《The Monster of Seven Falls》 Chapter 1 - Owls, Demons, and Disappearances June Robinson soared through the sky, the wind in her wings and freedom in her bones. This wasn¡¯t just a random daydream¡ªtwo years ago, she had seen her mom shapeshift into an owl the size of a truck, and ever since, her fantasies always involved being an owl of vehicular size. She never imagined any other kind of animal. June was of average height and often described as ¡°big boned¡± by people who thought that was somehow a kind or encouraging thing to say. She had long, straight black hair that went just past her shoulders, and legs and arms that seemed a little too long and thick for her body. And, until five days ago, she had brown eyes instead of yellow ones. ¡°License plates, June.¡± June stirred in her seat, pulling her mind back to the car. Their Jeep shuddered as it hit a curve at a high speed, the highway winding through the Great Smoky Mountains. Thick fog hung over the landscape, lingering despite the sun overhead. The morning air blowing in through the car¡¯s vents smelled of wet leaves and fall. After the eye doctor¡¯s appointment that morning, June would arrive at school having only missed her first class. ¡°What were the license plates of the last two cars we passed?¡± Her mother, Cordelia Robinson, demanded. June still felt the tug of sleep whenever she blinked, so she had no desire to engage in this game with Cordelia. ¡°I¡¯m tired,¡± she replied, ¡°and I want to rest my mind for the math test I have later today.¡± ¡°Speaking of, how did your science test go?¡± June hesitated. ¡°I got a 93.¡± ¡°Only 93? Were you even trying?¡± Cordelia¡¯s voice was cold. June felt a familiar hollowness settle into her chest. ¡°Of course. It¡¯s still an A.¡± ¡°Sure. It¡¯s a mediocre A. I thought you were better than mediocre. Now tell me the license plates.¡± Daydreaming or not, her mom¡¯s training ran deep, and June had still managed to note the passing cars. And, of course, their license plate numbers, which she recited while slumping deeper into the warm leather seat. This training, Cordelia claimed, would equip June so that she never ended up a victim, because there were worse things than giant owls in the world. Those worse things were demons, who had a nasty habit of eating people. Lots of people. June wasn¡¯t exactly concerned about demons popping up in tiny Seven Falls, Tennessee, though, since they were rare and preferred crowded cities, which often lacked a sense of community so people could go missing without causing a stir. Cordelia had fled the life of a demon-hunting Shifter before June was born. And should June gain the ability to Shift, she wouldn¡¯t hunt demons either¡ªthe way she saw it, most people deserved to be eaten. Before Cordelia could ask something like how many speed limit signs they had passed since leaving the doctor¡¯s office, or how many pieces of trash littered the side of the road since the last mile marker, June spoke up. ¡°I heard Dr. Beckett say something about us getting a second opinion about my eyes. Still sure nothing will happen to me tonight?¡± A hopeful grin rounded her face. At midnight, June would turn fifteen¡ªwhen Cordelia turned fifteen, the whole owl thing had happened. But for years, Cordelia had assured June that she would never Shift, no matter her age. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. ¡°Yes,¡± Cordelia replied flatly. ¡°But the color¡­¡± June said, pointing to her eyes for emphasis. Cordelia¡¯s mouth formed a thin, tight line before she answered. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of any changes occurring quite like this. Which makes me all the more certain you won¡¯t Shift and this recent business with your eyes is all you¡¯re going to get.¡± Cordelia sounded confident, but her argument wasn¡¯t convincing. Why would June¡¯s eyes change color if nothing else was going to happen? And not only had they changed color, but June no longer needed her eyeglasses¡ªshe had perfect vision. Then there was her improved sense of smell and hearing, but she hadn¡¯t told Cordelia about those things yet, because she had started acting super weird when June¡¯s eyes changed. June studied her mom. Cordelia¡¯s jaw slid back and forth (June could actually hear her teeth grinding) and her feathery brown hair, with the occasional streak of gray, looked dull and sticky. Her round, brownish-orange eyes were puffy and had dark bags underneath, making her even more bird-like. June sniffed the air and noticed a sour odor coming from Cordelia¡¯s side of the car. She was wearing the same outfit she had worn for the past two days; the jeans and light purple sweater were saggy and tired, matching her eyes all the more. If she hadn¡¯t changed clothes, she probably hadn¡¯t bathed either. June couldn¡¯t remember ever seeing Cordelia like this, even after that one time she had gotten food poisoning. Despite long and loud hours in the bathroom, she¡¯d still managed to shower and change clothes within twenty-four hours. But Cordelia¡¯s bathing and changing-clothes-like-a-normal-person streak had ended on the same day June¡¯s eyes suddenly went from brown to yellow. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± June asked. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed clothes in days.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just work¡ªsome of my research¡ªthat¡¯s all,¡± Cordelia replied. She waved a hand in the air dismissively. This was a lie. Cordelia never got stressed about work¡ªshe was a geneticist and owned her own research laboratory. She loved working and she did it all the time. June waited a few seconds before poking again. ¡°Are you sure you aren¡¯t concerned about being wrong? I¡¯m not the expert, but it seems like genetics doesn¡¯t explain¡ª¡± ¡°Genetics must explain everything!¡± Cordelia snapped, running a hand through her hair so roughly that June guessed clumps would soon be missing. June leaned back, making sure her own hair was out of Cordelia¡¯s reach. ¡°You¡¯ve always known it could happen to me, right?¡± Cordelia looked at her hands. Her eyes widened briefly, and she shook loose the strands of hair tangled in her fingers. She took several slow breaths. ¡°It¡¯s not happening, June, and that¡¯s not such a bad thing. The ability will skip over you and you¡¯ll get to live a normal life.¡± ¡°What if I don¡¯t want a normal life?¡± ¡°Then you¡¯d be perfectly normal,¡± Cordelia answered. Her mouth formed a faint grin while one hand rubbed the necklace under her sweater. While Cordelia had engaged in a few odd new behaviors since June¡¯s eyes decided to transfigure themselves, rubbing her necklace like it contained a genie was not one of them¡ªshe¡¯d been doing that for as long as June could remember. Though to be fair, the amethyst square hanging from the necklace was large enough to house a creature inside. ¡°Everyone thinks they want to be different until they find out what it¡¯s like. Now tell me, how many speed limit signs have we passed since leaving the doctor¡¯s office?¡± With a grumble, June gave the correct answer and resumed staring out the window, waiting for the next inane question. But none came. Instead, Cordelia said, ¡°Since you¡¯re buying your lunch today, make sure to get a salad or something else healthy.¡± She glanced at June¡¯s thighs, then turned back to the road. June¡¯s cheeks burned and the hollowness that had formed in her chest spread to her stomach. Criticizing June¡¯s weight wasn¡¯t a new behavior either; Cordelia had been doing that for time immemorial. June surreptitiously looked down so Cordelia wouldn¡¯t notice and studied the outline of her legs under her flower-patterned, ill-fitting dress. She looked as thick as ever. Maybe if Cordelia let her pick out her own clothes, her weight wouldn¡¯t be so noticeable. After a few minutes of silence, June imagined sprouting wings and flying, high in the sky, the wind in her face and desperate for the feeling of freedom again. She only returned to reality once, after Cordelia turned up the radio, to listen long enough to hear that a young girl had gone missing in the forest. Disappearances were becoming a daily event. In the last five days, five people had gone missing. Chapter 2 - The Scorpion and the Frog The locker door slammed shut, the noise echoing down the long hallway of Seven Falls High School. June scolded herself. Why was she so clumsy these last few days? She hadn¡¯t even pushed hard, and the locker door slammed so violently her ears rang. Yesterday she had grabbed a glass and it shattered in her hands. That was a fun mess to clean up. A few groups stopped to stare at her, which made June¡¯s chest tighten. Beginning her walk to class, she didn¡¯t bother looking for a friendly face. The hallway was typical of a million high school hallways, with banks of drab blue lockers, a beige tiled floor that might once have been white, and hastily made posters on the walls announcing sports or clubs. Pumpkins and skulls dotted a few of the posters too, marking Halloween¡¯s approach. While June, as a freshman this year, had walked the hallway dozens of times already, it had never felt so foreign. She could hear just about any conversation she wanted if she focused, and when she passed someone, if she closed her eyes and held her breath, she could faintly hear their beating heart. But listening in on conversations and heartbeats was made difficult by the sensitivity of her nose: flowery scents (probably perfumes), something like wood and citrus (probably cologne), and the acrid tinge of teenage body odor (definitely boys) all felt like they were stampeding up her sinuses and assaulting her brain. Fanning her face as she walked, June noticed one of the groups still staring at her. And talking about her. Tension built in her shoulders. ¡°What a loser,¡± said Jennifer Hammond, her blonde hair cascading to her slim, tan shoulders, barely covered by the narrow strips of a white tank top. ¡°Look at what June is wearing today! She looks like a grandma. I wonder if she has her dentures on too!¡± She laughed maliciously; the other four girls around her joined in. ¡°Hey June, looking good!¡± Jennifer yelled out. June lowered her head and sped up. At least her dress was comfortable and covered her shoulders; Jennifer looked likely to freeze to death in an overly cold classroom. A smile crept across June¡¯s face at the idea of it. And anyway, who really cared what other kids thought? Not her. Most of the kids at Seven Falls were unrelatable dumpster fires. As she passed other groups of students, she heard more insults, some whispered, some said more loudly and wickedly: ¡°June is the fattest month of the year¡ª¡± ¡°Look at June. Gross. Does she even try?¡± The tension weighing her shoulders turned into an oppressive heaviness and the hollow feeling from the car ride to school returned in full force. Her initial excitement at hearing all of the conversations around her started to wane. June walked by another group of girls and couldn¡¯t help but focus on what they were saying: something about having a crush on a junior. While it was nice to hear someone not insulting her, she stopped listening and shook her head in disgust. Crushes were a waste of time¡ªthey distracted from the important things. June rounded the door into her classroom and finally found a friendly face: Brendan Todoroki, sitting at a table in the front left corner of the room. June plopped onto a wobbly metal stool next to him. There was only one other person at Seven Falls High School that June could relate to, and sitting down next to him felt like walking out of a rainstorm into a warm, dry living room. Brendan had come to Seven Falls in third grade, when his family immigrated from Japan. He stood a few inches taller than June, weighed a lot less, and had straight black hair that he swept to the side so it wouldn¡¯t fall in his eyes. And in those eyes, green like a pine tree, June always saw unrestrained approval shining back at her. Only two other people in the world looked at June with approval like that, although they both happened to work at the lab Cordelia owned: Mr. Moseley, the security guard and the closest thing she had to a grandparent, and Aunt Violet, a scientist. But with Brendan, something else was buried just beneath the surface too, a glimmer she couldn¡¯t place, unique to his eyes when they were looking at her. It was a good something, a warm something, and she certainly didn¡¯t mind. ¡°Happy birthday!¡± Brendan said. ¡°You got my gift in the mail, right?¡± ¡°I did, but I think they delivered the wrong thing.¡± June struggled to form and maintain a frown as she pulled out her notebook and placed it on the smooth black tabletop. The room smelled of dry erase markers and a hint of something burnt. This stronger sense of smell was going to take some getting used to. Brendan¡¯s excitement turned to panic. ¡°What¡¯d you get?¡± ¡°Somehow they delivered a The Lord of the Rings chess set, but I¡¯m sure you sent me a Harry Potter chess set, since that is the best fantasy series ever written.¡± The look of revulsion on his face overcame all her mock disapproval and she laughed. To his credit, Brendan recovered quickly. ¡°You know, if you just liked The Lord of the Rings more, we could be such good friends, June. And I wouldn¡¯t have to explain to you over, and over, and over again, how Harry Potter is but a shadow and a copy¡ª¡° ¡°Of course I love it!¡± June interrupted. ¡°It¡¯s the best thing I¡¯ve gotten. Although my birthday isn¡¯t until tomorrow technically, so someone else might top you.¡± A faint hint of worry creased the middle of Brendan¡¯s forehead, which caused June to laugh again. The tension of the walk to class melted from her shoulders and she no longer felt hollow. ¡°When has your mom ever topped my gifts?¡± he ventured. ¡°I get gifts from other people too, you know,¡± June shot back. More kids poured into the classroom now, drawing her gaze, and the hallway smells and sounds came with them. June focused her attention back on Brendan to block it all out. He was giving her a dubious look and saying ¡°¡­I know you won¡¯t open whatever your dad sends you¡ª¡± ¡°Call him Richard,¡± June corrected. The name left a sour taste in her mouth. ¡°Yeah, my bad. Still no glasses? Did the doctor figure out why your eyes changed color?¡± He brushed something off the shoulder of his red t-shirt, which read Blimey! Detectives in big black letters. June shook her head. ¡°Nope, she had no clue. But my vision is perfect now, so I won¡¯t be wearing my glasses anymore. Cordelia is acting super weird about it though. What¡¯s with that shirt? It¡¯s new, isn¡¯t it?¡± June knew every item of clothing Brendan owned, and she had never seen this one before. ¡°It is,¡± he responded. ¡°You¡¯re slipping. I was wondering how long it would take you to notice¡ª¡± ¡°I noticed as soon as I saw you, but you didn¡¯t close your mouth long enough for me to ask about it.¡± He tilted his head down and looked at June from under his eyelids. ¡°Uh huh. Anyway, I think you¡¯d really like Blimey! Detectives. It¡¯s this book series about undercover detectives in Britain. They always surprise the bad guys at the end, who are always stunned to learn they were detectives all along. Then one of the bad guys inevitably says, ¡®Blimey! Detectives.¡¯¡± ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll check them out over winter break. But I have an important question: What would you be if you could turn into any animal?¡± He looked down at his gangly arms. ¡°Probably something strong, like a bear.¡± His eyebrows shot up and his eyes brightened. ¡°Or maybe¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it,¡± June said. ¡°I meant a real animal, not¡ª¡± ¡°A werewolf!¡± He grinned like an idiot. ¡°I should have known we¡¯d end up here.¡± She closed her eyes and let out an exaggerated sigh. Brendan wasn¡¯t too far off, though. Each Shifter could transform into one animal, and while Cordelia had never given June an exhaustive list, she had said that anything warm-blooded and carnivorous was possible, so a wolf Shifter¡ªbut not a true werewolf¡ªcould exist. But June couldn¡¯t tell him that¡ªCordelia had sworn her to secrecy, on pain of death or worse, like lectures. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Hey, you asked the question,¡± he continued. ¡°Werewolves have it all¡ªsuper strength, super hearing, the ability to smell trouble from a mile away. But I wouldn¡¯t be a savage, just killing and maiming. I would help people, fight villains, save people in distress. You know, hero stuff.¡± ¡°Yeah, for three days out of every month,¡± June replied. He chuckled. ¡°Three days is better than zero days, June. And imagine if I could change whenever I wanted¡ª¡± June almost choked. She looked around the classroom, scanning the posters of the periodic table and the solar system on the wall until she was certain no emotion showed on her face. ¡°Why hero stuff?¡± ¡°Seriously? You wouldn¡¯t want to be a hero?¡± ¡°Maybe. I mean, I wouldn¡¯t be a villain, of course. I just¡ªI don¡¯t think it makes sense to go around saving a bunch of strangers. They could be jerks, for all you know. Why not just use your powers to swipe anything you want and to see the view from all the tallest trees in the world? Or to study the animal you turned into?¡± Brendan¡¯s eyes glazed over, and June knew he¡¯d gone into deep thought. Eventually he spoke again. ¡°It seems like that would be a waste.¡± His gaze came into focus just in time to see June¡¯s menacing frown. ¡°I mean, not a waste,¡± he corrected, ¡°but less than the full potential of turning into an animal. And you¡¯d choose a bird wouldn¡¯t you, since you want to be¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, and I¡¯d be the best ornithologist in the world,¡± June said, tilting her chin up. ¡°If my research helped people, fine.¡± ¡°I know you¡¯d be the best. You¡¯re the best at whatever you put your mind to.¡± Brendan smiled and June felt her cheeks flush. ¡°That¡¯s why you need me, June. When evil arises, especially if you have powers, you do hero things. Even your beloved Harry did a little bit of wizard hero stuff, or so I¡¯ve heard. So fear not¡ªI¡¯ll make a hero out of you yet.¡± June opened her mouth to protest, but Brendan held up a hand to forestall her. ¡°You just have to be careful and master your powers. Good guys always win. Think of what you could do if you were an eagle.¡± ¡°Or an owl,¡± she said softly. Brendan went to respond when a wad of paper hit June in the back of the head and landed on the floor. She ignored it. He frowned, looked at the paper, then back at her. ¡°You heard that someone else went missing right?¡± ¡°Yeah, I heard it on the radio this morning. That¡¯s five people in the last five days.¡± She brushed aside the coincidental timing¡ªher eyes had also changed five days ago. ¡°Something bad is happening,¡± Brendan said. ¡°Seven Falls needs a hero.¡± ¡°It sounds more like Seven Falls needs people to stop going in the forest alone. They¡¯re probably fine, just lost.¡± Brendan gave her a skeptical look just as a wad of paper smacked into his cheek. June whipped around, her eyes narrowing with rage. She glared at the two Jeremys¡ªJeremy Sanders and Jeremy Cassidy¡ªlaughing at the back of the room. If looks could kill, she hoped hers would right now. At that moment Mrs. Hatcher walked in, talking at machine-gun speed, ending their conversation. ¡°Today we will continue our study of reptile biology and turn to the fascinating world of snakes! Did you know snakes are basically solar powered creatures? If they don¡¯t get enough warmth, bodily functions, like digestion, can stop altogether!¡± She wrote on the board: ¡°snakes + cold = bad news.¡± ¡°And we are just getting started! Were you aware some snakes can spit their venom up to eight feet with deadly accuracy? Eight feet!¡± June eagerly grabbed a pencil and opened her notebook to a fresh page. One thing she knew with certainty: the best grades kept Cordelia happy, and a happy mom made for a much more pleasant life. And Cordelia wasn¡¯t wrong. The best grades would allow June to attend the best college. And she would need the best education to become the best ornithologist in the world¡ªwell, that and the ability to Shift into an owl herself. Despite June¡¯s efforts, only one person ever earned a better grade than her, at least sometimes: Brendan. And when he did, a part of her was proud of him, and a part of her wanted to pull her hair out. June studied early and often. Brendan might put in some study time the day before a test if someone twisted his arm. Yet he had managed to beat her on twenty-two of the last fifty-seven graded tests and assignments. June still won more often, but not by the crushing margin of victory she wanted. After class, they made their way to the cafeteria, moving with the flow of the crowd through the hallways, backpacks and blue lockers stretching out in front of them. ¡°What made you start thinking about powers and turning into animals? Is it because of your eyes?¡± Brendan asked. June didn¡¯t want to lie, but she couldn¡¯t tell him the truth either. ¡°It¡¯s just¡ªit¡¯s an important thing to think about,¡± she finally said. ¡°Plus, you wouldn¡¯t want to be unprepared if you stumbled upon something radioactive, or if the most powerful dark wizard in history tried to kill you and failed.¡± Brendan laughed and she brought up something that had been weighing on her since their conversation about heroes. ¡°Have you ever heard the story of the scorpion and the frog?¡± ¡°Does it involve a race, like the tortoise and the hare?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°No, it¡¯s the one where a scorpion needs to cross a stream and asks a frog for a ride across on his back. It¡¯s one of Cordelia''s favorites¡ªshe¡¯s probably told it to me a hundred times. The frog is worried the scorpion will just sting and kill him, because he¡¯s, you know, a scorpion. But the scorpion promises not to and¡ª¡± ¡°And then they pull a thorn out of a lion¡¯s paw?¡± Brendan interrupted. ¡°No, just listen. The scorpion points out they¡¯ll both drown if he stings the frog, so the frog agrees to carry him. When they¡¯re halfway across the stream, the scorpion stings the frog. The frog is super upset, and says, ¡®Why would you do that, now we¡¯ll both drown!¡¯ And the scorpion just smiles and says he couldn¡¯t help it¡ªit¡¯s his nature to sting. Then they both sink.¡± She paused and shot out her arm in front of Brendan to stop him from walking right into the girl ahead of him, who had halted to adjust her giant plaid backpack. Brendan looked down at June¡¯s hand on his chest and his cheeks turned bright red, probably due to embarrassment over almost plowing into someone. The girl started moving again, June dropped her hand, and they continued toward the cafeteria. ¡°Your mom really knows how to bring the mood down, June. She¡¯s a real drowner.¡± June gave him her best blank look. ¡°You know, like a downer, but the story was about drowning. It¡¯s a pun.¡± ¡°Doing those again?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t stop being clever. It¡¯s why you love me.¡± June fought back a grin. ¡°If you say so. Anyway, Cordelia says the story is a warning about human nature. You know, like no good deed goes unpunished.¡± ¡°I think your mom is borderline psychotic.¡± ¡°Brendan,¡± June said stiffly. Cordelia was still her mother, and the only family she really had¡ªor at least family that was related by blood. ¡°Okay, okay, sorry. But the things she says to you, it¡¯s just¡ªanyway, I don¡¯t think helping people is a bad thing.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I was grateful when a young girl¡ªa heroine, if you will¡ªstepped in to help me when I first moved here.¡± He gave a playful bow. June snorted. When Brendan first came to Seven Falls, she hadn¡¯t thought much about him. She certainly hadn¡¯t seen him and thought, Finally, my best friend has arrived. But a few days after he¡¯d started at school, a group had surrounded him near June¡¯s usual recess hiding spot. She watched as a big-for-his-age turd king named Michael Lark pushed Brendan down and stood over him while a group of other boys laughed. Brendan had looked terrified and about to cry, and something inside her had ignited. Before she knew it, she¡¯d stomped over and through the circle of laughing kids to help Brendan up. June had been tall for her age back then, and taller than even Michael Lark, so no one dared do more than call her fat before slinking away. And since that day, she and Brendan had been inseparable. ¡°I wasn¡¯t being a heroine,¡± June said. ¡°Those jerks were encroaching on my quiet space. How could I have known we¡¯d be best friends after that? You could¡¯ve been a total nerd for all I knew.¡± She smirked just as they arrived at the cafeteria. After buying their lunches¡ªJune had her usual papery salad with rubbery chicken¡ªthey sat down at an empty table along the outskirts of the lunchroom. Brendan had just started a pleasant debate over whether magic should require a wand or a staff, when the overpowering smell of department-store cologne enveloped June like a smog cloud, and an ominous shadow loomed over them. The shadow belonged to the leering bulk of Michael Lark, who remained both big for his age and a king turd. Malice glinted in his close-set, squinty blue eyes. Michael often wore tucked-in collared shirts (today¡¯s was baby blue) and far too much body spray. ¡°Well, well, June and Brain-den,¡± he sneered. ¡°I know you won¡¯t mind if I take this!¡± He slowly forced his arm between them and reached for Brendan¡¯s brownie. ¡°Oh, um, of course not,¡± Brendan replied with a last, despondent look at his dessert. Cordelia¡¯s voice popped into June¡¯s head out of nowhere. Just sugar and fat, terribly unhealthy. She grimaced. But the look of defeated resignation on Brendan¡¯s face silenced the thought and sparked something hot in June¡¯s stomach. Her hand shot out and grabbed Michael¡¯s wrist before he could reach the brownie. ¡°I mind,¡± she snarled. ¡°Like I care,¡± Michael said, flicking his arm violently, to no avail. He looked astonished that June was still holding on to him, and she was just as surprised¡ªadd newfound strength to the list of changes in the last week. She finally let go, leaving an angry red ring on Michael¡¯s skin. He snatched the brownie¡ªquickly this time¡ªwith his other hand. ¡°I¡¯m just saving you a few pounds, since you¡¯d end up eating it anyway,¡± he said to her, then eyed Brendan¡¯s chocolate milk. ¡°Touch his tray again and you might lose your hand,¡± she growled. ¡°Oooh, I¡¯m so scared,¡± Michael mocked, and then he laughed¡ªbut it sounded empty, and he didn¡¯t touch the chocolate milk. Instead, walking away, he said over his shoulder, ¡°I¡¯ll see you losers around.¡± June felt a vein throbbing in her forehead. ¡°Now that is a scorpion,¡± she said to Brendan. ¡°You¡¯re telling me you want to help people like that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking more about his victims. Are you sure you wouldn¡¯t want to use your powers to squish him flat and save others from his torture?¡± She had to admit, that did sound appealing. Perhaps an owl could squish a scorpion under the right circumstances. Chapter 3 - The Monster Appears Later that night, Cordelia popped her head into June¡¯s room, interrupting her studies. ¡°Hey June, grab some hiking clothes. We¡¯re going for a trek.¡± Her voice was strained, her hair still dull and sticky. Her purple sweater had an obvious coffee stain on the left side. Halfway through sharpening a pencil, June dropped it in surprise and it clattered on her glass desk. The room smelled of pencil shavings¡ªJune loved that smell, and she did not love the idea of going anywhere at night, especially into the deep, dark woods with someone who looked like a crazy person. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about the missing people?¡± June asked. ¡°Who goes hiking in the middle of the night under these circumstances?¡± ¡°We do, for your birthday.¡± June understood Cordelia¡¯s lack of fear; any normal human who tried to kidnap Cordelia would not survive long. ¡°You¡¯re being weird, Mom. What aren¡¯t you telling me?¡± She waited for the punchline. Cordelia stiffened and crossed her arms. ¡°Please get ready without a million questions. After all, who is always right?¡± ¡°Is this about me Shifting?¡± ¡°June, who is always right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not even going to humor you with that.¡± ¡°The correct answer is Mom. Let¡¯s go.¡± She spun and disappeared, ending any debate. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you have such an obedient daughter,¡± June called. She scratched the neck of Abraham Lincoln, her black beachball of a cat, who was sprawled along the right side of her desk. ¡°You know, the way she¡¯s been acting lately, it¡¯s almost like she¡¯s worried I will Shift tonight,¡± she whispered to Abraham. Her stomach fluttered with excitement. Abraham looked back at her pointedly and blinked his yellow eyes. Sometimes June swore he understood everything she said to him. ******* Two hours later, deep in the forest, far from any trails or signs of human life, June and Cordelia walked down a gentle slope. The light of the nearly full moon filtered through gaps in the tree canopy overhead, but pools of darkness spread far and wide where the beams didn¡¯t reach. The wind blew softly through June¡¯s hair and carried a chill that matched the changing colors of the leaves, which June had pointed out several times couldn¡¯t be fully appreciated when one hiked late at night. She did, however, manage to note the names of just about every tree and plant they passed that she could see¡ªCordelia had drilled identifying plant life in the forest into June at a young age. June watched her mom step around a blackberry bush, avoiding the thorns. Cordelia hadn¡¯t exactly been talkative on their trek¡ªafter many one-word answers, June had given up asking questions and focused on trying not to trip over anything. But that hadn¡¯t stopped her from wearing a wide grin through the dark forest. The very fact they were heading into the woods gave June a ballooning hope that she would be getting her dream after all, and that, when midnight struck, she would Shift into an enormous owl. The skies would be hers, and the world of birds would open to her like a textbook. They found a round clearing with a fallen southern red oak lying through the middle. Moonlight filled the open space. Cordelia pointed to the tree and said, ¡°Let¡¯s sit and wait.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. June¡¯s shoes crunched on fallen leaves. Without branches overhead or the lights of civilization around, June could admire the full expanse of the sky¡ªthe stars shimmered bright and clear. The calculator watch on her wrist¡ªa birthday gift from Brendan last year¡ªsaid it was 11:59 p.m. Cordelia''s timing was impeccable; in one minute, June would be fifteen. Cordelia sat down next to her and said nothing. June¡¯s stomach knotted with anticipation. ¡°Tell me again why we had to hike out to the middle of nowhere tonight?¡± she asked, though she hoped she already knew the answer. ¡°I¡ªI just wanted you to get the experience,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°We¡¯ll call it a family tradition, to be in the woods at midnight when you turn fifteen.¡± There was an odd tone in her voice. It almost sounded like nerves. ¡°Yeah, I really would have preferred a different family tradition instead, like two birthday cakes,¡± June replied. Cordelia didn¡¯t take the bait¡ªnormally a mention of indulging in desserts would at least get a sharp glance¡ªand instead scanned the woods around the clearing. That settled it; Cordelia was definitely nervous. June grinned to herself and looked up at the moon. Then her smile grew even wider; she knew what Brendan would think of as soon as he saw it: werewolves. She heard several plinking noises nearby and realized it was just acorns falling. When she glanced at her watch again, it was 12:01 am. She was now fifteen. Cordelia followed June¡¯s eyes to the watch, let out a trembling breath, and looked to the sky like she was thanking somebody. A terrible wave of disappointment racked June, and the balloon of hope that had been growing inside her popped painfully. Tears formed thick and heavy in her eyes and trickled down her cheeks. How could she not Shift? What about the changes she¡¯d experienced this week? And as she sat there, the crushing realization that her life¡¯s goal was as good as dead crashed down upon her. The trickle of tears became a steady flow and she sobbed. ¡°Nothing¡ªhappened,¡± she managed between heaving breaths. And then something did happen. June shot to her feet as her skin rippled with fire; she was certain that her insides were exploding and becoming her outsides. Her bones snapped and then snapped again, and all she knew was pain. She fought back the urge to scream, then couldn¡¯t tell if she was screaming because her mouth wasn¡¯t where it was supposed to be. She thought she heard Cordelia¡¯s voice, but it echoed far away, as if from the other side of a tunnel. June fell to the ground and thrashed wildly, but the leaves and dirt did nothing to extinguish her agony. As suddenly as it appeared, the pain disappeared, and the world around June erupted with new sounds and new smells uncountable¡ªshe could hardly make sense of the clash and rush and jumble. She lay still, her eyes closed, breathing with relief that she no longer felt like she was dying. She tried to calm her mind and make sense of things. Rhythmic thumping surrounded her, like a million little tribal drums. An avalanche of skittering and rustling beat against her ears. The wind roared through the trees. And everywhere were sounds that formed a soaring, expanding music, like every tree, plant, and creature played a part in a living orchestra. Opening her eyes, June could see the trees and colors around her with a clarity she hadn¡¯t known even in daylight. She eased to her feet and looked for Cordelia. June found her standing a few feet away and realized that she was staring down¡ªinstead of up¡ªat her mom. Cordelia¡¯s ragged breathing and racing heart sounded like they were blaring through a speaker. Cordelia moaned. Her face was an unhealthy shade of white, her mouth hung open and slack, and her eyes were¡ªwere those tears? ¡°June¡ªoh my¡ªJune.¡± Her voice trailed off. She put her hands over her mouth. ¡°I knew it!¡± June cried. ¡°I knew I would Shift! Why are you looking at me like that¡ªI¡¯m fine. What¡¯s wrong? Come on, you at least knew this was possible, right?¡± Cordelia winced at the sound of June¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh June, no, I never¡ªno one knew this was possible.¡± The fear in Cordelia¡¯s voice made ice water trickle down June¡¯s spine. She looked down at her body¡­and roared. Chapter 4 - Thoughts of Violence and Retribution The next morning, June slammed her locker door shut. She didn¡¯t scold herself. She didn¡¯t glance uncertainly at her dress. She didn¡¯t need a deep breath. June had a smile on her face that not even sandpaper could remove. She barely felt tired, even though it had only been a few hours since she¡¯d gotten back to her house from the fateful night-hike with Cordelia. And she definitely hadn¡¯t slept. June shrugged on her backpack and started her walk to science class. The groups around her whispered per usual, and though June could still hear almost every word spoken in the hallway if she tried, she paid no attention¡ªshe was focused on getting to Brendan. ¡°Hey June!¡± yelled Jennifer Hammond, approaching her. ¡°We¡¯re holding a beauty pageant for farm animals and were hoping you¡¯d enter.¡± The usual pack of girls with Jennifer all howled with laughter. For a moment, June¡¯s old instincts kicked in and she lowered her head and prepared to speed up her walking. But then a new instinct flared to life¡ªsomething fierce and feral. She met Jennifer¡¯s eyes and paused momentarily, resisting a strange new desire to attack her, and then continued walking. ¡°Freak,¡± Jennifer muttered. But June kept moving; trees didn¡¯t concern themselves with blades of grass, after all. It would have been nice if Cordelia had offered some advice about how to cope with this new life, but after June had Shifted, Cordelia had gone from just acting weird to behaving like a zombie. June had to lead her back to the house by the hand and practically shove her into the shower, still dressed. The only words Cordelia had said, when she spoke at all, were, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry June, I¡¯m so sorry I failed you.¡± Sorry for what? How could she have failed June? This was wonderful, it was fantastic, it was more than she had ever dreamed. She couldn¡¯t Shift into an owl, so that was a surprise. But what she did Shift into was so much more powerful, so much larger, so much greater. Inside the science classroom, Brendan was waiting for her. Today he had on a white t-shirt with the tree of Gondor front and center. June regretted that she even knew what that was. When he saw her, he angled his head to the side as if confused. As she gracefully slid on to the stool next to him, he asked, ¡°What happened? You look like a cat that caught a canary.¡± ¡°I got another gift for my birthday,¡± she said, grinning. ¡°A really big surprise. It¡¯s the best gift ever! And it changes everything.¡± Brendan¡¯s face showed a mixture of confusion and curiosity, with a hint of disappointment. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± June continued. ¡°Your chess set was still the best item I received, so take all the points and credit you want. This gift, though, it¡¯s not really something that anyone else gave me.¡± Brendan raised an eyebrow. ¡°This sounds mysterious. What is it, then?¡± June didn¡¯t answer right away, and realized her grin had turned into a wide Cheshire Cat kind of smile. Since Cordelia was a zombie, and June was more than capable of taking care of herself now, why not choose for herself who she could trust with her secret? June put her elbows on the black tabletop and leaned in conspiratorially. ¡°I can trust you to keep a secret, right?¡± ¡°June! I hope that¡¯s a rhetorical question. Who can you trust more than me? Don¡¯t you know I¡¯d walk the trail to Mordor¡ª¡± June held up a hand. ¡°I know what you are referencing, but no, don¡¯t even. That¡¯s not a convincing argument.¡± She held in her laughter, barely. ¡°It¡¯s too bad,¡± he said. ¡°If only you liked The Lord of the Rings more¡ª¡± Now she did laugh, without a hint of self-consciousness, and it stopped Brendan in his tracks. His mouth hung open. ¡°Oh, is that right?¡± June said. ¡°Who could be a better friend than me?¡± Brendan screwed up his face¡ªit became apparent he was struggling to think of a clever reply, and eventually his eyes lit up. He must¡¯ve finally settled on something, and it was sure to involve a pun. She leaned toward him again and put her chin in her palm, staring into his eyes. This must¡¯ve thrown a wrench in the workings of his brain, because he fumbled out something that sounded like ¡°Beautimost.¡± He went red, stuttered, and before he could get the right words out, Mrs. Hatcher entered the room talking at the speed of an auctioneer, officially starting class. June had won this round of repartee. ¡°Tell me about this secret gift after class, okay?¡± he whispered while they opened their notebooks. ******* June shuffled her lunch tray to the checkout counter, carrying the same salad with chicken that she always bought, though today she felt like she could have eaten ten times the amount, regardless of how it tasted. Before June rounded the corner back into the lunchroom, she heard Brendan¡¯s voice, infused with panic, cut through the din of conversations. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. She stopped and focused her hearing on him, sorting through the white noise of the other voices in the lunchroom. She counted the low laughter of one, three, no four, she realized, four jerks surrounding him. And from that laughter she could tell exactly who they were. She heard a stomp, a thump, and a wet squish. She clenched her teeth. A lunch tray clattered to the ground. More laughter. A spark kindled in June¡¯s chest, blazing upward. Someone was going to pay dearly. Rushing into the lunchroom, June spotted Brendan on the far side. Red sauce dripped down his white t-shirt, which was now stained and, most likely, ruined. Brendan would be heartbroken. Michael Lark stood in front of him, doubled over with laughter. Just behind Brendan were three of Michael¡¯s friends, the kind of friends who weren¡¯t big enough to pull off the feats of bullying that Michael did, but loved to be included in the cruelty. Because the group stood on the periphery of the lunchroom, few people had noticed the scene. June practically pulsed with fury. Everyone and everything else in the cafeteria faded away and she saw nothing except the four mouth-breathers surrounding Brendan. She marched over and elbowed past two of them, sending them stumbling sideways. She continued forward, nodding to Brendan, and didn¡¯t slow down even as Michael straightened up to his full height to confront her. He stood a head taller and outweighed her by at least thirty pounds, if not more. But he didn¡¯t know what June could do now. Nimbly balancing her tray in one hand, June placed her other hand on Michael¡¯s chest and shoved, hard. The jagged sneer on his mouth widened to an oval as he sailed backward through the air. He crunched into the blue cinderblock wall behind him, adorned with a painted mural of the school mascot, Sven the Tiger. Sven was giving a cartoony thumbs-up, and at that moment, with Michael crumpled on the ground at the feet of the tiger, June felt like giving Sven a thumbs-up right back. Someone in the cafeteria gasped, but the buzz of conversation and clattering of utensils went on uninterrupted. She returned to Brendan, who stared at her with open-mouthed astonishment. But before she could say anything, his eyelids shot upward, and he pointed in the direction she¡¯d sent Michael flying. A snarl behind her warned what she would see. Sure enough, Michael had gotten to his feet, red-faced and puffing like a steam engine. He formed no words, settling for animal noises and spittle, and charged like a bull toward her. However fast Michael was trying to move, he approached in what felt like slow motion to June. Still balancing her lunch tray in one hand, she nudged Brendan to the side, out of Michael¡¯s reach. He stumbled away, confusion plastered on his face, but she couldn¡¯t have him in harm¡¯s way. She sent him a reassuring wink. Now it was time to teach Michael a lesson he wouldn¡¯t forget. As Michael got closer, he pulled his arm back, readying for what June presumed would be a vicious punch. He would actually try to hit her? Punch a girl? What a scorpion. She waited patiently until the last second, then swiftly dropped below his punch, slid to the right, and stuck her leg out. Her free hand shot out to grab the back of his green button-down as he passed her, transitioning from charging to falling. She held on long enough to hear a ripping sound. June dropped the shirt, no longer on Michael nor buttoned-down, and stepped toward Brendan. Michael face-planted onto the shiny white floor, hard, right in the middle of the remnants of Brendan¡¯s spaghetti. He slid. It looked like the spaghetti sauce went from his chest down into his pants as he kept going. June hadn¡¯t felt so satisfied in months; she nodded with approval at her work. ¡°This is your last warning. Do not touch Brendan again,¡± she commanded the sauce-covered heap on the floor. She turned to Michael¡¯s friends, who looked back at her with shaking heads and hands raised palm-out in gestures of innocence and pleading. She moved her tray, salad undisturbed, milk carton still upright, to her other hand. The entire cafeteria had gone dead silent. As June scanned the room, she saw at least eighty pairs of eyes focused on her. Oh well, let them stare, she thought. And learn what will happen if they pick on Brendan. She gently grabbed Brendan¡¯s shoulder and pulled him toward a table on the far side of the room. His mouth kept moving, but no words came out. Not more than ten steps in, something soft and wet hit the back of her head, interrupting her glow of accomplishment. ¡°You can¡¯t hide behind your fat girlfriend forever, Brendan!¡± Michael spat. ¡°I¡¯ll find you and make you pay!¡± June slowly pawed her hair; the projectile was sticky and crumbly. On the ground behind her was half of a meatball. That didn¡¯t bother her¡ªwhat bothered her was that Michael hadn¡¯t learned his lesson. He had threatened Brendan, and she knew he didn¡¯t make empty threats. June began to growl softly. ¡°Um, June, are you¡ª¡± Brendan started. ¡°June! Brendan!¡± Mrs. Hatcher said, nearly crashing into them with the awkward power walk adults did instead of just running. ¡°Did Michael just threaten you? And why do you both have lunch on you?¡± ¡°It was Michael Lark, Mrs. Hatcher. He attacked us.¡± Brendan practically shot out the words. ¡°We just defended ourselves and now he¡¯s threatening us!¡± ¡°Again?¡± She looked over at Michael and angrily shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of him. You two get cleaned up.¡± She marched over and grabbed Michael by the sliver of undershirt that wasn¡¯t covered in sauce. Despite his vehement protests, she dragged him away while he stared hatefully at June and Brendan and made a slicing gesture with his fingers across his throat. Brendan had to go change into his gym clothes, so June just brushed the bits of meatball out of her hair and stayed in the cafeteria to finish her lunch. She went and sat at a partially occupied table close by. Even from a distance, the smeared spaghetti sauce on the floor made her smile. Ignoring the whispers of the people around her, she practically inhaled her salad. Her stomach rumbled like a truck engine when she finished, demanding more. She bit her tongue until the discomfort passed; she had to control her portion size, after all. For a few minutes, she studied Jimmy the janitor slowly mopping up the remnants of Brendan¡¯s lunch. Michael had promised to make Brendan pay. That simply could not happen. So, for the rest of the lunch period, she filled her head with thoughts of violence and retribution, until those thoughts crystallized into a plan. Chapter 5 - The Disappearance of Michael Lark That afternoon, like every other after school, Michael Lark began the walk back to his house. He shook his head as he reflected on his day. He had dished out a ton of insults. He¡¯d made one boy cry in gym class¡ªwhat a baby. But what happened in the cafeteria, the way June had shoved him¡ªhow was she so freakishly strong? It must have been a fluke. The meatball was just the beginning of his revenge. He would make her life, and that dork Brendan¡¯s life, hell. Michael¡¯s walk home involved a trail that passed through several dense, lonely stretches of woods. Seven Falls was surrounded and intersected by a large national forest, so walking through woods was a fairly common occurrence. But as Michael started down that same familiar trail and entered that same familiar forest, something unfamiliar stepped out behind him. As he pulled out his cellphone, he heard a growl and turned around, expecting to see a big dog. What he saw instead made his stomach feel like he was falling from the side of a building. He whipped around, his phone went flying into the underbrush, and he bolted in the opposite direction, off the trail and into the thickness of the forest. Too terrified to yell, too panicked to pay attention to where he was going, he ran with blind abandon. All he could hear now was the thumping of his own heart. Plunging into a ravine, he was surrounded by a sea of pine trees and bushes with thorns. Open space was hard to find, and he had to lunge through walls of green needles to avoid the bushes. The pine needles were only marginally better, as they scraped him like thick, itchy blankets. He ignored the pain on his skin and the occasional tearing sound from his clothes and pushed onward. At least the bottom of the ravine was dry. He gasped for breath as he reached the other side and started to run upward. As he ran, he dodged standing trees, fallen trees, twisting roots, tree stumps, and thickets. It was a terrible obstacle course. Except for his own heavy breathing, the forest was eerily quiet. He stumbled often and hoped and prayed that the monster behind him had trouble getting through the underbrush too. He dared not look back. Then a black shape streaked into his peripheral vision. Fresh terror turned his stomach into ice water. The upward slope of the ground grew steeper, and his pace slowed. It was getting harder to breathe and Michael¡¯s stomach roiled. Bullying didn¡¯t require being in the best of shape physically¡ªit just required being physically big. But he couldn¡¯t stop or the monster would kill him. He had to keep running. Branches whipped across his face. His feet were wet. Somewhere along the way he must have stepped in water; every step he took made a squishing noise. He ran on. His difficulty breathing became a painful fire in his chest. His nausea developed into stomach cramps. He didn¡¯t know where he was. He didn¡¯t know what to do. His only hope was to keep running until he found another human being¡ªif another person could even help him. Looming ahead, and blocking his path, was a dumb old fallen tree, too large to jump over easily, too long to run around. Uh oh. Michael decided to jump over it. He leaped as he approached, hoping to catch the top and scoot over. Instead, he caught the tree right in his chest. He made a noise like air escaping a flapping balloon as he stuck to the side of the tree for a moment before falling backward. Gasping, he tried climbing it this time and managed to slowly and awkwardly make it over. Before he dropped down to the other side, he snuck a glance behind him and immediately regretted it. Not more than twenty yards behind him he saw the face of the monster, staring at him through the patchwork of branches, bark, and needles. Bright yellow eyes, flaring like two suns pierced by narrow black slits, burned into him. He heard a low growl as he dropped to the ground on the other side of the tree. Michael always thought he had bad luck¡ªafter all, he had gotten a Saturday detention just for throwing a meatball after June attacked him. And here was more proof: he was being hunted by a bigfoot. Or maybe it was a chupacabra. Or a werewolf¡ªthe one werewolf in the world that didn¡¯t need a full moon. