightness in her chest, Sora ran her fingers through her hair and smiled at the woman, holding out her hand.

“I’m sorry, Daisy.  Let’s try this for the third time.”  She forced a chuckle, and gave her an awkward smile.  “I’m Sora, the fox-girl trying not to be weird without success.”

Hesitantly holding out her hand, she took it and put on a strained smile.  “Daisy… the terrible one-umph-or-whatever Succubus.  Can we, heh-he, talk about you removing this thing you gave me?”

“We can talk about it,” Sora nodded, “but I’m on a bit of a schedule, so we’ll need to walk and talk, but first… I need to take my morning meds.  C’mon!”

“Meds?”

The blonde followed her to the front door, eyeing security with a tight smile.  Sora couldn’t help but think she was a terrible Succubus, or maybe she was perfect, acting like the vulnerable girl that needed protection—that would be the play—and Sora was too tired to try to decipher it from her aura.

Withdrawing their umbrellas, she took the woman to the front desk.  “You just need to leave your license with the front desk to come up.”

Daisy forced a laugh while reluctantly pulling off her purse to extract the item.  “Perfect…”

Sora felt a little bad at how compliant she was to abuse; it seemed she lived a life of constant terror, yet Daisy had been on track to die from not eating a balanced diet of life energy due to her convictions.  Yet she wasn’t as bad as Sora expected, which was saying something, considering she was part-Succubus.

Taking her to the private elevator, she waved at the building manager.  “Chris, I’d like to introduce Daisy; she’s a possible homeschool teacher I’m thinking about hiring!  Oh, and we checked her ID in at the front desk.”

Daisy’s eyes widened, lips parting at the sudden revelation, yet unable to process what to say as the large black man studied her, getting confirmation through his headset.

“She looks… pretty young to be a homeschool instructor.”

“Eh-heh.  Thank you,” Daisy laughed, cheeks darkening more out of nervousness than anything else.  “I only just graduated and finished my onsite training.”

“Huh.  Well, alright.”

Taking them to the top in uncomfortable silence, Sora went inside with Chris to take her meds.  She felt a bit stupid for going through all of this when they’d just be leaving to meet Mary once she was done, but, to be fair, her brain had been scrambled this morning.

Sora showed her around the main floor, expecting to see more of the woman from now on, and brought her back to go downstairs.  Daisy appeared to be suffering from the same whiplash she was upon retrieving her ID after the desk made a copy of it for the record.

Entering the rain again, Sora unfurled her umbrella with a short chuckle.  “I’m sorry, Daisy.  I just want to get to know you better—I wasn’t expecting you to actually like Howie so much.”

“This thing inside me?”  Daisy pleaded.

“Haaa.  Right, right,” she mumbled, adjusting her purse strap.  She tried to focus, but her mind was going a million miles an hour, thinking about the changes she had to make to her wardrobe and so many other things.  “Go ahead—what’s the issue?”

Shoulders drooping, Daisy held a hand against her left breast as they merged with the sidewalk traffic.  “Don’t get me wrong… I cried all night when you left.  Never, not even in my wildest dreams, could I describe what it feels like to be… free from hunger—that flaming coal tainting my soul, yet… it’s too powerful.”

“Okay?”  Sora hummed and looked up, smiling at the dark rain clouds and smelling the salty sea it carried; the aggression that had sunk its claws into her seemed to be easing out in the refreshing vibes of the storm.  “It draws too much attention, you said…  From who—this Yez’ela monster?”

“Haaa.  You don’t know who she is,” Daisy groaned, gripping her braid to lightly pull on it.  “When she discovers what’s inside me, she’ll force me to tell her about you… which will draw Howie into it.”

“Aww,” Sora gave her a slight smirk.  “Worried about me after we just met?  You must really hate yourself…  Sorry.  I don’t mean to be rude or mean,” she sighed, seeing the sullen look on Daisy’s face as she guided her through the wet streets to Mary’s office.  “To be honest, I only just learned I was a vulpes.”

Daisy slowed to a stop next to her at a light beside several people, but Sora wasn’t afraid of talking about this stuff in public.  Who was listening or even cared to listen, much less understand what they were discussing?

“You… really didn’t know you were a vulpes?”

“Mhm!”  Sora let her tail leave the safety of her umbrella for a second before pulling it back around her waist and continuing their walk as the light turned green.  “Life’s been a bit crazy recently, but I’m getting to know my powers better.  Know what a Founder is?”

“I’m afraid not,” Daisy mumbled.  “I don’t know much about other monsters—certain ones, sure—just the ones I tend to deal with.”

“Kitsune and Nogitsune?”

“Heh.  No.  It’s just… pretty easy to spot and popular enough in pop culture.”

“True,” Sora giggled, actually liking to have someone to talk about this stuff and wondering if she could do that with Wendy soon.

Pulling out her phone, she texted her friend real fast, asking if they were good for tonight while continuing the conversation with Daisy.

“I’m pretty strong—heh, as you can tell with what I did with you—and I’m only getting stronger by the day.  What is Yez’ela—a Succubus?”

Daisy nodded, shivering and glancing around to see if anyone was watching them, but Sora couldn’t sense any bad vibes.  “She controls Miami’s Pleasure Branch on the council.”

“Council,” Sora hummed.  “Cool.  I didn’t know there was a council…”  she trailed off and glanced over to study the woman.  “Do… you know who Kari or Devin is?”

The woman stopped dead in her tracks, her voice becoming hoarse and muscles locking up.  “Devin runs the council… everything goes through him—all I know is there are certain places we can’t go.”

“C’mon.  C’mon,” Sora sighed, running her fingers through her hair as Wendy responded back, apologizing that she had stuff to do with her mother, but Saturday—in two days—she should be totally free if she could somehow get her mom to say yes.  “Aww.  This sucks.”

Daisy glanced down at her phone.  “What—is it Devin?”

“Huh?  No!”  Sora giggled, before realizing how terrified the woman was.  “My friend can’t hang out later today.  Umm.  Yeah, so I guess I’ll get my clothes resized after my appointment then.  You good to chill today?”

“Are… you ordering me to hang out with you?”  she asked, making Sora give her questioning stare a dull look.

“You make me sound like a lonely loser…”

“No!  No!”  she protested, almost tripping as she held up her hands.

“Hehe.  I’m joking—honestly, haaa… I kind of am!  Sad,” she mumbled, ears pulling back and tail hanging low.  “In any case, I’m getting to like you more, so… I want to help you!”

Daisy’s lips pulled in, and after a moment’s thought, she carefully said, “Sora… I don’t know if you know what you’re trying to get in the middle of…  I’m a nobody, but… some people would take you helping me as a threat to their position.”

“Humph.  Screw ‘em,” Sora huffed, tail flicking to the left.

“Really, Sora!”

“Look.  I’ve met real scary people, and no one is going to be scarier than Ste—ah, never mind,” she mumbled, reaching into her purse to grip the soothing black rose that washed all anxiety away, confirming her suspicion.  “Well… maybe Nilly or that one purple-eyed lady, but… yeah, there are some people I’d not want to mess with, but some cucumber Succubus?  YEET her outta here!  Right?”

She grinned as she got a real laugh out of Daisy.  “What her out of here?”

“Yeet!  Anyway, I need to talk to Mary, but…”  she paused while making it outside her psychiatrist’s office, studying Daisy with a frown.  “It’s almost been thirty minutes, so…”

“Uh-huh?”

Sora giggled as Daisy’s hand tightened around her purse.  “I’m not going to melt or eat you!”

“Eh-heh… you do know vulpes typically do eat spirits and… Succubus are probably delicacies?”

“Oh!  Really—can I have a taste?”

“Stop joking!”  she hissed, backing away at Sora’s laughter.

“I am!  C’mon, lighten up…  No, I guess it’s my fault for coming off so strong at the start, but I really thought you were way different.  I’ll wrap you in illusions, so you don’t have to worry while I’m gone.  Just, uh, chill in the lobby and play on your phone or something.”

Spinning the desire magic around her, Sora felt the hit and drain on her energy, yet Mary’s office had a lot of glass, allowing her to mitigate it a bit.  In fact, she was still recovering faster than her loss if in front of a window.

Entering the building, Daisy stopped, noticing no one looked at her, and her internal emotional cyclone escalated, for some reason.. Sora could feel her starting to see she wasn’t like all the other monsters in her life yet something else was eating at her, and the pain she’d felt over the years filtered through to Sora’s heart.

Daisy wasn’t a soldier—she was a broken woman, trying to live with what she was as best she could.  “Why would you go through all this for a toxic nobody like me?”

Sora spun around and winked at her.  “It’s not for you… but I’m starting to think it should be!  Now, stay here until I’m done.  We have a long day ahead of us!”

She giggled at the looks she got from a few people, thinking she was talking to herself; it was a lot more humorous after gaining magic, and another desire spun threads of interest that drew their attention away.

I LOVE magic!

Checking in at the desk, she went to meet with Mary; there was no way she could hide this from the woman, and maybe she could even get off her meds entirely.  She internally joked that her psychiatrist could be a government agent or something, and even if she was, Sora felt invincible.

Chapter Fifteen:  Seven Days; An Unsettling Encounter

The dimmed, natural light from the many windows in Mary’s spacious room filled Sora with energy from the weeping heavens and the sun filtering through the dark clouds.

A shiver ran from her ears to the tip of her tail as she smelled the damp scent of the rain filtering through the tiny outlets in the room.  It wouldn’t have been detectable without her enhanced senses, yet it held a charged force that lifted her spirits.

“Hello, Mary!”  Sora greeted, going through the door she’d taken the first time she’d met the brown-haired woman at her office.

“Well, aren’t you chipper today?”  Mary smiled, motioning for her to take a seat where she could see outside; the windows were one way, providing privacy.  “Hmm.  How have you been?  I heard from the office when I called that you skipped classes yesterday.”

Sora positioned her tail around her hip to lay across her lap as she sat; she couldn’t wait to reveal her new powers to the woman, but the supernatural sensations she received from her psychiatrist put a slight frown on her lips.

The colors of Mary’s aura showed mixtures of emotion, most of which were negative, but not for her; she was afraid and distracted by something that had her fingernails tapping her clipboard.

If Sora couldn’t read the more subtle meanings of her mood through her magic, she would have thought Mary was being impatient or had somewhere to be.

Hands settling in her lap, she crossed her legs and studied the woman.  For once, she was happy her psychiatrist typically had her go first, guiding the discussion to what was bothering her.

“Umm.  Yeah… I’d like to talk about a few things, but… can I show you something insane first?  It will only take a second, and it kind of sets the stage for everything.”

Mary’s finger paused before she adjusted her brown dress and posture.  “Of course!  But… just so you know, Sora, I don’t accept gifts from clients.  I appreciate the gesture, but it is a gateway to complications.”

“No!  No.  Nothing like that,” she chuckled, waving it off.  “Just, uh… try not to freak out… please?”

Mary’s aura lightened with positive energy as she giggled and nodded.  “I deal with all kinds of teenagers as my profession, Sora.  I try to keep an open mind.”

Sora’s invisible tail lifted with her smirk as she looked at it.  “Heh, well, I guess we’ll be putting that to the test.  Haaa.  Here we go!”

The woman’s focus centered on her, and Sora sensed a bit of apprehension as she got up and turned to the side a bit, releasing her illusions to present her tail and ears with a strained smile.  “So… what do you think?”

Mary’s eyebrows drew together, fingers tightening around one another and lips becoming a line as she focused on the puffy long tail and fox ears that emerged from nowhere.

“Hmm.”

“Hmm?”  Sora glanced away before returning to the studious, curly brown-haired woman.  “Huh.  I expected more of a reaction to having a tail.  Wait…  You don’t believe it’s real!”  she huffed, reading her emotions through the spiraling colors radiating out of her.

“I didn’t notice the tail or ears when you came in, Sora,” Mary carefully responded, forcing a short chuckle.  “It’s… good to express yourself and explore different… activities, but I believe we should talk about what items and behaviors are appropriate for certain occasions.  I realize you may be trying to—”

“Huh?!”  Sora’s fur stood on end as she realized what the woman thought about her tail, or more specifically, what it was, causing her face to flame.  “No!  No!  NO!  It’s not a—how can you think I’d ever put something in!  That I’d bring that to a-a meeting!  It’s not that!  No!”

Mary held up her hands in protest as Sora stepped forward, brandishing her new appendage.  “Sora…  We should discuss boundaries.”

“No!  Mary, it’s real—look—I know it, eh, may be uncomfortable, but seriously, feel it!  How could I move it around like this or bristle it if it were fake?!  Gah!  Look—I have magic—I can make the world go black, create illusions… go invisible!”

Mary’s lips parted in disbelief as she cycled through her desires to demonstrate.

“Sora…  You…”

“Yeah!  I have magic!”  she hissed, appearing in front of her as waves of minor panic flared from the woman.  “I’m not some… some sexual deviant!  I’m a vulpes Founder—not that I know exactly what that is—but I’m like a Kitsune, eh, Nogitsune,” she added, recalling Daisy’s comment.

Huffing and puffing after her rant, Sora crossed her arms with agitation, but her heated emotions began to settle when Mary’s trembling, totally dilated eyes remained on the floor.  She wasn’t screaming or running—instead processing it shockingly well—yet there was a touch of fear as she held her hand in front of her face to stare at her quivering fingers.

“You… blinded me—I can’t see?”

Guilt hit Sora like a lead weight, pulling back her ears and stiffening her tail as she unraveled the unintentional magical wall blocking her vision.  “Sorry!  No, I didn’t mean to—I was just… I wasn’t thinking—I just wanted you to believe me!”

Her dilated eyes closed, flinching with a cough as the light hit her retina, causing her to cover them.

“Mary… I’m sorry!”

“Haaa.  Just… give me a second, Sora,” she whispered, chest rising and falling as her hand remained over her eyes as Sora backed up a pace.  “I… just need a second.  Mmmghm.  Okay.  Let’s start from the beginning.  Can you take a seat?”

Hastily complying, Sora’s ears and tail remained low, hoping she hadn’t just made a colossal blunder.  “I really didn’t mean to blind you…  It just—I was trying to demonstrate I do have magic.”

“Okay…  Magic?”  Blinking a few times and regulating her breathing, Mary cleared her throat.  “Right…”

Silence stretched as she studied Sora’s fidgeting.  Stupid!  Stupid!  I just had to show I could go invisible—why blind her?

Vision remaining on her drawn-in tail against her abdomen, Sora sighed.  “I wasn’t thinking… which was wrong of me.  I shouldn’t use my magic like that…  Sorry, Mary.”

She glanced up to see Mary’s serious gaze on her.  Yet for all her soberness, the woman’s nerves showed by her quaking fingernails, digging lines into her skin with their slow motions.  Sora was a little surprised to see her fear was abating, replaced by apprehension and curiosity.

“Sora, I’m a heavy believer in science…  Can you replicate that same process again, so I can be sure this isn’t some elaborate prank?”

A lump dropped down Sora’s throat.  “You… want me to blind you again?”

Mary’s grip firmed.  “I’ve been questioning a few things myself over the last few days, but I need tangible proof—repeatable experience.  If I’m going to entertain this thought, and you have opened the door to me taking you seriously…  Can you do it again?”

“I can… I can reverse it, too—s-so, just—”

“I’m not blaming you,” Mary assured, a conviction in her voice and a somber tone Sora hadn’t heard from the woman.  “Haaa.  I’m ready if you are.”

Sora hesitantly sent the desire, feeling a weave of magical threads spinning into Mary’s body she hadn’t sensed when in a panic.

“It happened again…”

Far calmer this time, Sora could still hear her thumping heart elevate as Mary’s totally dilated pupils scanned for light; she rubbed them, passed her fingers in front of her face, and observed what was happening to her for a full minute before whispering, “Can you undo it now?”

She complied, and Mary gingerly opened her closed eyes to wince at the radiance.

“Blind me again.  Hmm…  You can do it on desire.  Can you remove my sense of touch?”

Sora hadn’t expected the scientific and methodical approach the woman was taking as they went through various exercises, performing feats she hadn’t attempted before, and some were more challenging than others, such as levitating her.

Carefully setting the woman back on her chair, Sora puffed out a long stream of air.  “That… was a bit harder to keep up, Mary.  I can’t use magic so often like this—I’m losing more than I’m regaining—and I kind of messed up this morning trying to teleport clothes.”

Mary scribbled something on her clipboard in front of her, tapping her pencil against it a few times as she slowly nodded.  “Hmm.  How do you regain this energy?”

Sora shrugged, leaning against her chair.  “Ugh.  I don’t know—it just kind of naturally returns when I’m outside, and the rain seems to help in different ways…  You believe me now?  I didn’t think you’d suddenly throw me into a magical obstacle course.”

A soft smile lifted Mary’s mouth as she chuckled and set down her utensil, running a hand through her hair.  “I wasn’t expecting to experience what it meant to be blind today either…  It’s not the sensation I thought it elicited, which is interesting.”

“I didn’t think you were weird like this,” she shot back with a laugh.  “After I blinded you, I thought you’d think I was a witch or something and scream for the police or tell someone I threw chemicals in your eyes.”

“Mmh…”  Mary’s thoughtful gaze wandered to her tail and ears.  “I’ve been suspicious of how pervasive Kari’s family influence was… and about other things in your past psychiatrists’ notes, but it certainly is a shock.  I cannot deny what I’ve experienced, though, and you performed everything I asked.  This magic is quite versatile.”

“You do believe me!”  Sora grinned, ears lifting again as her tail wiggled in her lap.

Mary chuckled.  “It’s a bit difficult not to after such a show.  Sora… I suspect this is a new development, and I can see why you may have skipped classes after, well, gaining a tail and ears…  Your human ears?”

“Gone,” Sora returned, brushing back her locks to show her.

“Heh.  You weren’t wrong…  That’s… insane.”

“You’re telling me!  Now I’m dealing with one-quarter Succubi, wolf-girls, and all sorts of other stuff.”

Mary’s face tightened, processing her words.  “Mmh.  Okay.  Start at the beginning, so I understand where you are coming from.”

Sora gladly went into the story, and Mary took notes and drew lines between various things she wrote.  Once finishing her tale—bypassing Stephanie to not cause any trouble for the Celestial—Sora glanced at the clock; it had been almost an hour.

It took a few seconds for her psychiatrist to speak, glancing between her notes.  “Sora… can you heal someone?”

A tad surprised that was the first question she had after her crazy tale about vanishing cat-girls, Lori, and Kari’s gang, much less traveling through dreams, Sora shrugged.

“I don’t know.  I think so…  I healed Daisy, so… probably.”

Mary fell back against her chair, melancholy laughter shaking her frame.  “Uh-haaa-hehe.  I’m starting to wonder if I may have cracked under stress.”

Sora’s head tilted to the side.  “You… want me to, heh, heal your insanity?”

“No,”  Mary let out a weak chuckle  “I wish it were that simple.  In our last session, I learned my husband had been admitted into the hospital.”

“No…”  Sora whispered, arms tightening around her gut.  “Is he okay—obviously not,” she self-chided.  “Uh, what happened—what can I do?”

“I don’t know,” Mary muttered, leaning against her chair.  “I don’t want to burden you with my own guilt or questions… but it is very similar to what happened to Dr. Hallmark.  He collapsed while writing… and hasn’t woken up since Monday.”

Sora’s brow set as she felt the waves of remorse and shame from the brown-haired woman.  “I can try to see if I can help.”

“I know this is unfair,” Mary sighed, rubbing her temple.  “You’re dealing with something… extraordinary… terrifying, and here I am asking you to do something unreasonable when I should be supporting you.”

“We support each other!”  Sora smiled.  “You’re the first person to believe in me—well, other than the hotel staff—and I know you want to help me.  If I can, I’d be happy to help you.”

Silence overtook them for several seconds as Mary tapped her armrest; seemingly making up her mind, she nodded and stood, going to her desk to extract her phone.  She played with it for a second before showing her the message she had typed to Ron, Howie, her father, and Chris.

“Effective immediately, I am taking you off your medication, Sora…  Heh, obviously, there are other factors at work, and I’d enjoy helping you navigate them with your father.”

Heat rose in Sora’s chest and nose as she got up to hug the woman, tears gathering in her eyes.  Finally, finally, she felt closure on a painful chapter in her life.  “Thank you, Mary…”

“Of course,” she whispered.  “You’re such a kind girl, Sora.  I’m so sorry it took this long to see an end to this nightmare.  No matter what it takes, I’ll do whatever I can to see its end.”

Trying to be careful with her strength to not repeat her earlier magical blunder, Sora sniffed.  “What if… they try to hurt your husband—what if they already are—I-I don’t want to put you in that position.”

“Sora…”  Mary’s body shook against her as she pulled away, showing a slightly flushed face, and she could feel her raised body heat.  “It’s an adult’s job to take care of teens like you…  Lucas would understand that.  I’m in your corner.”

Drawing her in again, Sora cleared the lump in her throat.  “I promise… I won’t let anything happen—you gave me someplace to go—so… so thank you, Mary.”

“You’re so strong, Sora,” Mary soothed, rubbing her back.  “If you can’t do anything, I understand.  After all, your safety comes first.”

“Ahem!  Heh.  I won’t know until I try,” she grinned, clearing her cheeks.  “Umm-heh, mind if I clear my cheeks a little before we go?”

“Absolutely,”  the psychiatrist smiled, “maybe I’ll join you.”

Sora let out a small giggle before grabbing her purse and reapplying her illusion.  She followed Mary to the bathroom down the hall, learning that she had cleared the rest of her schedule to see her and return to the hospital after.

After freshening up, she walked beside Mary to the front, feeling as light as air with the weight the woman had taken off her chest.

“Can we walk to the hospital so I can regain as much energy as possible in the rain?”

Mary giggled, adjusting her own purse over her shoulder.  “You’re the expert here.  It may take us an hour or two, but I’m prepared to walk days if necessary.”

“Right.  I think my best shot is to rebuild my energy since healing Daisy took so much last night.”

“Daisy…  She’s in the lobby?”  Mary asked, glancing around the area where a few people were waiting for appointments with the other doctors in her practice.

“Have a good day, Dr. Jernigan,” the front receptionist chimed as they passed, and Sora silently motioned for a nervous Daisy to follow.

“You, as well, Charlotte.”

Once outside with her umbrella, Sora unraveled Daisy’s invisibility for the blonde to awkwardly wave at Mary.

“Hello, uh…  What’s the plan, Sora?”

“Oh, how pretty,” Mary smiled and reached out to shake Daisy’s hand.  “You do live up to the enchanting picture of a Succubus.”

“one-quarter… and you told her?”  she hissed, shivering a little before rubbing her arm.

Sora gave her an apologetic smile.  “Sorry.  It was just easier; Mary’s my psychiatrist.”

Daisy’s eyebrow lifted.  “A Nogitsune… has a psychiatrist?  Heh.  It sounds like a bad book title.”

“It does!”  Mary giggled, beginning their walk down the sidewalk and away from the practice as she guided them to the hospital her husband was in.  “I apologize for any inconvenience I may cause, Daisy.”

“No… I’m just, you know, heh, kidnapped here, so…”

“My.  Kidnapped, Sora!  I thought she came to get you to remove what you did to her?”

“Well, that’s true, too, but… she refused,” Daisy chuckled.  “Now, I’m just hoping I’ll live to see the end of the week!”

“Oof…  Make me sound like a total predator.  I’m just trying to look out for Howie.”

Daisy’s eyes softened with her voice.  “Thank you for that…”

“Duh!  He’s one of my few friends, of course, I’d…  Oh, shit.”

“What?”  Mary asked, looking up, but Sora was already wrapping them all in an illusion before a tall, brown-haired girl came into view; she’d smelled her from the gentle wind, carrying rain and dampened scents.

“Jenny…”

Daisy’s fear-levels spiked, becoming totally still on the side of the street after Sora guided them to the edge of a cafe, and as an afterthought, Sora tried to magically erase their scents.  Time seemed to freeze as people glanced around, confused at their sudden disappearance act, and Jenny casually made her way the opposite way they’d come.

She was alone and wore a brooding expression when coming to a halt in front of them.  Sora held her breath with Mary and Daisy as Jenny sampled the air, brow furrowed as if sensing something.

“Hmm…”  A rumble shook in her throat before the lanky, taller girl—taller than all three of them—creased an eye in her direction and grinned.  “Vulpes magic…  Is that you, Sora?”

Streaming out a long hiss, Sora revealed herself, keeping the others hidden.

“I knew it,” she grinned, a wolf-like gleam and predatory look.  “I’ve never smelled you use your magic before…  It’s unique.”

“Heh… what gave me away?  And, uh, yeah, you got me—just heading back from seeing Mary.”

“Oh?  How is your little pill pusher?”

Sora could sense Mary’s emotions rise at the question, but thankfully, she remained silent.  The aura she got from Jenny was biting; the athletic girl was on edge, despite her smile, and Sora wasn’t sure she could overpower her by the unease pressed against her chest.

“She’s okay…  Why?”

“Meh,” Jenny rubbed the back of her neck and glanced left at the water stream trailing off her umbrella.  “I wonder how her husband’s doing?  Huh.  Anyways, I heard what you did to Lori,” she chuckled, holding up a hand as if in parting.  “Kari’s pissed.  Good luck, Fox; I’d count my days if I were you.”

The lanky girl walked off with a chuckle, leaving Sora in a daze; it was as if she wasn’t even worth more than a few parting words now, after everything she’d done in the past.

“She knew about my husband,” Mary growled, fist white around her purse strap.  “There has to be a connection!  Is she heading toward my practice to see me?”

Daisy appeared about to collapse as she tried to breathe.  “That… was not someone we want to mess with…  I was trembling from just her spiritual pressure.”

Sora nodded, rubbing her shoulders and returning to their walk.  “I need to get to the bottom of all this, but… Jenny didn’t seem interested in me at all.  She’s definitely got another objective,” she whispered, trying to use her magic to dampen their conversation in case she had super hearing.  “Mary’s husband comes first…  Let’s go.”

Chapter Sixteen:  Seven Days; D and Green

Questions spun in Sora’s mind as the pattering of the rain followed them, and she let Mary guide them through the wet streets.  As she became more refined with her magic the more she used it, the crowds unconsciously split when they neared, bending around them with her desires.

Mary whispered to Daisy along their slow journey through the downpour, trying to understand more about the world she was stepping into.

Sora was interested, passively listening and commenting every once in a while when their attention moved to her, but Jenny’s casual attitude made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end.

For three years, the very sight of the lanky, nearly two-meter-tall girl had been rife with tension and unpleasantness, yet the constant was the obsession with making sure she knew her place… beneath her feet.

It didn’t make sense in her mind, causing her tail to bristle.  She looked over her shoulder, expecting the hidden monster to pop out of an alleyway, yet she couldn’t spot the bully’s presence nearby, further enhancing the paranoia she felt.

All Daisy knew was that Miami Beach Senior High was off-limits to anyone and everyone within the monster community; death was expected if someone crossed that line.

The bone-chilling sensation from the radiating strength Jenny hid told Sora she wasn’t like Lori—Jenny was on a completely different level—yet did have a faintly similar scent as the 3rd in command.

She now knew why no one even wanted to try to take the 2nd seat in Kari’s gang: Jenny made her question if she could battle on the same level, and if that were the case, Kari would be in a universe of her own.

Transferring from Indian Creek Drive to 41st Street to cross the bridge, Sora’s ears lifted as she slowed to a stop; the other two women halted beside her, following her gaze to the intersection ahead of them.

“What is it now?”  Daisy groaned.

Mary tucked under her lower lip, trying to identify what she was looking at, but the pair weren’t in sight beyond the foliage and crowds of umbrellas.  “We’re almost there.  Do we need to take a different road?”

“Jin?”  Sora whispered, but the person she was laughing and walking with wasn’t Eyia.  By his voice, the small Korean girl was with a huge man.

Daisy’s mouth tightened, glancing to the side.  “I… don’t know that name.”

Sora wanted to run forward to greet her and learn more about what she was up to, considering the dark-haired girl didn’t seem to be a part of this Miami monster culture, but her feet wouldn’t move.

“I met her a few days ago…”

Mary studied her reaction.  “Is that bad or good?”

“I don’t know,” Sora shivered, only able to watch the ominous waves of red and blue energy approach.  She hadn’t even noticed Jin’s aura until she came into a set range, but when she did, it was like a wave, crashing over her head—overwhelming.

She blinked when the small girl came into view beside a colossal, well over 2-meter-tall man that was as jacked as a competitive bodybuilder; the guy was built like a rock, but the vibes he gave off compared to the tiny Korean were like an ant compared to an elephant—a total contrast.

Jin entered the category at the bottom of the Stephanie-tier in Sora’s mind—unbeatable.

The Korean girl now wore fashionable black pants and a white v-neck t-shirt, yet her neck, fingers, and wrists were adorned with gold jewelry; it was a sharp contrast to the last time they’d hung out.

“Yo, Sora!”  she grinned, holding up a hand in greeting as they neared, despite the fact she was still supposed to be totally invisible.  “What’s up, girl?  Ah, nice ears and tail.  Not bad magic, too—nice, nice.  Seems Eyia was right.  Haaa.  She’s going to be insufferable about it.”

“Jin…  Eh-heh, how are you?  Umm.  This is Mary and Daisy,” Sora choked out before recomposing herself and dropping her illusions to introduce the nervous women.

The massive man’s mouth creased, and Sora couldn’t see his face beyond his dark sunglasses.  His whole outfit screamed thug vibe due to his gold chain, black tank top, dark umbrella, baggy pants, and white shoes.

He was the definition of swole, parting the crowd and making people hurry around them by just his intimidating presence, but he didn’t speak or interrupt them as Jin sighed, scratching the back of her neck.

“Eh… cool, but not to be rude—I don’t care.  You’re the interesting one, and, eh, I see that little pumping thread of magic you wove in that one-quarter Succubus,” she nodded, appraising the fidgeting woman with a small smile.  “Seems you’ve come into your own, huh?”

Sora grinned tiredly and was about to answer when the mountain next to her spoke in a deep, gruff manner.  “Yo, D.  We ain’t messin’ with the Miami Beach pack, are we?  She’s got a tail.”

Jin’s features hardened as she glared up at the man.  “What, ya scared of some dogs, Green?  Didn’t think ya was such a punk!”

Sora’s smile became a line.  There she goes, adapting to whatever person she’s speaking to.  It’s actually pretty amazing.

“Naa,” Green shifted nervously as the people along the wet sidewalk and street gave them a wide berth.  “Ye hear ‘bout Sunny Side gang’s run-in?”

“Pfft, ya know I just landed in da’ Sun.  Ain’t no clue ‘bout this Sunny Side gang; they sound like dewdroppers.”

“Yeah!”  Sora forced a laugh at Jin’s bluntness; she really didn’t care to filter anything, but when she had power like Sora could sense, she could understand why.  “Umm.  I’m not a part of any kind of pack…  Where’s Eyia—what’s going on?”

Jin pushed her mouth to the side, shifting to look up at the towering man beside her.  “Uh, Green here has been giving us a place to stay, and some local Trolls nabbed one of his boys, so we’re going over to, eh-heh, pay rent, I guess you could say.”

Daisy’s face turned ashen.  “You… don’t mean the Thuggin’ Four, do you?”

“Meh.  I don’t remember boring people,” Jin shrugged.  “Aye, that them, Green?”

Green’s nose creased in a grave expression, fingers tightening around the umbrella he was using to shield them both from the softening downpour.  “That’s them, D.”

“Oh, eh-hehe,” Daisy scooted further behind Sora, knocking umbrellas a little.  “You’re… from the South Heart Gang—ogres?”

Mary mouthed the word while looking the giant up and down as the man nodded.

“I run the outfit…  The Halin’ Roaches want a piece of the pot, so they snatched up one of my crew.  Cowards wouldn’t do it themselves, so they brought in the Thuggin’ Four from out of town.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Jin waved her hand dismissively.  “It’s whatever.  Some dudes picked a fight, and now a score needs to be settled—simple as that.”

“Eyia?”  Sora repeated.

She wanted to have someone the Korean respected nearby so she could compare the two because Jin was certainly intimidating with her colossal and semi-hidden presence.  It was as if the girl was an enormous beast, and Sora could only sense her retracted claws—only the tip of the iceberg when it came to how dangerous she was.

Jin hissed, rubbing her forehead.  “Sheesh…  The girl doesn’t know when to chill.  I left her back to protect the rest of Green’s group in case they showed up again.”

Sora’s head tilted to the side as Jin shifted uncomfortably, rolling her shoulders.  “Honestly, if I let her come…  Let’s just say she doesn’t take kindly to people kidnapping those that help her.  Also, the whole incident the other day with the wolves in the parking lot…”

Ears standing up, Sora was now fully engaged.  “Kari?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.  Look, eh… it just wouldn’t be good for Eyia to get involved in… that.  Fenris Wolves are… kind of a touchy subject for her, and we don’t need that heat.  We’ll pay you back some other way.  Cool?”

Green nodded.  “Don’t wanna start a big war.”

Sora’s mind blanked before flashing back to recent popular superhero movies, remembering the name from Norse mythology.  Fenris Wolf… like Fenrir…  Kari is related to Fenrir—the super wolf?!

Jin shook her head.  “I don’t.  Too much trouble; besides, it’s typically boring.  Green doesn’t want the war, either, but Eyia…  In Eyia’s eyes, if we just kill them all, then that’s that.  It’s over.”

“I understand,” Sora mumbled in shock.

“Mhm.  Uh, just to be sure.  You’re a Founder, right?”  Jin whispered, eyeing her suspiciously.

“Umm… yeah.  Why?”

Lips tightening, she scrutinized her for a moment before shaking her head.  “Mmgm…  Mia’s daughter?  There’s no way…  Bah!  Founder scuffles are complicated,” she growled, scratching the side of her head as Green cleared his throat.

Green grunted, glaring at Daisy.  “We should bounce before the Succubus warns the Trolls.”

“N-Not me!”  the nervous woman stuttered.  “My lips are sealed!”

“Man up!”  Jin spat.  “I’m hot, so don’t piss your pants!  They wouldn’t step up with me,” she huffed.  “So chill.”

Switching gears, Jin ignored the others’ apprehensive shifting, seemingly still focused on Sora as she mumbled, “What’s up with those scents, Sora…  Did you meet with some other monsters around here?  Those smells…  Something extremely dangerous left recently—and if I’m saying that…”

Sora straightened, mind flashing back to her hotel to the woman with the scent without a scent and fragmented reality.

“Uh…  There was a purple-eyed lady in my hotel that didn’t smell human, but…  Well, she really didn’t smell like anything.  You might be smelling Nilly, too, she was here recently—but she’s everywhere,” Sora explained with slight concern.

Jin’s face pacified.  “Nilly…”

She licked her lips before slowly looking around, obviously deep in thought.  Her clouded yellow, serpent-like eyes were now guarded, seeming to penetrate everything nearby.

“It a jump?”  Green asked, tensing.

Sucking on her lip, Jin shook her head slowly.  “Nilly?  Nah…  We better hope not.”  Her tone shifted as she addressed Sora.  “Are you really a vulpes Founder?”

Feeling tingles shoot down her spine, Sora shrugged.  “I-eh, believe so…  I met her the other day.  She seemed to be following me, but… she seems to be everywhere, too.”

Green looked lost in the conversation but didn’t interrupt Jin as she appeared to be contemplating something serious, eyes shifting to the wet pavement.

“Huh, that’s… interesting.”

“Do you know Nilly?”  Sora asked, hoping to learn something about the mysterious cat.

“Eh, no—no, not really,” she mumbled unconvincingly.  “I, uh, just heard a rumor about a Nekomata named Nilly once, but it was a long time ago.  It’s not that important.”

“You mentioned my mom—my mom’s name is Mia!”  Sora eagerly engaged.  After so long, she finally had the answer: her mother was the vulpes Founder.  “What is a Founder—do we have a community?”

“Hold up.  Hold up,” Jin growled, suddenly agitated.  “Look…  I can’t get into this right now—I gotta think about some stuff…  You’re definitely going through a change and some signs, but… I wouldn’t call you a Founder.”

“No?”  Sora asked, ears pulling back as Mary’s eyes creased with concern, examining her reactions.

“Mmh…  We’ll have to get into it another time,” Jin mumbled, clearly done with the conversation.  “You know… when I first met you in that store, I hardly noticed the change in you—you were human—now, I don’t know, but a Founder…  Not likely.

“I mistook you for a Kitsune because of the odd way you were absorbing natural energy—like you are now,” she said, pointing at the sky and making Sora’s skin tingle.  “You should be grateful to Eyia because I was going to rip your heart out.”

Sora’s body went numb at her casual words.  “You—were going to kill me?”

Jin nodded without hesitation, and the hostility that crashed over her made Sora lock up before vanishing in an instant.  “Of course.  I hate Kitsune, but… when Eyia pointed out you didn’t have white hair, I had to take a double look, and, sure enough, you’re a Nogitsune.”

Waving her hand dismissively, she moved past them with a stiff Green.  “Mmgh.  I don’t know about Founder, Sora, but you are interesting.  Still, a Nogitsune is shocking in itself—most joined Inari and became Kitsune—you’re a rare breed, girl.”

Sora couldn’t help but feel defensive after hearing Jin’s blatant plan to murder her, feeling a bit of panic as she flipped around to address the question burning in her heart.  “You… don’t plan to kill me now?”

Jin tossed a backward wave at her on their exit, laughing softly.  “If I did, you’d be dead.  Your cluelessness about Eyia and me seems understandable now, though.  You had no idea monsters existed until just a few days ago, huh… that you were a monster?  Interesting…”  she mused.  “Catch you around, Sora.  Don’t get into too much trouble… there are wolves out.”

Staring at the dripping water, falling off her umbrella as she let Jin’s terrifying responses sink in, Sora was reminded again that she was in a world she didn’t understand, but no matter what Jin said, Sora couldn’t deny Stephanie’s words.

I am a Founder… and I need to know this web I’m stepping into.

She looked up, watching the two turn the corner at a casual pace for a rescue.

Jin isn’t my enemy.  She just doesn’t believe I’m a Founder… yet.  Why?  All I have are questions… too many questions.

Breathing out a long sigh, she smiled at Daisy and Mary.  “Sorry.  Let’s keep going to the hospital.”

“Sora,” Mary whispered, putting a hand on her back.  “I… don’t know what to say…  I want to help you, but I don’t know this world, and I don’t want to get you tangled into something that will put you against… these creatures.”

“Mhm!”  Daisy swiftly nodded, blonde hair bobbing.  “We shouldn’t get involved in anything involving the various territory leaders.  You have the power to escape all of this—you should run.”

Fingers curled into her palm, Sora’s jaw locked, the shadows of her past memories passing through her mind.  “I let fear ruin my life…  What’s the point of living if I’m always afraid?  I’m done… with all of it—I’m not going to be intimidated anymore.”

Sora shot a resolved smile at the two women and continued on their path.  “I’m going to help you both… because I want to, and I’m not going to regret anything else in my life.  If I’m facing a Fenris Wolf, a territory leader, or whatever, I’m still going to do what I want—so… let’s go!”

She knew Mary didn’t really have a choice; with what Sora was offering: her husband needed help, and Daisy was too broken to say no and truly did love Howie.  If it was war—as Green said—Sora would step into the arena for those she cared for.

I’m done being pushed around.

Sora soothed Mary and Daisy’s worries the rest of the journey to the hospital, but she was determined to get to the bottom of the misery that had plagued her life.

Checking in, they went up to the room Mary’s husband currently rested in, and Sora got her answer, causing the fur on her tail to bristle, and Daisy’s aura radiated fearful pulses.

“He’s locked in a dream,” she snarled.  “It’s not even that strong!”

Mary collapsed in a chair, forehead resting on her knuckles.  “So… it is magical… a threat.  Jenny could have been heading to my practice to warn me to fall in line.”

“Like I said, there’s no escape,” Daisy mumbled, hugging herself.  “You’re trying to go against a cabal of monsters, Sora…  It’s an organization—and there are phenomenally powerful creatures that run it.”

“No,” Sora snarled, destroying the charm with a desire and restoring him to health before weaving a protective barrier around him so it couldn’t happen again.  “I don’t accept that.  I’m tired of all this…”

Mary’s eyes watered as her husband began to stir, and Sora guided Daisy outside.

“Sora… this is a mistake.  You could get everyone you love hurt—Howie could get hurt!”

“When do they all gather?”  Sora asked, dead-set on ending this pawn game and ready to go to the big table.

Daisy’s eyes widened.  “You can’t mean…”

“When and where?”

“I-I, uh… tomorrow actually,” she shivered.  “It’s why Yez’ela requires every soul we extract today—I don’t know where, but… I could find out if I make a few calls.  I just…  Sora, this isn’t some part-Succubi…  It’s a real devil—from Hell!”

Sora smirked, pulling around her tail for invisible, sparkling orange flames to lick across its length at a desire.  “I don’t mind… I can play with fire myself,” she said, scooping off a section to hold it in her hand before the white-faced woman.

“Vampires, werewolves, and witches…  It doesn’t matter.  They’re going to make an exception for me, or… there will be a war.  You don’t have to help me get there—I can figure it out—but if you’re scared and want to feel safe… I’ll let you crash at my place.  I’m done letting my friends take Ls for me.”

Daisy hesitated, glancing at the room where Mary was having a tearful reunion with her confused husband, doctors rushing in to see his sudden return to the waking world.  “No one’s ever offered to…  Why would you go so far to help a bastard orphan… who’s rejected by the monster community—a nobody?”

Sora smiled, extinguishing her flame.  “Because you need help, and… it also will make my friend happy.  One condition!”

“What?”  Daisy asked, nervously staring at her extended hand.  “I’ll serve you if—”

“Shut up and take my hand!”

“O-Okay…”

“What kind of girl do you think I am?”  she haughtily growled.  “Can I be your slave?”  Sora mocked, rolling her eyes as she took her hand.  “No!  My condition: we become friends, and you start living your best life—no more woe is me, ‘I’m a hot Succubus!’ ”

“Hehehe… that’s two conditions?”

“Hehe.  But it’s a packaged deal!  Fair?”

“Haaa.  Deal,” she whispered, wiping a tear away from her cheek with her free hand.  “Thank you, Sora.”

“Of course!  Now, let’s make sure Mary’s going to be okay and head back to my place; I’ll sneak you in,” she winked.

“How… rebellious,” she chuckled.

“Oh, you have no idea!  I’m the total rebel.”

Laughing with the sniffing and crying woman, Sora went inside to make sure Mary was okay, which was an understatement with her husband returned to her.  She left them to be in each other’s arms, and Sora made sure she’d call when everything settled down later tonight.

The woman agreed, and Sora used her desire magic to create an invisibility shield around the two that would only trigger against non-humans, which obviously worked because Daisy jumped when the pair vanished in an instant.

Taking Daisy back to her hotel, she couldn’t wait to introduce Howie to his dream girlfriend made flesh, snickering at just the thought.  Rounding it out, she decided she’d celebrate by finishing the night watching dramas with her new Succubus ‘servant.’

I’m such a good friend!

Introducing her to Ron, now thankfully on duty, and the surprise she had for his coworker, the brown-haired man was stunned that she’d only met with Howie in his dreams.  He approved of Sora’s new, take-charge attitude and helping out his buddy, welcoming Daisy into the ‘Hotel Friend Group’ as he called it.

She ordered room service and laughed at the embarrassed Succubus’ taste in sappy dramas, only for her to mock her own J-drama obsession.  They debated the differences, which was the first time someone had pushed her on the subject, but Sora liked the challenge that made her think.

Guiding her to the guest room, she presented the overwhelmed and emotional woman to her new, temporary residence; her father couldn’t complain—he didn’t tell her she was a vulpes, so, in her eyes, she had something over his head and ammunition ready to fire!

Mary called when they were getting ready for bed, letting her know they’d checked into a random motel and that she hoped Sora would call tomorrow.  Mary explained that she didn’t know what she could do, but she wanted to help.

Sora said she’d think about how she could help but was just happy her husband was safe and that she should spend more time with him than worrying about her drama; Sora promised to call, though.

Finishing up, she jumped into bed, feeling fulfilled for the day.  Deciding to send a message, she threw out a simple hello emoji to Noelia with a big-eyed puppy-dog, hoping she’d get a response to the weird text.  Life was on the up, and tomorrow, she was bringing a reckoning to this monster community: her friends were off-limits.

Chapter Seventeen:  Six Days; It’s My Time

Tucking her tail against her back, Sora stretched her body and rolled out of bed with a short moan.  Jumping up, she smacked her lips, tasting yesterday’s meal; she’d never felt so spry and alert after just waking up.  The added bonus of not having to take meds anymore put an extra heart on her happiness meter.

Dark clouds and a light veil obscured part of her bedroom ocean view drew her gaze, though that was normal for the end of August, Miami’s rainiest month.

Moving to stare out of the window, she hummed, reflecting as her newly enhanced vision penetrated the early morning darkness; it was even sharper today, and, curiously, she realized her focus was far broader than she’d experienced most of her life.

Her ears shifted to the left, hearing Daisy’s soft breathing in the guest room across the upstairs hallway; she seemed to be in a deep, self-created happy dream with a fake Howie.

A sly smirk lifted the corner of Sora’s mouth as she walked to the bathroom.  Is she trying to practice telling him she’s a one-quarter Succubus and everything she’s done over the years?

“Hmm.  Maybe I should be nearby, just in case I need to mediate,” she mused to herself, not bothering with the light as she studied her vertical pupils with interest; it was still strange seeing all the physical changes she’d gone through.  “No pain last night, huh?  It would be nice if that stage of my life was over.”

Her expression fell as she parsed through the various magical phenomena weaving around her immediate environment, receiving an unintentional update from the tiny protective seed of power she’d planted within Daisy.

Vision narrowing as she shifted locations to lean outside of her door, Sora’s lips tightened; there had been an unexpected attack last night, proving the blonde’s worries were well founded, and if Daisy was targeted, Mary’s husband probably was, as well.

Someone tried to tug her out of her dream space…  It’s not super strong, but enough to easily overpower Daisy.  My defenses around her repelled their attempt at forcing their way in when they couldn’t draw her out, which is good.  Is it the boss Succubus herself or another underling?

The individual’s signature didn’t match Daisy’s wavelength, so she ruled the attacker had been one of her co-workers or superiors.  It didn’t matter, though, since she’d be going to the big bosses today.

Her magical seed had taken a 5% energy hit due to the assault, yet it didn’t take long to rebuild it through the natural phenomena it used to replenish itself; basically, she’d created a little machine that converted natural force into a consumable source for the Succubus.

Sora had no idea how she’d done it, but that was how her magic seemed to work, which was totally not cheating—no, it was totally cheating, and she was all for it.

Desire magic OP!  Just don’t teleport stuff… yet!

Backtracking to grab her phone, Sora went through her wardrobe, sliding between the many dresses she had on racks.  She’d probably go with low-riding shorts and a bit of a belly shirt today to allow her tail a comfortable range of motion, but it was definitely time to fix her clothes to accommodate her new body-type.

She dialed Mary to make sure she was okay, and, to her surprise, the woman picked up shockingly quickly.

The vulnerable human—it felt weird thinking of people as humans—had checked into a random motel, using cash just in case.  Mary wasn’t sure it really mattered with magic at play, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

Glad she was taking steps to ensure her safety, Sora reminded her that she’d spelled an aura around them that should protect them from most magical detection methods.  So long as they remained low, it should be fine, and she was going to confront the monsters of the area during their big meeting.

“Careful, Sora,” Mary warned.  “You’re still very new to this world, and while you do seem to be powerful, there is always someone stronger.  Don’t draw too much attention to yourself.”

Sora chuckled.  “Oh, I know it.  Believe me, I know it…  I’m growing every day, too.  My vision expanded overnight, and I have cool fox eyes now, actually…”  Eyes drifting down, she trailed off for a second as she examined her tail, pushing down on her pajama shorts to swing it left and right.  “I think my tail grew a bit.  Nice.”

“Just be sure not to get over your head, Sora.”

Sora just chuckled, her confidence growing.  “If I’m too cautious, I’ll never learn who’s pulling all these strings.  Okay, have a good few days with your hubby; I’m going to get ready for the day.”

“Thank you, Sora… from both of us.”

“Mhm!”

Hanging up, she texted Wendy, asking if they were still on tomorrow.  She got confirmation just before entering the shower, making her grin.  Having Wendy learn about this new world and exploring it with her sounded like so much fun—they could be friends again—she just had to deal with Jane… her envious, alcoholic mother.

Mary’s words did stick with her as she exited and patted herself down before using magic to extract the rest of the water and groom herself, cutting her typical daily prep by a significant margin.

Sitting on a couch downstairs with her purse, she played with the black rose Ron’s blue giantess wife had given her, a little surprised Daisy was still asleep.

She couldn’t be sure, but the purple-eyed woman and Stephenie gave her the same insurmountable vibes of being way beyond comprehension, which put a stitch in her gut.  Nilly came next, followed by Eyia—not that she’d gotten close to her since her powers developed—then Jin, Kari, and way, way down on that list, Jenny.  Lori wasn’t even in the lineup at this point, pulling the psychopath completely out of her thoughts.

Heading for the elevator, she called it and waved at Ron.  “Morning!”

“Wow, Sora, you’ve got a glow about you!”

“Thanks,” she chimed, getting in.  “I just want to check something in the lobby.  Oh, and Daisy’s still sleeping.”

“Sounds good!  Uh, Howie is scheduled for 10 a.m., by the way.”

“Sweet!  I’ll have to leave to wake her up soon, oh, and get my clothes refitted before then…  I want to get that out of the way first thing.  Plus, it will give Daisy a bit of time to calm her nerves.”

“That’s thoughtful!”  Ron nodded, taking them to the bottom floor.  “No meds, too!”

“Right?!  I’m so happy… and that Mary’s okay.  Umm…  I saw a scary purple-eyed woman that looked like she’d been cut out of reality and pasted back in—I know it sounds weird,” she added at his creased brow, “but I was just worried about what Stephanie said…  I don’t want to get you guys in trouble.”

Ron shook his head, laughing.  “You don’t need to worry about her!  She’s been super busy preparing for this big meeting she has, and, you know, heh… being pregnant and near giving birth?”

“Yeah…  Okay.  I’m just really thankful to her.  See?”  She extracted the icy black rose to display to him.  “I take it everywhere!  It reminds me of the trust Stephanie had in my abilities…  I know it’s a bit silly, but she really left an impression on me, and it meant a lot that she loves you so much… that you care about me so much.  Thank you.”

His expression softened, and he nodded.  “I’m here for you—any time.  Any word from your dad?”  he asked as the doors to the lobby slid open.

“No.  Haaa.”  She slid her fingers through her hair and shook it out.  “I don’t expect to hear anything since he’s in that super-important meeting.”

Ron sighed.  “What timing…”

“Hmm…  Stephanie didn’t seem to think it was a coincidence,” she mumbled, stepping into the lobby to stare at the chair the disguised woman had been in.

There was no sign of her presence, and maybe it was just her new developments, but all the monsters she’d smelled the day earlier were far less potent now that she was recovered.

“I could ask her about it.”

“No… I want to take things into my own hands.  Thank you, though.  Haaa…”

Ron peeked out into the lobby as a few attendants waved at her, confused when Sora entered the elevator again.  “Is that all you wanted?”

“Mhm.  She’s not here… at least, not that I can sense.”

“Well, okay.  Up we go!”

Returning to her suite, she went in to wake Daisy, knocking on the door around 8 a.m.

“Mmh?!  Blah…  Uh, yeah, I’m up!”

Sora snickered, imagining the woman had probably drooled a little through the night.  “Howie is going to be here in two hours.  I’m going to get a group of staff up here to help pack my stuff, so… before they come up, let’s get you something to wear.”

“Huh?”  Daisy opened the door, her blonde hair was a mess, and she appeared to have hurriedly thrown on yesterday’s dress.  “What do you mean something to wear?”

“Heh.  We are around the same height…  Well, you do have a larger bust, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem for a dress.  Go in and find something to wear—I don’t mind—it’s not like I’m hurting for clothes!”

“You… aren’t playing with me?”  she mumbled, looking uncertain.

“I offered.  Go on.  Choose anything you want and go into my bathroom.  Use whatever you want—I’m a little rich girl, right?  What good is having stuff if you can’t share it with friends?  Well, I know being friends with a ‘near’ 16-year-old may be a bit much for someone in their twenties, but…”

“No issue!”  she smiled, rubbing her left arm.  “You don’t really act like a 16-year-old, to be honest…  You really don’t mind?”

Sora pulled her toward her room.  “You’re going to meet your dream boyfriend, and Howie will finally see his dream girlfriend—get your butt ready!”

“O-Okay…”  the woman weakly returned.  “This all feels like a dream…  Oh, no, my stomach is getting queasy.”

“I can spell it away?”  Sora playfully offered.

“No!  I’m good… it sets the mood,” she hastily chuckled.  “Ho-boy… okay.  Wow.  Why am I so nervous?!”

“Hormones be hormones.  Have fun—and pick fast!”

Returning to Ron to organize the wardrobe overhaul, he called the request down to the front, organizing everyone, and Sora returned to smile at the embarrassed Succubus, holding up a shoulderless, ankle-length, floral white dress with stitch segments down its length.  It certainly wasn’t the look she’d expect from a sexual creature, but Daisy did hate that part of her.

“I always did like that one… and going for high-heels, too?”

“Oh, uh, if you don’t want…”

Sora’s vision narrowed.  “No!  If that’s what you feel cute in, then own it!  I can always order another one from the designer.  No biggie.”

“Designer?!  Are you sure?”

She rolled her eyes.  “This is going to get old real fast if you keep doubting me.  Now, get ready, spruce yourself up, and get your confidence because we both know this isn’t for Howie—he’d think you’re a goddess in a garbage bag!”

“You really do have a way of motivating people with that forward attitude,” Daisy whispered, holding the dress up again with a small smile.  “I really do feel like a princess… looking through so many beautiful clothes.”

“It’s a start,” Sora smiled.  “We’ll stop by a lingerie store on the way back from the refitting shop if you want to grab some new underwear and a bra that won’t show your straps.”

“That’s too much…”

Sora winked.  “I’m actually being very conservative; originally, I was thinking about going for the full nine yards—hair, hands, toes, tanning, makeover… everything—but we don’t want to take away the whole day and only give you a short bit of time together.”

Daisy followed her into the hallway.  “Howie works, though?”

Sora just grinned.  “I have a plan for that—trust!”

Looking unsure, Sora saw the Succubus into the bathroom before going downstairs to collect the female hotel staff.  She guided them up and pointed at the various areas of her walk-in closet, instructing them on what to pack in all the suitcases they’d brought.

Once the women got to work, Sora returned to Ron to get his walkie-talkie.  He wasn’t thrilled about her idea, as it would cause the hotel a bit of trouble, but if it was only one day, it should be fine.

Doubling down on the idea for Howie and Daisy’s sake—the pair had suffered a lot and needed a proper break—Sora called Chris and had him meet her downstairs; the big black man exited the back to meet with her in an empty section of the lobby.

“Why do I feel like this is going to be trouble, Ms. Moore?”  he sighed, catching Ron’s forced smile from the elevator.

“Ahem.”  Sora glanced left at her invisible tail, weaving a little as she collected her thoughts.  “Is it possible that Howie gets one more shift off, and he takes the nightshift… but you don’t tell him?”

His brown eyes furrowed as he worked through her request.  “Basically… you’re asking for me to cover for him after I worked his shift yesterday… and you want him to come into work…  Haaa.  What’s this about, Sora?  I have a lot of responsibilities to attend to.”

Sora shuffled a bit, holding her sides; it was a good thing he couldn’t see her invisible, pulled-back ears.  “I know it may be an unreasonable rich-girl request, but… I just want Howie to have one really good day with his girlfriend after everything they’ve both been through.”

At this point, she realized her plan was a bit ridiculous; she was imposing on others, and she should look for a magical solution, but the tough man’s face softened.

“Daisy, right—the woman you brought over yesterday?”

Sora’s ears shot up; she did kind of sneak her in using Ron last night.  “You knew?”

He chuckled, folding his arms and streaming out a long breath.  “I know it may come as a shock to you, Sora, but we accommodate very influential and rich people; keeping track of my employees’ lives and making sure they can be trusted to fulfill their duties…

“When having access to tens of millions of dollars worth of belongings in each suite is critical.  I spend time and have meetings with each of them every month to see how their lives are doing.”

“But how did you know it was her?”

He jabbed his thumb at the desk.  “Sora, I’m not stupid.  How many women in your life or connected to it are named Daisy—and homeschooling?  Your father would never go for a green, just-out-of-college instructor.  Give me some credit.”

“Ah, yeah,  sorry…  I used to think she was toxic for him, but when I tracked her down and learned more about her, I realized there was a lot more to it.”

Chris’ lips tightened, and he sucked in his cheeks for a moment.  “Sora, I’m not your father, but butting into other people’s lives is a good way to get in trouble…  I get you want to help Howie, and I’m willing to go along with your plan one time to get him back in the game, but only because he’s had a spotless record for over eight years.”

He gave her a serious look.  “Be more conscious about where you poke your nose, Sora.  You’re still young, and people can take advantage of your kindness… to hurt you in ways you can’t even imagine.”

“Haha…  I know,” Sora strained a smile.  Besides, she was mostly poking her nose into only those close to her, not randos.  “You’ll help me set up a surprise date for him?”

Chris eyeballed for a second.  “Haaa.  I won’t say a lot of the staff haven’t wondered about his mysterious girlfriend…  When is this date supposed to happen?”

It suddenly registered that the hotel staff might see Daisy if she exited the bathroom or realize someone else was in her suite if they checked the guest room.

Stupid!

Now wanting to rush up and do damage control, she hastily ended the conversation.  “I’m going to go out with her first—get things ready—and drop my clothes off to be refitted.  So… around eleven or twelve?”

He slowly nodded, likely mentally cycling through the tasks he had to do.  “And he’ll be up for a shift tonight, giving Ron his own time with Stephanie in the morning?”

“I like that!  Yeah.”  Darting away, she paused just before the elevator as the desk staff opened it.  “Thank you, Chris!”

Ron gave a thoughtful hum as she entered, watching his boss walk away.  “You actually made it happen… without magic?”

“I wouldn’t do that to Chris,” Sora huffed, flicking her tail to the left.  “I… may need to use it so the refitter won’t ask questions when taking my measurements…”

Crossing his arms, Ron leaned against the wall as they rose.  “So long as it isn’t to compel someone to do something they wouldn’t want to against their will, I kind of see it like you using your illusions.  You need something done, and they need business—they don’t need the complications of knowing they’re making clothes for a fox-girl.”

“True!  Hmm.  I’ll think about what I should do.  Thanks, Ron!  Oh, and I got you work off tomorrow to spend time with Stephanie before her big meeting!  Howie is going to do a double tonight to make up for it…  Heh, I can reduce his fatigue with magic; that’d be good.  Right?”

“Huh.  Want to juice me up a little?”  he chuckled.

“Energy spike coming up!”

Ron became thoughtful as she spun her desire magic around him, strengthening his fortitude and trying to diminish any health issues or fatigue; it was a more complex bit of handiwork than she expected but well within her capabilities.

“Wow.  I feel totally alert and up… like I could go run a 10k with no problem.  Crazy.”

“Success!  Okay, I’m going to go finish getting things ready—oh, and can I take the staff with me…  It’s raining,” she mumbled, having almost completely forgotten due to how focused she’d been on every other topic.

Ron shrugged.  “Our suitcases are waterproof; it shouldn’t be a problem, and I don’t think Chris expected you to haul all this to the nearest refitter…  It is the nearest one?”

“That’s a relief, and yup, I looked it up.  Thanks!”

Running upstairs, she was glad Daisy was still in the bathroom.  Luckily, the insulation was insanely good in the suite, which muffled the sounds made inside.

She generated an invisibility and muffling field through the door, targeting the Succubus.  Even more bizarre, it seemed that if she concentrated and desired it, she could even make a three-dimensional mental image through sound—like sonar.  Daisy’s nerves appeared to be getting to her by the scent and vibes she produced.

Having the women carry the luggage downstairs—they were shockingly fast at packing—Sora asked them to wait in the lobby and get umbrellas and jackets just in case; a few did seem annoyed she was doing something so sporadic and huge, but their job was, in part, to handle her unreasonable requests.

She spun in a circle around her closet at 9:20 a.m.; Sora had never seen it with so many empty sections.  It wasn’t her entire wardrobe, but enough that she could have options.

Daisy exited a few minutes later, looking beautiful in the shoulderless, pink-orchid and floral-white dress, though her black bra straps poked out of the top, and a bit of the lower strap showed when lifting her arms, revealing her upper-belly.

“Sora, this is…”

“Stunning when you wear it!  Yes.  Okay, so… now we need to get you a bra that actually works with it.  Ready to go?”

“Eh-heh…  I’m just your kidnapped servant Succubus at this point.  The moment I leave your side, I, uh… probably won’t last the night.”

Sora waved her hand dismissively.  “That all changes today—that reminds me… where is this building the big monster bosses of the area are gathering today?”

Daisy’s shoulders drooped.  “I… feel like if you go through with this…  you’re going to die, Sora.  It isn’t just Miami; these monsters run Florida—they separate it by states in the US.”

“Bah.  You let me worry about that.  Where is it—show me on the map,” she muttered, extracting her phone from her purse.

Daisy hesitated for a second as Sora handed it to her, holding the black rose to still the push in her gut to just storm over there and give them a piece of her mind.  She realised she’d been feeling rather pushy lately, but the thought soon disappeared when she pointed the location out.

“Haaa.  Everyone knows not to go… here.”

“Oh.  That’s not even too far from here…  One of those weird nondescript office spaces, huh?  Okay!  Well, that works out.  The staff are downstairs; I’ll make you invisible, but I think we need to go to the tailor first.”

Daisy held her hands against her stomach, turning a little to smile at her heels and how the dress fluttered.  “Whatever you want, boss.”

Sora snickered.  “I’m a better boss than some rando Succubus that demands soul sacrifices.  Am I right?”

The bewildered woman let out a weak chuckle.  “Not wrong…  Sora?!”

A sly smirk lifted her lips as she spun her desire magic around the Succubus, polishing, growing, and treating her nails, drawing out any remaining liquid in her hair and repairing any damage, and curing any sort of problems dealing with her teeth and mouth.

“Hmm… can’t have you with bad breath or all those stress lines.  What’s magic good for if you can’t do this much?!  Oh, what if you wear a bun and enhance that Succubus umph a bit?”

“M-My what?”  she stammered, watching Sora perform her personal magical makeover.

“Done!  And it didn’t even take me a minute—aren’t I insane?”  Sora grinned, puffing up her chest with pride while presenting her in the body-length mirror.  “Oh, I tied a lot of this stuff into the little seed I planted in you, so you should remain gorgeous for like… forever—maybe—honestly, I don’t know, but let’s freaking go!”

“You… heh, are ridiculous, Sora,” Daisy groaned, rubbing her temple.  “I’ve never met anyone with the kind of magic or attitude you have.”

“Aren’t I cool?”  Her expression dulled while leading them downstairs.  “Cringe—forget I said that.”

Daisy followed it with a strained laugh.  “You’re sweet… too sweet.”

“Oooh.  I like that!”

Presenting an embarrassed Daisy to Ron, she blushed as he clapped, making them laugh when he asked Sora to be ready to perform CPR when Howie saw her.

Sora created a small cloaked bubble around the invisible Succubus to test multiple effects as they left, which worked without a hitch the entire way to the shop; adding affixes did ramp up the drain a bit, though.  Her magic was so much stronger since yesterday that it shocked her, but the largest change was how rapidly it was restoring in the rainfall as if adapting and tuning to it overnight.

Daisy remained silent while walking next to Sora, and she had to grin at the look the woman gave her when she spelled her feet to feel comfortable in the clicking heels she wore.  Her magic was becoming so easy to use; it was as if every fiber of her being was connected to the source of magic itself—it felt so liberating.

She dismissed the staff and was careful with the charm she crafted when speaking to the middle-aged woman at the shop, putting her in a trance-like state to take all of her measurements in the back room to get an accurate baseline of her tail placement and range of motion.

Thinking ahead—being the J-drama lover she was—Sora figured she might grow more tails as time went on and had her add a bit more space to accommodate any more she might develop in the future.

She went with a button solution that could be pulled over her tail for pants and shorts, with hidden slits for dresses with button options. It took a bit longer than she expected as they wrapped things up and get all the measurements done, but it would be worth the time investment.  Sora was sure to get a few done while she was there so she could have a few outfits to wear until the bulky order was finished.

Their trip to the lingerie shop was shorter due to Daisy knowing exactly what she wanted, and Sora had no experience with the wide variety of intimidating options.  It was a bit embarassing entering some sections but she wanted to make sure the older woman got exactly what she wanted.  Her tastes were… interesting.

Returning to the hotel, she could feel Daisy’s heart rate increase by the street, yet it was the powerful scents of monsters that made Sora stop at a corner before entering the road to her home.

They’re strong… around the strength of Jenny, but I think I can manage that at this point.

Sora set her resolve and gave Daisy a reassuring smile, unraveling her illusions.  “I can hear him inside.”

“I’ve… never met him in person,” she mumbled, fingers trembling against her umbrella as the rain fell around them.  “What if he was only attracted to me because of my Succubus abilities in the dream?”

“Shut up and get in there!”  Sora giggled, quoting a drama line she’d seen.  “Have some courage and seize the opportunity, woman!  This is your chance… don’t let it slip away.”

“Haaa.  You’re right.”

Shivering, Sora was proud as the blonde boldly stepped out of the rain to enter the hotel and pass the confused staff that had been observing them talk in the downpour.

Chris was standing by the desk, a small smile on his face with several other employees as he moved to dismiss Howie.  The doors slid open for him, and after a few words, he exited, looking bewildered.

Daisy bypassed everyone upon seeing his downward gaze and went right to him, Chris observing from inside the elevator.  Sora lagged behind, sensing her hot skin, pounding heart, and internal struggle—Howie’s gaze widened upon rising to center on the stunning blonde.

“Daisy?”  She gripped her purse against her belly like a lifeline as her clicking heels stopped in front of him, and he started to stammer.  “What… are you doing here—eh-heh, wow, uh… you look gorgeous.  Not that you don’t always…”

Taking a deep breath, Daisy asked, “Howie… will you go out with me—umm, right now?”

“Right now…  Uh, yeah—of course!  Sora?”

Sora cheered inside and waved.  Daisy had dug deep and found the courage to ask for what she truly wanted instead of running away as she had been tempted to for much of the day.

Walking forward, she passed between them to slip her credit card into Daisy’s purse, using her magic to whisper to the Succubus.  “Have fun, and just enjoy yourselves.  I want to hear about it tonight when you come back, okay?”

Flipping around, she grinned.  “I hope you have a good time.”

Before he could question why she was suddenly team Daisy, Sora went into the elevator and let Chris take her to her suite.

Chris chuckled after leaving the stunned man in the lobby.  “Consider yourself a matchmaker now?”

“Humph.  That would require two people who didn’t know each other.  I just… provided a bit of a push,” Sora explained with a grin.  “Great work, Chris.”

“Just this once.”

Sora nodded, her smile softening.  “That’s all they needed.”

Going inside, she went into the guest bedroom to make the bed, but Daisy had already cleaned up any trace of her being there; it was the same for the bathroom, except for the wet tiles.

A grin spread across her lips as the drums of war pounded in her breast.  Now, it was time to take everything in her life into her own hands and warn the wolves that she wasn’t some defenseless pup.  She couldn’t be sure if it was natural to feel this way, but her worries just slipped away.

Leaving her purse and umbrella in her room, Sora exited on the patio, staring upon the damp beach below.  Then, she jumped, slowing her descent with magic to land by the large pool at the back of the hotel.

Kari, Jenny, this Succubus… anyone.  I won’t be stepped on.

She shielded herself from the elements on her way to confront the strongest monsters in Florida.

Chapter Eighteen: Six Days; Stirring the Pot

Wrapped in an illusion to remain invisible, Sora created a magical film over her body and clothes to repel the rain, guiding the flow away from her face to keep her vision clear. Proceeding around the side of the hotel, she used a gated path to reach the street.

She didn’t feel all that rushed, yet the thumping of her heart pushed her to set a slightly faster pace than she typically took.  Meanwhile, her tail swayed left and right, ears shifting to eavesdrop on various songs from passersby on the street.  Sora couldn’t remember the last time she had such a calm, confrontational vibe moving through her veins to fight—to feel alive.

A pulse inside her refused to be underestimated; she’d show Lori, Jenny, Kari, and anyone else that tried to test her that she would fight back.  Sora didn’t know exactly what she wanted in life, but she’d dive into any conflict to never return to the hell she’d experienced the last three years.

People going about their own business were like a blur to her invisible dance through the streets, which only added to her enthusiasm.  Getting closer to the tall building far down the road, she parsed the magical waves rather than physical odors to better understand what she was stepping into.

Every new intersection brought her unique, lingering scents between various monsters that converged on her destination, pulling her lips into a half-smile.  Embracing this dream-like side of her and facing the troubles surrounding her head-on liberated her caged soul.

Using all the powerful entities she’d met thus far as a measuring stick, Sora knew she wasn’t weak, and even if a few potent magical threats were in the building, she moved forward without a glance back, fixated on the goal ahead.

Sora’s tail whipped around as she spun in a circle, splattering the sidewalk with the repelled rain; her illusions masked any effect she had on the environment, and she seemed to naturally generate an aura that subconsciously urged others to passively step aside.

It wasn’t long before she stood outside the glass doors of the office space, taking a moment in her internal bliss to examine herself in the mirror.

The button overlay opening in her brown shorts felt so comfortable, and the light pressure against the top portion of her tail provided a sense of security that helped to keep it in place with her hip bones; it fit well with her designer, white-and-pink flower tank top.

Using her magic to recraft her long, copper locks, she twisted them into a few different braids to keep them out of the way in case of a physical confrontation, spotting a decent number of disguised monsters of all types inside.

Finding a good style, Sora strengthened her veiling magic to disguise any noise or effect she had on her environment before boldly spelling the locked door open and walking into the lobby.

A smirk tilted her lips as she found her elbow behind her back, giggling to herself when not one of the fifteen monsters turned her way, mumbling in their own groups.

Too easy!

Her weaving magic created a bubble of some kind that repurposed any phenomena that would give away her position, actively hiding her presence without interacting with the creatures.

Casually skipping between the three packs, noticing how most of the men and women were pretty large, and the smell of the closest six gave Sora the mental impression of Green—the Ogres that had been with Jin—yet these were far purer in scent.

Her head tilted with her ears as she studied the watches they wore, which radiated a magical hum that instantly caught her attention.

Charmed watches that disguise their appearance?  she internally mused, going to a large 190 cm tall woman to study the disgruntled party.  The imposing group were glaring at what she assumed was another faction of brutes that towered over even them.

The Ogres were surprisingly well-dressed and funded by their fitted outfits and high-quality accessories, yet the same couldn’t be said about the opposite pack of six, who looked more like an out-of-town biker gang with their leather jackets, tattoos, and rough appearance.

On the other hand, the remaining three were likely from the Succubus faction by the weak alluring waves they emanated; they weren’t Succubi like Daisy, but something similar.  The courtesans seemed to be trying to ignore the two other brooding factions, discussing the business of soul-harvesting.

The lewd conversation put a bitter taste on her tongue, recalling what Daisy had been forced to do to Howie.  Not particularly interested in the lascivious members, she turned her ears toward the well-dressed Ogress beside her as the woman straightened her jacket and twisted her nose.

“Why were we positioned with the Trolls?”  she grumbled to a bigger man next to her.  “Their stench could kill… and we’re supposed to wait for Aiden to show up when they’re dressed like that?”

Sora had to agree with her: the bikers really did have a foul stench about them that was a mix between sewers on a hot day and month-old bad breath, which shocked her that Ogres would be the clean ones. The new name pricked her ears, causing her to lean against a wall to listen.

“Just deal with it,” the man snarled, although his tight, massive fists at his back and tone said he wanted nothing more than to start a fight.  “I know it’s hard to be in the same room as the disgusting cowards, but keep focused and watch for his car.”

“You heard what Green told Boss Dikog?”

“Above our pay grade; let the boss deal with it.”

“Mmgm…”

Sora lost interest when the topic changed to territorial disputes, and the others weren’t talking about anything particularly ear-catching.  Instead, she swapped to the wall beside the sole elevator doors, crossing her arms and legs as she continued to study the dynamics between the two main groups.

Huh.  So, the Ogre, Troll, and Succubi parties are at least present, and two other scents used the elevator, but…  One group of three with some potent magic but not a single dog or wolf smell?

Where does Kari’s faction come into this?  Is Devin over Florida’s operations, and Kari’s brother is flying in for the meeting?  I can’t say I’ve heard of Aiden from Kari or her gang…  A boy in junior high, but it can’t be him.

Vision flicking to the man and two courtesans chatting in the sitting area several meters away, Sora hummed.  These three wore a ton of magical items that helped to enhance their physical appeal—applying illusions and compulsions—yet they didn’t appear to have the same inherently magical heritage of Daisy.

Sora sighed, left ear folding as she scratched its base.  Magic had become so inherently engrained into her instincts that it came as naturally as breathing at this point.

She pressed the button to enter, knowing none of these small fries would notice the action, yet she paused when one of the women from the Succubus faction changed the topic of their conversation.

“Ugh.  Any of you heard that rumor about a new monster that got to Daisy and that one job at the hospital?”

“Bah,” the man shrugged, scanning the dating app he appeared to be using to find new victims.  “I’m not interested in anything that doesn’t give me a high, and Daisy’s no fun…”

The other woman snorted.  “Pfft!  It’s ironic, really, considering she’s part Succubus.”

“One-quarter,” he smirked.  “Still, I wonder what she could do if she actually tried…  Tina swears she hooked up with an incubus traveling through Miami last year…”

Continuing into the box, Sora leered at the three.  She couldn’t get over their frivolous comments about snatching souls up to be corrupted and sent to Hell.  She wasn’t sure if her next action was too little or too much, but she let her negative emotions condense around the three phones of the foul creatures.

Don’t speak Daisy’s name, and don’t hurt anyone else.

A quiver ran down their spines, eyes defocusing as her animosity struck their minds like a spear, and their phones imploded, causing the group to drop the devices in a panic and drawing everyone’s gaze as they howled.

“The hell—shit… my hand…”

“Agh…  A curse—for saying Daisy’s—ack!  Shit!”

“Mmgm!  Son of a—it has to be…  Dammit!”

Boils began to appear on their flesh, red and puffy as they began to swell as if scalded by hot water, making Sora smirk, and her tail flicked to the side as he continued to swear and temper the damage.

“Humph.”

Taking one last glance at the fifteen guards, she sighed, catching sight of a car pulling up to the curb as the doors closed.  It was the first time she’d actively wished harm on someone using her powers, and she felt justified in doing so.

The Tolls and Ogres were scanning the lobby after her apparent curse, looking for some kind of witchcraft artifact or something by their shouts, and, just to play along, she created a little illusionary doll that would torment them by running around and vanishing.

“Hehe.  How will you deal with a cursed doll that’s just an illusion?”  she softly pondered to herself, scanning the buttons before her with interest.

The Ogres were physical powerhouses—by human standards—they were more than three to six times stronger than what their intimidating size indicated, yet her gentle, distracting pulses easily bypassed their weak magical resistances as quickly as if they were human, turning their attention to the frightening intruder.

She snickered when they began to break pots and rip couches up, pandemonium setting in; the other two factions weren’t any more challenging to imprint the horror scene into their minds.

What’s it like having a taste of your own medicine?  Not fun, I imagine!  I expected more from Florida’s top monster organizations!  I guess these are mostly their muscle, she internally sighed.  Sure, the Ogres are a bit stronger than the Trolls, but I assume they have other attributes to make up the difference…  Not magic resistance, or at least none that I can tell!

Sora probed the buttons as her ears followed the chaos in the room, hearing a new throng making its way into the building from the car outside.

Not particularly impressed by their magical presence, she didn’t linger, desiring to know which buttons were last pressed; her chest shook with silent laughter as her useful magic illuminated it, complete with numerical order—at at once—and she pressed four simultaneously.

Classic.  This is fun!

She was carried to what appeared to be three floors—shocking since even a single basement in Miami Beach was somewhat ridiculous, considering they were below sea level.  Yet, she let out a small shiver as a dark aura tightened her gut upon reaching the halfway point.

A curious emerald wave blanketed her—only visible due to her magically enhanced eyes that translated it to her sight—attempting to identify anything within the descending box.  It was a little tricky to slip through the net compared to the effortless whims she’d typically manipulated her environment with.

“Hmm.  Cool,” she whispered, following its path as Sora changed the attributes of her illusions to shift her presence to be the same as the air in the continual pulses.

The doors opened, revealing four women the size of children; their bodies were totally proportionate for their small frames, and they wore golden leaves sewn into a short, dress-like gown.

Their shiny bug helmets made Sora giggle, but her gaze was swiftly drawn to their long, insect wings, quivering at their backs as the gray-skinned creatures silently searched the interior with their pupilless, light-green eyes, preparing some kind of magical attack that stiffened her tail.

Great…  These things aren’t so weak, but… hehe, that’s right…  No one here!

Sora remained still, returning the stares while readying herself to engage the women; it was the first time she’d seen a monster that didn’t look totally human.

Time seemed to slow while they communicated with one another through soft whistles.  Unlike the Ogres and Trolls—who were more brutish monsters—these creatures were infused with natural magic… dark magic.

Okay?  Don’t mind me!

Sora gingerly edged out of the elevator, scooting to a nearby seat; her trickery was holding, which made her cheer inside while studying the other occupants in the room as one of the winged, gray-skinned creatures cautiously entered the box, furrowed eyes rising to the ceiling and likely sensing the illusion she’d made above.

Safe!  Oh, a Half-Succubus?  Well, actually… comparing her to Daisy, I’ll just go with three-quarters.  She’s stronger, at the very least.

Her attention was drawn to a red-skinned woman sitting in a chair within the comfortable room she’d entered; she slowly rose to her feet, her long barbed tail flicking to the left.  This horned creature was a Succubus in the more of the classical sense, yet she couldn’t compare to the children trying to penetrate her illusions.

“Haaa.  I sense a rather curious bit of magic above us…  What do you see?”  she asked in English, arms folding under her ample bust.

“Tssk-a… rasha-kuma…”  one whispered in her unusual language, holding up her hand for green flames light in her palm.

Sora leaned against the arm of her chair, resting her cheek on the back of her hand as she examined the toxic wave it released.  The creature was about to make the first move against an empty, innocent steel box when the door behind them opened, revealing a large, smoky man.

“Do I feel you about to destroy the elevator, Tinder?”

The children shifted to leer at the man before Tinder pointed back at the closing doors.  Sora giggled silently as the four distracted creatures continued their discussion.

“Dushi-ra… kim’asyu!”

“They’re Unseelie—jumpy by nature, Sekhen The Insightful,” the Succubus mumbled, taking a respectful bow to the djinn-like man before someone else emerged from nowhere.  “Ahem… Lady Sela,” she choked, forcing a smile.

Sora straightened a little as an odd split in space drew her gaze, a burst of emerald light introducing another Unseelie, yet this one’s bug-like helmet showed far larger horns that pronged at the end, as well as being slightly taller and darker skinned than the others.

“Jumpy, are we, Catvielle?”  she mused, standing tall—not that that meant much when the size of a child—as everyone, including the djinn, gave her a swift bow.

“Eh-heh, I meant no disrespect, Lady of the Wetlands.”

“Of course, you didn’t,” she chuckled, focus slowly moving from the closed elevator to where she sat, making Sora’s arms tighten against her belly.  “Hmm.  I would say the Succubi are far too carefree with the Unseelie handling most of the dirty business within Florida.”

“It… is appreciated,” the part-devil chuckled, retaking her seat.  “There aren’t many that would threaten a meeting of this type… considering who is in attendance.”

