《Duck and Wolf》


 Chapter One: The Nest Raid

    The target was a one-story office building that sat in the center of a vast parking lot. It was a small structure, with broken side paneling, duct taped windows, and a ¡®for sale¡¯ sign on the outside fence. Though ¡°Beauregarde Real Estate Solutions¡± was listed as still actively in business, any and all contact information led to a single disconnected phone number. At a glance, this was an outdated oddity when compared to the closely packed multi-story towers that neighborhood it.


    It was strange enough to peak the interest of at least one man, who began to document his efforts by sliding his thumb against the screen of his phone. His voice was an alto and rather average and unremarkable.


    ¡°This is Adi. At the place now. Possibly the largest nest in Tacoma.¡± He glanced outside his car window. A discarded plastic bag had blown in and the sudden movement was distracting. ¡°I¡¯ll secure the exterior property before I head in.¡±


    There were three vehicles parked on the lot. The first was a white delivery van, followed by an antique muscle car that was stored underneath a fitted tarp, and the last was a 1984 corolla. Two of the vehicles hadn¡¯t moved in some time, while the van had changed positions four or five times a week.


    Adi double checked his photos while he continued to mutter quietly into his phone. ¡°Cars still outside¡­ The surveillance camera from across the street suggests that seven individuals stop by on a regular basis. Expecting at least ten to twelve inside.¡± He flipped to the last photo. ¡°Satellite footage shows only one entrance...¡± Adi glanced around the parking lot. ¡°Exterior clear. One hour to dusk. Planned operation time is twenty-two minutes. Current time is fifteen forty-two. End recording.¡±


    The phone was tucked into his inner pocket. He took a moment to straighten the beanie sitting upon his faded brown curly locks. Adi liked looking as generic as possible in order to confuse any witness reports, though some would say he looked like someone who had missed the local Matrix convention by a decade. It wasn¡¯t meant to be fashionable, it was how his clothes make him feel as a person and this outfit made him feel powerful.


    Ass kickers like him wear all black. A long coat, beanie, and shades toughened his appearance. Let¡¯s not forget the steel toe boots, which are necessary to maximize his kicking potential. Combine the knives tucked into his belt with the drinking flask in his inner pocket, and he was feeling pretty optimistic. Badass levels had been turned up to high-gear.


    He then wedged the parking lot gate open with a rock and parked his car next to the building. His own vehicle was an overly common silver sedan, again for the sake of blending in. The driver¡¯s side door was angled towards the entrance. Quick exit strategies save lives. Of course, this meant he was double parked, but justice is more important than obeying the law.


    ¡°Hello?¡± He knocked on the door a few times. ¡°My name¡¯s Adi? I was told to come here directly if I was interested in buying the lot.¡±


    No reply.


    Adi checked his watch. Not enough time to idle and his clothes weren¡¯t fooling anyone. Going back to the car, he popped the trunk and grabbed both a handheld flood light and a bandolier of assorted weaponry.


    It wasn¡¯t much. A handful of evergreen wooden stakes provided a fresh pine scent, which was useful because it covered the horrid stench of the vials he gotten from a Chinese apothecary. Silver throwing knives, which were hopefully real silver. He strapped a katana on his back for good luck, and he was set for a good old-fashioned vampire raid.


    The time trial practices were paying off. Adi had put himself together quicker than usual. There weren¡¯t many opportunities for him to practice. Luckily his neighbors thought he was some sort of a weirdo and didn¡¯t bother to ask any questions. But now was not the time to preen his ego for his efficiency. Now was the time for action, and action was the legacy his family bestowed upon him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡±


    Adi took a deep breath before kicking open the door as hard as he could. To his surprise, the door failed to provide any resistance. A tragic combination of weak hinges followed by the fact that no one had bothered to lock it.


    He shouldn¡¯t have been surprised. A flock of residents and guests must have made key management a hassle. It wasn¡¯t like anyone with common sense would try to break into someplace clearly abandoned or even attempt raiding a vampire den. Yet here Adi was, stumbling his way in.


    The brave warrior began to flail his arms about, entering the building less like charging bull and more like a cat who highly underestimated how slippery the counter was. Adi continued to trip for what seemed like an agonizing long time, until his nose smacked against the edge of the reception desk. A loud crack resonated through the room as blood spewed from his nose.


    ¡°Mother fu-¡± Adi took another deep breath as he braced his hands against the floor. He pressed himself back up to a standing position and looked around.


    It took a moment for him to overcome his pain. Aside from a mysterious, quiet hum, it was nearly silent. There was a layer of dust floating about from when the door hit the floor. Since no one seemed to be around, he took a moment to paw at his face, attempting to push his nose about to see if it was broken.


    Once satisfied that he was alright, he caved in to his curiosity and ventured further within. The humming was coming from an open staircase. There was a curtain at the bottom that had a light peeking out from around its edges.


    Adi had considered the possibility of a lower level... Not a good idea to be underground when the fighting began. To retreat was the rational decision. He cursed under his breath. They would likely relocate and he wouldn¡¯t be able to find them again afterward.


    His options were limited. Mister Brain and Madam Common Sense were against going in, but Adi believed it was now or never. He tightened his grip on his flood light and charged in. Boots rang like thunder as he banged his way down.


    He pushed the curtain open and flicked on the floodlight, bathing the basement in a blinding white aura. It was a heavy thing that took over a day to charge and had enough lumens to fully illuminate up to two hundred feet away. Aside from his silver throwing knives, this was the best purchase he could have made.


    Adi¡¯s voice rang out, well rehearsed and booming with heroic intent. ¡°By honor of the Wulfert Clan, it is my duty to serve God by casting out ye demons from this mortal plane. Return to the hellish depths from whence ye came!¡± Adi pulled out a throwing knife from his bandolier and hurled it. No hesitation was met as he next armed himself with a stake.


    Years of preparation had gone into this moment. Mornings spent running in the rain and snow. Lessons with his mentors, competing with his kin to see who would get the honored position of hunter. It all came to this. The first fight. The first proving ground that will show all the others that he had earned the Wulfert name. All creatures of the underworld will them. Not to mention the stories he¡¯ll get to tell when Thanksgiving rolled around.


    ¡°What in the bloody fu- Hell¡¯s flames! What is wrong with you?! There is a ceiling lamp! The room is well enough illuminated without divine intervention!¡±


    This particular demon spawn was waving about one hand in a panic while the other held a copy of To Kill a Mockingbird over his eyes. Adi¡¯s throwing knife was partially impeded into it.


    ¡°Honestly, I didn¡¯t hear a thing you said because my brain was shouting from how bright you¡¯ve made it in here!¡± The demon struggled to put together his thoughts. ¡°Did you throw something at me?¡± He gasped in horror from the realization that his book was damaged. ¡±A knife? Why would- One does not simply throw knives about as a form of introduction!¡±


    Adi paused, the lack of aggression he was being presented with gave him time to better see his surroundings. There were several large wooden crates scattered about the room. The cursed one was sitting upon one of them. A dehumidifier in the corner was the source of the humming noise he had heard earlier.


    ¡°Uhm...¡± The would-be hunter had lost the original zealous he had so enthusiastically carried earlier. ¡°I¡¯m here to kick butt and slay vampires..?¡±


    ¡°With a damn flashlight and some dinnerware? Honestly, is there anything better in your arsenal?¡± The vampire shook his book at Adi while his other hand blocked the light from his eyes. ¡°What if I attacked you, hmm? You¡¯d defend yourself with a plate? Do you even have anything useful like a bullet proof vest?¡±


    Adi looked down his chest. ¡°... They¡¯re heavy and I like being able to move aro-¡±


    ¡°Then what if I had a gun? I would have shot you! You¡¯d be dead and I would have the useless chore of disposing of yet another body. I simply do not have the resources to do that at this time so if you could kindly turn off the ¡®God Light¡¯ and let us talk this through.¡± The vampire waved about the book again. His eyes, which were hidden behind his rectangular glasses, were shut tight.


    ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Adi obediently turned off the floodlight and placed it next to the dehumidifier.


    The vampire nodded with a sneer and ran a hand through his bleached out hair. ¡°Thank you. Now let¡¯s be rational adults here an-¡± Adi yanked a vial from his bandolier and hurled it. The frail glass exploded against the vampire¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Seriously?! What-¡± His nose started to twitch with annoyance. ¡°Will you stop tossing things like a chimpanzee on salvia?¡± He sniffled again. ¡°What is this?¡±The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Holy water? No, wait¡­¡± Adi looked down and started to count the vials.


    The man dabbed at the mess on his shirt with the long blue scarf he had around his neck. ¡°This is a silk shirt! Imported! Expensive! I got this as a gift when I was alive,¡± he remarked with disdain. ¡°I can¡¯t exactly afford dry cleaning!¡± He shook the scarf at Adi. ¡°This is real angora wool¡± He then shook his book, which still had the knife embedded into it. ¡°This was an early edition copy! And why do I smell like garlic?!¡±


    Adi looked up after counting his vials. ¡°It¡¯s a mix of garlic extract, ashes of a bible, and silver dust.¡± The hunter realized that the wooden stake was still in his left hand. It was quickly hidden behind his back in an awkward manner. Perhaps the internet didn¡¯t know all that much about concocting vampire deterrents.


    ¡°That would explain the ostentatious sparkles,¡± muttered the vampire to himself. ¡°You burn a bible and toss the ashes at people, yet you think me to be sacrilegious... Now I smell horrid and am all glittery¡­ Utterly embarrassing. This is utterly embarrassing.¡± He took off his glasses, shined them with the clean end of the scarf, and put them back on. ¡°You don¡¯t see me throwing my book at you, do you? Most likely because I have a respect for proper literature.


    Despite you, with your persistent flailing. Madam Harper Lee deserves more than this!¡± He shook the injured book yet again. ¡°Now might we properly converse in a civilized fashion, or do you plan on using that stake which is quite clearly hidden behind your back?¡±


    ¡°... I guess we can talk?¡± Adi shuffled his feet about like a child who had done something wrong.


    ¡°Thank you.¡± A curt nod was given. ¡°That¡¯s all I ever really wanted, you know? You didn¡¯t have to fumble about upstairs breaking everything. One could have come down rationally at any time for a proper conversation. I would ask why your nose is bleeding, but I feel as though it wouldn¡¯t convey any information that would make me feel better.¡±


    Adi wiped the blood up with the sleeve of his jacket. ¡°I did call out. No one answered.¡±


    ¡°I was ignoring you. You seemed rude.¡± The vampire frowned. ¡°I appeared to be correct in my assumptions. All this being undead and immortal business doesn¡¯t make me evil. It simply makes me wise and patient. You¡¯re just¡­¡± He scoffed. ¡°You¡¯re just very rude.¡±


    Adi looked around. ¡°If we could just¡­¡± He held up his wooden stake and gave a shrug. This delay was getting in the way of his plans. Sunset was quickly approaching. The last thing he needed was to have whatever was in those boxes join the conversation.


    ¡°Introductions first.¡± The vampire plucked the knife from his book and set it down next to him. ¡°My name is Duke. I am a vampire of Korean descent. It¡¯s a pleasu-¡± He adjusted his glasses. ¡°It had not been a pleasure. Not a pleasure at all. Meeting you wasn¡¯t on my agenda today, but I accept it regardless.¡±


    ¡°Atticus Wulfert.¡± Adi pointed his stake at Duke. ¡°Could hurry this up and start fighting?¡± There was a twinge of regret for not planning this for earlier in the day. Unfortunately, being cautious meant that it had taken him a long time to prepare.


    Duke shook his head. ¡°Rude.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sort of here to kill you. Manners don¡¯t matter,¡± replied Adi quietly.


    ¡°Already dead! Issue moot!¡± Duke stamped his foot on top of the crate he had been sitting on. ¡°Bernie! Where are the papers?¡±


    A muffled voice replied from within. ¡°First filing cabinet, second drawer. You alright up there?¡±


    ¡°Blind, but I¡¯ll live. Err, unlive... Whatever it¡¯s-¡± A eureka moment lit up his eyes. ¡°Continuation of existence! I maintain that I will continue to exist! That is it!¡± His body made a series of creaking and cracking sounds when he stood, as though he were unused to moving about at all. ¡°Alright¡­ Let us see if we can get this sorted.¡±


    Duke slowly made his way to the filing cabinet and ruffled through the papers quickly. ¡°I must add that your clothes imply you¡¯ve seen one too many tween shows from the nineties. Though Buffy would clearly be more welcome here than you are. At least she¡¯d make for better conversation.¡±


    Adi poked at his stake impatiently with a finger. ¡°Can I continue on with dealing out God¡¯s will and uhm...¡± He made a stabby motion.


    ¡°Hold on,¡± muttered Duke. He frowned at the papers. ¡°Bernie, these are just the SIA documents. Where are the DH ones?¡±


    ¡°DH accepts SIA documents for all mithryn residing in the US,¡± the voice from the crate replied.


    Duke tapped the papers a few times. ¡°I¡¯m going to go through the checklist to make sure you are all up to date. Is that alright?¡± A murmuring of yeses and okays rang from the crates.


    ¡°... What?¡± Adi took a cautious step back as Duke glared his way.


    The vampire cleared his throat and began to read out loud. ¡°It is within my best interests that I agree to abide the following in order to receive protection and benefits from my local SIA office. I will not feed on any human being. I will attend meetings to keep me from wavering and interviews to confirm that I am mentally sound.


    Whenever I hunger, I will visit an SIA approved blood bank. By accepting this, I confirm that I am a vampire but I will do no harm to any living human.¡± He tapped the papers again. ¡°Has everyone been following these rules?¡± Another murmuring of yeses and okays echoed throughout the room as Duke stuffed the document away.


    He then gave Adi a smug grin. ¡°Now with that all settled, I would like to know what agency you are from. I¡¯m also going to need your badge number. A good hunter would at least confirm that we are in the wrong first before he went on a happy fun time murder spree.¡±


    ¡°... Agency?¡± Adi tightened his grip on the stake and once more held it forward. ¡°I am Atticus Wulfert from the Wulfert clan. I slay monsters for the betterment of mankind. Generations of my kin have followed this tradition..¡±


    Duke was stunned by Adi¡¯s stubbornness. The range of emotions he had displayed in these fleeting moments was more than he was used to. ¡°... You¡¯re a freelancer? No affiliation with the Supernatural Investigations Agency or Demon Hunters Incorporated?¡±


    Adi paused, equally as confused. ¡°... What?¡±


    The vampire sighed. He tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling for what seemed like a long time. ¡°Walk with me... You seem like the type that needs lots of visuals and examples in order to understand anything.¡± He stepped forward, body still creaking, and placed a hand on Adi¡¯s shoulder. Adi quickly stepped back and slapped Duke¡¯s hand away. ¡°I vow to do no harm. Now come on.¡±


    Duke ushered Adi up the stairs and outside of the building. He inhaled deeply for a moment before speaking. ¡°... It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve smelled the salty air of Puget Sound.¡± There was a distant look in his eye. ¡°I just now remembered going to the zoo as a child and wondering how the animals could stand the aroma of Tacoma... Truly, it is the oddest things that you miss once you¡¯ve gone to the other side.¡±


    ¡°... Uh huh.¡± The wretched scent of the paper factory wasn¡¯t present in this part of the city, but Adi didn¡¯t see why Duke was bringing it up now. Unless paper factories were some sort of Vampire repellent¡­ Maybe he should look into that.


    ¡°Tell me, Atticus.¡± Duke turned to Adi. ¡°What should be happening to me right now?¡± The golden light of the setting sun was striking his face. It lit up every dry nook and crack in his skin.


    Adi pondered for a moment. He pulled a small book out from his inner pocket and flipped through it. ¡°I suppose that I should be attempting to stake you through the heart. That should stun you long enough for me to decapitate you and render your body dead forever.¡±


    ¡°My goodness, you even have a whole book full of inconsistencies. That does wonders to answer the many of the questions I have about you.¡± Duke flicked Adi in the forehead before pointing towards the rose-colored sky. ¡°Look towards the west and reconsider your answer.¡±


    ¡°The sun... Should be¡­¡± Adi¡¯s stake tapped on the drawing of a person on fire. ¡°Purifying you and releasing your soul from the corrupted chains of your unholy flesh.¡±


    Duke¡¯s tone became serious. ¡°And yet here I stand.¡± He patted the young man¡¯s shoulder sympathetically. What a simple creature this Atticus Wulfert was.


    ¡°It also says that you¡¯re supposed to explode afterward, so I don¡¯t have to worry about cleaning up any bodies.¡± Adi flipped through a few more pages.


    ¡°Stop with the book and listen to me for a moment.¡± Duke breathed in and out slowly. A faint grin hit his lips as he caught a whiff of salt again. ¡°There are many types of monstrosities in this world. Ones not in your book or ones capable of doing much greater harm than a vampire could ever dream to manage.


    Some of these monsters are innocent, some are most definitely guilty. Regardless, you¡¯re undereducated, alone, and lack the proper resources to combat them. There are people in this world who are meant to be heroes, Atticus. You are not one of them. Go home. Get a job. Get a girlfriend or boyfriend or whatev-¡±


    ¡°I have a girlfriend.¡±


    ¡°Truly..?¡± Duke looked him up and down for a second. ¡°Th-then you should settle down and live a long, nice life. As a lone wolf who attacked us first, I am fully within my right to devour you now and continue on without fear of you being avenged. I would have feasted upon you while in the most harrowing way I can imagine, and I am quite the antique, Atticus. I can imagine lots and lots of ways¡±


    A smile spread across the vampire¡¯s face as he once more patted Adi¡¯s shoulder. His fingers lingered there, gripping tightly enough for the hunter to feel pain through the leather. ¡°And what will your evening plans entail now? Mind you, I have not fed properly in a very, very long time.¡±


    Adi almost said something foolish but forced the words back down his gullet. ¡°Go see my woman and tell her how much I love her?¡±


    ¡°Good boy.¡± As Duke released his grip from the lad, the joints in his fingers cracked and snapped. The vampire then gestured to Adi¡¯s waiting car. ¡°Go on. Git.¡±


    Adi stared at Duke blankly. Curiosity forced him to take one more foolish moment to linger about. ¡°... How come the sun doesn¡¯t work on you?¡±


    The vampire grinned to himself and adjusted his thick rectangular glasses. ¡°Because I¡¯m Asian.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Adi flipped through his book again. ¡°That actually seems racist, if anything.¡±


    ¡°I still feel the urge to sate my hunger, Atticus.¡±


    ¡°And I hope you and your friends will have a good night. I¡¯ll just... Be on my way now. Keep on attending those SYMCA meetings or whatever.¡±


    Adi nodded his head and hurled whatever was on him in his backseat. He then got into his car. It took a few tries at fumbling with Adi¡¯s keys to get the car started, but fear allowed him to accelerate out the parking lot at a blinding speed.


    The sky continued to fade from a rose to dark blue as the sun lowered in the sky. The smell of incoming rain was setting in. Duke frowned for a moment before stepping back into the building. Rain wasn¡¯t good for him. He then took a moment to consider what to do about the door.


    With a groan, Duke lifted up the door and awkwardly attempted to put it back. The desk was pushed towards it to keep it firmly shut. His roommates can fix it when they awaken. He was done dealing with the mortal world at this time.


    ¡°Well, my mood has certainly turned sour," he muttered. What he wouldn¡¯t give to be able to enjoy a cup of hot tea at this very moment.

 Chapter Two: Heart in a Vice

    The failed slayer drove down ninety-nine with a visible glare. He fiddled with his Bluetooth headset, taking it off and putting it back on again repeatedly. Not once did it feel comfortable, and adjusting it was only worsening the problem. It began to vibrate as the call started, making him tighten his grip on the steering wheel.


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m on the freeway now. I can swing by to pick you up¡­¡± The voice began to buzz angrily at the other end. ¡°No. It¡¯s fine that you¡¯re already there¡­¡± Adi gritted his teeth. ¡°Halfway through the appetizer... Right¡­ I¡¯ll make it there in fifteen. Go ahead and order a bottle of merlot¡­ Fine. Order a second bottle. Yes, love, I know white goes better with fish. Of course, dear. I¡¯ll see you soon.¡±


    He ripped the headset out and tossed it in the backseat before the voice in his ear had a chance to stopped chattering. Janice was neither known for her patience or her ability to keep quiet when upset. She was the biggest expense in his life, and needed constant doting on in order to keep her happy.


    But she was hot.


    Really smoking hot.


    Ah, the pleasure of being young. Knowing that your relationship can fall apart at any minute due to the larger problems, but being too immature to admit that you have problems. As long as you¡¯re young, they say you¡¯ll be alright.


    The sex was good, and so were the dates they used to go on. Adi mentally chanted that he would be alright. Janice was there to chip away everything that was bad in his life. Especially the embarrassments that he had faced not even an hour ago.


    Nearly thirty minutes after he called her, Adi pulled into the parking lot of a seafood restaurant located inside Seattle. He stepped out of the car and took off his trenchcoat, revealing a black button up shirt overlapped by a grey vest. Dress shoes replaced war boots, and deodorant covered the smell of adrenaline brought forth by battle.


    A bit of hair wax to smooth out his beanie head, and he double checked his reflection in the mirror to see if his nose was okay. It was a tad swollen, and the bruise had spread towards the tear ducts of his eyes. He still thought himself handsome regardless of his appearance. Janice wouldn¡¯t care as long as he paid for the meal.


    Whatever that girl was mad about, she¡¯ll just forgive him once he gave her his patented green-eyed stare of seduction. He even thought his bruising accenting their emerald color. Good, good. He¡¯d keep telling himself that as he headed inside.


    ¡°Wulfert. Party of two.¡±


    The host nodded and pointed at a table in the back. Adi¡¯s appetite was rejuvenated by the scents of shellfish and fresh breadsticks. Hopefully, Janice would still be waiting for him. He would smile, have a nice dinner, and go back to her place. There was still time to salvage the night.


    She was still waiting. As always, her dress was both too tight and too short for the fall weather, but that¡¯s the way she preferred it. The fabric a dark red hue, just like the curls that tumbled about her shoulders and her lucky shade of lipstick. Janice was always bathed in red.


    Red. Just like the fury in her glare as she snapped a crab leg in half. ¡°Your salmon is getting cold.¡± That tone was still sexy to him, even when it was flared with rage. It reminded him of how crazy she could get in bed.


    Adi managed to restrain his urge to admire her as he sat down and smoothed a napkin over his lap. ¡°Our reservation was at six-thirty because you said you wanted an early dinner. It would still be warm if we had come together. I did tell you I would be picking you up because I was working late tonight.¡± His response was calm with a hint of chill.


    ¡°Your wine is also getting warm.¡± Janice took a long sip from her glass of chardonnay.


    He sneered. ¡°Perhaps I prefer it that way.¡± Her snide attitude was making him enjoy snapping back. That and he had to make sure to give themselves a reason to make up later.


    ¡°I think...¡± She took a moment to lightly dab at her lips with a napkin. ¡°I think it¡¯s time you got a real job.¡±


    ¡°I just said that I have a job. I¡¯m late because of it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not a job. You¡¯re carrying on your uncle¡¯s hobby and living off of your inheritance.¡± Janice moved her hands about while she spoke. ¡°I understand that you two had fun together with your old timey architecture studies or whatever it was, but you have to look into doing something that can earn enough money for both of us.¡±


    He knew very well what she meant by ¡°both of us.¡± She had a bank account that he funneled an amount of cash into every month. Whenever she implied that she wanted him looking out for their future, it meant that she needed an increase to her allowance. He wouldn¡¯t allow her to get away with it this time. Vampires would be the least of his problems if his family found out how much it cost him to keep her around.


    Adi massaged the bridge of his nose. ¡°This was something that Uncle Wenzel was really passionate about. It¡¯s what kept me going ever since he passed away.¡± Uncle Wenzel had been eaten by werewolves. ¡°I¡¯ve had to clean up since Robbie decided to up and leave.¡± Robbie had vanished mysteriously. Probably also eaten by werewolves.


    ¡°But at what cost? Ever since you moved out of Seattle, it¡¯s been harder for me to see you. Did you really have to leave everything behind just to carry on a dead man¡¯s dream?¡±


    Adi had moved away from Seattle because it was infested with werewolves. Currently, he was living alone in his deceased grandfather¡¯s house in Tacoma. His uncle had been using it as an outpost, so it had his hunting supplies, and it also meant that Adi could keep up his habit of not being devoured during a full moon.


    ¡°Give me another year. I¡¯ve already talked to my step-dad, and he says he can get me a job at his office when I¡¯m ready to move on. Desk work. It won¡¯t pay well, but it¡¯ll be a start.¡±


    Janice sat there, opening and closing the claw of the crab as she bit onto her lower lip. ¡°I just want to see you more, you know?¡±


    ¡°This is just how it¡¯s going to be for a little while. I¡¯ll come up and see you as often as I can.¡± He did his best to give her that classic emerald eye smolder while swishing his wine about.


    ¡°I think we should move in together.¡± She returned his look with a pleading stare.


    Adi nearly dropped his glass. ¡°Well¡­ Hold on¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s there to hold on about? We¡¯ve been together for a while now, haven¡¯t we?¡±


    How long was it? Seven months? No, they had had their year anniversary¡­ A year and a half? Shit, no, wait. There was a reason why they were having a special dinner tonight, wasn¡¯t there? No, no. Stop fretting about why today was important. Forget the date. Concentrate on the recovery.


    ¡°It has been a long time.¡± His eyes narrowed slightly. ¡°And I¡¯ve enjoyed it,¡± he nodded and continued to speak slowly. ¡°Immensely.¡±


    ¡°After two years, most girls would expect an engagement ring on their birthday, or the bare minimum of some flowers, but all I¡¯m asking is for you to place a little more trust in our relationship.¡±


    This was suddenly much worse than forgetting their anniversary. Adi failed at hiding the panic on his face. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to... Just¡­ From what I¡¯ve learned from my parents, who happen to be divorced, is that... A good relationship should have a strong foundation. I just don¡¯t know how healthy our foundation is at the moment.¡±


    His dad advised him to never let a gold digger get into his wallet, heart, or home. Spoken with experience, considering how quickly his mother had moved on to someone with money. Adi¡¯s father certainly knew what he was talking about and Adi wasn¡¯t going to repeat that mistake.


    Janice stared at him, a long stare where it seemed like her brown eyes had taken on a slight reddish hue. The look she gave him was stern and struck a note of fear within him. Obviously, the recovery plan wasn¡¯t working.


    ¡°Annnd of course our foundation is strong enough to carry any burden we face! It¡¯s just that I feel that I¡¯m not¡­ I¡¯m just so emotionally scarred from my parent¡¯s divorce. Childhood trauma, blah, blah.


    I¡¯m going to stress that I do love you, but it¡¯s hard for me to mentally grasp onto things within a relationship.¡± He stared back at her in an attempt to figure out if any of this was working. ¡°I want to be a good enough man for you.¡± He wrung his hands together under the table. ¡°In a way¡­ That would allow me to treasure you¡­ Uh, treasure you to the fullest..?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been sleeping with Desmond.¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    ¡°This was all a test, Adi!¡± She stood up and straightened out her skirt. ¡°I¡¯m lonely! I need company! You make all these claims, but you¡¯re only saying them to keep me around!¡± That was true. She had him there. ¡°All I asked was for the chance to make you happy. If you had accepted me, I would¡¯ve ended it with Desmond! But now I just¡­¡± Her expression shifted between pain and anger. ¡°Call me when you¡¯re ready to mature, or whatever shit this is. We¡¯ll have a cup of coffee and catch up.¡±


    Adi sat there dumbfounded as she stormed away. Maybe he had misunderstood the terms of their relationship. Maybe¡­ He chewed thoughtfully on his salmon. His eyes stared ahead, fighting the temptation to watch that sweet ass at it swayed back and forth and out of his life forever.


    ¡°Your check, sir.¡±


    The waiter quietly placed the bill on the table. He then briskly walked away from the scene as quickly as his little waiter legs could carry him. Adi didn¡¯t judge him. That guy didn¡¯t get enough pay to deal with this. But since Adi was paying for this meal, he was going to eat it. He flaked off another bit of fish and stuffed it into his mouth.


    ¡°... The salmon is cold,¡± he muttered to himself. Still, cold fish was better than cold company.


    ???


    The night dragged on, as all time within the basement of Beauregarde Real Estate Solutions. Especially so after the others had left for the evening. Humidity did not allow Duke to venture out into the world. Rain was the bane of his existence. His dehumidifying could only do so much, even in a basement.


    Being undead wasn¡¯t easy. His curse came with a cost, just like any other mithryn. Like most vampires, he fed off of life energy. Unlike the lot he had been grouped up with, what he needed didn¡¯t come from blood. Duke had to draw out their qi directly in the form of pure energy.


    Nowadays, he sourced his energy from the other vampires after they had fallen asleep. His days and nights were spent reading whatever the others had brought him. Books, magazines, or anything else of interest. The rest of his time was spent tending to his body, which was in a constant state of rot from not feeding enough.


    It would be better if they could get a TV or an internet connection, but the government stipend that kept the place running only paid for property tax and minor electrical needs. Being registered with SIA wasn¡¯t what most vampires would consider being real freedom.


    One had to wear a tracking anklet, make weekly check-ins, and see a mental evaluation expert once a month. Therapy to see that they weren¡¯t going wild. One could also be conscripted at any point in the event that they needed a vampire working on a case.


    That¡¯s why Duke hadn¡¯t bothered to register himself. This whole not being able to drink blood thing really put a damper on his ability to receive any form of government support. At least Bernie and the other guys understood that and let him crash at their place.


    They didn¡¯t know that he was stealing their spare life essence and Duke was going to keep it that way. He had told them he could survive on moonlight as long as he didn¡¯t move around too much. Somehow they bought that. Exposure to the world of the supernatural didn¡¯t make people smarter. Just gullible.


    He could hear a car pulling up to the building above. Unlike the others, his senses were almost the same as humans. Although his sight was steadily getting worse, leading him to wear tinted glasses that also hid the fact his eyes were starting to cloud over. It wouldn¡¯t be long until he needed a new prescription.


    Much of what he did was taking care to not damage his skin. Leather gloves with moistened insides helped his fingers. Soft clothing was essential for his existence. Cotton pants, long-sleeved button-up silk shirts, socks made of angora wool. Luckily he had been on a trip when this whole vampire curse happened and had a suitcase full of clothes. Otherwise, he would be out of luck. Unfortunately, he only had the one suitcase.


    The long scarf he always wore covered his cracking neck, and he had been putting together a collection of weather friendly gear. Two umbrellas, a clear one shaped like a bell that covered him down past his shoulders, and a brown one with a black lace pattern that helped block out the sun. Looks aside, he had to keep himself dry at all costs.


    There were strangers moving about upstairs. Two set of footsteps. A high pitched clicking of a woman¡¯s shoes, and the heavier steps of possibly a man with a limp. Hopefully no one who would dump vials of liquid on him like his last guest. Duke preemptively fetched the SIA paperwork and put it on top of the filing cabinet.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    By the time he sat down again, the two had made it downstairs. A short, middle aged black man in a long tan coat entered past the curtain. Behind him was a young tall woman with tan colored skin, pale blue eyes, and a hooked nose.


    ¡°Agent Pastor,¡± the man tilted his head back as a gesture to the woman, ¡°Windi.¡± Not once did he take his eyes off of Duke as he spoke. ¡°Your door is in need of repair.¡±


    The woman sharply inhaled a whiff of air. ¡°The meat in here is stale.¡± She turned to the man, ¡°Ten people today. Human, hopper, and the rest were European vampires.¡± Pastor pulled out his phone and typed the information in.


    ¡°Registration papers are on the filing cabinet.¡± Duke said as he picked up a book. He read it as non-suspiciously as possible. This time it was Mark Twain¡¯s autobiography.


    Agent Pastor held up a silver badge with a black feather on it. DH Inc.¡°We¡¯re here to investigate the report of human male trespassing in an attempt to murder the group of you.¡±


    Duke calmly closed his book and set it down on his lap. Blood and damnation.


    ¡°Of course, Agent Pastor. I was the one that spoke to him directly. My name is Bernie Howell.¡± He stood up and offered a hand, but Pastor ignored it. ¡°The gentleman came in, flashed a big light at us, and threw a knife at my book. I was able to convince him to leave without any form of conflict. He was new to the business. I doubt he will return or tell anyone about us.¡±


    The agent picked up the floodlight that Adi had left behind. ¡°Bernard is the one who called in to report the issue. Wanted to make sure there weren¡¯t more going to be more problems.¡± He began to type into his phone again as Duke¡¯s eye twitched.


    Windi picked up Adi¡¯s knife. No one had bothered to move it after Duke had thrown it to the floor. ¡°Low-grade sterling silver.¡± She twirled the knife about her fingers. ¡°Poor balance.¡±


    ¡°Report that it was a human to the office. I¡¯ll deal with the hopper,¡± replied Pastor. Windi gave a nod and pulled out her own phone. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, I am going to need to know who you really are.¡±


    ¡°Duke.¡± No sense in lying now. He will have to have a lengthy discussion with the others later about calling in assistance on already settled issues. Duke thought he did a fine job handling it on his own.


    ¡°Right.¡± The agent fiddled with his phone. He had pulled up a file on it. "You should know that you have a destroy on sight order placed on your head.¡± Pastor began to walk around the room, examining every inch and detail. He nodded as Windi placed a hand on his shoulder. She leaned in to whisper something in his ear.


    Duke remained calm. Annoyed, but calm. ¡°I would imagine so.¡± He had known for some time now that he wasn¡¯t worth saving.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been feeding safely?¡± Pastor glanced at his phone again.


    ¡°Yes. Residual life force from the other¡¯s feasts.¡±


    The agent trailed off in thought before replying. ¡°That can¡¯t be enough for you.¡±


    ¡°There are seven residents with occasional stragglers. I do not move around much. There is plenty of energy for me here.¡±


    Duke considered his options. He was certain the agent was human, thus an easy target. Windi seemed more dangerous. Considering the fragile state of his body, fighting wasn¡¯t something he could afford to do.


    Pastor nodded to himself again. ¡°If that¡¯s what you believe.¡± He pulled out a business card and held it out for Duke to take. ¡°I¡¯m willing to make you an offer.¡±


    ¡°I do not have anything to offer you in return, unless you consider dying a favor.¡± Duke took the card. All it said was ¡°Windi,¡± with a phone number and email address.


    ¡°No one likes the mithryn snark,¡± replied Pastor with disdain. ¡°Don¡¯t start.¡±


    Duke shrugged. ¡°Might I have this one since recent events haven¡¯t been rolling in my favor?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Pastor flipped through his phone again, ever attentive to it. ¡°But you¡¯ve been trying your best to be on good behavior I believe that should be rewarded,¡± he said with a hint of a grin. ¡°I won¡¯t ask for much.


    All I need is for everyone here to find a new place to live. SIA will help the vamps, but you can¡¯t go with them. Set up someplace where Windi can contact you. If I find a job that needs your skills, I¡¯ll know who to call.¡±


    Duke¡¯s gaze flicked over to Windi for a moment. ¡°That partner of yours seems more useful than I.¡± Her energy had a hint of saltiness, like licking one¡¯s own skin. He had the feeling that he didn¡¯t want to know exactly what she was.


    ¡°She¡¯s with me under the condition that she doesn¡¯t harm anyone innocent. You have the luxury of taking out anyone I point you at,¡± replied Pastor. ¡°Start packing your things. You¡¯re out tonight.¡±


    Duke grimaced at the thought of being someone¡¯s hitman. ¡°The rain has made the precipitation quite high. Surely it can wait.¡±


    Pastor began to poke at his phone again. ¡°Tonight. Otherwise, my incident report is going to have your name on it, and I doubt you want that. So, do we have an understanding?¡± Duke nodded. Pastor then tapped his foot against Adi¡¯s floodlight. ¡°I believe you already know what direction I¡¯m pointing you in. Take care of it.¡±


    Pastor started to walk up the stairs with Windi following closely behind. He didn¡¯t bother to wait for Duke¡¯s answer. Sounds of the door being fumbled with before falling on the floor again could be heard. This, followed by some cursing and then the notion that someone else would handle it.


    The vampire stood there dumbfounded. His options for remaining ¡°alive¡± were becoming worse and worse, and this new deal was more rotten than his body.


    ???


    Adi found himself clinging a pillow to his chest while he laid in bed. He stared at the rain through his window. Next to him was an alarm clock that gave the room a faint red glow. It was nearly two, and he still couldn''t bring himself to sleep. His brain kept scolding him about this or that whenever he closed his eyes.


    In the morning he would have to call his step-dad to see if he had a desk job open at his advertising firm. What he would miss most about his current lifestyle. No more sitting around pantless all day while playing video games.


    But it was also a little liberating to know that the world wouldn¡¯t suddenly have an apocalypse he neglected the family duty. A duty that he failed to start. The vampire raid was his first and final operation. Adi wasn¡¯t cut out for this. That vampire knew it, he knew it, even Janice knew it, and she was clueless about everything.


    He shut his eyes against the thoughts, ignoring that knocking feeling coming from within. What would the rest of the family think? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to live a happy and healthy life? Yet that feeling was ever lingering. Knocking louder and louder, followed by a doorbell, then more knocking.


    Wait, the doorbell?


    With a groan, he rolled out of the bed and fell hard against the floor. Adi then crawled to a stand. Whatever jerk was her eat this hour would just have to deal with the sight of a man in his boxers. Pants were not worth the effort. The failed hunter dragged his ass through to the living room with a series of low curses. As he stopped to rub his eyes, he could feel the swollen bags underneath them growing larger with every passing second.


    ¡°Salutations. Your door happened to be unlocked. It¡¯s refreshing to see that you approach every aspect of your life with a complete disregard towards your own safety.¡±


    There stood a tall presence in the doorway, dripping from the rain. He was wearing an oversized raincoat, rain boots, and a bell-shaped umbrella that covered most of his frame. Adi was only able to recognize him from the glint of his rectangular glasses.


    ¡°... Are you here to kill me?¡± Although maybe that wasn¡¯t such a bad thing. It wasn¡¯t like Adi had much going for him at the moment.


    ¡°Hmm.¡± Duke put down his suitcase and shook the water off of himself before removing his rain gear. It was a lengthy process involving the peeling of many layers. ¡°It has certainly has crossed my mind, but not today.¡±


    Adi glanced between the still open door and Duke. The vampire had managed to enter without receiving an invitation. Just how wrong was that book he had? ¡°Did you do some creepy vampire voodoo thing and followed my scent here ?¡±


    ¡°A strange deduction, but no. It was as simple as following the massive trail of foul-ups you leave in your wake.¡± He opened the suitcase and pulled out the floodlight. This was flipped over so that Adi could see the bottom. ¡°Your name and address are stamped here.¡±


    In retrospect, it was a dumb idea to put that there. ¡°It was expensive. I would want it returned if lost.¡± Even if he had left it behind accidently. And what was so bad about putting his name on things? He had a label printer for a reason.


    ¡°Honestly, it astounds me could be so foolish.¡± Duke pointed at each word and number as he read them out loud. ¡°Atticus Wulfert, thirty-six fourty-¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± Adi clasped his arms around his torso to stop himself from shivering. His defiant nature was taking a back seat to weariness. It was cold and he wanted to get back to bed.


    ¡°One should take more care when going out on a hunt. Have you bothered to label every murder weapon at your disposal?¡± He tapped on the printed out name and address again. ¡°My goodness, officer, who do you think the killer is? Willikers! Someone seems to have left behind a loaded gun. Must¡¯ve been valuable, or something. This Atticus fellow had it engraved with his name right here!¡±


    ¡°I get it!¡± Adi began to rapidly gesture between the vampire and the door. ¡°Thank you for returning it! Goodnight and get out.¡±


    Duke shook out the rain gear, folded it up, and set it on the back of the couch. ¡°It was rather difficult for me to get a ride at this hour, and the buses haven¡¯t begun running yet. I do believe that I will be staying here for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Then wait until sunrise before you be a complete dick,¡± muttered Adi. He debated ordering an Uber to take the creature away but didn¡¯t want to risk anything happening to the driver. ¡°You better figure out a way to leave on your own.¡±


    The vampire sat down on the couch in a manner that befitted a gentleman. ¡°There are multiple issues to be addressed first before we discuss my departure. I was evicted from my home recently. Rather troublesome, really. Reflecting upon recent events, I do believe that we hit it off quite well yesterday, so I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯m going to live here now on.¡±


    Adi rubbed his eyes again. ¡°I don¡¯t really know what to make of any of that,¡± he replied with a shiver. He went to close the door and made certain that it was locked.


    ¡°That is the spirit, my laughably foolish new roommate! No need to give up that vacant mind of yours now simply because there is someone here who is capable of thinking.¡± Duke looked about the room. ¡°Do you have a computer that I may borrow?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Ah, come on now Atticus.¡± Duke gave Adi his best puppy dog look. The skin of his lip cracking open as it jutted out in the form of a pout. His throat rumbled as he emitted a high pitched whine.


    ¡°Yeah, okay. Fine. Just never do that again. I have an office.¡± He gestured to its general direction. ¡°Down the hall and second door to the left.¡± Adi let out a heavy sigh. He shoved everything he was feeling at that moment deep down within. ¡°I don¡¯t want to deal with this now. I¡¯m going to bed.¡±


    ¡°Have a relaxing repose.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t eat me.¡±


    That plan is currently not within my agenda.¡± Duke grinned as he stood. As Adi turned away, he began to rub his hands together in a hungry manner.


    Ignoring him, Adi flopped down on his bed. He felt around for a notepad that he kept on his nightstand. He wrote down some information in case Duke changed his mind about the whole not killing him thing. Not like the police would understand, but maybe that info would get to someone who would. No dreams would reveal themselves to him that night, only darkness and the subtle hum of a dehumidifier.


    ???


    The day was all too quick to show it¡¯s head again. There was a smell of cooking wafting into his room by the time his wits started to return to him. His eyes opened slightly to stare at the blonde Asian man looming above him with some eggs and bacon.


    ¡°I have concocted morning vitals for you, house comrade.¡±


    ¡°Is that pig bacon or people bacon?¡± He stared at the plate suspiciously.


    Duke put the plate on the nightstand. ¡°Bacon comes from pigs. Any other version is simply lies and slander.¡± He folded his arms in thought. ¡°Though I had heard that humans are white meat. Hrm, no... Their belly meat simply wouldn¡¯t do. Perhaps the thigh. Now that I think about it, I did have a duck prosciutto salad at a restaurant once. It was rather pleasant.¡±


    Adi sat up and sniffed the air cautiously. ¡°And eggs come from chickens?¡±


    ¡°People do not lay eggs. Your suspicions of surprise cannibalism may be put to ease. That is, unless you do believe people lay eggs. If that is the case, there are other issues you have that I should be more concerned about.¡±


    Adi glared at him.


    ¡°Those are chicken eggs,¡± replied Duke. ¡°The majority of American citizens eat chicken eggs for breakfast, you dolt. I¡¯m not going to poison you on our first day living together.¡±


    Adi picked up the fork and began to stuff his face while muttering, ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± over and over again.


    ¡°You will have to do the dishes, as I do not like getting wet. It is also almost evening. There are some tasks we should consider accomplishing today so endeavor to finish your meal quickly.¡± Duke flattened a map of Washington on the dresser and began to examine it closely.


    ¡°Mhm¡­¡±


    ¡°You slept quite heavily. You failed to notice me taking the wallet so I could do some shopping. Thankfully for both of us, your pants were on the floor.¡±


    Adi groaned in mild annoyance but kept eating.


    Duke looked over his shoulder. Disgust crossed his features. ¡°It¡¯s not a good trait for an aspiring hunter. We should work on you becoming a light sleeper so people that cannot sneak up on you. You should also consider keeping your fridge better stocked. I may not eat, but you cannot survive on only frozen meals and protein drinks.¡±


    Adi bit off a piece of bacon and spoke while chewing, ¡°You leaving yet?¡±


    ¡°Not at all. We still have a great deal to discuss. It will go quite smoothly as long as you do not interrupt with pointless questions.¡± He lifted the map up so that Adi could see it. ¡°Now then, in regards to your monster killing career, I have decided that I am going to become your mentor. It is my role to ensure that you are properly prepared for the supernatural world.¡±


    ¡°Seriously, can you get out of my house?¡±


    Duke shook the map. ¡°I am aware that you were severely under qualified for this role not more than twenty-four hours ago, but I have reconsidered my evaluation. Organizations such as the SIA and DH have regulations. Restrictions on how they can operate. Occasionally they need people, such as us, who are not agents and capable of acting outside of those boundaries. I assure you that it is in your best interests for us to work as a team.¡±


    Adi continued to glare in Duke¡¯s direction. The vampire continued to fidget with the map and mutter to himself. ¡°You¡¯re dumb. Your plan is dumb. Everything about this is dumb. Get out of my house.¡±


    ¡°It would be a problem for me if you decide to go against the plan.¡± Duke had a hint of something nefarious glint in the corner of his eyes. ¡°My only choice now is to eviscerate you, dine upon your entrails, and sew you up into a nice suit for me to wear. I do like suits. As I¡¯ve mentioned before, I don¡¯t own much clothing.¡±


    ¡°At first glance, your proposal was idiotic in conception, but I have since reconsidered my position,¡± muttered Adi quickly.