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Michael pushed the thoughts aside and struggled to move faster. He just wanted to get away, to live, to go back to a world where things like this never happened. He reached a hilltop and the trees began to thin out. Tall grass brushed his knees. He stumbled, unused to being on flat ground after running uphill for so long. He reached the other side and the ground sloped downward, still covered in long grass and free of other obstacles. Michael¡¯s speed increased dramatically. He risked looking to the sides and saw nothing. He peeked over his shoulder and saw no sign of a monster behind him. Hope surged in his chest. The ground leveled out and he entered a tree line, but these trees had space between them and left him room to run. As the thought entered his mind that he would live, the unthinkable happened. He didn¡¯t see where it came from, or how it caught him, but Michael fell forward. His arms had barely moved to brace his fall when his chest and face slammed into the leaf covered ground. Michael Lark could no longer breathe. A trickle of blood ran into his eyes and a numbness settled over his body like a warm blanket. A slurred sob burst from his throat, and he tried to move but couldn¡¯t. Surprisingly, this didn¡¯t scare him. There was a strange serenity in accepting he was helpless, and suddenly he was outside his body watching himself in a movie. And movies were safe. No one watching a movie died, and even the actors weren¡¯t hurt¡ªthey just used special effects, costumes and red corn syrup, and it was all pretend. While Michael lay on the ground, paralyzed and thinking of movies, the hairs rose on his arms and the back of his neck. His insides turned to oatmeal. He was no longer alone; in fact, something was right next to him, and he could feel its breath now. All traces of serenity were replaced with overwhelming, all-consuming panic. The terror gave him control of his body again, and he rolled onto his side to look at the figure looming next to him. It was standing on two legs and looked, as his brain struggled to classify it, a lot like a massive, grotesque cat. But this was much larger than any cat he had ever seen, much larger than any of the lions or tigers at the zoo. It was at least as high as three tigers standing on each other¡¯s shoulders, and as wide as two lions side by side. And this cat-thing was jet black, like some kind of panther out of a nightmare. Muscles bulged and rippled under its fur, claws that seemed too thick and long extended from its colossal paws, and rows of huge, cylindrical, knife-like teeth jutted out of its mouth. It was no bigfoot, no werewolf¡ªit was a gigantic, horrible cat monster. And those yellow eyes, with the black slits so close to his face¡ªthe fire inside them threatened to melt his brain. The monster dropped down to stand on four legs and growled. The sound was deep and vibrated in Michael¡¯s chest like a passing train. The thing¡¯s paw shot out and stopped suddenly, the nails like swords just inches from his face, like the beast couldn''t make up its mind. It inched closer to him and its mouth opened wider, saliva dripping and coating its fangs so they glistened hungrily. Then the monster suddenly lurched backward. What was it doing? Tears filled Michael¡¯s eyes, which blurred his vision, and he lost control of his bodily functions. The monster paused, sniffed the air, snorted, and shook its head. It stared down at him. Seconds crawled by as the creature eyed him. Why hadn¡¯t it already ripped him apart? Then a low, guttural noise came tumbling out of its mouth, but not a growl, which only served to frighten him more. Why wasn¡¯t he already eaten? However, to someone observing the situation and not convinced they were about to die, the noise might have sounded like some kind of unnatural laughter. The swords on its paws retracted. After the noise died away, the monster turned around and walked back into the woods, and in a flash of movement¡ªghostly, silent movement¡ªit disappeared. Michael lurched to a sitting position, trembling, and held his legs close inside his arms, chin on his knees like a child. After a few minutes of staring in every direction and jumping at every noise, the shaking stopped and he realized he was really and truly alone, but also utterly lost. He started walking in the direction he hoped pointed home. Thirty minutes later Michael felt the hairs on his neck and arms rise again, then everything went dark. He was never seen again. Chapter 6 - Bigger Things to Worry About Later that day, as the shadows grew longer and the sunlight grew weaker, June stepped through the back door of her house. Revenge had been so sweet¡­until she struggled to control herself. Michael would never know how close she had come to ripping him open. And now there was the stomach pain to deal with. The aching had started about halfway home, and Shifting back to human form hadn¡¯t lessened the agony. June brushed a few leaf crumbs from her shirt; a remnant from where she¡¯d hid her clothes before hunting down Michael. The air in the house smelled of garlic and raw chicken, and her insides rumbled. She found Cordelia in the kitchen. Her mom¡¯s eyes had deep black bags under them, and she was staring into the distance blankly, muttering to herself about genomes while chopping wildly with a large knife, not even looking at where she was cutting. Sure enough, on the grey speckled kitchen countertop were numerous vegetables, seasonings, and chicken breasts. June hobbled to the pantry and slid open the door, one hand clutching her stomach. A box of protein shakes looked like the best option within the constraints of her diet, so she downed one in just a few gulps. It felt like squirting a small water gun on a large campfire¡ªthe pain was hardly affected. She couldn¡¯t be suffering hunger pangs, as those drinks usually helped her feel full for at least several hours afterward. And she had eaten her normal breakfast, and a decent lunch. Chasing Michael hadn¡¯t been demanding either¡ªshe only had to walk slowly to keep up with him. A cramp made her double over. She couldn¡¯t afford to have another protein shake; they were relatively healthy, but still full of calories too. ¡°Mom?¡± Cordelia didn¡¯t even raise her eyes to June. Still a zombie then. ¡°I need help,¡± June said more loudly. Silence. June¡¯s stomach heaved again. After the wave passed, anger began to simmer. Was the Shifting causing the stomach pain? And was Cordelia really not going to help her? ¡°Why is my stomach hurting so much?¡± It was almost a shout. Cordelia continued chopping and muttering. June glared at her and clenched her jaw. Cordelia should have prepared her for this. But instead, for the last two years, whenever June asked Cordelia about Shifting, Cordelia always gave her the same response: ¡°How do you do it?¡± June would ask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because it won¡¯t happen to you.¡± ¡°How does it feel?¡± June would ask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because it won¡¯t happen to you.¡± ¡°How do you control it?¡± June would ask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because it won¡¯t happen to you.¡± ¡°Do you¡­kill when you¡¯re like that?¡± June had eventually worked up the courage to ask. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because it won¡¯t happen to you.¡± Staring at Cordelia now, June felt the anger building up like someone shaking a soda can. ¡°I need you to help me understand why my stomach feels like acid!¡± she shouted. ¡°Is this from Shifting?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter because it won¡¯t happen to you,¡± Cordelia replied coolly as she continued chopping. For an instant, June¡¯s jaw almost hit the floor. Then she exploded. Her cheeks twitched. All she could see was red. She stomped up to Cordelia and swung her arms over the counter, sweeping everything to the floor. Then June Shifted. Her monstrous form exploded out of her normal body, and in the blink of an eye she was at least thirteen feet tall and a several thousand pounds of coiled muscle and black fur, crouching so she didn¡¯t put a hole in the ceiling. ¡°It did happen to me!¡± June roared so forcefully that Cordelia¡¯s hair flew straight back. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Cordelia¡¯s face twisted as she staggered backward, fury and confusion in her eyes. The knife rang like a dull bell as it hit the floor. Her Shifted body exploded out of her. It was like watching something with wings and feathers come tearing out of a human being, and in a few heartbeats an owl the size of a polar bear stood in front of June, wings outstretched, eyes menacing, one taloned foot held up threateningly. Her feathers were a mixture of tan and brown, her eyes an almost neon orange. Her beak was long and curved, black, and wickedly jagged at the end. The sight of her still flooded June with awe, even in the midst of her agony. Cordelia was a massive Eurasian Eagle Owl¡ªand one wearing a necklace with an amethyst pendant, no less. The chain was wide and long enough to not be destroyed when Cordelia Shifted. Her clothes, on the other hand, didn¡¯t fare so well. ¡°Help me!¡± June roared. Cordelia stretched her wings, hitting the dark blue cabinets on one side of the room and the kitchen table six feet away on the other, never making a sound. Her head tilted sideways, and her orange eyes went from narrow and menacing to wide and dismayed. She lowered her talon. Her body exploded in upon itself, and in a few seconds she was back to normal Cordelia. Her eyes were wet with tears. ¡°Oh June, I¡¯m so sorry.¡± The tears in Cordelia¡¯s eyes extinguished some of June¡¯s anger. Tattered clothing lay on the floor all around them, so the awkwardness of seeing her mother naked too care of the rest of June¡¯s anger. ¡°Gross, go get dressed, Mom.¡± Cordelia walked from the room and returned in a purple robe, a gray one in her hand for June. June Shifted back to human form and bent over in pain before she could take it from Cordelia. Concern creased Cordelia¡¯s forehead. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°Just a protein shake,¡± June croaked. ¡°What were you thinking? You need to eat.¡± Cordelia rushed to the pantry and returned with two hands full of protein bars. ¡°Eat. These will have to do as I don¡¯t think you¡¯re ready just yet for raw meat.¡± June frowned at the mention of raw meat and downed one of the bars in a few bites. She paused, but her stomach still roared like a coal furnace, so she shrugged, grabbed another two bars from Cordelia, and those disappeared just as quickly. The pain in her stomach began to subside. She put on the robe, then grabbed a fourth bar and wolfed it down for good measure. Finally, a fifth left her feeling satisfied. Studying one of the empty labels, her eyes bulged when she realized how many calories she had consumed in the last few minutes. She would need to double or triple her exercise time over the next week. ¡°Why did my stomach hurt so badly?¡± June asked. ¡°Because you hadn¡¯t eaten anything.¡± Cordelia shook her head. That was more like normal Cordelia. ¡°Think about it,¡± she continued, ¡°the drain on your body to Shift and move around as, well, what you are now. The energy required is enormous.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll have to eat more? Why don¡¯t you have to eat huge amounts of food?¡± ¡°I''m not nearly as large as you are. You are unusually massive for a Shifter, and you need to eat enough to support your Shifted body. Get used to hunting when you¡¯re Shifted and eating like that. Otherwise, it will be difficult to get the protein you need, and nothing else will satisfy you like live prey. That¡¯s where a lot of my nutrition comes from.¡± A lump formed in June¡¯s throat. ¡°I need to eat animals?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t act so shocked. In your human body¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act so shocked?¡± June interrupted. ¡°Excuse me if I have no idea what I¡¯m doing. You never told me anything!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, in hindsight that was a regrettable choice.¡± Cordelia clasped her hands together. ¡°We¡¯ll have to make up for lost time.¡± June swallowed hard. She needed to eat enough to support her Shifted body? That body was enormous, and eating enough to satisfy an enormous body meant¡­June suddenly felt like a pile of bricks had been dumped on her shoulders. ¡°But won¡¯t all of this eating while Shifted affect my normal body?¡± ¡°Of course it will, you just experienced stomach pains because you hadn¡¯t eaten and then Shifted in the house.¡± ¡°I Shifted more than that¡ª¡± June cut herself off as Cordelia¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What I mean is will I, uh, gain weight from all this eating, even when I¡¯m Shifted?¡± ¡°Oh honey, you have bigger things to worry about now than your weight.¡± Cordelia may not have meant it to be insulting (though June could never quite tell), but the comment hit her like a slap. She balled her hands into fists. ¡°You have been worrying about my weight all my life. You have taught me to worry about it too. What should I be worried about then?¡± Tears ran down her cheeks. The daily stream of insults June received played in her mind like a painful highlight reel, until she reminded herself she didn¡¯t care what other people thought. Other people were stupid. Cordelia froze and looked like she might step away. But, after a brief pause, she approached June and gave her an awkward hug. ¡°Why am I not an owl?¡± June sobbed into her shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ve got some theories, but let¡¯s not talk about that now. You are what you are, and it¡¯s time I taught you more about Shifting.¡± Cordelia eyed the mess on the ground. ¡°Sit while I salvage what I can to make dinner. You could have just tapped me on the shoulder.¡± June let out a sarcastic laugh. ¡°If only.¡± Chapter 7 - Shifters and Demons June sat while Cordelia portioned out Chicken Marsala to each of them at the kitchen table. Cordelia gave her several servings, and despite the protein bars June had consumed, her mouth still watered. Her eyes almost watered too as she thought of how much weight she would gain tonight alone. Cordelia sat at the opposite end of the table. ¡°Where to even begin,¡± she said, then motioned to June to start eating. And so, while June ate, Cordelia lectured. Some of this long diatribe contained new information: demons were created from the blood of an original demon, who Cordelia described as an old dragon; Shifters were the only beings that could deal fatal injuries to them; and demons hated and fought with each other almost as much as they fought Shifters, which was about the only advantage Shifters had against them¡ªteamwork makes the dream work, and all that. But a lot of the lecture was information June had already pulled out of Cordelia in the past: demons ate human flesh because it made them stronger and prevented them from aging; demons could also shapeshift, but they transformed into hideous creatures; and how critical it was that no one know about Shifters, in general, and June and Cordelia, in particular. June alternated between staring out of the kitchen windows at the darkening forest, and eating, until her brain felt like it had been injected with Novocain. ¡°But nothing has to change about my life, right?¡± June asked when it looked like Cordelia was finished. ¡°That really depends on you. There¡¯s a reason we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere, living a quiet life. As long as you don¡¯t draw attention to yourself¡±¡ªshe paused to tilt her head and look down her nose at June accusingly¡ª¡°then life should still be relatively normal.¡± ¡°Alright, I promise no one will see me when I¡¯m Shifted,¡± June replied. ¡°By the way, I can hear electronic devices. It took me a while to realize that the annoying noises I kept hearing were things like phones. But it¡¯s pretty cool that I can hear that stuff, right?¡± She grinned proudly. Cordelia only frowned. ¡°If any demon learns we are here, then everyone you care about will die.¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ve got it, no one can know about us being Shifters.¡± ¡°Correct. Which means Brendan won''t know about us, right?¡± Cordelia put heavy emphasis on the last word. ¡°Yes,¡± June said, trying to hide her disappointment. Brendan would freak out if he knew what June could do. Granted, he¡¯d also freak out if he knew there were Shifters in the world hunting down demons. June heard Abraham Lincoln, the rotund cat, walk into the family room and jump up on a sofa. A glance confirmed he was watching them with a curious look on his chubby face. ¡°Good.¡± Cordelia nodded. ¡°Go ahead and start on your homework. And by the way, you¡¯re coming to the lab with me tomorrow morning.¡± June¡¯s shoulders sagged. ¡°But Brendan and I had plans to¡ª¡° ¡°This isn¡¯t a discussion. I want to keep a closer eye on you for a while. And there will be a small party with Mr. Moseley, Violet, and the others at the lab. I told them no cake or gifts, but I don¡¯t expect they¡¯ll honor my request.¡± June didn¡¯t know whether to scowl or smile. The desire to scowl arose because she had to go to her mom¡¯s research facility. Gag. And Cordelia had to be a huge party-pooper and try to kill the desserts and gifts. But the urge to smile was fueled by her desire to see Mr. Moseley and Aunt Violet. Before either expression could win the battle for control of June¡¯s face, Cordelia spoke again. ¡°Roger left a message for you and he¡¯ll be thrilled to see you. I warned him not to sneak any candy, either.¡± She played the message on speakerphone. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°Hey June-bug! Happy birthday to the smartest, prettiest girl in all of Seven Falls. You make sure your mom doesn¡¯t go skimpin¡¯ on the presents or the sweets. You let me know if she does and I¡¯ll give her a stern talkin¡¯ to. See ya soon!¡± June grinned widely. Roger Moseley, the elderly security guard at Cordelia¡¯s research facility, was the only person in the world who could get away with saying they were going to give Cordelia a ¡°talkin¡¯ to.¡± He also had a way of making June feel safe that had nothing to do with his role as a security guard. And he looked at her the same way Brendan did¡ªwith approval. June strode away, but Cordelia spoke again. ¡°There¡¯s a gift card for you too. From Richard. It¡¯s on the coffee table.¡± June froze in the family room. Usually, Richard sent something more elaborate on her birthday. Maybe this year he wanted to see her instead? Her chest tightened but her heart swelled. ¡°Just a gift card this year?¡± June tried to keep her voice level. ¡°Yes,¡± Cordelia replied softly, rubbing her necklace. That was odd...normally Cordelia''s voice was anything but soft whenever the topic of Richard came up. ¡°Did he try to call or anything?¡± June asked, trying not to get her hopes up. ¡°You know he doesn¡¯t do that.¡± June deflated and walked past the gift card on the table without giving it a glance. As she passed Abraham Lincoln, sprawled on the gray sofa, he now wore a sly grin. He meowed at her, but she also heard, ¡°That went rather well, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°It did,¡± June replied before nearly tripping in surprise. Did Abraham just speak to her? Cordelia hadn¡¯t mentioned anything about talking to animals. She was rinsing the dishes and not paying attention to June and Abraham. ¡°Mom!¡± she yelled. ¡°Is it normal that I can understand Abraham Lincoln?¡± Cordelia paused her scrubbing and chuckled¡ªanother unusual response from her tonight. ¡°Oh, yes, I forgot that part. But you can only communicate with the animal you Shift into. I guess you and Abraham will have a lot to discuss.¡± She went back to washing, smirking slightly. June stared at Abraham with wide eyes. He met her gaze with a smug expression that only a spoiled house cat could manage. ¡°How do you understand so much? Have you always understood me?¡± Abraham stretched luxuriously. ¡°Yes, of course. I¡¯m not an idiot.¡± June raised an eyebrow. ¡°You¡¯ve just been ignoring me when I tell you not to scratch my bed, or chew my pencils?¡± ¡°Well, yes. I took them as mere suggestions, which I thought about then disregarded. Now how about some wet food?¡± June realized her mouth was hanging open and closed it. Abraham was as stubborn and defiant as she¡¯d always suspected. ¡°You¡¯ve had plenty already. You could use some time running through the woods instead. You look like a furry decorative pillow.¡± Abraham looked at her with wide eyes, as if shocked at her comment. Under normal circumstances, June would¡¯ve had a thousand questions for him, but her head still spun from all the information Cordelia had revealed tonight. There would be time later to quiz him. She gave Abraham a quick, affectionate scratch on the neck and continued toward the steps. Abraham called after her, ¡°Don¡¯t be surprised if I choose to cough up a hairball on your decorative pillow while you are sleeping on it.¡± She made a mental note to close her door that night before she went to bed. He might be clever, but he didn¡¯t have thumbs and would be helpless against a doorknob. When June reached her room, she opened her closet and looked at the items piled in the back corner, all still in their original packaging: from her fifth birthday, a laughing, vibrating, stuffed animal; from her ninth birthday, a set of paints and colored pencils; when she turned eleven, the large, elaborate chemistry set for kids; and from last year, the ornate chess set, still untouched. None of them matched with June¡¯s interests at the time except the chess set. She supposed Richard just guessed at what she might like. He was bound to get one right, he''s had fifteen chances, she thought. And though all the presents inside the bin had never seen a day of use, June looked at them often and wondered about the man who sent them. As she lay down that night, her mind still churning through everything she¡¯d heard, a realization hit her. While her dream of being the world¡¯s best ornithologist had been ruined last night, talking to cats had appeared as a new skill, so she could be the world''s best¡­what was a cat scientist called? The word wouldn¡¯t come to her and she sighed in frustration¡ªshe would look it up in the morning. Then again, there was the whole Shifting is a power meant for killing demons issue¡ªshe would have to decide whether to embrace it, or to run and hide from it, like Cordelia had. If she embraced it, she would have to help people. Well sort of help people, indirectly at least. After all, if she didn¡¯t use her abilities to hunt demons, more innocent people would probably get eaten, right? Were they really innocent though? Or were they mostly scorpions? She knew what Brendan would say. And she knew what Cordelia would say. The thought of being like Cordelia left a bitter taste in her mouth as she drifted off to sleep. Chapter 8 - An Exploration of Power Beams of sunlight poked through gaps in the light blue curtains and woke June the following morning. Well, sunlight and the sounds of Abraham Lincoln retching next to her head. How did he open the door? Maybe Cordelia had checked on her while she was still sleeping and left it open. June grabbed at him while hissing, ¡°Stop that!¡± The moment her hand reached him, he began to purr innocently and put on his most affectionate facial expression. ¡°You look ridiculous Abraham Lincoln, and I know what you were doing. Didn¡¯t you hear Cordelia telling me I need to hunt live prey now?¡± ¡°I liked you better when you were ignorant of my ability to understand you,¡± Abraham replied. ¡°How can you even joke like that¡ªit¡¯s barbaric. What happened to the sweet little girl who made the best choice of her life to adopt me, and who lived to feed me and pet me?¡± He stopped to lick a spot on his butt. ¡°Look where you¡¯re licking! Who¡¯s barbaric now? And for the record, I never lived to feed you and pet you.¡± June rubbed behind his ear, causing his leg to spasm. ¡°But I do love you. You know I would never eat you. But something bad will happen if you wake me up again by vomiting on my pillow. Something truly torturous, like¡­a bath!¡± She scowled playfully. Abraham Lincoln lifted his chin and stuck his tail straight up in the air. ¡°Who¡¯s been a cat longer here, June? You¡¯ll need me to learn the ins and outs of it. Lesson one: we are the smartest of all animals. Treat us accordingly and things will go well for you.¡± On her white bedside table, the alarm clock read 7:30 am. June could smell eggs frying downstairs. Her stomach rumbled and her mouth watered. She threw open her curtains and felt a burst of energy at the sight. The forest around the house was deep and dense, displaying the rich colors of the changing season: dark greens, light yellows, burnt oranges and deep reds, all encroaching right up to the house. June stood, put her hands and feet firmly on the floor, and arched her back in a deep stretch under the approving gaze of Abraham. ¡°Very good June, very good¡ªalways stretch after sleeping and eating.¡± Downstairs, June found Cordelia in the kitchen. Sunlight shone through the windows and reflected off the counter in blinding pools. June saw at least four egg cartons perfectly lined up, and Cordelia systematically cracking eggs over the steel sink like a robot. ¡°I still need to pig out when I¡¯m in human form too then?¡± June asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid so.¡± Cordelia didn¡¯t even stop cracking eggs, let alone look at June. ¡°Until you¡¯re proficient at hunting at least. But it¡¯s possible you won¡¯t gain too much weight.¡± June slumped at the mention of not gaining ¡°too much weight.¡± Well, if she was going to balloon like Abraham Lincoln, she might as well enjoy the reason for it. ¡°Can I please Shift and run in the forest this morning? Please? No one is gonna be out in the woods right now, it¡¯s so early. I¡¯ll be¡ª¡± ¡°What about hunters?¡± Cordelia asked. ¡±Hunters are up this early.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop frequently and listen¡ª¡± ¡°June¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll know everything that¡¯s alive in those woods before any of it knows me, and I¡¯ll¡ª¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just be a glimpse, a flash, too fast for them to understand.¡± Cordelia sighed and studied her. ¡°You can go on two conditions,¡± she finally said. ¡°First, if you hear or see any sign of humans, you will come back here immediately. Second¡ª¡± ¡°What if they¡¯re between me and the house?¡± June asked. ¡°Then you can go around them with that speed you were just boasting about and get back here ASAP.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°Second, despite this breakfast, you should hunt and eat something before you get back.¡± ¡°Seriously? You¡¯ve got forty-eight eggs there.¡± Cordelia washed her hands and turned to face June. She looked intently at her. ¡°There are fifty-four eggs here. You missed the half-carton. And seriously, do you remember our conversation last evening? Hunt and eat before you come back.¡± ¡°Alright, fine.¡± June hoped her voice didn¡¯t sound as uncertain as she felt. She¡¯d never eaten anything raw, at least not on purpose, and she¡¯d certainly never killed anything. It would be far easier to harm people who deserved it rather than an innocent animal. She raced for her room. ******* As soon as June crossed the threshold of her bedroom, she tore off layers of clothing. As her pink-and-white-striped socks soared through the air, she willed herself to Shift. It happened all at once and before the socks had even landed on her beige carpet. Her monstrous form exploded out of her, and she crouched down so she wouldn''t tear a hole in the ceiling. The floor creaked and groaned under the sudden and dramatic increase in weight. June flexed her hands and admired her claws. They felt sturdy and strong. Pleasure swept through her, and new sounds and smells erupted around her. She practiced focusing on each individually. She could hear the noises emitted by every device in her house¡ªthey were shrill and unchanging, just a hum. She could hear Cordelia''s movements downstairs, even hear Cordelia¡¯s blood coursing through her veins. June went to her large bay window and fumbled with the latch. She was grateful she still had thumbs after Shifting¡ªthe difficulties of navigating a world built for the opposable thumb couldn¡¯t be overstated. But her hands¡ªpaws?¡ªwere the size of trash can lids. June leaned onto the window-seat, which made a cracking noise, and pushed the window open, closing her eyes as noises uncountable hit her like a loud and jumbled jet. The sounds threatened to overwhelm her with their blending and blurring, their incomprehensibility. But as June concentrated and listened, order came to the chaos: tens of thousands of leaves and needles rustling in the chilly wind; hundreds of birds flying, chirping, wings fluttering and flapping; squirrels scampering and digging; deer sniffing and grunting; insects humming and buzzing. Together the sounds formed music, and not just one song, but several, layered in different harmonies, some soaring, some diving. The songs were beautiful, magical, full of life and passion, hope and depth. A whole other world existed right in front of her, a world so beautiful, and she had never known it. What she did not hear in the forest around her house were noises emitted by cell phones, except for those inside her house. There was no breathing that matched human breathing anywhere close, except Cordelia¡¯s. Convinced there wasn¡¯t another human soul for at least a mile, and likely more, June jumped out of her window. She twisted just right so that her enormous, muscular body didn¡¯t tear apart the window frame. Like a bullet, she entered the world of song and magic. Exhilaration filled her chest as she soared through the air. She could fly. Her claws sank into the trunk of a large maple as she landed against it. She hung there, twenty feet off the ground, enjoying the feel of the bark under her nails. Then the tree started tipping. Uh oh, she thought, as it reached an angle that made it feel more like surfing. She carefully launched herself to the ground. Only the thickest trees for climbing and jumping, I guess. All around her branches swayed with the wind in a gentle dance. The sky was clear and a thin blue. She spotted an even larger tree, a white oak, and tried again, soaring back up another twenty feet and latching on with ease. The rush of cold morning air on her face smelled of frost and bark. Shafts of sunlight broke through gaps in the tree canopy, standing on the forest floor like thin, glowing giants. Finally, she dropped to the ground again and landed with such grace she could have been stepping out of the bathtub. The ground, however, still rumbled under the impact. She paused and her ears rotated: still no sounds of humans. She inhaled the air deeply: so many smells, but none of them from a human. Her tail flicked the air several times like a whip, and then she became a blur. June marveled at her own ability to sprint through the denseness of the forest and the minefield of underbrush and roots without hitting a thing. She weaved, ducked, and leapt past obstacles. Any bystander in the area would have only glimpsed an immense, dark streak, formless and fast. She dropped to all fours, pushing herself to go faster¡ªfaster¡ªfaster. Her breath came in quick bursts. But she was not fatigued or even close to her limits¡ªpower surged inside her. I can do this all day, she realized with surprise. Ordinarily when June ran, she quickly outpaced her ability to breathe and had to stop. Now there was no outpacing her breath. While breathing posed no problem moving at these speeds, June was starting to feel a little warm under the fur. Had it been summer she¡¯d be sweating like¡ªwell, like a monster. A smell smacked her in the nose, interrupting her thoughts, and she froze, senses heightened, body tense. A part of her felt¡­was it excitement? No, this felt more primal, with a sliver of anticipation, and a sharp edge of something darker too. As she wondered, a grin spread across her lips and twisted the corners of her mouth, and she felt the cold air on her fangs. Yes, she was certain now that her Shifted form would find raw meat appetizing. Mouthwatering, in fact. Her stomach rumbled¡ªit wasn¡¯t painful, not yet, just eager. Less than a minute passed, and she was a blur of motion again. Chapter 9 - The Bear and the Monster June knew from the crunching and grunting noises ahead that something massive awaited her. Just before she reached the area that smelled so strongly of blood, she found a tree that could support her and leapt up and climbed its trunk. Accordingly, she saw the grizzly bear before it saw her. But it must have sensed something. The bear stopped ripping at the fawn and looked around. It sniffed the air casually. The word gigantic didn¡¯t do the bear justice; June had never seen such a large animal. The fawn was fresh. A part of her burned at the thought of the bear killing the young deer, but as she sniffed the air, her stomach rumbled. She didn¡¯t have long before the pain started¡ªshe could have kicked herself for running off without eating anything in human form first. June exploded out of the tree and landed about forty feet away. The ground shook. Just a few small plum yew shrubs stood between her and the bear. White pines formed a ring of sorts around the area. Everything in their vicinity had gone silent. The bear stood up, tensed its brown body, and glowered. June guessed it was over eight feet tall. She knew from biology that the fluffy fur and general puffiness of the bear were deceptive¡ªit had powerful muscles under that fluff, which meant immense strength. June stood up too. She was much taller and thicker; her muscles were obvious, unlike those of the bear. Shouldn''t it run away now? she wondered. Surely it can tell I''m bigger, and that¡¯s how this works, right? The bear roared. June couldn¡¯t understand bear language, but she got the gist anyway. She wasn¡¯t leaving, however. She had to eat, and the smell of the deer was intoxicating. June roared back¡ªit sounded deeper and more piercing than the grizzly¡¯s roar, like the roar of a lion mixed with the scream of a girl. The grizzly hesitated and looked confused¡ªalthough gauging bear emotions wasn¡¯t something that June could claim to have much experience with. It looked down at the deer, then back at June. Her heart pounded and her blood pumped in her ears. Her claws, which had been tucked away inside her fingers, slid out like they had a mind of their own. With much effort, she forced her claws to retract again¡ªshe didn¡¯t want to kill the bear, after all. Then they slid right back out. Had Cordelia mentioned this¡ªbody parts acting with a mind of their own? She racked her brain, but couldn¡¯t recall any mention of ¡°Your body will do things you don¡¯t expect.¡± After a few more unsuccessful efforts to keep her claws sheathed, a growing horror threatened to overwhelm her. She might be fighting someone far more concerning than the bear¡ªherself. Something primal stirred inside her and she staggered forward without thinking. Was her body trying to propel her toward a fight? She retracted her claws. Her claws slid out again. She held them up and looked at them with wide eyes. What¡¯s happening to me? She put her arms behind her back. She didn¡¯t trust her paws anymore; they seemed to be thinking for themselves, and their thoughts were of blood. The grizzly roared again, interrupting her, and charged. As it approached, it raised its paws and tried to grab her. To June, it looked like the bear moved in slow motion. That was a good thing; it gave her time to fight for control of herself. She stepped backward and away from the attack while battling an intense instinct to slash at the bear''s throat. But she couldn¡¯t stop her body from lurching forward again, and as the bear fumbled past, she ended up diving into it with her shoulder. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! The bear, already off-balance from missing its attack, crashed to the ground like a thunderbolt. It rolled several times before heaving itself back up to its feet. June wished the bear would just tuck tail and run away. She also wished she could run away, but her feet wouldn''t move. The grizzly bellowed and charged again. June stood frozen to the spot, a part of her terrified, but a new, foreign part of her felt...thrilled. Just as the bear got close enough to maul her, June reacted without thinking. In a blur, she slid sideways, away from the bear¡¯s claws. Before the bear could even blink, she brought her own paw down with hurricane force into its back. The bear hit the ground again and the forest floor shook. Even some of the trees nearby vibrated, their pine needles rustling. The bear didn¡¯t move. In a millisecond she stood above it, paw raised, claws glistening, muscles tense, ready to end the fight. But June struggled and roared and forced herself to stop. She took a step back, shaking like she had fallen in cold water. She slumped against a tree and stared at her paws with wide eyes. There was blood wetting the tips of her claws. Had they slid out before she hit the bear? Did she stop herself too late? Her stomach twisted. Did this bear have a family, cubs to protect? Then, ever so slowly, the bear stirred. It got up gingerly, whined, and limped away into the woods without giving her a second look. June let out a deep sigh and closed her eyes, trembling. When the shaking fit finally passed, she sat down, listening. Her ears rotated at the top of her head like satellite dishes. She sniffed the air. Her whiskers twitched and her tail flicked. Many things were scampering away¡ªthey must have heard, or felt, the fight. But nothing was coming closer, and there was definitely nothing human around. The air contained all of the normal smells of the forest: dirt and earth and pine¡­and blood. The deer was still fresh; blood continued to drip down onto the ground. Drip, drip, drip¡­ ******* June blazed home so fast she wondered that there weren¡¯t little flames in her wake. She¡¯d lost track of time and didn¡¯t want to find herself in trouble. Her stomach felt blissfully full, and she felt stronger and faster now. Had she been this strong and fast when she fought the bear it might not have survived. She shuddered at the thought. Reaching her backyard, she eyed her open bedroom window, tempted to make the leap. But her mom would hear her. With sneaking in out of the question, she decided not to risk the jump. So, right next to the rose bushes by the steps to the back door, June willed herself to Shift back to normal. Her fur rippled, her body bent in on itself, and in an instant there was nothing but a stark-naked teenager at the back door of her house. She walked in and grabbed the gray robe hanging just within reach on a hook. The eggs were burning in a cast iron pan on the stainless-steel stove, sending up trails of smoke, but Cordelia was nowhere in sight. June turned off the burner, moved the pan, and went to find Cordelia. June located her in the dining room, sitting rod-straight with her jaw muscles taut, staring out the window. June was pretty sure if she concentrated she would hear Cordelia grinding her teeth. Her chest tightened as Cordelia turned fiery eyes on her. ¡°We need to leave for the lab right away. Hurry up and get dressed.¡± ¡°Why?¡± June asked, uncertain whether the fire-eyes were for her. Was she that late? Her stomach did a somersault. ¡°I just received a call that the lab was broken into early this morning and Mr. Moseley was taken.¡± The air rushed out of June¡¯s lungs and her eyes narrowed. All her fear was gone. ¡°I¡¯ll be dressed in a second.¡± Rushing upstairs, June wondered what ¡°taken¡± meant, exactly. Had he been kidnapped? Then whoever had ¡°taken¡± him was going to be in for a world of pain when June found them. The building anger inside her filled her mind and she entirely forgot about losing control of her body and almost killing the bear. Chapter 10 - About Fathers Cordelia had the Jeep idling in the driveway by the time June finished dressing. June wore a t-shirt and the only pair of jeans she owned. She had fought long and hard for them for several weeks, and then ultimately had to use her own money to buy them. She noticed Cordelia had put on a loose purple dress. June raised an eyebrow. Cordelia didn¡¯t usually wear dresses like this, despite forcing them on June with the delicacy of a mugger. ¡°You never know what you¡¯ll encounter,¡± Cordelia said when she saw June¡¯s face. ¡°Best to have something you can remove quickly without destroying it if you need to Shift in a hurry.¡± June¡¯s eyes widened. She looked down at her jeans and t-shirt. Was that why Cordelia made her wear dresses all the time? Cordelia must have read her mind, because she added, ¡°That¡¯s not why I like you to wear dresses. I just think they¡¯re cute.¡± June groaned. ¡°What did you mean when you said Mr. Moseley was taken?¡± she asked. ¡°Maybe he just left for¡ª¡± ¡°The officer who called said there was a note addressed to me, and it was written on the wall in blood.¡± June¡¯s throat tightened. She didn¡¯t want to know the answer, but the question slipped out anyway. ¡°Who¡¯s blood?¡± ¡°What do you think based on what I¡¯ve told you?¡± June strangled her seatbelt. ¡°If anyone hurt Mr. Moseley I¡¯ll kill them.¡± ¡°No. You leave them to me.¡± Cordelia¡¯s eyes had all the warmth of sheet-metal, which meant her plans probably involved death too. June sank back into her seat. A day ago, Cordelia hinting that she would actually murder someone would have made June uneasy. Now, it made perfect sense. June wondered how many people¡ªwell, not people, not really, but people-like demon things¡ªCordelia had killed before she ran away from that life. ¡°Based on what you told me of your hearing, I¡¯m assuming you can hear heartbeats if you concentrate?¡± Cordelia asked. June nodded. ¡°You know how to read heart rates right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± June asked. ¡°When people lie their pulse quickens, which means their heart beats faster.¡± ¡°Yeah, but heart rates speed up for a lot of reasons,¡± June said. She''d heard girls in her class talk about their ¡°hearts fluttering¡± when they saw a guy. Gag me, June thought, and ironically, realized she had an odd taste in her mouth. She moved her tongue around, then it hit her: in the scramble to get dressed, she¡¯d forgotten to brush her teeth, and there was still a hint of deer in the back of her mouth. Good to know that what she ate while Shifted lingered in her human mouth. She reached for gum in Cordelia¡¯s purse and caught her breath when she saw what was sitting inside¡ªthe gift card from Richard. ¡°Why do you have my gift card?¡± June asked, puzzled. ¡°I grabbed it last night thinking we¡¯d go shopping today. Some mother-daughter time to celebrate. That will have to be postponed now, obviously.¡± June tried not to let her relief show. The thought of shopping with Cordelia was vastly more disconcerting than the thought of Cordelia killing people. Shopping with Cordelia meant Cordelia picking out ugly dresses for June and forcing her to try them on and spin around outside the dressing room like a little girl. As the seconds passed silently, curiosity began to build inside June. She kept dismissing it, only to have it crawl right back. All she knew about Richard was that he¡¯d left when she was born. Cordelia usually refused to talk about him, but last night when June had asked about him, the tone in Cordelia¡¯s voice had been different. June wrestled with what to say. When she started to feel like she couldn¡¯t hold it any longer she blurted out, ¡°Did he know about us, about Shifting?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Yes,¡± Cordelia said. "And¡­¡± June prodded. Much to June¡¯s excitement, Cordelia continued. ¡°I told him¡ªI even showed him what I could do. I never intended to marry, you know, but he loved me, even knowing that I could Shift.¡± ¡°If Richard knows about Shifting, wouldn¡¯t he wonder about me?¡± ¡°Maybe. Maybe not.¡± That answer sliced deep. June slumped against the passenger door and faced Cordelia. ¡°Is that why he never reaches out to me? Because of Shifting?¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been through this before. He just doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°But you knew him,¡± June said gruffly. ¡°You loved him, right? He never contacts you either. I mean, he doesn¡¯t act very lovable, so why¡¯d you love him?¡± At length, Cordelia finally replied. ¡°I¡¯d prefer not to talk about your father right now, okay?¡± June sat quietly¡ªfor a whole ten seconds. ¡°How could you have loved such a heartless man? He acts like¡ª¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t heartless, June.¡± ¡°Sure seems like it to me. I mean, how could you have been so gullible?¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Cordelia¡¯s voice was tight. ¡°If I don¡¯t get a chance to learn about your mistakes, then how can I learn from your mistakes, Mom?¡± ¡°He wasn¡¯t a mistake,¡± Cordelia said in a tone that screamed this conversation is finished. June plowed ahead anyway. ¡°Oh? Then what do you call it when a woman foolishly marries a cruel, selfish, cowardly¡ª¡± Cordelia slapped the steering wheel and turned on June, a vein showing on her neck now. ¡°He wasn¡¯t a mistake! He¡¯d do far more if he could¡ª¡± The sentence died on her lips and she whirled back to the road. ¡°What do you mean ¡®he¡¯d do far more if he could¡¯? If he could what?¡± June pressed. Her stomach did a somersault. Cordelia¡¯s face looked to be made of stone now, her eyes focused straight ahead. ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me. What¡¯d you mean?¡± June asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± ¡°Try me. I¡¯m fifteen now, you know.¡± ¡°Yes, that fact hasn¡¯t escaped me.¡± June¡¯s brain was spinning. There was no innocent explanation for ¡®he¡¯d do far more if he could.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t dead. He wasn¡¯t grievously injured, as far as June knew. What else could prevent him from reaching out? Cordelia remained silent, and the tension in the car grew. It felt like a guilty tension. Did¡­did she prevent Richard from contacting me? June wondered. Had he tried? Would he want to visit her, to see her, if not for Cordelia? A pain began to grip at June¡¯s chest. It quickly melted into a liquid anger. She broke the silence again. ¡°It¡¯s you, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the reason he doesn¡¯t contact me.¡± Cordelia¡¯s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly they were turning red and white. ¡°I did what was necessary to keep you safe.¡± ¡°Why''s he unsafe? What¡¯d he do?¡± ¡°We should really discuss this another time.¡± June sat up straight. ¡°Another time? No way¡ªyou can¡¯t just drop this bomb and push it off until later.¡± ¡°Must you always be so stubborn?¡± ¡°You want me to be a scientist, right? Well, a scientist needs to be persistent, or so I¡¯ve been told.¡± Cordelia sighed in frustration. ¡°Fine. He and I¡ª ¡± she paused, weighing her words. ¡°We disagreed on a lot of things. He was a scientist too, and our disagreements about our work together, well¡ª¡± ¡°What kind of disagreements?¡± June interrupted. Her head felt like it might explode. Richard was a scientist too? And he and Cordelia had worked together? ¡°That¡¯s a long and complicated story. He wasn¡¯t safe and you¡¯ll just have to trust me.¡± ¡°Trust you? You just got caught in a lie, Ms. Richard-never-reaches-out-to-you.¡± Cordelia''s eyes narrowed. ¡°It was for your own protection.¡± ¡°That makes it okay?¡± June crossed her arms. ¡°That makes it necessary.¡± ¡°You let me grow up thinking that he didn¡¯t want to know me!¡± June snapped. ¡°You¡¯d better explain yourself.¡± ¡°Watch your tone!¡± Cordelia snarled back. ¡°I am your mother. I don¡¯t have to explain anything to you.¡± ¡°I have a right to know! He''s my...dad!¡± The word ¡®dad¡¯ felt strange coming out of her mouth. ¡°You don¡¯t get to go all ¡®watch your tone¡¯ on me. Was he a terrorist or something?¡± ¡°Oh come on, June, he wasn¡¯t a terrorist.¡± The desire to Shift came as a small whisper in the back of June¡¯s mind. She ignored it. ¡°Then how was he unsafe?¡± ¡°Do you really think I would do anything to harm you?¡± Cordelia asked. ¡°I have no idea what you¡¯re capable of now.¡± Cordelia pinched the bridge of her nose like it was threatening to fall off her face. Whatever part of June that wanted to Shift was no longer whispering, it was shouting inside her head. June made a fist and realized the skin on her hand had rippled. No, not here, not now, she thought. Calm down, take control. She forced herself to inhale deeply, tried to count to ten, then count to ten backwards. It wasn¡¯t working. Now both hands were shaking and rippling. Cordelia stared straight ahead, oblivious to the danger. Her mouth moved but June couldn¡¯t hear the words. June unbuckled her seatbelt, while she still had human hands. That was when she noticed her t-shirt. It had a speech bubble on it that said, ¡®But what about Second Breakfast?¡¯ Another gift from Brendan. She hadn¡¯t even been paying attention when she put it on. She shook her head¡ªBrendan and his tireless efforts to turn her. She smiled in spite of herself, and suddenly, just like that, she had control. She held up a hand and it looked a bit thicker than she¡¯d like¡ªnormal, in other words. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about this later, June. We¡¯re here.¡± The car pulled up to the lab, and the flurry of activity in the parking lot forced the questions on June¡¯s mind to take a back seat. For now. Chapter 11 - A Blood Message The research facility that Cordelia owned had to be the most hideous looking building in East Tennessee. On a good day it looked like a concrete block, with a round tower of glass in the front that had a dreary sheen to it and radiated a puke color. When June became a¡­oh what was it called? She still couldn¡¯t remember the word for a cat scientist. She¡¯d forgotten to look it up. Whatever it was, when June became the best one, her office would be colorful and cozy and it wouldn¡¯t smell like rubbing alcohol all the time or make a prison look like an architectural masterpiece. The building sat on the crest of a grassy hill, situated like a little island amidst tall grass and an endless tide of trees. There was only one narrow road in, leading to the small parking lot and roundabout at the front of the building. An iron security fence guarded the perimeter. It looked like the middle of nowhere, and it was¡ªeverything else was miles away. Activity filled the tiny parking lot now: flashing lights, people in uniforms moving about. Though she¡¯d been told he was gone, June still looked for Mr. Moseley, hoping to see him talking, walking, and drinking his usual cup of cheap coffee amidst the bustle. June noticed a nervous energy in the air as they pulled through the gate. A uniformed officer immediately flagged them down. ¡°This isn¡¯t a tourist attraction,¡± he said stiffly. ¡°Turn around please.¡± Cordelia gave him a look that could have melted metal. ¡°I¡¯m Dr. Cordelia Robinson.¡± She pulled out her ID. ¡°And this is my lab, if you would get out of my way.¡± ¡°Oh, yes, sorry ma¡¯am. Go on through.¡± ¡°Bless your heart,¡± Cordelia said to the officer, and drove off. June smirked. That phrase was a backhand wrapped in grandmotherly syllables, and as good as telling someone to stick something somewhere unpleasant. June heard the officer yell behind them ¡°¡ªcall Detective Abernathy and tell him that Dr. Robinson has arrived.