“Oh?  And why do you think that?”  Sela questioned, spreading her wings to rise into the air before smiling at Sora; she couldn’t see her—Sora was sure—but the creature knew where she was.  “There is… something unusual happening above us that has a rather divine taste to its magical weave.”

“It is rather close to the fundamental universal field—skillful beyond words,” Sekhen stated, clasping his hands, and Sora heard the elevator descending; whoever it was had left his men above to handle the mess she’d created.  “In any case, Devin has decided to grace us with his presence… for once.”

“Humph.”

Sora felt pride at being complimented on her magic; although she’d only just started using it a few days ago, already she was apparently quite skilled—even if she was only acting on instinct.

Sekhen and Sela were definitely two of the leaders called in this gathering, and she wasn’t sure if the djinn could see her or not, but both members didn’t seem interested in ratting her out.  If there was someone she had sensed close to her current strength, it was Sela by the dangerous magical vibes she released.

Finally!  Who is this Devin guy?  Wait… it can’t be this guy…

Sora’s pent-up lungs deflated like a balloon as a 178 cm tall 20-year-old man exited with a wide grin.  “What’s up, Sekhen, Sela—wooh, some crazy stuff happening above.  Some witch curse or something, Sela?”

Decked out in a white, sleeveless shirt with baggy black jeans, Devin had a gold chain around his throat and many rings on his fingers, even complete with dark sunglasses inside; he was totally going for the thug look and, to further take the wind out of Sora’s sails, he wasn’t the powerhouse she’d envisioned.

Oh, c’mon!  This can’t be the demon Lori is scared to death of!  Jenny would rip his head off…  Ugh.

“Hmm.  Too early to tell,” she shrugged, glancing in Sora’s direction with a thoughtful gleam in her lime-green irises.  “It’s simple trickery, yet woven in a way that mirrors the very weave of the universe…”

“Uh-huh,” Devin muttered, following the woman’s gaze.  “I trust you’ll handle it; there can’t be that many candidates that would willingly attack us.”

“I’m keeping an eye on any… developments,” she smiled, making Sora give a beaming wave.

Hello!

“Humph.  Can anything be done about the mess upstairs?”

Curious how they’d respond, Sora crossed her legs and ceased the illusion.

“Mmh…”  Sela giggled, seeing the confused look from her three guards.  “It is done!”

“Oh?  Nice!”  After her statement, Devin seemed done with it, instead turning to grin at the red-skinned Succubus.  “Yo, Catvielle!  Aye, we should go catch a bite after this—how long has it been since we hooked up?”

The feigned smile on the woman’s lips said she’d rather not, but her response was positive.  “At least a week, and, of course…  I’d love to.”

She watched him make light of the far stronger creatures before motioning the two leaders to join him in the room ahead.  These monsters did not like him yet played along to his tune.

Following the three inside, Sora leaned against the wall as everyone took their seats around the table.  It appeared to usually have six chairs, but a seventh had been added beside Devin, currently the only one unoccupied.

Sora tucked her lower lip under upon studying the five influential individuals that ran the monster community in Florida, gauging their power.  Without a doubt, Yez’ela—the Succubus ruler of Florida—and Sela were the strongest, but in different departments, and Sekhen was somewhat of a mystery; she had the impression his magic worked more through electromagnetic fields.

The Unseelie’s gaze continued to drift to Sora, picking apart her illusions little by little in what appeared to be a game to the woman.  Sora wasn’t sure how much longer she’d be able to hide from the winged creature, but that was fine; she needed practice and, at some point, to make her presence known.

As for the group’s muscle, two massive men representing the Ogres—Boss Dikog, she guessed—and the unnamed Troll leader, sat across from each other, more focused on one another than anyone else.  Interestingly, Sekhen appeared to be entirely neutral to the whole congregation.

Sora’s gaze drifted between them, trying to puzzle through the organization of the monster cabal.  Devin is stronger than Lori but would get broken in half by Jenny…  All of these creatures can twist him into a pretzel!  Is Aiden the real power behind Devin’s role?

Devin made no reservations about taking the lead as he dropped into his seat.  “Alright, let’s get the messy stuff over with before Aiden shows up…  Sela, how goes the fairy dust culling?  We good on the pixie front, too?”

The gray-skinned child’s eyes narrowed, still centered on Sora.  “Most hives have been brought into line, and the list of assassinations you gave me has been executed.  Everything is proceeding as you instructed.”

“Not everything!”  the Troll growled, fingers digging into the wood as he rose to his feet with the Ogre.  “My cousins were torn to pieces yesterday… literally, a bloody mess, and with the South Heart Gang’s calling card written in their still pumping organs.”

“It wouldn’t have happened if you hadn’t stepped into our territory and snatched one of our own without even a declaration of war, Jek!”

“Gggaaah!”  Devin waved his hand in annoyance.  “I don’t care about your petty squabbles, but hold on…  The South Heart Gang… they killed the Thuggin’ Four?!  Okay, I’m confused now,” he mumbled, leaning forward to look between the two fuming monsters.  “First, the trouble upstairs, and now this?”

“That’s what I want to know,” Jek snarled, smashing his fist through the table.  “Those muddle-blooded Ogres couldn’t have touched a pure Troll, much less have the strength to rip them apart!”

“What does it matter about the results?”  Dikog snarled.  “You engaged in an unsanctioned and unannounced war, you coward!  Take our land by force if you want it, but to stoop to secrecy like an Unseelie!”

“Careful,” Sela sweetly whispered, dangerous eyes moving to the Ogre.  “There’s no need to throw shade and start trouble where unneeded.”

“Haaa.  Children.”  Yez’ela mumbled, rubbing her temple and looking at Sela.  “Let them fight it out in the space they begged me to have constructed for their little squabbles.  No, what I want to know is this new force that’s entered Miami these past few days and that… human organization’s activities.  Have none of you noticed it?”

Sora giggled inside, knowing she was probably referring to her recent activities in the dream space with her first statement.  They’re a total mess!  Well, actually…

Her mirth fell as Devin held up his hands for everyone to shut their mouths, and, to her surprise, they settled back into their chairs, Sekhen being the only one to remain totally calm through the exchange.

“I didn’t expect there to, heh, be any bumps in the road this week…”  He scratched his eyebrows, now not looking so entertained as he centered on the Succubus, who averted her gaze.  “What new force are we talking about, Yez’ela…  Are you saying you can’t handle the tasks I’ve assigned to you?”

“Of course, I can…  I am simply asking if none of you have noticed someone of formidable magic having entered Miami—the trouble caused upstairs—are we not to be warned of any new creatures entering our state so we may keep an eye on them, Devin?”

Devin twirled his hand, indicating for her to go on.  “Share with the class what’s on your mind, Yez’ela…  What is the strongest devil in Florida having trouble with?  Enlighten me on what I’m missing.”

The woman’s fingers tightened in her lap as she collected her thoughts, and Sela’s gaze returned to Sora, continuing to battle with her by picking apart her illusions.  The child-like being was becoming more adept at it, and, if Sora didn’t know any better, she was having fun following this mystery she’d stumbled upon.

“Two days ago, one of my subordinates went off the grid, and any attempt at discovering her presence is met with an, mmhg-hehe… an incredibly frustrating knot of games to parse through—looping dreams, illusionary mazes…

“Also, the psychiatrist you ordered to be brought into line… the charm keeping her husband in eternal sleep was broken, and a powerful shield placed over his soul, blocking any trace of their escape.”

Devin’s claws extended, shaving wood from the table as he stared at the tight-jawed devil.  “All I’m hearing are excuses…  They’re stronger than you?”

“I didn’t say that,” she slowly articulated, nose twisting with agitation.  “If… I was warned there would be a stronger entity showing up in our state, then I could have taken the proper precautions…  Magic like this isn’t so easily unraveled nor discoverable once it is in place.  It is more alarming how swiftly they were able to enact such counter methods and in ways that I have rarely seen.”

“Okay…  Did you find out who this was?”

“Not yet…”

Sora flashed her teeth and unveiled herself, holding up a hand and instantly drawing everyone’s attention.  “So much praise; you’re going to make me blush!”

“I knew it!”  Sela chuckled, crossing her legs as her pupil-less eyes narrowed with a smirk.  “You have some very… intricate magic for a vulpes and of a single tail at that.”

“Who…  I didn’t even smell you there!”  Devin snarled, yet the heat in his voice calmed as he studied her with a lifted eyebrow.  “Huh…  A vulpes?  Wait…  Are you Kari’s fox toy that keeps her busy and satisfied with that dinky school?  You are!”

Devin blinked in utter confusion as the Ogre and Troll jumped at her.

“She’s dangerous!”  Dikog roared.

Sekhen, Yez’ela, and Sela remained seated, shifting to study her rather than provoke her.

Sora sighed, pulling away from the wall and pushing her influence over the dull-witted Troll and Ogre as they landed in front of her.  Their magical resistances were far greater than those above, but still within reason if putting a bit more energy into it.

Their tense muscles loosened as she pointed to a corner.  “Sit…  Thank you!”

Sela folded her arms on the table and leaned forward to follow the two giants’ walk to the edge of the room.  “How do you have that much internal energy inside that tail… and to weave it in such a skillful manner that utterly bypasses their Core shields?”

“Don’t ask me!”  Sora laughed, strolling over to take Dikog’s seat.  “I just want something done, and it happens.  I’m pretty awesome like that,” she boasted, knowing it would get under some of their skins.

“Huh…”  Devin rubbed his hairless chin, far more relaxed than she expected him to be.  “A single-tailed vulpes…  Nogitsune are strong… but not that strong, much less being able to erase their scent completely.  Interesting.”

“If I may,” Sekhen interjected, floating through his chair to pull out the Ogre’s oversized seat for her to sit. 

“Thank you, Sekhen!  Umm.  Yeah, we have some things to talk about.  First of all, Yez’ela…”

“I got it!”  Devin slapped his hand against the wood, ignoring her attempt to take the spotlight.  “You want to take over Yez’ela’s seat at the table?”

The devil’s wings sprouted out of her back, spreading in an intimidating way as fire literally replaced her yellow eyes.  “If you wish to send me back to Hell, you’ll—”

“Wrong!”  Sora rolled her eyes, silencing the other as Sela snickered, seeming to enjoy her sudden party-crashing antics.  “You can keep your disgusting whatever-it-is-you-do seat…  No.  I’m here to warn you to stay away from me and those I care about.”

“Is that right?”  Devin popped his tongue with a half-smirk.  “And how are you…”

Sora’s ears pricked as the upstairs doors were broken open in a flurry of noise, and a low growl silenced Devin with the cautious tone of the guards in the entryway, who instantly backed down.

“Shit!”  Devin shouted.

“Kari?”  Sora asked, twisting in her chair to look at the door, but Devin was already leaping from his seat and rushing to what appeared to be a hidden escape room.

“We’ll carry on the meeting later—tell Aiden everything’s good—it’s all good!”

Not wanting to let her best lead go, she attempted to stop Devin’s escape, only for her magic to be rebuffed by some hidden charm.  Shocked at her magic being refused—despite knowing she could have overpowered it if needed—she could only watch as Devin disappeared.

Sela rubbed her forehead as the others swiftly settled down, staring guardedly at the closed door.  “Classic.  When is Eric going to return… because this is a clown show?”

Wanting to conserve energy, Sora hesitantly got up and released the two muscle heads from her charm.  Worse, Jenny was with her leader, and not a soul above them made a move to stop the pair from entering the elevator.

Feeling Kari’s power for the first time in person since obtaining her new senses was like a blow to the face.  Whatever she’d smelled before regarding the alpha bully of Miami Senior High must have been her holding back because this jumped her far beyond what she felt earlier.

Sora waited in silence with the others, and the Unseelie parted for her as the tall, well-build teen threw open the doors with her lanky 2nd-in-command by her side.

She couldn’t help but have chilling flashbacks of their encounter earlier this week; a shiver ran from Sora’s ears to the tip of her tail as she stopped in the doorway—Kari was basically entirely immune to her magic—it was the first time she’d felt a total rejection.

Dikog and Jek wouldn’t look at the enraged girl, far smaller than them, yet with an aura that brought Sora back to the overwhelming presence of Jin.  Kari was far more intimidating after the stunning revelation regarding her magic, and Jin’s previous statement regarding her being a Fenris Wolf hit Sora to the gut.  Jenny, who had seemed so strong yesterday, wasn’t even in the same realm compared to the alpha bully.

The teen’s amber irises were illuminated, radiating a terrifying wave of heated rage that quelled any action from those at the table, yet Kari’s focus was lasered on her.  “Sora…  What are you doing in my brother’s little club?”

“That’s what I’d like to know,” Jenny hummed, head tilting to the side as she surveyed Florida’s monster council.

“Whatever…  Dammit!  That coward is always running!”

Kari’s tight fist struck the door next to her upon seeing Devin nowhere to be seen, shattering it before sending a shockwave through the concrete wall that fractured a long line through it that showed the flinching three-quarters Succubus and Unseelie with the crumbling, thick blocks that were dislodged to display the bent rebar inside.

“Oof,” Jenny winced, grimacing at the damage Kari had caused.  “Did he run away already?  Haaa.  I should have circled around back.  My bad, Kari.”

“He can’t escape,” Kari snarled, yet a burst of multi-hued flames drew all of their gazes as a handsome young man appeared from the fire.  “Aiden…”

The tall man seemed to be around 18 years old and wore a strained smile as he held up a hand, speaking in a somewhat deep voice.  An undeniable power was hidden within him that shifted, unlike anything Sora had encountered.

“It’s been a while, Kari!  Want to catch—”

Kari was already moving toward the hidden escape route Devin took, smelling him out and breaking through the wall, making Sora flinch.  Jenny gave the golden-haired man a helpless shrug and laugh.

The furious Alpha Wolf snarled at Aiden in passing, “I don’t have time to play with my brother’s pet…  I’m going to kill Devin.”

“Hmm.”  Aiden tucked his bottom lip under as he nodded slowly, watching her storm out before puffing out a long sigh.  “Well, I guess things haven’t been going that well…  Great.  Umm, so… uh, I don’t think we’ve met?”  he laughed, somehow completely ignoring the tremor Kari caused in her exit as she chased after the wannabe thug.

Sora looked at his pearly smile and extended arm, ears pulled back as she tried to overcome the trauma of being in Kari’s presence again.  “Umm…  Hello?”

“Haaa.  Sorry about the trouble,” he breathed, noticing her reluctance.  “I haven’t been to Florida in a few years, so… a lot’s changed!  Haha-haaa…”

Chapter Nineteen: Six Days; The Groomed Wolf

Sora didn’t know how to respond to the sudden chaos that Kari had brought, further irritating the Miami monster council, yet Aiden seemed to handle it like he’d walked into the typical Friday meeting.

“Eh… Dikog, Jek, mind running upstairs and calming everyone down?  Sekhen, any trouble from the authorities?”

“Lord Aiden, I welcome your return.  None that I have detected thus far,” the djinn smoothly replied, eyeing the growling Troll and Ogre as the pair argued over past grievances.  “I’m afraid the issue regarding the feud between them won’t be so easily resolved this time.  Moves were made on both sides.”

“They slaughtered my cousins!”  Jek snarled.

“After they kidnapped my man and demanded tribute, coward!”

Yet, before they could advance on each other, Aiden came between them in a flash of colorful flames, holding up his hands.  “I’ll hear you both out when we get this mess sorted.”

Their twitching noses and flushed faces turned away from each other as Dikog grunted, moving to the elevator to talk to his group upstairs.

Jek spat on the ground as he left, glaring daggers at the giant man.  “Maybe they did kidnap his man, yet bloodshed was denied in the accords…  I say blood for blood.”

“I said I’d deal with it,” Aiden returned, leveled stare making the Troll grunt before following the Ogre.

Sora was a tad surprised they stood down with how heated and emotional they were, but the rainbow flames radiating around the handsome blond appeared to temper their anger.  It was a manipulation of some type, yet more of a purging or purifying effect than the twisting of universal forces like hers.

Yez’ela’s wings returned to her back with her tail as she settled into her chair, watching the muscle-heads take the elevator up, glaring at each other.  Catvielle appeared at her side from a flash of crimson light, flaming eyes centered on Sora.

Sela’s own Unseelies appeared at her back.  “To-gath rassu…”

“No need to jump to conclusions, Tinder,” the smiling queen returned.  “Catvielle, I would advise against any rash decisions, as well…  How are we to proceed, Aiden?  Sora has come to deliver a rather bold declaration that requires a response.”

Yez’ela’s infernal eyes remained while adjusting her low-back dress.  “She is no ordinary Nogitsune…  Her magic borders on four tails, yet all I see is one.  Are they hidden, Sela?”

“No.”

“Of course not,” Aiden sighed, multi-hued flamed aura dying down as he turned to flash a sad smile her way.  “She’s the impossible.  Sora, was it?”

“Mhm.”  She cleared her throat, rebuilding her confidence as Kari’s terrifying presence left.  “I just came here to tell everyone to stop going after the people I care about…”

“Or else, I assume,” Aiden softly interjected, streaming out a long hiss while crossing his arms and glancing around.  “Hmm.  Well, why don’t we all sit down and discuss this properly?”

“A wise suggestion, Lord Aiden.  Lady Sora?”

“Mmgm…”  Sora hesitated a moment before accepting the seat the djinn offered—Devin’s previous chair—as Aiden took his own.  “Why is Devin torturing Lori, and why pressure everyone in my life to force me to remain near Kari?”

Yez’ela chuckled, flaming eyes dying down as the others gave thoughtful looks to one another.  “You’ve stepped in it now, vulpes.”

Aiden’s smile fell.  “I don’t know anything about someone named Lori or anything regarding you.  What’s happening, Sela, Sekhen, Yez’ela?”

The Unseelie gave a short huff and shrugged.  “I’m afraid it is not our place to butt into such matters.  We do what we are told, and that is that.”

Sekhen’s large hands settled in his ethereal lap, displaying a mournful expression.  “Unfortunately, Lord Aiden, I suggest you speak to Lord Devin or Lord Eric about such topics.  We, of the council, are here to enact the will of its head.  Right or wrong, we cannot answer.”

“In other words,” Yez’ela smirked, “our hands are tied.”

This revelation drew the lines within this organization for Sora.  Aiden was most likely the 2nd-in-command, which was why Devin had been so concerned about dealing with all the dirty business before the blond man arrived.

Devin ran Florida operations yet appeared to have either gone off on his own path or had orders from someone higher than Aiden: Eric—Kari’s brother—the big, bad, Fenris Wolf.  Sora was leaning toward the latter.

Eric seemed to run a massive monster organization throughout the States and possibly the world, but Miami had a special place due to his sister being here.  This was so stupid!  All the disasters in her life, and all it came down to was that she was caught in some kind of family drama.

Aiden sat back, tight eyes drifting between the people at the table, and Sora wondered how he’d react to the news.  “Hmm.  You don’t need to tell me.  Stop all operations and take some time off.  I’ll call Eric myself in the meantime.  Enjoy next week.”

“Huh?”  Sora felt as whiplashed as everyone else in the room by the glances they gave one another, but Aiden was already turning to her with a smile.

“Have you had lunch?”

“No?”

“Great.  I know a fairly decent little hole in the wall nearby.  Mind joining me?”

“Ahem…”  Yez’ela’s chair slid back as she stood, looking incredulous.  “I have contracts to fulfill… souls to take.”

Aiden’s expression became forced.  “Give me a second…”

He mirrored Yez’ela’s action, and Sora was impressed as the devil’s long fingernails dug into the table at his tone.  “What did I say, Yez’ela?”

“Eric will not be happy,” Sela sighed, “but… you are the authority.  It is what it is, Yez’ela.”

“And what am I supposed to do?”  she hissed.  “Contracts broken have consequences.”

“I know they do,” Aiden returned, motioning to the bowing djinn.  “Sekhen can help with extending those contracts.  Make it work.”

“I’ll… see it done,” the Succubus snarled through clenched teeth, vanishing in a flash of crimson light.

“M-Mistress?!”  Catvielle whispered, exiting in the same way after giving Aiden a dirty look.

“Haaa.  Well, I’ll enjoy my time away.  I’d rather not be near Miami with what is bound to come after this disaster,” Sela chuckled, yet she didn’t seem all that put off by the change of events.  “I appreciate the vacation.”

She smoothly walked to the wall Kari damaged, running her fingers along the edge of it before turning a curious eye to Sora, her guard hovering nearby.  “You really are unique…  Another piece to the complex board, I see.  Interesting.”

Sora was left with so many more questions than answers, but she couldn’t sense any ill intent from the blond man sitting beside her.

Sekhen floated through his chair and made a strange fist-to-chest gesture.  “I will make sure your orders are followed, Lord Aiden.”

“I appreciate it, Sekhen,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as the djinn vanished in a swirl of smoke and dust. 

“What a mess…”  he said under his breath.  “Sora, sorry for the wait.”

Tail flicking to the right, Sora straightened and shook her head.  “Heh.  You figured that there were probably a lot of shady things happening, so you just told them to get lost while you sort things out?”

“Well, I’m sure they’d have more to say than they did if I said it like that,” Aiden laughed, multi-colored, sparkling eyes studying her.  “I definitely can’t ignore you, though.”

Sora winked, giggling as she gave him a dubious smirk.  “You know I’m still fifteen for six days.”

“Really?  Huh.  I’m only about a year and a half older than you.”

“Seventeen?  No way!  You’re not some secret, ten-thousand-year-old monster creep, right?”

“Ouch!”  Aiden feigned as if shot.  “I’m starting on the creeper platform off the go, huh?  Rough!”

Sora’s heart lifted at his joking behavior; he actually didn’t seem like that bad of a guy.  “I could always be persuaded otherwise.”  Turning away from him, tail swaying with her brightened mood, she nudged her head toward the door.  “Coming?”

“Heh, I’d say ‘after you,’ but I suppose I’m the one with the location.”

“C’mon!”  Sora called, finding her hands behind her back as she went to the elevator.  She rather enjoyed this turn of events, and he’d solved the biggest problem she had in worrying about those close to her.

Aiden jogged after her, and Sora paid a bit more attention to his appearance as she gave him a side-long look.  He was at least twenty centimeters taller than her, and with how he filled out the slim-fit black suit and white button-up shirt, there was muscle underneath it.

His thin tie had a simple knot, and the brown belt and dress shoes didn’t shout expensive, but more than enough to show he took care of his appearance for being only 17 years old.

Aiden called the elevator upon catching up to her, reaching hand showing a mechanical watch that displayed the gears ticking underneath.  His crooked smile returned to studying her.  “Has anyone told you, you have an amazing half-smile?”

“Half-smile?”  she asked, lifting an eyebrow.  “Is that all I have?”

“Mmh.  Tail could be a tad longer, to be honest,” he mumbled, rubbing his chin with a grin.

“Excuse you!”  Bringing the appendage around as the doors opened, she entered with him.  “It’s probably still growing, so I wouldn’t judge its length just yet, and why are you looking at my tail in the first place, hmm?”

He held up his hands in his defense, backing into the corner with a chuckle.  “Don’t get me wrong.  I’m just trying to understand how you exist at all!  It’s a lot to take in and more than a little intimidating.”

“Oh?”  Sora’s ears twitched, a sly smirk lifting the corner of her mouth.  “Intimidating, am I…  What part?”

“Oof.  Going for the gut, are we?”  he hummed, but Sora couldn’t sense much awkwardness from the boy; if anything, he was enjoying himself more by the minute.  “Would you believe me if I said I become blind when you close your eyes?”

Sora’s head tilted to the side.  “Heh.  Is that some kind of play on words that says I have pretty eyes now?  So far, I’m the cute fox-girl with a short tail.  No one’s perfect, huh?”

Sticking his hands in his pockets, leaving out his thumbs, Aiden walked out, spotting the empty, messy lobby; from what Sora had heard with her super-hearing, they were gathering their members to meet at some stadium.

“Hmm.  I don’t know.  A vulpes Founder could certainly make the cut for perfect.”

Sora stopped dead in her tracks, causing him to slow to a stop and turn to face her.  “You know what I am?”

He shrugged.  “Not hard when you have the same unique spiritual pulse as Kari and Eric.  Mind if I make a call while we walk?”

“Sure…”

Curiosity drew Sora to follow him to the door, and when they exited, the wind of the thunderstorm caught her hair, drawing it to the side.  Yet, in the next instant, a swirl of warm magical force billowed around them, creating a mesmerizing display of hues that carried the droplets into an aurora-like blanket over them that collected the rain.

“Wow…  Impressive,” Sora whispered, hesitantly keeping in lock-step down the stairs to a car parked in front of the building.

The aura of light they were in didn’t make them invisible but did cause those that saw it to not find anything out of the ordinary.  It was a complex piece of magic that Sora questioned was magic at all.

Aiden leaned against the black vehicle’s door as the window opened, showing an older gentleman at the wheel.  “I’ll be out for a bit.  Why don’t you take the day off, Ted.”

“It would be my pleasure, Master Aiden.”

Sora could sense illusion magic around the elder.  The man wasn’t human, but she couldn’t investigate further as he promptly pulled the car away.  “You seem to have everyone wrapped around your little finger…”

Puffing out a long breath, he chuckled and adjusted his tie a bit.  “It’s complicated.  Anyway, I thought it would be better to walk.  I enjoy the rain.  You?”

“Yeah.  Most of the time.”

“Nice.”  It was his turn to nudge his head to the right, showing another half-smile.  “It’s this way, and I shouldn’t be long,” he added, holding up a new phone.

Sora laughed and gestured for him to go on.  “Take your time.”

He first dialed the Trolls and Ogres, setting up a time for them all to meet in some stadium later tonight to sort things out, and Sora watched every action he made.  This whole Florida monster world seemed to be on fire, yet he calmly addressed each issue while casually walking down the sidewalk.

It was fascinating to see the small things he did on their way.  Aiden dropped fifty dollars into a homeless man’s bowl, picked up some litter to throw it away, and offered to pay for someone else’s meal in a streetside cart when they seemed a bit short.

When his call with Sela ended, verifying they’d stopped all activities, Sora decided to voice her thoughts.  “Why are you doing all of that…  Are you trying to make a good impression on me?”

She knew he wasn’t by her supernatural senses but wanted to pose the question to see how he’d answer.

Phone dropping to his side as he slowed to look back at the older woman’s happy smile, enjoying her hot dog, Aiden shook his head, brushing back his bangs.  “I made a promise to someone when I was a kid…  I’d do what felt right.  I guess you could call it being idealistic, but one small action on my part could make the world a better place.”

“I think that’s nice,” Sora whispered, looking up at the storm and thinking how each action he took made people smile.  “How many more calls do you need to make?”

“Two more…  Heh, well, three, but I doubt Kari is going to answer.  Sorry for asking you to join me and being a terrible conversation partner.”

“I’m patient,” Sora chimed.  “You can make it up to me when we sit down for lunch.”

He chuckled and returned to his phone, calling the next number.  “It’s a date.”

A date…

Sora’s mind blanked.  She hadn’t considered it, but was this her first date?  The beating of her heart picked up.  It almost felt too good to be true.  He’d shown up out of nowhere, shut down the whole Florida monster association, and then asked her out to eat.

She studied him from the side, one hand in his pocket, the other holding the phone to his ear as it rang.  Ever since he’d first appeared, she’d been studying his aura, and not a single thing felt off.

Aiden radiated a soothing wave that threw her for a loop by how totally open it was.  The blond teenager didn’t have anything to hide—which felt unreal in itself.  It wasn’t as if he was defenseless, and she got the impression he could repel her attempt at digging into his mind to discover what was on it.

The confusing part was that he didn’t have the same overwhelming, force-of-nature vibe that she got from most of the creatures she’d met thus far.  Aiden had a refined and smooth slide to the energies he radiated that sank into everything around him.

It was as if she was watching him strolling through a musical, following a path directed for him; he wasn’t out of place at all because the world appeared to be drawn to his radiant glow.

“Haaa.  Thought not,” Aiden muttered, what appeared to be Kari’s voicemail answering; Sora was shocked the bully had a voicemail at all—it was too normal.  “Well, time for the hard part…” 

Noticing her gaze on him, he asked, “Studying my magic?  Or is it my shiny golden hair?  I know it can be a bit distracting when the sun hits it just right!”

“Funny…  What are you?”

He laughed.  “Forward!  I like it.  I’m a firebird.”

“A firebird?  Is that…  Russian?”

“Technically Slavic,” he winked.  “I guess you could call it Russian, too.  Am I off the hot seat now?”

“For now…”  Sora smirked; it was fun to talk to him.

He did tell her what he was, but that also drew more questions from her; then again, she didn’t want to ruin a good thing by tugging too hard.  Aiden, this mysterious firebird, was being more transparent than a lot of monsters, including Jin.

Her ears fell back a tad as he connected with his next contact, and Sora listened intently.  The man on the opposite side had an unbothered, deep, and powerful voice.

“What’s up, Brother?  How’s Miami doing?”

“Yo, Eric.  Eh-heh.  Not good.  Kari discovered something about Devin torturing some girl?  I don’t know the details since we don’t stick our noses into her business, but I’m looking into it.  Although, haaa…  She might just kill him.  I’ve shut most operations down until I get to the bottom of it.”

Eric didn’t respond for a few seconds, and Sora held her breath; this was the first time she’d heard the person behind Kari’s power.  Obviously, these were the guys that kept the alpha bully away from any kind of news troubles or punishment.  Everything was starting to connect.

“Do you honestly believe Kari will kill Devin… over Lori?  Hmm.”

Sora’s tail motions slowed.  He didn’t sound all that concerned for Devin—in fact, if Sora didn’t know any better, he was interested in that prospect.

“Mmh.  As I said, I don’t know.  I’m looking into it, but Kari isn’t the type to kill, so… probably not.  She’s not above breaking every bone in his body.  You know wolfweres can heal fast, so she may do it a few times to send the message to stay out of her territory.  I heard… something about a vulpes, as well?”

Ears twitching with agitation, Sora caught Aiden’s downturned frown and cheered inside as the boy started asking just what she wanted answers for.

“A vulpes?  Uh…  Yeah, Jenny mentioned it to me.  She seemed to think the fox would be a good fit to push Kari away from the whole human angle she’s been taking the last few years.  Something develop with that?”

It sounds like he wants to know if Kari killed me!  Was I just some chew toy to agitate his sister and make her more ‘Fenris Wolf-like’ or something?!  How many times has Kari wanted to chase me out, and Jenny convinced her otherwise?!

Aiden popped his tongue a few times, seeing her darkened mood.  “Mmh…  There may be holes and details left out with Jenny’s ‘master plan’ or whatever you guys were plotting…  Big ones.  I’ll discuss it with you later.  Got any advice on calming Kari down?”

“I’d just hold her to the ground until she stops struggling—maybe rip an arm off or snap several bones,” Eric grunted.

Sora shivered at the chilling revelation, and a grimace crossed Aiden’s handsome face.

“You know I can’t do that, Eric.”

“Haaa.  You’ve always been soft on her.”

The tight expression on Aiden’s face deepened, and an unexpected swirl of darker emotions rose within his aura.  “Yeah…  She’s been through a lot.”

“Haven’t we all…  Ugh.  Dammit.  If she’s on a rampage, it could cause problems.  I’ll be down in four days.  I’m a bit busy in Cali right now with that vampire outbreak from Europe.”

“Ugh.”  Aiden held his closed fist against his forehead.  “They… decided to test you?”

“Heh.  They sent me Jessica’s head in a box.  I was almost impressed.  I’ll pick my teeth with their bones, let them regrow a few times—heal several times between prey—and eat their coven member by member until I get to the leader.”

“Haaa.  Yeah.  See you in four days.”

Sora’s mouth was sealed shut during the disgusting conversation.  It painted a savage upbringing for Kari that did something she never thought she’d feel—not in a million years—she felt terrible for the nastiest and most horrible girl she’d known in her life.

She couldn’t help putting herself in Kari’s shoes, having an older brother and a household where whenever any argument came up, it was either back down with her tail between her legs or have this big, powerful guy—someone who should protect his little sister—pinning her to the floor and literally twisting off her limbs until she conceded.  It was very wolf-like.

Considering that, it was a wonder how Kari hadn’t gone full psychopath and slaughtered her forever ago.  No, looking back, Sora’s focus started to shift to a smug, tall, lanky girl:  Jenny had been the instigator behind everything and probably pushed Devin to do the terrible things to Lori that had broken the sociopath.

Jenny told Eric about her.  Jenny was the one convincing Kari to keep her around when she wanted to run her off.  Jenny was the one that was outside the door of Mary’s office and had likely been on her way to threaten the woman the other day.

Everything traced back to her, but that didn’t excuse Eric or Kari’s actions.

Kari had been a shy girl when she first came to Miami—reserved—and now that she was looking back with clearer vision, she could see the path Jenny had pulled her down with several other girls that were nasty pieces of work that used Kari’s power and broken state to get their own sort of authority.

Although even now, with Kari’s rebellious, take-no-shit personality, she didn’t empathize with others.  The bully was becoming her brother, albeit far less murdery—which was shocking—though it would probably be only a matter of time.

It wasn’t as if Sora could let the torture she’d endured go; it was sad, but she was a monster nonetheless.  Kari made fun of her stutter like everyone else.  Kari couldn’t do what Sora was doing right now.  Kari was still a territorial wolf—an animal—that would have chased her out anyway.

The alpha bully turned out to be a sad, angry wolf-girl, and Jenny was her real puppet master and enemy, yet Kari was still a wolf that bit her over and over again… 

She wanted nothing to do with any of them.

Chapter Twenty: Six Days; First Date, Unfortunate

Aiden hung up from his tense phone call, and Sora launched right into the heated topic, unable to believe she actually felt bad for Kari.  “Eric—that monster—does what to his sister?  If Kari gets out of line, just… just tear off a few limbs?!  What kind of sick family is this?”

Aiden rubbed his phone against his forehead, whispering, “You can be an angel of mercy or give in to hate… with a million lies that rise to tear you apart, as someone once said.  It’s a brutal world out there, Sora, and you can’t compare a human cultural way of life with a child of Fenrir…  Judge, jury, and executioner.  I’d expect you to know more about that, though.  It’s in here…”

Sora’s eyebrows drew together as she followed his gaze to an alley, hearing what appeared to be a hideaway restaurant off the grid.  She imagined it was a monster hotspot of some kind because magic kept the alleyway hidden.

“Didn’t you have one more call?”

“I don’t have to speak to Devin yet… let him run a while longer,” he sighed, trying to add a smile.  “I’d much rather get to know you, though.  Would you humor me?  I know it’s a lot to ask.”

“I suppose…  You know I’m a vulpes Founder?  Wait… you said I have the same unique wave as Kari, so… are Kari and Eric Founders, or whatever it is?”  she asked, piecing together that vulpes was an identifier for a fox that was attached to Founder, meaning there had to be Founders of all types.  “Is Fenrir the wolf Founder?”

“Wow, you really don’t know?”  Aiden questioned, leading them to the grungy door before opening it and offering her to enter first.

“No…  Oh, this place is actually pretty nice.”

The interior was something out of a Michelin 3-star restaurant, complete with waiters and waitresses.  The black and gold design was classy, and unusual monsters like fish people, giant lobsters, and bird people sat at the spelled tables.

“Master Aiden, it is a pleasure to see your return to Florida,” a feminine dolphin woman said, moving to address them.  “Table for three?”

“No, Eric’s not in town for another few days.”

“I see.  This way.”

Sora could feel the relieved emotional waves that emanated from the tall woman: Eric was feared and, from what she’d heard, for good reason.  The chair and table automatically changed shape and size to accommodate them as they neared a private area in the back, and she handed them each a menu that was totally blank.

“Umm…”

Aiden chuckled and waved the waitress away.  “Thank you, Tammy; I’ll let you know when we’re ready to order.”

She bowed her head and left them alone.

Puffing out a long stream of air, he chuckled at Sora’s suspicious glare.  “Chicken.”

“Chicken?  Oh…”  Her eyes widened when ink bled across the menu, showing dozens upon dozens of meals for her to choose from.  “Rabbit?  Nice…  Heh.  I might have to make this a regular spot,” she whispered as the items changed.

Aiden cleared his throat and left the menu on the table to study her.  “Is… Mia your mother?”

The fur on Sora’s tail stiffened as she looked up from the top of the laminated paper to stare at the tall blond boy.  The question had come from left field, and was a little creepy to know someone random just knew her mother’s name.

Magic is certainly more common than I thought, and monsters for that matter, but I’m getting the feeling my mom’s something of a celebrity.  Maybe he knows where my mom is!  I should play it cool, though.

“Hmm… why do I get the feeling that seems obvious?  What do you know about my mom…  Are you asking if she’s here?”

Leaning forward to bridge his fingers and rest his chin, he frowned.  “I don’t think she is…  In fact, I don’t think you’ve even met her, which is sad because Alva, Kari’s mother, was rather fond of her.”

“How can you be sure of that?”  Sora challenged, ears pulling back and tail pressing against one of the chair legs.  She didn’t like not knowing things, which was hard when she was totally new to this world.

A sad smile lifted his mouth, and he nudged his head to the side.  “This universe is still here…”

It took a second for her to process what he meant, causing her gut to tighten, and she lowered the menu.  It was insane that her mom could destroy a universe, and she’d do it for her because she was bullied.  “You have my attention.  What do you know about my mom?”

Fingers tilted up to press against his nose, Aiden closed his eyes and breathed; it seemed to take him a moment to find the right words to respond.  “I know this is going to come out… bad, and it’s hard for me to say.  Cool?”

Sora mentally prepared herself.  “That’s… not typically something someone says that ends with a happy response.”

“Umm-ugh.  I’ll just dive right into it.  Your mother is sterile…  At least, that’s what Alva—a 2nd generation Fenris Wolf Founder who knew her very well—taught us.”

The word registered but didn’t compute for a time.  Jin’s questioning looks now made sense: she didn’t believe she was a Founder because it was supposed to be impossible.  For only a moment, it made her doubt what Stephanie had told her.

“Sterile…  Sterile…  How was I born then—how are you sure I am a Founder—that wavelength?”

“Hey, hey!”  Aiden held up his hands before running his fingers through his hair.  “Look, like I told you, I go off how I feel when going through life, and I can’t tell you ‘how’ you are a Founder, but… yeah.  You have the signature that Alva taught us how to detect, which is… very important in Founder culture for serious reasons.”

“Oh?”  Sora huffed, thinking back on all the comments her bullies made about her being a fox over the years.  “Important, huh?  Why didn’t Kari detect it, then?”

Aiden slumped back against his chair and shook his head.  “She was in a rebellious phase at the time—young—and… there’s no fighting bad timing.  Can you tell me about your relationship with Kari?”

“Pfft!  Relationship?!  Are you kidding me?”  Sora snarled, her extending fingernails punching holes through the menu.  “She made the last three years of my life a living hell!”

“Mmgm-haaa.”  Aiden rubbed his face and steepled his hands again.  “I was afraid of that…  Can you tell me the details?  I understand if you don’t want to…”

“Oh, I can tell you every terrible thing she’s done to me!”  Sora fumed, her tail and ears becoming animated in her agitation.  “How much time do you have, because it started in junior high?!”

Sora began from the moment she laid eyes on the wolf, connecting with Aiden as she felt his honest empathy.  She ordered various rabbit dishes—Aiden told her he’d pick up the tab—and she was shocked to see how engaged he was, empathizing with her at various points in expression and word.

Of course, after a bit, she realized a piece of that came from his earlier statement: her mother would have destroyed the universe if she had been here.  It tempered her heated cursing of Kari, Jenny, and Lori to focus on something far more important.

Fork picking at her half-eaten steamed rabbit, Sora mumbled, “Aiden…”

“Haaa-yeah, no…  That’s terrible.  I know it was probably ten times worse than what you told me, too—there’s no way I could understand how you felt—I… don’t know how much it would help, but I’ll do everything I can to do…  Well, whatever you need.”

Sora hesitated.  He hadn’t seen Kari for years, yet was willing to put this new stranger above her?  Thinking back to when the alpha bully went to their school, in a way, she may have been a product of the school social click culture that warped her perception.

“Kari wasn’t a cold-hearted… heh, wolf?”

“No.  No,” Aiden mumbled, clearly depressed by everything she’d just told him, which also implicated Jenny as the main manipulator with Eric.  “No…  Kari really wasn’t the type to do that kind of stuff the last time I saw her…  Of course, she didn’t talk much at all back then.”

Silence took them as she studied the dimmed, multi-colored hues his hidden aura radiated; in a way, he was going through his own spiral.  There weren’t so many rainbows and butterflies in his now polluted vision of this little family he’d grown up with, and a new cancer was developing deep within his core that gnawed at him.

“You okay?”

“No.  Not really,” he muttered, resting his mouth against his knuckles.  “It’s like my eyes were just opened to a ruined world, and I’m swimming in a pool of delusions…  It’s sickening to contemplate what the truth behind all this is…”

Sora wanted to probe further, to learn more about Kari, if nothing but to use against her, yet the darkness now seeping into Aiden’s emotional state made her shiver; there was something horrific he was contemplating.

Thankfully, it didn’t involve her—nor did she want it to—but she could resonate with Aiden’s emotions; something fundamental he’d placed his trust into was now fracturing.

“Haaa.  Heh.  I guess I’m a fool, huh?  An idealistic fool…”  he mumbled as if repeating the words of someone else.  “Umm.  What can I do to help?”

Fidgeting with the hem of her shorts, Sora cleared her throat.  “You already shut down everything in the monster association, or whatever…  I guess, I just want to be done with all this business.  I-eh… think Kari might try to find me to figure out what’s going on with me… you know, being there.”

Aiden forced a smile.  “I’ll make sure she knows you have nothing to do with any of this…  I need to talk to her anyway.  Cool?”

“Eh.  Yeah…  Yeah, that would help a lot…”  Looking up at the depressed boy, seemingly drowning in a bath of lies that he was trying to come to terms with, she wanted to help him too but knew it was far outside her depth.

“Can you tell me a bit more about my mom?  I was going to ask my dad when he gets back, but…  I’m afraid he will just stonewall me…  I don’t know,” she mumbled, brushing back her hair and looking away.  “It’s stupid to think he would—he loves me more than the world—it’s just…”

Her ears drew back, recalling the last time she’d brought up her mother to him.  It was a touchy topic that they hadn’t since approached, and she couldn’t be sure how things would turn out when he returned.  In a way, she was scared.

Hugging his sides, Aiden’s aura brightened a bit with his forced smile; he really did seem to be struggling to accept everything she was telling him.  “Mia’s the youngest of four…  Amy was what most Founders called The First Vulpes, but she also went by Vulpes.”

“Amy,” Sora repeated, feeling as if she’d just discovered a huge secret.  “I have a grandma… and three aunts—what are their names?”

He shook his head.  “I never got that far, well, except for Inari, but I don’t know much.  Eric was more interested in Alva’s educational lessons while I was busy… babysitting, I guess you could say.”

Aiden didn’t seem put off by the activity; in fact, his aura softened upon mentioning it.  Sora was too focused on her own answers to dig deeper.

“What is a Founder?”  she blurted out, jumping from topic to topic that pulled at her heart.  “What am I?”

“Ah.  That’s a harder one,” he sighed.  “Founders are the strongest things there are… period.  The first beings that understood Existence.  At least that’s what I was told as an explanation.  As far as what is Existence, eh, something bigger than any one of us can even comprehend…  Omniverses upon omniverses.  Best to just wave that off until we’re older.”

Sora chuckled.  “I don’t even know what an omniverse is.”

“Join the club!”  he laughed.  “Haaa-yeah.  1st Gen Founders were the beginning of all life… magic, spiritual aura… everything, and that’s our creation origin—which is vague as crap, I know!”  he said, seeing her incredulous expression.

“At the beginning of Existence were the Founders, and then they had children… your aunts.  But all I know about them is the first and oldest, Inari, The White-Tailed Vulpes, and the founder of the Kitsune, and, last…”

“Mia…  The Red-Tailed Vulpes—my mom’s the youngest?”  Sora whispered, drawing around her copper tail.

Aiden shrugged.  “Orange, red… it’s subjective, right?  Alva always said it was on the redder scale.  When it comes to temper, Mia was said to have the hottest, but that’s pretty much all I know.”

“Where is she?”

“Pfft.  Your guess is as good as mine.  As I said, it’s a big place out there, and this little world is nothing, literally nothing in the grand scope of things.  That being said…  I’d like it if we could somehow figure out a way forward from all this because… Founders kind of aren’t supposed to fight one another.”

“Tell that to Kari, Jenny, Lori, and, apparently, Eric has a part in that, too!”

Aiden hissed, cheeks puffing out as he looked at his watch.  “Look, Sora…  We should keep you being a Founder hidden from Eric.  He can get some… extreme ideas sometimes, and Fenris Wolves are very territorial.  Another Founder being in this universe could set him off, and I’d rather not see you get hurt.”

“Oh… and why’s that—because I have an ‘awesome’ smile and ‘stunning’ green eyes?”  she teased, suddenly enjoying his open and friendly approach compared to everyone else she’d met.  After all, even Jin had wanted to rip her heart out, apparently.

He stood and buttoned his suit, a crooked upward tilt coming to his mouth.  “Definitely a plus that you’ve got the looks and vibe of a gem, but—if I’m being honest—as I’ve learned as of this meeting, I like talking to you.  Hope to see you around, Sora.  Keep your head down, and catch you later, fox-girl.”

Sora watched him leave, waving at the exit into the main dining area, likely to the dolphin lady.  “Huh…”

You’re kind of an interesting guy…  I liked talking to you, too.

“Ugh…”  Sora sighed, annoyed she hadn’t said it, and stared at her 3rd plate of different styles of rabbit; it had all been terrific.  “Get yourself together…  Howie!”

Getting up, she stretched out and thanked Tammy on the way out; she was shocked that it was already dark and the storm had passed.  She’d talked the whole day away and been so enthralled by telling her life’s story that she hadn’t noticed in the faintest.

She smiled, feeling surprisingly warm and light inside as she made her way home.  Aiden wasn’t so bad, she thought with a slight blush on her cheeks.

Now, Eric…  Eric was someone she didn’t feel like getting involved with at all.  So long as he kept his distance, she was fine leaving him to his own devices.  Kari had her own problems, but she was out of this insane family drama.

It was time to spend time with Ron, Howie, Daisy, probably Mary, but most importantly, her bestest friend in the whole world, Wendy.  Life was looking up.

Her face brightened when she entered the elevator to find Howie practically glowing, which melted her heart.  “Amazing day?”

“Heh.  Sora, you have no idea how…”  Tears threatened to stain Sora’s cheeks as Howie’s voice cracked; the doors closed as he breathed.  “I can remember it like yesterday… the first time my lips touched hers—heh, there were butterflies and the taste of honey…  Today… today was like that—it felt so right.  I think… I think I want to propose tomorrow.”

“I’m glad…  Huh?!  Stop the cap!  Hold up!  For real?”

“It feels right,” he repeated, light and blue skies in his aura.  The man was on cloud nine.  “I know everything will be alright if she’s with me, and… if that’s not wife material, then what is?  We have been dating off-and-on for like eight years, so, you know?  I think it’s time.”

“Wow, true, true, uh…  So, a ring?”

“I’m working on the whole thing still,” he laughed but sealed his mouth when the doors opened to her suite.

“Howie?”  Daisy asked, blonde locks hanging over the back of the couch as she peered down the hall from the front room.  “Oh, welcome home, Sora.”

Those words hit Sora like a punch to the chest, making her smile.  “I’m home.  See you tomorrow,” she said, flipping around to wink and give the man a secret smirk.

“Night, Sora.  Stay beautiful, Daisy!”

Pivoting on her heel to wave at Daisy as the doors closed, she asked, “How was the date?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she dropped to the couch, setting aside one of the books from their library.  “Ugh…  Do you know what he said to me?”

“Something sappy?”  Sora snickered, jumping into an armchair.  “What?  What?  Spill!”

She covered her face.  “Birds were meant to sing, and your lips were made for kissing mine…”

“Aww!”

“It’s so embarrassing!”

Sora set everything she’d learned aside to dive into the deep end of Daisy’s rekindled love and hope.  It was like she was speaking to a brand new woman, and chat they did until 11 p.m., when they slunk up to her bathroom to get ready for bed.

It was so nice having someone else in the house, and, for having the blood of Succubi, Daisy was such a wholesome and innocent soul. 

This, this was what her powers were meant for, she decided, sinking into her squishy bed and drifting into the dreamscape. 

Five days until her birthday.

Chapter Twenty-One: Five Days; Salvaging A Friendship

Stretching her tail out as the Saturday morning beams stimulated Sora’s mind, she lay in bed for the next thirty minutes without checking the time.  Her ears shifted with the movements Daisy made downstairs as she made breakfast, using whatever was in the fridge; she was totally clueless that Howie was setting up for this big day.

The smell of eggs, sausage, and a freshly opened carton of orange juice was carried up the stairs to her, making Sora’s stomach growl, but there was another thing keeping her in bed and away from her phone: today was supposed to be her first outing with Wendy if her mother didn’t try to stop the reunion.

Sora hoped her best friend wouldn’t tell her mom she’d be hanging out with her and just said she was going out for the day, but figured Wendy cared too much about what her alcoholic guardian thought.  Wendy was a better girl than she—at least, as far as recent events made her.

A rumble shook Sora’s chest as she leaned over to snatch her phone off the wireless charger, noticing she’d slept until 7:38 a.m.; she sighed, staring dully at her notifications.

7:03 a.m. - Wendy: I don’t know if it’s a great day to go out.  It’s supposed to be stormy, and I should really get some cleaning done in the house.  Sorry, Sora.

Sorry my tail, Sora internally grumbled, ears twitching with agitation.  Know what?  Maybe I should just go over there and push things a little.  What do I have to lose?  Wendy shouldn’t need her mom’s permission to spend time with people; she’s sixteen already!

Tossing off her sheets, Sora glared at the message again, unlocking the device to check if her dad was still locked into his meeting—sure enough, total silence.  He’d be on her side; even if all the psychiatrists had blinded him with their babble and lies, her dad always encouraged her to speak her mind and not be afraid to take risks—just be smart about it.

She puffed out her frustration and set her phone on her bedside table, getting up to arch her back a little before moving to the closet.  Every day her magic was getting stronger; she wanted to test it, yet also knew she had to be prepared if any of those monsters showed up to test her.

Compromising by attempting more minor stuff she thought she could renew by being out in the coming storm, Sora molded her desires to hasten her morning routine.

A smile brightened her face; she held her arms out, watching herself in the mirror as her nightgown was levitated off and her chosen items slipped into place with her guiding magic, but she still needed to step into and tug at the articles to properly situate them.

She’d selected one of the modified shin-length skirts with a hidden slit and buttons—a navy-blue color—and a white-neck, spaghetti-strap belly shirt.  Lifting a foot, she giggled as her wedge sandal floated into place and latched itself, doing the same for the other.  She felt like a witch getting ready for magic school.

Holding her breath, Sora snapped her fingers and watched her skin, hair, nails, and fur shimmer before straightening, looking as if she had it just treated.

“So cool.”

She pointed at her jewelry box and motioned with a finger, prompting her small white gold hoop earrings, emerald bracelet, and thin necklace to adorn her, which they did.

Shifting left and right in front of her mirror, Sora wondered what the point of a bathroom was with Desire Magic in her bag of tricks.  She then flicked her tail, testing the motions in the skirt, and couldn’t help the silent laughter upon seeing the way it fluttered the fabric.

Cute!  Less than five minutes, too.  It really is magic.

Sora exited her room with her purse following in the air, her phone floating into its pocket as she went downstairs to meet the one-quarter Succubus.  It was nice not having to hide who she was, and every day she felt cuter and more in control.

“Morning!”  she chimed, entering the kitchen.  “Someone’s been busy.  FYI, I don’t know if those are still good to eat; I don’t cook at the house that much anymore.”

The blonde’s soft hum and cheer dampened a bit upon seeing her, fingers reflexively moving up to brush against her high-tied hair before glancing down at her orange, cat-themed pajamas.

“Oh, uh… I thought we were going to have a casual morning.  Got somewhere to be?  And I checked the dates; food’s generally fine a few days past the expiration date.”

“Eh-heh, I guess I do plan on going out for the day and… I expect you should be too!”

“Should I?”  Daisy asked, forcing a smile as she moved the sausages on the pan with a spatula.  “I might have been fired from my waitressing job… and my maid part-time job for skipping work the last few days.  Eh-heh.  I know I should probably pay some kind of… rent?  Maybe I should have asked before cooking or… opening a new bottle.  Ugh.  Yeah.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Sora huffed, snatching out one of the sausages to pop it into her mouth.

“That’s hot!”  Daisy cried.

“Meh.  Seems I’m also heat-resistant!”  she snickered between bites.  “Oh, and I can just force the grease off my fingers—so convenient.  Also, don’t worry about money or anything.  I’ll stop by and pick up more groceries on the way back—just text me a shopping list of things you typically eat.”

The blonde groaned, mouth tight as she continued to cook their breakfast.  “You’re… way too much, Sora.  You live in a sky castle with security and personal attendants…  You basically kidnapped me and forced some kind of magical spell inside me that completely curbed my appetite for spiritual energy.”

Sora leaned her back against the counter and shrugged.  “You’re welcome.  Want to pay me back?  Get ready for the date of your life tonight!  Howie’s got plans for you.”

“See?”  Daisy hissed, scooping the food onto two plates for them.  “How can you know what my boyfriend wants to do before I do…”

Amusement dampening at her tone, she slowed down to study the woman’s emotional aura; Daisy was in a spiral, and it was her fault.  Swaying tail coming to a stop, Sora sighed, following her to the dining room table.

“I’m sorry, Daisy.  I’m not trying to control your life…  I’m just looking for a friend, I guess, and I know I’ve totally uprooted your life.”

“Eh-heh.  I am grateful, Sora.  I really am,” she whispered, twirling the silver fork in her hand while staring at her plate.  “You’ve changed my life in ways I could never dream… heh, no pun intended, but I do feel a little…  How should I say this?”

“Smothered?”  Sora asked with a chuckle.  “I have come off a bit strong.”

Daisy flashed her teeth.  “Just a bit.  I don’t like being a burden or causing trouble, and Howie told me your father is going to be coming back in a few days…”

Playing with her toes, Sora slowly nodded, trying to look at it from her perspective rather than blowing it off and saying she’ll handle it.  “Do you have a place to stay?  I mean, heh, you probably do—you had to live somewhere, right?”

“Mmh…  Howie has to check with his supervisor since your dad helped him get into one of the rooms on the first level, but he’s offered for me to move in with him.”

Sora’s smile returned.  “That’s huge!  I’m happy for you.”

“Heh, yeah… if it happens,” she mumbled, averting her gaze as she picked at her eggs.

Reading between the lines, Sora sighed.  “Ah.  You don’t want to be a burden on him or cause trouble.  Do you know what will make Howie feel like a champion?”  she asked, giving the fidgeting woman a knowing gleam.

“Haaa.  Let him be my knight?”

“Bingo!  Hehe.  I’m getting the feeling you’re scared after everything’s settling down,” Sora said between bites.  “You’re scared he only sees Succubus dream you and will hate the real you as things go along.  Am I right?”

“It’s… not impossible,” she whispered, scratching her arms and looking a tad depressed.  “What if he likes the hot and cold… bipolar me that tries to quit him only to slink back for my next fix?  What if more of my Succubus side comes out and hurts him, or your magic strengthens that part of me at some point?  I am terrified… of a lot of things,” she choked, orange juice going down the wrong pipe.

Sora slowly nodded.  “I can see why…  There are a lot of uncertainties, which is why you should pull the trigger.  I think a lot of those worries will fade away tonight, but if they don’t, I’m always here to listen.”

Seeing the woman’s apprehensive movements, she jabbed a fork in her direction with a grin.  “No lie, I’ve grown to like you a lot more after getting to know you, Daisy—even if just a little bit—and I have magical x-ray emotion powers that let me understand people on a deeper level.  So, take that as a win!”

Daisy wiped at the tears in her eyes as she recovered from the orange juice incident.  “D-Did you just tell me I should be proud to be your friend?”

“Your words, not mine!”  Sora snickered.  “Not that I disagree with them.  I’m a pretty awesome vulpes if I do say so myself.  Don’t hesitate to browse through what’s left of my closet and use whatever product is in my bathroom.  Splurge a little, and cheer up!  You’re free, Daisy.  Live a little!  It’s what I’m doing.”

Taking a deep breath, Daisy let it go with a half-smile.  “I’m not a bad woman?”

“I mean, mmh…  Bad is a bit subjective, right?”  Sora shrugged, lips tightening as she looked away.  “What’s being an emotion-sucking Succubus for most of your life compared to normal people that do it without a valid reason their entire lives.”

“Way to cheer me up,” Daisy laughed.  “Thank you.”

“That’ll be nine, ninety-nine!  Also, I’m not here on weekends.”

“Wow.  Cheap, but a bit hard to reach, huh?”

“Hey, I gotta have a life, too!”

Joking and eating with Daisy, Sora was glad to see the woman’s aura becoming more positive, which also helped to put things into perspective with her meeting Wendy today.  She had become more bold and pushy, which could cause a divide with her best friend if she wasn’t careful.

She helped Daisy with the dishes after, and it crossed her mind that she hadn’t taken any medication for over twenty-four hours.  It was a little surreal and liberating to contemplate.  In a little under a week, her entire life had been flipped on its head, and things were moving so fast.

Sora had discovered her family origins, met a goddess, and saved two people from a terrible fate.  She was kind of awesome.

Waving the curious part-Succubus off, who was asking questions about what occasion she should be dressing for, Sora told her to dress to impress and went to the elevator.  Daisy grumbled upstairs, telling her that didn’t tell her anything.  Of course, Sora had no clue what to tell her since all she knew was the end result.

Opening the doors, she saw Howie there, a little tired, but still riding high from his earlier date.

“Hey, lover-boy, ready for your big date tonight?”  Sora teased, grinning as the man made a dopey face.

“Hah, yeah, but I’m nervous as anything…  And working a double right before has left me… more anxious than I thought I would be.”

“Hey!  You’ll do great!  Just remember how you feel about her, and treat her like a princess.  Can’t go wrong!”  Sora said, internally giggling at the idea of a Succubus princess.

Remembering her earlier conversation with Ron, she gently weaved some magic as they rode down, revitalising Howie’s stamina, and making sure that he’d be in top shape for his proposal.  She made sure to recharge him a little slower than she’d done with Ron so that he wouldn’t be suspicious of the huge dose.

“Whoo, yeah.  You’re right…  How’d you get so wise at your age, Sora?  Besides, just seeing your happy face, especially when you used to be so negative about her, has raised me up.  I can conquer the world!”

Sora laughed at his enthusiasm, happy to have helped her friend.  “Just remember, Daisy doesn’t seem like the attention-seeking type, so don’t do some bad public play.  And you better be filming!  I don’t want to just hear about it; I need to see the deets!”

Howie chuckled and gave a wry grin.  “Sure, sure.  I’ve got it all worked out—well, minus the ring.  You don’t think she’d mind an onion ring engagement, right?”

“Howie!  You wouldn’t dare!”

The man just laughed.  “I kid, I kid.  I’ve got it sorted, Sora.  You just enjoy your day.  See you later!”

“Later!”

Sora exited, doing a quick scan for the ominous purple-eyed woman while hiding her floating purse behind illusions.  She wasn’t visible, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t there.  Her enhanced senses and the colors weaving through her environment didn’t give any indication that anyone was hiding nearby either.

Walking out of the hotel, she looked up at the overcast weather, using her magic to keep her hair from being dragged around; the force against her clothes wasn’t terrible, however.  She kind of liked this pre-storm feel that flooded her veins with energy—though it helped that she seemed to draw her power from any nature, only pausing inside closed-off buildings.

She breathed in the scent that told her there was going to be a light shower throughout the day.  They were experiencing lingering effects from a hurricane, or so she heard from the news reports others were watching—her hearing had become shockingly acute, behaving similarly to her magic in focusing on what would interest her.

Sora stood in front of the tall hotel for a few minutes, clasping her arm behind her back while organizing her thoughts.  Lately, she’d done a lot of acting on instinct, which had gotten her into a few troublesome situations, yet also given her answers.  When it came to Wendy, she couldn’t mess it up by thoughtlessly breaking into her life.

Daisy was a good woman, and Sora could see them becoming friends, but not in the same way Wendy was—someone her age that she’d known most of her life.  Sora sighed, she and her best friend had so much to catch up on.

Beginning her journey to Normandy Island, Sora took her time, allowing Miami’s morning bustle to filter into obscurity while considering everything she’d been through in the past five days.

She’d made new friends: Eyia and Jin—if she could call them that—met Aiden—a surprisingly compassionate person for the crowd he was in—and chased after an amnesia-riddled cat monster that was far more powerful than she appeared.

Nilly could be heard, smelled, and seen wherever Sora looked for the cat-girl.  She knew it was her magic discovering her presence in the slightest interaction she’d made around her, but the issue was that Nilly was everywhere.  Her lingering aura was as cryptic as any other aspect of the Nekomata.

Jin was sort of terrifying, and Kari had more strength than she’d expected.  The alpha bully actually seemed more apathetic toward her than anything else—which was a tad insulting, if Sora was being honest.  Yet, at the same time, the wolf was practically immune to her magic, so there was that, and it also made her wonder if Eric would be the same.  Not a comforting thought.

So long as she stayed in her lane and they stayed in theirs, Sora wasn’t too concerned.  Of course, villains were never that considerate, and Eric certainly did sound like a nasty dude.  She’d have to deal with it if he showed up.

Sora branched onto 72nd Street, mind moving to Jane—Wendy’s mom—the closer she got to her destination.  She was more nervous than she wanted to admit to herself, even if humans couldn’t hurt her like the monsters she’d seen.  Her gut tightened when she found herself already at their apartment complex on Rue Granville; it was time.

Wendy’s mom rented a two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment and lived on the right side of the second floor, directly at the end of the stairs.  Sora knew her livelihood was abnormal, but couldn’t help but feel sorry for her best friend, cramped and stuck with the family she had.

Noting a few boys hanging out near a car with an open hood in the parking lot and not wanting to be bothered, she cloaked herself in illusions, and they didn’t even glance her way as she went up the stairs.  Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door, releasing all her illusions—excluding those around her tail, ears, and purse.

Please, let me in…

The air in her lungs froze, her heartbeat increasing as she heard and felt footsteps coming to the door, making her ears twitch.  A slightly obese, brown-haired woman in her forties came into view as it swung inward.  Sora’s eyes were instantly drawn to the coconut rum bottle in her right hand as she leaned against the door frame.

The court-ordered sobriety courses didn’t hold, huh?

She didn’t seem to be too drunk because her speech seemed normal, but Sora smelled the alcohol on her breath.  “Well, if it isn’t Sora,” she dully huffed.

Sora cleared her throat, attempting to put on a happy face and speak respectfully by using her last name.  “Ehm—hi, Ms. Elise.  Is… Wendy home?”

“Yeah.”

The silence stretched for a few seconds, making Sora swallow uncomfortably under the woman’s cold glare.  “Can… I see her?”

Making an agitated popping sound with her tongue, Jane hummed, looking her up and down before centering on her jewelry and making Sora curse that she’d dressed up a little.

“Well—Wendy just got back from her overnight job and has some other chores to do.”

Sora sucked on her lower lip for a moment, staring at the wall.  Does Wendy have another job besides working as a school janitor?  Just how little free time does her mom give her!?  Jane seems perfectly comfortable right now, so why isn’t she working?  It just doesn’t seem fair.

Jane began to close the door.  “So, I think you’d better come back another time.”

Fire entered Sora’s chest.  I tried it the proper way.

“Stop,” she commanded.

Jane’s muscles tensed as she locked up.  Her eyes hazed while questioning her own actions, but Sora continued with a hard tone.

“Let me in.”

The door opened to show Jane’s ever-increasingly confused face.

“Come in,” she gestured, clearly shocked at her own words.

Walking inside, Sora saw the bathroom light on and heard a blow dryer running.  Wendy must have taken a shower after work.

Sora apprehensively turned to the woman.  “Go sit at the table… quietly.”

Jane complied, looking a little scared now, and she set the bottle of rum on the table, fingers white and shaking.  Closing the door, Sora went to sit across from her and crossed her legs, feeling more in control as her tail flicked to the left.

“You don’t have to be scared.  Act a little more courteously towards me, and you can speak freely.”

A hard lump moved down Jane’s throat.  “What… are you doing to me?”

Sora leaned back and hummed thoughtfully.  “Honestly, I don’t know the details.  If I want someone to do something, then I can make them do it.  Another interesting thing I can do is feel your emotions.”

Observing Jane’s aura with a desire, Sora almost gagged.  “Wow…  Which is how I know you hate me—literally hate everything about me…  It’s almost as if you’d kill me if you had the chance without going to prison.  Why?  Why can’t Wendy be my friend?”

Jane’s features creased in a manner that said she didn’t want to speak, though she spoke nonetheless.  Yet the woman’s ugly rant made Sora’s ears pull back with every new line of venom she spat, making her wish she hadn’t.

“You’re rich.  You don’t have to worry about anything.  You’re a terrible influence on my daughter—you give her unrealistic expectations—you teach her things she’ll never be able to experience once she grows up… things I never experienced.  She goes on vacations with you to Tahiti and other magical places while I’m stuck working a nine-to-five every day.

“You live in a penthouse with a private five-star restaurant.  You don’t even have to go out to eat or even attend school if you really don’t want to.  You have hundreds of thousands of dollars you can spend however you—a teenager—want to spend it.  Yeah, Wendy told me about it at one point.  It makes me ill.

“Any problems you have can be fixed with a snap of your solid diamond wand—staff on call to your every whim.  Privacy and protection, there’s nothing you don’t have, and I want that.  If I can’t have it, my daughter can’t.  She’ll know what it’s like to live in this rotten—”

“That’s enough,” Sora snapped with disdain, making Jane’s jaw lock.  Biting at the outer skin of her lower lip, Sora felt a little heated.  “You… you have no idea—my life is anything but perfect,” she seethed.

Sora could feel Jane’s sneering disbelief hit her like a truck.  The spiteful and envious woman’s emotions told her everything.  It actually hurt in Sora’s chest, and she had to fight back tears at the judgment cast on her.

I just want friends…  Do other people feel this way about me at school?  It’s suffocating.

A shocking revelation hit her as Wendy came out of the bathroom that made her cut the emotional link and visual aura with Jane, her skin crawling.

Wendy seemed stunned as she saw Sora at the table with her mother, and fright touched her muddy-brown eyes as they darted to her tight-lipped mother.  “Sora?  Didn’t I text you that…  Umm.  Sorry, why are you here?”

Sora couldn’t answer as she stared at Jane in disbelief and disgust, shivering at what she’d sensed before the connection was severed.

How can a mother hate their child this much?  Why…  Why does Jane hate—despise her daughter?  No…  I know why, but how—how can she envy her youth and want to take that away from her?  She wants to make Wendy’s life…  I dreamed of having a loving mother, but this…  This is just wrong.

Pain pricked Sora’s chest, opening a pocket she didn’t know she wanted or needed.  She wanted a mother, but this woman was no mother, and all Wendy wanted was for this monster to love her.

“Yes,” Jane asked politely, but Sora knew the emotions underneath.  “Why are you here, Sora?”

Clearing her throat and regaining control of her emotions, Sora licked her dry lips, vision shifting from Wendy to Jane.  Making up her mind with a heavy sigh, Sora asked, “I want to have a private talk with Wendy.”

“Oh, but I’d really love to sit and chat with you girls,” Jane stated, eyes practically living flames.

Sora had to restrain her claws from coming out and repeated herself, adding a little more force to her voice while trying to remain calm.  “I would like to talk with Wendy alone.  I’m sure you’ll agree.”

Jane’s face showed anything but agreement, but her voice didn’t show the emotions she was expressing, which made Wendy’s face pale.  “Of course.  You girls have a wonderful talk—in private.  I’ll go outside, where I can’t listen, and cover my ears.”

“Thank you.”  Sora sighed heavily, knowing she had to cover her bases.  “It would be best if you stayed close enough so I can find you when we are finished.”

“Your… wish i-is my… command,” she politely breathed, but with significant pauses, no doubt testing her limits.

She made Wendy flinch as she slammed the door on her way out, making the walls shake, and Sora rested her elbows on the table, cupping her cheeks and massaging between her eyes.

“I’m really sorry about that.”

“Wh-What happened to my mom?”  Wendy asked, sheet white as she stared at the door and nervously rubbed her shoulder.

“You might want to take a seat,” Sora advised, leaning back and trying to keep her agitated tail still without much success.

Nodding, Wendy moved to sit across from Sora, gingerly taking her mother’s seat.

Sora stood and walked a little ways from the table, unable to sit still any longer.  “I—umm, I guess the best way is to rip the band-aid off.”

She released her illusions on her ears, tail, and floating purse.

Wendy’s eyes came together in question and then opened with shock.  “You—where—did you just magically gain a tail and ears?”

“A, heh, bit more complicated than that,” Sora shrugged, “but kind of.”

“You’re serious?”  Wendy tentatively questioned.

“I guess seeing is believing.”  Sora applied the illusion and removed it several times.  “They aren’t actually disappearing, but I’m making illusions, so it looks that way.  I can even be completely invisible, see?”  she stated, vanishing from Wendy’s eyes.

Breathing out a long stream of air, Wendy ran a hand over her head.  “I—how?”

“I’m a vulpes… surprise,” she laughed with a forced smile.

“And what’s a vulpes?”

Releasing all the illusions, Sora retook her seat.  “In other words, I’ve turned into a fox monster, eh… spirit thing?  It started on the ninth day before my birthday—when all my hair spontaneously grew back—and has been getting worse every night… or better, depending on how you look at it.”

Wendy took a few seconds to calm down and process it, focus flipping between her tail, ears, and floating purse.

“You can touch them if you want to make sure…  They are real.”

Getting up, Wendy slowly inched forward and poked at her ear, making it fold back, and Sora brought her tail around for her to stroke and hold.

“It’s so soft,” Wendy whispered.

“It keeps my hands warm at night,” Sora joked with a light laugh.

Nodding as if she were being serious, Wendy moved to sit again, dropping heavily in the chair to stare at her purse.  “So, you have magic powers then?”

Sora nodded.  “I guess you could call it that—it’s actually cooler than just ‘magical powers,’ but yeah…”

She decided not to tell her about Kari and any other monster she’d met recently.  Instead, Sora took the next few minutes to go over everything she’d learned about herself, leaving Stephanie’s part out of the story.

Wendy’s coloring face whitened again when she got to the manipulation bit.  “Did you—to my mom?  Sora!”

Sucking on the corner of her mouth for a moment, Sora averted eye contact.  “I guess, um, yeah, I did…  She wasn’t going to let me in, and I really wanted to talk to you about this.  It’s just… it’s been a bit much, and you’re my best friend…  I know it was wrong, though.  I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t have to, but she…  Haaa.  Nevermind.”

Sora didn’t want to possibly make things worse or make Wendy shut down by accusing her mother, who she cared dearly for, as hard as it was for Sora to believe anyone could love someone so ugly on the inside.

“Will she be okay?”  Wendy asked with genuine concern in her voice.

“So far, everyone’s gone back to normal once I tell them they’re free,” she hesitantly answered.  “It seems like there are different levels to my… brainwashing…  Oof.  It sounds worse than it really is, I swear.”

That isn’t a flattering word…  I need to come up with something a little softer sounding.  Is that villain mentality?  I can’t tell her her mom’s real feelings about her…  I couldn’t handle it if I found out my mom felt that way about me.

“Your mom really hates me…  Like, ugh, really hates me…”

“You also linked emotions with my mom?”  Wendy softly asked.  Sora’s vision shifted to Wendy with concern at her tone, afraid she’d ask about how she really felt, but her best friend had another curve ball that hit her in the face.  “Are you… doing any of that to me?”

“No!”  Sora cried.  “I wouldn’t do that to you.”

Wendy looked at the floor, scratching her shoulder again.  “This is—a lot to take in.  I don’t know how I feel about it… and my mom…”

Sora was about to suggest that she could read her emotions and tell her what they were but stopped as she realized what Wendy was really saying.  She doesn’t want to hurt me…  Is she scared of me… or maybe she’s afraid of how I’ll respond?

Trying to put on a convincing smile, Sora nodded.  “I get it…  You’ll need time to process this.  I mean, finding out monsters are real…  Not that I’m a monster—just, umm, turning into one…”  she trailed off while staring down at the table.  “I’ll go—give you some time to think.  Call me when you—when your mind clears.  I know this is a lot to dump on your plate.”

She got up and started walking to the door but hesitated as Wendy asked, “Wait, Sora, my mom, she’ll…”

Swallowing nervously, Sora tried showing a reassuring face.  “I’ll tell her she’s free.”

Sora paused at the door when Wendy cleared her throat and added.  “Maybe… I could spend a bit of time with you to figure all of this out.  Can you give me some time to talk it over with my mom?”

Ears rising, Sora’s fake smile became strained.  “Sure…  I don’t think she’ll really let you, but…  Yeah.  I’d like that if possible.”

Leaving through the door while reapplying her illusions, she took one last look at Wendy before closing it, sensing the unquieted vibe that rippled from her.  Feeling disheartened, Sora looked across the second-story railing to find Jane leaning against it, covering her ears.

“Finished with my daughter?”  Jane asked, sniffing sharply before lifting a hand so she could listen to her.  “Hmh—what are you?”  she mumbled, scratching above her eye.

“Don’t worry about it—eh, after I leave, go back to normal, but… don’t punish your daughter.  You hear me?”  Sora asked with dark feelings touching her tone.

“Yup,” Jane stated, mocking a salute.  “If I were able, I’d call someone a monster, but that’s not polite.  So, I’ll wish you a lovely ride home, and I hope a car doesn’t hit you or you get kidnapped, but that can’t happen because you’d just tell them to kill themselves, right?”

Sora’s nose was twisted with disgust.  “You gave birth to Wendy…  How can a mother feel that way about her daughter?  Know what?  I don’t want to know.  Just don’t punish or harm Wendy, and you can do whatever you want.”

Jane clicked her tongue with an uplifted expression.  “And look at that.  I can now call you a monster, a freak, the devil…”

Sora left as she began shrieking curses after her.  Wendy’s scared of me…  She has a right to be, though…

Sora backtracked through the streets, wandering aimlessly as the rain began to fall, light thunder sounding in the distance, and she numbly generated a field to protect against the increasing wind and rain.

Time slowed with the hollow feeling in her chest; today was supposed to be a magical day, yet it had turned into a nightmare.

It’s obvious I’m not human anymore… if I ever really was.  Maybe I could have taken a better approach with Wendy and Jane.  I just want to share this with my best friend… isn’t that what you’re supposed to do in all the superhero movies?

She wiped away the tears that slid down her cheeks; this hurt more than she thought.

A vibration from her phone pulled her attention, and she pulled it out, knowing what it would be.  It was from Wendy, making her heart sink.

10:34 a.m. - Wendy:  Hey, Sora.  I’m a little scared if I’m being honest, and my mom’s yelling.  I do want to understand, though, and she’s not telling me I can’t see you.  Obviously, she doesn’t want me to, but you are my best friend, and I know it wasn’t easy to come see me…  You were always scared of my mom.  I know she can be difficult.  Meet me at the park we used to go to as kids?

Sora’s first thought was that it was some kind of trap and her mother was using her phone, but the hope that it wasn’t a ploy to hurt her made her choke down her tears and respond.

10:35 a.m. - Sora: When will you be there?

10:35 a.m. - Wendy: After I clean up the kitchen.  I promised my mom I’d do it after showering.  Cool?

She hesitated with her fingers over the keyboard before asking something only Wendy would know.

10:36 a.m. - Sora: Should I bring the last order we had together at JJ’s?

10:36 a.m. - Wendy: No?  I’d rather not throw up again.  Is that some kind of vulpes humor or something?  I hated it so much I haven’t gone back since.  I think I have PTSD.

10:37 a.m. - Sora: Haha.  My bad.  Just a little nervous.  See you in like an hour?

10:37 a.m. - Wendy: Maybe two.  There’s a lot to clean.

Figuring Jane wouldn’t bring attention to her slobbish habits, Sora smiled and changed directions.

10:38 a.m. - Sora: See you there, and thank you, Wendy.  I really do need my best friend.  I’m sorry I make things hard on you.

10:38 a.m. - Wendy: Don’t say that!  I know you’ve had it the worst with Kari…  I just ran away and left you to handle it on your own.  I should be the one to say sorry.

Emotion fluttered in her chest as Sora choked, more liquid burning her cheeks with the heat in her nose as she wept.  She couldn’t believe how much those words stabbed her bruised heart.

10:38 a.m. - Sora: See you soon.

She responded with a thumbs up and maid hat emoji that made Sora laugh through her tears.  Maybe their friendship wasn’t a lost cause.  She couldn’t mess this up.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Five Days; Unexpected Respect

Sora got a few wet wipes from her bag to clean her cheeks before giggling and using her magic to clear the liquid away.  She couldn’t really do the same with her red and puffy face, it seemed, so she tried to calm the turbulent emotions the old fashion way.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, making it hard to keep the tears from escaping, but taking controlled breaths helped.  She’d waited almost three years for this chance to set things right with Wendy; she was so close!  It was hard to keep her tail in check as it fanned behind her.

C’mon!  Get a hold of yourself!  she internally chided, catching a few lifted eyebrows from those she passed on the sidewalk, and not wanting any Good Samaritans to butt in, she ducked into a fenced area to make herself invisible.

The dark clouds and sea-salted wind drew her gaze to the sky, and she hoped it wasn’t an omen.  It had been a bit stormy the last week, which was fitting due to how much turbulence had overshadowed her life.  Her world had been filled with nothing but fear over the last three years, and the sudden shift in her emotional state played on her mind.

Sora couldn’t let go of the friendship they’d built for almost a decade—she couldn’t lose her best friend—Kari had added a heavy load for them, but Jane was the true baggage that created that wedge.  Yet, even after all the difficulties in their relationship, all it took was one text from Wendy to turn night to day.

It would take some time for Wendy to finish cleaning up—her mom was just as much of a slob as she remembered, maybe worse—so Sora didn’t have to rush things.  Still, it was hard not to jump for joy.

Her emotions took a few minutes to fight back, but Sora’s high began to dissipate, leaving hesitant questions in her mind that flipped her upside down.  Sure, Wendy said she was scared—obviously, she would be—Sora had just mind-controlled her mom, which was not the smartest idea.

So stupid…  I should have just chilled outside and listened… or used my magic to slip by her and talk to Wendy when she was alone.  Why’d I have to go the direct route?  I just felt, wait…  Why did I march in there like that?

She slowed to a stop a little off the sidewalk so that no one would bump into her and reread Wendy’s messages.  Jane did frighten Sora—a lot—she was crude, mean, and very vindictive, especially on alcohol, yet that hadn’t even made an impact on her mind until connecting with the woman.

It has been a long time since I saw her, Sora reasoned, desiring for her phone to hover in the air as she crossed her arms, feeling the pre-storm energy escalating in her veins.  No.  I figured she wouldn’t let me see Wendy, but I barged in there anyway…  It’s like I wanted the conflict.

Tongue pressing against her bottom lip, she breathed in and out, reflecting on everything she’d done over the past few days.  Without a doubt, this change had affected her—given her powers—yet that hadn’t been the only change.  She wasn’t acting like herself, and her mind unwillingly drew a connection right to Jane.

If Jane had my abilities… she’d definitely use them the wrong way.  I don’t want to be a bully… to be like Kari… like Jane.  Maybe I should take a step back and figure things out with Wendy.

Sora walked back to Collins Avenue to reach Allison Park, where there was a playground they’d used to hang out at since it was between their houses.  She was a little distracted by the various scents, including Kari, Devin, Aiden, Eyia, Jin, and Nilly.