    Duke immediately lit up. ¡°A proper evaluation of the situation will always shed light upon new ideas. My tutelage has certainly been working out!¡± A wide smile appeared, the skin creasing in a disturbing manner around the edges of his lips. ¡°Here is what I have on the agenda this evening. I was glancing through the web pages of local small-town newspapers and stumbled upon a gem.


    Two employees of a lumber company have disappeared while surveying one of their properties. A timber farm that is open for public recreation during its growth seasons. What peaked my interest is that the employees were investigating mysterious footprints in the area. They believed that someone local may have been attempting a bigfoot prank.¡±


    Adi set the plate down and began to look for some clothes. ¡°So you think some sort of creature got them or something?¡±


    ¡°Possibly. One might suspect werewolves, but the park is located near Centralia. Werewolves rarely travel south of Seattle. They much prefer Canada because of the better health care system. The only other suspect is that it is either somehow a sasquatch, or someone hoping to draw in a cryptozoologist.¡± Either way, it was a good opportunity to satisfy his hunger for a while.


    ¡°You want to go investigate a hoax?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have good reason to do so immediately. They¡¯re scheduled to have a search party show up there at seven am tomorrow. Any danger present may choose to select its next meal from some stragglers. If we reveal it to be a hoax, I may be able to track down a deer to sate my hunger. Any concerns?¡±


    Adi nodded several times before answering. On one hand, he didn¡¯t want to travel out to wherever Centralia was in the middle of the night, but he also didn¡¯t want Duke to eat him. ¡°None at all. You¡¯re right. I like this plan. Somehow it makes sense. Let me double check my gear, I¡¯d want to bring some chains and rope in case we have to tie something up. Be ready in twenty?¡±


    Duke smiled again. This human was certainly malleable. It was the one trait that benefited him the most. ¡°Forty minutes. You should shower first. I will need my partner to be in the best shape possible before we set forth.¡±

 Chapter Three - An Uneasy Partnership

    There was a heavy silence that hung in the air. It was thick and uninviting. Only rarely was it interrupted by the tick of an insect splashing against the windshield. Duke sat on the passenger. His lap held a slender object that was wrapped in cloth. He kept his eyes on the road ahead. Adi mostly kept his eyes on the road, but he would give Duke a concerned glance every once in awhile.


    Duke hadn¡¯t wanted to mention it to Adi, but the both of them were in a bit of a pickle. This venture needed to succeed in order for the both of them to survive. The little bits of qi that he stole from the other vampires was all that was keeping his mind intact, and Pastor had taken away that food source. He could already feel his mind-numbing away and he feared for what would happen to him if he did lose control.


    ¡°Why are you wearing my vest?¡±


    Adi¡¯s question made Duke snap out of his melancholy. The vampire had taken the idea of making himself at home a little too seriously, much to Adi¡¯s annoyance. He even complained about how Adi was a few inches shorter than himself and thus didn¡¯t have much that he could borrow for clothing.


    Duke unbuttoned the suit vest and revealed the stain on his silk shirt. ¡°Someone threw a vial of blasphemy at me the other day. They are going to have to put up with me borrowing articles of clothing until they bother to pay for dry cleaning.¡± Adi went to turn on the radio, but Duke tsked his tongue. ¡°We should go over the plan again.¡±


    Adi frowned. ¡°You use your vampire senses or whatever to try to track down the guys that went missing. If they turn up dead, we go looking for whoever the baddie is. You do the tracking, I hold the tranq gun.¡±


    The vampire nodded, ¡°Well done. It is nice to see some intelligence being applied toward self-preservation. It doesn¡¯t take a lot to avoid dying if you¡¯re careful about it. Look both ways when crossing the street, be careful around trains, and do not barge into vampire dens while throwing random bits and bobbles everywhere. Simple as that.¡±


    ¡°I just think that I should¡¯ve had a chance to negotiate our terms or something before you barged in and took control of my life.¡± Adi¡¯s grip tightened on the steering wheel. ¡°This whole thing is too one-sided.¡±


    ¡°The scenario where I outright kill you if you do not listen to what I say is not ideal for establishing a foundation of trust, I do understand that much.¡± Duke ignored Adi¡¯s glare. ¡°Very well. What I offer in exchange is information. I will teach you everything I know about demons, mithryn, and mages. I will do everything within my power, as long as my body holds up, to protect you while you travel down this path.¡±


    ¡°That seems a little much¡­¡± A large moth splattered against the windshield, leaving a large green splotch. This caused a momentary lapse in Adi¡¯s train of thought. ¡°Wait, there are wizards too? Like, Hogwarts or are we talking Gandalf?¡±


    ¡°What I ask in return is that you have complete faith in me.¡± Duke skipped over Adi¡¯s question. ¡°You do what I say and well provide anything I may need. No matter how dirty your hands get, or how tarnished your heart and soul becomes, I will be your shield of knowledge. You are my sword of literal stabbing. You obey me so that I may feed. I protect you so that you may live.¡±


    ¡°S-sure.¡± Adi bit onto the corner of his lip as he thought. ¡°I¡¯d still prefer it if I didn¡¯t have to worry about being killed at any moment just because you missed a meal.¡±


    Duke patted the object on his lap. ¡°That was an intimidation trick to get my foot in the door. Now that we understand each other a little better, and despite you being my emergency food source, I am more than willing to tell you more about myself.¡± He passed the fabric covered item over to Adi. ¡°Put it down somewhere safe where it will never touch me. You may examine it when you are not driving.¡±


    ¡°You could at least tell me what it is.¡± Adi carelessly tossed it in the back seat, making the vampire wince.


    ¡°A short sword made of the wood of the peach tree. It doesn¡¯t have to pierce my heart, and it is dull to the touch, but it will cut through me as though it were the sharpest of blades. All vampires have weaknesses that are easily found in nature.


    Some cannot cross moving water, while others burn in sunlight. There is a reason why stakes should be made from midnight oak. Find the classification of vampire you are facing, and you will never falter in battle.


    I would be classified as a jiangshi. Since I am Korean, I would technically be a gangshi, but they are all slight variants of the same curse. Unlike the two or three strains from Europe, the east is host to dozens of man-eaters and bloodsuckers. Jiangshi do not travel well, but they are one of the more common strains. I was turned three months ago during a trip to South Korea.


    A dear friend of mine and I were on a shuttle heading to the temple when a landslide forced us off of the mountain road. I lost consciousness, and awoke as this monstrosity.¡± Duke paused for a moment, if only to stare at the road ahead for a time. ¡°A jiangshi¡¯s mind rapidly deteriorates if they stray too far from their homeland.


    I was fortunate enough to return to Washington before I suffered serious damage. Another contact of mine led me to Bernie. Now my care lies with you. There is no reason why I choose to continue to exist, but I do not believe that it is my time yet.¡±


    Adi glanced between the vampire and the road again. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me that you were some sort of horrific ancient monster or something?¡± Though it shouldn¡¯t have surprised Adi that Duke lied. He seemed to enjoy making Adi look like a fool.


    ¡°I only give you the information that I believe you need. There is no point in flooding your head with everything at once. I doubt that it would stick.¡± Duke frowned as Adi muttered some curses under his breath. ¡°And the Wulfert Clan, or whatever you have named yourselves. What started it? The need for honor? Justice?¡±


    ¡°After everything I¡¯ve learned recently, I think it¡¯s probably stupidity. The stupidity of carrying on a tradition that should¡¯ve died years ago. We choose one man from each generation to be trained by the previous hunter.


    As long as they can prove they are actively hunting, they have access to the family fortune. It¡¯s a tithe that the rest of the family funnels money into. Some people do it for the money, some people do it for honor, I thought I¡¯d try it out in order to give me a sense of purpose.


    My uncle was the previous hunter. He had two sons. Robbie and Lars, who were both being trained for the position. Lars was bitten by a vampire during a raid, and my uncle had to put him down. After Lars died, Robbie closed out his bank accounts and vanished.


    I was going to start training under Uncle Wenzel, but he was eaten by werewolves a month ago. I moved out of Seattle in order to avoid being next. There were texts that were left behind in my grandfather¡¯s house. Most of my training came from those, and I wanted to get a few kills under my belt before I tried to avenge my uncle.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I found that nest of yours by looking up satellite maps. Bought the security footage from the building next door, and that confirmed my suspicions. You seemed like vampires so I went in to do my job, and now I¡¯m stuck with some asshole who thinks he¡¯s helping by threatening to kill me all the time.¡±


    ¡°Werewolves?¡± Duke couldn¡¯t fathom it. ¡°Are you sure a lycanthrope did that?¡±


    ¡°Most of my uncle¡¯s research was destroyed or torn up. According to what was left, the monsters live all over the north end of Seattle. They even have a yearly convention there. All I know about it was that he looked like he was torn up by some animal, and I¡¯m not stupid enough to go looking into it until I know I¡¯m strong enough.¡±


    ¡°I see... I¡¯m afraid I do not have much more to comment on.¡± Duke flicked the radio on and fiddled with it until he found NPR. ¡°I thought an hour drive would take longer, but this is certainly taking a while.¡±


    ¡°That it is,¡± muttered Adi. ¡°... Wait, are you going to be okay traveling this far from Tacoma?¡±


    ¡°As long as I do not end up on the peninsula or the Rockies, I should be fine going a hundred miles north or south of the city,¡± muttered Duke reassuringly, despite the fact that he wasn¡¯t certain himself.


    The rest of the drive was done in silence. All they had on at this time of night were personal essays that were read by professional actors. A man hired to sit with corpses before they received funeral rights, or why Pocatello, Idaho had the worst flag in America.


    They parked the car where the search party was scheduled to meet in the morning. If they took too long, they could easily pretend to be a part of the next morning¡¯s search party. Duke was first to exit the vehicle. He took while to stretch his limbs, which cracked and snapped with every minor movement.


    ¡°You could help me unload.¡± Adi strapped on his backpack.


    ¡°I fear I must concentrate on tracking. Carrying anything would serve as a distraction,¡± he said while eyed what Adi was doing. ¡°Remember to travel light. We may have to cover several miles today. Did you remember to pack the lunch I made and some water?¡± Duke began to rotate his shoulders in order to loosen his back.


    ¡°Yes, I packed everything you asked me to, mother.¡± Adi unwrapped the wooden sword. The scabbard had an ornate carving of a dragon enveloped within mist, and the blade was thin and fragile looking. It felt like he was getting ripped off. ¡°Would you hurry up and start tracking already?¡±


    Duke retrieved a map and a penlight. ¡°Unfortunately, I am not a bloodhound. I can track humans easily by the smell of their qi, but I would have to stumble upon their trail first. I have already cross referenced this map with satellite images and drawn in the trails they use for work machinery. I would like to start with those.¡± The map was rudely thrust into Adi¡¯s hands so that Duke could open his umbrella.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we would be hiking.¡± Adi pondered how long it would take for Duke to reach Tacoma if he took off in the car right here and now.


    ¡°Apologies.¡± Duke held the umbrella above his head. ¡°I had assumed that mentioning the fact that we could possibly not find anything would have been enough information for you to deduce what we would be doing. There was some dismissal on my part to consider your inability to think ahead when it came to such important matters.¡±


    Adi made certain that the peach wood sword was attached to his hip. ¡°I really, really hate you.¡±


    ¡°I do not care. Friendship was never a concern of mine when I set out to make you my partner.¡± Duke began to walk ahead without caring if Adi followed or not.


    Adi grumbled and begrudgingly tagged along. Another two hours passed in silence as they followed the tread marks of heavy machines. Animals seemed to avoid the area, even the nocturnal ones. The occasional breeze was the only thing that kept them company.


    Duke had borrowed Adi¡¯s phone to use as a compass and GPS tracker. Adi debated if it was worth it to kill Duke while the vampire had his guard down. It seemed proper. He had even bothered to name his new sword Mitzi, mostly because he was bored. But that meant that trouble might appear while Adi was defenseless, so he chose to stifle his bloodlust by chewing on the radish salad sandwich that Duke had made him.


    Once in awhile Duke would pause and look around. He would take a few heavy sniffs or stand there with his mouth open, air moving slowly across his tongue as he tasted the hints of qi in the air. Then he would turn to Adi and state it was simply an animal. He had explained to him that tracking was difficult. Jiangshi didn¡¯t have the luxury of moving at fast speeds, having to rely on their senses and pure stubbornness in order to find their prey.


    Everyone sheds a little qi here and there. It builds up in any place they¡¯ve stayed in for a while and leaves a heavier trail if the target was injured. Humans had a more fatty scent than animals and enticed his hunger more. Animals didn¡¯t do much to keep his interests, though there was a larger animal whose scent was beginning to become stronger and stronger.


    ¡°Huh¡­¡± Duke pointed the penlight at one of the trees. Glistening entrails were hanging from the branches in a decorative manner. Only some of the internal organs were present. The rest of whatever they had belonged to had gone missing.


    ¡°What¡­ The fuck.¡± Adi took a step back. Should he be terrified? Duke wouldn¡¯t have come out here without some sort of plan.


    ¡°Atticus.¡± Duke turned off the light. ¡°Something is here with us. It is using the scent of those organs to cover up its trail.¡±


    ¡°Please tell me that it¡¯s some sort of psycho and not some crazy monster that we¡¯re not prepared to take on.¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± Duke placed his hand on the back of Adi¡¯s neck and spoke in the quietest possible whisper. ¡°No questions. Listen and obey. Turn around. Follow the road. Get back to the car. Enter the back seat. Hide yourself well. Do not come out. Leave the car unlocked so that I can help you when I get there.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bigfoot, right?¡± Adi suddenly felt a headache coming on, like he was extremely dehydrated. ¡°And if we can¡¯t, what if it can open doors too? Wouldn¡¯t that make me defenseless?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t a clue to what it is, but you need to run. Run as fast as you¡¯re able to. Get in the car. Hide the backseat. Hide. Please, Atticus.¡± Duke¡¯s composure was faltering. That was enough to let Adi know that this was serious. A nod was given before he ran as fast as he could back to the car.


    Adi found it hard to move, which was surprising. A hike shouldn¡¯t have been enough to wear him out, but it felt like he had been hit by a wall of nausea. He began to stumble about. Vomit was threatening to bulge out of his throat with every passing minute.


    The world was spinning, and for some strange reason, he was getting rather hungry. Almost as though he were halfway through a marathon. Then he heard the unholy hunting cry of something behind him, something inhuman. It urged him to keep going until everything in his mind went completely black.


    Duke had also heard the cry but didn¡¯t waver from his post. He turned towards the hunched over figure creeping slowly down the road. It twitched and clicked with every step forward, much like a bird. The moonlight glanced off the creature, illuminating the golden eyes of the beast. One eye failed to match the other¡¯s orientation as it attempted to focus.


    As it came closer Duke could see that its arms were long and thin, knuckles dragged across the ground with long talons hanging on the tips of its fingers. Its legs were like that of a satyr, and its staggering gait made it seem like it was unused to them. Soon, its focus fell upon Duke and it took on a crazed expression. Its wide beak opened slightly, giving it a resemblance to the potoo bird.


    The plumage it had resembled the bark of a tree, and the overwhelming scent of blood added to its camouflage. It circled around him, clicking its beak between brief shrieks, yet it also kept its distance. Duke smiled to himself. Good. It appeared to have basic animal instincts. Nothing like a lion to send an alleycat running.


    ¡°He went that way.¡± Duke pointed down the road.


    The bird hesitated. It looked between the trail and Duke suspiciously, then barreled after Adi upon all fours.


    Duke gave it a two fingered salute as it disappeared down the trail. ¡°Happy hunting.¡±

 Chapter Four - Pronounce it with a Purr.

    Adi felt something heavy on his legs. Struggling to open his eyes, he found that it was too dark to make out anything. There was someone awkwardly straddling his waist with their hands on either side of his neck. The tips of their slender fingertips lightly touching behind his ears. A soft brush of hair was felt across his forehead as they breathed shallowly.


    They smelled feminine. There was an ache in his heart as his groggy mind fumbled about to figure out his surroundings. All he could do was wrap his arms around this person. He held them firmly against his chest as he whispered in their ear.


    ¡°Janice¡­ Look, I am so sorry about last night¡­ I had a really bad day, and I wasn¡¯t thinking right, but I love you. I¡¯m going to call my stepdad as soon as he¡¯s up. We¡¯ll move in together and I¡¯ll give you everything else you¡¯ve asked for. We¡¯re going to be alright.¡±


    ¡°Let go,¡± a voice quickly rasped back. ¡°You¡¯re making it hard for me to work.¡± Her tone was similar to Janice¡¯s but it was slightly deeper. It lacked the lithe notes that he enjoyed so much.


    Adi let his arms slip from around the stranger and let out a pained groan. They were in the back seat of some car he didn¡¯t recognize, and a blanket was covering both of them. She straightened his head and closed her eyes. Something started to glow a faint pink color on her forehead.


    ¡°W-what?¡±


    ¡°Shut up. Whatever it is that you pissed off, it¡¯s outside the car and he isn¡¯t here yet.¡±


    Adi realized at that moment just how close she was pressing up against him. Whatever she was doing felt nice. He cleared his throat and hoped she wouldn¡¯t notice that the lower half of him was starting to react to the situation in a completely natural manner.


    The woman ignored whatever was going on down there. ¡°Just be quiet and I¡¯ll tell you what you need to know.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of hearing that.¡± He stuffed his hand into his pocket so he could rearrange his awkwardness.


    ¡°Quiet.¡± She frowned and lifted her body away from him. Her muscles strained from the uncomfortable position. ¡°Your mentor is a friend of mine. He called me over because I live nearby. You¡¯ve had a lot of life force drained out of you, but it doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯ve been injured. Right now, I¡¯m trying to make sure you don¡¯t die from exhaustion. I need you to stay quiet so I won¡¯t have to die from you drawing its attention.¡±


    A loud screech rang out, then a loud thud as something banged and slid down the side of the vehicle. The stranger pressed a finger to Adi¡¯s lips, holding completely still for what seemed like an eternity. There was a light tapping against the window as someone sought to get their attention.


    A muffled voice called out to them. ¡°I did not ask you to fornicate with the kid.¡±


    The woman tossed the blanket off of them so she could glare at Duke. ¡°Shit, Duck-young! Learn some form of transportation that¡¯s fucking faster than a victorian zombie casually strolling through a garden!¡±


    Now that Adi could see her better, she appeared to be a Hispanic woman with short hair and thick bangs that ended just above her eyes. Her bangs covered up whatever he had seen glowing on her forehead earlier.


    Duke gestured for them to come out of the car. ¡°I had to make another phone call. I should note that I have no idea how long the tranquilizer is going to last, nor do I know if this is safe for me to eat.¡± He pointed the gun at the creature and shot him with another dart for good measure.


    After the woman climbed out of the car, Adi followed and noticed that the feathered monster was slumped beside the car. Its beak was open and a long, thick tongue was hanging out the side. One eye stared up at the sky in unconscious horror while the other looked off towards the woods.


    ¡°I imagined a sasquatch would be more¡­¡± Adi frowned. ¡°Hairy?¡±


    ¡°Maybe.¡± Duke shrugged. ¡°I have been notified that this is a wendigo. First, they tear out the soul out to stop the body from moving, then they devour the flesh.¡± He brushed the feathers away from the creature¡¯s neckline to reveal an employee identification card. ¡°This gentleman probably thought he had gotten away from it, but then he somehow metamorphosed into one himself.¡±


    Adi patted himself down and mumbled about how dark it was. He also felt sore and physically weakened. Maybe standing wasn¡¯t the best option right now. ¡°I thought I was supposed to have the tranq gun with me.¡± He stared at the gun Duke was holding, then pointed at it confusedly.


    ¡°Yes. For that realization, I should give you a gold star.¡± He held it up in the air when Adi reached for it. ¡°You left this on the trail. I believe at some point it must have caught up to you and you attempted to fire at it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the Wulfert bloodline kicking in during battle. We¡¯re very skilled hunters.¡± Adi puffed out his chest with pride.


    ¡°You succeeded in striking two deer, a skunk, and a tree¡­ But not this. At some point, you dropped your gun.¡± He rotated it so Adi could see that his name and phone number were stamped on the handle. ¡°We talked about this.¡± Duke pointed at Adi¡¯s name. ¡°We talked about this very thing right here, did we not?¡±


    Adi¡¯s pride took a shot in the gut. He sulked his shoulders and looked off to the side like a scolded child. ¡°It wasn¡¯t very easy to get a hold of. I would want someone to return it if it was somehow lost.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll worry about it later. Our backup has arrived more quickly than expected.¡± A dark gray van pulled up and four people quickly hopped out. The two women approached them while two men unloaded a motorcycle from the back.


    Windi was quick to give orders. ¡°Paul, Vila, bag the cadaver and place it within the vehicle.¡±


    One of the men was older, with a long nose, balding head, and a blue lab coat. The other was younger, his hair was fluffy with splotches of blond and orange. Most notable was the fact that he had animalistic ears and a cat-like tail that swished about behind him.Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°It¡¯s alive,¡± replied Duke. He waggled the gun in the air, still keeping it away from Adi as he did so. ¡°Tranquilizer darts.¡±


    Windi frowned. ¡°Paul, prep a shot. Inject him when you get in the van and put him in a body bag first so he doesn¡¯t make a mess.¡±


    Duke briefly narrowed his eyes. He didn¡¯t know much about DH, but he wasn¡¯t going to argue about them killing an innocent victim. ¡°That should conclude our business. The search party will be here at seven. My party and I will be taking our leave.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have a need for the human, but the demon and you have to stay,¡± replied Windi. ¡°You made a deal with Pastor. Work with us or die. Don¡¯t change your mind now.¡± She gestured for the woman to approach Adi. ¡°Rachel, would you please? I have matters to discuss with the hopper.¡±


    Rachel nodded and clasped her hands together. A faint blue light came through her sleeves and expanded across her skin until her hands were glowing.


    ¡°So¡­ I can go?¡± Adi looked over at her hopefully.


    He felt uncomfortable as Rachel waved her glowing hands over him. Silently waving. It was odd. The way she leaned in and smiled at him like he was a lab rat made the experience worse. She then started to wander around, waving her hands about in some strange, mystical manner.


    Windi watched Paul and Vila dragged the wendigo away. ¡°Are you sure he¡¯s still alive?¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t certain if he was safe to eat, so I only had a little snack,¡± muttered Duke. ¡°Though that and the amount of toxins I shot him up with may have caused him to expire. A shame though.¡± His tone grew sarcastic. ¡°If only someone hadn¡¯t ordered me to abandon my former food source. I would¡¯ve practiced better judgement if I wasn¡¯t so hungry.¡±


    Windi didn¡¯t care about his excuses. ¡°I will need her name.¡±


    Duke politely gestured to his female companion. ¡°It is my pleasure to introduce Verlsa.¡± When he said the name, the ¡°R¡± and the ¡°L¡± combined to make a subtle purring sound. ¡°You are already familiar with my emergency food source, Atticus.¡±


    ¡°What the hell is going on, Duck-Young,¡± hissed Verlsa under her breath.


    Duke turned to Verlsa. ¡°Windi is simply the type that knows exactly what we are.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you call her here?¡± Versla asked with a growl.


    ¡°Because I do not believe we should be responsible for hunting down any other wendigos that may be present,¡± he muttered back.


    Despite Verlsa looking quite put off by the DH agent¡¯s presence, Windi carried on in a professional manner. ¡°It has only been two or three days since that man suffered from his change. His mother will still be in the area. We are short on time and resources. That means that I will be conscripting the two of you for this mission.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not conscripting my ass. This isn¡¯t some video game where you can pick up party members to do your dirty work,¡± spat back Versla.


    The vampire tsked his tongue to calm her down. ¡°Your plan would be to have Verlsa mingle with the search party while you and I look for mother hen?¡± Windi nodded. ¡°And you do not wish to risk any of your own team for this mission?¡±


    ¡°These are regular personal. Mages without attack abilities and a powerless mithryn. The wendigo will cut right through them. Ideally, I will disable the creature while you finish it off by absorbing its qi. Verlsa will attempt to lead the volunteer group away from where we are hunting.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m finished,¡± chirped Rachel in a singsong voice.


    She circled about a spot before jutting out her hands. A bluish hologram appeared before her. It resembled the ghost of a man, but large pieces had been torn out of his body. His face was too blurry to make out any distinct features, though an eerie sort of sadness radiated through the light.


    He looked around at everyone staring at him. ¡°... Hello?¡± His voice was distorted and staticy.


    Windi brushed Duke aside so she could speak to the specter. ¡°My name is Windi. We don¡¯t have much time. I would like to speak with you about your situation.¡± The apparition gave a nod. ¡°Please tell me what happened.¡±


    ¡°We were¡­ Bill¡­¡± His voice faded in and out, Rachel furrowing her brow. She wiggled her fingers until his voice sounded much clearer. ¡°We were doing a survey and discussing what areas we should start working on next. There was the sound of¡­ We thought it was a barn owl behind us. I ignored it until Bill began to panic. Turned around and there was a giant shadow behind me with its arms raised up.


    I turned to run, but I felt something dig into my back, then I saw my body running off without me in it¡­ I heard a voice telling me to go catch it, but it just kept running ahead till it found someone.


    It found¡­ It found Bill. He asked me how I was, and my body¡­ It tore him up with its teeth. I tried to stop it, but every time I tried to get close, it just turned around and bit at me¡­ I¡­ I think I killed and ate Bill.¡± The apparition hesitated. ¡°... There was so much blood.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine. Thank you for your time.¡± Windi paused and waved towards her co-workers. ¡°Rachel, start heading back to headquarters. I¡¯ll ride back on my own. Sir, what was your name?¡±


    ¡°Steven¡­ Steven Prescott.¡±


    ¡°Steven, we are going to avenge you. The Six Soul will give you mercy. You will be able to pass on to the other side. For now, I need you to guide us to where you were attacked.¡± The apparition nodded again. Its visage wavered and disappeared, but Windi continued to acknowledge him as though he were still there.


    Adi stood there with his jaw slightly agape. ¡°What the fu¡­ What?¡±


    Windi nodded at Verlsa. ¡°Duke and I are going ahead to find the wendigo. You two will need to stay here. If the search party shows up, try to lead them to Bill¡¯s body. That should distract them long enough for us to complete our end of the hunt. Duke will update you on our position so that we do not run into each other.¡±


    Duke stretched out, popping and cracking as he always did. ¡°This sort of work seems absolutely barbaric.¡± He then sorted out his umbrella and held it above his head.


    Windi began to walk down the trail, with Duke shuffling behind her. A part of him wanted to be done with this business, but he had felt so much better after one partial meal. His joints were already looser. If he could drool, the thought of eating another wendigo would have his jaw and shirt completely soaked.


    Adi shook his hands in frustration at Verlsa. ¡°Why does everyone have to step up and take charge of the situation while ignoring me?¡± He was made even more upset by the fact that Duke and Windi were heading off without asking him to help.


    Verlsa shrugged. ¡°I have a conference call with a client at eight today. If I don¡¯t make it, I¡¯m going to be out of a lot of money. I¡¯m only here because Duck-young said you were going to die if I didn¡¯t show up. Would you rather I had stayed home to protect my paycheck or save your life? Should I ignore the welfare of the search party or do I go home?¡±


    ¡°See? That¡¯s my problem! You¡¯re all psychopaths who have to be right about everything! And you keep talking about some duck?!¡± Adi looked around. The peached sword had fallen off his belt at some point, but it was still near the edge of the parking lot. He ran over to fetch it.


    ¡°You¡¯re being disrespectful.¡± Verlsa frowned as Adi gave the sword a few practice swings. ¡°Duke is Duck-young¡¯s English name. You should make a point to learn more about the people you work with.¡± Verlsa leaned against the side of her car. If Adi wasn¡¯t so violent right now, she could take a nap while waiting for the search party to arrive.


    ¡°Really? Me? Disrespectful? Everyone lately just seems to know exactly what¡¯s best for me. This isn¡¯t education or freedom, it¡¯s neglecting my own wishes.¡± He sat down on the ground and rested his head against his knees. ¡°Everything is stupid.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Because today has been such a terrible day for you and no one seems to care or understand.¡± Verlsa retorted in a monotone voice. This is why she hated dealing with younger men. She walked towards him but kept her eyes on the trail ahead. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell you a story. It¡¯s everything you need to know about Doctor Duck-young Kwak.¡±

 Chapter Five - Cicada

    The humidity was high, much like it was during a Washington summer. Not that it made Duke feel like he was back home, because it was still horrible. The doctor paced nervously back and forth in the lobby of the hotel, occasionally pulling out his phone to fiddle with it. He had recently received a Ph.D. in Asian languages and literature. His company, which he had interned at for several years before becoming a fulltime employee, had sent him to review texts at a monastery in South Korea.


    Digital Alexandria was an organization dedicated to creating digital copies of important texts throughout history. He was set to deliver some of their machinery to a local professor today. They were going to begin scanning everything as soon as possible. What was more exciting ws that they had provided him with an extra plane ticket so he could bring a guest.


    ¡°Relax. It¡¯s just some scrolls, right?¡± Said a woman in a blue floral dress. Duke¡¯s features melted into a love-struck fool. She smiled back reassuringly. ¡°You deal with old stuff all the time.¡± The fact that his soulmate had agreed to come with him made every moment feel like he was floating on air.


    ¡°I still wish to appreciate the blessings in my life that exist in the present.¡± He brought her close and kissed her on the cheek. She looked so beautiful today and her hair smelled sweetly of lilacs.


    ¡°I hope you weren¡¯t implying that I¡¯m just a thing to be studied like all of your other treasures.¡± She playfully pushed him away and headed towards the shuttle bus parked in front of the hotel. Her braid swished about as she turned to flash him a grin. ¡°I¡¯m not just something to be archived and put away!¡±


    Duke adjusted his satchel bag on his shoulder and chased after her. ¡°Of course not, Suni! Suni, wait! You know I didn¡¯t mean it like that!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a spa that¡¯s calling my name, and I want as much time as possible to experience the jade sauna!¡± She began to skip up the bus¡¯ steps as he caught up with her.


    He followed her aboard and took a seat next to her. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that I already triple checked that the equipment is stowed away correctly. There will be no more distractions between us.¡± Duke frowned to himself. ¡°Do you think I need to check it again?¡± He pouted in an exaggerated manner as she punched him in the shoulder.


    ¡°I¡¯m lucky that you understand how impatient I am and got everything ready beforehand.¡± She rested her head on his shoulder. ¡°That¡¯s the only thing I was lucky about when I decided I wanted to marry you.¡±


    Duke retrieved a long blue scarf that had been in his bag. ¡°Is the air conditioning too high for you?¡± She nodded and draped the scarf around both their shoulders before leaning into him again. ¡°I know you¡¯re excited that you get to play around in saunas all day, but I desire to have a serious conversation first.¡±


    ¡°No oppa, I just want to sit here and dream about saunas and skin scrubs and hard-boiled eggs.¡± She closed her eyes and nuzzled his shoulder all the more firmly.


    ¡°This is important.¡± She shook her head. ¡°Please look.¡± She shook her head again. ¡°Please stop being cute. I am in dire need of your opinion on this matter.¡± Suni opened her eyes and saw that Duke was holding out a folder for her to take.


    She examined its contents. There were pictures of the exterior and interior of a house. Color swatches for paint, pictures of furniture, and a selection of plants for a garden. It was set up like something a professional decorator would use. ¡°What¡¯s this for?¡±


    ¡°Since you¡¯re moving to Seattle, I thought it would be nice to have a home to stay in.¡± His ears began to turn red. ¡°They were having a police auction, so I just thought... Why not?¡±


    ¡°You bought me a drug lord¡¯s home?¡± She laughed. ¡°No, really? A crime den or some whore house?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I believe it might have been a murder case where the state repossessed the house due to there being no heirs. Though I¡¯ve been reassured that there are no more bodies in the backyard and that they¡¯ve recarpeted.¡± Suni stared at him. ¡°We¡¯ll get a new carpet¡­ And there might still be a few literal skeletons in the closets.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re able to afford this with all your student debts.¡± She dug a knuckle into his ribs. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke, is it?¡±


    ¡°I set up the savings account the morning after our first date. That¡¯s how strongly I felt about you being the one. I put money in every time you made me smile, or anytime you lit up my life, and especially whenever I thought about you when you were shipped out overseas. Every time I saw your face in my mind, I put a little money away for your future... Our future.¡±


    ¡°Duck-young¡­¡±


    He smiled and grasped her hand. ¡°And I hope that you have no objections to how I spent a small portion of that money.¡± He slipped a kunzite ring onto her left hand. ¡°This is a promise of our future together.¡± Suni¡¯s smile grew larger as she stared at the ring. ¡°It may not be a diamond, but I still have decades of student loans to repay.¡±


    Suni shook her head while laughing quietly. ¡°I¡¯ll have to get a dog. That way you¡¯ll have some company in the doghouse I plan on keeping you in.¡± She fiddled with the ring, twisting it back and forth while she evilly plotted their future.


    ¡°You and your jokes.¡± He snatched up her hand so he could kiss the back of her fingers.


    ¡°And I¡¯ll name him Duke.¡±


    Duke pouted again. ¡°That¡¯s my name.¡±


    ¡°Your name is Duck-young, and it will always be Duck-young. Or oppa. Or My Dear Husband whom I¡¯ll take care of forever because he spent all of his money on useless trinkets even though I already know how much he loves me. With or without a ring.¡± She pecked his cheek.


    ¡°I spent it on you.¡± The bus abruptly jerked to the side and the driver began to shout loudly. ¡°... What did he say?¡± His Korean wasn¡¯t terrible, but panicked cries were difficult for him to understand.


    ¡°He says there was a landslide.¡± The tires began to screech as something slammed into the side of the bus. Everything in the cabin began to tilt. Duke grasped onto Suni tightly as the bus slipped off the side of the road. There was nothing but a cliff there, and now the bus was wildly tumbling down it.


    The other passengers were screaming. No one had bothered to buckle themselves in. As the cabin rotated, they found themselves thudding into the ceiling and other people. A trunk came loose from an overhead compartment and struck Duke in the back of the head. His body suddenly felt numb. He had no choice but to let go of his love as he lost control of his limbs.


    Duke wanted to cry out, but he couldn¡¯t breathe. As the bus came to a sudden halt, he found himself lying next to Suni. His chest felt heavy. Air refused to move. It didn¡¯t take long for him to realize that he was paralyzed and slowly suffocating to death.


    Suni scrambled to examine the extent of his injuries. Her arm appeared broken, and her clothes were stained with blotches of blood. Whether or not it was his, hers, or someone else¡¯s, he couldn¡¯t say. All he could do was open and close his mouth. Suni was attempting to say something, but he had also gone completely deaf.


    Something kicked open the shuttle door. There was a shadow of someone stepping over the bodies to approach them. Suni quickly kissed Duke on the forehead and ducked under a seat. She yanked open a floor panel and disappeared below the floor.


    The shadow didn¡¯t seem to notice her among the writing bodies. They leaned down next to Duke and pressed their hand against the back of his neck. Duke opened his mouth in an attempt to reassure Suni. Now his vision was fading, he couldn¡¯t keep his eyes open. The last image that raced through his mind was a rainbow, then complete darkness.


    ???


    Duke¡¯s eyes flickered open. He was greeted by the sight of a giant woman staring down at him. She had a feathered veil covering her hair, wore a flax robe that had one sleeve over her left arm, and was covered head to toe with gold and beaded jewelry. Aside from her strange appearance, she appeared just as confused as Duke was.


    ¡°Strange.¡± She blinked as Duke sat up and began to pat himself down. He sighed with relief as he realized he wasn¡¯t injured. ¡°... Quite strange indeed.¡± Her accent wasn¡¯t something that Duke recognized.


    ¡°I assume that I¡¯m not in Korea anymore?¡± Better than being in Kansas, unless this woman was the Wicked Witch.


    The woman spoke English but seemed to be Middle Eastern in appearance. Odd that she knew to speak English without confirming where he was from first. She continued to stare down at him as he stood up, as she easily rivaled the tallest basketball players when it came to height.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re dead.¡±


    Duke knew that was a possibility. If what he had experienced wasn¡¯t a nightmare, then he was dead. This wasn¡¯t what he was expecting the afterlife to look like. Much more¡­ Actually, he wasn¡¯t expecting this at all. Nothing he had read had ever suggested an afterlife like this.


    The two of them were in a circular room covered with tapestries. Each had intricate designs and threads that connected them to each other. Some had threads that stretched far into the sky. Above them, thousands, if not millions of threads interlaced with each other.


    ¡°I do appear to be dead,¡± muttered Duke.


    ¡°Quite so,¡± replied the woman. She didn¡¯t seem phased by how slowly he was taking to put two and two together.


    Duke nodded a few times in awkward silence. ¡°Now what?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure.¡± The woman began to fret. She rubbed her hands together anxiously. They were gnarled and covered in calluses. ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to be here.¡± Duke didn¡¯t say anything. He simply worriedly stared up at her. ¡°We¡¯ll have to look at your tapestry. That should sort everything out.¡±


    She gestured for him to follow her. The woman brushed aside a tapestry and ducked underneath the doorway. They were in some sort of void. Threads were far more abundant here, twisting and weaving every which way. A waterfall could be heard trickling in the distance, and massive crystals were hanging from the roof.


    Pushing aside another tapestry, the two entered another cylinder room. The woman began to fuss over one of the tapestries within. It was dark in color, with a feathered emerald masquerade mask in the center. On one side was a gilded tapestry covered in Mayan runes and crystals, and the other side had what seemed to be a tree, but it was only halfway complete.


    ¡°Rather unusual,¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°Have you had any major changes to your life? Ah, well, aside from dying, of course. Be specific about the dates, if you could. Not specific to the extreme, just the month or so will do.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Duke considered what had happened to him over the course of the year. ¡°I became engaged this week.¡± Suni had proposed to him yesterday. She knew he was planning to do so himself by the end of their trip and surprised him by asking first. ¡°I bought a house three weeks ago and received my Ph.D. two months ago.¡±


    ¡°Goodness. So mundane¡­ Yet someone has gone through a lot of trouble to hide you from me. Rather disturbing.¡± The woman put a finger to her chin as she thought. ¡°I am Ur. I am a demon but I have nothing to do with the afterlife. My role is to protect the tapestries. I, along with my oracles, interpret them.


    We are all part of a society that seeks to prevent world-ending disasters. I predict how the threads will tangle, and my oracles will pass my warnings to others. Now, I doubt that you have anything to do with that, even if you were hidden, but your soul has somehow ended up here anyways. We will need to figure out why that is.¡±


    ¡°Am I trapped here?¡± Not that it mattered to Duke much, since it wasn¡¯t like he could do anything about his situation. He was dead. As much as he wished that wasn¡¯t the case, it wasn¡¯t as though he had a choice where he ended up afterward.


    Ur circled around him. She picked up a thread that was hanging from his back. Suddenly she was hunched over as she began to examine him more closely. ¡°Someone has somehow gone and tied a part of your tapestry to you back. It¡¯s been weaving itself here for at least¡­ Seven or eight months or so? Hold still, please.¡± She began to mutter to herself as she fiddled with the threads.


    Seven or eight months? November or December of last year. He had traveled around quite a bit to meet some of Suni¡¯s extended family. Their parents were the ones who had introduced them to each other. Both of them had been dipping their toes into the idea of marriage, and wanted her family to be on board.


    Then there was his own family during the holidays. Not to mention everyone he had talked to before he got his Ph.D and his internship with Digital Alexandria... Anyone could have done it. But why him? What was the point in hiding his tapestry?


    Ur fiddled with a loose string. ¡°I assume that your body was acting as an anchor. When you died, your tapestry sought to correct what had been done and brought you here. The problem with having your tapestry out in the open is that anyone can mess with it. These strands affect who you will meet or won¡¯t meet and how greatly they impact your life.


    Either they needed to hide you from me so they themselves wouldn¡¯t be exposed by meeting you, or they wanted you to meet me. Not even my oracles are capable of such...¡± Duke attempted to turn around in order to have a look, but she grasped the back of his head and forced him to hold still. ¡°If you had a choice, would you seek to return?¡±


    His thoughts were instantly of Suni. She might still be on that bus, hiding from the person who boarded the bus. Whatever had happened, Suni anticipated that they were an enemy.


    ¡°In a heartbeat,¡± replied Duke. He had to do whatever he could to save her.


    Ur lifted up her hand, and a selection of colorful threads began to twist themselves between her fingers. These were slowly tied and knitted to his back. ¡°Death is the easier choice. It is an ending. A finale.¡± Duke felt a brief, sharp pain as she tightened a string. ¡°Life is much more difficult. Ever changing, with millions of possibilities that are as fragile as a butterfly¡¯s wings.¡±


    ¡°One should never back down in the face of uncertainty. I have a goal that will keep me going.¡±


    ¡°I doubt that your goals will matter as soon as you realize how incomplete you will become,¡± she muttered. Duke felt a jerk back as she finished tying the last knot. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I could to help, but I won¡¯t be able to see your tapestry once you are on the other side. There is no way for me to help you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± He wasn¡¯t certain how comfortable he was with her keeping track of him in the first place. Then again, he wasn¡¯t sure why she would choose to help him at all. She may just be doing this because she didn¡¯t want him hanging around here.


    Ur beamed at him. ¡°Excellent. Protect the friends I¡¯ve given you. You will need each other. Be especially wary of anyone who seeks to touch your back. Anyone with a bit of skill can change your destiny now that your tapestry is out in the open.¡± She said this as she delicately ran her fingers against his spine. ¡°Now deep breath, and-¡±


    Darkness and a heavy sensation surrounded Duke when he regained his senses. He felt constrained, like when his neck had snapped. Damp soil shifted between his fingers as he wiggled them about. Panic set in quickly and he struggled to wretch his arms free of their constraints. The dirt about him was still soft, enabling him to move through it easily enough.


    His hand broke out of the shallow grave first. Digging the rest of himself out was an easy task, but the brightness of the sun was too much for him. He had to shield his eyes with his arm to prevent himself from going blind. Duke couldn¡¯t remember how he had gotten here, or what he was supposed to do.


    He attempted to get a sense of where he was. There were nearly a dozen shallow graves present. Some of them had been dug open and their contents dragged out. The scent of blood ran deep into the ground.


    Duke heard a horrid crunching, and he realized that there were others here. They were bent over discarded bodies and tearing them apart so they could be more easily devoured. He felt the urge to vomit. As much as he dry heaved, nothing would come up. Despite the noise he made, not one of them noticed him as he turned away from the scene.


    ¡°Brother! How good it is to see that you have come to your senses!¡± A man in a decorative red robe approached him. ¡°You are reborn!¡± The man spoke Korean in a strange accent. It was difficult for Duke to understand him. This one was different from the one he had seen on the bus, the one that Suni had fled from.


    ¡°Suni¡­¡± Duke ignored the man completely.


    He began to study both the monsters and what was left of the dead. Some of the dead were from the bus, but he didn¡¯t recognize others. How many vehicles were hit during the landslide? Were these all victims?


    ¡°... This is lunacy,¡± whispered Duke.


    ¡°Let go of the morals you clung onto in life. You are our brother now.¡± The man pressed a hand onto Duke¡¯s shoulder. ¡°We are jiangshi. Ignore those who have failed to awaken and come with me. We have much to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Kindly remove your hand, sir.¡± A flickering blue appeared in the corner of his eye. Duke stiffened at the sight of his scarf draped around a grave marker. The one he had loaned to Suni. It wavered slightly with the passing breeze. ¡°Where is the woman who was wearing that scarf? She was twenty five and was wearing a flowered dress.¡±


    The man only tightened his grip on his shoulder. ¡°Do not attempt to remember her. Our order only converts men. All else are tied up and left waiting as our newborn¡¯s first meal.¡± There was a sneer that appeared on his face. His skin crinkled and cracked as though it were as thin as paper. ¡°They were quite ravenous today. We will find you a cleaner meal elsewhere.¡±


    Duke¡¯s gaze wandered to the creatures who were bickering over their meal. Ur crossed his thoughts at that moment. ¡°... She was wrong.¡± He clenched his jaw hard enough to crack several of his back teeth. ¡°Death is not the easier choice.¡±


    ¡°Death is a feast. It is a glorious existence.¡±


    ¡°Clinging to sanity is not a weakness, and death, like any other mission, is a struggle¡­ It is my burden to deliver.¡±


    His ability to remain rational was completely broken. Snatching the man¡¯s wrist, he yanked his arm downward and slammed his knee against it. Duke had attempted to break it at the elbow, but he accidently tore the entire arm off. A trickle of dust pouring out from the gaps of desiccated flesh as the man stumbled back in horror.


    But he would not be undone by this newborn vampire. A blunt wooden sword was produced from within his robes. He thrusted at Duke, clearly unskilled in swordsmanship. Duke sidestepped the attack, took a low step in, and lunged his hand towards the vampire¡¯s throat. He shifted his weight in order to force him to the ground. Straddling his back, Duke delivered blow after furious blow to the creature¡¯s skull.


    Rage. That¡¯s all Duke felt. The skin was scraped away from his flesh by the vampire¡¯s broken skull, and he began to bury his fists into the creature¡¯s shrunken brain. There was no satisfaction in his destruction, only rage. It blinded him, it controlled him. There was nothing that mattered more at that moment than his opportunity to get vengeance.


    ¡°I will tear away everything, just as you have me!¡±


    He couldn¡¯t feel pain. The blood that leaked out the sores in his hands was gelled. As much as he wanted to weep, the tears failed to appear. Weariness also failed him. There was no beating in his chest, nor the urge to gasp for air. As he slowly became aware of how different he was now, an odd sense of calm began to overtake him.