¡± He probably didn¡¯t realize he¡¯d just been insulted. Cordelia parked the car. ¡°Remember, pay attention to everything. Use that mind I¡¯ve worked so hard to give you.¡± June snorted. But before she could reply, an ambulance nearby caught her eye, its back doors open and the inside empty. A pit formed in her stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s go see if we can¡¯t figure out who did this,¡± Cordelia said as she started toward the building. They were the last to arrive¡ªJune recognized each of the other scientists¡¯ cars sitting in the parking lot. Just outside the main entrance, embedded in the wall next to the front door, June noticed a peculiar slate-gray metal box. The usual card reader was nowhere to be seen. But before June could raise this, Cordelia held a badge up to it, then whipped open the door and stormed inside. A new security system at the lab? June followed at her elbow into the round, three-story atrium. Mr. Moseley¡¯s security-guard station sat empty. June squinted at the puke-colored glass portion of the atrium, and ran her hand along the red brick that formed the other part. Sunlight poured into the large, round space. June counted two unusual people at the far end, wearing nice suits and carrying notepads. Nothing else was out of the ordinary. June and Cordelia marched into the outer hallway that ran the length of the building, past the men in suits. It ran straight to the other end of the building and split the actual lab on one side, marked by its exterior wall of glass¡ªbullet proof, supposedly¡ªand the scientists¡¯ offices on the other, marked by a wall of red brick. Ugly red fire extinguishers were evenly spaced between every office door, leaving a red ghost reflected on the glass wall on the opposite side of the hall. But farther down the hallway, dark maroon spots on the glass weren¡¯t the reflection of fire extinguishers. Her heart skittered. So that was the bloody message. Before she could reach it, Cordelia veered into the second office on the left and rapped her fist on the open door. ¡°How could this happen Ivan?¡± The Ivan in question was Dr. Ivan Crushov. To the surprise of no one¡ªwhen they heard his name, that is¡ªhe was Russian. Whether he wore a suit, a sweater, or a polo shirt, he looked a whole lot like a well-dressed bear. Since he had brown hair, that made him a brown bear in June¡¯s opinion. That had been a funny thing until she let Cordelia in on the joke. The fire and brimstone that followed (joking about people looking like animals was a bit too close to the truth) ensured June never said anything about the resemblance out loud again. Dr. Crushov looked up from his chair and mumbled something into the phone, which was being held to his ear by a thin, slate-gray metal arm connected to his desk. ¡°End call,¡± he said, and the robotic arm hung up the phone with a smooth movement. That was pretty cool. Where everyone else at the facility had one computer monitor, Dr. Crushov had three. His shiny new bookcase had a few books on it, and the rest of the shelf space was taken up with elaborate-looking trophies and awards. Several slate-gray metal boxes sat next to his cockpit of monitors, though it wasn¡¯t readily apparent what they did except look like little squares from outer space. The room smelled of metal and machines. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He nodded. ¡°Yes, the taking of Mr. Moseley. A terrible thing. I do not know how it could happen.¡± Cordelia crossed her arms. ¡°But you wanted to try a new security system that you built. And one week later, here we are.¡± June stiffened. That was suspicious. ¡°Yes,¡± he said, looking down at Cordelia¡¯s feet, ¡°here we are. I do not know, but I do not think the problem is with the security system. I do know the criminal wanted something from you. You have been very quiet about your work lately.¡± Cordelia did not like that answer. She rubbed her temples, and June recognized the look on her face. If June had been on the receiving end of that look, a lecture and a grounding would soon follow. Dr. Crushov must have recognized that look too. His fingers drummed the desk nervously. His mouth formed an awkward attempt at an innocent smile. June closed her eyes and focused on sorting through the noise around her: voices down the hall, breathing, the tinny drone from the gray metal boxes in the office. Finally, she singled out Dr. Crushov¡¯s heartbeat¡ªit was the only heart beating at the pace of a woodpecker hitting a tree. He definitely recognized the look on Cordelia¡¯s face. Dr. Crushov tried again. ¡°But the police, they confirmed that only one door¡ª¡± ¡°You let the police access the system? Did they have a warrant?¡± Cordelia asked. Dr. Crushov¡¯s mouth hung open. He rubbed the back of his neck. June guessed they did not have a warrant. And then he spotted her. ¡°Oh, hello June! We are just talking about the grown-up things. How are you, little one?¡± June¡¯s eyes popped open, and she tried very hard not to let her face register what she thought of being called ¡®little one.¡¯ ¡°Hey, Dr. Ivan. I¡¯m good, thanks.¡± ¡°You are still getting the good grades, no? A little chip off the old block, no?¡± June smiled. She wondered how Cordelia felt about being called an ¡°old block¡± in her current mood. She didn¡¯t have to wonder long; she could swear steam was rising from Cordelia¡¯s ears. ¡°We need to see the rest of the building,¡± Cordelia said, turning to leave and pulling June with her. Dr. Crushov looked noticeably relieved they were moving on. ¡°Why were you so mad at Dr. Crushov for helping the police?¡± June asked in the hallway. ¡°They¡¯ll help find Mr. Moseley.¡± ¡°The police don¡¯t need to be involved in this,¡± Cordelia said as they passed the next door, belonging to Dr. Violet Langley¡ªAunt Violet to June. It was closed, and June wondered if Aunt Violet was okay. June went to knock on the door when the maroon message on the lab wall caught her eye again, and like a moth to the flame, June was pulled irresistibly to it. Her stomach dropped two feet as she realized the letters really were scrawled in blood: they seeped downward in streaks and globs like something out of a horror movie. Blood turned a creepy color when it dried¡ªlike the red of life in it was returning to a brown dust. Her body tensed painfully as she read the message. Cordelia: I have it and I have the security guard. Bring me the research at the place where it began, at midnight. If you do, I¡¯ll tell you where to find him. June sucked in a breath through her teeth. Mr. Moseley was still alive. Her muscles relaxed, just a little. Then Cordelia¡¯s training took over. The grammar and punctuation struck June first. Was it normal to leave a message in blood that included punctuation and proper grammar? This couldn¡¯t be typical kidnapping stuff, but Brendan would probably know. Cordelia stood next to her, reading the message too. She must have understood it more than June because her eyes had gone as wide as June had ever seen them and her face was the color of white liquid eraser. ¡°I should have known when people started disappearing,¡± she muttered. ¡°You understand the message?¡± June asked. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know exactly what they want?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great.¡± A weight lifted from June¡¯s shoulders. ¡°And you can give it to them, right?¡± ¡°Not here.¡± Cordelia turned her wide eyes to her office and motioned slightly with her head. The two men in suits, who looked an awful lot like detectives, had walked down the hall. Her mouth turned into a hard, thin line, but June saw that her hands were trembling. That Cordelia seemed afraid also frightened June. What scared a nine-foot-tall owl? ¡°Let¡¯s get inside the lab and see how it looks first,¡± Cordelia said. June found it confusing sometimes that the building was often called the lab, but then it held an actual laboratory inside, also called a lab. She preferred to think of the actual lab as the lab proper. From down the hall, just outside the first office June and Cordelia had rushed past, a high-pitched, British-accented voice called out, ¡°Dr. Robinson! I¡¯m so glad you¡¯re here. What a dreadful fright this all is.¡± Dr. Hartford Chase. He¡¯d arrived at the lab just over a year ago, fresh out of some PhD program in London. Cordelia said they were fortunate to hire him, but June wasn¡¯t so sure. Cordelia didn¡¯t acknowledge Dr. Chase, walking past her office (and past the two men in suits) and slipping through the door to the lab proper at the back right of the hallway. June gave one last look at the bloody letters and realization hit her with a thump. It took a lot of blood to write a message like that, with its proper grammar and punctuation. Mr. Moseley had lost a lot of blood. Dr. Chase waved to her. ¡°Well, hello there, June!¡± He practically purred down the hallway. ¡°Seeing you brightens even my dreariest days.¡± He burped, loudly, and covered his mouth. ¡°Pardon me, my dear, the events of this morning have set my stomach in fits.¡± He didn¡¯t make any effort to walk toward her, so June ignored him. On previous visits to the lab, Dr. Chase would strut around her in his white lab coat, strike random poses, and smile a little too widely, almost like he was being photographed for a magazine. June had no idea what kind of magazine wanted to feature pictures of a short, tan, goblin-looking man with a mop of brown hair and close-set green eyes in its pages. As such, June had gotten very practiced at ignoring him, and oftentimes wished he would trip and fall into the path of a laser beam or spill a bubbling beaker of something hot onto himself. She scanned the area around her for any other clues. There, just before Cordelia¡¯s office, a blood spot darkened the brick. A smear of maroon the size of a quarter darkened the white tile floor below. But that was all; there were no blood trails or blood puddles. Maybe the kidnapper had used the blood efficiently and Mr. Moseley hadn¡¯t lost more than what she could see. June looked at Aunt Violet''s closed door. Was she okay? June wanted to go and check on her, but Dr. Chase had begun moving down the hall. Before he could get any closer, June headed for the lab proper, hoping and praying she wouldn¡¯t find any more blood inside. One of the men in suits watched her pass with sharp, knowing eyes. He whispered something to the other man, but the door swished open and covered his voice so June couldn¡¯t hear him. Chapter 12 - Venomous, Not Poisonous The obnoxiously loud door June had just stepped through was the only way in or out of the lab proper, except for the emergency fire door to her left, tucked into the opposite corner. That door was a one-way ticket, as it couldn''t be opened from the outside. Cold air with a dry, coppery taste blew June¡¯s hair back lightly. Heartless steel and soulless glass filled her vision. Devices that spun, devices that shook, devices that heated, devices with lasers, devices that magnified, and tubes and beakers and burners and liquids rested on various tables. The translucent white ceiling glowed from within like a sickly glow worm. June wondered what kind of noises she might hear if she Shifted. Would it be musical and harmonious like the forest? Not likely. Even now she could hear discordant artificial buzzing and humming. Each scientist had a dedicated space to work within. And the first of those spaces belonged to Dr. Chase. The more senior a scientist, the farther from the door sat their private little scientific fiefdom. Cordelia¡¯s was the farthest from the entrance, which meant no one walked through her area unless they were invited. Though she¡¯d only seen Dr. Chase¡¯s work area a handful of times in the year since he¡¯d come to the lab, June still knew its layout well enough. She scanned the floor, tables, surfaces, white boards, and equipment slowly. Nothing appeared noticeably out of sorts. The calculations on the boards were different, sure, but that could be expected. June continued to Dr. Crushov¡¯s work area next. Nothing looked amiss in the area dedicated to Cordelia¡¯s new least-favorite person, except that more slate-gray metal boxes sat on a table. She walked forward into the work area of Aunt Violet. As evidenced by her area¡¯s proximity to Cordelia¡¯s, Aunt Violet was the second most senior scientist at the lab. She hadn¡¯t earned her seniority through organization or cleanliness, however. June couldn¡¯t have memorized the layout to recognize variations, because the area was so wildly different every time she saw it. The only consistency lay coiled up in five different clear tanks of various sizes, which alerted June to one big change since the last time she had visited the lab¡ªthen, there had only been four tanks. ¡°Aunt Violet got a new snake?¡± she called to Cordelia, who had reached her own area. ¡°Yes,¡± Cordelia replied, walking back to join June. ¡°A Burmese Python.¡± ¡°Woah. That explains why the new tank is enormous.¡± June studied the Burmese, and it studied her back. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized the tank wasn¡¯t latched shut. She leapt forward and locked it. ¡°June! You know not to touch anything here!¡± ¡°The cage was unlocked! What do you want me to do, just let it slither out and eat someone?¡± ¡°Unlocked? Are you sure?¡± Cordelia tilted her head. ¡°Positive. You can thank me for noticing something you didn¡¯t and saving lives.¡± At her own mention of saving lives, her conversation with Brendan about heroes flashed in her mind. She smirked at the memory. Then another memory filled her mind, this one of Aunt Violet. June had just turned seven. Going to the lab with Cordelia meant June could race up and down the hallway and pretend to be flying. And that day, she had been flying so fast her hair had streaked behind her. At least until she tripped and flew into the glass wall with a violent thud. Then her hair had become her worst enemy as it scraped between her head and the glass, the pain like a hot knife on her scalp. Cordelia and Aunt Violet had rushed out of the lab to find her sobbing on the floor. Mr. Moseley had sped down the hallway from the entrance where he sat. While Cordelia helped her up and examined her, she also lectured. ¡°You don¡¯t have the coordination to run like that, June.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t running, I was flying,¡± June said between heaving breaths. Cordelia had given June a loaded, warning look. ¡°I¡¯ve told you, you will never fly. It¡¯s impossible for humans to fly. Go sit in my office and read your almanac.¡± Then she¡¯d gone back into the lab. Mr. Moseley had watched her go and shaken his head ever-so-slightly. Aunt Violet cupped her cheek. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± June sniffled. ¡°You know, June, people can¡¯t fly, but that doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t. You could be a pilot. Or a paraglider. You could study bird anatomy and be the first person to design synthetic wings for people. Those would save a lot of lives.¡± Aunt Violet had smiled. She was beautiful and warm and her smile made the pain in June¡¯s head fade. ¡°Thanks, Violet,¡± Mr. Moseley had said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what, June-bug. If anyone is going to figure out how to fly, it¡¯s you.¡± He patted her shoulder. ¡°This might help too.¡± He¡¯d looked around furtively, like Cordelia was going to pop out from behind a fire extinguisher, winked at June, and handed her a small package of fruit snacks. That day June had decided she wouldn¡¯t just pretend to be a bird¡ªshe would really study them too. She smiled at the memory and realized Cordelia was staring at her. ¡°What are you smiling about?¡± she demanded. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Nothing,¡± June replied, and followed Cordelia into her work area, which had undergone a true ransacking. Every door on the filing cabinet hung open and crooked. Papers littered a worktable and the floor. The equipment was all untouched, but Cordelia¡¯s computer glowed¡ªshe never left her computer on. ¡°What do you notice?¡± Cordelia asked. ¡°Well, obviously someone targeted you.¡± Cordelia nodded. ¡°On to my office.¡± She turned on her heels and sped back toward the door. Before she could reach it a man in a dark suit stepped through from the other side and held up a hand in greeting¡ªthe man who had watched her in the hallway and whispered to his partner as June approached the lab. For a brief instant, June thought Cordelia might simply barrel over him. That would be dumb; his demeanor practically screamed detective. He surely wouldn¡¯t appreciate being run over by a pale, grumpy woman in a purple dress. Plus, he could help them find Mr. Moseley. Cordelia skidded to a stop inches from a collision. ¡°How can I help you, Detective?¡± she asked, and as June stepped up next to her she marveled at the smile Cordelia had plastered on her face. June knew it was forced because it didn¡¯t reach Cordelia¡¯s eyes, which were narrow and contained all the warmth of a crocodile¡¯s. ¡°Am I that obvious? I thought the suit and this haircut might help me blend in.¡± He smiled, but his was a genuine smile. He had a kind face, with wrinkles around his sharp, piercing eyes. Under his dark suit June could tell he stayed in shape¡ªthere was none of the typical bulging she noticed on many adults, especially ones with dark hair turning gray. Then she looked down at her own figure and frowned¡ªeven in a t-shirt and jeans she had bulging in places, and she wasn¡¯t even an adult yet. ¡°I¡¯m Detective Abernathy.¡± He turned to June. ¡°Hello there young lady.¡± ¡°Hi¡ª¡± ¡°This is my daughter, June,¡± Cordelia interrupted. Detective Abernathy nodded and smiled again. ¡°I know. I have a few questions for you, Dr. Robinson.¡± He pulled a small notepad out of the breast pocket on his suit. ¡°Can you tell me what was taken and what our burglar wants from you?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t because I don¡¯t know,¡± Cordelia lied. June wrestled to keep her face blank. Why not tell the police the truth if it might help find Mr. Moseley? ¡°Really? No idea what ¡®it¡¯ is? You know, the ¡®it¡¯ written in blood just over there?¡± From this side of the glass wall the message appeared backward but no less creepy. ¡°I wish I did,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°I would do anything to help Roger.¡± June hoped this was true. ¡°It would help him if we knew the research they wanted or ¡®the place where it began¡¯? Any ideas there?¡± ¡°None.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a shame, because we¡¯re all on the same side here, right? We all want to assure the safety of Mr. Moseley, don¡¯t we?¡± The detective looked sidelong at Cordelia. She nodded. ¡°And since we¡¯re on the same side, are we done now? I¡¯m in a hurry.¡± ¡°Just a few more question first, quick and painless.¡± He grinned. Cordelia did not grin back. ¡°What do you do here Dr. Robinson?¡± Cordelia looked out at her office door across the hallway; the door had been shut. ¡°Surely you already know.¡± ¡°Humor me.¡± ¡°I own this facility and I study genetics.¡± Cordelia¡¯s words were coming out so cold now that June was surprised she didn¡¯t see frost around Cordelia¡¯s lips. ¡°And the others? Dr. Chase, Dr. Crushov, Dr. Langley¡ªwhat do they study?¡± ¡°Molecular engineering, robotic engineering, genetics.¡± ¡°Who owns the poisonous snakes?¡± Detective Abernathy asked. ¡°Venomous,¡° June interjected. The detective turned. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°If they inject you with it, they¡¯re venomous, if their skin is coated in it, then they¡¯re poisonous. But not all of the snakes are venomous.¡± He grinned at June. ¡°Right. So who owns the venomous snakes?¡± ¡°Dr. Langley,¡± Cordelia said. The detective scribbled in his notepad. ¡°I¡¯m assuming your daughter can verify that you were at home this morning and never left?¡± ¡°That¡¯s correct. June and I were home all morning. Done now?¡± ¡°Dr. Crushov handles your security system, correct?¡± ¡°You already know he does.¡± If Cordelia speaks any more sharply, someone is going to get sliced, June thought. Which didn¡¯t make sense, since they all wanted to get Mr. Moseley back. ¡°Can anyone access the building without a keycard?¡± Detective Abernathy asked. ¡°I should hope not.¡± ¡°Would something happen if a door were left propped open?¡± ¡°An alarm would sound,¡± Cordelia said with a tone that implied it was obvious. ¡°An alarm would sound,¡± the Detective said, ¡°and the system would have a record of it, wouldn¡¯t it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Does that door¡ª¡± he gestured to the emergency exit ¡°¡ªset off an alarm if it¡¯s opened?¡± ¡°No. Not unless it¡¯s left open for more than ten seconds.¡± The detective put his notepad back in the pocket of his suit coat. ¡°Here¡¯s the million-dollar question. We checked the access records and no one opened a door from the outside this morning before we arrived except Mr. Moseley. He opened the front door at 6:07 am on the dot. And the camera footage from outside your front entrance shows he was alone. We know that everyone who works in this building left last night. But a curious thing happened at 5:57 am. The camera that records outside that door¡±¡ªhe pointed to the emergency exit again¡ª¡°was sprayed with something that coated the lens, rendering it useless. And just seconds later, that same door opened. Now you and I can agree that there is no card reader outside the emergency exit. Heck, there isn¡¯t even a handle or a way to open the door from outside. That means no one is entering the building through it, unless it¡¯s opened from the inside. So tell me, Dr. Robinson, how did that door open from the inside at 5:57 am?¡± Cordelia¡¯s forehead wrinkled. ¡°Who called you here, Detective? Who discovered the note about Roger?¡± ¡°We discovered the note, ma¡¯am. No one called us¡ªthe alarm system was triggered by a panic button at Mr. Moseley¡¯s desk, at 6:09 am. We arrived here before anyone else, at 6:29 am. The building was empty.¡± Cordelia frowned. ¡°Have you told any of the others here what happened? That the back door opened from the inside?¡± ¡°We have not,¡± the detective replied. ¡°Good, please don¡¯t. Are we done then?¡± The detective nodded. ¡°One last thing ma¡¯am.¡± He proceeded to list off six names, which June recognized as the five people who¡¯d gone missing recently, plus a new name that shocked her. Michael Lark had disappeared. ¡°Did you know any of them?¡± ¡°I did not,¡± Cordelia said, and now June could have sworn she looked a little nervous, like there were cracks appearing in her polished surface. The detective didn¡¯t appear to notice, and he didn¡¯t ask June about Michael Lark, luckily. ¡°See, quick and painless, as promised,¡± he said, fishing in his pocket for a card. ¡°But I do hope you¡¯ll call me if anything comes to mind. Same team, remember?¡± He handed her the card. ¡°I hate sports metaphors,¡± Cordelia replied as she pulled June toward the door. Chapter 13 - When the Poop Hits the Fan June stared at the explosion on Cordelia¡¯s office floor. A powdery, white circle marked the outer edges, while pale ceramic chunks sat closer to the center, and amidst the chunks rested a small metal box with an open little lid. On any given visit to Cordelia¡¯s office, on a table catty-corner to her desk and tucked against the wall, usually sat a large statue of a Sphinx. June had named it Ralph. But now poor Ralph had exploded on the floor and bared his little tummy safety deposit box to the world, which presumably held the ¡°it¡± the kidnapper had found and gloated about in blood. The room around June spun. Only one of the other scientists could have made the emergency exit open from the inside. That meant someone she knew was evil. She leaned against the desk to feel something solid, but it was less solid this morning¡ªall the drawers had been pulled and dumped, so papers and office knick-knacks littered the floor around Cordelia¡¯s chair. ¡°Someone at the lab did this,¡± June said. ¡°Maybe,¡± Cordelia replied as she closed the door. ¡°But everyone here had to undergo my scrutiny first. I¡¯m not easily fooled.¡± ¡°How else did a door open from the inside then?¡± Cordelia didn¡¯t answer. She scanned the office, so June did the same. The bookcase on the wall opposite Cordelia¡¯s desk usually contained twenty-two books on genetics that even June found dreadfully boring. But today nineteen of those dull books lay in haphazard piles on the floor, while the other three were lying on their sides on shelves of the bookcase. ¡°What was inside Ralph?¡± June asked. ¡°You mean the Sphinx? Something very valuable.¡± ¡°Obviously. But what was it?¡± Cordelia looked at her thoughtfully. Finally she said, ¡°The last vial of an important serum.¡± Cordelia hadn¡¯t mentioned any new projects to June. And June usually heard far more about Cordelia''s projects than she wanted. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me about it before?¡± Cordelia crossed her arms. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be secret if I told everybody about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not everybody, I¡¯m your daughter. What does it do?¡± ¡°All you need to know is that it¡¯s radioactive, it¡¯s dangerous in the wrong hands, and I need to get it back.¡± June shrugged. ¡°Where¡¯s the place to meet the kidnapper?¡± ¡°Right here,¡± Cordelia waved at her office. ¡°Really? Seems too obvious. And the research the kidnapper wants is your research on this serum?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± June¡¯s body sagged with relief. ¡°Then it¡¯s easy. We meet the kidnapper here at midnight with your research, give it to them, and get Mr. Moseley back. As soon as he¡¯s safe we Shift and overpower them, you can make them¡­unalive, and we get everything back.¡± ¡°No.¡± Cordelia¡¯s face darkened. ¡°I should have recognized it when people started disappearing so blatantly, though, to be fair, I was distracted. A demon did this.¡± ¡°Why would a demon care about your genetics stuff? How would they even find you?¡± June hadn¡¯t expected to encounter one this soon. But she wasn¡¯t afraid. Look at what she became¡ªthe demons should be afraid of her. And if one of them had taken Mr. Moseley, well then, she was going to enter the demon-killing business after all. ¡°Only a demon would want this serum. And I can¡¯t risk it getting my research too. We¡¯re not going to be here at midnight.¡± June¡¯s hope about getting Mr. Moseley back safe and sound ran headlong into a brick wall. ¡°But Mr. Moseley¡ª¡± ¡°We have to leave Seven Falls,¡± Cordelia cut in, but softly. ¡°Tonight.¡± The look in her eyes said she knew exactly what she was asking of June. ¡°No! Mr. Moseley is like family!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± June¡¯s throat went dry. How could Cordelia be so cowardly and cruel? ¡°Look at us! You¡¯re an owl, I¡¯m a big cat! We can kill whatever took Mr. Moseley.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t understand¡ª¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand!¡± June was yelling now. ¡°Mr. Moseley is family. I won¡¯t let him die!¡± Brendan¡¯s face flashed in front of her. ¡°I won¡¯t leave Seven Falls, not for anything!¡± She slammed a fist on the desk. ¡°Keep your voice down!¡± Cordelia hissed. ¡°Everything okay in here?¡± Detective Abernathy asked as he poked his head in the room, startling them both. ¡°I heard some shouting¡­¡± His voice trailed off as he looked at June¡¯s probably red face. He gave Cordelia a look and a shrug and backed out quickly, shutting the door. Cordelia walked over and locked it. ¡°Mr. Moseley is already dead.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°If a demon did this, it wouldn¡¯t let him live,¡± Cordelia answered. It wasn¡¯t true, couldn¡¯t be true. Mr. Moseley had to be alive. The proper-grammar blood message said Mr. Moseley would be returned. ¡°How would you know?¡± June shouted. ¡°You ran away from them!¡± Her anger was building, and it reignited the fire from the argument in the car that morning. ¡°That''s what you do, you run! You ran away from Richard too!¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± Cordelia¡¯s face flushed pink and she pointed a finger at June like it was a sword. ¡°Do you know what I¡¯ve lost for you? What I¡¯ve done for you? No, you¡¯re just an ungrateful brat!¡± Years of pain surged to the surface like a geyser; June couldn¡¯t have stopped the words if she¡¯d tried. ¡°Ungrateful? I try so hard! Nothing is ever good enough for you! Nothing! You¡¯re a coward! I hate you!¡± Tears welled up hot and heavy in the corners of her eyes and met on her chin. The urge to Shift welled up too but June shoved it back down. She braced for Cordelia to explode. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. But she didn¡¯t. She just stared at June with hollow eyes, and eventually said, ¡°The serum was for you. And because of it, I lost everything.¡± ¡°How did a serum you just invented for me make you lose everything?¡± Nothing made sense. Why would a demon want a serum made for her? Cordelia spoke softly. ¡°It was supposed to be a gift, for you, June, when you were still in my womb.¡± June¡¯s face twisted at the thought of being a baby inside Cordelia. ¡°Richard and I disagreed about it very strongly, and after it happened, we just couldn¡¯t¡­¡± Cordelia trailed off and started to cry. June froze, and confusion extinguished the anger inside her. ¡°After what happened?¡± Cordelia walked over and grabbed June¡¯s hands. June pulled them away but still looked at her mother attentively. ¡°I did love Richard. He was kind, he was funny, he was brilliant. But he didn¡¯t understand Shifting or the threat it posed to you.¡± The room was silent, except for the low hum of the air circulation system. June stayed silent too. ¡°Shifters aren''t known to have long lifespans,¡± Cordelia continued. ¡°No matter how strong you grow, it¡¯s never a fair fight¡ªeveryone I knew died young. But I proved you can escape and live a normal life. I wanted you to have the chance to grow old. I wanted to rid you of the curse.¡± June cocked her head. Curse? Surely Cordelia didn''t mean Shifting, did she? Shifting wasn¡¯t a curse, it was the best thing that had happened to June in her life. ¡°Richard and I, we created a substance, for you. But Richard¡ª¡± Cordelia hesitated and looked out the window, her eyes distant and moist. But she kept talking. ¡°He wanted to wait until you were older, so you could choose. For such a smart man he just didn¡¯t get it, he didn¡¯t see the danger you¡¯d be in. An ability like Shifting carries such a cost. I did the necessary thing; I gave you the serum anyway. He was horrified, and he destroyed¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s it do?¡± June cut in. "The serum you¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get there. But I want you to understand what happened with Richard. He destroyed everything we¡¯d created for you. Everything except one last vial¡ªa vial I had hidden, even from him. I hated him for it, and our trust evaporated. Without trust there can be no healthy relationship. And without a healthy relationship a marriage will disintegrate until there¡¯s nothing left but dust. I forced him to stay away from you. I did the necessary thing, again, for you. And I lost the only man I will ever love. For you.¡± Richard had destroyed the serum he and Cordelia made for June. But what did it do? ¡°The serum?¡± June asked again. Cordelia wiped her eyes. When she spoke again, her tone was more scientific and sterile, more matter-of-fact. More like the usual Cordelia. ¡°We thought it would alter your DNA to effectively prevent¡ªto cure¡ªShifting.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to be a Shifter?¡± June erupted. Cordelia shook her head. ¡°No, and I¡¯m sorry that the serum didn¡¯t work as I had expected. I started to fear it when your eyes changed color¡ªmy gift failed.¡± The words stabbed deep and tears rolled down June¡¯s cheeks now. ¡°You didn¡¯t want me to be who I am, and you tried to ¡®cure me¡¯? And you call that a gift?¡± ¡°I wanted to give you a normal life. And yes, I do call that a gift.¡± ¡°Well, you failed miserably at destroying my life!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so dramatic, June,¡± Cordelia said, waving her arm dismissively. ¡°You know I wasn¡¯t trying to destroy your life. Have you listened to anything I¡¯ve said? I don¡¯t want you to be killed. I was trying to save you.¡± June¡¯s eyes formed wet knives, aimed squarely at Cordelia. A voice whispered in her mind, What could possibly hurt me? The urge to Shift tugged at her. What did Cordelia know anyway? June was far more powerful than her. And Cordelia had proven that she would lie to June if she thought it necessary.¡°Look at what I become, Mom! You said yourself that I¡¯m unusual and powerful in a ton of ways. I¡¯m nearly twice your size! How could a demon hurt me? I would kill them all.¡± ¡°What?¡± Cordelia pinched the bridge of her nose and her voice rose an octave. ¡°Have you heard what I¡¯ve been telling you?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve just admitted to a string of lies! How do I know lying about demons and danger isn¡¯t another necessary thing?¡± She put her hands on her hips, letting every inch of her body scream liar at Cordelia, and wiped away tears in frustration. Why was she even crying right now? ¡°I¡¯m not going to dignify that with a response. Listen to me, June. That serum isn¡¯t just normal compounds, which is why the demon that took it can¡¯t run a reverse analysis to create more of it. There are things in it that¡­defy scientific explanation. Based on the research I¡¯ve done since your eyes changed color, I believe the serum had quite the opposite effect than I intended. But I don¡¯t know whether it¡¯s the science or the¡­other part, that I got wrong.¡± June looked at her hands and blinked away tears for a few long seconds as she considered what Cordelia meant. Then she snorted. ¡°You made me a magical, giant cat monster?¡± ¡°A cat Shifter, June. But you aren¡¯t any more magical than the rest of us. You didn¡¯t think genetics alone explained our abilities, did you? Unfortunately, with the last of the serum taken, I can¡¯t continue studying what went wrong.¡± Wrong? June thought. Nothing had gone wrong¡ªit had gone right. And she was glad the serum had been taken¡ªit had caused enough trouble for one lifetime. ¡°Good riddance!¡± June yelled. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have tried to play God.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t using your head!¡± Cordelia tapped her temple with a finger. ¡°Think about it! I don¡¯t know why the serum did what it did. I don¡¯t know what would happen if a demon took the serum! I don¡¯t know what would happen if you were exposed to the serum again! We have to leave¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving Seven Falls! And I¡¯m not in danger.¡± Cordelia pulled out her necklace and gripped the amethyst square. ¡°My research is right here. As long as they don¡¯t have it, they can¡¯t reproduce the serum. You have to let Mr. Moseley go. You have to let Seven Falls go.¡± ¡°No!¡± June roared. She could hear Cordelia speaking, but the words blurred into the background as a wave of dark, throbbing anger rolled over her. Leave Mr. Moseley to die? Leave Brendan? June clenched her teeth, clenched her fists. This stupid serum. It had cost her a dad. In a way, it had cost her a mom. And now it threatened everyone she had left. June¡¯s fists were so tight that her nails cut into her skin. The urge to Shift was singing to her, so loud and so hard to resist. But why resist it? ¡°¡ªIt could take years for anyone else to even understand the composition¡ª¡± Cordelia paused, still holding the necklace, and noticed June¡¯s expression, but too late. ¡°June¡ª?¡± Power surged through June and her muscles shivered and bulged. Her skin darkened and ripples slipped along her shoulders and arms. Then she exploded into her Shifted form. Cordelia¡¯s face dropped, and so did some of the ceiling tiles as June¡¯s head and shoulders hit the nine-foot ceiling, leaving a hole above her when she crouched down. Her clothes lay shredded on the floor, along with the cracked remnants of her cell phone, which June barely noticed. Her burning yellow eyes were focused intently on Cordelia. ¡°No more!¡± she growled, and Cordelia flinched. ¡°You¡¯re done ruining lives! I¡¯m getting Mr. Moseley back and destroying your stupid experiment.¡± She flexed her paws and her claws slid out, catching the light and glinting. ¡°June, June, be quiet¡ªyou must listen to me¡ªstop this¡ªyou can control this-¨Cyou have to Shift back right now, you have to¡ª¡± ¡°You don¡¯t get to tell me what to do anymore,¡± June growled. ¡°All you do is make things worse!¡± She snatched the necklace from Cordelia in a flash and drove a claw into the amethyst until it cracked and shattered. Cordelia fell to her knees. A voice came from behind the door, followed by a knock. ¡°Dr. Robinson, are you okay in there? It¡¯s Detective Abernathy. I heard some, uh, odd noises coming from your office.¡± June eyed the window. There was no other way out now. If the detective wouldn¡¯t have liked Cordelia plowing through him, his day would definitely be ruined if June had to run over him right now. Thankfully the windows were big, so big June could jump through one without having to take chunks of the wall with her. ¡°June, you have to trust me,¡± Cordelia pleaded from the ground. Tears wet her cheeks again, but this time they wouldn¡¯t extinguish June¡¯s wrath. ¡°I know what¡¯s best.¡± ¡°You know what¡¯s best?¡± June said. ¡°No! I will make whoever did this to Mr. Moseley pay, and I will make my own choices about what¡¯s best for me. You are done trying to make things better for me! You are done trying to protect me! Do I look like I need protection?¡± She pointed a finger at Cordelia, and this finger was a sword. ¡°You stay out of my way!¡± A louder series of knocks hit the door to Cordelia¡¯s office. It wouldn''t take much for the detective to bust it open if he wanted. June faced the window, looked at Cordelia one more time, and lunged forward. Chapter 14 - A Comforting Thought June hurtled into the welcoming heart of the forest, deeper and deeper. Her thoughts burned inside her skull like hot coals, and she desperately wanted to scratch them out, if only that would calm the agony. But it wouldn¡¯t. She had done something foolish¡ªshe had Shifted in a situation where people could identify her. When Detective Abernathy opened that door, how could Cordelia explain away the hole in the ceiling, the shattered window, and the missing fifteen-year-old daughter? And the officer still in the parking lot, surely he had at least seen a large, dark shape streak from the research facility to the woods. There was no undoing it; she would probably be labeled ¡°the monster of Seven Falls¡± and hunted by the government. She roared in anguish and began to leap, still moving toward the unsettled wilderness. She struggled to figure out what to do now, but her emotions swirled beyond control, swallowing any plan she tried to form. On and on she ran and leapt, faster and faster, but still fear and shame rode upon her shoulders and tormented her mind. Despite inhabiting the form of a nearly unstoppable monster, despite moving at speeds that surely ran to the triple digits, June felt very much like a lost little girl, and tears leaked from her fierce eyes. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she stopped. And there, miles and miles away from Seven Falls, she hunched down and sobbed with a force that¡ªeven in her immense form¡ªfelt like it might break her apart. When no more tears flowed, and the sobs were a dry racking, the anger returned. With towering swings of her arms large trees splintered and toppled, smaller trees flew through the air. Finally, when the anger had been sufficiently vented, June was able to slow down and think. She looked at her paws and they were bloody; she gently licked them and laid down in a grove. When June startled awake, she hoped it had all been a nightmare. If she opened her eyelids, she would be lying in her bed. But the sounds of the forest, and the hard ground underneath her meant she wasn¡¯t in her bed, and the memories of the last few hours rushed back to her. She wondered whether the police were already out scouring Seven Falls for a monster. She remembered the look on Cordelia¡¯s face when she had destroyed the research in her necklace, and she wondered what had happened to Cordelia when the detective kicked open the door. And she remembered what had started this all: the blasted serum. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Someone was out there right now with it, and with Mr. Moseley. Someone inside the lab was responsible, someone she knew personally. Someone was going to pay. But there were only three scientists besides Cordelia, and only two of them who could have done it (Aunt Violet couldn¡¯t possibly be involved). Was it Dr. Crushov, or Dr. Chase? This made it a mystery to solve. But she didn¡¯t want to do it alone, and she didn¡¯t think she would have to. Someone else she knew loved¡ª June''s thoughts were interrupted by a violent rumble in her tummy. Plans would have to wait. She crouched, still as a stone except for her rotating ears. At length she heard what she was waiting for, and in a flash she had the stag in her clutches. The killing was easier than she¡¯d anticipated; her body seemed to know exactly what to do without her consciously guiding it, and it happened so quickly that she told herself the animal didn¡¯t suffer. She ate just enough for her stomach to stop growling, and went to leave but hesitated. If she ate the whole thing, she wouldn¡¯t be hungry for a while. But who knew whether she would burn the calories all off, or regret pigging out later when she had become a normal girl again and had to try to fit into her clothes. Eventually she scooped a little grave with her paws and buried the remains of the stag, having not eaten another bite. After the burial, she looked down out of habit at her wrist, then frowned. No calculator watch existed that would fit her now. But the angle of the sun, and the yellow, nearly horizontal slanting light that pierced the tree canopy and hit the forest floor, told her that she had slept until late afternoon. Shoot. She only had until midnight to figure out who did this and who had Mr. Moseley. Heading to the research facility empty-handed at midnight would be a last resort. June climbed to the top of the thickest, tallest tree around and looked out. Miles of trees surrounded her, rich shades of greens, reds, yellows, and oranges¡ªfrom this angle, they looked like rows of fall-colored cotton balls and Q-tips as far as her eyes could see. Her ears rotated and her whiskers twitched. The breeze carried the scent of smoke and blood. The blood was her fault (the stag), the faintness of the smoke indicating a campfire a few miles or more away. The music of the forest swelled around her. It was better than any orchestra she had ever heard. Even the trees and the rocks sang out and blended with the songs of the animals and insects¡ªit was real and magical, and hidden to all but her. A different world existed in the forest. How could experiencing this be a curse? As she drifted with the music, a thought formed and manifested into a smile on her face. There was still one person left in the world that she could trust, and he loved mysteries so much he wore the t-shirt to prove it. With that comforting thought, June dropped down and raced in the direction of Seven Falls. Chapter 15 - Meeting the Monster Brendan Todoroki sat on the bottom bunk of his bed, blissfully absorbed in the latest Blimey! Detectives novel. At least until his cat, a slim, beige Siamese named Buttons, hit him once on the nose. Buttons stared intently at him, made a chuffing noise, jumped onto the window ledge, and rubbed his cheek on the glass. Brendan frowned and went back to his book. But before Brendan could even finish a page, Buttons¡¯ paw appeared in his peripheral vision and slapped him twice on the cheek. Brendan glared at him, and Buttons jumped onto the windowsill again and meowed. This time, Brendan decided his book would be best enjoyed without company, so he got up to evict Buttons from his room. He slid his fluffy green socks on the gray carpet as he approached¡ªButtons was going to experience the static electricity Brendan had recently learned about in science class in the eviction process. But as he neared the cat, something plinked against the windowpane from outside. Startled, Brendan raised his blinds, looked outside, and nearly choked. He fumbled to raise the window, forgot the window screen, and yelped as he stuck his head out. The window screen tumbled to the ground, landing right next to June. But why was June wrapped in a camouflage-colored tarp, especially when it was like fifty degrees outside? Her bare right shoulder caught his eyes and this time he did choke in earnest. ¡°Brendan, are you okay?¡± June yelled up. He held a thumbs up, and when he eventually stopped coughing, yelled down, ¡°Why are you wearing a tarp?¡± ¡°Because no one in Seven Falls dries their clothes on a clothesline! Throw me a hoodie and some sweatpants¡ªthis thing is gross!¡± Brendan gulped; the thought of June wearing his clothes made his heart flutter. He grabbed some black sweatpants and his favorite hoodie (gray, with Gandalf¡¯s face on it) and threw them to her. He noticed Buttons¡ªif his eyes weren¡¯t deceiving him¡ªshaking his head at him in a disappointed sort of way. June disappeared behind a tree in his backyard. She soon reappeared and yelled up, ¡°Thanks!¡± His clothes were a little long on June, but wow, just wow. She looked¡­No, he told himself, stop it. ¡°Do you want to come in?¡± he called down. ¡°I just showed up at your house in a tarp, Brendan. Of course I want to come in! And hurry, this is urgent!¡± Brendan rushed down the creaky wooden stairs and yelled out to his parents that June was coming in. He didn¡¯t need to ask permission¡ªhis parents loved June. She always asked them questions about what life was like in Japan before they''d immigrated. And Brendan had yet to find anything his parents liked more than regaling June with stories about the country they had left behind. Brendan unlocked the door and nearly fell as June pushed it open before he could turn the knob. ¡°What in the name of Rohan is going on?¡± he asked, stumbling. ¡°Let¡¯s get to your room before I explain and¡±¡ªJune sniffed the air in the entryway¡ª¡°is that teriyaki chicken?¡± ¡°I dunno, I can ask. We¡¯ll eat in like thirty minutes?¡± June chewed the front of her lip. ¡°I can wait that long.¡± She started up the stairs, running her hand between the family pictures that lined the stairway wall. ¡°Do you have any snacks in your room?¡± Brendan¡¯s dog, a blue heeler named Chloe, charged into the hallway at the top of the stairs. Puffs of hair blew off and drifted behind her. She must be shedding her summer coat, June thought. Chloe normally got so excited she whimpered when she saw June, but now Chloe growled and her fur formed into a neck-to-tail mohawk. ¡°It¡¯s okay, it¡¯s me,¡± June purred as she came toward Chloe, lowering her hand. Chloe growled again, deeper this time. June looked confused, then shook her head in a scolding gesture. ¡°I thought you were better than cats versus dogs nonsense!¡± Chloe tilted her head, then barked again. What is June talking about? Brendan wondered. There are no cats here to make Chloe growl. But then a cat did appear. Buttons bounded up the steps, leapt in front of June, arched his back, and hissed at the dog. Occasionally he swiped the air with a threatening claw. Brendan stood with his mouth hanging open. Normally everyone got along, and Buttons had never done anything so brave in his life. June smiled at Buttons and he practically glowed at her. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Keep going,¡± Brendan said, gently nudging June upward, since Buttons would apparently keep Chloe at bay. As soon as they reached his room, June slammed the door shut and whirled around. ¡°I need you to promise me that you won¡¯t tell anyone what I¡¯m gonna tell you.¡± ¡°I promise¡ª¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t like a normal secret,¡± she insisted, ¡°this is stuff that will change your life, stuff you can¡¯t un-know. It¡¯s life and death stuff¡ªare you prepared for that?¡± Brendan¡¯s heart, which had finally returned to normal after giving June his clothes, jumped around in his chest. Life and death? He had never known June to exaggerate¡ªit was one of the many reasons he appreciated her. ¡°What do you mean ¡®life and death stuff¡¯? What did you do, June?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not what I did¡ªwell I did do something¡ªbut it¡¯s more about what¡ªwho I am. I need your help¡ª¡± ¡°Then the answer is yes!¡± he interrupted. June grinned. That grin alone made facing danger with her worthwhile. ¡°I haven¡¯t even told you what I need help with. I have a gift, an ability, to do what me and Cordelia call Shifting. There¡¯s a lot to it, but basically, I can transform into a large cat.¡± She paused, and when he didn''t say anything, she went on. ¡°I need to find someone tonight, and I don¡¯t want to do it alone. We need to hurry. After dinner, that is.¡± She looked at him with hopeful eyes, and he knew she was watching for his reaction. Brendan stared at her blankly, wheels turning in his head. In years of history with June, he could recall a few jokes and pranks, but never anything mean-spirited. The tarp made more sense now; this had to be a prank. Still, whatever was happening had been pretty fantastic so far. Finally, he spoke up. ¡°I don¡¯t see how this will end¡­but I know you¡¯re playing a joke on me.¡± ¡°Ugh, I am not!¡± she said, shoulders slumping. ¡°I ran all this way because I need you.¡± She paused for a few seconds, and Brendan could tell from the twist in her eyebrows that she was formulating a plan. ¡°I guess it¡¯s a lot to ask anyone to believe without seeing it. Is your house pretty solid, like pretty well-built? I don¡¯t want to fall through the floor.¡± ¡°What?¡± Brendan said, then laughed, as if June was joking. Her expression remained dead-serious, and his laughter stopped. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious? Uh, I dunno, I guess it¡¯s okay? I¡¯ve jumped a lot and never fallen through the floor.¡± Why was she asking about the sturdiness of his house? He had to give her credit; he definitely couldn''t see where this joke was going. She stepped around a bit, then jumped a few times. ¡°Okay, that¡¯ll have to be good enough. Now turn around and don¡¯t look until I tell you.¡± ¡°Why do I need to turn around? This is how¡ª¡± ¡°If I just Shift right now, I¡¯ll destroy your clothes.¡± Brendan¡¯s neck caught fire and burned up to his cheeks and ears. He hoped his face wasn¡¯t bright red. ¡°So you, umm¡ªyou are going to¡ªumm¡ªremove¡ªright here¡ªum, in my room?¡± he stuttered. ¡°Yes! Why can¡¯t you talk? Now turn around.