It was one of Miami Beach’s main streets that ran north to south, so she shouldn’t feel that unnerved about crossing the same paths.  The island wasn’t all that big, and there were plenty of other people she recognized through their lingering energy or smell.  It still bugged her, though.  Something was off—she could feel it—yet her instincts didn’t give her a direct answer.

She dodged around people until arriving at the playground, yet came to a complete halt on the sidewalk when a leery-eyed, black-haired girl focused on her—Kari sat on a bench just before entering the park—Sora had been so preoccupied with her thoughts she hadn’t even thought about scoping it out.  Worse, the Fenris Wolf nudged her head to the side, indicating for her to sit down.

Why now?!  I knew something was up!  she internally screamed as someone bumped into her.  Completely forgetting she was invisible, Sora tumbled to the ground with the man, rolling back up on reflex, dodging a few surprised tourists.

“Ack!”  Unraveling most of her illusions, Sora cast her eyes around to make sure no one else was going to tackle her.  Anyone who saw her appear from nowhere would probably find it odd, but she couldn’t be bothered to care at this point as she snatched her purse from the air.

Kari’s dull stare made Sora’s cheeks flush; if that wasn’t enough, she saw a cat across the street with two weaving, red-tipped tails with the same look—Nilly—and she could practically hear the Chinese Nekomata snickering about how bad of a fox she was.

Trying to recover from the triple-strike ambush she’d just taken part in, Sora held out her hands as the man scrambled back to his feet, locking onto her as she spoke.  “Sorry!  Sorry!  I didn’t even see you.”

“Woah… y-yeah.  Heh.  No.  My bad…  You okay?”

“Yup!  Sorry,” she repeated, retreating and half-thinking about ignoring Kari, yet her wolf-like stare and ridiculously powerful vibes made her think twice.  Jenny and the other Miami Monster Council?  Sure, she could ghost them, but Kari’s aura—the trauma—three years of conditioning?  Not a chance.  One look from Kari’s intense amber irises was all it took to make her tail lower.

She scanned for Nilly, hoping that the chaotic cat could give her a reason to blow off the bully.  Naturally, the slippery cat was now gone; the Nekomata was everywhere and nowhere at the same time.  Puffing out her stress, Sora forced a smile while moving to sit beside the alpha bully of Miami Senior High.

“Uh-hehe…  Hey, Kari.  Umm…  What’s up?”

She kept her bag held tightly against her belly as Kari worked around her mouth, clearly agitated as her eyes wandered.  “Really?  That’s all you have to say?”

Sora’s tail bristled, ears pulling back on instinct, yet her tone didn’t have the typical disgust and heat it used to, and a small, curious smile lifted the corner of the wolf’s mouth as her focus settled on her.

“Infiltrating Devin’s little monthly meeting and stirring trouble?  I don’t know where you found your spine, but I can respect the statement.”

“Am… I dreaming?”  Sora mumbled, thighs tightening and trying to process what she’d just heard.  “You said something nice to me?”

Kari snorted, lightly jabbing her shoulder and making Sora suppress a flinch.  She had no clue what was even happening anymore as the tall, athletic girl rose to her feet and stretched out.  She grunted and shrugged, directing a look Sora had never seen from the Fenris Wolf—approval.

“We only have a problem if you step into my school, Sora.  You’re stretching your tail into Eric’s territory?  Heh.  No problems from me.  In fact, I wish you luck.”

Sora wasn’t sure if she had hit her head in that fall.  The girl who had tormented her for years stuck her hands in her pockets, leaving out her thumb, and muttered, “Careful, Sora.  Use this time to refine that magic Aiden told me about…  You’ll need it.  Anyway, catch you around Miami.”

“Why are you telling me that…  What about what I did to Lori?”

“Mmh…  Heh-wow.”  Kari shifted to look down at her with a cryptic stare.  Sora couldn’t read her emotions like everyone else due to her complete immunity to her magic, nor was she brave enough to try at this point.  “You really have grown some teeth since getting that tail.  I consider your payment moved onto Devin.  That’s that.”

“Kari… w-what’s she doing here?”

Sora’s ears stood up as Lori exited the crowd, having not sensed her prior—she really was a terrible vulpes—the shifty-eyed girl looked like she wanted to run upon seeing her.

“Just crossed paths after having lunch with Aiden,” Kari explained, lifting a hand in parting.  “Catch you around, Sora…  Try not to die—I like seeing people stand up to Eric… they just never last that long.”

The bullies went south, striking up another conversation, and Sora collapsed against the bench, trying to piece together the miracle that had just happened.  Her heart was racing again, but this time for an entirely different reason as her mind went in circles.

Kari complimented me…  What was that?!  She’s not pissed that I humiliated Lori in front of everyone at school?  Doesn’t that make her look weak?  Does she hate her brother that much?  She didn’t call him her brother…

Utterly confused, Sora sat in a daze for thirty minutes when a raindrop struck her head, and she made an invisible shield to protect herself as everyone else ducked for cover.

Dots started to connect in her mind the longer she thought.  Aiden had gotten in touch with Kari and talked about her, and whatever he’d said seemed to have tempered Kari’s heat toward her and directed it at Devin, who was torturing Lori.

It’s not like Kari was sorry about everything she’d done to her over the years.  The wolf was just over it—she probably didn’t think much about it in the first place—and the only real issue she had was her being a vulpes in her territory, but other questions were starting to surface from the interaction.

Pulling her dry copper locks around to her front, Sora puffed out a long sigh, staring up at the light mist moving across the heavens.  She made herself invisible after a while to not draw more attention and figured Wendy would be further delayed by the light rainfall.  Sure enough, the text came not long after; at least it gave her time to process everything.

Lori didn’t tell Kari that Jenny’s involved?  Lori definitely knows.  There’s no way Kari would be so calm if her closest friend and right-hand girl were a traitor in league with her brother.  Yikes.  I do not want to get involved in that.  Does Aiden know?  I don’t think he does…

“Ugh!  Snow…”  Whispers sounded around her as a cool aura chilled the atmosphere above them, and the arctic wind carried a familiar scent her way.  “Eyia?”

Shifting on the bench, Sora wanted to laugh at how absurd this spot was becoming.  It was like fate moved all the strings around her—as arrogant as it sounded—because the blonde-haired amazon’s smiling face rounded the corner and locked onto her.

“Friend!  It be a while since salutations,” the girl greeted; her peppy and unique way of speaking practically injected her with positive energy.  She wore the sneakers, black shorts, and blue sleeveless shirt Sora had bought for her.  “I grow worry when feeling evil force near you.”

Kari?

Bypassing the comment, Sora chuckled.  “Your English is getting really good, Eyia.  Is Jin nearby?”

Her cheer fell, and she shook her head.  Sora was a little impressed with whatever the blonde was doing to keep the snow off her; it was so subtle that she could hardly detect the minor shifts in the air that repelled each flake.

“Jin off doing Jin things.”

Sora forced a smile at her tone, which was clearly lonely.  “I’m a bit busy today with another friend.  Why don’t we make some plans for tomorrow?  Do you have anything to do?  I’d like to get to know you a bit better one-on-one.”

The girl’s sky-blue eyes brightened, and she swiftly nodded.  “We do more challenges?”

“Eh-heh.  I was thinking more about maybe checking out a movie, eating a little… hangout—friend stuff.  Oh!  I can show you around Miami Beach.  We have all sorts of cool things around here, eh, well… admittedly a lot are twenty-one and over, but we can get into a bit of mischief—woah!”

Eyia leaned over to hug her; she looked toned, but that was an understatement when the two-meter-tall girl’s vice-grip enclosed her.  “I like very much!  I practice speaking more—many helpful people here in Sunny City.”

“Great!  Why don’t I meet you here in the morning; uh… around when the sun comes up?”

“I wait here for you for day of fun and challenges!”  Eyia cheered, throwing up her arms.  “I winning am I on Jin by six scores!”

Sora grinned, giving her a thumbs up.  “Congratulations!  I’m sure she’s fuming.”

The blonde nodded with a giggle.  “Jin is good at the steam-headedness.  She likes to confuse me with words to win back.”

“Heh.  Sounds like her dry humor and sass is on brand.”

“Oh!”  Eyia grinned.  “A new saying I tell her.”

“Uh-ack-hehe.  Maybe we keep that between us.  Okay?”

“We share secrets?  Friends share and keep the secrets, Jin tells me,” Eyia nodded, breaking away in almost a skip as if this was her first one-on-one friend date.  “It is to be silence!  I go tell Jin we meet for the day’s travels.  I salutations you tomorrow!”

“Yeah-haha.  See you later, Eyia.”

She shook her head with the negative vibes from Kari dissipating by the blonde energizer bunny’s unusual drive.  It helped to clear her mind, at the very least, and she remained on the bench, scanning the faces of those that passed them.

There were more monsters and half-breeds than she first realized mixed among the crowds, yet their auras were like embers compared to the forest fire that was Eyia, Jin, Kari, and Nilly—Aiden was just… different—and the mysterious cat was in an entirely other league—an enigma.

Sora’s gaze wandered from the playground to the restaurants and beach beyond the grassy field.  Everywhere she looked, she could imagine the Nekomata occupying.  She wasn’t sure what to expect from Nilly, and part of that was the problem.

Eyia, Jin, and Kari—Aiden’s open aura—all of them had something that gave her an idea of what they were after or could expect, but Nilly was this chaotic, everpresent, all-encompassing existence that put caution in her marrow.  There was a buzzing, curious hunger in Nilly’s scent that hinted at enticingly disastrous unpredictability.

Another hour passed as Sora dissected her recent life and the figures that had become a part of it before Wendy texted that she was on her way, which wasn’t that far off from their original plans.

Sora leaned her head back, staring up at the strengthening dark, swirling storm; the thunderclouds were coming in.  Kari was becoming less of a nemesis after leaving school, and she couldn’t believe her own thoughts, but she’d come to realize the Fenris Wolf really didn’t hold any specific animosity toward her as much as a territorial thing.

I’ve grown to have an appetite for tension and stirring up trouble.  I would have never done all of this until now, and it’s not like I want to stop…  I want to experiment.  What’s next?

Her light-green eyes settled on Wendy with a small twist to her lips; her brown-haired friend was bundled up for a day in the rain.  “Jacket, umbrella, hat, and sunglasses?”

Wendy’s smile strained.  “Yeah…  You never know what will happen when the weather is like this.  Uh… why is no one looking at you in this… big bubble?”

“Selective invisibility,” Sora casually returned with a bright tone as she jumped up.  “Ah-hehe.  You won’t need the jacket.  So… want to just sit and talk, or…”

Wendy shook her head, the bottom of her ponytail soaked as it poked out of the back of her ball cap, and Sora could feel her gaze through her sunglasses on her weaving tail.  “I’d rather not stay still…  Umm.  Can I ask you a few… questions?”

Sensing her hesitation, Sora levitated her purse, creating a small shield around her best friend while adding her to the illusion spell.  “Sure.  Also, you can drop the umbrella, oh—watch out, heh, you’re invisible.”

“Huh?!  Like… when did you do that—just now?”

“Mhm.  It’s convenient, and I don’t want to influence other people to not run into us—eh, more out of magic cost than the ethics behind it, if I’m being honest.”

Wendy licked her dry lips before drawing them in and looking for anyone to notice them, but the downpour was taking most people’s attention.  “Everyone’s… just fine with a girl vanishing into thin air?”

“Heh.  Why would they not?”  Sora asked, taking her hand to guide her south, back in the direction of her hotel.  “People are too focused on their own things to be worried about a random girl—it’s Miami.”

“You can tell what people are thinking?”

“Naa.  It’s more… how they’re feeling.  So, what’s up?”

Wendy removed her jacket and put away her umbrella, watching the items rise to join Sora’s purse with a furrowed brow.  “This is… so weird.  How long can you keep that up?”

“Basically forever, so long as I’m outside,” Sora shrugged.  “Umm.  I’m sorry, Wendy.  I didn’t mean to scare you or manipulate your mom.  I know I crossed a line…”

“Mmgm.  Right into it, huh?  About that,” she mumbled, muddy-brown eyes fixated on the wet sidewalk, forcing Sora to guide her around a group of tourists walking the opposite way.  “My mom, oh… yeah, uh…  My mom’s not… acting totally normal, and… yeah.”

Sora’s eyebrows drew together, thinking back to when she’d released the woman.  “I told her she was free…  Oh!  Mmgm…”

“What?”  Wendy hesitantly asked.  “Is there some kind of side effect or something?”

“No!  No!  Uh…  I may have told her… not to punish you in any way—I just… I was worried she would take out her frustration on you.  Is that it?”

“Sora…”  Wendy rubbed her forehead.  “Thank you, but how is she supposed to ground me, or…  Ah!  Ugh.  That’s why she was so angry but wouldn’t say a thing about me not going to see you…”

She saw a different angle to that revelation: her mother wanted to punish her daughter for having a powerful, mental-manipulating fox friend, likely because she couldn’t exploit her.  “Haaa.  I can release her when we walk back to your house…  I just don’t want to be responsible for getting you in trouble.  Well…”

A sad tilt came to her mouth.  “I guess I should have thought of that before going to see you…  To be honest, Wendy, I am a little afraid I’m changing.  Do you mind telling me the truth when we’re done?”

“What?”  Wendy asked with a nervous laugh, shooting an inquisitive stare at her as they crossed the road.  “You want me to tell you if you’re an angel or trickster?”

“Hey, you made it sound better than the words I would have used,” Sora mused, bumping into her with a giggle.  “Spend the day with me and make sure I’m not losing my mind or turning into a villain?”

Wendy scratched her cheek and breathed a long puff of air.  “No pressure, huh?  What are best friends for, I guess…  If I’m still your best friend.  I know I shouldn’t be.”

“I feel the same way!”  Sora returned.  “This will not be a story where I kill my best friend—ooh… not that I was thinking about it, uh…”

Wendy began to chuckle, only a little less nervous than before.  “I can’t even imagine you slapping someone, much less killing them.”

“Huu-yaa…”

Wendy’s laughter trailed off.  “You haven’t killed anyone… right?”

“No!  Geez,” Sora giggled in reply.  “But… I have kind of stormed a monster headquarters and made a bunch of enemies…  Oh!  Wait ‘till you hear this…  Kari complimented me!  I’m seriously turning into a villain.  Help!”

“Okay.  What?!”

Sora snickered.  “Joking!  Joking!  Well, not about the Kari part…  Yeah, that was weird.”

Wendy stopped beside some tables and rubbed her temples in a familiar way that made Sora smile.  “Let’s go all the way back…  You turned into a fox.  Take it from the top?”

“From the top!”

Wandering the city, Sora went into detail on the insanity that had been her life over the last week.  It was a different kind of fun from everything she’d done since changing and far more enjoyable.

Wendy had a way of injecting jokes and pointing out things that made them seem like not that big of a deal, like Jin wanting to rip out her heart when they first met.  After all, her friend pointed out, was she sure she couldn’t survive without it?  Sora had to pause and think about that.  She didn’t know, which made her laugh.

She moved on to showing her best friend the new powers she’d gained after a while, letting her digest everything—to varying results, much to Sora’s amusement. 

To start with, Wendy was semi-in favor of scaring people with hideous phantasmal monsters or awing them with legendary creatures of wonder. 

When she switched signs around—entire streets—her best friend actually punched her in the arm—surprising Sora a bit—telling her it wasn’t funny, making people run late to their appointments, which she had to agree with after some thought; this was why she needed Wendy there to ground her.

Wendy loved it when she messed with a couple, making them think they’d disappeared into a romantic fantasy world, easing them out of it slowly over the hour to have something to talk about for years to come.  She shared the experience, emotion, and expressions with her friend, giving Sora an exhilarating thrill.

Slowly, Sora guided them through Miami Beach, and by 7 p.m., the storm broke.  Eventually, they made it to Venetian Causeway, walking across the expansive bridge.

She stopped them halfway across and looked down at the water and docks as the sharp, cold breeze blew her hair and pulled her skirt back; Wendy liked a little of the weather to filter through their barrier.

The chill didn’t bother her, and the protective ward around Wendy kept her temperate, no different than the knowledge of it being cold while looking through the windows of a warm house.

Sucking in her lips, she breathed deeply, smelling the host of ocean scents as she leaned against the concrete barrier, staring at the fading sun with Wendy.  “What do you think?”

“I’ve had a lot of fun,” Wendy whispered, folding her arms.  “A lot…  You did some things that were questionable, but you’re still my friend since preschool…  No, today reminded me a lot of second grade.”

Sora’s eyebrow lifted.  “Second grade?  I was a terror!  My dad kept being called to the office because of all the pranks we did.”

“Inspired by Home Alone,” Wendy smirked.  “You got me into so much trouble…  It was fun, though, and every time your dad would try to cover for me.  Do you remember he used to take us to that ice cream shop that closed down?”

Sora grinned at the memory before rolling her eyes.  “Yes!  Heh, I guess it’s easier to talk to kids with the promise of ice cream.”

“We stopped the tricks after a few weeks because of those talks,” Wendy noted.

Sora tilted her head to the side.  “Mmh.  Well…”

“Heh.  Yes, it was because we found a new show obsession in Tears of the Moon Princess, but I loved your dad; he was always so sweet to me…”  She looked down at some of the docks a little further across the river.  “This really has been nice, Sora.”

“I loved it…  Hmm.”

Wendy caught the note in her voice, attempting to follow her gaze to the slightly rough waters.  “What?”

“Do you trust me?”  she asked with a big grin.

Wendy took a playful step back, shooting a curious smile at her.  “Not when you ask me like that.”

“Aww.  C’mon!  I can hear a lot with these ears,” she said, pointing at them.  “I just got an idea, well, more instinct.”

“Hmm.  Okay—ack!  Sora?!”

She darted forward like a bullet, snickering as she scooped Wendy into a princess carry, stabilizing her head, and hopped over the fence to the typically inaccessible docks below.  Sora planned on keeping her hair away with magic but didn’t count on getting a face full of brown locks.

Landing on the creaky planks, Wendy choked a scream, but Sora had created a dampening field so no one would hear her shrieks.  Her friend clung onto her with shaky arms, her hat only saved by the grace of her ponytail.

“Y-You’re an asshole!”  she shouted, hitting her shoulder again, but Sora didn’t really feel it.

Sora just laughed.  “It was for a good reason!”

“Let… me breathe a little—I thought I was going into the freaking ocean!  On my…  Haaa.  Okay, uh, Sora?”  she asked, noticing a few clueless people fishing out of sight from the roadway; they were dressed warmly.  “Why are we in a place that looks like a spot where girls go to get kidnapped?  Seriously!”

“C’mon,” she whispered, shooting Wendy a wink.

“What are we doing?!”  Wendy hissed, following after her.  “Don’t lie.  You just wanted to make me scream—Halloween Disney World all over again…”

Sora let out a content sigh.  “That was a good year.”

I really hope this isn’t just a one-time thing.  Wendy’s making me think about things in so many different ways, and for some reason, I want to do something good…  Tricks are fun, but what if I can help people while having a bit of mischief?

Chapter Twenty-Three: Five Days; Angel or Trickster?

Sora slowed to a stop a meter from the group of three men, using her magic to analyze their mood.  Their somber expressions reflected their internal conflicts, and through them, she could extrapolate more things about the strangers.

Inching up beside her, Wendy tugged on her shirt, whispering, “Uh… I’m guessing they can’t see us?”

Motioning for her to the side, Sora stood at the edge of the concrete, closed docks area to watch the churning sea.  The men were silent in their work, seemingly able to communicate through simple gestures at whatever they needed.

The underside of the bridge could use some cleaning, she idly thought, searching for answers to why she’d been drawn to this location.

“Nope.  I have a sound dampener and illusion up.  Hmm.”

Wendy crossed her arms and joined her, apparently calming down from the sudden scare.  “Haaa.  Illegal fishers?  They look homeless—not that I’m judging—but what are we doing down here?”

Sora brought her tail around to play with it.  “Why don’t you watch me do it and tell me what you think…  I’m just kind of… muddled right now.”

“Brain muddled?”

“I don’t know…  I get this is crazy, but… yeah, here I go.”

Approaching them, she dropped her invisibility—keeping Wendy concealed.  It was odd, she felt a pull from their aura that made her heart throb, yet was surprised when they still didn’t notice her until she stopped beside a man.

“Whoa!  Girl, you scared me.”  He took a harsh breath before crouching, a few of the other fishers jumping at his shout, but, oddly, they simply acknowledged her and returned to their business.

Sora hummed as she examined the after-storm waters, seeing Wendy’s wide arms, questioning what she was doing, yet Sora was too busy studying each of their auras.

Definitely homeless… trying to get something to eat without fishing licenses, making them pretty tense…  Seems like they’re new to Miami.  Why not go to a soup kitchen?  Ah…  One has a warrant for his arrest, but I get the feeling he didn’t do anything wrong.

The man next to her glanced sidelong with concern; he wore a warm jacket and gloves, with blue jeans and boots.  He had a beanie covering his hair and the beginnings of a dark beard growing.  His brown eyes reflected the twilight, and she knew he was worried about her being alone on the docks.

These weren’t bad men.

Clearing his throat, he said, “Ahem.  Hi, my name’s Dutch.  Not that it’s my business, but what are you doing here all alone—it’s getting pretty late.”  Noting her shorts and belly shirt, he shivered.  “You’ll catch a cold dressed like that after a cold storm…  Have anywhere to go?”

“What are you doing?”  Wendy whispered, standing a bit off to the side.  “They could kidnap or kill you out here—drown you!”

I could stop their heart with a desire, Sora dully thought in response.  Honestly, she wasn’t positive she could, but it seemed possible with her Desire Magic.

Continuing to analyze them in silence, she shook her head, making a gesture at her best friend to tell her they were good guys.

“Ugh…”  Wendy saw the three follow Sora’s motion to thin air before looking at one another.  “FYI, this is the kind of crazy I’m not in favor of.”

Me, too…  They’re so cute, though, she internally groaned, leaning back to stare at the man behind them that was trying to figure out how to give her his jacket without looking creepy—a hard task, for sure.

The other was working up the courage to light a fire for her, even though it could expose them to the police; both men sitting together felt as close as family.  Through their emotions, Sora could tell they were close, and the man that wanted to light a fire cleared his throat.

“I’m kind of cold.  You guys?  Why don’t we light that wood Jeremy got?”

From his emotional shifts, Sora knew the man that wanted to give his jacket to her was Jeremy, and the man nodded.  He mounted his fishing pole before getting up, taking note of her silence and figuring she just needed someplace to get away from everything.

“Yeah, this wind is freezing my…  Uh-heh, it’s cold,” he rephrased while shivering and glancing over at Sora.  “Joe, you got the lighting fluid?  Damn.  Isn’t it supposed to be warm in Miami?”

Joe breathed through his teeth.  “Ugh.  No, couldn’t get any today.  You, Dutch?”

Brow creasing, Dutch shook his head as he mounted his pole.

“We’ve managed without before; I’ve got boy scout training, remember?”

“Here we go,” Joe rolled his eyes and forced a chuckle.  “You didn’t get a single badge.”

“Aye, I got that fire started in Atlanta in under twenty minutes!”

“Sure,” Jeremy snickered.

Wendy posted up nearby, looking like she was preparing to tackle one into the water if they tried anything.  Sora thought it was funny, but, to be fair, these big guys seriously could overpower them if she wasn’t a super-vulpes Founder.

Sora looked down at the dark water before gazing across the endless ocean, hanging sandals lightly kicking out.  She soaked in the interesting view, its disguise in the twilight nothing to her enhanced vision.  She could filter past the rays if she wanted, making a strange, mysterious sheen that played on her mind.

They’re willing to risk getting caught to help me… thinking I ran away from home.  Tricking all those people today had some fun parts, but it feels so trivial compared to these guys’ struggles…  What’s Dad going to do when he returns?  I’m a little scared.

Getting to her feet, Sora noted the steel drum that had paper and wood stuffed inside by the wall.  Wendy jumped back with alarm as Sora’s veiled tail lit with foxfire, hidden behind illusions, yet Jeremy froze upon sensing the intense radial heat.  She flicked it, causing an inferno to flare into an arc and slam into the barrel.  While her action was masked, the result wasn’t, causing roaring flames to billow upward, the sound making the men jump.

“What was that?”  Dutch cried out, shifting nervously as he stared up at the bridge.  “Did… a pillar of fire just… fall from the heavens?!”

“Biblical…”  Joe mumbled, reflexively making a cross across his chest.

Wendy glared at her, hands on her hips.  “What, is this a goddess trick now?”

Sora shook her head, feeling her way through whatever pulled her to these men: Joe had been the one praying for help, and she’d felt his desire.  It was starting to connect that she was attuned to others in odd ways.  Hundreds of people should have been praying or asking for support throughout the day, yet, for some reason, she was drawn to this man.

They stared at the barrel in shock and fright.  Jeremy patted Joe on the back.  “Hey, Joe…  You, uh, saw that, right…  Did that barrel just spontaneously combust?”

Joe shook his head.  “I was praying for a miracle, and…  Wow.  I didn’t find any lighter fluid, so…  I didn’t see anything before it just burst into flames.  You?”

Both Dutch and Jeremy shook their heads as Sora walked next to it and held her fingers out to show them it was fine, tail and ears hidden behind illusions.  The three looked at each other questioningly but soon joined her.

Dutch shifted uncomfortably, glancing at Joe, and Sora smiled upon realizing they were of the same mind: she was an angel in disguise.

“So, what’s your name?”

“Sora,” she responded softly.

“That’s a nice name,” Joe stated while rubbing his hands together.

Jeremy cleared his throat.  “So, got a destination?”

Sora shook her head.  “No, I’m not running away from home, I… just needed to figure some things out.”

They all nodded, folding their arms under their armpits and looking out at the sea.

“Been there,” Dutch muttered.  “Can’t be easy for a teen in Miami…  It’s not the safest city.”

Sora could feel their search for meaning and purpose that seemed to have brought the three together.  At this point, it seemed the three were starting to believe something unnatural was happening, yet also saw her as a teenage girl.

Jeremy unzipped his jacket and handed it to her.  “Here, and don’t say no.  I’d kill any man who didn’t give a jacket to a girl dressed like you in this chill.  Cold as the arctic!  Didn’t expect Miami to have cold wind like this…”

Taking it with a smile, she wrapped it around her shoulders, and Wendy was beginning to settle in to listen.  Sora studied their brooding features as they each tried to figure out what to say next to help her, making her giggle.

An unsure smile lit each of their faces.

“What’s up?”  Joe asked.

Sora held her hands behind her back, pressing against the base of her tail.  “You’re all so connected.  I can feel the hardships the three of you have suffered together.  It’s nice being able to feel that kind of… love,” Sora said as she looked up into the dark sky.

They sighed, smirks passing between them, yet their emotions were troubled.

Joe cleared his throat.  “I’m sure there are people that love you, Sora.”

“There are,” she nodded.  “I just can’t share what you have with anyone my age…  Not without getting them in trouble.”

Wendy’s brown eyes saddened, dropping to the ground with a sigh.

Joe breathed out a heavy stream, rubbing the back of his neck.  “I feel you.  When I was your age, all I had was a gang family, and, heh… they weren’t much of a family.  They almost got me locked up several times, but I just wanted somewhere to belong… then I met Jeremy, then Dutch.”  He smiled at his friends.  “Been a family since.”

A small smile touched the corner of Wendy’s mouth.  “That’s sweet…  I’ve been lonely without you around.

Sora placed a hand on her chest and turned to nod at her, causing the men to follow her gaze before returning to her.  Jeremy tried to hide his shivers, prompting Sora to take the coat off and hand it back to him.

“I’m really not cold, as, heh, hard as that may be to believe.”  Her soft expression turned to Wendy, thoughts going to all the pain she had to go through with her mother.

It’s really not fair…  Maybe I’m putting too much of a burden on her?

Setting the coat beside the barrel as Jeremy stubbornly refused, she walked back to the dock edge and began scanning with her ears, focusing them toward the water.  The three joined her with concern, Dutch bringing the abandoned jacket.

“You should come back by the fire, Sora,” Joe urged.

Finding what she was looking for, Sora pointed at a spot in the water.  “Joe, can you cast your rod there?  That’s where the largest school of fish are right now.”

“Um, alright…”  he hesitantly mumbled, moving to his pole while beginning to breathe harder.  He reeled it in and cast it at the spot she pointed.  “Here?”

“Mhm.  You can try, too, Dutch.”

Wendy stood nearby, giving herself room in case she needed to retreat.

“Okay…”

Jeremy took the coat from the man.  “Are you sure you’re not cold?”

“Hmm-hmm.  Yep.  I’m sure.  Just trust me.”

They waited for a few minutes before Dutch and Joe tensed at nearly the same time.

““I got one!””

“What!?”  Joe and Jeremy shouted in unison.

Jeremy dropped his coat and rushed over to the pair as they fought to reel it in.  “It’s a fighter!  Yours, Joe?””

“Ugh…  Fightin’ like a mother!  Watch the line,” Joe warned with excitement, “we don’t want them to snap!”

“Got it!  Got it!”

Smiling warmly, Sora turned around as they were preoccupied, spotting Wendy with a similar expression, and she reapplied her illusion, nudging her head for them to go.

She motioned for Wendy to hold onto her and used magic to lighten their weight before jumping nine meters over the water, her hand’s claws digging into the bridge side.  Then she launched up to scale over the rails, landing on the sidewalk.

Wendy released the air frozen in her lungs as they leaned against the guard whileSora listened.  The men were so focused they hadn’t even noticed she’d vanished.

“I got it!  Get the box!”  Dutch said.

Jeremy laughed, rushing around with a box to collect both.  “That’s a freaking kingfish, bro!  That’s huge!  Ugh.  Don’t let it go, guys!”

Dutch grunted.  “Easing up a bit…  Damn, he’s a fighter…  It’s not getting away!”

“Hey, guys,” Joe asked, glancing back while still struggling with their meal, “where did Sora go?”

“I don’t see her anywhere…”  Jeremy trailed off.

They all went quiet for a moment before returning to the exciting catch, and once both were safely on the docks, they dropped down by the flaming barrel with a huff.

Dutch’s voice became choked.  “Do you think—was she really an angel?”

Joe’s voice was strained.  “I don’t know—but we haven’t eaten in days, and we’ve been praying, man.”

“An angel that was trying to figure some things out, though?”  Jeremy whispered.  “Not feeling loved by those her age, and, like, taking a break from heaven?”

Dutch cleared his throat.  “I guess even heaven has its problems.”

Joe breathed, trying to collect himself.  “Sora, whoever you are or wherever you are…  Thank you,” he said, half in tears, with Dutch and Jeremy expressing their gratitude, too.

Sora looked across the road to the sea,with Wendy seeming to be processing it still.

How can I play tricks on people so casually and then have this urge to help these people…  My thoughts of Wendy and Dad…  What kind of a creature even is a vulpes Founder?

“Ugh.”

Wendy mirrored her.  “That was really nice of you…  Stupid.  Scary.  Don’t go to murder docks again!  But… it was sweet.  Seriously…  What is it like having those powers?”

Sora took them on the route to drop her best friend off.  “It’s fun… crazy, and yeah… a little scary at times.  Hmm.  What do you think my dad will say when he comes back?”

“Huh…”  Wendy shook her head.  “I don’t know.  He’d have to know about your mom, right?”

“Maybe,” Sora mumbled, ears twitching at the thought he didn’t.  “I don’t know which would be better…  If he knew, then why’d he wait so long to tell me?  If he didn’t… will he be too frightened and run away, or… or try to use me, or… I just don’t know.  It scares me, Wendy…”

Her friend moved in to hug her, and several groups moved around them in their slow journey back to Wendy’s apartment.  “I’m sure your dad will accept you…  He’s awesome.  Hey, Sora?”

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry for leaving you when, haaa… when Kari, Jenny, and Lori started bullying me, too.  I’ve felt like such a loser every time I’d see you in school…  I’m sorry.”

“I totally get it,” Sora returned, hugging her back and sniffing back the heat building in her nose.  “I know it’s not easy with, well… with how your mom thinks of me, and everything, but… can we maybe do this again?”

They drew apart, hugging themselves, and Wendy sighed.  “I do want to…  Ugh.  I’ll make it work,” she finished showing a smile that Sora knew she didn’t feel.

“Wendy…”

“I will…”

“No,” Sora growled, taking her hand before glaring at the sidewalk.  “You’re terrified of telling your mom you want to hang out with me again.”

“I am,” she admitted, and resolve entered her aura as determination strengthened her posture.  “I know my mom hates you, and it’s totally unjustified…  I love her, and… and I want her to love me…  I want her to be proud of me, but you’re also my best friend, and I haven’t done what best friends are supposed to do and stand up for their bestie…  If you still want me as your best friend?”  she faltered, self-doubt creeping into her heart.

Squeezing Wendy’s hand, she giggled.  “Now and forever…  Heh.  I’ve always thought of you more as a sister than a friend, to be honest…  You’re really all I had growing up.”

“Sora…  Okay.  I’ll text you tonight.  We’ll figure this out!”

Sora breathed out before chuckling nervously.  “I’d love that.  By the way, Howie’s proposing to Daisy—probably already has, now that I think about it.”

“Ooh!  The Succubus girlfriend?  I read a web series on that last year,” she snickered.  “Eh-heh… It was a bit spicy.”

“Hmm?  Getting into spicy content, huh?  You know I have pretty potent illusion powers!” 

“Oh, shut up!”  Wendy huffed, playfully shoving her.  “What have you read?”

“Me?  I’ve been too busy trying to dodge Kari’s gang and worrying to read anything.  My brain-dead activity is J-dramas.”

“Hah!  Knew it.  Ever since Tears of the Moon Princess, you got into your Japanese roots and got addicted to them.  Wait… is that how you learned Japanese so fast?”

Sora thought back on their childhood.  “We both took the same courses; can you still speak it that well?”

“I was never good,” Wendy protested, but Sora gave her a look that said she was selling herself short.  “Okay, I have kept up with it a bit…  I can’t really speak it that well, but I understand it.”

“J-drama sleepover!”  Sora sang, making Wendy laugh.

“We’ll see.  You’re going to hang out with Eyia tomorrow—that snow woman?”

“I don’t know she’s a snowwoman,” Sora corrected.  “I think she might be.  Honestly, Jin’s just too scary to ask what.  Can you come hang on Monday after school?  I could introduce you to Eyia and Daisy—maybe even homeschool with me, by the way—I’m just saying, the offer’s open,” she rambled.

“Haaa.  We’ll see.  We’ll see.  I first gotta get past my boss-level of a mother, and… can you free her from the no-punishment thing?”

Sora lifted an eyebrow.  “Are you sure?  I’m just saying…”

“I know…  Still, I can’t go at this behind her back.  She’s still my mom.”

“Haaa.  Okay.”

Chatting on the way back to Wendy’s house, Sora grew silent when it came into sight; Jane was a boss-tier monster, that was for sure.  Releasing her with strained smiles, the woman offered a few ‘choice’ words, and Sora lingered outside for a little as Wendy got into an argument with the baleful woman.

Strangely, it was Jane who broke away in a huff, retreating to her room while yelling that she wouldn’t let her daughter see Sora again, but Wendy wasn’t giving up.  Happy to have her best friend back on her side of the ring, Sora went home.

Despite her exhaustion, she couldn’t help play some tricks or help others on the way back, but no one tugged on her heartstrings like the three from earlier.

It was 11 p.m. by the time she arrived, and Ron was back on duty, but on the way up, he laid out a rather puzzling story.

“Daisy back?”

“Yeah, came in about an hour ago without Howie,” Ron muttered, rubbing his arm.  “She looked pretty stunned, and wouldn’t say anything…  She’d been crying.  I cleared her to stay by making up a few lies, but you’ll probably need to let management know she’ll be around more.  I don’t know what’s happening.”

Fur bristling at the news, Sora glared at her invisible floating purse.  “Well… that’s suspicious.  Hmm.  Thanks, Ron.  I’ll talk to her.”

The door opened, and Sora’s ears stuck up as she heard Daisy in the shower.  Waving Ron off, she went upstairs, following the woman’s lingering aura and scent.  Something very emotionally distressing had happened, and her mind began to wander.

Did she say no?  Did someone kidnap Howie when they were out for the day?  Devin could have discovered them, but Aiden’s smoothing everything over right now.  I don’t see Devin doing anything with Kari on his tail and Aiden taking over leadership until Eric gets into the city.

Lingering outside the door, she knocked on it, finding the lock active.  And, while Sora could have easily unlocked it, she figured it was a sign that the woman wanted to be alone.  Though the Succubus wasn’t crying, Sora could tell she was just sitting on the bench, letting what her tail sensed was cold water wash over her.

“Daisy…  Daisy, what happened?”  she said, using her magic to create a sound tunnel between them.  “Is Howie okay?  What’s shocked you so bad?”

The blonde gave a start at her voice, making Sora shift uncomfortably outside the door.  She almost seemed to be in a trance, but Sora couldn’t sense any foul play.  She sniffed, shutting off the shower.

“Sora?  Oh…  Umm, it’s, umm…  I think I should probably leave.”

“Hey!  C’mon.  Talk to me.  What happened today—did Howie propose?”

Daisy leaned forward, rubbing her face while mumbling, “What?  No…  Howie broke up with me!  It makes sense—I lied and drained his spiritual energy for years…”

“Huh?!  No!  No!  No!  Something’s wrong,” Sora instantly shot back, fire rising in her chest.  “Something’s wrong—he didn’t care about any of that—he was butterflies and rainbows!  Get dressed; we’re going to find him!”

Chapter Twenty-Four: Five Days; The Devil Within

Sora paced outside, mind racing while Daisy hurriedly got ready, slipping and falling on her butt in her rush as the part Succubus threw questions at her, trying to catch up.

“Howie was going to propose?!  I-I know we’ve been dating off-and-on for almost a decade, but…  Are you sure—ack!  Dammit, that hurt…  Are you sure he didn’t just change his mind?  I went back and forth so many times, trying to run away…”

“No!  Howie was dead-set—I even questioned him…  No.  It just doesn’t make sense,” she snarled, sniffing the air and trying to analyze anything around Daisy.  “Why are you totally clean?!”

“Eh?  I, uh… just took a very long shower?”

Ignoring her mumbles, Sora mentally went through her list of enemies.

Aiden is off the list.  He was an open book, and he would have sensed my magic working inside of Daisy—I’m sure of it.

Devin’s too flustered and terrified of Kari hounding his ass, which throws him off the table, and Kari has absolutely zero interest in me.

One of the Miami bosses?  Not the Ogre or Troll, Aiden’s busy with them…  Yez’ela?  The Succubus was pissed at me, and is definitely not the type to let things go.  Plus, she could be trying to punish Daisy for moving onto my side.

Her thoughts momentarily cycled through others—Jenny, Lori, Sela, and even Jin—yet the disgruntled denizen of Hell was the most likely culprit.

The door opened, Daisy’s dress only half thrown over her head as she slipped it the rest of the way down, showing still dripping locks.  Sora absently flicked her wrist for her to follow, extracting the water with a desire.

“Is it possible to influence someone without leaving a trace on anyone else around you?”

Daisy’s heart skipped a beat, and her face turned ashen.  “You don’t just think—what did you tell Devin about Yez’ela?  You didn’t tell him to cut her off, did you?”

“I told Aiden to cut her off,” Sora corrected.  “Think Devin’s boss, and yes, he did, but he’s also busy dealing with the mess that is Miami right now.  So…”

“She could be doing this herself?”  Daisy groaned, rubbing between her puffy red eyes and following her to the first floor.  “This is why I didn’t want to get Howie involved…”

Sora’s tail flicked to the left with agitation, flames unconsciously lighting down its length due to her mood.  “No moaning!  I warned basically everyone to lay off, and if negotiations don’t work, you’ve only got the option of the fist or to lay down with your tail between your legs, and I’m done with that.”

Daisy was careful to steer clear of her swaying tail as they made it to the elevator, calling it up and regretting not asking for Aiden’s number when this inevitably happened; at the very least it could have narrowed down the search area.

Ron took one look at the fire in her eyes and at white-faced Daisy before moving to the side to allow them in.  “I’m guessing Howie’s in some kind of trouble?”

“Hopefully not for long.”

“Umm.  You might want to conceal your tail…”

“Haaa.  Breathe,” Sora hissed, attempting to unknot her tight muscles.  “I’m getting a bit sick of how often people are messing with me or those around me.  It needs to stop!  Why do I have to deal with these monsters?  I’m fifteen—I should be worried about boys, gossip, and well… heh, I guess I am a bit worried about my changing body.  So, at least that’s one check, right?”

Ron and Daisy forced a laugh as she settled down, smothering her dangerous tail and reapplying her illusions.  It was a good thing her foxfire didn’t burn her clothes because that would have been embarrassing.

Giving Ron a swift explanation on the rest of the ride down, Sora exited with Daisy at a brisk walk, scanning for any more trouble that might come her way.  For all she knew, a horde of devils and demons would now be swarming her, yet everything was shockingly calm.

The weather had tempered down, yet the slight chill from the storm still lingered, dancing on her senses.  Sora wanted to solve this as quickly as possible, not only for Howie’s or Daisy’s sakes but because she had a first friend’s appointment with Eyia to keep in the morning.  She was already aware of the dwindling hours of sleep that she’d be able to catch.

“Take me to where you last saw him.”

“Umm.  We were out at this fancy place…”  She paused, eyes going distant as she connected the dots.  “He… was going to propose to me by the fountain… away from everyone during the violin solo?  T-That was planned?”

“And someone had to ruin it,” Sora growled, tail igniting again; luckily, it was still invisible.  “Let’s go!”

Daisy jumped forward, clearly a little nervous by her attitude, but Sora couldn’t help it; she’d warned them to stay away, and they’d butted in at the worst time—it was always the worst time—like the villains knew exactly when to cause the most damage.

So annoying!  Howie should have used our roof terrace on the 4th level of the suite that Dad uses for business gatherings…

Her ears twitched as they neared the closing venue; Howie had purchased tickets to it and was going to use the atmosphere to set the mood.  It was sweet and memorable, which was all the more reason to agitate her.

However, when she got to the place they’d separated, Sora paused at the fountain, taking in the spraying liquid. Sure, there had been some random monsters, or at least partial monsters, at the venue, yet none of them stood out as particularly malevolent or demonic in nature, and, to complicate things further, Howie had vanished.

“What’s wrong?”  Daisy asked, glancing around for enemies, despite Sora having them both wrapped in fairly powerful illusions to bypass security since the area was closed and being cleaned by staff.  “Was it a devil?”

“No,” Sora mumbled, eyebrows furrowing as she studied every spectrum of magic or scent she could identify.  “He’s just… gone?  Ugh.  Hold on.”

Circling the fountain, she desired to find any clues as to where Howie would have been, being careful not to wish for anything too crazy and drain herself completely.  It wasn’t long before she paused by the water, looking into it as something shimmered within.

“No way…”  She stepped forward, motioning to the rippling pool.  “Can devils use water as gateways to transport people?”

Daisy rubbed her arm.  “I mean, possibly… if they’re a water devil or corrupted spirit?”

Soft laughter made Sora’s fur stand on end as a familiar face came into focus within the water, making Sora’s fingers tighten into a fist.  “Sela…  I thought you were going to the national park?”

“Oh, darling, I am,” the Unseelie mused.  “I do owe Yez’ela a favor, however, and I cannot help but own up to my promises.  Oh, no need to make that face.  Hmm-hmm.  You see, we fae happen to be quite proficient at making people… disappear, and our unsettled Succubus didn’t want to make a scene, so…”

Following the direction the woman was going, Sora’s teeth ground together, only parting to hiss, “You want to cut a deal?”

Daisy’s blonde locks shook against her shoulders.  “You can’t!  Unseelie are notorious for one-sided deals!”

“That we are,” Sela hummed, gray face practically shining with the innocent smile she wore.  “Also, that being said, would you rather deal with me… or a Succubus?  Hmm-hmm.  Take your pick because I was especially thorough in hiding my tracks due to your, quite frankly, alarmingly adaptive magic.  Indeed, I did handle this myself.  Impressive, no?”

Trying to temper her burning emotions, Sora tried to see a way out, but couldn’t.  Sure, she could probably discover where Howie was if she used enough power, yet then she’d also need to face Yez’ela, and that wasn’t going to be cheap on her energy pool.

“Mmmgm.”  Sora frowned and tilted her head to the side, catching Daisy lightly hitting her forehead with her tight fist, probably beating herself up about not protecting Howie herself and avoiding this whole situation.  “What do you want, Sela?”

“Perfect!”  the corrupted fae giggled.  “In fact, I don’t precisely know what it is I want you to do, but I do know one thing.”

“Which is?  Could we get on with this…  I need to get some sleep tonight.”

“Urgmm.  You’re taking the fun out of it,” the noble fae sighed.  “Very well.  I know through a fortune I was shown that… next week, I will…”  She paused, shifting uncomfortably in her reflection.  “I will die, and I want you to prevent that…  Save me, if you will.”

Sora wanted to punch her in the face at the implication.  “You want to, heh… hang around me for more than a week to be your bodyguard?!”

Sela gave a shrug that said it was no big deal.  “I was thinking more like you’d follow me, but sure, it could be reversed.  Until this looming destiny is averted, you’ll do your absolute best to keep me from harm.”

“It’s too vague,” Daisy groaned, rubbing between her eyes again.  “That could mean going against her boss or someone even stronger.”

“I don’t really have much of a choice,” Sora grunted, crossing her arms.  “I want more than just a location, Sela.”

“Naturally!”  The mischievous Unseelie giggled, a sly smile on her lips.  “Oh, I love it when enemies can see eye to eye.  I created this gateway, so I can bring you to their location.”

“Hidden?”

“Mmh.  Yez’ela will certainly feel the ripple in space, but I could put you a bit away from her and those she has under her control,” she offered, leaning to the left to hear a report from one of her underlings.  “Ooh.  How interesting.  Well—do we have a deal?  Hehe.  What am I saying?  Of course, it is.”

Sora’s fingers twitched as the woman’s hand slipped through the reflection to shake, and there was a piece of her that wanted to try and manipulate her, but she didn’t have the power to waste on a battle against Sela and Yez’ela—at least, not yet.

“Fine…  You are not going to get special treatment, by the way.”

Their fingers touched, and Sora’s gut tightened as the binding spell wove within her soul through some kind of ancient contract seal upon both parties’ acceptance.

“So long as you hold your end of the bargain.  I could care less how I am treated.  Never you mind, we may go our separate ways after.  Now, as a tip, Aiden has caught wind of Yez’ela’s unauthorized plot and is heading toward her to deal with it as we speak.”

Daisy breathed a sigh of relief.  “He can handle her then.”

“Nu-uh-uh,” Sela snickered.  “Do you know nothing about your own species?  Succubi can’t take the blame for things—they’re above such concepts—so… she’ll kill your man and get rid of the evidence.  Oh, there will be a, hehe, witch hunt once that is done to determine who told on her.”

“It was you,” Sora mumbled, suppressing a quiver that ran down her tail.  The corrupted fae was manipulating the entire thing, but this was the world she was stepping into.

“I can neither deny nor confirm,” she sang, child-like hand releasing Sora’s hand, motioning for her to enter.  “Don’t be shy.  I will direct you to the proper location, and the rest is up to you.”

Jumping into the pool without hesitation, Sora didn’t even feel the liquid as she fell through the air to land in some unfamiliar area; it probably wasn’t Miami Beach.

Daisy landed beside her, determination on her face.  “I’m sorry for being so useless, Sora…  I’m not a good monster, girlfriend, or human…”

“Not with an attitude like that,” she sighed, upright ears scanning the area.  It didn’t take long before Yez’ela’s snarl drew them to the left, talking to someone with a high-pitched, cowering voice.

“Stall him!  How could…  Sela,” she chuckled.  “Oh, you devious little sprite.  You can hear me, can you not, vulpes?  Are you fond of this man?”

“Ack!  Mmgm!”  Howie’s cry made Sora’s jaw hurt as she motioned for the blonde to follow her to the edge of the building, using a pipe to climb to the roof.  Despite being easy for Sora, even with not having done anything of the like before the week, Daisy required a bit of help.

“Hmm.  How easy it is to manipulate mortals,” she cooed, causing more sounds from Howie and setting Daisy’s nerves off as she bit her lower lip, drawing blood.  “First, Sela manipulates him, and now I hold his leash.  Daisy…  I know you can hear me…”

The blonde tugged on Sora’s shirt, whispering,  “Let me be the bait—it’s all I’m good for anyway—just get Howie out.”

Sora didn’t like the tint of the woman’s aura; she was regressing into self-hate again, which meant she’d willingly sacrifice herself at any given moment.

Sucking on her lower lip, she placed a hand on Daisy’s chest and closed her eyes, funneling magic into the seed she’d given her.

“W-What are you doing?”  she hissed, wincing from the flood of power.

Vision opening, Sora glared at her.  “You save Howie.  He’s your boyfriend—well, fiancé, kinda—and that should be enough to enhance you to break whatever charm is on him.  I’ll deal with Yez’ela.  You save your man.  Get it done,” she demanded, feeling more confrontational than ever before.  It seemed to help push Daisy into accepting the task, at least.

Taking a deep breath, Sora trailed behind the woman while maintaining her illusion around Daisy. Using the power Sora had given her, Daisy could charm Howie to follow her, so Sora went through the roof door to be the distraction, making all the noise in the world as she made a spectacle out of her bold entrance.

A half-Succubus backed away upon seeing her, not engaging at all after Sora released her own invisibility and sent a flick of foxfire at the wall next to her.  Sora put on a smug smile as the concrete turned yellow and blistered, cracking with the heat of her emotions enhancing the flames.

Every other woman or man on her path into the warehouse didn’t engage, either due to fear or knowing she was their boss’ prey.

Sora wanted to scream at the Succubus when she saw Howie tied on a hook by the wrists, hanging naked with a dull expression while slowly spinning in circles.  She burst through the door, tail-fire flaring to draw more attention and allowing Daisy to slip through unnoticed.

Breathing in deeply, she sent a jet of fire from her mouth to engulf Yez’ela; Sora had meant it to get the woman to step away, yet she only sat and watched it come with a small smile on her lips.

When it cleared, the devil could be seen in her true form, hand on her hip as she shook her head, showing curved horns, red skin, black wings, and a barbed tail that cracked like a whip.  The Succubus was fully nude, not seeming to care while strolling forward, flashing her fangs.

“You didn’t honestly think that fire would harm a true devil?  It did have a little spice to it that I haven’t enjoyed before…  Heh.  The emotion does add something to it.  No.  You likely have one of my little spotted doves creeping about to steal her love away.”

Sora’s tongue got the better of her as she forced a smile.  “Are you really so scared of me that you’ll do all this to get to me?”

“Scared?  Ho-ho.  Little vulpes, I am more frightened of Eric than you could ever make me since he can actually do something to me few creatures are able…  Eradicate a devil.  Not return to Hell…  Devour our very corrupted essence.  So, no, you do not frighten me.  This is a game.”

She gestured at Howie, Daisy still sneaking around them to reach her future husband, trying not to focus on the devil’s words, yet that turned out to be impossible as she explained what she’d done.

“I smell a tiny devil; did you think you could hide your Infernal stench, dear?”

Damn, Sora hissed, not taking that into consideration because she didn’t know it was a thing.  The Succubus kept gloating, though, which was good to buy her time.

“I wonder if you can save him, Daisy…  If he leaves that spot, as per my orders, he will commit suicide… or, heh, he could also kill the woman he loves who is trying to rescue him.  I left it to his choice.  Hmm-hmm.  I look forward to seeing you in Hell, Daisy.  We’ll have fun.”

Sora stretched out her hands and tail, having faith that Daisy could handle it with her extra boost of power; Yez’ela was expecting a Succubus without much strength at all to pull against her influence, not the loaded-up beast Sora had made the woman into.  She just had to wait for it to trigger to perform her own attack.

Sora let out a brave laugh, puffing out her chest, showing the rage in her eyes while meeting the tall devil without flinching.  “Is that what you think?  You do know I’m a Founder, like Eric and Kari?  I have ways of doing things to you, too, Yez’ela.  Let’s find out whose influence is greater!”

Daisy lifted Howie off the chains, causing the charmed man to reach for his own throat, to cut off his airway, but the one-quarter Succubus stopped him in his tracks by planting her lips on his, injecting her influence in the most potent way possible: a kiss.

A flash of rainbow light came from outside the windows, but Sora didn’t have time to get distracted.  Releasing the floodgates on all her power to collide against Yez’ela’s will, an infernal heat met her, but the distractions held, and an unusual joy bloomed within her breast.

She was a giant, standing over the tiny fiend, a blazing inferno radiating around her in an aura that stripped all thought.  She used pure, unbridled emotion to crush the woman that had tested her resolve—who tried to bully and hurt her—Sora had to set an example for every one of the monsters in Miami.

Yez’ela fell to her knees as Sora’s claws came out, focus solely on the task at hand; the Succubus’ resistances, charms, and defensive spells were burned in her fury.  All she wanted to do was to make sure no one even thought about attacking her—in any way—not her friends, family, or even an acquaintance.

“No…  What are you…  How are you—no, not that!”  Yez’ela’s hopeless struggles came to a stop as her desires found a spark within the woman—something more important to her than anything else—and a smile flashed across Sora’s enraged face, unable to restrain herself anymore.  “Please!  You can’t take it from me!”

“You were once human,” Sora cackled, nails sinking into her forehead and cheeks to draw out the poisonous black blood within; what she desired was in the fiend’s ebony tears.  “Those memories you hold dear of a time without the pain Hell brings…”

“No!  Don’t!”

She heard gasps from the demi-Succbi behind her regarding the implications, but she didn’t care or have the focus to catch their muttered discontent.

“Times you can relive on rare occasions outside of the pits…”  Sora laughed, a bitter edge in her tone.  “You’re so fixated on such a dull life as a seamstress in ancient Rome?  Oh.  You couldn’t stay away from men, though, could you, nor promises…  Cutting out the heart of everyone that betrayed it.”

“Don’t take them from me!”  she screamed, fighting with everything she had to claw back control, yet Sora just increased the output, burning her emotions for more strength.

“Atticus…  Gone.  How you loved your time with Cyrus…  Not anymore!”  Sora’s laughter grew deeper; she didn’t feel entirely like herself, but this devil deserved it.

“No…  No, please…  Don’t take Cassius from me!”  she wept, clawing to keep her memories.

Sora plucked every thread out of her very soul.  They weren’t suppressed but taken and burned before her eyes, leaving the longing of knowing she loved them without the reasons why—forever tickling at the edge of thought like a road leading to a cliff for her to fall every time, searching in vain.

“Magnus…  No…  No, not…  Why can’t I remember their names… their faces…  I’ll kill y…  Who took them?  Who… what?”

As a final piece of vengeance, Sora stripped her memory of her.  The Succubus would know someone took everything she loved, and it was because she’d crossed someone she shouldn’t have.

This was Sora’s power—what she could do—and she knew the woman would discover it was her in a few days, but she would never want to risk attacking her again because Yez’ela had something to lose; she left one final name to her lips.

Kneeling down, Sora felt her energy dying as she forced Yez’ela’s head up, emotions dwindling to embers.  “Hah…  Remember this.  Cross me again, and I’ll take your last joy…  I’ll take Cassius from you if you dare so much as look the wrong way at someone I care for.  Understand?”

Yez’ela nodded, and, for the first time, Sora felt delighted to see fear in someone’s eyes.

Muscles failing her, Sora’s vision went white, mixed with a rainbow of color.

Chapter Twenty-Five: Two Days; Nothing But Problems

A warmth filled Sora, drawing her mind out of darkness and into a clouded dream.  Visions of her father and Wendy on vacation in Tahiti floated to the surface, pulling her back to the cruise they’d taken for her eleventh birthday.

She could smell the burning wood in the hut hotel they’d stayed at, and almost taste the smores they’d made.  She heard her father’s stories about his most recent trip to Germany while introducing them to various country goods he’d saved for the occasion.

Her life was so simple and free back then, filling her spirit with positive energy, and she didn’t want to let it go, but consciousness drew her to an unfamiliar gray-painted ceiling.

“Mmgm…”

Groggy mind trying to make sense of where she was and what she’d done before passing out, Sora shifted her tail to the left, pushing herself up to get better acquainted with her surroundings.

The lingering scent of burning fabric made her nose twist, and her dull vision centered on a charcoal black hole in the mattress that extended to the floor.

Did I do that?  she asked herself, lifting her tail in bewilderment and scanning for sounds.

Currently, her tail was very much not on fire, yet, at some point, it seemed to have been, and the fire alarm on the ceiling had been taken off.  The silky blinds were drawn in, and by the wind and traffic outside, she was on the third floor of some building.  There seemed to be three other people in the condo, or apartment, or whatever she was in by their breathing.

Her heartbeat picked up, and the hair on her tail stood on end as her ears stood up, mind taking her back to what happened before she lost consciousness.

I…  What possessed me to do that to her?!  I just… I was so angry…

“Howie!”

Throwing off the damaged sheets, Sora noticed she was still in her old clothes, but that wasn’t her concern.  Opening the door, she entered a hallway, not finding any decorations in the lackluster living space.

She heard someone in the front room calmly getting up, and his magic and spiritual presence easily identified him: Aiden.  Fingers tightening into a fist, Sora set her resolve upon seeing him; he wore an appraising smile, arms crossed while examining her.

“Feeling better?  You’ve been out for—woah, heh, what’s with that look?  I didn’t kidnap you.”

“Where’s Howie and Daisy?”  she demanded, vision shifting back the way she’d come to the room opposite hers.  “What happened?”

“Chill!”  Aiden chuckled, holding up his hands before gingerly gesturing her toward the couch in the relatively sparsely furnished condo… by the looks of it.  “I’ll explain if you want; you’ve been out for about forty-eight hours—you really did a number on your spiritual network, girl…  Had me scared there for a minute, but I managed to stabilize you.”

Swallowing the saliva that suddenly entered her mouth, Sora breathed a few times, processing what he was implying.  She pressed against her breast, sensing a foreign healing flame working through her body and spirit.

“You’re… a monster doctor?  Haaa.  Okay.  Okay.  Just… give me a second.”

“Take your time?”  Aiden said, offering an encouraging smile and retaking his seat, crossing his legs.  “I know it can’t be easy waking up in a new place.  Let me know when you’re ready for me to fill in the blanks.  I have several hours before Eric gets here and I need to go anyway.”

Sora eyed him as a tired sigh streamed from his lips, and he rubbed his head, seemingly dealing with a lot; her focus was on the insane Fenris Wolf, though—if he was coming to Miami, she definitely didn’t want to get caught in that web.

Settling down, she moved to sit opposite him, gaze wandering the room to orient herself.  “Is this your place?  It’s pretty bare.”

He shrugged, settling in to level another smile her way.  “Well, I do a lot of traveling.  I liked it better when we lived in Alva’s Realm; all these city streets make me feel claustrophobic.  I loved the open, endless wilderness and its mysteries.  Kari and I used to do a lot of exploring back in the day…  To Eric, it was all about hunting, which can be fun, at times, I guess.”

Intrigued to learn a bit more about the mysterious Russian girl—who happened to be a Fenris Wolf Founder—Sora held her tail against her lap and jumped on the topic.

“Why didn’t you stay there if it was so great?  I’m guessing Alva is Kari’s mom…”  she trailed off, realizing what had likely happened.

“Heh.  You guessed it, by the look on your face,” Aiden mumbled, cheer dampening as he looked into his past.  “Yeah, she died…  It’s complicated.  I don’t know…  Without her, the realm fell apart, and, well, Kari took off to the first gateway away from the place she could find, which landed her here with Jenny.”

Sora’s mind shifted gears, taking her back to middle school when she’d first met the duo.  “Wait…  Jenny lived with you in Alva’s Realm?”

“Mmh…  Not exactly,” Aiden hissed, rubbing his knee uncomfortably.  “As I said, it gets a bit complicated, and I wouldn’t want to piss her off by talking about her when I figure the two of you have a history.  She’s rough around the edges—understandably to me—and I get you don’t like her, but she’s kind of a little sister to me, so… yeah.”

“Eric being the root of the problem, I’m guessing?”  Sora mumbled, recalling the conversation where the man told Aiden to break her arms to make her listen.  “No, I don’t want to get involved with that drama.”

“Smart.”  He sighed, gesturing to the room down the hall.  “If you’re ready to get back to the business you got wrapped up in, Howie and Daisy have been sharing the master bedroom while you destroyed my guest room.”

Sora forced a laugh.  “I, uh, can pay you back, and get it fixed!  How did that even happen?”

Her mind snapped back to his earlier comment about how much time had passed as he explained.

“When you fight any devil, especially a decently powerful Succubus from the First Circle, you’re bound to receive spiritual damage, but it was the method you used which took me by surprise…  You somehow converted your own energy into Hell Force to bypass her resilience.”

He held up a hand.  “Don’t get me wrong—it was brilliant, not something any vulpes could do without making a contract with Hell, yet… you’re a vulpes Founder, so you can do basically anything if you have the power.  It certainly shook up the other fiends in the area; they didn’t know what to do when I arrived.”

Trying to ease the ice flooding her veins, realizing she’d left Eyia waiting all day on the bench, Sora sank back into her sofa, growling lowly, which Aiden misinterpreted.

“Is that a… I feel like dying groan, from the Hell Force backlash, or… feed me, mortals, before I burn down the condo complex?”  Aiden chuckled

“It’s a devils suck groan,” she mumbled, lying down and flicking her tail with agitation, careful not to let it burst into flames.  “I slept through an important meet-up with a new friend, who might get the wrong idea due to the kidnapping.  Bah.  I’ll figure it out,” she grumbled, forcing herself up to get back to the most important topic.  “Okay.  Tell me how Daisy and Howie are.”

He nodded, gesturing to the master bedroom.  “Daisy’s exhausted after you supercharged her.  She’s having to fight some very… ahem, uncomfortable instincts that came with you boosting her Succubus powers with the Hell Force you were converting.”

Sora drew in her mouth, picturing the awkward blonde doing everything in her power not to sink her claws into Howie, strip him down, and go to town with him—well, he was already stripped the last time she’d seen him.

“That Succubus of yours messed everything up,” she snarled, scratching her neck at the uncomfortable thought, trying not to imagine anything beyond the surface level.  “I don’t even fully know what I did to her.  What happened?  Oh, and will Howie and Daisy be okay?  Sorry.  I’m just a little distracted.”

“It’s cool,” Aiden said, shifting to take his phone out of his pocket and making a quick text after reading something.  “I smoothed things over with Howie and Daisy’s troubles as best I could…  Heh, I’m not exactly a doctor, but firebird flames do have regenerative properties that promote a healthy recovery.

“By the way, Howie called someone named Ron and told him to tell, eh, the staff…”  he asked, shooting a questioning look at her.  “...that you’d be staying over at Wendy’s for a bit?  He only passed out a bit ago; he’s been watching to make sure I don’t do anything funny the entire time you’ve been here.”

Smiling at how wonderful the man was, Sora knew she had to thank him for thinking about her and what the staff would do if she didn’t show up.  “That’s Howie…  Your powers are pretty cool,” she added, bypassing the comment about her hotel or where she lived.  “What about…”

“Yez’ela?”  Aiden finished.

“Yeah…”

“Mmm-hmm-hmm.”  He scratched his temple before reading a text and replying to it.  “Well, after you placed that conditional cursed contract on her…  Whatever you used as a threat must have been quite something to her because she snapped her own connection to this plane of existence to return to Hell.  She’s gone… leaving Florida a total mess with fiends fighting to claim her place.”

“…Sorry?”  Sora hesitantly offered, creasing an eye and drawing her ears back.

“Ah, don’t worry.  It’s whatever…  I mean, with Eric coming, everyone’s freaking out, and Devin…  Devin, Devin, Devin,” he cursed, rubbing his forehead.  “Urgh.  Devin’s using every contact he has in Florida to mask his scent and get Kari off his trail.

“I’d like to keep your name out of this…  I’m not sure if I can with how many fiends you pissed off, though.  They’ll throw your name in the mix if they think it will give them favor with Eric, and Devin will certainly toss you under a bus to fix his blunders.  I’d recommend getting out of town until he’s gone if possible.”

Sora folded her arms, chewing on the inside of her lip while processing the mess she was in.  The list just kept growing: her birthday was coming up, changes happening to her entire being as she changed into a vulpes, her dad, Wendy, Howie, Mary, and Eyia, it was endless!

“Maybe I will…”  she trailed off, ears and head following footsteps outside as a man streamed out a long, agitated sigh, but it was the walkie-talkie sounds that caught her attention; the chatter on the channel was unmistakable.

“Were you… expecting the police?”

“Ah.  Yeah,” Aiden yawned, rubbing his eyes as he got up.  “Can you give me a second?”

“Sure?”

She followed his exit, moving to another branching hallway to get to the front door.  Opening it, he returned with a tall, muscular police officer.  Sora’s sharp eyes centered on the pin, patches, and badge he wore on his uniform—Lieutenant Nathan Hunter, Miami Beach Police Department.

“Thanks for coming, Nathan,” Aiden said, motioning him in.  “I heard you wanted to talk to Devin, but I’m overseeing everything until Eric gets here later, eh-heh, today, it seems,” he chuckled, glancing at the clock that said 1:14 a.m.

“Sure,” he grunted, eyes narrowing upon seeing her, tail, ears, and all, yet he let it slide, and Sora smelled a similar scent on him as some of Kari’s girls, just more potent—he was a werewolf, and a more complete version than Lori, it seemed.  “Am I interrupting something?”

Sora got up to check on Howie and Daisy, motioning at them.  “Don’t mind me!  I’ll go check on the others while you do your… business.”

Aiden worked around his shoulders, loosening up.  “No problem.  Sorry to interrupt things.”

“It’s cool…”

Heading to the master bedroom, she carefully opened it up, slipping inside.  Sure enough, the pair were passed out on the king-sized bed, and a smile touched her heart upon seeing them holding hands, even in their sleep.  She could also sense a touch of Succubus magic linking their dreams.

You little devil, Sora mused, resisting the urge to peek in on them.  She was a little curious, but she wasn’t a complete deviant.

Resting her back against the door, she slid down to her butt, being careful of her tail, and tilted her head to listen to Aiden and Nathan’s conversation.

“So… what’s the problem?”  Aiden laughed, dropping like a log into his chair and offering the officer the sofa Sora had used.

Remaining standing, Nathan scratched his nose and sniffed.

“A lot of strange things coming to the department as of yesterday…  I’ve been running damage control all day.  Girls breaking down walls with their bare hands, devils possessing people, and some girl by the beach with a spear, freezing the ocean in big ice waves…  It’s becoming quite the spectacle that’s drawing a lot of attention, and I can’t really bring any of my men into it when she could be dangerous.”

Eyia…  Sora internally hissed, recalling the atmosphere and snow she’d brought the last time they’d met.  Is she pissed?  Sad?

“Mmgm-hmm-hmm-hmm,” she whimpered, rubbing her face.

I hope I didn’t make her cry by seemingly ghosting her.

“A girl wielding an ice spear?”  Aiden mumbled, going silent to cycle through all the monsters he knew were in Miami, no doubt.  “An ice woman on vacation, maybe?  Ugh.  All I get are more problems.  Keep your men blocking off the area; I’ll go talk to her myself in the next hour or so.  She’s probably new to Miami.”

Sora got up and came back out, catching Aiden’s gaze.  “Umm.  I can go talk to her.  I’m pretty sure I know who it is, and… I planned to hang out with her yesterday—eh, two days ago now, I guess—but…”

“Yez’ela,” Aiden smiled, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation.  “Huh.  Well, if you do that, heh, you’re saving me a headache.  Just…  I’m trying to smooth things over, so Eric doesn’t feel like he needs to get involved.”

Nathan sucked in his cheeks, slowly nodding while appraising her again.  “That would be best.  I don’t need missing person reports piling up on my desk, but if he gets rid of these devils, then shit, I’m fine with him chewing them up.”

“I’m getting things in order… trying, at least,” Aiden laughed.  “The Trolls and Ogres will probably come to blood, and maybe that will be enough to satisfy Eric while I deal with the devil troubles…  As to Kari…”

“I know.  I know,” Nathan snarled, surprising Sora that the police was totally cool with devils being real.  “Ugh…  Having a wolf like that in a school of normal girls is just…  Haaa.  Yeah.  I’ve already made my opinion known,” he grunted, getting up and nodding at her.  “I’ll take you there if you need a ride?”

“Sure!”  Sora grinned, holding her hands behind her back.  “Umm.  Just let me leave a note for Howie and Daisy…  Did you bring my purse from that warehouse, Aiden?”

He pointed at the room she’d been in.  “Surprised you didn’t see it.  I put it beside the bed.”

“Right…”

Jogging over to retrieve it, she ducked into the bathroom at the end of the hall, studying her reflection.  “Let me freshen up real fast,” she called back, spinning her magic with a desire to straighten out her hair, remove any scent from her clothes or skin, and add a shine to her nails.

Nathan had an unsure expression as she finished in seconds, exiting with a beaming face.  “Can… you do something about the ears and tail?”

“Oh!  Yeah,” she giggled, snapping her fingers, hiding them behind illusions.

Aiden grinned.  “I gotta say, your magic really is convenient, Sora.”

“Right!  Alright, catch you later, and I appreciate you running interference, Aiden…  You are a good guy,” she whispered, holding out a hand.

He shook it and gave her a two-fingered salute.  “Catch ya around, fox-girl.  Thanks for handling the ice chick; maybe we could make a good team?”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, bird-boy,” she snickered, waving him off.

Nathan rolled his eyes and left, causing Sora to hurry after him.  “Just try to avoid normal people getting involved…  That’s the only reason I’ve agreed to any of this shit.  If you can’t keep order, then we’ll have problems.”

“We’ll get things ironed out…  I hope.”

Sora saw the nervous change in his demeanor as she shut the door. 

Eric must be terrifying if he wants to avoid him getting angry… and even devils are afraid of him.  Here’s to not meeting him… ever, but with my luck…

She took out her phone to see the messages from Ron but Howie seemed to have smoothed things over; she texted Ron, thanking him for covering for her and to let him know she was alright.  Telling him she’d probably be out tonight, she stuck it back in her purse, fingers brushing the icy black rose for support.

“Ugh…”

“Something wrong?”  Nathan asked, shifting to study her as they stopped in front of the elevator that would take them down, already called.

“Problems…  Everyone’s got problems.”

“Ain’t that the truth,” Nathan mumbled.  “So… what’s your deal?  I don’t think I’ve seen you…”

“Nathan, this is Betty…  I have the Homeland at the station?”

“What?”  Nathan made a fist and pressed it against his forehead, streaming out a long sigh before pulling his walkie out of its strap.  Some chatter was on the other end, but he cut them off.  “I’ll be at the station as soon as I can and message the captain.  He’s going to be pissed after the day we had…”

“On it!”

Sora entered the elevator with him, lifting an eyebrow.  “Homeland, as in… Homeland Security from the government Homeland?”

“Seems that way,” Nathan grumbled.  “I’ll have another officer take you to the beach.”

“Got it.”

Heading to ground level, they left it only for Sora to stop in her tracks once making it outside, where Nathan’s police cruiser was parked just ahead of them.

“What’s up?”  Nathan muttered, seeing the goosebumps form on her arms as she zoned out.

Sora’s unfocused vision shifted to the right as a familiar aura approached from around the corner, and it made the hair on her tail become needles.  The window above them opened, Aiden leaning out three floors up.

“You good, Sora?  What’s…”

“Yeah!  Uh… heh, yeah,” she yelled up, forcing the lump in her throat down.  “It’s fine!  Just…  It’s fine!”

Trying not to trip on her way down the stairs, she gathered her courage.  Sora knew what this was about… probably.  “One sec, Nathan…”

Stiffly walking toward the overwhelming aura, she tried to fight the fear twisting her stomach.  Meanwhile, Nathan rolled around his neck and scanned for danger.

“What’s the trouble?”  Nathan asked, tone lowering.

“Eh-heh…  It shouldn’t be anything…  I hope.”

Her focus settled on the tiny Korean girl as she rounded the corner, no doubt tracking her down, and her slitted, yellow eyes showed a smile with fangs.

“Jin!  Uh… about Eyia…”

Nathan straightened as her illuminated golden eyes shot to him before returning to her.

“Humph.  I thought you were a cut above most vulpes, but I see you’re just as much a mess as the rest.”

“I can explain,” she tried to say, but Jin returned it with a scoff and dismissive gesture.

“I can smell the disgusting Hell Force on you, Sora…  I get you had trouble,” she said in a tone that made it clear she didn’t care.  “You don’t make someone like Eyia a promise if you can’t keep it!  She waited the entire day on that bench.”

She could now see Jin as a sort of big sister, guiding Eyia in this new world.  The Korean girl was upset because Eyia felt like she’d been ghosted, and excuses weren’t going to help the pain she’d already felt.

“I know,” she whispered, rubbing her numb arm; the pressure was mixed with disappointment and frustration.  She’d probably had to come up with an explanation as to why she’d skipped the meeting.  “I should have figured out a way to talk to you guys…  I’m going to talk to Eyia now.”

Jin’s mouth tightened.  “You aren’t going to run away?”

“No?”  Sora shook her head, confused by the accusation.  “I was looking forward to hanging out with Eyia.  We couldn’t do it then, but maybe we can now.”

“Hmm…”  Jin was looking right through her, intimidating reptilian eyes narrowing.  “You aren’t like most vulpes, I’ll give you that…  Founder?  Hah.  I don’t know about that, but sure, if you’re sincere, I’ll give you one shot…  Make it count.  Good luck!”  she chimed, waving her off before brushing by them.

Sora’s blood froze, realizing the statement and the type of person Jin was.  Make up with Eyia… or her heart would vacate her body.

Everyone’s always so intense in this monster community!  Sora internally screamed but knew why Jin was so emotional.  Eyia must have cried…

The stress left her lungs; no matter what she did, something always got messed up recently.  From the time she’d spent with Eyia, she could see the girl being the definition of confidence, yet there was also a delicate, innocent, beautiful snowflake within her that was oblivious to most human customs, whatever she was.

“What was that about…  Did she just threaten you?”  Nathan asked, following the girl’s exit.  “Who is she?”

Sora forced a laugh.  “Eh, someone I definitely don’t want to get on the bad side of…  I’d sooner fight Kari, judging by the aura she releases.  Can we go?”

“Yeah…  Ugh.  There’s so much chaos.  Now Homeland…”

He took her back to his car, and they took off.  Sora passively studied the streets, yet another problem came from her phone when she pulled it out, seeing a text from the previous day—it was from her dad.

8:13 p.m. - Dad:  Hey, sweety!  So, I got off a day early.  I’ll be in tomorrow morning.  I also got your message.  Ominous!  I can’t wait to talk!  Give me a call when you can.  Looking forward to it.  Love you!  ~ Dad.

Perfect…  Just perfect.

Chapter Twenty-Six: Two Days; The Innocent Warrior

Staring dully at her phone, Sora debated calling her dad, but that thought was dashed when the noisy police radio kept buzzing with chatter.  She had enough to explain; she didn’t need to complicate things by bringing the police into their conversation.

“Trouble?”  Nathan passively asked, being far too observant than she would have liked.

“Hmm.  Not sure yet, if I’m being honest.  Mmgm.  So, what are the chances Homeland is here for something involving monsters?”  Sora redirected, putting her phone back into her purse and placing her bag by her feet.  “Is the government mixed up in all this stuff?”

A frown touched his mouth, shifting eyes narrowing while observing the road and cars.  “Huh.  I’d expect a fox monster like you would know all about that.  I’m just an unwilling mutt that was cursed and brought into Eric’s unwilling pack of slaves several months ago when I got a promotion.  So, you tell me.”

Crossing her legs and pulling down on her shorts a bit, Sora brought her hair over her shoulder as it began to bother her.  “Oh?  Not getting into the details, but I’m new to a lot of the monster stuff…  So, you weren’t born a werewolf?”

“Pfft.  No,” he growled, foot easing off the gas as they came to a stop light.  “No, I’m guessing my previous boss did something that caused an early retirement, and I was brought into the fold to fill his spot…”

He paused, working around his jaw.  “I won’t say it doesn’t have its perks… and I tried to push back at the start, but it didn’t really get me anywhere.  I’ve learned that I can have more of an effect on things from the inside, as much as I hate dealing with Devin.”

“What about Aiden?”  Sora queried, glaring at the window as a reflection brought the smiling face of the Unseelie before it vanished; the woman was likely reminding her that they had an ongoing deal to save her from this supposed death in the coming week.  “You didn’t seem thrilled to deal with him.”

“Aiden…”  Nathan repeated, breathing out a long stream of air as the light flipped to green and they continued their path to the station.  “The boy tries to do right, but you could say he’s caught in a catch-22.  He’s bound to Eric in ways I don’t understand, yet does his best to keep things positive.  I don’t know…  For having so much sway, he seems more trapped than me.”

“A caged bird, hmm?”  Sora whispered, thinking back to the pretty rainbow lights his power made when they walked through the rain.  “I’m trying to stay out of the whole monster community mess that Kari’s family appears to have a lock on; I finally got free from her, but somehow I got mixed up in the devil mess…  Maybe I should have come up with a better strategy than provoking a fight.”

“Provoking a fight?”  The man’s eyebrows drew in.  “You’re the reason a lot of the devils are acting up?”

“Mmmh…  Yes and no,” Sora uncomfortably mumbled.  “Someone I care about was mixed in with the Succubus crowd, and I told them to back off.  Naturally, they didn’t like that, and there’s so much happening that it got a bit out of hand.  Ugh.  So out of hand,” she hissed, rubbing between her eyes.  “Aiden’s been a good middle ground; I don’t envy him.”

“That we agree on,” Nathan whispered, pulling out a cigarette from somewhere to light it, cracking the window a little; the smell burned Sora’s sensitive nose, causing it to crinkle.  “Whenever Eric stops by, monsters quickly fall into line.  Mmgm.  A necessary evil?  I’ve played with the thought from time to time, but it still keeps me up at night.”

He dragged on his cigarette, and Sora had to wonder if he was allowed to smoke on duty or in the car.  Still, he was kind of a big shot, so maybe it didn’t matter to him.  The stress of Homeland and Eric was probably getting to him.

“I watched Eric swallow a live grenade, smiling as he told one of the new recruits to pull the pin before downing it…  I’ve seen some strong monsters—devils even—in the last year, but the moment they hear Eric’s name, they’re pissing themselves.  A lot of bad eggs out there, but a lot of good ones I’ve met, too…  It’s funny, huh?”

Sora’s ears twitched a little; she wasn’t accustomed to people talking so candidly to her. By his aura, Nathan was attempting to understand her while releasing stress.  “Yeah, I’ve been finding it’s a mixed bag, as well,” she mumbled, stroking her tail as she shifted it on her lap.

Her head rose, scanning the parking lot Nathan pulled them into; they’d made it to the police headquarters in Miami Beach.  “We’re already here?”

“Mhm.”  He took one last drag of his cigarette as they came to a stop in a parking space; opening the door, he tossed it on the ground and stamped it out while exiting, which was totally a crime.  “I’ll have another officer take you the rest of the way…  Try not to get yourself killed.  I don’t need more paperwork.”

Sora laughed at his reasoning.  “That’s the plan.”  Unfastening her seatbelt, she used her magic to levitate and hide her purse from view as it hovered behind her.  Expecting surprise, it seemed Nathan appeared to be somewhat desensitized to a lot of things, which probably came with the territory after being turned into a werewolf.

I guess he’s accepted his role in the pack hierarchy at this point…  I want to help, but I can’t save everyone.  He’s looking for what good he can do in his situation—like Aiden, I suppose.

Holding her arm behind her back, she followed him to the front.  It was past midnight, so there wasn’t a lot of activity going on, yet she did notice two black SUVs parked in front of the building with government plates that made the hair on her tail rise a little bit.

Her mind was drawn away from Nathan, who was calling out to two officers and briefing them on where to take her.  One of the men had a similar scent to him, indicating he was also cursed to be a werewolf.  It was only a passing thought as she centered on the vehicles; there was a heavy smell of magic around the SUVs.