    ¡°... Everything.¡± It all needed to burn. Including that new ¡°family¡± that that vampire had expected him to join.


    One surprise attack had gained Duke victory, but he doubted that he would succeed against a group of them. What was that sword? How was that supposed to use it? He reached to grab it, but was forced to recoil immediately. A simple touch to the wood was enough to burn his fingertips down to the bone.


    Thinking quickly, he fetched his scarf and wrapped it about his hand. It would appear that his nerves were shot. He couldn¡¯t feel the softness of the angora wool, but it didn¡¯t matter. The cloth was enough to allow him to pick up the sword safely. His assumption was that this would work just as well against those creatures as it did himself.


    It was difficult for him to view his fellow jiangshi as anything other than monsters. Their skin had already turned grayish in color, their flesh was starting to sink from decay, and their nails had grown into long, black talons. Duke looked down at his free hand. It was already beginning to appear similar.


    He calmly walked up to the first vampire and brought the sword down upon its neck. The blade held no resistance, rendering flesh and bone instantly to ash. A series of growls escaped the creature to his left before it leaped at him. Duke ducked down low, this time aiming for the vampire¡¯s gut. His fighting instincts were a little rusty. He had done taekwondo from elementary until high school but hadn¡¯t dueled against anyone in over a decade.


    Regardless, these newborns moved rather sluggish compared to him. They were like feral animals that were sick with disease. It made them easier to cut down. Jiangshi weren¡¯t human. He had to keep telling himself that. Duke tracked down each and every one as part of his retribution, ending only when he had collapsed upon the ground from exhaustion.


    Jiangshi devoured the lives of others, he knew that from his mythological studies, and he also knew that he had failed to feed. He found himself staring at his right hand. The scarf had slipped from it, exposing bones and melted flesh. Ur had tried to help him, but he wasn¡¯t able to save Suni.... Duke couldn¡¯t even save himself.


    All he wanted now was to rot away. Maybe he¡¯ll talk to Ur again. She seemed to know something about where souls were supposed to go¡­ That meant that he still had a chance to find Suni, even if it were on the other side.


    It was the sound of shuffling that stirred him out of his zombie-like state. Possibly another vampire that he somehow missed. He forced himself to sit up and saw the silhouette of a man dressed in proper Victorian fashion. There was a basket in the crook of his elbow, and he appeared interested in the rusted nails that were sprouting out of the ground.


    ¡°Salutations, jiangshi.¡± He spoke Korean, but it had a noticeable British accent to it. ¡°I¡¯ve always found this variety of fungus to be quite fascinating,¡± he held up one of the nails and studied it. The sun was already setting, but the darkness didn¡¯t seem to bother. Nor did the corpses faze him. ¡°They only grow in nests of your kind.¡±


    Duke finally finished pushing himself up to a stand. He flexed his left hand. The claws on it had already grown out. ¡°Do you work for them? The people that arranged this gathering?¡± He asked in English, just to confirm his theory that this man was British.


    ¡°An American!¡± He replied with a smile. ¡°Both of us appear quite a far way from home.¡±


    ¡°You need to leave this place.¡± Duke leaned against a grave marker. He barely had the strength to stand and he didn¡¯t want to risk turning feral and attacking a feral man. ¡°Other monsters might show up soon.¡±


    ¡°Contrary to your suspicions, I doubt anyone will be coming here for a few more days. It takes time for the transformation to begin and even longer for a jiangshi to regain their senses.¡± The man bowed gracefully. ¡°Mauvori the Alchemist. I¡¯m a mage that specializes in harvesting the magical energies of plant life for the use of crafting spells and artifacts.¡±


    Oracles, jiangshi, and now a mage. Duke found himself too weary to care, though it would explain why this man¡¯s scent sparked his hunger in such an enticing manner. ¡°... Duke Kwak. I have a doctorate in Asian languages and literature.¡±


    ¡°Then you must be one of the victims from that landslide,¡± replied Mauvori. ¡°The bus, I assume?¡± Duke nodded. ¡°The roads have been blocked off for investigative purposes. We should see if your belongings are still there. We¡¯ll get you some clothes and see about doing something about that nasty affliction of yours.¡±


    ¡°But why would you help me?¡± Not that Duke wasn¡¯t grateful, but he didn¡¯t see any reason why anyone would help him now.


    ¡°I may be an alchemist by trade, but I have spent a great deal of time working with curses. It was during that time that I met many interesting individuals. Some of them have taught me a trick or two.¡± Mauvori held up a hand and a glowing thread appeared around one of his fingers. Duke felt a brief tug upon his back as Mauvori curled his fingers inward. ¡°I suppose that this is her way of telling me that you happen to be a particularly interesting specimen.¡±


    The thread dissipated and Mauvori produced a doorknob from his pocket. He set it upon the ground, twisted it, and a stream of light poured out in the shape of a door. ¡°We will set about raiding the other suitcases for clothes that will fit you. It will no doubt take a few weeks for me to repair the damage to your body, but I will return you to your home afterward. You will have to manage on your own after that. Remember, Jiangshi need to be near their native grounds in order to stay sane.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡±


    Duke didn¡¯t, but he wasn¡¯t going to refuse a trip home. He tightened the scarf about his hand and used it to pick up the peach wood sword. Life and death were a choice, but he would do neither if it meant that others had to suffer for his sake. In the event that Mauvori couldn¡¯t help him, he was going to be the one to finish himself off.

 Chapter Six - Foe in the Woods

    Verlsa wiped her eyes with her sleeve as she drove. The only reason she had bothered to attend the ten-year high school reunion was because they were having a memorial service. Their valedictorian may have not been the most popular student, but she wanted him to at least know that he had a friend that missed him.


    Of all the random ways to die, it had to be a rockslide in a foreign country. Verlsa had no way of knowing if it was a natural accident or intentional. Paranoia kept her alive, but¡­ Missing bodies and a fiancee who was the only survivor, yet no one had any suspicions. Duke deserved to have someone stick their neck out for him, but Verlsa didn¡¯t know where to begin.


    As she drove up to her driveway, she noticed a figure hunched over on her porch. She turned off the engine but left the headlights on. There was a loaded pistol that she kept in her glove compartment for times like these and she didn¡¯t hesitate to grab it. Turning off the safety, she got out of her car, adjusted her stance, and pointed it at the stranger.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell me who you are and what the fuck you are doing here.¡±


    ¡°Verlsa?¡± Duke stood up quickly and innocently held up both his hands. There was a suitcase sitting nearby. No one else seemed to be around.


    ¡°Duck-young?¡± She didn¡¯t lower her gun.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been going by ¡®Duke¡¯ since college. You know this,¡± he replied with a nervous laugh. ¡°Verlsa, this is quite important. You may have heard rumors concerning my death, but there is something else I-¡±


    ¡°I think the whole being ¡®dead¡¯ thing is a lot more important than anything else you can say right now.¡± Dead was dead. Dead people don¡¯t randomly show up at her door to reminisce.


    ¡°I have something to ask you. Please, Verlsa.¡± He winced at her scowl, but then she rolled her eyes. That was usually the signal for him to continue. ¡°During our senior year, do you remember when the gym burned down?¡±


    Versla flipped the safety switch on her gun to on and reached back into her car to get her keys. ¡°It¡¯s hard to forget.¡± She then pushed past Duke so she could unlock the front door. ¡°Get inside before someone sees you.¡±


    ¡°No, but honestly. Verlsa.¡± His cold hand gripped her forearm as she opened the door. His nails were a dark, almost translucent color. They showed signs of being vigorously filed down. ¡°It is important... There was a rumor that you said a dragon had done it. Everyone thought you were crazy and no one associated with you after that. Do you remember?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes at him, ¡°A dragon did burn it down. In fact, I just came back from our reunion where that was the only thing that anyone could bring up to me all night. Thank you for coming back from the dead just to remind me of my painful teenage experiences.¡±


    ¡°All of it is real. There are dragons, mages, vampires, and a slew of other creatures. You know this to be true? Would you agree with me if I said that?¡± He had fear in his eyes. It was something that didn¡¯t suit him. Her scowl softened as she shook her head.


    ¡°Get inside. We¡¯ll talk there.¡±


    Verlsa made herself coffee while Duke rambled on about everything that he had gone through. Becoming a jiangshi, his time spent with an eccentric alchemist, and how he had traveled back to Washington through a portal. As he spoke, he was constantly fidgeting with the scarf about his neck. The Duck-young she knew was confident and brilliant, not this hunched over mess who babbled on and on about his worries.


    She tuned him out as he began to compare his plight to that of some hero from an archaic European text. His eyes were already starting to cloud over from decay, and his skin was creasing and peeling in awkward places.


    This truly was a dead man. Her Duck-young had died. The creature before her was her former friend, another of several that had been taken too soon. When he noticed that she hadn¡¯t interrupted his ramblings, he fell silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard to explain, but I know what it¡¯s like to not be human.¡± She lifted up her thick bangs to reveal an ill looking callous at the center of her forehead, like a large stone had been implanted under the skin. Either side was flanked with a series of smaller and smaller stones, almost like she had been scarred with a tiara.


    ¡°Were you also cursed?¡± He leaned in for a closer look, and she immediately leaned away.


    She winced at the question. ¡°I was never human, Duck-young, I just happened to look the part for a little while, but that¡¯s something we can talk about later. I don¡¯t like to bring it up, so don¡¯t ask now. What¡¯s important is that I have an address book of ¡®special people¡¯ in my bedroom. There may be someone who can help you once I make a few calls.¡±


    Duke nodded as she stood up. She took her purse, with the gun still inside, and began to awkwardly sidestep towards her bedroom. He may be an old friend, but he was still a life force stealing monstrosity. No way was she going to turn her back to him.


    ¡°Verlsa,¡± he whispered. This made her straighten her back and smile nervously. ¡°Thank you. I know that I have not been the best person to you over the past few years, but¡­ This means everything to me.¡±


    ¡°Anytime, Duck-young.¡± She began to walk backwards down the hall. ¡°I¡¯ll be in my room. Give a knock or something if you¡­ need anything¡­ H-heh.¡± Her teeth gritted together. ¡°You¡¯re going to be okay.¡± Another nod before she hastened to the bedroom. She locked the door and shoved a dresser in front of it as quietly as she could.


    Everything from her purse was dumped out onto her bed. The stream of curse words spewing from her mouth helped her control of her panic. A dead man isn¡¯t something she needed. This wasn¡¯t normal, and she worked very hard to make sure everything in her life was normal. ¡°Ah ha!¡± She snatched up a business card and quickly dialed it.


    ¡°Hello?¡± The voice of a young woman answered. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but whoever this is, you¡¯re calling rather late. Is it possible that this can be handled tomorrow?¡±


    ¡°Evening. This is Verlsa Rivera. We met at Duck-young¡¯s funeral two weeks ago. I was his friend for a couple of years.¡± Her face stretched once more into that uncomfortable fake smile. It made her sound artificially cheerful. ¡°I need to speak to you now. There is some urgency to the matter.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure it can¡¯t wait?¡± Neither said anything for a moment while Verlsa fumbled to find something to say. ¡°Oh yes, sorry. The memorial at the reunion was tonight, wasn¡¯t it? I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t make it, but I would like nothing more than to put this matter behind me.¡±


    Verlsa began to hiss between her teeth. ¡°Cut the shit, Suni. Your damn fiance is having a mental breakdown in my living room and I would like to know why the fuck he isn¡¯t with you.¡±


    Suni didn¡¯t respond right away. When she did, her tone had become cold and professional. ¡°Duck-young is visiting you right now? Has he threatened you? Do you believe that you are in any sort of danger?¡±


    What sort of questions were those? ¡°It¡¯s Duck-young, he wouldn¡¯t¡­¡± The business card was crumpled up in her hand. Her nails dug painfully into her palm so that she could maintain her cool. ¡°You know exactly what happened to him...¡±


    Suni took another moment to respond. ¡°... Yes,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°If you know what he is now, you should know that he¡¯s here and he needs you. I¡¯ll give you my address.. It¡¯s only an hour away from Seattle at this time or I can keep him until morning, but he needs you.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a viable ans-¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t!¡± Suni¡¯s sudden shout made Verlsa wince. ¡°What do you expect me to do? Duck-young has maybe two or three months before his body breaks down completely. You know that if he made it to Washington, then he¡¯s already killed in order to survive. There¡¯s nothing left for us. You want us to constantly remind ourselves that we have no future together?!


    You weren¡¯t there! I saw him broken and slowly suffocating. I can¡¯t go through that again. And how do you think he¡¯s going to react? He¡¯s going to realize what¡¯s happening to him, and he¡¯ll one day give into what he is. Duck-young is dead. Whatever is in your home now isn¡¯t him.¡±


    Verlsa breathed in and out slowly. The business card in her hand slowly became stained with blood as her nails pierced through the skin of her palm. ¡°Do you honestly have that little faith in him?¡±


    ¡°How dare you question my faith?!¡± Suni spat back. ¡°I stay away because I will not survive seeing him rot away to dust. If you care about him at all, find a way to finish him off. That¡¯s the only kindness he deserves now.¡± She hung up, leaving Verlsa fuming.


    She hurled her phone to her bed. ¡°Shit¡­¡± Her hand flexed and unflexed until the wounds on them sealed. ¡°Hide behind your declaration of love all you want, you¡¯ll always be a chickenshit bitch to cowardly deal with your own problems.¡± Verlsa cursed a few more times before pushing away the dresser. Peeking around the corner, she noticed that Duke was staring down at the ground.


    ¡°Did you get in contact with them?¡± Duke looked up. He had calmed down during her absence.


    ¡°Yeah, about that...¡± Verlsa struggled with her words. ¡°I called around a bit, but it¡¯s late. No one picked up... Was there anyone you want me to contact, like your sister or parents? And what about that girl you were dating, Suni? She¡¯d want to know you¡¯re okay. I mean, I would¡­ If I was her... I-I would want to know that you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Suni was with me when... The accident¡­¡± He gripped the sides of his head and looked down at the ground again. The nails on his fingers began to grow out as he tensed up.


    He didn¡¯t know. He fully believed that Suni died that day. Verlsa knelt down in front of him and put her hands on his knees. ¡°It¡¯s you and me, alright? Just like how it was before.¡± Duke slipped to the floor and wrapped his arms about her waist. A choked sob escaped his lips as he rested his head against her shoulder. Verlsa didn¡¯t hesitate to hug him just as tightly. ¡°I¡¯m always going to take care of you, Duck-young. Always.¡±


    ???


    Adi looked over to Verlsa, who was lost in thought. She only mentioned some details, like how Duke had lost Suni, and that she promised to help him out. It was enough for Adi to get some understanding of what happened.


    ¡°So, you¡¯re the one who set him up at that vampire house?¡±


    She gave a small nod, but didn¡¯t look at him. Talking about the past didn¡¯t sit well with her. ¡°Yeah. I met Bernie through some contract work I did after college. Odd jobs and stuff like that. He likes to check up on me once in a while to see if I¡¯m doing okay.¡±


    Adi didn¡¯t want to think about what sort of work she had done for vampires. ¡°You did good. You¡¯re good people, uhh, Varl¡­ Su.¡±


    ¡°Verlsa. With a purr. Va - Purr - Sa. Almost like ¡®varl,¡¯ then ¡®sa,¡¯ but not quite.¡±


    Adi gave her a deadpan look. ¡°I¡¯m never going to be able to say that.¡±


    That was enough to make her laugh. ¡°Not many can, but I¡¯ll snap your fucking neck if you try to give me a nickname.¡±


    He rubbed the back of his neck. It was still sore in a way he couldn¡¯t explain. Not a physical pain, but something intangible. ¡°I think that you¡¯d make more friends if you didn¡¯t threaten people all the time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to stop just because you asked.¡± A van honked as it approached them. The side of it was labeled with a local church''s name. ¡°Search group is here. Just act normal and try not to move around much. I wasn¡¯t able to restore all of the life force Duck-young stole from you.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    ¡°He ate my life force?!¡±


    ¡°Shh.¡± She pointed to the group as they unloaded themselves. ¡°Bitch about it later. We have work to do.¡±


    ???


    Duke followed Windi down a game trail. She was likely following the ghost he had seen before, but it was invisible to him. The trees were starting to shift from evergreens to a grove of red alder, indicating that they were moving out of the land owned by the lumber company. Once in a while he would inhale sharply through his mouth. It helped him taste the air better, but he didn¡¯t notice anything new.


    ¡°Do you have a plan?¡± Duke whispered the question while hoping he wasn¡¯t talking over the ghost.


    ¡°It depends. There are many different types of wendigo. Much like vampires, it varies from what sort of ritual was used to create them and whether or not they passed their trial.¡± Windi made a sudden turn to the left, leaving behind the trial they had been walking on.


    ¡°And the one that I had taken care of was a simple variety?¡± It reminded him of the jiangshi he had encountered when he first awoke.


    ¡°Wendigo is a loose term, much like how we refer to you as a vampire. It¡¯s a word used to describe such things as skinwalkers, wechuge, and many others. Practically any human transformed by traditional North American magic is classified as one. DH is willing to compromise and use the correct terms, but we often default to SIA terms. It makes the paperwork between us easier.


    What we face against today is a newer breed of mithryn, thus it has no legend or proper name attached to it. Back in the seventeen hundreds, an Eastern mage had promised the First Nations that he could create soldiers that would survive anything. Smallpox, bullets, and old age. Nothing would kill them. If a few were willing to sacrifice themselves, their kin would remain safe for an eternity.


    He ripped the souls out of their still living bodies in order to begin the ritual. The body undergoes a metamorphosis that strengthens it, and the soul must fight to regain control before their body devours them. What found you was merely a feral form that was in the middle of its trial. We will no doubt be facing a completed version.


    One of the ones who had volunteered but was chased out by their people. Rather than fight against foreign invaders, they scattered across the Americas in search of sanctuary. To give themselves purpose, they create more of themselves.


    Fortunately, the blight of their existence came at a time when hunters were becoming more plentiful. I believe only a few of the originals exist now and I¡¯ve made certain to kill several myself. As to why one would be in Washington, I simply do not know.¡±


    ¡°And you go by Windi because you are one of these creatures?¡± He asked because she had some disdain in her voice when she was forced to call them wendigos.


    ¡°Pastor gave me the name Windi because I was brought in by a storm. Anything else is an ill coincidence.¡± She paused, if only to frown at him. ¡°DH has a strict policy of eliminating any and all mithryn who cannot feed safely. Pastor has protected me and kept me fed despite this. He will do the same for you as long as you obey his orders.¡±


    That didn¡¯t do anything to ease his worries. ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°You went against those orders,¡± she immediately replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m not murdering an innocent human,¡± he replied just as quickly. ¡°And I was in dire need of food. Hence, my presence here.¡±


    She glared at him for a moment before continuing. ¡°As for the plan, I will seek to distract them while you deliver the killing blow.¡±


    ¡°Understood.¡±


    Duke increased the distance between the two of them. Having a pointy monster swoop down at him from above was something left best avoided. Windi would be able to handle it. He felt a buzzing sensation in his pocket and realized he still had Adi¡¯s phone.


    The caller ID simply said, ¡°Mistress,¡± and showed the image of scantily clad legs. One folded over the other in a seductive manner. It must be the girlfriend that Adi was crying about. He pointed to the phone when Windi turned around to look at him. She nodded and gestured for him to answer.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Adi, I¡¯m really sorry about everything I said the other day. I want to let you know that I thought it over and understand now that I love you. Let¡¯s sit down and have another talk. Money may be tight for a little while, but we¡¯ll make it work together.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, but I believe you have the wrong number.¡± Windi gestured for him to keep his voice low, and he mouthed back. ¡°Just a second.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to fool me. I know what you¡¯re doing. You¡¯re a friend of his trying to pretend that I don¡¯t exist. Are you able to pass Adi the phone, or are you him doing some stupid voice impression? Is this you, Adi? I know you don¡¯t have any friends!¡±


    All Duke could do was shrug. ¡°Perhaps I could help you if I knew of whom you spoke of, but I assure you that I had just received this number yesterday. This isn¡¯t Addison¡¯s or Adam¡¯s or whoever¡¯s phone number anymore.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?! This isn¡¯t funny. Tell him that it¡¯s Janice and that I really, really need to talk to him right now. It¡¯s very important.¡±


    ¡°Twould be best in the future madam, you should attempt to be less of a bitch when you have clearly misdialed a phone number.¡± He hung up on her and smiled at Windi. ¡°Simply tying up a loose end. Let us continue our hunt.¡±


    Windi pointed behind him. He turned around and noticed that there was a dark skinned woman hanging upside down from a tree. She clung onto the branch above her with clawed feet that resembled an owl¡¯s talons, and her hands were similarly transformed. The rest of her was dressed casually. Jeans and a black t-shirt. If not for the feet and hands, she would have been mistaken for a lost hiker.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let me interrupt.¡± She let go of the branch and landed neatly on the ground. ¡°My, you absolutely reek of death. What a lovely smell...¡±


    Duke held up his umbrella innocently and backed away until he was behind Windi. He didn¡¯t feel an ounce of guilt about using a woman as a shield in this scenario. ¡°Surely, it is I who is interrupting. My associate here has been searching for you out of the hope that she might make a new friend.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s not one of the early created,¡± muttered Windi under her breath. ¡°... Who mothered you?¡±


    ¡°Keasik... Over forty years ago.¡± The name made Windi tense up. ¡°Oh? The two of you met?¡±


    Windi took a step forward. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    ¡°Hiding safely away with her children.¡± The wendigo took a step forward as well. ¡°Perhaps you have heard of me as well? I¡¯ve been granted the name-¡±


    ¡°You deserve no name,¡± growled Windi. ¡°Where is your mother?¡± The wendigo replied with a pointed tooth smile. ¡°If there is any humanity left in you, you will tell me where she is.¡±


    Duke leaned in to whisper to her. ¡°I believe the reason for her presence in this state is to propagate and murder. It is unlikely that you will be granted any information to ease. If I were her mother, I would have cut ties with her first before letting her out into the world.¡±


    Windi opened her mouth and released a piercing shriek that sent Duke recoiling backwards. The other woman did the same. Duke covered his ears as he ducked behind a tree. He had a fear that it would cause his eardrums to rupture and he would be left permanently deaf as a result.


    ¡°We were born because we chose to be better than mankind!¡± Windi¡¯s opponent cried out. ¡°We strive to devour the humans who would murder us! How can you turn against our mission and claim that we were in the wrong?¡± She slashed at a nearby tree with her hand, sending chunks of bark and wood flying towards Windi.


    Windi snarled a reply. ¡°Our existence has no purpose. We were the spawn of trickery and deceit. If Keasik had taught you anything, you would know that we were never meant to be born, let alone make children of our own.¡±


    ¡°Yet it¡¯s only you who-¡±


    The woman let out a gag as the hook of Duke¡¯s umbrella looped about her throat. Her attention had been solely on Windi, allowing for him to sneak up. He gave a firm yank back, placing his free hand against the back of her neck. She nearly fell over as Duke helped himself to a snack.


    Duke caught her in his arms. He looked up at Windi, his eyes as wild as a predator who was moving in for the kill. His voice was almost gleeful as he spoke. ¡°Was I not supposed to intervene? I had thought you were stalling her until I could gain the upper hand.¡± He grinned widely, nearly giggling with anticipation. ¡°Would you like to carry on your conversation, or may I continue?¡±


    Windi glanced at the woman. The creature in Duke¡¯s arm¡¯s was petrified, both in expression and form. Unable to move, unable to stop the end from coming, yet completely aware of what was about to happen. ¡°... Do what you must.¡±


    Duke rotated about the wendigo around, dipping her romantically. One hand on the back of her neck while the other lifted up her jaw. ¡°Thank you for the meal.¡± He forced a seal between their mouths and yanked her lifeforce out from her breath. It felt so much more satisfying than any meal he had had in the past..


    He shuddered with pleasure as he let her go. She, in turn, crumpled to the ground. Windi took awhile to move in for a closer examination. Her kind wasn¡¯t something she enjoyed dealing with. The past deserved to be buried.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± Duke stepped over the creature¡¯s body.


    Windi wrapped her arms about her body and took a step back. She appeared to be small and frail. It was the first time that Duke realized that she was only a teenager when she had been turned. She certainly seemed like a scared girl in those fleeting moments.


    ¡°We should burn the body,¡± she said.


    ¡°You and I may both be mithryn, were were both once human, but our similarities run much deeper than that. As long as you and I remain on the same path, we will be allies. After all, few outside of us can understand our plight.¡±


    Windi didn¡¯t take solace in that. ¡°Have you sought the advice of a mage? I only ask because you have an odd scent of magic about you.¡±


    ¡°I have, yes. An alchemist who had replaced several of my organs with plant material in order to slow the decay.¡± His blood was more sap now than blood, but he was happier knowing he wouldn¡¯t be hopping about like some of his brethren did.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen dozens, and I¡¯ve been experimented on by dozens more,¡± she whispered. ¡°I may have a human face, but it did nothing to stop the hunger. Death is the only cure for me. The reason I carry on is because Pastor has given me purpose... So why do you choose to remain?¡±


    Duke shrugged. He couldn¡¯t be certain, but a part of him was curious to see what sort of allies Ur would toss his way. ¡°I haven¡¯t been dead for long. There is still time for me to find a reason.¡±


    Windi didn¡¯t seem pleased by that answer. ¡°It¡¯ll take time to build a proper fire. We should get started.¡±


    Their goal was to bury the body deep within the ground and build a fire on top of it. It took awhile, since Windi had to build a smokeless fire that would burn hot enough to render the body to ashes. Watching the fire was a somber experience. Someday, that will be Duke. Left to burn where humanity would never find him.


    ¡°What is the plan now?¡± He opened up his umbrella and held it over his head.


    ¡°DH will inform SIA of our activities. They will handle the rest. We will give them a detailed report, but leave you and your allies out of it. If they need a body for the victim''s families, we will provide them with a fake cadaver.¡±


    Duke absentmindedly began to stare down the path. ¡°Your organization works more closely with them than I would have imagined.¡±


    ¡°Seattle is unique,¡± she replied. ¡°There is a treaty we have with the werewolves that limits our involvement in the Pacific Northwest. We maintain an alliance with SIA as long as our goals are being met, but we will often conduct our investigations separately. We only report our actions if human involvement is necessary.¡±


    Adi¡¯s phone buzzed in Duke¡¯s pocket from an incoming text. Verlsa was confirming that they had found the remains of a human body, specifically the one that had been used to decorate the trees. They were now reorganizing the group and calling the police.


    ¡°Has our ghost friend moved on to the other side?¡± He asked Windi.


    ¡°He has,¡± whispered Windi.


    Duke quickly tapped out a message to Verlsa, stating that they were also done. ¡°Did the ¡®Six Soul¡¯ get him?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± replied Windi in a distant tone. ¡°He didn¡¯t come this time.¡±


    ¡°I would expect a grim reaper to be more timely when it came to death,¡± bemused Duke.


    Windi was somber, staring intently at where they had buried the creature. ¡°He isn¡¯t a grim reaper. The Six Soul is the vengeful spirit of a cowboy who hunts down my kind.¡±


    Duke¡¯s amused expression dropped in an instant. ¡°... I require more information on this individual.¡±


    ¡°That is all the information that there is,¡± replied Windi. ¡°She turned and began to walk away. ¡°We should return. The SIA may show up before any police do, and I do not enjoy speaking to them.¡±


    Neither said anything on the hike back. Duke was never a people person, and Windi wasn¡¯t the type to enjoy discussing literature or mythology. When Duke was alive, he would often use these moments of silence to quote wise, ancient proverbs. Now that he was dead, he understood how annoying that must be to others.


    Adi waved at them as the pair joined up with the group. He was still looking pale and was feeling ill ¡°That demon lady drove off already. ¡° He made a sour face. ¡°The rest of the party is having a prayer circle for the dead. Police are going to take over the search and are bringing in cadaver dogs or something.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for the report.¡± Duke waited for Adi to say something else. He frowned when the young man just stood there, nodding silently. ¡°Our search went well. The mission was a success. Thank you for asking.¡±


    ¡°I used those deducing skills you wanted me to work on and assumed it went alright. You know, since you¡¯re still ¡®alive¡¯ and all.¡± Adi frowned back. ¡°But if you were able to kill one of those things by just touching it, why didn¡¯t you just run up and kill the first one instead of trying to eat me?¡±


    Duke rolled his eyes. ¡°I couldn¡¯t rely on you to be a proper distraction. Sampling your qi made it difficult for the monster to track you down once it got past me. Be thankful that I had a healer willing to help you out..¡±


    ¡°Hoppers can¡¯t run. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to defend you,¡± added Windi, much to Duke¡¯s annoyance. ¡°They exist in a constant state of decay and have to avoid anything that would strain their muscles or tendons. If Duke is ever unable to feed, he will enter a permanent state of rigor mortis and will be forced to hop around if he needed to get somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ So he¡¯s a zombie?¡± Duke¡¯s grimaced all the harder at Adi¡¯s response. ¡°You didn¡¯t think to include that information during your, ¡®This is all you need to know,¡¯ speech? Really?¡±


    Duke waved a hand in the air as he moved past Adi. ¡°I have had a very long day and desire to go home for a respite if you do not mind. I do hope that you didn¡¯t somehow lose your car keys while you were flailing about earlier.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a terrible partner.¡± Adi waved at Windi. ¡°Thanks. We¡¯ll try to keep out of trouble and not bother you again.¡±


    Windi didn¡¯t reply. She merely nodded and began to head towards her motorcycle.


    Adi fumbled for the keys in his pocket and unlocked the car. So much for being Duke¡¯s sword. When it came to action, all he could do was run away. He got into his car and twisted the key in the ignition. Next time they went on a hunt, he¡¯d have something to do. Atticus Wulfert had plenty of worth and he was going to prove it.

 Chapter Seven - Sableye

    Early morning jogging helped Adi clear his head. A few days had passed since his wendigo adventure, but it wasn¡¯t quite the adventure he had hoped it would be. He was half eaten by a jiangshi, was unconscious for most of the night, and was part of a prayer circle. Since then, the vampire had moved into his office. He kept to himself and would shoo Adi away claiming that he was busy looking for more possible cases whenever Adi went to check on him.


    Today was the first day Adi could move around without the odd dizzy spell, so he decided to continue dedicating himself to his training. The path he took included a half mile run through a wooded section of town. Free running helped build up his agility and was a stress release from living as the emergency food source for a zombie/vampire hybrid. Autumn frost lead to the occasional slip, however, he loved the sensation of cold air in his lungs.


    Adi broke out into a full sprint, doing the occasional side jump off a tree in order to quickly change directions. If he had a misstep, he would stumble out of it and somersault into a standing position. The phone strapped to his arm vibrated, and he fumbled with his headset in order to answer the incoming call.


    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up?¡±


    ¡°Apologies for the intrusion, but I have been asked to look into a few endeavors that you might be interested in. When will you be returning?¡± Duke had made Adi buy him a phone so they could keep in contact whenever Adi left the house. Luckily he had a cheap option for a family plan, so Adi didn¡¯t mind too much.


    Adi rolled his eyes, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in twenty. And I¡¯ll need a sho-¡± His foot gave way and he skidded several feet forward. The rotten leaves had combined with the overnight chill to create a slick and frozen path that ended with him vaulting over a fallen tree.


    ¡°I assume that was the sound of you falling on your ass? You should avoid running when talking to people. It¡¯s a horrid distraction.¡±


    Adi ran a hand down the wet side of his pants. ¡°Just an ice patch. I¡¯ll call if I¡¯m going to end up late.¡±


    ¡°Good. We will talk more at that time.¡± He hung up on Adi.


    Adi looked down his hand, as the liquid he slipped in felt warm. It was coated with a red sort of ichor. The backside of his pants was also covered in the stuff. ¡°The fuck..?¡± Whatever it was, it had melted away the snow and steam was trailing along the ground.


    Part of Adi told him to run away as fast as he could, but the other part wanted to know what was happening.


    There was a frozen bowl of water nearby, but the source of the ichor appeared to be a neck stump that was buried in the ground. Blood was oozing out of it in a steady stream. Panic was quickly setting in as he realized he didn¡¯t have any sort of weapon. Despite the blood being warm, it did seem frozen enough that it couldn¡¯t dig itself out. He would have to come back with Duke, a shovel, and a shotgun.


    Just as he was debating what else to bring, the neck stump began to wiggle back and forth. Adi stumbled back and slipped in the blood again. As the ground around the stump bulged, a body began to work its way out. It was much like watching a butterfly struggle free from a chrysalis, except absolutely horrifying


    What crawled out was a black dog, still minus the head. It shook the dirt from its fur, splattering blood everywhere in the process. Then it started to look around, almost as though it were sniffing for something.


    Adi crabbed walked back as far as he could as it finally broke free, skittering in mud and blood as he did soo. The dog hunched low and then arched back, howling at the morning sky. Ice bristled out from its spine, slowly forming into bones. Then came flesh and flecks of fur, with crystal eyes bobbling about as they struggled to become set within their eye sockets.


    The howl faded, and then it set its stare upon Adi. Its head tilted back and forth as it jogged up for a closer inspection. Whatever its head was made of, it was beginning to look more normal, with the exception of its gemstone eyes.


    Adi could only think of one appropriate response to this situation, and that was to scream in a high pitched tone while clawing at the tree behind him. Eventually, he was able to get his footing and stood up, and the ghost dog whatever monster began to bounce back and forth. He turned tail and ran, with the specter following closely on his heels.


    ***


    Duke was simply minding his own business on the couch when Adi nearly collapsed through the front door. He stood there, gasping and in terror as words failed to form in his mouth. His body suddenly lurched forward and crumpled up on the floor like a broken doll as exhaustion overtook him.


    A large dog slowly stepped in and walked on top of Adi¡¯s back before licking at his ear. Duke¡¯s first instinct was to slowly lift up his phone and take a picture of the pair. He then sighed with disappointment as the dog failed to show up in the image.


    ¡°I will have to double check to be certain, but this might be some form of a black dog?¡± He walked up and ruffled the dog¡¯s head. ¡°A rather odd coloration, actually. Not exactly as black as I expected one to be.¡±


    Adi held up an arm, his hand clasping and unclasping as he pleaded with the vampire. ¡°Help¡­¡± Duke grasped Adi¡¯s hand in an effort to help him up, but he abruptly dropped it and took a step back. ¡°Dammit, no seriously. I can¡¯t get up...¡±


    He looked up and noticed that Duke was staring at his own hand. The skin of it had blistered and pulled back as though it had been deep fried. Adi realized that his hand and most of his clothes were covered in blood. He briefly debated bottling the stuff but was more concerned with getting this animal off of him.


    ¡°I will go put on some gloves. You will need to wash yourself off and mop up the entrance.¡± The vampire sulked off in the direction of the office.


    ¡°It followed me from a nearby grove.¡± The dog began to sniff about the room, and Adi rolled onto his back so he could shut the front door with a nudge of his foot. ¡°He was buried up to his neck with his head missing.¡±


    Duke took wary steps away from the dog as they went to sniff him. ¡°Odd. Was there a source of water nearby?¡±


    Adi struggled to sit up. ¡°No streams were in that area.¡± The dog let out a grunt by exhaling loudly out of their nose. ¡°Ah, yeah, there was a bowl of water nearby. It was frozen, if that matters at all.¡±


    ¡°Not at all, however, I do know what this is.¡± He pointed accusingly at the beast. ¡°That is a black dog.¡± The corner of his lip sneered at the implication.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Yeah, Sensei Sherlock, I got that much. You said so yourself earlier.¡± Adi rolled his eyes in an exaggerated manner. ¡°If there was anything useful you¡¯d like to add to that?¡± He managed to stand up on his own, and the dog began to follow him towards the kitchen.


    Duke walked through the living room and opened the front door, he then plucked the house keys from where Adi had left them in the lock. ¡°Not all creatures from fantasy and lore were named by the most imaginative of minds.¡± Shaking the keys at Adi, he continued. ¡°A black dog is a physical manifestation of a ghost. Some stories have them as protectors of graves, others have them as omens of coming death. One theory states that they cling to the mortal coil in order to find vengeance of their deaths.¡±


    ¡°So, avenge the thing and it¡¯ll be on its way?¡± He grabbed a dishcloth and started to wipe off his hair. ¡°Alright, Fido, tell me what¡¯s wrong so we can fix this.¡± The dog tilted its head to the side. ¡°... This damn dog can¡¯t even talk.¡±


    Duke fiddled with his phone for a moment before putting it in his pocket. ¡°Now now, I do know of a way to figure this out.¡±


    Adi took a step back and formed a cross with his fingers. ¡°Is this going to be like your last plan where I ended up nearly dead in a demon lady¡¯s car?¡±


    ¡°Lend an ear, will you?¡± He knelt down by the dog and scratched it behind the ear. ¡°I am reminded of a demon from Japanese lore, the inugami. A loyal dog is buried up to its neck with food and water just out of reach. The owner will come by daily to tell the dog that it is a good boy and applaud its love. Right before the animal dies of starvation, the head is cut off.


    They then take the head and bury it underneath a busy street, and it becomes a powerful component in a ritual that resolves grudges. A nearby street has finished its construction a few days ago, and our little barghest must be in want of its missing head. You can start by taking the pup to that area and seeing where she leads you from there.¡±


    Adi dug around the fridge and pulled out a bottle of juice. ¡°Who would cast that here? And what is it? Black dog, barghest, inugummy? You¡¯re the research one. Maybe you should be the one to drag it around everywhere?¡±


    ¡°No. I will be borrowing your car.¡± Adi yelped as Duke abruptly appeared behind him and pulled off his earpiece. ¡°I am borrowing this.¡± He inspected it for blood before furiously wiping it down with a paper towel.


    ¡°What?¡± He motioned at the dog with his cranberry juice. ¡°Isn¡¯t this more important? I honestly believe having a dead dog in my living room is more important, What do you expect me to do?!¡±


    Duke twirled the keys in his hand. ¡°You could start out by giving it a name, perhaps? Having a dead dog is no different than having a dead man. You will manage.¡± He headed to the door while chuckling to himself.


    Adi scoffed loudly as Duke left. ¡°Let¡¯s get something straight.¡± He pointed at the dog, who immediately sat down and paid attention. ¡°If you are going to be here, you are going to have to be a better partner than he is. Is that understood.¡± The dog huffed again through her nose, which ¡°Good. Yeah, good. That¡¯s¡­ Great.¡±


    ***


    The phone in the cup holder began to buzz. Duke fidgeted with Adi¡¯s headset in an attempt to answer the call. ¡°Agent Pastor, about Adi-¡±


    ¡°Duck-young, don¡¯t you dare hang up on me ag-¡± Duke immediately hung up. Verlsa was mad about something that he couldn¡¯t be bothered to figure out at the moment. He quickly dialed Windi in order to keep the line busy.


    A masculine voice answered the call. ¡°Did Atticus agree to take on the role as bait?¡±


    ¡°Slight interruption. I believe a barghest has taken an interest in him. It would be wise to allow him to handle that affair first.¡±


    There was a pause followed by some background murmuring. He could hear a woman laughing in the background. ¡°Alright,¡± Pastor confirmed. ¡°If that is what he must deal with, that is his priority.¡±


    "I will be arriving at the location soon. What should I do without the bait?"


    "I still need you to be our inside man." Pastor replied. "You hunt down our suspect while we work on getting evidence. The situation is touchy. We need a mithryn they won''t recognize as one of our own to enter the fight club. Don''t cause any trouble, don''t get into any of the fights, and keep your eyes out for our suspect."


    Duke pulled up next to a farmhouse and found parking behind of it. "Fighting is no concern of mine. My body is in no condition to become a contender. Perhaps there is other intel or advice you can impart before I attempt to enter?"


    ¡°Look for the regulars. Our target is more than likely clinging to demon among them. Any member of an entourage is suspect. Get a list of names and breeds if you can, and we will take care of the rest." He hung up before Duke could respond.


    "Yes. I will absolutely get on that."


    He pulled out an old hat that he had found in Adi¡¯s garage and put it over his head. As he got out of the car, he produced an umbrella to further protect him from the sun. It didn¡¯t take long to get his bearings. The land here had a pumpkin farm on it once, but it had fallen into disarray after October ended, a house that also seemed abandoned, and the farm had more cars parked within it.


    Duke chose the house and went up so he could knock on the door. A small hatch on the upper half opened to reveal the face of a woman. She stared at him for a moment before speaking. "May I help you?"


    "Simply here to enjoy the fights." He smiled as sweetly as he could, tipping his hat as he did so. "Would you mind letting me in, Milady?¡±


    ¡°We require identification or the approval of a member before allowing new individuals to enter.¡±


    He kept on smiling. "Duke." There wasn¡¯t a need to make anything up.


    The woman stared at him before speaking again. ¡°A name isn¡¯t identification, nor is ¡®Duke¡¯ the name of a member here.¡±


    "Do you desire classification? Mithryn, subspecies vampire. Does that put a big enough feather in your bonnet for you, my dear?" He maintained a cheerful tone while speaking.


    She wasn¡¯t amused. "We already have enough smartasses, but just go ahead and show me your fangs so I can let you in.¡± Duke opened his mouth. ¡°Those certainly are some teeth. Some nice, flat, regular looking teeth. Doesn¡¯t help that the sun is literally outside right now. Better luck next time.¡± She shut the hatch.


    Duke knocked again and raised his voice. ¡°You, madam, are certainly showing a great bigotry at this moment! Not all vampires have fangs. Some have excellent personalities!¡± Silence was the only response he received. He tapped the door a little harder with his foot. ¡°I insist that I am telling you the truth!¡±


    The door opened, and out squeezed the hulking frame of a minotaur. There was a minigun in his hand, and he was pointing it directly at Duke. Though it looked quite small when he held it, Duke was certain that the bullets would feel quite large once they had pierced him.


    ¡°We don¡¯t allow humans here.¡±


    "Funny you should mention that.¡± Duke took a backward large step and held up a finger. ¡°Because I specifically stated that I was not human to your comrade there just a moment ago." Duke took another careful step back. "I would insist that I fit all of the qualifications to enter. Would you kindly step aside?¡± The minotaur took a step closer. ¡°And I would insist you stop with the menacing act. It¡¯s quite inhospitable.¡±


    "I would insist that you leave." The minotaur took another step forward. "Before I need to take measures. And I dislike having to take measures."


    "How unfortunate that leaving is simply not an option for me, my friend."


    Duke stepped inward, taking care to stand too close for the minotaur to use the gun effectively. His hand grasped the minotaur¡¯s throat, and the monster¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of his head as he slumped forward. The vampire was forced to sidestep in order to avoid being squashed.


    ¡°I will tear you limb from limb,¡± growled out the minotaur weakly.


    ¡°Wait.¡± A woman stepped out next. She was a dark-skinned creature whose bright eyes flared in Duke¡¯s direction. ¡°Go inside, hopper. But try feeding here, and you¡¯ll be a deader man.¡±


    "I find that term to be a bit racist." Duke nudged the minotaur with his foot, which made him gurgle and groan. ¡°Please get him some medical attention. He is rather large, but I took quite a bit from him.¡± She nodded and stepped aside. ¡°Then I will see you again on my way out.¡±

 Chapter Eight - Interview

    The first room of the farmhouse was a well-ventilated waiting room with a designated offshoot for smokers. A ramp led to a downstairs bar with a fighting pit buried in the center. Some creatures idled around the edge of the fence bordering the fit, while others were by TVs that had an overhead view of the fights. There were also several double doors that led to hallways that a waiter would occasionally go through.


    Duke decided to go the traditional route and start his quest at the bar. He sat at the far end and gestured to the bartender with a set of fingers. ¡°This may be an odd request, but do you perchance have any videheart elixir?¡±


    The bartender gave him a nod. She was a small woman with thick lashes reminiscent of centipede legs. They twitched this way and that whenever she looked someplace new. ¡°I have all shorts of thingsh that¡¯ll fill up your odd requestsh, but it¡¯ll cosht you a hefty dollar, love.¡± Her black scaled tongue gave her a slight lisp when she spoke.


    ¡°I am not without funds. After all, this is a gambling establishment, and I plan on investing wisely in order to make it big.¡± Duke fiddled through Adi¡¯s wallet and pulled out a five which he then slid across the bar.


    "Not enough there for a drop, dear. You''re going to have to try harder than that." Duke dug a little deeper and pulled out three one dollar bills, holding them up in the air towards her like a precious treasure.


    A laugh escaped the pointy eared man who was sitting a few stools down. ¡°Indulge my curiosity, and I¡¯ll buy you a drink,¡± he announced in a faintly Eastern European accent.


    Duke immediately perked up at the idea. He faintly smiled at the gentleman. The elf-like man had pale hair that was tied back in a single complex braid. His purple suit was elegant in quality, and it paired well with his sharp looking blue eyes. Even his skin had a faint lilac highlight to it. On the other side of him was a beautiful woman dressed in scarlet, and yet she was easily overshadowed by the gentleman who sat next to her.