¡± Brendan tried his best to smile casually as he turned around, but the lump in his throat made it difficult. He had never known June to go to such great lengths for a prank. Maybe he¡¯d turn around and she¡¯d be just as she was and yell gotcha! and he¡¯d laugh with her, because she had got him. He heard clothes ruffling. He fought to look straight ahead, but curiosity pulled at him with irresistible force, and he was certain she was doing anything but removing any clothing¡­ ¡°BRENDAN! Face forward! DO NOT turn around until I tell you!¡± He whipped his head back so fast the white walls in the room spun, his neck popped, and he saw the vivid image of himself in a neck brace and a wheelchair. He put his hands on his wood dresser to catch his balance and test his arms and legs¡ªthey still worked, and the sharp pain in his neck subsided. Phew, no neck brace, he thought. I hope June isn¡¯t that angry¡ª ¡°And remember that it''s always me, okay?¡± June said, interrupting his thoughts. She sounded nervous. ¡°It will always be me, your best friend, June, no matter what I look like.¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± he replied, waiting for the punchline to come. Soon he heard a noise that sounded like a wet, gross, snapping, and a slight breeze ruffled his hair. The floor beneath his feet groaned like it was painfully dying. And then something like the growl of a tiger making human words came from behind him, but there was an echo of a human voice deep within it¡ªJune¡¯s voice. ¡°Okay, turn around,¡± the growling tiger-June voice said, and a jolt of fear shot down Brendan¡¯s spine. He scolded himself as he turned¡ªthis was just a harmless joke and there was nothing to be afraid of. But wow, June must¡¯ve snuck in a voice modulator or something and he never even saw¡ª His thoughts died and his heart stopped. His brain struggled to make sense of what had replaced June. He couldn¡¯t do it. It was just a massive hulk of black fur and muscles so big they looked like they had their own muscles, and the eyes¡­they were strangely familiar, like June¡¯s eyes, if she had been cursed by a witch to live as a¡ªa werewolf. That was it! Some kind of werewolf, but with a shorter snout and longer teeth? The revelation did nothing to stop his shaking legs, his weak knees, his urge to pee¡ªno wait, he hadn¡¯t done that since first grade, and he wasn¡¯t about to start now. ¡°Brendan, it¡¯s me, June,¡± rumbled the monster. And with that, Brendan had the strangest vision of falling down a tunnel with black walls while a monster with June¡¯s eyes stared down at him until the walls crashed in on him and the world went dark and soundless. Chapter 16 - A Werecat June easily caught Brendan before he could hit the ground and make a suspicious thump. She hadn¡¯t expected fainting. Was she that frightening? She debated how to let him wake up. If he opened his mouth to scream she could always cover his mouth, but that might have other negative effects; she remembered Michael Lark turning his pants brown and didn¡¯t want Brendan to lose control like that. In the end she Shifted back to human form and quickly dressed before Brendan regained consciousness. She¡¯d just gotten the hoodie on when she heard him stir. She was above him when his eyes opened. ¡°June! Am I on the floor? Oh no¡ªgo get my parents¡ªI think I ate something real bad, something with fungus¡ªor¡ªor botulism in it. I just hallucinated something fierce! You turned into a monster, but the you-monster knew my name, and now I¡¯m on the floor. I think I need a hospital¡ª¡± ¡°Brendan, stop!¡± she broke in. "Listen to me and don¡¯t scream. I repeat, do not scream. You don¡¯t need to go to the hospital. You aren¡¯t hallucinating. Do you remember I told you I was going to show you something?¡± He nodded slowly. ¡°There is nothing wrong with you. What you saw¡ªit¡¯s me. No hallucination. Just me.¡± He looked intently at her but his breathing sounded shallow. ¡°Keep taking deep breaths, okay? It¡¯s me, June, your best friend. I¡¯m not going to hurt you; I would never hurt you. You¡¯re the only person I can trust.¡± June tried to read the emotion on his pale face and worried he was going to vomit. She reached for his trash can. Nothing had changed in the room. The bunk bed was still in the corner. The room still smelled like Brendan: the cologne he wore too much of, the slightly sour odor of teenage boy, and the musty scent of books from the overflowing bookshelf. Nearly every horizontal surface in the room held a stack of books too; only on his desk was there a small clear space so he could sit and actually do homework. The walls were plastered with posters, most of them crooked since Brendan had put them up himself. The only level poster in the room was the one June had helped him with¡ªa movie poster for The Return of the King. She smiled at the memories they had made in this room. Many gloating victory dances over chess occurred here (usually June¡¯s, but every now and then Brendan could surprise her). Hours of studying and homework had been done here together. Hopes and dreams for the future had been shared here. It was the closest thing June had to a safe place since Cordelia couldn¡¯t just walk in. But June¡¯s smile sank. Would things still be the same, or would Brendan be afraid of her, treat her differently? She could see it now: walking the hallways at school alone, all of her classes sitting alone. Weekends spent alone, or worse, with Cordelia. She had her studies, and a whole lot to learn about cats. She could do that alone. She could try to make new friends, but no one else had Brendan''s intelligence, or his kindness. No one else looked at her the same way he did. Would he think she needed to be ¡°cured¡± too? As she watched him, his eyes suddenly filled with an emotion June could read: excitement. He shot to his feet. ¡°June! This is epic! Let¡¯s go! You have powers!¡± He practically bounced. ¡°I knew you were special¡ªbut this¡ªjust¡ªI can¡¯t believe it!¡± He started spinning in circles like a puppy. June exhaled with relief so deep it felt like she had shrugged off a heavy winter coat. Her cheeks were warm. Brendan jerked to a halt. ¡°Can you bite me and make me a werewolf too?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a werewolf!¡± June wrinkled her nose. ¡°Werewolves probably don¡¯t exist¡ªer, not as you think of them, they¡¯re just Shifters too but¡ª ¡°Shifters?¡± Brendan interrupted. ¡°Didn¡¯t you see me? I¡¯m a cat! And I can change¡ªwell, we call it Shifting, hence Shifters¡ª anytime I want. No full moon required.¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°A cat? But your teeth, and your jaw shape¡ª¡± He stopped and tilted his head. ¡°Yeah, I guess a cat is the closest animal. So can you turn me into a cat-thing too?¡± He brought his hands together in a pleading, praying gesture. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you need to bite me. You can drink my blood, just don¡¯t drain me.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t work like that!¡± June objected. ¡°It¡¯s genetic, sort of.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± Brendan said with obvious disappointment. ¡°You¡¯re born with it then?¡± ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡± ¡°Darn. So do you, uh, do you have to eat people to survive?¡± June frowned and narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°That¡¯s what you go to? All the questions in the world, and you want to know if I eat people?¡± He shrugged as if it were a routine and normal question. ¡°No, Brendan, I don¡¯t have to eat people to survive. But I do have to eat¡ª¡± She stopped herself, feeling embarrassment stab at her insides. She didn¡¯t want to tell Brendan that the June he knew would probably swell to twice her size soon. ¡°You have to eat what?¡± he prodded. ¡°A lot.¡± She looked down at her toes. ¡°I have to eat a lot to support my body, especially when I¡¯m Shifted.¡± ¡°Like pizza, or like animals.¡± A hollow pit formed in June¡¯s stomach. ¡°Pizza,¡± she lied. Brendan was taking things well, but putting the thought in his head of her wolfing down some poor animal might push the boundaries to breaking. ¡°Yeah, makes sense,¡± he said while nodding. Then he raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°So how long have you been keeping this from me?¡± ¡°Just since my birthday. It happens when you turn fifteen. It runs in my family, so it wasn¡¯t a shock. Well, mine was sort of surprising because most people become whatever their Shifting parent is, and Cordelia is a big Eurasian Eagle Owl, so she¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Your mom turns into an owl, and you never told me!¡± A knock at the door startled them both. June had been so focused on Brendan she¡¯d never heard footsteps approaching. Brendan¡¯s mom poked her head into the room. ¡°Dinner in five minutes.¡± Buttons slipped into the room. When Mrs. Todoroki had gone, June flopped onto the bottom bunk. ¡°Shifting is supposed to be a big secret, and there isn¡¯t really a good way to say, ¡®Hey, my mom transforms into an owl the size of a bear.¡¯¡± ¡°You could have trusted me with it,¡± Brendan said, sitting down next to her. ¡°I¡¯d die before I broke your trust.¡± ¡°I know,¡± June said. She knew he meant it. ¡°But I did just tell you about me within like a day of it happening.¡± She put her hand on his hand. Brendan¡¯s ears went red and he opened his mouth but no words came out. He tried a second time and incoherent noise tumbled out. June tilted her head. I guess he¡¯ll still act weird around me for a while, she thought. It¡¯s a lot to take in. Brendan took a deep breath, and a smirk twisted up one side of his mouth. ¡°So, your mom is an owl and you¡¯re a werecat?¡± June fought back a grin. ¡°You can just call me a cat.¡± ¡°Werecat it is,¡± Brendan said, still smirking. ¡°You said you need my help?¡± Buttons jumped up between them and loudly meowed in interruption. June heard him say, ¡°Don¡¯t tell him I understand humans. I¡¯ll never hear the end of it.¡± Then the cat sat down in her lap and purred. ¡°He needs to know,¡± June said to Buttons. ¡°Secrets haven¡¯t worked out well today.¡± She looked up at Brendan, whose eyes were darting between her and Buttons, his forehead bunched up. ¡°Yeah, I can talk to cats.¡± ¡°Really?¡± He sounded skeptical. ¡°You just saw me Shift and you think talking to cats is hard to believe?¡± ¡°Tell him he was reading Blimey! Detectives when you came to the window,¡± Buttons interjected. ¡°Buttons says you were reading Blimey! Detectives when I came to your window,¡± June said. ¡°Yeah, okay, but the book is sitting behind me on the bed,¡± Brendan replied. ¡°And I know you¡¯re observant.¡± ¡°Tell him I was slapping him in the face when you got here,¡± Buttons meowed. Then, as a grin spread across his furry face he said, ¡°Or better yet, tell him that he looks at the picture of you that¡¯s on his desk a lot.¡± June laughed. Brendan was in that picture too wearing his Gandalf hoodie, the very hoodie she had on right now, and he was probably looking at it, not at her. She knew how much he loved Gandalf. ¡°Okay, Buttons said he was slapping you in the face when I got here.¡± Brendan angled his head at her. ¡°Wait, can he understand me? All this time Buttons knew what I was saying, he just ignored me?¡± ¡°Yeah, most house pets understand us since they hear so much speaking,¡± June said. ¡°They really are as stubborn as you¡¯d think. But they can¡¯t speak back to us in our language, they can only speak theirs.¡± ¡°Tell him that I hate the name Buttons too,¡± chimed in the cat. ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing and hardly suits me. My name should be something more regal.¡± He stuck his chin in the air, stood, and with his tail sharply pointed up, exposed his backside to Brendan. June chuckled. ¡°He also doesn¡¯t like the name Buttons.¡± Brendan looked at June and the cat with disbelief. ¡°Brendan, June, time for dinner!¡± yelled a voice from downstairs. Brendan led the way, glaring at Buttons with narrow eyes as he passed the cat. Buttons walked beside June and continued to meow to her, and June let out an occasional giggle. Buttons had quite the sense of humor and a very colorful vocabulary. Chapter 17 - The Suspects Dinner that night was uneventful, at least as uneventful as it could be with Brendan watching June like he had never seen another human eat before. June felt self-conscious as it was about her caloric requirements, so being stared at like a zoo animal did nothing to make her feel better about it. Even though nothing short of six or seven plates of chicken would have satisfied her hunger, June stopped at one. But Jin and Sun Todoroki were the model of hospitality and insisted she eat more, so she gratefully accepted a second helping so as not to seem rude. She glared at Brendan whenever she had the chance, hoping he would take the hint to stop staring¡ªeventually he did and blushed. The Todorokis didn¡¯t question June¡¯s explanation for wearing Brendan¡¯s clothes (she felt bad about telling them a white lie), and they happily explained the holiday of Autumnal Equinox Day to her when she asked about holidays in Japan. Buttons sulked off when no one gave him any chicken, meowing something loudly that caused June to nearly choke on her bite¡ªwhere did he learn those words, she wondered. They had hardly reached Brendan¡¯s room when he rounded on her with questions. ¡°So does it hurt?¡± ¡°Shifting? It did at first, but you get used to it.¡± ¡°Do you have powers when you¡¯re normal? Is that how you threw Michael yesterday?¡± June nodded. ¡°I guess so. All of my senses are enhanced some, and I''m stronger, but not nearly as much as when I¡¯m Shifted. I can still hear a lot of things if I concentrate though, like heartbeats.¡± Brendan, who had plopped onto the bottom bunk and slouched against the wall, sat up straight and looked oddly nervous. ¡°So yes, I¡¯ll know if you¡¯re lying to me, Brendan,¡± she said with a smile and a wink. ¡°But get up, we have to get ready to go.¡± ¡°Go where?¡± he asked as he stood. June paused, then started to pace the middle of the bedroom. Where to start? ¡°Someone broke into Cordelia''s lab this morning. They kidnapped Mr. Moseley and took¡ª¡± ¡°Is he the security guard that ate half of the cake at your birthday last year and almost threw up?¡± Brendan interrupted. Grief over Mr. Moseley mingled with laughter at the memory¡ªnow June understood how someone could laugh bitterly. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s him. The kidnapper also stole a vial of this serum from Cordelia, and it¡¯s the only one left. We need to figure out who took Mr. Moseley, rescue him, and get the vial back.¡± ¡°Then this is a mystery,¡± Brendan said, and his eyes sparkled. He rubbed his hands together excitedly. ¡°It¡¯s like Blimey! Detectives in real life.¡± He walked to his closet and stopped mid-step, turning back to her. ¡°Is this related to all the people who went missing lately?¡± he asked. June shrugged. ¡°Cordelia thinks so. She believes a demon is involved.¡± Brendan did a double take. ¡°Did you just say demon?¡± He started chewing his lower lip. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a whole complicated thing,¡± she said. ¡°They look like people ordinarily, and they can shapeshift too, but they turn into twisted, nightmare creatures. Shifters are supposed to hunt them down and wipe them out.¡± Brendan stopped chewing his lip. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Why what?¡± ¡°Why are you, I mean Shifters, supposed to hunt them down?¡± ¡°Oh, I guess it¡¯s because they eat people, and the more people they eat, the more powerful they become. They don¡¯t age and they heal rapidly, even weak ones. Cordelia said something in our teeth¡ªwell, in her case beak¡ªand claws prevents rapid healing, so injuries we deal out are much more permanent. No one else is equipped to stop them.¡± ¡°That is so cool,¡± Brendan replied. ¡°You¡¯re supposed to be a demon-fighting superhero?¡± ¡°I guess? Once I Shifted, in theory, I was supposed to go to some mysterious convent thing to learn more¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªI knew it!" Brendan said, a little too loudly. ¡°A special school for Shifters¡ª¡± But he stopped and his face dropped. ¡°Does this mean you have to leave Seven Falls?¡± June walked over to him. ¡°Never,¡± she said firmly. ¡°Cordelia ran away from that, and I could too. They¡ªthe Shifter organization of sorts, it¡¯s called The Flood¡ªmight not even know about me, and even if they did, they can¡¯t make me go. You aren¡¯t getting rid of me that easily.¡± She pushed his shoulder playfully. ¡°Now get ready, we''ve got to go find the kidnapper.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Smiling widely, Brendan disappeared inside the closet. ¡°Who are the suspects,¡± he called out, ¡°or is this like a needle in a haytown sort of¡ª¡± ¡°You mean a needle in a haystack,¡± June said. ¡°And one of the scientists at Cordelia¡¯s lab had to be involved.¡± ¡°How many are there?¡± A wad of clothing flew past the closet door, but Brendan continued ruffling around inside, hidden from view. It was a good thing he had such a large walk-in closet, because he had filled it with a messy hoard of things that would rival any dragon¡¯s den. ¡°Three besides Cordelia, but only two are suspects,¡± June answered. ¡°The third scientist is my Aunt Violet, and she isn¡¯t involved.¡± ¡°June! We shouldn¡¯t rule anyone out, you know how mysteries work¡ªsometimes it¡¯s the person you least suspect. But is Aunt Violet the one at your birthday party last year who, um, sort of looks like, well¡­who¡¯s kind of pretty?¡± His voice cracked. June giggled. ¡°Yes, she is beautiful. She and Cordelia are really close, which is kind of amazing. I don¡¯t know how anyone could be friends with Cordelia.¡± She said it without thinking, then her thinking caught up to her. It was amazing anyone could be friends with Cordelia. It was even more amazing that someone could marry her. All this time she thought Richard had to be evil. But someone who could marry Cordelia had to be closer to a saint than to a devil. ¡°Plus, I¡¯ve known Aunt Violet for just about my whole life. She¡¯s not a suspect, she couldn¡¯t have done it.¡± ¡°June¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not her. I really think it¡¯s Dr. Crushov because he¡ª¡± Brendan snorted inside the closet. ¡°That''s ironic. His name alone makes him sound like the most obvious suspect.¡± ¡°If you say so,¡± June said. ¡°He just installed a new security system at the lab.¡± More shuffling sounds came from the closet. ¡°If it¡¯s not him, then it¡¯s Dr. Chase,¡± June continued. ¡°You haven¡¯t met him. He¡¯s kind of slimy, but not in a guard-your-lunch-money kind of way. More like a yes-man, spineless kind of way. It¡¯s hard to believe he¡¯d be involved in anything violent. Still, though, maybe he got forced into it or something.¡± ¡°We should probably start at the lab,¡± Brendan said amidst the sounds of clothes hangers sliding. ¡°That¡¯s always what you do with a mystery¡ªstart at the scene of the crime.¡± Another garment flew past the closet door. ¡°Well, there¡¯s a slight problem with that,¡± June said, and rubbed the back of her neck. ¡°I may have Shifted and jumped through the window of Cordelia''s office, and I may have landed near a police officer. He might have seen me so the police might be out hunting for me.¡± A crash came from inside the closet. ¡°Seriously? That¡¯s gonna be a problem, but one thing at a time,¡± came Brendan¡¯s reply. ¡°I suppose we should start with the scientists¡¯ houses then.¡± ¡°That makes sense. I also lost my phone when I Shifted at the lab, so I haven¡¯t been able to get in touch with Cordelia.¡± Something tugged at the back of June¡¯s mind. It was wispy as a cloud, without meaning yet. She strained to pull it forward. Brendan emerged from the closet, dressed in black jeans and a black hoodie, and swung a hooded black peacoat around his shoulders. Because each item of his attire was black, each one visibly showed a healthy covering of Chloe¡¯s hair. ¡°Are you sure Cordelia isn¡¯t involved?¡± He put a hand on his hip, jutted one leg forward, and looked at June expectantly. June¡¯s chest twisted. She couldn¡¯t be certain about anything involving Cordelia. ¡°She was home with me all morning.¡± ¡°The whole time?¡± He gave her an imploring look that didn¡¯t seem to fit with his question. Another chest twist, harder this time. June had been out in the forest that morning, for at least an hour. Could Cordelia fly to the lab and back in that time? Maybe, but as far as affection went with Cordelia, Mr. Moseley ranked even higher than June on the list of recipients. It seemed unlikely Cordelia would hurt him. And she¡¯d been pretty upset about the serum being taken. ¡°She was genuinely shaken up at the lab, and she did eventually come clean about the serum,¡± June replied. The nagging thought at the back of her mind slid forward and solidified a bit, but it hadn¡¯t taken shape yet. ¡°What¡¯s so special about this serum?¡± Brendan asked, then cleared his throat loudly. ¡°Notice anything?¡± He pulled lightly on the collar of the peacoat. ¡°Cordelia made it to try to prevent me from Shifting." ¡°She tried to stop you from having superpowers?¡± He shook his head in disgust, then made a very big show of rubbing the shoulders of the peacoat like he was brushing off dust and looked as if he was waiting for something. June scrunched her eyebrows together. Was there something special about the peacoat? It looked normal to her. ¡°Your peacoat?¡± she asked. ¡°It¡¯s covered in dog hair.¡± ¡°Yes! Well, no, not a peacoat.¡± He paused for dramatic effect and waved a hand like a gameshow host. ¡°It¡¯s a cloak.¡± ¡°A cloak?¡± ¡°As close as it gets nowadays. A cloak is very necessary for any adventure.¡± June laughed. ¡°If everyone¡¯s a suspect, that makes you a suspect too, you know,¡± she teased, ¡°cloak or not.¡± ¡°Buttons will confirm I was here all day.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± she retorted. ¡°If you don¡¯t change his name the relationship could go toxic pretty quickly.¡± The word toxic jarred something loose, and the nebulous thought materialized in her head like a brick¡ªthe serum was radioactive! Of course! ¡°We¡¯ve got a stop to make before we hit Dr. Crushov¡¯s house. I¡¯ll tell you on the way,¡± she said and stepped into the hall. Then another thought hit her and she spun and pushed Brendan back into his room. ¡°One more thing. I need you to get something from your mom. I¡¯ll keep your parents distracted, just get it and meet me downstairs.¡± Then she whispered the item in Brendan¡¯s ear and he gulped like a cartoon character; she didn¡¯t know the human throat could actually move like that. Chapter 18 - The First Crime of Their Lives The plan worked, and soon Brendan and June were on their way into the forest, ostensibly on their way to June¡¯s house to practice for math club. June felt terrible about lying to Brendan¡¯s parents again, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and what could be more desperate than breaking into people¡¯s houses with your best friend to rescue someone and recover a magical radioactive serum? Brendan had met June at the front door with a bulging backpack on top of his pea-cloak, as June now thought of it. She looked curiously at him¡ªhe didn¡¯t need a backpack to carry the item she¡¯d requested he take from his mom. He winked at her slyly. Buttons was waiting for them and promised to keep secret their adventures and June thanked him. When they were safely outside June filled Brendan in on what Buttons had said, to which he replied, ¡°What other option does he have? No one can understand him but you.¡± He did have a point. The sun hung just over the horizon and the light grew softer by the minute. Brendan confirmed it was just after 7 pm on his calculator watch. June wondered what happened to her own calculator watch after she¡¯d Shifted at the lab. Maybe she could find it later, still on the floor in Cordelia¡¯s office, with (hopefully) just a broken wristband. Twilight had already arrived under the forest canopy as June led the way into the woods. Leaves crunched under their feet as they walked deeper, and Brendan checked and rechecked all the pockets on his pea-cloak in silence. He stopped walking. June turned and found him chewing his lip as he looked at her. ¡°It¡¯s pretty dark in here. And all the missing people disappeared in the forest.¡± His eyes darted back and forth, scanning the area around them. ¡°You saw me in your house, right, when I Shifted?¡± June asked. ¡°Of course,¡± he responded. ¡°If you recall, I, uh, had an adverse reaction.¡± She straightened her shoulders and lifted her chin. ¡°Do you think there is anything in these woods scarier than I am?¡± ¡°Well, no but¡ª¡± ¡°But nothing,¡± she cut in. ¡°Everything in this forest should be afraid of us.¡± Brendan angled his head to the side a moment, then a smile broke out and he nodded several times. He seemed to like that thought. June led them deeper, until the trees grew close together and underbrush made walking more difficult, at least for Brendan, who moved like he couldn¡¯t see very well. She paused to listen to the night. ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± she announced. ¡°Just the normal sounds. What¡¯s in the backpack?¡± Brendan grinned proudly and handed it to her. As soon as June opened the zipper she whipped her head away for a breath of fresh air. ¡°Oh my gosh, this smells like hot dogs!¡± she said, fanning her nose. ¡°Why did you pack¡ª¡± ¡°You said earlier you needed to eat a lot, and packages of hot dogs seemed like the best option,¡± Brendan said. ¡°Portable and dense.¡± June smiled, despite the strength of the odor coming from the bag. ¡°You could have put them inside Ziplock bags or something at least. Where on earth did you get so many?¡± ¡°Costco.¡± ¡°Cost-what?¡± ¡°June! You don¡¯t know Costco? It¡¯s everything in bulk. Since you need to eat a ton now, you¡¯ll love it.¡± His comment stung. She did need to eat literal tons of food, and she might gain tons of weight. She sighed as she dug through bottled waters, twinkies, a map of Seven Falls, a flashlight¡ª ¡°Why are these here?¡± she asked, pulling out a pair of black yoga pants. ¡°You said to get pantyhose from my mom. And your wish is my command.¡± He gave a playful bow. ¡°Pantyhose are what burglars wear over their faces in movies! You can see through them! These are yoga pants. How do you expect to see with these over your face?¡± ¡°Aren''t they the same thing?¡± he asked defensively. ¡°You can still see through them anyways.¡± He held a leg up over his face. ¡°Well, not exactly, but¡­¡± She put the backpack into Brendan¡¯s hands. ¡°I''ll Shift and stab out eyeholes.¡± ¡°Shift? Why? We can just poke eyeholes with a stick.¡± ¡°Because we have a lot of distance to cover,¡± June said, ¡°and it will be way faster if you ride on my back.¡± Brendan gulped cartoon-style again and leaned against a vine-covered hickory tree before she could stop him. Thankfully, on closer inspection the vine was Virginia creeper, not poison ivy. ¡°Ride¡ªon your back?¡± he sputtered. ¡°Yes! Just make sure you hang on. We¡¯re going to school first.¡± He gaped at her. ¡°School! Why would we go there?¡± ¡°Because we need a Geiger counter,¡± June said. ¡°The serum is radioactive.¡± ¡°The school has Geiger counters?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember, in science, when Mrs. Hatcher tested rocks for radioactivity?¡± ¡°Oh, yeah. Good memory.¡± ¡°Would you expect any less of me?¡± June crossed her arms. ¡°We¡¯re breaking into the science classroom to take a Geiger counter.¡± Brendan¡¯s hands shot to his temples. ¡°June! We can¡¯t steal it.¡± ¡°I know. We¡¯re only borrowing it.¡± She gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. That seemed to work¡ªBrendan brightened immediately. ¡°Stay right here,¡± June said. ¡°I¡¯m going to Shift behind that big tree. Do not try to walk up on me, okay? It could have dire consequences.¡± She grinned mischievously; Brendan nodded about ten times in rapid succession and turned around. Behind an alder tree she slipped out of her clothes and Shifted¡ªit happened more quickly each time she did it. She sniffed the air and cocked her head to listen. Her ears rotated. Nothing unusual in the area, just the forest beginning its nighttime song. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Despite her enormous size, June snuck up on Brendan and he gave a small shout when she tapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Here,¡± she said, chuckling a bit as she handed him her clothes. ¡°Put these in the backpack then climb on to my back. Hold on tight around my neck, and I mean tight.¡± She started to crouch and stopped. A smell forced its way into her nose (sweet and sharp) and burned the back of her throat. ¡°Did you spray on more cologne?¡± Brendan turned so red, June thought he might glow in the dark. ¡°With your, uh, abilities and all, I uh, didn¡¯t want to smell bad.¡± June laughed so hard she shook. Brendan smiled awkwardly and kicked the dirt around. ¡°It''s not that funny,¡± he said, which didn''t help her stop laughing. When she finally got herself under control and crouched down, Brendan fumbled his way onto her back. As she felt his arms wrap around her neck she heard a sniffing noise. ¡°Are you sniffing my fur?¡± The sniffing stopped. ¡°What? No...¡± June could hear his heart beating faster. Uh huh, she thought. Busted. ¡°Do we really need to go to the school? If we¡¯re looking for¡ª¡± June took off and the rush of air silenced him. She felt his grip tighten. She sprinted on all fours, nimbly avoiding trees and using her shoulders and arms to shield Brendan from the constant net of tree limbs and brush. The school wasn¡¯t far, probably a fifteen-minute car ride¡ªbut running through the woods, June could make it in far less time. She reached an area thick with hickory trees. She spotted a few that looked like they would support her weight. She leapt up and climbed nearly to the top before propelling herself to another tree, and then launched away. She soared for a great distance in the air before landing on the ground again and continuing to run. Brendan hadn¡¯t made a sound, and she could tell from the pace of his heart and the tightness of his breathing that he was hanging on for dear life. Hope he¡¯s enjoying himself, she thought with a smirk. I certainly am. It was true¡ªit felt fantastic to be Shifted, running and soaring, and sharing it all with Brendan. When she could see the treeline that marked the high school on the horizon, June stopped in a little clearing and dropped into a crouch. ¡°Ride¡¯s over,¡± she rumbled. For what felt like a minute Brendan didn¡¯t move or respond. ¡°Brendan, are you okay?¡± she asked in her most gentle voice (which was still a growl). ¡°Wow,¡± Brendan finally said. ¡°I mean, I figured you¡¯d be powerful, but June, I just, wow.¡± June smiled wide as he hopped down, not even trying to hide her pleasure at his compliment. He looked as if he had been electrocuted: hair standing up, eyes wide, skin pale, and shaking all over. Amazingly, his pea-cloak still hung from his shoulders¡ªshe''d forgotten about it while she sped toward the school but was glad it hadn¡¯t flown off him. June started walking but Brendan didn¡¯t move. When she glanced back at him, he said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to Shift back?¡± ¡°Why?¡± June asked. The wind picked up and the thin trees around them swayed lightly. Crickets were singing, and a few fireflies came and went like little disappearing magicians. The breeze had just a hint of chill to it. Night had already come to the forest, and they wouldn''t have much daylight time left outside the woods. ¡°It will be dark soon, and I¡¯ve already been seen by the police. We might as well use¡ª¡± Her stomach rumbled painfully and cut off her voice. She hadn¡¯t eaten since dinner, and she had really been showing off on the trip to the school. Ugh, she thought, gripping her tummy, I already need to eat? Great. She¡¯d hoped the dinner would last her for a while. Maybe a few hot dogs would do the trick, at least for now. Brendan had already stared at her inhaling food at his house¡ªwhat would he think seeing her eat again so soon? The familiar old hollowness nestled into her chest and she no longer felt quick and limber. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°What? Of course,¡± June replied, hoping her voice didn''t carry her irritation. ¡°Can you hand me a few hot dogs?¡± She looked around for somewhere to eat privately. There weren¡¯t any trees large enough to conceal her around the little clearing unless she wanted to walk for a dozen yards or more and leave Brendan behind. She sighed in frustration. Brendan handed her a whole package of hot dogs¡ªten in all. ¡°Power up,¡± he said and nodded approvingly. More like pig up, June thought. ¡°Hey, can you turn around while I eat?¡± Brendan cocked his head to the side. ¡°I kind of wanted to see you eat, you know, like¡± ¡ªhe gestured toward her¡ª ¡°Shifted.¡± June hoped her thick black fur concealed the burning in her cheeks. ¡°Turn. Around,¡± she growled, more forcefully than she¡¯d intended. Brendan looked at her with confusion, then held up his hands defensively, and spun around. She knew she¡¯d hurt his feelings. What about her own though? She wasn¡¯t some circus attraction. Come and see the cat monster eat like a freak! Watch her human thighs grow before your very eyes! No, she told herself, I don¡¯t care what anyone thinks of me. It¡¯s just rude of Brendan to watch me eat like I¡¯m here to entertain. She frowned and sliced the hot dog package open. One hot dog in her stomach felt like she¡¯d only swallowed air. Two, then three, then four. Still nothing. Finally, with a resigned sigh, June ate the other six in one bite. That helped, at least enough that the pain in her tummy stopped. ¡°Done,¡± she announced. ¡°So,¡± Brendan said, not turning around, ¡°do they play Shiftwich at your school for Shifters? That¡¯s what it¡¯s called, you know, the special sport for Shifters.¡± June chuckled, and that got Brendan to turn around. ¡°That sounds suspiciously like Quidditch, for someone who claims to have never read the books. And this isn¡¯t a book. Mr. Moseley is really in danger.¡± ¡°Everything is a book, June,¡± Brendan said as they started walking toward the school. ¡°Most people just never realize it.¡± As they walked, June hardly made a noise; Brendan, on the other hand, stepped on every dry leaf and crunchy twig in the forest. Rotating her ears, June didn¡¯t hear any signs of people, except of course for Brendan¡¯s plodding one-man band. Plenty of animals and insects were in full song though, and the music swelled around them. She inhaled deeply¡ªthe woods smelled like life¡­and Brendan¡¯s cologne, which was still overpowering. Did he shower in it before they left? ¡°If demons, or whatever you called them, are real,¡± Brendan said, ¡°does that mean other things, like ghosts and vampires, are too?¡± ¡°I doubt it,¡± June answered. ¡°And vampires are probably just mislabeled demons. Cordelia mentioned that some famous creatures from history are just demons. Stuff like the Egyptian gods that had dog heads, the Yeti, Bigfoot, the Loch Ness monster. You get the point.¡± Brendan had a hand on his chin and a scholarly look on his face. ¡°Makes sense. I bet a lot of history makes more sense if you factor in demons and¡ª¡± He motioned at June. They were approaching the rim of the woods now, and Brendan stopped walking. ¡°Uh, June, shouldn¡¯t you be Shifting back now?¡± ¡°That again?¡± ¡°June! For starters, you should always keep your powers hidden so you can surprise the bad guys. If you go in full werecat from the start, you can¡¯t surprise them.¡± June shrugged. ¡°Second,¡± he continued, holding up two fingers, ¡°we¡¯re gonna be able to learn a lot more from people if they underestimate us. Bad guys love to monologue their plans when they think they¡¯re on top. If you start at full werecat, we won¡¯t get the monologues.¡± She shrugged again. ¡°Third, one police officer seeing you is very different than regular people. The officer might be embarrassed to tell someone. A kid at school is going to blast it on social media without shame. Probably a teacher too. Unless it¡¯s someone like Ms. Windhurst¡ªshe¡¯s going to type it on a typewriter and send it to the newspaper. Protect your secret, June.¡± She had known he was right after he made his first point, and let out a resigned sigh. ¡°I can¡¯t argue your logic. You win. Can you hand me my clothes?¡± Brendan gave her the entire backpack, and she stepped away behind the thickest tree in the area, a large cedar. The smell filled her nose like a red, spicy cloud. When she returned, she was dressed again in sweatpants and the Gandalf hoodie and holding two pieces cut from the legs of the yoga pants, complete with eye holes she¡¯d made with a claw. ¡°I smell like a giant hot dog,¡± she said heavily. ¡°It¡¯s probably just your super senses. Regular people can¡¯t¡ª¡± Brendan stopped and a sheepish expression spread across his face. ¡°Okay, I smell it now. You do smell like a giant wiener.¡± He broke out giggling. ¡°How old are you?" She pushed him gently. ¡°Let¡¯s get the masks on.¡± She handed him one of the masks. Once it was on his head he made gagging noises. ¡°You were right. I¡¯ll never get this smell out of my nose. And if my mom finds out about her yoga pants she¡¯ll kill me.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯ll be free of the hot dog smell at least,¡± June replied. Now with identities firmly safeguarded by their smelly yoga-pant masks, they entered the grassy clearing that surrounded Seven Falls High School, ready to commit the first crime of their lives. Chapter 19 - Breaking In, Breaking Out June walked casually through ankle-high grass toward the high school. Brendan, on the other hand, crouched and ran in spurts, alternately falling behind and running ahead of June, just as the movies had trained him. The sun had disappeared entirely, and the air still had the faint white-purple glow of evening, but it wouldn¡¯t last long. The school was a sprawling red brick building that had aged well¡ªit had a college brochure look to it, and it certainly looked better than Cordelia¡¯s lab. When they reached the double door at the south end of the building, June jiggled the handle. Locked. Through the narrow glass strips on the door it looked vacant inside, and all of the hallway lights were off. June assumed the fall sports teams had wrapped up their practices and the teachers had long since gone home for the evening. She tugged harder at the handle but it didn¡¯t budge. ¡°I knew I should have stayed Shifted. There isn¡¯t a lot of cover here, but I¡¯ll make it work. Then I rip that door open. Close your eyes and keep them closed.¡± ¡°Whoa, woah, hold on, June!¡± Brendan cried. "I know how to get in without the use of werecat strength, but we¡¯ll have to be quick once we open the doors. Do you know exactly where the Geiger counters will be?¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure.¡± Brendan waved his hands in the air. ¡°Pretty sure? What if it¡¯s not there?¡± ¡°Then we¡¯ll look elsewhere,¡± June replied. ¡°And if someone catches us?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll Shift.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad you came to me when you did¡ªI don¡¯t know how you¡¯d keep your powers a secret without me. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± June said, ¡°I am super ready to see your clever way of getting into the locked building.¡± She crossed her arms. ¡°Don¡¯t blink¡ªhere it is,¡± Brendan said as he walked over and picked up a nearby rock. Returning, he looked at the glass on the door. He turned the rock over several times. He chewed his lip, took a deep breath and looked at the glass again. June knew he would hand the rock to her, and sure enough, about five seconds later he said, ¡°Here. Why don¡¯t you do the honors.¡± June took it and shrugged, then hit the glass on one of the doors. It shattered with a loud crackle and Brendan covered his hand with his sleeve and carefully reached into the hole and popped the door open. He looked at her, and even under his mask, June could see the shape of a wide I told you so grin. ¡°Don¡¯t gloat,'''' she said with a smirk, then sprinted into the building, Brendan on her heels. Much to her surprise, nothing happened when the glass shattered and Brendan opened the door¡ªno alarms, no red lights. Instead, it was just eerily quiet compared to the normal school day. Their shoes squeaked on the floor, which had as much of a shine as a used-to-be-white floor could have. The same teenager smells lingered, but they were just ghosts of what she¡¯d smelled yesterday with students present. June¡¯s hope of sneaking around in the dark unseen, however, was foiled by the motion-sensing lights¡ªshe quietly cursed the energy-saving technology. They raced down several hallways and turned into the science room. Here the room actually stayed dark, but light spilling in from the hallway provided more than enough visibility. They walked past the rows of black tables to the cheap wood cabinets at the back of the classroom. As she reached for the door handles, Brendan grabbed her hand. ¡°Wait,¡± he said, his eyes bulging in his yoga-pant mask. ¡°Cover your hands with your sleeves. Don¡¯t leave fingerprints.¡± She nodded, slid her sleeve down, and gave a quick tug, then a harder tug, both of which failed to open the doors. ¡°Have another rock?¡± she asked Brendan. ¡°I¡¯m fresh out. I think this situation calls for brute force. Don¡¯t you have some super werecat strength even when you''re normal?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s find out how much,¡± June replied and grabbed the handles. They bent and strained under her grip, and finally the doors sprang open with a loud crack. She rooted around inside one section while Brendan took the other. June¡¯s sleeve-covered hands finally found a long, thin object that felt almost like a chunky metal wand. She pulled it out, held it up, and let out a triumphant ¡°Yes!¡± She¡¯d found the Geiger counter, a device that would detect the radiation emitted by the stolen serum, hopefully making it much easier to locate. But a noise down the hallway splashed cold water on her victory: loud footsteps¡­no, not footsteps, it was someone running, run-steps. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Put it in your backpack, quick!¡± June said, ¡°we¡¯ve got to get out of here now!¡± As soon as Brendan had the backpack around his shoulders, they dashed out of the room just as a janitor rounded the corner, three doors down from them. ¡°Hey you two, stop right there!¡± he yelled in between wheezing breaths. June felt a stab of pity. Jimmy the janitor shuffled after them, his gut swinging wildly back and forth and threatening at any minute to break free of his janitor¡¯s uniform. June and Brendan darted in the opposite direction, blue lockers and closed classroom doors passing by in a blur. June found herself thankful to be wearing yoga pants over her face, hot dog smell and all. ¡°Where¡ªare¡ªwe¡ªgoing?¡± Brendan asked between gasps of air. ¡°Back out the way we came,¡± June shot back, and then realized just how easily she could run and talk. Usually she¡¯d be wheezing like Jimmy. Was this how people felt who were in great shape? If so, it wasn¡¯t half bad. Jimmy fell farther and farther back, which made him shout more, which in turn made him fall even farther behind. They reached the double doors with the broken glass at full speed, throwing them open with a loud clang. They''d escaped. While Brendan wheezed, June laughed in triumph, and in doing so, stopped paying attention to her surroundings. After taking just a few steps outside the door into the cool night air, light suddenly blinded her. Pained squinting revealed a police car about a hundred yards away, and a man standing by the door holding a flashlight with the brightness of the sun in his hand like a spear. A police officer! June bolted for the forest and then heard Brendan groan. As the police officer rushed toward him, Brendan bent over, fumbling around on the ground by the school door. He jumped up and thrust his right hand triumphantly into the air, just as the officer yelled ¡°Freeze!¡± Much to June¡¯s horror, Brendan did just that. ¡°No, run, run!¡± she yelled to him over her shoulder as she sprinted toward the tree line, leaving him behind. From what she could hear, he had taken her advice to get moving, but so had the policeman (who looked like he ran far more often than Jimmy the Janitor). She wasn¡¯t going to wait for him; Brendan could make all the snarky comments he wanted, but there was only one solution to this problem. June hit the dark wall of the forest and in seconds her sweatpants and hoodie were flying through the air toward a tree. She willed her body to Shift as she spun back toward the school. It happened quickly, and now Shifted, she raced back toward Brendan, nothing but a giant, dark blur in the twilight moving like a rocket. ******* Brendan could hear the police officer¡¯s footsteps getting closer. He knew that any second now he would be grabbed from behind. What would his parents say? Would he be suspended? Why had June just abandoned him? His throat tightened at the thought. He could almost feel the officer¡¯s breath behind him. He tried to force his legs to go faster and nearly tripped. He braced for the sensation of being tackled from behind, and then his life would be over. Would he get tased? Would he go to jail? Didn¡¯t you pee on yourself when you got tased? Brendan felt tremors in the ground, and then he was jerked, violently and efficiently, off his feet. Before his brain could figure out what was happening, soft, quiet darkness with iron beneath enveloped him and he could hardly breathe. He heard the police officer shout¡ªhis voice sounded oddly strained and scared¡ªand Brendan realized he was being carried away by something that was not the officer; this something was massive and moving very quickly¡ªJune! He''d only blinked his eyes a handful of times when June set him down. They were deep in the forest already and he could barely see. But her large, yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. His body still shook from adrenaline. ¡°What in the world did you stop for?¡± June asked in a rumble. It reminded Brendan of a bass drum. ¡°Woah! I thought I was a goner. Amazing!¡± He put a hand over his heart, as if that might slow it down. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were coming back for me. I had to¡ª¡± ¡°Of course I came back¡ªI¡¯ll always come back for¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªGrab the rock,¡± he said. ¡°The rock?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, our break-in rock. I realized the policeman might try to get fingerprints off the rock.¡± He held up his right hand; he had managed to keep hold of the rock even after June scooped him up. June nodded. ¡°Good thinking.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll always come back for¡ª?¡± he asked now, curious to hear the end of her sentence. ¡°Of course. For you. You¡¯re stuck with me, probably forever.¡± She smiled. Warmth spread over Brendan''s whole body¡ªso much for slowing down his heartbeat. ¡°Why would you ever think I¡¯d abandon you?¡± she asked. ¡°Because you left me.¡± ¡°So I could get to the woods, Shift, and rescue you!¡± He nodded. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense now. Thanks. But did that officer see you? He had to see you.¡± She shrugged. ¡°He didn¡¯t see much. It¡¯s dark and I was moving fast. I heard him say on his radio that he saw a bear attack one of the perps. They¡¯ll probably start searching these woods looking for your body soon. Let¡¯s go find my clothes.¡± Brendan''s shoulders sagged with relief. ¡°Then you didn¡¯t blow up my Gandalf hoodie?¡± ¡°Nope. You¡¯d never let me live that down.¡± June started sniffing the air. ¡°True,¡± Brendan responded. A question sprang to his mind. ¡°How fast do you think you were running?¡± ¡°I don''t know,¡± June replied. "Maybe we can measure me against a car later.¡± She smiled mischievously. ¡°Or maybe we can take a radar gun from the next police officer we run into.¡± Brendan forced a sarcastic laugh. ¡°Very funny, June. No more borrowing things that can get us in trouble.¡± He frowned. ¡°Do you think you left footprints in the field?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± She looked down at her massive paws. She held one next to Brendan and he looked at it with slack-jawed awe. It was several times larger than his torso. ¡°Not much we can do about it now. Hopefully they just think they¡¯re the tracks of the bear that supposedly mauled you.¡± ¡°Yeah, the biggest bear tracks they¡¯ve ever found,¡± Brendan added, unconvinced. About five minutes later, the Gandalf hoodie found and safely tucked in Brendan¡¯s backpack to bathe in hot dog odor, June sat crouched, and Brendan clutched her neck. ¡°Dr. Crushov¡¯s house next, right?¡± he asked over her bulging shoulder. ¡°He seems the most likely to be our bad guy, which, according to Blimey! Detectives, actually makes him the least likely to be our bad guy. But then again, if he¡¯s the most likely¡ª¡± The roar of air in his face silenced him and he grabbed onto her like his life depended on it. Because it did. He couldn''t open his eyes as the cold air stung and the force of it hurt, but he knew they were racing at comet-like speed toward their next break-in destination. Chapter 20 - A Voice in the Darkness Numerous devices nearby emitted electronic frequencies, which June assumed to be trail cameras. She approximated their positions and determined that approaching the backyard at an angle should be the safest. ¡°There are cameras ahead. Let¡¯s walk up slowly¡ªprobably easier if you stay on my back for now, I can be a lot quieter than you.¡± ¡°June! What looks worse on a camera? Kids with masks on, or a giant werecat giving a kid a piggy-back ride?¡± She laughed. ¡°To be a piggyback ride, I¡¯d have to be holding your legs. And who says the cameras will see anything?¡± ¡°Come on, June," Brendan said. "This debate again?¡± ¡°I get the point, but it was my Shifting that saved you at the school.¡± ¡°True, but you can always Shift if we get in trouble. If you start out right away as a werecat, then, well¡­the cat¡¯s out of the bag, isn¡¯t it?¡± He grinned proudly at her. She turned to hide her smirk, but he said, ¡°I saw that. One day you¡¯ll just admit you love my jokes.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she said, the smirk still stuck to her face. ¡°I¡¯ll Shift back if you promise not to make another cat joke tonight.