The government has to be in on monsters if they spell their cars…  Wizard agents?  The hole I jumped into just keeps getting deeper.  How is all of this kept hidden?  She internally chided herself upon coming to the obvious answer.  Magic…

Nathan directed the female and male officers toward her, and she tried to add a charming smile.  “This is Sora; she needs to be dropped off at the beach where we’ve been getting those reports about the ice girl.  She’s a lost tourist, and her parents will be waiting nearby.”

Nice lie, bud, she mused to herself.

“Once you’ve dropped her off on the beach, inform whoever is on duty the area has been cleared, and have them prepare to take down the barricades blocking off the area.”

They asked some more questions that Nathan brushed off before motioning for Sora to follow them back to their cruiser; there were a few follow-up inquiries, but the topic of Homeland soon steered them into a private discussion that left Sora to dwell in her own mind.

Sora didn’t even want to speculate when it came to the government and monsters; she had enough to concern herself.  The true topic grating against her thoughts was what she was going to do about her dad coming home.

So much had changed in the past week: Wendy was back, Mary was in hiding, Howie had been kidnapped, she’d exited school, Ron’s wife was a Celestial goddess of some kind, and she’d grown fox ears and a tail while making a lot of monsters angry.

She honestly didn’t know where to begin.  It would help if her dad was aware of the monster community, yet Sora knew it would also set her off if he was.  There were so many questions and anxious feelings swirling within her that she gave a short start when the woman prompted her that they’d arrived.

Thanking them for the trouble of transporting her, Sora exited with a few parting words, slipping into a small crowd that was gathered on the beach.  Part of the shore had been blocked off by poles and police tape, showing a rather impressive ice maze of sorts.  At first glance, it looked like Eyia had fashioned a fortress to protect her hurt heart, but it wasn’t exactly sealed off. 

Wrapped in illusions, she moved under the barrier as several officers gathered to hear their new orders, with media swarming for answers.  Ignoring them, she moved forwards.  Sora’s focus was on the glimmering ice crystals that hung in the air and the light powder that fell around the area.

To make sure no one would follow, she generated an imaginary wall to seal the only entrance nearby, using her magic to erase the signs of her passing.  It cost some energy but was well worth it to have her privacy.

Ears pricked high, tilting left and right, she filtered out the sounds beyond the blue glow of the beautiful maze she’d entered.  Eyia was near the center, remaining still.  Sora knew too well that the tall, blonde girl probably knew she was there.

Taking her time to move through the maze, she followed the elegant upward curves and flowing angles of the walls.  It was as if Eyia had a brush, and had painted each sheet in sweeping motions to generate arches that rose and fell in a mesmerizing, continual stroke.

She had to be careful not to slip with her wedged sandals on the polished glass floor, using her tail for balance.  The dark sky reflected overhead in a spell-binding way that showed the stars and galaxies the light pollution obscured, or perhaps it was another world entirely, captured by the blonde’s power.

It was as if she were browsing an art gallery with how strong each impression of cosmic wonder jumped out at her around each corner.  It was astonishingly beautiful.  Eyia’s abilities with ice drowned out all other concerns clouding her thoughts as she ran her hand along the walls, believing if she pressed hard enough, she’d fall into open space.

The darkness was somewhat new to Sora’s enhanced vision, drawing her into a sense of mystery that tickled her a little.  Her father had taken her to all sorts of places dedicated to the arts, yet this had a different sense of grandeur to it on the open beach of her home.  If it remained, it would certainly become a wonder of the world, but she doubted it would last when Eyia left, which was somewhat sad.

It took several minutes for Sora to navigate the area, seemingly designed in a spiraling circle that carried into the ocean, showing the moving water underneath that mixed with the darkness and stars, and she even discovered a surprise sand dollar that made her smile.

Making it to the end, Sora’s ears drew back upon seeing Eyia sitting on an ice mound, staring into a mirky white veil in the ice.  The blonde woman wore a searching expression that she didn’t want to disturb, so she stood off to the side, hugging herself in the biting atmosphere that penetrated her magical resistances.

Sora welcomed the chilling new experience and wanted to show Eyia that she’d wait for whenever she was ready to talk.  She noted the blonde wore one of the light blue evening dresses they’d picked out together, and her hair was braided in a Nordic style that matched her looks.

Her attention was brought to the glistening diamond and gold-laced necklace that radiated a bright glow; it was hard to tear her eyes away from the jewelry.  Now that she had more control over her magical senses, Sora knew for a fact it was something special, and it was one of the few things she’d come across thus far that were so complex—such as Stephanie or Nilly—that she didn’t even know where to begin to decipher its mysteries.

A soft puff of carbon dioxide left Eyia’s lips as she turned a melancholy smile to her.  The snow had picked up, but there appeared to be an invisible force directing it away from them.  She spoke perfect English for the first time, making Sora’s ears stick up in surprise.

“I have been contemplating the words of my father to understand better what I should do.  Often, Jin’s advice conflicts with his ever-guiding voice, yet I know behind all her aggression is a caring person who wants to cheer me up in her own way…  I sense Múspellsheimr’s corrupting force within you.”

Sora’s arms tightened against her body as Eyia’s gaze fell to stare into the cosmic ice, showing a sorrow Sora reflected.  Sora had no idea what the word she even used meant, but it was probably her version of Hell; besides, there were more important things to broach.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, Eyia; I know I should have somehow let you know I might have trouble meeting you.”  She swallowed, trying not to shiver.  “Jin was right; I should have known there would be problems, and let you know.  Haha.  Umm, life’s been a bit hectic for me the last week.”

The accusatory emotional aura around the blonde was confusingly self-aimed, and she was beginning to see why Jin was so upset.  Eyia didn’t blame her; for some reason, she blamed herself.

Eyia got up, showing a soft smile that bewildered Sora as she held out her hands.  “I should have known something was wrong and come to your side to support you in your battle.  When we were to watch each other’s backs for the day, I failed to ascertain your needs.  The damage to your spirit is a mark of shame on my name.”

Sora’s eyes widened, hesitantly taking her hands, not knowing if this was some kind of custom.  “What?  No!  No, Eyia, it’s not your problem!  I-It’s mine.”  She hated the stutter, but unlike her previous one, this was just raw emotion.

A tingling wave of soothing energy passed through her from the blonde’s fingertips, making Sora’s tail and ears stiffen.  The world brightened, and a weight against her chest lifted that she wasn’t aware had been pressing her down.

Expression softening, Eyia shook her head and stepped back, releasing her hands to hold them behind her back.  “I have removed the taint of Múspellsheimr from you…  It is the least I should do.  I am beginning to doubt if this… human experience Jin has expressed to me is right.  If I had not been restraining my powers with her, I would have known you were in danger.”

Sora breathed in deeply and let it go.  “Haaa.  Do you want to talk about it?  It’s, heh, a bit late to go out to eat, but I’m sure we can find someplace to go and talk.  An, eh… after victory feast?”  she offered with a forced grin.

It got a short chuckle from the blonde.  “It would not be appropriate for me to join such a celebration without contributing to the victory…  You certainly are a strange one, Sora.  This world is so peaceful.  I do not know if I belong in it…”

Adopting a light glare, Sora reached out to grab her arm and pull her back through the circular passageway, almost slipping on the way out.  “Nu-uh!  You—ack… heh, okay, not going to entertain that downer BS.  We’re going to party!  Got it?  I don’t want to eat alone.  C’mon…”

Eyia sighed, showing a bit of her discomfort but not resisting.  “Your customs are so foreign to me.  I failed to watch your back when we agreed to unite for a day, and now you wish to treat me with your hard-earned resources?”

“Pfft!  Hard-earned?  Right…”  Sora mused, snickering and wrapping them both in illusions.  “My dad pays for everything, and—wait…  I can introduce you to my dad!  My first monster friend—well, if you’re a monster… whatever!”  she shook her head.

“My first new friend, and don’t think for a second you let me down,” she warned, catching her drawn-in bottom lip.  “Don’t go telling him you’re sorry for not protecting his daughter or something stupid like that.”

Eyia rubbed her arm, and Sora saw goosebumps, which was really something considering how insanely powerful she knew this girl probably was with how easily she changed the weather.  “Is this truly what you desire?  I feel so… without worth in this world.”

Slowing her pace, Sora’s grip tightened against her fingers, offering her an encouraging smile.  “I don’t have very many people I get to share this with, Eyia, and you’ve actually helped me put a lot of things into perspective…  You have helped me more than you know.  And Jin, heh… Jin kicks my tail into gear and lets me know there are always bigger fish out there!”

“Bigger fish?”  Eyia asked, likely thinking of it literally and that it was self-evident, making Sora laugh.  “Your sayings make no sense.  It is so funny to hear you speak such obvious things as words of wisdom.  Perhaps it is my failing, yet again.”

“Stick with me a bit, and I’ll get your head straight!”  Sora affirmed.  “Tell me what’s troubling you; friends share the crap on our hearts to lighten the load.  I’ll listen, so talk to me.”

Moving around the crowd through a clear section, Sora guided her back toward the city streets to find a late-open restaurant.  It took a minute for Eyia to collect her thoughts as the warm Miami night returned, and Sora unraveled the illusion once free, letting go of the blonde’s hand after a reassuring squeeze.

Eyia’s focus drifted between the tall buildings and bustling crowds, blue eyes showing a maelstrom of vulnerable emotions, and a thought struck Sora.

“Do you… feel uncomfortable in crowded places?”

“It is… a little unfamiliar,” Eyia whispered, hugging herself.  “It is good to face things that bother you, so it is something I must overcome.  I have not interacted with so many people throughout my entire life as I have this past week.”

Sora slowed, trying to conceptualize the statement.  “You can’t be serious…  Were you trapped on an island?”

“Jin told you?”  Eyia passively questioned.

“What?  No!  You seriously were trapped on an island?”

Eyia shrugged.  “Not trapped.  Exiled by my father’s wife.  It was a test to see if my fate was that which was prophesied.”

“From what age?  If you don’t mind me asking,” Sora swiftly added.

“Mmh…  My fifth yearly cycle?  I had mastered four weapons by that point thanks to my older brother’s training, and my sisters taught me how to survive on my own and take care of my hair so it would not be a burden in combat.”

Sora didn’t know how to respond.  “Since…  You learned all of that by the age of five?  Okay, I feel underachieved,” she laughed.  “You really are amazing, Eyia.”

“My brother is truly amazing,” she said with a small, reminiscent smile.  “Undefeated, and the greatest champion of my people.  I am but a shadow compared to his achievements and virtue.”

“Not trying to say he’s not,” Sora tentatively interjected.  “I don’t know your brother, but from where I stand, you’re the amazing one.  Where did you learn to make ice like that?”

“My mother taught me much about war and the use of elements,” she said, mood beginning to improve by her tone.

Spotting a late-night restaurant, Sora nudged her head toward it.  “We can eat here.  Eat whatever you want—we’re celebrating—and later today, we’ll stop by to pick up Wendy…  I kind of want both of you there when I see my dad.”

“Why is that?”  Eyia’s eyebrows narrowed.  “Are you gathering warriors for an assault against your father?  Are we to prepare for war?”

“Huh?  No!  Haha.  No!  It’s not all about battles, Eyia.”

“My apologies for assuming the worst and placing such implications on your father…”

“It’s fine!  It really is, Eyia.  You don’t need to be so serious,” Sora urged, bumping into her only to find herself pushed back; the girl was sturdy as an ox.  Laughing at her attempt, Sora continued, “Loosen up a bit.  What’s the deal with you and Jin, by the way?  It seems like she’s pretty upset right now.  Did you two have a fight?”

Eyia rubbed her head.  “It may come to a fight in time.  Jin is very stubborn, and she says I am, as well.  She says she wishes to wring my neck sometimes.  It is a complicated truce we have come to arrange.”

“I think it’s just her trying to break past all the customs and culture you’ve grown up around,” Sora snickered.

“I see…  So it is my fault?”  Eyia questioned as they got in line to be seated.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sora groaned.  “Look at it this way…  Jin is being very patient, and so are you in trying to understand each other.  I think it’s cool, and Jin does care about you.  If I’d really flaked out on you, I think she would have probably killed me.”

Eyia nodded, not helping Sora’s twisted gut.  “Jin is very much like that.  She does not take kindly to those who upset her.  She has been quite agitated as of late, speaking about causality manipulations and ‘stupid birds that don’t know their place.’ ”

Sora’s mind flashed back to Aiden but swiftly dismissed it; he didn’t appear to know Jin when she was coming around the corner, and she stormed off after.  “Wait, you said before that—oh, yeah, table for two,” she redirected as a woman came to guide them to their seats.

Returning to the previous topic, she asked, “You said Jin wanted you two to restrain your power?  Like… if this is you restrained, I don’t want to know what you’re like when you’re going full out!”

Eyia hummed, taking the menu the woman offered, having been trained in the custom in their previous time out.  “I think Jin is frightened I will start trouble with the Fenris Clan, and she does not wish to draw the eyes of Sköll or Hati.”

Sora pulled out her phone and googled the names, ordering water, which Eyia mirrored.  Her mouth became a line upon reading up on the pair.

“Oh, heh, yeah…  Norse mythology wolves that can eat suns and moons.  I’d rather them not come and swallow all of Florida… or the planet.  Wait, Kari’s related to these guys?”

A dark cast overshadowed Eyia’s soft complexion.  “All Fenris Wolves are related to Fenrir.  Though the wolf father is dead, his children pollute Existence.  It is not a subject I speak lightly of.”

“Okay!  Okay!  Let’s go to something more… cheery!”  Sora said, beginning to connect the dots that Eyia was connected to Norse mythology at this point.  “Umm.  Do you know anything about… Mia, the vulpes Founder?”

Eyia’s eyes shifted, mouth pushing to the side.  “Hmm.  Jin tells me you may be a vulpes Founder, meaning you are speaking about your mother.  Is that correct?”

“Mmgm.”  Sora slumped against the table, glaring out of the nearby window.  “I know.  I know.  Jin thinks I’m making it all up and doesn’t believe me.  I’ve got it on good authority, though.”

The blue-eyed girl’s braid weaved with her shaking head.  “I believe you, and so does Jin, though she does not wish to believe it so.”

“Why?”  Sora asked, sitting a little straighter.  “I know she’s supposed to be super powerful.”

“Hmm-hmm.  Quite powerful,” Eyia whispered, playing with her dress as she thought about how to answer.  “Founders are… very, very territorial, and extremely violent.”

Sora rested her cheek against her hand, leaning against the table.  “Hmm?  Knowing Kari, I can totally see that since she’s a Founder, too.  I’m not that way, though…  I don’t think—ugh…”

“Something wrong?”  Eyia asked, head tilting to the side at her sudden grimace.

“I’ve, eh… been a little territorial lately, I guess you could say when it comes to my friends.  I picked a fight with a group of monsters that had their claws in one of my friends.”

“Do we prepare for battle?”

Showing a strained smile, Sora waved a hand dismissively; Eyia was far too eager to get into a fight, which probably had something to do with Kari.  “I’ve already handled it.  It does make me question my own motives, though.  Haaa.  I’ve changed a lot over the last week.  I’m a little scared of how I’ll act later…”  she trailed off.

All of a sudden her eyebrows drew together as a few words brought her ears and eyes to the front of the restaurant, where three large men and a woman wearing suits had just entered, and her gut knotted when they showed the staff a badge.

Homeland?  No…  Please, no…

The four went right for their table, yet their attention wasn’t on her.  “Ma’am, if you would please follow us, we have a few questions to ask you back at the station.”

“Hmm?”  Eyia’s bewildered blue irises shifted to her for an explanation, and Sora quickly drew their gaze.

“Ahem.  Did she do something wrong, officers, eh… agents—what should I call you?”

A look of understanding came to Eyia.  “I see.  These are your guards that keep order?”

The four gave each other an unreadable expression, and they all wore charms that were designed to prevent them from being controlled, but Sora could grasp her error by the spiritual and emotional waves they radiated—they hadn’t shown them their badges yet, but she knew who they were.

Shit.  Can I play it off by them talking about the station?  No… I asked too abruptly.

The woman held up the badge.  “We’re with Homeland.  Could you girls come with us?”

How should I deal with this?  she internally groaned, not knowing if there were any more agents nearby or even a sniper if things went south.  After all, if she were dealing with magical monsters that could cause a lot of problems in a public place, she’d have backup.

Their charms weren’t strong enough to protect them from her magic if she really wanted to control them, but there was a magical detection item that would let any other agents nearby know they were under the control of someone, which she could deal with, but it was a lot of steps that could go south.

“Ugh.  Eyia, I think we should go with them for now…  Is that okay?”

“If there is trouble with the local laws, I must answer to that which is in the sphere I occupy.  I defer to your judgment, Friend.”

Sora hissed, rubbing the back of her neck and forcing a smile at the frowning agents.  “We exercise our right to remain silent, and… I have a lawyer, umm… let me just get his number from my purse real fast—we’ll come—just let me give him a call… if, heh, he’s up at this hour.”

The woman showed a fake smile.  “Naturally.  You can call him on the way to the station, Ms…”

“Moore.  We’re both underage, too, and my dad will be back later today.  I don’t think we can talk without our lawyer present, so…  Yeah.”

“This way, Ms. Moore.”

They left the establishment, Sora’s stomach growling on the way out as she saw some chicken on a plate, and she fished around her purse for her phone to call Tom, their family lawyer.

Please answer, Tom!  I know it’s past midnight…  Dad’s going to be so worried… I should call him next.

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Two Days; Sisters-In-Arms

Sora cursed as Tom’s answering machine came up, and though they didn’t give any outward sign, the agents’ nerves rose upon her growl, yet something else drew her mind toward the female agent’s wrist, something hidden and radiating a negative pulse.

Interesting…  It’s totally unlike everything else the guys are wearing.

“Hey, Tom, it’s Sora…”  she casually said, feeling the anxiety melting away as she entered unknown territory; this could turn out to be fun if it was what she thought it was.  “I know this may sound crazy, heh, but Homeland—the government, yeah—is taking a friend and me to the police station.  So… whenever you wake up, I’ll be waiting—no rush!”

One of the agents opened the back door of their SUV for them to enter, and Sora got in with a sigh; she wanted to just jump into it, yet she didn’t want to rush things before properly analyzing what she was sensing.

“Why are you taking us in again?  And what was your name—don’t agents have to say it?”  she asked the woman, trying to get a better grasp of why she saw this unusual aura around the agent.

“I think you’re aware of why you’re being detained,” the woman muttered, muscles tight as Eyia didn’t follow her.  “I’m Special Agent Charlotte Ragsdill.  Eh, please go inside, ma’am.”

“Eyia?”  Sora asked, focus shifting between the agitated agents and the tall Nordic girl, wondering if she’d identified the same evil sensation from the woman’s wrist.

“Something wrong?”  one of the men asked, scent permeated with his anxiety that she would resist.  “We only want to ask a few questions.”

That was true, and the woman didn’t appear to be lying about her name…  Why would I know why I’m being detained?  Redirecting?

The four agents definitely knew they weren’t normal teens by the nervous vibes, but Eyia’s mind was in a completely different universe.  The tall blonde took one look at the car before frowning and crossing her arms with a confused expression.

“Is this a trap, friend?”  she bluntly asked, making Sora’s tail bristle.

You’re not supposed to just say it, Eyia!

“It is something I would expect of an elf to trick one into breaking the law to trap them in some form of an oath.  I was told that these vehicles can only be used by those with the proper licenses.”

Wait, what?

Sora’s mind blanked before recalling the discussion they had when they first hangout.

“Is she joking?”  a man muttered, but Sora knew it was far from it.

Chuckling to show it was fine, Sora motioned for her to join her in the back seat.  “It’s okay to ride them; the trouble is when you drive them—remember what I told you?”

Eyia slowly nodded.  “I see.  You have yet to receive your license, but you are capable of riding one of these beasts if another has it?  I defer to your judgment, friend,” she smiled, hopping inside.  “I am unfamiliar with your unusual rules and customs.”

Two of the men took the SUV behind them while the woman and remaining man entered the front.  Once inside, they pulled away from the curb, and the female agent confirmed Sora’s fears, yet also spiked her curiosity.

“I apologize for the abrupt meeting,” she muttered, rubbing her neck once inside and showing a fake smile.  “You are foreign monsters without the proper United States registration forms.  The stunts you pulled on the beach caused a lot of trouble that we’re having to deal with since no one in the local PD is cleared to handle this kind of stuff.  We’re having to wipe a lot of memories due to the trouble you caused; the general public isn’t aware of the existence of the supernatural.”

“I… was not aware I had caused such hardship for your people,” Eyia said with a melancholy expression.  “I only wished to have my privacy…  There are so many people in your world, and I wished to experience silence for a time.”

The man chuckled.  “You seem like a good one.  I’m Special Agent Tuffin, but you can call me Trevor.  We can figure things out when we contact our superiors.  You’re lucky one of our agents noticed you so we could act.”

Sora hummed, stroking her invisible tail.  He’s genuine.  I wasn’t expecting the government to be so chill.

“Our superiors will be coming by shortly to process you and get your stories,” Charlotte absently stated, pulling out her phone to text something.

Lie!  Oh-ho-ho.  What a lie that is, too!  Sora swallowed, experiencing a thrill of curiosity at the stress cycling within the woman’s aura after confirming they weren’t human.  There aren’t any superiors coming.

Eyia appeared to notice there was something off, as well, but by the trusting smile she sent her, the blonde was content to follow her lead.  It wasn’t the outing she had planned for them, yet it would certainly be more fun to get to the bottom of the unusual situation.

“Excuse me, Special Agent Ragsdill?”  Sora jumped in, a small smirk lifting the corner of her mouth with a playful spur vibrating from her ears to her tail as she aimed her focus at the woman.

“Hmm?”

“Umm.  I’m just wondering, what about Lieutenant Nathan—I don’t remember his last name—eh, isn’t he authorized?”

“Nathan?”  she mumbled, glancing at Trevor.  “Not that I’m aware of.  Only the previous Lieutenant was before he vanished.  We haven’t been able to fill in the position in Miami.”

Sora cheered inside as Eyia asked a rather relevant follow-up question.  “Does not that cause weakness in your defenses?  Should you not fill the position as soon as available?  You have Fenris Wolves and fiends running around your territory unchecked.”

“Say what is running around?”  the man asked in alarm.  “As in the wolves from Norse Mythology?”

“You aren’t playing with us?”  the woman asked, fear releasing from her pores.  “You have to be lying!”

Sora’s focus shifted to her wrist as the woman’s accessory poked out while leaning over to glare at her; some kind of plant tied together with its barbs stuck in her flesh—invisible to the average person—yet she couldn’t smell blood.

Eyia’s eyes narrowed.  “You doubt my honor?  I have not uttered a falsehood once in my life.”

“It is funny you accuse us of lying,” Sora chuckled.  “The strange part is that you really don’t know about the Fenris Wolves, and probably not the Miami Monster Council, which makes me wonder why you’re lying about your superiors coming to debrief us.”

“They speak falsehoods, friend?  We have entered a trap then?”

Eyia’s innocent blue eyes shifted between them, trying to keep up with the discussion as the woman forced a laugh.

“We are with Homeland—”

“Oh, I believe you are,” Sora assured, shifting to a more comfortable position as the man processed what she was saying.  She didn’t feel particularly frightened for some reason—it was the same fearless pulse pushing her when confronting Yez’ela.  “You’re a mole for someone; I’m just wondering who.  Going to make it easy and tell us?”

The man’s furrowed brow shifted to the rearview mirror, pulling them off to the side of the road.  “What are you talking about?  It’s not worth trying to use any kind of deception…”

“Oh, I know you’re wearing protective charms,” Sora snickered, but she could sense the growing anxiety filling the woman as she continued to push the issue.  “I’ll be honest, they’re not very powerful ones—at least to me—but her thorn bracelet is very different…  It has a darker feel to it.  Why’s that?”

“What thorn bracelet?”  he muttered, stopping the car.  “We’re not trying to be hostile.”

Eyia was shockingly the one to answer, causing the agents’ mouths to tighten.  “What you are sensing, friend, is a soul-binding curse.  I question why a guard of this place would take part in such witchcraft.  If conditions are met, the user is protected, if not, the vengeful spirit within will…”

“Stop!”  the woman snapped, thumb pressing against a barb, drawing scarlet.  “You don’t know what you’re talking about!”

“Charlotte, what are…”

“Black Rose,” the woman muttered, and Sora’s head tilted to the side with fascination as a thorn bush grew out of the seat and pricked the man’s thigh, causing his eyes to glaze over.  “Keep driving, Trevor, and don’t—”

The vines reached for them, yet Sora only giggled, orange flames lighting across her tail as she flicked it toward the barbs.  Eyia wasn’t worried at all while watching, not taking any action, which told Sora the blonde trusted her.

“Two can play this game,” Sora mused, and the moment her fire touched the plant, she desired for it to be purged; the blaze spread instantly across the stem, destroying the spell-binding vines and making the woman wince as the bracelet constricted around her wrist before evaporating.

Screams came from the destroyed artifact as whatever within was released, cracking the windshield; the evil force escaped in a torrent, all from the front, and left in a rush.

“That was easy…  Heh.  I’d suggest not testing to see who has the stronger magic.”  Snapping her fingers, a blue aura surrounded Trevor, cleansing him of the charm that destroyed his warding items.  “I didn’t want to do this, but I have to—it’s no fun.”

“Do you know what you’ve done…”  Charlotte mumbled, a tear falling down her cheek.  “They’re going to come now—we’re dead.”

“Charlotte!  What is happening?”  Trevor snarled, rubbing his cut thigh while pulling off to the side again.  “What was that?!”

“They’ll come…”

“Charlotte!  What—”  he cut off as she threw open the door and bolted the moment the car stopped.  “What the hell is going on?”

The radio on the dash sounded as the agents behind them checked in.

“Something wrong, Agent Tuffin?”

Sora glanced back to see the car pull off behind them, doors opening with the men using the steel as cover.  “Well… this took a turn for the worst, and all I wanted to do was have a good dinner with my friend.  Who’s coming?”

“That’s my question,” Trevor grumbled, picking up the device.  “Rome, go check on Charlotte; she attacked me with some kind of plant barb…  It could also be the monsters we’re transporting that caused it, so…  A fox spirit—well, you complicate things…”

“Ugh-haha-haaa.  I get why you might think that,” Sora sighed, revealing her tail and ears.  “I mean it, though; something isn’t right with her, and you guys are totally in the dark regarding Eric and the wealth of monsters in Miami.  It doesn’t add up for me, too, ya know.”

Trevor ignored her, speaking on the radio again while pressing a button in the center of the dash.  A light blue field of magical energy enclosed them, making Sora sigh and lean back, pondering how she was going to get through this sticky situation.

“The redhead is a vulpes spirit—a Nogitsune—be advised that she can cause hallucinations, use foxfire, and manipulate atmospheric mana and personal spiritual forces to various effects.”

“Cool,” Sora said, brandishing her still flaming tail with a carefree smile.  “FYI, my hair’s more copper than red, though, and we’ve been nothing but compliant.  I can’t say the same for your partner…  Will she be okay?  I think we’re probably safer in here than out there with whatever she fears coming.  Any ideas, Eyia?”  she asked, shooting a thoughtful look at the blonde.

Eyia gave a serious nod, yet her caution wasn’t anywhere near fear.  “It is a form of witchcraft that deals with the binding of evil spirits.  In destroying the medium, you have released the phantoms to exact their price.  I also identified a signal that was sent to the caster, far to the north.”

Trevor listened intently to their discussion, brown eyes narrowed.  “We have ways of dealing with restless ghosts.”

“Eh,” Sora rubbed the back of her neck, glancing to the side doubtfully.  “If that’s the case, why did she run as if trying to get far enough away so that you aren’t pulled into her mess?  Something else is going on here, bud.  You’re the expert, Eyia; what are your thoughts?”

“Hmm…”  The blonde looked to the sky, beyond their barrier.  “Due to my promise to Jin to restrain myself to the utmost, I cannot be certain, yet I suspect it is similar to a wrath.”

“A wraith?”  Sora pressed, crossing her arms and thinking about spooky ghosts descending upon them to throw bottles at them and spread chilly mist.

“No, not a wraith, friend,” Eyia snickered.  “A wraith is a guardian spirit of a great warrior that has been invoked and honor bound to protect sacred ground.  Wraths are spirits filled with a great deal of negative energy that they use to affect the Physical Plane.  They are most effective when resonating with the living that reflects their misery, fear, or hatred.”

“Would I have trouble with them?”

“Not at all.  As a vulpes Founder, they would not go near you out of fear of your powerful aura that affects all spiritual beings.  It is quite soothing.”

“Thanks!”

Sora let her foxfire die and took off her seat belt to flip around and talk to the agent as he got out to open up the back; lifting up the bed, she saw him pulling out weakly enchanted items.  None of them particularly stood out to Sora, but they could certainly do some damage to the fiends she’d seen when confronting the Succubus.  They’d have been worthless against Yez’ela, however.

“Those probably aren’t going to help if they’re strong spirits,” she said.  “We could help!  Come on, I don’t want Charlotte to die—I’m rooting for you guys.  I also want to figure out why she had that witchcraft in the first place.”

“So long as you stay in there, I know it’s not you,” Trevor replied with a small smile, pulling out a shotgun and throwing on a Homeland vest as his partner assured the few late-night partiers that spotted him arming up.  “I want to believe you’re not hostile; most monsters these days I’ve worked with tend to be misunderstood.”

Eyia’s nose scrunched up into a scowl.  “You cannot trust Fenris Wolves or fiends.”

“Hah, Sure,” Trevor said with a nervous chuckle, loading his weapon with blessed rounds.  “Thanks for giving me an idea of what we’re dealing with.  Just sit tight; you’ll be invisible to the general public in that field.  We’ll be back soon!”

“Really…”  Sora groaned, resting her chin on the back of the chair as her tail grazed against the barrier at her back, watching the door lower as he closed it.  “Haaa.  What do you think their odds are?”

Eyia shook her head as Sora dropped back into her seat.  “Wraths would be quite challenging with how charged they are on negative energy, but their weapons would keep them at bay for a time with the warding artifact he took with him; I fear the number is the issue.”

“Number?”  Sora repeated.  “How many are they dealing with?”

“Two dozen.  They were used as a medium and power source for the spells she invoked in that cursed item, and the more she used them, the angrier and more powerful they would become, drawing in all negative energy around her.  Eventually, they would break free of the seal and destroy her regardless.”

Sora brushed back her locks while turning to the fractured window.  “Charming…  Sela—I know you’re there,” she huffed.  “Don’t ignore me.”

The Unseelie snickered, amused face appearing in the fogging glass.  “A rather… troubling friend you have, Sora…  The moment I heard my name called, I saw my own death in those bright blue eyes.  It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“A fallen fae?”  Eyia growled, glaring at the reflection.  “I sense you have a contract with this fiend, friend.  You must rid yourself of such an Infernal entity.”

“Falling into stereotypes, are we?”  Sela sighed.  “No, you are completely in your right to distrust me, mysterious woman, but my only condition is that she prevent my death in the coming week.  You could help her!”

Eyia hissed.  “The only reason I did not kill you on sight was due to you being tied to my friend’s soul…  If you die, she dies.”

“Well, that’s news to me,” Sora said with a dull stare at the Unseelie.

“What do you think a contract entails?”  Sela asked, returning the tone.  “I am quite a busy woman, Sora, despite what you might think.  What do you want?”

“What do you know about a thorn bracelet that uses wraths as a power source?  It seems like something you’d be into.”

Sela’s lips curved.  “Oh…  Well, that certainly is a fine piece of magic, and how many wraths are we speaking of?  That is the most difficult part of the process, after all.”

“About two dozen?”

The woman’s smile fell.  “I would be the only one capable in Florida to harness that many vengeful spirits into a single artifact.  Hmm, it is a wonder everyone near you isn’t mangled bloody corpses with that much negative emotion concentrated in one place…  I suspect it has something to do with your natural aura.”

“Did you make something like that, and what about Homeland Security—do you work with them?”

A spark of understanding lit in the fallen fae’s face.  “Ah!  Yes, well, there were a few agents of various organizations that Yez’ela and I were in charge of controlling.  Homeland was simple to infiltrate through their dreams to bring them under the heel, yet recently there has been movement from a new group.  It may be from them; they’re careful and have methods to block Yez’ela’s network of prying eyes, but our encounter has been more recent, so we haven’t dedicated any large resources toward it.”

“Got it,” Sora said.  Holding her hand against the barrier and feeling the weaves of magic rippling through the fabric of magical space, sensing the strings that fashioned the shell.  “In the meantime, try not to die.”

The child-like woman giggle.  “That is the plan and why I have you, my faithful guardian fox deity!”

“Uh-huh…  We’ll have to talk more about this contract later,” Sora grumbled, sending a counter pulse through the field with a desire, nullifying it without using much magic.  “I’m getting good at this!”  she laughed as it collapsed, fracturing the magical battery somewhere under the car and causing what was inside to escape into the aether.

“Wonderfully done,” Eyia clapped.  “We set out on a quest to protect the guards of your city?”

“Something like that,” she chuckled, smearing the fogged window to disrupt the connection to the Unseelie and wrapping them in illusions as she got out.  “Let’s see what we’re working with…”

Eyia joined her at the back of the vehicle as she opened up the back and found the lever to open the hidden armory; she had to break a magical seal, but that wasn’t hard.

She whistled when it revealed a magically expanded interior that was over double the size it should have been, filled with color-coded bullets, swords, daggers, and even an unfoldable spear.

“So, uh…  I’m not good with weapons…  You’re the expert, Eyia.  What do we need to hunt these things?”

Eyia had a bright, curious expression while extracting the spear, extending it to flip it around in an expert manner.  “Such strange weapons.  If I do not use my own weapons, I am not breaking my word to Jin.  Friend, can you enchant this with your purifying fire?”

“I think so?”  Sora cheerily said, taking the offered spear; it was lighter than she thought it would be.  “Hmm.  Oh, it would be so cool if this works…”

Breathing in deeply, she desired to breathe enchanting flames that would purify all negative emotion; a magical tapestry weaved inside her lungs, and sparkling, heatless fire bathed the item as at least a quarter of her energy pool fed into the item, making her choke at the end.

“Ack—wow, that cost more than I thought it would…”

The gray metal was now a shimmering red that twinkled in the night, and as Eyia accepted the offered weapon, an inferno lit at its tip, leaving a trail of flames while twisting around the blonde’s body.

“A fantastic weapon, and so swiftly enchanted, friend!  you truly are a Founder, as Jin fears.  This is more than adequate for handling wraths.”

“Fears?”  Sora asked, rubbing her somewhat raw throat.  “Why does Jin fear I’m a Founder?”

Eyia held the shaft against her back, point directed at the pavement and showing a melancholy expression.  “Jin is a confusing woman.  I do not know why she fears the expansion of the vulpes Founder bloodline.  Perhaps it is something you should speak to her about?”

“Maybe it is…  Anyway, we should probably save those agents and kill those wraths before they start killing everyone they can find.”

Sora pressed the button for the SUV’s rear door to close and took the lead in running after the men, following her nose to track them.  Wrapped in illusions, Eyia effortlessly joined her fast pace, darting around the clueless citizens.

“I must clarify, Sister—eh…”

“Sister?”  Sora asked, using magic to keep her hair in place and noticing the spell she used to keep her purse levitating was causing it to follow her.

The blonde’s smile faltered.  “Eh-heh.  It is a force of habit…  I always wanted to go on a hunt with my sisters.  I apologize.”

“No!  I’m totally cool with it,” Sora insisted.  “I never expected to go on a ghost hunt with you when I said we should hang out, but this is awesome!  Sisters-in-arms, huh?  I’m the wizard, oh, and you’re the warrior in this story; we’re heading out to save the damsel agents in distress!”

Feeling more alive than she had in years, Sora let the ridiculousness of the situation be washed away in her new-found bond with someone in this opening community.

She grinned and giggled with her new ‘sister.’  “I love it!  I can’t wait to tell my dad when he gets back, and it should score us points on the government rapport board.  It’s about time we learn why Eric, Kari, and this Monster Council can do whatever they want while the government sits on the sidelines!”

“Heh.  I don’t know what some of that meant,” Eyia said, face practically blinding with joy.  “I will thoroughly enjoy our first hunt together as Sisters-in-arms, Sora!  To battle!”

“No fear, and take no prisoners, Sister!  To battle!”

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Two Days; Bubbling Cauldron

Ducking around the sparse groups going about their Miami Beach nightlife, excitement filled Sora’s stomach as Eyia kept pace.  When she’d come to apologize to the blonde, she hadn’t expected to get taken by Homeland or be on a ghost hunt, but this was just her life now.

How will Dad react when I explain the last two weeks to him?  Mary will back me up, and I literally have magic now, so there’s no way anyone can ruin things this time…  Knock on wood, she wryly thought after a moment.

The colorful streams of light she’d converted from smell to sight curved into an alley that would take them to the beach.  Luckily, it would be pretty unpopulated since it was past midnight.

She used the closed garbage bin to jump over a fence while Eyia used the wall, and Sora instinctively thought she’d likely taken that route to be able to maneuver if needed instead of being exposed midair.  They’d almost caught up to the agents, hearing Trevor calling after his co-workers further down the slope to the beach.

An eerie fog came into view as she made it over the fence, thick as milk and advancing slowly; several people that were on the beach were questioning the sudden appearance of the veil, making their way back to the street.

“Charlotte, Rome—”

“She won’t listen, Trevor!  Hey, don’t point that at me—what’s gotten into you?!”

“Just—you don’t understand—they’re everywhere!  My cover’s blown!  I-I’m already dead…  It doesn’t matter if we take care of the wraths!  Don’t get…  Rome!”

“Shit!”

A shotgun split the night as Trevor caught up to the stalled pair, panting.  “Shut the hell up, Charlotte!  We’re not going to let you face this alone—dammit, the shells aren’t powerful enough…  Rome!”

“Heh.  Nice,” he chuckled, snatching the extra gun Trevor got for him.  “What shit have you got us in this time, Charlotte?  You could never let the occult go, could you?  Still, helped us a few times in the past.”

“I’m sorry…”  she cried.  “That stupid monster girl ruined everything—this wasn’t supposed to happen!”

Sora rolled her eyes; sure, blame her and void all personal responsibility.  The milky cloud embraced them, and malevolent, child-like laughter made her ears stand up.

“It’s always creepy children,” she growled, shivering as the sounds of Miami outside the mist faded.  “What should—Nilly?!”

Sora almost tripped as they exited the alley to see the teenage Chinese cat-girl, and Eyia instantly went on guard, spear flipping to point at the cat’s neck.  Yet, without any indication, the black-haired girl was now on the side of the flaming weapon, poking the shaft with a curious smile.

“Sora is growing quickly, Nilly sees!  Playtime?!”

Eyia reacted before Sora fully understood what was happening, twisting the illuminated spear to follow Nilly’s giggles; they practically teleported around the area to Sora’s bewildered vision, Nilly not showing a hint of stress.

“Sister!  You must escape—this fiend is…”

“Stop!  Stop!”  Sora cried, hearing more buck shots from the agents, and the malevolent mist seemed to be swiftly pulling away from the grinning cat, now shifting her head left and right a short distance away from Eyia’s spear point.  “Nilly’s not going to hurt us…  Right, Nilly?  Nilly’s a good kitty—I’m Nilly’s fox friend?!”

“Mmh—maybe,” Nilly hummed, lying on the pavement now while staring up at her.  “Nilly likes whippy-braid’s energy, but Nilly also likes playing tag, and whippy-braid is really good at tag!  Nilly can’t escape whippy-braid’s eyes, so Nilly wants to play more!”

Eyia’s heartbeat had increased to a level she’d never heard, thumping like a rabbit.  “This Nekomata is… impossible to catch, Sister.  Jin has warned me to not engage with this feline, as has my father.”

“Ooh.  Jin’s very smart!”  Nilly snickered, big eyes widening further as her lips peeled back to show fanged teeth.  “Father?  Oh…  Who is whippy-braid’s father?”

The cat bypassed the blonde’s seemingly impenetrable guard to stand by her side, peering into her face thoughtfully.  “Nilly has trouble with Nilly’s memories, but… whippy-braid smells familiar.  Sniff.  Sniff.  Hmm…”

Thankfully, Eyia remained perfectly still because Sora wasn’t positive Nilly wouldn’t eat them.  The Nekomata was a wildcard, but this proved it to her: Nilly was like the purple-eyed woman in the lobby and Stephanie—the cat was not someone to ever approach.

Nilly blinked as another shotgun blast went off, and her narrowed eyes shifted to the fog, tongue sliding across her glossy teeth and making Sora’s tail bristle from the distant look in the intimidating thirteen-year-old girl’s eyes.

“Heh.  Nilly’s hungry.  No one likes it when Nilly’s hungry…  No one likes to play with Nilly when Nilly’s hungry…  Nilly smells delicious emotion nearby…”

It clicked in Sora’s head.  “The wraths!  Nilly, can, umm, can you eat wraths—do they taste good?”

Nilly’s child-like mannerisms reappeared, and vanishing again, she appeared in front of Sora as an eight-year-old girl now, her two looped, circular earrings now down to one.  “Nilly loves snacking on wraths!  Mmm.  These ones are child murderers—very rare…”  she whispered, seemingly sampling the air as her eyes began to glow and her features grew more feral.  “Oh!  Oh!  Nilly sees Nilly’s fox friend!  Nilly’s hungry, though, fox friend, so Nilly goes to eat!  Bye-bye!”

“By—Nilly?!”  Sora cried as the girl was suddenly wrapped around her tail, rubbing her cheeks against her fur.

“Mmh.  Nilly likes foxy tails…  Nilly can’t remember the last time Nilly fell asleep in a foxy tail…  A long time…  Nilly likes having a new foxy friend!”

“Sister…”  Eyia hissed, face as white as the fog, and Sora could totally see why the elusive Nekomata would inspire the powerful blonde to react like this.  There were probably very few things Eyia feared, but clearly, Nilly was something special.

Taking a deep breath, Sora eased her stiff fur and brought Nilly around to bring her into a hug, making the cat give a start, big eyes looking up at her.  Laughing softly, she spoke, “Well, Nilly, if you’re feeling lonely, you can always come to snuggle with me at night, but weren’t you going to go snack on some wraths?”

Nilly’s expression brightened like the sun, which looked terrifying with her monstrous fangs.  “Sora says Nilly can be snuggle-friends?!  Only Githa is Nilly’s snuggle-friend!  Everyone thinks Nilly’s too scary…  Nilly’s not scary if Nilly’s not hungry…  Oh, but Nilly’s always hungry,” she mumbled to herself, ears falling flat, and Sora put a hand on her head, rubbing her ear a little to draw her attention.

“If Nilly eats her snuggle-friends then she won’t have any snuggle-friends.  Is Nilly lonely?”

Tears appeared in the girl’s eyes, who now seemed totally vulnerable.  “Nilly’s—hicc—Nilly’s always lonely.  Nilly shouldn’t eat Nilly’s snuggle-friends so that Nilly isn’t lonely?”

“Yeah…  Doesn’t that make sense?”

“Okay!  Nilly is a good girl, and Nilly won’t eat Nilly’s foxy-fuzzy snuggle-friend.  Can Nilly go eat now, foxy-friend?”

“Nilly can go eat the delicious wraths!”  she chimed.  “No, eh, human agents—just the tasty ghosts.  ‘kay?”

“ ‘kay!  Huuu!”

“Hmm?”  Sora giggled as she saw the cat’s tails go completely stiff upon the shocking revelation.  “Oh!  Hoho.  Is Sora a bad fox now?  Sora caught Nilly!”

“Foxy-fox is better than Nilly thought,” she laughed, showing rosy cheeks.  “Nilly sees fox-friend when Nilly gets tired!”

Sora forced a laugh as her hand seemed to pass right through the girl’s head; she was gone, and the fog instantly started to lift as the shrieks of children came from the distance.

Eyia lowered her spear, a shiver running down her spine.  “How did you know how to handle the fiend, Sister?  I believed we were to be annihilated in the cat-fiend’s ravenous belly.”

Straightening out the fur along her tail, Sora let a long sigh escape her lungs.  “I guess it helps when I have no idea who Nilly is…  She’s insane—totally insane—and strange, but there was just something about how she’s been following me.  She shows up at random, and I thought she might be looking for a friend…  Do you think my mom is friends with her?”

“I cannot be sure, Sister…”  Eyia’s deep blue eyes fell to the ground.  “I have failed once again to be of aid to you.  Despite our pledge of sisterhood, I was useless…  Even if I used all of my strength, I know I cannot beat such a monster, yet you conquered her by the use of her heart.  I am weak and ignorant.”

“No!”  Sora huffed, walking over to hug her since she looked like she needed one.  “Eyia, You are so tough on yourself!  I swear!  The more I learn about you, the more ridiculous your self-expectations become.  I think you’re pretty amazing, personally—I couldn’t even follow those movements, and you’re, heh, not even using one one-thousandth of your power, I bet.”

Eyia’s single hand against her back was weak.  “You are the amazing one, Sora.  The courage you had to open yourself up to such a monster is… inspiring, and I sense that you were genuine—had it not, the fearsome beast would have devoured you on the spot.”

“Yeah, well… maybe I can be a bit stupid and reckless sometimes,” Sora chuckled, hearing the agents questioning one another as the fog began to lift.  Nilly was already gone, having swallowed the spirits in an instant.  “Can we both be awesome in our own way?  Can’t sisters learn from each other?”

“Hmm; you speak wisdom…  My father was correct in saying there is much I can learn from other people and their customs.”  Pulling away and showing a true smile, Eyia motioned in the direction of the befuddled agents.  “I am saddened that our hunt was interrupted, but… perhaps we can join hands another time?”

Proceeding toward the woman and men, Sora held her hands at the base of her tail, letting her nerves settle.  “I haven’t made many friends for a while, Eyia…  Not that I’m saying you’re my last choice—heh, I’m just saying I’d rather you stick around.  What do you say—can you convince Jin to stay in Miami for a while?  Honestly, she intimidates me more than Nilly!”

Eyia chuckled, staring across the ocean waves as the sounds of the outside world began to return.  “Jin is… peculiar.  It is she that follows me…  It has been the same for nearly two years, yet she talks a lot more since I passed my warrior’s trials, and her comments are less… spiky, I suppose is the word.”

“Sounds rough,” Sora mused, grinning at the agents as they came into view.  “Nice job buying time for, eh, us to handle the wraths.”

“You made all those green flames?”  Trevor asked with a relieved sigh, reaching over to stop Charlotte from raising her pistol as she glared daggers in her direction.  “C’mon!  I know you’re stupid sometimes, but don’t be that kind of stupid.”

“Seriously,” Rome muttered, focus darting to the flaming spear in Eyia’s left hand and Sora’s tail and ears.  “A Nogitsune?”

“Something like that—eh, what’s up, Eyia?”

Eyia’s furrowed brow was aimed at her.  “Sister, how can we claim victory when it was not us that destroyed the—”

“Ah-ha-ha-ha!  We’ll talk about it later!”  she laughed, cutting the blonde off.  “In any case, I’d like some answers; I think we deserve them, and, yes, I could force it out of you if I wanted!”  she said to the frowning female agent.  “Can we sit down and have something to eat because… I’m starving, and you interrupted our meal, so… treat us for saving your life?”  she asked with a bright smile.

Trevor took one look at Rome, who gave a shrug, leaning his shotgun against his shoulder, and Charlotte, whose hair was weaved with her shaking head.  “Actually, I’m kind of hungry myself, and… our superiors haven’t been notified, apparently,” he muttered, shooting a look at the woman that made her turn away out of shame.  “You did us a solid, so…  I’ll pay.  Any preferences?”

A smile brightened Sora’s eyes as a thought struck her; it would provide a little mischief, proof to the agents, and get her more answers.

“You know, I did visit this little hole in the wall the other day that was superb.  I’ll give the directions!”

Guiding the agents and Eyia back to the SUVs, she took them to the fancy monster restaurant that Aiden had shown her.  They didn’t believe her that such a thing existed, yet Sora just showed them a smirk while stepping into the illusionary wall.  Seeing was believing, as they said.

A new female goblin server met them at the front, the top of her head only coming up to the top of Sora’s waist.  Unlike fantasy depictions, she was well-groomed, showing decorative earrings and a fashionable, medium-length haircut.

The girl’s feet and hands were a tad bigger than was proportional to her body, which, when she left after taking their order, Trevor explained that it was actually a striking feature of beauty to the green-skinned race.

Sora was surprised at how tactful and natural the humans were being, since this was an illegal operation, as Rome stated before entering; no such establishment was listed in their government registry.  It wasn’t only the agents, either.

Her gaze drifted to the door, sensing all the various monster guests eating and going about their own business.  How many of them knew who she was?  The goblin took them to the same VIP area she’d been guided to before, and she figured it was because word had spread that she’d been with Aiden.

I guess my reputation is beginning to get out for being connected to big names…  Is that good or bad, though?

Her internal revere came to a halt when Rome cleared his voice.  “Should… we really be talking about this kind of topic here?  A lot of monsters are probably listening in on us, which could spook them.”

Eyia shook her head, totally enthralled by the magical menu.  Before long, she’d ordered a ton of bizarre dishes Sora couldn’t even pronounce and making Trevor nervous after seeing the price of the dishes.

“There is a barrier to stop all sound from escaping; this appears to be a place of secrecy…”  Sora’s left ear creased as she trailed off, drawing her attention; her new ‘sister’ seemed stunned.

“I—Sister!  They have emerald whale intestines!  I could only sample them once every five years, and only in small portions due to the attention they would draw from the dark elves!  Such delicacies so openly presented at a feast is…  Do you feast like this often?”

“Stick with me, Sis,” Sora winked.  “I’ll show you all sorts of awesome things, and you can teach me a lot about your world, too.”

Eyia’s innocent, rosy smile made Sora laugh.  The blonde was so simple, yet knew things that made her head spin, such as all the rare materials and where they could be found.  By the sounds of things, she’d done her own hunting, gathering, and cooking since she was five years old.

“So, Agent Trevor,” Sora said, focus settling on the man as they waited for their food.  “It may be hard for you to believe, but I’ve only recently become aware of this monster community, and that I was a vulpes at all.  Can you fill me in on the federal laws and the like?”  she asked, worried her dad might be in trouble for keeping her existence a secret.

The man puffed out a long breath, sitting back.  He glanced at Charlotte, who had refused to make eye contact but wouldn’t refuse, as she put it, her last meal.  “Okay…  Let me give you the typical run-down.”

Sora sucked on the inside of her cheek while listening; Eyia made several odd inquiries, such as what their laws were if one found a golden apple on the side of a road, to which the man said he’d have to put that question to his superiors.

Overall, the US Monster Integration Policy sounded like a pretty sweet deal to Sora.  So long as they didn’t hurt any humans, didn’t expose themselves, or use their powers to affect the lives of the average person, they could function as normal citizens—if registered—and there were even government support plans.

It was way more reasonable than she gave them credit for, and Sora couldn’t find any lies in their auras.  Unfortunately, her dad would need to see a secret special congressional committee that oversaw the hidden community.  Sora’s curiosity was piqued when Rome mentioned aliens were another branch—a joke, but who knew, maybe it was true!

Given what Trevor observed of her behavior, she was a model monster, though.  Sora mentioned her recent mischief-making, but she couldn’t help herself; she was a vulpes, after all, and a teenager at that!  Excuses, but she’d roll with them on her life!

They quieted down when the first course came, but when their server left, Sora got onto the more pressing topics, saving the biggest for last.  “Okay, I’m liking how the government does things so far,” she commented, cutting into her cooked rabbit with anticipation.  “However, what do you have to say about this whole monster network with Eric and Kari?”  she asked, keeping Aiden’s name out of it.

“That… is very concerning,” Trevor whispered, vision drifting to the lavish establishment they were eating at.  “Something this big and far-spread will require a thorough investigation.”

Charlotte’s melancholy chuckle drew their gaze.  “Hardly…  Everything will be covered up like normal.  We’ll either have our memories erased, killed… or made agents if you choose that option as I did.”

Intrigued, Sora bit on the deeper topic.  “Interesting…  MIB kind of stuff, I’m assuming—some special, underground group that really runs the world monster scene?  Is that where you got such an incredibly powerful occult item?  It was leagues above the stuff all of you guys were wearing, and an Unseelie ruler I’ve become acquainted with recently was even impressed.”

“Unseelie?!”  Rome hissed, rubbing his forehead.  “I’ve only heard of them in briefings.”

“Hah.  Why do you think that is?”  Charlotte scoffed, drinking wine, which was totally unprofessional, in Sora’s opinion.  “The government is given the easy shit…  It’s all manipulated behind the scenes.  Anything strong or really dangerous… creatures like you two,” she muttered, tipping her glass in their direction, “are handled by the real deal.”

Charlotte cast her eyes around them.  “A place like this…  This is big news for your typical grunts like us.  What you’re talking about with Fenris Wolves and an underground network…  I was sent here with a few others to investigate if that was the case when an off-duty French agent caught the blonde there speaking some extinct language on film and sent it to be processed.  It’s already in the works…  The big boys are coming.  I suggest you run away.”

Sora’s stomach shook with laughter.  “Oh, you may think you know who is scary, but I’ve got bad news for you…  I’ve met real monsters here in Miami.  One of those terrifying fiends actually saved you from those wraths in the blink of an eye.”

“Should we prepare for war, Sister?”  Eyia asked, digging into her weird, greenish tentacle that made Sora not want to look her way.  “I was taught that every threat should be taken with the utmost seriousness.  We should strike first.”

“Hah!  Good luck.  They’re everywhere and nowhere,” Charlotte scoffed, clearly drunk as she downed another glass of red wine.  “I bet they’re already here, preparing, and you don’t even know it.  I have no clue what will happen to me—I’m a worthless informant that got too curious for my own good.  I’ve seen some of the—the creatures under their control, though,” she swallowed, coughing a bit.  “They could take down a building… easily.”

Eyia’s head tilted to the side, looking confused.  “Is such a thing noteworthy?”

“That’s just the tip of the iceberg, I’m sure,” she said, ripping into her steak meal while chuckling.  “You thought my bracelet was something special?  The woman I got that from will no doubt be interested in this Monster Council,” she snickered.  “Monsters hunt monsters… as it should be.  We just step to the side and let them fight.”

The silence stretched, and Sora rolled her eyes.  “Rather melodramatic for a government agent, aren’t you?  Hmm.  Well, while you two deal with her and this shadow organization,” she said, pointing a fork at the downer of a woman.  “Do you think I can break the news to my dad?  I can give you a protective barrier or something—I don’t know—if you’re worried, or make you invisible.  Can I give you my number and we can meet up somewhere when you want to talk?”

Trevor glanced down at his food and sighed.  “Honestly, we shouldn’t, but there is so much going on here that we have bigger fish to fry, and it should be a decision made by our superiors.”

Rome and he gave the woman’s snort of mirth a dull look, and they shrugged off their discomfort, passing his phone to her to input her number.  Sora complied, calling it to show it was real.

“Why don’t we meet up after you get everything squared away with your boss?  I don’t want to get you guys in trouble.”

“Eh…  Trevor’s right,” Rome mumbled, examining his phone as she handed it back.  “We really shouldn’t…  We have a lot to report, though, and you’ve been nothing but helpful, Sora.  We’d like to work with you rather than treat you like a criminal.  How’s that sound?”

“I’d much rather take that approach!”  Sora chimed, ignoring the smirk the woman made.  “If you have any questions, I’m all for helping out if it isn’t too dangerous.  I don’t want to get between the business with Eric, Kari, and everything else, so…  Yeah.”

Trevor nodded.  “Errm.  I can understand that.  You’re worried about your family, and the Succubus business was crazy enough of a story…  You shouldn’t have had to deal with that.  To be frank, I’m pretty relieved you turned out to be… well, normal.  I’ve never met a fox spirit, but you haven’t tried to eat me, charm me—heh, as far as I know—or kill us.  Thanks for being reasonable.”

“Ditto!”  Sora returned, finishing off her rabbit and side items, noting that Eyia had eaten over five times her meal in the time she emptied her plate.  “I don’t know about this shadow agency, but the government monster program sounds like it will fit me just right.  Of course, my dad has to sign off on everything, but that’s a discussion for later.  Right now, I want to have a good time with Eyia and go pick up my best friend.  Although, as a precaution…”

They stiffened as she turned her sly green eyes to Charlotte, weaving a spell around her.  “If you think about betraying me, or giving away any compromising information, your mind will go hazy, and you won’t be able to remember any details about me.  Gotta take precautionary means where I can.”

“Smart,” Charlotte grunted, waving it off.  “Not that it will help, but whatever…  I’m done—I’m just… done.  I won’t say I’m not a little bitter, nor that I won’t resent you, though,” she said with an unabashed glare, holding up her bandaged wrist where the occult object had been.  “Still, you seem like a nice girl.  I hope they do have bigger fish than you, and you slip through the net.”

Sora shook her head, looking up at the ceiling.  “Knowing my luck, probably not.  Well, I’ll deal with that when it comes.  No use worrying about it.  Also, heh, need help with the bill, Agent Trevor?”

“Hmm?  Oh, no.  I’ll just charge it to the agency…  Damn this place is ridiculous, though.”

“Top notch, you have to admit,” Rome commented, scanning his contacts to probably connect to his boss after getting all the information.  “Hope to see you soon, Sora.  Stay out of trouble.”

“Tough expectations for a vulpes,” Sora sighed, waving them goodbye and guiding her purse to rise off the floor as Eyia joined her.  “Wow… already 6 a.m.?  Time flies.  Dad will give me a call when he touches down, so… let’s go pick up Wendy.  It’s time I introduce my best friend to my new friend!”

“I am excited to meet this Wendy,” Eyia said, fingers brushing against the enchanted spear, folded against her lower back and spelled in place; the agents had graciously let them keep it for the time being.  “How powerful of a warrior is she?  Does she have any stories of valor to her name that I should be aware of?”

“If you want to count the epic battle she had with the clogged toilets at school,” Sora laughed.

“Hmm.  I must know of this epic tale!”

“I’m sure she’d love to tell you all of her labors.  Let’s go!”

Sora led the way into the early morning, reflecting on the bubbling cauldron Miami was becoming.

Eric is back…  Kari is backed into a corner and looking for a fight, the devils are acting up due to me taking out their leader, and the Ogres and Trolls are at each other’s throats.  I invited Nilly to stop by whenever she wants, which… can be a good thing, I suppose.  Now we have a shadow organization hiding in the background…  My life is such a mess.

Eyia’s cheerful hum settled her anxiety.  Still, I wouldn’t have it any other way.  My life has gotten so much better, despite the misfortunes that always seem to hit me over the head.  I’m breaking positive.

She gave an internal squeal at being on the path to pick up Wendy.  Finally, finally, she had friends again, and the number was increasing.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Two Days; Sister Bonding

Sora’s heart sang as she moved along the sidewalk with Eyia, passing Miami Beach’s morning joggers, tourists, and late-night partiers’ stumbling attempts to find their hotel.  Yet, upon passing a shop window, Sora froze, causing the blonde to glance between the reflection and her.

“Something wrong, Sister?”

Ears lying flat, Sora glared at herself, vision sweeping her appearance.  “I… haven’t changed my clothes in days,” she whispered, cheeks coloring upon realizing she’d said it aloud.  “Yeah, let’s stop by my place real fast to get changed.  Oh, do we need to stop by, eh, whatever place you’re using to grab some clothes for you?”

Eyia giggled, falling in line beside her while looking down at her light blue evening dress.  Now that she thought about it, Sora was impressed the girl had tried to fight Nilly in the outfit, and she hadn’t looked impeded in the least or let her spear get caught in it.

“I do find it funny that you change your attire so often.  Is it normal for humans to take such importance in their appearance?  I have worn the same Troll hide, eh… bikini—is that the right word for the garment?”

Recalling the first thing she’d seen the blonde wear, Sora shrugged.  “I guess you could call it that.  You can’t be serious that that was your only clothing?”  she asked incredulously.  In all honesty, she’d thought the girl was some kind of royalty when they’d met, considering the opulent and mysterious necklace she wore.

Eyia shook her head, not showing a hint of shame in talking about her limited wardrobe or washing habits in public.  “It was very difficult when I was a child because of my growth, but I procured my own garments through various animals on the island.  I mostly went without clothes for much of my life, yet Jin told me it would get me in trouble here.”

Sora strained a laugh, not sure what else to do.  It was nice getting to learn more about the warrior, though.  Obviously, she wasn’t going to come out and ask her what she was since Jin had her convinced to keep those details on the low; still, the girl’s odd behavior made a lot of sense the more she discovered about Eyia’s past.

“No kidding!  Next, you’re going to tell me you only bathe once a month.”

“Mmh.  Only at the most extreme of times, and sometimes there was no water to use.  Instead, I’d cover myself in ashes to sleep, hiding in the mounds of burning coals—at least when I was seven.  It depended on the world shift and dimensional convolutions that would warp my surroundings.”

Eyes growing at the bizarre internal image the girl made, Sora had no clue how even to attempt to understand what she meant, but it sounded intense.

“Crazy.  How does it feel to not be in such a hostile environment, eh—you’re not still down on yourself, right?”  she tentatively questioned, recalling the previous talk they had.  “I get it if this is all too boring for you.”

Eyia’s head motions caused her braid to weave against her back, showing a brilliant smile.  “I am not bored at all by being with you, Sister.  I merely feel out of place and confused regarding your customs.  Typically, if there were such dangerous creatures, such as Fenris Wolves or devils of Múspellsheimr, I would first drive them out of my living area, yet… Jin tells me not to interfere.  It is very… uncomfortable,” she mumbled, testing the word on her tongue.

“I can get that,” Sora sighed, gaze falling to the sidewalk as they came to a stop light and waited for the pedestrian sign to light up.

Kari is actually a lot more like Eyia than I thought…  From how Aiden tells it, she’s come from an isolated wolf society to this human paradise—well, it’s probably a paradise compared to getting your arm broken by your brother every time there’s a disagreement.  Looking back, she was very overwhelmed and passive during the first few months of middle school.  Wait…

Eyes narrowing as she peered back through her memories, Sora saw events through new eyes upon connecting several incidents she’d heard about.

Lori was Kari and Jenny’s first friend, and Lori was bullied by Samantha’s little tantrum gang in 6th grade due to a rash on her nose…  Kari defended Lori, and all those girls left halfway through the school year.  Lori must have gotten a taste of what it was like to be in power and manipulated Kari from being her shield to her sword.  That’s kind of sad, actually…

Sora’s lips drew into a line while processing how things progressed over the last three years, ending in how Kari told her to leave school.

Kari’s been adapting to human society like Eyia is…  I don’t want to turn Eyia into my sword or shield, which, clearly, she could be manipulated into, she internally reasoned, glancing over at the bright-eyed blonde, passively studying all the human inventions like bikes, cars, and buildings.  Jin really is a great friend for protecting her… but maybe a little too intense.

A shiver ran down her spine to the tip of her tail upon recalling the intimidating small Korean girl when Jin confronted her.  At the same time, a few things Eyia told her bubbled to the surface, such as not engaging Nilly or picking a fight with the Fenris family.

It really was like Jin was the big sister, helping her dumb, hyper-competitive little sister not get entangled in sticky situations.  Sora was also touched that Eyia had now considered her a sister, of sorts, due to whatever warrior custom she had, and Eyia was definitely the type of girl you wanted watching your tail.

“Eyia…  Jin probably doesn’t want you hanging around me, does she?”  Sora asked, showing a melancholy smile.  “Vulpes are trouble… and manipulative by nature, right?  Now that I think about it, all I seem to do is cause problems for everyone; I mean, not everything is my fault,” she chuckled, “but I have caused trouble on purpose.”

The girl’s amiable expression fell a tad while considering her question.  “Jin is a very intelligent woman…  She knows almost everything, and is cautious about Sora, eh… about you?”

Sora nodded with a smile, telling her it was right and reminding herself that the Korean girl was actually a lot older than she appeared; perhaps Jin even saw herself more like a mother figure to Eyia than a sister, for all she knew.

“Yes,” the blonde chimed, following Sora across the road on their path back to her hotel suite.  “Jin is cautious of you because you claim that which is impossible.”

“Because my mom is supposed to be sterile?”  Sora pressed, reflecting back to the conversation she had with Aiden, spotting their destination further up the road from its towering position.  “Jin thinks it’s true, though?  She said as much when I talked with her before meeting you.”

Eyia pulled the retracted spear out from behind her back to display the flames that ignited at its tip.  “Jin believed and didn’t believe it from the moment we first met in the store.  She knows much about everything, which is why we have remained in this sunny place instead of moving to other areas.  Jin has been doing a lot of thinking on her own…”

Sora’s brow furrowed as the blue-eyed girl’s focus fell to the street.  “What—heh, don’t tell me she’s on the kill-me train again?”

“Kill-me train?  I am not familiar with the vehicle,” Eyia whispered, picking apart the syllables.  “I do not believe—”  Sora cut her off, swiftly correcting herself.

“My bad!  My bad!  It’s just an expression.  Umm, she doesn’t want to kill me again, right?”

“Hmm…  It’s complicated, I think,” the girl mumbled, fidgeting with the spear.  “I think Jin has some kind of history with your family, and it makes things hard for her, but she has not told me to run away from you, such as her warning of Nilly.”

Sora wanted to laugh, roll her eyes, and cry at the same time when she heard the mysterious Nekomata’s bell tinkle around the area as if taunting them; a quick scan didn’t reveal the two-tailed cat, though, and Eyia didn’t appear to hear it.  Still, she expected the monstrous child to pop out of thin air and snatch her tail, forcing her to draw it in closer as they dodged oblivious pedestrians.

“Nilly… right.  Hehe.  Umm, I guess I should just be glad to be alive when it comes to Jin.  She’s really scary, by the way.”

“Yes, Jin can be very frightening.  I am unsure who would win between us if we were to engage in a battle to the death; she knows so much about me, and I so little of her, yet she has proven herself to be faithful as a travel companion.  She was the first person I met that was not my father’s memory or an enemy to be conquered.”

“Rough…  Do you know anything about my mother?”

Eyia hummed, focus drifting to the side as her mouth drew to the side.  “My father has told me stories of Mia and the Founders…”

“Hsss…”  Sora streamed out a hiss through her teeth at the girl’s tone.  “Not all good, I’m guessing.  How bad?”

The blonde shrugged, returning the spear to her back as Sora guided her up the fancy entrance to the hotel.  “I try not to judge individuals based on their family…  You live in one of the castles in the sky?”  she asked in awe, slowing to stare up at the shiny, reflective surface of the windows.

“Castles in the sky.  Yeah, you could say that,” Sora grinned, giggling internally at the warrior’s interpretation.  Scanning her appearance a bit more closely, there was sand in her hair, and her dress was a bit dirty.  “Why don’t we both take some time to get ready?  Let’s go grab a change of clothes for you and stop by the refitting shop to see how my order is coming along.  We are meeting my dad and best friend, after all.”

“I am, umm…  Jin calls it, along for the ride?”  she said with a hopeful smile, cheering as Sora gave her a thumbs up.  “Yes!  I do not have bricks for brains, as Jin teases me.  I will show her all the sayings I have learned with you when I see her; she will be impressed,” Eyia determined with a gleam in her deep blue eyes.

Sora giggled at how competitive the pair were.  Jin was Eyia’s first friend or contact with a friendly party, which made the realization all the more heart-warming to see how excited the blonde could get when learning things Sora took for granted.

“I think we’re going to have a great time together—eh?”

Eyia jumped upon hearing an ominous song from a popular sci-fi franchise play from Sora’s bag.  She was a huge nerd for the movies and the caller was a lawyer, so the villain theme fit.  “Sister!  Your bag growls—is it alive—do you seal dangerous monsters within it?”

“No!  Haha.  No…  That should be Tom… the family lawyer.  Want to take the lead to get your clothes while I talk to him?”  she asked, bringing her floating purse closer to extract the device.

Eyia tentatively took them further up the road to wherever Green, one of the Ogre gang members, had stationed them.  Sora giggled at the girl’s twitching fingers, ready to draw the spear as Sora took out the phone, which then made her relax.

“Ah.  It is the sound your communication animal makes.  Such strange creatures.”

“Yeah…  Ahem.  Hey, Tom!”

“Yo, uh, what’s this about Homeland… bringing you to the police station?  I called my contacts there, and they’re saying you haven’t shown up or been booked.  What’s going on, Sora?”

By his tone, Sora figured he thought she was making it up to get some attention.  In all honesty, thinking back, she should have just brought Kari’s bullying video to her dad and Tom, but she’d stupidly gone to the police, thinking they’d prove to her dad that she wasn’t making things up.

She spoke with the phone held near her mouth since she could easily hear him with her sharp ears.

“Haaa.  Sorry, Tom.  I know you might think I’m just making all this up… and, it is kind of crazy, so… maybe my dad can talk to you about it later tonight when he gets back?  Ugh.  I handled the Homeland thing—I know how that sounds—again, can we talk about it later with my dad?”

“Uh-huh…”  She could hear Tom passively popping his tongue—it was a habit when he was contemplating if he wanted to get into a sticky family matter.  “Your dad’s getting back today?”

“He’s on a flight from Seoul right now, so he probably won’t be landing for a while.”

“Damn…  Yeah, that’s a good twenty-one-hour flight, and he was doing a big job over there.  Alright, Sora, I’m glad things worked out.  See you for your birthday?  I bet your dad has something crazy planned.”

“Yeah, heh, knowing him.  Again, sorry, Tom.”

Her copper eyebrows drew in as he puffed out a few sharp breaths.  “Hmm…  How are things with your new psychiatrist—Mary, right?”

Mouth curving upward, Sora reminded herself that she should call Mary upon seeing a notification that the woman had messaged her from a burner.  “Loving her.  She’s taking me off a lot of my meds—she really is an amazing woman.”

“Glad to hear.  Huh.  Well, I’m happy you finally like one,” the lawyer let out a small laugh.  “Anyway, see you at your party.”

“Thanks, Tom, and see you there!”

Ending the call, she could see Eyia was confused about some of the conversations but didn’t want to pry.  That suited Sora just fine; she was happy to leave that part of her life in the past.  Mary had sent a message, checking up on her, and asking if she was doing well.  They’d been doing good, and she was wondering if it would be safe to go back to her practice.

It was a troubling question to answer, and Sora tapped her phone against her chin a few times, pondering how she should respond.  On the one hand, Lori and Jenny were working in the background, conspiring to keep her attending the school for some unknown reason—likely something to do with the older Fenris Wolf—but Kari didn’t want to participate in that anymore.

Sora could see Eric using her as a sort of territorial, instinctual drive to push Kari into a more vicious, wolf-like nature; it made sense after hearing the conversation he had had with Aiden.

Kari’s not the vicious animal I first took her to be…  She’s actually tamed down a lot over the past six months…  It’s been those around her pushing to escalate things.  Lori and Jenny are the ones that always push her into things, and it looks like she’s now pushing back, which is causing tension.

I can get why Lori would do it because of Devin…  Ooh, that’s a serious powder keg.  Did Kari find out he was torturing Lori, and that’s why he’s now on the run?  Jin finds dealing with the Fenris family too troublesome, and I agree, but damn, Kari really is in a worse spot than I could have imagined.

On the other, though, she was repairing relationships and gaining new friends.  She was taking charge of her life, and, for the first time, she felt like she had a chance.  Deciding it could wait until she had more headspace, Sora put her phone away.

A low growl rumbled in her throat as they crossed the street to make it into a warehouse area where a lot of manual labor was being done; all of them appeared to be a part of the Ogre crew.

Cheers and waves were shown to the blonde from the powerfully built men and women, each having some percent of Ogre blood in them.  Eyia passively returned the gestures, yet her attention was on Sora’s agitated ears and scowl.

“Something wrong, Sister?”

“Just… bad thoughts,” she grumbled, unable to dismiss them.

Why do I keep going back to ‘poor Kari?!’  It’s just… the more I learn about her, the more I understand her.  I don’t want to understand her!  Still… I can’t help but feel bad, seeing just how twisted and manipulative everyone is around her.  In a way, she’s in the same boat as I was, yet she doesn’t even know it.  Think about something else!

Clearing her throat as they entered through the big, open facility doors, Eyia guided her to a hidden underground area that was spelled with an illusion, which was pretty big, considering how challenging it was to have a basement level in Miami.

“Back to my mom…  Do you know what she’s like?  Even the bad stuff—I just want to know more about my family… before I get my dad’s version.”

Eyia’s mouth tilted to the side again as she took her to a back room, likely a safe house for the Ogres that they’d given the blonde to use.  “Mia is a very fierce and vengeful vulpes, is what I have heard, yet all Founders have a… troubled past, I suppose,” she mumbled.  “I am sorry, Sister, but I have only heard that I will die if I fight her.”

“Mmm.  No, it’s fine,” Sora mumbled, streaming out the air in her pent-up lungs.  “All Founders are frightening?”

“Indeed; that is what I have been told,” Eyia replied, extracting one of the cream dresses they’d selected, still in the bag and wrapped.  “What attire is most suitable for the events we will be attending?”

Sora chuckled, putting the thoughts to the side to enjoy herself with her new friend.  “I think shorts would be better, and maybe a tank top or belly shirt…  The weather says it will be hot today, eh-heh, not that that really means much to either of us, I guess.  It should be less restrictive, though.”

“Less restrictive…  So we will be performing laborious activities?  Who are we set to challenge?”

“No one!”  Sora giggled.  “It’s more about comfort, and while a bikini isn’t rare in Miami, girls our age—at least, how old we look—going around dressed in them while not going to the beach is… probably not a good thing—it’s just social norms.”

“Ah.  The dreaded words, as Jin says—social norms…”  Eyia whispered as if they were confronting an invisible dragon.  “Would these black short things and the thin… easily torn fabric top work?  I do like these sports bras that you bought for me,” she smiled, displaying a deep blue one that matched her eyes.  “It fits better than my own bikinis.”

“I bet!  Alright, ready to head to the tailor so I can pick up some new shorts that will work with my tail and head back to my place to freshen up?”

“I am ready, Sister.  To battle preparations!”

“To battle, indeed!”  Sora chimed, taking them back the way they’d come; it was a little out of the way to the shop, but the visit was short.

Returning to the hotel, she practically skipped through the lobby, showing everyone she’d brought home a new friend, and, to put the cherry on top, when she called the elevator, Howie gave her a peace sign as the doors slid open.

“Yo!  Wait, we were supposed to call you, weren’t we?  Heh.  Daisy and I got a little distracted.”

“Ooooh?”  Sora smirked, sliding inside and letting Eyia slowly enter, lips parted in wonder while examining every piece of the elevator.  “I’m sure you two were quite busy.  How are you feeling?  Heh.  Other than, ahem, sore?”

“C’mon.  Let’s not go down that route, Sora,” Howie said with a forced laugh, cheeks coloring a bit.  However, Sora could smell his fiancé’s pheromones all over the man, marking her territory.  “On another note…  Who is this—a new monster friend?”  he asked as the door shut before they both chuckled a little when Eyia jumped as they went up.

“We are flying… without motion or magic—a mechanical device that involves a pulley?”  she excitedly questioned, sparkling blue globes shifting to them.  “A transportation method and defensive position.  Is this wizard your guard, Sister?”

Howie sniffed and puffed up his chest.  “Wizard?  Hmm.  I like that.  Yeah…  You know, I kind of am your guard, aren’t I?  Can I get a knighthood?”

“I’ll put an order in for a suit of armor, Sir Wizard,” Sora mused.  “I’m glad things are working out between you two…  You proposed?  Wow.  Daisy moved fast to put a ring on it,”  she grinned, focus darting to the ring on the appropriate finger.  “Can’t say I blame her after what those devils did to you.”

“Ahem… can, eh, we not talk about that, like… ever?”

“Memory deleted!”  Sora giggled.  “The proposal?”

“Yup!  I didn’t want to leave things like I did… and it blew my mind that I’d ever break up with the most beautiful woman in the whole world.  I mean, I was drugged, so I had to set the record straight!”

“Aww.  So cute.  I look forward to having the wedding on… say, our terrace?  It’s built for those kinds of fancy occasions, so it’s perfect!  Plus, you won’t have to spend a ton of money on a place.  Sound good?”

“Eh-hehe.  Let’s wait until we can talk to your dad.”

“Boooo!  I’ll convince him.  Anyway, Daisy home?”

“Heh…  You say that like she’s moved into your suite.  No, she’s visiting Ron right now; she wanted to meet him and make sure he didn’t think she was using her succubus powers to woo me.”

“It’s the other way around, right?”  Sora winked, exiting the elevator as they arrived at her floor.  If she recalled, Giant Mama Stephanie would probably still be at her important Celestial meeting.  “We’ll only be like thirty minutes.  See you soon!”

“I’ll be here for… twelve more hours!”

“Sounds good!”

Eyia appeared speechless as they entered the fancy hallway, filled with pieces of artwork and decorations, including live flowers and fresh fruit that the maintenance staff brought in.  The girl’s attention was immediately drawn to the fancy car collection her father had; one of the reasons he’d purchased the suite at this hotel was due to the car elevator and large garage.

“You have so many of the mechanical beasts, and they are very different than the ones on the road that pass by.  Are these of higher stock?”

“You could say that,” Sora giggled, pulling her into a quick house tour before showing her to the bathroom.  Eyia was a bit overwhelmed, but she took the time to show her how to use the many products.

Once she was confident in taking a shower in the ‘magical cloud system’ Sora had explained, she was excited to finish her message to Mary, and Wendy sent her a text, asking if they were still on for today.

Sweeping her tail to the side, Sora slid down the wall outside of her bathroom, crossing her legs while settling on the marble floor.  Despite being exhausted, she couldn’t help laughing when she heard Eyia’s funny mumbles as she tried to read everything on the bottles, having trouble with the names of the ingredients.

Mary is right…  She has a lot of people that do depend on her practice and obligations to help them.  It would be best if she does return, but the threat still hasn’t fully passed.  So, maybe some precautions can be taken.

She sent a quick reply, telling her that it would be dangerous, so she should call the individuals she wanted to meet with and schedule the appointment away from her office for a while.  It was better to be safe than kidnapped and used as a hostage, after all.

Mary agreed and thanked her, though mentioned if that was fine, then she’d prefer to do video conferences—more professional, which was important.  The psychiatrist was proud to see how much she was growing in the short time they’d known each other and was looking forward to sharing her progress with her father.

Tickled at the prospect of having so many people now in her corner to dispel the bad reputation so many intimidating adults had dumped upon her, Sora thanked her and invited her to her birthday party, which she gladly accepted.

Wendy was next, and Sora sent her a double thumbs-up emoji with a secret face and devil emoji, making her bestie return question marks and a glare emoji.  She’d let her stew on what surprise she had.

Sora laughed and turned away when Eyia hurriedly exited the shower, sopping wet and naked, utterly flustered.  The blonde was covered in suds from head to toe, looking as if she’d used the entire bar of soap and half a bottle of bubbly.

Helping her resolve the situation, she was once again surprised at how toned the tall girl was: Eyia was filled out in all the ways a girl wanted while having the muscles to make Sora jealous, and the thought of a workout routine came to mind.  Now that she had Wendy and Eyia, maybe it would be easier to stick to.

Once done helping her flustered friend, as the blonde praised her as being smart like Jin, Sora let Eyia finish getting ready by entering the guest bathroom to freshen up herself.  The whole process took longer than she’d expected—an hour—ending around 10 a.m.

Dressed up and wearing sunglasses, ready to conquer the day, Sora led the way with Eyia after fashioning up with some of her jewelry and accessories.

They made small talk on the way down and left to meet up with Wendy.  Everything was great until Sora wanted to scream as she came to a sudden stop halfway to their destination upon coming to the same bench and playground they’d met before.

A low hiss went through Sora’s teeth as the infamous Alpha Bully of Miami Senior High took notice of them, and Eyia took notice of her.  This couldn’t end well.