    ¡°Any donation towards my cause would be much appreciated,¡± said Duke as he glanced between the man and his companion, who was tenderly stroking the back of his hand like a needy kitten. ¡°I will warn you that I am not the wisest choice for a sexual partner. It would be rather unhygienic, and it is quite likely that something will break off of me in the process.¡±


    ¡°I have a different sort of job in mind.¡± The man gestured towards the pit. ¡°The fights have been slow as of late, and I am aching for some violence in my life.¡± He nearly purred as his companion began to massage his shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ve seen the minotaur that guards the door? I am willing to pay you a thousand dollars for every minute you can survive in the ring with him.¡±


    Duke smirked at the thought. ¡°There was an unfortunate incident where I may have left the poor man completely incapacitated. We could drag him into the ring now, but I would simply sit on his back until I¡¯ve made enough for a few bottles.¡±


    The man burst out laughing, and his skin shimmered in the dim light. He then gestured with a set of fingers to the bartender. ¡°Kenelm,¡± he said as an introduction. ¡°Jones has been turning away my guests as of late, and I¡¯m more than happy to buy a drink for the stranger who put him in his place.¡±


    ¡°Duke. Jiangshi. It was hardly a bother to help,¡± he muttered as a reply. Duke tried to remain composed as the shot glass was put in front of him. He gave a gracious nod before downing it quickly. His eyes closed and he relished in the pulse of energy that briefly rippled through his body. Then he frowned. The elixir was poor quality, and he found himself aching for some of Mauvori¡¯s brew.


    ¡°Then you have no interest in being a contender. Shame. I¡¯ve always had an interest in your kind, but I understand that you have your limitations.¡± Kenelm held up his own glass as a toast before taking a sip from it.


    ¡°Simply here to appreciate the atmosphere. Night and day have a tendency to melt into each other once one loses the ability to sleep.¡± Duke gave a brief nod to the woman with Kenelm, but she ignored him completely.


    ¡°Are you a native to this area? I would assume your kind is, but mages with their elixirs and experiments make it so much easier for you mithryn to get around,¡± said Kenelm with a grin.


    ¡°I was born and raised in this area for a time, yes.¡± Duke turned around, leaning his back against the bar as he did so. ¡°Was there something you need from me?¡±


    Kenelm stepped closer, lowering his voice as he did so. ¡°I will be in the area for a while, and have hired myself a guide already.¡± He gestured to his female companion as he said this. ¡°But one with your set of skills would be most welcome. I will provide lodgings for you here, a bottle of videheart a week.¡± Reaching into the inner pocket of his coat, he pulled out a stack of cash and flaunted it about the air. ¡°Along with whatever falls out of my pockets.¡±


    This was awfully convenient. Duke debated his options. It was completely possible that this Kenelm fellow knew he was a DH spy and was seeking to keep closer tabs on him, but Duke was awfully fond of videheart elixir. Even a low-quality bottle would do wonders to tide him over between feedings.


    ¡°Agreed.¡± He held out his hand, and Kenelm shook it eagerly.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ***


    Today was not a good day for Adi. Duke had notified him that it would be a few days before he would be returning, thus Adi¡¯s car had been effectively stolen. Due to him not being able to find his wallet, it had taken some time before he had gotten a rental. Ghost dog hadn¡¯t helped either. It hadn¡¯t shown a reaction to the construction site and was simply content to follow him about while being utterly useless.


    Adi spent the rest of the day being a pet sitter. They had withdrawn funds from the bank using a spare id and had gotten some food while they were at it. Now ghost dog and he were splitting a large order of fries. Not knowing the specifics on how a barghest works, Adi had bothered to buy some dog food and toys while they were out. Maybe it would be less attentive if it had some distractions.


    There was a black car parked in front of the house by the time they got back. A man in a suit got out as Adi pulled into the driveway. As Adi opened the door to greet him, the barghest pushed their way past him and began barking at the man. Whatever he had done, it seemed quite angry at him.


    ¡°Hey, dog! Err, Sable, let¡¯s go with Sable. Down boy, uh, wait, girl..? Ah shit, I¡¯ll check your gender later! Just stop that!¡± He scratched behind the dog¡¯s ears as she let out a whine. ¡°Sorry about that.¡±


    The man had had his hand on a gun that was hidden inside his jacket. Now that Adi was getting a better look at him, he noticed that there was a badge hanging around his neck. ¡°Detective Coyle. Are you Atticus Wulfurt?¡± Adi nodded. ¡°I have a few questions about an associate of yours. May I come inside?¡±


    ¡°Of course. As long as I¡¯m not the one in trouble, eh?¡± He let out a fake laugh, but Coyle wasn¡¯t amused. ¡°Okay then¡­ Yeah¡­ Would you want anything to drink?¡± He shoved Sable aside with his leg and unlocked the door to the house.


    Coyle took a moment to absorb the details of the home. ¡°Not at the moment.¡± He whipped out a pad of paper and a pencil. ¡°How familiar were you with the employees at your stepfather¡¯s office?¡±


    Adi looked between the couch and the detective. Was this a sit-down conversation, or should he stay standing? Either way, he couldn¡¯t get a read on the man. ¡°I interned there while I was working on my bachelors. Did something happen to him?¡± He glanced down at Sable, who was still positioning itself between him and the detective. Weird dog. With a shake of his head, he went to the kitchen to grab himself a soda.


    Detective Coyle began to flip through his notes. His skin was pale, and it sagged around the corners of his mouth and eyes. Something about it reminded Adi of Duke. ¡°I am here to inquire about Desmond White and his girlfriend, Janice Perlin.¡± Adi let out an audible groan as he returned with his drink. ¡°So you are familiar with them?¡±


    Adi could already feel a headache coming. He flopped down on a chair. ¡°Yes, I am familiar them.¡±


    ¡°What was the nature of your relationship?¡± He pulled out a small tape recorder and pressed a button. Sable began to circle about the room, not removing their eyes from the detective. It was almost as though they were looking for the best angle to pounce.


    Adi leaned forward in his chair and popped open his soda. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Desmond in a year, maybe at the last office Christmas party? I used to date Janice, but she told me that she had been seeing Desmond on the side and broke up with me over a week ago.¡± He stared down at the drink while regretting that he hadn¡¯t picked up any beer while he was out.


    ¡°Do you know if Miss Perlin has any connections in the area? Close friends or family? Anyone she could stay with if she were in trouble?¡± Detective Coyle flipped through his notes again.


    ¡°No. She had always told me that I was the only one she knew in the area, and she had trouble making friends. Janice was always a bit of a bitch.¡±


    ¡°Her phone records showed that she had contacted you a few days ago. Did her behavior at the time seem unusual to you?¡± He continued to flip through his notes, not paying much mind to the barghest.


    ¡°What happened to Janice?¡± Adi dug out his phone and looked through it. She had called him when they were out looking for that wendigo. Duke had answered at the time, but the conversation hadn¡¯t lasted more than a few seconds.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to be clear with you, Mister Wulfert. Both of them have been missing for some time.¡± Sable crouched low and let out a loud growl, making the detective look over out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Janice Perlin is a falsified identity. We suspect that she is a con artist and possibly a murderer. We are currently looking into her past contacts in hopes of finding out more information to her whereabouts.¡±


    Adi looked up from his phone. ¡°Whoa, what?! The only time we talked was when I told her to leave me alone for good, and I haven¡¯t seen her since then! Desmond was, uh, he is a great guy. Janice is a little crazy, but they wouldn¡¯t hurt each other.¡± Adi stood and held up his hands defensively. ¡°Honestly, I know nothing about this. I wouldn¡¯t hurt them either, you know? Janice was clingy, and I even moved out of Seattle in order to get away from her! I¡¯m glad Desmond took her off my hands!¡±


    The detective clicked a button on his tape recorder before putting it back into his pocket. ¡°Thank you for your time, Mister Wulfert. There isn¡¯t a need for you to believe you are a suspect, we merely wished to ensure that the two of you were no longer in contact. After all, witness cleanup is the worst part about this business. I do hope you understand.¡±


    ¡°Witness whatup?¡± Detective Coyle had already pulled out his gun. ¡°Whoa! No!¡±


    He fired twice into Adi¡¯s chest, and the force of the blow flung Adi back into the chair. Sable pounced on the detective and clamped down on his neck. Coyle let out a gagged choke as Sable began to furiously shake her head back and forth in an effort to rip out his throat.


    Adi pressed his hands against his chest. The warmth was oozing out of him. He slumped out of the chair and onto his knees, and he heard Coyle fire his gun into Sable, but the barghest continued to bite at him. ¡°G-good dog¡­¡± He pawed at the ground in an effort to find something to help Sable fight off the intruder.


    He felt so tired. It felt awfully similar to when Duke had drained him of his energy. Maybe¡­ Maybe lying down was for the best. Adi¡¯s hands slipped in his blood, and he fell on his side. The blood left a wet and sticky sensation on cheek face that made him uncomfortable. His vision was fuzzy, but it didn¡¯t seem all that painful.


    It was warm. Like a welcoming bath. He felt like he wanted to be swallowed up by it. As his eyes closed, he felt the strange urge to experience Janice¡¯s scent one last time. The way she smelled of sweat and cherry blossoms after they had made love had always had a calming effect on him. It overtook his thoughts completely as the rest of the world went black.

 Chapter Nine - Disposal

    Duke tucked his scarf into the collar of his brand new suit jacket. He stood tall next to Kenelm as the fairy sat in the VIP area. It turned out that Kenelm was a fairy. A rather large and wingless one, but Duke didn¡¯t feel like questioning it. Most of the demons he had run into were oddly human looking, and he assumed it was all part of a disguise so they could more easily blend into society.


    The two of them were watching a pair of mithryn battle each other in the pit. A naga was bleeding heavily from her snake half, which was wrapped tightly around a werewolf¡¯s neck. He was clawing at her scales in an attempt to get her off of him.


    Kenelm leaned forward with a wide grin. ¡°Wonderful, isn¡¯t it? It gives me a taste of the old days when this was welcome and open entertainment!¡± The werewolf below collapsed in the naga¡¯s grasp, and his features slowly warped into an unconscious man. ¡°As long as humanity isn¡¯t willing to accept your kind, we must offer other means of survival.¡±


    Duke adjusted his glasses. The sight of what appeared to be a polar bear with branches growing out of its head had given him pause. It appeared to be the pit keeper, as it often showed up between rounds in order to drag away the loser.


    ¡°Humanity will always view violence as a solution as long as they allow their fears to control them,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°Exactly!¡± Kenelm smacked Duke on the back. ¡°You should do your job and see where the little lady has gone off to. She still owes us our drinks.¡±


    Duke stood up from his seat. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Being dressed in red, it didn¡¯t take long for Duke to find her. Kenelm could¡¯ve done it himself if he had just bothered to turn his head. She was sitting at the edge of the bar, slowly nursing a martini.


    She glanced at him as he took a seat next to her. ¡°Never imagined I¡¯d be doing this sort of work again. Normally men are bending backwards to bring me a drink, not the other way around.¡± A faint laugh escaped her lips, but it was obviously a fake one.


    ¡°He simply doesn¡¯t understand how a goddess should be treated,¡± said Duke as he glanced over at the fight listings for the day. ¡°Would you be joining us again soon? There¡¯s supposedly a manticore showing up today.¡±


    She pouted. ¡°I¡¯m actually not a fan of violence unless it¡¯s in the bedroom,¡± she said as she leaned towards him. ¡°Kenelm and I are simply parasites using each other. He wants some fun, I want a free trip to Europe. We¡¯re both getting what we want.¡±


    ¡°Parasite is such a strong word. You are a flower and he is the dirt below you,¡± he whispered back. ¡°I apologize for not introducing myself to you properly earlier. As you may already be aware, I am the vampire known as Duke.¡±


    ¡°Janice, but that¡¯s a temporary name.¡± Her red lips spread wide into a smile that revealed a row of perfect white teeth. ¡°Succubuses have to have several names hidden away in their pockets, but I¡¯m stuck with that one until I can get a new look.¡±


    That would explain the flawless nature of her feminine form. ¡°Unfortunately I am still new to the world of supernatural. Is that a form of mithryn or are you-¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she interrupted him. ¡°I am a demon. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not the type to make a huge fuss about not being called a firstborn or some other fancy title like some other demons.¡± Janice angled her head towards Kenelm. ¡°Honestly, we¡¯re all a little tainted. Why not claim to be what we really are?¡± The bartender finally appeared with a bottle of wine and two glasses, which she set in front of Duke.


    ¡°Thank you, Matilda,¡± he said as he stared at the setup. ¡°Though I do not remember ordering this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for me and Kenelm. He tends to order the bottles from special storage, and it can take to get past the magic locks,¡± Janice stated. ¡°He¡¯s still in denial that this is basically a dive bar, and he can¡¯t expect everything to show up in an instant.¡± She picked up the bottle but paused as she thought to herself. ¡°How about we talk some more later? When I get bored of the fighting again, okay?¡±


    Duke purred out a reply. ¡°Who am I to deny perfection?¡± His smile faded as he watched her walking away. He then pulled out his phone, sending a simple message Windi¡¯s way.


    ¡°Found it.¡±


    ***


    Adi awoke to the sensation of Sable licking his face. It smelled like stale french fries and he pondered if ghost dogs had clean tongues, unlike the living ones who spent a lot of time cleaning their genitals. He sat up with a start, then looked behind him to make sure that he wasn¡¯t a ghost sitting up from his own body. There wasn¡¯t his own body behind him, but there was a lot of blood, and for some reason, he wasn¡¯t wearing a shirt.


    Versla walked through the open entrance with a box in her arms. She stepped over the body of the dead detective, placed the box on top of the kitchen counter, and walked out the door again. There wasn¡¯t any indication that she had noticed him moving about, which lead him to worry that maybe he was a ghost and his body was someplace else.


    He pushed Sable off of his lap so he could investigate the detective. Coyle¡¯s neck was shredded, but the blood that was around him was minimal. The body was riddled with bite marks. Sable had certainly done a number on him. Verlsa came back in carrying a stack of smaller boxes and put them next to the other box on the counter. It was around that time that Adi realized that his front door had been knocked down completely.


    Standing up and stumbling to the door frame, Adi could see that Verlsa had been fetching the boxes out of a van. All of them had been meticulously labeled. The garage door had also been opened, and more of Verlsa¡¯s belongings had been crammed in there.


    ¡°Morning,¡± muttered Verlsa, even though it was obviously approaching evening. She gestured to the stack of boxes with her thumb. ¡°I¡¯ve got what I needed for the house. Help me load up the rest of this in the garage?¡±


    Adi debated his options. Either do what she says or draw the attention of the neighbors by starting an argument. Neighbors who would call the cops, and cops who would be very interested in knowing why there was a dead detective in his living room. He shrugged and picked up a stack of boxes.


    ¡°What happened to my front door?¡± Adi pointed at it with his foot. Currently, it was propped up against the side of the house.


    ¡°Your dog knocked it on top of me when I rang your doorbell. I did what I could and went to the hardware store afterward.¡± Verlsa picked up a toolbox from the passenger side seat. ¡°I¡¯m used to doing housework like this. Let me handle it while you put everything else away.¡± She began to look through a shopping bag for the replacement door hinges.


    Adi finished up while Verlsa handled it. He had questions. Lots of questions. Lately, he had only been getting more questions whenever he asked for answers and didn¡¯t want to bother at this point. He took a seat next to Sable, who was holding a screwdriver in their mouth while Verlsa was making sure the door wouldn¡¯t squeak.


    ¡°She has a weird coloration. Do you know what breed mix she is? I can see German Shepherd, but I¡¯m stumped after that.¡± Verlsa closed the door and was satisfied with the results. She took the screwdriver from Sable and patted her behind the ears while telling her that she was a good girl.


    ¡°That¡¯s a long story,¡± he said as Verlsa opened the door again and walked into the house.


    Adi puffed out his cheeks as he looked at the mess before him. His blood covered the chair and coated the floor, mixing with the soda that he had dropped when he was shot. Verlsa must have saved him again. He slumped over to the kitchen counter and began to bonk his forehead on it. Cleaning up this mess, dead detective included? It would be better to have left him dying on the floor.


    Verlsa pulled a beer out from the fridge along with a slice of leftover pizza. These were placed in front of Adi as though they were a great offering. ¡°You need to talk?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    Adi stared at her with a set of puppy dog eyes. She was so much nicer than his other home intruders. He resigned into telling her everything that had happened since that morning. About finding a headless dog in the woods, the detective who tried to murder him, and about how Duke was a giant jerk for making him deal with this all by himself in the first place. Not to mention stealing his car.


    ¡°At least that explains why that shit isn¡¯t around.¡± She fetched herself a beer and popped it open. ¡°Should I tell you about my week?¡± Adi felt like this was a trap but he gestured for her to continue anyway.


    ¡°It all starts out with these two idiots who cost me a lot of money. Because, you know, it was so much more important that I had to save lives instead of making my important phone calls. I tried to explain how I had a friend who was in a life and death situation, but they don¡¯t have time to pity me. Now I¡¯m out of a job. And since I was consultation, I can¡¯t get unemployment.


    Not to mention that DH knows about me now. You¡¯ve met DH, but did you know that stands for demon hunters? The last thing I need is a group of demon hunters knowing about me, a demon with mystical healing powers, so I have to figure out a way out of the state. With no job, I¡¯ve had to hand over my house to a realtor so they could rent it out, and now I have to hide where I hope is the last place DH will look for me until I get enough money to flee.


    But where could I go? Gee, Duck-young sure is being a major inconvenience by not answering any of my calls or texts. Doesn¡¯t matter to him if I¡¯m in trouble. Not like I dropped everything to save his friend¡¯s life, or how I found him a place to stay after he showed up on my doorstep after I was told he was dead. I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t owe me at all, but I¡¯m certain he wouldn¡¯t mind him crashing with him until all of that is settled.¡±


    ¡°But this is my house,¡± muttered Adi bluntly in between bites of pizza.


    ¡°Good point. I¡¯ll just leave you here to deal with all of this yourself, but first I¡¯ll replace the bullet holes in your chest.¡± She stared at him with a flat expression, unblinking, eyes not wavering as she took a long sip of beer.


    Adi gulped. ¡°My home is certainly your home for as long as you like.¡±


    Verlsa nodded in appreciation. ¡°And that¡¯s exactly what I thought you¡¯d say. I¡¯m thankful that you and I have this,¡± she waved her hand between the two of them, ¡°natural understanding. So look, I am so unbelievably fucking tired right now, so I¡¯m going to pass out in your bed. Only for tonight though, because I¡¯m getting my bed delivered from storage tomorrow. Meanwhile, you smell like shit. Go take a shower, and we¡¯ll deal with this mess after I¡¯ve had a nap.¡±


    She downed the rest of her beer before tossing away the can. Adi stood there dumbfounded as she walked away. He took another slice of pizza from the box and chewed on it slowly. It was cold. A feeling of deja vu came across his mind, as though women were always leaving him in a state of confusion, and would have nothing but stale food to keep him company. Now would be a good time for him to find new people in his life. Ones who didn¡¯t trample all over him at every given opportunity.


    Adi frowned at the detective, who was still very lying dead upon his floor. He dug around in the garage until he found a tarp, and wrapped the corpse in that. Leaving him like this left Adi feeling nauseous, but Verlsa didn¡¯t seem to be worried. There must have been some plan for figuring it out. Whatever it was, he¡¯d deal with it later.


    He set up a sleeping bag on the floor of his office. It was cold. Adi felt groggy and weak, much like he had when Verlsa had healed him last time. Sable was following him every step of the way and laid down next to him in order to keep him warm. Maybe he¡¯ll close his eyes for a bit. Versla was probably only napping until the middle of the night came. That seemed like the best time to dispose of a dead body.


    It was the smell of bacon that woke him up. There was a plate of bacon and potato hash sitting on the floor next to a glass of orange juice. Sable was drooling at it, though she was keeping her distance. The door was open, and Verlsa had guests over. Adi didn¡¯t bother to care. He sat up and began to shovel food in his mouth.


    He could make out the sound of two women talking in the living room. Adi concentrated on eating, least having to deal with yet another stale meal later. Once satisfied, he peeked around the corner and saw Verlsa, Windi, and a man he didn¡¯t recognize talking over the detective¡¯s body. The whites of Windi¡¯s eyes were a bright red as she scanned the room.


    ¡°The barghest is the only spirit here, sir.¡± Windi knelt down and tilted the detective¡¯s head back and forth. ¡°He passed several days ago. I don¡¯t see any signs of the blight that was controlling him.¡±


    ¡°Shame. Call the home office and tell them we have a positive ID. We¡¯ll get the crew to set it up as a gang altercation.¡± He turned to Adi and waved a gloved hand. ¡°Mister Wulfert. Good catch on locating that wendigo. I am Agent Phillip Pastor.¡±


    Adi stepped out from the room and offered a weak wave. He then glared over at Verlsa. Oh sure, she had to flee the state because of DH, so she moved in with him because it was the last place they¡¯d look. Whatever. That didn¡¯t seem to stop her from eagerly inviting them over when the first dead body showed up.


    She shrugged. ¡°Not like he was going to dispose of himself.¡± It was a sensible response but Adi didn¡¯t like it.


    ¡°Is there some sort of god I can pray to in order to make all of this go away? I¡¯d like to wake up in the real world now.¡± Adi scratched his lower thigh, which was exposed since he was only wearing a set of boxer shorts.


    Pastor didn¡¯t seem to mind Adi¡¯s lack of modesty. ¡°We¡¯ll be on our way as soon as you answer our questions.¡± The cat-man Adi had seen in the forest walked in with a box of cleaning supplies. He was wearing a baggy hat and a jumpsuit hid his animalistic features. Agent Pastor motioned for him to start cleaning while he spoke with Adi. ¡°Could you go over what you and Detective Coyle were talking about before the incident?¡±


    Adi didn¡¯t want to think about it. ¡°He started to ask me some questions about my ex-girlfriend and the guy she left me for. Uh, Janice Perlin and Desmond White. They both went missing and he acted like I was a suspect. He shot me after he said something about witness cleanup.¡± He watched as the body was loaded up in a cardboard box. There was a moving van outside, and it looked like they were going to load him up in there.


    Windi had been taking notes on her phone. She glanced over to Pastor, and only spoke once he gave her a nod. ¡°Detective Coyle was reported missing by his wife three days ago. He was one of the detectives researching the disappearance of Mister White. We became involved once it became evident that Mister White had a supernatural connection.¡±


    Pastor continued from there. ¡°We believe that our main suspect is hiding out at a local demon den, which is a lead that Mister Kwak is looking into. Mister Wulfert, I suggest that you avoid other humans for the time being. Do not trust anyone who may probe you for information about this case. You know nothing, and it is best that it stays that way.¡± He gestured for his team to move out.


    The cat-man, Vila, if Adi remembered right, lagged behind the rest. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t mind me. Almost done.¡± He sprayed down the blood splatter, which evaporated up into a dust that he swept up with a handheld vacuum. All of his work was done in a matter of seconds. ¡°Alright, see you around, maybe.¡± He bowed and dashed out the door, closing it behind him.


    Verlsa sat down on the arm of the couch. ¡°You¡¯re actually lucky. They think that guy was a corpse that was being possessed by another spirit, and my powers protected you long enough to prevent from being possessed as well.¡±


    ¡°Why do you guys always assume that I understand enough about everything to actually understand anything any of you are saying? At any given moment, I have no idea what is happening!¡± Adi shook his hands in a choking motion to show off his frustration.


    Verlsa leaned off to one side, flopping onto the couch in the process. ¡°Sorry. I keep forgetting you¡¯re still an itty bitty whiny baby when it comes to playing around in our world.¡± She turned on the TV and flipped through a couple of channels while she spoke. ¡°Your murderer has been dead since he disappeared, and has only been walking around and talking due to being possessed by something.¡±


    ¡°Possessed? Yes, possessed! That is actually something I understand!¡± He darted to his room and came back out with a book. Adi also did his best to ignore the fact that Verlsa had unpacked her belongings in his room, and it didn¡¯t look like she was planning on moving out anytime soon.


    ¡°I mentioned possession mere seconds before you threw a hissy fit,¡± Verlsa muttered. She settled on having a show about home renovations play in the background. ¡°Duck-young was right about you never paying attention.¡±


    Adi held up the book triumphantly. It was a dictionary of mystic creatures. ¡°No, really! I know this! Because of Japanese people!¡± He flipped through the pages. ¡°Duke explained it before he left. Sable doesn¡¯t have a real head because it was used in some sort of ritual. Inugummy or something, right?¡± Sable barked once from her spot next to the front door. ¡°I was going to double check this after I got back from shopping, but was shot before I could. Here it is! Inugami!¡±


    He passed the book over to Verlsa, who read through it out loud. ¡°Inugami are summoned in a complex ritual in which a... Okay, that¡¯s gross.¡± She scanned the page some more. ¡°Ah, I see what you¡¯re saying here. If the summoner¡¯s resolve and skill are strong enough, he can command an Inugami to possess a human body and force it to commit vile acts.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! All we have to do is stop the summoner. Duke will be the only dead guy around who might try to kill me, and I won¡¯t have to deal with ghost dog!¡± He raised his hands in triumph. ¡°It¡¯s that easy!¡±


    Verlsa¡¯s face went blank as she stared at him. ¡°Inugami possess humans. You¡¯re human. Try putting those pieces together. As a mortal, you¡¯re also weak and frail. My powers won¡¯t protect you forever, and I¡¯m going to stop healing you if you can¡¯t remember how fragile you are.¡±


    Adi proudly puffed out his chest. ¡°Not a problem. We¡¯ll find some sort of anti-possession charm and everything will work out fine!¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± she nodded. ¡°Because those absolutely fucking exist. Totally. Everything always works out fine because you¡¯ve already used your impressive logic skills to figure it all out on your own.¡± Verlsa nodded again in a slow manner like she was dealing with a crazy person. ¡°I¡¯m going to try to contact Duck-young using your phone and see if he actually picks up this time.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Sable.¡± Adi knelt down by the dog and gently pulled at the fur of her cheeks. ¡°We¡¯re going to catch the bad people and fix everything.¡± He threw his arms around the dog and held her close. ¡°And then I¡¯ll figure out a way to kick all of these people out of my house!¡± Sable let out a whine at first before shaking her head. She gave Adi a lick on the cheek. This sure was a strange human she had found.

 Chapter Ten - The Scarlet Lover

    Duke noticed Adi calling him and quickly clicked the ignore button. He had infiltrated a suite that Kenelm had rented out. Apparently, all those doors in the dive bar part lead to a fairly extensive network of tunnels, were it was only one of the entrances. These acted as living quarters for demons and for mithryn who didn¡¯t want to register with either DH or SIA.


    He was in one room with Janice, who was eating her breakfast, and his employer was still in bed with some of the other members of his entourage. Duke wasn¡¯t ordered about to do anything yet. Perhaps Kenelm was simply fond of having oddities in his group, but he didn¡¯t make Duke stick around and watch while he played with some of them, and that was enough to keep the vampire around.


    The women of the group included a werewolf, another fairy, and an elf. There were two men as well. An elderly boggart who took care of Kenelm¡¯s finances, and a small furry kobold who did the cooking and cleaning. Duke had sent their pictures and names along to Pastor already. Now all he had to do was hang around until Kenelm bored of this place and left. DH could screw off for all he cared, Duke wanted his elixirs.


    Janice rested her cheek upon the palm of her hand. ¡°Apparently we¡¯re going to New York first. Kenelm says that he¡¯s disappointed with the lack of quality that the fight¡¯s here provided. I was hoping to lay low in the demon court for a while but I haven¡¯t been to New York before. I¡¯ll probably end up ditching the group then.¡±


    Duke glanced over at the television, where they were showing off pictures of tonight¡¯s fighters. ¡°It is a shame my circumstances do not allow me to follow, as I haven¡¯t had much luck in finding employment. The libraries in New York are exquisite.¡±


    Janice smiled, and her perfect teeth glistened in the artificial light. ¡°You¡¯re plenty of lucky. The videheart operation costs a fortune. No wonder you¡¯re aching for cash.¡± She began to spin her spoon around in her mug of tea. ¡°How do you even find a person to perform it?¡±


    ¡°I would not know about it much about it, as I had a benefactor,¡± said Duke as he placed a hand to his chest.


    Occasionally he could feel the plant within him stirring. It almost felt like a heartbeat at times. Videheart was a parasitic plant that was used as a torture device, as it would infect their victims and slowly drain away their lifeforce. Vampires had it implanted in order to better preserve their bodies and increase the amount of energy they received from their feedings.


    Mauvori had blessed Duke with a plant, and part of the reason he had stayed with the alchemist for so long was to make sure his body accepted it. It had already replaced all of his blood with sap, but it also prevented rigor mortis. He had already accepted that he and the plant were one at this point. Unfortunately, the elixir was hard to come by.


    ¡°Even so, you¡¯re lucky,¡± said Janice as she pointed her spoon at him. ¡°There has to be something about your previous life that¡¯s left you wanting to stick around, right? Something scandalous? Wife? Child? Mistress? That benefactor must have needed something for you in order to put in that sort of investment.¡±


    Duke chuckled softly. ¡°I have a doctorate in Asian languages and literature. Books are my only friends. Time took love away from me, but I will always have my books.¡± He clutched the scarf fondly. ¡°I would be much more interested in your life, Miss Perlin. You appear to be a strong and independent individual in need of no man, what makes you hide under Kenelm¡¯s wing?¡±


    Janice let out a long groan, burying her face within her arms for a moment. She began to mutter out her story. ¡°I was with the most wonderful man, but I got a little jealous because he was ignoring me. It also didn¡¯t help that I had been sleeping with someone that I had met at this Christmas party he took me to. Nice guy. Didn¡¯t have a lot going on in his head, but he was fun in the bedroom, and I was lonely.


    But I had to be an idiot and do the right thing.¡± She looked up and scowled, which hardly did a thing to mar her beauty. ¡°I came clean and decided to break it off with the good man. When I told the new guy I wanted to try being with him, he completely freaked out on me. I had to run away because he scared me so badly.¡±


    ¡°He reacted that poorly?¡± Duke folded his hands together. ¡°Did he threaten you or hit you?¡±


    Janice had tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She shifted between nodding and shaking her head in a confused manner. ¡°Yes, well no. Maybe. I just¡­ I just want to go back to my ex and tell him I¡¯ve made the biggest mistake. I just want him to help me. It¡¯s been¡­ I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but it¡¯s been a terrifying week for me..¡±


    ¡°Your problem is that you are greedy.¡± His look became all the sterner as she sniffled. ¡°You needed attention, and took it from another without the permission of your chosen mate. When you realized that you could not latch onto your new lover, you desired to go back to what was comfortable. Your ex is merely a pawn for your own games, and you care little for his opinion or happiness.¡±


    Janice swung her mug at him, splashing the hot tea into Duke¡¯s face. ¡°Adi loves me! If I could just talk to him again, he¡¯d take me back! You don¡¯t know anything about us!¡± Duke hardly heard a word she said, flinging into a panic as he sought anything to pat his face dry. Liquid bad. Can¡¯t have that linger on his dead flesh.


    ¡°What a bitch,¡± announced Kenelm as Janice rushed out of the room. He was rubbing a towel against his hair, a towel that was better suited for covering his exposed lower half. ¡°Succubus only think about themselves. Their very nature drives them to take, take, take.¡± He thrust his hips crudely to emphasize his statement.


    The flopping about of Kenelm¡¯s substantial kibbles and bits made Duke look away as he finished patting his face dry with a napkin. ¡°Humans have an old saying that wisely fits this situation. ¡®Don¡¯t stick your dick in crazy.¡¯¡±


    Kenelm laughed at the absurdity of the statement. ¡°Firstborn are bound to magic law, one we are incapable of breaking. We cannot get into violent altercations with each other,¡± he stated as he poured himself a glass of white wine. The towel was now wrapped neatly tucking his hair away. ¡°Our pacifist fool of a king wouldn¡¯t like to learn about these pit fights. He¡¯d have my ears if he knew I was involved.¡±


    ¡°I believe that cutting off our ears would count as a violent altercation.¡± Duke picked up the stack of papers and handed them to Kenelm. ¡°These are the dossiers of all the Mithryn employed here, as you asked.¡±


    ¡°Figure of speech,¡± muttered the fairy as he rubbed the tip of one year nervously. ¡°The King has a sort of executioner. One that is blessed of striping Firstborn of their magic and rendering them human. That is the condition that all demons are born with, as that is our law. However, I believe that it is the duty of every good patriot to hate upon their government, and I do more than my fair share of that.¡± Kenelm swished about his glass before taking a sip.


    Duke nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°But,¡± the elf continued, ¡°let¡¯s forget such sordid politics and discuss our agenda. I wish to provide this establishment with better fighters, and I believe I know who will provide me with them. You will be there to act as my bodyguard. There won¡¯t be a need to fight, as your presence will be enough to ward them away from any ill intent.¡±


    Duke looked at his phone again. This time it was Verlsa¡¯s call that he chose to ignore. ¡°As you wish, sir.¡±


    ***


    Adi cursed at his phone. He had been trying to contact Duke for the past few hours with little to no success. Verlsa was working on her laptop on the couch. She did accounting consultation and still had a few side jobs. Minimum income, but she needed the extra cash for groceries.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    Sable had stretched out on the floor next to the carbuncle. Her and Verlsa got along well, due to Verlsa sneaking her snacks during meals, but Sable would stalk Adi whenever he left the room. He had called his stepfather to see if he had any information on Desmond, but the man had a boringly clean record. It was worse when he tried to look up information about Janice. Janice always prided her privacy, but now Adi was thinking it odd that someone like her didn¡¯t have a single social account.


    ¡°Varu- Vasu¡­ Uh, Sula¡­ You know what, whatever. ¡° He couldn¡¯t be bothered to pronounce it now. ¡°You were once a younger woman, right?¡± The glare that he received sent a chill down his spine. ¡°No, what I mean is, and you might not get it because you¡¯re an older woman, and I understand if you don¡¯t, but there''s no way an attractive younger woman wouldn¡¯t have pictures of herself making stupid faces and poses all over the internet, right? That¡¯s a thing all of them do?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m twenty-eight.¡± She went back to working, occasionally inputting numbers on the calculator sitting on the couch cushion next to her.


    ¡°Really?¡± Adi was startled by that revelation. ¡°Because you and Duke seem so much ol- Uh, more mature than someone who wasn¡¯t yet in their thirties.¡± Verlsa picked up the remote so she could turn up the volume on the television. ¡°I¡¯m asking because I really need your help with this.¡± Verlsa turned it up louder. ¡°The neighbors already think I¡¯m crazy enough after you two showed up! I don¡¯t need noise complaint charges on top of that!¡±


    ¡°So I¡¯m fucking crazy now?¡± She turned off the TV and stared at him silently, waiting for his answer.


    Adi¡¯s jaw dropped. He never had siblings, and his mother was a rather passive woman. Suddenly he was feeling a hint of what life would have been like if he had let Janice move in, and Janice was legitimately crazy. Verlsa seemed nice, but it seemed like she was easily triggered. To his amazement, a ring of is doorbell gave him the salvation that he needed.


    Sable made her way to the door and sat down next to it. She was a good dog, only barking when the situation called for it. Adi followed her, but Versla had already stood up. She pulled a pistol out from the side table drawer, much to Adi¡¯s shock, and held it behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll handle it,¡± she muttered. Any possession spirit that showed up wouldn¡¯t be able to take her since she was a demon, and she had been handling any loiterers that had appeared at the door. Though the gun was a little much, and those girl scouts might file a police report later because of it.


    Verlsa opened the door and frowned at the woman in red. Her eye makeup was smudged from crying, it looked like she had tried to touch it up to no avail. Janice stared at Verlsa, then at Adi, who was now panicking over the idea that the mere thought of Janice had somehow summoned her presence, then at Verlsa again. Sable was the calmest, merely sniffing at Janice¡¯s shoe before returning to her place by the couch. Despite his pet¡¯s lax nature, Adi¡¯s jaw dropped again, the horror in his eyes was unmistakable.


    ¡°Who the hell is this bitch?¡± Janice shoved Verlsa out of the way and made a few steps towards Adi. ¡°I thought I meant something to you, but you replaced me already?! Was this the reason you moved to Tacoma?!¡±


    Verlsa looked between Janice and Adi. If Sable didn¡¯t worry, she wouldn¡¯t either. She kept the gun hidden behind her as she fetched her laptop, then took a hiding position behind the kitchen counter. Adi had knelt down by Sable, scratching her repeatedly behind the ears. He was telepathically urging the barghest with every ounce of energy, calling upon her to rise up and protect him.


    His lack of response didn¡¯t phase Janice. ¡°Baby... Baby, it¡¯s okay.¡± Janice smiled calmly, even as her fists were clenched so tightly her knuckles had turned a powder white. ¡°What I did was wrong, and you needed the comfort of an old hag. I understand. We¡¯re even now, so we can move on and be stronger as a couple. Baby, I know exactly how you feel, and I want to tell you that it¡¯s alright.¡±


    ¡°Janice.¡± Adi stood up and hesitantly stared at her. Janice. The last bit of comfort he had in his life before insanity had taken over.


    He grasped her suddenly in a tight hug, burying his face into the side of her neck to smell that cherry blossom perfume she always wore. She comforted him by hugging him just as tightly, patting him on the back and reassuring him that everything will be okay.


    ¡°Yeah, baby. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m here for you.


    ¡°Janice,¡± he hesitantly pulled away. ¡°Is Desmond alright? I heard you disappeared, and a detective came by looking for you. I didn¡¯t know what to think.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s just go to your room, alright? I¡¯ll tell you everything.¡± He nodded and followed her to the bedroom, looking at her with a set of puppy dog eyes. Janice paused when she saw Verlsa¡¯s clothes haphazardly spread out on his floor. She immediately slapped Adi across the cheek as hard as she could.


    ¡°Gah! What the hell was that for?!¡± Adi touched his cheek and looked down at his blood covered fingertips. Janice¡¯s long nails had scratched through his skin. ¡°What the hell is your problem?! We broke up! Who I have sex with now isn¡¯t your business!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not having sex or sleeping together!¡± Verlsa called out from the kitchen. A soft woof was heard as Sable vocalized her own opinion. ¡°You are sleeping with him, but that¡¯s different.¡±


    Janice fell to her knees as she became a blubbering mess. She kept muttering things Adi couldn¡¯t understand. Her forearms and hands rubbed against her face. Tears mixed with makeup, and those became streaks that further stained her skin.


    ¡°We can still talk...¡± Adi reached over to pat her head but stopped himself. His hand hovered awkwardly in the air. ¡°I mean, just talk to me. What happened with Desmond? Why did you run away?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ I-I just¡­¡± She looked up at him. ¡°Desmond¡¯s dead!¡±


    ¡°O-okay..?¡± Adi stuffed his hands into his pockets. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the living room and sit down there. Vermalasa is going to pour you some wine.¡± Verlsa looked up from her computer screen like Adi had just said something insane. ¡°She is going to pour you some of the wine that is in the fridge, because you need a nice drink to calm your nerves, and nice people do nice things for those in distress,¡± Adi growled through his teeth as he peeked out of the hallway. Verlsa rolled her eyes at him.


    Janice forced herself to a stand before following Adi to the living room. She sat down on the couch and took a moment to breathe. ¡°It was after we had that argument, where we talked about taking a break. I went over to Desmond¡¯s¡­¡± She patted at her eyes with tissue Adi had handed her. ¡°I just wanted to explain everything to him and tell him that I wanted him to consider a relationship with me.


    When I told him that we were on a break, he just¡­ He was so mad, Adi. He was just so mad. I got scared, I said I¡¯d call you, but then he just wanted to know where you were so the two of you could talk. He wanted to know that instant, and I told him I didn¡¯t know. He grabbed a chair and threw it across the room. I got scared and then he just¡­ Fell over. Just like that, f-fell right over. His body was cold and frigid when I checked him, there wasn¡¯t a pulls at all. So I just... I just hid the body and ran.¡±


    ¡°Oh, Janice¡­ He probably had an aneurysm, because that totally happens all the time. You weren¡¯t responsible for any of that.¡± She nodded, and some of the color returned to her cheeks. ¡°So do you know what that means?¡± Janice looked up at him, and Adi could see the hope in her eyes. ¡°It means Varsumalala is going to hold off on pouring that wine because we are super duper broken up now!¡±


    ¡°W-what?¡± Janice shook her head. ¡°Adi, baby, what are you saying..?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have someone die on you and then hide the body!¡± Adi started to pace back and forth. ¡°That¡¯s bad, Janice! That is really, really bad! You should have called the cops or the paramedics! Or maybe not! I don¡¯t know, because a damn cop showed up here looking for you before shooting me!¡± Adi patted at his chest dramatically while Janice stared, clearly confused. ¡°I got better!¡±


    Verlsa stood at a safe distance away from the others. She had a glass of white wine in her hand that she was now drinking from. ¡°You two are a fucking mess.¡± Her head bobbled. ¡°Let¡¯s all take a breath. Both of you go over the details of what happened with Desmond and Doyle or Coyle or who-fucking-ever. I don¡¯t give a shit. Sort yourselves out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡± Demons, inugami, vampires¡­ Janice didn¡¯t need all that floating about her head.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± clarified Verlsa. ¡°I have a hunch.¡±


    The two went over as much as they could remember while Verlsa went through the remaining half a bottle of wine on her own. Janice was already feeling better. ¡°Of course! Human possession! They took out the detective when he didn¡¯t have any leads, and that¡¯s why he shot you when you said you didn¡¯t know where I was!¡±


    Versla swished around her empty glass. ¡°Aside from being a completely selfish bitch, what could you have done to piss off someone that badly?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call her a bitch! No one gets to call her that¡­ Except me¡­ And only while we¡¯re, you know what? Nevermind. Janice? Aside from being your usual self, why do you think someone is after you?¡±


    ¡°I have no idea, but I feel like being here with you is starting to give me some answers.¡± She curled her legs toward her chest and wrapped her arms around them. ¡°Adi, you¡¯ll help me out, won¡¯t you?¡±


    Adi pulled out his phone and looked over the contacts list. ¡°We¡¯re still really, really broken up. I want to make that clear.¡± She nodded at him and he went back to looking at his phone. ¡°I¡¯m going to call Windi and give her an update.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Verlsa interrupted. ¡°They¡¯ll get her killed. Remember what happened in that forest? DH doesn¡¯t risk their own. That¡¯s why they had Duck-young fight for them, and the pair of us wander about the woods. I only called them for cleanup because I thought they owed us a favor.¡±


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll just keep texting the idiot until he decides to pick up.¡± Adi¡¯s tolerance levels for irritating people was at its limit. ¡°Or until he needs something. That¡¯s the only time he seems to show up.¡±

 Chapter Eleven - A Blackened Thread

    The fae woman, who acted as Kenelm¡¯s driver, pulled into a gated cemetery. Kenelm gestured for her to let himself and Duke out. Janice was supposed to join them, but she had been gone since that morning, and Kenelm thought that she would return after she had had a meal or two. Succubus were merely like that.


    Duke took a moment to open up a parasol to help shade himself from the sun. It was a cloudy day, but he still wished to minimize his sun exposure. They then walked past the grave markers and up to a hill where two middle-aged men of Asian descent were waiting for them. Several fresh graves had been dug up nearby.


    Duke felt something drag along the sole of his shoe. The sight of several rusty nails protruding from the grass had caught his attention. His eyes narrowed as he inspected the two men more closely. ¡°Sir, what are we doing here?¡±


    ¡°Checking the progress of incoming merchandise.¡± Kenelm waved at the two men. ¡°My boys! New and old alike! I¡¯m glad to see you¡¯ve got a new harmonizer to start up this project. I had been growing impatient!¡±


    ¡°It is the most resourceful way to conjure the necessary hallowed ground. We¡¯ve taken more precautions this time around. That is what we get for attempting to work with unproven sponsors.¡± The man¡¯s features were mostly hidden by an oversized hood. The rest of his attire was odd. Mostly black, including his sunglasses, and a pair of knitted rainbow gloves.


    His partner wore a simple brown sweater and jeans. His hair was a pure white, with grey eyes that had brown rings at the outer edge of the iris. Duke thought that there was something feral about the man. The coloration didn¡¯t seem natural, and Duke could taste an odd energy about him.


    ¡°Always a pleasure to be working with professionals. How long before we can take them for a test drive? I¡¯ve gotten a taste of their abilities and I¡¯ll admit that I am hooked!¡± Kenelm looked around at the fresh mounds of dirt. There may have been as many as twenty of them scattered about.


    The hooded man grinned. ¡°We processed nearly two dozen last night. It was a party house at the nearby college. The birds should be hatching around evening. We chose this location because it is close to a retirement home, and plenty of their residents will be passing on of natural causes tonight.¡±


    ¡°Good, very good.¡± Kenelm pulled out a set of thick envelopes and passed them to each of the men. ¡°I¡¯ll be sending a woman in the morning to double check our potential profits. I don¡¯t know which yet, but I assume whichever one is left being able to walk. My bodyguard will be staying in the meantime to assure that matters go smoothly.¡± The white-haired man quietly pocketed the envelope without a word and began to walk away.


    ¡°Are you certain that is what you desire?¡± Duke kept the corner of his eye on the individual as he passed. There was a motorcycle nearby that he was making his way to.


    ¡°Guarding my product is just as important as guarding me. Shame you aren¡¯t warm-blooded, or I would have made a better use for you,¡± Kenelm said with a large grin. ¡°You understand how violent these rituals can get. I can¡¯t afford to stay around and risk getting killed myself. Call my phone when everything is said and done.¡±


    ¡°We are within Seattle, which is guarded by the werewolf tribes. They will not think kindly of the mass murder of several college students and elderly folk,¡± replied Duke in a low voice.