¡± After she got dressed, they crept toward Quarry Road, the street on which Dr. Crushov lived. Despite its name, Quarry Road looked nothing like a quarry or a normal road. Rather, it was the richest street in Seven Falls, dotted with an occasional Spanish-looking villa, soaring colonial, or country French estate, each one sitting on several acres of heavily wooded land abutting the forest. And wooded land was a very convenient thing for June. Brendan pulled out the yoga-pant masks as they walked and handed June hers. With minimal gagging, they slipped them on. The darkness of night had fully fallen now, and the moon had just risen above the horizon in the east. Its light occasionally pierced through the net of tree branches overhead and reached the forest floor. And those moonlit patches provided the only reprieve from Brendan tripping, bumping into trees, or whimpering as branches raked his face. June ended up grabbing his hand to guide him, and then he got unusually quiet. But the dark was good for June; she could still see in it, and it was her comfort and her cover. She felt powerful in the dark. Their path took them right up to a six-foot concrete wall, which June estimated meant they had reached Dr. Crushov¡¯s backyard. ¡°What exactly are we going to do once we¡¯re in the house? What¡¯s the plan?¡± Brendan whispered. ¡°The plan?¡± June asked. Then she listened to the night. ¡°No one is in the backyard. The plan is to find a way into the house, and once we¡¯re in we explore and use the Geiger counter to find the vial. Hopefully we find Mr. Moseley first.¡± ¡°But what if we do find it? What happens to Dr. Crushov?¡± Brendan asked. She still hadn¡¯t figured that out yet. In the car that morning, on the way to the lab, she¡¯d been confident that she would kill anyone involved in taking Mr. Moseley. But it was a whole lot easier to say that about someone faceless and evil. She knew Dr. Crushov, and she didn¡¯t mind him¡ªhe was certainly no Dr. Chase. The thought of having to kill Dr. Crushov made something bitter rise in the back of her throat. Maybe she could take him to Cordelia to deal with¡ªyes, that seemed the best way to do it. ¡°I¡¯ll knock him out, we tie him up, and I carry him back to my house¡ªhe¡¯ll be Cordelia''s problem.¡± Brendan thought about this and then nodded approvingly. A cool breeze swept through the cottonwood trees around them and gently stirred her hair. Crickets chirped in waves. A low buzz warned mosquitos were near; the cold fall weather hadn''t killed them off yet. June¡¯s stomach rumbled, ever so slightly. She tried to ignore it. Brendan leaned his head to the side and studied her, but he said nothing. Surely he couldn¡¯t hear that, June thought. A part of her said I should eat now, and then the way Brendan had looked at her at dinner burned itself into her vision, and she shook away the voice and the image. I should ration them anyway, she thought. I¡¯m not embarrassed or anything. And I don¡¯t care if I gain weight. We just don¡¯t have an endless supply of hot dogs. Brendan broke the silence. ¡°If Dr. Crushov is a demon, are you sure you can just knock him out? What if he¡¯s really big and powerful, like he¡¯s been eating at a people buffet?¡± His eyes widened. ¡°Is that what happened to the people who disappeared?¡± And, realizing what he¡¯d just said, his mouth worked back and forth under the yoga-pant mask (he was chewing his lip). He asked again, ¡°Are you sure?¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. June eyed the concrete wall and walked up to it. She was really big and powerful too, much larger than a normal Shifter. If Dr. Crushov was a demon, he would have needed to eat a lot of people, for a long time, to rival her size, speed, and strength. At least she hoped so. ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°I''m sure.¡± She jumped and easily caught the top and scrambled up like a squirrel. She tilted her head sideways and listened, wishing her normal ears could rotate too. ¡°Come on up,¡± she called down to Brendan. ¡°I don¡¯t see any cameras back here, just mosquito zappers.¡± Despite being able to nearly reach the top of the wall just raising his arms, Brendan floundered in trying to grasp it. When he did finally grab hold, his attempt to pull himself up went even worse. He gave an embarrassed shrug. ¡°I don¡¯t have super shifty powers, so how are we both going to get over this wall? Maybe I can ride on your back?¡± June hopped down and landed easily. She didn¡¯t want to think about how she¡¯d have looked trying to climb this wall a week ago. ¡°Ride my back? Someone made me Shift back to normal so people wouldn¡¯t see a kid riding on the back of a werecat¡ªugh, I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m using that word now too.¡± Brendan laughed and his face brightened. ¡°It¡¯s a good word, don¡¯t fight it, June.¡± She made a basket with her hands. ¡°Here, step in and I¡¯ll boost you up. Then I¡¯ll jump up.¡± Brendan still struggled to pull himself all the way up to the top, and June considered whether or not to jump and surprise him with a push from below. While extremely tempting, she decided against it so he wouldn¡¯t scream as he fell over the other side. She waited patiently and kicked around the dirt at her feet, pretending not to notice how long it was taking. A blue moth fluttered past her knees, riding the light breeze. Once Brendan had finally gotten to a sitting position, June quickly joined him on the wall, then dropped to the other side. Brendan remained at the top with his legs hanging, looking nervously at the six-foot drop back down. His mouth worked back and forth under the mask. ¡°Just jump and I¡¯ll catch you,¡± June said quietly. He eyed the drop again. ¡°I¡¯ve run all over town with you on my back. I think I can handle catching you here.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you aren¡¯t a werecat right now.¡± He took a deep breath. ¡°Here goes¡­¡± And down he went into June¡¯s waiting arms. She caught him easily and straightened him up. Brendan smiled so wide under the mask she feared it might split open. ¡°You know you¡¯ve been so much higher than that wall when you¡¯re on my back, right?¡± she whispered. ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s different. And my eyes are usually closed because of the air.¡± They wound between a few manicured clusters of rhododendrons and small crepe myrtle trees and hunched down behind an elaborate pirate-ship playset, sailing on a sea of woodchips that softly crunched under their feet. The play set surprised her; she had never thought about Dr. Crushov having a family. There weren¡¯t any pictures of family in his office. Did demons have families? Brendan looked up at the house and whistled softly. ¡°This Dr. Crushov, you said he studies robotics?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°Then why does he live in a mansion?¡± ¡°He probably sold a lot of inventions and patents. Cordelia has a whole system for selling things that her scientists invent and they get a lot of the money from it.¡± ¡°Maybe,¡± Brendan said. ¡°Or maybe he¡¯s a criminal mastermind. What was he doing installing a new security system if he¡¯s a scientist?¡± June studied the house, which was all sharp edges and square windows and stucco. And it was big, so big it was unrealistic, like a house that only existed on TV. June noted only two doors on the back of the house that looked suitable for breaking in. ¡°I don¡¯t know. He came to Cordelia and said the old system wasn¡¯t any good, and he offered to install a new one. Cordelia let him because he¡¯s great with technology in general. Then, a week later, the robbery.¡± Deciding on a door to the left, without any lights showing inside, as the best option for entry, June darted toward a picnic bench beneath a pergola, then crouched behind it. Brendan followed behind her. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he wait a little longer for the robbery if he did it? To have it occur so close to when he installed the new system¡ªhe had to know it would make him a prime suspect. The timing seems pretty dumb.¡± June nodded. ¡°He doesn¡¯t strike me as stupid, or sloppy for that matter. His office and lab space are super organized. But maybe he had reasons for rushing it and couldn¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°Maybe he knew about you,¡± Brendan said. ¡°The break-in did occur just a day after you started Shifting.¡± ¡°I doubt it.¡± An owl hooted in the distance, and all at once thoughts about Cordelia came crashing down. June wished Cordelia was there, with them, in case Dr. Crushov really was a demon. No, she thought, Cordelia created this mess, it¡¯s up to me to fix it. But June did wonder what the police had done with Cordelia when they kicked her door down and found a giant hole in the wall. Surely they couldn¡¯t have arrested her? Regardless, now wasn¡¯t the time to be worrying about it. Somewhere Mr. Moseley was probably tied up and hurt, and midnight was only three or four hours away. She pointed to the door. ¡°We¡¯re going in there.¡± And then she ran to it. Brendan followed on her heels, stumbling once in the grass. June held up a hand and whispered, ¡°I¡¯ll try the door on the count of three. Hopefully it¡¯s unlocked. If not, we¡¯ll have to try every door and window we can reach. Once we¡¯re inside, pull out the Geiger counter and follow me. Make sure it''s set to low so it¡¯s not loud.¡± Brendan gulped. ¡°How do I do that? You¡¯re the expert on it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re smart, you''ll figure it out.¡± ¡°So you do admit I¡¯m smart,¡± he said as one side of his mouth twitched under the mask. Ignoring him, June counted. ¡°One¡­two¡ª¡± Untouched, the door flew open. ¡°Who are you?¡± demanded a voice in the darkness. Chapter 21 - Treasure Hunt June jumped to her feet and Brendan fell backwards. Seeing that the voice belonged to a grave, pale young boy, June scrambled for a response. ¡°Umm, trick or treat?¡± she said hesitantly, forgetting to use a fake voice. ¡°What?¡± asked the boy. ¡°It is not Halloween or my father would have told me. We do not miss Halloween.¡± He pushed a curl of brown hair back from his eyes. ¡°And where are your pillowcases for the candy?¡± ¡°Oh, I guess you¡¯re right," June said. "Whoops! We had our dates wrong, sorry! But who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Igor,¡± replied the boy. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m, er, Jane,¡± said June, ¡°and this is Brandon. We¡¯re supposed to be¡ªer, bank robbers.¡± ¡°You do not look like bank robbers. The bank robbers usually wear something different on their faces.¡± June gave Brendan a sharp sideways glance before asking, ¡°Are your parents here, Igor?¡± ¡°It is just me. They are at dinner. And Miss Jen is here. I do not like her much. She just sits and watches the TV. She does not play with me.¡± ¡°How old are you, Igor?¡± June asked. ¡°I am seven.¡± ¡°Wow, you seem much older,¡± June said. ¡°You must be very mature for your age.¡± The boy stood a little taller, but a smile never touched his cold face, and June wondered if kids could actually be little demons. Cordelia hadn¡¯t specified whether a demon could still have a child, and what that child would be when it turned seven. ¡°I was going to the play set. Will you play with me?¡± Igor asked, and he looked at them hopefully. June thought his face probably resembled the face of a spider when it asked a fly, hopefully, whether it would come play in the web. She shivered and turned her gaze to the play set. A Shifter didn¡¯t become one until they turned fifteen. And from what Cordelia had said about demons, they didn¡¯t seem like the family type. Plus, Dr. Crushov would never be described as normal, so the chances were pretty high that his son would be weird as well. Maybe Igor wasn¡¯t a little demon child, just a little odd child. A lot of people called June and Brendan odd too. The pirate ship gave her an idea. If he wants to play with someone, maybe he¡¯d like a new game, June thought. I¡¯ll just keep a close eye on him and be ready if he tries to eat us. ¡°Hey, since it¡¯s not Halloween after all, do you want to play a treasure hunting game with us instead?¡± June asked. Brendan made a choking noise. The boy frowned. ¡°Treasure hunting game?¡± Then he narrowed his eyes and nodded. "Yes, I think I could play that. But what are the rules?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty simple," June said. ¡°We sneak around your house like we¡¯re on a dangerous island at night, trying to find a treasure and avoid getting caught. It just so happens we have a treasure hunting device with us and it will click a lot if we get close¡ª¡± ¡°And Miss Jen is the British Navy!¡± Igor chimed in. ¡°If she catches us, we lose.¡± He assumed a pirate character, squinting out of one eye. ¡°Do I need a mask too?¡± June laughed¡ªIgor was a bright kid. ¡°Sure. You can be the brave leader of the treasure hunters, and we¡¯re your henchmen.¡± Plus a mask will make it harder for you to bite us, she thought. ¡°No, I¡¯m the captain pirate, and you are the first mate and second mate. I¡¯ll go get my mask and sword and then we start.¡± With that, Igor disappeared inside and left the door wide open. June could see a dark sunroom through the open door, illuminated now by a small table lamp. ¡°Can kids be demons?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°What if he leads us right into a trap?¡± ¡°I wondered the same thing," June replied. "I don¡¯t think so, but I¡¯m not sure. He said he has a babysitter here, and if we see her and she¡¯s alive and not half-eaten, then I think we can assume no trap.¡± ¡°Fair enough,¡± Brendan said. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that bit about the treasure hunt worked¡ªthat was brilliant! When did you get so good with kids? Have you been babysitting and not telling me?¡± ¡°Not a chance. I just don¡¯t mind kids, especially if they aren¡¯t demons. By the way, the serum we¡¯re looking for¡ªCordelia injected me with it when I was a baby. She thought¡ª¡± ¡°The radioactive serum? I thought you meant she gave it to you this week!¡± ¡°I know, right? She thought it would cure me, she said. But she thinks it made me into what I am now, instead of¡ª¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°A werecat¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, instead of an owl like her.¡± Brendan¡¯s shoulders hunched forward. ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time finding something to say that doesn¡¯t involve bad words to describe your mom.¡± He paused, and June only nodded¡ªshe didn''t stop him or correct him. ¡°But hey,¡± he continued, ¡°I¡¯d choose a werecat like you over an owl any day. You could eat owls for breakfast. How strong is your bite, do you think?¡± At that moment Igor appeared in the doorway, his face covered by a Spiderman mask, and his hand gripping a shockingly realistic, long knife (but plastic, June noted with relief when the light caught it just right). He nodded at them, whipped back around, and marched into the house like a little pirate captain. ¡°You keep your eyes on the Geiger counter,¡± June whispered to Brendan, ¡°and I¡¯ll look around with one eye and keep the other eye on Igor.¡± Inside the dimly lit sunroom, they found Igor standing on the opposite side of the room, blocking the way deeper into the house, where a hallway and then a sliver of the kitchen could be seen over his head. A house this size might have several kitchens, June thought. Maybe having a guide is worth it, so long as he doesn''t try to attack us. ¡°What does the treasure look like?¡± Igor asked. ¡°Is it in a chest?¡± ¡°No, not a chest,¡± June said. ¡°There are two treasures, actually. One is a vial of valuable liquid that¡¯s bright green.¡± Igor nodded at this, but his features were covered by the Spiderman mask. ¡°The other treasure is actually a prisoner. Someone valuable.¡± ¡°A man! A man is the treasure?¡± Igor asked, and he actually laughed. ¡°Yep, a man,¡± Brendan said in a fake, deeper voice. He hadn¡¯t spoken yet and accidentally used his real voice like June. ¡°Have you seen any captives here?¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Igor replied, ¡°no strange captives here. A strange man in our house would not last long with my father.¡± He walked over to a floral-patterned couch and looked underneath, while June and Brendan exchanged a long and meaningful glance and Brendan drew a finger along his neck in the universal gesture for ¡°death.¡± June realized she might need to keep both eyes on Igor after all. Brendan had the Geiger counter out and fumbled with it until it began to softly click. June remembered their science lesson about it: the device would always click slowly, since background radiation existed everywhere. But if they encountered something really radioactive, it would speed up and click like a time bomb. Brendan walked the room with the device, but nothing changed in its clicking pattern. Igor came up to him and eyed the device closely, bending down until his face was almost touching it. ¡°A treasure detector?¡± he asked. June could see Brendan gulp before he answered, leaning away from Igor a little. ¡°Uh, yeah, treasure detector,¡± Brendan replied. A scream tore through the room, coming from beyond the kitchen. Then ominous music swelled. Brendan and Igor hadn¡¯t even reacted to the scream, let alone the music. And it was the music that convinced June a horror movie was playing somewhere inside the house¡ªMiss Jen, most likely, engrossed in a slasher film and entirely ignorant of Igor¡¯s whereabouts. But June dared not close her eyes or turn her back on Igor, so she couldn¡¯t properly concentrate on what else she might hear. ¡°Where is your babysitter right now, Igor?¡± she asked. ¡°She is in the TV room, next to the kitchen.¡± ¡°Can your babysitter see us if we go into the kitchen?¡± ¡°If she looks out of the doorway, yes.¡± ¡°If she sees us, we lose, remember?¡± June said. ¡°Then we must sneak,¡± Igor replied. So sneak they did, into the hallway that led to the kitchen, although it wasn¡¯t like a hallway in June or Brendan¡¯s house. This hallway was long, with a high ceiling, bronze-colored walls, and a recessed area on either side. Inside those recessed areas, bathed in yellow light, were paintings: one showed a forest, another depicted a field. Neither had the serum hidden behind it. They entered the kitchen, where the TV room sat through a doorway in the back right corner. To June¡¯s sensitive ears, the TV was so loud it was almost painful, notwithstanding the nearly closed door. She found herself surprisingly irritated¡ªdemon child or not, what if something actually happened to Igor? Anything worth doing was worth doing right, and keeping a child alive was certainly something worth doing. The babysitter would never hear Igor screaming if he got injured, but then again, she''d also never hear them moving around the house. Igor, for his part, was very helpful in the kitchen, pointing out all the locations he would try to hide something. Sitting within easy reach of Igor¡¯s height, on top of a massive island of beige quartz (easily the size of the entire kitchen in a normal house), was a wood block filled with knives. The size of the handles indicated that the blades would be large, like horror-movie large. But Igor never even looked at the knives. The Geiger counter continued to click away slowly. The smell of popcorn hung in the air, so strongly that it penetrated the hot dog aroma of June''s yoga-pant mask. June¡¯s stomach growled loudly and Brendan gave her a concerned look. She shook her head ¡°no¡± and gave him a thumb¡¯s up. Two different doorways led out of the kitchen deeper into the house, and through each doorway was a corridor similar to the paintings-hallway. ¡°On the right side,¡± Igor said, ¡°it is the fancy pillow room, the office, and the piano room. On the left side, it is the guest rooms.¡± ¡°Does your babysitter ever walk around the house to check on things?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°No. She only leaves the TV room to use the bathroom.¡± June groaned inwardly¡ªthis babysitter was terrible. Yet, if she spent all her time oblivious to Igor, and he hadn¡¯t eaten her, the odds of him being a little demon were low. ¡°Let¡¯s check the right side first,¡± June said. ¡°Are you having fun? You¡¯re doing great!¡± Igor nodded eagerly and led them into the new hallway, which had alcoves on either side with bookshelves. The books themselves all looked ancient and had Russian letters on the spines. The noise from the TV room faded and the Geiger counter remained steady. The office came first, and it struck June as unusual for Dr. Crushov, at least compared to his office at Cordelia¡¯s facility. The floor was dark wood, the walls were tall and gray, and a massive, dark oak desk sat framed by windows. Conspicuously absent from the desk were any computer monitors. The rug under the desk, and the curtains framing the windows, were thick and deep red. ¡°This is a lair,¡± Brendan said softly. ¡°A villain¡¯s lair.¡± Something on the desk grabbed June''s attention: a little metal box, slate gray, just like the one that served as a card reader at Cordelia¡¯s lab. The heavy door leading to the office closed behind them. June realized Igor was nowhere to be found. ¡°A trap!¡± Brendan cried. ¡°He wants to eat us!¡± Chapter 22 - A Terrible Babysitter With her stomach rising nearly to her throat, June twisted the doorknob and pulled and pushed on the door, to no avail. It would be no match for her if she Shifted, and the windows would easily shatter, so they could still escape. She closed her eyes. Aside from the faint sounds of whatever movie this Miss Jen the Terrible Babysitter was watching, she couldn''t hear much besides Brendan''s heart beating like a hummingbird''s wings. Inside the room, the click-click-click of the Geiger counter had picked up a bit. Curious. ¡°Turn around,¡± she told Brendan. He weakly nodded and spun. She whipped off the sacred Gandalf hoodie and other clothing, and in a breath had Shifted. She made sure not to poke her head through the ceiling. She scooped up her clothes in a massive paw and threw them to Brendan, who shoved them in the backpack. Now she could really hear. And she heard footsteps approaching rapidly. She crouched so the door would open and hide her¡ªwell, somewhat hide her at least, since she was over twelve feet tall. ¡°Draw their attention,¡± she rumbled softly to Brendan. His eyes were wide and white inside his mask, and he gave a shaky thumbs up. The door handle jiggled several times. Then, slowly, the door eased open. June could hear a single rapid heartbeat in the doorway, meaning only one person¡ªor one little demon child, more likely¡ªhad come to get them. She tensed, ready to strike, and looked to Brendan for cues. ¡°Igor!¡± Brendan cried. ¡°Look at you, still dressed in your Spiderman mask and looking just like you did when you locked us in here!¡± He made a small, inconspicuous open palm gesture toward June, down by his side. Stay put, he meant. ¡°Locked you in here?¡± Igor said, sounding confused. ¡°I did not lock¡ªah yes, the door. It does that sometimes. I am so sorry. I thought I heard Miss Jen. I pulled the door closed and went to see if she was coming. I do not want to lose this game. Hey, where did the other pirate, Miss Jane, go?¡± Igor¡¯s heart rate didn¡¯t change as he spoke, so unless the seven-year-old had been taught to slow his pulse and breathing while lying, he actually spoke the truth. Brendan sped toward him. ¡°Uh, quick, this way Igor, I think I know where the treasure is!¡± As he passed June, he dropped the backpack at her feet, behind the door. She heard them step away down the hall. Igor, it seemed, had not tried to capture them in his dad¡¯s office. She Shifted back and got dressed. Now, firmly covered by Gandalf the Hoodie again, she grabbed the backpack and walked to the desk. Her stomach growled, loud and embarrassing, and June was glad no one was around to hear it. I¡¯ll eat when we get back to the woods, she thought, but not yet. The metal cube had been dissected, and there were still little screwdrivers and a magnifying glass sitting next to it. A key card was also laying nearby. June walked to the other side of the desk to get a better look. Brendan and Igor entered the room. ¡°Is that the treasure?¡± Igor asked when he saw her studying the cube. He looked confused. ¡°My father has many of those.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not the treasure, but it means we¡¯re on the right trail,¡± June replied. To Brendan, she said, ¡°It''s a card reader for a security system.¡± He nodded knowingly. ¡°How can that be tied to treasure?¡± Igor asked. ¡°My father, he was working on that all this afternoon. He did a lot of grumbling about it.¡± ¡°Grumbling?¡± Brendan said. ¡°Do you mean laughing? Did he ever look at it and laugh like this: ¡®Mwuahaha?¡¯¡± This was Brendan¡¯s best attempt at a villain¡¯s gloating laugh. Igor stared quietly at Brendan. Then he burst out laughing, with all the exuberance that only a child can manage. ¡°Oh no, no he did not do any of that laughing. He says things like, ¡®How could this fail?¡¯ and ¡®Should be foolproof.¡¯¡± June raised an eyebrow. Those weren''t guilty words. ¡°So he never said anything like, ¡®My plan worked perfectly¡¯ and then did this with his fingers?¡± Brendan asked. He held his hands in a pyramid shape and clicked his fingers together in his best attempt at a villain¡¯s gloating hand motions. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. June stared at Brendan, dumbstruck, but Igor laughed again. ¡°Oh no, my father did not do anything like that. He makes a fist and says things like, ¡®But it works perfectly, so how could someone get in?¡¯ Then he yells at it and says, ¡®Stupid piece of¡ª¡¯¡± ¡°Okay, Igor!¡± June interrupted. She motioned to the Geiger counter and Brendan scanned the desk. The metal cube made the device click a bit more quickly, but nothing else in the room proved any more radioactive than normal. They left the office-lair and moved throughout the rest of the substantial house. As they searched at least fifteen more rooms, not once did Igor accidentally or purposefully trap them, and never again did the Geiger counter manage more than a soft and steady click. They certainly didn''t find Mr. Moseley tied up or locked in a cage. As they investigated the upstairs, Brendan had whispered something to Igor about a favor, and June turned her attention elsewhere. Igor disappeared and reappeared about a minute later and handed Brendan something bunched up, which Brendan furtively stuffed into a pocket in his pea-cloak. He told June not to worry about it. When they came back downstairs, they had only one room left to check, but it was occupied¡ªthe TV room. With no hint of the serum in the house, and no sign of a hostage, June felt certain they could rule Dr. Crushov out as a suspect. But they had come this far and she couldn¡¯t stand to leave without checking every room. After a short debate while crouched behind the kitchen island, the group decided simplicity was the best approach. If Igor walked in with the device, Miss Jen the Terrible Babysitter probably wouldn¡¯t even notice. So, Geiger counter in hand and eyes shining at the new contraption, Igor pushed the door fully open and slipped into the TV room. June and Brendan waited, peering out from behind the island to see what they could see. And with the door now wide open, June could see a bit of blond hair sticking up over the couch. A black headband perched in that blond hair with a pattern on it. A pattern June had seen before. Many times before. Her heart sank and she groaned. ¡°Miss Jen is Jennifer Hammond,¡± she whispered to Brendan. The TV screen, visible from this angle, proved beyond a doubt that Jennifer was watching a slasher movie. At the mention of Jennifer Hammond, Brendan''s eyes looked like he was watching a slasher movie too. June had a flashback of Jennifer¡¯s face leering at her in the school hallway, inviting her to a beauty contest for farm animals. June clenched her fists. She was no farm animal. Maybe Jennifer should see what kind of animal she really was¡ªjust like Michael Lark. Igor crept around the room on his tiptoes, stepping carefully as if there were traps on the floor. June couldn¡¯t even hear the Geiger counter over the screams and suspenseful music blasting from the TV. But she could tell from Igor¡¯s body language that nothing was setting off the device. She wanted to punch a hole in something; neither the vial nor Mr. Moseley was here and they had wasted so much time. Without warning the movie paused, an image frozen on the screen: a young girl in terror, a masked killer looming over her with a giant knife dripping red. The Geiger counter slowly clicked, and a phone chime could be heard. Jennifer shot to her feet, turned, and spotted Igor. Igor froze like a raccoon in a floodlight. Still staring at him, Jennifer appeared to forget about her ringing phone. ¡°What is that thing?¡± Jennifer asked Igor, irritation apparent in her voice. ¡°Why¡¯s it clicking?¡± ¡°What? I am doing nothing,¡± Igor responded with a shrug. ¡°Why are you wearing that dumb mask? Take it off and go put your dad¡¯s machine thing back.¡± Jennifer looked at the phone in her hand, and Igor took the opportunity to dash out of the room to June and Brendan. He handed Brendan the Geiger counter. Seconds later, Jennifer emerged from the TV room. Peering around the side of the island, June had just enough time to gauge Jennifer¡¯s direction and when the island would block her view. June motioned frantically to Brendan and pointed. His eyes widened, he nodded, and then he crawled around the counter toward the hallway. Jennifer never saw him. June followed a few feet behind him, and she would have made it undetected if not for her stomach¡ªit rumbled out of nowhere, like afternoon thunder on a sunny day, and June doubled over in pain, unable to move. The noise drew Jennifer¡¯s attention, and she looked over just in time to see a masked June curled in the fetal position halfway to the hall. Jennifer screamed, just like any number of victims in the movie she¡¯d been watching. ¡°Who are you?¡± Jennifer cried, once she¡¯d finished her ear-numbing shriek. ¡°I¡¯m calling the cops!¡± She pushed numbers on her phone, her hand shaking. ¡°Wait, stop,¡± Brendan said, rushing back. ¡°We¡¯re just leaving, don¡¯t¡ª¡± The phone slipped from Jennifer''s trembling fingers, hit the ground, and bounced to land at Brendan¡¯s feet. June stood up, the pain in her stomach subsiding. Jennifer¡¯s eyes darted to the frozen screen in the TV room, the killer still looming above a young girl, knife in hand and ready to slash. As she looked back at Brendan and June in their yoga-pant masks, the color drained from her face and her pupils doubled in size. Jennifer¡¯s panic was palpable, and her gaze settled on the block of knives on the counter. She pulled one out, especially long and wicked looking, and light gleamed off the blade. Chapter 23 - You Touched my Butt ¡°Get out!¡± Jennifer screeched, holding the knife with both hands. Brendan raised his hands and looked to June. Watching Jennifer with the knife, June knew that she could easily disarm her without Shifting. In fact, a rare opportunity had presented itself: June had every right to attack Jennifer and unleash years of torment back onto her. June¡¯s heart beat faster with excitement. Then she noticed Igor¡¯s eyes, watching her. Young, innocent, not the eyes of a little demon. She bit down on her tongue and forced away the gleeful thoughts of all the painful things she could do to Jennifer. June motioned toward the hallway with her head, and Brendan ran. But June backed away slowly, keeping her eyes facing Igor. He stood just behind Jennifer now with his head tilted like he was confused. Raising the pitch of her voice, June said, ¡°Argh, the treasure wasn''t here. We''re leaving.¡± Igor nodded. ¡°What?¡± Jennifer said. ¡°Don''t make me, like, stab you!¡± She unconvincingly sliced the air. Then looking for Igor, she found him and moved to stand in front of him, knife pointed at June. At least she isn''t trying to use him as a human shield, June thought. She''s actually trying to protect him. Convinced that Brendan was safely removed from Jennifer and the knife, and that Igor would be okay, June turned and ran down the hallway toward the sunroom and the back yard. She found Brendan just inside the back door shoving the Geiger counter into the backpack, and without a word they raced through the yard and past the pirate ship play set. June reached the concrete wall first and made a basket with her hands. Brendan stepped in and she boosted him up. He struggled again, and this time she did jump and push him¡ªthey had already been caught, now they needed speed more than stealth. Sure enough, he rolled over the top and fell to the other side with a scream and a thud. June easily hopped up and over the wall and dropped to the other side as Brendan stood and dusted himself off. ¡°What was that for?¡± he asked, but he had an enormous smile on his face. ¡°Also, you touched my butt when you did that, so I hope it was worth it.¡± ¡°Oh, gross,¡± June said, and dramatically wiped her hand on a cottonwood tree. ¡°I can''t believe that was Jennifer Hammond.¡± ¡°I know. And she pulled a knife on us!¡± He paused. ¡°I hope Igor''s okay.¡± ¡°He is, I made sure,¡± June replied. ¡°Let''s get out of here.¡± She grabbed his hand and led the way through the thick forest. Brendan had gotten really quiet as soon as she touched him, so June waited until they had gone about a mile before she stopped between two thickets of black gum trees. They stood in a pocket of moonlight and she pulled off her mask. Brendan did the same. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was Crushov,¡± he said. ¡°Agreed. He was trying to figure out why the card reader failed.¡± ¡°Exactly! No vial, no Mr. Moseley. Plus, Crushov didn¡¯t do an evil laugh or evil hand motions,¡± Brendan said with a straight face. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. June waited to see if he would grin or laugh, but he remained stone-faced. So she laughed enough for the both of them. ¡°Oh Brendan, I¡¯m worried about what Blimey! Detectives has done to you.¡± He tilted his chin up at her and winked. ¡°It¡¯s prepared me for nights like this, is what it¡¯s done. We¡¯ve ruled out Dr. Crushov for now. Where to next? I vote for your aunt¡¯s house. She was the one with the snakes, right?¡± He playfully swatted at a few orange leaves hanging from a low branch nearby. ¡°Yes, she studies snakes, but I told you she isn¡¯t a suspect. Dr. Chase is the next most-likely culprit, so let''s go to his house. Wait here, you know the drill.¡± As she moved to step behind the wide, gnarled trunk of a big sycamore tree a short distance away, her stomach thundered and she fell to her knees in pain. Brendan rushed over. ¡°June! Are you hurt?¡± Holding her stomach like it might split open, she said, ¡°No, I just need to eat something. It would be better if I Shift first. Just give me a minute.¡± While Brendan watched with concern, she waited for the racking pain to subside. When it finally did, she disappeared behind the tree, stripped down, and Shifted, emerging moments later both monstrous and meek. Brendan was waiting with a packet of hot dogs already opened. He handed it to her, took her clothes, and turned around without a word. June smiled and felt a warmth in her tummy now, and she hadn¡¯t even eaten a bite yet. She downed the entire package in a few gulps. Her stomach felt better, but she was still hungry. Very hungry. She deliberated whether to ask for another round of hot dogs when Brendan broke the silence, his back still to her. ¡°Do you want another package?¡± Her cheeks burned. If I don¡¯t eat any more I¡¯m just being smart and rationing our food, she thought. Brendan only grabbed six packages, and I¡¯ve eaten two. Plus, a single package of hot dogs before they went into the school had lasted for a while. Brendan spoke again. ¡°Why are you embarrassed to eat around me?¡± He sounded hurt. ¡°I¡¯m¡ªit¡¯s just¡ªI¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You¡¯re my best friend. I¡¯ve heard your stomach growl and I know you¡¯re in pain when it does.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°June, you aren¡¯t fine.¡± Brendan turned. His green eyes still carried approval and the warm something else. But lines of worry were etched around the corners too. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want me to watch. I¡¯m sorry I made you uncomfortable. But I hope you¡¯re not denying yourself what you really need because I¡¯m here.¡± In that moment, she wanted to hug him, and she wanted to punch him, and she didn¡¯t know why she felt either way. ¡°Don¡¯t flatter yourself,¡± she said, and tried hard to form a smirk. Her monstrous face didn¡¯t move willingly. He studied her. ¡°Fine,¡± he eventually said. ¡°You haven''t told me much about the crime scene at the lab. What did you notice?¡± June was relieved at the change of subject and filled Brendan in on everything she¡¯d seen at the lab that morning. ¡°I don''t know,¡± he said when she¡¯d finished. ¡°That sounds like a long message and a lot of blood. Maybe Mr. Moseley isn¡¯t¡ª¡± ¡°But the message said we''d exchange him for the research.¡± ¡°It said they would tell you where he is, not what kind of condition he would be in.¡± ¡°No,¡± June said, ¡°what use is a hostage if they are¡ª¡± She didn''t finish the sentence; she didn¡¯t even want to consider the possibility. ¡°We need to go. Climb on.¡± She crouched. Brendan hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. He stuck a hand in a pocket of his black pea-cloak and pulled out a pair of goggles. So that was the favor he had asked from Igor. When they were adjusted and situated on his face, June realized they were Scooby Doo goggles. One lens reflected Scooby, and one lens reflected Shaggy. If she¡¯d been drinking anything, it would have come out of her nose. She was shaking with so much laughter that Brendan couldn¡¯t get situated on her back for a solid minute. ¡°And what¡¯s so funny about this?¡± he asked as he tried to wrangle his arms around her neck. ¡°Those goggles have Scooby Doo all over them,¡± she said, fighting desperately to control the giggles. ¡°I think that¡¯s pretty appropriate considering we¡¯re out solving a mystery,¡± he replied emphatically. That response cost them another minute while June laughed until tears matted the fur around her eyes, and then they were rocketing toward Dr. Chase¡¯s house. Chapter 24 - Sidekick Problems Now that he wasn¡¯t blinded by the rushing air, Brendan marveled at how, despite looking like a cat version of the Incredible Hulk, June could move so gracefully. She could easily sprint on the ground through the forest at speeds that seemed impossible, then, suddenly, she was up in the trees and jumping from trunk-to-trunk. Yet Brendan was never hit by anything except rushing air¡ªwhen she pushed branches aside, they moved past them so fast the branches whipped back only after they were already gone. And as June soared through the air, a sudden impulse hit him. What if? Just for a second? It would feel like he was flying. Like he was the one with powers. Straining his legs around June¡¯s back, he let go of her neck and stretched his arms wide. For the blink of an eye, he was flying! But his legs barely gripped June, and before he could bring his arms back down, he was no longer flying. He was falling. He saw June stiffen, but she was moving forward, and the air was pushing Brendan backward, and there was nothing he could do. ¡°JUNE!¡± he managed to scream before fear grabbed his throat and strangled him, and if he made any more noises, they were involuntary. He looked down. Sharp, pointy little trees raced toward him, any of which could spell his doom. Out of the corner of his eye he saw a dark blur. He waited for his life to flash before his eyes, but nothing came. He was faintly aware of the urge to pee. The shape grew larger in his peripheral vision, and then a furry brick wall hit him and he couldn¡¯t tell in what direction he was moving, but it wasn¡¯t down. He realized June had caught him and wrapped her arms around him just as they exploded against something and the world spun. He felt June curl her body around him as they smashed through more things that made splintering noises. Then they hit something that caused June¡¯s body to shudder and they started rolling. And rolling. All Brendan could see, barely, was dark spinning ground, which never touched him. After what felt like minutes, they stopped rolling, June¡¯s arms around him collapsed, and she didn¡¯t move. Brendan crawled off her and gently started to shake her. ¡°June! June are you okay? I¡¯m so sorry June! June! Wake up! Please wake up!¡± Her body started shaking. Was she having a seizure? Was she struggling to breathe? Then he heard a familiar noise. It started faintly, then steadily grew in volume. It matched the rhythm of June¡¯s shaking. It was deep, and thundering. Was she laughing? She finally opened her glowing yellow eyes and lifted her massive head. ¡°Scooby Doo,¡± she managed to get out between heaves of laughter. At length, she gained control and stopped shaking. ¡°How did you fall? Did a branch hit you?¡± As she started to get up, she winced. She rubbed what Brendan assumed was a rib. ¡°I should have stuck the landing better.¡± Brendan stared at her, dumbfounded. ¡°But I almost¡ªyou almost¡ªand you¡¯re laughing?¡± He had never felt confusion, panic, and shame collide so violently in his brain before. How could she be laughing? He had nearly killed them with his stupidity. Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m laughing. I can¡¯t get over the goggles.¡± She rubbed under her eye like she was wiping away a tear; it was too dark for Brendan to be sure if there were actually tears. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she continued, ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have been going so fast. I must have missed something that knocked you off.¡± His ears burned with guilt. Nothing had knocked him off except his own foolishness. ¡°Oh, uh, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He looked down at the ground, away from eye contact with June. How could he tell her, No, I wanted to pretend I was flying, so I let go and nearly got us both killed? ¡°We¡¯re close enough now,¡± she said, ¡°let¡¯s just walk the rest of the way and take it easy.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Brendan started walking in the direction he thought was the right way. June had stopped rolling near the bottom of a gradual hill; the incline in the ground had probably been what stopped their rolling. Leaves covered the ground, and skinny trees clung together higher up, their spreading branches blocking out most¡ªbut not all¡ªof the moonlight. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself and pulled up the hood; the air had gotten colder. Nearby, Brendan could make out the trail of destruction June had created while they rolled: chunks of trees¡ªgigantic chunks of trees¡ªsmashed into the dirt, plants and bushes laying flattened like a hurricane had hit the area, violent grooves in the earth. ¡°Wrong way,¡± June called out. ¡°I know it¡¯s dark. You can still ride on my back or hold onto me if you want.¡± Brendan¡¯s stomach did a bad somersault. He couldn¡¯t even walk in the right direction. I¡¯m not her partner, he thought. I¡¯m her bumbling sidekick. He turned, thankful for the hood of his cloak, which hopefully hid his blushing. ¡°I mean, sure, I can hold onto your, er, side while we walk.¡± She stayed on all fours, and with his left hand on June¡¯s steel barrel of a shoulder, they curved left, along the base of the hill, following its winding path. Brendan stayed quiet, and for a few minutes they walked in silence. Nothing much grew in the area where the hill met flat ground, though June had to lead him around a few obstacles that would have made him pay dearly if she wasn¡¯t there to guide him: a thicket of something pointy, something that looked like a bush with a bad haircut that came up to his chest. ¡°Cordelia lied to me about Richard too,¡± June said eventually. ¡°He didn¡¯t abandon us. She made him leave, then she lied to me about it my entire life.¡± One of the great mysteries of the universe was how June could end up so amazing when her mom was so horrible. Of course, he couldn¡¯t say that to June. She always defended Cordelia. But the way Cordelia treated June¡ªit was like she was a drill sergeant, not a mom. And she was terrifying, even more so now that he knew she could fly around silently and swoop down on him if she decided she didn¡¯t want him in June¡¯s life. He¡¯d be gone in an instant¡ªa flash of feathers and scaly feet and claws in his vision and then lights out. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. That¡¯s pretty messed up,¡± was all he could think to safely reply. ¡°Yeah. I might try to contact Richard¡ªI mean my dad¡ªnow. Maybe even go stay with him for a while.¡± Brendan froze mid-step and his hand slipped off June¡¯s shoulder. ¡°For how long?¡± His voice cracked. ¡°Just a few days right, not like weeks or months or anything, right?¡± June turned to face him. The moonlight made her yellow eyes look like they were twinkling. ¡°Not long, just a few days. I don¡¯t know him; it would get weird pretty quick if I stayed any longer. Anyway, I bet he¡¯s no match for me in chess. But then again, neither are you.¡± One side of her mouth twisted and revealed a fang that Brendan was certain rivaled the size of a traffic cone. What a smirk. He snorted. ¡°Does Shifting also allow you to enter into alternate dimensions where that statement is true, June? You know I always win.¡± She started toward a slope dipping between two rows of trees, towering like skyscrapers and swallowing the moonlight high overhead. But she paused at the entrance to the wall of darkness. Her eyes remained on him and sparkled. ¡°It¡¯s dark ahead. Are you going to hold on to my shoulder again or are you waiting to grab my tail?¡± His mouth dropped open, but he did manage¡ªby some miracle¡ªto stop himself from stuttering. Did she know what she was saying? Her tail was technically part of¡ªno, she probably didn¡¯t mean it like that. He rushed forward and grabbed her shoulder and resigned himself to having constantly-red cheeks for the foreseeable future. And he swore to himself he wouldn¡¯t mess up again, he would be a partner and not a bumbling sidekick for June. Chapter 25 - The House of Dr. Chase June and Brendan crouched at the tree line, Dr. Chase¡¯s neighborhood just a short dash away across a quiet road. Brendan again insisted June Shift back to normal, but she refused. Dr. Crushov¡¯s house had proven a dead-end, so the only person left was Dr. Chase. They knew the identity of the villain now, so why not go in full force? She wouldn''t budge and he eventually gave up. However, sneaking through an older neighborhood with small yards, small fences, and an inordinate amount of brightly-lit Halloween decorations proved a challenge for a werecat larger than a passenger van. Making clever use of the shadows and her speed, June, with Brendan riding on her back, arrived at the house of Dr. Chase unnoticed. In the backyard, under the wide, deep shadow of a towering scarlet oak, June crouched and listened while Brendan climbed down. The house was long and narrow, with old green paint that gave it a sickly look. Brick steps led to a beige back porch. The house seemed to lean over the porch like it had an overbite. June heard no sounds of life, but ears rotating, she could hear a noise, a frequency, that meant somewhere inside was a large and unusual machine. The kind of machine that could analyze the serum, she thought. Dr. Chase was definitely involved. Could he be a demon? Surely not¡ªCordelia said they usually had a beautiful human appearance, and that did not describe Dr. Chase. But someone must have put the little weasel up to it and he didn¡¯t have the courage to resist. Of course he didn¡¯t. Which made him just as guilty as whoever wrote the blood message. Her jaw tightened. Then she had the terrible realization that Mr. Moseley had to be here, but she didn¡¯t hear any signs of a living human being. Her lungs shrank two sizes and she took a shuddering breath. Her claws slid in and out, in and out, and she noticed Brendan watching her with his eyebrows high above the rim of his Scooby Doo goggles; this time she didn¡¯t laugh at the sight of them. A scurrying noise came up behind them. ¡°Hey you,¡± said a voice, ¡°what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t be here, this is our territory,¡± said a second voice. Two cats had come running up while June was studying the house, one all black with a white spot on the chest, the other a mottled gray and white. They walked to stand in front of June, their backs to the house. No collars hung from their necks, so they were probably strays. Combined, they looked like they might almost weigh as much as Abraham Lincoln¡ªnot that they were small, they just appeared to be healthy. ¡°We¡¯re not staying,¡± June responded in English. The cats tilted their heads at her¡ªthey didn¡¯t seem to understand. She paused and tried to formulate her thoughts into meows. ¡°We¡¯re not staying,¡± she meowed. The cats perked up. ¡°We¡¯ve just got to get into that house and then we¡¯ll be gone.¡± ¡°Why that house?¡± asked the black cat. ¡°We¡¯re just seeing if some things that were taken from me are inside,¡± June responded. ¡°Have you seen anything odd here lately?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the black cat. ¡°The human here is extremely odd. He has never once marked his territory. So we''ve claimed it. We have marked it well.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said the mottled cat, ¡°and we have used that porch for our solid waste, if you know what I mean.¡± June smiled and the cats seemed unfazed by the size of her teeth. ¡°What are your names?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Catriel,¡± said the black cat. ¡°Cairistine,¡± said the mottled cat. Brendan¡¯s eyes hopped back and forth between June and the cats. It reminded her of one of those cat wall clocks where the eyes moved back and forth to mark the passing seconds. ¡°Nice to meet you both,¡± June said. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what. If the man inside is a monster, then I¡¯m going to take him away, and you can claim the inside of his house too. And if he¡¯s not a monster, I¡¯ll make sure he leaves food out for you, and the yard will still be your territory.¡± The two cats nodded briskly. ¡°This one,¡± the black cat said, motioning with a paw toward Brendan, ¡°seems to be odd too. Watch out for him.¡± June chuckled softly. ¡°Thanks, but he¡¯s alright.¡± Catriel and Cairistine gave her dubious looks and walked off down the street. ¡°What just happened?¡± Brendan burst out. ¡°Why were you meowing at those cats?¡± ¡°To ask questions. They provided some useful information, so step carefully on the porch. And they thought you were odd.¡± She gave a wry grin. ¡°What? Me? That¡¯s ridiculous,¡± he said, still wearing his pea-cloak and Scooby Doo goggles. ¡°So you can talk to all cats, not just house cats?¡± ¡°I guess so. Apparently wild cats don¡¯t know English. But it turns out I can meow to communicate.¡± ¡°June!¡± Brendan smacked a hand to his forehead. ¡°That explains how someone got inside the lab. You said that giant snake was sitting inside an unlocked tank, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, and then it hit her too. ¡°Someone told the snake to open the door!¡± she and Brendan said at the same time. ¡°Jinx!