Why!  The same bench?!  What are the odds?  I hate you, fate!  Why are you always against me?!

Chapter Thirty: Two Days; The Wolf And The Fox

Sora’s pulse quickened, mind flitting between the horrific scenes of gore and chaos that would likely hit every news channel in the nation if she didn’t do something to quell what was bound to be a prickly encounter, judging from seeing the chilling look on Eyia’s face.

Swiftly grabbing Eyia’s free arm as her other moved to the retracted spear at her back, Sora forced a laugh, knowing the tall blonde was likely probably going through the pros and cons of disregarding Jin’s warning to not get involved with the Fenris faction, along with multiple attack angles.

“Let’s not be hasty, Eyia…  We’re in public, and we don’t want to get in more trouble with the government—let’s play it cool—remember what Jin said?”

Why am I defending Kari?!  Sora internally screamed, seeing the dark-haired girl lean forward on the bench and rest her chin on her bridged fingers; the wolf’s amber eyes fixated on the blonde’s illuminated, sapphire irises.  How has my life gotten this mixed up, and why did she take a path opposite us so I couldn’t smell her?!

Her mind flashed back to Stephanie’s comments, that there were forces—in the plural—that were manipulating things in the background.  She cursed under her breath as Eyia streamed out a long plume of mist, the temperature decreasing by the second, yet Sora sighed with relief when the girl’s fingers left the enchanted weapon.  Honestly, Sora was fairly confident her magic wouldn’t even work against Kari’s natural resistance to magic.

“I sense a hostile aura around her, Sister,” Eyia muttered.  “Is it not logical to drive her away from your living area?”

Sora’s gut sank as Kari’s jaw set; she seemed to be debating if she should get up.  What is your goal, Eyia?!  You absolutely know she can hear us if she has senses like me!

“We’re here to have a good day, not pick—”  she caught herself, suddenly realizing a good day for the warrior was probably a fight.  “Can we please just move along—damn it…”

By Kari’s appearance—from the sports brand shorts, sports bra, and the phone attached to her arm—the star athlete had been jogging, which was odd to be in this area since she usually did it around the track at school where everyone could see her insane speed.

She rose to her feet, weaving between the morning joggers and tourists to reach them, clearly something on her mind or just wanting to not back down to Eyia’s comment.  She was a wolf, so of course, if someone said they should drive her away from your territory, she’d get defensive.

It didn’t have to be like this!

Eyia’s fingers went back to the spear, but Kari surprised her with a small smile upon reaching a reasonable distance to not be threatening and coming to a halt.  Arms crossed, and focus shifting from the girl probably a few centimeters taller than even her to Sora, she played with a toothpick in her mouth, showing she’d probably just finished her breakfast.

“I see you’re making a lot of friends since leaving school, Sora.  Heh.  I got no beef with your, eh-heh, sister,” she mumbled, vision shifting to the leering blonde.  “Although, I’m not above answering a challenge if that’s what you’re after…  I just wish you would have chosen a better time.”

A little shocked at how reasonable Kari was when alone and not goaded on by all the bullies that surrounded her, Sora tightened her grip against Eyia’s arm, trying to tell her not to push things.

“No!  No challenge.  Heh.  Right, Eyia?”  Sora’s tail bristled, ears pulling back as the girls eyed each other.  Time seemed to stop as the two powerful auras she sensed collided, yet Eyia’s fingers left her spear again.

“If… that is what you advise, Sister.  I do think it is a mistake to allow such dangerous creatures to roam freely where you take shelter.”

Kari unknotted her arms to run her fingers through her shoulder-length hair, drawing her bangs behind her right ear.  “I actually agree with you…  Eyia, was it?  Haaa.  I probably should have taken that approach years ago.”

There was a bitter note in Kari’s voice that pricked Sora’s rising ears and settling emotions.  “You’re talking about… Devin, right?  Heh.  Not me?”

Eyia’s freezing atmosphere was still present, but she had at least partially withdrawn her hostile posture, watching the wolf closely.  The warrior had already made it perfectly painfully clear she didn’t trust Fenris Wolves—or like them at all—yet she’d also stated she’d judge people based on their actions.  This encounter must be hard on the blonde, though, and she hoped Eyia would stay strong.

Kari tilted her body to the side, staring out across the street and scanning the occupants.  “You never really felt like something worth kicking out, to be honest, Sora…  I always did wonder why Jenny and Lori had this fixation with you, and Lori had a lot to say about your time together through elementary.”

Sora’s left eye creased at the reveal.  There was so much more behind the ‘Alpha Bully’ of Miami High than she’d thought, and she wasn’t the heartless monster she’d come to view her as.

“Elementary school?  I hardly knew she existed, to be honest…  I mean, we shared some classes, and I felt bad for her with the whole rash thing—she didn’t deserve to be bullied…  Ugh.  Maybe I should have stuck up for her…  Maybe things would have been different,” she mumbled, recalling the things she knew about, but did nothing about.

Is that why Lori hates me?  she internally reasoned, finding a pattern going back as to why Lori had this hatred for her.

Everyone wanted to be my friend because of all the stuff I’d do with Wendy, but it always felt fake…  Maybe Lori’s attempts to reach out were more desperate…  Since she couldn’t find help from me, she found it in Kari, and things escalated from there.  Wow…  That sucks.

Eyia’s brow creased with confusion, unable to follow the unexpected direction their conversation was going, and probably more bewildered as to why Kari hadn’t attacked them yet.

Kari grimaced, narrowed eyes falling to the dark street as people cluelessly passed around them, going about their own lives.  “Lori doesn’t like to talk about that…  Anyway, have you smelled or seen Devin around?  He’s been using Unseelie portals to escape me for the last few days, and it’s getting annoying.”

“Unseelie?”  Eyia snarled, fingers flexing and looking at her, but Sora tried to cut her off before the girl revealed she had a deal with their ruler.

“Hmm…”  Sora kept a thoughtful expression, silently cursing Sela for wrapping her into another mess; the Unseelie was giving her a new headache with every new enemy she added to her plate to look out for.  Sora had a feeling by the end of this little deal, she’d want to murder Sela more than the assassins.

“You’re talking about the Unseelie in the meeting I crashed—eh, Sela?”  she muttered, trying to distance herself from the child-like fallen fae and knowing Kari respected her confrontation with the Miami Monster Council.

Kari’s toothpick snapped as her tongue pressed against it, and she hissed out a short stream of air.  “That woman is cancer to deal with when she’s so cautious, although…  Heh, I heard you took out Yez’ela.  Respect.  That’s a big target you’ve put on your back, but you’re making my job easier, so… thanks, I guess,” she muttered, scratching her neck.

Eyia appeared even more at a loss.  “You… are against the Fenris control over the area… when you are a Fenris Wolf?”

“Pfft!”  Kari’s chest shook with laughter, and a hateful gleam lit her amber irises.  “Oh, I celebrate every hit my brother’s little network takes; I don’t care who it’s from.  Still, I’m a little shocked you didn’t take my advice and keep your ears down,” she said, continuing to play with the two broken halves of the toothpick in her mouth while eyeing Sora.

“My brother’s bound to get word that things are going south in Miami and come back to fix his pet’s blunders.  For some reason, Devin’s one of his favorite pawns…  Hmm.  Maybe it’s time things did change.”

The slightly drawn lip and inflection in the dark-haired girl’s voice showed hesitation, and Sora quickly came to a conclusion as to why: Kari was thinking about confronting her brother.  Ever since Kari’s sporadic decision to chase her out of school, Sora had seen big changes in the wolf through their few meetings, pulling on her curiosity.

As she learned more about Kari, the less terrifying, monstrous, and invincible she felt, which was ironic, considering she was in actuality a powerful wolf creature—as a human bully, she was scarier—yet the seemingly invulnerable ‘gifted athlete’ had her own vulnerabilities.

Hugging herself as she stepped into potentially dangerous waters, Sora cleared her throat.  “Ahem…  Don’t take this the wrong way, but it feels like you’ve changed a lot over the last two weeks.”

Eyia and Kari gave her a questioning look that asked where she was going with this conversation, yet Sora doubled down, wanting to put this instinctual fear of the most horrible person in her life behind her.

“I know it’s kind of out of the blue, but… I’m just curious because usually, you’d let Lori and Jenny do whatever they wanted.  I don’t know—something’s just… different.”

Knowledge about Kari was turning out to be her own version of therapy; the wolf struggled with her own demons.

A low rumble came from the disguised girl’s throat as her focus drifted to Eyia, and after a second, she sighed.  “Maybe it would be better to talk to you about this rather than Jenny or Lori…  They say new insights come in the most unlikely of places…  Wanna sit and talk?”

Sora’s mind momentarily blanked at the invitation, seeing Kari nudge her head toward the bench, and it was an invitation, not an order.  It felt so foreign, and even Kari appeared to be pushing herself to do something new.  Something had severely affected the girl, and a spur stuck in Sora’s mind that wanted to know what caused the girl’s drastic change in mental state.

“Eyia?”  she asked, jumping inside her heart when the blonde begrudgingly nodded.

“I will keep my eye closely on you, Fenris Wolf…  If you choose to bite, I will sever your head from your body,” she bluntly stated, making Sora freeze, yet Kari just brushed it off.

“Charming sister you have there…  How does that even work?  It’s not by blood by her scent.”

“We are Sisters-in-arms,” Eyia proudly proclaimed, following the wolf to the bench and taking the seat between them to act as Sora’s shield, no doubt, while moving the spear to her lap for emphasis as to her intention.  “You are not beholden to your uncles?”

“Huh?!”  Kari draped herself on the far side of the long bench, throwing her hands across the back while crossing her legs and shifting her posture to talk to them.  “Where the hell did that come from?  No.  I’ve never met my uncles—I assume you’re talking about my Uncle Sköll and Uncle Hati?  Heh.  My mom was not a fan of her brothers, so not a shot.”

Eyia’s twisted nose eased a little.  “To put doubt to rest, Alva was your mother—the only female and last of the 2nd Generation?”

Sora internally filed away the information.

“Everyone thinks about my uncles or grandpa when talking about Fenris Wolves,” Kari growled, face scrunching up with disdain.  “I’d rather have nothing to do with my family, so can we just drop the subject?  It puts a bitter taste in my mouth.”

“Yeah, totally,” Sora interjected, leaning forward to see past the blonde and wanting to keep the cordial, or at the very least, civil conversation healthy.  “You mentioned someone telling you about insight coming from unlikely places.  Who have you been talking to?  Aiden?”

Kari forced a laugh, looking up at the brightening heavens, playing with the two toothpicks for a moment.  “Mmh.  Aiden had a lot to say about you…  I didn’t know you were a Founder, as well.  Huh.  I guess it shows how much I paid attention to my mom’s lessons…  Tiri would have known.  Ugh.  What did you ask again?”

“Uh…  Who told you about insight coming from unlikely places?”  Sora hesitantly repeated.  It seemed Kari’s mind was somewhere else, grappling with something.  “Aiden only came back recently, though, right?  So… did you meet some new friend or something?”

“Friend, huh?  Heh.  Heather showed me this—her cousin in California sent it to her to help her since she’s been feeling depressed—and it’s made me think a lot…”

She unstrapped the phone case from around her arm and pulled out the device to play a motivational video where the man on the other side began to speak with pianos in the background.

“My commitment and obsession is always to be better today than I was yesterday.  If I have to make sacrifices to do that… so be it.  If I have to tell that person I can’t go out drinking with him anymore… so be it.  Because that’s not what I value.

“Anything or anyone that is taking me further away from my dreams has to go.  I’m committed to self-development, not self-destruction, and you know, any person that is meant to be with me on the journey will choose that higher road with me.  Yes, a tougher road, but it is also a much more rewarding one.

“I want my life to mean something.  To be able to look back at my life and say, yeah, I made some tough decisions, but they were the right decisions.  So many people don’t get it.  They piss their life away every weekend for what?  So they can complain about their current circumstances for the rest of the week?

“Screw that!  No chance!  I’m in charge of my own life!  It’s all on me!  I take responsibility, I take action, and I get shit done!

“You will never hear me complain about another person or circumstance as the reason I’m not where I want to be.  If I don’t like where I am…  Time to knuckle down and work harder!  I am a perfect reflection of the hard work or lack of work I put in.  And luck, that only comes to those who have paid their dues.

“If I am weak in a certain area, it won’t be for long.  Because I’m committed to be better.  I will learn, I will read—I will make it happen—I will find a way.  I will work until that weakness is turned into a strength.”

Kari stopped the video, and Sora felt tingles, but not because of the words; no, it was what those lines had done to change her life.

“I’ve been playing this video over and over for the past month,” she muttered, rubbing the side of her phone while staring at the tiger thumbnail on the screen.  “I started to realize that I was the sheep…

“All this stuff I’ve been doing hasn’t really… it hasn’t really gotten me where I want to be, so I’ve been trying to figure things out on my own.  I can’t blame my brother or anyone else for my life…  It won’t get me anywhere.  I have to rise past my limitations and set the standard…  I need to be a leader.”

Sora swallowed the sticky saliva in her throat upon the realization: this one video had changed the entire course of her life two weeks ago, and she had no clue Kari had been going through these emotions that pushed her outside of her comfort zone.

The example she saw in this new Kari made Sora see this invincible bully in an entirely new light.  The wolf was changing her life and making choices that went against her friendship circle.  If anything, Sora respected the direction, even if she still couldn’t forgive what the girl’s authority had allowed others to do to her.

Kari was growing away from the circle that used her as their club as she explored what she actually wanted in life, and the only way Sora saw that path ending was by confronting her brother, which put a rock in her gut.

“Wow.  That’s-uh… that’s pretty intense.  I wish you would have figured that out three years ago,” Sora mumbled, brushing her hair back and glaring at her legs.

She knew she had to be careful with her words to not provoke the sensitive blonde, but she wasn’t content with leaving things as they were now that she knew what was going through Kari’s mind and a bit more about her life.

Heat crawling up her nose and throat, Sora drew back on all the things she’d experienced over the past three years.  Sure, most of that was revealed to be Jenny or Eric, but it all was centered around Kari.  She’d just been a chew toy others used to sharpen Kari’s teeth.

“You want to be a leader…  What if I were to tell you you’ve never been one?  Do you realize Jenny and Lori have been manipulating you this entire time?  Your brother through them?”

She expected Kari to shut her down, yet the girl’s somber, amber irises only shifted to listen to her rant.  Perhaps she even suspected it at this point.

“Say what you want to say,” she calmly stated, focusing entirely on her words.

“Jenny, Lori, all the girls Jenny’s gathered as her little minions—all of them use your name, Kari.  They’ve turned into the monster that bites everyone, and that projects everything onto you because you allow it,” Sora snarled, scooting forward to stare at the black-haired girl and say everything she’d kept bottled up inside for years.

“This entire empire of pain is built on your power, and you always had the power to stop it, but you didn’t.  Take responsibility for that!  If you want to be a leader and to make something of yourself, then you have to not let everyone step all over you.  To use you!

“I get that you’re a believer in being real and hard work, but do you realize that everyone else uses your power to hurt others?  How can you take responsibility when there are still people being harmed in your name?”

Eyia grunted.  “Fenris Wolves only know how to devour and destroy.  You cannot reason with them, Sister.”

Kari didn’t appear to be listening to the blonde as a weak smile lifted her mouth.  Instead, Sora was utterly shocked by the look and whispered response the wolf gave, soon realizing it was probably things she’d heard from her motivation video that she was reflecting on.

“You know, Sora, ever since I heard you confronted Lori, I’ve started to see why she’s so intimidated by you.  Hmm.  You have had it rough since Lori turned her attention to Wendy and pushed her out of your life, yet I’ve seen you grow bolder and bolder every year… and I see your efforts now.”

Sora hated how self-reflective Kari was being.  She wanted Kari to get upset, to prove she was the monster Sora had believed in for years,  not this manipulated, confused teenage wolf-girl with a troubled family that she was trying to contend with.

Obviously, Kari was trying to find a new, positive mind state due to listening to all these motivational videos, but Sora didn’t want to let go of the image she had of the bully.  “What are you trying to say?”

Kari sat back to stare at the sky.  “Hmm.  Life can be brutal…  I thought my life was over when I saw my mother’s mangled corpse…  When her world fell apart.  I was weak…  I felt hopeless,” she choked, puffing out a long stream of air.

Sora’s mind came to a halt.  She didn’t think Kari was capable of tears or pain, and she recalled the thirteen-year-old girl had suddenly shown up in her school, seemingly devoid of emotion that Lori latched onto.  Now she had the reason.

“What?  Your mom…”

“Humph.  It’s life,” Kari mumbled, clearly shoving down the traumatic emotions of discovering her bloodied mother’s body and the complete collapse of her home rather than facing them, which, through her many psychiatrist sessions, Sora realized went against what Kari was attempting to overcome.

Rising to her feet and stretching out her arms, Kari smiled down at her, focus shifting to the glaring blonde, hand still on her spear.

“The hardest walk you can make, is the walk you make alone… but that is the walk that makes you the strongest—that is the walk that builds your character the most—and… if you show what you’re made of, the right people will show up in your life.  Heh.  You won’t be a lone wolf forever…”

The part seemed more for herself than Sora as she looked between Eyia and her, preparing to leave.  “Thanks, Sora…  It really does help to see things from another point of view.  I think I get it.”

“Get what?”  Sora asked, not understanding how she’d suddenly helped Kari come to some grand epiphany.

Kari tapped her phone against her thigh, lightly chewing on the inside of her lip for a moment, searching for the words as her amber eyes turned inward.

“Mmh.  It doesn’t matter if you have to walk alone for a while; it’s better to walk alone than follow the herd, walking in the wrong direction.”  She nodded and chuckled to herself.  “Have you ever heard the saying that the wolf on the hill is never as hungry as the wolf climbing the hill?”

“Uhh… no?”  Sora muttered, trying to process the change that had come over the tall, black-haired girl that she seemed to be taking in herself.  “What does that have to do with this?”

“Heh.  Maybe nothing,” Kari snickered to herself, rubbing the back of her neck and putting her phone back in the sleeve to continue her run.  “We should always be that wolf climbing the hill—don’t you think—always hungry for more…  Anyway, stay strong, Sora…  Be different.  I’m rooting for you.”

Somewhat taken aback by her second encouraging declaration, Sora swiftly stood up as Kari took out some wireless headphones from her jogging shorts pocket to put in her ears.

“Eh-hey!”

“Hmm—what’s up?”  Kari asked, attention momentarily shifting to Eyia as she joined Sora, possibly expecting the blonde to jump her, yet Sora’s hesitant words instantly snatched her attention.

“I don’t know if you know… you, eh, probably don’t, but… Devin has been torturing Lori—I learned about it when I confronted her, which was why she broke down crying.”

Sora wanted to back away, hearing Kari’s teeth grind against each other as her jaw locked and her expression changed on a dime.  Once again, the atmosphere chilled from Eyia’s powers, but the wolf’s focus was entirely on Sora.

“Say that again?  For how long?  Why wouldn’t she tell me?”

“I don’t know.  It’s… pretty brutal, and he threatens her dad.  Also… I know how this sounds, but she really doesn’t think of you as a friend.  She’s more terrified of you, Jenny, and—my guess—your brother…  I can’t say for one hundred percent, but Jenny did go after my psychiatrist, and I barely managed to get to her and make her invisible before she showed up at her work…”

“You’re… saying Jenny is also working with, heh… with my brother?”  Kari asked, and Sora realized she must not have fully taken in her previous rant or tried to dismiss that particular insinuation.  “She went after your psychiatrist?”

“I… don’t think it was the first time,” Sora admitted, finding the courage within her gut to face down the much taller girl as she tried to keep her emotions in check due to Eyia being a hair’s breadth from attacking.  “Someone was manipulating the police and a lot of people in my life to keep me here, and that could be Devin, but… he answers to your brother, and I don’t see Jenny taking orders from him.  Right?”

“Mmgm…”  Kari just grunted, teeth grinding against each other as her glare moved to the sidewalk.  “I’ll say this now, Sora…  I really, really hope this isn’t some payback trick you’re trying to pull.”

“My sister is not like other vulpes,” Eyia snarled, waiting for the smallest provocation and excuse to attack the wolf.  “Fenris Wolves eat one another all the time.  Perhaps your brother seeks to feast on your corpse, as he no doubt did to your mother.”

“Eyia!  Don’t say that,” Sora huffed, having flashbacks of Lori hounding her about killing her own mother in childbirth while moving between them to glare up at the blonde, who blinked in surprise that she’d come to the wolf’s defense.  “That’s just…  It’s too much!  I’m sorry, Kari.”

Sora’s tail stiffened as she smelled the unusually potent scent of blood, and she turned around to see Kari’s white fingers digging into her palms, causing crimson to leak onto the ground.

“Kari?”

Kari’s distant gaze returned to her, shoulder-length hair weaving as she shook her head.  “Whatever…”  She turned to leave before pausing, half rotating back to give her a weak smile.  The wolf cleared her dry throat, clearly having struggled to keep things together.  “Thanks, Sora…  I’m sorry for what part I did play in…  Haaa.  In everything.”

Chills went from her ears to the tip of her tail at the apology that she never expected to hear—it was an admission of wrong—Kari believed she’d been wrong.

How is any of this happening?

“Eh…  Eyia, can you pinch me?  I think I’m dreaming…  Ack!  I didn’t mean on my neck!  That hurt!  Ou-hoho,” she hissed, rubbing the sore area as the blonde’s gaze distrustfully followed the wolf’s exit.  “Ack…”

“You mustn’t be fooled by her deceit, Sister!  Fenris wolves are crafty.  They only know how to consume—it is their nature.  She said as much; she is always a wolf climbing the hill, looking for a feast.”

“It’s a metaphor,” Sora growled, digging around in her purse to find a mirror to check if the blonde had left a mark; she totally had, causing Sora to give the taller girl a dirty look.  “It’s… complicated.  Anyway, let’s forget all of this and go spend a good day with Wendy.  I want ice cream—I don’t care if it’s morning; ice cream for breakfast!  Let’s go…  Did you have to pinch me that hard?”

“You asked me to?”

“It, ugh…  I understand how Jin feels now!”  she cried, making Eyia’s eyes droop.

Chapter Thirty-One: Two Days; Girls’ Day Out

Scratching the base of her left ear, Sora sighed upon catching Eyia’s downcast eyes, regretting her previous statement.  Glancing around at the people and tourists of Miami, she put her mirror away and rubbed her sore neck before turning to Eyia, offering an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, Eyia.  I shouldn’t have said that.  You’re trying really hard, and I know you’re only looking out for me.”

Eyia held her arm, still unable to look at her.  “You spoke what was on your heart, so it should not be something to regret.  I am… confused about many things you do, and I presume a lot when I should listen more.  It is not you at fault, Sister.  It is… challenging to adapt to this unusual lifestyle you live.”

Sora shook her head again and motioned for them to continue toward Wendy’s apartment, rethinking her apology to try to clarify what she felt.  “Heh.  It’s not about what I said.  Hmm.  It’s more… how I said it,” she concluded, casting her gaze around to see the many school girls walking the streets, all heading in the direction of Kari’s territory.

“Let me try to rephrase it,” she said, turning to smile up at the tall blonde, who seemed to be attempting to follow her train of thought.  “I got frustrated with you because you were antagonizing Kari without internalizing a single word she said, and part of the reason isn’t your fault because you don’t know anything else, which I should be understanding of.  That is why I’m apologizing.  Does that make sense?”

A low rumble came from the girl’s throat, eyes narrowing while looking at the ocean that just came into view between buildings.  “Fenris Wolves will lie when they are caged, though…”

Sora’s eyebrows drew together.  “Eh… Kari isn’t caged.  Have you met a Fenris Wolf before?”

“Admittedly, I have not,” Eyia mumbled.  “Their terror and ruthlessness are well-known, however;.  My father has warned me repeatedly of their kind.”

“Mmh…”  Sora streamed out another sigh, scanning the crowds for some way to better articulate what she wanted to say.  “What was your gut impression of Kari?  Not Fenris Wolves, or whatever you heard—just Kari herself?  I have my own thoughts, but they are based on experience alone.  What do you think?”

Curiosity piqued as to what the blonde would say, Sora waited while the warrior thought, fingers seemingly unconsciously rising to play with the golden thread of her opulent necklace.

“Kari is… troubled.  She is not confident in herself, and seeks to find answers elsewhere.  It is a strange behavior for what I have been told about Fenris Wolves,” she admitted, scratching her temple.  “She aims to overthrow the current leader in her family, and she will fail.”

Sora’s tail paused mid-swing.  “Huh?  Why do you say that?”

“Her determination is lacking,” Eyia concluded, arms crossed.  “She believes herself inferior, which is why she has not confronted her brother sooner.  Her position is one of desperation, and by her aura, she knew she could not face me.”

“Interesting…”  Sora mumbled, bunching her lips to the side.  “I didn’t get the impression Kari wanted to fight at all…  Maybe she was intimidated by you; I could see that.  No, from my perspective, she didn’t want to fight in the first place…  That is all you projecting,” she pointed out with a stare.

“I met Kari before, and she really doesn’t give a crap about me or most other things.  She’s trying to figure things out.  She has a trauma; that is probably what you’re sensing.”

“What is… trauma?”  Eyia asked, making Sora laugh.  “Did I say something funny?”

Sora shook her head.  “No, well… heh, yes, but it’s okay.  You’re too pure, Eyia!  For you, it’s only do-or-don’t—black and white—there are no in-betweens or gray areas.  Kari is a Fenris Wolf, and therefore, she’s bad.  Don’t you think that’s similar to how Jin reacted to me, and what did you tell her?”

Eyia slowed to a stop, and Sora saw the links clicking in her head.  “You are a unique vulpes…  Are you saying I need to apply that same logic to Kari?”

“Meh.  You can or can’t; it’s up to you,” Sora shrugged, continuing their path.  “Kari is a Fenris Wolf, and Fenris Wolves are pretty brutal—I can gladly admit that—so you want to protect me.  I totally get that.  Kari’s definitely not my favorite person in the world, but I empathize with her.”

Eyia hissed, making Sora’s ears rise a bit while glancing up at her agitated frown.

“What?”

“Empathy in the field of combat will get you killed.  You can acknowledge your foe fights for their own cause, be it survival or territory, but you tempt fate by empathizing with them.  You must face every opponent with the outcome of certain death.  Pity and empathy will only bring sorrow to your clansmen.”

“Hmm.  I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Sora whispered, linking her fingers behind her neck and smiling at a group of elementary kids walking with probably their sitter, taking them to school.  “It’s one of those gray areas, though…  Maybe that works in a war zone, but you’re not in one…  Eh, well, not that kind.  Jin’s talked to you about that, right?”

Eyia puffed out a long stream of air.  “What is your opinion of Kari in this type of war?  Is there a way you can describe it to me since you appear to understand my position?  I apologize for being a brick-brain,” she mumbled, focus returning to the street.

“Let’s see, how do I view Kari now?”  Sora repeated, now looking into her own heart to find the answer.  “It’s… complicated.  Do I like her?  Not at all!  I used to think she was the devil incarnate, but after everything I’ve learned…  I put myself in her shoes.  Can you do that?”

“How can you fit into her shoes?”  Eyia asked, focus instantly dropping to her sandal wedges.  “Your feet are far too small for her and hers too large for—oh…  It is one of those figures of speech?”  she asked, a smile returning at Sora’s nod that she’d caught it without prompt.

“Shoes… filling shoes…”  she mumbled to herself, and Sora let her mind rotate in silence, allowing the morning bustle of Miami to draw her emotions back to a more positive vibe; in a way, helping Eyia work through this was solidifying her own feelings.

“If I am to walk her path, or see where she has walked,” Eyia puzzled out, “then I am to discover my mother’s corpse, and my brother… consuming her…  I engage my brother for desecrating our mother’s body!”  she concluded, puffing out a hot breath through her nose.

There she goes assuming again…  As evil as Eric sounds, would he really kill his own mother?  I guess Eyia knows more about their culture than I do…  How does that relate to Kari, though?  Sora brooded, before shrugging it off with a chuckle.

“That’s still how you’d respond, not Kari.”

“Hmm?  Would not anyone act in kind who sees such a betrayal of the sacred bond between family?”  Eyia drew around her braid, playing with the tail end of her hair and showing her discomfort, which was probably very new to the warrior, making Sora realize how hard she was trying.  “I… cannot see my older brother doing such a thing…  He is a legend… a hero among heroes.”

Fascinated to learn that Eyia did indeed have an older brother, despite her weird upbringing on some insane-sounding island, Sora jumped on the topic.

“Good!  How would you feel if you did find him doing that?”

“I…  I would engage him, as my code dictates for such a sacrilegious act, but… I would need to understand if he were possessed or under some curse, perhaps.  I have never thought of such a horrific scenario, Sister…  It is very perturbing,” she whispered.  “Fenris Wolves perform such acts all regularly in their community, though,” she pressed, making Sora slowly nod.

“Sure… but do you think Kari understood that by her reaction?  Clearly, it did bother her… a lot, when you said that—I’d say it drew back a trauma,” she reasoned, recalling the strong smell of the girl’s blood.  “Aiden told me that she didn’t listen to her mother’s lessons, so, I’d bet she doesn’t know anything about being a Fenris Wolf.”

“Hmm…  You have given me much to consider, Sister.”

Sora reached over to pat her shoulder, drawing her gaze.  “It’s okay, Eyia.  Like I said, I don’t like Kari, and for a lot of personal reasons, but that doesn’t mean I can’t feel bad for her situation… even those that set her down the path to making me hate…  Huh.”

“Did you discover something, Sister?”  Eyia asked as she took her across the street.

“Hmm?  Oh, just remember something someone said,” she mumbled, drawing her purse closer to reach in and feel the black ice rose she kept with her.

There are forces trying to manipulate me…  I don’t like that, and the plot to make me hate and fear Kari is… weirdly intense.  Eric has to be behind it after everything I’ve learned…  Stephanie really did help me start seeing all these dots.  So many things now make sense once I started tugging on all these threads.

Silence took them, Eyia seemingly seeing she was deep in thought and using the chance to consider the things they’d discussed.

A low rumble sounded in the distance, making Sora’s ears twitch.  The sky was clear, but a sudden chill that carried along the breeze told her there would be another storm that night, making her curse.

Of course, there’s going to be a thunderstorm when Dad gets home.  Her grip tightened behind her back, knuckles pressing against the base of her tail as she reconciled with her emotions.  Why am I surprised I feel sorry for Kari?  Our situation is so similar…

We both have power in our own ways…  Mine through money and hers through influence.  I can do whatever I want outside of school, but inside it, I’m powerless.  Kari’s the exact opposite.  In school, she’s the queen, yet everywhere outside is her brother’s.  She is trapped in a cage.

The memory of how Kari lost her temper and attacked Lori made Sora’s gut tighten now that she knew the context.  It hadn’t been anger that made her lash out—it was the trauma.  Anything dealing with her brother set her on edge.

It was hard imagining the invincible bully she’d come to know as a frightened puppy, trapped inside this cage; her little, make-believe safe zone, the same as how Sora’s money hadn’t helped her—in fact, it made it worse at school—which was probably the same for Kari.

Turning down a branching street, Sora rubbed her forehead, the emotions making her run hot.  Is it a coincidence Kari starts using these motivational videos to overcome her trauma and find ground to stand on her own—effectively trying to escape her cage—when the same thing happens to me from my transformation?  I don’t think so.

I’m dancing to someone’s strings.  We all are!  Is Nilly involved, too?  That purple-eyed woman in the lobby?  What about the abomination Stephanie was cross with in my house?  Could that have been Nilly?  I don’t know!  I just don’t know!  Maybe Kari’s uncles are involved, for all I know…

“Gah!  Who is Gloria?!”  Sora shouted at the sky, letting her thoughts spill out and causing Eyia to shoot a questioning look down at her.

“Shhh!  Sister, you must not speak of such Founders by name or image,” Eyia swiftly replied, glancing around like they were about to get struck by lightning, yet Sora almost tripped as a shimmering body-length mirror appeared in front of her, showing an incensed Sela.

“Why on all that is unholy would you even mutter such a name as a Founder?!  Are you trying to erase us both—really!?”  she huffed, glaring eyes swapping to Eyia as a spear nearly instantly hovered near her throat, passing through the mirror-like water.  “You’re worried about me right now?”

Dismissing the Unseelie’s abrupt appearance and Eyia’s jumpy eyes, still scanning for danger while keeping Sela at blade-point,  Sora latched onto the topic like a juicy piece of steak; according to the Celestial, it was basically Gloria’s fault Stephanie couldn’t help her.

“I heard her name somewhere—heh, and you aren’t looking too well, Sela,” she snickered, seeing the fallen fae behind her running to snatch certain items around the space in a panic.  “I’m just trying to figure out how all these pieces around me fit together.  Who is she?”

Sela scratched her head with a low growl.  “You’re… clueless!  I would rather die than hear you ever say her name again!  Watch who you speak about when you have an Unseelie contract, you ignorant vulpes!  Agh.  I can’t with you…”

The mirror fractured, and Sora had the impression the woman was considering breaking their contract on the spot over just her saying one name.  She grinned at Eyia, waiting for an answer to her question.

Swallowing, obviously hesitant to talk about the woman, Eyia cleared her throat, putting away her spear as a few random people eyed them with open mouths before hesitantly shuffling off when Sora ignored them, drawing Eyia forward.

“I will not speak her name—as the Unseelie said, and for good reason, especially for her…  You see, she is one of the Trinity, The Pillars of Existence, the three most powerful Founders, who oversee this Existence, and the most feared.  She is the First Generation Founder of the fae.”

“Ah!”  Sora nodded, the links clicking into place.  “I can see why Sela would be scared of her ancient ancestor.”

Eyia’s braid swung with her head movements.  “Sela is no Founder, just as Nogitsune are not Founders.  The First Generation are those that gained their innate affinity and attributes as a species in ways unobtainable without being born into their line, which is why you, as a vulpes Founder, have such potent magic that a typical vulpes could not dream of.”

“Hmm.  Okay,” Sora mumbled, arms crossing and head tilting to the side while studying the houses they passed; two blocks down, these nice places would be replaced by a ghetto.  “Desire Magic is pretty awesome.  Hmm.  Thanks, Eyia.  Ah, we’re getting close to Wendy’s.”

The blonde’s concerned blue eyes made her chuckle.  “I won’t say it again!  Sorry, sorry.”

“The fae Founder is very vengeful, but it is said that there are those that can fight her.  Though, if she wishes someone dead… there is no salvation nor shield that could protect them.  All submit to the Founder Laws.”

Interested in the topic but not wanting to continue to agitate the blonde or cause trouble from her lack of understanding, Sora dropped the subject; it didn’t seem to be an avenue that would yield results anyway.

The real question is, why hasn’t she stepped in to help me?  I guess the Founder Laws haven’t been crossed.  Damn.

Letting her mind leave it at that, she pointed out Wendy’s apartment complex, spotting the scowling, brown-haired girl outside, leaning against the railing, and she could guess why when the door opened to show her mother, wearing a waitress outfit.

“You are not going to skip school to hang out with Sora!  People will call child services if you keep missing classes!”

“Who’s fault is that?”  Wendy shot back, making Sora smile and pull Eyia away from view; she’d never heard her best friend talk back to her mom before.  “I’ve had to do under-the-table jobs to make enough money for rent the last two years, and I wonder why that is?  What’s the credit card bill on your hospital visit again when you passed out, piss-drunk, and hit your head?”

“You—ugh?!  Sora is a terrible influence on you!  I bet she cursed you to act like this because you never talk this way to me!  What the hell has—”

“You, Mom!”  Wendy huffed, throwing her arms in the air, and Sora saw a few of the thugs downstairs duck into their car, mumbling to one another about crazy women before leaving.  “I’ve worked so hard to keep up with the debt, and don’t answer the door when those officers come over to see if you’re sober—remember, the court order—but I let it all slide because I love you, but where is that getting me?  I’m miserable at home!”

“Language!  Ugh.  Dammit!  I’m going to be late.  We will talk about this when I get off work.  Go to school!”

You go, girl!  Sora internally cheered.  Her bestie had definitely hit her rebellious phase, and it was about time!

“Sure…”  Wendy sniffed, throwing her hair back, which Sora noticed was curled for once.  It was clear as day she was not going to obey her mom, and Sora wondered if she should tease her by buying an Obey hat for her to wear home.

Sora saw her pull out her very dated flip phone to probably text her that she was going to meet her partway, mumbling to herself as her mother went to the bus stop to catch a ride to work.

“So stupid…  Why do I have to be the adult?  I should be hanging out with Sora and going on dates with boys…  It’s my freaking junior year, and what, how long do I need to make up for her addictions and put up with her alcoholic outbursts?  Does she love me at all?”

A stitch broke in Sora’s heart, recalling the emotions she’s felt from Jane: she envied and hated her daughter, wanting to relive her youth.  She blamed Sora for spoiling her daughter too much and was tired of caring for Wendy since Sora used to always handle a lot of other expenses she now had to deal with.

It really was stupid.  Jane hated that Sora spent money on her daughter because it made her feel guilty, but also hated spending money on her daughter because she wanted to spend it on her own stuff, meaning Wendy had to pick up her own expenses and her mother’s habits.

Honestly, I should just ask Dad to adopt Wendy at this point…  It’s so much worse than I thought, Sora growled to herself, making Eyia peek around the van they were hiding behind.

“Was there… a battle happening?  I do not sense anything.”

“No, no, no.  Sorry, Wendy’s coming to us,” Sora said without explaining; it would be too hard at this point.

“Wendy!”

Her best friend’s brown eyes shot up with surprise, the phone swiftly returned to her pocket, and Sora could see the aura of embarrassment surrounding her friend.

Shit.  Wait… did she buy new clothes?  I’ve never seen her wear those around school.  That’s huge!

Wendy wore a knee-length blue skirt and a light-yellow sleeveless shirt; her sandals were old, but she kept good care of them, and she had white-rimmed sunglasses hanging on her shirt front.

“Sora?  No…  Were you listening?”  she asked, shooting a glare at her.  “I know you have really good hearing.”

“Eh-heh.  We kind of stumbled on the tail end of it… sorry.  I didn’t want to intrude, but I loved the attitude!  You ready to ditch classes and hang again?  Oh, this is Eyia, my first monster community friend and Sister-in-arms!”  she redirected.  “Eyia, this is Wendy, my best friend!”

“Sister-in-arms?”  Wendy asked, moving over to shake Eyia’s hand, who took her wrist instead of her open palm, causing her brown-haired friend to hesitantly return the gesture.  “So… what kind of monster are you?”

Sora swiftly jumped in.  “We’re not supposed to ask.”

“Oops.  My bad, uh…  Yeah, so… what’s up?”  she mumbled, scratching the back of her head before fidgeting with her locks and making Sora giggle.

“Yeah!  I noticed.  Nice.  Nice.  I haven’t seen you do your hair in, like… forever!”

“Does it look good, though?”  Wendy asked with an unsure frown.  “Your hair is always so perfect, and the natural copper color is so amazing with those highlights!  Heh, I guess I know now why you could grow hair like no other.”

“Right?  And don’t bash the chocolate lovers,” she grinned, nudging her head to walk back toward town.  Without a doubt, she knew Jane would see them walking when the bus went by, except she had the power of invisibility.  “You look amazing.”

“Not just cute?”  Wendy pressed, looking up at Eyia, who didn’t appear to know how to engage in the conversation.  “Uh…  Heh, I’m guessing you’re like some Greek goddess or something, Eyia, because those muscles and looks are insane—you’re, like, an amazon!”

“I do not associate with the Greek gods due to past grievances against my father,” Eyia bluntly replied, making Wendy lift an eye toward Sora, returning a shrug.

“My… bad?”

“Eyia,” Sora laughed, drawing the confused blonde’s attention.  “She’s complimenting you!  She’s saying you look pretty.  It’s what friends do when they’re going out while dressed up.”

“I see…  Thank you, Wendy!”  she chimed, showing a gleaming smile.  “I am unaccustomed to the beauty represented in this culture, so I will take my sister’s word in that you look the amazing.”

“I’m ‘the amazing…’  Uh-huh,” Wendy chuckled, quickly catching on that Eyia didn’t understand a lot of their social standards.  “Thanks, Eyia.  So, where are we going first?”

Wendy and Eyia looked at her for the answer, and she dug into her floating purse to pull out her phone with a grin.  “A new generation came out, so why don’t we start there?  Eyia needs a phone, and while we’re at it, we should upgrade you.

“Sora…”

“Hey!  I’m upgrading, and if more people are on my line, it’s cheaper!  Tell me I’m wrong?”

“You are wrong!”  Wendy shot back with a glaring smile.  “Well, technically, you’re right, but it costs more overall, even if there’s a discount per line.  Isn’t your dad needed to make changes to the account, though?”

Sora puffed up her chest.  “Recently, he’s been trying to give me more responsibility, thinking it might help with my, ahem, attention-seeking behavior my past psychiatrists convinced him of, but the fruit of that is me being on the list of being able to change things in my life, including phones!  Let’s go!”  she cheered, pumping her arm in the air.  “Girls’ day out!”

“I am excited to finally do something other than work or sleep,” Wendy said, laughing.  “What about your dad?”

“He’s flying in later tonight.  We’ll play it by ear.”

“Sounds good.  What about you, Eyia?”  Wendy asked.  “Do you have any plans?”

“No plans.  Jin will find me if she needs my attention.”

“Jin?”

Sora snickered at how that could be interpreted.  “Jin can get pretty lonely, huh?  Is she getting pretty clingy?”

“Clingy?  Jin does not cling to me?”  Eyia asked in bewilderment, making Wendy and her laugh.

“Right!  Oh, Wendy, let’s see that new comedy show—Eyia could totally use the education—and then we can hit up the arcade.  What do you think?”

“Arcade?  When did you get into gaming?”  Wendy asked, checking her shirt’s position before putting on her glasses as the sunlight intensified.  “Last time we went to an arcade was like… nine, and in Japan, wasn’t it?”

“Mhm!  Tears of the Moon Princess…”  Sora let out a contented sigh.  “We had to try to win.  I think my dad spent like two hundred dollars on it; I just remember it being a lot.”

“Good times…”

“Eyia’s big into games.  Maybe we can play basketball, too.”

Wendy threw open her arms, gesturing at her skirt and sandals.  “Pick on the human!  C’mon, I’m in a skirt!  I do have my bathing suit on if we want to go to the beach, though…  Right?”  she forced a chuckle as Sora smirked, pulling out her credit card.  “It’s so weird hanging out with you again.”

Sora just let out a boisterous laugh.  “Let’s have a good time!”

A warm smile brightened her best friend’s face.  It had probably been a while since someone had come to take all the stress off of her and just show her a fun time.

“Thanks, Sora.”

“What are best friends for?”

Sora knew Wendy would cherish anything she got her, and the first thing on Sora’s mind was getting her best friend to lose the baggage on her heart—not only to make up for all the sadness they’d both experienced since Kari’s entrance into their lives but to set the tone for the future.

She never wanted to go back to the cage they’d been trapped in, and Sora would do everything in her power to help Wendy get beyond her own hurdles.  For how long their lives had been intertwined, the brunette was more of a sister to her than a friend, and she’d dreamed of this day for years now—she was no longer powerless.

Laughing as they purchased a host of snacks at the theater concession stand, she loaded them up for the comedy, much of which flew right over Eyia’s head, but part way through, the blonde was giggling and chuckling with Wendy and her.

Teaching Eyia how to use her new phone was fun since the girl kept calling her when they were right next to each other, wanting to hear the ringtone, and she soon learned the girl was trying to figure out where the singer was hiding, making Wendy choke and spit up the smoothie she was drinking.

They drew eyes at the arcade from the local gamers who all crowded around Eyia as she went for a new high score, causing cheers and screams that made the blonde grin ear to ear at the hype she was getting from the crazy boys.

The morning and afternoon slid by like a dream, and Sora convinced Wendy to do something they really shouldn’t have: slipping into a club, using her illusion magic to change their appearance and a fake ID.

They only stayed for twenty minutes, snickering at each other’s terrible dancing skills, but they had to go when Eyia started perfectly mirroring the other dancers, drawing impressed eyes, and the storm outside hit them out of seemingly nowhere, sending rumbles through the building.

Escaping the attention out the side exit, Sora chuckled, shielding them from the downpour with an invisible barrier as Wendy held a hand against her heart, unable to believe they’d actually snuck into a club; it had been on their bucket list as twelve-year-olds.  Alcohol was too hard to get at Sora’s penthouse, so it never felt that taboo or appealing to her, personally.

Near the end of the night, she contacted the hotel staff to get a driver to take her to the airport; it was one of the services they provided to her father to bypass any shady third-party agencies.

Around 10 p.m., they finally made it to the airport, the storm delayed the flight a little bit, but it touched down.  She brought them to the waiting area, conflicting emotions swirling inside her chest.  Wendy got several calls—more like several dozen—from her mother, but she blocked her number, which was huge in Sora’s mind.

Finally…  What’s dad going to think?

A grin came on as she created an illusion of a big sign welcoming her father back home.  “What do you think, Wendy?”

“Really?  It’s perfect!”

Eyia passively licked her cherry ice cream cone—it was her tenth that day, always trying a new flavor—looking at the escalators in fascination.  “So this is the portal that brings your father back from the battlefields?  Very unlike the ones my people use.  Did he take one of those steel birds?”

“Planes.  Yup!  Oh!  Shh-shh!  I think I hear him talking with… Tom?”

Sora’s head tilted to the side, realizing the lawyer had probably sent a message, and her dad had a low rumble in his tone that she knew well: he was frustrated.

Well…  No going back now.  What is he going to say?

Belly tightening and nerves rising, she put on her best smile while holding up the sign.

“Welcome home, Dad!”

Chapter Thirty-Two: One Day; Dad’s Back

Landing at Miami Airport, Jarlath took out his phone and switched off airplane mode, putting it back in his inner suit jacket pocket to catch the string of messages he was bound to get; buzzes came from his device, but he let them go for now.

Breathing out heavily as he slowed his pace to the luggage area, his focus wandering to the large glass windows and falling rain outside.  The flight workers wore bright jackets, and flashing lights were seen as they signaled each other in the brightly lit field.

He’d had a lot on his mind since taking off from South Korea.  The merger had been such a huge deal and hushed topic that he’d been utterly swamped over the past three weeks, but it had all been worth it!  Now, they were set for life, meaning he could finally put his entire attention on his daughter.

Jarlath expected Sora would be waiting for him at the exit as was normal.  He hated how things had developed between them over the last three years, but he had consulted with quite a few teenage development experts that assured him that some girls do go through these phases.

The problem was that Sora wasn’t just some girl, and this might be more than some phase; his daughter would become a vulpes.  So, he’d buckled down hard these last few years to get everything in order to be there for her; Jarlath also tried to get the best support for Sora as he could, but everything kept falling apart.

Sora, understandably, wanted to show herself to be growing up and independent, yet there was always some other issue that would crop up.  He’d tried to consult experts and have people nearby that she trusted, but that number kept shrinking by the year.

He sucked in through his teeth, flexing his fingers and wanting to hit a punching bag to relieve the stress increasing his blood pressure.  A prayer he often repeated burned in his heart.

Please come home, Mia.  When is our daughter supposed to change?  Why won’t you answer me?  It could be a hundred years or tomorrow for all I know…  And what should I do when that happens?  Why have you still not made contact for almost fifteen years and want me to keep all of this from her?

It’s so hard… especially the last three years.  How am I supposed to know what she needs as a vulpes or if she’s acting out because her change is nearing?  Are there problems because I’m human and you’re some Founder goddess?  Please, come home…  We need you.  Your daughter needs you…  I need you.

Pushing down the short lapse of emotional weakness to refocus and get his mind straight to deal with his return to Miami, Jarlath’s mouth drew into a line as he took out his phone.  There were quite a few concerning bits of information from texts, emails, and voice messages he’d gotten as the plane took off and he turned on his device.

He paused and leaned against a pillar to stare at the storm, sucking on his bottom lip while glaring at a jet as it prepared to take off.  After a second, he growled and took the phone out of standby to look at the old texts and messages, bypassing the new for now.

The one that had taken his entire attention on the flight home with its accompanying email was the message from Mary, his daughter’s newest psychiatrist.  Alarmingly, the woman said she could find little to no evidence for Sora to be on the heavy medication she’d been given.  In fact, she had quite some choice words for Sora’s previous psychiatrists, who had refused all of Mary’s attempts to reach them, referring her to the documentation they’d left behind.

The woman was thorough, emailing him a detailed document regarding the evaluation of his daughter and some of the things she’d been able to find by digging a bit further when many things didn’t add up from the lengthy, three-year file Sora had racked up.

Mary had conducted her own interviews to get to the bottom of what she’d explicitly stated as being gross medical malpractice and maliciously cruel to his daughter, which put a spike through Jarlath’s gut.

Opening his email, his nose burned as he read the woman’s findings again, tears gathering in his eyes as shame ripped through his heart.  Mary had made an extensive list of what each medication had been prescribed to his daughter and the side effects that were affecting her, which included the stuttering.

Mary quoted and cited many instances from Sora’s file, breaking apart the medical and psychological jargon in plain English while ripping apart the conclusions or lack of foundation.  His throat burned with the desire to find a hard liquor to dull the heat in his chest as he read through the file for a tenth time.

What good is getting financially secure if my daughter is…  I trusted them to help Sora, not throw meds at the problem.  How does this happen…  Because I was busy with work.  Stupid!

Knuckles rubbing against his hot forehead, he let a hot breath leave his lungs.  It was hard to believe three well-known and recommended psychiatrists would do such a thing, but Mary wasn’t coming to him with all of this empty-handed.

Over the past four months, she’d collected a host of documentation to substantiate her claims, including video interviews and recorded calls she could point to instead of hearsay.  All the times he’d come home and held Sora as she cried that she just wanted to change schools or hated how her psychiatrists would always turn on her…  It hadn’t been some ploy for attention or social anxiety disorder…  His daughter had been hurting, and the fact that he’d been too blind to see it nearly crushed him.

Closing his eyes, Jarlath moved to a seat to lean forward and press the phone against his chin, glaring at the polished floor.  It didn’t make sense, but the facts were the facts.  He’d been fooled into believing these lies by mental health professionals, and it had harmed his daughter—Tom was definitely going to be needed moving forward.

Jarlath’s tight jaw eased upon seeing his daughter’s texts about liking Mary and having some surprise to show him.  While he’d failed to protect his daughter, which made him want to choke the life out of those who had lied to his face, that would be taken care of in the legal system.

Trying to control the emotion in his voice, he cleared away the liquid threatening to leave his eyes.  He went to contacts and dialed Tom, his best friend from college and personal lawyer.  It only rang four times before the man answered.

“Yo, J, what’s up—safe flight—things good?”

Irish accent deepening with his growing agitation with himself, Jarlath sighed.  “Yeah, it was good, bud…  I’m going to need you to get in contact with Doctor Mary Jernigan—Sora’s new psychiatrist—we probably will be going to court against her previous doctors for malpractice… among other things.  I want answers.”

“Oooh.  Okay, got it.  War it is then?”

“If what I’ve been told is true…”  Jarlath sucked in his bottom lip, taking a deep breath.  “Yeah.  It’s going to get ugly.”

“Top priority then.  Uh, just FYI, umm… you got a second?”

Shifting to look down the hall at the host of people, moving to the exit, he rubbed his neck and cleared his throat.  “Sora’s probably waiting for me.  What’s up?”

“Mmh-yeah, actually, it has to do with Sora.”

“Go on,” he muttered, eyebrows drawing in as he stood again, unable to sit.

“So, Sora actually called me really early today—like, we’re talking 2 a.m., or something insane—telling me she was picked up by Homeland…”

“Homeland?”

“Yeah, Homeland.  Not just that, but she was probably going to be arrested.  For what, I don’t know—she didn’t tell me when I called her back this morning.”

Jarlath’s mind froze, and he straightened.  “You’re joking.”

“I wish, man, but I called down to my buddies at the station, and they said she hadn’t been booked yet…”

“But…”  he pressed, hearing the catch in the man’s throat.

“Yeah, I asked them to keep an ear out for a red-haired girl around fifteen, and one got back to me.  Apparently, Homeland was at the station, and it’s being kept on the low.  Someone also mentioned a Lieutenant by the name of Nathan that ordered one of his men to take someone with Sora’s description to this bizarre ice field that sprung up at the beach…  He spotted her again with a blonde girl later when he was on patrol.  I don’t know, man, it’s weird.”

“You’re telling me…  I don’t know any blondes that Sora would be close to,” he muttered.

Wendy had brown hair, and the psychiatrists had told him she wasn’t making any new friends after her best friend betrayed her.  The bastards had all said she had to work through the hurt, and she placed all the blame on everyone besides Wendy as a coping mechanism.  Then again, they could have reconnected, and Wendy might have bleached her hair.  That could be the surprise his daughter mentioned; girls their age usually went through hair color phases.

“We’re talking about the government agency Homeland, right?”

“Yeah!  There’s been a lot of crazy shit happening here, dude, but in Sora’s voicemail to me, she said she and a friend had been picked up by Homeland.  I called the hotel, though—worried about her since I knew you were out of the country—and they said Sora showed up fine, so… I don’t know.  I just thought you should know.”

Heading for the exit, Jarlath picked up his pace.  “Thanks, Tom.  I’ll talk to Sora about it.  I’ll be in Miami for a while, so keep me updated on what you determine after talking with Doctor Jernigan.  I want answers, detailed answers…  Something’s going on, Tom.”

“I hear you, and sure thing.  Mmgm.  Actually, now that I think about it, I did notice Sora wasn’t stuttering in the voice call…  Does that have something to do with the malpractice case you want me to investigate?”

Jarlath’s free fingers tightened into a fist.  “Possibly…  Talk to Mary and get the details.  If they did mess with my little girl…”

“Scorched earth.  Say no more, bud.  I’ll see if I can get in touch now and get to the bottom of this because this has been on my mind for a while.  I don’t know; looking back, Sora’s just…  Yeah.  Is her number in the synced contact file?  Uh, yeah, looks like it,” he said, answering his own question by pulling it up.  “Take some time with Sora, Jarlath.  Let me worry about this stuff.  I got ya, bud.”

“Thanks, T,” he breathed, trying to release the tension in his chest as he came to the escalators.  “By the way, huge deal; I think I’m retiring to spend more time with Sora, which means more golfing trips.”

“Big!”  Tom chuckled.  “So the whole South Korea thing went through, huh?  I’m happy for ya.  Now celebrate with your daughter, eh… even though it’s her birthday in like… 25 hours!  Later, J.”  He hung up, laughing again.

Jarlath tucked his phone back into his suit pocket, scanning the crowd as he entered the flow of traffic to descend to the ground level; his green eyes fixated on Sora upon seeing her, smiling and waving with a big sign, welcoming him home—she wasn’t alone.

“Dad!  Dad!  Welcome home!”

A tall blonde girl was waving and smiling with her as Wendy shuffled awkwardly on the opposite side, but the thing that scattered all thought in his head was the flash of light that revealed fox ears and made the sign vanish for a moment.  Sora grinned, pointing at the two twitching appendages before the sign reappeared and the ears disappeared.

He blinked, but he knew it wasn’t some trick of his mind; things were worse than he thought.  Dodging past a few people,  he made his way over to his daughter, trying to come up with something to say.

“Sora…”

“Dad, uh… this is Eyia, and, heh, you know Wendy, so…  Maybe we should talk?”  she asked while stepping forward to hug him.

Weirdly, the blonde stepped up to pat him on the shoulder.  “I wish to hear of your stories of the battlefield, Father of Sora.”

“Excuse me?”

Sora’s laugh became strained.  “Eyia… he didn’t come from that kind of battlefield.  Uh, sorry, Dad, she’s new to, uh, this world, I guess?”

A chill ran over his arms at the implication.

He returned the hug and collected himself, nodding toward the brunette beside them.  “Wendy, Eyia…  Sora, I think we should talk… alone.  We’ll drop your friends off at their homes on the way back.”

“Oh… yeah, I guess that makes sense,” Sora mumbled, and suddenly her illusions dropped for him, though the crowd didn’t seem to notice.  “Eh-hehe.  I guess you did know I would turn into a vulpes Founder.  Umm, yeah, sorry, Wendy, Eyia.  Call you tomorrow about my birthday?”

Eyia’s head bobbed, and Jarlath couldn’t help but notice how tall she was: she was practically as tall as him.  “I have the magical phone for contacting.  Thank you, Sister!”

Sister?  he thought in alarm; they certainly did have a lot to discuss.

Taking them to the luggage area, he pulled out his suitcase and followed his daughter to the car she had the hotel bring; it was Jarlath’s that he’d bought for them to chauffeur Sora where she wanted to go.  He told the driver he would take over and had him return to the hotel with the other vehicle he’d prepared in advance.

Sora took the front with the other two sitting in the back.  He had so many questions, yet he remained silent to listen to the three teens—he just needed time to process everything—and several red flags cropped up on their drive back to Miami Beach.

He noticed the nervous gestures Wendy made as he dropped her off in front of her mother’s apartment building and his daughter’s concerned tone when they separated.  The construction facility Sora had him take Eyia to threw him for a loop when she explained it was a front for Ogres, who were housing the blonde girl.

Once alone, silence took them for a few minutes, Sora glancing over at him from time to time while fidgeting with her tail, but eventually, she broke it as he thought.

“So… I might have taken like… most of my clothes to a seamstress to get refitted for, heh, obvious reasons,” she mumbled, lifting her tail a bit.  “So… yeah.  Umm, you’ve been really quiet…  Is mom going to come back?”

Head pressing against the back of his seat, Jarlath pulled the car over to park beside some random business and closed his eyes.  How did his daughter know more about this community than him?  He’d really dropped the ball.

Still trying to find his feet, Jarlath could only ask, “When did you learn your mother was still alive?”

Breathing deeply, his world turned and turned, yet he remained trapped in place.  He was drowning while only one thought played on repeat in his mind.

Mia…  Where are you?!  What am I supposed to do?  Our daughter needs you to understand this side of her, not me…  How am I supposed to handle this?

♦ — ♦ — ♦ — ♦ — ♦

Legs knotting, Sora tried to distract herself by watching the swaying palm trees further down the road as the storm escalated.  The emotional vibes her father’s aura put off twisted her gut, and she didn’t know what to do now that her dad was here.

He knew I’d turn into a vulpes, but… kept it from me?  Why?  It doesn’t feel like he wanted to.  Was it Mom?  Why would she want that?  Some BS about growing up like a normal girl?  C’mon!  My life’s a mess…  Why is he so mad?

Air trapped in her lungs, her focus drifted to look at her stoic father.  He didn’t look it on the outside, but his emotions were a whirlwind, making her feel self-conscious.

Was it a mistake to bring Eyia and Wendy?  Stupid!  Of course, it was!  I should have talked with him one-on-one…  He probably thinks I tried to ambush him with this.  Why does it matter when I learned that Mom was alive, she is, and that’s what’s important!

Sora wanted to scream and cry and for him to hold her and to run away—she didn’t know what she wanted—she just wanted him to tell her it would be okay and that this was normal.  She needed him to tell her that whatever it was, it wasn’t her fault.

“Only like… well, probably like a week—shortly after all this started…  So much is happening, and… and I feel like you’re mad—I don’t know why,” she mumbled, ears drooping.  “Eyia’s good—she’s just… not used to our culture, a-and I’m sorry I brought them—it’s just…  Wendy and I are friends again, and I wanted to introduce you…  Did you get Mary’s message?”

“Sora, Sora…”

“Hmm?”

Her tail stiffened as he reached over to draw her closer, linking their foreheads.  “I love you.  I’m not mad at you…  Please, believe me.  I’m not mad at you…  I’m mad at myself… your mother…  I’m sorry, Sora.  Haaa.  I’m so sorry.”

“Dad?”  she sniffed, heat rising in her chest as he unbuckled her seat belt to hold her tighter.  “I don’t know what I-I’m supposed to do.”

Her father just sighed softly.  “Me, too, Sweetie…  Me, too.  Just know I’ll always love you—I can’t be mad at you…  I love you.”

Sniffing and clearing her clogged throat, Sora let him hold her for a few minutes, letting his warm aura wash through her, dispelling the negative and doubtful emotions swirling inside her heart.  After a time, he drew away, keeping hold of her hand.

“I don’t know when your mother will come back…  I’ve been praying for that day for nearly sixteen years.”

“Where—where is she,” Sora choked, rubbing her wet and puffy cheeks.  “She’s supposed to be really powerful, but… but does… does she not love us?”

“I’m sure your mother does.”

“Then why isn’t she here?”  she demanded, nose creasing as questions bubbled to the surface.  “Why do I have to figure all of this out on my own?  Why isn’t she helping us—helping me?”

Frustratingly, her father rubbed his forehead in a way that said he was trying to come up with an answer.  Sora didn’t understand.  He was supposed to already have all the answers.

“Uh.  Right.  Why don’t we start from the beginning?  I’ll tell you about your mother, and you can tell me about everything that’s happening.  I’m guessing you’ve already eaten, so… heh, how about over dessert?”

All at once, in the face of her dad’s expression and aura that showed he was trying, the building tension weighing her down fell away, and Sora let it go.

Sora giggled.  “Wow.  So, over some real fancy sweets to help us both swallow the bitter parts?”

“That’s one way to put it,” her dad chuckled, leaning over to kiss her forehead.  “Sora… it will be okay.”

“Really?”  Sora whispered, squeezing his hand.  “There’s… a lot going on in Miami.”

“It might not be easy, but we’ll figure this out together…  Okay?”  he returned, making Sora’s heart melt now that her dad was back.

“Haaa.  Okay.  I love you, Dad.”

He pulled her in again before whispering, “You’re my a chuisle—the pulse of my heart—and I will always be here for you.”

“Wow, Dad… you’re so sappy sometimes,” she laughed, pushing him away at his use of Irish sayings.  “I love you, too.  Oh!  I know the perfect place to go talk about monster stuff.”

“I’m listening,” her dad returned, heart and emotions now a touch lighter.  Sora breathed out; seeing the darkness clouding his aura disperse lightened her own heart.

“It’s this little hole in the wall, heh, literally.  I’ll show you where; it’s not far from the hotel.”

“Lead the way, navigator,” he mused, leaning forward to look at the sky.  “Ominous skies, Captain.  We braving this storm?”

“Have courage, ship steerer person!”  Sora giggled, the proper word not popping into her head.  “Nice and easy with her!”

“Aye, aye!”

Making a few more fun sailing references, Sora was happy to see her dad returning back to his more playful self.  This wasn’t the end of the world; it was the beginning of a new chapter in their chaotic lives.

She guided him to the hidden monster restaurant, and he found a parking spot nearby.  Sora’s chest puffed up with pride at her father’s impressed nod when she created a magical dome over them to brave the thunderstorm.

“Convenient, Captain.”

“Hoho!  I have more tricks than that, Sailor!”  Sora boasted.  “Follow your Captain’s lead, and she’ll get you to the right destination.”

“After you, Skipper.”  He clapped before saluting her.  It made her smile seeing her big, intimidating father’s cheerful and light-hearted attitude.

“Right this way!”

Marching him into the restaurant, she was happy to see the same dolphin woman acting as a server, and without even asking, Tammy ushered her toward the back.  “Right this way, Mistress Sora.”

Her father lifted an eyebrow at the name but Sora had no answer for him, she couldn’t deny that the treatment felt nice, though.; it was probably a product of the restaurant, or maybe that she was a Founder.

“Where is everyone?”  Sora asked, not seeing a single customer or strange monster beside the few staff that appeared to be putting up chairs on tables.  “Do you actually have a closing time?”

Tammy’s fin weaved left and right with her head motion.  “Only to the public.  You need not concern yourself, Mistress Sora, we will serve you at any time.”

“Oh.  That’s cool,” she beamed.  The response certainly made her want to tip better, but the woman’s next question almost made her fall flat on her face.

“Will Master Aiden be joining you?”

“Ugh!  Umm.  Eh-heh.  Probably not tonight.”

“A shame.”

“Eh-hehe.  Yeah…”  she mumbled, seeing her dad’s creased left eye that said he wanted details on this Aiden boy.  “Thanks, Tammy.”

“Certainly.  Do you need time to decide or are you ready to order?”  she pressed, placing the menus in front of them.

“Just a bit.”

She bowed slightly before exiting without a word.

“Interesting place,” her dad whispered.  “Aiden?”

“Just some firebird guy that showed me this place—eh, not that that means anything—it was just, umm, lunchtime, and we had a lot to talk about!”

“Uh-huh…  Okay.  So, where should we start—should I go first, or you?”

“You, please,” Sora chimed, crossing her legs and sitting back while looking through the magical menu at the host of amazing dishes they could order, giggling when she heard the impressed note in her father’s throat upon browsing the items.  “Yup.  Magic!  Anything you want or are feeling will show up.  Awesome, huh?”

“Yeah…  Incredible, really.”

“So, Mom?”

“Right… right…  Where to begin?”

Sora had the kitchen whip up a ton of desserts to fill in the time and try all the terrible, heavenly delights forbidden by all things healthy.  Her father, on the other hand, had some ridiculously named alcohol-laced dessert.  It was probably to calm his nerves, which was fair.

He sat back and puffed out a long stream of air, wearing a smile as Tammy took their orders to the chefs—or whoever prepared the meals; Sora didn’t know how it worked.

“It all started in a Japanese noodle shop.”

“Classic!”  Sora snickered, reflecting on her J-dramas and settling in for the story; this was the first time he’d talked about her mother.  “Why didn’t you tell me about her… or what I’d become?  I feel like this was a big puberty talk we should have had.  You know, Sora, your chest is going to start getting bigger, boys are going to look at you, and you’ll grow a big puffy tail to draw eyes!”

Her father groaned, rubbing his forearm and glancing away.  “I wanted to, believe me, Sweetie, but your mother made me promise not to mention a single thing about her or your change.  I figured she’d come back to explain it to you when the time was right…  Well, that didn’t happen.”

“Tell me about it!”  Sora huffed, throwing her arms up in the air as her tail flicked to the left.  “Ugh.  I guess there has to be a reason—magic or something—whatever.  Keep going!  I want to hear the drama!”  she laughed, flashing an innocent smile.  “Japanese noodle shop.  What time are we talking?”

“Uh…  midnight?”

“Scandalous!”

“I didn’t have a girlfriend at the time,” he laughed.

“Don’t care!  She didn’t know that—or maybe she did, hmm, hmm?  You were totally a mark, Dad.  Young, handsome, successful college student?”

Her father let out a laugh that sounded suspiciously like a snort.  “More like young, handsome, broke college student with debt up to his ears, shadowing a far more successful business consultant.”

“Oh, but Mom singled you out for a reason,” Sora interjected.  “She knew something about you that no one else knew, I bet.  It’s always like that in the dramas.”

“I’ll take your word for it; I know you love those dramas—I see the bill each month and what you spend it on.”

“Ho-ho.  You have no idea about the free streaming sites!  I’m more of an addict than you could possibly fathom; I’m totally next level,” she boasted, making him chuckle.

“Do we need an intervention?”

“Yes!  You can join the dark side,” Sora cackled.  “Join the J-drama fandom, Dad!  Okay.  Continue.”

“I’m worried now!  Hmm.  I mean, it really could have been a setup, now that I’m looking back,” he mumbled, eyes narrowing.

“Oh, that’s already 100%, Dad.  You were totally bewitched.  I want details, though!  C’mon!  C’mon!  How totally bad of a vixen was Mom?”  she urged.

“Wow.  I’m that easy, huh?”

Sora’s eyes opened wide.  “Uh-duh.  You’re a guy.”

“Ouch!  Well, we talked into the night,” he whispered, leaning forward to rest his chin on the back of his hand, face softening while peering into his past.  “Mia was something else…  Picked apart every argument or topic I put out to try and impress her.  Soft-spoken, elegant, articulate in any language I tried to trap her in, and she had this… way of playing with her hair that drew me to her eyes.”

“Mmm.  Mom was a natural, huh?  The hair flick,” she nodded as if knowing what he was talking about.

“Yeah, I don’t know…  She had answers and questions I’d never thought about.  It was magical.”

“Let me guess,” Sora smirked.  “You talked until the sun came up.”  He made a gesture and face that said she was spot on.  “Knew it!”

“The crazy part was that I was in a totally different part of town the next night… but there the stall was, drawing me in to meet the mysterious, beautiful woman that had turned me upside down the night before.  We laughed about the coincidence.”

Sora rolled her eyes.  “Coincidence, quotation marks.”

“No, I was definitely a mark of something,” he mused.  “Be it fate or your mother, I didn’t and don’t care.  The next week, I randomly bumped into her every day while out.  She thought I was stalking her!”

“Reverse psychology,” Sora laughed.  “Projection, much?  Did she really not try to get you into a hotel?”  Her dad gave her a look that had Sora shrugging.  “What?  I’m a girl!  I’m almost 16, not 6, Dad!”

“Eh… no, your mother was far too cultured for something like that,” he whispered, gaze returning to the past.  “As part of the experience, the owners of the company that had flown the consultant I was shadowing out offered to show us what a Japanese festival was like.”

“No…”

“She was there.”

“Kimono, paper parasol, her hair done in the traditional style?”

“The works,” he nodded.

“Shut up!  Mom was going hard.  Did you help her at one of the game booths?”  Her lips curled at his strained laugh.  “The opposite?”

“I was bad, and she offered to show me how it was done.”

“Aww.  That’s so sweet.”

“Oh, your mother was plenty brutal when it came to the intellectual games,” he whispered.  “But yes, she was something sweet.”

“Tell me you got charms?”  Sora cooed.

“It was a Japanese festival,” her dad offered as an answer, making her giggle.

“Naturally.  That’s so… novel.  I love it.  What happened when you needed to leave?”

Her father’s smile faltered.  “Would… you believe she had a college visa to the States?”

“Okay…  Dad,” Sora’s expression dulled.  “You seriously didn’t see red flags there?  Men are so blind when it comes to a pretty girl.”

“Amen!  Amen!”

Sora giggled.  “So, you dated after that?”

“Yeah, well… more friends for the first few months.  You wouldn’t believe the looks she got from the other women.”

Sora gave him a serious look.  “Dad…”

“Hmm?”

“I’m a girl—I’ve seen it plenty of times.”

“Eh-hehe.  I guess you would—you are stunning.”

“Wha!  Dad, no!  I didn’t mean that,” she mumbled, cheeks darkening.

“Which reminds me…  Aiden the firebird—this wasn’t your, uh, first date, right?”

“After!”  Sora demanded.  “And, Dad, really?!  Mom, first!”

“Right, right.  Turning back to the drama channel.”

“Thank you!”  she chimed.

The play continued, and her mother really wasn’t like the devious fox of some of the J-dramas Sora was addicted to.  Instead, her mother took things in a far more playful and slow game rather than being the MC’s villainous rival and rushing her mark off to some hotel to do the dirty.

The disguised vulpes teased her father, made him question certain things he believed in politics or ethics, challenged him, and she’d even followed him back to the states.  Her dad claimed he wasn’t sure about accepting her mother’s casual self-invitation to join him, but Sora wasn’t buying what he was selling.  Soon enough, all her father could think about was how to win the debates with this charming young woman.

Sora had a smirk while she listened.  Her mother was probably well over thousands of years old—her father never stood a chance, and it put a new image in her mind: her mom was a total cougar and not a vixen.

Still, it did make Sora wonder why her mother had selected her father out of every guy in Existence, as Eyia put it, but that would be something to ask her because her father certainly didn’t have an answer.

She frowned when he skipped by some parts regarding an apparent breakup and him getting into an underground fight scene.  That seemed like an important part of the story, but he must have done it for a reason.

Eventually, Mia showed her father who she was, and Sora almost rolled her eyes when her dad talked about how cute and shy she was when doing it; her mother had him wrapped around her pinky finger.

The important part came next—her disappearance—and Sora was totally invested.

“So, shortly after I was born, she what… just dipped?”

“Eeekh.  It’s a… bit more complicated than that,” he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck and glaring at the melting chocolate mess on his plate.  “Your mother is… in service to something or someone…  She couldn’t stay and had to return to her job or something like that.”

Sucking on her bottom lip, Sora hummed, thinking that there had to be someone her mother would have sent to look after her.  “What… about a fancy-dressed woman with purple eyes—it’s like there’s a maze inside of them—is she associated with Mom?”

She sighed as her father shook his head.  “I don’t know anyone that your mom’s connected to except for Nilly, and… she warned me to be careful of the cat.”

Sora’s ears shot up.  “I’ve met Nilly!  She’s been following me, or… I think she has—she’s kind of everywhere—even here.  What did Mom say about her?”

Her dad rubbed his arm with a low hiss.  “She’s… volatile.  Apparently, she is supposed to be looking out for you with the whole monster business, but by the look on your mother’s face when she told me about her…  She wasn’t happy about it.”

Forcing a laugh, Sora recalled her meetings with the mercurial cat.  “Eh-heh, yeah… I can see why.  Nilly is… certainly odd—oh, and great, I just heard her bell.  Anyway, I guess it’s my…”

“Sora?”  Her father’s concerned eyes followed her gaze to the door as a rock dropped into Sora’s stomach.  “What’s wrong?”

“I’m stupid!  I’m so stupid!”  she growled, face draining of color as she rose to her feet.  The closed restaurant was such a stupidly obvious sign; Aiden just came through the front, and he wasn’t alone.

“Hey, Tammy, how’re the kids?”  Aiden cheerily asked.

Sora could hear the slight quiver in the woman’s voice as she greeted the establishment’s new guests.

“Lord Eric, Master Aiden…  My children are doing wonderful.”

A deep, powerful voice answered.  “Glad to hear.  No troubles from the south shore after I paid them a visit?”

“No, Lord Eric.”

“Pity.  Set things up for a meeting…  My sister destroyed the usual spot, and I’m feeling a bit hungry.  Also…  Aiden, when did another Founder enter my territory?”

Stupid!  Of course, they’d eat here, but it’s past midnight!

Getting to her feet, she motioned for her dad to follow her, trying to do her best to keep her voice in check; if she could hear inflections in people’s voices, Eric certainly could, as well.

“Let’s go, Dad.  Someone important has come to reserve the area.”

“Okay…”

Sora prayed to her mother for the first time; they’d have to pass by Aiden and Eric.  Oh, and Sela joined the mix, doing her best, no doubt, to ignore her.

Great!  This is just great!  Mom, please, I know you can hear this—you have to hear this—please, please, please, let us go without having any kind of incident!  I don’t want to get into a beef with the Fenris family!

Chapter Thirty-Three: One Day; Calm Before The Storm

Heart pounding as she pulled her confused father toward the exit, Sora wasn’t sure if she should try to go out another door or not, but on second thought, maybe she should just act normal.  What reason did she have to draw Eric’s ire?

Mind racing, she instantly came up with dozens of terrible reasons: for one, he’d wanted her to stay at the school to agitate his sister.

Still, Aiden was with him, and he was a reasonable guy.  Plus, by his confusion about her being a Founder, he literally had no clue who she was other than some random girl, and that only left one conclusion: Jenny had been the mastermind behind her torture.

Taking a deep breath, she slowed her pace and gave her dad a forced smile before placing a finger to her lips to let her do the talking.  Opening the door, Sora waved at a surprised Aiden and then held her hands behind her back as her father followed behind her.

“Oh, hello, Aiden!  I guess that would make you, Lord Eric, the ruler over Miami,” she chimed, trying to remain totally positive.

Eric shifted his hips to the left while eyeing her, and to say he was swole would be an understatement.  The man was even taller than her dad, likely standing a bit above two meters and packed with muscle.

“A vulpes?”  he asked, and by his posture and attention, Sora knew she couldn’t just slide by without him feeling disrespected—it was natural alpha male domination—he had to feel like the most important dude in the room.  “How did I miss you?”

“Sora…  Eh-heh.  What are you doing here at this time?”  Aiden muttered, eyes creasing as he shot a glance between Sela and her; the small, gray-skinned fallen fae was standing to the side, acting totally disinterested in her.  “Eric…  This is Sora, and, as you can probably tell, she’s Mia’s daughter.  She’s, uh, a really nice girl and tries to keep to herself.”

Thanks for that last part!  Sora internally sighed.  I’m not here to cause trouble!  Wait…  Aiden’s covering for me?!  I totally did cause a lot of trouble…  Why?

The intimidating man took off his dark sunglasses, a smirk lifting the corner of his mouth as he appraised her with his amber eyes, gaze then moving to her dad; Eric wore brown sandals and camo shorts that dropped just below his knees, his bronze-skinned chest was bare and showing off several tattoos.

“Mia, huh?  How… unexpected.”  Sora was a tad shocked as he stepped aside to let them go.  “No need to feel so defensive, Pops.  I’m a busy man, but why don’t we connect a bit later, Sora?  You’ve piqued my interest.”  He glanced at the shorter golden-haired boy.  “Hey, Bro, you got her number, right?”

“Yeah.  I only met her a few days ago… a lot’s been happening.”

Eric laughed, rubbing the back of his swept caramel hair.  “Tell me about it.  Things have really gone south since I’ve been abroad… haven’t they, Sela?”

The woman’s left cheek sucked in, not looking up at the wolf’s grin; the child-like woman was practically half the size of Eric.  “I’m sure you’ll look at it as a gift, Lord Eric.”

“Not wrong,” Eric mused, rubbing his neatly cut beard and eyeing Sora again as she tried to be patient.  “It wouldn’t be fun coming back to a boring welcome party.  Well, I’ve got a meeting and business to handle, Lady Sora,” he nodded, making the gesture that she was free to leave.

“I hope it’s fruitful,” Sora said, passing between Aiden and Eric while offering the blond man another wave.  “Catch you later.”

Eric stuck his thumbs in his pockets, glasses partly hanging out as Sora paused, not wanting to spend another minute there but knowing she had to act normal.

Turning, her purse floated through the air, and she pulled out her credit card.  “Oh, Tammy, when you’re available, can we get the bill?  You and the meal were wonderful!  Ever since Aiden showed us this establishment, I’ve been in love with the diversity.”

She saw a smile brighten the golden-haired boy’s face as Tammy looked to Eric, who shrugged.

“Heh.  We can find our own table, Tammy, and I agree, Sora, this place has only grown better as I’ve brought stability to Miami.  You have good taste.”

“Thank you, Lord Eric, Lady Sora,” Tammy smoothly bowed her head, promptly moving to the side, where, thankfully, the booklet had already been prepared.

Sora didn’t even look at the price, adding a $300 tip for good measure.  Leaving with one last fake smile, she left the restaurant to the thunderstorm outside, lungs deflating like a balloon, but they couldn’t relax just yet since the wolf likely had as good or better hearing than her.

“What did you think about the food?”  she asked, spinning her finger in the air to get her tight-eyed father to keep going and generate a shield above them to disperse the water.

“Hmm.  It was great,” he said with a short sigh.  “It was probably as good as many of the four-star restaurants I’ve been to.  Definitely a place we should make a regular visit.”

“I thought so, too,” Sora returned, falling into silence, and only after passing through a few lights did she finally let her tail and ears sink in relief.  “I can’t believe it went that smoothly!”

Her dad’s fingers curled into a fist.  “Who were they, Sora, and why were you so scared?”

“One sec, let me catch my breath,” she pleaded, rubbing her forehead and trying to calm her pounding heart.  “It’s… actually a long story for such a short time…  Can we just walk for a while?”

The tingles running down Sora’s spine and tail faded as her father’s strong hand brought her closer to his side, slowing their pace.  “Sure.  Why don’t we go to that park we used to go to when you were a kid?”

“Uh… no.  Sorry,” she snickered at his confused expression.  “I’ve had way too many weird meetings there recently.  Umm.  I know!  Let’s just walk along the beach.”

“Uh.  In this storm?”

“Yeah!”  Sora grinned, pulling him down a side street to reach the long stretch while filtering out the strong winds to only allow a light breeze through her barrier.  “I just want to be alone right now, and what better place than the terrible beach during a storm?”