    ¡°Tribes are not associations such as DH or the mockery which is the SIA. They see the value in hard earned cash,¡± rebutted Kenelm.


    ¡°Understood, sir. I will wait here.¡± Duke twirled his parasol about as Kenelm walked away. Then he and the hooded man stood there in a long, awkward silence.


    A long while passed before the hooded one gave him a bow. ¡°I am Wu Rensu. It is a pleasure to meet a fellow jiangshi. You must also be far from your motherland. Consuming dirt is beginning to wear upon my sanity, but at least the pay is good.¡±


    ¡°The pay is indeed good.¡± He bowed back. ¡°I am Duke, and I was not informed that we would be having a turning today. It is much different from my own. We had our first meals tied up and waiting for us for when we emerged.¡±


    Wu Rensu grinned as he picked up the peach wood sword that was leaning against a nearby grave. The leather grip and his knit gloves protected him from harm. ¡°This would be the second I¡¯ve attempted this year. Our previous sponsor wanted to witness a more traditional birthing, to see if it was viable for production. It was a beautiful and nearly foolproof setup until one of the children went wild. He overpowered our invoker and the rest of the children, but that is what one gets for ignoring our policy of culling the less stable individuals.¡±


    ¡°It may have been a financial loss, but it was a valuable learning experience. Why choose this particular location for the next project?¡± Duke¡¯s eyes darted from one dirt pile to the other. He was thinking about where he could best stand to avoid trouble.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°We quickly ran into government interference within Korea, but this will not be a problem in Seattle. The variety of homelands provided by college students makes for excellent experimentation before we give them videheart transplants and sell them off. As Seattle is a set transportation hub for many mithryn and demons, it will not be considered unusual for several jiangshi to pass through at once.¡±


    ¡°It will be a pleasure to able to greet so many new brothers and sisters.¡± The phone buzzed within his pocket, and once again, Duke ignored it as he set down his parasol. ¡°I will secure the front gate and proceed to walk around the perimeter. We must ensure that there will be no disturbances.¡±


    ¡°That is a wise plan.¡± Wu Rensu took a step back. He gave a few flourishes of his sword while making lightsaber noises.


    Duke approached the front gate and secured it with a nearby chain and padlock. There were always tools on his person that could be used on jiangshi. They were there for the purpose of him not being able to trust himself, and he never suspected that he would ever encounter another jiangshi. He opened his jacket and pulled out a small cigar box from his inner pocket. Inside was a wooden dagger and a spool of silk thread that had been dyed with a combination of Indian ink and blood of a black beast.


    The thread was tied to the base of the fence. He kept his hand low in order to prevent Wu Rensu from noticing his actions, and occasionally looped the spool about a metal post. His free hand hooked a headset over his ear, and he began to fiddle with his phone. Might as well entertain Adi for a moment while there was nothing better to do.


    ¡°Now you call? Seriously?¡± Adi couldn¡¯t be bothered to say hello at this point.


    ¡°I am simply calling to inform you that my business at the moment is much more important than whatever trouble you could possibly be in,¡± replied Duke. ¡°A simple text would suffice in most situations, and I will be contacting you when I have time.¡±


    ¡°Really? ¡­ Really?!¡± Duke had obviously caught Adi in a good mood. ¡°At your convenience, really?! Because I¡¯m still stuck with a ghost dog. Oh right, and your crazy girlfriend has decided that she¡¯s living with us now. That was right after a possessed detective loaded me with bullets!¡± There was a nagging sound in the background. ¡°I said I got better, okay?! Did I mention that my crazy ex-girlfriend is also here and refusing to leave?¡±


    Duke accidentally dropped his spool, and he began to mutter as he fumbled to pick it back up. ¡°I haven¡¯t even been gone for forty-eight hours.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I could use the help.¡±


    Duke brushed aside the leaves and finally managed to pick up the spool again. ¡°Would your girlfriend¡¯s name happen to be Janice? An attractive woman who wears too much red? Has mood swings?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s her. I also noticed that you neglected to tell me that she¡¯s been trying to contact me.¡± Adi scratched at his cheek. Verlsa had refused to heal the scratch marks that Janice had left on him.


    ¡°You certainly have a talent for attracting oddities, Atticus. I should inform you that Janice is a succubus. She will more than likely sex you to death if given the opportunity. I have been informed that they dispose of bodies by consuming them whole. If you choose to keep her around, make certain Verlsa is also properly warned so she can ensure that you won¡¯t be her next victim.¡± Duke grimaced as the thought. As he passed Wu Rensu, he gave the jiangshi a polite nod. ¡°Apologies. An associate of mine is having problems with his love life.¡±


    ¡°... Please hold.¡± Adi calmly lowered his phone and looked over at Janice. Verlsa was sitting next to her and was working on keeping her calm. ¡°Janice..? When you said that you hid Desmond¡¯s body, did you actually mean to say that you ate him?¡±


    Janice pondered this for a moment before responding with a, ¡°Yes.¡± Verlsa immediately moved over to the far end of the couch without saying a word.


    Adi raised his phone up again and quietly spoke into it. ¡°Duke. I need a big word.¡±


    ¡°Pardon?¡±


    ¡°Biggest word you can think of. Give it to me.¡±


    ¡°Sesquipedalianism.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡± Adi lowered the phone again. ¡°Janice! You and me, we are totally sesquipadiddledaddlismishly broken up now! That is final!¡± He stormed off into his room and began to toss Verlsa¡¯s clothes into the hallway. There wasn¡¯t a single woman or woman¡¯s belonging that he wanted to see at the moment.


    ¡°That is nothing the proper pronunciation or usage of that word,¡± replied Duke as he continued his walk.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care as long as it gets the point across!¡± Adi panted in rage for a second. ¡°When will you be back? I need you to get Verlsa and the crazy woman out of here.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps tomorrow morning, depending on how this evening goes.¡± He had circumvented the whole fence and tied off the string to where it had started off. He then flexed his hand. Despite wearing gloves, his fingers were in absolute agony. ¡°Inform Verlsa that I plan on making an extravagant apology to her when I return.¡±


    ¡°Good. Alright, good.¡± Adi was beginning to feel reassured. ¡°Thanks. I¡¯ll see you then.¡± Duke hung up the phone and pulled out the wooden dagger, sticking it between the fabric of his jacket and shirt sleeve.


    Wu Rensu gave another nod as Duke returned. ¡°Is your friend doing better?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Duke let out a chuckle. ¡°Fate is certainly an odd thing. Its strings are tied up every which way, but I never thought that they would grant me the confidence in knowing that my sunny day is resting peacefully over that horizon.¡±


    The jiangshi was perplexed by Duke¡¯s choice of words. ¡°I see, yes. With every sunset, there is a sunrise that will grant new challenges and opportunities.¡±


    ¡°Indeed there is.¡± Duke performed a lavish bow. ¡°And I must thank you personally for granting me this opportunity.¡± A shake of his wrist brought the dagger to the palm of his hand. He dipped down low and thrust the dagger upward with as much strength and speed as he could muster, striking true by forcing it deep into the chest of Wu Rensu.

 Chapter Twelve - A Jiangshi Rebels

    The dagger snapped off in Wu Rensu¡¯s chest. Vines burst out of the wound, flinging the broken end back at Duke before knitting the hole shut. His videheart implant was reacting faster than Duke had anticipated. The implant must have had several years to mature, leading to his miraculous healing, and now Duke was frustrated with himself for believing that a sneak attack would be enough to finish him off.


    As Wu Rensu ripped off his sunglasses, his faded eyes flared with anger. ¡°That stupid hair of yours! Why didn¡¯t I recognize you sooner?!¡± He sputtered a spree of curses in Cantonese as he held up his sword defensively. ¡°You betrayed your own kind!¡±


    So this was the bastard that stole away Duke¡¯s life on that bus. ¡°I am a human, sir. It is you who have turned your back on what you were.¡± He also held up his broken stub of a dagger, aimed to defend himself from the next strike.


    But he was all talk. Wu Rensu was no doubt more skilled and experienced than Duke was, and he was certainly better fed. His doubts were doubled as Wu Rensu¡¯s blade began to glow with an ethereal light, and he had little time to block as the jiangshi darted forward with his sword held high.


    Duck went to block with his forearm. His theory was that the jacket would protect his arm, but the enchantment burned through the cloth. The wood made contact with his flesh, and there was a thud as the lower half of Duke¡¯s arm landed on the ground. He hissed through his teeth from the pain he felt, and sap was dripping out of the wound.


    And of course his own videheart couldn¡¯t be bothered to react as quickly. He hopped backward as Wu Rensu launched his next attack. The broken dagger was dropped as he picked up the parasol. This was followed by a spree of curses as he struggled to get it open with one hand. Duke settled for using his teeth, cracking a few in the process.


    The now open parasol was thrust forward several times as Duke aimed to hide behind it and confuse his enemy at the same time. He also began to shout random grunts as he stepped forward and back. His body was cracking and popping with every movement, and he could feel his dry skin stretch and tear from the stress.


    ¡°Have at thee!¡±


    Duke jumped up on one of the gravestones as he tossed the parasol at Wu Rensu. He used his jump to propel himself into a kick, slamming the top of his foot against the back of the jiangshi¡¯s head. Spinning through the kick, he fell into a roll behind Wu Rensu, then he snatched up the remainder of the broken dagger.


    He sprung into a stand and stabbed the stub into the side of Wu Rensu¡¯s neck. The jiangshi retaliated by jamming his sword straight through Duke¡¯s chest. Letting go of the dagger, Duke grabbed onto the jiangshi¡¯s wrist, keeping him close as he bit at Wu Rensu¡¯s throat. Wu Rensu was forced to let go of the blade in order to push Duke back.


    That would be his downfall, as Duke managed to push the sword out of himself by slamming his back against a nearby gravestone. He found himself on the offensive, diving after Wu Rensu as the jiangshi fled. Not knowing how to make the blade glow, the weapon thudded Wu Rensu¡¯s limbs. Eventually, Duke struck true, piercing Wu Rensu¡¯s neck a second time, and wedging the blade in so that it decapitated the jiangshi.


    The head slumped forward while the body fell back. Vines curled out of the neck hole, seeking to grasp onto what they could and make the jiangshi whole again. Duke kicked the head away. Wu Rensu¡¯s body twitched, while his mouth opened and shut, and his eyes rolled every which way.


    Duke couldn¡¯t bring himself to care. He found where his arm had fallen, and began to thump the detached limb to his nub. Nothing happened. He cursed to himself. All he had was sap dripping from his wounds, but at least the videheart didn¡¯t seem injured. He breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe there would be a way to reattach it later.


    His night was spent taking care of the children as they hatched. In theory, the majority of them would be out by morning. Duke¡¯s transformation had taken a day, so he didn¡¯t know. What he did know is that whenever he saw the dirt stir, he would be ready.


    The majority of them were feral, much like the mindless jiangshi he had first encountered when he awoke. A few others gave him problems, and he suffered more injuries in the process of taking them down. It wasn¡¯t like the last time, where they had only turned men, and thus there were more to deal with.


    Duke began to feel numb. These weren¡¯t people. They were monsters. He had to keep telling himself that. Even if they cried out in pain, or pleaded for him to stop, he couldn¡¯t allow for more of his kind to walk this world.


    But his body was about to collapse from his injuries and weariness. He caught the sight of something shuffling behind a gravestone and dragged himself towards it. One of his feet dragged behind the other, and he could feel his strength leaving him.


    There was a girl hiding from him. At the sight of his horrid self approaching, she clamped her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. She was so frightened that she couldn¡¯t bring herself to move. With Duke¡¯s mangled appearance, he couldn¡¯t blame her. He stared at her for a moment before sitting down on the ground.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°The fence is warded,¡± whispered Duke as she attempted to crawl away. ¡°There isn¡¯t a way for us out of here.¡±


    The girl¡¯s eyes studied Duke. He had bite marks on his face, his teeth were chipped and broken, and what had happened to his brand new suit was certainly a shame. Duke glanced over to his scarf, where he had tied it up to a marker in order to keep it safe. If he had any strength left, he would put it back on.


    ¡°There.¡± He pointed to it. ¡°Would you fetch that for me?¡±


    She was understandably hesitant. ¡°... Alright.¡± She stood up and untied it. When she returned, he dipped his head forward, and let her tie it about his neck.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he muttered.


    The girl looked around. She wrapped her arms about her body. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s uh,¡± she hesitated again. ¡°It¡¯s Elyse.¡±


    Duke nodded, but he kept his gaze on the ground. ¡°What is the last thing you remember, Elyse?¡±


    ¡°I was invited to a party, and everything seemed normal. I didn¡¯t take any cups from anyone I didn¡¯t know, and uhm¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°I started to feel ill, and I was scared that someone had slipped something into my drink. Someone started to scream that the doors were locked, and then all the lights went dead as though the electricity went out. Then I was here.¡±


    Duke nodded again. ¡°Because you¡¯re dead. You¡¯re dead, I¡¯m dead, we¡¯re all dead.¡± She audibly gasped, and when he glanced up, she had her hands over her mouth again. ¡°This isn¡¯t hell. We are vampires. Cursed to remain in this world a little longer than the rest.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Then I¡¯m fine?¡± She began to nod to herself. ¡°Of course I¡¯m fine. A little blood here and there, and night classes, and I¡¯ll be fine. That isn¡¯t so bad, right?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re the type of vampires who must harvest energy directly through humans. The back of the neck is the easiest spot, and mouth to mouth will grant you more. However, the best source is had by consuming their organs before they have had a chance to go cold.¡± Duke frowned at the thought. ¡°The hungering I have for a liver is the oddest thing at times.¡±


    Elyse stared at him, clearly in shock by the news. ¡°I¡¯m a zombie?¡±


    Duke sighed heavily, then coughed up a sputtering of sap and¡­ He stared at the leaf he had coughed up, then shook his head. ¡°Yes, whatever. A zombie will suffice as a description, but it is an improper one.¡± He struggled to stand up but flopped back down again. ¡°... We should finish you off.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She shook her head. As he struggled to stand up again, she took a step back. ¡°It¡¯s only a little energy, and you said it¡¯s as easy as touching someone¡¯s neck.¡±


    Giving up on standing, Duke made himself comfortable against a gravestone. ¡°There isn¡¯t a need to fear death. You have already done it.¡± Elyse took another step back. ¡°For now, you will feel okay, but your body will begin to decay soon enough.


    Your eyesight is what dulls first. Those around you will begin to notice that your skin has become pale, and it will begin to sag over time. It will become harder and harder to move around as your joints stiffen up. You will not be able to tell the difference between hot and cold, arousal is an impossibility, and not even the calm touch of another does anything to bring comfort.


    Then the hunger will set in. Your hubris will tell you that you will be able to survive off snacks, but your mind will start to confuse what is right or wrong. Maybe someone homeless, or someone that is a criminal, but eventually you will think of the ones you loved in life. You begin to believe that partaking of their flesh is proof of your love because their energy will always be alive within you.


    But you will never get far.¡± Duke closed his eyes as he leaned his head back. ¡°You were murdered and bred to be a monster. Those who hired your killer will be returning in the morning. They will force you to feed on a human life and subjugate you to experimentation before selling you off to the highest bidder. That is the only future you will have if you choose to carry on.¡±


    He struggled to open his eyes again, only to see that she wasn¡¯t paying attention to his ramblings. His attention fell on following her gaze. She was looking towards the road within the cemetery. Her eye was twitching, and she was chewing on her lip. The feral part of her was already starving for her first meal.


    ¡°You should work harder to maintain your wits about you,¡± he whispered.


    Duke needed to move. He needed to grab that sword and finish her off before she attacked someone. His body was refusing to obey him. Suddenly, he was blinded as arcs of lightning swallowed up Elyse, and she was screeching out in pain.


    That was enough for Duke to muster up the strength he needed. He moved to the other side of the tombstone, cowering until Elyse crumpled to the ground. There were a pair of voices, a man and a woman¡¯s, but he couldn¡¯t make out what they were saying. His hearing was beginning to go as well.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why he had chosen to hide. His body had moved before his mind had willed it to. Perhaps there was some instinct for self-survival buried deep within him. Despite his vengeance being complete, and the fact that he was a monster, a part of him couldn¡¯t bring himself to go.


    A loud click made him look up. There was a woman in front of him, with a suit and dark hair, but the features around her were hazy. Yet there was an odd familiarity about her. It wasn¡¯t the violent aura she was radiating or the fact that she was pointing a pistol at his head, but the way the air tasted about her. How it tasted of sunlight.


    ¡°S-Suni..?¡±


    Her hand wavered slightly as he called her name. She grasped onto the gun with both hands in order to steady her aim. Suni didn¡¯t say anything. The man walked up to talk to her, but his features were even more fuzzier than hers. Duke still couldn¡¯t make out what he was saying, and he struggled to raise his voice above a whisper.


    ¡°Suni¡­ I¡­ I-I¡­¡±


    The man raised his hand, and gold lightning charged down his arm and out of his head. It felt like fire, electricity, and bliss all at once. Duke felt like he was burning, yet at the same time, his soul was being ripped out of his body. A quick tug and he felt himself flying, barely catching a glimpse of the cemetery below as the darkness above consumed him.

 Chapter Thirteen - Why are you here?

    Duke sat up, finding himself in a strange yet familiar room. He stared up at the tapestries that hung on the walls but didn¡¯t absorb the details. Suni was alive¡­ How did no one tell him that she was okay? She was neither tied to his new destiny nor did Verlsa seem to think it was important information. Verlsa had been to his funeral, and she would¡¯ve known if Suni was alright.


    Ur was standing right next to him. Her hands were fidgeting together as she bit onto her lower lip. ¡°You¡¯re still not supposed to be here,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°And you¡¯ve been meddling too much,¡± he replied coldly.


    ¡°What?¡± Ur looked off to the side. ¡°No¡­ No, of course not, but ah, hrm¡­¡± She fidgeted some more. ¡°You must understand that¡¯s it¡¯s been a few thousand years since I¡¯ve done any weaving myself. I¡¯ve completely forgotten how everything will fall apart if you¡¯re not careful, and I couldn¡¯t pace myself last time you were here. I had to tie everything up at once and hope for the best.¡±


    Duke attempted to push himself to a stand but realized that his arm was still missing. The videheart implant was doing its job of mending his wounds, and something sour was forming in the cracks of his teeth, but no arm. He let out an annoyed sigh as he struggled to get up, looking much like a weeble wobble as he did so.


    ¡°What exactly have you done?¡± Duke was aware of some of the ties she had made. Most obvious was Mauvori, but then there was Verlsa, Adi, and possibly a few others.


    She cleared her throat nervously. ¡°My role is to help prevent world-ending disasters, but there is a high probability that one will happen within this area anywhere from one to five years from now. I thought that perhaps I would use you to help lower the possibility of that happening by having you save Mister Atticus.


    Not precisely you, but he was scheduled to die yesterday, and I needed Miss Verlsa there to negate his injuries. However, introducing you to him got Mister Phillip involved, and I never know what he is going to do since his tapestry is a complete mess, but he certainly was going to kill Mister Atticus. That¡¯s why I needed you to hunt down that horrific creature in the woods in order to gain Miss Ah, what does she go by now? Windi? Yes, I needed you to gain her trust to make sure Mister Phillip would lessen his involvement, and secure a meeting between Mister Atticus and Miss Verlsa.


    Oh, what else have I done..?¡± She tilted her head and tapped her fingers together as she thought. ¡°I thought it best that Mister Kenelm were in the area as well, but he moved up his plans to convert humans to jiangshi, so those twenty-three children are now dead because of me.¡± She grimaced at the thought. ¡°Feel quite horrible about that, especially since I will have to find someone new to run for mayor of Spokane in eighteen years time.¡±


    ¡°... I see,¡± muttered Duke.


    Ur continued to fuss about. ¡°I¡¯m not quite sure how a barghest is involved either, but now there is one. That always happens whenever I weave.¡± Her gnarled fingers danced about the air as she weaved an invisible string. ¡°Strange things start simply showing up where they weren¡¯t supposed to be. Spirits are not of my realm, and I fear that some other power may have sent that because they know I¡¯m being naughty.¡±


    Duke stared blankly at her. ¡°I haven¡¯t told anyone about you. Is it perhaps the person who put my tapestry on my back?¡±


    Ur immediately shifted behind Duke and began to fumble with his back. ¡°It¡¯s a possibility, but I have my doubts.¡±


    He let out a sigh. At least he had spent the last of his strength getting his revenge, and he went knowing that Suni was somehow still alive. ¡°I¡¯m content,¡± he said after some thought. ¡°I can rest peacefully, and my work for you is done.¡±


    ¡°Hardly. You still have to fix the little mess I¡¯ve made,¡± muttered Ur. ¡°That¡¯s what I get for rushing and tying up so many new strings to you at once. Everything should calm down after that, but I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ve done nothing but cause trouble. I must apologize for that.¡±


    ¡°Then what should I do?¡±


    Ur finished her work. She hadn¡¯t tied on any new strings and was only looking to read his tapestry to see what he had been up to. ¡°Anything I tell you would be further meddling.¡± She stepped around him again and bowed politely.


    Duke looked down at his stub arm and shook it about. ¡°Perhaps there is some other topic of discussion that we can go over until I¡­ Am I returning?¡± He was certain he was officially dead this time.


    ¡°Perhaps. It will certainly be awkward if you wake up and are still here.¡± Ur suddenly thrust her hand forward, smacking her palm against Duke¡¯s forehead. The world about him faded black once more, and the last sensation he felt was his body striking the hard floor below.


    ***


    The world felt like a cocoon. Neither warm or welcoming, but the kind where his body had melted apart and was slowly reforming together. It was a sensation that Duke had experienced before. As he wiggled his fingers, he could feel the dirt pass easily through them. It wasn¡¯t as compressed as the last time this happened. He was easily able to push his way out of the shallow grave, and the twittering of morning birds could already be heard.


    A surprised squeak was nearby, and Kenelm nearly dropped Wu Rensu¡¯s head. ¡°Someone¡¯s up!¡± He called over Enid, who was the werewolf of his entourage. She picked up a briefcase and walked over, understandably keeping her distances from the vampire. ¡°Don¡¯t wait over there! Go on and give an introduction!¡±


    ¡°We have met,¡± she replied bluntly.


    Duke rubbed at his eyes. The world was so blurry. ¡°I am going to need new glasses,¡± he muttered.


    ¡°So it¡¯s you!¡± Kenelm snapped his finger a few times. ¡°Duke, yes. Hardly recognized you with all the dirt on your face.¡± He began to bobble Wu Rensu¡¯s head about, so the jaw flopped open and shut. ¡°This entire investment was a waste! Some hard worker I turned out to be,¡± he said in an overly fake Chinese accent.


    Duke fought off the urge to end Kenelm¡¯s life then and there. He was still exhausted. At least his arm had somehow reattached itself. There was a jagged line where the attachment was made, and the flesh resembled melted plastic and was greenish in hue. Nothing a sleeve wouldn¡¯t be able to cover.


    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to remember a thing of what happened last night!¡± Kenelm continued to bob the head about. ¡°Maybe you could fill in the details?¡± The head was chucked behind him, and Kenelm gestured a set of fingers between Enid and Duke. Taking a knee, Enid braced the suitcase on her leg so she could open it up and pull out a bottle of elixir.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    She opened it up and handed it to Duke, who began to chug the entire thing. He was instantly feeling better. A moment was taken to relish in the warmth it gave him. Almost alive. It was almost like feeling alive.


    He cleared his throat and shook his head to gather his thoughts together. ¡°The majority of them woke up feral, with the exception of a girl named Elyse. We culled the unusable and were speaking with her with a pair of suits appeared. My glasses had been broken by that point. Unfortunately, I did not get a good look as a result, but one of them attacked us with golden energy, and I buried myself while Wu Rensu battled them.¡±


    Kenelm sneered. ¡°Such cowardice.¡± He then broke out into a grin. ¡°I like it! You understood that the fight was futile, and took your opportunity to survive! That is initiative, and I will buy you a replacement suit as your reward! Enid, what do we know about these people?¡±


    ¡°One of the mages for SIA has control over lightning magic. I mentioned before that it was futile to convert so many at once. Even with the treaty in place, the tribes can do nothing to control the investigation of so many missing humans.¡±


    ¡°The experiments only work if they were all converted at the same time,¡± muttered Kenelm. ¡°At least, that¡¯s what I was told. We will have to cut our losses for now and change countries again.¡±


    Enid offered a counterpoint. ¡°It would be better to remain in the area for now. Anyone who leaves the area soon will immediately be a suspect.¡±


    Kenelm pouted. ¡°But there is hardly any worthy entertainment here.¡±


    ¡°Pardon the interruption,¡± said Duke as he raised a hand. ¡°But why the interest in jiangshi?¡±


    Enid¡¯s ears twitched. ¡°We should leave,¡± she muttered to the two.


    She urged the two back to the car, where other members of Kenelm¡¯s entourage were waiting. It wasn¡¯t long before sirens were heard barreling down the streets. Kenelm let his boggart attendant explain the situation to Duke while they drove back to Auburn. Their reason for being here was indeed the creation and selling off of jiangshi.


    They needed to experiment how long a jiangshi could last away from their homeland, and if distance played a part. For this, they needed several people of similar age to be converted at the same time. Then they would be given videheart implants, experimented on, and sold off.


    Jiangshi surviving on elixir could be used as powerful servants. The supply of elixir could be used to keep them in line, they could kill someone and make it look like natural causes, and they were essentially immortal. Such a creature could be sold off for a high price.


    The idea of it made Duke sick to his stomach. He had been warned that mithryn had no place in the world. There were organizations built to keep them hidden, and even demons didn¡¯t accept them. They were all human at one time or another. Being murdered and sold off didn¡¯t seem fair.


    Duke was given a soft sweater and sweatpants to wear. While he was changing, he found the envelope of cash that Kenelm had given Wu Rensu hidden within his pocket. Whoever had buried him had gone through the effort to put his arm with him and give him cash. Maybe he wasn¡¯t delirious during his talk with Elyse, and that was Suni.


    He excused himself from the entourage, promising to return in the evening. There was the matter of returning Adi¡¯s car, and at least seeing if there was anything he could do about the current situation. Duke doubted it. Everything in Adi¡¯s life was due to Ur¡¯s meddling, but it was better for the both of them that he didn¡¯t mention the demon¡¯s influence. Oracles seemed like nothing but trouble, and he didn¡¯t want anything to do with them.


    It was still early in the morning by the time he returned to Adi¡¯s house. He had his own key, and let himself in. Janice was buried underneath a pile of blankets, but Duke didn¡¯t care about that. When he entered the office, he noticed that Verlsa had moved a twin bed in. She was sleeping peacefully on it, and Duke tiptoed past her and to the computer.


    Verlsa¡¯s eyes fluttered open as Duke browsed the internet. She reached underneath her pillow, touched her gun, then changed her mind at the last second. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Duke didn¡¯t say anything. He merely pointed at the screen.


    He was streaming in the local news. The anchorwoman was narrating over scenes of body bags being located up in a van. ¡°Several of the students who went missing last Tuesday have been found dead at West Cedar Cemetery. The case is still ongoing, but tampered drugs are suspected to have played a major role in this tragedy. Police are asking for anyone with information to come forward at this time.¡±


    Duke muted the video but continued to watch it out of the corner of his eye. ¡°Twenty-three dead,¡± he muttered.


    Verlsa looked between the screen and Duke. ¡°What d-did¡­ Duck-young.¡±


    ¡°Suni is alive.¡±


    ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to bring that up.¡±


    ¡°And yet I believe you have had plenty of opportunities to tell me,¡± he growled back. Verlsa didn¡¯t have a response for that. She merely stared at him. ¡°Suni is working as an agent for the SIA.¡± Her face twisted even more with surprise, and Duke looked away from her.


    Verlsa pulled the blanket more over herself. ¡°I¡¯m not going to tell you anything until you tell me what you did to those kids.¡±


    ¡°I murdered them,¡± replied Duke, ¡°but I was informed about their tragedy too late to prevent it. There was a group that sought to convert them to jiangshi, and I killed them one by one as they struggled to dig their ways free. The SIA arrived afterward, and I will be contacting Agent Pastor later with the information I have gathered.¡±


    She studied him for a moment, wondering to herself if she should trust anything he had to say. ¡°... I didn¡¯t know Suni was working for SIA. I called her the night that you showed up, and she said that she didn¡¯t want to see you. She seemed to know what happened to you, and she didn¡¯t want anything to do with it.¡±


    Duke also studied her, also wondering if he should trust her words. ¡°... Alright.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    Verlsa frowned. ¡°I lost a job opportunity and needed the extra money, so I¡¯m staying here while renting out my-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ Do not give me some well-thought excuse,¡± muttered Duke. ¡°For years, all I have had from you is an address and a yearly Christmas card. Before that, there was that check you left behind to cover your half of the rent. I hadn¡¯t seen you or heard your voice in over six years, and now you are here pretending that you need my help? Why is that?¡±


    She looked away from him, letting out a fake laugh as she did so. ¡°I¡¯m not human.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m dead,¡± he replied harshly. His tone did much to hurt her feelings.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had to pretend that I was human my whole life, Duck-young. My body had started going all weird as I matured, and I freaked the fuck out. I¡¯m sorry, okay? I didn¡¯t want you to know.¡± She frowned all the harder as he gave her a stern look. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going to drag you into this world. It¡¯s not a safe one.¡±


    ¡°And it would have been my choice if I had wanted to be a part of it or not. Instead, I was murdered and forced into it.¡±


    ¡°I had no way of knowing that you were going to die,¡± she hissed between her teeth. ¡°I¡¯m here because I really do need a place to stay while I rent my place out. I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going yet, but I¡¯m moving out of Washington. I like living as a human, Duck-young. I don¡¯t want to get caught up with the demon court, or SIA, or DH, or any of that.¡±


    Duke looked down at the carpet. ¡°You¡¯re here because you will be permanently cutting contact from me, and you wanted enough time to say goodbye.¡±


    ¡°... Yeah.¡±


    He spun the chair towards the desk and began to tap away at the keyboard. ¡°If you will excuse me, I need to research a few items of interest. I will be leaving sometime in the afternoon or evening. There are still some actions that I wish to take in this case before I am left satisfied.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, of course¡­ I¡¯ll go wake up Adi and tell him that you¡¯re here.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Verlsa.¡±


    Duke waited for her to leave the room before he buried his face into his hands. He could barely make out the screen without his glasses, and it was a miracle in its own right that he managed to get here without crashing into anything. Though he wouldn¡¯t have been able to concentrate even if he could see.


    A part of him thought he wasn¡¯t able to feel pain anymore, yet the only thing he could experience at this moment was agony.

 Chapter Fourteen - Call to the Kings Legion

    Adi hadn¡¯t slept well. Janice had attempted to crawl into bed with him, and he had to block off his door with a chair. There was also a shouting match when Janice decided that Verlsa was also a suitable replacement. He decided that it was best to ignore everyone until the afternoon when hunger would be the only one to drive him from his room.


    He unwedged the chair from his door and found Sable waiting for him on the other side of the door. Her tail wagged bag and forth at the sight of him, and she nudged his hand with her nose. Verlsa was hiding out in the office, Janice was still asleep, and someone had brewed some coffee. Adi helped himself to a cup and to a container of leftover Chinese food.


    Sitting in his chair, her flicked on the television and noticed that it had been left on a news network. ¡°More analysis is needed, but several of the bodies may have already tested positive for a substance known as overjoy. A new designer drug known to cause realistic hallucinations and violent behavior, overjoy has a slightly sweet flavor and can easily be diluted in alcohol.


    Police now believe that someone willfully poisoned party goers Tuesday night. They traveled to a cemetery, where they began to attack each other. Several possible victims are still unaccounted for. Police are still looking for leads. Any photos or video of that night may hold valuable clues for this case.¡±


    ¡°The fuck?¡±


    ¡°That is the power of the SIA,¡± said Duke. He had heard Adi moving around and had come out of the office. ¡°People need to place blame in a tragedy, and when there is no clear killer, they blame the tools of destruction. Guns. Drugs. Social standing. We as a society are so quick to look around the truth of the matter.¡±


    Adi didn¡¯t bother to turn around. He just shook his head and raised his voice. ¡°My home is still full of unwanted guests. And did you at least bring back my car?¡±


    Duke pulled out his phone and began to dial in a number. ¡°I will handle it as time passes.¡± Windi answered as Duke put the phone on speaker. ¡°Atticus has bothered to wake up. What progress has your team made in regards to his case?¡±


    There was a pause before Windi responded. ¡°We are willing to give advice, but we must limit our overall presence within the case.¡± As she spoke, Verlsa also wandered out of the office so she could listen in. She pursed her lips as she leaned her back against the hallway wall. ¡°Inugami possess either living or dead human hosts, and mithryn are not immune.


    We fear that our agents will be susceptible to an attack, and they, in turn, will be used against Mister Wulfurt. You should consider staying at the fighting den until we have come up with a better strategy. Only demons are immune. We suggest that Miss Perlin contact her people and seek their advice since she appears to be the main target.¡±


    Duke waved off Verlsa, who was now rolling her eyes sarcastically. ¡°Should I continue my investigation?¡±


    ¡°You are to survey Mister Kenelm and inform us if he attempts to leave the area. We are currently devising a strategy to detain him and his associates. Is there anything else?¡±


    ¡°That will do it. I will contact you if my situation changes or if there is anything else I may need.¡±


    Verlsa scowled as he hung up the phone. ¡°And again, they shove their work off on someone else. All they ever do is wait for matters to take care of themselves and clean up what¡¯s left.¡±


    ¡°I am inclined to agree,¡± replied Duke, ¡°but it is a double-edged sword that we must wield for the time being.¡±


    ¡°Or it¡¯s a big sack of fuck all that we¡¯re swinging around, and we¡¯re the only ones being hit,¡± she spat back.


    ¡°Let us order our priorities and consider that DH removing themselves from the situation may be a blessing in disguise. May I continue?¡± He raised a brow at Verlsa, who glared at him in return. ¡°Atticus. Speak your woes.¡±


    ¡°That, that, and that,¡± he stated. He pointed at each of them in order. Sable was left out of his woes, as she had proved to be both loyal and adorable.


    Duke narrowed his eyes. ¡°And it will be handled in time.¡± He looked down at his phone and at the list he had made. ¡°We have two cases to concentrate on, and we will divide our forces on them accordingly. First and foremost is Atticus¡¯ safety. Aside from limiting his exposure to danger, what else can we do?¡±


    Adi leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs. He idly scratched at the top of Sable¡¯s head as she sat down next to him. ¡°I emailed my cousin Robbie. Since Sable was found near here, it might be related to what my uncle had been working on.¡±


    ¡°Your cousin who vanished?¡± Duke sought clarification.


    ¡°He¡¯s not talking to us, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s not checking his email,¡± replied Adi. A statement that made Duke shrug, as he may have a point. ¡°So, you know, we do know how to handle ourselves and aren¡¯t just sitting around doing nothing because you won¡¯t answer your phone.¡±


    Duke made a note about Robbie in his phone before putting it away in his pocket. ¡°I will be leaving soon.¡±


    ¡°Of course you are,¡± snarled Adi.


    ¡°I will be taking Janice¡¯s car this time. There is a night doctor who specializes in assisting Mithryn, and I will need to see him about a new pair of glasses.¡±


    Adi took a slow sip of his coffee. He maintained eye contact with Duke the entire time. The alpha in this household was him, and he will have his display of dominance in order to prove it. It was lukewarm and bitter, much like Adi¡¯s attitude towards his supposed mentor.


    Duke wasn¡¯t amused by the act. ¡°We must consider Janice¡¯s position in this. She is capable of bringing in demons to help with the investigation. They will be immune to the inugami¡¯s influence, but may attempt to take control of the situation in ways that will not benefit us.¡±


    Verlsa flung her hands in the air. ¡°Of course they won¡¯t benefit us! They¡¯re monsters. They¡¯d sooner off the lot of us, and harvest my organs for my magic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not true at all,¡± muttered Janice. She peeked out from her blanket nest, only somewhat aware of what was going on. ¡°Those of the demon court are good people.¡±


    ¡°Tell that to my dead parents,¡± hissed back Verlsa.


    ¡°Shut up,¡± said Adi in a raised voice. ¡°Just leave if you¡¯re going to complain, alright? Neither of you are going to kill an inugami for me, and I can¡¯t trust anything human.¡±


    Janice immediately began to fuss, while Verlsa walked down the hall and shut herself away in the office. ¡°But contacting the King¡¯s Legion is a little much. We¡¯re only supposed to do it for emergencies.¡± Adi glared at her. ¡°I was just planning on leaving. Not much could be done if I switch faces again, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ll still end up dead,¡± he growled back.


    ¡°... Alright, fine.¡± Janice looked about the room. ¡°I¡¯m going to make a mess of your wall over there for a moment. It will clean itself up afterward.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Janice walked over to the blank wall and sliced open the pad of her thumb with her tooth. She drew a large oval on the wall, as though it were a mirror, and left a thumbprint in the middle. ¡°My loyalties lie solely with the king.¡± Grains of glass began to form out of her blood. They began to bead together, forming a smooth surface within the oval.


    ¡°Thank you for contacting the King¡¯s hotline. Praise his wisdom.¡± Swirling colors turned into silver colored lips as a woman with a French accent began to speak. Her voice was quite soothing to listen to. ¡°Your conversation may be recorded for training purposes. Your email may also be registered with the crown in order to get the latest news and updates. Please state who you are attempting to contact today.¡±


    ¡°Investigation and protection services,¡± Janice replied. She ignored Duke as he took a few side steps towards her. This sort of magic was remarkable, and he was wondering how it was possible for any demon to conjure it.


    ¡°Thank you. One moment, please.¡±


    The image of the lips faded away, being replaced by a gnarly looking old man. He was dressed in a tunic made of woven flower petals and his red butterfly wings were fluttering behind him. It was exactly what Duke would imagine a fairy would look like, that is if Tinkerbell had been smoking for a hundred years and dunked in a vat of ugly.


    ¡°Yer gonna need ta ztate ya troublez.¡±


    Janice fixed her hair with a hand and began to mumble. ¡°I sort of killed a human under the effects of possession. Then I sort of ate him.¡±


    The faerie stared at her dumbfounded for a second. ¡°Dinnae seem like a large problem you got, eh? Zwept itself neatly under the rug.¡±


    ¡°But, uh, after that, there was a detective who was investigating that guy¡¯s disappearance. It turned out he was also possessed by a monster and he tried to kill my ex-boyfriend. So it kinda seems like there¡¯s an Inugami wielding mage that¡¯s trying to come after me.¡± Janice twiddled her thumbs nervously. Duke gave a sad nod to confirm the story, playing his role of background accessory perfectly.


    The fairy started to tap aimlessly at the air. ¡°Confounded new technologiez¡­¡± he swiped about randomly until a holographic screen appeared next to him. ¡°Humans are cleared fer zuccubuz procreation as long as there¡¯z no breeding, eh? Zo yer tezted and not knocked up?¡±


    ¡°Yes, all clear in that regard.¡± Janice leaned towards Duke. ¡°Succubuses can only reproduce if they¡¯ve eaten a male.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ Is an extremely interesting detail.¡± Duke nodded and folded his arms together.


    Adi tightened his grip on his mug. His face was one of absolute horror. ¡°You ate Desmond,¡± he hissed through his teeth.


    ¡°Yes, babe, I know. It¡¯s bad,¡± replied Janice as she nodded. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not pregnant!¡±


    ¡°We are¡­ Totally,¡± his expression shifted to one of amazement. ¡°Wow, we are never getting back together again. Just, no. Wow... No.¡±


    ¡°Adi! I¡¯m trying to talk here!¡± Janice waved between the magic mirror. ¡°We don¡¯t need to argue about that at this moment!¡±


    The faerie was unamused by this exchange, but he continued to type on his computer. ¡°Give it a weekz time and zomeone will zhow up ta zet it right.¡± He put in some more notes, then looked up and gave her a fake smile.


    ¡°That¡¯s way too long. I would like to have this issue resolved now.¡±


    ¡°I would like you to be out of my house now.¡±


    ¡°Shut up Adi!¡± Janice stamped her foot and flailed her arms at him. ¡°This is important!¡±


    ¡°Let me just look and zee what I can do.¡± He typed some more, leaning in close to the screen to read all the small details. ¡°Yer kind is ranked as a top tier in termz of protecting yerzelf. That meanz ya rank as low priority in cazez like thiz.¡± He typed a bit more. ¡°I can get zomeone there in¡­ One week.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s really way to lo-¡±


    ¡°Yer ticket number is 87043, and further updatez will be zent to ya email. Thank ya for making your concernz and known to the King. Praise hiz wisdom and know he lovez each and every one of uz.¡± The imaged cracked and shattered to nothingness, leaving the wall clean.


    Janice began to fume, stamping her foot again in the process. She stormed her way to the kitchen, grabbed herself a beer, and began to chug it. It wasn¡¯t much of a ladylike display, but Adi couldn¡¯t bring himself to be amused by her disheveled appearance. He was still to pissed off at her.


    Duke had already dialed a number and was holding the phone up to his ear. ¡°Hello, Enid. It¡¯s Duke. I am calling to confirm what time the doctor will be at the den.¡± He nodded a few times. ¡°I will attempt to be there at that time. My injuries were more severe than I thought, and I need to travel home to gather up more dirt for me to consume. It will take me a few hours to do so¡­ Yes, thank you. Send my apologies to Kenelm.¡±


    He hung up his phone and they began their investigation. Janice had been banned to the corner of the living room and was given a notebook. She was told to write in everything she had done over the past six months. Who she had slept with, who she had meetings with, anything relating to her job or day to day activities. Anything that would hold a clue.


    Duke was muttering his theories with Sable. As the first victim in the inugami case, she would be their key. Most important was the identity of her former master. However, she was still a dog. She could sit, she could fetch, but declaring proudly who her murderer was wasn¡¯t a skill she had quite mastered yet.


    Adi sat on the couch and was playing a game he had been putting off. He didn¡¯t have much to do, and it was better for everyone if he stayed out of the way. Janice complained until he had put on a headset, but that didn¡¯t stop him from annoying everyone once in a while by yelling that his teammates should be on point rather than mucking around elsewhere. Janice would rip a page out of her notebook and toss a ball of paper at his head to get him to shut up, and this only added to his fury.


    ¡°Has your cousin contacted you yet?¡± Duke walked over and tugged on Adi¡¯s headset. ¡°You mentioned that you had attempted to email him.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Let me check.¡± He pulled out his phone and noticed a new email. It was from Robbie, who wanted to talk right away. ¡°Yeah. He gave me his phone number.¡± Adi got up and walked towards his room, dialing in the number as he went.


    ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± The voice was his cousin¡¯s, but it sounded rushed and paranoid.


    ¡°It¡¯s me. Sorry about the delay, I just saw your email.¡± Adi closed the door after himself.¡±


    ¡°Adi? Oh, shit, it¡¯s good to hear from you. Are you still in the Seattle area?¡± He didn¡¯t sound relieved to know that it was Adi.


    Adi sat down on the edge of his bed. ¡°I moved into Grandpa¡¯s. Seattle was a little too, uh, hairy for my tastes.¡± He tried not to chuckle at his own joke but failed. ¡°I thought you got cursed by a gypsy woman.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that later. Actually tomorrow. I can meet you in Tacoma, but I want it to be a public area. Do you want to have lunch somewhere? You like chicken, right? You always did like your fried chicken.¡± He let out a high-pitched and nervous laugh.


    ¡°Sure, we can meet at a restaurant tomorrow. Just text me the address and I¡¯ll be there.¡± Adi looked up and glared at Duke, who was peeking through his bedroom door.


    ¡°Tell him you are bringing a date,¡± he whispered. Adi was puzzled by the request. ¡°You cannot risk being alone at this time. Tell him you are bringing a date.¡±


    ¡°Hey Robbie, I¡¯m actually supposed to be meeting my girlfriend tomorrow for a lunch date. Will it be okay if I brought her along?¡± Duke gave Adi a thumbs up. ¡°She already knows about what we do, so you can be open with her.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ That¡¯s perfect. I¡¯ll bring my wife,¡± he said with a pause. ¡°She¡¯s going to love meeting you, but just stay safe until then, okay Adi? We have a lot to talk about.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Robs. You know me, I¡¯m the worst at finding trouble. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± Adi hung up the phone and let out a sigh. He got up and was frustrated to see both Janice and Verlsa were hanging out within eavesdropping distance of his door.


    Janice immediately began to fluster. ¡°I have no idea what to wear tomorrow. I¡¯ve only ever met your stepfather before.¡± And she had worn the smallest possible red dress to that Christmas party. Tight red dresses and black lingerie were the only two things Adi was convinced she owned. Neither was appropriate for a lunch date with his cousin.


    Adi grimaced at the thought. ¡°Varsulala is going, not you.¡± Janice¡¯s face twisted with pain. ¡°You and me? We¡¯re oveeeerrrrrr.¡± He slid his hands across the open air to stress how over they were.


    ¡°But baby, now is really the time we need to be sticking together. With all the weird stuff that¡¯s been going on, I really need you.¡± Her bottom lip was quivering.


    Adi ripped the framed photo off of the wall, walked over to the kitchen, and hurled the piece into the garbage. ¡°Over!¡± He then stormed off to his bedroom and slammed the door behind him as Janice¡¯s eyes teared up again.


    ¡°A bit childish, but he has a point,¡± muttered Duke while Sable barked in agreement. ¡°Verlsa will be enough to act as his guard.¡±


    ¡°I never agreed to do that,¡± replied Verlsa bluntly.