¡± they yelled in unison. A dog barked nearby and they both squatted down lower to the ground and made for the house. On the back porch, Brendan opened his mouth to speak but June flicked a pane of glass on the back door with a claw, breaking it before he had gotten a word out. He craned his neck at her. ¡°Whoa! You don¡¯t want to even try the door first?¡± She shrugged. ¡°Too late. Can you reach in and open the door please?¡± she rumbled. ¡°My arm won¡¯t fit without breaking more.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Last chance to go in with the masks, bank robber style,¡± he said. ¡°No. But you should still put on your mask.¡± Once Brendan had covered his face, he cautiously reached through the broken glass, sleeve covering his hand, and popped the door open. He backed away quickly so June could enter first, which she did and immediately had to bend like she was playing Twister because she found herself in a cramped little laundry room. Brendan gently closed the door behind them. Inside, the machine noise from outside became a humming sound vibrating up from below. ¡°There¡¯s a really suspicious machine downstairs,¡± June said. ¡°Let''s start there.¡± Brendan pulled out the Geiger counter. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we start upstairs and work our way down? A basement will be the hardest place to escape from if we¡¯re cornered.¡± June raised a furry eyebrow. ¡°Look at me. Why would we need to escape from anything?¡± ¡°Come on, June, bad guys always leave traps. And you might be a superhero werecat, but you aren¡¯t invincible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m pretty close,¡± she said. ¡°And we aren¡¯t in the house of a mastermind, we¡¯re in the house of an imbecile.¡± ¡°Then there¡¯s no harm starting upstairs, right?¡± She waved her massive arms in the air. ¡°Fine, but it''s easy for you to say, you don''t have to contort your body to move around in here.¡± Brendan rubbed his thumb and forefinger together. ¡°Look, June, I''m playing the world¡¯s smallest violin to go along with your sob story of being gigantic and powerful.¡± She growled at him playfully. With that settled, they took a tour of Dr. Chase¡¯s second and then first floors. Inside, the house looked and felt no less dreary than it had appeared from the outside, with a lot of dark wood, dark leather, and muted colors. Going up the narrow, arrow-straight staircase required some impressive bending from June¡ªluckily, like all cats, her body was extremely flexible, what with a free-floating collar bone and all. And being an old house, the rooms were smaller, much to June''s dismay. Weathered, creaky wooden floors announced nearly every step they took, and a few times the floor groaned with such volume that June feared it would collapse. The entire house reeked of mothballs. In the cramped little kitchen, Brendan marveled at the collection of different teas sitting in a corner on the white-tiled kitchen counter. An electric kettle stood guard over the various bags, pouches, and boxes. June could smell Earl Grey, cinnamon, and the earthy notes of what she assumed were various black teas. ¡°Just like Detective Winslow,¡± Brendan said softly. ¡°Who?¡± June asked. ¡°You know, from Blimey! Detectives.¡± ¡°Why would I know that?¡± She shook her head and left him to inspect the teas; the smell of them was becoming overpowering. She hunched next to a wall of aged white cabinets and listened to the house again. Still no signs of life, still a loud humming from the basement. And while the tea collection may have been impressive, June was not impressed that the rooms they had searched didn¡¯t have any hint of radioactive serum or any hint of a hostage in them. That left just the basement to check. Her stomach rumbled, both with nerves and with hunger. Brendan whirled around to face her. ¡°Please eat something,¡± he said. ¡°A quick package of hot dogs.¡± She hesitated. The rumble in her tummy hadn¡¯t been painful. No one was home. She could wait until they searched the basement to eat. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just nervous. We haven¡¯t found anything yet.¡± Brendan set the backpack down on a chair next to a small, narrow kitchen table. As he dug through the bag, he said, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m like Robbie Alister?¡± She tilted her head to the side, puzzled. ¡°No.¡± ¡°What about Jeremy Brennan? Alex Cole? Luke Crane? Chad Eager?¡± ¡°Of course not. Why are you listing the boys in our grade in alphabetical order?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re acting like I¡¯m no different from them.¡± He pulled out two packages of hot dogs and set them on the table. ¡°Brendan¡ª¡± ¡°No, I think I know what¡¯s going on here. It finally hit me. I know what the kids at school say to you. And I remembered that one time I got to have lunch at your house, with Cordelia.¡± He shivered at the name. ¡°I saw the way she watched you eat. And you were nervous. At the time I thought it was because I was there and Cordelia hates me. But you only ever eat salads at lunch. You usually never finish your food at my house.¡± ¡°So?¡± June asked, but her heart felt like it taken up residence in her throat. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m your friend because I care how you look?¡± ¡°Of course not,¡± she said, but a little part of her, way deep down, whispered, maybe. ¡°Then don¡¯t treat me like I do! I love you for you¡ª¡± He stopped talking and his jaw very clearly dropped to his chest inside the yoga-pant mask and his whole body wavered like he might faint. ¡°I mean, you¡ªuh, best friend, er¡ª¡± June walked up to him while he continued to stutter. She lowered her head onto his shoulder, careful not to crush him. He went silent. She felt him take a deep breath. He said, in a soft and shaking voice, ¡°I think you¡¯re the most amazing person in the world.¡± Another breath, this time more relaxed, and his voice didn¡¯t shake. ¡°And that was before I knew you were a superhero werecat.¡± June smiled and the fur around her eyes grew a little wet. She pulled back to look at him. Her heart was no longer in her throat; it was firmly in her chest, and her chest felt warm and full. She locked eyes with him for a long time. Approval, and something else, looked back at her. Now she knew what that something else was: deep friendship. He had meant he loved her as a friend, and she was just fine with that. ¡°Thank you,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ll take those hot dogs now. Really though, I need a lot more than hot dogs.¡± Brendan grabbed the packages off the table and handed them to her. ¡°Then we¡¯ll find you more food. Meat, I¡¯m guessing?¡± She nodded. He started to turn around. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t care if you see me eat.¡± ******* The basement stairs were wide and easy to use, a welcome deviation from the rest of the house. The basement contained a single, enormous room with concrete floors and cinderblock walls. On one side stood a large and elaborate work bench, hugged by tidy shelves filled with tools. The other side of the room was filled by an enormous machine. ¡°Check for the vial,¡± she said to Brendan, though she stayed next to the bottom step, studying the contraption. Despite growing up in and around a research facility that contained cutting-edge equipment, this was one of the most complicated-looking devices June had ever seen, and certainly not something that belonged in anyone¡¯s house. A fat cylinder, large enough for five men to stand inside, sat in the center of the contraption. The bottom half of the cylinder was covered with round steel and the top half of the cylinder was covered with round glass, frosted so she couldn¡¯t see inside. Holding the cylinder upright were two large metal arms. If it was a robot, the size of those arms meant the robot would be strong. There was a large panel with buttons and knobs connected to the base of one metal arm, and some kind of screen that June could just barely see on the other arm. All manner of wires ran from the panels to the metal arms to the cylinder. June clenched her teeth. It is Dr. Chase!¡¯ she thought. He helped steal the vial! He¡¯s the reason Mr. Moseley is missing! Her arms began to shake and her vision turned red around the edges. She listened. Unless Mr. Moseley was inside the machine, then he wasn¡¯t in the basement. Brendan had stepped into the room, the Geiger counter clicking slow and steady. He held the device up to the enormous machine¡ªit¡¯s clicking changed only slightly. He dutifully walked around the shelves, the workbench, the filing cabinets. The Geiger counter remained steady. He started back toward June, the machine lying between them. June felt like roaring. If the vial and Mr. Moseley weren¡¯t here, then where could they possibly be? As Brendan crossed in front of the cylinder, he paused to study it again. Without warning, the frosted portion spun open. Brendan jolted backwards, the Geiger counter falling to the floor. ¡°June!¡± he cried. Chapter 26 - Hotdogs as Weapons June waited, but nothing came out of the chamber, so she stayed crouched and ready. Brendan, however, reacted with impressive speed and stuck his hand into the backpack, pulled it back out, and sent something sailing. And so, while nothing came flying out of the chamber, something did go flying into it: a package of hot dogs. June, from her vantage point, could see inside the cylinder a mop of brown hair, close-set green eyes, and a goblin-ish face. Then the package of hot dogs hit that face with a loud, squishy, thwack before disappearing inside the cylinder. The man wobbled and something white in his hand fell out of sight. He didn¡¯t look injured, despite taking all ten hot dogs to the face¡ªhe looked confused and alarmed. ¡°Did you just hit me with a block of frankfurters? You knocked my bloody towel down too. By the Queen, I¡¯ll never get the smell out of my tanning chamber.¡± June tilted her head sideways¡ªdid he just say, ¡°tanning chamber?¡± The man turned to the side, and there, crouched less than fifteen feet away, June met his gaze. The sight of her did far more to his balance than the hot dogs, and his legs must have buckled because he wobbled and caught the edge of the cylinder to hold himself up. ¡°Did you just call that thing June?¡± he croaked. As he watched her, his face went from confused to amazed. ¡°June! June Robinson, is that you?¡± His eyes brightened until he looked like a man who just discovered the winning lottery ticket. ¡°What a specimen you are!¡± June felt strangely pleased by the comment. She said nothing and wondered how to handle this situation. Tense moments of silence passed while all three stared at each other. Finally, Dr. Chase broke the silence. ¡°Can I at least get out of this thing before you eat me, or whatever you¡¯re here to do? This isn¡¯t exactly comfortable.¡± June nodded. Dr. Chase slid out of the back of the cylinder and pulled on a robe. He waited. At length he said, impatiently, ¡°Well, do you have a demand, or are you just trying to calculate how many bites it will take for you to swallow me?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Mr. Moseley?¡± she growled. Dr. Chase flinched at the sound and whirled to face her. His eyes lit up. ¡°My goodness, your pronunciation is excellent! I don¡¯t have the foggiest idea about Mr. Moseley, though.¡± ¡°Where is the vial?¡± she growled again, this time louder and in a way that discouraged any further questions. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he stammered. ¡°Please, I want to cooperate.¡± June took a step toward Dr. Chase. Her frustration was building, and she ensured her voice made that apparent. ¡°I know you helped rob the lab.¡± ¡°Good heavens, I would never¡ªI didn¡¯t rob the lab. And what happened to poor Mr. Moseley¡­ No, I had no part in any devilry. I say, is this your mother¡¯s way of resolving a security breach? How very unethical!¡± June¡¯s eyes narrowed. She walked closer until she was inches from his face. ¡°Then who did?¡± she rumbled. Dr. Chase shrank back against one arm of the machine and his voice went up a whole octave. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. You have to believe me! When I got to the lab, the police were already there. That giant snake was out in the lab too, so I stayed in my office. I saw no one else.¡± His pulse was elevated, but June couldn¡¯t tell if that was due to lying or fear. The Burmese had been out of its cage? Then why had it returned to its enclosure by the time she and Cordelia arrived at the lab? She took a step back and turned her attention to the machine. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± she growled, motioning toward it. ¡°This is a tanning chamber,¡± he said, lifting his chin proudly. ¡°I designed it personally. You see, it helps me maintain my youthful appearance and top physical condition.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a giant tanning bed?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°Why so big?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s a tanning chamber,¡± Dr. Chase answered with an edge to his voice. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t expect a boy to appreciate the complexity of the machine.¡± He turned up his nose at Brendan and eyed June with curiosity. ¡°Then this is what really happened at the lab today, eh? The commotion and the shattered window?¡± June didn¡¯t answer. Although she didn¡¯t want to, she believed Dr. Chase¡ªhe didn¡¯t seem like he was capable of taking part in anything dangerous. He was a blithering idiot. Yet if he wasn¡¯t involved, and Dr. Crushov wasn¡¯t involved, then who was? And where was Mr. Moseley and the vial? There were only three places in Seven Falls she could think of that they hadn¡¯t checked: Aunt Violet¡¯s house, her own house, and the lab. June felt confident Mr. Moseley hadn¡¯t been at the lab this morning. That meant she knew where they had to go next to investigate. ¡°Where can it be?¡± she muttered to herself. ¡°Where can what be?¡± Dr. Chase asked timidly. That brought her back to the present, and to Dr. Chase. What should she do with him now that he had seen her and knew who she was? As much as she liked to think about bringing him to an early and cartoonish demise, she knew she couldn¡¯t do such a thing¡ªat least, not if he was innocent. Then it occurred to her: he didn¡¯t know that. And if she was going to have to trust Dr. Chase with her secret now, she may as well make him useful. Finding Mr. Moseley and the vial was more important than anything. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I bet you''re wondering whether you¡¯ll survive the night?¡± she rumbled. He nodded vigorously. ¡°Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. You will help us, and if you do, you will survive.¡± Dr. Chase smiled. ¡°Splendid, June, just splendid! You¡¯ll find no one can be as helpful and astute as me!¡± Brendan stiffened at the comment. ¡°But,¡± she growled, ¡°you will keep this a secret. You have no idea what I can do and what I¡¯m capable of.¡± She stretched one arm to the side and let her claws extend to their full length. She dragged them against the cinderblock wall, easily slashing a deep rut. Dr. Chase gasped and his knees started to bang together. She continued. ¡°If you ever breathe a word about me to anyone, anyone, I will come for you and no one will ever find you. Do you understand?¡± Dr. Chase gulped and nodded. He didn¡¯t even make a self-serving statement, so June knew she¡¯d gotten through to him. June retracted her claws. ¡°First, go get me some clothes to wear. Sweatpants, preferably.¡± Brendan raised his eyebrows at her and angled his head. Dr. Chase licked his lips and rubbed his hands awkwardly. ¡°Well, that will be a bit of a problem. You see, I don¡¯t own sweatpants. I could lend you some silk pajamas, if you¡¯d like. They have a roomy drawstring waist.¡± He eyed June¡¯s monstrous midsection. ¡°Perhaps that would work?¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she answered. ¡°Bring them. But I¡¯ll need a shirt too, something dark colored, maybe a sweater. Go.¡± Dr. Chase moved with remarkable haste for someone so un-athletic looking. ¡°Why¡¯d you ask for clothes?¡± Brendan said as they climbed the stairs to the first floor. ¡°We only have a few places left to search, and I don¡¯t want to scare Aunt Violet, so this¡±¡ªshe put a paw on her chest¡ª¡°is out of the question. I don¡¯t want to destroy your clothes if I have to Shift quickly; his clothes, on the other hand¡ª¡± She closed her paw and opened it in a slow explosion. They reached the top of the stairs, which opened into a small family room; a solitary brown leather couch hugged the wall opposite the doorway. June could just see the edge of a polished table in the dining room nearby. Brendan flopped onto the couch, but June crouched in the center of the room on an oriental rug. She doubted any couch would support her weight. ¡°Are you ready to concede that your Aunt Violet is a suspect?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°No. But maybe she saw or heard something odd that might help point us in the right direction.¡± ¡°Suspect everyone,¡± Brendan replied. ¡°And I¡¯m not ready to rule out this guy.¡± June shook her head, and the guy at issue reappeared with the requested clothes. Dr. Chase had thankfully put on clothes himself¡ªgray slacks with a black sweater, and a little black beanie on his head. June thought he looked like a walking Sharpie marker. ¡°These should be right proper for you,¡± he said as he handed her the bundle. ¡°Stay here,¡± she said menacingly, and left the room to get dressed, leaving Brendan and Dr. Chase alone. ******* Dr. Chase eased onto the couch next to Brendan. ¡°No harm done with the frankfurters, old chap. So, are you her sidekick?¡± Brendan¡¯s ears burned and the heat spread down his face to his neck. He was thankful he still had the mask on to cover it. ¡°Sidekick!¡± he said hotly. ¡°No, of course not. I¡¯m her partner.¡± Though, as he said it his mind flashed back to falling and his voice cracked slightly. He realized at that moment that he had also called June¡¯s name out when the tanning chamber opened, which then caused Dr. Chase to figure out that the werecat in his basement was June. His head sagged and he chewed on his lip. Another screw-up. ¡°Right then,¡± Dr. Chase said as he looked at Brendan a little sideways. Brendan didn¡¯t like the look on his face¡ªlike Dr. Chase didn¡¯t believe him. ¡°I gather this all has something to do with an item pilfered from the lab, eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let June field that question,¡± Brendan replied. ¡°Right, right, your partner.¡± Dr. Chase looked at him sideways again. Brendan clenched his jaw but remained silent. ¡°So, her ability¡ªhow long has she had it?¡± Dr. Chase asked. Brendan shrugged. Dr. Chase let out a dissatisfied ¡°humph.¡± Then he continued, ¡°On her, eh, front paws, were those opposable thumbs I noticed?¡± Brendan looked at him like this was a ridiculous question. ¡°Of course. What else would she have?¡± Dr. Chase shook his head a few times with a wistful look on his face. Eventually he spoke up again. ¡°Is she a Panthera orca or a Panthera pardus?¡± ¡°Pardus me?¡± Brendan smiled. Too bad June wasn¡¯t there for the joke, she would have loved it. Dr. Chase gave him a blank look. ¡°You know, like pardon me? It¡¯s a pun,¡± Brendan replied. Dr Chase did not laugh, but his eyebrows arched. Brendan continued, ¡°I have no idea what you just asked me. Was it English?¡± ¡°Ah, right, I¡¯ll stick to the layman¡¯s speech,¡± Dr. Chase said. ¡°Is she a black leopard or a black jaguar?¡± Brendan shrugged again. ¡°I dunno. Both? Obviously she¡¯s more powerful than any single kind of cat.¡± ¡°How powerful? Or should I direct that question to your partner as well?¡± Brendan glared. If this orc-looking guy said ¡°partner¡± like that one more time, he might¡ªwell¡ªhe would consider¡ªmaybe¡ªinsulting him or something. What did Dr. Chase know anyway? June said he was an idiot. Brendan, on the other hand, well, he had helped June avoid Igor when she¡¯d been Shifted. Like a good partner. That might help make up for his mistakes. And he wasn¡¯t going to make another mistake and tell this Dr. Chase moron anything else about June that could be compromising. A thought came to Brendan, and he realized things were coming together nicely. Because June needed to eat to fuel her body, and because Dr. Chase liked to say partner so snidely to him, then Brendan could do what a good partner should¡ªmake sure he lined up the food June needed. He leaned in a little, like he was about to share a secret with Dr. Chase. ¡°And man, June needs to eat soon, or else. I hope for your sake you have some meat in this house or you¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°Oh dear,¡± muttered Dr. Chase. ¡°I still have several pounds of lamb chops and veal. You don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be interested in those, do you?¡± Brendan couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Oh yes, she¡¯ll want it all.¡± Dr. Chase gulped, but his eyes didn¡¯t match the rest of his expression¡ªthey radiated curiosity. June arrived in the room, wearing black silk pajama pants and a dark blue sweater. They fit her nicely. ¡°What were you two talking about?¡± Brendan suspected she¡¯d overheard them, but just in case, before Dr. Chase could speak up and act like feeding June was his idea, Brendan blurted out, ¡°Dr. Chase has lamb and veal that he wants to hide!¡± Dr. Chase stared daggers at Brendan. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it, my dear. How would you like your meat prepared?¡± Brendan thought he detected a hint of sorrow in Dr. Chase¡¯s voice and he smiled to himself. Chapter 27 - You Ate All My Meat As a rule, June rarely tried to eat until she was full, and had never completely stuffed herself since Shifting, so she didn¡¯t know what to expect. Surely though, after the two packages of hotdogs, it wouldn¡¯t take that much. Still, she had more butterflies in her stomach than she¡¯d ever felt before a test at school. She looked to Brendan, seated next to her at the polished dining room table, and he nodded. His eyes beamed. On the table in front of her, heaped on two large white plates, was more meat than she¡¯d seen in her life, enough meat to easily feed a family of eight. Dr. Chase sat directly across from her and watched her curiously. ¡°So, June, what kind of cat are you, exactly?¡± Dr. Chase ventured. ¡°A werecat,¡± Brendan interjected. Looking at Brendan, Dr. Chase smiled like he¡¯d bitten a lemon. June grabbed the fork and knife and ate several bites of the veal. She eyed Dr. Chase. Idiot though he might be, he could certainly cook. Or maybe meat just tasted better to her since Shifting¡ªraw meat certainly tasted good, but hot dogs weren¡¯t exactly a fair measure when it came to cooked cuisine. Finally she said, ¡°I don''t know. A few kinds, I guess.¡± She took a larger bite. Dr. Chase nodded excitedly. ¡°Fascinating! And how long have you been able to, eh¡ªtransform?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a Shifter, not a transformer.¡± Her bites were coming more quickly now. They needed to get on with the investigation. ¡°Remarkable.¡± Dr. Chase rubbed his chin thoughtfully. ¡°May I assume your mother is aware of this?¡± June remained silent and continued to eat. She closed her eyes and relished the taste¡ªit really was delicious. At length, Dr. Chase said, ¡°Right. You know, if you allowed me to run some tests, I could¡ª¡± ¡°Out of the question,¡± June said firmly. She looked down and realized the veal had nearly disappeared. She¡¯d eaten that much already? She paused to take stock of her tummy; she didn¡¯t feel full yet. ¡°Quite right then, understandable, really,¡± Dr. Chase said. He nodded agreeably as if he hadn¡¯t just asked the question. June finished the veal and turned to the lamb. Fantastic. If her stomach could talk, she guessed it would be thanking her. ¡°You are just stunning, really,¡± Dr. Chase said with admiration. He looked off into the distance for a bit before he spoke again. June felt a warmth in her cheeks at the compliment. Between the meat and the flattery, June found she was softening on her long-standing desire to see Dr. Chase suffer physical harm. She noticed Brendan never took his eyes off Dr. Chase, except to nod and smile at her every so often. He did not stare or watch her eat. She could have hugged him again. ¡°So, eh, how did this happen to you?¡± Dr. Chase asked. ¡°I recall stories from my boyhood that spoke of people transformed into, eh, creatures, as a curse¡ª¡± June dropped her fork and knife and they clattered loudly onto the empty veal plate. ¡°You think this is a curse?¡± Dr. Chase squirmed in his chair, and Brendan looked like he was fighting back laughter. ¡°Oh no, of course not, my dear, you are magnificent,¡± Dr. Chase stammered. ¡°I was just remarking that legends and myths¡ª¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a scientist?¡± June asked, raising an eyebrow at him. She picked up her silverware and continued with the lamb. Her tummy was finally starting to feel full. Dr. Chase cocked his head. ¡°The best,¡± he answered stiffly. ¡°Right up there with your brilliant mum, of course. And being a distinguished scientist, and using scientific principles, I would hypothesize that your condition¡±¡ªJune gave him a frown¡ª¡°I mean your ability, has to do with genetics.¡± June continued to eat silently. The maroon walls in the dining room and the brass chandelier overhead seemed used to silence¡ªshe didn¡¯t imagine Dr. Chase had company over often, if ever. Maybe he acted so obnoxious because he was lonely. Dr. Chase nodded knowingly. ¡°I find it to be very curious that you, June, the daughter of a renowned geneticist, have this remarkable genetic ability.¡± She gave him a passing glance and went back to cutting and chewing. Dr. Chase studied her. ¡°And being that your ability is likely the result of genetics, I would also hypothesize that your mother is quite aware of your condition.¡± June met his eyes. ¡°What happened to Cordelia after I left the lab this morning?¡± ¡°Happened to her? Why, she told the police you melted down like a toddler¡ªthrew a chair at the ceiling and then used that same chair to shatter the window and make your escape. Blamed it on teenage hormones, as a matter of fact.¡± He snickered. ¡°She even managed to convince the officers not to go after you.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. June let a smirk twist her mouth. It was a clever lie, but Cordelia probably had to sit and explain it to Detective Abernathy, which meant she likely blessed his heart again before the conversation finally ended. Dr. Chase cleared his throat loudly and picked up where he¡¯d left off. ¡°Now, I might next hypothesize that, since you are walking around with a Geiger counter, this missing vial you asked about emits radiation, yes?¡± This time June nodded. Maybe Dr. Chase wasn¡¯t entirely incompetent. ¡°Indeed. And since you, June, are out looking for this radioactive vial that was taken from the lab, it must have something to do with you and your ability¡ª¡± June almost choked, and coughed loudly several times. She put her fork down next to the last few slivers of lamb on the plate¡ªhardly enough for three more bites. Dr. Chase leaned back in his seat, looking at June now like she was a math problem he¡¯d just figured out. ¡°You know, June, you have just eaten a staggering amount of food.¡± Brendan shot to his feet and pointed at Dr. Chase. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you¡ª¡± but then he appeared to realize he was standing and pointing at an adult, and his demeanor changed. He lowered his pointing arm to his side and wrapped his other arm across his body. He lowered his eyes to the table as well. ¡°Uh, you better¡ªer, watch what you say,¡± he said as he sat down meekly. Dr. Chase watched him with an entirely unconcerned and amused look on his face, his eyebrows so high they threatened to blend with his hairline. June smiled at Brendan. She leaned back in her chair and basked in a satisfaction she hadn¡¯t felt in a long time, and certainly hadn¡¯t felt since Shifting¡ªthe satisfaction of a full stomach. Her gaze fell to her legs and Cordelia¡¯s voice echoed in her head: You know your clothes hardly fit anymore. The hollow feeling started in the pit of her tummy and crept upward. No, she told herself, it doesn¡¯t matter. Her eyes shot to Brendan, who had his eyes narrowed at Dr. Chase. I¡¯ll always have Brendan, no matter what I look like¡­right? She clung to that thought, and slowly the hollowness faded. ¡°Shall we continue our questions now?¡± Dr. Chase asked. ¡°Actually,¡± June replied, wiping her mouth with a napkin, ¡°we¡¯ll be leaving. You can go right back to tanning yourself.¡± His mouth turned down at the corners. ¡°But I thought I was to help you apprehend the thief?¡± ¡°You have¡ªyou¡¯ve given me clothes and fed me.¡± Dr. Chase opened his mouth and held up a finger as if he was going to protest, then stopped and appeared to think better of it. He slouched in his seat. ¡°Where are you going, might I ask? You could at least tell me that much.¡± June looked out of the solitary dining room window. She could see the dark outline of the towering oak tree in the backyard, silent and still. It reminded her she needed to leave food out back for Catriel and Cairistine, and she informed Dr. Chase of his new obligation to feed the stray cats. Her thoughts turned to Aunt Violet. It would be nice to see her and make sure she was okay. But if Aunt Violet asked questions about June running from the lab, what could she say? She got so upset that she, June, as a normal girl, smashed the ceiling and broke a window with a chair, then ran into the woods? That was the story Cordelia had given everyone, apparently. Then again, if Aunt Violet heard what Cordelia had done with Richard, forcing him to leave and lying to June about it, she¡¯d probably understand why June could be so mad that she ran out of a window. ¡°You heard her, you¡¯re staying here¡ª¡± Brendan was saying. ¡°Aunt Violet¡¯s,¡± June interjected. Both Brendan and Dr. Chase faced her with similar expressions of surprise. ¡°June¡ª¡± Brendan started. ¡°Violet? Violet Langley?¡± Dr. Chase cut in. ¡°You know, Dr. Langley has been behaving quite strangely all week.¡± ¡°How so?¡± June and Brendan asked in unison. ¡°Jinx!¡± they yelled together. ¡°Oh, good heavens,¡± Dr. Chase hissed, ¡°can I speak? She was being quite furtive and skittish, and I often caught her talking to that new Burmese she recently obtained. Rather absurd to be talking to animals if you ask me.¡± Brendan nodded like he was a windup toy, and said, ¡°Talking to animals, June,¡± with a heavy emphasis on each word. June scowled¡ªshe understood what he meant, but Aunt Violet couldn¡¯t possibly be a Shifter or a demon, so she¡¯d have no way of actually talking to snakes. Dr. Chase held his arms outward, palms up, in a pleading gesture. ¡°I have a proposal for you to consider.¡± June eyed him suspiciously; she noticed Brendan did the same. ¡°How about I drive you to your next destination? It will be faster than just walking.¡± He tried to give a convincing grin. ¡°Oh, we aren¡¯t walking,¡± June said. ¡°We¡¯ve got it from here.¡± Dr. Chase huffed. Then he glanced down at the empty plates and a genuine grin appeared. ¡°You don¡¯t want to go cramping up, do you? You ate so much, it¡¯s inevitable that your stomach will seize right up if you go running about. Let me drive you while your meal digests, my dear.¡± June paused. Could he be right? She¡¯d never tried running around, Shifted, right after stuffing herself full. She remembered trying to swim on a full stomach when she was seven and almost drowning. If she got tummy cramps while running, or worse, in mid-air, with Brendan on her back, it could be disastrous. ¡°Do you have a car that will fit all of us?¡± she asked. ¡°As long as we¡¯re all, eh, human, then yes.¡± Brendan looked like a blood vessel in his face might burst at any second. ¡°I really don''t think we should¡ª¡± ¡°Good," June spoke over him. "Do you know where she lives?¡± Dr. Chase nodded. ¡°I know precisely where she resides. Be right back in a jiffy, I need to get a bag.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Brendan asked a little more loudly than the situation called for. ¡°I thought I¡¯d bring redundancies of clothing, you know, in case you, eh¡ª¡± he turned to June and made an awkward claw with his hands, ¡°and perhaps some sustenance, since it seems as though your sidekick failed to pack enough for you.¡± Brendan¡¯s eyes became narrow knives aimed at Dr. Chase. A vein on his forehead stood out, pulsing. Dr. Chase ran out of the room. ¡°He¡¯s still an idiot,¡± June said to Brendan. He visibly softened and his forehead returned to normal. ¡°I know, right?¡± He tilted the plates on the table sideways so all the juice ran out and spread. ¡°That¡¯ll leave a stain,¡± he said with a smirk. June watched him with fascination; she¡¯d never seen Brendan do something so willfully malicious. But the puddled red liquid reminded her of the red message on the glass wall at the lab. An antique grandfather clock nearby showed 10:15 pm. They needed to hurry. Dr. Chase reappeared a minute later holding a brown leather duffel bag, which smelled intrusively of moth balls. The smell broke her train of thought and she pinched her nose. She noticed the bag was an unusual size; she estimated it was only twelve inches long. Kind of short and stumpy for a duffel bag. With much protest, Dr. Chase left a sizable portion of turkey sandwich meat on the back steps of the house, and led June and Brendan to the garage. When Brendan saw Dr. Chase¡¯s car, he let out a short laugh. ¡°It¡¯s better than any pun I could come up with here.¡± Dr. Chase actually grinned too. ¡°Indeed. A bit on the nose perhaps, but I¡¯ve had my eyes on this new black Jaguar for several months and just had to snatch it up.¡± Chapter 28 - I Would Eat Werewolves for Breakfast ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re finally considering your aunt as a suspect,¡± Brendan whispered to June, who was holding her nose to the slightly lowered window. Her hair billowed around her head. ¡°She¡¯s not a suspect,¡± June whispered back. ¡°Ach¡ªthat mothball smell! I just want to check in on her. Maybe she¡¯s noticed someone odd around her snakes or something.¡± She caught Dr. Chase turning his ear toward their conversation from the front. ¡°Pay attention to the road,¡± she snapped. He straightened up quickly, his black leather seat squeaking with the movement. Brendan, now looking to the front of the car, seemed transfixed by the glowing buttons, knobs, and levers on the dashboard and glossy wooden instrument panel. ¡°What¡¯s that thing right there do?¡± he asked, leaning forward and pointing near the steering wheel. ¡°Can I touch it?¡± ¡°Do not touch a thing!¡± Dr. Chase hissed as the car swerved. ¡°What about that button?¡± Brendan asked, leaning and pointing again. ¡°That one, right there.¡± ¡°The crown help me, boy, I can¡¯t concentrate with you poking around like a child.¡± Dr. Chase¡¯s eyes narrowed to slits in the rearview mirror. ¡°You know, June,¡± he continued, keeping his eyes on the road, ¡°with all these persons disappearing around here, perhaps there¡¯s someone with evil intentions about, someone like you.¡± ¡°You think I have evil intentions?¡± she said acidly, crossing her arms. Dr. Chase nervously licked his lips. ¡°No no, my dear! I just meant someone else in Seven Falls who can, you know, transform.¡± ¡°There¡¯s no one else like me in Seven Falls, I can assure you,¡± June replied. ¡°Are you certain¡ª¡± he began, but before he could finish Brendan leaned over the armrest and poked a button on the center console. Dr. Chase tried to swat his hand and the car swerved again. ¡°Are you daft, man! We¡¯re going to crash if you don¡¯t sit back in your seat and stop acting so dodgy!¡± ******* As they turned on to Aunt Violet¡¯s street, Brendan suggested Dr. Chase let them out several houses away and wait in the car. Dr. Chase had disagreed and argued, until June said to do it, and then Dr. Chase agreed it would be wise. As they got out of the car June listened intently and sniffed the air. Aunt Violet¡¯s neighborhood didn¡¯t have a lot of houses. Of the houses it did have, they were spaced far apart, and it seemed tonight like every house had a dog outside and barking. The dogs appeared unsettled about something. Remembering Chloe¡¯s reaction, June had the uncomfortable notion the unsettling presence was her. ¡°What¡¯s the plan here?¡± Brendan asked as he came around to her side. ¡°Should we do ¡®good cop bad cop?¡¯ I figure I can be the bad cop and you can be¡ª¡± ¡°What?¡± she interrupted. ¡°We¡¯re not interrogating Aunt Violet. I just want to check on her and ask her some questions.¡± ¡°Does she know about your ability?¡± Dr. Chase asked as he joined them and leaned in conspiratorially. June looked at him with irritation. ¡°What are you doing out of the car?¡± ¡°Helping, of course. I thought I¡¯d join you in your interrogation of Dr. Langley.¡± ¡°Absolutely not,¡± June said, waving a hand through the air in a chop. ¡°And we are not interrogating her. You can go home now, Dr. Chase.¡± ¡°Are you sure? What if you need transportation?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, thank you.¡± ¡°All cards on the table, my dear¡ªI was hoping to see more of your ability,¡± Dr. Chase said. ¡°And I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be better off with me here.¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Brendan looked like he was trying to shoot death-lasers out of his eyes at the man. ¡°You¡¯ve done plenty,¡± June replied. ¡°I really do appreciate the clothes and the ride. But you need to go home now.¡± Dr. Chase let out a disappointed sigh. ¡°If you say so, June. I¡¯ll just wait here in the car to make sure Dr. Langley is home before I head on.¡± ¡°Fine,¡± she said. ¡°Just don¡¯t get out of the car again, and don¡¯t follow us.¡± They started down the street, and just as they passed under a streetlight, Dr. Chase yelled, ¡°Your secret is safe with me!¡± June froze in mid-step, turned back to him with blazing eyes, and held a finger over her lips in aggravation. As they walked along the street, sticking to the shadows and avoiding streetlights lest Dr. Chase yell again, June spoke up. ¡°We probably shouldn¡¯t tell my aunt what we¡¯re doing.¡± Brendan nodded. ¡°The less she knows, the better. If she is the bad guy¡ªI mean girl¡ªwe don¡¯t want her to know that we know. If she knows what we know, but we don¡¯t know that she knows what we know¡ª¡± June held up a hand. ¡°Please don¡¯t say the word ¡®know¡¯ again. Your brain might get stuck. I also don¡¯t want her to be an accessory, or accomplice, or whatever it¡¯s called, for what we¡¯re doing tonight.¡± Brendan started to agree, but stopped short and furrowed his eyebrows. ¡°It would be an accessory, I think¡ªbut that means I¡¯m an accessory.¡± June shrugged and smiled reassuringly at him. ¡°I think you¡¯d just be an actual criminal, like me, not an accessory.¡± Brendan laughed nervously. ¡°And we aren¡¯t going to get caught,¡± June added. They walked in silence for a few more steps. June waved away her yoga-pant mask¡ªthey weren¡¯t sneaking in, she reminded Brendan. He looked up at the full moon, shining brightly overhead. ¡°Hey June, look at that full moon. Do you think there are werewolves out tonight?¡± ¡°I told you werewolves are just Shifters who turn into wolves. So yes, probably.¡± Worry flooded Brendan¡¯s face. June grinned. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. You know why?¡± ¡°Because¡­I have you?¡± he ventured. ¡°Correct. I would eat werewolves for breakfast.¡± ¡°That¡¯s gross, June,¡± Brendan replied, but he smiled while he said it. ¡°And for what it¡¯s worth, you would so be the good cop and I would be the bad cop,¡± she said as she climbed the stairs to the large, white porch. The house, a dark blue cape cod, had white shutters along every window, and the blinds were closed on each one, shutting out any light. Except for the creaking of the wood as they moved toward the door, and the soft whoosh of the wind, it was eerily silent. Weird. June knocked, but no one came to the door. As she closed her eyes to focus her hearing, bright light pierced her eyelids. She opened them to see Dr. Chase slowly roll to a stop in front of the house, his window lowered, headlights now shining down the street. He stuck his head out of the window and gave her a wave and a thumbs up. She shook her head in exasperation at him and pointed down the street. She knocked again on the front door, harder this time. The silence pressed in on them. No one answered. ¡°It feels weird up here,¡± Brendan whispered. June closed her eyes again. She could hear faint noises coming from inside the house, too much noise to be anything other than a person. Someone was definitely home. Maybe Aunt Violet was taking a shower or something. June took a few steps to the side and tried peering around the blinds, without success. She motioned to Brendan, and they crept off the porch and then ran to the back of the house¡ªmoonlight made the path clear even for Brendan. Several clusters of dogwoods, their red leaves soaking up the moonlight, created pools of shadow for them to hide under when they reached the back corner. A privacy fence around the backyard also helped conceal them. June pointed at the window she knew overlooked the kitchen sink. But the window sat just slightly too high for June to see into the kitchen¡ªright now, she could just make out a portion of the kitchen ceiling. ¡°Can you see inside?¡± she asked Brendan. He stood on tip toes, but then shook his head. ¡°Not well. I can¡¯t see into the room.¡± ¡°Okay, one of us has to lift the other up,¡± June whispered. ¡°There¡¯s only one way to settle who does the looking and who does the lifting.¡± Brendan nodded. He knew what was coming, so he held out a closed hand, and June held out a closed hand. ¡°Rock, paper, scissors, one¡­two¡­three¡­shoot!¡± they whispered in unison. While June had the intellect of someone much older than fifteen, there were still some things she did not fully appreciate. One of those things was just how well Brendan knew her. She let out a quiet ¡°Darn!¡± when she saw his paper against her rock. ¡°I always win,¡± he said, and got rewarded with an eye roll. He was mostly right; he¡¯d won twenty of the last twenty-two times they¡¯d played. June vowed the next time would be different. And so, just like at Dr. Crushov¡¯s wall, June made a basket with her hands for Brendan to step into, which he did. As she watched, he slowly raised his head until he was peering in the window. A few quiet seconds passed. An owl hooted in the distance and June wondered what Cordelia was doing right now. Probably packing up their stuff so they could flee Seven Falls. Or had she decided to do the right thing, to stay and fight and rescue Mr. Moseley? As she was about to whisper up to Brendan, he cried out and fell away from the window. June rushed to his side and looked up. The face in the window made her heart leap into her throat. Chapter 29 - A Kidnapping Staring¡ªwell, more like glaring¡ªout of the window, a man with a square nose on a square head pointed a thick finger directly at her. Then the face disappeared. ¡°What¡¯s a bad guy doing here?¡± Brendan cried. He popped to his feet and brushed himself off. ¡°Probably coming out to grab us. Maybe Aunt Violet is a hostage. But not for long.¡± June rushed toward the trees. ¡°Turn around.¡± She hadn¡¯t fought another person before as a werecat, but if that guy had Aunt Violet, she wouldn¡¯t hesitate. He might even be a demon. ¡°Woah, woah, hold up,¡± Brendan said, waving his hands frantically. ¡°It¡¯s much better if he thinks we¡¯re harmless kids. He might even talk about his plans in front of us; bad guys can¡¯t help but monologue, and adults always underestimate kids. Just play along so we can mine him for information before you go werecat on him.¡± June wrinkled her nose. ¡°Seriously?¡± ¡°Seriously. Let¡¯s go back to the porch. That way Dr. Stupid in the car will at least see the guy too.¡± June giggled as they walked back the way they had come. Brendan had taken a serious disliking to Dr. Chase. At the porch, Brendan stopped on the first step. ¡°You really should think of a catchphrase to yell when you Shift.¡± June continued past him. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. I¡¯m not yelling a catchphrase.¡± ¡°Fear the werecat!¡± Brendan responded just as the door flew open and the man June had seen in the window now filled the doorway¡ªliterally. He was colossal. June approximated his height at 6¡¯3¡± and thought she¡¯d never seen such a square-shaped person before. He wore a black suit, with a black shirt underneath, and no tie. His black hair, slicked back on his head, shone in the light coming from the entryway behind him. Good grief, he even dresses like a villain, she thought. ¡°Where¡¯s Aunt Violet?¡± June growled. The man smirked and June realized he resembled a badger. She resisted the urge to Shift and wipe the expression off his face with a claw. Just as he reached out to grab her, he looked over her head and saw Dr. Chase¡¯s car, and presumably, Dr. Chase still hanging his dopey head out the window. The smirk turned into a look of¡­something. Maybe it was surprise, maybe it was confusion, maybe it was fear. But why would anyone be afraid of Dr. Chase? June decided she couldn¡¯t read his blocky face well enough to know for sure. The badger-man grabbed June in one hand and Brendan in the other and had just started pulling them inside when a voice rang out. ¡°You there, you in the suit!¡± Dr. Chase yelled. As June turned to watch, he popped out of the car, duffel bag in hand. He was doing something courageous; maybe she¡¯d not given him enough credit after all. ¡°Take your hand off those children!¡± The badger-man frowned and wrinkled his forehead as Dr. Chase shuffled up to the porch. He tripped on the last step and sprawled awkwardly at their feet. To her surprise, she found that a little bit of pity had welled up inside her. Brendan, on the other hand, must have found the whole display amusing, because he shook and his mouth made a tight line like he was suppressing a laugh. Dr. Chase stood up, red-faced, and brushed himself off, hung the duffel bag on his shoulders, and stepped in front of the badger-man. ¡°How dare you, sir! I¡¯ll have you know this is June Robinson you are manhandling, the daughter of a prominent scientist and colleague, Cordelia. You are playing with fire if you don¡¯t unhand her this instant!¡± Any pity June felt burned away and she had to resist the urge to strangle Dr. Chase. How could he be so stupid as to say her name? The badger-man, however, ignored Dr. Chase entirely, still clutching a handful of June¡¯s and Brendan¡¯s shirts, and made to pull them inside. ¡°Look, the police are behind you!¡± Brendan yelled. The badger-man spun around, eyes wide. He didn¡¯t release them, however, and when he faced them again, he did not look pleased. Switching his grip so that he had both June and Brendan in one hand, he awkwardly pulled Dr. Chase inside the house, too, with his other hand and kicked the door closed. He seemed uncomfortable grabbing Dr. Chase, as if he was far less confident when his kidnapping involved adults instead of teenagers. A single lamp lit the entryway and the hallway that led to the back of the house. With one hand, the man wheeled June and Brendan down that hallway like a grocery cart while he pulled Dr. Chase¡ªwho now seemed to be trying to swallow his head with his own shoulders¡ªbehind him. June caught quick glances of other rooms as they rolled along. Each looked ransacked, with drawers strewn about the floors, pillows ripped open, couches and chairs upside-down.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°What was that about the police?¡± she mouthed to Brendan. ¡°I just wanted to see if it would work,¡± he replied in a whisper. They were led into the kitchen and pushed toward seats at the island. The room had not been spared from the destruction: shattered dishes covered the counter, and the cabinets were opened and empty. Some drawers had been pulled out and left hanging open too. Aunt Violet was nowhere to be seen. The weak light from the entryway left the kitchen filled with shadows. ¡°Sit,¡± the badger-man commanded. His accent sounded Eastern European. He yelled something over his shoulder, down the hallway, in a language that June couldn¡¯t place. She closed her eyes and focused. He seemed to have a reasonably calm heart rate for someone kidnapping two teens and one buffoon, and June could hear someone coming down the steps from upstairs. The badger-man wedged himself against the side of a bank of cabinets and studied his three prisoners. Then he looked at the back door, behind them on the far side of the room. He didn¡¯t appear concerned that they might try to run. Brendan glanced around the kitchen. Dr. Chase whistled awkwardly on her other side. ¡°Who are you?¡± June demanded. Badger-man eyed her and sneered¡ªor maybe he smiled. June couldn¡¯t tell the difference on his squat face. ¡°You may call me Officer Dolph.¡± Brendan laughed. Dolph¡¯s face went taut with anger. ¡°Is my name funny?¡± Under his stare, Brendan cowered and shook his head. ¡°But can we, uh, see your badge then, please?¡± he asked. ¡°Since you¡¯re an officer and all.¡± ¡°No.¡± Dolph''s tone brooked no argument, and Brendan seemed to agree because he shriveled up and sat very still. June gave their captor an icy stare. In a few moments, another man came down the hallway into the kitchen, dressed just like Dolph. His nose was less square and more puggish, like a bear¡¯s nose. June blinked several times to make sure her eyes were working¡ªthe man stood even taller than Dolph. She guessed he was just an inch or two shy of seven feet. He had short, choppy black hair and puffy little ears, just like a black bear, and he was built like, well, a bear. Still, if she Shifted, she would be bigger than both men combined. And way stronger. The bear-man¡¯s eyes went wide when he saw the three captives. Dolph spoke rapidly in the foreign language and the bear-man nodded. He walked to the opposite side of the kitchen and stood in front of the back door. ¡°Why are you here? Where¡¯s Aunt Violet?¡± June asked. ¡°Quiet!¡± Dolph ordered. ¡°We know who you are, girl, so tell us, where is your mother¡¯s research?¡± June turned her head slowly to face Dr. Chase and made her eyes into murderous slits. He gave her a weak smile and seemed to understand her meaning¡ªhis shoulders sagged even lower. These were the men who robbed the lab. They looked big and strong enough to overpower Mr. Moseley. And that meant one of them had bled him and used that blood to write on the glass. Her hands clenched into fists. ¡°It was you,¡± she growled. ¡°You robbed the lab.¡± Her insides burned with fury. Dolph chuckled like he found that amusing. ¡°Us? No, we did not rob the lab. But you certainly know the person who did.