“Okay,” her father chuckled, rubbing her arm comfortingly.  “Tell me everything whenever you’re ready…  I’m always here for you, Sora.  It’s my love and joy to provide anything you need as your father.  You’re my—”

“Dad!  No need to be cringy,” Sora snickered.  “Thanks for having my back and trusting me back there,” she finished, using one arm to hug him tighter.

“Oof!  When did you get so strong?”  he coughed, making Sora lighten her grip a little.

“Wait, really?”

“Yeah!  You been working out, honey—where’s the muscle?”

“Shut up!  I know I’ve got flat arms.”

“No, I’m serious,” her dad doubled down.  “You’ve got some strength in those arms now, girl!”

Smiling, Sora pulled away to flex.  “Oh, yeah?  Look at these horizontal guns!”

“No, I totally see something,” her dad pointed.  “You actually going to join me in the home gym now?”

“Maybe I will!”  Sora said brightly.  “Thanks, Dad…  I’m calming down now.  Umm…  My story for the last two weeks might sound a bit crazy.”

“I’ll believe every word, so lay it on me, honey,” her dad whispered, drawing her back in as they stepped onto the wet sand.  “We’ll figure out a plan together.”

“Together…”

Sora used her magic to pull her hair into a simple braid as she glanced at the veil of rain and turbulent ocean.  The dark clouds overhead rumbled, and flashes of lightning arched across the heavens, yet she felt safe and energized in the frenzy.

“It started about nine days ago…”  she began, going through the insanity that had been her life over the past two weeks and giving context that went back over three years.

Her father listened without too many interruptions, only breaking in to ask for further clarification on some topics.  Sora felt the guilt, anger, and pain in his aura deepen as she confessed everything she had felt and experienced in the past three years.  Still, he kept reassuring her that he needed to hear it all, no matter if it hurt him or not.

Sora sucked on her bottom lip, feeling the anxiety and anger in her father rise again when she got to the bullying before summer break when her hair had been shaved off, especially as she’d taken the video to the police instead of him.

“Dad…  I know I probably should have taken it to you, but I felt so trapped by all the psychiatrists that would convince you I was just acting out…  I wanted someone who could back me up, so—not that you wouldn’t have!”

Her father shook his head, reaching up to wipe away a tear from leaving his eyes.  “No…  I have been more distant lately due to this big merger, and I trusted others to help you when I should have been there as your father…  I am to blame, Sora…  I am, and it’s a parent’s duty to recognize where they’ve failed to do better.”

“Dad…”

“It cuts a hole through my heart, but I have no one but myself to blame,” he reaffirmed.  “You and Wendy have been through so much…  I was supposed to protect you from this stuff, but I was too busy with work and thinking these ‘professionals’ could help you better than I could.  I’m sorry, Sora.  I’m sorry you’ve had to be so strong alone.”

Sora sucked in her trembling bottom lip and hugged her dad.  “I wasn’t alone, though,” Sora mumbled, sniffing back her emotions.  “Ron and Howie were always there for me, and you finally found a psychiatrist that did help me…  Mary stood up for me, and was the first one to actually see me as a girl that needed help!”

“It should have been me, though,” her father said, clearing his throat.  “Still, I’m happy she supported you.  I’m not going to let those bastards get away with what they did to you.  I promise you, Sora.”

Taking a deep breath, Sora’s gaze fell to the wet, sandy shore.  “It wasn’t totally their fault…  They chose their lives and family over me, and I can understand that.  It’s Jenny’s fault…  Everything goes back to Jenny,” Sora growled, fingers tightening into a fist.

“Kari’s closest friend, who is a werewolf?”  her father asked.

Sora huffed.  “Honestly, I don’t even know if Jenny really is Kari’s friend…  She’s a manipulative bitch!  Eric didn’t know I was a Founder, even though he could tell the first time he met me, and Aiden basically confirmed it.

“Jenny played everyone in the background…  She manipulated Devin or worked with him to torture and threaten Lori to make her go insane.  I could see this being a plot between Devin and Jenny to get the Fenris family to turn against each other,” Sora snarled.

“I’m just a pawn they used, and I’m pretty sure Jenny knows I’m a Founder.  It wasn’t Eric, Devin, Kari, or Lori that went to intimidate Mary—it was Jenny.  Jenny put Lori up to threaten me to go against Kari’s demand and return to school through Devin.  Jenny was always the one that showed up outside of my sessions at school to remind my psychiatrists about her presence.  Jenny used Eric’s influence to use the police and all the other city departments against me.  It was always Jenny!”

Her dad’s expression tightened.  “She was thirteen when she came to Miami, though, right?  I can’t see a girl—just barely a teenager—playing this long of a game on such a level, even if she’s some supernatural werewolf.  Is she actually older than she appears?”

Sora’s eyebrows drew together, realizing she knew so little about the shadow queen of her school.  Jenny used everyone else to do her bidding, only bowing her head to Kari.

“Maybe she is…  I don’t actually know all that much about her, to be honest.  I think—I think Jenny might actually hate Kari…”

Her ears shot up and the fur along her tail bristled as a chuckle bled through the storm, followed by an all too familiar voice.  “You should really be more careful about what you discuss and where you walk downwind, Sora.  Those are some serious accusations.”

You’re kidding me!

“What is it?”  her dad asked as her focus scanned the shoreline.  They’d reached the park where she’d met Kari twice, yet, instead of the black-haired girl, Sora found her second-in-command, leaning against a palm tree.  “Is someone there?”

Nose creasing, Sora glared at Jenny, who didn’t even bother with an umbrella, letting the rain drench her sports attire as she played with a floss pick in her mouth.  Her health watch flickered off and on with the rain activating it as she rubbed a black choker.

Not an ounce of the fear she once felt gripped her; Sora knew for a fact that she was far stronger than this werewolf now.  She would not be intimidated.

“It’s Jenny,” Sora replied, changing their course without hesitation, aggression burning in her mind.  “I should have seen this coming.  No more lies,” she growled, letting all the pain she’d experienced over the last three years unravel and push her forward.

Jenny’s eyebrows lifted as she went straight for her, cold hatred in her green eyes.  “I’ve never seen this side of you…  A little power, and it goes straight to your ears, hmm?  Go ahead, get it off your chest.”

Sora wanted to punch the soaking mutt between the eyes, but she wanted answers more right now.  “Me, Lori, Kair, and the years you spent building her up—everything you’ve done in Miami—does she mean anything at all to you?  Just… just answer me this… did it mean anything to you, or nothing at all?  No more lies,” she repeated, her torturous memories fueling her desire magic as it crashed against the girl’s spirit.

The wave met a shell, dispelling her attack and making the girl laugh while lifting a hand to her black choker.  “Wow.  Picking a fight in front of your dad.  Pretty bold—”

“Shut up!”  Sora snarled, taking another step closer to the far taller girl.  “You’re stupid if you think that charm will stop me for long.”

“No need,” she giggled, holding up her hand like a gun that was pointed at her dad, making him freeze as Sora slapped her hand away.  “Bang!  Hehe, let me counter with, you can’t believe that attacking me will do anything but aim far too many guns in your direction.”

Sora forced a smile, not backing down.  “I dare you.  If I want, I could force my way past that charm and make you walk into the ocean forever.  Just try me.”

Jenny’s smirk didn’t falter as her dad cut in, drawing her gaze.

“What’s your endgame?  I can’t see you as a teenager after everything my daughter told me.  It’s not a coincidence that you’ve stumbled upon us…  You’ve been stalking my daughter.  Why?”

Sora kept herself between the werewolf and her dad, flames igniting across her tail to illustrate her point that she was not going to be intimidated.  It would be difficult to penetrate the artifact she wore, but upon further analysis, she realized she recognized the magical signature.

“You’re… working for the people that got to the Homeland agent…  That charm was made by the same person that made the cursed item she wore.  Who are you?”

Silent laughter shook Jenny’s chest as fur sprouted out of the girl’s skin, and she transformed into a lanky, brown-furred werewolf.  Sora backed away, sending a pulse of magic to throw the beast back, but Jenny easily used the momentum to land on her feet and come to a stop in the worsening storm.

“You’ve played your part really well, Sora;.  Heh, tonight’s going to be special.  I’d say skip town, but we both know you’re not going anywhere without Wendy or Mary.”

Lead dropped onto Sora’s chest as a shiver ran down her spine.  “What did you do to Wendy and Mary—Jenny?!  Jenny!”  The werewolf jumped away far enough that Sora wasn’t sure she could affect her with her magic.

“I wouldn’t try to find them or bring anyone else into this unless you want to discover their corpses in a dumpster.  Further instructions will come later tonight.  Have a good day, Sora; it’s been fun!”

Jenny blurred as she entered a sprint and disappeared into the veil, leaving Sora’s mind numb at the sudden escalation.  She’d expected a fight fair, not a hostage situation.  Her father was right: she didn’t act like a teenager.

“Dammit!  Dammit!  Dammit!”  she screamed, claws extending to slash a chunk of wood out of the tree Jenny used.  “Dad, w-what am I supposed to do?”  she cried, rain falling through the barrier and her purse dropping to the grass as her magic became unstable.  “I didn’t think they’d kidnap Wendy!”

Her dad pulled her in, and Sora had to force her claws back in to not rip up his back as she cried in his arms.  “We’ll figure it out…  It’ll be okay.  We’ll figure it out,” he repeated.  “Let it all out so we can focus…”

Sora screamed curses into the storm, cursing herself for letting Jenny get away; she wanted to throw her desire-fueled magic into the aether for Jenny to drop dead but knew the werewolf’s threats weren’t empty.

Her father soothed her in the downpour as her emotions and magic grew unstable, igniting the tree in flames, causing lightning to strike the park, and howling wind to circle around them, creating a cyclone of sand and dirt.

Through shuddering breaths, her emotions stabilized after a few minutes, leaving her in tears.  “What am I going to do, Dad?  Wendy was—was with us only a few hours ago!  Why do I always hurt her?  Why is she always hurt for being my friend?  I hate it!  I hate it!”

Unable to say anything, he could only hold her until she settled down, hiccuping, soaking, and sniffing back her tears.  “I’m not even sixteen—why do I have to deal with all of this shit!?  What did I do to deserve this?!  H-How do we save Wendy and Mary?”

“We wait,” her dad responded.  “We can’t go out and rescue her, but every ransom means they want something—we need to be strong for Wendy and Mary—we prepare how we can.  I know you’re strong, Sora, and you’re not alone anymore.”

Her father pulled back, green eyes firm.  “It’s not over, and they’re scared of you for a reason, honey.  It’s not fair that you have to deal with this…  It’s not.  I want to say I’ll take care of it all, and I want to wrap my hands around that girl’s neck for what she’s done to you, but all I can do is offer you my support and advice…  We will get Wendy and Mary back.  Can you be strong for them?”

Sora rubbed away her stained cheeks and nodded, letting her father’s words sink in.  “Sorry—ack…  I know I should be stronger.”

He shook his head, rubbing away more of her tears and bringing her head to his chest.  “You’re not a sociopath, Sora…  Feel emotion. Cry and curse all you want…  I did when your mother left us.  Cry, curse, and then, when it’s all gone, use those emotions to push forward.  Are you ready to head home and make a plan?”

She puffed out the hot air in her lungs, swallowed the pain, and set her resolve before nodding as the darkness swallowed her heart.  “We’ll find a way…  I’ll get them back even if I have to kill Jenny.”

Her dad picked her up and started the journey to the hotel, gruff voice low.  “If it comes down to it, I’ll be the one to pull that trigger, Sora.”

Sora reinstated the shield around them as her emotions settled, and she had her dad set her down so she could walk next to him, taking her purse from his shoulder.  Now that she was calm, Sora started drawing connections, explaining everything else she’d learned in the past nine days about Miami.

She called the Homeland agents, but their phones went to voicemail, which wasn’t a positive sign.  Jenny was the type of person to use everyone, and while she learned a good amount about Kari, Eric, and the girl’s early life in her mother’s realm, Jenny was a complete mystery.

Flipping through her contacts on the way back, she called Aiden, knowing he was in a meeting but hitting the dial button nonetheless.  It rang a few times, and Sora knew some of the other monsters in the meeting would likely be able to hear her.

“Sora?”  Aiden asked, clearing his throat.  “I’m a bit busy right now—as you know.  So… what’s up?”

“Where did Jenny come from?”  she bluntly asked.  “How did she get involved with Kari?”

Her father frowned when her ear twitched at Eric’s hum near the firebird.  “Jenny—interesting… hold up, is she the vulpes Jenny’s been on about?”  the man muttered, seemingly now invested in the topic as Aiden responded.

“Yeah… it’s a bit of a mess I’ve been trying to deal with.”

“A mess…  Jenny didn’t tell me she was the daughter of Mia…  What is she thinking?”  he growled before apparently holding out his hand to take the phone from Aiden.  “Jenny is my half-sister from my father’s side.  Why?  Do you have some kind of beef with her?”

Sora puffed out a long stream of air, and Kari’s family dynamic clicked in her mind; Kari and Jenny were step-sisters through Eric’s father.

“My beef with Jenny is between me and her,” she coldly responded, knowing the Fenris Wolves more or less followed Kari’s logic of handling your own business.  “I won’t cause you any trouble.”

Eric was silent for a moment, and Sora figured Aiden was probably giving him a look.  “Jenny’s business is her own… until it’s not.  If it happens in my territory, it’s my business.  Still, I respect the tone.  I’ll get the details from her, but if there’s going to be a fight…  I am the one to sanction it.”

A small smile lifted Sora’s mouth; Eric didn’t at all appear to be the type to play this unaware game since it reflected on how he ran his pack.  “I’m waiting for her message.  Take that how you will,” she said in a way that told Eric precisely how she felt about his half-sister.  “I need to go and prepare.”  She hung up, guessing he’d approve of the final reaction given his wolf-like nature.

A rumble came from her father’s throat as they neared the hotel.  “It’s a risky thing getting someone like Eric involved, from what you’ve told me, Sora.  Jenny was very careful to keep him in the dark about her activities.”

“Yeah, but she still needs something from me,” Sora reasoned.  “I’ve also got an idea I learned from Sela…  I’m not supposed to look for Wendy or Mary, but she didn’t say anything about her.”

Entering the lobby and dispelling most of her illusions so they could be seen, she marched right for the elevator, mind brushing off the greetings she got as anxiety filled her chest.  Her father wasn’t wrong, it was a risky play, but it just kind of happened since she had to learn more about the werewolf.

She quickly explained what was happening to Ron as they came to the elevator.  On the way down, she did a quick magical probe, finding Daisy sleeping with her fiancé in his hotel room.  Understandably, Ron was very nervous about the whole situation and left the box when they reached the suite to offer what help he could.

Sora directed them to the large window when they got to the front room, spinning her desire magic to find the werewolf like Sela used reflective surfaces to teleport.  She didn’t want to risk draining herself, so she only used it to find the girl.

Her jaw tightened when what appeared to be a multi-level building under construction rippled into shape, showing Jenny standing beside a girl that was tied up by her wrists.  Her brown hair and long claw marks down her back made Sora’s heart stop, but the length and color were off, and it took a moment for it to click in her mind.

Ron gasped.  “Shit…  Is that…”

“Wendy?”  her father growled, and Jenny’s semi-annoyed gaze shifted to the reflection, a phone dropping from her ear.

Sora shook her head.  “No… it’s Lori?”

Jenny stretched out her legs with a groan and got up to walk to the mirror.  “Using magic that you don’t understand again?  Just because you can do something doesn’t mean you always should, but this helps, actually,” she chimed as Lori whimpered from her gag behind her, blood trailing down her ripped and soaked shirt to paint the concrete.

The girl was back in her human form, a single crimson-stained claw extended as she played with the phone.  “You calling my brother was… not something I expected, but actually brings everything full circle.  Thank you!  Now, be patient and wait for me to get in contact with you… or Mary’s fingers will start being chopped off, and I don’t want to do that,” she giggled, moving to run another long gash down Lori’s trembling back.

“No more surprises!”

Tugging off her choker, she tossed it at the magical reflection, causing Sora’s weave to unravel and making her curse.  “What is she even after?!  Burning Kari, going behind Eric’s back, tormenting me, working with some weird organization…  Why?!”

Her father shook his head, moving toward the stairs and pausing on the bottom step.  “Our only objective should be to get your friend and Mary back…  Can you enchant bullets and guns?”

Sora’s ears flew up.  “Heh.  Hell yeah!  Good thinking, Dad.  Maybe we should move to the terrace since my energy restores faster out in the open, and I want to be fully charged.”

He nodded, taking three stairs at a time as Ron cleared his throat.  “I… don’t know what I can do, Sora.  I want to help.  Wendy is such a sweet girl, and I know you care for her.”

“It’s okay,” she said, moving to hug the man, knowing he was having a hard time because his wife could so easily solve everything with a snap of her finger, but it wasn’t so simple, considering it would draw attention they couldn’t afford.  “You have your own daughter to think about…  I’ll be okay, and we can have a big party when we get Wendy back.  Sound good?”

“Haaa.  No…  I hate that this is happening to you.  My heart goes out to you, and if you need anything—anything at all—I’m here for you.”

Sora squeezed tighter, trying to control the fire in her lungs from moving up her chest.  “You have, Ron…  For so long, you have…  Thank you.  I’ve got my dad now.  So, thank you!”

Seeing him to the elevator, Sora took a deep breath and went upstairs to help her dad bring all of his weapons to their upstairs party area.  If Jenny thought it was only her she was dealing with, she was sorely mistaken.

Chapter Thirty-Four: One Day; Shared Misery

Heading up the stairs to help her dad with the guns he was pulling out of the safe, Sora levitated them in the air; her dad went to practice at least a few times a year at the local range with Tom, but she’d never gone with them.

Naturally, he’d given her the rundown on them in the past so she wouldn’t be scared of them, and when she was twelve, he’d had her shoot all sorts of weapons to get her used to how they sounded and felt.  Honestly, there had been a few days she’d thought about shooting Kari, but knew it would hurt her father and make everything worse—she didn’t know how right she was at the time.

She continued to inform him regarding everything else that had happened to her over the last two weeks, telling her dad about Mary, Daisy, Howie, and Kari, but out of respect for Ron’s family, she left his wife out.

Still, her fingers were firmly clasped around the black icy rose to keep her anxiety in check with its soothing waves Stephanie’s energy fed her.  She was glad her dad didn’t ask about the item because she didn’t want to lie to him.

Her dad pulled out a Staccato P pistol, a semi-automatic APC9 Pro SMG, and a Benelli M4 semi-auto shotgun with a ton of magazines and shell boxes.  She had a lot to enchant.

“Are… you sure we need all of this since I have magic?”  she asked, watching him connect all sorts of attachments to the weapons before taking out the SCAR-17S.  “And you’re taking the big one, too, huh?”

“I don’t know what will work or not, and I’d rather have something for all ranges.  What kind of enchantments can you do?”

Sora groaned, folding her left ear down while scratching it.  “I’ll probably need to do it in batches, but, I mean, maybe foxfire explosion or something?  I can enhance the sight, too, I guess—I don’t know, I’ve never thought about this kind of stuff.”

Her father chuckled and brought her into a hug; she did her best to keep the rose away from him.  “No, you’re fine, honey; I know you’re overwhelmed.  I love you, and I’m right here with you.”

“Okay…  Umm.  I’m a little scared about what Jenny’s planning,” she mumbled, tail falling a tad.  “The fact she’s not concerned about making Eric pissed by going behind his back and doing that to Lori to set off Kari…  I just don’t understand her end-game—like you said, she’s not acting like a girl my age.”

Drawing back, her dad motioned for them to go to the open party area upstairs so she could soak in the raging storm outside.  “I’m trying to puzzle through it with everything you’ve told me, and I’m still debating it.  Let’s take it one step at a time, alright?”

“Mhm…”

Her father snatched the shotgun from the air beside them as the large hallway mirror rippled like water, allowing a gray-skinned, small woman to float through.

“Sela?  Really?!”

“Don’t move!”  her dad warned, but the woman’s dull pupilless eyes shifted to them as she hovered in the air with her rapid wing movements keeping her up.

“Unless your daughter enchanted those bullets with some potent magic, dear, that isn’t going to help you.  What are you even holding?”  she mused, lips twisting into a mischievous smile as Sora felt odd magical tugs ripple space.

Glancing at the weapon in her dad’s hands, she sighed upon seeing a squirt gun; she could tell it was fake, but her dad wouldn’t be able to.  “Stop causing trouble.  Don’t worry, it’s just an illusion, Dad.  Why are you even here?”  she growled.

Sela pulled off her helmet and scratched her head with an irritated note in her throat.  “Everything is a complete disaster, and does your father know that if I die, so do you?”

“What?”  her dad asked, barrel dropping as his focus swapped to her.  “Why?”

“It’s… haaa.  I’ll explain it when we get outside,” she mumbled, walking forward to force the Unseelie to stop her flight and step to the side to not get run over.  “Let me guess, Eric cut the meeting short because of Jenny?”

“Yes, and I am starting to see a rather unfavorable shift in things that have me wondering if my future death is related,” she sighed, arms crossed under her bust as she followed them up the stairs, inviting herself.  “Eric’s reaction to you was… unusual for him.”

“I’m a Founder,” Sora returned as if the answer was self-evident.  “My very absent mother is a scary fox, apparently.  Wait…  You can find people, right?”

“No!”

Pausing on the third step to the next level, Sora turned to direct a confused glare at the fidgeting, child-like fallen fae.  “Don’t tell me, Jenny crippled your network?  You’re… hiding!  What are you not telling me?!”

Sela shrugged, not making eye contact.  “Humph.  Something is systematically dismantling every hidden hole I’ve cultivated over the decades I have spent developing my place here in Miami.  All of my Unseelie are vanishing, and the alarming part is that it all started less than ten minutes ago.

“Considering everything I’ve heard thus far, Jenny must be the culprit, but… after your whole Homeland run-in, I’m… starting to believe Yez’ela’s warning about a new organization swooping in was more serious than I was willing to admit.  Of course, we can’t get the information that the Succubus had because someone decided to traumatize her back to Hell!”

“Oh, stop whining,” Sora snarled, passing the 3rd-level kitchen and storage doors, arriving at the open party area to soak in the storm’s energy.  “We all have our problems.  Yes, I think Jenny is working with this shadow organization, but I get the feeling they’re being used as much as anyone else—Jenny is after something more…”

Fingers tightening around the stem of the ice flower, Sora conjured a dome over their heads while getting ready to enchant her father’s ammunition.  He was staying silent, listening intently to their conversation, and she could see his mind working on the topic.  It was just like him to get all the details to find the best way forward—it was his job as a highly sought after financial consultant, after all.

“I just don’t know what—it’s so aggravating—who is Jenny’s friend?  Does she even have any?!  Wait…  Didn’t Devin say nothing was supposed to go wrong this week?”

Sela took to the air again, frowning while observing her levitate cartridges to spell them to be reliable and deliver foxfire explosive rounds.

“Naturally, Aiden was coming back…  Jenny and Devin have been working on this project with Kari, in which the basic format was approved by Eric.  None of us knew you were a Founder, though, which changes the circumstances dramatically.  Hmm.  She couldn’t have come up with this plot on the spot…  It’s been in development since she was forced to watch over Kari by Eric.”

“Hah!  I knew it!”

Sora scratched the side of her head, tail flicking left and right with irritation.  Sela was giving her answers, even if she was only here because she didn’t know where else to go, and sticking around Eric was a time bomb ticking, no doubt, so she went where she felt safe—tied to her leg.

“Jenny is Eric’s half-sister—she had a different mother—what happened to Eric’s family?”

“Pfft!”  Her father glanced over at the snickering, floating woman as he prepared a backpack and loaded up his vest to hold his cartridges.  “Are you joking?  Eric can’t be subject to anyone!  I don’t know for certain, but I can guess he killed them if they challenged him.  No one can so much as scratch the man other than his sister, and she’s terrified of him like everyone else—and for a good reason.”

Sora could see that being the case from the conversation she’d heard between Aiden and the alpha Fenris Wolf.  Although Eric didn’t smell exactly like Kari, so were the two only half-siblings?  She’d been so petrified of the man ripping them apart with her father nearby that she hadn’t been thinking straight to realize the oddity.  Plus, Fenris Wolves were mostly immune to her magic, so she hadn’t even tried to probe his aura.

Half-sister…  Eric and Kari are half-siblings then.  So, he’s not fully a Fenris Wolf?  Maybe I could have an effect on him, then.  It doesn’t get me any closer to answers, though!

“Where’s Devin?”  her dad suddenly asked, causing Sora and Sela’s faces to blank while looking at him.  “Devin was the only one working with Kari.  If she went through him to do her dirty work, he would have all the pieces we need.”

“Smart,” Sela whispered, crossing her legs and glancing at a strike of lightning that split the dark sky.  “I see you aren’t just a handsome face.  Hmm.  He was using some of my safe houses to escape Kari, but those locations have gone dark and the ley lines expunged, which is no simple task…  That mutt!”  she spat, nose twisting.

“After everything I’ve done for him, he is cutting off all my escape routes.  He must have been marking them for years!  A coup d’etat?”

Her dad’s cold eyes examined the red, shimmering cartridges Sora handed him.  “I don’t think so.  You don’t damage the framework of the organization you’re trying to take over; you cut off the heads to take their place.  No, this is a scorched earth tactic.  The troubling part is… Jenny’s plan isn’t finished.  She needs my daughter for a critical component, and she’s being rushed.”

“How can you tell, Dad?  Everything seems to be going her way,” Sora mumbled, finishing the last case.  “She was freaking waiting for me in the rain like some villain to tell me she kidnapped Mary and Wendy!  If she has time to do that, I don’t know…”

He shook his head, arming his weapons and sticking the SMG in the backpack while throwing the rifle’s strap over his shoulders.

“It’s too disjointed for the level of preparation she’s made thus far, and there are multiple factors that point to that likelihood that we might be able to exploit.  Kari’s change in attitude, Aiden’s early return bringing back Eric, Homeland tipping you off about the organization, you confronting the Monster Council to see her hand in everything, and Jenny’s admission she didn’t expect you to bring Eric into it…”

His green eyes drifted to the pelting rain and rumbling heavens, veiling part of the ocean as the first rays of day dully passed through the darkness.

“After everything you’ve told me, it’s clear she’s becoming desperate to execute this before it falls apart.  Your transformation, among many other things, seems to have caused some problems for her.  Can you find out where he is?”

“Maybe,” Sora mumbled, hugging herself while closing her eyes and soaking in the tempest sounds; her energy reserves had dropped to about 45% after everything she’d done since waking, but it was recovering swiftly.  “I found Jenny, after all.”

“Ahem.”

Brow furrowing, Sora’s attention was taken by the uncomfortable gray-skinned woman.  “I can perform a wide-ranged sensory pulse to identify his unique spiritual signature.  It will be far more subtle than your simple methods that are sure to cause a stir.”

“Uh-huh.”

She studied Sela’s tight expression as she examined their surroundings; when Sora had first met the Lady of the Wetlands, she’d been totally in control, yet as time went on, she’d been growing more and more nervous.  Sora decided to hit the nail on the head.

“You’re alone now, aren’t you?  Devin’s burned every asset and person you had, and they’ve all been taken off the board, which is why you came running here with their tail between your legs.  I’m all you have.”

Sela’s bottom lip drew in, gaze drifting to the wet concrete.  “You have no idea how bad it actually is… not that you particularly care.  It’s… not good,” she stated, running her fingers through her hair and closing her eyes.

“My hands are tied!  Aiden continues to downplay your contribution to the chaos in Miami.  The fiends are out of control with the vacuum you created.  I’m trapped between outing your part, thereby getting caught between the firebird and Fenris Wolf.  Devin and Jenny have basically gone rogue.

“The Trolls and Ogres are at the edge of turning Florida into a war zone.  Eric is understandably pissed, looking for answers no one can give him since everything has gone to shit, and if I become useless to him, I’m through.  That useless Genie has been MIA since leaving with that Infernal woman—not to mention this disastrous business with a rival organization being handed the keys to the kingdom by the damnable werewolf and wolfwere.

“Heh.  Now you’re telling me Jenny and Devin have been plotting some kind of total war against Eric for years that has crippled my entire kingdom in the crossfire, with hundreds of my subjects going completely silent.  All my safeguards, enchantments, wards, waypoints, and intelligence networks were dismantled in under an hour without warning.  Yes, you are my only option, Sora!”

“Geez!”  Sora mumbled, holding up her hands at the freaking-out Unseelie.  “I get it.  So… help me out here!”

Breathing deeply, hand pressed against her breast, Sela tried to calm down, and Sora saw her dad had been ready to move onto actions for a while now, not that they had anywhere to go as he held his shotgun.

“Fine!  Fine!  Ugh.  Give me a moment.”

Her wings expanded out, stilling in the air, yet she didn’t fall.  Arms spreading, the Unseelie’s aura flared, making Sora step back as the rain seemed to stop, gathering to encompass them in a rippling bubble.  Gold spread across the transparent, dragonfly-like appendages, dripping yellowish liquid that spread through the pool like a virus, hardening it into a crystal.

Sela’s fingers slowly met, and when they spread again, sticky ooze dropped to the ground to form an outline of the smug young man as the golden dome bled color.

Sora spun in a circle, watching the world change as if they were teleported to the location, but she knew it was just a representation of where the man was.  She had to admit, the magic the Unseelie ruler used was impressive, and the best part was it was practically untraceable due to the dampening field guarding the magical ripples against escaping to warn any observing parties.

The world moved despite their stationary position as they followed Devin’s stroll through the storm.  He wore an expensive-looking designer jacket, hands tucked in his pockets while bobbing his head to some kind of rap music.

Sela’s scrying spell was so powerful, Sora could feel his aura and the magical wards he wore—it was the same as Jenny’s.  However, the alarming part was the building he was nearing.

“He’s… downstairs?”  Sora groaned, her tail unruly while she scratched her twitching ear.  “Of course, he’s freaking downstairs.  Heh.  Why wouldn’t he be?”

Her dad adjusted his shotgun as Sela let her spell fade, returning the environment to normal.  “He’s the messenger…  Let’s go wait for him to deliver the instructions he’s been sent.”

Sora and Sela followed his lead back into the suite.

“If he’s coming to us, I can just force him to spill everything,” Sora huffed.

Sela gave her an incredulous look.  “You are so… innocent!  Those wards he is wearing are not for show, nor weak.  They are Unseelie magic, however, showing that there is a traitor or another fallen fae that is sponsoring them.  Can you destroy it?  Yes.  Is it worth it?  No!  Have you learned nothing from destroying the last artifact that released the spirits trapped within?”

“I get it!”  Sora snarled, crossing her arms.  “I’m new to all this shit, so chill!  You’re a powerful Unseelie; can’t you do something about it, and shouldn’t you hide or something?”

“It makes little difference now that all of this has come to light,” she hissed, plucking her helmet off of a hallway showcase while the twinkle from her golden dress increased as she strengthened her defensive charms.  “Like it or not, I am now tied to you.  Can’t you call your one Asgardian friend for help?  She would make short work of this business.”

Her dad glanced back at her tight expression as they descended the stairs; he was probably thinking they could use all the support they could get.

“No,” she flatly stated.  A shiver ran down her bristling tail while reliving Jin’s golden, serpent-like eyes flashing red with her aura that said if she did call Eyia, the tiny Korean girl would rip her heart out of her chest.  “Trust me, I’d love to, but I just can’t get Eyia involved with the Fenris family.”

Sela rolled her eyes.  “What was all that drivel about ‘Sisters-in-arms’ or whatever she called you?  Surely, a warrior like her would love nothing more than to enter a stage like this; she’s practically built for it.”

“Shut up,” Sora snapped back.  “You only want to use her because she’s a powerful shield, and do you seriously think I wouldn’t have her on the phone right now with my best friend held hostage?  We’re in more danger getting her involved than not because Jin will kill us all!  I’m more terrified of Jin than Jenny, Kari, or even Eric.”

“Fine.  Whatever,” the woman sniffed, floating over the balcony to wait cross-armed in the entryway.  “Is there no way to manipulate this situation?  Surely this Jin can’t blame you if Eyia finds out about it of her own accord.”

Sora gave her a serious look.  “Don’t even try!  Remember, our lives are linked right now, and you would not be saying that if you met Jin.  Are you okay, Dad?”

“Just trying to make sense of all of this…  Let’s put all of this on hold until we hear Devin’s demands.”

Reaching the elevator, Ron rang the bell, his voice coming over the hidden speakers.  “Umm…  Mr. Moore, the front desk has informed me that there is someone named Devin that has asked to come up to your penthouse.  I’m guessing I should turn him away?”

Her father pressed the button on the wall to respond.  “Unfortunately not, Ron.  Send him up.  A warning, I’m armed.”

By his tone, Ron swallowed.  “Understood, Mr. Moore.  I’ll remain to the side as best I can just in case.  Whatever the results, keep your daughter safe.”

Sora’s gut tightened at the implication.  “Don’t you dare try to sacrifice yourself for me!”  she shot back.  “At this range, I have magic options—so, trust in me!  Plus, there’s another magical woman here that has her own potent magic.  Right, Sela?!”

The gray-skinned creature made a gesture for her to get on with it.

“Eh-hehe.  You’re growing up so fast, Sora,” Ron said with a forced chuckle.  “Life has been so unfair to you…  I’m about to reach ground level.”

They waited in silence for the doors to open, Sora’s nerves rising and ears twitching as she listened to the gears of the elevator turn.  She expected the doors to open to reveal another hostage situation, yet it didn’t turn out exactly like she’d pictured when the reflective steel pulled apart.

“Yo!  Heh.  Wow… nice crib, kid!  Sela?  Damn, didn’t expect you to actually make it out of your swamp.  You’re like a cockroach, I swear,” he muttered.

Devin walked straight into their penthouse, hands in his pockets and practically ignoring the gun and Sora as he passed them to reach the kitchen, whistling at the expensive cars showing through the glass wall to their left in the expansive, open garage.

“Woah-hehe.  Yeah, this is the place to be.  Shit.  I can see why Lori hates you so much.  Do you actually cook in this place—probably not…  Hold up, you’re a little stocked!  Sweet.”

Jogging after him, Ron pulled the key out to follow them to the 1st-floor kitchen, where Jenny's grunt was digging around their freezer and pulling out some of the goods Sora bought when purchasing the steaks she made for her and Ron the previous week.

“Some premium stuff to be freezing it,” he mumbled, rubbing his chin while examining the butcher packaging.  “I can work with it, though.”

Her dad held out his hand to keep her from marching over to strangle the man as he made himself at home.  “Why did Jenny send you here?”

“Hmm?  Oh, I’m just here to make sure you aren’t doing anything you shouldn’t.  Jenny’s still doing her thing, so… yeah, I’m just going to live it up.  You got some streaming services?  There’s been this werewolf romance show that I’ve been into lately, and I’m on, like… season two?”

Sora opened her mouth, curling her lip before closing it.  “Do… you have a conscience at all?!  Do you even care about how many people you’re hurting?”

“Pfft!  You’re rich, girl—heh, quite literally,” he noted while catching sight of the wine rack.  “Damn.  I’m a wolf, I’ve always been a wolf.  Humanity is just a bonus perk, so you think this matters to me?”

As if to demonstrate, fur sprouted out of the man’s skin as he morphed into a rather large beast, bright eyes smirking at her before returning to his human state, totally nude and making Sora turn away.

The wolf chuckled at her embarrassment.  “See?  Oh, c’mon.  Have you never been to an anatomy class?  Humans are so stupid,” he mused, casually putting his clothes back on as her father took over. 

“Oh, and if you try any funny stuff, I’m sure Sela will let you know that it’s not really a good idea.  Where you go, I go!”  the man laughed.  “Let’s all get along until I get a call.”

“This is unbelievable!”  she hissed, not expecting the werewolf to send a babysitter to watch them.  “What even are you?  What does Lori have over you?  Why are you burning Eric?  I don’t get what you’re trying to do!”

“First, a wolfwere, sweet-tail, and Jenny’s scared.”  Devin’s smile fell at her dad’s remark, lowering his barrel while his calculating eyes studied the wolfwere.  “Sora, your magic is growing too powerful, and she needs someone to micromanage you because there are things you can do to unravel her plan.”

A smirk twisted Sela’s lips.  “You’re right…  This is not the play of someone who feels in control.  Devin is also not important enough for her to lose if anything happens to him.  How did you become her pathetic lapdog?  You must have known her for a while.”

Devin scowled at her dad but soon returned to his meat, moving it to the microwave to unthaw it.  “Not making this enjoyable, fam.  Hmm.  I mean, sure, I’ve known Jenny since I was a pup; she showed me the ropes of the clan, ya know?  I don’t know if I’m expendable, but it is what it is.  Good of the pack, ya know?  It’s how we’re raised.  By the way, we’ve got another guest coming soon.”

“What?”  Sora asked, looking to Sela, who hissed.

“You can’t mean…”

“Yup!”  Devin snickered, rolling around his neck and taking up a position by the counter.  “Is this the first time Kari will be in your house?  I actually got a story to tell—oh, is that her?  I called Kari and told her where I’d be.”

“All according to Jenny’s plan, hmm?”  Sela whispered.

Ron looked at her dad as his walkie-talkie went off, and the front desk asked if Sora was having her party early today.

Sora rubbed her forehead; it felt hot with all the stress falling across her shoulders.  She wanted nothing more than to have Eyia’s reassuring presence nearby, and Sela wasn’t wrong—the warrior was an expert in handling monsters, yet she also knew Jin had her reasons for warning her not to get the cheery blonde involved.

“I’ll go with you, Ron…  Sela, don’t let him out of your sight!”

A thoughtful gleam lit in the thug’s eyes as he appraised the disquieted Unseelie, wings fluttering with agitation at his look.  “You know, I’ve never spent a night with a fallen fae…  I bet you’re a little devil in bed.  Care to—”

“Hard pass.  Beta mutts are not my type,” she grunted.  “Maybe Jenny’s little Unseelie whore that’s been feeding you these artifacts can satisfy your curiosity.  Her smell is all over those items, and… why do I get the feeling I should know who it is?”

“Your loss.  Also, I have no clue who does this stuff; Jenny handles all that since she’s got all the free time.  I’m so busy trying to run this stupid empire Eric built—it’s exhausting—especially the Trolls and Ogres.  It’s monotonous.”

“Only because you’re too weak for them to respect you,” Sela sneered, causing the wolfwere to shoot a dirty look in her direction.  Sora shook her head; yes, they’d keep each other occupied.

Her father gave her a nod that said he would continue to push for information; he was compiling everything in the background, picking things apart to give her the answers she so desperately wanted.  If they could just find out what Jenny wanted, their bargaining power would skyrocket.

“Let’s go, Ron.”

Making her way through the hallway, Sora’s jaw tightened.  Her insides were burning to use her magic to find Wendy and Mary, but the werewolf’s threat to cut off Mary’s fingers was not idle, and she made it perfectly clear with the treatment she showed her of Lori.

A new thought started to surface as the elevator lowered to the ground floor.  Devin said he has a story to tell us when Kari arrives…  It’s a manipulation tactic.  He’s going to try to spin it in a way that will push us toward Jenny’s goal.

Sora’s tongue lodged in her throat as they neared the bottom, with Kari’s cold aura stiffening her tail.  Please… please don’t start going on a rampage!

It slid open, and Kari’s narrowed amber eyes swapped to her while playing with a floss pick in her mouth.  The wolf-girl wore her typical sportswear for working out, including her sports bra and shorts, but she was totally soaked.  The typical sensations of terror when she saw the girl shockingly didn’t come as she moved right for her.

“Sora, are you—”  Sora just shook her head and cut the wolf off.

“I know it’s a bit early,” she chuckled, “but this is just the pre-party.”

Kari’s eyebrows furrowed as Sora motioned her to enter the elevator, not having to check anything into the hotel lobby since her dad was home.  “What?”

It was interesting to see the Fenris Wolf and the previous bane of her existence hesitate to enter the box with her; however, after a moment, she walked inside.

“Devin told me he’d be in your hotel…  What’s happening, Sora?  Are you working with Devin?  I don’t get it.  Where are Lori and Jenny?”

Closing her eyes, Sora took a deep breath and let it go as Ron pressed the button to close the doors, yet, instead of going to her suite, he pulled the key out to give them a chance to talk,  the disgruntled man appraising the tall teenage girl he’d heard about for years.

“Okay… listen to me, Kari.  I know this is going to sound crazy—but we’re all being manipulated.  I get that it’s rich coming from a vulpes and all, but seriously, it’s way worse than you think…  Jenny kidnapped Wendy and Mary, and if I try to look for them, she’ll start cutting off their fingers.  I don’t know what she wants from us.”

The floss pick in Kari’s mouth snapped, and Sora absently wondered if it was simply the girl’s need to have something between her teeth to chew on or release stress; it wasn’t an uncommon thing to see.

“Lori and Jenny?”  she repeated, amber irises flashing with an inner light, a classic sign she was losing patience.

Sora breathed out a long sigh and set her ground for the first time against the bully.  “Cut the shit, Kari!  You’re not the only one with things to lose or hurting!”

Kari blinked, clearly confused at her abrupt response and glare while Ron gave her a look that said, ‘you tell her, girl!’

“Look!”  she continued, crossing her arms to not show them shaking.  “Jenny isn’t who you think she is!  Don’t try to punish me or take out your stress on me because I’m done with this bullshit!  Do you want to know all the things everyone’s been keeping from you, or are you too scared to learn the truth?  If not, leave!  Run away from Miami with your tail between your legs, Kari—run—because you can’t intimidate your way through this one!”

Sora’s focus darted to the much taller girl’s hand as it curled, smelling blood, before locking glares with the Fenris Wolf.  It didn’t matter what the bully would do; she was never going to back down again.  A few seconds passed, then fifteen, and finally Sora pulled back, ears raised in confusion as the bottom lip of the indomitable girl across from her began to quiver.

“Kari?”  Backing into a corner, the girl slid down to draw into herself, dripping hair and clothes creating a pool as she wept.  “Kari…  What’s wrong?”

Unsure of what to do, Sora hesitated before dropping to her knees, but Kari only continued to quake and cry. Her powerful aura broke like glass to show a terrified girl, on her own, trying her best to hold what little control she had in her life together.

“Kari…”  Sora whimpered, heat rising in her chest while resonating with the fractured emotions: everyone around her had only left her broken, and unlike Sora, Kari didn’t have anyone to speak to or release all the stress and fears that built up year after year.

Unable to stop her own lip from trembling, Sora sniffed and started to cry, letting her own emotions bleed through from all the stress of the world falling around her.  Still, this was something she never thought she’d do in a million years.  This was her nemesis for ages, she shouldn’t be sobbing with her!

Yet, crawling forward, she settled next to Kari, hugging her own knees as the panic she bottled up surfaced again.  Highs and lows were all she knew, and, despite all of this, she still couldn’t break her trauma.  Everything was becoming too heavy.  Who could fix this fractured mind and heart of hers to hold her steady?  She just couldn’t do it anymore.

“The world’s so unfair…  I can’t make friends, o-or I leave them broken!  I can’t get help, or people get hurt.  I’m so scared for Wendy and Mary—my dad…  I hate that I always hurt everyone!  Why can’t I fix anything around me?  It just always gets worse…  It always gets worse… but I have to believe it will get better…  It has to get better.  It has to…”

Chapter Thirty-Five: One Day; A Broken Girl

Sora choked on her words a few times, trying to reign her emotions in, with Ron kneeling down to try to comfort her as best he could.  Meanwhile, Kari just tucked into a tighter ball, hiding her face in her knees and hair.

After a minute, Sora tucked in her quivering bottom lip while forcing herself up, and Ron looked down at Kari, huddled in the corner, body still quivering.

“What… should I do, Sora?”

“W-We have to go up,” she coughed, rubbing her red and puffy cheeks.  “If we don’t—if he…  Wendy or Mary…”

He nodded and pressed the button to take them to the top as Sora stared down at the bully that had tormented her for years; she hated that she didn’t feel any satisfaction from seeing her in this state.  Sora understood why.  Kari was lost, and she didn’t know what to do—the wolf didn’t have anyone to turn to—Jenny betrayed her, and the teen probably couldn’t bring herself to go after the werewolf.

It wasn’t like she could get help from her big brother; Eric had firmly implanted the fear of going against him into her and would likely sneer at her weakness.  It was now Sora realized how much Kari depended on Jenny.  In the void her dead mother and abusive brother left, the only person she could trust was this new girl that had befriended her.

Only now, Sora realize just how truly evil the werewolf was; in the wake of everything Kari had been through, Jenny cultivated this friendship with Kari, only to shatter her stability at the opportune moment to distract Eric.

“Kari…”

“I-I’m fine,” she snarled, throat thick as she sniffed and coughed, still not showing her face.  “Just—just leave me a-alone…”

When the door opened, her father’s focus snapped to them, and Devin left his grilling steak on the patio to poke his head in and laugh.

“Is that… Kari crying?  Girl, if your brother heard that…  Woo-hee, the beating you’d get—dude is macho incarnate.  Man, for being a Fenris Wolf, you’re so pathetic compared to him.”

Sora was shocked to see Kari’s arms pull her legs in tighter at his words.  The defeated wolf didn’t even respond to the far, far weaker creature’s jibes as he sang to a rap song and cooked in the gale without a care in the world.

She’s seriously not going to go over and turn him into a pretzel?!  Wow…  I guess Jenny and Lori’s goading influence was really the only thing bringing out the vicious side in her.  The more I learn about Kari…

Her dad came over to check on the situation, spotting her swollen cheeks.  He frowned at her tight lips and shrug, telling him she didn’t know what to do about the broken wolf.

“Hmm.”  Mouth a line, he sighed and pulled his weapon off, passing it to Ron.  “Here…  You can figure things out in the guest room,” he whispered, surprising Sora as he moved to kneel down and scoop the soaking girl into a princess carry.

“I…  I don’t need your pity,” she choked, yet she didn’t fight him, and as they passed, Sora couldn’t believe her senses.  Seemingly impossibly, Kari’s twisted and terrified aura was quelling at her father’s gentle touch while carrying her upstairs to the guest room Daisy had used days before.  “I’m fine…  I’m fine…”

If Sora didn’t know any better, Kari actually leaned into her father’s chest as she sniffled and protested, eyes closed as the fragile strings of her reality continued to snap.  The girl’s face was flushed a bright red from her tears as she did her best to not utterly collapse.  Sora could only following in shock, seeing the water trailing after them on the marble floor as they ascended the stairs.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sora was unsure if the cornered wolf would randomly lash out at her stupid father, who had put himself in such a compromising position.  Of course, maybe part of her discomfort was the sadness and concern she felt from her dad toward the girl that had made her life a living hell.

I know Kari’s not faking it… but it still stings seeing Dad coddling her, she internally groaned, vision tight while watching from the doorway as her father placed Kari on the bed.  Maybe it’s a dad thing after everything I’ve told him about her and her family…

The wolf turned away, staring at the window as the wind and storm outside sent liquid running down the glass.  Sora’s gaze fell to her dad’s damp shirt from carrying the girl up the stairs, and Ron slid past them with a few towels from the bathroom to place on the bed.

Kari was still hugging herself, taking shuddering breaths while glaring at the dark clouds and lightning that flashed outside, doing her best to pretend they didn’t exist.

Her dad tilted his head for them to go, closing the door.  She paused just before descending the stairs, ears tilting back a little as Kari began to cry again.  Despite hating herself for it, Sora could see the water Kari was drowning in because she had experienced it herself.

Everything’s becoming so complicated…

Entering the front room where Ron and her father stood, she saw the pair give each other a look that communicated something Sora didn’t get.

Growling, she rubbed her hot cheeks.  “What are we supposed to do?  Nothing makes sense anymore!”

Her father breathed out a long stream of air while silently moving to pull her in and rub her arm comfortingly.  “It’s okay, honey…  Just let it out.”

Lip quivering again, she buried her face in his wet shirt as the world burned around her.  “Why is life so… s-so hard?  Why is this happening to us?”

Her dad didn’t have words this time, only holding her close for a few minutes, nodding to Ron to go back to his station.  After a few minutes, her father guided her to the couch so she could curl up to him, glaring at the wolf outside, laughing and making crude comments at the fallen fae.

She didn’t want to be emotional or crack, but all the stress was breaking her in two, and Kari’s resonating aura only enhanced the chaos battering her insides.  All she wanted was to feel nothing at all, yet the void wouldn’t come.

Devin came inside with his steaks, snorting at them as her father kept her close.  “Teenagers are so soft in this world.  Yo, let’s order a ton of room service, and… yeah, this is the stuff!”  he called out from the kitchen while shaking one of her dad’s bottles of brandy from the doorway.

Sela rolled her eyes and phased through the glass to take a seat across from them.  “From what I gather, we will have some time before Jenny contacts the leech.  I suggest you steel yourself, Sora, because I have a bad feeling about what she is planning.”

Her father’s low rumble transferred to her ear, folded against his chest.  “You don’t need to be worried about my daughter; she’s stronger than any of you think.  Jenny is panicking, which does make her dangerous, but also sloppy.  We just need to bide our time and keep focused.”

Sora’s other ear lifted as Kari shifted in the bed upstairs, no doubt hearing her father’s words.  “How is Jenny going to escape Eric?  She made him look like a fool, didn’t she?”

Devin snickered while returning with a plate loaded up with meat, grapes, and the whole bottle of expensive brandy before dropping into one of the seats, eating liberally.

“Y’all are so clueless.  What makes you think Jenny didn’t do what Eric wanted?  Sure, she may have gone about it in a secretive way, but she never lied to him or went against his orders.  Heh.  She can’t!  He’s the Alpha.  Oh, but you wouldn’t understand Germanic werewolf pack dynamics, would you?”  he muttered, popping a grape into his mouth.

Sela offered a sweet smile that didn’t touch her eyes.  “I’ve never been bothered to learn such irrelevant topics.  Why don’t you educate me on the mutts?  I know it’s a massive chore to help them thrive since they typically can’t help but draw attention to themselves.  Eric’s just… built different, so he can make it work.”

He pointed his knife at the woman with a smirk.  “Not wrong!  Honestly, I was never that fond of the way Jenny’s dad ran things.  Werewolves are kind of stupid, in general.  At least, if they don’t have someone as strong as Eric that can totally cow their instinct—Jenny included.  You can thank Eric for this new Jenny, and she’s Eric’s favorite.”

Sora’s tail bristled as Kari’s fingers dug into the bed upstairs, ripping the foam.  She could hear the pain in each restless shift and strained breath the girl took with each dagger Devin’s words delivered into her chest before twisting them in.

Her father remained utterly calm while engaging the chatty wolfwere.  “So, Eric wanted Jenny to get close to Kari in order to traumatize her into never trusting anyone ever again.  Is he trying to make his sister kill her—his own half-sister?”

Devin shrugged, crossing his legs.  “Every day, I wake up and do what I’m told.  I don’t try to figure out what every plot they’re cooking because my life’s amazing!  Look at me!  I can do whatever I want in this world and just point the finger at them.  My life’s a mess, but I can have any hoe, food, or entertainment I want.  It’s great!”

“What do I know?”  He rubbed his nose and laughed, settling in.  “Oh, here we go; storytime!  I was, you know, chillin’ with the pack.  Jenny picked me up from my parents after her dad killed them all in some territorial thing.  Whatever; not important.  I was like… her pet, you could say.  Woman’s got this thing for pets—but, heh, I guess you can figure that with Lori.”

Sora’s gut squirmed at the casual way he spoke about the things he and Jenny did to the teenage girl; she’d only been thirteen when Jenny set her eyes on her.

“So, we’re chillin’ in this small Russian tundra town—you probably never heard of it—and we got the place on lock.  We know there’s some gateway to this scary place that the boss tells us to stay clear of, and we’re all cool—then… Eric shows up, draggin’ his cry-baby lil’ pup of a sister through the snow.”

He sighed, shaking his head and looking up at the ceiling as her dad, Sela, and she leered at him.

“Damn, talk about an entrance!  Dude was covered in his mother’s own blood, eyes lookin’ like he’d jumped straight outta Hell—and the first thing he does?  Rip his father’s head clean off his shoulders!  Wooh!  Chills!”

Her father’s grip tightened against Sora’s arm, pulling her even closer.  “I can’t imagine his pack took that lying down?”

“Pfft!  Damn right, the bloody idiots didn’t,” he snickered.  “After the first twelve were torn to a lumpy mess, everyone backed down—not that Eric cared—he just kept on crushing them.  I was sittin’ in the corner just vibin’, and I’m not linked to Jenny’s ol’ bastard’s line, so I guess I was just invisible to the guy.  Eric’s an artist when it comes to gore; I’m tellin’ ya!”

Sela’s arms crossed under her bust, narrowed eyes shifting to the ceiling where Kari had rolled onto her back, not making any further sounds while listening.  “So, Eric killed everyone Jenny knew before forcing her to babysit a step-sister she’d never met and told her to toughen her up?”

“Bingo!”  Devin laughed.  “What a drag!  I’m glad I wasn’t chained to that failure.  I mean, I still can’t believe she’s basically a full-blooded damn Fenris Wolf!  Eric’s a half-breed, which means he should be way weaker than her, but she’s so damn soft that he trounces her!  it’s sad, really.”

Sora lightly bit her lower lip, recalling her talk with Kari regarding her motivational workout videos.  She had no clue how deep the bully was drowning in the horror of her past and family.  At least Sora had Ron and Howie—a sanctuary to come back to—but for Kari, there really was no escape from her monsters.

She’s not weak…  Kari’s completely broken and powerless—trapped in this perpetual loop…  Finding her mother and brother like that…  Uprooted and having her whole world shattered in an instant.  Jenny took her here and has been manipulating her the entire time…  Everyone in her life betrays her.  Is that what she’s thinking right now?

Her father worked around his jaw before staring out of the window as the morning rays revealed the turbulent weather outside.  “This is revenge then…  Jenny hates her little brother for destroying her entire life and is taking it out on Kari?”

Younger…  Dad’s phishing for answers!

“Hah!  Your guess is as good as mine, man,” Devin said, confirming the assertion while holding up the half-empty bottle of brandy and taking another swig.  “I’m just the pet that does what he’s told.  Aiden showed up after all the bloodshed, stumbling in like a drunkard as if he’d seen a devil, asking about Tiri.”

“Tiri?”  Sora whispered, recalling Kari mentioned the name in their last meeting.  “Who’s Tiri?”

“Meh.  I think she’s the youngest runt of Alva’s kids or something.  She disappeared after the Realm collapsed—not interesting—although, heh, it’s a touchy subject, so probably don’t want to mention her in front of Eric or Aiden; the dude almost burned my face off the last time I made a light joke about it!  Anyway, yeah, I’ll just be jumping on that wolf romance series I was talkin’ about, so don’t go leaving anywhere.”

Sora wanted to punch his face as the man got up to raid their pantry for snacks to eat; she’d grown to despise the wolfwere more than Kari in the short time she’d known him, which was impressive.

Sela groaned, stretching left and right.  “I feel dirty, so… I’m going to go take a shower.”

“Make yourself at home,” Sora grumbled.  “Do you want my favorite mascara too?”

“Haaa.  Despite my attitude, I realize we are in the same boat, Sora.  I will take your side…  Mmh-hmm-hmm.  We are going to die.”

She let her venom leave as the woman flew to the second floor, dress slipping off to twinkle into dust; obviously, the fallen fae had no qualms about modesty in front of her dad.  Devin made a few advances to join her that the woman snidely rejected.

Sora pulled away from her father, rubbing her forehead as he squeezed her hand.

“You okay…  Does it hurt more when I ask?”

“Kind of…”  she admitted.  “I don’t know what to do.  Will everything be okay?”

Her father ran his fingers through his messy hair before scratching his scalp and giving her a melancholy smile.  “Go talk to her.”

“I don’t…  Mmgm.”

Sora looked up, arms tightening around her core.  While she didn’t really want to talk to Kari, there was nothing else she could do and there was a lot to get off her chest.

Chattering teeth pressing together to stop her shakes, she breathed a heavy sigh, legs already carrying her up the stairs.  As she passed her bathroom, she noticed the light on under the door as Sela started the spray with a musical hum in her throat.  It took some effort, but she resisted the urge to turn the water to ice, instead hovering outside of the guest room, gripping her arm and working herself up.

After a few seconds, she opened her door and walked inside to lean against the wall.  Kari lay on her back, dull, puffy eyes staring at the ceiling with the blanket and top layer of the mattress torn up from where her fingers had dug in.

“Here to gloat?”  she mumbled.

Releasing her stress with a drawn-out sigh, Sora closed the door and went to a chair by the window to sit, studying the veil of rain overcasting the ocean without responding.  Seconds went by in silence as they listened to the howling wind and tapping rain before she spoke.

“Gloat?  I want to scream,” she chuckled, fingernails pressing against her tight chest.  “I want to break… everything around me…  Sink ten claws into Devin’s throat and rip it out!  I feel like shit, but… I can’t!  Heh.  It’s so stupid…  It’s only chemicals in my head, but it hurts so much,” she choked.  “It’s only chemicals…  I just want to cry.  B-But that won’t help Wendy or Mary.  What about you?  Does Lori mean shit to you?”

Kari’s muscles trembled as she pushed herself to the headboard, giving her a dirty look.  “Why do you even care?  Like you give a damn about Lori—no one gives a damn about Lori.”

Sora huffed, jaw tightening while diverting her gaze to the floor.  “Oh, so you pity Lori, and that’s why you’ve kept her close, huh?  She reminds you of yourself, even though she hates you?!  You can’t let go because she’s now the only thing you have left.  Is that it?  It’s not like you have Aiden always trying to look out for you, right?”

“What?”  Kari’s eyebrows drew in, hands knotting in her lap.  “Aiden’s always been my brother’s pet bird—he was never close to me…”

“Haha.  So stupid.”  Sora got up, tail flicking to her left as she went down a tangent that didn’t even fully make sense to her.  “Just a pet bird, huh?  You wolves have such amazing people skills.  It’s a wonder he was so worried about you at all…  I can see him trying so hard to help Eric and you see there’s a better way of doing things, but you’re both so stupid!”

Moving to the door, she threw up her hands, not knowing what she expected to happen by talking to the bully.  “All you see is your brother in him—a vulpes in me—but he really does try to lighten the load where he can—I’ve seen it—but you can’t see anything beyond your own nose, can you?!”

Twisting the knob to storm out, she paused as Kari’s voice cracked.

“Sora!”

“What?!”

Hand twitching to slam the door, she turned to see the terror in Kari’s watering eyes, parting the thunderclouds in her heart.  “Does—does Lori really h-hate me?”

“Huh?  Are you kidding me?  You’re everything she wants!  When I connected to her, the only thing she wanted was to be invulnerable—powerful enough to stop everyone from hurting her—and Jenny literally dug that into her flesh.”

Face turning red, Kari’s eyes aimlessly searched the room.  “What am I supposed to do?  Eric will kill them if I show I’m weak, b-but I can’t fight him…  You don’t understand—h-he ate our mother…  How am I supposed to beat him?”

Sora wanted to laugh at her, but she knew too well from the trauma Kari had imprinted on her over the years, making her teeth clamp together—this wasn’t supposed to happen—Kari was the vilest person on the planet, but… she wasn’t.

“Umgh.”  Closing the door, Sora walked over to sit on the bed.  It was so stupid!  Kari seemed lost in her mind, trying to find an answer to something she didn’t believe existed.  “Kari…  Kari!”  She reached out to grab her trembling hand, centering her attention.  “Kari…  It’s going to be okay…  Alright?  I… hate you.”

“Heh…  Hehe.  What?”  Kari asked, sniffing as her focus lifted to her face.

“I hate you,” she repeated, fingers tightening.  “For the past three years, you’ve made my life a living hell… but now I know it was mostly Jenny’s fault.  So, let me repeat this and get this off my chest…  I hate you, Kari, but nowhere near as much as I now hate Jenny.  Will crying and hiding fix our problems?  Did it help me get away from you?”

It was ironic to see the tables flipped in the bully’s terrified stare.  “No…”

“It won’t.  I don’t care if you still want to save Lori—for whatever reason—but let me be clear…  Jenny is not your friend.  Lori is not your friend.  Heh.  Scary to think, but I’m probably the closest thing you have—well, besides Aiden, and we already know how you feel about him.  You really are a dumbass.”

Kari seemed to be trying to process her blunt words, her slipping mind slowly finding its ground.

“Look, I don’t know what to expect from Jenny or your brother tonight.  All I know is that I’m going to rescue Wendy and Mary.  Honestly, you want to know what I think?”

She pulled her hand away to brush back her messy hair and rub her cheeks, shaking her head.  “Heh.  I should die?  Easier said than done…”

“Woah.  Dark, but okay, emo,” Sora mumbled, making her chuckle.  “No, I think you need therapy more than me.  So… help me rescue Wendy and Mary, and I’ll help you save Lori.  Deal?”

Kari stared at her outstretched hand like it was a snake.  “Didn’t you say I should just leave Lori to die?”

“You are ridiculous,” Sora groaned, redirecting to rub her forehead.  “You only hear what you want to hear, I swear!  I said she doesn’t like you, but I didn’t say don’t rescue her, idiot!  You’re in pain—I get it,” she whispered, fidgeting with the sheet.  “Believe me, I get it…”

The black-haired girl’s fingers pressed against her breast and she shook her head.  “What if… what if I go and Jenny kills her?  What if Eric kills her…  What if she tells me all of this is my fault?

“I don’t like how my story’s been…  Maybe you can help me change the ending—I don’t know, I’m just so sick of feeling like everything I do falls apart…  I wanted—needed—to be in control.  Why am I not in contr—”

Sora’s brow set, and, holding up her hand, she slapped Kari across the cheek.  It felt like hitting a brick wall—her head didn’t even move—but the girl’s teary eyes were wide.

“Stop it!  You can’t blame yourself for what other people do.  I used to think it was my fault you bullied me, that my hair was the problem, my race, my standard of living.  But Mary made me realize it’s not my fault, and it’s not yours.  You can only change who you are.  If Lori hates you, so what—her loss, right?”

“Why… are you telling me this?”  Kari mumbled, voice quivering again.  “Don’t you hate me?”

“Yeah!  You bet your ass I hate you, so stop hating yourself and let me do that, idiot!  Lori hates how strong and weak you are because she’d never let your power go to waste.  And now I know why she blames you, even though she’s even stupider than you!”

Kari swallowed, not making eye contact with her.  “What do you want from me?”

Sora stubbornly held her hand out again.  “Frienemies.  A temporary truce, I guess.  You’re a stupid, traumatized wolf-girl that needs a lifetime’s worth of sessions with Mary, but Eyia told me the only reason you’ll lose against Eric is that you don’t believe you can beat him.  So… I’ll be your cheerleader!  If he acts up, beat his ass!”

Kari’s chest shook with laughter as she cried, wiping at her cheeks.  “You’re… so stupid.”

“We can be stupid together, then—I don’t care—so long as you help me save my friends, and then… therapy!”

“Therapy…”  Kari mumbled, shaking her head, but she took her hand.  “You’re right…  I don’t have much of a choice.  I have no idea what to do anymore…  My life is in total ruin.  You realize we’re going to die, you stupid fox?”

“It’s a promise, you stupid wolf,” Sora grinned.  “We die together then.”

Unexpectedly, Kari fell to the side of the bed, closing her eyes and breathing a long sigh.  “Every day… I wake up dead… looking for something to live for.  I just want to wake up and feel okay in my skin.”

“Relate—well, I used to,” Sora mumbled, getting up and fixing her hair.  “Like I said, I think therapy would do you wonders, and Mary’s a good one.”

A broken chuckle came from Kari’s thick throat.  “I’ll try anything at this point…  You’ll really help me save Lori?”

Sora scratched her temple, getting the feeling it wasn’t really Lori who she was asking about, since the girl saw herself in Lori.  Walking to the door, she opened it and paused, searching her own feelings.

“Hmm…  You know, the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies…  Don’t treat me the way you would never want me to treat you, and we’ll see, Kari.  Get some rest; we’ll need our strength,” she whispered, closing the door behind her.

Back pressed against the frame, Sora closed her eyes and reflected on the dying embers now burning in her heart.  The towering monolith that was Kari had shattered into a million pieces, leaving her shockingly empty.

It hurt to hate the broken wolf after all these melancholy colors had tainted the internal demonic canvas that embodied her trauma.  Kari was drowning in an ocean even deeper than hers, reaching for help anywhere she could get it.

Trying to push down her emotions, she hit the back of her head against the door a few times before breathing out a hot puff of air.  Maybe things can change… people can change, and I’d rather have an honest enemy than a fake friend.  I don’t want to face the truth…

“Ugh!”

I feel for Kari, and it’s killing me!

Going downstairs, she glared down the hall at Devin’s laughter.

“Girl power talk done?  So sweet.  Talk about PMS.  Going to kiss and make up later—can I watch?”

“Go to hell,” she grunted, spinning her magic to imbue the couch.  “Why not now?”

“H-Hey!  Cut the shit—”

Entering the front room as the sofa in the entertainment area fought with the wolf, Sora decided that if she weren’t in a good mood, neither would Devin, and it wasn’t like Jenny said she had to be nice to him.  They had a long day together, and she would make sure he would not enjoy it.

Sela’s eyes twinkled as she exited the bathroom, wearing a new green dress.  “Oh!  I’d love to get in on the mischief.  Let’s have some fun!”

Her father gave her a sad smile at her forced grin.  “Everything turn out okay?”

“Better than I thought it would go,” Sora said, snuggling into his arms.  “Figure anything out now that Devin’s distracted?”

“Hmm…  From what Devin said?”  her dad mumbled, glaring at the storm.  “Jenny is older than she appears, and her goal isn’t Kari…  It’s Eric.  I have a feeling all of this is a smoke screen for something far bigger.  Whatever it is, everything hinges on something you can provide her, and Kari needs to be there to distract Eric.”

“I’ll conserve my strength…  I guess Devin really is just the jester playing to Jenny’s tune—everyone is.  Unless… is she being used by someone, too?”

Agonizing over the dozens of possibilities floating through her mind, she heard Kari eventually slip into her dreams by her slow breathing, and, interestingly, she could invade them if she wanted, her resistances down—the wolf probably hadn’t been sleeping much lately.

The day passed into noon, and Sela created an illusionary sphere they could use to plot their actions, coming up with a rather brilliant plan, and around 6 p.m., Devin got the call.

Sora answered, and Jenny’s shining face popped up, her eyebrow lifting upon seeing her ‘pet’ tied upside down in his boxers, spinning in a circle while covered in chicken pox.

“Hello, Jenny!  I’ve been taking excellent care of your bitch.  Can I finally get answers to where Mary and Wendy are?  I’ve been really patient,” she said with a savage grin.

The girl let out a mean laugh.  “You really have changed, Sora.  I love it!  I heard Kari showed up a babbling mess that morning.  How the tables have turned…  Devin will guide you to the Miami Arena.  Everything’s been prepared, and Eric will be here so Kari can confront her brother.  He’s excited to see how she reacts to Lori’s condition.  Catch you soon!  Bye-bye!”  She ended the call without waiting for a response, making Sora growl. 

“She didn’t even show me Wendy or Mary…  I really hate her.”

“C’mon, heh… let me down—ugh… and stop this itching!  It’s worse than fleas!”  Devin groaned, unable to get to the spots as he squirmed in the magically summoned ropes Sela had bound him in.

Her father loaded his guns and nodded toward her.  “We can only do as she says for now.  Let’s be calm and make smart decisions.”

“I know,” she snarled, scratching her neck.  “Like you said, even if they dangle Wendy and Mary out in front of me, I can’t panic.”

Heading upstairs, Sora went to wake Kari up as her father prepared some of his cars, giving Devin the keys to one of the two-person vehicles.

The man whistled, itching his butt as Sela reversed the curse.  “Nice!  I’ll be taking your girl in it, of course.”  the wolf chuckled darkly.  “Let’s hear this baby roar!”

Sela rolled her eyes; the wolf was a hedonist, which made him too predictable once they’d nailed him down.  They’d bring Kari up to speed on what they’d decided as Sora distracted him.  Now, it was time for action.

Mom, Sora prayed, hope filling her chest after her last one seemed to be answered.  Please, help us somehow…  I can’t let Wendy or Mary get hurt.  Please, please… help me!

Chapter Thirty-Six: One Day; Unlikely Allies

Climbing the stairs, Sora’s head tilted to the left, glancing down at Sela and Devin as they went out of sight to the garage where her father was loading up his weapons in one of his sports cars.

This is it…

Ron’s voice pricked her ears as Kari rolled out of bed to stand in front of a mirror, likely trying to internally hype herself up for what was to come, and the shifting of gears in the elevator brought Sora to a stop just before entering the trophy area that led to the guest room.

Aiden?  What is his timing?!  Better late than never, I guess.

“You’re not with Devin?  Howie said you helped them out, but…  I don’t know.”

“I’m trying to stop this from turning into a complete disaster,” the firebird groaned.  “Things are getting way out of control.”

The speaker above her sounded as Ron stopped the elevator; he probably wanted to get close enough so she could hear them talking.

“Mr. Moore, Aiden wants to come up.  I’m sure I don’t need to tell you who he is…”

Sora responded before her father and Devin cursed below.  “Bring him up, Ron.”

“No!  No!  No!”  Devin snarled.  “He’s supposed to be with—Aiden, bro… hehe…”

“Shut up and sit in the corner; I’m not in the best mood, Devin,” the boy grunted.

“ ‘ight!  Yeah, sure, bro…  No need to burn my spirit to ashes; I’m good!  I’m just sayin’ Jenny’s expectin’ us, and we’re on a clock.  Eric’s with her, I bet you know, so…  Yeah, sitting in the damn corner…  Shit.”

A smirk lifted Sora’s lips as the man likely teleported up in a burst of flames to stand in front of the wolfwere.  Finally, Kari exited the room, hair a mess and streaks of mascara on her hard face, showing the indomitable eyes Sora was accustomed to.  It didn’t have the same effect on her after the time they’d shared together that morning, and she wondered if Kari’s makeup was done by one of the girls under her because she typically didn’t wear much.

Aiden went from shutting down Devin to apparently glaring at Sela before turning to her father, taking in the current situation.

“Don’t give me that look,” the small woman huffed.  “I’m on Sora’s side, believe it or not.  Who do you think sent you that little hidden message on how to get here?”

Devin hissed through his teeth.  “You slutty—shutting up, shutting up!”

“Ugh.  I have a headache,” Aiden muttered.  “Mr. Moore, I apologize for all this trouble and… breaking into your home.  Can I speak to your daughter?”

“That would depend on your purpose here,” her father cautiously returned, easing out the shotgun from the trunk by the sounds of it.  “Sela, that message could have serious consequences for my daughter’s friend.”

The fallen fae’s wings fluttered at the comparison.  “I am not your daughter, sir.  I know what I’m doing.  How long do you think I’ve lived and survived?  Aiden is the only one who can challenge Eric, so he’s the only option we have if your daughter is so terrified of this Jin woman to contact her ‘Sister-in-arms,’ so my choices were limited.”

Sora wanted to let them continue, so she decided to lighten her mood a bit by seeing how far she could push this new Kari, making the wolf give her a confused frown while standing in front of her.  Holding up her finger to her lips, she winked and gave her a critical stare, scanning her messy appearance.

Aiden can really buy us some time, and he might be able to save Wendy, Mary, and Lori while we distract Eric and Jenny.  Can my magic work on Kari if it’s not meant to be harmful?

“What are you doing?”  the black-haired girl mumbled as Sora’s desire magic surrounded her, clearing away the makeup and mud that stained her tanned skin while straightening her hair.  “Uh… really?”

“Just a test,” she innocently giggled with a grin as her father continued to vet the blond young man below.  “You can raid my wardrobe if you like.  I doubt I’ll have much that can fit you, but a belly tank and some of my more stretchy gym shorts should do the trick.  Just chill for a second and listen; I’m sure you’ll have things to say.”

Kari worked around her tight jaw before surprisingly nodding, and Sora pointed her toward her room further down the hall.  By the backward, distrustful glance the girl gave her on the way to the door, Kari thought she was up to something.

Aiden shouldn’t know that Kari’s here…  He doesn’t have a nose or ears like us, but I guess he might be able to sense her presence…  We’ll see.

Her tail flicked to the side as she flipped around to jog downstairs.  Sora felt better with the boy here, especially with Devin instantly backing down; it told Sora that Aiden wasn’t to be trifled with when he was pissed off.

“Is that right?”  her father questioned, focus now fully on the blond as he kept his distance in case he needed to react and shoot the boy, though Sora wasn’t entirely sure if her foxfire would even work on the firebird.  “You can shut this whole thing down?”

“It’s… a bit more complicated than that,” Aiden sighed, shifting to survey the room and no doubt realizing she could hear him.  “Eric isn’t thrilled about what Jenny’s doing, but he’s also the kind of guy who’s always up for a grudge match and stakes…  When you’re as powerful as he is compared to your average world monster, you find your kicks in other ways—Sora…”

She showed a cheery grin upon pushing the glass door open to the garage, where nine fancy vehicles could be pulled onto the building’s expensive car elevator.  Seeing Devin sitting in the corner, now looking utterly miserable, put butterflies in her stomach.

What a pussy-ass loser, she internally scoffed, letting her amusement be seen in her eyes as she came into view, increasing the man’s scowl.

“Well, at least someone knows how to make an entrance,” she laughed, tail weaving behind her.  “You know how to get to this whole arena place that Jenny wants us to go to, right?”

“Uh, yeah…  Yez’ela had it built for the Trolls and Ogres deep under Miami Beach.  Being built by a true Succubus means that it’s, uh… not a pleasant place overall.  Is that where Jenny asked you to go?”

Devin’s fingers tightened in his lap, which made Sora grin internally; he was not having a good time now.

Sora nodded, hearing Kari making a mess of her closet by tossing things aside to find anything that could fit her far taller frame and thicker, more muscular proportions.  The wolf kept mumbling about how scrawny and short Sora was, putting a sour taste on her tongue at the unnecessary comments.  The former bully didn’t have to be so violent with her clothes!

“There’s also this shadow organization that seems to be helping her.  I bet Eric wouldn’t like that part when you tell him, but… can you help me save Wendy, Mary, and Lori while we distract Jenny and Eric?”

Kari’s mutters and movements upstairs froze at her question.

Aiden crossed his arms, sucking in his cheek while glancing between a bored Sela, sour Devin, her cautious father, and Sora’s hopeful smile before groaning and scratching his forearm.  “If there is some organization stepping on Eric’s toes, I guess I can’t help but get involved—at least, it gives me an excuse.  Devin…”

“Bro!”  the man snarled, holding up his hands.  “You know me!  I ain’t doing shit to get on Jenny’s bad side.  I only do what I’m told, and the single job I had was to make sure Sora didn’t get help—”

“A damn good job you did with that,” Kari grunted, descending the stairs while wearing a black tank top that left her muscular belly showing and doing a way better job of filling out Sora’s shorts than she could.  “You’re really going to help her, Aiden?  What happened to you?  Has Sora charmed you or something?”

Sora snickered, tail wagging while turning a smirk at the hissing boy; she felt so much better with the firebird now on their side.  “Yeah, Aiden, did I?  I don’t even know how a lot of my powers work, Kari, so maybe!”

“Heh, wouldn’t that be a lot easier?”  he muttered, motioning to her father and apparently taking charge of the situation.  “Mr. Moore, I assume we’re on a clock by how you’re packing everything up.  It might be better for us to talk on the way there if Jenny’s expecting us.  Sela, making a communication link between the vehicles.  Is that okay, sir?”

The fact he asked her father made Sora smile—Aiden really was too good of a guy—which soon settled into her tightening gut.  Maybe he’s a little too good to be true…  Is it an act?

Kari wore a glare as she stared the boy down, Sora’s father taking a moment to consider the direction before turning to her.

“What do you think, honey?”

Devin stretched out his arms with a groan and a laugh.  “I think we’re all going to die!”

Sora’s attention went to Kari, though.  She honestly couldn’t sense anything duplicitous from the firebird, but if there was someone she shockingly had come to trust from this messed-up community, it was the Fenris Wolf that had tormented her for years—it really was ironic.

“Kari, do you trust Aiden to save Lori?”

The girl scratched the side of her head, causing a patch Sora had smoothed out to go out of place again.  “Aiden’s always been loyal to Eric and my mother…  If he thinks this organization you’ve talked about is looking to harm us…  Yes, he’ll do what’s best for Eric; firebirds can’t break their word.”

“Oh, that’s cool,” Sora mused, focus drifting to the wolfwere.  “So, if Aiden says he’ll burn a certain someone’s face off if they cause trouble… he’s not joking!”

Devin spread his arms in a way that said he was cooperating.  “Look, you can’t do anything to me, or Jenny will know from the charm.  Chill, harpies!”

Sela’s dangerous hum drew the boy’s suddenly fearful eyes as the short, gray-skinned woman touched down to walk over to him, and her words brought Sora back to their first meeting when the woman had picked apart her illusions, little by little.

“I love puzzles—especially magic ones—and when I see such an exquisite piece of dark fae magic I’m unfamiliar with, I have to investigate.”

Sora’s ears rose as she realized what the fallen fae had been doing the entire day while pestering the wolfwere.  “You’ve been analyzing his charm this entire time?”

Sela’s structured and elegant magic lifted the nervous wolfwere off the ground to press him against the wall upside down as she slid her fingers across his arm.

“Woah, woman!  Eh-hehe… a little foreplay before we—ack…”  he choked, trying to speak, yet no words reached them.

“Much better,” the woman whispered, the sound of the pattering rain against the glass outside and thunder coming back into the foreground as everyone focused on her.  “Aiden, do you know what has fascinated me about these little pieces?”  she asked, motioning to the golden choker, watch, and rings he wore.

“What?”  Aiden slowly asked, moving to join her as Sora motioned for her father to finish loading the car.  They would probably be on the move soon enough, and she wanted to study further what the fae was doing to understand magic better.  “Can you trace the source to this organization?”

“Better, in Sora’s mind, I think,” she snickered.  “These spells may have fae roots—and potent at that—but they are human in origin, which means there are flaws a real Unseelie would recognize.  No, I suspect our witch has studied at the hands of a fae Founder… of the negative kind.  Isn’t that troubling?”

Aiden’s mouth tightened, and Devin even looked shocked at the news, expression asking if they were joking or not.  Sora’s thoughts went to the one person the fallen fae, and even Eyia had practically pissed themselves over.

Gloria… the fae Founder?  A fae Founders…  One of Gloria’s children?

“That does complicate things,” Aiden whispered.  “If a fae Founder is making moves on this world, there could be real trouble.  By what you said, you’ll be able to follow the magic to Wendy and the others—they’re connected to them as a safety precaution in case Sora killed Devin?”

“Not only that, but I’ve been testing just how far I can push the threshold with plagues and viruses over the day to see which threads get close to activating, and I’ve isolated the proper weaves…  I don’t think Jenny had any intentions of keeping them alive… including you, Devin.”

Her devious gaze lingered on the uncertain wolfwere, suspended feet up.  “Aiden can purge a few with his abilities to prevent certain spells from activating when getting close to Wendy, Mary, and Lori.  Some are rather nasty, including this little thread that will squeeze your brain through your ears if you decide to go against your master…  Oh, don’t let it trigger now!”

“Can you?”  Sora asked the snickering Unseelie as she played with the now terrified wolf, Kari giving the blond boy a hard stare.  “Jenny’s too twisted to not have more planned for them—please, Aiden!”

He hissed, stepping back to run his fingers through his hair, giving the gray-skinned creature a distrustful glare.  “I… honestly don’t know if we can trust her, Sora…  Sela will do anything to satiate her amusement and keep her neck attached to her head.  She’s already shut down many of her gateways to us, making Eric believe she’s plotting to double-cross all of us.”

Sela’s nose twisted with rage, sharp tone flicking to the nervous man caught in her magic.  “You slimy mutt!  So, you were planning on twisting it so Eric would eat me?”