    ¡°And she will be happy in knowing that the owner of this house is safe while he is under her care,¡± growled Duke between his teeth. Verlsa remained firm on her stance. With a sigh, he turned back to Janice, who was now a blubbering, teary-eyed mess. ¡°There is no need to be just as immature as Atticus is behaving at this moment. Let us take a moment to see what you have written down, and we will move on from there.¡±

 Chapter Fifteen - Date with a Carbuncle

    It took a lot of coaxing from Duke, but Verlsa agreed to go out on a date with Adi. She was busy straightening her cloche hat to make sure it and her bangs covered the stones on her forehead. Adi was sitting impatiently on the couch. Verlsa was taking her sweet time to get ready.


    Duke and Janice had disappeared overnight, but they had returned not that long ago. He was frowning over the level of detail that Janice had put into her reports. When he had mentioned before that any detail could be important, he didn¡¯t think she would put in so many completely useless ones, such as the brand of makeup she had worn during a day.


    ¡°We are assuming that your family had stumbled on the supernatural world, but sought to spread misinformation about it. Lars had been infected by a vampire and was thus purged by your uncle. This was shortly after Robbie had disappeared.¡± Duke sat down next to Adi and began to speak in a more gentler tone. ¡°We must also consider a different possibility.¡±


    Adi scooted away from the vampire. ¡°And that is?¡±


    ¡°That Wenzel knew nothing of the supernatural world, and is responsible for the murder of both his sons. Since the rest of your family is convinced that this world is real, he used that to his advantage and have been using the lot of you to cover up his own crimes.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Adi scoffed at the idea. ¡°If anything, Uncle Wenzel and them probably stumbled into this world the same way I did. Undereducated and underprepared. That¡¯s what got them killed.¡±


    With consideration towards Duke¡¯s orders to kill Adi, the vampire was inclined to side with that logic. ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    Verlsa stepped out of the office wearing something that she had borrowed from Janice. This was tighter on her, due to her wider frame, but covered more of her legs because she was shorter. Duke¡¯s jaw had nearly fallen off, and she walked over and smacked him across the back of the head.


    ¡°Let the kid live a little because his cousin thinks he¡¯s got game,¡± she snarled back.


    ¡°No thanks,¡± replied Adi as he waved his hand through the air. He then yelped as Verlsa threw a pillow at him. ¡°They¡¯ve seen pictures of me and Janice! They¡¯re all going to think I got dumped and downgraded when they see you.¡±


    Now Verlsa was the one whose jaw nearly fell off her mouth. She stood there for a moment, looking like a goldfish while her brain failed to comprehend what he had just said. ¡°I-I¡­ I have the power to be quite cruel, you little shit,¡± she growled back. ¡°Because I can heal anything.¡±


    ¡°And you,¡± said Adi with a pause, since he needed to consider what his next words would be very, very carefully, ¡°look absolutely ravishing today, my dear.¡± He glanced over to Duke, who was frowning at him. ¡°... And I am going to make sure you have a very nice date.¡± He let out another yelp as Verlsa kicked him in the shin.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just get the hell out of here before I change my mind.¡±


    They packed Sable in the car and went to a pub built in an old fire station. Sable waited in the car while the others went inside. Robbie was already there. He was taller and just as fit as Adi was, but his wife was short with waves of black hair. Adi pulled out a chair for Verlsa, and she immediately broke out introductions.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said with a purr. ¡°I¡¯m Verlsa Rivera. Adi is always telling me how important his family is. It¡¯s such a pleasure to finally be able to meet you.¡±


    Adi grinned from cheek to cheek, but he was gritting his teeth as he did so. ¡°I¡¯ve just been so busy with work that I haven¡¯t had time to introduce you to them yet, love.¡± He muttered a thank you as the waiter came by to give them a menu.


    ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you as well, Va¡­ Uh, Ve¡­ Either way, you look¡­¡± He lowered his voice as he addressed Adi. ¡°This isn¡¯t the same girl as the pictures you showed me last new years, right?¡±


    ¡°No. It turns out Janice was a bitch who was cheating on me, and my baby here has been helping me through it,¡± he said with another fake smile.


    Verlsa nodded sympathetically. ¡°We¡¯ve known each other for ages, and Adi didn¡¯t ruin our friendship, but I just couldn¡¯t let my poor baby suffer like that!¡± She clutched onto his arm. ¡°He¡¯s just the sweetest and best thing that¡¯s happened in my life.¡±


    ¡°And she¡¯s the best thing that¡¯s happened in mine,¡± cooed Adi. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly typed a message out on his phone. ¡°What the duck r u doing?¡±


    Robbie nodded, clearly uncomfortable by their lovey-dovey display. ¡°She¡¯s alright, right Adi? We can talk openly with her? About the family and...¡± He paused as Verlsa¡¯s purse beeped.


    ¡°I am just so sorry. I work as an accountant consultant, and I¡¯m always getting messages. Carry on. Just ignore me.¡± She pulled her phone out and began to check her messages.


    ¡°We started dating shortly after you left, and I wanted her to know everything before Uncle Wenzel started my training,¡± explained Adi. He glanced down at his phone as it buzzed. ¡°She¡¯s been nothing but supportive.¡±


    ¡°Being Janice. I thought you <3 the fake bitchy type. ;P¡±


    ¡°Pls stop.¡±


    Robbie sighed with relief. ¡°I think Lars was getting into whatever work dad was doing before he died. Do you know anything about that?¡±


    Adi blinked a few times. ¡°Uh¡­ Lars died months ago. It wasn¡¯t that long after you ran off.¡±


    ¡°Is that what dad told you?¡± Robbie grasped onto Rosa¡¯s hand. She wasn¡¯t saying anything at all. Rather, she was looking around nervously. Her nervousness increased as Adi nodded his head. ¡°What has been going on?¡±


    ¡°Lars was turned into a vampire, and Uncle Wenzel had to put him down. I became his apprentice last September, but I didn¡¯t get that much training until werewolves killed him. That¡¯s when I moved into Grandpa¡¯s, so I could carry on the business there.¡± Adi blinked a few times more as Robbie was stunned by the news. ¡°Was that not what I was supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe he scammed you too.¡± Robbie shook his head as the waiter stopped by. ¡°Sorry. We¡¯ll need a few more minutes.¡± The waiter nodded before walking away. ¡°Look, Adi, we¡¯re family. That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to be honest and tell you that you¡¯ve been a gullible idiot.¡±


    ¡°... Eh?¡±


    Robbie¡¯s face became strained as he thought about how he should phrase it. ¡°Everything about the hunting business is a scam. None of us ever thought it was real, at least any of the hunters. Our job was to trick the rest of the family into believing it was real and have them give us money. It¡¯s been like that for generations.¡±


    ¡°... What?¡±


    ¡°Exactly! We all thought it was fake!¡± Robbie gestured to Rosa. ¡°I was looking into some occult stuff so we could come up with some new stories for our Easter family gathering, and that¡¯s when I met Rosa. She thought I was the real deal, and that¡¯s when I found out that it really was all real.¡± Adi nodded slowly. ¡°I wanted to come clean. If all this stuff was real, we were going to be putting ourselves in danger, and it was time to put a stop to all of this.¡±


    Adi continued to nod slowly. ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, that would¡¯ve been a good time to pull out or something.¡± Verlsa bit onto her lower lip in order to keep herself from laughing, but neither Adi or Robbie noticed. She held the menu up to her face, pretending to look at it while she snickered.


    ¡°So that¡¯s why Lars got turned into a vampire?¡± Adi was still confused. Obviously, Lars and his uncle carried on after Robbie left. The honor of the Wulfert clan was at stake. They must have carried on just as Adi chose to do, regardless of if it had been a scam or not.


    ¡°I told dad what I knew, and he ended up stumbling upon the world himself shortly afterward,¡± said Robbie as he lowered his voice. ¡°He came to me saying he had gotten a deal. We could be real Wulfert hunters, continue making money from the family, and be rich on the side. I didn¡¯t ask for the details. I left.


    Later, Lars told me he and dad went into business together, but I told him not to tell me more. He said that he got into a fight and was turned into a vampire, and not to worry because he was in good hands. Dad and him were going to fake his death, and he was going underground.


    I tried to contact him when dad died to see what really happened, but I couldn¡¯t find anything about where Lars went. A week ago, someone from his group contacted me to say that a werewolf had stopped by and they attacked Lars and only Lars. They didn¡¯t have any more information than that.¡±


    Verlsa¡¯s tone was suddenly serious. ¡°If it was a week ago, and you knew that Adi was working with your dad, why didn¡¯t you talk to him sooner? Or even attempt to warn him?¡±Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want anything to do with the family anymore.¡± Robbie looked off to the side as he tensed his jaw. ¡°My boss started to act weird. I¡¯m not a stand out employee, but he gave me a massive raise out of nowhere and kept saying we should go out and celebrate.


    That¡¯s when Adi sent me that email about how he was attacked and my boss started to act weird the day after that. He¡¯s been strange enough that his wife came by trying to figure out if he¡¯s been having an affair. I don¡¯t want to seem paranoid, but I think he¡¯s also possessed. ¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re scared that you¡¯re the next target,¡± said Verlsa in a low and deadly tone. Robbie looked down at the table and nodded. ¡°So you called out Adi because you don¡¯t know who may be watching you. You wanted them to see that Adi was still alive, and you¡¯re going to take your chance to run while hoping they prioritize him as a target again.¡±


    Robbie straightened up in his chair, and he looked at Adi while ignoring Verlsa. ¡°Do you have any idea what dad was doing? Anything he could¡¯ve been working on that would¡¯ve gotten him and Lars in trouble?¡±


    Adi began to mutter, not knowing what to think anymore. ¡°All he had me do was memorize books. I had to figure everything else out on my own.¡±


    Robbie pulled out his wallet and tossed some cash on the table. ¡°Then you better figure it out.¡± He and Rosa stood up. ¡°We¡¯re taking a flight to the UK this afternoon. Rosa¡¯s family has some experience with this sort stuff, and we¡¯ll be safe with them. You should get out of the state while you can.¡± He strained his face for a moment while he tried to think of something else to say. ¡°Take care of yourself, Adi.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Yeah, you too.¡± Adi was too stunned to move. He sat there while Verlsa reached over and pocketed the cash.


    She then waved over a waiter. ¡°Two pints of the blackberry sour and an order of garlic tot fries. Thanks.¡±


    Adi shook his head. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we leave? You just said this was part of a trap to get me killed again.¡±


    ¡°And I am not leaving a pub without having a beer first,¡± she argued back. ¡°You took care of your uncle¡¯s assets after he died, right? What did you do with it all?¡±


    Adi had to think about it. While he did so, Verlsa pulled a tablet out of her bag and began to write down what he said. ¡°I donated the newer furniture to goodwill and put anything heirloom in the garage. That included any books and other documents he had, and uh, electronics as well. He didn¡¯t have much money, but that was put in a trust for Robbie to claim if he wanted it. The rest of it was the family fund for hunters, and that went to me.¡±


    Verlsa finished marking down what he said. ¡°Alright. Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do.¡± She then took out her phone and started to write out a text. ¡°I¡¯m going to tell Duke that we need to check out your uncle¡¯s finances in Seattle, then we¡¯re going to take our food and drinks out to the patio. That way Sable can sit out there with us instead of the car.¡± She hated the idea of leaving Sable locked up like that.


    ¡°There aren¡¯t any finances for us to check out there.¡±


    All Verlsa could do was laugh at the idea. ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re going to be here drinking beer while he goes through your uncle¡¯s paperwork back at the house. I¡¯m also going to look up where a dog park is because there is nothing wrong with making him do that by himself for a few hours.


    Adi grinned as the waiter set his beer down. ¡°Next round, we¡¯re trying out that pumpkin ale.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± She held up her mug, and the two toasted their glasses together.


    ***


    Janice was not a happy woman. Duke had a fragile body, leaving him unable to do simple tasks such as lift a series of boxes. At least, that is what he had told her. This kept her busy dealing with the assortment of spiders that had moved into the garage as she slowly moved boxes in the living room, and left her with little time to bother Duke as he did his research.


    Duke was entertaining himself with the handwritten texts that the Wulfert family had put together over the past few generations. All of them full of inaccurate information. The oddest part was that the older texts, copies from works from the 1700s, did seem to have the correct information. It was sometime during the mid-1800s where the inaccuracies showed up, leading Duke to believe that maybe the Wulfert family was at one time a group of serious hunters.


    A small wave was given to Adi and Verlsa as they walked through the door. He then frowned at the sight of Sable. Verlsa had bought the dog a winter coat and caps for her claws that made it look like she had a glittery pedicure. There was also a pink scarf about the dog¡¯s neck, and she was absolutely preening within delight, strutting this way and that as she walked about the living room.


    ¡°We have located an accounting ledger.¡± Duke gestured to a book on the coffee table.


    Verlsa was immediately drawn to it. She shoved Duke¡¯s legs off the couch and then raised the book in the air as she sat down. Duke then stretched his legs over her lap and she set the ledger on top of them so she could read it. Adi walked past them so he could put the beer they bought in the fridge.


    ¡°Shit.¡± Verlsa scanned through it quickly. ¡°How much fucking money were you guys scamming out of your family?¡±


    ¡°Maybe thirty thousand a year? Both Robbie and Lars had side jobs to help out, and Wenzel worked as an auto repairman when he was younger.¡± Adi leaned over the back of the couch. ¡°I was able to sell off the apartment for a little over a quarter million, and that¡¯s what I¡¯ve been living off of. Most of the family pulled out of giving a tithe when I took over.¡± And that was because they were pissed he gave up on a job with his stepfather in order to do this, saying that it was time to let the tradition end.


    ¡°Hold on, I¡¯m doing the math.¡± Verlsa¡¯s fingers danced in the air as she tapped at an imaginary calculator. ¡°I think he made over a hundred thousand during the three months before his death. A lot of the larger transactions are marked with ¡®Assorted MM,¡¯ and I¡¯ve got no clue what that means.¡±


    Duke looked up from his book. ¡°It could be many a thing, but it was likely a term he made up for his purposes.¡± He moved his legs as Verlsa tapped a finger against them. ¡°I¡¯m going to work on this in the office and work on my laptop in there. Tell me if you find anything else like this.¡±


    Adi looked over everything Duke had laid out. There was a binder that his uncle had made, but Adi hadn¡¯t gone through it before. It was put together with his financial documents, which Adi had kept in the event that there were arguments over the will or if Robbie had needed them. Now he picked it up, wondering if it may have had clues on where the money had come from.


    Instead, he found notes about the supernatural world. Mages, mithryn, demons. They all seemed more accurate than anything else he had seen. ¡°Have you seen any mages?¡± Adi flipped through the binder some more. ¡°You think DH has some?¡±


    ¡°They would have one or two. From my understanding, there were once many.¡± Duke sprawled out on the couch again after Verlsa had left. ¡°I haven¡¯t much of an idea where they left afterward though.¡±


    ¡°I would.¡± The two looked over at Janice, who was walking through the hall. She had just exited the shower and was only wearing a towel. ¡°They left.¡±


    Duke sat up, then immediately laid back down once he noticed that she wasn¡¯t wearing much at all. ¡°Where would they have gone?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t really know. I left France when I was fifteen, so I didn¡¯t really care about Firstborn History 101.¡± She sat on the edge of the couch while she thought about it. ¡°I know that the demon king at the time decreed that all demons must take on a human appearance and have their blood bonded by runic law or find themselves confined within the kingdom.


    A lot of them disagreed, and they ended up working with the mages to make some other world or something. Never had much of an interest in finding out where they went, since I only care about creatures who have pieces that fit with mine. None of my business anyways, really, since that was a few hundred years ago.¡±


    ¡°Then what¡¯s a mithrywhatever? I know vampires are some since Duke said as much, but mages aren¡¯t?¡± He then pulled off his own shirt and hurled it at Janice. ¡°New rule, all women are to remain dressed at all times unless you¡¯re Sable.¡± She frowned at him, and he responded by pointing firmly at his shirt.


    Duke kept the book over his face. ¡°Mithryn are humans who have been cursed by magic and have had their forms changed. Mages are descendants of demons and humans, who have inherited powers from their Firstborn blood. It¡¯s quite simple of an explanation.¡±


    Adi had to keep his eyes averted from Janice as well. Somehow her putting his shirt on had made her more appealing than her in just a towel, and he was trying really hard not to think about it. ¡°I wonder if demons have the same weaknesses as mithryn have. Mirrors against vampires, silver against werewolves, that sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°I can be trapped in a mirror if my true face were to see one,¡± replied Janice. ¡°That¡¯s why I don¡¯t have sex in slutty hotels or allow mirrors in the bedroom.¡±


    Both of the men slowly looked at her. ¡°... Where is your true face?¡± Adi asked in a high pitched voice.


    ¡°Not telling,¡± cooed Janice. ¡°And surely not every vampire is invisible in a mirror.¡± She walked over to her purse and pulled out a compact mirror. ¡°Should we try it on Duke?¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t suggest it,¡± he muttered.


    A faint click was heard as Janice opened the mirror, and Duke immediately rolled off the couch. He hid behind one end. When no one moved, he hurled the book he had at Janice. She chucked the compact mirror back at him, and he let out a high pitched squeal. His foot began to kick at it as it landed next to him.


    ¡°You¡­ You, uh, alright there?¡± Adi walked over and picked up the mirror, but Duke continued to cower.


    ¡°I have a touch of spectrophobia! It is completely natural for someone of my kind, and I will not hear either of you mock me for it!¡± Duke sputtered out in a loud and panicked voice.


    Adi tucked the mirror into his pocket and made a mental note to cover his office with mirrors later. ¡°It¡¯s gone now.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± Duke stood up, and his body cracked and popped as he did so. ¡°That binder that you were going through has some odd notes written in it. There are numbers next to certain creatures, and that may play into your uncle¡¯s sudden financial success.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± Adi went back to looking through the binder.


    Duke returned to sitting on the couch. ¡°The specific creatures marked are vampires, trolls, and werewolves. He also took time to write extra notes on mages. What is significant is the fact that all of those mithryn are quite plentiful within the Pacific Northwest. I suspect that he may have worked with them directly, and those were the amounts he could expect to make in exchange for certain goods. We will not know anything unless Verlsa can figure it out. I have never been one for math.¡±


    Adi lifted up the binder. ¡°I¡¯ll take this to her then. What should I work on after that?¡±


    ¡°Dinner,¡± muttered Janice. Adi glared at her. ¡°I¡¯m not cooking it, and you banned me from ordering out.¡±


    ¡°Because any weird delivery man could try shooting me,¡± growled back Adi. Verlsa had been going out to pick up food or doing the cooking herself, but he doubted that she would do anything tonight. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll make a casserole or something.¡±


    Janice inhaled sharply between her clenched teeth. ¡°That is rather high in calories though. All those carbs, and such.¡±


    ¡°And I will be certain to add in extra cream sauce and cheese, in order to offset those carbs,¡± growled back Adi. Janice glared at him. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll go ask Verlsa to pick something up, but you¡¯re paying for it this time.¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡±


    Duke let out a sigh as he stood up. He should have left Janice at the den with Kenelm, but she kept muttering that she didn¡¯t feel safe. ¡°Dinner is not a subject that entertains me, as I still have my elixir. I will take the binder to Verlsa.¡± He plucked it from Adi¡¯s hand. ¡°If you will excuse me, I have studying to accomplish.¡± Maybe he should be the one to hide out at the den. It was a far more peaceful place than here.

 Chapter Sixteen - Argument with a Succubus

    They got takeout from an expensive German place, but Adi had little to complain about. While Janice worked on her venison steak, he was dipping pieces of sausage in his beer cheese soup. Verlsa had put her food in the fridge so she could go to sleep, and Adi could occasionally hear Duke cursing as he concentrated on his own work.


    Adi was still going over his uncle¡¯s notes, finding out more about the man that he had spent his life admiring. There were all sorts of notes about how to spin lies, even how to fool modern technologies. No wonder his dad left his mom. Everything about this family was a mess.


    Janice hadn¡¯t bothered to change out of Adi¡¯s shirt. She was completely involved in her show. Some reality television about mothers who were also psychics who solve crimes with essential oils or some bullshit like that. Either way, their jabbering was beginning to annoy Adi.


    ¡°Turn the volume down, please.¡± He was especially getting annoyed at Janice¡¯s annoying laugh. As she ignored him, his annoyance only grew. Having had enough, he snatched the remote from out in front of her and turned off the television himself. ¡°Why do you have to be such a bitch?!¡±


    ¡°And why do you have to be the way you are, huh?¡± She immediately shouted back.


    Adi was flabbergasted by the accusation. ¡°What the hell? How have I been acting up?!¡±


    ¡°You never told me about any of this!¡± Janice waved an arm at all the documents. ¡°We were a couple, Adi! We were in love and we were going to get married! Yet I never heard about any of this.¡±


    Once again, he was flabbergasted. ¡°Whoa, I was not planning on asking you to marry me.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean we weren¡¯t a couple! If you had told me you were involved in this sort of mess, I could¡¯ve told you how dangerous it was. It¡¯s because you didn¡¯t trust me at all or try to understand me better. That¡¯s you ended up this mess in the first place. This is exactly why we broke up!¡±


    Adi was forced to take a slow breath. He put his hands on his lips and spoke quite slowly, being careful to enunciate every syllable so she would understand him. ¡°I treat you like a complete and utter bitch because¡­ Because you are one, Janice! Have I ever called you a whore because of Desmond or shoved it in your face that I know you left last night because you needed to get your fuck on? No! I understand that you¡¯re a monster who needs to do that in order to survive!


    I call you a bitch because that¡¯s exactly what you are! You made me pay for your rent and give you an allowance while we were together so you could live out your dream and become a painter, or a poet, or whatever artistic bullshit you were feeding me that week! You wanted to pick out my job for me, for me to work hard and build a life with you based on misery and selfishness, and one where you might EAT me if you ever felt your baby clock going off!


    But what really does it, and you need to make sure you¡¯re listening to me for this, is the fact that you are here. You¡¯re here wasting my time because your new guy isn¡¯t working out for you. You decided to take advantage of me again because now I know your little succubus secret.


    ¡°I¡¯m here because I¡¯m worried about you,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°No, you¡¯re here looking for protection! And I¡¯m the one stupid enough to give it to you because I¡¯m a decent human being! But when there¡¯s someone out to kill me, enough to the point where I¡¯ve already been shot and left for dead, do I get a kind word out of you? Do you ask me if I¡¯m okay? No! You¡¯d rather watch overweight psychopaths bitch about this and that rather than READ A DAMN BOOK!!!¡±


    He tossed the binder he was reading on the couch before going to the kitchen. Adi wasn¡¯t one to drink often, but he really needed a drink right now. Janice sniffled. She slowly grasped onto the binder and pulled it on her lap, not bothering to open it due to her emotional distress.


    ¡°A-Adi¡­¡±


    ¡°Make yourself useful, or get the fuck out of my house,¡± he growled out as he opened a beer. ¡°If you can¡¯t do research, clean up once in a while. Cook a meal or go get groceries. Once that demon friend of yours shows up and fixes everything, I never want to see or hear from you again. You owe me that.¡± As he walked back to the couch, he saw Verlsa standing awkwardly in the hallway. ¡°What?!¡± He spread out his arms and puffed out his chest like he was about to start a fight.


    ¡°Could you guys keep it down? I¡¯m trying to, uh¡­¡± She didn¡¯t want to admit she had been taking a nap. ¡°It¡¯s hard to concentrate on all this work, and Duck-young is being an ass and not letting me see what he¡¯s working on.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Because I am capable enough to figure it out on my own!¡± He called out from the office.


    ¡°Poor Ducky always did hate it whenever there was a brain teaser he couldn¡¯t figure out on his own,¡± she purred.


    ¡°It is a dead end. This is nothing more than gibberish conjured up by a doomed man seeking to make a quick buck,¡± he replied harshly. ¡°You can look at it yourself in the morning!¡±


    Verlsa folded her arms as she stared into the office. She walked in, and Adi could hear the signs of a struggle. Coming out victorious, Verlsa returned to the living room with both the ledger and the binder that Duke was looking through.


    Duke followed her, looking utterly defeated as he did so. He eyed where Adi¡¯s food was. Taste was one of the senses he lost first, replaced by the ability to sense out auras that mimicked what taste would be. What he wouldn¡¯t give for a beer battered anything at this moment. Any food he would consume would do nothing but rot in his stomach, and that was an issue he did not wish to deal with.


    He looked over to Janice, who was sitting there silently. Tears were streaming out of her eyes again. She looked up as he offered her a box of tissues and nodded as a thank you. Pulling out a tissue, she began to pat at her reddened nose in a dainty manner.


    ¡°Yep. I got it.¡± Verlsa knelt next to the coffee table and laid out both books. ¡°He was kidnapping mithryn, dismembering them, and selling the pieces on the black market.¡± She flipped back and forth between a page. ¡°These are probably what the individual pieces are worth.¡±


    A heavy silence hung in the room. It was finally interrupted by Janice, who could only mutter an ¡°Eww¡­¡±


    ¡°Then ¡®Assorted MM¡¯ could either be a term used for his sales, or it could be a clue for who his contact is,¡± muttered Duke in thought.


    Adi smacked his hand into his open palm. ¡°What if it¡¯s actually ¡®WW?¡¯ Uncle Wenzel was always a bit of a dyslexic. And he was killed by werewolves! It all makes sense!¡± Both Duke and Versla stared at him blankly. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You never cease to amaze me,¡± muttered Duke. Adi beamed at the statement. ¡°It was not a compliment.¡±


    ¡°It better than not coming up with anything!¡± Adi spat back.


    ¡°Sometimes silence is a great thing,¡± replied Verlsa. ¡°Let¡¯s look at what we do know. Seattle is run by the werewolves, and Seattle is where Wenzel was murdered. But what is there to be done about any of that?¡±


    Janice began to whisper from the couch. ¡°... Enid is a werewolf.¡±


    Duke nodded firmly. ¡°And Kenelm implied that the tribes were easily bribed to look the other way. Wenzel would not have been able to succeed at his newfound profession. He had connections. Ones that either betrayed him or are also being hunted down. It isn¡¯t hard to imagine why that is, but the who is our problem.¡±


    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that you¡¯re leaving again?¡± Adi folded his arms. Verlsa turned out to not be so bad, but he might need Duke around. Then again, Duke might not be immune to the inugami, and he didn¡¯t need a foe with jiangshi powers after him.


    ¡°And I will not be able to predict when I will return this time,¡± said Duke as he reached into his jacket¡¯s pocket. He pulled out a thick envelope and passed it to Adi. ¡°This will tide you over for a time.¡±


    Adi opened it up and thumbed through the multitude of hundred dollar bills within. ¡°... Okay, what the fuck is this?¡±


    ¡°Questioning it would be the same as looking a gift horse in the mouth.¡± Duke then turned to Janice. ¡°You should gather what you need and quickly ready yourself to leave.¡±


    Verlsa had wandered over to the kitchen to reheat her schnitzel in the oven. She and Duke then sat on the couch, going over documents together. They muttered back and forth as one would point at a detail, and the other would either nod or dismiss it.


    Adi watched them talk. He looked down the hall, to where Janice was no doubt going to take an hour to get herself ready. With a sigh, he began to clean up their dinner. ¡°How do you guys do it?¡± He asked as he entered the kitchen.


    Duke looked from his work. ¡°It is as simple as looking at the facts, seeing what possibilities there are, and working to eliminate them one by one until the truth emerges.¡± He blinked a few times. ¡°Janice is likely not a prime target in this investigation. She was simply a means to get to you, and we should assume that she will remain safe as long as our malevolent force does not realize that the two of you are still involved.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s great and all,¡± he said sarcastically,¡± but I meant how do you two function as a couple?¡± Adi sighed again, much heavier this time. ¡°You guys fight, but when you¡¯re together, you¡¯re perfectly in sync. How did you guys get to that point?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not a couple,¡± replied Verlsa in a flat tone.


    Adi rolled his eyes. ¡°You know what I mean. You used to date, but now you¡¯re really good friends or something.¡± The two stared at him. ¡°Are you serious? You two have absolutely done it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dead,¡± replied Duke. ¡°I assure you that you do not wish to know the state my penis is in now.¡±


    ¡°Shit, my dinner!¡± Verlsa rushed past Adi and yanked open the oven door. ¡°I forgot to set a timer!¡± She sighed with relief as it seemed okay. Rather, it was hardly warmed. Though while she was in the kitchen, she lowered her voice to a deathly tone. ¡°Bring it up again, and I will butterfly your chest cavity open and force you to stare at your still beating heart while it struggles to survive.¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The color drained out of Adi¡¯s face. He took a step away from her as she fetched a plate and began to load her food on it. ¡°... O-okay.¡±


    Verlsa smiled at him as she walked past again. ¡°Awesome. I¡¯m going to watch some TV now. You should keep on doing what you¡¯re doing.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, yeah I will,¡± muttered Adi, wondering if he was indeed safer with Verlsa over an inugami.

 Chapter Seventeen - My Possession

    Janice drove while Duke spoke on the phone. He wanted to notify Windi of what they had discovered. Working with DH was an unstable relationship. Duke fed them information, they refused to help fix his problems, but they did give him opportunities to feed. In a way, it wasn¡¯t much better than what Kenelm had wanted to do with those jiangshi.


    ¡°It¡¯s not as easy as approaching the tribes directly,¡± explained Windi. ¡°We must have evidence that they were in the wrong first before we even approach them.¡±


    ¡°I will ask Verlsa to scan the documents and process them into a PDF. She will be able to email it to you,¡± replied Duke.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Thank you¡­¡± Muttered the over 200-year-old Windi.


    Duke realized his mistake and backtracked on his statement. ¡°Is there someone at your organization who is better suited to be the recipient of such items?¡±


    ¡°I will have Vila contact you. Thank you for bringing this to our attention.¡±


    Janice looked at him out of the corner of her eye as he hung up. ¡°Adi is going to be safe, right?¡±


    ¡°Verlsa is an excellent caretaker. She will keep him safe,¡± replied Duke. The looked around as they pulled up to the farm. ¡°I do not expect you to work on reconnaissance. You do what you can to ease the mood and I will ask around to see what the denizens know.¡±


    They entered as a pair and saw that the fights were already in full swing. The naga from before was fighting against a tiger. Duke was happy to see that those here held just as much regard towards endangered species as they did towards mithryn, and he felt joy in a strong, sarcastic sort of way. He scoffed at the scene as they headed towards the rooms.


    Kenelm was wearing nothing but a silk robe as he relaxed upon his couch. He was scratching behind the ear of a woman neither Duke or Janice recognized, but she was wearing a leopard printed catsuit with an interesting zipper placement. They were watching the fight together on a large flat screen.


    ¡°The deal with my women is that they are supposed to stay by my side for when they¡¯re needed,¡± scolded Kenelm as his eyes locked onto Janice. ¡°I am simply not a plaything for you to have at night.¡± He scratched behind the new girl¡¯s ears harder, and she let out a purring sound.


    Janice also began to purr. ¡°Aww, Kenny.¡± She walked over and rubbed a hand sensually against his shoulder. ¡°It was so generous that you got me a new playmate. I can¡¯t wait to play with the both of you together.¡±


    Kenelm wasn¡¯t amused. ¡°And how will I know that you won¡¯t run off again?¡±


    Duke partially raised his hand. ¡°I would like to know what work there is assigned for me to do today.¡±


    A scoff escaped Kenelm¡¯s lips. ¡°We are stuck in a limbo as we lay low for the time being. I have no urges to go out and sightsee for the time being. You are free to do as you wish, but be certain that I will not be paying for time not spent with me or my entourage.¡±


    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±


    Duke quickly excused himself while Kenelm made up ways he was going to punish Janice¡¯s lack of loyalty. Some of the entourage retired early, but Enid stayed up late. She was in the bedroom, watching the fight by herself. Tinnlie, the female fairy of the group, was sprawled out on the bed.


    Enid was sitting next to the bed, and she and Tinnlie were splitting a bowl of popcorn while they watched Star Trek. Sci-Fi shows were especially popular among the mithryn crowd. Worlds where humanity worked hand in hand with humanoid creatures without fear of prejudice. Twas the dream that was denied to the majority of them.


    ¡°Evening,¡± muttered Duke as he walked over. He stood behind Enid, leaned against the nightstand, and watched the show with them for a time.


    ¡°Where are you always hopping off to?¡± Enid looked over her shoulder.


    ¡°Elixir is fine and all, but the warmth of a human life is far more satisfying,¡± he replied coldly. Enid shrugged and turned back around. A few moments passed before Duke spoke again. ¡°Pardon for the intrusion, but is the reason for your presence here due to you not being close to a pack?¡±


    Enid looked over her shoulder again, this time with a harsh glare. ¡°We don¡¯t call it a pack,¡± she growled out. Duke raised an eyebrow, and she replied with a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re tribes. Packs are wild animals. And for your information, I am in between tribes at the moment. When we come of age, we venture out into the world and decide if we are going to rejoin our own tribe or join another.¡±


    Tinnlie grinned widely. ¡°And we are going to spend Enid¡¯s freedom partying!¡±


    That was pleasant and all, but Duke needed Enid for information about the tribes. ¡°I heard an ill rumor from my nest that a hunter has taken up working again. Former associates of a man named Wenzel Wulfert.¡± Duke paused, only now realizing what a horrid name the man had been cursed with. ¡°Regardless, I had heard he had died in Seattle, and that the tribes might know more.¡±


    All Enid had wanted to do was to enjoy an evening relaxing, but this vampire was trying to ask her all sorts of annoying questions. ¡°I hadn¡¯t heard of him.¡±


    ¡°Those of my nest had informed me that Mister Wulfert had been massacred by werewolves. He was torn asunder in his own home.¡±


    ¡°And my kind doesn¡¯t kill any humans in Seattle. That¡¯s the treaty we have with the SIA. Any humans who find out about our world or interfere with it are to be reported to them. If your brood is being bothered by organ hunters, they should report them too.¡± She grinned. ¡°Oh wait, you can¡¯t. SIA will be more than happy to tear apart hoppers like you.¡±


    Tinnlie rolled closer to the edge of the bed and pawed at Enid¡¯s leg. ¡°Heeey. Let¡¯s be nice, okay? We should just all watch the show together and play games afterward, right?¡±


    ¡°He isn¡¯t our friend. He¡¯s Kenny¡¯s employee, and he¡¯s staying here when we leave.¡± Tinnlie pawed at her leg again while pouting. ¡°Fine.¡± She looked over to Duke again. ¡°We¡¯re going to be playing Carcassonne after this episode. It¡¯s this weird board game where you build and claim cities, but Tinnlie loves it. You going to be around?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Perhaps at a later date. Kenelm has notified me that he will not be needing my services this evening, and I will be leaving again shortly to get myself another meal.¡± Duke put his hands on his hips as Tinnlie rolled on her back and began to paw at the air near him. ¡°A man has got to eat.¡±


    As he excused himself, Duke retrieved his phone. He began to text Windi. DH would either have records for Wenzel Wulfert or be able to get them from the SIA. Small steps at a time. They will find out who is behind these murders.


    ***


    Adi eyed Sable as she paced back and forth by the patio door. She was whining, but she would block him off if he attempted to open it. ¡°Did Sable get dinner?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I fed her some beef tail and gave her a piece of yam afterward,¡± called back Verlsa. She was working on the couch.


    He continued to watch her as she paced about. ¡°You spoil her too much.¡±


    ¡°She still thinks she¡¯s a dog. Let her do dog things,¡± replied Verlsa.


    Adi saw some bushes in his backyard rustle about. ¡°Sable.¡± The dog looked up at him. ¡°It¡¯s probably just a raccoon.¡± She growled. ¡°You¡¯re the one who is supposed to guard this house, and you let one little raccoon bother you?¡± She growled again, this time in a low and deathly tone. ¡°I will chase it off myself then in order to show you how it¡¯s done.¡±


    Sable immediately grabbed onto the hem of his shirt and began to tug on it. Adi ignored her and flung open the patio door. He had to brace himself, and he held his arms up as he was assaulted by a strong gust of wind. Verlsa let out a yelp and began to flail about in an effort to stop all of her papers from flying about.


    ¡°Shut the door!¡±


    Adi immediately shut it. ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡± Sable continued to growl loudly while tugging on his shirt. ¡°Let go.¡± He flicked her nose, which startled her. She began to bark loudly at him. ¡°What is your problem?¡±


    ¡°Because you didn¡¯t listen to her,¡± muttered Verlsa. ¡°She wants to protect you, and you go against what she asks.¡±


    Adi began to head to his room. ¡°Right, right. I¡¯ll make sure to not give her a reason to bark at me again,¡± he muttered as Sable continued to growl at him.


    Verlsa continued to pick up and organize papers. It wasn¡¯t long before Sable¡¯s growling had stopped completely. Adi returned shortly. He had put on a jacket and was heading towards the front door. His hand was digging around his pocket as he looked for his car keys.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Verlsa looked up from her work, too tired to deal with anything at the moment.


    ¡°Getting munchies,¡± he calmly replied.


    ¡°... Why?¡±


    ¡°Because why does anyone get munchies?¡± Adi smoked an invisible joint to demonstrate his point.


    Verlsa looked from Adi to her work, to Adi again. ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± She stood up and began to put on her own jacket.


    ¡°Cool. I want-¡±


    ¡°Nope. The only thing that goes with weed is my stoner rice.¡± Verlsa frowned as Adi stared at her in a bewildered manner. ¡°It¡¯s curry fried rice mixed with pepper bacon, crispy chow mein noodles, and topped with teriyaki glazed dinosaur chicken nuggets.¡±


    ¡°That sounds amazing, but way too much effort for a blunt,¡± replied Adi.


    ¡°We have almost everything for it, I just need to pick up the chicken nuggets,¡± said Verlsa. ¡°I just need you to put a few strips of bacon in the oven at 400 for twelve to fifteen minutes.¡±


    Verlsa headed out and picked up everything she needed plus a little bit extra. Her phone began to ring as she was on her way back. Duke was calling. First, he refused to answer her calls, but now he wouldn¡¯t stop bothering her.


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    Duke spoke in a hushed tone, and Verlsa could hear that he was driving in the background. ¡°I have had some time to think about it, and I believe that you and Atticus should head to a pet-friendly hotel immediately.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re fine at the house, Duck-young. Even if the inugami shows up, it¡¯s only going to be one guy. I can handle one guy.¡±


    ¡°I have a different concern,¡± he muttered. ¡°I spoke with Windi, and she passed on the details of the case involving Atticus¡¯ uncle. When SIA contacted the tribes, they provided evidence that Mister Wulfert was in the organ trade, and that they were concerned that he was a victim of self-defense. The victim was likely in hiding out of fear of what would happen to them if they came forward, as part of the treaty states that the werewolves are not to take actions against humans directly.¡±


    ¡°And they bought that fuckload of lies?¡±


    ¡°Precisely. However, the more I think about it, the more I believe that this is simply the hypothesis the tribes came up with, and they themselves know little of what is happening. If the targets were known, why use the inugami to possess those around them? Mister Wulfert was enough to get revenge against his sons, and Atticus, and then he would have either killed himself or gone to jail for murder. Even a foolish killer wouldn¡¯t choose such a roundabout method to finish the crime.¡±


    Verlsa pulled to a stop at a red light. ¡°Robbie¡¯s boss was the one possessed. If it were me, I would¡¯ve targeted him to use against Atticus, but it was mentioned that he married a gypsy. I was thinking that they used some sort of magical protection.¡±


    Duke pulled up to in front of Adi¡¯s house and stopped the car. ¡°I hold a different theory. What if the inugami is unable to possess the members of the Wulfert family? Or if the possession doesn¡¯t work properly? There is some evidence among the family¡¯s records that show that they may have been true hunters at one time. That role may have been brought about due to some natural resistances against harmful magic.


    Windi was given pictures of Mister Wulfert¡¯s body, and she theorized that he was attacked by a large dog or wolf, not a werewolf. I believe that the inugami did attempt to possess Mister Wulfert, was somehow driven back, and as it panicked for a solution, accidentally killed him in process.¡±


    The news worried Verlsa. ¡°Even if the inugami could attack Adi directly, Sable has been protecting him. Robbie was an ass by calling Adi out in the open, but we can handle it.¡±


    ¡°I fear that I may have weakened him. When we faced off against the wendigo, I felt as though I wouldn¡¯t be able to safely fight the creature and protect Adi at the same time. I consumed much of his energy in an effort to give the creature trouble in tracking him. It may have weakened his natural resistances against possession.¡±


    ¡°He still has Sable and me. If it makes you comfortable, then Adi and I will take Sable and head out to a hotel a few hours south. We¡¯ll make our way to Portland or something.¡± Verlsa pulled up to the house as well, frowning at the sight of Janice¡¯s car in the driveway. ¡°Did you seriously not trust me enough to watch Adi on my own? Where¡¯s his car? Did you kidnap him?¡±


    Duke was in Adi¡¯s bedroom. ¡°I fear not. You should come inside.¡±


    He looked down at Sable with a frown. The poor barghest had her legs wrapped up in duct tape, and her muzzle was so covered that she couldn¡¯t even breathe. Duke knelt down and began to do what he could to work the tape off of her.


    ¡°Oh, god.¡± Verlsa stared at the scene from the doorway. She pulled a knife from her pocket and began to cut the dog free. Sable began to whine loudly and struggle against her bindings. ¡°It¡¯s okay, girl. We got you.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had the chance to look around yet. It¡¯s quite possible that Atticus is lying dead in some other part of the house or the backyard.¡± Duke took a step back so Verlsa could do the brunt of the work. Touching the dog made him nervous, and he preferred to not do it.


    Verlsa shook her head. ¡°I think something happened to him. There was a strong gust of wind when he opened the back door for Sable, and he tried to leave on a snack run right afterward. Bastard took off when I went off for him. She smiled as Sable stood up. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Sable is going to be the one to fix this.¡±

 Chapter Eighteen - Im not what I was.

    ¡°Alright, Sable. I¡¯m going to need you to pay close attention to what I¡¯m going to say.¡± Verlsa knelt down in front of the dog and dug her fingers into the fur of Sable¡¯s cheeks. ¡°You¡¯re dead now. You¡¯re not a normal dog. That¡¯s just something you¡¯re going to have to get used to.¡±


    Duke was staying at least five steps back from the pair. ¡°There isn¡¯t a need to speak to her in such a harsh manner.¡±


    Verlsa shot him a quick glare. ¡°Shh!¡± She scratched behind Sable¡¯s ears. ¡°There is something different about you, and you¡¯re trying to ignore it because it¡¯s scary. I understand what it¡¯s like to go through weird changes, but it¡¯s okay. You chose to come here because you¡¯ve been looking for your master. You¡¯ve been protecting Adi because you don¡¯t want your master to be a bad person.


    That¡¯s why I¡¯m asking you to help us find your master. The one who raised you. We¡¯ve got to stop him from hurting Adi, and we need your special self to help us. That¡¯s what you are now, Sable. You¡¯re special, and you¡¯re the only one that can help us save Adi.¡±


    Sable tilted her head from left to right as she absorbed what Verlsa was telling her. She let out a woof. It was a confident woof muttered to boost her self-esteem. Spinning about her hind legs, she leaped through a wall, phasing through it completely.


    Duke stared at the wall, specifically at the dust bunnies swirling about. ¡°You should have specified that she was supposed to bring us with her.¡± The both of them looked towards the door as a car horn honked outside.


    Without another word to each other, they went outside and saw Janice¡¯s car shudder. The lights were flickering on and off, and after a moment of effort, the engine started up. There was no sign of a driver or Sable anywhere.


    ¡°Please inform me that my hypothesis about this is wrong,¡± muttered Duke. He took a step back as Verlsa walked up to the car. ¡°You will back away from Christine this instant!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Verlsa rolled her eyes. ¡°It¡¯s fine, Duck-young. Quit being a baby.¡±


    ¡°Please, Verlsa. You have much to live for. I will go in your place.¡± Verlsa rolled her eyes again, with more emphasis this time. ¡°This is a dog possessed vehicle. She has little understanding of the rules of the road, and even if she did, she is colorblind. Every stoplight will be a hazard, and I shudder to think for when she attempts to wag her tail.¡±


    Verlsa sat in the driver¡¯s seat, much to Duke¡¯s horror. ¡°It¡¯s not my car,¡± she stated. ¡°And we¡¯ve got to get to your little apprentice before he drops dead, right? Just get in.¡±


    Duke hesitantly got into the passenger side and began to say every prayer that came to mind. The car took off in a serving pattern. Occasionally, it would stop, and the front end would bounce as Sable sniffed at the air. It did nothing to appease Duke, who had somehow turned even more so a deathly pale.


    ¡°What do we do when we get there?¡± Verlsa kept her hands on the steering wheel.


    ¡°I would assume we evaluate the situation as it presents itself to us. If the summoner is there, we may have to kill him. However, in the event that it is only Atticus, we will disable him and bring him back by force.¡±


    Verlsa frowned. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that it¡¯s going to possess you?¡±


    "It has possessed a dead body before, however, I am a dead body already possessed by¡­ Well, myself. It may have some difficulties if it attempted to do so.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good?¡± Verlsa shook her head. ¡°Shit, how the hell did we end up doing this? We¡¯ve always been shit at coming up with plans.¡± She glanced over as Duke¡¯s body tensed up. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°... Moving body of water,¡± he muttered.