¡± He said something to the other man that June couldn¡¯t understand and they both laughed. ¡°Now do not play dumb with us. You know what your mother was doing, no? So tell us where the research is; her life may depend on it. And you don¡¯t want anything to happen to your friend here, do you?¡± He motioned to Brendan. ¡°No, please, please don¡¯t hurt me!¡± Brendan protested in a shaking voice that sounded both forced and exaggerated to June¡¯s ears. He didn¡¯t chew on his lip, or show any other signs of actual worry, either. ¡°Just tell us why you want the research,¡± Brendan continued. Another ambiguous sneer-or-smile split Dolph¡¯s lips. ¡°We want it because we want it. You think I will tell you everything because you asked?¡± Now Brendan looked confused, and to June, it appeared genuine. ¡°But you, uh, you owe us that much if you are going to murder us or whatever,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s how this works.¡± Dolph and the bear-man both laughed. ¡°Officer Rudolph, shall I show the boy how this really works?¡± A grunt from the bear-man, apparently named Rudolph, must have meant ¡°yes,¡± because Dolph lumbered over to Brendan. Whatever he planned to do, it wasn¡¯t good. June¡¯s eyes darted around the room. If she Shifted, she¡¯d probably send Dr. Chase and Brendan flying in opposite directions. Dr. Chase would hit a wall, which was fine with her. Brendan, though, might go flipping over the island and into the cabinets and drawers¡ªhe might get hurt. Dolph towered over Brendan, and Brendan¡¯s face turned a ghostly white, again genuine. As Dolph raised a hand in the air, Brendan turned to June with panic in his eyes and then scrunched them closed. The blow never landed. June¡¯s hand shot out and grabbed Brendan by the shoulder. She pushed him to the ground, and as Dolph swung his hand through empty space, she Shifted. In a blink¡ªless than a blink, even¡ªshe exploded into the werecat. Bits of silk pajamas and sweater went flying. As her monster emerged, time moved in slow motion. Her werecat body collided with Dr. Chase and sent him flying sideways just like she¡¯d predicted; he would hit the side wall and be fine. Brendan was in the process of falling to the floor, positioned to land on his butt. Other than perhaps a bruised bottom, he¡¯d be okay, and maybe his pea-cloak would cushion the landing. Dolph, still in the follow-through of his swing, opened his eyes wide as he realized what she¡¯d done, but that was all he had time for; she grabbed him by the arm and threw him toward the hallway like a trash bag. He sailed through air littered with tiny pieces of clothing falling like snow. She heard another grunt from behind and spun to see Rudolph beginning to transform. Chapter 30 - When Monsters Fight Sitting on the ground, tucked just underneath the overhang of the kitchen island, Brendan watched as June growled and barreled toward Officer Rudolph¡ªat least it had been Officer Rudolph a few seconds ago. Now in his place was some fleshy mixture of a man and something hairy that hadn¡¯t quite emerged when June tackled him through the back wall of the kitchen with such force that the bones in Brendan¡¯s face vibrated. A gaping hole opened into the backyard. Dust, along with twirling pieces of June¡¯s exploded clothes, filled the air. The kitchen table lay flattened on the floor and the chandelier over the table swung wildly. A loud snarl pulled Brendan¡¯s attention back to the remaining detective, and he lost his breath when he didn¡¯t see the man; instead, he saw what looked to be a grotesque badger-like creature the size of a professional basketball player. Terror slithered up his spine at the sight of the claws on the thing. It ignored Brendan entirely, however, and lumbered through the hole that had previously been the back wall. As it passed him, he noticed that it had scales in random places on its back¡ªbadgers didn¡¯t have scales, did they? Several competing thoughts hit him at once: he had been waiting to see June fight a bad guy, and it was finally happening! But also, June was fighting a bad guy, and what if she lost? What if she got hurt, or worse? Brendan sprinted toward the backyard. As he looked back to the kitchen, he saw Dr. Chase watching the scene from a sitting position next to the wall, his leather duffel bag in his lap. Brendan had expected him to faint or vomit or something. But he looked like he was watching a cricket match; that was the favorite sport of the detectives in Blimey! Detectives, so it was probably the favorite sport of most British people like Dr. Chase. Outside, moonlight shone brightly into the yard. Aside from the rubble of the kitchen wall, the backyard was kind of messy, with tall, scraggly grass and big, grasping bushes. But the high wooden privacy fence and numerous trees helped block any view from neighbors¡¯ houses. June stood next to the unmoving body of Officer Rudolph. He now looked like some kind of massive bear¡ªalbeit a dead or unconscious bear, with a bizarre swollen shape to his face. Maybe that had happened when his face became a battering ram against the wall though. Brendan could have sworn he saw a few scales on the bear too. June crouched a bit, tense and ready to attack, fangs bared, claws extended to a shocking length; they looked like curved swords in the moonlight. Across from her, the man-sized badger monster¡ªMr. Badger, Brendan thought¡ªhad lowered himself to the ground and was holding his claws up, snarling and baring his teeth. But his eyes flickered around as if he was afraid. June, on the other hand, exuded no fear. She looked eager. Brendan felt a surge of pride as he stared at his best friend¡ªshe really was a superhero. And even crouching, she stood taller than Mr. Badger. ¡°Where is Mr. Moseley?¡± June rumbled. Mr. Badger growled, but he didn¡¯t respond with words. He started to dig into the ground with his back legs instead. Just like a normal, badger-sized badger would do, Brendan remembered from biology. ¡°Where is he?¡± June said, louder this time. Another growl from Mr. Badger. ¡°Fine.¡± As soon as the word left her mouth, June attacked¡ªit was so fast Brendan struggled to keep up. She dashed forward and slashed, and Mr. Badger raised his hands in defense. His claws met June¡¯s in a clash that sounded like bamboo sticks snapping together. June pulled back, and Brendan thought he glimpsed a smile on her face. She charged a second time and slashed again, but with her opposite paw. The bamboo noise echoed. ¡°Last chance,¡± June growled, and he snarled back at her. ¡°Suit yourself.¡± She charged again. This time, June struck with two attacks¡ªher left paw slashed into Mr. Badger¡¯s raised claws while her right paw shot out and grabbed one of his arms. She twisted with precision, and before Mr. Badger seemed to realize what had happened, he was already flying through the air, upside down. He yelped, then crashed into some trees, which shook violently under the impact. Golden leaves fluttered to the ground, landing on top of the slumped Mr. Badger. In a flash, June stood over him, paw raised, claws glistening in the moonlight, ready to slice. Brendan ran to her. Blood stained the fur on Mr. Badger¡¯s shoulder and dripped from one of June¡¯s claws, which slid in and out of her paw erratically. If she sliced, it might kill him. Brendan saw the look in her eyes. His awe turned to fear. Heroes didn¡¯t kill unless they absolutely had to, and June did not have to right now. ¡°June?¡± Brendan said, his voice shaking. She didn¡¯t acknowledge him, but she didn¡¯t hack Mr. Badger either.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°June!¡± he yelled. She finally made eye contact, and he could see some kind of internal struggle taking place. She was so big¡ªshe made the bear-man and Mr. Badger look like little animals. Her paw slowly came down to her side. She dropped to all fours, visibly trembling. ¡°Okay, good,¡± Brendan said with relief. He walked over to her and put a hand on her boulder-sized shoulder. ¡°That was one of the coolest things I¡¯ve ever seen, though.¡± June smiled and her knife teeth glimmered in a beam of moonlight. Her trembling subsided and she sat on her haunches. ¡°We have to do something with these two,¡± she said. ¡°They¡¯ll wake up eventually and we can¡¯t just leave them free. And when they do wake up, it will be our turn to ask the questions and show them how this works.¡± Brendan laughed. ¡°Did you just attempt that European accent as a werecat? Nice.¡± A pink tongue edged out between her fangs. ¡°We need to tie them up.¡± ¡°We can do a real interrogation!¡± Brendan clapped his hands together excitedly. ¡°I know exactly what to do.¡± There was always an interrogation or two in every Blimey! Detectives novel. June paused for a few seconds in thought. ¡°Not with rope,¡± she finally said. ¡°Go tell Dr. Chase we need chairs in the basement and as much duct tape as you can find. Aunt Violet keeps some in the drawer in the long table in the hallway, but I bet there¡¯s more in the garage. I¡¯ll stay with these two. Let me know when you have everything and I¡¯ll drag them in.¡± Brendan turned and walked back into the kitchen through the jagged hole in the wall, which, with windows above and on either side, made it look a lot like walking into the mouth of a monster about to swallow him whole. *** June, meanwhile, listened to the air around her. She heard Brendan and Dr. Chase inside the house, although they were in different locations. Otherwise, there weren¡¯t any noises indicating another person inside, which meant Mr. Moseley wasn¡¯t here, and neither was Aunt Vera. June raked a claw through the grass in frustration. It occurred to her that she had never knocked someone unconscious before, and she had no idea how long it would take for them to wake up. They might not wake up for hours, and that was time she and Brendan didn¡¯t have to spare. June made a mental note to check the pockets¡ªor remnants of pockets¡ªof Dolph¡¯s and Rudolph¡¯s clothes. Several dogs yipped and yapped. Otherwise, everything sounded normal in the area¡ªat least as normal as a semi-populated area could be after a Shifter and two¡ªwere they Shifters or demons?¡ªhad battled in a neighboring backyard. Dolph and Rudolph remained unconscious, their hearts and breathing steady and slow. A few minutes later, Brendan reappeared with Dr. Chase. ¡°We¡¯ve got a lot of duct tape,¡± he said, ¡°and I moved some chairs to the basement. No thanks to this one, though.¡± He pointed at Dr. Chase. ¡°He just wandered around the house.¡± Dr. Chase bobbed his head in irritation like an ostrich. ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, boy, that I was busy ferreting out clothes for our gladiator here. June, I found you the perfect outfit to replace the one you blew apart.¡± He smiled at her, held out the clothes, and turned gloating eyes on Brendan. ¡°Great,¡± June said as she ignored the clothes and grabbed Dolph in one paw and Rudolph with the other. ¡°Let¡¯s get these two tied up.¡± Dr. Chase looked wounded, and Brendan snatched the clothes out of his hand and put them in the backpack. The sour expression that Dr. Chase gave him indicated this had only added insult to injury. June led the way inside. A quick glance showed Dr. Chase shuffling in the rear, studying the two unconscious whatever-they-were. She made a mental note to keep Dr. Chase at least six feet away from them at all times so he didn¡¯t do anything stupid again. After that display on the porch, he might bumble into getting himself held hostage, or worse, freeing the two men. ¡°They¡¯re Shifters, right?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°I''m not sure,¡± June replied. ¡°They don¡¯t look like nightmare beasts, but they look odd.¡± Brendan studied her for a moment. ¡°I saw scales on both of them,¡± he finally said, ¡°so probably demon, right?¡± She nodded. It made the most sense. Maybe they were newly created demons. ¡°Can they talk when they¡¯re like that?¡± Brendan asked as they passed the kitchen island. ¡°I mean, when they¡¯re Shifted or demoned-up or whatever?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not really sure. Cordelia can¡¯t talk when she¡¯s Shifted, but owls don¡¯t have lips or anything, so maybe making words with a beak doesn¡¯t work out very well.¡± June rotated an ear and could tell that Dr. Chase had fallen further behind them¡ªmaybe studying the destruction to the side of the house. They reached the bare wooden steps to the basement, the walls narrow and the ceiling low. June eyed the descent nervously. ¡°You go first,¡± she said to Brendan, ¡°then yell up when you¡¯re all the way down. I better move quickly¡ªI¡¯m not sure if the steps can take my weight, especially dragging these two.¡± She jerked her head back toward the slumbering villains. When Brendan had reached the bottom, June twisted to fit and dashed down, still dragging Dolph and Rudolph, who, had they not already been unconscious, would have been after how many times their heads thumped against the steps. Thankfully, when everyone had reached the basement, the stairs were still intact. Concrete floors and walls of concrete block made the room a uniform grey. The occasional bare light bulb hung from the ceiling amidst snaking air ducts. Cardboard boxes and plastic storage bins lined a side wall. It looked like the perfect place for an interrogation. As promised, Brendan had prepared two chairs from the kitchen. When June saw them, she realized that no ordinary chairs would support the weight of a large-sized bear and a giant-sized badger. Instead, June held them up in turn so Brendan and Dr. Chase could run rolls of duct tape around them, pinning their arms to their sides and tying their legs together so they couldn¡¯t walk. June chuckled at one point as she watched. ¡°I bet that duct tape will rip hair out and sting so bad if they try to change back.¡± When Brendan and Dr. Chase finished, and June leaned them against one of the cinder-block walls, all that remained visible were a bear head and a badger head above mummy bodies adorned in silver. Chapter 31 - A Discovery of Demons Upstairs, June found Dolph¡¯s and Rudolph¡¯s shredded clothing and checked every pocket. She¡¯d left Brendan and Dr. Chase to guard the duct-taped wonders. The clothes proved useless. No vial. Just car keys, cash, and a pistol for each. She dropped the guns into the kitchen trash can. Hopefully she¡¯d find Aunt Violet to warn her about the two hostages in her basement¡­and the giant hole in the back of her house. June rotated her ears and listened for any hint of another person in the vicinity. Nothing. Back downstairs, the two duct-tape mummies were still out cold, and it looked like Brendan and Dr. Chase were trying very hard to act as if the other didn¡¯t exist. ¡°I didn¡¯t find anything in their clothes except guns,¡± she said to Brendan. He nodded. ¡°I¡¯m gonna need a rag, a paperclip, a rubber band, and kerosene.¡± He interlaced his fingers and turned them inside out to stretch them, like he was cracking his knuckles. ¡°They won¡¯t keep their secrets long when I bust out Detective Ollie¡¯s interrogation methods.¡± ¡°Did you just say Detective Ollie?¡± Dr. Chase asked. ¡°As in the character from Blimey! Detectives?¡± ¡°Yes...¡± Brendan rotated his head to the side and looked at Dr. Chase from the corner of his eye. ¡°Do you read the books too?¡± ¡°Pshh,¡± Dr. Chase replied. ¡°Not even if my only other reading option was a phone book. What a shoddy bit of work that series is, isn¡¯t it.¡± He turned his nose up. Horror and rage passed over Brendan¡¯s face, and then he looked like he was considering how to best go about using Detective Ollie¡¯s interrogation methods on Dr. Chase. But before he could act on his desire, one of the silver mummies snorted and startled him. June studied the two hostages, ears rotating and whiskers twitching. Neither moved, and they stayed silent, with shallow breathing and a slow, steady pulse. June grew more certain they were not waking anytime soon. She ground her teeth in frustration. Time was running out and they had exhausted the scientists¡¯ houses without finding even a clue of where Mr. Moseley could be, let alone the ludicrous serum. What do we know for certain? she asked herself. What are the facts? They hadn¡¯t found anything to indicate Dr. Crushov or Dr. Chase were involved. The two villains sleeping in front of her definitely knew about the serum and Cordelia¡¯s work on it. They had probably come to Aunt Violet¡¯s in the hopes of finding the missing research, based on the ransacked state of the house. They also knew who committed the robbery and took Mr. Moseley, if they hadn¡¯t done it themselves. But the way Dolph had laughed when June accused him and said, ¡°You certainly know the person who did it¡± felt weirdly truthful. They could be working with the person who robbed the lab, of course, but was it also possible they were trying to stop the robber? Although, judging from the duct-taped duo¡¯s willingness to kidnap teenagers and harm them, the odds Dolph and Rudolph were good guys looked rather slim. The thought of Dolph about to hit Brendan made June¡¯s jaw clench involuntarily. She needed to get answers. She growled, wishing she hadn¡¯t knocked them out. Brendan and Dr. Chase both regarded her curiously. Wait, isn¡¯t there some kind of smelling salt that snaps a person awake? As she was about to raise the question with Brendan¡ªwho undoubtedly would know whether such a salt existed and how to use it according to fictional books¡ªanother memory of their time in the kitchen with Dolph and Rudolph popped into her head. Her mouth went dry. Dolph had said Cordelia¡¯s life might depend on whether June told him where to find the research. Surely Cordelia wasn¡¯t in danger, though. She could have taken on the two Europeans easily¡­right? ¡°I don¡¯t think they¡¯re waking anytime soon,¡± Brendan said, interrupting her thoughts. ¡°Let¡¯s search the house with the Geiger counter.¡± He slid the backpack off his shoulders. His pea-cloak swirled around him with the motion. She could never tell him that it actually looked cool¡ªhe would wear it constantly and she would never hear the end of it. June shook her head. ¡°We need to get to my house and check on Cordelia.¡± ¡°But June, we¡¯re here, and it shouldn¡¯t take long. We need to be thorough.¡± ¡°Mr. Moseley isn¡¯t here, and Cordelia could be in danger.¡± Brendan examined the two prisoners for a brief moment, then eyed Dr. Chase disdainfully. ¡°After seeing these two, I think your mom would be okay. She¡¯s smart and¡± ¡ªhe made purposeful eye contact with her¡ª¡°capable, right?¡± June hesitated. Cordelia hadn¡¯t gone into detail last night¡ªgood grief, it felt like a lifetime ago¡ªbut for a while at least, Cordelia had trained to fight demons. Brendan was probably right. A bear and a badger would be no match for her. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s be quick though.¡± Brendan pulled out the Geiger counter. Dr. Chase rubbed his hands together excitedly. ¡°A proper investigation. And I¡¯m just the man for the job.¡±Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. June closed her eyes and tried to summon up some patience. Finding Mr. Moseley was already difficult enough. Having to babysit a grown man so he didn¡¯t bungle something made it even worse. After Aunt Violet¡¯s house, Dr. Chase would be going home, she decided. She turned and led the way upstairs. They expeditiously swept the first floor with the Geiger counter and found nothing that June had not already noticed. She was thankful Aunt Violet¡¯s house had larger rooms and hallways than Dr. Chase¡¯s home, so she didn¡¯t have to squeeze around so much. Aside from the devastation left by Dolph and Rudolph in their savage searching, the house was just as June remembered it. As there was nothing radioactive on the first floor, June led the way to the second floor. The HVAC thrummed in the attic. The hallway ran dead straight, with three doors on one side and two on the other, all open, and finally, one closed door facing her at the far end¡ªthe master bedroom. They checked each of the open rooms¡ªwhich contained nothing unusual aside from being ransacked¡ªuntil only Aunt Violet¡¯s closed bedroom remained. Their arrival must have interrupted the duct-taped duo¡¯s search of the upstairs. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve already checked in there and nothing was out of the ordinary,¡± Dr. Chase volunteered, pointing to the final door. He rattled the stinky duffle bag on his shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s where I found clothes for you, remember? I think I''d have noticed something amiss.¡± If she hadn¡¯t been inclined to search the room, that comment settled it¡ªnow they had to check it. June motioned Brendan inside. Even with the plantation shutters closed, moonlight leaked in. Brendan walked around the edges of the room while June scrutinized it from the doorway. Aunt Violet hadn¡¯t changed anything since June had last been here: the vast four-poster bed and large dresser remained in their same spots, as did the full-length mirror on the side wall, opposite the bed. Brendan completed his search. The Geiger counter remained slow and steady. As he came back toward her, past the bed, a faint but familiar odor suddenly hit her, then disappeared in the mingle of other smells in the room. She sniffed deeply. The rank mothball stench of the duffel bag with Dr. Chase didn¡¯t help matters, and it was tempting to pull the bag off his shoulder and throw it out the window. But she closed her eyes, and picked at, separated, and sorted the scents like a knotted ball of yarn in her mind, until she singled out the familiar smell that had caught her attention. Comprehension struck her: it was the scent of snake, like at Cordelia¡¯s lab. While Aunt Violet loved her reptiles wholeheartedly, she did not bring them home. Following the direction of the odor, June opened her eyes and caught something in the darkness just under the bed. Moving closer, it looked like a copious amount of flaky plastic. She hoped it was an old, battered drop-cloth. As June tugged some of it out and lifted it, her mind struggled to make sense of what she held. It couldn¡¯t be what it looked like. It was too wide, too long, even in her giant paws. So much of it remained under the bed as she continued to pull it out. In the doorway, Dr. Chase muttered, ¡°What the bloody¡­¡± He flipped on the lights. June blinked in pain, growled in his direction, and waited for her eyes to adjust. Brendan and Dr. Chase both huddled at her sides now. They all studied the object in her paws. Black in color, with pale stripes, evenly spaced. And it wasn¡¯t plastic at all. She continued to tug it out from under the bed and it just kept coming. Understanding flashed in her mind, brighter and more painful than the light Dr. Chase had flicked on seconds ago: it was a snakeskin, but with jagged, spike-like edges, and it was so big it could have spanned the room and continued on down the hallway. ¡°Why in the blazes does Dr. Langley have such a large snakeskin under her bed?¡± Dr. Chase asked. ¡°That¡¯s got to be even larger than her Burmese, and her Burmese isn¡¯t black.¡± ¡°Woah,¡± Brendan breathed. It felt, at that moment, like a deep, dark hole had opened up beneath June. While she didn¡¯t actually fall, she might as well have, because she lost all sense of being tethered to anything solid. The room threatened to spin around her violently. She closed her eyes tight and sat back on her haunches, pulling herself into a compact ball, but still the inevitable conclusion dawned before she could stop it. ¡°June, something that big isn¡¯t natural. It has to be¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she said, eyes still shut, and her voice shook. ¡°So that means your aunt is¡ª¡± ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered. Some small part of her mind told her she should be angry¡ªshe should be furious, it screamed¡ªbut the rest of her couldn¡¯t manage anything except a frosty numbness. That numbness covered the screaming part of her mind like a blanket and smothered it. This night wouldn¡¯t have a happy ending, no matter what she and Brendan accomplished. Someone she cared about would have to leave her life forever. Aunt Violet had to die, or she would likely kill Mr. Moseley, and many more people in the future. June¡¯s very soul felt punctured with holes. She turned to Brendan as tears dribbled through the fur on her cheeks. ¡°She¡¯s a demon.¡± Brendan chewed his lip. ¡°What?¡± Dr. Chase sputtered. ¡°Did you just say demon? A bit outlandish, that statement, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s just a giant snakeskin we¡¯ve got here, not proof of a boogeyman. Perhaps she¡¯s obtained a specimen even larger than the Burmese.¡± June barely heard him because saying the word ¡°demon¡± out loud somehow breathed life into the screaming part of her she thought had suffocated. Only it hadn¡¯t, because the numbness caught fire and melted away. Now fury burned within her, unhindered, and betrayal fanned the flames. She ripped off a six-foot segment of the snakeskin and handed it to Brendan. ¡°Put it in the backpack,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re going to check on Cordelia.¡± ¡°I can take that if you want,¡± Dr. Chase volunteered. ¡°Plenty of room in my bag.¡± June strode out of the bedroom and down the hall without a word. They eventually caught up to her while she waited in the hallway by the front door, heaving in cool, fresh air to help calm down. ¡°Dr. Chase, can I trust you to stay here and keep an eye on Dolph and Rudolph?¡± She figured someone should, and it would be a situation that even Dr. Chase couldn¡¯t screw up. He stammered something about how they should stay together for safety reasons, but June cut him off with a growl. ¡°You want to be helpful? Just stay here and try not to do anything stupid. They can¡¯t escape that duct tape on their own. If you hear them wake up, you call Brendan.¡± ¡°What?¡± Brendan cried. ¡°But I¡¯d have to give my number to¡ª¡± ¡°Just do it,¡± June rumbled. Seeing the look on his face, which she imagined might be the same face he¡¯d make if he had to eat a live cockroach, she added, ¡°Please.¡± After Brendan exchanged numbers with Dr. Chase and June listened to the sounds of the world outside the front door, she crouched on the front porch. Brendan was at her side when she noticed he wasn¡¯t wearing his goggles. ¡°No Scooby Doo?¡± she asked. His eyes shot to Dr. Chase then back to hers. ¡°No, not right now,¡± he replied, then climbed up. She glanced back at Dr. Chase, nodded to him, and then launched herself into the night. Chapter 32 - Escapes and Incompetence Listening to nature¡¯s song and seeing the beauty of the nighttime forest bathed in the soft light of the moon, June¡¯s rage began to diminish. She found that the feelings of loss and betrayal hiding underneath hurt too much to bear, and she focused on building her anger back into a bonfire. If she had been duped by Aunt¡ªDr. Langley, then Dr. Langley had probably had a good laugh behind closed doors at how June called her family. In all likelihood she despised June. She must have never meant the kind and encouraging things she said to June whenever they were together. Fittingly, Cordelia and her tremendous inability to be fooled had, in fact, been tricked a hundred times over, and now it was up to June to rescue her. That was, if she hadn¡¯t left town; at this point June couldn¡¯t rule out anything on Cordelia¡¯s part. But if she had stayed in Seven Falls, then she was at least safe until midnight, so June just had to find her before then. June had a lot to find before midnight. Reaching the edge of the woods in her backyard, June eased into a crouch and Brendan hopped down. ¡°What time is it?¡± she asked. He glanced at his calculator watch. ¡°11:05.¡± She grimaced. One hour to go. ¡°Hey June, I¡¯m sorry about your aunt and all.¡± He walked up and stood in front of her. ¡°Thanks,¡± June rumbled. ¡°Dr. Langley isn¡¯t who I thought she was.¡± Her shoulder muscles tightened painfully. ¡°That¡¯s the theme of the day it seems.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Brendan held eye contact. ¡°You¡¯ve always got me though.¡± He smiled and then dropped his gaze and toed the grass. June tried to smile, but she felt certain it looked half-hearted at best. ¡°I know. Thanks.¡± Still concealed from view of her house, June paused and listened, ears rotating, whiskers twitching. She only heard Abraham Lincoln snoring loudly inside. Where was Cordelia? They moved quickly to the backyard and then up the concrete steps to the back door. It was locked, and the electronic keypad was way too small for June¡¯s paws. She waved Brendan up to punch in the door code. Once inside, Brendan paused in the kitchen to pull out the Geiger counter. June resisted her first instinct to tell him to put it away. Cordelia had experimented on her as a baby, and Aunt Violet was a giant snake demon¡ªthe list of things June would have once labeled impossible was quickly shrinking. Maybe the serum was in her house. Upstairs, she found Abraham Lincoln in her bed, fast asleep on his back, with his large gut slipping to the side and his rear end on her pillow. ¡°Abraham, wake up!¡± she growled. ¡°Where¡¯s Cordelia?¡± He stretched lazily and looked at her with a perturbed expression. ¡°I don¡¯t know, June. But you look lovely. Really putting your best foot¡ªor should I say paw¡ªforward.¡± He laughed. An involuntary frown tugged at June¡¯s mouth¡ªhe was as bad as Brendan with the jokes. Speaking of Brendan, June looked up to see him staring at them from the doorway, spellbound. She turned back to Abraham. ¡°When did she leave?¡± ¡°Sometime earlier this evening.¡± ¡°Did you hear where she was going?¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°No. She gave me extra wet food, so I left her in peace. I had a full night of bathing and sleeping ahead of me, and I wanted to get an early start.¡± ¡°Ugh, you are useless.¡± Abraham rolled his feline eyes. ¡°No one told me it was my job to keep tabs on the humans who serve me. And I¡¯ve never really trusted your mother, June. Owls prey on cats, you know.¡± ¡°So do larger cats,¡± June said threateningly. Abraham snorted. ¡°Did you see anything unusual at the house today?¡± she asked. ¡°I¡¯m afraid not,¡± he replied coolly. ¡°Although the one you call Aunt Violet did stop by earlier for a spell. She left shortly before your mother.¡± ¡°What¡¯d she say? What¡¯d they talk about?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really pay attention. There was a bird outside the window that was just infuriating, so I focused on it for the afternoon.¡± ¡°Did they argue?¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell you.¡± June threw her front paws in the air and stomped away. The floor shook. Abraham Lincoln shrugged and rolled over to return to his nap. ¡°Er, there¡¯s a note from your mom on the counter,¡± Brendan said, still staring in awe at Abraham Lincoln. June sped back down to the kitchen and grabbed the note. June, if you are reading this, then know that I am sorry, and I will fix things. Do not go out tonight. Just wait for me at home. I¡¯ll be at the lab with Violet, and I¡¯ll be back some time after midnight, so don¡¯t wait up. Stay at home. I love you. ¡°Your aunt¡¯s at the lab with your mom, huh,¡± Brendan said behind her. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡± June rolled her neck to relieve the tension that had seized it and faced Brendan. ¡°Let¡¯s join them.¡± ¡°Wait,¡± he said, holding up his hands. ¡°Hear me out. Midnight¡¯s the deadline, right? So even if your mom is with Aunt Demon, Cordelia¡¯s probably okay until midnight. Those guys we left with Dr. Idiot might know where Mr. Moseley is, and it¡¯s just past eleven. We should go check on the two other demon guys. They might be awake now.¡± Brendan made a good argument. They had to try to find Mr. Moseley before midnight. And Dr. Langley¡¯s house was to the north, just like the lab, so it was sort of on the way. June blew out a loud breath. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go.¡± *** Approaching Dr. Langley¡¯s house for the second time that night, June heard, before she saw, a car running in the driveway. When she did see it, she thought her head might explode if she didn¡¯t make someone else¡¯s explode first. She drew closer¡ªBrendan still on her back¡ªand knocked on the driver¡¯s side window so roughly that it cracked. Dr. Chase jerked awake, saw her, and put a hand over his heart. When he had rolled down the window, June resisted the urge to pull him out and throw him into a tree, settling for a growl so quiet but so deep that something inside the car rattled. ¡°What are you doing?¡± she demanded through clenched teeth. ¡°Why, resting, of course,¡± he said, though he at least had the good sense to look embarrassed and more than a little afraid. ¡°You said that those two couldn¡¯t possibly escape the duct tape. After a few quiet minutes I thought I might rest my legs a bit and came out here for a spell of fresh air.¡± ¡°You are a dimwit,¡± June rumbled and crouched so Brendan could hop down. Dr. Chase went to open the door and she pushed it shut. She felt the door thump into some part of him, and he muttered a curse. Good. June led the way back to the basement, Brendan right behind her. Again, she heard the trouble¡ªor lack thereof, rather¡ªbefore she saw it. And what she saw were two empty mounds of duct tape. Anger and confusion bounced around her head as she examined the piles. She found clean lines where the tape had separated, allowing the two Europeans to pull themselves free. June held one severed section up to Brendan, who had a scowl on his face. ¡°Do you know what this means?¡± ¡°Someone cut the duct tape.¡± June turned to Dr. Chase, who had finally joined them in the basement. A section of air duct ran right over him, blocking some of the light from the nearest bare light bulb, and casting a shadow over his eyes. ¡°Did you hear that?¡± she said to him, her voice thick with fury. ¡°Someone cut them loose while you were sitting in your car.¡± Her voice started to rise. ¡°And then they escaped. Maybe right out the front door under your incompetent nose!¡± June slammed a paw into a row of boxes and sent them flying against the back wall. Dr. Chase flinched and shrank back. He said nothing. She glared at him for an uncomfortably long time. ¡°Go home now and pray I don¡¯t see you again tonight.¡± June turned to Brendan. ¡°We need to hurry.¡± As she rushed up the stairs, she heard Brendan say behind her, ¡°I¡¯ll just be going now with my partner, old chap.¡± Despite her boiling anger, June snickered. In the front yard, Brendan pulled out his goggles and climbed up her back. They were gone before Dr. Chase even made it out of the basement. Chapter 33 - Gunshots in the Night June stopped her furious pace just over half a mile from the lab, head cocked, ears pivoting, listening to the night. She thought she heard noises ahead, and after a minute or so of untangling the sounds, confirmed that two people were outside the lab. She guessed one was more or less directly ahead, and one was off to the left of the lab, to the northeast. ¡°We aren¡¯t alone,¡± June whispered, ¡°there are two people outside the lab.¡± She crouched so Brendan could disembark, and then she started forward again. He rushed after her. The moon cast silvery-white light around them that shrank and expanded as the forest canopy overhead swayed in the wind. Brendan kept staring at her like he was waiting for something, and eventually spoke up. ¡°June, what¡¯s the plan here? I know you¡¯re upset, but¡ª¡± ¡°We have a giant snake demon, and two maybe-demons to worry about, and Cordelia might already be in deep trouble. There are two people outside the lab right now, and I doubt they¡¯re on our side. We¡¯re going in quick and doing whatever it takes to stop Dr. Langley, find Mr. Moseley, and get the vial.¡± June shoved through some mountain laurel shrubs, parting them with ease and holding the path open for Brendan. ¡°But¡­¡± he paused, choosing his next words with care, ¡°what exactly are you going to do with your aunt?¡± June stayed silent, mostly because she didn¡¯t quite know herself. She¡¯d found that her thoughts regarding what to do with Aunt¡ªno, Dr. Langley¡ªchanged by the minute. And for most of those minutes, June had felt a deep loss, and couldn¡¯t envision doing anything to harm Dr. Langley. Only when her anger flared did June believe herself capable of bloodshed, and staying angry required more and more effort. But whoever Dr. Langley had pretended to be around June, if she was, in fact, a man-eating demon, that was her real identity, and she had to be stopped. How can she not be a demon? a part of her questioned. The size of the snakeskin¡­ ¡°Heroes don¡¯t kill, June,¡± Brendan broke in, after it became apparent June wasn¡¯t answering his question. ¡°Right,¡± June said, and kept walking. ¡°You could just knock her out, like you did with the Europeans,¡± Brendan offered. ¡°Just get to her before she fully transforms or turns demon or whatever, like you did with the Rudolph-bear.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The trees ahead began to thin out, and through the wider gaps, the moonlight illuminated a field of tall grass ahead. That meant they were just over a quarter mile from the lab now. June paused. ¡°Wait here for me,¡± she said softly. ¡°Whoever is outside the lab is standing guard¡ªI haven¡¯t heard them moving much. I doubt they can see us or hear us from here, so I¡¯m going closer. Once I figure out exactly who¡ªor what¡ªthey are, I¡¯ll take them out and come back for you.¡±If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Brendan shivered. ¡°You mean knock them out right?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± A hint of irritation crept into her voice. ¡°What else would I do?¡± Brendan studied her for a long moment before nodding. ¡°Are you sure I shouldn¡¯t come with you?¡± Did he not trust her? ¡°I can move a lot more freely without you on my back. You can come right up to the tree line with me if you want to watch.¡± Together, they approached the edge of the woods, slowly and¡ªmostly¡ªsilent. She turned back and held up a paw to Brendan, about five yards behind her, when two rapid booms! shattered the silence. June instinctively leaped to her left behind a large hickory. She spun in time to see wood chunks fly from the tree she¡¯d just been standing by. They¡¯re shooting at me, she realized. Heat flashed through her body. She noticed the tree that had been hit had only one gash from a bullet. Where did the other go? There were two shots¡­ June looked to Brendan and her stomach fell to her feet. He was lying on his back. All the heat she¡¯d felt turned to ice and the world around her ceased to exist¡ªthere was only Brendan. June closed the distance to him in less than a second. He took quick, rapid breaths, and his wide eyes looked up at the sky. The color had drained from his face. ¡°June! They shot me,¡± he managed to say before his eyes rolled back. June scooped Brendan up as quickly and tenderly as she could, then hurtled deeper into the forest where he would be safe. She found a small clearing surrounded by clusters of spruce trees. Their draping, needle covered branches would make Brendan invisible to the shooters, and they were much farther away from the lab now. June laid him down against a barren trunk so he could sit upright. ¡°Brendan, focus on me, Brendan!¡± she growled. Blood spurted out in pulses from a gash at the edge of his left shoulder. She¡¯d never really appreciated that until now, the way blood came out in squirts, not a constant stream. June gently removed his pea-cloak and ripped the hoodie away from his shoulder. She could tell the bullet had gone clean through. She assumed this meant he would be okay if they could stop the bleeding. Brendan¡¯s eyes swam, sometimes focusing on her, sometimes staring through her as if she was miles away, and then he went limp. She pulled open the backpack and, with some difficulty, removed a sweater that Dr. Chase had given them at Dr. Langley¡¯s house. As delicately as her giant paws would allow, she wadded up the garment and pressed it on his wound. *** Hot, rapid breathing on his face, strong enough to move his hair each time it came, aroused Brendan from a cold, dreamless sleep. He opened his eyes. June¡¯s monstrous head hovered above his. It was her breath. It smelled human, like when she leaned in to tell him a secret. Giant werecat face or not, this was June. ¡°Can you move your left arm?¡± she asked, her deep, rumbling voice edged with panic. The moon was high and clear above her enormous head. He tried and winced immediately, but the arm did move. ¡°You need to use your right arm to apply pressure, okay? Just push as much as you can. Once the bleeding stops, drink the rest of the water bottles. Force yourself. Get as much water as you can.¡± He nodded, and even managed a weak grin. She exhaled deeply and her entire body sagged with relief. ¡°Two people,¡± she said, and from the look in her eyes he recognized she was talking to herself. ¡°And two shots. But we were yards apart. Only one shot came close to me. That means¡ª¡± She stopped talking. Brendan watched her face grow tight and her eyes shrink to slits. Her massive frame tensed, and muscles rippled and bulged under the thick black fur. A growl started in the back of her throat, and built up force until the vibration rattled his skull. She said two words to him, and they hit him almost as hard as the bullet. Before he could even start to open his mouth to protest, she was gone, the force of her departure rustling the branches all around him like a windstorm. He knew she was heading toward the lab. The two words she said echoed in his mind, and he forgot about his injury. ¡°They die.¡± Chapter 34 - They Die Rage like June had never known threatened to tear her apart¡ªwhite-hot, racing, burning, all-consuming rage. She was drowning in it, boiling in it, breathing it. They had shot at Brendan purposefully. They had meant to kill him. Her arms and legs spasmed with power¡ªmore than she¡¯d ever felt, even in the backyard with Dolph. June rocketed forward and didn¡¯t care if they knew her location; no bullet could touch her now. No one was going to hurt Brendan. The forest was no impediment to June¡¯s comet-like speed¡ªshe covered ground at a dizzying pace and had reached the tall grass. She heard a deafening crack. The ground erupted behind her and then off to the right of her. She didn¡¯t waiver or try to dodge the shots, but continued on a dead-straight path, gaining speed. June could hear them clearly as she drew closer, one on the roof of the research facility, one on the right side past the parking lot. Their hearts were racing, recognition dawning on them¡ªshe was coming. Another shot rang out; grass blades erupted behind her. The second shot followed on its heels, missing her widely. The shooter on the roof was closer, so June focused on him first. Each stride took her longer, farther, faster up the gentle slope toward the building. Scanning the rooftop, she recognized the shooter. Rudolph. Of course, she thought. Had Dr. Chase been there, she might have tried to kill him too. Taking her last stride, June leaped, soaring upward toward the roof. As June rose through the air, Rudolph raised the gun. Up soared June, closer and closer. Up came the rifle, nearer and nearer. As she crested the roofline, Rudolph had the weapon ready. June stared into his face and saw abject terror. Good. The rifle pointed straight at her. She could see his finger moving. She twisted her body in a corkscrew as Rudolph fired the shot. The bullet flew just above June¡¯s shoulder as she rotated. It was a roar in her ears as it passed by, never touching her. She landed on her feet, and in one stride, hit him like a bomb. His body jerked and cracked as her claws pierced his chest, and still moving forward, she spun like a shot-putter and released, hurtling him as high and as far as she could. Rudolph let out a choked shriek, which quickly faded as he rocketed¡ªliterally rocketed¡ªhigher and higher into the air. He was heading toward the moon, and a stream of glittering red trailed behind him, growing shorter with each weakening heartbeat. He was still moving upward and outward as June landed back on the grass on the other side of the building and turned toward the other shooter¡¯s location. June knew it would be Dolph waiting for her. *** Sitting in the clearing, Brendan heard more gunshots, then a scream, and looked up through the clearing in the trees toward the sky just in time to see a dark shape streak across the moon¡¯s face, continuing upward. After the shape had disappeared in the darkness, it dawned on Brendan what he had seen: a man, or something like a man, flying so high he would eventually be a danger to airplanes in the area. The man was not flying like he was in control; he was twisting end-over-end like a rag doll. Brendan¡¯s eyes widened with wonder as his mind worked to figure out the kind of power needed to turn a man on the ground into an aircraft-threatening missile. So that was what ¡°they die¡± meant. His stomach twisted at the thought June had just killed someone. He told himself she¡¯d done it to protect him. And heroes did kill sometimes, right? When they absolutely had to? *** June knew exactly where Dolph lay hidden: to the side of the parking lot, beyond the fence on a small hillock. She saw his head pop up in the distance and their eyes met. In her first stride, June watched his face contort with fear. Then his expression changed into something stiff, like he knew death came for him and he intended to face it. Dolph hopped to his feet and dropped a rifle. He began to Shift. In her second stride, June covered almost twice the length she had in her last stride; she was really building up speed now. In her third stride, June leaped the fence and covered a vast distance in the air. She saw that Dolph was nearly done with his Shifting. In her fourth stride, she was on top of him. He had turned demon-badger just in time, holding up his claws and roaring. Not that it mattered¡ªthe force of her impact splintered his claws, his hands crumpled, and his arms bent back unnaturally as the bones in them shattered. June¡¯s paws caught him squarely in the chest. Dolph¡¯s roar died immediately as June¡¯s claws pierced him. Still gripping him while she continued her forward momentum, he was trampled and crushed before she shot upright, lifting him and spinning for her second shot-put attempt.Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Now June roared, and Dolph followed Rudolph into the sky, toward the moon, and eventually, on his descent, deep into the forest beyond the lab. He made no sound in the air, and red trailed behind him, too, occasionally shining in the moonlight. No one would ever hear from or see Dolph or Rudolph again. And no one, except perhaps Brendan, would know that June had set several world records that night: farthest shot put in history and farthest throw of a human being. To be fair, Dolph and Rudolph also set records as the human beings that were thrown¡ªor quasi-human, at least. June made a wide arc back toward the lab, easily hopped the fence again, and came to rest between two cars in the parking lot: Cordelia¡¯s Jeep and Dr. Langley¡¯s SUV. Sitting between the two vehicles, June heard a storm of creatures in the forest fleeing deeper into the woods after all the gunshots and roaring. Noises sounded from inside the lab, and as she focused and her ears revolved, she could make out two discrete voices. Just Dr. Langley to deal with now. The fierce, burning desire to kill showed no signs of dissipating. As such, June found herself not immediately returning to Brendan, but fighting to take control. It had felt incredible to have so much power coursing through her. It had felt even better to use that power to kill those who had tried to hurt her (and had indeed hurt Brendan). Her body, and a part of her mind, screamed to crash through the doors to the lab, find Dr. Langley, and unleash that very same power on her. But another part of her said to calm down, to breathe, to go back and check on Brendan to make sure he was still okay. In the end, June ran back to Brendan. She found him exactly where she had left him. And he had taken her advice, sort of, and was on his second Twinkie. ¡°I happened to see what looked like a man soaring past the moon. Would you know anything about that?¡± he asked. In spite of the fact Brendan¡ªher Brendan¡ªwas bleeding from a gunshot wound to his shoulder, and in spite of the blood of two men soaking her arms and chest, June could not stop a laugh from escaping her lips. Brendan gave her a comedic look of confusion as to what was so funny. She shrugged and said, ¡°It was Dolph and Rudolph. They wanted the fastest flight back to wherever they came from. I gave it to them.¡± They both laughed briefly until Brendan turned serious. ¡°You killed them,¡± he said, making eye contact before looking at his feet. June nodded. Brendan could say what he wanted about heroes not killing, but she wasn¡¯t a hero, this wasn¡¯t a book, and Dolph and Rudolph had been evil. She felt no remorse. ¡°I did.¡± Brendan moved his legs and scooted into a more upright position, wincing. ¡°It took you a while to get back here,¡± he said and looked into her eyes again. ¡°I was getting worried you weren¡¯t coming back for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll always come back for you,¡± June responded. An owl hooted in the distance, reminding her of Cordelia. She rooted through the backpack to see if any hot dogs were left and found one more package. She pulled it out, sliced it open, and realized Brendan was watching her. A cloud of shame darkened her mind, until she reminded herself of their conversation in Dr. Chase¡¯s kitchen. Still, she ate the hot dogs one at a time instead of inhaling them. ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± Brendan asked. June continued to devour hot dogs. ¡°What time is it?¡± ¡°11:45.¡± ¡°Then you continue to rest and stay here¡ª¡± Brendan¡¯s face tightened. ¡°Not happening. I want to be there when you confront your aunt. It¡¯s the super-hero against super-villain showdown, and you might need my help¡ª¡± ¡°Uh, no. You just got shot in the shoulder. I don¡¯t¡± ¡ªher voice wavered¡ª ¡°can¡¯t have you getting hurt again.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you now, June. The bleeding has practically stopped, and my shoulder feels much better, see?¡± He tried to move his arm and grimaced, but it did indeed move. ¡°And you need backup in there.¡± ¡°How are you going to back me up with a bum arm?¡± Brendan pulled a Twinkie out of his backpack¡ªwith his good arm¡ªand flung it straight ahead. It landed squarely on the large knot of a tree about twenty feet in front of him. ¡°See? I¡¯ve been practicing. Didn¡¯t you see me with the hot dogs at Dr. Chase¡¯s? I hit him square in the face. You need that kind of accuracy if things get dangerous.¡± ¡°Brendan¡­¡± June fought back a grin. ¡°Please. You can keep practicing your processed food throwing to pass the time¡ª¡± ¡°What about the Geiger counter?¡± June frowned as she considered his point. ¡°We know who the demon is. I¡¯m not that concerned about the serum anymore.