“Hey!  Hey!”  Sora interjected, jumping to grab the seething Uneseelie as Devin choked, blood suddenly flowing out of his mouth, ears, nose, and eyes.  “We need him alive, and you could hurt Wendy!”

Aiden put his palm against the man’s chest, rainbow flames engulfing him and causing the wolfwere to fall to the floor, sputtering and crying.  “D-Damn midget’s i-insane!  Ack—heh, thanks…  Oh, c’mon!”  he groaned.

Aiden picked him up by the shirt to hold the wannabe gangster against the wall again, eyes glowing with multi-hued fire.

“Sela, calm down and tell me what to purge,” his unflinching tone and gaze quelled the woman’s rage, making her fidget a little and nod.  “Right… my apologies.  I’m not accustomed to people double-crossing me—”

“Sela…”

“Of course…”

Sora breathed a sigh of relief at how Aiden had totally turned things around from the moment he entered, and Sela guided him to which items needed to be surgically altered.  It only took less than a minute, showing how much more proficient the pair was in knowing how to handle magic.

Kari was surprisingly silent throughout the exchange until they were about to leave, Devin taking Sora not to make Jenny suspicious when they showed up.  The man was pale and a bit shaken regarding the safeguards his ‘master’ had put in place to end his existence.

“Sora… can I talk to you?”  her previous nemesis whispered.

Lifting an eyebrow as everyone got into their vehicles, Sora hesitantly nodded as the girl took her out of the garage and into the front room, staring at the gloomy weather outside; it would be raining all night, as well, by the reports from a nearby hurricane that hit Cuba.

Aiden watched them go, a weird smile on his lips.  Maybe he thought they were becoming friends or something, which couldn’t be further from the truth!  In the firebird’s hands was a compass Sela enchanted to point him in the direction of the three hostages, able to cycle through them by tapping the glass.

“What’s up?”  Sora asked, hoping the wolf wouldn’t suddenly throw everything they’d planned for a loop for whatever reason.

Kari’s arms were held tightly under her bust, clipped fingernails actually scratching a freaking hole through her tank top and sports bra, which told Sora the girl was barely holding in her nerves, despite her cool exterior.  It really wasn’t fair that Kari could totally block her senses when on-guard.

“I know I, mmh…”  She grimaced, not making eye contact while looking at the rain peppering the glass to slide into oblivion below.  “I know I don’t have any right to ask you this… but if I don’t make it out of this, could you make sure Lori has a better life?”

Devin roared with laughter from the other room before choking up blood again from Sela’s touch and shouting at the Unseelie.

Sora’s vision narrowed, her tail restless and ears twitching at the request as memories of all the horrible things the sociopathic girl had done to her over the years flooded her mind.

“You’re unbelievable!”  she huffed, hardening lime-green eyes shifting to the lightning outside.  “I seriously don’t get you…  She hates and envies you, yet you’re out here totally hung up on saving her with, apparently, a death wish to what… be a hero—save someone—what is it?  The best thing for Lori is for you to disappear from her life—”

She bit her tongue, focus snapping to Kari as she bit her lower lip, still refusing to make eye contact.  “You’re trying to commit suicide—take the easy way out?!  Are you—mmgm!”  Her tight fist quivered, wanting to slap the girl across the face again.

“You don’t get it at all,” Kari returned, nose twisting with agitation.  “Eric will never be satisfied with who I am—how weak I am—and Jenny is better without me in her life…  I was stupid and selfish for trying to build a pack of my own…  I thought it would fill the hole in my chest, but it only made it worse—”

Unable to help herself at that, Sora’s palm smacked her cheek, making it throb.

“Stop slapping me!”  Kari snarled, referencing back to their earlier encounter that morning, but Sora met her anger-filled amber eyes.

“You are the stupidest and most frustrating person I’ve ever met!  Do you know how many times I felt like killing myself in the last three years?  How do you think Aiden would feel—you see how far he’s willing to go, and I highly doubt it’s for me!  He cares for you like his own lost, idiot sister.  Why?!”

The heat in Kari’s face fizzled out to insecurity as she glanced away, arm falling to her side.  “He’s not seeing me…  He’s seeing Tiri.”

“Who cares?”  Sora fumed, wanting to slap her a dozen more times as her tail writhed in frustration.  “So what if he does?  But here’s a thought, what if he does care for you?  Would that be so bad?”  Sora could see her trying to hold back tears again.

“But… anyone who tries to care for me gets killed,” she mumbled, voice cracking and making the fire in Sora’s own chest flare again, but she shoved it down; the girl was reflecting on her own mother, no doubt.  “I just want Lori to find some kind of happiness since it’s my fault Jenny tortured her—”

Sora raised her hand to slap her again, making Kari flinch, but she lowered her hand and instead moved closer to hug her.

“W-What are you doing?”

Breathing a long sigh, Sora tried to squeeze the life out of the much taller girl to no avail before stepping back and glaring at her.  “If you want her to have a better life, then help me fix this stupid, messed-up world and act like a person instead of a wolf—make friends, not some wolf pack…  I get you grew up in a different culture, but it’s not that difficult…  Start over, but don’t give up and take the easy way out because then I’ll always hate you!”

Sora wasn’t exactly sure what she was saying, but it just spilled out in the anger that flooded her heart, and Kari looked away in the silence that followed.  Letting her words sink in for a few seconds, she sighed, staring at anything besides her.

“I’ll… try to live.  My brother and Jenny might have another plan…”

She walked to the garage, her father watching them from the glass with narrowed eyes, with Aiden leaning against the car further back; Devin and Sela had already entered the started vehicles, the rumbles of their powerful engines heard through the see-through wall.

Sora’s teeth were clamped together as she tried not to tear a hole in her own clothes.  Don’t take the easy way out… because then I’ll always hate you?  What the hell did I say?!  This is so stupid!  Everyone is stupid!  Why am I the only one that can see how stupid this is?!  Jenny has to die!  Eric…  Her brother better take Kari’s side or…

“Mmgm…”

She felt like storm clouds should be following her as she went into the garage to enter the passenger side of Devin’s car, grunting her displeasure to her father on the way.  Sora didn’t want to have an attitude, but Kari was notorious for putting her in a certain mood.

“Let’s just go…  Wendy and Mary are waiting for us.”

Sela snickered at her hiss, entering her father’s vehicle with Kari and speaking to her through the spell she’d woven that allowed them to talk between each other.  “Meow!  I didn’t know you were more of a cat, Sora.  Oh, I can see you want to strangle me, Kari!  This is fun!”

Sora settled in, slapping the disgruntled wolfwere on the arm to get going as Aiden entered his own car.  “I wish a cat would be joining us…  No, I bet Nilly will make an appearance before this night is over; it’s practically written in stone at this point.”

The lift came up, gears turning to bring their vehicle onto the elevator as Aiden forced a laugh at her words.  “Nilly?!  Okay, hehe…  Please, no.  If the Revenant First Generation Founder of the Cats decides to show up, we’re all screwed.”

“Hey, at least we’d all be in the same boat,” Sora fumed, leaning against the side of the door.  “I’m sick of being the only one messed over…  Let misfortune strike everyone!  I don’t care anymore unless we save Wendy and Mary; screw the world!”

Devin revved the engine with a grin, feeling the car vibrate; the employees below would likely have some words for them on their exit to not turn on their vehicles before reaching the bottom since it disturbed the other hotel occupants.

“That’s it, girl,” Devin grinned, turning on a rap station and bobbing his head as the subwoofer kicked in.  Sora was too angry to stop him, but Sela nipped it in the bud since they still needed to talk about their plan, making the man pout.  “Y’all are no fun…”

After some words from the men working the lift below, Sora smoothed it over with her magic so they wouldn’t be held up, getting a frowny-face text from Jenny wondering where they were and telling Devin to stop playing around; it left the wolfwere grumbling, which put a savage smile on Sora’s face.

They entered the downpour, windshield wipers weaving frantically to reveal the road as they entered the storm; not many people were on the streets, given the warning to stay indoors in case the storm further swung toward Miami.  Police were out, yet Sela’s illusions kept their car from sight.

Sora brooded as Aiden was filled in on the situation by her father, and he told them how the Trolls and Ogres leaders would be clashing soon in the arena to determine who would hold supremacy over Miami under the watchful eye of Eric.  He’d deal with Jenny and Sora’s conflict when she showed up and had no clue about his little sister’s addition.

Aiden asked if he should inform Eric about everything since it could curb a lot of trouble, but her father and Sela advised against it.  Jenny had nothing to lose at this point, and, with the three hostages, they couldn’t make a serious move until the firebird found them and purged the dark magic holding their lives in a vice.

Still, they had someone who could actually make a difference and cleanse them, which was huge.  Sora had her doubts, though—all of this was too convenient to come out of nowhere.  Also, Aiden made Sora’s fingers dig into her thighs when mentioning that he’d met with Jin and Eyia earlier that day.

Narrowed eyes on the seemingly ordinary construction storage building they’d stopped outside of, Sora watched Sela send a magical pulse that caused a section of the closed-off parking lot to rise, taking them into a tunnel underneath Miami Beach.

“You met Eyia and Jin?”

Hellish symbols and unholy altars were seen enshrined on the sides as blue flames dimly lit their way, and they exited the storm to the deathly silent passageway.

Aiden’s tone was cautious as he split away from them to reach another area of the deep, underground arena.

“I can totally understand why you’d be frightened of Jin…  The only other person I’ve met with that kind of enigmatic, powerful aura was Alva, showing she’s far beyond my powers.  Jin made it perfectly clear that she had been the one to rip apart the four Troll brothers, and if Eric had a problem with it, he could talk to her himself.”

He forced a laugh, making Sora sit straighter.  Even though Jin didn’t want to make waves, she couldn’t see the Korean girl ever backing down to anyone.  “Apparently, they caused trouble for the Ogres, who were helping them, so she saw it as a perfectly reasonable transaction to rip out every one of their organs, one by one…”

“What about Eyia?”  Sora mumbled, thinking back to how intense the Asgardian could be.

“Eh, Eyia was… surprisingly sweet and scary.  She’s in the same boat as Jin.  I can’t tell who is stronger than who, and they’re obviously severely hiding their true power.  She offered me a ton of weird foods she’d collected from helping random food vendors before telling me not to make the mistake of making you my enemy.”

Sora’s tight muscles eased, and she sat back with a chuckle.  “That does sound like her…  I bet Jin rolled her eyes and started speaking Asgardian to her and getting into an argument.”

“Uh… yeah, that actually did happen,” he mused.  “Well, I think I’m about to hit the point where I need to walk.  Sela will know if… when I succeed.”

Hitting her thigh a few times, Sora breathed out a heavy sigh, scanning the occult and horrific rituals that dotted the black-stone tunnel.  It continued to take them deep underground, which should have been impossible in Miami.  Clearly, the dark, hellish magic was keeping this place stable, hidden, and the water of the ocean out.  Worse, Sora could sense unseen eyes from the desiccated human bodies chained to the walls on their passage through the underpass.

Was it a mistake not at least calling Eyia to talk to Jin?  Maybe she’d understand…  No, I should have called and let Jin know what was going on.  Stupid…  I guess it’s too late now since we’re so far underground, and this place is dampening my magic to connect to the outside world.  Dammit.

“Thank you, Aiden…  Good luck.”

Kari was silent the entire ride over.  Sora figured she was still stuck in her memories, trying to work through her past.  Sora fought the urge to talk to her, focusing instead on her father as he gotten the details from Eric regarding the arena.

The firebird estimated they’d have over a hundred Trolls and Ogres of various blood purity watching, and there were bound to be many other monsters that had come to see the contest.  He also suspected Jenny had conscripted her own private army through her infectious bite over the years.  Technically, the werewolves were all beholden to Eric as their alpha, but Jenny had considerable pull as the only one who could spread the seed.

When they arrived, Sora exited the car to see a giant stadium over what appeared to be a reflected sky, mirroring what was happening outside as thunder and lightning flashed across the underground heavens, illusionary rain falling around them.

Holes were fashioned all around the colossal structure, allowing vehicles to park and showing a unique small crystal attached to the wall outside that could be taken to trigger the barrier.  It was unreal to see what went into the place and why the Succubus had grumbled about it back at the meeting she’d stormed.  It truly was a marvel, if only it weren’t built on the backs of who knew how many corpses.

Chants came from inside as they found a place to park and gather outside, spotting a smiling brown-haired woman in her thirties that waved to them.

“Oh, you must be the vulpes I’m supposed to be waiting for!  L-Lady Kari, uh-heh, how… unexpected.”

“Shut up and take me to my brother,” Kari snarled, advancing with an expectation the woman would take them to the location.  “It’s time we settle things…”

Sora had no clue what she meant by that, but it sounded like she expected a fight.  She was right, though; it was time to end this.

Aiden, if you rescue Wendy and Mary, I’ll kiss you…  Wait, no—scratch that, she internally panicked.  A figure of speech.  I know everything will go to shit, but if Mary, Wendy, and my dad can make it out of this…  They have to make it out of this!

Ready for war, Sora steeled the fire in her belly and followed after the nervous girl, unsure gaze drifting to Sela and Devin as she guided them to the big bad wolves, thunder rumbling throughout the fake sky overhead, setting an ominous ambiance.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Two Hours; Amphitheatre Of Hell

A somber tone took them as they were led further into the impossible, underground stadium dedicated to Hell, a shiver running down Sora’s tail while spotting the many altars and rituals decorating the walkway.  It was as if Yez’ela had wanted to fashion the place after her home and it made her realize the kind of fiend she’d provoked.

There were so many ways things that could have gone wrong now that she saw the mind behind the woman.  Sora’s throat was tight while spotting the bones, still-pumping organs, and occult symbols etched along the stone path, showing her a glimpse at who Yez’ela was.  Then again, maybe it that was even more impressive since she’d scared her back to Hell.

The rumbles and swirling dark clouds overhead didn’t help the sobering atmosphere, nor the statues of devils the Succubus no doubt respected, casting an eerie ambiance over them with fiery eyes that appeared to follow their path.

Small, imp-like fiends with sharp, baby-like teeth snickered and grinned from their perched places throughout the place, which likely felt more like home to the creatures than the surface above.  Their shiny leather-like red skin and sinister stares were reflected in the cruel aura Sora got from the sentries; many engaged in picking some kind of meat from their teeth with shaved bones.

She learned what they’d feasted upon reaching the stairs that rose into the outer walking area of the coliseum, spotting hundreds of cramped steel cages that lined the outer premier with the half-eaten remains of humans and monsters for the imps to pick at and torment.

Sora’s twisted nose mirrored her father, smelling the rot, gore, and sulfur as they spotted the bubbling pools of lava that seemed to be cycled through some kind of infernal machine, mumbling, “That Eric allowed something like… this to be made shows just what kind of person he is.”

Sela gave him a wry smile, following his gaze.  “Eric doesn’t care about anything more than being the person in control.  He’s a Fenris Wolf, after all.  Although, this is a bit much, even for him.  Still, he’s lenient toward each creature’s culture and lets them have their space.”

The Unseelie cast her gaze, eyebrows lifted with mild respect.  “If I’m being honest, Yez’ela performed a work of art here, by devil standards, that is.  She could summon as many fiends as she desired from the First Circle and could report to her superior through it.  Personally, I find Eric quite understanding of different cultures and knows how much slack to give.”

Sora’s fingers tightened upon seeing the corpses hung from windows dotting the massive amphitheater.  “What kind of place is your home, Sela?”

“Humph.  Unseelie are far more… sophisticated in our pleasures, but, heh, I doubt you would find them much more appealing,” she shrugged.

Devin huffed, seemingly not all that interested in the arena.  “No need to be shy; Sela’s the queen of manipulating humans to do all sorts of evil things of their own free will or feasting off their nightmares in a never-ending cycle of misfortune.  The mother of ghouls, goblins, witches, and the things that go bump in the night,” he snickered, shooting her an impish smirk.

“You say that as if it is a bad thing?  I am who I am, and I only pretend otherwise when needed,” she shrugged.

Sora’s scowl centered on the entrance as they came closer, spotting sickly, yellow-skinned monsters nearly three meters tall and wielding thick clubs near the entrance—ogres—sporting thick muscles and glares.

“The more I learn,” she grumbled, “the more I think it would be better if you did die, Sela.”

The Unseelie’s wings beat to bring her into the air, curious green irises on Kari’s silent back as she walked close to the nervous, glasses-wearing woman guiding them.  “You act as if vulpes are so much better?  I can guarantee your mother has done more unspeakable acts than even I can dream of or stomach.  Food for thought,” she mused, narrowed eyes shifting to her for a moment.

Sora wanted to strangle the woman, but her father squeezed her shoulder to remain calm.  He was right; they could worry about the ethics and morality of things later.  The truth was, she was happy to forget this place existed entirely if she could get Wendy and Mary back safely.  Her dad made it easy when bringing up a disturbing point.

“Could Jenny be plotting something with something from Hell here?  If she needed time to prepare and to bring us here, it couldn’t have been for some random fight.  She’s been plotting something for years, and this is her staging ground.”

Kari’s mouth tightened while glancing back at them, uncertainty in her gaze.  “This is where Devin usually made his home base, and Jenny… usually was the one who went between Devin and me.”

The boy snorted.  “Look, I don’t know shit.  She gave me orders, and I did what she wanted.  Put pressure on some cops for a video or squeeze some teachers—whatever.  And she told me to be here, so I scampered down here—sue me—that’s what you humans do, right?  I’m just the trained hound here, so quit throwing shit on me!”

Her dad’s aura became more agitated as he scanned the gruesome place, seemingly reading between the lines of what that meant.  “So… Jenny, Yez’ela, or Eric—who was the one who wanted the construction of this place?”

Everyone looked to Devin, who hissed and rubbed the back of his neck, nervously spotting the smirk on Sela’s face that said she was more than willing to extract the information from him in other ways; the girl guiding them appeared to want nothing to do with their conversation.

“Okay, Yez’ela came to me with the idea, and Jenny green-lit me to send it to Eric.  You have no idea how big of a headache constructing this was, even with magic, devils, and monsters!  Damn.  Everyone’s always on my ass…”

Silence took them as Sora drew into herself, and they entered the front entrance, spotting unique red stone that lined much of the interior.  According to Sela, it was a common source of hellish energy that stored torment and souls like a battery, which made Sora shiver.

She hated the feel of the place; there was too much happening, and all of it was negative.  Sora wasn’t sure for what reason, but her instincts told her to run.  She couldn’t, though, and Jenny made sure of it.  Something was wrong with the grotesque coliseum that went beyond the fiendish touch.

All of this was set up by Jenny over the years since they first took over Miami, and a question bubbled to the surface as they went to a blocked-off staircase with mercenary-like men guarding it—they smelled like Jenny.

“Did… Jenny know I was a Founder?”

Devin worked around his jaw and snorted.  “I don’t know, but probably.  It’s kind of hard to tell, but Founders have this… perplexing smell, like you, Kari, Eric, and Aiden.”

Sora stopped on the last stair.  “Aiden?”

“Uh, yeah, he smells weird, too, so I bet he’s a Founder or something like it,” he muttered.  “Not really all that interested, really.  Can you just ask Jenny all this instead of putting it on me?  Heh.  Pardon my language, but damn, I’m kind of getting sick of getting caught in the middle of shit.”

Her father gave her a look while shifting around his strapped guns, mirroring her expression.

Eric was pissed she didn’t tell him I was a Founder, so she didn’t want him to know because it would jeopardize her plans.  There really isn’t anything else we can do now…  She’s backed us into a corner.

They reached an upper 3rd story-balcony for what appeared to be VIPs by the cushioned seats and easy viewing access from the extended platform.  Below, she could see dozens of fresh corpses and a fight happening between a Troll and Ogre, locked in a battle to the death with the stands filled with various monsters and humans.

Jenny and Eric leaned against the stone wall, wearing thoughtful expressions as Kari marched past the nervous woman.

“Cut the bullshit and release Lori, Jenny!”

Eric lifted an eyebrow at her blunt entrance, holding up a hand.  “Hey, bro, haven’t seen you in like three years!  C’mon, Kari, is this human chick really more important than family?”

Sora caught the werewolf’s helpless shrug and expression toward Kari.  The bully was definitely going to play some kind of card, but she knew she couldn’t interrupt Eric, or things could turn south real fast.  It put her ears back that she had to play it in the background, and a light-humored illusion might get her tail yanked.

“I’m not here for you, Eric,” she growled, eyes still on Jenny and making Sora want to slap the girl again.

You idiot!  she internally screamed.  Obviously, Jenny’s trying to play you two against each other, and you’re jumping head first!

Sora found her place to interject with Kari’s blunder.  She had to cut the girl some slack by her crossed arms and scent; she was terrified of her brother, and her posture said it by not wanting to make eye contact.  She was floundering.  Then again, maybe Sora just had more experience handling bullies.

“Is that right…”  the man hummed, but Sora put on a light frown while moving closer to draw some attention.

“Personally, I can see why Kari’s so agitated, Eric.  It’s less about seeing you and more about Jenny stepping out of line.  She sees Jenny as her subordinate, and she’s stabbed her in the back.  She’s only being this civil because this is your territory…  Right, Kari?”  she said, stopping beside her and shooting a leer at Jenny, who suddenly wasn’t so smug.

Eric’s frown lifted a little while considering her words, staring down at them.  “Woah, heh, I can hear the venom, Sora, and you do have a point…”

“Does she, though?”  Jenny countered, brushing back her hair and tapping the stone wall they leaned against, showing a bit more agitation than Sora anticipated.  She was getting under her skin by covering for Kari, which the werewolf likely hadn’t expected.

“Sure, I’ve played with your sister—as you told me to—but I’m not under her rule since she isn’t the Alpha.  If she wants to make me do something, she should take that up with you, Eric.  I’ve told you how much she cares for the girls at the school… even more than she cares for Aiden and you.”

“Jenny, when did you…”  Kari growled, but she trailed off as Eric tilted his head in the opposite direction, debating her words and doing precisely what Sora hoped he wouldn’t do.

“You’re not wrong.  I told you to watch my sister and make sure she sharpened her teeth in my absence, and the humans seem to be negatively influencing her, but… I didn’t tell you to instigate another Founder family.”

Kari appeared fixated on his admission, though.  “You… made Jenny be my friend to make me kill…  Did you tell my brother—were you planning on making me kill Lori?”  she snarled, emotion now entering her voice and fingers quaking while fixating on the werewolf.

Sela winced.  “Well, I mean, it was pretty obvious.”

Her dad’s hands tightened against his gun, knowing he needed to remain silent to not put himself in danger.  Without a doubt, fighting Eric would end both of them dying by the power the man radiated.  They had to play this right, and even though Sora wanted to help navigate Kari through this nightmare since she didn’t have anyone else, she had her own priorities.

Eric sighed upon seeing Jenny’s helpless shrug.

“What did I tell you?  She’s practically turned into a human.  In fact, a week ago, I heard her say she hated being a Fenris Wolf.”

“Kari, Kari, Kari…”

Sora only saw one solution going forward as Kari went into an emotional spiral.  This was precisely what Jenny wanted, for her to make the mistake of going in half-cocked to fight her brother.  Kari needed time to process, they had to bide their time, allowing Aiden to come to Wendy’s rescue.

“Why would you—what are you trying to…”

Placing a hand on Kari’s shoulder, Sora drew their attention, tail flicking to the left with displeasure.  “Look, I get this is a big deal for you, but let’s cut to the chase.  You have two options: you tuck in your tail and kill Lori, or challenge Eric and make him submit to what you want, which… I’d say that is exactly what Eric has been trying to do.  Isn’t that right?  You want Kari to be able to handle herself as a proud Fenris Wolf.”

Eric threw up his hands with a laugh.  “See!?  She gets it, but you’re too soft to do anything.”

Head turned toward her, Sora saw the hurt and fear in Kari’s amber eyes as Eric flexed his fingers, but she wasn’t finished.

“So… I have a proposition.”

Jenny rolled her eyes.  “The vulpes has a proposition?”

Sora’s smug gaze shifted to the werewolf as Eric drew in his mouth, crossed his big arms, and nodded.

“No, I’d like to hear what Sora’s got on her mind.  Say what you want; vulpes usually can see things other monsters can’t—they’re crafty.”

Jenny forced a chuckle.  “Which is why we should be cautious of her…  She also has a grudge against your family.”

“And whose fault is that?”  Sora crisply returned.  “Did you know I was a Founder when you targeted me?”

“Pfft.  You didn’t know you were a Founder, Sora.”

“Not my question,” she pressed, eyes narrowing as Eric’s mouth tightened.  Obviously, he didn’t want things to escalate here and how they were, which meant she had to change her tactics.

Eric puffed out a long stream of air.  “Yeah, it’s a mess, but we can deal with that later.  I’d rather not get any of the Three Pillars, your Aunt Inari, or your mother involved if we can help it and handle things ourselves; there’s a time and place, though.  In any case, what’s this plan you mentioned?”

Sora saw the terror in Kari’s eyes, still refusing to look at her brother to show him what he likely already knew by her scent and Jenny’s tight-lipped stare; if there was a key to a door out of this nightmare, Kari did hold one of them.

“Kari fights you in the arena, and if she wins, then you give her Jenny as a gift for taking a step toward being a real woman—or, what Fenris Wolves no doubt see being a real woman—and if she loses…”  she paused for dramatic effect, Kari’s expression telling her no.

“Mhm?”  Eric asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Then she kills Jenny and every human girl she’s developed an attachment to at school.”

Kari’s shaky fingers found her shirt and lifted her off the ground, stretching the fabric.  “You bitch!”

Sora didn’t flinch, keeping her gaze leveled on the wolf, knowing the girl was all bark.  And as she expected, Eric stepped forward to force her fingers open; he wanted this done a specific way, which meant Sora had to tailor it to his liking, which did put a bit of a sour taste in on her tongue.

“Don’t do something we’ll all regret, Sis,” he sighed, likely exasperated at her emotion and thinking how emotional teenage girls were.  “Think for once in your life…  It’s the right decision.”

“I-I…”

Sora wanted to laugh at Jenny’s stunned expression.  The werewolf did not see her suggesting that kind of plan, and for good reason.  Of course, she had her reasons for doing this, and she was banking everything on what Eyia told her.

Adjusting her tank top, she rolled out her neck.  “I think it’s only fair she cut all ties with humanity to return to the pack since she’s not ready to be on her own…  I know not what you hoped, but you’ve given her three years.  Maybe I can get her to see things clearly!  Give me, like… thirty minutes with her?  I promise it will be worth it!”  she chimed, showing a grin that confused Kari, Jenny, and Eric, but the man laughed.

“I like your spunk, Sora, and I can see the fox in those eyes.  How the hell did you not realize she was a Founder, Jenny?”  he growled, making the girl grimace and look away.

“When I did discover it, it was too late, and things were already in motion.  Plus, she is why Yez’ela bailed on us back to Hell, leaving the fiends a total mess!  She’s ruined a lot in Miami, but Aiden keeps vouching for her,” she growled.

Eric snorted, shooting an impressed look her way rather than anger, which made Jenny’s jaw tighten—a miscalculation of his personality and priorities since she wasn’t just anyone, which changed the name of the game.

“So Yez’ela bit off more than she could chew by messing with a vulpes Founder and found out what they can do the hard way.  Sounds like more of a her mistake than Sora’s.  What did you do?”

Kari should really take lessons from me on how to deal with people, she thought to herself, showing a mischievous smile and shrug.

“Oh, well, devils were once human, you see, and some of those memories they cherish more than their very lives since they can sometimes relive those blissful memories outside the pits of Hell.”

She started counting on her fingers.  “Let’s see…  There was Atticus—yeah, he’s gone from her memory—she loved Cyrus, well, hehe, not anymore.  Cassius was a big arrow to her black heart, so she broke there and flew home.  Yez’ela can’t recall their names or faces—well, except Cassius—nothing but the vague silhouette in the fog.

“I plucked almost every thread out of her soul, burning them in front of her and leaving the longing of knowing she loved them without the reasons why…  They’d forever tickle at the edges of her bleeding heart.  I thought it was just punishment for all the pain she’d caused.  What do you think?”

Devin and Eric whistled, looking at each other with impressed nods as the Alpha said, “Yez’ela used to be human?  Interesting; it appears she lied to us…  That won’t bode well for her in Hell when the Ars Goetia finds out!  Nevertheless, it looks like my sister should take some pointers from her on how to deal with a problem.  Respect.  Exactly what I’d expect from a vulpes Founder.”

Yeah…  It’s not like I was just stupid, like Sela said earlier, using my Desire Magic without knowing the consequences or how it would affect me.  Converting my energy to Hell Force really did a number on my mind and heart when connecting to Yez’ela, but they don’t have to know that.  And what do they mean about her lying?

Eric grinned and waved his hand.  “I’m game.  I’m excited to see what magic you weave into my sister because I can’t see her beating me.  So… Jenny, get that one human girl ready to bring out because we must show everyone I don’t make exceptions for weakness.”

Sora’s gaze shifted to Sela as the woman’s head snapped up, wide eyes turning to her, and she suddenly giggled, making a gesture with her fingers; Aiden had been successful.

“How…  Devin!”

Sora’s smirk moved to Jenny as the werewolf’s fingers went to her throat, the choker erupting in rainbow flames.  “That’s going to be difficult for her, Eric, since Aiden now has her.  Ah, dear, it didn’t have to be like this if Jenny hadn’t taken people I care about.”

To her mild surprise, the man just laughed, doubling over and smacking the wall, causing it to fracture from the pressure.  “You keep impressing me!  You sly vulpes, sinking your crafty claws into Aiden!  Aww-hehe.  He’s such a sucker for girls in distress.  Wooh.  I haven’t laughed this much in a while.  I love it!  Well, you started shit with her, Jenny, but we need to make a show out of it.  What now?  Oh!  Interesting.”

Shocked by how nonchalant and laid back Eric was, she saw a flash of fire that brought Aiden, Wendy, Mary, and Lori into view.  The firebird, however, wore a deep frown that put a spike through Sora’s gut.  She could sense Mary and Wendy’s auras, yet Lori was the only human-looking person he returned with.

The firebird gave her a concerned stare.  “Sora…”

Fingernails becoming claws, Sora’s hand darted for Jenny’s throat, points sinking into her skin, yet the werewolf didn’t respond, knowing she wouldn’t kill her so long as Eric was there.

“You turned my friend into—into a werewolf?!  Reverse it!  Now!”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm,” Jenny choked, showing a smile.  “It’s not—ack, that simple, fool.  You kill me, and they can never revert back to humans and lose their minds.  Why do you think Eric killed all of my father’s pack when he ripped off his head?”

Devin made an ‘ahh’ sound in his throat as if only now realizing why he’d gone on the murder spree and putting a new light on his earlier story and why he’d been spared.

“She’s not wrong; Jenny’s got you there,” Eric hissed, rubbing his bare shoulder.  “Germanic Werewolves’ virus is linked to the originator’s soul in a curse, which keeps their consciousness intact and them in line, or else they go berserk and become wild animals.  Still, it’s magically fashioned, so, as a vulpes Founder, you should be able to break it.”

“Not with how weak she currently is,” Jenny promptly returned, forcing her hand away with some effort that left nail marks on her neck.  “Even if she is a Founder, if Aiden can’t break the curse, she won’t be able to.  Plus, I can trigger their feral side whenever I feel like it.  Why do you think they’re not running into your arms?”

“Jenny!”  Sora snarled, glancing back at the wrinkled noses of her therapist and best friend, agitated by her actions against their creator.  “Ho-ho.  You don’t think I can’t force you to release them?”

However, before she could sink her magical fangs into the werewolf, Eric held up his hands, coming between them as if the voice of reason.  “Okay, girls.  Okay.  We got some beef!  Alright.  I’m a fair guy.  Although, I’m more interested in my sister’s challenge, don’t think I don’t see you, Sora; I love the energy and drama—Kari?”

“What…”  Kari blinked, still utterly lost and possibly in total denial.

Sora couldn’t believe how helpless one of the most intimidating and invincible girls she’d ever met actually was when all the masks and bravado were stripped away, but that was a trauma for you, much less multiple.

“She’ll be ready!”  Sora snarled, shoving the girl toward the stairs.

Kari tucked under her bottom lip as she saw Lori clinging to Aiden instead of going to her, hiding behind the uncomfortable blond and crying into his shirt.  The firebird seemed to have healed her wounds, which somehow ingratiated him to her more than her ‘friend.’

Sora scratched her neck and shot a glare at Jenny.  “Eric, have her release Wendy and Mary—you’ll get what you want.  After your fight with your sister, I will give you… hehe, quite the show.”

“Looking forward to it!  Jenny?”

Sora wanted to curse as the disguised teenage girl shrugged and gave her an innocent smile.  “I’ve been looking forward to it for what seems like an eternity.  Have your time together, but don’t think about running away!  Ooh, that ending wouldn’t be pretty.”

Snapping her fingers and turning to look down at the many Ogres and Trolls, still locked in their death-game over territory, Jenny appeared to almost forget about them.  Sora held back a snarl; it was far too passive, but she had her fail-safe and was confident enough in the virus to let her go.

Grabbing Kari’s arm to guide her away, utterly lost and likely wanting to run herself, Sora pulled her toward Aiden, Lori, Wendy, and Mary.  “You’ll give me some time?”

“Dikog and Jek will be fighting next, and… that can last a while with Jek’s healing factor and Dikog’s stamina.  I’ll end it at forty minutes or so if neither is dead because it gets boring.”

“Plenty of time…”

Wendy and Mary blinked as they returned to normal, completely nude, but Sora quickly wrapped them in illusionary clothes.

“Wha—Sora!”  Wendy cried, tears coming to her red face as she lurched forward to tackle her.  The terrible smell of Jenny permeated her best friend, but she fought past choking.  “I—I was in my h-home, and…”

“It’s okay,” she whispered, rubbing her bare back and glaring at Jenny; hopefully, she hadn’t done anything else to her friend and psychiatrist.  “I’m here now.  Let’s get you some clothes.  Aiden, can you help me?”

“Clothes?  I… oh…”

Wendy swallowed, taking her other hand as her father moved to Mary.  He had to put a hand on her shoulder to get the woman’s attention, making her flinch and suck in air, releasing it in a hot stream while attempting to control her emotions.

“Are you hurt, Mary?”

“I’m… fine for now, Mr. Moore.  Umm.  What’s happened?  W-What should we do?”  she whispered, nervous gaze shifting between the parties.

Sora saw Aiden nod, having to be a little firm to pull Lori off of him and take her hand.

“Follow me…”

The smirk Eric wore as the firebird guided them out of the large booth made Sora want to punch him.  This was not some happy damsel-in-distress moment for the blond boy to ‘capitalize’ on, but Eric didn’t even really see humans having any rights since they were basically only cattle, yet even cattle were treated better.

One hand pulling Kari along with her other comforting Wendy, Sora sighed; things had taken a turn, but at least she had Mary and Wendy now.

Her father held the brown, curly-haired woman’s hand to show her comfort in the terrifying Hell-inspired amphitheater—it certainly was thematic—and Aiden tried to keep Lori off of him since he could probably tell their clothes were just illusions.  Sela tailed them, humming like this was just another day in paradise.

Kari appeared to be trying to restrain herself from tears, her focus occasionally darting to Lori, who refused to look at her, and making Sora internally scream.

Yes, she doesn’t trust you to save her!  Am I the only one that can actually get anything done?  Shit!  At least I have Dad and Aiden here to help, but c’mon!

It only took them a few minutes to get to a place where some kind of magical chest produced items for them to use, which was probably used by the devils, considering the torture devices across the space.  Still, the clothes were fine and normal, except for the occasional pieces she didn’t want to know the use for that Aiden withdrew and tossed to the side.

Just to put the girls at ease, she put up a fake curtain for them to change behind, explaining what was happening.  Kari leaned against a spiky torture bend, staring into space with her arms crossed, lost in her mind.

Once they were dressed in things that mostly fit them, Sora frowned at her father, knowing he wouldn’t like what she said.  “Dad… I want you to stay with Aiden and guard Mary, Wendy, and Lori—I know,” she said at his scowl.  “Believe me, I know you want to be with me and help, and you have—a lot—you’ve kept me sane and calm…  I need you to trust me.”

“Hold up!”  Wendy shivered, hugging herself.  “You’re…  Can’t we go?  You can do, like… a magical seal o-or something for this virus curse, right?  It sucks I might turn under the full moon, or whatever, but we can handle that—not the legion of monsters in the stadium!”

Sora shook her head, seeing her father groan at her ears pulled back, conflicted as she gave him a pleading look.  “I have to face this, Wendy; I’m going to make sure no one else messes with us.  I told myself I was done running and being weak.  If we run away or roll over, it will never end.”

Mary held a hand against her chest as it puffed up, and she let it go in a gradual stream.  “She’s right, Wendy.  These creatures have no empathy toward us—well, heh, most of them,” she added with a thankful smile at Aiden, though the firebird was still contending with a frightened Lori, who refused to leave his side or look at anyone.

“No offense taken…  Human society is very different from what I grew up around, but I enjoy the broader vision it’s given me.  Sora, do you really think Kari can do what you promised…  She’s not ready to fight her brother.”

Sora smelled Kari’s blood from her bitten lip, unable to speak or resist since she’d trapped her in this match against her brother.  Kari probably had no idea what to do, as trapped as Sora felt at school, which had a bittersweet justice to it; the circumstances were messed up, though, ruining the flavor.

“She has to be,” Sora firmly returned.  “Dad…”

“Ugh…  I don’t want to leave you, but…  I do trust you,” he groaned, rubbing his face.  “Promise me you won’t get hurt.”

“Heh.  Jenny could never hurt me without blackmail, which…”  Spreading her magic to analyze the corruption inside her friend’s body, Sora grimaced.  “Mmgm.  It is a powerful curse, but I think I can figure something out.  Sela?”

The woman gave a thoughtful look, Wendy stiffening as the Unseelie hovered over to hold her hand against her head.  “I… can help you to remove it, given the proper preparation.  Not here, of course.  Hmm.  It should be possible, though.”

“Good.  Well, time’s ticking.  Kari…  C’mon!”  She applied more pressure against her arm to pull her away, but she didn’t budge an inch or respond.  “Haaa.  Aiden, can you…”

“Yeah, I’ll take them to another VIP box to watch away from everyone, and… just follow this to the gladiator pit—well, that’s what they call it,” he mumbled, creating a flame in his hand to flick it at the doorway.  “It will take you there when you leave.”

“Thanks!”

“Sora!”

“Aww.”  She chuckled as Wendy moved to squeeze the life out of her.  “I’ll be good.  We’ll get past this, Wendy.  Okay?”

She gave her a tight-lipped nod and took Mary’s hand as the woman guided her out.

Her father gave her a nod.  “Give them hell, Sweetie.”

“Heh.  You know I will.”

Tail wagging as they left, she stared at Sela when she lingered to study Aiden’s magic with interest before sighing and exiting with the others.  Now finally alone with Kari, she turned a glare to the melancholy wolf, smacking her arm.

“Get your shit together!  What, did you think Lori would jump into your arms and thank you for saving her like Wendy did for me?  Get over yourself!  Maybe if you were actually friends, she would have, but you saw her clinging to Aiden.  Why?  Because he did something!  Unlike you, who does what?”

“What can I do?”  Kari shot back, closed fist swiping out and forcing Sora to duck away not to have her head taken off.  “You did this to me!  I have to kill her now—you killed Lori!”

Sora figured she’d lash out at her since she was the only person she could strike right now, so she dodged another desperate lunge.

“Are you stupid?!  Jenny is why Lori’s in this mess, but what have you done?”

“You took everything from me!  My freedom, my friends, my future—Eric will force me to stay by his side now!”

“Excuse you?”  Sora rolled her eyes, jumping away as Kari smashed through the torture equipment like butter, throwing them around as she cried and screamed.  “What freedom did you have in the first place?  Wake up, Kari!”

“I was getting better—I was becoming happy!”

Sora ducked under a large beam the girl flung her way, being careful with how she maneuvered not to get caught up in her traumatized tantrum, unable to cope with the vice closing around her neck. 

“You were a terrified puppy in a sealed room, waiting for your master to come back and feed you a bone!”

“You ruined everything!”

“No!  I was the one that got Aiden to help Lori—not you!  I was the one who confronted the evils you pretended didn’t exist—not you!  I was the one who has given you a way out—and there’s another table thrown in my face—what are you doing?”

Half the room was now a junkyard as Kari collapsed on the stone ground in hiccups, breaking a hole in the floor for screams to be heard below as people ran away from the falling ceiling.  “I… can’t win.  What am I even living for?  I don’t know…  I don’t know.”

Scooting around the edge of the hole in the floor, Sora puffed out a long stream of air; despite all her power, Kari really was a terrified teenage girl, afraid of her big brother and crying out for help.

“Are you done?  Okay…”  she mumbled as Kari curled in to hug herself and hide in her hair, trying to block out the world, no doubt.

Carefully approaching, she knelt beside her and drew her in, which she hated, but her biggest enemy—this broken wolf-girl—was the only way she saw them coming out of this on top, and even if she hated Kari, she didn’t wish this on her.

“Hey…  I promise you can beat him.  Do you want to know how?”

“H-How?”  she sniffed, her quaking, muscular body making Sora nervous since the girl could snap her like a twig.  “How can I?  He has my mother’s flesh in him—I can’t fight my mom…”

What… the hell kind of trauma is this?  Sora internally shouted, not making the connection at all, but apparently, this went deeper than she thought.

“Talk to me, Kari…  Tell me why you’re so terrified of your brother.  I’m here to help you win—I’m on your side—so, talk to me…”

Chapter Thirty-Eight: Forty Minutes; The Strong Make Mistakes

Pulling away from Kari, Sora sat beside her, ignoring the commotion through the fractured floor, yet all the dark-haired girl could manage was hiccups and weeping for a minute before reigning herself in, coughing and choking.

Time was running out, but she knew this kind of thing couldn’t be rushed, and, eventually, Kari brushed away her tears, puffy amber eyes drifting to her.

“What do you want from me?”

Sora sucked in her left cheek, glancing to the side and pondering the question to allow the wolf a moment to collect herself.  “Hmm.  I guess you could say… I want to see the Kari that you want to see.  Heh.  Imagine that,” she snorted, shooting a somber smile her way.

“As I said, I’m on your side, as insane as that is to believe.  You said you wanted to be the wolf, always hungry and climbing the hill—to be a leader.  Is that really what you want?  C’mon, haha, give me something before we all march to our deaths.”

Kari sprawled out in the debris she’d created, staring up at the ceiling.  “I told you that, but… I don’t even want to be a Fenris Wolf.  Why couldn’t I be born a human?”

Fidgeting with her tank top, Sora pulled her focus away from the melancholy girl to study the damage to the room—a room that was enchanted and made of material not of this Earth that she’d ripped through all the same in her tantrum.

“You really feel powerless?”

Nose twisting, Kari turned her back to her.  “Humph.  You think you understand, but you don’t…  My brother’s right; my mom had us living in a fantasy, locked away in her safe little realm, and he proved it to me…  Mom’s dead, and now we have nowhere to call home.  I don’t want to be a leader—I never did…  I just want to have some measure of control—to be free—I don’t want to feel helpless.”

Sora pulled her hair around to lay down next to her, hands settling on her stomach.  “Is that right?  Maybe I don’t know what you’ve gone through, but I do understand that same feeling of being helpless and wanting to have control…  Jenny used you to take that away from me.”

“I didn’t like that,” Kari snarled.  “Why did you think I ran you out?  I started to see what I was doing to everyone…  How miserable some of the girls around me were, and I didn’t want that on them…  I just wanted to feel free from the stress of being a Fenris Wolf.”

Hands tightening against her belly, Sora flicked her tail over to slap the back of Kari’s leg.  “Hey, okay, so we want the same thing—that’s something—so let’s make a plan to get there.  Think about it.  If I’m willing to throw some measure of water under the bridge between us, you can do the same, right?  Right?”  she pressed, prompting her again with her tail.

“Mmgm.”

Green eyes narrowing, she glared to her side at the back of the girl’s head.  “What kind of a response is that?”

Shifting around to return the glare, only with a red and puffy face, Kari huffed.  “How can you be so calm when your friend was turned into a werewolf?!  Shouldn’t you be more worried about rescuing her, instead of wasting time on me?”

Sora’s jaw slackened, her mind slowly processing exactly what the wolf said because surely she’d heard wrong.  “I… have never wanted to slap someone more times in my life, but I feel like I’m bullying you now—can you be this stupid?”

“What?”

Pushing herself up, Sora’s tail beat the ground as she threw her hands in the air and cast her gaze around the hellish torture chamber.  “Do you think I want to be here even breathing the same air as you, much less having a heart-to-heart?  No!  This is the last thing I want to do, but when life gives you shit, you have to throw it in a bag, light it on fire, and toss it back!”

Kari’s own mouth opened at her tirade while shifting to her butt.  “Did… you just call me shit?”

“I’m not throwing insults at you.  Like I said earlier this morning, get over yourself!”  Sora rolled her eyes at how everything had to be about the Fenris Wolf.

“I want nothing more than to rescue Wendy, but the best solution is for you to shut down this whole messed up situation!  You have the power to end all of this, but you’re too traumatized and terrified even to acknowledge that.  What are you afraid of?”

Amber irises falling to her lap, Kari bit her lower lip and gripped her left arm, now unable to make eye contact.  “My brother ate my mother’s flesh, which means… he can use her as fuel, and my mother is a part of the original Second Generation Founders—it would be like trying to fight your mom!  I-It’s literally impossible.”

Now having actually something substantial to latch onto, Sora nodded.  “Finally!  So you think he’ll, what, turn into your mom or something since Fenris Wolves get power from things they consume?  Has he done that to beat you before?”

“No…  Look, I don’t know what would happen, okay?”  she cried, emotion cracking her voice.  “All I know is that we get stronger from the things we consume—spirit, body… Intelligence, even.  I’m sure you have some kind of weird niche like all Founders have, but I didn’t want to eat my mother…  Eric almost made me.”

Sora’s thought lingered on another thought.  “Wait, wait…  If your mom was so powerful that she could make her own dimensions, and we’re comparing her to my mom…  How did she die?”

Kari shivered and shook her head, hugging herself and closing her eyes as if trying not to recall the memories.  “I don’t know!  She died—there was a big quake through her realm, and when I came back…  Eric was there… eating her,” she gagged.  “Everything fell apart, and we were scattered across Russia for a time… but Jenny found me.”

It dawned on Sora.  “So… Jenny brought you to the United States to get away from Eric but secretly told him where you were, so he followed and built up his empire here?  Jenny had all the contacts, being a werewolf from this planet.  It wasn’t a coincidence, either…  She must have targeted me.”

Clearing her face again, Kari shook her head.  “Jenny knew Yez’ela—the devils were who we went through to get US papers—and Jenny was pissed that you were at the school… how clueless you acted.  It was only after the first few months that she started really working me up to target you.”

Sora’s gaze fixated on one of the broken torture devices.  “Then… Yez’ela and Jenny were plotting something from the start—all of this—this stadium, which was why she sounded so upset about me forcing her off the planet.  Everything she’d worked for was falling apart, so she had to rush things.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kari mumbled, fidgeting with her hair.  “Eric doesn’t only have my mother’s flesh but Aiden’s feathers to keep his blood in check.”

Blindsided by the change in direction, Sora fixated on the topic.  “Hold on…  Why does Eric need to keep his blood in check?  Wait, he’s only half-Fenris Wolf, so, heh… does the whole consume thing even work that well on him?  I think you’ve had this image of Eric in your head that doesn’t exist, Kari.  Eric himself seems to be trying to show you that, ironically—why would he do that?”

“How can you be so sure?”  Kari asked with such terror in her watery eyes that Sora almost forgot who she was talking to.  “My little nine-year-old sister could beat me when we wrestled, and I was twelve—well, she could even beat Eric, though…  I’m the weakest in my family—I keep telling you, I’m not strong!”

Eyia’s earlier words suddenly surged to the surface of Sora’s muddled brain; the blonde was so bad at communicating things, which probably was a product of how isolated she was growing up, but the conclusion was so obvious now that she knew more about Kari.

“Confidence,” she mumbled.

Kari looked at her as if she was crazy.  “Confidence?”

“Heh-hehe.  How confident was Tiri?”

The black-haired girl smiled at the name.  “Eh-heh.  Tiri was indomitable.  She was always challenging us, and Mom fed into it, play-wrestling with her all the time…”

“Exactly!”  Sora chimed, now grinning.  “She was a little girl that felt like she could conquer the universe, and she probably could because Fenris Wolves’ power isn’t primarily what they eat… it’s how they view themselves, which says a lot about your brother,” she snickered.  “Eyia would know exactly what a Fenris Wolf’s weakness is because… well, she hates you guys.”

Kari seemed to be a little doubtful by her expression, but Sora doubled down.

“Whatever it takes,”  Sora sighed, before chuckling.  “Channel your inner Tiri if it makes you feel better.  But if you do want to have control again and save Lori, then find the courage to beat your brother!  Doing that will save Wendy and Mary while giving you power over Jenny—think about that—you’ll be the new Alpha.”

Leaning back, Kari sighed, staring at the crack she’d made on the floor.  “Jenny never plans to actually fight you, does she?  She knows she can’t win, so whatever her plan is, it has to happen before that.  Am I getting that right?”

A little surprised the wolf had been keeping up with their discussions in the car and now, Sora had to admit she wasn’t quite as stupid as she’d come to believe.

“Let me deal with Jenny.  You just focus on taking out Eric.”

Kari swallowed, working around her jaw.  “If… I do lose, can you…”

Sora’s eyes hardened.  “You’ll never win if you think like that.  We both know your brother isn’t going to kill you, so don’t act like this is your last fight, idiot.”

Deciding to deliver the actual punch to the gut, Sora said exactly what she’d come to believe about this broken wolf-girl.  Yes, she was frightened of her brother, but there was something else in the void that was Kari’s heart.

“Be honest with yourself, Kari.  The results of this battle will tell you where your heart is, which is the real reason you’re scared… because you know Lori doesn’t mean all that much to you.  You don’t even care all that much for yourself since you’re disgusted by what you are, that’s why you take on the form of a human.”

Kari couldn’t say anything to that as silence took them, cheers and shouts coming in from the stadium with the battle between the Ogre and Troll leaders raging on.  After a few minutes of Sora waiting, the wolf rose to her feet, holding her arm and surveying the room she’d demolished.

“No matter what you say…  I don’t think I can win.  I can tell you whatever you want to hear, but if I’m standing in front of my brother… I’ll fold like paper.”

Sora got up and dusted the wood pieces off herself before remembering she could use magic, and a light bulb smacked her in the face.  “Kari… I cleaned off your makeup before.  Does that mean my magic can work on you if you allow it?”

Kari’s left eye narrowed at the question.  “How should I know?  Before might just have been a fluke; I normally keep my guard up all the time.  Why?”

She grinned, enhancing her senses while studying the nervous, taller girl as she tried her best not to wear her heart on her sleeve.  Kari was far more sensitive and faithless than she’d ever dreamed, but maybe, just maybe, she could work with what was in front of her.

Reflecting on her earlier experiments involving her magic and Kari back at her suite, she nodded.  “Okay, call me crazy, but I have a brilliant idea!  If you’ll trust me…  I think you’ll surprise yourself with how strong you can be under the right… circumstances.”

Kari took a step back at the sinister smile and gleam in her eye, arm pressing against her body.  “Sora… why do you have that look on your face—why are you looking at me like that?”

“Hehe.  Wait, wait!”  She held up her hands, swapping to a strained smile.  “Okay, hear me out—I know I’m not coming off as the ‘trust-this-girl’ type right now, but I’ve got a devilish plan that would make Yez’ela gasp at the audacity!”

Her tail weaving back and forth, Sora put on an innocent smile that wasn’t fooling Kari.  “Your life’s already basically over, so trusting me isn’t so bad, right?  I’ll work some magic on you that will blow your mind!”

“You… really are a fox,” Kari mumbled, clearly not comfortable with the sudden enthusiasm that had embraced her.  “Ugh.  Can you really make me strong enough to fight my brother?”

“Mmh.”  Sora’s ears tilted to the left as her expression became enigmatic.  “In a manner of speaking.  Like I said, trust me!”

“What do you want me to do?”

“Oh, this is going to be fun—ahh, I love my magic—I can’t believe how things have changed between us…  Wow, life is crazy!”  Clapping her hands with excitement, she pressed forward, now totally invested in the unlikely scheme spinning in her mind.  “Okay, hear me out…”

Explaining her plot to the skeptical Fenris Wolf, Sora did a few tests to see if it would work, and the success of her trials brought on squeals as she laughed; positive magic that Kari thought would help her was accepted, and this was certainly positive.

Kari drew in her lips with a doubtful hum.  “Eric will never allow or accept it if I’m getting help from you—well, other than a pep talk…”

Sora winked, wagging a finger.  “Ho-ho-ho.  You doubt me too much, Kari.  Leave that to me; you’ve given me all the information I need to make this happen.  Trust me!  I know how to manipulate your brother.”

Running her fingers through her hair, Kari released a nervous laugh.  “I guess, heh, I don’t really have any more options…  You’re literally the last person I thought that would ever be helping me,” she choked, trying not to panic and streaming out a hot breath to cut off her tears.

A frown returned to Sora’s mouth.  “Don’t think I’m doing this because I like you now…  I’m doing this to rescue my best friend from howling at the moon in her birthday suit for the rest of her life or becoming Jenny’s slave.  You are just the means to an end, but I suppose I don’t… ugh, hate you as much anymore.”

Kari’s strained smile said it all, but she voiced it nonetheless.  “That’s fair…  I don’t blame you.  I am kind of a bitch—literally, right?”

Sora’s expression became dull.  “It doesn’t have the same ring or punch to it when you already hate yourself more than I do, which is saying something.  Okay… cut the waterworks, and let’s get down to the battle.  You have a brother to pummel.”

She timed it fairly well because only a few minutes after leaving the room, Eric’s voice came through the spiked heads throughout the hallways, making Sora cringe.  For all that Yez’ela was a piece of work, the woman was a real devil.

“Well, I’m bored—take a break Jek and Dikog.  Kari, it’s time to see if you’ve grown up even a little.  Meet me in the ring!  I can’t remember the last time I even had a bite mark; I’m excited, Sis!  Please, don’t disappoint our family.”

Sora grimaced while looking back at Kari, a lump dropping down her throat as cold sweat broke out across her skin.  The pitiable bully really was traumatized by so many things involving her family.  She didn’t fit in amongst the Fenris Wolf culture at all, but she could fix that with the right incentive and tweak of mindstate.

Nudging her as Aiden’s flame guided them toward whatever constituted a locker room for this hellscape, Sora snickered.  “I’d offer my hand, but I know you’d crush it like paste, so… I’ll just give you a smile and thumbs up.  Trust the fox—I got your back!”

“T-Thanks,” she mumbled through chattering teeth, face white as a sheet, while her arms wrapped around her body weren’t doing a great job at keeping her quakes in check.

Proceeding through the quiet atmosphere as the crowd settled down, the thunderstorm and falling rain outside picked up, causing Sora to think back on everything she’d learned over the past two weeks.

Her magic was very powerful, but it also had its limitations and weaknesses, such as Kari’s nearly ironclad immunity in how it affected her.

She would love nothing more than to just wipe clean her traumatizing memories, but that wasn’t possible—she tried.  She’d even tentatively attempted to do as the girl desired and turn her human; although, Sora had to wonder if she was the blockhead in that case because Eric would certainly kill her, her dad, and everyone she knew if she did manage to do that to his little sister.

So she had to do a more roundabout method that Kari welcomed with open arms, and Sora also came to the conclusion that perhaps Kari didn’t hate being a Fenris Wolf so much as she believed.  She was disgusted by herself, but so had Sora been when a teenager, bullied by girls.  Kari just wanted to feel normal and free in her own skin, which she didn’t in the box her brother placed her.

How will this end?  Sora internally questioned, seeing Kari push herself to take every step toward the stadium.  What will Kari do after all of this?  I guess that’s another thing she’s scared of…  She’s totally lost.  Why do I have to have these thoughts?  I hate her!

Even as Sora screamed it in her mind, she knew the raging inferno she once felt had died down to embers at this point; it just felt sad to hate the hopeless wolf-girl.  Kari was struggling through life just as much or even more than she was, and that was what she hated: the realization that Kari was just another girl, terrified of the world and her place in it.

It all came to a head when they stepped onto the brightly lit, Hellstone-floored arena, cries for blood ringing across the stadium from hordes of monsters and humans that paid a premium for the experience, or so she expected.

Kari froze in place, yet Sora’s hand on the small of her back, managed to get her legs working again as they moved onto the stage to meet the shirtless, grinning man.  Sora swallowed at the imposing sight of his tattoos gleaming in the light as lightning flashed overhead, illusionary rain falling around them.

Opposingly, she almost wanted to roll her eyes at the dramatic piano that was played somewhere in the coliseum while stopping a short distance away.  She managed to find her father’s face from inside one of the four private boxes, yet the sight of Jenny on the opposite side of Aiden made her scowl.

Of course, she’d relocate to be where my dad, Wendy, and Mary are when there are plenty of other places…  She’s provoking me to go up there.  Resist!

Eric’s elated face fell upon seeing his quivering sister, arms folded tightly against her chest.  “Well… this is disappointing.  If you were showing your tail and ears, they’d be between your legs and flat against your head.”

Sora made a note in her throat to pull his attention.  “Mmh.  Don’t judge a book by its cover; I still haven’t executed my plan!  As I understand it, you always hold back against Kari.  Correct?”

The man’s muscular chest tightened with his lips as his gaze drifted from his sister to her.  “Fight?  Kari used to always tuck her tail under and give the second Tiri or I pounced.  No, she was always off somewhere reading books from our mother’s library.”

She felt slapped in the face by the sudden hobby drop, turning her questioning eyes to the wolf-girl beside her.  Kari’s, the athlete among athletes at school, is… a bookworm?!

Trying to get the image out of her mind, Sora refocused her thoughts.  “That’s… surprising, but I’m talking about Aiden’s feathers and your mother’s powers that you can draw upon.  Anything to say about those?”

Eric snorted, a half-smirk twisting his nose.  “I’ve never had to use Aiden’s feathers to fight anyone… well, except Tiri—now, Tiri was a monster of a Fenris Wolf—that girl was wild!”  The man guffawed.  “I hoped our youngest sister would rub off on Kari, but yeah…  What would Mom think looking at you now?”

Kari’s jaw set, the scent of blood coming from her hand as she tried to overcome her fear with the painful comment.  “Mom was never critical about not wanting to wrestle with you two!”

He sighed with a short shrug.  “True.  She did dote on you, but you can’t think she’d like this terrified side of you…  She told me to make sure you were strong enough to handle what would come…  Haaa.  Maybe I’ve been too soft on you,” he groaned, scratching his neck as the crowd waited with bated breath for the conflict.  “What was your plan?”

Sora flashed her teeth and reached up to sling her arm around Kari’s shoulder.  “A tag team of sorts!  Well, more like an enhancement ruling.  Aiden gives you his feather, or whatever, and I can help Kari however I want.  I’ll unlock Kari’s potential, and she will face you at her strongest.  Thoughts?”

A flash of dazzling flames brought Aiden between them.  “No!  Absolutely not, Sora!  Do you have any idea what you’re even asking?  My powers aren’t just related to fire or purging things!  I have a minor effect on causality—it’s stacking the favor for…”  he trailed off as Eric placed a hand on his shoulder, teeth gleaming in the light.

“Ho-ho-ho.  I am really interested now!  You have my attention, Sora.  Are you saying your magic can affect Kari?  I have so many questions, but I just want to feel my blood boil right now and feel some teeth in me.  I’m game.”

Aiden gave her a look that said ‘back down,’ but Sora’s excitement only grew with her smile.

“Sorry, Aiden, but Kari and I came up with this ourselves.  There’s no going back.”

Eric clapped his hands, causing a boom as he moved back and rolled around his arms.  “Wooh!  I’m starting to feel it now.  It’s nice having other Founders nearby.  Who would have known we’d get along so well, Sora?  Our grandparents weren’t the closest, but you’re making my hair rise!  Chills.  Let’s go!”

Aiden closed his eyes and took a deep breath before giving her a strained expression.  “I… hope you know what you’re doing, Sora…  I don’t want to see Kari get hurt.  Kari…  Mmgm.  I’m cheering for you.”

Aww!  So sweet.  But why did it have to be aimed at Kari?!

Sora’s heart softened a tad at the blond’s concerned stare.  Aiden was the brother Kari really wanted, but she was so tied up with him being closer to Eric that she missed how much he cared for her.

He walked toward the Alpha Wolf, giving them one last glance as Sora looked up at the stands, spotting Sela taking the position of guardian for her father, friend, and therapist, while Lori was on the wall entirely opposite from Jenny.

Ooh.  She doesn’t look happy, and any frown on her face puts a smile on mine!

A prism of brilliant colors erupted throughout the stadium, drawing all eyes to Aiden as fire surrounded him to collect into a single, incandescent feather that flickered like flames.  He grimaced while handing it to Eric, who took it without hesitation and dropped it in his mouth.

Sora’s gut tightened at the effulgence that blinded everyone in the stadium, heated pressure making her chest hurt as it faded to reveal a brown-furred wolf, only it was over three meters tall and enshrouded by a rainbow flame.

A low growl rumbled in his throat that translated into Eric’s thrilled laughter as Aiden vanished to return to the stands, looking drained.

“Go on, show me what you have, little sister.  What magic will Sora cast to bring you to my level?  Show your fangs for once!”

Sora had to prompt herself to breathe from the overwhelming heat that radiated from the Fenris Wolf, now having doubts herself, but they’d come this far—there was no turning back.  Kari’s petrified eyes were on her, unable to look at her intimidating brother, and Sora found herself unconsciously giving the girl an encouraging smile.

“Trust the process…”

Calling upon her magic with a desire, she felt the weaves enter the girl’s welcoming spirit and mind, hoping for anything to help her face the monstrous wolf.

“Close your eyes,” Sora prompted, following her own words while trying to shut out all the noise and suspense.  “It’s all a perception of reality…  A willing delusion.”

Vision opening, Sora wanted to laugh as the stadium’s voices died, the audience vanishing into thin air, and, turning to Eric, she didn’t find the colossal, flaming wolf.

“Sora?”  Kari mumbled in confusion as her magic clouded her mind, masking her fear with a supporting illusion that colored over her reality.  “Eric wants me to—to fight Devin instead?”

Only Sora could hear the wolfwere scream out from the stands as Kari saw the illusion she crafted.  “Oh, c’mon!  Why is it always me?”

“Can you beat Devin?”  she asked, grin reemerging.  The main trouble was the consistent flow she had to funnel into the spell lest it pop like the dream it was due to her resilience, even when welcomed in, but that was a small price to pay.  “I mean, look at him!”

Kari snorted, all fear now vanishing as she lifted an eyebrow at where her brother waited, now the wannabe gangster flexing his arms and coaxing her on.  “You’re funny, Sora…  I’ll rip him apart for what he’s done to Lori and me.”

“What did I do?”  the man cried from the stands, making Sora snicker.

“Good.  I’ll leave you to it.”

Walking a short distance away, she was about to leave the way they’d come when Jenny jumped down from the stands and started making her way toward her.  Sora was a little shocked, but Kari was totally blind to her presence as she shot toward her brother, clothes receding into her body while transforming into a black wolf of the same size—if anything, both were equal.

A clash of snarls and thunderous reverberations echoed from above and below as the ground quaked under their clash.  Blood spraying everywhere, they tore into each other, healing almost instantly from the wounds they caused—blows that fractured the stone—yet Eric managed to get better leverage from his experience, throwing her by the neck into the stands.

Screams sounded as she hit the side wall, ripping the stadium up and making a large section fall on top of the wolf-girl, yet Kari was instantly breaking through it to charge at her brother, convinced she was battling an Aiden-enhanced wolfwere and not her half-brother.

Sora remained still as Jenny approached in her human form, hands in her pockets and wearing a strained smile that showed wicked, partially transformed teeth.

“You… don’t know when to stop meddling.  Everything you do causes chaos, but I suppose you could be called the Daughter of Mayhem since your mother is said to personify the word.  Foxes and the chaos they bring…”

Keeping a careful watch on the two wolves as they ripped the stadium apart and caused the stands to start clearing the lower levels to escape being collateral damage, Sora put a hand on her hip, tail restless at her back.

“Oh, so I am making you have a bad day?  Thank you for being so kind to tell me!  It’s wonderful knowing one’s efforts are bearing fruit.  What’s the play?”

Jenny only stopped in front of her, tight eyes shifting to the fight happening to their left.  “You… actually made Kari fight on somewhat equal terms to Eric.  Damn.  I was told things could go south once you started to change, but… this was not what I expected.  How can you even stand to look at Kari, much less help her?”

Sora swallowed the nervous saliva in her throat as Kari and Eric’s scuffle shifted toward them for a second, yet, thankfully, the girl managed to find her brother’s tail and whip him into the air.  In disbelief, she saw Eric land on all fours upside down before rocketing back to barrel right into his sister, almost making her drop to the floor with the shockwaves that passed through the earth, fracturing the Hellstone.

“Ugh…”  She almost lost control over Kari’s illusion due to her tentative resilience, which was always a hair’s breadth away from eradicating her magic from the distraction Jenny was providing.  “Who do you think will—hey, what are you doing?!  Stop!” she balked as Jenny casually reached out and grabbed her wrist.

“What?”  Jenny grinned, tight brown eyes staring her down.  “Having trouble keeping control of that magic?”

“Let go—Jenny?!”  Sora snarled as her tail bristled and the girl’s hand transformed, claws extending; her magic fluctuated for an instant, causing a phantom of Eric to bleed through her illusion and making Kari lock up, allowing her brother to rag her around for a second.  “Are you serious?  I’m, heh… not amused!  Let go—ouch!”

Sora’s own claws came out to grip the werewolf’s arm, but Jenny only doubled down, hooked fingernails digging into her wrist and causing blood to drip onto the stone, yet even raking Jenny’s arm back didn’t make her recoil.

The wolf looked at her, a dark chuckle in her throat.  “You’re so stupid.”

Gritting her teeth and wincing at the pain, Sora stumbled back, Jenny ignoring her slashes, and, unable to do anything else with her magic without Kari’s illusion falling apart, Sora’s thoughts went wild, unsure what to do.

Hair flew around Sora as the werewolf took them both to the ground, attempting to break her concentration, no doubt to help Eric win, yet when something dragged across her belly, her mind blanked, illusion shattering with the pain that followed.

Locking her jaw not to scream as she stared down at the crimson liquid leaving her belly and leaking across the glowing stone.  Sora couldn’t believe the pool was from her own body—Jenny had ripped open her stomach.

Before more damage could be done, a gunshot sounded, Jenny’s arm blowing off in a rush of heat, causing her to wince and grit her teeth as she leaped back.

“Damn father!”  she snarled, making Sora’s heart sing—muted as she was—at her dad’s intervention.

Instead, she bit her lip, trying not to scream as her mind flailed for answers.  A desire for healing sparked a solution into motion as a blue light illuminated her tail; she swiftly brought it around, fighting past her burning wounds to send the restorative surge through her abdomen.

“T-The hell?!”

Whimpers were heard across the stadium as Kari was thrown against the wall near them, dust billowing out to obscure Kari’s body, but all Jenny could do was laugh while stumbling to her feet, cradling her missing arm with foxfire erupting along its length.

“It’s done; all I needed was you to be—”

The werewolf’s words were cut off as her head flew off her body, Sora’s lips parting as a frigid wind blew past them in a surge of mist that collected into a rainbow brilliance, yet the only thing Sora could focus on was the swinging golden braid that took shape over her, Eyia’s strong hand moving to support her head.

“Sister!  Since you ghosted the magical call, I have been searching for—”

“No!”  Sora’s healing spell collapsed with her whole world upon seeing the werewolf’s grinning face roll to a stop nearby, dooming her friend as the creature’s body crumpled to the ground, revealing her true form in death.  “Wendy…”

A groan sounded above her as Jin floated down from the sky, hands inside a hoodie while wearing a sour expression.  “Always too quick to action, Eyia…  What a mess.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Eight Minutes; Jin’s Wrath

Panic flooded Sora’s breast, fixated on the bloody werewolf head leaking crimson onto the illuminating Hellstone floor of the arena.  Jenny was dead.  Not only Wendy and Mary, but hundreds of people infected with her curse were doomed to frenzied insanity.

Eyia’s confused sapphire eyes darted to the panicking stands as humans collapsed to the floor, screams sounding throughout the coliseum.  People and monsters retreated or prepared to fend off the writhing horde of mindless beasts transforming around them.

“Sister, I-I don’t understand,” Eyia mumbled, liquid-like plate-skirt shifting in her kneeling position while scanning the chaotic throng, the fear of another failure reflected in her deep blue irises.  “I killed your assailant—Sister!”

Her resplendent, liquid-like armor flared, ethereal wings bursting into existence as the girl dropped the weapon Sora had enchanted.  Instead, a pulse of light materialized into a glowing, alabaster spear, golden point etched with runes.

The blonde vanished in a rush of mist, moving too fast to see.  Her eyes were soley focused on the three-meter-tall, brown-furred Fenris Wolf barring down on them, jaws gaping to swallow the angelic girl whole.  Yet, a torrent of vapor expelled in a wave as Eyia and Eric’s momentum came to a complete halt.

A throbbing, superheated pressure hit Sora’s chest, weighing her down in the collision of forces while her breath caught, her lungs seemingly unable to work.  Jin stood between the pair in an instant, the small Korean girl’s aura-laced hands holding the spear’s point and one of the beast’s large teeth, keeping the two apart.

Jin’s yellowish irises were a raging red, and her raven locks became a ruby hue as she snarled at Eyia, “Back… down.”

Eyia drew in her bottom lip, grip tightening around her holy weapon as it slowly crept through Jin’s protective barrier, getting dangerously close to her skin, but shockingly, Eric was the first to pull back.  the blonde’s transparent wings fluttered with agitation at the sight, slowly drawing away at the Korean girl’s intense stare.

Flames erupted next to Sora as her legs trembled under the heavy energies clashing, even with Aiden appearing to support her.  The firebird breathed heavily and Sora’s blood pressure spiked while looking toward the VIP area in fright.  She couldn’t concentrate—it took all she had to just to protect herself from passing out.

“My dad!  Aiden?!”

“It’s okay!  Sela’s locked your friends in a magical prison to keep them from hurting anyone.  She’s handling the other werewolves nearby and will keep him stable as best she—”

“Stable—what do you mean stable—what happened?!”  she cried, beginning to hyperventilate, but Aiden’s grimace accompanied a soothing wave that eased her anxiety attack and pulled her back.  “D-Did Wendy hurt him by accident?”

“It shouldn’t be serious…”

A shiver ran up Sora’s spine as Eyia, Eric, and Jin’s presence became so overpowering it was drawing the werewolves’ attention, tails going between their legs as many followed their instincts and fled with various other parties.

The Korean girl maintained her position between the two, and the Fenris Wolf reverted back to his human form, face red and seething as he glared at the red-haired Asian.  Thankfully, Sora caught Eyia’s quick glance and nod, telling her to go to her father as they handled Eric.

“Aiden, please…”

His face was pale, wandering gaze taking in the tense standoff.  Kari was still buried under a giant pile of rubble, likely unconscious after her confidence collapsed and Sora’s failed illusion stripped her of her fragile strength.

“I’m running on fumes after giving almost all of my energy to Eric,” he hissed, yet his comforting flames surrounded them as he moved them to the safety of the VIP area.

Sora’s ears twitched as she listened carefully to the developing scene below, taking in the box to orient herself and hoping things could calm down with Jin actually willing to step in now with Eyia and Eric squaring up.

“How is m—Dad!”

Her father gave her a forced smile and thumbs up as the frowning Unseelie knelt by his side, the gray-skinned child holding her magic-laced fingers over his side, but the leaking crimson didn’t appear to be stopping.

“Why aren’t you healing him?!”

“I’m trying to—it’s… complicated,” Sela grumbled.  “I’m doing a lot right now!”

Sora caught over a dozen gray-furred werewolves attempting to combat thick vines that appeared to have sprouted out of seeds the fallen fae had scattered on the ground, more blocking the hallway, where snarls could be heard.

Wendy and Mary…  What am I supposed to do?  I know!

“Move!”  she snapped, tail lighting with blue fire as she held her stomach, her own gashes not fully healed.  “I can—”

Her magic met an endless abyss that sucked in her magic like a ravenous black hole, making her cut the connection to not totally drain herself.  “What?!”

“What did I tell you?”  Sela snarled, taking over again as tiny plant-like threads began stitching the wound back together, yet every other second, they’d go completely limp, making the Unseelie snarl.  “I have never come across such an… aggravating magical magnet.  Direct spells will only be drawn into this… thing inside of him!”

Aiden knelt beside them, motioning to Sora and Sela as sweat broke out across his forehead.  “I’ve taken some pre-med classes when I was overlooking Eric’s branch in Africa…  I’m by no means a doctor, but I can at least do some first aid—”

Her dad grunted, face tight as Sora moved to support his head.  “Can we cauterize it, Aiden, or is there, mmgm—internal bleeding?  I feel like there might be from where it is?”

“Hard to say,” Sela muttered as Aiden motioned for the woman to levitate one of the bottles of alcohol in the corner to them.  “There’s something about this humming in the air—this ritual Jenny somehow started—that is causing a reaction deep within your father.  Something inside of him is sucking in everything…  All spiritual and magic forces that come in contact with his soul—even analytical forces.”

Sora sent her desires to find a way to bypass the gravitational pull within her father, thinking only her mother could have crafted something like this as maybe a defensive mechanism against others trying to attack her dad.  Nothing she did worked; every thread her magic spun wasn’t undone but dissolved and consumed by some unknowable hunger within his soul. 

“It’s no good!  Agh!  Why is my magic failing me now?!”

“Honey, honey,” her dad soothed, pained but smiling eyes taking her attention.  “Breathe—let’s not panic; it’s okay…  Aiden, if magic doesn’t work, can you create some fire and use it?”

Sora’s tail was already up and flaring with flames.  “A knife—heh, of course, you have one, Sela.”

“Here, Aiden, I don’t know how this works,” she mumbled.  “I’ve never had to do something like this.”

He held the blade near her tail, the metal swiftly illuminating under her guided magic.  “Bite down on that belt,” he said, pointing to Sora to grab the leather strap Mary had snapped when she transformed.  “How are things going down there, Sora?  I don’t have super hearing.”

She swallowed, ears twitching and fur bristling at the conversations she’d followed thus far.  Below, Eric appeared to need time to wrap his head around the situation, and alarm bells thumped against Sora’s chest the more things escalated as she recounted how things were playing out with the three.

“Mmgm.  Why, heh…  Why are you defending her?!  I can’t wrap my head around it—why?!  Move or help me kill her as you should!”

“He has assaulted our friend, Jin—my Sister-in-arms—what nonsense does he speak?  I will answer any challenge the wolf issues!”

“Ugh.  Chill!  Damn…  Look, you know we both don’t want to escalate things further, wolf-boy, and he didn’t attack Sora, Eyia—it was his sister.”

“That she killed!”  Eric shot back.  “Blood for blood, and she shouldn’t even be in this section of Existence?  Why are you protecting a Primordial Asgardian Valkyrie?!  It’s a crime against the Accords!”

Eyia’s voice became wary.  “My only crime is honoring my word and bond, wolf.  I am my own woman and warrior.  It is your kind who has done my family wrong!”

“That’s rich coming from invaders that initiated a war on the Founders!”

“Shut up!”  Jin snapped, silencing the two.  “I don’t care about the beef.  If either of you attacks each other—in Founder-owned territory, no less—and it gets back to the Primordials, another war will break out!”

“I’m down with that!”  Eric laughed, tone turning nasty.  “At least it would unite us again.  I’m baffled, though—Jin, was it?  How can you—a Founder—a descendant of Yinglong, the damn Dragon Mother, herself, defend an enemy of Founder’s and guide her into hostile territory…”  His laughter continued, deep and malicious.  “I just…  Are you trying to trap her here so you can legally kill her?  I’m game!  So… why are you continuing to defend a Primordial?”

What?  Jin’s a Founder Dragon?!  And what’s a Primordial?

Stephanie’s comments about being an illegal alien that had to tiptoe around the Founders made sense now that she understood more about the context of something far beyond her comprehension: basically, Eyia’s people had invaded her home, which had apparently come to a sort of truce in territory, and it could continue at the drop of a hat.

Aiden took the heated blade to her dad’s stomach, making his face go white as he tensed up, and she couldn’t even ease his pain, but the evolving scene below was turning in a direction Sora did not like.

“Sela, show us what’s happening down there!”

The woman groaned.  “Everything is difficult with this indecent hellish hum vibrating through us—and, of course, you probably don’t even notice it since you have an adaptive aura, ugh…  Oh, my.  Is this going to be a three-way brawl?”

Her father’s blood rose into the air to make an incredibly thin surface that crystallized to form a mirror, showing them various angles of the field below, just in time to see Eyia’s shining blue eyes widen in shock at Jin’s family origins.

“Now you’ve done it,” Jin grumbled, rubbing the back of her neck and keeping a level gaze with the guarded blonde.  “I’ll explain, Eyia—c’mon!  Really?”

“Forbidden area?”  The blonde turned her blade away from Eric to her friend.  “Y-You have been deceiving me, Jin—you knew who I was, yet you have taken me into a place forbidden to Primordials?”

Jin puffed out her cheeks and scratched her temple before glaring right at Aiden through the mirror.  “Shit…  This is your fault, feather-boy—everyone hates descendants of Huma!  Eyia, be a good sister… and go up and help stabilize Sora’s dad.  You have the power to freeze him in time; quickly, it’s worse than they think.”

“No!  I’m not done with her!”  Eric barked, pacing and rolling around his neck as the prism colors surrounding him intensified, drawing from Aiden’s feather.  “She killed my sister—she’s in my space!  This is Fenris Wolf territory; it’s war!”

The Korean girl shook her head and motioned Eyia to get moving.  “Technically, this is supposed to be vulpes territory.  Eyia, we’ll hash this business out later, but I haven’t deceived you.  Didn’t you come here to be a good Sister-in-arms?”

Eyia’s mouth drew in, uncertainty in her hurt eyes.  “Very well, friend…  I am confused and will demand a full explanation when we are done.”

She glanced toward the box with a guarded smile; wings rising, they beat down, causing her to instantaneously appear next to them as the chaotic stands grew worse.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Sora released a bit of stress.  “Thank you, Eyia…  I’m with you, sis.”

The blonde became melancholy while bending down, her wings vanished, a chilling fog encompassing them with a light glow.  Her father’s eyes drooped, and he fell asleep, along with all of the werewolves in the booth’s vicinity.

“I am frustrated with myself…  I am the one to blame for your grief, Sister.  I keep doing what I feel to be right, only to be reminded how little I know.  All I have experienced is combat and survival…  I wonder if I should return to the Island—perhaps I should, since…”

“No!”  Sora firmly stated, pulling her conflicted and pain-filled eyes, which were on the verge of tears.  “We’re going to make it through this.  I don’t care about some war our parents had or whatever—we’re Sisters-in-arms, right?  Right?!  We help each other.  You didn’t judge me…  In fact, Jin—a Founder, apparently—was going to kill me, and you saved my life!  How can I judge you when I owe you my life?”

“Sister…”  Eyia sniffed, rubbing her red nose and blinking back her tears.  “I have not seen your father’s death, nor feel it near.  I will support him… and I am sorry for the messes I continue to create for you.”

Sora leaned in to hug her hurting Primordial friend.  “Shh.  Let’s have faith in Jin, okay?  She’s a bit sketchy, but she seems to have your best interest at heart.”

A spike stuck into Sora’s side when she lost all track of her father, the fog thickening around them.  “W-Where did they go?!”

“Hmm?”  Eyia tensed up.  “I placed them in a temporal seal to preserve their souls.  They are here, locked in time.”