    Verlsa looked ahead and noticed that they were pulling up to a bridge. ¡°What is with you and having the dumbest of weaknesses?¡±


    ¡°I cannot help what phobias I have developed since my passing!¡± He shouted back.


    The car came to a stop, and Sable appeared in front of it as it shut down. There were two figures on the bridge, and both were standing by the edge with a different car nearby. One had a bag over their head, and a rope tied about their neck.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Adi!¡± Verlsa cried out in an attempt to make him come to his senses, but the man didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°That¡¯s the harmonizer.¡± Duke narrowed his eyes at the sight. It was indeed the mage that he had seen within the graveyard. ¡°You¡¯re certainly out late tonight!¡± He called out to the man.


    The man looked down as Sable trotted up to him. ¡°... Midnight.¡± He knelt down and began to examine her face. ¡°You¡¯ve got your head again.¡±


    Duke ignored Verlsa as she pulled out a pistol. He continued to walk towards the pair. ¡°I will have you know that you have taken possession of my prey! It would be wise for you to hand him over and allow me the pleasure of finishing him off!¡±


    ¡°Jiangshi¡­¡± The mage reached into his pocket and tossed out a handful of rice in front of him. It made Duke freeze up and take a step back. ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting this one longer. And tell Kenelm that I wouldn¡¯t be interested in making a new deal.¡±


    Verlsa looked between Duke and the mage. ¡°We need to leave. I know you want to save the kid, but he knows your weaknesses.¡± Sable began to whine even as her former master stroked her head. ¡°We can¡¯t handle this.¡±


    Duke held his ground. ¡°I understand that Wenzel Wulfert hurt you, however, Atticus Wulfert took no part in his crimes. He is simply a naive man who only recently found out the truth behind his uncle¡¯s actions. I ask that you let him be and know that your thirst for vengeance has been satisfied.¡± Sable pulled away from the mage and trotted back to the pair. She had her tail between her legs and was continuing to whine.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t stop,¡± announced the mage. ¡°How many times did the Wulfert victims beg for mercy? They were tortured, cut apart, and sold off piece by a madman. The dead are more than capable of suffering, jiangshi, and I am giving him that lesson personally.¡± He laughed to himself. ¡°He was sent to kill us because they feared us, and instead they awakened a monster who had no idea what it was capable of before.¡±


    Verlsa took a step back. ¡°Duck-young¡­ Y-you need to go...¡±


    ¡°I have it under control,¡± he whispered back. His eyes widened as the mage flicked his hand, and the man in the hood jumped off the side of the bridge. ¡°Atticus!¡±


    Duke took a step forward, then fell to his knees as Verlsa shot him to the back. He turned around to get a look at her. Verlsa¡¯s eyes had glazed over, and she held the gun firmly with both hands. As he opened his mouth to say something to her, she shot him again in the chest.


    ¡°All of us are nothing but cattle! We are ignorant to the world around us until the day we are brought to slaughter!¡± The mage called out.


    Duke felt the strings on his back tugging at him. Something was happening at this moment, and Ur was attempting to warn him. He clutched at his stomach in an effort to keep the ichor from leaking out. ¡°Let h-her go,¡± he managed to gasp out.


    ¡°This is my resolve!¡± Cried out the mage. His hands began to puppet about the air, further strengthening his hold on Verlsa.


    Duke attempted to lunge towards Verlsa if only to wrestle the gun away, but Sable pounced at him. She dragged him back to the ground as Verlsa shot him again, this time in the shoulder. He felt his senses abandon him at that moment. His hand gripped at Sable¡¯s ear as he yanked her off of him, and she bounced along the road with a pained yelp.


    ¡°Heel, Midnight!¡± Sable trotted over, looking defeated as she did so. ¡°Apologies that you were caught up in this, jiangshi. I appreciate that you have returned my dog to me!¡±


    His thanks fell upon deaf ears. Duke charged at Verlsa again, pulling off his glove with his teeth as he did so. He succeeded in placing his hand against the back of her neck. The gesture left her paralyzed, and he wrapped her up within his arms. Their lips met, and he began to feed directly from her soul.


    It was bliss.


    Her magic flowed within him. His wounds began to heal as the color from Verlsa faded. Even as she became a dead weight within his arms, he relished in the meal which she provided for him. As he let go, his hand gently grazed her cheek, and his eyes began to focus on her face.


    ¡°No¡­ N-no, Verlsa...¡± He shook her, but she remained limp. His eyes flitted to where the rope was tied to the bridge. It was too late to save Adi now. ¡°I-I didn¡¯t¡­¡±


    Was she cold? He wasn¡¯t able to tell. Her breath was so shallow, leaving faint puffs of mists in the night air. He pulled off his scarf and wrapped it about her neck. Lifting her up, he took care to put her in the back of the car and placed his jacket on top of her like a blanket.


    Duke started the car and sped off into the night. ¡°Windi!¡± He shouted into his phone. ¡°I am driving away from the 27th bridge in Tacoma. I am in desperate need of a healer.¡±


    ¡°I thought you had one already.¡±


    ¡°Verlsa is the one injured.¡± Duke¡¯s voice was wavering as he spoke. ¡°There¡­ There was an incident, and I fear that I am the one who has put her in this position.¡±


    He could hear Windi talking in the background. She was relaying the information to someone else, and they were speaking back to her. ¡°I am texting you an address.¡±


    ¡°It is imperative that you send a team out to the 27th bridge. Atticus¡­ A-Atticus is there.¡± Duke¡¯s hand tightened on the steering wheel. ¡°I was not able to retrieve his body. I-I prioritized Verlsa¡¯s care.¡±


    ¡°And there isn¡¯t a problem with that,¡± replied Windi. ¡°Our base is located in Renton. You will need to take the-¡±


    ¡°Text me the address and I will be there within thirty minutes,¡± replied Duke.


    He hung up the phone and watched for the text to come in as he got onto the freeway. The bullet holes had already sealed, thanks to Verlsa¡¯s magic. Even the bones that Sable had fractured when she tackled his arm had mended themselves. What a horrible feeling it was though. The more whole he became, the emptier he was beginning to feel.

 Chapter Nineteen - Comfort

    Duke was expecting something different. Perhaps an arcane circle, or even a potion. Instead, Verlsa had been placed in a regular hospital bed. Her body was tied up with machines, an oxygen mask had been put on her face, and she had been given an IV drip. Instead of a hospital room, it was an office, and a wide window allowed Duke and Rachel to watch her as she slept.


    ¡°Her aura is quite dim,¡± said Rachel. ¡°It reminds me of the fluttering wings of a butterfly.¡±


    ¡°The butterfly is known to symbolize death in several cultures.¡±


    Rachel turned to him with a frown. ¡°Aren¡¯t you just a downer.¡± Duke sighed at the statement. ¡°Go in and talk to her. I¡¯m sure she will appreciate it.¡±


    ¡°And are you not afraid that I will go in and finish the job?¡± He asked with a glare.


    Rachel looked him over. His shirt was stained with ichor, and his hair was a mess from him running his hands through it over and over again from worry. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you to figure it out on your own, alright?¡±


    Duke watched her walk off before entering the room. He didn¡¯t speak right away, preferring to watch Verlsa as she slept. After a while, he pulled out his phone and dialed Adi¡¯s number, and waited patiently for it to go to voicemail.


    ¡°You asked us before how we were able to function,¡± he said in a quiet voice. ¡°... Verlsa and I met in fourth grade. My grandmother would make lunches for me, but Korean food has a noticeable odor. None of the other children sat with me as a result.


    I explained to my grandmother that I wanted to buy lunch like the other children. There was even a new girl in my class, one who didn¡¯t have a family of her own, and even she had people to sit with her. My grandmother, being the wonderful woman that she is, sent me to school that day with two lunches. One for myself, and one for the girl.


    Verlsa adamantly refused to take it. She didn¡¯t appreciate handouts. That is when Callie appeared as nowhere and attempted to trade me a lunch she had brought from home. Her uncle had made her a radish sandwich and nothing else. When I told my grandmother about it, she sent me to school with three lunches. The three of us had stayed together from that day on.


    You see, Atticus, there is no magic formula for being with another. Sometimes there are connections we make in life that transcend the bonds we have with either love or family. I do not know if it has anything to do with fate or luck, but the two of us continue to orbit about each other, no matter how toxic we have become. It is because of our own stupidity and selfishness that we continue to do so.¡±


    He hung up, and Rachel was waving at him from outside the room. ¡°A moment.¡± Duke needed to take a second to look over Verlsa again, before shaking his head and heading out the office.


    ¡°Agent Pastor called back to say that they pulled up the body from the bridge,¡± she said with a reassuring smile. ¡°It wasn¡¯t Mister Wulfert. We believe it was a demon, so Mister Pastor is contacting someone at the demon court to help identify them.¡±


    Duke wasn¡¯t comforted by the news. ¡°I thought the inugami was unable to possess demon hosts.¡±


    ¡°Our murderer is a harmonizer,¡± she replied. When Duke frowned at the response, she began to fumble about in an effort to explain. ¡°There are all sorts of harmonizers. They¡¯re mages able to manipulate magic or even conjure magical fields. Certain groups of us are able to create mithryn, and our target is able to use his skills to take control of demons. It¡¯s likely he created the inugami in order to control people too.¡±


    A person who had gone through a considerable amount of effort to have complete control over anyone that may come after them. They¡¯ve had plenty of time to prepare, but Duke wondered what their end game would be. The Wulferts were not his only targets. How many had he killed so far, and how many of his victims were innocent?


    ¡°What is to be done about Atticus?¡± Knowing that he might still live did nothing to alleviate his guilt for abandoning the man on the bridge.


    ¡°Windi is going to try to find him. She¡¯s quite good at finding people. You shouldn¡¯t have to worry.¡±


    Duke did worry. Pastor used Windi as his personal assassin. He worried of what Windi¡¯s priorities would be. DH was not their friends. They were a separate organization with their own masters. Adi was the tool of a harmonizer now, and Windi would no doubt consider the capture of the inugami¡¯s master over Adi¡¯s life.


    ¡°We will see how it goes,¡± he muttered.


    ***


    Windi pulled up to Adi¡¯s house. She walked to the back and through the patio door, which had been left unlocked. There hadn¡¯t been much time to explore the last time she was here, but she had an idea of where Adi¡¯s room was.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    She fiddled with a pouch hanging from her waist and pulled from it an owl¡¯s skull. The string hanging from it was delicately wrapped about her fingers, and she swayed the skull back and forth above Adi¡¯s bed. Faint wisps of light seeped up from the pillow and mattress, swirling about within the eye sockets of the skull until a set of eyes appeared.


    Humans were always leaving traces of their souls wherever they went. They build up in their more cherished items, but also in the places they linger the most. Windi examined the skull. What an odd energy it was. Scarred by a vampire¡¯s influence, and mended by a demon.


    As the magic took hold, the skull began to vibrate, then float above the palm of her hand. She led the skull back to her motorcycle and rode off into the night. Pastor¡¯s interest in this group was peculiar, but Windi never questioned Pastor¡¯s judgment. He was the man at the other end of the leash, she was the raptor that flew in during a storm.


    She found herself at the beach. Adi was sitting on one of the many tree trunks that acted as benches on the beach. They were smooth and white from years of use and looked like the scattered bones of giants. After she dismounted her vehicle, Windi was slow to approach.


    ¡°Is Sable alright?¡± Adi said without turning around. He looked up at the sky, which was beginning to pale as the sun rose.


    ¡°Her wellbeing had not been mentioned to me,¡± replied Windi.


    Adi shrugged. ¡°She¡¯s probably fine if Duke didn¡¯t bring it up,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. I started to black out, then I hurt Sable, and I knew I needed to get away from Varsula before I did something to hurt her.¡±


    Windi began to look for an opening. ¡°Why did you come here?¡±


    ¡°Dad would take me here a lot when I was a kid. We¡¯d hike along for the trails, and then there was this hill made of clay that I¡¯d try to climb up. Kids would hit it with buckets of sea water, and it would be this absolute mess.


    Sable came here a lot when she was alive too. Her family would take her here, and she¡¯d pride herself in watching out over the kids to make sure they stayed safe. It¡¯s weird, right? This monster was sent to kill me, but they just want to feel safe to. They want to go back to this place and wait. Just wait¡­ Wait and hope that their loved ones will come back for her someday.¡±


    Windi¡¯s eyes began to adjust, and she could begin to make out the shape of the inugami. Its spirit form was curled about Adi. A wolf¡¯s body with a long, slender neck, and jaws that were clamped firmly onto Adi¡¯s neck. When she reached forward to grab it, it let out a low growl.


    She blinked a few times as she began to realize what was wrong. ¡°Mister Wulfert, I need you to let go of the inugami.¡±


    ¡°Her master hurt her,¡± growled back Adi. ¡°He starved her, he cut off her head, and he forced her to kill over and over again. I¡¯m not going to let her go back to that.¡± He slowly turned his head towards her. His eyes had glazed over, and they were heavily bloodshot. ¡°We¡¯re going to find a way to make her whole again.¡±


    ¡°This is a malevolent spirit. All it knows is rage.¡± Windi reached towards the spirit again, and she sunk her jaws in all the tighter. Blood began stain Adi¡¯s shirt, but he didn¡¯t show any signs of pain. ¡°There is no going back, Mister Wulfert.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s calm now. I know we can make her better,¡± he muttered.


    Something about the way he spoke really irked Windi. She had spent so much time and resources trying to cure herself. Everything was simply cosmetic. It did nothing to hide her hunger. Deep down, she was still a creature who wanted nothing more than to drown herself in the taste of human flesh.


    ¡°This change is irreversible. Much like how Duke and I am, there is no returning to what we once were. Our very nature is soiled.¡±


    Windi didn¡¯t give Adi the time to come up with a response. She tore the inugami off with one hand while the other pushed Adi away. The spirit immediately set it sights upon her, head whipping back and forth while it snarled. A low growl escaped Windi¡¯s lips. This creature had no right to pretend to be the bigger predator, and she was going to teach it a lesson if it dared to make an attempt.


    The inugami looked back and forth between Adi and Windi. Trails of smoke began to escape between the gaps of its black fur, and it evaporated into thin air. Windi then set her sights on Adi. He had fallen to his knees in the sand and was a coughing and sputtering mess. His hands fumbled about his neck in an attempt to stop the bleeding.


    ¡°Hold still.¡± Windi dug around her pouches until she found a metal tin. This had a thick poultice that she used to seal up the wounds.


    ¡°I had it under control,¡± he said with a harsh whisper.


    Windi grasped him by the chin and began to tilt his head back and forth in an attempt to examine his face. ¡°No,¡± was the only reply she had.


    Adi leaned away from her, moving back to sit on the log. ¡°I didn¡¯t hurt anyone, did I?¡±


    ¡°Not directly.¡± Windi cleaned off her hand with a handkerchief and went to check her phone. ¡°Miss Rivera was injured by Mister Kwak, but she will survive her injuries.¡± Adi looked up at her with a look of alarm. ¡°I am calling a car to pick you up.¡±


    ¡°What happened?!¡± Adi began to feel around his pockets for his own phone.


    ¡°I was not made aware of the details.¡± Windi held her phone up to her ear. ¡°If you will excuse me.¡± She took a few steps away and began to mutter into the phone. Pastor would want her report, and she wanted to check with the team to see if they had gathered any information.


    Adi saw that he had a voicemail from Duke. He took a moment to listen to listen to it while Windi was busy, then lowered the phone. Puget Sound truly was beautiful. To him, it was the most beautiful place in the world


    Windi sat down next to him. ¡°There will be someone here within a half hour. Are you feeling alright?¡±


    People only hurt each other. It doesn¡¯t matter if there are good times are not, it always ends with suffering. Then everyone else is left to pick up the pieces. Whether its grief or vengeance, it just leads to more pain, and I''m done dealing with it.¡±


    Windi looked at him out of the corner of her eye. With a shrug, she patted him on the back. That was a sentiment that she shared. Love only served to make the world more broken.

 Chapter Twenty - Hes an Easy Meal

    Adi was staring up at the ceiling. There was a wave of apathy that had washed over his body. He had told it was the influence of the inugami, but he didn¡¯t care. All he wanted was a chance to save it. Isn¡¯t that why he was doing this? Or why Sable had come to him in the first place? She wanted him to help him.


    Duke walked into the break room and nodded at Adi, who was taking up the entirety of the couch. He sat down in a nearby chair and began to twirl his thumbs. ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    ¡°Eh.¡±


    ¡°Verlsa is still in stable condition. They believe that she will be fine once she has enough energy to begin healing herself.¡±


    ¡°... That¡¯s good,¡± muttered Adi.


    Duke stared down at this own hands as he spoke. ¡°DH is working with SIA to see if they can find any leads in your case. Your uncle had several partners. Individuals who excelled at making people disappear without raising any alarms. Once they established a pattern for how it was being done, they were able to come up with several suspects.¡±


    As he said up, Adi put a hand to the side of his head. His brain felt like it was throbbing. ¡°Anyone I know?¡±


    ¡°The SIA believes that our harmonizer is from the Seo family. They submitted records that they were moving out of state, but never appeared in their new destination. Several factors seemed odd, as they had electronically submitted any forms or letters, and refuse to take calls. It is believed that they were murdered, and your uncle¡¯s associates handled the cleanup from there.¡±


    Adi was still having trouble believing that either Wenzel or Lars could be involved in this. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard of them.¡± He shook his head. ¡°What do we do from here?¡±


    ¡°You do nothing,¡± replied Duke firmly. ¡°Now that they have a better understanding of the situation, DH will no doubt partner with SIA to finish this. You are merely a victim in all of this. The only role you have is to recover.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re still working on this.¡±


    Duke frowned. Adi frowned. Duke then let out a sigh. ¡°I will be doing some work with-¡±


    ¡°I am your sword, and you are my shield.¡± Adi stood up. ¡°That is what you told me. That was our deal. We work together as partners.¡±


    Duke scoffed at Adi¡¯s seriousness. ¡°That was merely a dramatic way of saying that we have a symbiotic relationship. I have since found ways to feed that do not rely on putting you in danger.¡±


    ¡°And you know how DH is going to handle this. They¡¯re going to find that guy and Windi is going to eat him.¡± Adi¡¯s hand tightened up into a fist. ¡°This guy is acting out like this because he didn¡¯t know how about DH or SIA or any of that. It¡¯s not like he knew he could call them to act like the cops.¡±


    ¡°Then what is it that you plan to do?¡±


    ¡°I want to find the guy, and I want to save him. I don¡¯t know how we¡¯re going to do that, but we¡¯re going to save both him and Sable.¡± Adi debated if he should say anything else. ¡°And that¡¯s final.¡±


    Duke stood up and folded his arms. He stared down at Adi with a cold expression. ¡°That¡¯s final?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it is.¡±


    ¡°That is a rather childish view of the situation,¡± he replied.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care if it is. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to do.¡±


    Waving a hand about the air, Duke turned away and began to head to the door. ¡°The two of us are merely a vampire and a human. Both DH and the SIA have resources that we cannot hope to match, and they have had more time to react.¡±


    Adi took a step forward. ¡°Then we¡¯ll just have to work that much harder to close the gap.¡±


    ¡°Precisely.¡± Duke gestured to the door. ¡°Come, Atticus, come! The game is afoot!¡± He frowned as Adi stared at him with the harshest of expressions. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re not¡­ You¡¯re not Sherlock. We¡¯re not doing Sherlock.¡± Adi stuffed his hands in his pockets and locked away. It was embarrassing just standing near Duke at the moment.


    ¡°After everything that you have witnessed or experienced, this is where you draw the line?¡± Duke frowned all the harder as Adi nodded. ¡°Come along regardless of your complaints, or I will carry on without you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, whatever, Benedict Vampiresnatch,¡± said Adi as he walked ahead of Duke and opened the door for him. ¡°Let¡¯s just go already.¡±


    Something about this venture spoke to Adi on a primal level. Maybe it was his hunter blood talking. The two of them had gone rogue and were rising up against an unjust system in order to do what was right. Matters had become bitterly serious, and he was ready to face the challenges ahead.


    What he wasn¡¯t expecting was to drive Duke to some abandoned looking farm. ¡°Is this really the right place?¡±


    Duke was in the back seat, doing one last check on their gear. They had stopped by the house and gotten a few items. ¡°Perhaps. I do not know for certain if the mage will return to this place. My theory was that he was using Kenelm to get access to the den, and then he was able to locate the demon who had been working with your uncle.¡±


    ¡°And what if he is in there?¡± Adi looked at Duke through his rearview mirror. Duke appeared relaxed, but that was his normal state. He didn¡¯t like to show emotion much due to the fact that he didn¡¯t like the creases it left in his skin.


    ¡°Peachwood swords have been used as tools for Taoist exorcisms in the past. Carrying one with you may be enough to keep the inugami at bay. If not, I doubt it will try to abduct you again, since its last attempt failed so miserably.¡± He tossed one of Adi¡¯s hoodies into the front seat. ¡°Take off your sweater and put this on.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°I can fit it over my sweater.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t do at all. It will make more sense once we are inside,¡± said Duke as he stepped out of the car. ¡°Hurry it up then come along, Atticus.¡±


    Adi changed and they walked over to the farmhouse, and Duke performed an elaborate coded knock upon the door. He glanced over at Adi with a smug look on his face. A small panel opened, only big enough to show off a pair of eyes, and a sniffing noise could be heard.


    ¡°Madra, my love.¡± Duke stretched his hands out in a welcoming manner. ¡°Must we do this every time I appear? I am Duke. The jiangshi. Surely, you must remember me.¡±


    ¡°Quit trying to make up a secret knock,¡± she replied in a harsh tone.


    Duke put a hand to his chest, clearly offended by her request. ¡°But it is the number one proven method of security. One that has been proven by thousands of years of use.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not.¡± Madra sniffled the air again. ¡°Humans stay outside.¡±


    ¡°He is not some mere pet to be chained up and left outdoors while his master deals with his affairs.¡± Duke gestured to Adi. ¡°This is my dinner.¡±


    Adi took a sidestep away from Duke. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°And I will not let my meal left out here, where it will no doubt spoil,¡± continued Duke. ¡°Be a dear and open the door now.¡± Madra closed the panel, but the door remained closed. ¡°Madra! You are making me look bad in front of my food!¡±


    The panel opened again. ¡°There has never been a time where you have looked good.¡±


    Duke scoffed. ¡°If you truly must know, this is hardly a human at all. He was recently turned, and Kenelm has asked for an introduction. You know how these matters are, Madra. The newborns take some time before they lose their human scent.¡± Madra said nothing. She merely stared. Duke folded his arms and stared in return. The panel closed, and the door was open. ¡°Thank you, Madra.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, thanks,¡± muttered Adi as he followed Duke inside. ¡°Holy shit!¡± He immediately flung himself against the side of the wall when he saw Jones waiting for them on the other side.


    ¡°Quit embarrassing me, Atticus,¡± muttered Duke as he walked past. He offered the minotaur a nod before grabbing Adi by the elbow and dragging him along.


    ¡°You could have warned...¡± Adi found himself at a loss for words as they descended down the ramp.


    He was glancing over at a screen that displayed a werepanther combating some man who was so muscular that steroids took him in order to get buff. People were shaking wads of cash and shouting bets in one area, while others were clustered around either the bar or private areas. It was like some generic location in a movie where all the villains hung out.


    ¡°Uh¡­ Okay,¡± whispered Adi as he looked around. He was beginning to feel overwhelmed.


    ¡°Unzip your hoodie,¡± ordered Duke. Adi looked up at him with a bewildered look. ¡°You will need to show off your chest.¡±


    ¡°I am not a piece of meat for you to bargain off,¡± said Adi as he covered his chest.


    ¡°You will need to make a good impression if we are to get anywhere in this investigation,¡± replied Duke.


    Adi frowned but did what he was told. ¡°Who are we meeting?¡±


    ¡°One of the creatures responsible for ruining my life,¡± muttered Duke and he gestured to one of the private tables. ¡°And that would be him.¡±


    Kenelm was still in a bad mood. He preferred pretty things. Watching these two meatheads in the ring did nothing to amuse him. ¡°More.¡± He held out his glass for Janice to fill. She was the one who had encouraged him to take a chance at being outside of his room for a time, but he was not enjoying it.


    When she failed to pour him a drink, he cleared his throat loudly and wiggled his glass back and forth. He looked over to her with a scolding frown. Janice¡¯s face has gone pale, and her eyes were nearly bulging out of her head. His gaze followed hers, and a grin appeared on his face as he saw Duke approach with Adi lingering behind him. Every detail of Adi was absorbed, and he found it to be much more satisfying than the wine Janice had to offer.


    ¡°And what have you brought me today?¡± Kenelm set down his glass and eased his chin into the palm of his hand.


    ¡°Apologies for the late report, but I did not wish to pass on news that would result in a futile search.¡± Duke gestured to Adi. ¡°This is the sole surviving member of our earlier experiment. He was one of the first to awaken and had left the cemetery to feed before the SIA appeared. He wisely chose to go into hiding after they attacked, but it took several days for me to locate him as a result.¡±


    Kenelm clasped his hands together. ¡°What a wonderful surprise this has been, Duke!¡± He stood up and began to study Adi from every angle. This made Adi quite uncomfortable. ¡°What a lovely offering this is! We must test his abilities immediately.¡±


    ¡°He is weary, and such fruit should be cherished slowly. Do you not agree?¡± Duke said with a purr.


    Kenelm circled around to Duke, gently putting a hand on the vampire¡¯s upper arm before rubbing at it slowly. ¡°He is a most sensual sort of fruit, but he is set to spoil soon, is he not?¡±


    Adi looked over to Janice and mouthed, ¡°What the fuck?¡± at her. She was still too stunned to say anything.


    ¡°He is far too spoiled,¡± replied Duke. ¡°Newborns are as fragile as their namesake would claim.¡±


    The look of disappointment on Kenelm¡¯s face was immense. ¡°No show, no further investment, no future buyers.¡± He waved off Adi. ¡°Janice, take this to our room. I need to have a few moments to speak with Duke about practical business.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to go anywhere while you two are talking about making a profit off of me,¡± argued Adi.


    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s cute.¡± Kenelm nodded several times. ¡°He¡¯s quite adorable.¡± He waved a hand at Janice. ¡°Get him out of here.¡±


    Adi went to protest some more, but Janice was already easing him away. She took him to the backroom where Kenelm¡¯s entourage were playing Carcassonne while the fights were playing out on the flatscreen. At the sight of the newcomer, Tinnlie was quickly overcome with joy.


    She stood up and started to rub her hands over Adi¡¯s chest. ¡°Oh, well¡­ Is this a new one? Kenny has the best taste!¡± Tinnlie lifted up her hands as a sharp hiss passed through Janice¡¯s teeth. ¡°I was only looking!¡±


    Adi grinned, not minding if the fairy wanted to look some more. ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, but I¡¯m not here for long.¡±


    ¡°Goody!¡± She grasped one of his hands with both of hers. ¡°Come play with us! We just started a new round.¡± Adi looked over at the game. He was concerned if it was something normal or some horrid magic game meant to steal their souls. ¡°It¡¯s fine! It¡¯s easy, and I¡¯ll teach you how to play!¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ Kay.¡±


    Adi took a moment to look around the luxurious room. So this is where Duke was hiding. Surrounded by beautiful women and whatever the hell that boggart was. Sitting around and doing nothing while Adi was being accosted by willful women, a ghost dog, oh, and by being shot in the chest. He was definitely shot in the chest at one point while Duke was playing around here.


    Duke was an ass.


    Adi¡¯s mood didn¡¯t improve by the time Duke appeared. He was handled a stack of pamphlets. ¡°What¡¯s with these?¡± Looking them over, he noticed that each had information about a fighter.


    ¡°You will no doubt be fighting one of these individuals within the pit.¡± Duke ignored Adi¡¯s shocked expression. He leaned in and lowered his voice. ¡°Kenelm knows where to get what you¡¯ve been asking for. He is willing to give the information if you participate in a round.¡±


    Adi became fixated on the pamphlet with a chimera on it. ¡°I am going to die,¡± he hissed out between his teeth.


    ¡°You¡¯ll do fine,¡± said Tinnlie cheerfully. ¡°Kenny has always had a good eye for strong people.¡± Adi shook his head back and forth. He had very little faith in Kenelm¡¯s abilities, especially since Duke had blatantly lied to him about Adi being a jiangshi. ¡°You¡¯ll do great! I know it!¡±


    Duke nodded in agreement. ¡°I am willing to help you study, but we must be quick about it. We may not have much time to prepare.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-One - Conscription

    Verlsa woke up to darkness. She had no idea of knowing if it was the same night as when Duke attacked her or if some time had passed. Feeling around her face, she pulled off her facemask so she could sit up and look around. This wasn¡¯t someplace she knew, but she had Duke¡¯s scarf. It smelled heavily of dirt with a hint of garlic.


    The floor of the room was carpeted, and the ceiling had stains, as though the roof had leaked at some point. So despite the bed and the hospital gown, this wasn¡¯t a hospital room. Verlsa pulled out the IV in her arm and clasped her hand over the wound to seal it. There was a large window that had the blinds shut and a nightstand.


    On the nightstand had a bag of jumbo marshmallows and a new jar of peanut butter sitting on it, which meant that Duke had brought her here. Then again, that¡¯s always what she ate when she was in a seriously bad mood, so he knew that she wouldn¡¯t like being here. Which meant that she was probably at the DH offices.


    Verlsa let out a loud groan. She began to detach herself from sensors, and when the machines started to beep angrily, she unplugged them from the walls. Opening the bag of marshmallows, she flattened one out between her fingers before using it to scoop up a dollop of peanut butter, which was then crammed into her mouth. This was repeated several times until she felt less angry about her situation.


    She found a sweater and sweatpants that had been left out for her and changed into them, then she wandered out into the hallway. There appeared to be a lounge, where Rachel and Vila were passed out on the couch together. The only other lit room had the blinds closed. Verlsa peeked through the edge to see if she could make out what was happening inside.


    Pastor was speaking to a man wearing a thick wool coat. He had yellow tinted glasses and a jade and gold earring on the upper half of each ear. Both of them were relaxed as they spoke, and there were papers along the table that they were going through.


    Verlsa wondered if she could make an escape. Her purse was here, and she could feasibly call in a transportation service, but she didn¡¯t know where she was. There was an irrational fear that she was hidden in some weird magical dimension or that their base was somehow across the country.


    First and foremost was to find a way out of the building. She was near to where she thought the front door was when she found Windi. The wendigo was sitting on a bench in the hallway. When the two noticed each other, they didn¡¯t say anything at first.


    ¡°... Evening,¡± muttered Verlsa.


    Windi looked back down at the owl skull in her hands. The eye sockets were still glowing faintly. ¡°Hello.¡±


    Verlsa looked around uncomfortably. ¡°Were you guys able to get Adi¡¯s body okay?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. We were able to retrieve the spirit from his body. He is safe, for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Great. Is he around here?¡± Windi shook her head. ¡°Where did he go?¡±


    ¡°It appears that he and Mister Kwak have decided that their best interests lie in solving the investigation themselves. They have entered a known demon den.¡±


    Verlsa was caught off guard by the statement. ¡°And here I thought that DH stood for Demon Hunters.¡± She scoffed at the idea. ¡°Instead of doing your job, you grab a poor kid and a vampire off the street, and make them do it for you.¡±


    ¡°Decemviri haereticus. The ten who became keepers of heretics,¡± replied Windi calmly. ¡°We honor the first mages who defended mithryn, and keep their memory as our name.¡± She stood up and put the skull back into its pouch. ¡°DH is at an ill point. We do not have the resources to solve every problem that comes our way.¡±


    ¡°Because you¡¯re working so hard right now,¡± spat Verlsa.


    ¡°I only move when Pastor gives me the order to.¡± She studied Verlsa as the carbuncle began to fiddle with Duke¡¯s scarf. ¡°Agent Pastor¡¯s territory is consists of the entirety of the Pacific Northwest, and he is the only active agent at the moment. The majority of our forces are caught up with projects either in Europe or the east coast.¡±


    ¡°What about those other guys then?¡±


    ¡°Our official crew consists of a hunter, two doctors, and a janitor. I am not an official member of DH, nor would their code of ethics allow me to join. Pastor has had to make judgment calls when it comes to keeping order within his territory, and he has not always followed DH¡¯s rules to do so.¡±


    Verlsa frowned. Rachel must be a doctor, and Vila the janitor. Paul may be the second doctor. ¡°What about that man upstairs that Pastor is talking to? He¡¯s not a hunter?¡± Windi tilted her head, confused by who she meant. ¡°Black hair, mixed ethnicity, obnoxious yellow tinted glasses?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Sage? Sage is here?¡± Windi¡¯s eyes widened. Her mouth open and closed several times before she succeeded in saying something. ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t done talking to you yet!¡±


    Verlsa followed Windi down the hallway and nearly ran into her when she had stopped. Windi was transfixed, staring at both Sage and Pastor. They had moved out to the hallway, and Pastor gave a professional nod towards the pair.


    ¡°We have another mission,¡± stated Pastor.


    ¡°Of course, sir,¡± replied Windi. She kept her eyes to the ground, and her hands were folded behind her.


    ¡°If it has nothing to do helping out Duck-young, than you¡¯re doing the wrong mission.¡± Verlsa folded her arms and stood her ground.


    Pastor glanced over to Windi. When she said nothing, he continued. ¡°We offered them a solution, and they chose their own. I will not risk my men in order to save those who have chosen to place themselves in danger.¡±


    Verlsa once again scoffed. ¡°And now that you¡¯ve got yourself another hunter here, you¡¯re super into being all code and conduct.¡± She gestured to Sage. ¡°These guys have been doing nothing but breaking rules. If they had just helped Adi when he asked for help in the first place, he wouldn¡¯t be in such a mess.¡±


    Sage pressed a finger against the side of his glasses. It was then that Verlsa noticed that both of his eyes were affected by coloboma, with the pupils being horrifically misshapen. A display popped up in front of his right eye, and a faint voice could be heard whispering out from the part of his glasses that went behind his ear.


    He lifted up a hand and patted Windi¡¯s head. ¡°How are you doing, Windi?¡±


    Windi was like a young schoolgirl in love. She smiled to herself, as though she had a secret. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller,¡± she whispered.


    ¡°I¡¯m the same height,¡± he replied bluntly. Sage was slightly above six feet tall. Hardly all that impressive in height.


    ¡°... You seem taller,¡± whispered Windi.


    ¡°So this guy is also useless?¡± Verlsa attempted to move past them. ¡°I don¡¯t have time to hang out around here, and you have no right to keep me locked in. So you can all fuck yourselves.¡± She flipped them off with both hands.


    ¡°Carbuncle. Unregistered.¡± Sage adjusted his glasses. ¡°Thank you for the report, Blue. Register her under the name of Verlsa Rivera. Yes, as a member of the King¡¯s Legion.¡±


    Verlsa froze in place, hands still flipping off the group. She couldn¡¯t bring herself to move. The only thing that she felt was complete and absolute fear. This was no DH hunter, but a demonic cult member who followed the orders of his tyrant king.


    ¡°... F-fuck,¡± was all she was able to blurt out. She knew hanging around Duke would get her killed. This was finally it.


    ¡°Thank you, Blue,¡± repeated Sage. ¡°I will be the first to congratulate you on your conscription, Miss Rivera. My name is Sage Hope, and I will be your handler for the time being.¡± He gestured to a nearby room. ¡°I will brief you on the details of your upcoming mission.¡±


    ¡°The fuck you won¡¯t!¡± Verlsa took a step away from the group. ¡°I¡¯m not working for you or that psychopath!¡±


    Sage¡¯s eyes squinted as he stiffened slightly. ¡°Elaborate. What is it about the king that you disapprove of?¡±


    ¡°Maybe you should ask my family that, except you can¡¯t. Because they¡¯re dead,¡± she spat back. ¡°Carbuncles as kept as slaves, bred to be pure of magic and butchered when their powers weaken. I refuse to be a part of any association that would allow for such monstrosities. You will not be my master.¡±


    Sage continued to keep his cool. ¡°You speak of the kingdom led by King Rayl. I assure you that his life has been ended, and the new rule has reestablished the old laws forbidding firstborn from acting out against each other.¡± He gestured to the room. ¡°We can speak about that more in private.


    Verlsa looked at the others. Pastor didn¡¯t seem to care much, but Windi was glaring. If she were to go against Sage¡¯s requests, Verlsa had a feeling that she wouldn¡¯t be leaving this building alive. ¡°... Fine.¡±


    The two of them entered the room and took their seats. Sage continued to speak while Verlsa nervously averted her gaze. She needed to figure out if she would get a chance to run. There were enough funds. She would withdraw cash from the bank and make an escape, possibly to Mexico. They would assume she left for Canada.


    ¡°The previous kings were firm in their beliefs that humanity would be barred from the magic world. Our king believes that now is the time for unification. Our world will be exposed to humanity, and we will become our own country with international rights. Unification will only succeed once we have notified associations such as DH and the SIA.


    You are a demon who is a citizen of the United States. Many of those within the King¡¯s service has experience in dealing with humans, but the majority of them, such as succubuses, will be viewed as nefarious. You also have an associate who works directly for the SIA.¡±


    ¡°Suni and I aren¡¯t friends. I¡¯ve only met her and my friend¡¯s funeral,¡± argued Verlsa. ¡°And who is to say that it¡¯s best to try unification? People find out this shit is real, the entire world is going to go insane.¡±


    Sage folded his hands on the table. ¡°I would like you to use your connection with the SIA to secure myself a meeting. Once you have done that, I will see to your friend¡¯s case personally. If you still do not agree with the King¡¯s visions after I have done so, I will release you from your obligations to serve in his legion. Will you agree to that?¡±


    Verlsa shook her head. ¡°I want that in writing.¡±


    ¡°I will have a contract written up within an hour, and you may review it then.¡±


    ¡°... Alright.¡± Verlsa leaned back in her chair. ¡°If you¡¯re being honest, then we have a deal.¡±

 Chapter Twenty-Two - I can save you!

    Adi had more time to study than he thought. Kenelm bored of the night fights and retired with his entourage. That¡¯s when Adi took an opportunity to sleep in the back of the car. Duke woke him up by knocking on the window.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± Duke smiled as Adi stepped out the car.


    ¡°It¡¯s fucking freezing out here,¡± muttered Adi as he drew his coat more about him. ¡°I am not going to enter that pit. There¡¯s no way I have a chance to survive anything that they put me up against.¡±


    Duke wasn¡¯t amused by Adi¡¯s complaints. ¡°You have a better physic than the majority of those your age. I have little doubt that you will be fine.¡±


    Adi frowned all the harder. ¡°I don¡¯t want to die!¡±


    ¡°While you are here, you are a jiangshi-¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t agree to that!¡±


    ¡°And you need to behave like one,¡± continued Duke. ¡°You feel neither cold nor hot, and you do not state that you have no desire to die. It is, ¡®I do not wish to die, again.¡¯ Now, attempt to assert your complaints again, but play the role properly this time.¡±


    Adi reached into the car and dug out a pistol. He completely disregarded gun safety rules by shaking it at Duke. ¡°I am going to kill you.¡±


    ¡°A jiangshi would not use a gun,¡± replied Duke calmly. ¡°... Did you always have that with you?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Varlulala¡¯s. I didn¡¯t like the idea of her waking up there with a gun. She¡¯d probably try to wave it around and get shot.¡± Adi double checked that the safety was on before he tucked it into the back of his pants.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s¡­¡± Duke mulled over Verlsa¡¯s situation. ¡°... That was perhaps a wise idea.¡±


    ¡°Any idea who I am fighting yet?¡±


    ¡°The house has agreed with your stance that you will outright die if placed within the pit,¡± replied Duke. This had Adi sighing with relief. ¡°They are allowing Kenelm to use the arena pending that he finds his own fighter to challenge you. We are currently waiting for Enid to return from personal business.¡±


    Adi put on a jacket. He didn¡¯t care if he needed to show more skin, he was cold. ¡°And what exactly is Enid?¡±


    ¡°A werewolf.¡±


    ¡°My uncle was torn up by werewolves!¡± Adi shrieked while flailing his arms about.


    ¡°We already established that it was the inugami who had done that.¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me less afraid of werewolves!¡± Adi hissed through his teeth in order to calm himself. ¡°And when am I going to die?¡±


    Duke leaned against the car. ¡°Unknown. Kenelm is still planning his escape, but Enid is a local. She has several demon connections in the area and drifts between them for odd jobs.¡± He gave a nod as Janice began to walk up to the car. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t out in the cold like this.¡±


    Janice immediately set to straightening up Adi¡¯s jacket, even as he batted her hands away from him. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t be here, Adi. I know these people. They¡¯re dangerous. If they find out you¡¯re a human, they¡¯re going to sell you off to the highest bidder and literally eat you or something worse!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be here either, but I don''t have a choice. Duke has some sort of stupid and overly complicated plan to hunt this mage down, and that¡¯s apparently the plan we are going to go with.¡±


    ¡°Stay close to me though.¡± Janice attempted to put her hand on Adi¡¯s shoulder, only to pout as he slapped it away. ¡°I really can protect you. I promise.¡±


    Whenever he looked at Janice, Adi felt tired. A part of him felt broken down. ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m going to get something to eat and I¡¯ll be back later.¡± Duke immediately reached for the car handle. ¡°I¡¯m just going to hit up a drive-thru and be right back. I don¡¯t need an escort for everything.¡±


    ¡°Your external phone battery is charged?¡± Duke was offended by Adi¡¯s glare. ¡°It would be a hindrance if your phone were to die.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but my own death wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance at all.¡± Adi glared all the harder as Duke went for the door again. ¡°I go eat, you try to get the information. Have Janice help you or something. Try to get me out of that fight. I don¡¯t care how it¡¯s done, but I¡¯m starving.¡±


    He shooed the others away and drove off to get himself a burger. Then he parked someplace where he could stare at Mt. Rainier. Maybe he should go out skiing when all of this was over. That would give enough time for Janice and Verlsa to get out of his house. They better take Duke with them as well.


    Adi was done.


    He was done with things trying to kill him, with dealing with people always giving him orders, and with his family legacy. Especially with the family legacy. Fuck the pride of the Wulfert clan. They were cheats and murderers. That was all that was left for his family to claim.


    Maybe he should sell his grandfather¡¯s house and move north. There wasn¡¯t a point in being here anymore. He didn¡¯t even want to get a job with his stepfather anymore. Adi wanted to do something for himself, he just didn¡¯t know what that was yet. Maybe he¡¯d put that degree of his to use, or he¡¯d go to Vancouver and try to get a job with a production company. That sounded like fun.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    It was around noon by the time he returned. When Duke asked him what took so long, he made up some excuse about getting lost. Duke didn¡¯t believe him at all but didn¡¯t question it further than that. He asked Adi to get into the pit and sat down at a table nearby. Kenelm sat next to him, alongside a nervous Janice and an absent-minded Tinnlie.


    ¡°Enid stated that she would need a moment.¡± Kenelm rested his chin in his palm and stared up at the screen with a bored expression. ¡°I sincerely hope that the hunt for us cools down soon so that we may leave.¡±


    Tinnlie perked up at the idea. ¡°We should go south, where it¡¯s nice and warm! We could see Hollywood! Or Disneyland!¡±


    ¡°We should return to Europe, my dear,¡± cooed Kenelm. ¡°We need to reevaluate our investments and see where to go from there.¡± Tinnlie pouted. ¡°It will be marvelous. Have I ever led you astray in the past?¡±


    ¡°... No,¡± she said with a frown.


    ¡°Then get us some drinks, my dear. Nothing too strong, since the sun is supposedly still out. Not that we would know since we are imprisoned in this dark and dreadful prison!¡± Kenelm glanced as a shirtless woman as she walked past, and scoffed loudly.


    Duke shook his head as Tinnlie asked him if he needed a glass of elixir. ¡°Your presence does wonders to lighten the environment.¡±


    "And what will you be doing once we leave?" Kenelm looked over to Duke next with curiosity glinting behind his eyes. "I would think it wise for you to pack a jar of dirt so that you may come with us. Jiangshi are no longer bound to the confines of the birth of their lands. Set forth and see the world."


    Duke knew it was a ploy. Kenelm would no doubt attempt to make more jiangshi, and he would need one in order to make sure the process would go well. "I would think that the harmonizer would be a more valued member than myself."


    "Nonsense. That man was all business and no fun. You, my friend, are attuned to the finer things of life. You understand pleasure because the sensation of it has been ripped away from you. I think you would make an interesting traveling companion because of that."


    Kenelm''s lifestyle no doubt consisted of life and death business ventures followed by alcohol and orgies. That wasn''t the sort of fun Duke desired when he was alive, nor was it now that he was dead. What he wanted... What did he want? Verlsa was leaving soon. Adi should be freed of his presence as well since Adi was right about him being a burden.


    Perhaps it wouldn''t be bad to stay in Washington. There was always the risk of running into someone who knew him, but he didn''t like to go outside much. Maybe he would continue to work for DH. It was a way of survival. Pastor would keep him fed, but he didn''t know if that would be stepping on Windi''s deal. He was certain that he didn''t consume the soul or flesh. There was a chance that they could both get their fill from the same person.


    ... And it would be people that they were eating. People like the misguided Atticus Wulfert, who had all the confidence of a raging bull and the intelligence of one too on the day they met. Innocents who happen to be misinformed.


    It left a bad taste in his mouth.


    "I will linger in the area for a time longer," replied Duke. He then glanced over to Janice. "You would make for a better companion than I."


    "Janice is easily replaceable. Succubuses can be found around any corner as long as you can provide a big enough meal." Kenelm leaned forward on the table, still staring at Duke hungrily. "I desire companions that can offer me more."


    "I will have to decline your offer. This area provides for me, and I will continue to provide for it to the best of my abilities.¡± Duke became focused on the television screen, partially ignoring Kenelm¡¯s half-hearted protests.


    Adi was on the screen. He had gone pale as Enid entered the pit. She was tightening on a set of gloves that had long claws protruding from the knuckles. Her face was apathetic, not caring much either way on how this was going to turn out.


    ¡°My god,¡± muttered Duke. ¡°He is going to die.¡± Janice reached under the table and clutched onto his hand tightly. ¡°By which I mean, die again, because he certainly is a jiangshi.¡±


    Kenelm nodded with a sigh. ¡°I will forever be indebted to you for located this boy, Duke. We can¡¯t have him wandering about and tracing this mess back to us, not after all of the work we have put in to avoid the whole sordid affair.¡± He waved his hand in an attempt to get Duke to sit after he had stood up. ¡°You can make new friends. There¡¯s no need to fret about.¡±


    ¡°How could you!¡± Janice stood up and slapped Kenelm across the face. He looked up, stunned that she would dare strike out at him. ¡°You can¡¯t treat someone like that!¡±


    He had no idea what she was angry at. ¡°They¡¯re humans. There are literally billions of the little insects. Ridding the world of one or two is nothing, and nothing is exactly what that highly attractive pest is.¡±


    Janice stood there fuming. She didn¡¯t say anything but ran towards the pit instead. Kenelm wasn¡¯t amused by this turn of events either, despite it being random. He went back to apathetically watching the screen. Witnessing the butchering of such a weak individual wasn¡¯t much fun either, but it was better than dealing with a bitter woman.


    ¡°Succubuses can be found around any corner,¡± he repeated in a quiet whisper to himself.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± muttered Duke as he continued to glance between the pit and the television.


    Adi was slowly walking backward. He addressed Enid in a calm tone. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this.¡±


    Enid took a step forward and took a fighting stance. ¡°I have my orders.¡±


    ¡°Fuck your orders! I know you don¡¯t want to do this!¡± Adi outstretched his hands. ¡°We don¡¯t have to fight anymore!¡± He took a surprised step back as Janice jumped down into the pit. ¡°I have this handled.¡±


    ¡°Let me protect you!¡± Shouted Janice back. ¡°I know I haven¡¯t been the best girlfriend-¡±


    ¡°Ex-girlfriend!¡± Corrected Adi.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! I am Firstborn! I¡¯m not going to let this hairy mithryn bitch lay a finger on you!¡± The veins on her right arm bulged out, turning her skin a deep red. Her fingers burst into blood covered claws. She took a low and defensive position between Adi and Enid.


    Enid let out a low growl. ¡°Is fighting the only option for you?¡± Janice nodded. ¡°Bring it, whore.¡±


    Before either woman could attack, Enid flew backward as a bullet hit her in the center of the chest. Even as she fell into a crumpled heap, Adi kept his gun raised. He was trembling and struggled to keep his breathing steady.


    Janice looked up towards the edge of the pit. Kenelm had walked over and was now leaning over. His face held a dark and furious expression. Unsurprisingly, Duke was nowhere to be seen. She nearly jumped out of her skin as Adi fired his gun into Enid again. The werewolf was still trying to stand up.


    She ran to Adi and grabbed his wrist. ¡°I¡¯m getting you out of here!¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time!¡± She pulled him towards the door, overpowering him in the process. Kicking it open, she continued to run, doing everything she could to keep Adi safe.

 Chapter Twenty-Three - I plead innocence.

    Sage had claimed to have a problem with depth perception, and couldn¡¯t drive well as a result. This left Verlsa to drive them to Seattle. The SIA offices weren¡¯t that far off from the FBI ones, and that seemed odd to Verlsa. She had figured they¡¯d want anything magic as far away from a city as possible. It was even odder that Suni had so easily agreed to meet the two of them.


    Verlsa had explained that she had met someone from the demon court, and Suni didn¡¯t treat it as anything unusual. She simply accepted it and set an appointment for the next day. The two of them entered a normal looking building and were escorted to an interrogation room.


    ¡°It¡¯s a scare tactic,¡± said Sage in a low voice. ¡°They plan on treating us as criminals because we are different.¡± He reached into his satchel and pulled out an envelope. This he tossed apathetically on the table.


    It didn¡¯t seem that much different than some overdramatic tactic used in a cop show. Experiencing it in real life was surreal. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she replied.


    Suni walked in by herself. There were no doubt others watching them from behind the two-way mirror, and the camera was recording them as well. ¡°I apologize for being late. We are in the middle of an investigation at the moment, and I have been moving around quite a bit.¡±


    ¡°And your investigation is one of many opportunities that we may use to improve relations between the US government and the King¡¯s Court.¡± Sage opened up the folder and slid it over. ¡°Your target is a fae named Kenelm.¡± He gestured to a page profiling the fairy.


    ¡°We already have this information,¡± replied Suni.


    ¡°You will no doubt need our assistance in apprehending him,¡± said Sage.


    Suni shook her head. ¡°We are already aware of his location, and our associates will be delivering him to us directly.


    Verlsa looked between the two. Neither had any shifts in their expression, and both spoke in a calm and professional demeanor. This truly was a surreal experience. Her thumbs began to fiddle, one over the other, as she was slowly becoming more and more nervous. Despite the lack of changes between the two, she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck begin to stand, as though a fuse had been lit.


    ¡°What will you do with him once an arrest has made?¡± Sage¡¯s expression remained unchanged as Suni stayed silent. ¡°We are aware that the SIA has locations where they have imprisoned and experimented on mithryn and firstborn alike.¡±


    ¡°We do what we must in order to keep this nation safe.¡±


    ¡°And I am here to assure you that such barbaric practices are unnecessary. Anything that you could wish to learn is information that we are willing to share. I meet with you today in hopes of beginning a dialogue between our two countries.¡±


    Suni took a long and steady breath. ¡°You came to me today with a two-faced criminal at your side,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I came to you today with a plan and an offering of peace,¡± said Sage.


    ¡°Who the fuck are you calling a two-faced criminal?¡± Verlsa straightened up in her chair.


    Sage kept his eyes on Suni. ¡°Calm yourself, Miss Rivera.¡±


    ¡°I will not calm down. Not until I get an explanation of exactly what she meant by that,¡± said Verlsa as she leaned forward on the table. ¡°So go ahead and tell me, Suni.¡±


    Suni folded her hands on her lap. ¡°You became jealous of Callie Kipper and attempted to murder her in order to be with her boyfriend. You claimed she ran into a fire that had started up at your school, then delayed her medical treatment by valuable minutes.¡±


    ¡°I was attempting to heal her with my magic,¡± snarled back Verlsa.


    ¡°You left her with permanent brain damage.¡± Suni¡¯s words felt like a punch to the gut to Verlsa. ¡°Now that you have revealed yourself to be a magic user, I am inclined to believe that you were the one behind the fire and her injuries.¡±


    Verlsa stood up so quickly that she nearly knocked back her chair. ¡°I have no idea why Callie ran into that fire! I tried to stop her, and when they pulled her out, I did everything I could to heal her!¡±


    Sage reached up and grabbed the back of Verlsa¡¯s jacket. He yanked her back down to her seat with a surprisingly strong tug. ¡°The King¡¯s Legion has allegations that Kenelm will have to answer to. I ask that you allow myself to handle his arrest, and I will turn him over to you afterward.¡±


    ¡°I will have to decline your request,¡± replied Suni. ¡°This room is surrounded with mages. The two of you will surrender yourselves peacefully. You will then be transported to a separate facility for further processing.¡±


    A faint smile crossed Sage¡¯s lips as he stood up. ¡°Is this the response that the United States has towards my kind?¡±


    ¡°It is the policy of the United States to act against any and all possible threats.¡±


    ¡°Stand up, Verlsa,¡± said Sage.


    She did, lowering her voice as she did so. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hand myself over to be experimented on.¡±


    ¡°Neither of us are.¡±


    Sage grasped onto her waist and pulled her towards him. Together, the two of them phased through the floor. He kept a hold of her until they landed on the floor before, grasped onto her wrist, and took off running. They phased through walls and escaped out unto the street.


    That certainly was a convenient power. Verlsa wasn¡¯t going to question anything at this point. She let out a pained grunt as Sage violently tugged back on her wrist, and he switched his grip so he could steady her by the shoulders.


    She looked over to him to say something, but he was staring up at the sky. It was a lilac color, and the clouds resembled pink cotton candy. As she looked around some more, she realized that there weren¡¯t any people walking about, and the parked cars looked like oversized toys instead of actual vehicles. There was also a weirdly large amount of gumdrops lying about, and the building windows looked like melted down Jolly Ranchers.


    ¡°When did Seattle become someplace where the only goal is to give me cavities?¡±


    Sage side his hand down her arm and intertwined their fingers together. He refused to let go when she attempted to yank her hand free. ¡°They trapped us in a pocket dimension while we were waiting in the interrogation room. Don¡¯t let go of my hand. We don¡¯t know the rules of this world yet, and any loss of contact could lead to separation.¡±


    Verlsa tightened her grip on his hand. ¡°How do we get out of here?¡±


    ¡°Pocket dimensions are hidden within the shadows of objects. They won¡¯t send anyone after us as long as we¡¯re trapped, but they will likely be transporting the object to someplace we don''t want to be.¡± Sage tapped against the side of his glasses with his free hand. ¡°Do you have any contact with the outside?¡±Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°No,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I am speaking to the AI built within my glasses,¡± he replied bluntly. Sage then looked around and lead them into an alleyway.


    ¡°You could have mentioned that you have an AI with you.¡±


    ¡°I have an AI built within my glasses,¡± he muttered. He wasn¡¯t paying all that much attention to her. Sage looked around again. ¡°The barriers are weak, but we will be running into resistance on the other side.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, right? We¡¯ll phase through any bullets?¡± I can heal anything else.¡±


    Sage loosened a pendant from around his neck. It was in the shape of a sword. He blew on it, and it grew into a full sized backsword. ¡°Ready, Blue.¡±


    Sparks began to form around the blade of the weapon as it began to harmonize with the energy around them. It settled on a light blue before Sage used it to slash through the wall. Instead of brick, it tore open like it was tissue paper, and the two of them jumped through.


    They tumbled out of the other side, landing next to gumball machine. Verlsa noticed she had landed next to a pair of finely polished black shoes. She looked up and saw they were being worn by a scary looking man that had gold lightning arcing about his body.


    ¡°... Uh.¡±


    ¡°Wash, rinse, and repeat,¡± muttered Sage as he rolled on top of her. They phased through the floor again, with Sage rotating in the air so that Verlsa landed on him.


    Versla quickly stood up and reached out her hand. Sage grabbed onto it, and she pulled him to a stand. Now they were running through the halls again, this time dodging bullets and energy spells.


    Sage pulled the pair onto the street, and they began to run towards the car. Verlsa was quick to unlock it and buckle herself on. On the passenger side, Sage did the same. He then put both of his hands on the dashboard.


    ¡°Drive straight!¡±


    Pushing her foot to the gas, Verlsa didn¡¯t hesitate to drive straight through the wall. They phased through it harmlessly, and she took a hard right onto the street. While she made her way to the freeway, Sage began to look up directions on Verlsa¡¯s phone.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to turn into some sort of high-speed chase, is it?¡± Verlsa glanced between him and the road. ¡°This car was built for fuel efficiency. The engine might blow up if I try something like that.¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t risk getting the police or news involved,¡± said Sage reassuringly. ¡°The SIA has a plan set in motion. We will catch Kenelm first. He will pay for his crimes, and then I will hand him over to the SIA.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously be still wanting to work with those psychopaths.¡±


    Sage leaned back against the car seat. ¡°The SIA will realize that they had attempted to imprison the King¡¯s personal hunter. My word is his law. Once they understand that, they will know that attacking me is an act of war. They will contact their allies and discover that our King has already made deals with them. The US government has no that will stand by their side, and they must either beg for our forgiveness or face the wrath of the King¡¯s Legion.¡±


    The color drained from Verlsa¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did you say that you were the King¡¯s personal hunter?¡± Sage nodded. ¡°That¡¯s just the professional way of claiming you¡¯re his executioner.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I am his executioner.¡±


    Verlsa had no idea why such an important creature would be showing up and conscripting her, but she was so petrified by the idea that her fingers had gone numb. ¡°... Alright.¡± They drove in silence again before she asked her next question. ¡°How are you going to contact the SIA? Or are they going to contact you?¡±


    A smile appeared on Sage¡¯s lips again. ¡°The agent was wearing a wear artifact on the inside of her jacket.¡± He tapped the side of his glasses as if that explained how he had known that. ¡°On activation, it renders the user invisible to those who are heavily polluted by magic. Firstborn and mithryn alike. However, it doesn¡¯t work on mages.¡±


    ¡°How is that supposed to help her contact you?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s sitting in the back seat.¡±


    Verlsa nearly drove off the side of the road. She struggled to gain control over the vehicle. ¡°Dammit, Suni!¡±


    The air began to waver, as though it were heated, and Suni popped out thin air. She struggled to grab onto a seatbelt and buckle herself in while Versla swerved the vehicle. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as Verlsa straightened out the car.


    ¡°How were you able to get your information about Kenelm?¡± Sage looked at Suni through the rearview mirror. She didn¡¯t say anything, merely narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°I am capable of having you fall through the bottom of this car and at these speeds, you will no doubt die¡±


    Suni let out another sigh. ¡°We were given a contact by the werewolf tribes, and she has been feeding us information.¡±


    ¡°How will you be capturing him?¡±


    ¡°The SIA will be performing a raid upon his location this evening.¡±


    A raid on the den would require a considerable amount of manpower. Bringing in a rival force would only make the problem worse. Sage fell silent as he contemplated the situation. ¡°Our plan remains unchanged,¡± he said after a moment.


    They pulled up to the farmhouse, and Sage put his hand on Verlsa¡¯s shoulder. Without saying anything, he phased through the car. There was smoke drifting out through gaps in the roof. Verlsa put her hand to her mouth. She turned around as she heard a clicking noise behind her. It was Suni examining her pistol.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going there,¡± she spat out quickly.


    ¡°Make sure to not leave me a vegetable when they pull me back out,¡± replied Suni. She opened the car door and began to run after Sage.


    This is where Duke and Adi were supposed to be. Verlsa got out of the car and stood next to it, squinting her eyes in an attempt to see what was going on. There was something large and furry next to the front entrance. Sage had bent over to examine it, then he went inside.


    Verlsa ran up and saw that a minotaur was passed out on the ground. She knelt down and immediately began to heal his wounds. Jones coughed and grunted as she did so. He struggled to sit up but was too weak to move.


    ¡°Leave him!¡± Sage called out to her. ¡°His wounds are minor. There are more injured within.¡± He tapped the side of his glasses. ¡°I need a portal opened at my location. Send healers. Prepare for a mass extraction of mithryn.¡±


    There were bodies lying about the den. Verlsa¡¯s mind couldn¡¯t get a grip on what had happened. It looked as though they had all gone wild at some point and began to attack each other. Mithryn were huddled in the corners, still trying to comprehend what was happening, while others were mutilated beyond recognition.


    ¡°Duck-young! Adi!¡± Verlsa stood up on a table so she could get a better view. ¡°Duck-young!¡±


    ¡°Here!¡± Sage waved her over. Verlsa hopped down and jogged over, only to glare at him when she realized that Sage was referring to someone she had never seen before. ¡°Do it,¡± he said in a commanding voice.


    Verlsa kneeled and began to do what she could. She frowned all the more as Kenelm looked up and thanked her. ¡°This isn¡¯t for you.¡±


    ¡°When you are done, please arrange the wounded by their condition and do what you can to help,¡± ordered Sage. All Verlsa could do was nod.


    Suni navigated her way through, being careful to keep her gun lowered. ¡°What happened here?¡±


    ¡°We weren¡¯t the only ones seeking a target here.¡± Sage plunged his hand into Kenelm¡¯s chest.


    Verlsa fell back from shock. ¡°I wasn¡¯t done healing him,¡± she hissed between her teeth.


    ¡°I only needed him healthy enough to survive the ritual,¡± muttered Sage. His expression darkened as he spoke in a low voice. ¡°Kenelm of the Fae, you have been found guilty of breaking the laws issued by our King. Your punishment is exile. You will live among the humans, as a human, and die by their judgment.¡±


    His hand tightened within Kenelm¡¯s chest. Kenelm¡¯s luminescent skin began to darken and take on a peachy tone, and his hair and eyes turned black. ¡°H-have mercy, my lord¡­¡±


    Sage ripped his hand free from Kenelm¡¯s chest, pulling with it a ball of shimmering light. His fingers curled about it delicately before he crushed it between his two hands. ¡°As I have promised, I present to you Kenelm. He is the only life I will allow the SIA to extract from this place. All else fall under the protection of the King¡¯s Legion.¡±


    He stood up, and portals began to open up around him. ¡°Send my regards to your superiors. When they are willing to hand over their prisoners, I will make myself available to talk.¡±


    Suni raised her gun and pointed it at him. Her hands trembled for a moment and Sage stood there, remaining stoic against her threats. With a shake of her head, she put away her gun and grabbed Kenelm by the back of his shirt. ¡°Run!¡±


    The two of them ran off while Sage turned to Verlsa. She was fuming, enraged at her own frustration. There was no way of knowing if Duck-young or Adi were still alive, and she definitely couldn¡¯t go back to pretending to be a human now. Her life was effectively over.


    ¡°It¡¯s time to make a choice, Miss Rivera. Either you stand with your own kind, or you fall prey to the SIA. What will it be?"

 Chapter Twenty Four - I am okay.

    Janice continued to run with Adi behind her. She pulled him into a nearby room and began to look for something to barricade the door. ¡°Everything is going to be okay,¡± she said. It was more to reassure herself rather than Adi. ¡°There has to be some sort of back entrance or something we can sneak out of.¡±


    Adi watched her pace about the room. He leaned against the wall as he thought to himself. Finally, he came up with a decision. ¡°You should go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you,¡± she replied firmly.


    ¡°The harmonizer is here. If¡­¡± Adi gripped his arms more tightly about himself. ¡°Duke nearly killed his girlfriend because he took control of her. If he¡¯s here to kill me, he¡¯s going to use you to do it.¡±


    He was still haunted by the image of the inugami wrapped about Enid¡¯s body. Adi didn¡¯t understand how he was able to see it, or why it didn¡¯t try to possess him again, but he did know that a few bullets weren¡¯t going to stop it. Escape was one option, but he didn¡¯t like the idea of who end up might dying because he was the target.


    ¡°There¡¯s no way that he should¡¯ve known you were here. Even if he did, he¡¯d be crazy to go after you now!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I was the intended target,¡± muttered Adi. ¡°One of the victims was a demon. I think he made this place his base, and the harmonizer going to use the demons here to tear it apart.¡±


    Janice looked down at the ground. She began to shuffle back and forth nervously. ¡°Uhh¡­ Adi?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Janice?¡±


    ¡°Look, I¡¯m¡­ I-I¡¯m sorry¡­ I¡¯m sorry for a lot of things.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Me too.¡±


    Adi continued to lean against a wall as Janice let herself out. This seemed to be a bedroom. Considering what he had seen people do to each other in the bar, he really didn¡¯t want to touch or sit on anything in here. He found himself squinting at a suspicious box sitting half opened at the base of the bed, wondering if he should open it or spare himself of any loss of sanity.


    He could hear screaming echoing down the halls. A part of him wanted to do something, but he knew a gun would be useless. In order to distract himself, he began to walk over. Before he reached the box, something dark in the corner caught his eye. There was a headless mannequin wearing a long, black gown. It was as if he had blinked, and it was suddenly there, as though it had appeared from nothing.


    Something about it unnerved him. He took a step back as it began to head towards him. It was no headless mannequin, rather a body whose neck had become dried out and withered. She hastened towards him as he backed away. Her satin gloves found his hand, wrapped around it, and gave him a firm handshake.


    She didn¡¯t seem to have any harmful intent. This creature was just another random thing that had come to haunt him. ¡°Because of course she is,¡± muttered Adi under his breath.


    And of course, the headless ghoul didn¡¯t have anything to say to him. Adi didn¡¯t even want to think about why someone would keep a headless woman in their room. The box he had nearly gone through was now all the more suspicious in nature.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t happen to know the way out of here, would you?¡± The ghoul¡¯s head stump began to wag up and down, indicating that she did. ¡°I have a friend named Duke. We need to get him and get out of here before it¡¯s too late.¡±


    Duke was still in the bar. He was staying a few steps behind Kenelm as the fae had run to the edge of the pit. The fae was glaring at Janice¡¯s intrusion and the fact that Adi had just shot up his favorite werewolf.


    ¡°I have the feeling that that boy of yours was not one of your kind,¡± said Kenelm with a snarl.


    Duke ignored him as he glanced up at the television. Enid was still rolling about in agony. ¡°Something is off.¡±


    ¡°Bullets will have no effect on our precious little pet,¡± muttered Kenelm. ¡°However, I doubt they will have so little effect on you. We will just have to take our time in testing out exactly what weaknesses you have.¡±


    Enid continued to roll about. She began to howl and claw at her body in an attempt to get something off of her. Duke immediately began to walk towards the bar. He gestured for the bartender to get closer and lowered his voice.


    ¡°I wish to stress that you were always my favorite here, Millicent.¡±


    ¡°Aww... Thanksh, hun.¡±


    ¡°With that in mind, I will warn you that I believe a fight may be starting soon. You should seek cover.¡± Behind him, Enid had clawed her way out the side of the pit. She leaped onto a nearby mithryn and began to stab at their face. ¡°Seek cover immediately and do not come out.¡±


    Kenelm began to shout at Enid. ¡°Get off of him this instant!¡± He walked over to kick the werewolf, only to have his arm caught by Duke. ¡°Unhand me!¡±


    Ignoring that request, Duke dragged the fae man to a table and kicked it over. He then ducked down behind it. ¡°Who was Enid meeting with today?¡±


    ¡°As if I would tell you a thing, you treacherous worm!¡±


    Kenelm shuddered as a roar echoed across the walls of the room. One of the demons had let out the scream as his skin began to blister and bubble. Scales popped out of his skin, and his throat expanded out like a frog¡¯s. His neck glowed red for a moment before he blasted a fireball across the room. Others chose to fight back, or at least, they were all pouncing upon each other, and some others had begun to flee.


    ¡°There is chaos brewing,¡± said Duke. ¡°Who did Enid meet with?¡±


    ¡°She said she was meeting with a former employer,¡± said Kenelm in a low voice. He attempted to make himself smaller against the side of the table.


    ¡°About what?¡± Duke leaned in closer, but Kenelm shrugged. ¡°Do you know anything?¡±


    ¡°Why would I ask about her affairs as long as she is doing the job I pay her?¡±


    There was a point to be had there. Not once did Kenelm ever ask Duke about where he went or what he was doing. Duke was merely an object of interest for him to keep around. Though judging by the chaos that had broken out around them, it was safe to assume that the harmonizer was present, and he must have used Enid as his way in.


    ¡°Then I suppose all there is left to do is to kill you and make my escape,¡± whispered Duke.


    ¡°Wha-¡±


    Duke grasped Kenelm firmly about the neck and yanked him in for a kiss. He began to draw out as much energy as quickly as he could. This man was an investor in death. If not for his meddling, Duke would still be alive. He¡¯d still have Suni. Why should the harmonizer be the only one to get his revenge this day?


    He let out a growl as someone violently ripped him free of Kenelm. Janice slashed at his chest with her clawed hand, tearing through flesh and bone alike. Sap poured freely from Duke¡¯s gaping wound, and tendrils flailed about in an attempt to seal the injury.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Duke grasped at his chest as he took several steps back.


    Blood was dripping from Janice¡¯s mouth. An absurd amount of it had leaked out, as though her insides had been liquefied. Her body moved around with odd tics and jerks, as though she were being puppeted about. Several of the demons were moving about in such a manner, due to Seo flexing his influence on so many of them at once.


    She slashed at him again, and Duke responded by picking up a nearby chair and swinging it at her with all of his might. It thudded against her head, and she fell like a dead weight to the floor. Duke glanced between her and Kenelm before letting out a hiss through his teeth.


    Adi was more important. He glanced around for any sign of Seo or Sable. Seeing neither, he began to move as quickly as possible towards the backrooms. His body was cracking and snapping with every motion, and it didn¡¯t help that others were also attempting to head in the same direction.


    The lot of them were bowled over as a table was hurled in their direction. Duke clambered over someone to protect them from a stool being thrown, then attempted to stand up. He had to tilt his head to the side to avoid a sword being thrust forward, but it caught part of his cheek and neck.


    Great. They had gotten into the pit¡¯s weapon supply.


    ¡°A mage has taken control of the firstborn!¡± Duke raised his voice against the cries of panic. ¡°Defend yourselves my brethren! Mithryn! Retreat to the inner hallways! Barricade yourselves within until the firstborn have regained their senses!¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He lingered as the others ran behind them, fighting when he could. A barstool became his favored weapon, being able to catch up other weapons within the legs and twist them away. Upon hearing the doors slam behind him, Duke turned around just in time to hear those that had escaped began to barricade the door.


    That was fine. He¡¯ll just¡­ Die here, or something. Duke grimaced at the thought. Not that death was unusual for him in this case, but there was no hallowed ground for him to be buried in. No hallowed ground meant no healing, and he didn¡¯t feel all that right going to the other side without knowing that Kenelm was dead first.


    Duke sluggishly dodged between the fighting demons as he made his way back to Kenelm. Where was he? Did he manage to gain consciousness long enough to crawl away? ¡°Kenelm!¡± Duke kicked at the knocked over table. ¡°Kenelm! Where are you?!¡±


    Did it have to be now? He had been planning on killing Kenelm but was waiting for DH to act first. The opportunity had slipped so easily through his fingers. Of course, it had though. Dead men had no right to meddle with the world of the living, even if it was to avenge themselves.


    He looked up and saw the headless woman in black. The was an odd sort of serenity about her, even though the walls and floor of the room about them had become stained with blood and fire. She held out her hand, waiting for Duke to take it.


    ¡°I may need more support than that.¡± Without vengeance to fuel his strength, Duke felt weakened. Even standing was a chore.


    The headless woman eased herself under his arm and began to guide Duke to behind the bar. They went through the storage room door, to where Millie and Adi were waiting. Millie didn¡¯t hesitate to start looking about the shelves. She retrieved a bottle of videheart elixir and began to splash it against Duke¡¯s wounds as the headless woman set him down.


    ¡°This is why you¡¯re my favorite,¡± muttered Duke. Millie merely smiled and continued to apply elixir.


    ¡°Once you can stand, we¡¯re getting out of here,¡± said Adi.


    Duke shook his head. ¡°This will be your last chance to go after Seo. You need to find him before others find out what happened here and start a manhunt.¡±


    ¡°And then what am I supposed to do?¡±


    ¡°... You can figure it out,¡± muttered Duke.


    Adi let out a sigh. ¡°Did you see Janice out there?¡± Duke debating answering him truthfully before shaking his head. ¡°Alright¡­ Do you have any idea how I¡¯m going to find Seo?¡±


    ¡°I read once of a barghest who was capable of shapeshifting,¡± said Duke.


    ¡°And he¡¯s become delusional.¡± Adi tossed his hands in the air. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out myself then!¡±


    Duke let out a quiet laugh. ¡°There isn¡¯t a need to disguise yourself, Sable. We do not hate you. There is nothing wrong with running away with your former master because you are still working hard to save him.¡± He looked up at the headless woman. ¡°But you must be made aware of the cost of madness.


    Humanity takes pity on those who commit crimes due to insanity or passion, but vengeance is a parasite. It burrows in and refused to let go, no matter how many lives their host takes. That is the toll of madness. There are times where we must punish the victim, despite the system being the one who had failed them.¡±


    The headless woman¡¯s visage shuddered. She shifted into Sable and began to lick at Duke¡¯s hand. Duke closed his eyes and shook his head. ¡°We truly aren¡¯t mad at you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Sable. It¡¯s fine,¡± added Adi. Sable let out a whine as he reached down to scratch behind her ears. ¡°Are you going to be okay here, Duke?¡±


    ¡°I will be fine as long as I have Millie. Because she is the best.¡±


    ¡°That I am,¡± replied Millie. Though she didn¡¯t look all that confident in his chances.


    ¡°Cool. Yeah, okay¡­¡± Adi nodded to himself several times over. ¡°Come on, Sable. Let¡¯s go talk to your master.¡±


    After had left, Millie leaned in closer to Duke. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to shay it, but I don¡¯t believe the elisher is doing much.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s better if he doesn¡¯t know the truth behind my condition,¡± whispered Duke. ¡°He needs to concentrate on what needs to be done and not be influenced by how his friends or loved ones have been treated.¡± He looked up at Millie. ¡°Will it be alright if I rested for a little while.¡±


    Millie nodded. ¡°Of courshe, Duke. Take as long ash you need.¡±


    ???


    After most of the mithryn had escaped, the fighting had devolved to the demons tearing each other apart. A man wearing a masquerade mask and a hoodie was standing up on a table. His arms waved about as he danced, puppeteering those around him to kill.


    Adi looked around in an attempt to find the inugami. She was huddled in the corner, somehow wounded. Even as Adi approached her master, she didn¡¯t feel compelled to go near them. Rather, she retreated further in and began to lick at her wounds.


    ¡°Are you done?¡± Adi looked up at Seo.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± replied the mage. He swung his arm in front of himself, and the dragon demon bit down on the throat of a gnarled and bloody creature.


    ¡°I think you¡¯re done,¡± said Adi. He stuffed his hands into his pockets and held his ground, waiting patiently for the mage to react.


    Seo frowned down at him and Sable before he swiped both of his hands downwards. All of the demons within the room collapsed to the ground at once. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°Look, uhh¡­¡± Adi realized that as badly as he wanted to talk to this man, he had never put any thought into what he was going to say. ¡°... I was lucky enough to have someone there for me when I was introduced to this world. It wasn¡¯t as kind to you, and believe me, I understand, but¡­ Yeah. Let¡¯s go outside to talk.¡±


    He stared for a moment longer before responding. ¡°... Talk about what?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Stuff and stuff¡­ Let¡¯s just get out of here, okay? This place is a real mood killer.¡±


    They went upstairs and to the field where a pumpkin patch had been harvested last season. Adi asked Seo about himself, and he unloaded everything. His name was Albert Seo, and he was an develop engineer for a green energy company. There was his parents and three children living at his house since his wife had died a few years ago of cancer, and his sister often came over to help with the kids.


    One day, he came home to find his father murdered. Neither his sister or mother would answer their phones, and he was about to call the police when a monster attacked him. He succeeded in fighting it off, but couldn¡¯t find any evidence to where his family had gone. It took months for him to put the pieces together, and it was far too late to save any of them by that point.


    The only choice was vengeance. He discovered he had sway over the demons, and the rest could be taken care of by an inugami. All he had to do was to make sure they all paid their dues. The prices owed to those who had died. Every single one of them were guilty in their own right.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter anyway,¡± said Seo. ¡°Their¡­ Police or whatever those monsters call their officers will be after me soon.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s DH,¡± replied Adi.


    ¡°Again, it doesn¡¯t matter. I doubt they have any sort of judicial system. Execution is the only thing that awaits me.¡±


    Adi began to laugh at the thought, much to Albert¡¯s surprise. ¡°They don¡¯t¡­ Yeah, they don¡¯t do that.¡± He looked over to the smoke trail that was seeping up from the farmhouse. ¡°DH is a bunch of poachers. They see people with skills they like, and it doesn¡¯t matter to them if they¡¯re monsters or murderers. They make use of them.¡±


    Albert didn¡¯t say anything. He began to look at the ground, where the dried up vines were.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be a prisoner they pull out in a time of need or an agent, but you¡¯re going to be asked to kill. Sure, you¡¯ll be fighting to prevent the stuff that happened to you and your family, but you¡¯re going to spend the rest of your life fighting.¡±


    ¡°And if I refuse?¡±


    The two stared at each other for a time. There was pain in Albert¡¯s face. It had been a part of him for so long that it had been deeply etched within his features. Hearing the news about DH had somehow worsened it. Despite Albert¡¯s inner torment, all Adi could do was shrug at the question.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think they care either way.¡± He pulled out his gun from where he had it tucked into the waist of his pants. ¡°Here. After the mess you made, I¡¯m pretty sure that they¡¯ll be here soon. There won¡¯t be a lot of time to think about it.¡± He then kneeled down next to Sable and scratched behind her ears. ¡°Go ahead and stay here, alright? Come find me again afterwards. I promise that I¡¯ll be there to take care of you.¡±


    Adi then walked away, not caring either way if Albert chose that moment to shoot him in the back. He needed to get Duke and drive out of here. Those wounds didn¡¯t look too good, and it¡¯ll be faster for him to drive him back to Verlsa. That is if she had woken up by now. She probably was awake by now¡­ He frowned at the thought. Yeah, yeah, she was probably fine.


    As he was walking back, he noticed Suni near the parked cars. She was attempting to force the door to one open. Adi didn¡¯t think too much of it. Just a mithryn or something that was trying to escape the disaster.


    ¡°Over here!¡± He froze when she pointed a gun at him. ¡°I¡¯m trying to help you!¡±


    Suni gestured for someone Adi couldn¡¯t see to stay low to the ground. She then kept her gun drawn and pointed to the ground as she approached Adi. ¡°What is it?¡±


    Adi walked over to Janice¡¯s car and gave three quick tugs to the trunk. This was the magic way to get it open. ¡°You wanted out of here, right?¡± He pulled open the side panel and pulled out the spare keys. ¡°Here. I can figure out how to get it back later, but it¡¯s probably better that you get out of here first.¡±


    She put away the gun and took the keys away from him. ¡°Thank you¡­ What¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Adi. What¡¯s yours?¡±


    ¡°... Suni. Thank you again. I¡¯ll have the car dropped off here again tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°No worries.¡± Adi let out a sigh as he heard a gunshot ring out in the distance. He clenched his teeth and forced himself to smile, even as his throat began to hurt from him trying to hold back the tears. ¡°Just¡­ Get out of here safely.¡±


    Adi then waved her off began to make his way back to the farmhouse so he could see how Duke was doing. Life was a daze now. He was simply going through the motions until the day ended, and he hoped that the world would somehow be sane again tomorrow. Everything should have calmed down, but instead, he was greeted by the sight of people running in and out of glowing portals.


    ¡°The fuck..?¡±


    ¡°Adi!¡± Verlsa ran up to him. Her face was already stained with tears. ¡°Oh god, you¡¯re okay!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fi-¡± He doubled over as Verlsa punched him in the stomach. ¡°The fu-fuck you doing, you psychopath!¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer your phone at all?!¡±


    ¡°I was busy and left it in my car!¡± He gagged as she kicked him in the stomach. ¡°St-stop that!¡± Once more was the air knocked out of him, this time by Verlsa wrapping him up with a tight hug. ¡°I¡¯m getting mixed signals¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m just glad you¡¯re okay, you absolute fuckwit!¡±


    Adi patted her back. He thought about everything that had happened, and about how he had given Albert the means to kill himself. Now a man he had sworn to save was lying dead in a field. A guilt washed over him as he began to selfishly worry about himself. He knew about this world now. There wasn¡¯t a way to erase it all and go back to being a normal human now.


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Of course, I¡¯m fine. I am okay.¡±

 Chapter Twenty Five - With You Always - Final Chapter

    ¡°Arrests have been made in the West Cedar Cemetery case. Kenelm Faerin, a known drug baron for designer drugs, is suspected to have sent out agents to test different overjoy formulas at several college parties. Faerin was arrested today after one of his employees tipped off local police.


    The FBI is now working with the South Korean government, where Faerin is suspected to have performed similar tests. Last August, the bodies of a crashed tourist bus were found in a similar state to those found in Seattle, and the FBI is now looking for evidence to see if the two cases are linked.¡±


    ¡°Turn that shit off,¡± muttered Verlsa. She didn¡¯t care if the SIA was able to tie a neat little bow on their case, the lot of them had left a bad taste in her mouth.


    She was back in the DH offices, waiting for Sage to finish talking with Agent Pastor. Adi was also in the room. He was helping Vila fill up a large aquarium with water. Paul was waiting to the side. He had become fascinated with a mirror they had propped up against the side of the wall.


    A large worm was sitting in a heap on the floor. It only was in the reflection though, lacking a presence in real life. When the tank was full, the worm crawled up the side of the tank and fanned itself out on the inside. While it was in the water, it resembled a cross between a Bobbit worm and a sea slug, colorful and incredibly disturbing to look at.


    ¡°Absolutely fascinating,¡± muttered Paul as he watched it swim about.


    ¡°I¡¯ll install a water heater next and a purifier. Then we should be done!¡± Vila slapped his hands together. ¡°Easy stuff!¡±


    Adi looked on with disgust as the worm happily swayed this way and that. He still couldn¡¯t believe that he had had sex with this thing. ¡°How long before Janice regenerates a new body?¡± For some reason or another, Janice had trapped herself in a mirror during the attack at the den. It was by pure luck that they had noticed her while DH was doing a final sweep of the place.


    Paul looked down at his clipboard. ¡°She had already consumed a human body, thus it will be about a month before she is able to convert that mass into a new form for herself. By then, we will have a way to retrieve her from her prison.¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­ Cool,¡± muttered Adi. He really hoped she wouldn¡¯t call him when that happened. ¡°I¡¯m going to get my dog and go home now.¡±


    ¡°Drive safely!¡± Called out Vila as Adi walked out of the room.


    ¡°Yep, you too.¡± Adi winced at his own awkward comment. ¡°You know what I mean. Goodbye.¡±


    He headed down the hall and ignored the footsteps running after him. That was until Verlsa ran out in front of him. She had an envelope in her hands, and she had trust it out for Adi to take. Adi looked down at it and then back up to her.


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter that Duck-young wrote for me after he had injured me,¡± she said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that something between the two of you?¡± She hesitated to say anything and kept the envelope out for him to take. ¡°How is he?¡± Adi asked as he took the envelope and stuffed it into his jacket pocket.


    Verlsa hesitated again. ¡°They buried him in some dirt and locked him up in a vault because they don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll wake up with a soul or not yet. If he doesn¡¯t wake up, they¡¯re going to burn the body,¡± she muttered.


    ¡°He¡¯s going to wake up again,¡± reassured Adi.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want him to,¡± she replied. ¡°He¡¯s been through enough. The only reason I kept him going before was because I was scared to lose him, but I¡¯ve been neglecting him for years. I don¡¯t have the right to ask him to stay.¡±


    Adi shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s his choice though, isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m not going to be sticking around,¡± muttered Verlsa. ¡°I¡¯m going to France. At least, not really France, but a part of France where the demon court is. Apparently, the demon king wants to meet me or something, and I¡¯ll probably be sticking around because of that.¡±


    He took a moment to lean against the wall. Adi was still feeling tired after everything that had happened today. ¡°Not coming back?¡±


    ¡°The SIA know about me and there¡¯s not that many carbuncles left in the world. Less than a hundred or so, or so I¡¯m told.¡± She laughed nervously. ¡°I¡¯m an endangered species.¡±


    ¡°Better than being one of the sheep,¡± replied Adi.


    ¡°You are no sheep.¡± Verlsa reached up and grasped his shoulder for a moment. ¡°Take care of yourself, Atticus. Don¡¯t let something like this get you down.¡± She looked past him, to where Sage and Pastor were walking out of a room together. ¡°You¡¯ll be okay.¡±


    ¡°So will you,¡± he replied. ¡°Go ahead and drop by if the demon realm doesn¡¯t work out for you.¡±Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Pastor gave Adi a nod as Verlsa walked past him. ¡°Windi will be notifying you of any progress made by Miss Perlin and Mister Kwak.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    That was the only reply that Adi had for Pastor. He walked past and stopped by the employee lounge, where the headless woman was waiting for him on a couch. Adi sat down next to her and she flopped down onto his lap. Sable¡¯s form shifted from woman to dog, and she sighed with relief as he began to scratched between her ears.


    ¡°Just a moment, Sable. I¡¯m going to read this and then we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± Adi opened up the paper and began to scan the contents.


    ???


    Dear Verlsa,


    The past few days have certainly been a rollercoaster. There has been much that we have gone through, but I will get to the point; I have never forgiven you.


    We silently agreed on a policy of not giving up on our friendship after Callie¡¯s accident. Whether it was matters of anger or love, we would never mention it. We foolishly prioritized always being there for each other instead of admitting our own feelings.


    There was a time where we were wildly and passionately in love with each other, but you were the one who left. You left without a word because you wanted to protect me from the dangers that came with your world, but you robbed me of the chance of ever getting over you. For years, I questioned if I should ever dare to ask you why, but I didn¡¯t. I knew that questioning it would mean the end of our promise of never ending our friendship[. On never giving up on all of those years that we had shared together during our youth.


    But I will tell you now that I would have left you. I would still try to be friends, but I had desired such things as marriage and children. Something which your nature would not have been able to grant us. Though it would have been difficult, I would have eventually healed.


    Whether or not you have told me then, I can tell you know that my future would have been no different. I would have still found Suni, and I would have still died on that bus. Your silence may have damaged me, but it was not the cause of my death. You will never be at fault for that.


    Go on and live, Verlsa. Callie and I may be gone, but you have every reason to go on. Live a good life, Verlsa. Discover what gives you purpose, and hang onto it with everything you have. Don¡¯t let the weight of your past hold you back any longer.


    With you always,


    Duck-young


    ???


    Adi shook his head and put the letter back into the envelope. He continued to scratch idly at Sable¡¯s ears. Verlsa had no right to force him to read that. Reading about a bunch of mushy complicated feelings stuff reminded him of how hard it was to be an adult, and he didn¡¯t like that.


    ¡°You¡¯re still here?¡± Windi walked through the open door and went to one of the machines. She smacked the side, a cup dropped down, and hot chocolate began to fill it up.


    ¡°Yeah, I wanted to make sure Janice was okay before I planned on never seeing her again.¡±


    Windi kept her eyes on the paper cup as it filled up. ¡°Now that your case has been settled, you will be free to go. As long as you don¡¯t interfere with our work, you won¡¯t be hearing from us.¡±


    ¡°Why do you do your work?¡± Adi leaned back on the couch. ¡°I know you do it to survive, but is there any other reason? Does it give you purpose or anything like that?¡±


    Windi sat down on the couch with him as she waited for her drink to cool. ¡°It wasn¡¯t long ago that DH was a wonderful place. We would go out and be greeted warmly by everyone that we meet. I would often play with the children at a mithryn school that we had set up, but I don¡¯t have time for it anymore.


    Our policies were forced to change when King Rayl died. Although our relations with the new king are good, he continues to push the boundaries of associations such as the SIA, and we will soon either have to choose to take a side or maintain independence. This is combined with the rumors that SIA has been violating the rights of mages, mithryn, and firstborn alike. Our work has become quite difficult because of that.


    What happened with your uncle, the crimes he had committed, it would have never happened. It should have never happened.¡± Windi paused as Adi began to stare at her. She was avoiding his question. ¡°I work because I desire to see the day when DH is able to operate as it was. As others have put it, we are merely treating symptoms while spreading the disease. I continue to work hard because I want to see those days again.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad, huh?¡±


    ¡°The situation is grim, but that is simply politics. Tensions and stupidity waver from a day to day basis?¡±


    Adi looked down at Sable. ¡°Then tell them to fuck off.¡± He grasped onto the fur of Sable¡¯s cheeks and began to tug gently on them. It had an oddly calming effect on him. ¡°DH abandoned you guys, and you¡¯ve been left to handle everything yourselves. Pastor already tossed out their rules by sparing you and Duke. Why can¡¯t you do the same and stop relying on others to make the world a better place?¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t that simple.¡±


    ¡°Of course it is.¡± Adi gave Sable a gentle push, and she jumped off of him. This gave him enough room to stand up. ¡°Call me if you ever need help with a case.¡±


    Windi stood up as well. ¡°You are not qualified for the job.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m as qualified as anyone else here. I have to be if you all are just lost as me.¡± He grinned widely. ¡°I even have the perfect partner for the job.¡±


    ¡°I regret to inform you that we have no idea if Mister Kwak will be awakening from his torpor.¡± Windi stood up and offered the cup of hot chocolate to Adi, but he held up a hand to refuse it.


    His smile grew all the larger at Windi¡¯s statement. ¡°Who needs Duke? The only partner I need is Sable.¡± She let out a low bark as she agreed with his statement. ¡°And the two of us are going to be looking forward to your call. I want to see the DH that you¡¯re talking about, just so I can tell you that you were wrong all along and that you¡¯re still a bunch of jerks.¡±


    Adi walked out of the building with Sable trotting next to him. He didn¡¯t really get having a purpose, but he did know that he wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with some peace of mind and a comfy office job. This world was broken, and it would continue to be as long as people turned a blind eye to it.


    And most importantly, he understood that he wasn¡¯t done. This world was weird and full of danger, but it was always going to be there. It was always going to be a part of his life. Might as well work hard to make sure that his life would be a good one.