“Oh…  Okay,” Sora breathed, calming her thumping heart as Sela looked at the blonde with shock at the power she seemed to hold.

A sudden warmth came from Aiden’s expanding aura, seeming to have just enough strength to keep her mind stable.  She sent him a smile, knowing he was doing his best, despite being exhausted.  Together, they scanned the Unseelie’s mirror to get a grasp on the situation.  Unfortunately, Eric’s negotiations and initial confusion were breaking down with his patience.

The Hellstone kept growing brighter underneath them with the stands in an all-out war between the Trolls, Ogres, Werewolves, and dozens upon dozens of other creatures fighting to survive the mayhem.

Eric grunted at Sora’s previous comments to Eyia, seemingly listening in on their conversation, as well.  “I can get Sora’s involvement with the Valkyrie after what Aiden told me about her ignorance, but you?  Heh.  What’s your excuse, dragon?”

Jin’s flippant attitude was back now that the Primordial was off the field.  “Eh, why do I need to explain myself to you, a mangy pup?”

“Heh.  A pup, am I?”  he grunted, nose twitching.  “My mom taught me a lot… and one of those things is that this should not be happening!  Your family would tear you apart from where I stand—you and she have broken the Accords…  I have every right to kill you both!  The Primordial’s own family would kill her for making friends with you!”

“Eyia, no!”  Sora hissed.

The blonde’s nose flared, and she shot up, snatching her spear and throwing it like a meteor at Eric, creating a whirlwind.  Yet, a trail of ruby light reflected in the mirror as the dragon left the ground, deflecting the golden streak.

“You know nothing of my family, beast!”

“Eyia!  Eh-heh…  You are not making this easy on me.  Sora, do something about her!”

The Valkyrie grumbled as Sora got up to guide her back, glaring daggers at the wolf below as a pulse of light returned her radiant weapon into her white hands.

“And, no, Eyia has not broken the Accords, idiot!  It doesn’t matter if she killed your sister because she wasn’t a Founder.  See how that works?  No Founder, no rules broken,” Jin returned with a smug smirk while rubbing her arms as if in pain from stopping the blonde’s attack.

“As you said, I am a dragon Founder, and I know the Primordial-Founder Accords better than Alva herself since dragons are granted a portion of their mother’s memories.  If you did attack her, Eyia would be able to defend herself since they can travel through Founder sectors when going between areas.  You are in the wrong!”

Eric forced a chuckle.  “Know what?  I don’t care!  You don’t sound like a dragon Founder, little girl, but I guess that’s to be expected since you’re still an Imugi.  You have yet to even hit puberty!”  His laughter grew, with a bitter edge tinting his voice.  “Your own family doesn’t even see you as a teenager!”

Oof.  Fighting words, Sora internally grumbled.  He’s done playing nice because she’s a Founder, but a dragon?  I don’t know if this is the play, Eric…

Jin laughed, licking her lips while more of her tightly condensed, hidden energy slipped out, and the corner of her eye twitched.  “Little girl?  I’ve… been very polite compared to how, heh, as you said… my family would act.”

Stretching her hands high above her head, Jin lifted her eyebrow, tone saying she was done with the wolf.  “All Founders know that we don’t play nice with each other…  Honestly, I didn’t want this because I don’t want to draw attention to myself—because it will!  I was totally fine skating by this universe, but your little bird wrapped us into this mess.  I didn’t start it, bud.”

She motioned to the Hellstone and fake sky as the clouds and thunder faded away, revealing a ceiling entirely marked with occult symbols that made Sora’s shoulders slump.

No way in, heh, hell is that a good sign, she thought, chuckling dryly at her joke.

“Do you have any idea what is happening—any thought in that empty head of yours?  No.  No, you don’t.  This is a summoning circle, marked with Founder blood.  And, news flash, pup, I’m more than four times your age with experience and knowledge that your mother couldn’t dream of, so if you’re going to try to recreate the battle of Yinglong versus Fenrir, by all means… bite.”

Fur sprouted out of Eric’s body, somehow gathering even more power than when he fought his sister as the rumbles in his throat revealed his deep voice.  Sora froze, the expanding aura of the two titans chilling her bones; all around them, the fighting quelled, likewise terrified.

Eric laughed, guttural notes filled with animosity.  “You’re far from Yinglong, snake child, so stop pretending to be what you’re not.  You can’t even take the form of a dragon—you’re a fake!”

Jin’s gleaming teeth flashed while laughing in a monotonous way, which made Sora even more scared than Eric’s chuckle.  Crushing pressure made the air heavy and expand outward to whip up dust as she continued.  “Says the filthy half-breed failure of a Fenris Wolf.  Do you know what’s funny?  I don’t think the Three Pillars would even consider you a Founder.  Were you just mommy’s experiment?”

“Aagh!”

Eric shot forward in a blur, reaching Jin faster than the mirror could catch, causing Sora to run to the railing to see what was happening, channeling her Desire Magic to enhance her vision to see the battle.  It took a consistent and shocking amount of energy, yet the world came to a near standstill.

Jin stood in a somewhat slouched position, hands in her sweater as she slid around Eric’s bites, cold eyes looking up at the giant beast.  Then, her thin knee shot up, jolting Eric’s head up in a shockwave, yet he recovered in an instant, teeth falling out of his mouth to regrow in milliseconds.  This was what his fight was like against Kari: the limitless stamina Fenris Wolves appeared to possess that made it a fight of attrition.

Dancing away from each paw strike, Eric snarled at her casual cadence, but all at once, the dragon stopped, pursing her lips to the side with a smirk.  The man’s claws lashed out, coming to a dead stop as a charged pulse radiated from Jin.

“Is that it?”  she muttered as his tongue lurched out with his gaping maw to bite her in half.  Instead, her foot launched him upward, the concussive blow fracturing the illuminated Hellstone under her feet and making Eric’s eyes roll back a second.

She flew up, flipping to bring down a heel on Eric’s spine, another hyper-condensed rush of spiritual pressure centering on the point of impact, practically folding the wolf in two and causing a tremor to shake the coliseum as he was sent through the floor as if it were hot butter.

“Humph.  My hands are still in my sweater, bitch.  I guess a mutt is still a mutt… even with all that probability support.  You’re pathetic, man.”

An eruption of stone revealed the lacerated and broken Fenris Wolf as he continued to heal, rainbow aura diminishing with every blow.  Aiden’s hands were white while spotting his state.

“How… is Eric losing with my feather?”

“It’s simple, really.”  Jin walked forward, frigid ruby eyes low as her hair waved behind her.  “Yeah, I’m a dragon Founder.  Yeah, I’m an Imugi.  Yeah… I’ve found a Primordial to hang with.  Wanna know why?”

Jin casually slapped Eric’s paw away, bending it the opposite way and making an uncharacteristic whimper come from the wolf.

“Who are you?!”  he choked, seemingly having trouble healing as his confidence wavered.

“Mmh-hmm-hmm.  I like my meals thick,” Jin grinned, her smile not reflected in her eyes.  “So let’s put some gravy on it.  Why do you think I would hang around a Primordial?”  she asked, grabbing a fist full of his fur and forcing him to the ground to whisper in his ear.  “Because I want to piss off my mom.”

Spinning him in a circle by the ear, ripping up the stone to tatter his limbs and skin, she threw him at the ceiling  The Fenris Wolf smashed into the ritual, symbols already pulled away from the stone; the impact make Sora’s jaw slacken at the raw power and speed the tiny girl had.

Large chunks of red stone broke away from the impact, yet the adolescent dragon Founder was already upside down, leaving a blur of light in her path as she flipped around to plant her leg in the concave chest of the wolf, folding him in two again.  The snaps of Eric’s bones with the gurgle of blood that gushed from his mouth and nose made Sora’s ears pull back in fright—this was why her instincts told her to never get on Jin’s bad side.

Jin punted him at the outer ring of the arena, collapsing part of a side and making the Alpha Wolf disappear beyond sight, but Sora winced upon hearing the destruction that came from his landing.

The Korean girl lightly landed on her feet with a sharp hiss, biting her lower lip and staring into empty space.  “Shit.  Oh, c’mon!  I hate you, Aiden…”

Threat definitely neutralized, Sora jumped near Aiden to travel with him as he vanished in flames.  The firebird was only able to get close to Jin—likely panicking himself by his wild aura.  The gut-tingling sensation wasn’t coming from Jin’s rampage any longer, however.  Instead, it was the ritualistic energy above that was being amplified by the second.

“Did you—is Eric dead?”  Aiden cried, freaking out on several different levels while looking to her for support—although, Sora was right there with him—as fragments of the roof fell around Jin, yet the girl didn’t twitch a muscle.

“Jin, what is happen—”  A bell chime made Sora’s legs lock up.  Suddenly, a black, two-tailed cat stood in front of the dragon, her big, feline eyes drifting from the direction Eric had been kicked and the Korean girl.  “Nilly?”

Jin dropped to her knees, shoulders sagging, and took a pained, deep breath before placing her hands on her lap.  “I… didn’t want to do that, Nilly,” she mumbled submissively.  Goosebumps ran down Sora’s arms at her tone.  Gone was the cocky dragon taunting an insurmountable figure, replaced by a cowering figure.

Sora blinked, and in that split second, Nilly now looked just like a teenage girl.  Her golden earrings piercing both cat ears while sitting cross-legged in front of Jin, clearly unhappy—for all her strength, the dragon seemed unable to look the teen in the face.

“Nilly doesn’t like little lizards bullying Fenny’s pups.  Nilly likes Fenny—Fenny’s Nilly’s friend.”

An agitated hiss came from the cat as she bobbed back and forth, and it was then Sora noticed an unusual green tint from overhead; skulls of all sizes and shapes blotted out the ritual, materializing out of nowhere with emerald flames embracing them.

“Nilly doesn’t like Yingy…  Yingy’s mean to Nilly, and you…  You smell like Yingy.”

Horrific shrieks left the skulls gaping mouths, revealing a malicious pressure that collided with the audience, causing everyone to instantly collapse into heaps, but the cat continued as if nothing else existed, and Aiden’s earlier statement struck Sora’s mind.

Nilly… the undead First Generation Founder of the Cats.

“Nilly!”  Sora choked, rubbing her tight chest as the girl’s suffocating presence only continued to elevate with her agitation.  “Nilly, y-you’re hurting me…”

The pulverizing atmosphere popped as the girl blinked and looked up at her, vanishing to stand before her, but this time things were different; Nilly had aged yet again.  A third ring now dangled from her left earring as the sixteen-year-old version of Nilly studied her face, her voice and clothes maturing with her change.

“Mia’s daughter,” she whispered, ominous gaze seemingly seeing more than Sora could ever fathom.  “Sora helps Fenny’s family…  Nilly wants to see Amy again.  Hmm.  It’s Sora’s birthday, so Nilly needs to give Nilly’s fox friend a gift.  Nilly will be nice because Sora is nice to Nilly…  What does Sora want from Nilly?”

The air locked in Sora’s lungs at the insanity that swirled within the phantom cat’s big eyes and gleaming, monstrous mouth.

“Nilly knows what Sora wants—Nilly sees everything Sora wants…  Sora wants her mom.”

Chapter Forty: Happy Birthday

Sora couldn’t breathe with the wide-eyed cat Founder’s intense gaze fixated on her, fangs gleaming in the overhead pentagram’s crimson light, bathing them in a hellish force.  Nilly’s words echoed inside her head, creating a maelstrom.

“You… can bring my mom here?”  Heat rose within her core and fogged her mind, making Sora swallow and clutch at her breast; something wasn’t right.  “What are you saying, Nilly?”

The teenage girl’s vision narrowed, lips twisting as if hiding a secret.  “Nilly is a super kitty; Nilly can do anything!  But… why would Nilly need to bring Mia here when Mia’s coming anyway?”  the cat giggled.  “Moms don’t miss birthdays, silly!”

Shaking legs collapsing, Sora winced, pressure building within her.  Aiden got to one knee, concern in his voice as she breathed, trying to fight against the panic clouding her mind.

“What’s wrong, Sora—you’re rejecting my energy?  Nilly what’s happening to her?”

Sweat broke out on Sora’s forehead, and she looked up to see the cat’s eyes sparkling.  It was too much.  Way too much.  Everything was happening so fast, and it was concentrated on her.

“It’s Sora’s birthday!  See?”

Jin stumbled to her feet, following Nilly’s claw-like fingernail from the blood Sora had shed to the ritual above.  “Shit…  The summoning circle is linked to Sora—her blood is basically a pass into the vulpes territory, which means…  Dammit!”

Brow furrowed and thoroughly confused, she followed the dragon’s gaze to the booth as she began speaking rapidly.  “Sora, I need you to listen.  I’m not going to be conscious for much longer, and Eyia is going to do something stupid—you’re in control—this is your family territory, but you can’t push her, okay?”

“Push who?”  she choked, throat dry.

Aiden grabbed her shoulder, pointing at her back.  “Sora, your tail!”

“What—it turned into flames?”  Her fur had transformed into pure, living fire, transparent and flickering.  “Nilly, I’m getting scared…  My dad’s hurt, there’s this summoning thing, and people are killing each other all around us…  What am I supposed to do right now?”

Nilly blinked as Jin hissed, examining the ritual more closely, yet the cat seemed confused at her comment.  “Sora just has to make a wish.  It’s birthday time!  Sora gets tails, one tail, two tails, three, and stops at nine—surprise!  Then Mia comes.  Not only Mia, though.”  Nilly’s eyes twinkled as her laugh grew.

“That stupid werewolf,” Jin snarled.  “This is linking to Fenris territory…  Hati’s.”

Aiden coughed.  “W-What?!  No, Hati, heh, can’t get here—through that?”

Nilly laughed, but Jin provided the answer.

“No, silly!  Not Hati.”

“…Ylva, granddaughter of Hati, and a young fourth-generation Founder.  Eyia!”

She vanished in a red streak, jumping to the booth to talk to the Valkyrie out of likely attacking the newcomer as darkness took the ritual.  Ominously, an abyss opened up, taking up the entire ceiling to swirl into infinity.  A pulse shot out, yet it wasn’t anything living.  Pure energy, hyper-condensed to a degree Sora couldn’t fathom, making her squirm.  Another flash and it came again.

Aiden’s grip tightened against her arm, face white as snow.  “Sora, if they take Kari and Eric—Hati can’t get his teeth into them!”

“Why?”  she cried, fingers pressing against her breast as a dull throbbing sensation echoed within her core.  “What am I supposed to do?”

“Jin told you.  They’re old school, and this is technically a part of your family property.”

Flabbergasted at what they were asking her, it finally came through her hazy brain: a real Fenris Wolf was coming to drag the family back, and they were asking for asylum—the family that had caused her nothing but grief.

Nilly’s teeth gleamed, looking up with delight.  “Here she comes!”

Dozens more condensing waves preceded a streak of white, rocketing down like a comet to land a short distance away, somehow negating all momentum moments before touching down; she could hear Jin practically pleading with Eyia.

“You know you can’t do anything to her—don’t!”

“She has slain many of my brothers and sisters!”  she shot back in rage.  “How am I to let the enemy—”

“Because this is not your territory, Eyia—think for once—don’t cause an incident!  Do you see what she’s chewing?  A galaxy, Eyia—a condensed newly formed galaxy as candy!  Don’t be stupid!”

A lump formed in Sora’s throat as the amethyst-like stick in the tall woman’s mouth casually flicked to the other side, sucking on it like a lollipop.  The supposedly galaxy-ending wolf took on a human form, which shocked her for a second.

Ylva’s illuminated sky-blue irises swept the rowdy stadium.  Other than the ridiculously potent force she snacked on, Sora couldn’t even perceive her presence other than sight.

“Too noisy.”

A shiver ran from her ears to her ethereal tail as everyone in the stadium, including Jin and Eyia, fell to the ground unconscious.  Sora’s second tail branched off of the first, thickening with rekindling life.

“Huh.  Better,” the woman unenthusiastically mumbled, focus shifting to a beaming Nilly, her two tails weaving with excitement.  “Humph.  If it isn’t the Dead Mother cat, herself…  My condolences.”

Ylva practically ignored Nilly as the girl teleported behind her and grabbed the woman’s long, silver-furred tail.  The wolf practically dragged her along her journey to stop in front of Sora.  Despite the contrasting humor of Nilly, Sora’s ears laid back.  She was at a total loss before the intimidating Founder, nothing that she could do.

She caught painted black fingernails as they entered her black shorts pockets, Ylva’s toned muscles lax as if totally unbothered.  Her absurdly thick, silvery hair weaved with her movements, unkempt and below the small of her back.  The dark crop top she wore showed off a muscular physique—yet not bulky enough to inhibit movement—and signs of scars that had yet to heal.

To Sora’s bewilderment, the woman promptly dropped to her butt to join her, scanning her appearance, and her galaxy lollipop flipped to the opposite side of her mouth as she did a slight, short bow.  Nilly was still enthralled by her tail.

“Daughter of Mia…  I guess I should congratulate the old fox.  That your dad over there?”  Her gaze darted to the side, making Sora’s chest tighten further.  She remained silent, not that she could muster the strength to talk.  “Huh.  Well, that’s not normal.  Anyway, I’m just here to pick up some trespass—”

Aiden’s hands were trembling as he met her dull eyes.  “You—you can’t take them!”

“Sora!”

Her ears flew up, seeing the wolf woman’s mouth pull in and follow the voice to Eric’s painful sight.  He was in human form, looking likely to stumble forward because he certainly couldn’t walk easily.  One of his torn-off arms still hadn’t recovered yet, spilling what seemed to be an endless amount of blood onto the Hellstone.

“Use that damn wish!  Tell Nilly to get rid of her!”

Ylva worked around her jaw, the pressure causing a crack to appear in the amethyst stick; Sora’s thighs pressed together at the threatening surge that emanated from the she-wolf.  “Why are the youth always so disrespectful?  If you’ll excuse me.  My apologies.”

In the blink of an eye, she was standing casually in front of the tall man—practically his equal in height—leaving Nilly with whiplash as she locked onto the wolf again.  Ylva took the stick out of her mouth and lightly tapped the air between them, disinterested.  The injured man appeared trapped in some kind of vice, and space fractured like glass, breaking away to suck him inside.

“Sora, I’ll beg—”

His voice faded away with his presence as the woman turned to the pile where Kari lay, tapping the air again to suck it into the galaxy.  The most chilling part was when she returned it to her mouth: in less than a second, both siblings had been taken out of the equation.

“Wait!”  Sora called out, finally finding her tongue as her third tail split, and the pressure became manageable.  “W-What are you going to do with them?”

“Hmm?”  Ylva turned to her with a small frown.  “Is that an order not to vacate your territory until you’re satisfied?”

“Aagh!”  she screamed, scratching her head and messing up her hair as Aiden’s face showed his world collapsing.  “Why do I have to be the one to have all the power?!  Why am I in the middle of all of this?”

“Preach, sister.”

“Huh?”  Sora looked up to see the bored wolf sitting in front of her again, making her jump.  “What do you mean?”

A long, drawn-out sigh came from the wild-looking woman, her gaze drifting up.  “You think I want to be here, traveling across Existence through that tiny hole, to what, pick up some lost kids Gramps wants?  I didn’t think he’d go so far as to come up with a way to break into the vulpes territory…  I don’t want beef with your mom or aunt; I rather enjoy my life.  Naa.  This is a total drag.  So… what do you want?”

Taken aback by her lackluster reaction, she heard Nilly snicker.

“Fenny’s family is a total mess.  Even worse than Nilly’s!  Poor, poor Fenny.  Oooh, Nilly knows that look!  What’s Ylva plotting?  Ylva can be tricky!”

Emotion touched Ylva’s face for the first time as a thoughtful twist came to her lips.  “Look, I don’t wanna make waves or…  Damn cubs, and a Primordial to boot…”

Sora backed away as she saw a flash of icy light, thousands of threads weaving around them.  Eyia appeared to have woken up, yet her frenzied attacks only met an invisible barrier, and, just as before, Ylva lazily took her lollipop out of her mouth.  Though, instead of tapping it this time, she tossed it above, predicting the Valkyrie’s next attack.

“Wait!”  Sora cried, but the blonde was already sucked into the object and dropped into her hand.  “W-What did you do to them—did you hurt Eyia?”  she repeated, now worried for her dad.

“Woah, chill…  Just a dimensional seal,” she sighed.  “She’ll probably break out before I go.  In any case, my name’s Ylva—oh, and I took on this human form because I know vulpes prefer the whole hybrid model.  At least, your mom and aunt do…  Shoot, your fourth tail already?  Huh.  Well, I’d rather split before your mom shows up, so… why don’t we make a deal?  I heard something about a wish from the deadbeat cat.”

The cat bobbed her head with a grin, now sitting beside them.  “Mhm!  Mhm!  Wait…  Hey, that was mean, Ylva!  Humph.  Sora gets a birthday wish from Nilly because Nilly’s nice to people that are nice to Nilly!  What’s the mouthy wolf up to, hmm?”

Ignoring her again, she waved her cosmic lollipop at Aiden with interest to draw his nervous eyes and took the conversation to a completely different angle than Sora had expected.

“A Son of Homā, huh?  Alva was a smart old wolf—not as strong as Gramps, but more cunning, and that’s saying something.  Having her son eat her and using her collapsing Realm to squeeze into the vulpes’ territory…  It’s a play.  I don’t want to be here, you know.”

“Then leave!”  Aiden pleaded, tears now falling down his cheeks as his gaze remained on the glowing candy in her hand.  “I don’t know what her uncles will do to Kari, but Alva was terrified of them getting Tiri or her!  Please…”

“Yeah.  I lived through it, kid,” Ylva muttered, black fingernails pawing at her exposed thigh and bored tone returning.  “We’re walking on a tightrope here, and sure, the old folk got their reasons, but I couldn’t give a shit.  So…”

Ylva’s dull gaze drifted to her.  “If you are feeling compassionate, Ms. Lady Fox, then why not sow some chaos?  You seem like the type, and… there’s the fifth tail.  We’re running out of time… my gateway will collapse on the ninth since it’s sapping your energy to maintain the link.”

Nilly leaned left and right.  “Tick-tock!”

A heated resolve settled inside Sora, her dazed brain clearing.  With great difficulty, she set her brow while swapping to a kneeling position to face the wolf.  If there was something Kari’s bullying the last three years had taught her, it was that she didn’t want anyone to go through that kind of suffering.

“I’m not going to just jump in bed with whatever plot you’re cooking.  What do Kari’s uncles want with them?”

Ylva’s focus shifted to her flaming tails while scratching her neck, likely gauging how much time they had left.  “Eh… to be blunt, she’s the purest blood of Fenrir since male Founders can’t produce perfect offspring after themselves.  Therefore, when it comes to us, we’re screwed since my great gramps was a male.  The female First Generation tends to have the strongest foothold among the groups, and the vulpes had Amy.”

“More baby Fennys!”  Nilly cheered.

Sora wanted to vomit just thinking about the broken girl subjected to forced inception.  “They want to…”

“Hmm.  Oh, no—not themselves,” Ylva said with a short chuckle like it was no big deal.  “I don’t know the reason; it’s a part of pack mentality.  I used to pop out a lot, but even I have my limit—ya feel me?  We only have so many eggs, and it takes time to rebuild the stock; we’re not like humans.  Kari will make the strongest, too.  There’s that.”

Sora shook her head.  “Okay, I am not going to throw a girl to that kind of punishment—I don’t care what she did to me!  What is your plan?”  she asked, keeping her guard up and recalling Jin’s statement not to push things.  This wolf was docile only because this wasn’t her territory, and Sora didn’t want to see what happened if things got out of hand.

Ylva jabbed a thumb at Nilly.  “You got a wish from the cat?  Have her escort me out of my gramp’s territory and into your mom’s.  A small sovereign plot of land of my own to chill in and make a realm.  I’ll owe you big, girl.  Don’t think I’ll think we’re even from this favor.”

“Pfft!”  Sora laughed at the absurdness of it all.  “Is that it?”

The wolf tilted her head with a sad smirk.  “Young pups are always fun to watch.  It’s a bigger deal than you might think.  Naa, every territory is won, and boundaries are kept by ruthless gatekeepers, including your mom’s.”

Puffing out a long breath to release the stress she’d built up, Sora smiled, gradually feeling better as her tails increased—her sixth materialized to weave at her back.  “After hearing your story, I want to help you.  I don’t know what restrictions my mom will give or… well, if she allows it at all…”

Sora’s gaze fell to her lap as she forced a laugh.  “I’ve never met her…  What about my dad?  Is Eyia’s magic or whatever keeping him stable?”

The woman held up her lollipop and made another light tapping gesture, cracking space and releasing the seething blonde.  “Calmed down, kid?”

Eyia glared at her, shimmering spear held tightly in her hands as she swapped to her mother tongue, tone venomous.  Sora was about to intervene, but the bored wolf’s dismissive shrug and response in the same language caused the Valkyrie to go stiff, and relax.

“You… have only fought the Egyptian and Olympian Primordials?”

“Yup.  The pups cause trouble from time to time near our Realm; naturally, your guys’ territory was put far away from ours.  Fenris Wolves got the short end of the stick after the war since Fenrir wasn’t there to make sure we had a shot in the discussions.  The vulpes’ are lucky they had Inari since she took the tanuki’s chair and got attention by getting under Yinglong’s scales.  Mmmh.  It’s whatever.  We good?”

Eyia’s conflicted eyes shifted to Sora, shoulders drooping as she obtained her seventh tail.  “I… am learning there are many gray areas to navigate.  Apologies, Sora.”

Ears flying up, Sora glared at the ashamed Valkyrie.  “If you’re thinking you’re not worthy of calling me your sister, then you really are stupid.  We all mess up but look at you, opening up your mind.  I’m proud of you, so don’t think I’m disappointed—well, other than you being too hard on yourself!”

Ylva released Kari and Eric, both siblings rolling across the ground.  The black-haired wolf groaned, staring to regain consciousness while her brother’s frightened gaze shifted between the dull-eyed wolf and her, listening to the white-tailed woman.

“I get your mom might not be so willing,” she shrugged as if it was no big deal.  “If not, I’ll accept my punishment from Gramps, but gotta seize the opportunities, no matter how bleak.  Am I right?”

Rising to her feet, she returned the stick to her mouth and saluted Eric.  “See ya, mutt; I’d be careful how ya act in the future.  I might be a few jumps away in a bit, so behave.  Give my regards to the sis.  She’s got a hard life ahead of her as a female Fenris Wolf.”

She turned, fingers entering her pockets and her tail gently swaying with her movements.  Ylva studied the beaming cat Founder with curiosity, and from the side angle, Sora noticed nasty scars along her back and spine, the upper half blocked by her crop top.

“Well, deadbeat puss, wanna tell me some stories about your old bestie?  We got a journey ahead of us, after all.”

“Not yet!”  she chimed, her large feline eyes shifted to her.  “Sora has yet to make a wish.”

“Oh!  Right, uh…  Nilly, will you protect Ylva from getting hurt on her way to, uh, vulpes territory—and with whoever she wants to bring.  Eek!”

Sora jumped as Ylva bit hard on the galaxy candy, shattering it in her mouth and swallowing before sucking in the stick to chew it up.  The minuscule stream of energy that managed to release made her shiver, yet the wolf pulled it all in as if a black hole.

“Not necessary.  There’s always the risk someone raised in the pack will fall back to their roots.  If I’m going to make this trip, I’ll make it alone to start over.  If I’m going to bring risk to your family, I’m not going to raise the odds of it blowing back on you.”

Eric’s arm healed, and he got to his feet, confidence now returning.  “Well, welcome to fox land, cousin,” he began to chuckle.  “Maybe we—”

In the next second, Eric was in the air, Ylva’s hands around his throat and blue eyes now more intense than a supernova.  “I best not catch you disrespecting the vulpes Founders after what Sora just did for you, mutt.  I’ve seen the folds of this universe’s history and how you act like you own the place…  Fall in line.  I won’t have you jeopardizing my chance at freedom.”

“Ack—yeah… got it!”

She dropped him on his butt, Ylva’s bored cadence returning as she turned her back to them and walked away.  If Sora didn’t know any better, there was a spring in her step and swaying tail.

“Happy birthday, Ms. Lady Fox.  Let’s go, deadbeat.”

Nilly smiled, seemingly now seeing the term as endearing.  “Okay, rat tail.”

Ylva stopped, turning to look down and lock eyes with the giggling cat.

“I’m just playing!  You have super soft fur—better than Sora’s that bristles all the time.”

“Because you grab it out of nowhere!”  Sora shot back with a huff.  “Warning next time, please.”

“No promises!”

Ylva’s focus went to her one last time as her eighth tail split.  “Give your mother my regards.  I hope she didn’t break any laws because that would be… unfortunate.”

Break any laws?

She couldn’t ask her to elaborate since the wolf grabbed a wide-eyed Nilly by the collar and put her over her shoulder before shooting into the sky at more of a casual pace when compared to her entrance.

“Eh—piggyback ride?!  I’m too old for that right now, Ylva.  Ylva!”

“Buckle up.”

“Ahhh-hahaha!  Bye-bye, Sora; happy birthday!”

The ritual overhead became visible again as the void shrunk, and Sora stood still, passively watching sections of it crack and break in a chain reaction.  Out of all the possible avenues this could have gone down, she did not expect this.

“Sora, your skin,” Aiden whispered, doing better now that the wolf was gone and he wasn’t supporting her, as well.

“Huh…  Am I going to turn into fire?”  she chuckled, holding up a hand to observe the glow it now radiated.  “I guess it’s time to meet my mom.  Hehe.  I’m nervous!  Oh, what about my dad, Eyia?”

The blonde finally released her bottom lip, unsure face softening upon centering on her.  “I have managed to keep him stable.  I fear your mother might not be so understanding of my being in your territory, Sister…  If not, I have learned a l—Sister?”

Sora walked forward to hug the taller girl, going through her own emotional turmoil as to how she should act toward Fenris Wolves.  “I’m sure she’ll understand.  We’re Sisters-in-arms, right?  I’m here for you like you’ve been here for me.  Thank you, Sister.”

Eyia’s spear vanished, hearing her sniff back tears while returning the embrace.  “Thank you for your guidance, Sister.  I fear I will only continue to spiral into questions I cannot answer without your support.”

“We’ll work through our problems together, right?  Including hers,” she sighed, spotting Kari pushing herself up and rubbing her head.  “We all have so many issues to work through, and I don’t feel like I can leave any of you—huh… already?”

Sora drew away from the Valkyrie as her body ignited, and a flaming gateway opened nearby.  “My mom, I guess…  Haaa.  Wish me luck.”

Figuring her radiating energy was similar to her foxfire and only hurt who she desired, Sora moved in to hug Aiden, making the boy stiffen and Eric chuckle; she ignored the man, learning from Ylva’s example.

“W-What’s this for?”

“Thank you.  I don’t know how you did it, but… apparently it was your doing, so…  Thank you for giving me this moment with my mother.  Well, let’s see how this goes…”

Looking at the booth before she entered the rift in space, Sora sighed.  I wish Wendy could be here to offer me support…  I’ll save you.  Mom has to have an answer.  I can’t help but have expectations…  I need her help.  Please, hear me out, Mom.

Chapter Forty-One: A Mother’s Gift

Embraced by flames, Sora’s mind drifted with her eyes as bizarre shapes, sensations, and colors washed through her.  Space elongated, yet it did not feel like she was moving at all.  Instead, it was as if it circled around her, wrapping her in a blanket.  In the next instant, she was lying in her bed.

“Huh?!  Where did I…  I’m in my room?”

Groaning, she forced herself up, looking out at the vast Miami ocean view from her suite window.  The sun was already coming up, but Sora knew it wasn’t a dream.  Focus drifting to her shimmering hand, she watched in fascination as the semi-liquid and solid-like substance twinkled with various shades of orange and red.

Sora pulled off the sheets to study her elemental figure.  Her unified nine tails shifted between a gaseous and watery state, mind attempting to catch up.  Somehow, it still looked fluffy.  All of the events over the past two weeks gradually sparked to life in her brain as if fireworks popped each event into clarity.

She scooted to the side of the bed, hanging her legs over and rubbing her head before swapping her attention to her belly, where a burning sensation deep within her core flared.  It wasn’t uncomfortable so much as unusual.

Her clothes were nowhere to be seen, but her entire body was more or less a mass of semi-corporeal energy, so that wasn’t her primary concern.

“I… went through the portal, and…  Hello?”

A knock at the door snatched her attention with the soft voice that answered her.

“Can… I come in?”

Tingles cascaded down her arms and spine as she whispered, “Mom?”

“Yeah, umm… I know you’re struggling to adapt.  This isn’t really your room; you’re technically still in the stadium.  I’m trying to make it easier for you to process everything since you’re not accustomed to—never mind, I’m sorry.  I can give you some more time…”

“No!  Eh…”  Sora’s lungs seized, mind now in a frenzy upon finally hearing her mother’s voice for the first time; it was hesitant, nervous even.  Not to mention, the whole situation of waking up at home and in bed was momentarily disorienting.  “Mom, Dad is hurt—I-I don’t know what to do!”

“It’s okay.”  Her mother’s gentle tone was soothing and calmed whatever constituted her racing heart in her current state.  “You don’t need to worry too much about time or what is happening back on your Earth.  You’re outside of its time stream; it will be as if you never left.  You’re transitioning from human to… mostly vulpes, so, umm, yeah… take your time.”

Rubbing her prickly arms, Sora took a deep breath and released it, feeling the pressure in her chest ease a little.  “Don’t stop talking… please—don’t go.”

“Sora…”

She tried to get to her feet, legs suddenly weak, forcing her to sit back on the bed not to topple over.  Tears came to her eyes as she focused on her closed door.

“Why won’t you come in—why did it have to happen like this?”

Her mother’s short pause was like needles sticking into her heart.

“It’s… complicated.  And, heh, I’m scared… to be honest, My Little Fox…  I’m terrified.  I’m so sorry for all the hardship you’ve had to suffer when you’re so young.  I suppose I should explain myself.”

The knob turned, making Sora hold her breath upon finally getting a first look at her mother—who was not in a kimono, as she’d expected—she was dressed in blue jeans and a high-neck, somewhat frumpy green long-sleeve shirt.

Still, the casual wear couldn’t detract from her stunning, perfectly proportionate Japanese features.  Her deep ruby locks fell to the small of her back, half converting into flickering flames.  Her large ears were pulled back, and her nine long tails took up the entire doorway.

Her mother’s apprehensive, bright red eyes could only look at her for a second before darting to the corner.  Almost adorably, she held her left arm, hips shifting to the side as she bit her lower lip.  “I, eh-heh, didn’t know what to wear—I changed just a few times, hehe…  I bet you’re disap—”

The pounding in Sora’s chest flooded her limbs with strength as she lurched off the bed, tears falling down her cheeks.  Her arms slid around her mother’s frame, holding her tight as she wept, legs partially giving out and making her mom support her.

“Sora…”  Emotion touched her mother’s voice as she returned the embrace.  “Mmm, I guess no matter what I wear, no silver or gold could dress me up as good as your hug, my perfect little fox…  What kind of magic is this?  You’re going to make me cry…  I’m sorry it took me so long…”

“Mom!”

Ear pressed against her mom’s chest, she heard every boom and clap of her heartbeat, making her arms tremble.  Moved, their cries increased as they both melted into each other’s arms.  Her mother’s warm tails folded in to pull them closer, weaving around Sora’s own and producing a heat she’d never experienced as the fluffy vulpes cradled her.

The rapid beat against her ears went on and on, yet only made Sora squeeze tighter, afraid her mother would disappear if she let go.  Eventually, Sora was guided to her bed to sit, leaning against her mom’s shoulder, but Sora wanted more—she didn’t even know what she wanted, but knew it was so much more.

Her mother’s fingers brushed back her flowing, liquid-like bangs and waited patiently for her to regain control.  Everything had been so overwhelming, but it all melted inside her mom’s arms.  For the first time in a long time, she felt safe as she was wrapped in her mother’s comforting tails.

Swallowing whatever was in her throat, Sora puffed out the hot air within her lungs for shimmering flames to shoot out in a short burst.  All that raged in her head was the painful question that had throbbed in her chest since learning her mother was alive.

She fought through the pain in her nose.  “Why did you leave Dad and me?  We needed you.”

Her mother pulled her in tighter, cheek resting against her left ear.  “I didn’t have a choice…”

“Why—aren’t you in charge of a huge territory or something?”  Sora choked.  “Who’s stopping you?”

“It’s not that simple, Sora… and despite having an entire Existence to roam, I’ve only felt caged outside of your lives.  If I didn’t leave minutes after your birth, I would have triggered your awakening as a baby—what’s happening to you right now…  At such a tender age, I… would have killed you, had I not cut all contact.  My very touch against your universe could have triggered it, and I had to purge nearly any trace of myself, excluding your father’s memories of me for… complicated reasons.”

Sora bit her lower lip, emotion gripping her throat again, but her mother cut her spiraling thoughts before they could fully form.

“It wasn’t your fault.  Aiden told you that I’m… barren…  I can’t have kids like normal women—despite all my power… your grandmother’s power—Inari and I have been cursed.  You couldn’t fathom the torturous ages of searching for a cure,” she mumbled, her voice suddenly hoarse.  “To crave the thing all other Founders take for granted and to be denied…”

Leaning in harder, Sora reached down to take her mother’s hand to trace each finger to the fingernail, helping her believe this was real because she couldn’t bear it being a figment of her imagination.  Her mom’s tails wrapped around hers, making her shiver with how good it felt, as if being hugged nine times, and all at once.

“You’ve been watching me… through all the bullying?”

Her mother streamed out a hot breath against her ear, nuzzling it for a second.  “Every night you cried into your pillow, feeling lonely in that big hotel suite…  There were times my vision was blocked, which made me panic, wondering if I should rush in.  Such as when you met with Stephanie, but she spoke to me before going to her secret meeting.”

Sora’s fingers tightened around her mom’s.  “You’re… you’re not mad that she’s hiding in your territory or whatever—she really helped me—Eyia and Jin, as well?”

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.  Sora, this territory is technically your grandmother’s.  Even if the tanuki Founder betrayed and killed my mother, her magic was powerful enough to give us an inheritance that supported Inari and me in her passing…  Your grandmother was the one who initiated the peace talks in the first place, so we do not have the same prejudices toward the Primordials as the other Founders.  A Celestial was a surprise, but she explained her circumstances.”

“That’s good…  What about Ylva and Nilly?”

“Mmgm.  Nilly is… a very troubling addition to your life, and one I wasn’t expecting.  Allow me to explain…”

She breathed deeply before letting it stream out, making Sora a little nervous; being a J-drama lover, she knew all to well what the Nekomata was—a evil cat spirit that was abused and came back to life to spread evil.  The topic of the undead 1st Generation Founder of the Cats would probably be a touchy subject for Founders.  Yet, her mother threw a curve ball by bringing in the blond firebird.

“I think Aiden is the cause for Nilly’s involvement… and it scares me.”

“Hold on.  What?”  Sora shifted to give her mother a quizzical look.  “What does Aiden have to do with anything about Nilly?”

A short chortle came from her mom as she pulled her in tighter.  “Everything, Little Ember…  Aiden has everything to do with your circumstances.  He’s too good of a guy… too much of a peacemaker.”

Thoroughly confused now, Sora’s ears pulled back as her mother laid out the problem the handsome teenage boy’s very being was to everyone around him.

“You heard Jin complain about a troublesome bird,” her mother sighed.  “Ylva called him a Son of Homā, and he told you himself that his powers had a minor effect on causality.  Well… it’s a lot more than just a minor effect.”

Sora’s lips parted in disbelief as her mother created a small illusion of Aiden in front of them and told a story that hushed all thoughts in her mind.

“I only know what information I can gain from the memories of Alva’s children when they entered my territory, but it paints a grim picture.  Alva helped a young Primordial prince in secret to obtain something she could not obtain herself without angering the Three Pillars…  She told him how to capture a descendent of Homā who was stealing his father’s golden apples.  And Homā is one of the Three Pillars, who has the ability to grant their own wishes by merely following their instinct.”

The memory of Aiden happily giving people money on the side of the road, complimenting a random person, or buying an elderly woman a meal now made sense to Sora as she thought back on her time with the blond.  He’d done what he thought was right, and that made him happy, following his instincts and thereby getting him closer to what he wanted.

Her mother created the image of a pretty, flaming bird in a cage—Aiden’s mom—and there was a single egg underneath her as a giant gray wolf and handsome prince stood over it.  It made Sora’s mouth pull in, stomach twisting at the thought of what Kari’s mom had done to this poor, young firebird.

“The prince was elated,” her mother continued, “but there was a devious trick that Alva played on this Primordial.  You see, while a descendent of Homā can indeed bring unprecedented fortune to those they serve and cannot break their promises… there is a great price to pay for those who take what is not freely given.  What is the desire of a caged bird?”

“To be free,” Sora whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat, a shiver running down her arms.  “So… she manipulated things in a way that took everything from the prince?”

“No.”  Her mother linked fingers with her and showed her the most gorgeous woman Sora had ever seen, practically radiating the essence of beauty.  “Alina gave Ivan exactly what she’d promised him… the hand of Elena the Most Beautiful.  She gave him wealth, status, and a woman that stole every ounce of his affections, yet… once Alina’s promise was fulfilled, everything started to collapse.”

The whole kingdom and grandeur that his mother had created crumbled before falling in on itself.  Soon after, what looked to be a beggar crawled on his knees over the grave of Elena, his beloved, broken and with only the rags left on his back as he thrust the caged woman at Alva, asking to be rid of this cursed firebird.

A lump formed in Sora’s throat as she watched Alva take the firebird and return to her den, where Eric waited, only a small pup at the time.  The gray wolf opened the cage, releasing the bird, to Sora’s surprise.  “Alva set Elena free?”

“Hehe.  Yes, and no,” her mom whispered, showing the egg she’d been sitting on had been left behind.  “I have no proof, but I suspect Kari’s mother is the one who initially informed Aiden’s mother about the delicious golden apples of Ivan’s father and started the whole Founder and Primordial fiasco that she then resolved…

“This quest that the prince went on and the rest of this sad drama, all of it was likely plotted by the she-wolf.  Why?  Hmm.  In order to adopt a young Son of Homā into her family to escape what she knew would come the moment she had her first child.”

Sora’s head nuzzled closer to her mom’s ear as she saw two ominous shadows of wolves hanging over Alva’s den—her brothers.

Her mother somberly nodded, making the living flames swirl into scenes of Aiden hatching and being welcomed into the family.  Yet, Eric was the one who grew up around the firebird since his mother was absent for a time.  After a time, she returned pregnant, presumably with Kari, showing Sora Kari and Eric were indeed half-siblings.  Events slid by, including a third absence and return pregnancy for the gray wolf before Alva’s realm collapsed.  Then came Miami, where a band wound around Sora’s heart.

“Everything I’d hoped and foreseen for your bright future was thrown into chaos the moment Alva’s family entered your life, creating a ripple effect that brought so many dangerous possibilities.  Your bullying, Eric’s absence from Miami to let his sister grow, and the cousin of one of Kari’s friends that opened Kari up to online motivational videos… all of it was unconsciously instigated by Aiden to save his family, which brings us back to Nilly.”

“Wait…”  Sora’s free arm pressed against her churning gut, trying to process everything.  “My bullying, the meds… everything was… was manipulated by Aiden, so… so I could understand Kari and do what?”

Her mother slowly shook her head with a sad laugh.  “Believe me, Sora, I would love nothing more than to blame Aiden, but he is a product of his own nature; it is his unconscious effects on causality—Alva’s plan from the beginning.  He’s a peacemaker, and he wants to find peace within his adopted family.  He does what he thinks is right.  And, yes, there is a part of him that wonders if he is the reason your life is filled with heartache.  It’s burning him up inside thinking about his own powers and its effect on others—on you.”

“Mmmgm!”  Sora leaned forward and rubbed her forehead.  “He’s such a good guy.  So… he doesn’t know what he did?”

“No.”  Her mom leaned over to nudge her with her shoulder.  “And him getting close to you to better understand you is him trying to find some way to make everyone get along.  He likes you!”

“Mom!  What are you even saying?!”  Sora balked, feeling her body and cheeks burn hotter at the look on her mom’s face.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm.  I didn’t say how he likes you?  Where is your mind going, hmm?”

“Mmgm.  And there’s the fox-mom,” she mumbled, reaching over to pinch her mom’s side and make the ‘old fox’ squeak before her mom tackled her onto the bed to retaliate.  “W-Wait, Mom!  Hehehehe!  Stop!”

“Hahaha!  You started it!”

“No, I didn’t!  You did!”

They giggled together, wrestling around a bit, and Sora ended up on her back next to her mom, breathing heavily and wearing a smile.  How did she suddenly turn that depressing topic into a tickle fight?

Trying to get her mind straight, she cleared her eyes of whatever elemental tears that had leaked out during the tickle war.  “So…  Nilly is bad?”

“Not necessarily,” her mother sighed, using her tails to scoot closer.  “Nilly is… strange.”

“Haha!  Nilly is Nilly,” Sora repeated from her time with the cat.

Her mother snickered.  “Yes.  Nilly is Nilly…  Haaa.  Nilly is the cat… the Cat Mother, and Nilly had nine lives—where do you think that myth comes from?”  she asked, nudging her elbow and making her chuckle. “Yes…  Nilly had nine lives… and she died nine times during the Founder-Primordial War.”

“Oh…”  Sora moved her hands to her belly to fiddle with her fingers.  “So, she became a Nekomata after her ninth death?”

Her mother’s face became tight before looking at the ceiling corner.  “That’s… not clear.  After her first death and return, everyone believed she was immortal, yet… that turned out to have its limits, and her ninth death happened to follow Fenrir’s defeat and subsequent death, as well.  I, umm, I suspect the doctor that helped your father and I give life to you had something to do with her unusual tenth-life return…  Frankenstein.”

“Okay, Name-dropper,” Sora mumbled, glancing over at her uncomfortable mom.  “Umm.  I’m guessing you don’t want to talk about this.  It’s alright.  We can move on.”  Sora reached out to hold her hand again.  “I’m just happy to spend time with you and talk; I want to know more about you!”

“Aww.  You’re too good to your mom…  Hmm.  Unfortunately, I think I need to circle back to Alva’s family since it is such a big part of this conversation.”

Sora slowly nodded.  “Okay.  So, Alva had this desperate plot to save her family by forcing them into your territory…  How?”

Her mom leaned over to kiss her cheek, making her smile.  “Our territory.  Hehe.  You’re amazing, Little Ember.”

“Pfft!  You bet your tails I’m awesome; I’ve got an awesome fire fox goddess as a mom!”  she said with a big grin.

“You little fox!”

“No tickles!”  she instantly shot back, using her free hand to defend herself.

“Fine!  Fine!  Hehe.  Alva exploited a safety protocol within your grandmother’s defensive weave, which brought them into our space.  I should have seen this coming, to be honest, but I was… preoccupied with watching you and twisting my tails for not being there for you and your father.  And then Alva utilized Homā’s lineage to blur the future causality—cause and effect, basically—in ways even 12th-dimensional entities like myself cannot fully perceive.”

Starting to feel better, Sora pulled her mother closer after her tickle attack to lay next to her on the bed, hair bunching around them as she faced her and looked into her deep red eyes.  “Just tell me everything will be okay.”

Her mother somehow still looked stunning with red, teary cheeks, and her face softened at her plea.  “That’s not so easy without lying.”

“Aww, fhooey!”  she said with a disgruntled huff.

“Haaa.  Mhm.  Unfortunately, challenges will always be ahead of you with everything that’s tied into your ever-shaping destiny, Little Fox, but you won’t be alone…  My only regret has been my inability to be there with you all the time…  Do you want me to explain why?”

Trying not to let her emotions get the better of her from the chilling statement, she nodded, unable to speak.  “Mhm.”

Her mom’s perfect fingernails cleared away the loose locks across her face with tender care as she spoke.

“First, yes, I have already accepted Ylva into our territory, and I am not afraid of the Fenrir family as a whole.  Second, I can see you growing into such a kind and captivating young woman…  Hehe, I just wanted to say that—you’re my little fire starter.”

Smiling and forcing down the lump in her throat, Sora rubbed at her cheeks.  “Thanks, Mom.”

“Even with everything I explained earlier, there will be hardships you will undoubtedly face due to making friends with a Primordial, and while not exactly friends, I can see your heart changing regarding Kari and her place in your life.  I’ll give you all of the answers, and then you can decide what you want to do with them.”

A little taken aback by the sudden turnaround and the power her mother was now offering her over them, she looked up as her mom directed her to various illusions she crafted of each person.

“Let’s start with our family: I was born inside the 12th dimension among the first of the Second Generation Founders as the youngest of a litter of four.”

Three radiant and gorgeous women—each in their own unique ways—took shape, the oldest’s fur color a lustrous white, the second ebony black, and the third a glorious gold.

“Inari is my oldest sister.  We have… a complicated relationship but keep to our own spaces for the most part.  Uh, I have not told her about you; I don’t even want to imagine how that’d turn out.  As for your other two aunts, Seiōbo is the second oldest, and Nari is the third in our family.  Then you have me… hehe, the runt of the litter.”

Watching the illusion of the four fox siblings, Sora giggled at the pouty glare her teenage red-furred mother shot at her older sisters.

A sad whisper came to her mom’s voice.  “My middle siblings were the only two who could have children, yet they died shortly after our mother’s murder by the tanuki Founder before they decided to have any since they knew it was a soft spot for Inari and I.  I’d… rather not get into those complicated details now.”

Recalling what Jin and Aiden had said, Sora brought her mother’s hand to her stomach.  “Aunt Inari killed the First Generation tanuki Founder, right?”

“Haaa.  Yes.  Jin’s hatred for her mother and my big sister comes from that decision Inari made.  Just after our big war with the Primordials, Inari plotted against and killed Yìnglóng’s firstborn son—the most powerful 2nd Generation Founder and closest to the 1st in strength.  She did it for revenge in order to obtain the means to kill a 1st Generation Founder, which should have been impossible for us as the 2nd Generation.  It isn’t so important at this time.  So, let’s stay on the topic of the war since it affects you, Jin, Eyia, and Kari.

“In short, there was a Great War between the Founders and the Primordials, who escaped their own collapsing Existence to enter ours.  The Primordials destroyed their own Existence by their own folly, and three of the four major Primordial factions declared war to take this new land for their own to have a new home…  I participated in repelling that invasion with many of the early Second Generation.”

She waved away the clashing forces of what looked to be Egyptian, Asgardian, and Greek gods, the Slavic excluding themselves, versus a much smaller force of giant magical animals representing the Founders.

“To bring this story back to how it affects us…  Fenrir was slain by swallowing one of the Primordial Four Pillars in the midst of the final battle, forcing him to contend with the gods on the outside and the incredibly potent foe within his belly…  He died, shocking all the Founders, and a cease-fire was called shortly after, headed by my mother…  We called her Amy.”

“Amy…”  Sora repeated, watching a magical woman that had a figure that was entirely fluid, morphing into all kinds of lovely forms, all of which captivated.  “Without a seat at the table, the Fenris Wolves were shoved off to the side?”

One of her mother’s tails unwound around hers to paint a picture above them.  “Something even Ylva is likely not aware of… but there is a rumor that I have heard about the two Alphas of the Fenrir packs…  They are not seeking female Fenris Wolves to repopulate their race but… for them to consume their children in order to strengthen their link to their father’s blood.  To them, it is their only way to regain their family’s high respect amongst the other Founders.”

A tremor ran down Sora’s tails.  “I…  How can it get even worse than I thought?”  she mumbled, trying not to imagine the horror story Kari’s future was inside of the Fenrir territory, becoming a baby incubator.  A situation Alva couldn’t stop since Ylva confirmed the gray wolf wasn’t powerful enough to protect her pups from her brothers.  “They didn’t know Kari’s mom could have kids?”

“Hmm.  Alva pretended to be barren like us,” her mother mumbled, sitting up to show the illusion of the two larger brothers suddenly coming in on her den as she tried to hide the young pups behind her.  “The second they learned that she’d been faking it for such an incredibly long time, her life was as good as over.

“You see, Alva looked up to my mother and would often sneak away from her pack to visit us—they thought it was due to her being barren—so there was a little caveat in my mother’s spell for her at a certain power level.  She exploited that, thrusting her pups into our land and entangling Kari into your life, despite the incredible odds of her family making it into this planet.”

Holding her mother’s hand against her stomach, Sora frowned.  “If you’re so powerful and in control of this territory, don’t you know like… everything?  How can Aiden’s ability be so strong to trip up someone like you?”

Her beautiful mom just laughed at the question.  “Sora… I can indeed see causality in many, many omniverses at once, but the issue comes from Singular Entities.  I suppose this is a good chance to tell you who you are,” she said with a small smile, shifting to her side to look into her green eyes.  “As far as I am aware, there are only four levels of beings—one being the lowest—and we Founders rank them based on dimensional accessibility.

“You would be in the First Level, even if you are a Founder with many privileges and rights that comes with that heritage:

“The First Level is dimensions one to three.

“The Second Level is dimensions four to six.

“The Third Level is dimensions seven to nine.

“And the Fourth Level, where I reside, is dimensions ten to thirteen.

“These ranks do not deal with your potential for growth rather than where your current influence lies, and for you, that influence of power is in the first three-dimensional spheres.

“We needn’t get into the details at this time, but, as I said, I would be in the Fourth Level or the highest.  Yet there are tiers of their own in these levels, and it is only due to your grandmother’s potent Existence-shaping magic that we were able to keep our inheritance she left us, being this territory, which Fenrir did not provide for his pups.”

Her mother spread her arms to direct her throughout her room.  “A universe is like a tiny atom inside your entire world, and you could think of this world as our vulpes’ territory.  This little place that you know is nothing in the grand scheme of things, yet Alva, through Aiden and her own cunning, managed to maneuver her family right into your life.”

Sora’s eyes fixated on the obscure images of an eight-winged, multi-hued fairy, a colossal red serpent dragon, and a flaming bird.

“Think of Existence as this universe you know—open space—and picture this galaxy that you are in as our vulpes territory.  Naturally, I am simplifying this scale to an extreme degree, but it paints the scene.  Alva’s territory—or her solar system—is inside Fenrir territory, or Fenrir’s galaxy, which is next to ours, and her pups were able to sneak in illegally through her plan involving Aiden.  Aiden told you about our creation story.”

Thinking back to their little dinner date, Sora’s mouth twitched a little.  “Uh, yeah… he basically just said Founders showed up, and everything was made.  Real detailed recount there, Mom.  I’m trying to understand what you’re saying…  Basically, there is this onion with thirteen layers, and that onion is Existence.”

Her mother giggled.  “Yes, that works as an example: the outer layer would be dimension one, and the innermost dimension would be thirteen.  There are many onions outside ours.  The thing that separates these onions or Existences—thirteen-dimensional spheres—is not the numberless creatures within them.

“Each onion has its own top dogs, and those top dogs are those who reached the center of their onion first and ascended to the top of the onion hierarchy.   By being the first beings to touch the center of their onion, or their Existence Core, they gain extreme abilities to reshape their onion as they see fit.  Primordials had their onion, and blew it up, then wanted ours.

“Your grandmother was within that first party to reach our onion core with the Three Pillars…”  She gestured to the fairy, dragon, and firebird.  “The Three Pillars are the current strongest Founders.  Homā, as I explained earlier, is one of them—Aiden’s ancestor.

“Homā flies around the outer edges of our onion, or Existence, and protects against outside threats, and due to his power over causality—in conjunction with the effect of being a Singular Existence—when multiple Founders are together, it blurs all predictions… even for me.

“So, Little Ember,” her mother concluded with an educational tone, “that is why your all-knowing mother isn’t so all-knowing.  Well, in addition to Celestials, Primordials, and… others that have uncovered your presence and entered this tiny universe…  Essentially, it is a glorified mess,” her mother groaned, rubbing her forehead.

Brow furrowed at her mother’s explanation, and liking the onion analogy, a rumble came to Sora’s throat.  “But… how did they get past Grandma’s barrier?  Oh, excuse me, Grandma’s onion shield,” Sora said with a smirk.  “Wouldn’t they cry and run away, rubbing their eyes?”

A sad tilt came to her mother’s mouth, chuckling at her joke.  “Good one.  Umm, because… your grandmother wanted peace and thought we could grow more from unifying than continuing to destroy one another.  She wanted their help in developing a cure for… for your aunt and my childless wombs, and that prompted the tanuki betrayal, bringing us full circle.  They were unhappy that she was already contacting individuals outside of our Founder group, even during the war.”

Ylva’s words about how much of a big deal territory was made her frown deepen now that she had a better grasp of the Onion Wars.  “I don’t need to know all of the stuff…  It’ll probably make my head hurt, to be honest—it already is.  I just…  You haven’t told me why you can’t join our family now?  Isn’t it all over?”

Her mother forced a laugh.  “I’m stalling… and did it sound like the war was over from what you heard from Jin?”

Sora ran her fingers through her hair and sighed.  “No…  It all sounds stupid, though.”

“Haha.  I suppose it would to a teenager,” her mom whispered, linking tails again.  “I can only enjoy this time with you while you’re in your initial transformation.  Once this is over, and your human blood is purged, you will return to a single-tailed vulpes state.  At that point, if you come into contact with me or your aunt’s power again—even the slightest amount after things fully settle from this change…  It will trigger a resonance that will bring on your next tail to be prematurely grown, which is dangerous and could kill you.”

“Ugh.  That’s not fair!”  she snarled, lightly hitting her free hand against the bed.  “Does that mean I can only see you, like… once every one hundred years?!”

“No.  I-I’m trying to discover a way to counteract it, but… progress is slow, and the doctor that helped me facilitate your birth is… difficult to reach.  I’m trying!  I should be able to send you a dream in a bit to update you, b-but I am trying Sora…  There is one thing I want to be sure of since we are running out of time.  Just give me some time!  Please…”

“Already?!”  Sora asked with alarm.  “I have so much I want to know!”

“I know.  I know,” her mother whispered, caressing her cheeks with her long sleeve to wipe away her tears.  “I can take the Fenrir family out of your life…”

Sora’s gut tightened as a sharp, rage-filled glint came to her mother’s flaming eyes.  “I’ve already secured the soul of Jenny before it passed onto any of the possible afterlives within this sphere…  I will have my own chat with the werewolf.  My only question is… do you want me to remove Kari’s family?  It could cause unforeseen issues due to Aiden’s power to disrupt things, but it is your choice.”

Finally, an option that she could make without feeling total pressure one way or another, and she was shocked by her own answer as she vocally rationalized her decision.

“Two weeks ago…  I would have loved nothing more than for you to burn her to a crisp, but now… now my eyes are opened, and I hate seeing myself in Kari, but I do…  And maybe that is Aiden’s power bringing us together to show me that—I don’t know—does it even matter?”

Unable to believe her own words, Sora laughed.  “I just… realize that I don’t even know Kari, and… I want to see what she’s like without all the bullies shoving her around.  I doubt she’ll even trust me, but I think I want to give her that option—is that weird?”

“Very unlike me,” her mother laughed, kissing her on the forehead and showing a proud smile.  “It’s very like your father… ever the rational and level-headed type, while I’m a hot mess, blowing up multiverses in my youth.  Haaa, I really hope you don’t take after me.”

Sora had to comment on that, looking her mother up and down with a small smile.  “Well, I hope I got some of your genes—you’re gorgeous, Mom!”

“Oh, I’d say your tails will be far more lovely than this old fur,” she chuckled, reaching over to stroke their entangled tails.  “Though it may take a few millennia to look as old as I do!  At least we have illusions, right?”

“True!  So… what now?”  Sora asked.  She looked down at her fluctuating figure from this elongated process her mother had made; it was peculiar, yet oddly beautiful.  Still, weirdness aside, she had stretched it out as long as possible to spend time with her, which warmed her heart.  “You’ll heal Dad and everyone?”

A compassionate tone came to her mother’s voice while sitting up to hold her hands.  “As with many things, it is complicated with your father—very complicated—your father doesn’t know he isn’t exactly… human.”

Sora’s mind blanked.  “Huh?  What do you mean Dad’s not human?!  No!  Don’t stonewall me!”

Her mother forced a smile.  “I’m sorry…  I’d love to get into stories and all sorts of juicy topics regarding your father, but… we just don’t have the time,” she said, motioning at her fading tails.

“Still, I can begin his stages of recovery—he will need rest, though.  And you are about to be introduced to a rather… conflicted organization, but you needn’t be too worried; it will be a bit hectic at the start, but it will settle down so you can rest.  You have a lot more power than you think, Sunshine.”

Sora gave an involuntary giggle as her mother reached up to scratch behind her left ear instead of growling to pursue the serious topic; she totally did it on purpose because it made it fold down against her will with the heavenly sensations it sent to her brain.

“Mom…”

“I do have a plan to talk to you again,” she said with a strained smile.  “It may take a bit to do since I’m not accustomed to such primitive means, but I will learn fast and set things up as swiftly as I can.”

Sora’s throat felt dry.  “You mean it; we can talk more—when?”

Her mom leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead.  “Soon, but not too soon for me… but maybe super soon for you.  Hehe.  I will savor that frustrated-daughter glare.”

“Humph.  I bet you will.”

“I can’t wait to see your excited face and tail again.  Patience.  I have so much more I want to say—things I think Kari would like to know, depending on how things turn out between you two…  Do you think you can bridge that gap?”

“I don’t know,” she whispered, searching her heart and trying not to be too mad at her mom.  This wasn’t the end, but her mom was a little mean about not giving her a timeframe and being so mysterious.

“All that hatred I had for her just… started to evaporate as I changed and began living again.  I think after everything I’ve heard about how she was brainwashed, left broken, and—ugh, her brother!  Yeah, I can’t justify not giving her a second chance…  Heh, if she even wants to try to change.  It’s—”

She shook her head with a laugh.  “I keep saying it, but I don’t know, Mom!  You… can break the curse for Wendy and Mary—Lori, too, I guess?”

“Easily.”  Her mother’s all-encompassing eyes drew her in as she leaned in and kissed her on her forehead.  “I will bring back to life everyone who was affected by Jenny’s plots.  Work with Aiden to take control of your life, Sora—take back control, and don’t be intimidated…  I’m always watching, My Little Fox, and I can’t wait to see you again.”

Her mind washed away, falling into heated oblivion as a sudden influx of power erupted out of her before her mind washed away.  The pressure of her mother’s lips lingered on her skin with their entangled tails, cleansing all anxiety.  She had an awkward, perfectly imperfect mother, and her mother loved her.

Chapter Forty-Two: SCC Foundation

Diane’s fingers skidded across a tablet as she accessed the Supernatural Containment and Conservation Foundation’s database.  Swiftly inputting her credentials, she was granted Level 5 access as one of the highest-ranking administrative researchers in The Foundation.

Sora Moore’s rather extensive file came on screen, completely unredacted at her high clearance; it was only updated recently.  Her introduction to Founders came many months before this, yet the sudden development in Miami had certainly snatched Diane’s attention.

She sighed, looking away to dully stare out of the tinted window of the heavily tinted black SUV.  Diane only arrived an hour ago at the Miami Airport.  A rather nasty storm raged outside, with thunder roaring and colossal bolts of lightning streaking across the heavens.  She grimaced; it wasn’t natural.

All flights had been grounded due to the flash hurricane that had meteorologists baffled and Miami cowering in fear, which meant the SCC would be quite busy spinning this story.  Of course, her flight wasn’t hindered.

Most of the roads were clear as the winds reached dangerous levels, not to mention visibility for normal drivers would be nearly impossible in the hail of rain.  It was fortunate her driver wasn’t your typical chauffeur.

A collision of horrific forces had drawn some rather curious entities out of hiding that had been on the SCC’s radar for quite some time.  Some had been attracted to the location, and others were frightened off completely—things that The Foundation went to great lengths to keep away from harming the general public, not that that was her primary interest.

Sitting beside Diane was a nervous Chinese woman, her two black and single white furry tails hidden behind illusions that were well within sight of Diane’s magically enhanced vision.  Behind them sat a giant of a man that took up most of the rear seating; the creature had trouble taking on a small human disguise.

Thin lips pulled in, Diane lingered on the screen, another tablet resting on her lap displaying the live feeds from the field agents and containment specialists that had infiltrated the hellish underground stadium below Miami Beach, Florida.

The Foundation had been aware of a rather unpleasant wolf that had popped up out of nowhere; of course, him being of the Founder breed had been kept under strict clearance Level 4.  After many failed attempts to destroy him, a Site Director had shown he could be useful in dispensing other dangerous anomalies.

He wasn’t too destructive on the human population and was actually rather stealthy in that regard.  Naturally, the Foundation worked in the shadows to make sure certain things were kept on the low.

He’d built up a rather sizable empire with the hidden monster pockets he’d been guided to, and thought-to-be-uncontainable anomalies had been handled by him.  They’d moved quietly in the background, gathering information and guiding him to monster settlements that were less… manageable.  Eric had proved quite useful in stomping out less savory creatures—a necessary evil, of sorts.

Of course, the field agents and monster spies, such as those in the diner they loved to frequent, fed Eric’s organization details about unruly creatures that were typically kept quite secret, but he’d managed to combat rather powerful entities that would have utterly destroyed even the strongest werewolves.  The truth that they were dealing with something called a Founder came out only recently due to the uncomfortable vulpes beside her.

Eric wasn’t a full-blooded Founder, or so their sources had identified, yet the silence from the EC Council and their reluctance to intervene showed there was something more to the man.  Although, now that Sora was in the picture, Diane’s attention was piqued, and their plans had to accelerate.

Diane found her answers to the Founder riddle through Fen, a Huli Jing, or Chinese fox spirit, who had personally come into contact with one of the titanic entities herself, and had much to say about them.

Her gaze drifted to Fen’s single white tail.  The fox woman had met the Founder Inari at some large gathering, and the random portal she used to leave the realm had happened to spit her out in this universe.  She didn’t believe in coincidences.  Something was pulling the strings, and several highly classified contained entities confirmed it.

Returning her focus to the information coming from the undercover agents at the stadium, she wanted to curse; they were panicking, which annoyed Diane.  Apparently, the whole thing was an utter shit-show, with werewolves attacking everyone after the blood-linked Beta had been killed by some Valkyrie.

A Valkyrie interested Diane.  It was becoming difficult to remain on the sidelines.  She’d sent one of her spies at Homeland to spy on the evolving situation before her arrival.

Sadly, her agitation grew when the cursed item she’d crafted for the woman killed her.  At least, she expected the woman to be dead and to receive more information about escaped wraths that needed to be contained soon enough.  She couldn’t let that little detail come back to bite her in the ass.

She swapped between the division teams’ reporting agents, acting to contain the rather disastrous events below their feet.  A tactical response officer was preparing to enter the stadium on order from the current Site Director overseeing the operation.

She wasn’t here for the operation, though.  In fact, they didn’t even know she was in the vicinity or her existence at all since her orders came directly from the Executive Chamberlain Council.  The missions assigned to her by the EC were very specific in nature, and even her driver was required to have Level 4 security clearance to even meet her.

“Fen, have the twins arrived at the hotel?”  she asked.

Her French accent thickened as she browsed the large file involving seized documents from a psychiatrist called Mary’s practice, school records, family financing reports, and things nobody had since The Foundation liked to keep files on everybody on the planet.

“They just arrived,” she whispered, tense and on edge due to the nature of their visit.  “You’re positive your information said a vulpes Founder is on our world because I find that difficult to believe.

“Despite the fact that we live in vulpes Founder territory, that territory encompasses universes without number to us lesser beings who can’t even fathom the most basic of transcended layers.  Why would a Singular Entity, like a Founder, be in this tiny sliver of a hyperverse out of the infinite number of infinite multiverses in their territory?  It makes no sense.  I didn’t even believe the myth of Inari until I met her.”

“Untwist your tails, Fen, and grow a pair,” Diane grumbled, browsing Mary’s notes regarding Sora’s psychiatric evaluations.  “I don’t care about the probability or your doubts.  If what you say is true, then the very fact their existence came to our knowledge at all is the more shocking part, along with your and Jian’s sudden arrival several months ago.”

Fen’s hands knotted in her lap, extended claws ripping a bit of her dress as she pulled them back to rub her stomach, where Diane had placed a few rather nasty wards that kept her and her ever-loyal guardian in check.

The black-haired woman shook her head, face white.  “You don’t understand the level of power you’re dealing with or any of the rumors that pass through vulpes circles…  The vulpes Founders can’t have children.  If it is a red-furred Founder, then we should just stay as far away as possible—Mia is dangerous!”

“I agree,” Jian growled from the back, unemotional blue eyes staring a hole through the side of Diane’s head.  “I have felt the lingering auras of creatures far beyond what I can handle in just the few streets we have driven past.  We are not welcome here.”

“You don’t think I know that?”  Diane huffed.  “Entities like A-605 don’t make an appearance like this without purpose.  It was drawn here.  It seems to be used as some kind of… battery for something.  From what you’ve told me, Sora could be the thing we’ve been looking for, and ten days ago, many Abaddon-class entities vanished from all observation as if running for dear life.  What sixteen-year-old girl makes something like A-2845 go into hiding?”

“A Founder,” Fen whispered, tails squeezing tighter and her eyes flashing pink.  “And there can’t be a sixteen-year-old vulpes Founder.  If she has red hair, she’s Mia, and if I accidentally was pulled into her territory…  I cannot come in contact with Mia after meeting her sister.  Ugh.  The twins have arrived at the hotel…”

“Problems?”  Diane hummed, crossing her legs and swapping to the camera on the magical collars around the twins’ necks that showed a live feed of their activities in Sora’s hotel.  “To me, it would be even better if it were Mia.  I’m sure sitting down to chat with someone at such a divine level would be most enlightening.”

The vulpes twins popped up on her tablet, each angle swap of their cameras showing the other without their illusions while the two-tailed male Nogistsune ran around the foyer, sniffing the air and pausing at specific areas as they tracked Sora’s scent.  Diane easily identified who was who by the restrictive paper ward she’d placed around the base of their spiritual tails; the younger, Faia, had it on his left while Hinote was on his right.

Faia nudged his brother, both invisible to the occupants.  “She’s definitely a vulpes, but…  I’ve never smelled magic so potent, and the weaves are—wow!”

“It’s okay,” Hinote huffed dismissively, clearly impressed but not wanting to show it with his hands in his pants pockets, following after his hyperactive twin.  “There’s a ton of other monsters that have passed by here, though, and not long ago.  I smell a wolfwere and a few other scents that tell me we shouldn’t go up the elevator.”

Diane chuckled.  “Tell them to…”  she trailed off as a demonic hum vibrated the air, and a red beam shot into the heavens, drawing in the powerful storm just as she’d predicted.

All reports coming from the agents near the stadium went dead shortly after.  Leaning forward, she pressed a button on the back of the armrest, saying, “Henry, to the stadium.  Now!”

Her driver spun the car in a sharp circle to take them to a more direct access route, dampening field keeping them stable as he pressed the button to magically enhance the vehicle’s performance; they’d be at one of the entrances within a minute.

Fen was practically petrified.  “That’s Hell Force…  It’s massive.  We can’t be going to the source?  I’m almost positive it’s a summoning circle!”

“It is,” Jian confirmed.  “It doesn’t feel like it’s to Hell, though.”

Diane’s skin prickled.  The O5 Council had specifically sent her to figure out more about this mysterious hellish stadium below Miami, and now this.  It had been their primary objective, but she hadn’t expected it to go off so quickly.

It boggled her mind how they could have found enough power to charge such a colossal ritual, yet using A-605—the anomalous, living hurricane they drove through—was certainly one way of doing it.  From internal sources, she’d confirmed a Wolfwere under Eric and a Succubus had constructed it, yet a design this transcendent didn’t come from some nobody wolf or devil.  There was a grander game at play, which was where Sora and Founders came in.

The actual question was who orchestrated this entire Hell Machine and plot since a ritual on this level could bring out the king of devils himself, yet, as Jian mentioned, it wasn’t going to Hell.  It was so ingenious, Diane was pissed that she hadn’t thought about the idea.  The amount of energy that could be drawn from the entity could power just about anything she ever wanted to accomplish.

“What about us?”  Faia asked, ears pulled back and looking to his big brother for answers.  “What should we do?”

Hinote’s nose twisted.  “We either go up and investigate the suite or die from these things attached to our tail.  Let’s go…”

They sauntered off to complete their originally given goal, but Diane was no longer interested in the pair.  She’d specifically tracked, approved transfers, and trapped key individuals to help her in identifying this vulpes Founder.

Naturally, this included A-953—the nine-tailed Korean Kumiho fox spirit—but she was more challenging to control as a Black-Gamma: Duke Class anomaly due to her age.  Perhaps the more intriguing part was that at the mention of Founders, the fox had utterly lost interest in working with them.  In fact, the Korean laughed inside her confinement cell and said the Foundation would be the end of their universe by tempting fate; the powerful vulpes had been restless since, sparking more security.

“If what you’re saying is true, Fen,” Diane smiled, “then they can tell me where to find Morgen la Fée…  I need to find my old teacher.”

Fen gave her a look that said she was crazy, but she didn’t resist since she couldn’t with the wards Morgen had taught her how to craft nearly four centuries prior.  However, Diane’s obsession with finding her former master was shoved to the back of her mind when they approached the tunnel that would take them to the underground amphitheater.

Just before the secret entrance to the underground tunnels opened up from their vehicle’s hacked magical access card, a sharp reflux erupted from the tall building to their right.  The partly constructed structure the devils had been used as a channeling fork to draw in A-605’s hurricane energy imploded, releasing a shockwave that dispersed the storm high above them to reveal unfiltered space in an aurora of color, bypassing all light pollution.

“Ma’am?”  Henry asked, seeking clarification if they should continue.  “What is…”

The SUV came to a stop as a radiant star appeared in the heavens, brighter than the sun.  Diane’s mouth parted in disbelief while exiting the vehicle.  Rain evaporated in an instant, yet all she felt was an overwhelming sense of fathomless power.

“Mia,” Fen squeaked from inside the car, sinking low in her seat.

It was blinding, yet defied all physics in being utterly clear and safe to observe.  A god particle was all that came to Diane’s mind—an effulgence that peeled back reality itself—and when she blinked, it was gone.  The dying storm that was A-605 had vanished, leaving a clear sky.

Diane’s feet gave out, momentarily unable to process what had just happened.  She had a perfect picture of the fox, and yet, she didn’t.  It was the most bizarre experience she’d ever had in the SCC, and she’d encountered entities that were beyond reason, but this was different.

After a time, she stumbled to the seat.  “G-Go…  Get to the stadium!”

No one spoke as they increased their speed to the destination, the entrance peeling back and allowing them into the Infernal tunnels.  Her driver pushed their vehicle to its limit to reach the amphitheater’s center as soon as possible, and when they came to a stop, Diane couldn’t believe what they’d stumbled onto.

Exiting the vehicle, she looked to the center of the now utterly level chamber that had once been a giant stadium, seeing only a flame that warped reality, twisted time, and distorted space flickering around an unconscious sixteen-year-old girl.

Sora gradually lowered to the blackened, melted earth.  Not a trace of the Hellstone was left, yet spread across the entire area were thousands upon thousands of unconscious people, lying around the colossal underground area.  From what she could tell, every single person or creature that had been positively confirmed deceased or changed by Eric’s family activities over the past three years had been resurrected or cured, including a tiny stormy cloud that was A-605.

“Heh…  Hehehe.  I think your information about the vulpes Founders being sterile is exaggerated, Fen.”  Pulling out a magical device that would connect her to one of The Foundation satellites, she bypassed the Regional Site Director of the US Site Administration to the EC Council’s emergency line.

“You have contacted the pet help hotline: what is the state of your emergency?”

“Alpha-7231.  Annex Protocol.  Omega Reach-772.  Research Priority: Sigma.”

“…Line is secure.  Clearance Level 5 Authenticated.  What is the state of your emergency?”

“Initiate full Blackout Protocol.  Miami Beach.  Top priority; Gray-Omega: Abaddon present.”

“A scrub convoy is en route.  Warp Special Containment platoon onsite in three minutes.  Gateway clear for transport in five.  Please stand by.”

Diane walked to the center, where Sora was now touching down.  The energy she radiated was unlike any particle her magical perception as a fairly competent witch could process, yet she fully expected the girl to be out for some time, whatever had been done to her.

Fen and Jian tentatively exited the vehicle, looking at key individuals that were likely bigger players than they appeared.  Their help would be invaluable in gaining this girl’s trust.  There was so much to do, and she had to wonder just how far this vulpes Founder would help her to achieve her goals.

“She’s not just some reality warper, is she?  Hehe.  I have a young, impressionable reality writer in the palm of my hand.  And who could these other creatures be?  Well… isn’t this getting interesting?”  she whispered to the skittish and white-faced Huli Jing that stopped beside her.

“This is a mistake…”

“Isn’t it always?”  Diane mused, kneeling down to brush back the girl’s flaming hair; it was like liquid and brought her a sense of elation she couldn’t describe.  “Yet we reach out to touch the gods, nonetheless…  Isn’t that why you went to Inari’s meeting, Fen?  And, as a human, I can’t help myself.”

Dark holes punched through space, bringing heavily armed and genetically modified troops—both science and magic-based—from the space station overhead; they wouldn’t be going to any earth-bound research base.

“Go fetch the twins, Fen.  We’ll be on the moon base within the hour.”

Turning to one of the captains that ran to meet her, Diane gave her instructions.  Soon, soon, they’d be on the offensive in this battle, and she’d have a gateway to realms she’d always dreamed of reaching.

To be continued...

About the author

SME is a serial author who unites most of his works within the same narrative framework, allowing readers to see pieces of a vast literary web of connecting stories.  A few of those weekly chapter releases include: 

The Oscillation

Undying Empire

A Tail's Misfortune

Soul's Requiem

Veil of Chaos 

Powerful Entities from these series can make surprise appearances, and there is a comprehensive structure of boundaries between each universe that the readers discover through SME's various works that some have coined 'the SMEverse.' 

Most of SME's works are available to be read for free on the serial websites SME posts to weekly if the reader keeps up-to-date.  As volumes are completed, and the next volume begins, the completed volume is edited and moved to Kindle Unlimited. 

He also makes available advanced chapters and the ability to help shape his worlds through his supporters on Patreon, who can offer input and support in developing these complex worlds and stories.  Polls and other non-weekly stories are occasionally posted there, as well. 

SME loves input and interacts regularly with the community in his Discord, encouraging people to help him in making these tales better.  For those interested in discussing the stories or providing further input, he encourages them to join the discord. 

Discord:  https://discord.gg/Cvah2P4GDD

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patreon-master-31071160

All stories by SME are generally released chapter by chapter every week for the reader's entertainment.  Enjoy!

Special Thanks

First, and foremost, I'd like to be the stereotypical author and tank my mother, who has encouraged me to write since my first werewolf story when I was 13 years old.  She helped me work with my dyslexia with names and many other literary issues I had as a teenager, providing me with tutors and support.  I can never thank her enough for that. 

Second, my editors, readers, and patrons, who have supported me for years and helped me to grow as an author.  I'd especially like to single out Val, Vongrak, Dakon, and SKY, who, among many other proofreaders, have helped to catch the mistakes every author makes and provide feedback that I have found invaluable. 

Val has helped to shape me as an author throughout many years and is always there to bonk me on the head (jokingly, of course) whenever my dyslexia pops up or theory-crafting.  They are my Pokemon battle expert that I go to when writing my fun fanfic.  As a true supporter of my works and stories, I cannot thank them enough. 

You can usually find the degenerate in the discord, and they're always willing to answer questions and welcome anyone into the community with Dizzy Me! and N0verCl0cker.  There are also a lot of fox lovers (Shard, as the Keeper of Fluffy Tails) due to the A Tail's Misfortune Readers, which always makes me smile. 

I'd also like to thank all of you who have made it this far for supporting my work.  I hope you have enjoyed the experience.  o7