¡± Brendan attempted to stand up, gritting his teeth. June started to help him, but he put his hand up in protest. ¡°Look, if you¡¯re scared, I understand, but you can either come with me, or I can throw these Twinkies by myself, so what¡¯ll it be?¡± June laughed despite her frustration. He had shown deadly accuracy when Dr. Chase surprised him in the basement. ¡°You are so stubborn.¡± She would never admit it, but she was pleased. June had not seen this side of Brendan before. Granted, she had never seen him with a gunshot wound in the shoulder before either. ¡°Are you good for one more ride?¡± she asked. ¡°We need to get to the lab quickly and finish this.¡± Brendan tested the range of motion of his injured arm and eyed June¡¯s neck. ¡°What if we power-walked together this time?¡± He stood and awkwardly fastened his pea-cloak around his shoulders again, covering the sweater secured over his wound. June smiled. ¡°Sure. We can do that. Twinkies must have under-appreciated healing powers.¡± Chapter 35 - The Confrontation ¡°Stay behind me once we get inside,¡± June said as they crossed the parking lot. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll protect you,¡± Brendan said, making a throwing motion with his good arm. June scowled at him. Reaching the front door, she could make out voices and noticed they were drifting in the air outside the building. Of course! June smacked her forehead with a paw. Cordelia¡¯s office was missing one of the windows now, and the voices were obviously coming from it. Why bother with the front door, which didn¡¯t open without a keycard and would require a noisy smashing, when she could just dash inside the building through a hole in the side of it? She held a claw to her lips to silence any further talk and rushed along the wall toward the opening, leaving Brendan to catch up. She heard more of the discussion coming from inside. June recognized Cordelia¡¯s normal voice and Dr. Langley¡¯s normal voice. Good, she thought. Everyone is still human. June paused just outside Cordelia¡¯s office. Plywood had been nailed over the hole where a window and its casing had once existed, before June used it as an emergency exit earlier that day. Still, the voices carried clearly, and she used them to pinpoint the exact locations of Cordelia and Dr. Langley. June¡¯s chest constricted. She couldn¡¯t hesitate or show weakness when the time came¡ªshe had to strike hard and fast, without mercy. What if it isn¡¯t her? a small voice whispered. She tried to swallow and could barely get the saliva through her constricted throat. ¡°It doesn¡¯t make sense, Cordelia¡ª¡± Dr. Langley said, and then before another word could come out of her mouth, June crashed through the plywood and slammed her against a wall. She pinned her with one paw to her throat (and most of her upper torso) and one claw extended, pressing directly on her jugular. June held her other paw in the air, all five claws extended to their full and terrifying length, ready to strike. A slow trickle of blood oozed down and collected at the top of Dr. Langley¡¯s collar, turning the blue into a brown. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of transforming or whatever you do¡ªmy claw will be in your throat before you can finish,¡± June growled. Dr. Langley¡¯s eyes tripled in size, the color drained from her face, and her legs wobbled. June found herself holding up Dr. Langley¡¯s weight. Good, June thought, she¡¯s afraid. She should be. She didn¡¯t have much time to ponder what that meant, however, as the nail on Dr. Langley¡¯s throat kept struggling to slide forward of its own accord. ¡°June!¡± Cordelia cried. ¡°Are you okay? The gunshots and noises outside¡ªwhat are you¡ªwhy on earth¡ª¡± Hearing Cordelia yell was reassuringly familiar, and June found herself immensely relieved that nothing bad had happened to her mom. Never removing her eyes from Dr. Langley¡¯s face, and forcing her claw to stay where it was, June said, ¡°I¡¯m saving you! Dr. Langley is a demon, a giant snake thing.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you, Aunt¡ªI mean, Dr. Langley?¡± she asked the woman she had loved like family. ¡°How could you?¡± she added, and then fought to stifle a sob building inside her with the same irresistible force as a sneeze. ¡°You thought you had us all fooled. Well, I¡¯m not some stupid little kid. Where is Mr. Moseley? Where is the vial?¡± The sob burst from her monstrous lips. In June¡¯s peripheral vision, she noticed that Cordelia¡¯s office had been cleaned and everything put back in its normal place, except for the missing window and Ralph the Sphinx statue. Cordelia walked to stand at Dr. Langley¡¯s side, rod-straight, arms crossed. ¡°JUNE! Violet is not a demon, and she has nothing to do with the vial or Mr. Moseley!¡± Brendan had finally climbed inside the office, panting. June risked a quick glance to make sure he hadn¡¯t injured himself. A lightning flash of guilt streaked through her. She shouldn¡¯t have allowed him to come, and then she¡¯d left him to climb through a shattered chunk of wall with only one arm. Despite his shortness of breath, Brendan had a triumphant look on his face. He held the Geiger counter aloft and waved it. ¡°June! The Geiger counter started beeping outside the first window we passed¡ª¡± His eyes made it to Cordelia¡¯s face and the Geiger counter dropped to his side. ¡°Hi Ms. Robinson,¡± he said meekly and looked to June. ¡°Brendan, my goodness, you¡¯re hurt!¡± Cordelia said. But before anyone could address that, Dr. Langley whimpered and Cordelia rounded on June again. ¡°June, let go of your aunt this instant! You¡¯re hurting her!¡± ¡°No. If I do, she¡¯ll strike.¡± ¡°PUT¡ªHER¡ªDOWN!¡± Habit kicked in when Cordelia used her mom voice. June let go before she realized what she was doing. ¡°Ugh!¡± she said in frustration, waving her giant paws in the air. But she kept her eyes glued on Dr. Langley, claws at the ready, just in case. Dr. Langley stumbled and rubbed her throat. A slow stream of tears ran down her face. ¡°I would¡ª¡± she started, but her voice wavered. ¡°I would never betray you and Cordelia, June.¡± ¡°Quiet!¡± June hissed. ¡°We¡¯ll get to you in a second. Mom, think about it. Remember the Burmese¡¯s tank had been left unlocked when we were investigating the lab area? Dr. Langley told it to open the door for her from the inside. It explains everything!¡±Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Cordelia pursed her lips. ¡°No scientist here was involved. I told you, I¡¯m not easily fooled.¡± She stepped toward Brendan and pulled at the sweater pressed to his shoulder, studying the wound underneath. ¡°The shooting outside was aimed at you?¡± ¡°Yeah, but they¡¯re gone now,¡± June said with more than a hint of satisfaction in her voice. ¡°What do you mean, gone?¡± Cordelia asked. A slight smile twisted June¡¯s mouth. ¡°Two men. Demons, I¡¯m pretty sure. I took care of them; this isn¡¯t my blood.¡± Cordelia seemed to finally notice the red streaks on June¡¯s fur and wavered for a moment. It looked like her knees might buckle, and Brendan winced as his injured shoulder became the crutch she used to steady herself. ¡°Oh June,¡± she said, and there was a haunted quality to her voice. ¡°I never wanted you to¡ªyou were supposed to be¡ªnormal.¡± ¡°What did you expect? They shot at us. Should I have asked them nicely to stop? Given them a friendly smile? Look at Brendan!¡± The sarcasm must¡¯ve punched through whatever had rattled Cordelia¡ªher eyes blazed now. ¡°Yes, look at poor Brendan, who you swore wouldn¡¯t find out about Shifting! You should have left this to me and stayed home!¡± ¡°Yeah, you¡¯ve done a great job so far!¡± June growled. ¡°I told you I would fix this, not you! You mess everything up! And who else could I trust? Not Aunt Violet¡ªI mean, Doctor¡ªoh forget it¡ªand certainly not you.¡± Cordelia flinched. ¡°Brendan helped me solve this mystery,¡± June continued. Brendan, at that moment, however, looked like he wanted nothing to do with being named as June¡¯s partner. He backed himself as far as possible into the corner of the room. June faced Aunt Violet. ¡°You may as well confess. Your henchmen are dead.¡± Aunt Violet tilted her head in confusion. ¡°Henchmen? You mean whoever shot at you? We didn¡¯t even know anyone was here until we heard the gunshots.¡± Dr. Langley looked genuinely surprised about the dead Dolph and Rudolph. June frowned and pressed on anyway. ¡°What about the secret at your house, then? Show her, Brendan!¡± Brendan hesitantly stepped out from the corner and started pulling out the snakeskin. ¡°My house?¡± Aunt Violet said, sounding confused. If she did turn out to be a demon, she was also a great actress. But then again, she would have to be to have come this far. ¡°June, listen to me¡ª¡± Cordelia started. ¡°No, Mom, look at it. It was under her bed.¡± Brendan finished pulling the black snakeskin out and held it up. Aunt Violet slumped against the wall, and her hand shot to her head. Cordelia frowned. ¡°What is that supposed to be?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a snakeskin, Cordelia,¡± Aunt Violet said. ¡°It¡¯s bigger than the Burmese could ever be. It¡¯s¡ªit would have to be¡ªmassive. But what are those edges to it?¡± ¡°Oh no,¡± Cordelia said, and her face turned green. ¡°No¡ªif that is¡ªthen that means¡ªno. We need to leave, right now.¡± She grabbed her keys from the desk and made to shoo everyone into the hallway. ¡°Let¡¯s go, all of you, to my Jeep.¡± But June didn¡¯t budge. The snakeskin had filled the room with the obvious smell of snake, sort of like wet dirt, and a bit of the hotdog scent wafted from the backpack, but another unpleasant odor drifted like a ghost in the air, faint and ethereal, but still foul. June wrinkled her nose in disgust as she tried to identify it. The snakeskin, held aloft, stood taller than Brendan, and June noticed for the first time that it had kinks in it. They were uniformly spaced. ¡°Brendan,¡± June said, ¡°did you fold the snakeskin neatly when you put it in your backpack?¡± ¡°Nope. I just balled it up and shoved it in. I think it flaked on our stuff though. Gross.¡± And then the identity of the phantom smell registered in her brain: mothballs. Even in her werecat form, June¡¯s stomach dropped and her heart fluttered. The snakeskin, at some point, had been neatly folded and stored in something about the length of¡­a duffel bag. June had seen a duffel bag earlier, and it had smelled strongly of mothballs. The way Dolph and Rudolph had behaved at Aunt Violet¡¯s house suddenly made sense. What had Dolph said about the robber? ¡°You certainly know the person who did it.¡± Then Dolph and Rudolph had been cut free even though someone had been left in charge of guarding them. Everything clicked into place in a flash. Even the need for a ¡°tanning chamber¡± that could hold five people (or one giant snake demon curled up) made sense now¡ªsnakes needed to soak up sunlight, after all. Someone had played her for a fool. Bile rose in her throat. But that also meant¡­ Relief flooded June and it felt like someone had removed a backpack filled with bricks from her shoulders. She turned to face Aunt Violet who, without the threat of a claw in her throat, looked at June with wonder, but not surprise. ¡°It¡¯s really not you,¡± June said softly. ¡°But you know about Shifting, don¡¯t you? That¡¯s why you¡¯re here right now.¡± Cordelia spoke up. ¡°Yes, Violet knows. When your eyes changed color, I knew that something with the serum had gone wrong. I needed her help. But we must leave, now!¡± June¡¯s whiskers twitched. She walked over and drew close to Aunt Violet, who flinched backward, but June wrapped her in a giant, furry hug. When June finally let go, tears were streaking from her eyes and wetting the fur along her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Aunt Violet. I just¡ªwith what we had found, we thought it had to be you, and¡­I almost¡­I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡± ¡°I forgive you, June. I love you and Cordelia. You¡¯re family to me.¡± She wiped her own tears away. ¡°And for the record, I can¡¯t talk to my snakes, although I wish I could.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t hearing me,¡± Cordelia shrieked. ¡°We need to get out now!¡± She grabbed Aunt Violet¡¯s hand and tugged on one of June¡¯s massive arms. She might as well have been pulling on a tree. ¡°You go, and you too, Aunt Violet,¡± June said. ¡°But I¡¯m staying and getting Mr. Moseley back. And then someone is going to pay.¡± Her claws slid out to emphasize her point. She had been so close to harming someone she loved¡ªthe thought made her nauseous. But it also made her furious. And the person who had nearly gotten her to hurt Aunt Violet had been so clever, so sneaky, so manipulative. She clenched her massive jaw. Dolph and Rudolph had been bad, and it had felt good to make sure they couldn¡¯t hurt anyone ever again. But they paled in comparison to the evil that had taken Mr. Moseley and the serum, the evil that had killed and devoured countless people to have grown so large that his skin could fill a hallway. Killing him would feel positively rewarding, and he should be walking in the door any minute now for the midnight deadline. June wouldn¡¯t have left the lab for all the money in the world at that moment. ¡°Not without you, June,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°You don¡¯t understand what the size of that skin means.¡± ¡°Yes, I do,¡± June argued. ¡°Now go and leave him to me.¡± Cordelia rocked her head to the side. ¡°Him?¡± she asked, obviously puzzled. But before June could elaborate, the front door of the lab slammed open. ¡°All of you, out the window now!¡± June growled before dashing into the hallway. Chapter 36 - The Revelation As June turned the corner, Dr. Chase stood in the entryway to the building. When he saw her, he waved and casually walked forward with his hands in his pockets, still dressed like a human Sharpie marker. But other things were different about him now. He seemed to walk taller, his shoulders straighter. He retained the face of a goblin however, and right now that goblin-like face wore a broad, smug smile. ¡°Oh, hello June,¡± he called down the hallway. His accent sounded different¡ªno longer British, but something that June couldn¡¯t place. South African? New Zealand, maybe? June heard several sets of feet approaching behind her and grimaced. Brendan stood at her elbow, while Cordelia and Aunt Violet stopped a few feet behind her. They should have fled. ¡°Well, it looks like everyone is here, together,¡± Dr. Chase said. ¡°One big, happy family. A tad surprising, but we can make that work.¡± He did a little scoot and hip thrust, almost like he was dancing. What a weirdo. He entered the hallway from the atrium and paused. ¡°Hartford? What are you doing here?¡± Cordelia called back. ¡°This may be our fault,¡± Brendan replied. ¡°He helped us, sort of. And he knows about June. Plus she ate all his meat.¡± ¡°It¡¯s him,¡± June said over her shoulder. ¡°Him what?¡± Brendan asked. ¡°I see only you have figured me out, June,¡± Dr. Chase called, grinning wickedly. ¡°I always knew you were clever. Oh well. The rest of you still don¡¯t know what to make of me, do you?¡± He slipped into his familiar British accent and stuttered, ¡°Oh dear, dear me, June, whatever shall we do? Oh, you ate all my meat! Oh, you¡¯re a monster!¡± He chuckled to himself. Never taking her eyes off Dr. Chase, June said, ¡°He¡¯s the demon!¡± Brendan exhaled sharply. ¡°There you go again with the outlandish statements, June. I told you at Violet¡¯s house that word is entirely uncalled for. Such a harsh term, isn¡¯t it? ¡°My house?¡± Aunt Violet said from behind June. ¡°Why were you at my house, Hartford?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t worry your pretty little head about that, Violet, you see, you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Give me Mr. Moseley!¡± June roared. Dr. Chase seemed entirely too unconcerned about her despite having seen what she could do to Dolph and Rudolph. Well, not everything that she could do to them, but still. Giant snake or not, he could underestimate her at his own risk. Dr. Chase strode to his office door and put a hand on his chest in a gesture of forgetfulness. ¡°Of course, you were so concerned about finding him. Where are my manners. You tell me where the research on the serum is located, and I¡¯ll tell you where to find Mr. Moseley.¡± ¡°No,¡± June snarled, ¡°you tell me where to find Mr. Moseley or I''ll kill you slowly.¡± She narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°I already killed your henchmen.¡± Dr. Chase gaped at her and then clutched his stomach with both hands, doubling over in laughter. When he raised his head again, his eyes glistened with moisture. ¡°Good heavens, I bet that made for a humorous sight. How I would have loved to be a fly on the wall. Those two muppets couldn¡¯t have found their own way out of a sack. Tell me, June, did you eat them?¡± He grinned devilishly. June hit the brick wall to her right with a fist; brick dust puffed into the air and the impact even vibrated through the tile floor. ¡°Now, now, no temper tantrums. Fine, Mr. Moseley is right here, at the lab, with us. As is the serum, in fact.¡± He straightened an arm palm up and wiggled his fingers in a give it to me gesture. ¡°And the research?¡± June paused and listened, straining her ears in every direction and hearing no one beyond the hallway. There couldn¡¯t be anyone else in the building. ¡°Liar!¡± she said. ¡°June, my goodness, why would you ever doubt my veracity?¡± June growled and took a step forward, then felt Cordelia grab her from behind. ¡°He¡¯s not lying, June,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°We need to run, right now.¡± ¡°Cordelia, look at you sticking up for me,¡± Dr. Chase said. ¡°It almost makes me regret what I have to do tonight. Almost. But even with, oh, seven meals in the last week, I still have plenty of room in the old belly to fit everybody if need be, and after that, I¡¯ll require quite the nap to aid digestion.¡± June had a sickening realization at the number seven, and nausea returned to her with a vengeance. Earlier that morning, the detective had listed six people who went missing. But another person had disappeared today. ¡°You ate Mr. Moseley,¡± she said and waited, hoping he would deny it. ¡°The police arrived so quickly, and I couldn¡¯t take my time to savor the meal¡ªI had to really gulp him down. Hurried eating is not just terrible manners; it also leads to a spot of gastrointestinal distress. I did tell you this morning that the day¡¯s events had my stomach in a bit of a twist, now didn¡¯t I? I spent most of the morning burping up the fellow.¡± June slouched and sucked in quick, shallow breaths. The hallway threatened to turn into a dark pit and pull her down. All this time, she¡¯d thought Mr. Moseley would be okay, that she could find him and rescue him. And Cordelia had been right from the very start. ¡°The research?¡± Dr. Chase prodded. ¡°I destroyed it,¡± June answered, still fighting against despair. Dr. Chase scowled. ¡°Choke on that, demon!¡± Brendan yelled. If June¡¯s eyes didn¡¯t deceive her, Dr. Chase¡¯s cheeks turned an angry red. ¡°Ah yes, the little lovesick sidekick,¡± he said with his eyes on Brendan. ¡°I¡¯ll be eating you first, though you look about as satisfying as iceberg lettuce.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the only one dying tonight, old chap!¡± Brendan called back. ¡°And I¡¯m going to rub all the buttons in your precious car with my feet!¡± Dr. Chase snorted angrily, while his comment about eating Brendan echoed through June¡¯s head. She had lost Mr. Moseley, but nothing on earth would take Brendan from her. Anger, red and frothing, coursed through her veins, overwhelming her grief. June stepped forward, extending her claws. ¡°Now you pay for what you did, Dr. Chase. I¡¯m going to¡ª¡± ¡°Now, June,¡± Dr. Chase interrupted, ¡°there is no need for that.¡± He held his hands up defensively. ¡°Mr. Moseley didn¡¯t suffer, if it¡¯s any consolation. I didn¡¯t mind the chap, as far as things went. And I truly meant it when I said you are exceptional. You¡¯re unlike any Shifter I¡¯ve encountered, and do you know why that is?¡± June angled her head, so Dr. Chase opened his mouth to continue. ¡°Stop it, Hartford,¡± Cordelia interrupted in a shrill voice. ¡°Cordelia, do yourself a favor and sit quietly for once. Let June hear for herself and decide what she wants to do with her life and her gift.¡± June perked up when he said ¡°gift.¡± Dr. Chase focused back on her. ¡°We¡¯re not so different, you and me. A Shifter transforms into a single species; they are never a conglomeration of different things. What species do you Shift into, exactly?¡± June glared at him. She still didn¡¯t know exactly what she was. ¡°Precisely. And another thing¡ªwould you mind holding up a claw for me?¡± ¡°With pleasure,¡± June answered, putting her paws in a position to strike, claws extended, and crouching so she could bound down the hallway at him. Dr. Chase sighed. ¡°June, I urge you to reconsider this misplaced hostility and let me finish. It would be a shame if I had to kill you. I really don¡¯t want to. I think the Grandfather would be extremely interested in you.¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. June paused. Who or what was the Grandfather? ¡°Simply put, your claws and teeth are too long for any feline species. Things about you are grotesque, June¡ªno offense meant, of course¡ªand I bet you have quite a struggle not killing everything you¡ª¡± ¡°Hartford!¡± Cordelia screamed. ¡°Stop!¡± ¡°This is the last time I will warn you not to interrupt me, Cordelia,¡± Dr. Chase hissed. ¡°June, I suspect that mother dearest has not really told you the truth about my kind. We¡¯ve been given many names and titles of honor throughout history, but it seems you¡¯ve only heard us described as demons. Such a hateful term, and I do not acknowledge it.¡± ¡°If the shoe fits,¡± June replied. ¡°Tsk, tsk, let¡¯s follow the logic about you to its conclusion, shall we? You are not a single animal species, your claws and teeth are horribly, unnaturally long, and you struggle with bloodlust, do you not? Therefore, you are not a Shifter, but you can transform. Hmm. You must be¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± Cordelia wailed. ¡°No!¡± Dr. Chase smiled. He seemed to genuinely enjoy the sound. ¡°I hypothesize¡±¡ªhe winked at June¡ª¡°that this serum you have been diligently searching for must have had some unintended effects. The answer to my question, why you are unlike any Shifter I¡¯ve encountered, is because dear old mum made you one of us, June. Welcome to the club.¡± June stood upright. Surely he couldn¡¯t be right. She did struggle to control her claws, but still. She didn¡¯t crave human flesh; she had never eaten a person. She wasn¡¯t hideous, like some kind of nightmare, was she? ¡°Oh yes, my dear,¡± Dr. Chase went on. ¡°You are one of us, June, as surely as if you¡¯d been granted some of Grandfather¡¯s blood and eaten your weight in school children. The puzzling thing to me in all this is why you¡¯ve been so panicked all week, Cordelia, searching for a mistake. I fail to see any errors here.¡± June didn¡¯t answer¡ªshe was looking at her claws as if seeing just how long they were for the first time. Cordelia whimpered behind her. ¡°How did an idiot like you find out about the serum in the first place?¡± Brendan yelled. ¡°Such impudence. I¡¯ll answer that question, for your sake, June, not for the boy¡¯s cheek. We¡¯ve had our eye on your mum since she was a girl. She comes from noble stock, after all, and we can¡¯t afford to ignore them. As she grew, you can imagine our curiosity at seeing her flee from The Flood¡±¡ªhe made a throat-clearing noise¡ª¡°Honestly, I can¡¯t hardly say that name with a straight face. Quite ridiculous. Anyway, our curiosity was piqued at seeing mother dearest surface again as a geneticist. It didn¡¯t take a rocket scientist to deduce she had a bit of hereditary remorse and had set out to do something about it.¡± Cordelia made a strangled groan, and June glanced back at her just as Dr. Chase laughed; it sounded very much like a ¡°Mwuahaha.¡± Brendan, eyes nearly popping out of his head at the sound, whispered to June, ¡°I told you bad guys laugh like that!¡± Leaning nonchalantly against the glass wall opposite his closed office door, Dr. Chase continued. ¡°Eventually, I decided to come here for a spell to see what exactly your mother was up to, since I am quite the brilliant mind in my own right¡ªI¡¯ve been studying the sciences for almost a thousand years, after all!¡± He waved a hand at her as if refusing a compliment. ¡°I know, I know, you don¡¯t even need to say it, I hardly look a day over thirty-five. But flattery aside, being here seemed quite a waste of my valuable time. All of Cordelia¡¯s research was perfectly ordinary. ¡°But then, just under a week ago, your mother came in like a haunted woman, talking to herself about eyes changing color, and she and Dr. Langley began to collaborate feverishly on something that very day. Imagine my great surprise at discovering that something was a serum she had given to you, and my great delight learning what it had done to you. My precious time had not been wasted here in Seven Falls after all, and once I had this serum and her research, I would gain something of infinite value¡ªthe ability to make more of my kind, at my own whim.¡± June raised her eyebrows. That¡¯s what this was all about? The murdered people, the robbery of the lab¡ªall so Dr. Chase could make more demons? Not if I kill him first, she thought, and compressed her lips in grim resolve. Dr. Chase misunderstood her facial expression for some kind of interest. ¡°You see, I¡¯ve been trying for hundreds of years to figure out how to create other demons without the Grandfather¡¯s involvement¡ªhe¡¯s far too slow and discriminating for my own tastes. But my progress was uneven at best, and you¡¯ve done me the favor of eliminating my last two embarrassing failures. ¡°Do you know, until this week, I had to travel to other towns, at a woefully inadequate rate, to get a good meal. But once it became apparent what your mum had done, the end of my mission was in sight, and I was free to begin feeding without restraint. This town has delicious residents, I must say, especially the children.¡± He paused, and June felt a wave of sorrow¡ªin a way, her eyes changing color had been the catalyst that resulted in at least seven people being murdered. ¡°Of courssse,¡± he continued in a mock-hissing voice, ¡°I had sssome help in making my dissscovery.¡± ¡°The snakes,¡± June growled. ¡°Yes, yes, the snakes! Very useful spies, and handy in a pinch to open locked doors from the inside.¡± Aunt Violet gasped, which elicited another smile from Dr. Chase. ¡°They¡¯re quite resourceful when given proper instructions,¡± he said. ¡°I might be biased, but I find snakes to be a truly superior species, don¡¯t you, Violet?¡± June stood as broadly as she could to cover the people behind her from Dr. Chase¡¯s view. His pulse beat steady¡ªhe really didn¡¯t fear her. It struck her that a day ago Michael Lark had underestimated her, to his detriment. That fight had seemed like such a monumental event, but now she¡¯d killed two demons and was preparing to fight a third. What a difference twenty-four hours could make. The thought of vengeance lifted one side of her mouth. ¡°What happens now?¡± June asked, to keep Dr. Chase talking. Behind her back, she motioned toward the door to the lab, hoping one of the three would take the hint and start moving to safety behind the shatterproof glass. Dr. Chase, presumably seeing her faint smile, beamed at her. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked, June. I knew you would be sensible. With that research gone, I think the most expedient path forward is to take your mum to a lab that I control so she can reproduce the serum under watchful eyes. As such, she¡¯ll be around as long as she remains useful. And as I said before, you have nothing to fear. I¡¯ll show you the ropes, take you under my protection. In time, I¡¯ll introduce you to the Grandfather, as I¡¯m sure he will take great interest in you¡ª¡± ¡°Who?¡± June cut in. ¡°The Grandfather.¡± June looked at him blankly. ¡°Haven¡¯t you been listening? Did your mother teach you nothing?¡± Dr. Chase put a hand to his forehead in exasperation. ¡°Really, I would expect more from you, Cordelia. Where to even start? He is the precursor to our race, a literal grandfather. He is as ancient as time itself. He fought wars before mankind formed from dust. Although he can be a bit prickly, that one, and you really have to watch your tongue with him.¡± He cupped his chin and examined Aunt Violet. ¡°As for Dr. Langley here, she might be useful in assisting your mother. She does love snakes, too, which is definitely a point of favor in my book. And having human familiars isn¡¯t unheard of.¡± Dr. Chase nodded briskly. ¡°Yes, I think I¡¯ll keep her around as my familiar.¡± June heard Aunt Violet¡¯s heart hammering inside her chest. ¡°And Brendan?¡± she asked, motioning and pointing to the lab behind her back again. She continued to make herself as large as possible to obscure them from Dr. Chase¡¯s view. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re trying to do over there, June? How conveniently you¡¯ve blocked everyone from my view? How your shoulder and arm twitch periodically while your hand is behind your back? That door won¡¯t keep me out.¡± June turned to face Brendan, Aunt Violet, and Cordelia. ¡°Get inside now! Lock and barricade the door¡ª¡± ¡°You can¡¯t fight him,¡± Cordelia pleaded. ¡°None of us can. We have to run.¡± ¡°She¡¯s quite right,¡± Dr. Chase called down the hallway. ¡°You can¡¯t fight him here,¡± June said. ¡°It¡¯s too confined. But I can. I¡¯m made for close range, and whatever snake-thing he is, I¡¯m faster. And we can¡¯t escape now¡ªhe¡¯d catch us before we could get everyone out. I have to fight¡ªit¡¯s our only chance of surviving.¡± Aunt Violet just stared at her. Brendan gave June a firm nod and his eyes sparkled. ¡°She¡¯s right, Ms. Robinson. June can do it. Trust her.¡± He gently took Aunt Violet by the elbow and steered her toward the lab door. Cordelia opened her mouth to protest, looked at June, and something changed in her expression. ¡°I can¡¯t stop you, can I?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Go for his heart, June,¡± she said, her eyes filling with tears. ¡°I¡¯ll protect Violet and Brendan.¡± Though the lab was just a dozen feet away, it felt like they moved at a snail¡¯s pace. June whipped back to face Dr. Chase. ¡°How very touching that all was,¡± he said, wiping at his eye as if he was crying. ¡°But June, fighting me means you are refusing my generous terms. I strongly urge you to reconsider.¡± ¡°What happens to Brendan?¡± June asked. ¡°He has to die, of course. We can¡¯t leave him alive to go yammering on about shapeshifting and such. But honestly, my dear, why do you even keep him around?¡± June fought back a snarl. He thought he could just kill Brendan and she¡¯d allow it? The fire inside her burned hotter. But she needed to keep him talking until everyone was inside the lab. ¡°He can be my familiar.¡± ¡°What? Oh my, that¡¯s rich,¡± Dr. Chase said and broke into a deep chuckle. ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t work that way, June.¡± The lab door clicked shut behind her. June exhaled. Now she could attack. Now she could kill. ¡°You see,¡± Dr. Chase droned on, ¡°I carry the title of the Fifth, June, which is quite an accomplishment considering how young I am. You, however, don¡¯t have any rank. Only the Elevated have the freedom to take a familiar.¡± June, in the process of dropping back down to all fours¡ªbetter for closing the distance between them¡ªpaused. Cordelia hadn¡¯t mentioned any kind of demon organizational structure. ¡°Did you say the elevator?¡± Dr. Chase¡¯s shoulders sagged, and he rubbed his temples like he had a headache. ¡°What in the eight levels of torment¡ªyou are the daughter of a Flood and you don¡¯t know? What has this woman been teaching, or rather not teaching, you? The Elevated, my dear, are the six most powerful of our kind.¡± ¡°Then if I killed you, would I become one of the Elated?¡± The jovial air left Dr. Chase and his eyebrows bent downward at a dangerous angle. ¡°You are talking disrespectfully about things that you do not understand, June, and you cannot possibly kill me. If you try, I will cripple you and make you watch while I eat the boy. His death will be slow and painful. Then I will dine on you.¡± June studied the hallway. Dr. Chase stood next to his door, and she was just past Cordelia¡¯s. Only a few hundred feet separated them. She could be at his throat in an instant. But then she heard the lab door open behind her. Why was someone coming back out? Dr. Chase shrugged. ¡°I see you are dead set on a poor choice. This is terribly unsatisfactory. I suppose you should really see what you¡¯re up against¡ª¡± ¡°Behind you! The police are here!¡± Brendan yelled at the top of his lungs, followed by quick footsteps, and then the door to the lab shut again. Dr. Chase didn¡¯t turn to look, and he didn¡¯t even move, except to leer at her. His eyes burned. ¡°Does that boy take me for a fool? Honestly. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, it¡¯s time you see what you are up against, June.¡± And with that, he exploded. Chapter 37 - The Battle At the far end of the wide hallway, amidst falling tatters of clothing, a giant, black, snake-like monstrosity swayed back and forth. His head hovered just a few feet below the drop-tile ceiling. He had to be at least one hundred feet long, and thick as a large tree trunk. Spikes jutted out from his head and ran down his back. He hissed, showing fangs the size of fire-pokers, and spread his hood. Now that is definitely a demon, June thought. Dr. Chase slid closer like quicksilver. Claws out, June tensed, ready to pounce. But about thirty feet away, he paused and didn¡¯t come within her striking range¡ªhe tilted his head back and an amber-tinged liquid shot from his mouth. He was quick, and without much room to dodge it, June held an arm in front of her face and her fur absorbed the spray. But where it reached June¡¯s skin, she felt it burn and realized what it was: venom. Great. She didn¡¯t have long to dwell on it as Dr. Chase fired another stream. June blocked it again, wincing as it burned parts of her arm a second time. With each spray, he moved slightly closer¡ªwith the next one, he would be within her reach. Dr. Chase closed the remaining distance in a blur. He struck toward her with his fangs now, but June slashed at his face, missing his eye by the breadth of a hair, keeping him at bay. He slid back with obvious frustration and struck again, but June leaned out of the way and lashed out. Her claws made contact with the snake¡¯s hood, slicing through it. He hissed fiercely and jolted to the side, slamming into the glass wall of the lab, which remained unharmed¡ªit really was tough. June used the chance to close the distance, aiming to stick her claws through his face. His tail¡ªbarbed with spikes¡ªwhipped around from behind his enormous coils and shot toward her. She ducked to the right and slashed, scraping through layers of scales. Dr. Chase hissed again, shot his head up, and sprayed the air. She leapt back, narrowly avoiding the liquid, which hit the wall. He slithered toward her, fangs bared. A quick snap of her jaws missed his throat but sent him scurrying back. June frantically looked for something¡ªanything¡ªto help her gain an advantage. Her slight edge in speed didn¡¯t matter much in this confined space, and she couldn¡¯t get close enough to rely on her strength. She eyed the drop-tile ceiling and doubted that jumping through it would serve much good, except as an escape route. But she couldn¡¯t escape when three people she loved were locked inside the lab. Dr. Chase slithered backward and lifted his head. June knew what was coming¡ªevery time he sprayed, he had to tilt his head back. At least briefly, he would lose sight of her. She jumped back to her left, preparing to spring forward to attack. She deftly avoided the spray and lunged. They nearly collided, claws against fangs, but each pulled back in a microsecond to avoid the other. Dr. Chase retreated while spraying an amber mist¡ªnot a stream this time¡ªinto the air. Well, that confirmed he could use his venom in multiple ways. This just keeps getting better. As June studied the situation, Dr. Chase¡¯s tail swung through the mist. In her attempt to avoid it, she crashed sideways into the glass of the lab (which still stood strong) and found herself staring at Aunt Violet¡¯s door, slightly ajar. Dr. Chase slithered away with unbelievable quickness, never taking his eyes off her, probably to create distance to spray and strike again. And when he tilted his head back, June used the momentary lapse in his vision to leap across the hallway and rip Aunt Violet¡¯s door off the hinges, clutching it firmly in front of her like a shield. By the time Dr. Chase snapped his head back down to strike, June was barreling toward him with the door like a battering ram. But he was clever, as most snakes are, and contorted his body upward to strike from above. June saw the way his snake body moved and realized what he planned. As she plowed into him, she lifted and angled the door to meet his rising motion. They collided right next to his office. The ceiling was shredded through as the giant snake¡¯s head was pushed into it, and glass, metal, and drywall crumbled as the upper portion of his enormous body was raked across broken light fixtures, bolts, bars, and metal studs. He hissed in pain and frustration and finally heaved his front end over the door to fall behind June, his massive length zipping alongside her to follow him. She narrowly avoided a slash from the barbed tail.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Now June found herself on the opposite side of the hallway, far from the door to the lab, with Dr. Chase in between. He raised up and bared his fangs in threat, and while June watched in horror, bloody gashes in his face from the ceiling stopped bleeding and closed up. In just seconds, all his injuries from the ceiling were gone. But not where she had sliced his hood¡ªthat gash remained. He can¡¯t heal from my claws, she thought. That means I¡¯m not a demon¡­right? June still held cracked remnants of the door, and blood dripped down her right forearm. She couldn¡¯t see an obvious wound, but one of his spikes must have cut her as he¡¯d passed. ¡°We¡¯re not done yet, my dear,¡± Dr. Chase hissed, then slithered toward her. *** Inside the lab, Brendan watched the battle through the glass as if frozen. He could barely keep up with the movements. June appeared to narrowly avoid attack after attack by Dr. Chase. He was fast¡ªmaybe even as fast as June. And he was able to keep her off balance with his spraying antics, which Brendan assumed had to be a venom of some kind. What an orc. After seeing June in action on several occasions, Brendan had started to believe her to be invincible. Now that belief was being melted away by the poison shimmering in the air around her. Brendan had felt powerless several times that night, but not once had he ever felt¡ªor dared fear¡ªthat June was powerless. But here he stood, watching the person who had been his life-raft so many times struggling to fend off death. Any concern for his own well-being evaporated. His throat and chest felt painfully tight, and he shut his mind to the encroaching thought that life without June might be a very real possibility. He had to help her. ¡°Can¡¯t you do something!¡± he yelled to Cordelia. ¡°I¡¯m not quick enough¡ªI¡¯ll only get in June¡¯s way,¡± Cordelia said, visibly pained. ¡°Maybe a chemical from the lab?¡± Violet offered. ¡°No,¡± Cordelia said. ¡°We¡¯d never get close enough.¡± Brendan threw up his hands in frustration. As he continued to watch, June ripped a door off the wall and charged down the hallway, and then in a haze of destruction, she and the snake-idiot were gone from view. All Brendan could see now was a red fire extinguisher still clipped to a section of wall that remained, somehow, untouched. His mind flashed back to Mrs. Hatcher and one of her lectures on snakes; she had written on the board snakes + cold = bad news. Were fire extinguishers cold? He¡¯d just have to find out. Without a word, and before Cordelia could stop him, he ran out of the door to the lab and into the hallway. *** June grimaced as venom hit her bloody forearm, expecting burning pain again. But to her surprise, there wasn¡¯t pain¡ªthere was nothing. Her arm instead felt cold and numb. Surprise gave way to panic, which clutched her stomach tightly. She flexed her hand¡ªit still worked, but it seemed ever-so-slightly slower to respond. She looked up, and Dr. Chase smiled at her with a snake grin that had to be straight from hell. ¡°You¡¯ve recognisssed it now,¡± Dr. Chase hissed. ¡°My venom has multiple usssesss, and now it¡¯sss beginning to affect you. Your arm isss slowing down, isssn¡¯t it?¡± His grin, already wide, grew impossibly wider and took up nearly all of his enormous, midnight-black face. ¡°It didn¡¯t have to be thisss way, June, but alasss, here we are.¡± June felt a fear like quicksand, gripping and grabbing and thick. But a part of her, still fierce, forced a growl out of her mouth. The growl grew in strength and built upon itself until it became a roar. Dr. Chase hesitated for a moment at the volume. June crouched. She had to act fast while her arm was still useful. She rushed at him, zigging and zagging to prevent a direct spray of venom. She slashed with her claws but was met by his bared fangs and whipping tail. They both avoided contact with the other. She backed up as Dr. Chase struck at her¡ªshe just barely managed to keep him at bay with her claws. She retreated into the atrium, which provided far more space than the confines of the hallway. Dr. Chase followed her into the larger area and whipped his tail at her from several different directions, which she repeatedly blocked with her left arm, though she suffered several cuts. June tried to slash at his tail with her right arm, but those swipes were moving noticeably slower. Time was running out. She needed to figure out a plan, quickly. She glanced upward; only scant auxiliary lights were on, and moonlight streamed into the atrium from the glass high above. High¡­above... As Dr. Chase lifted his head to spray venom at her, June leaped high up onto the wall and sank her claws into the brick to gain leverage. She pivoted, suspended for the briefest of moments dozens of feet from the ground, and then propelled herself down at him. With any luck, by the time he finished spraying, he would be too late to notice that June was plummeting toward him from above like a comet. Chapter 38 - A Hero and a Loss June hurtled downward at the giant snake, preparing to bite his throat. But she didn¡¯t realize the venom had begun to affect more than just her injured right arm. Her jaws moved, ready for blood, but Dr. Chase rolled sideways at blinding speed and countered with a bite of his own. She twisted and managed to prevent him from sinking his fangs into her, but his counter threw her off balance. Her claws found nothing, her jaws closed on nothing, and she crashed to the floor, landing on top of her already injured right arm. The certainty of her own death smashed down upon her, the quicksand fear filling her mouth and throat. The building vibrated at the impact and the floor shattered underneath her. Her vision blurred and she seemed to be looking down a dark tunnel, a tunnel that kept narrowing, toward Dr. Chase and the empty hallway. But the hallway wasn¡¯t empty, and what June saw lit a spark in her so hot that it set her blood on fire. Dr. Chase was upon her in a breath, pinning her with a thick section of his snake body, taking his time now, gloating. As he grinned down at her and reared up in preparation for the crippling bite, June did the only thing she could do¡ªshe roared at the top of her lungs. And the only thing Dr. Chase could possibly hear, as he opened his mouth to reveal his murderous fangs, was that roar. *** Brendan grabbed the fire extinguisher off the wall with his good arm. It was heavier than expected, and the pain in his shoulder made him wince. But he could see the fighting down the hall and noticed that the blur he knew as Dr. Chase was moving faster than June¡ªshe was no longer a blur in his vision, in fact. Adrenaline coursed through Brendan. His steps came faster and faster as he charged forward, pulling the pin on the extinguisher and gripping the trigger. As he neared the atrium, the ground beneath him shook and his stomach turned inside out. He stopped. June had rocketed to the ground, and the snake now hovered above her, beaming with arrogance, ignorant that Brendan approached. As Brendan gazed at June, once so powerful and now crumpled helplessly on the ground, he didn¡¯t see a werecat. He didn¡¯t see a monster. He saw June, as he had always known her: long dark hair, round eyes, pale skin. June. Something rose up in him violently¡ªsomething so overwhelmingly powerful that his fear, his panic, disappeared. The new feeling stood alone. Engulfed and overwhelmed by it, Brendan launched himself forward and raised the nozzle of the fire extinguisher. He didn¡¯t flinch as June roared¡ªall he heard in his mind was his own voice, but stronger and deeper somehow, screaming ¡°June!¡± Dr. Chase never heard him coming. Between his focus on June, and the volume of her roar so close to him, the running footfalls and the heavy breathing and the shout from Brendan went entirely unnoticed. Brendan fired the extinguisher and the blast of it hit the hell-spawn snake square in the face. For a moment, amidst the haze of the chemical spray, Brendan saw one of Dr. Chase¡¯s hideous eyes turn toward him. But despite that eye, and the seething hatred it contained, Brendan stood firm and continued shooting the fire extinguisher at the giant serpent in front of him. There was a whirl of scales, a screaming, a growling, a hiss, and then something wet splashed over Brendan just before what felt like a bus hit him and he flew backward. *** As soon as Brendan sprayed the extinguisher, June gritted her teeth and launched herself to her feet. Her right arm hung limp and useless at her side. Dr. Chase, disoriented and slowed from the blast, had turned and was spraying venom at Brendan, and in doing so, left his right side open to attack. White-hot fury powered her as she raised her left paw and lunged forward into the midst of the writhing snake. Claws extended, she swung as hard as she had ever tried to swing an arm in her life. It was a perfect and terrible stroke. Even with her movements slowed and her strength dulled, June¡¯s claws ripped straight through the extended hood of the snake head and continued on unimpeded, until they scraped over and into bone and still didn¡¯t stop. As Dr. Chase tried to pull his head back, June¡¯s claws, hooked into his face, continued their path of destruction, slicing through something much softer than bone. By the time Dr. Chase flew backward and away from her, June was soaked in blood that was not her own.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. An anguished hiss tore through the air. ¡°My eye!¡± Dr. Chase screamed, again and again. Gone was any hint of arrogance on his face¡ªthe right side of which was a red mass of deep, scoured ruts that resembled raw meat more than anything else. She had removed his right eye, leaving a ruined hole in its place. But his left eye, turned toward her now, glowed with pain and¡­panic? He spasmed and smashed into the far wall of the atrium, as far away from her as he could get, still hissing and screaming. Then he began to spray venom around him in every direction like a cloud, which mixed with the haze from the fire extinguisher. That side of the room filled with a glimmering reddish-gold, deceptively beautiful in the beams of moonlight slanting in from the atrium¡¯s glass. June pulled in a deep breath and readied herself to plunge through the mist for a last, deadly stroke. But something in her peripheral vision made her freeze: it lay amidst the rubble of drywall and metal in the hallway just past the atrium, shaking violently. That something was Brendan, coated in the amber venom and convulsing. June leaped to him. She desperately wanted to pick him up and hold him, but could she afford to tend to Brendan while Dr. Chase still lived and breathed? Her decision was made for her as two things occurred simultaneously: still screaming about his eye, Dr. Chase crashed through the front doors of the lab, leaving twisted metal wreckage in his wake, and disappeared into the parking lot, and Cordelia and Aunt Violet appeared in the destruction just behind Brendan, yelling out her name. ¡°Help him!¡± June pleaded. As soon as Cordelia reached Brendan, June turned and sprinted through what remained of the front doors. She had to kill Dr. Chase. But as she reached the parking lot, she saw him already far down into the grassy field and closing in on the forest in great haste. He wasn¡¯t laying out a trap¡ªhe was really and truly fleeing. Though a bit of feeling had returned to her right arm, could she really hope to pursue him into the forest in her condition? And what about Brendan? She ran back into the building and found Cordelia and Aunt Violet working feverishly over him. He had stopped convulsing and instead lay deathly still, his face waxy and unnatural. They had removed his pea-cloak, ripped open the rest of his hoodie and shirt, and were spraying him down with some kind of saline spray from the emergency kit. Venom had saturated the gunshot wound on his shoulder¡ªit must have circulated quickly. Cordelia started chest compressions while Aunt Violet readied the defibrillator paddles. June could only watch helplessly. As the adrenaline of the fight started to wear off, she began to shake. The defibrillator paddles finished charging and Aunt Violet zapped Brendan. He jerked violently, then went still again. Another jolt shook him, but he didn¡¯t breathe, he didn¡¯t move. Tears began to roll down June¡¯s cheeks. Aunt Violet threw the defibrillator paddles aside and started chest compressions again while Cordelia held a finger to his wrist. June knew from the look on her face that Brendan didn¡¯t have a pulse. There had to be something she could do. She crept closer and said his name, over and over again, hoping that wherever he was, he would hear her calling for him and come back. But he didn¡¯t answer her. He didn¡¯t even breathe. Of his exposed skin, the only thing that wasn¡¯t a deathly-white color were a few animal hairs, which looked a lot like dog hair. June felt like cruel, cold hands were squeezing her heart. As her eyes blurred with fresh tears, she noticed, for the first time, something clicking rapidly against the wall by Dr. Chase¡¯s office, covered in drywall dust. The Geiger counter. Brendan must have dropped it when he grabbed the fire extinguisher. And it was clicking wildly. ¡°Mom!¡± June shouted. ¡°Could the serum help Brendan?¡± Cordelia looked up. Her eyes followed June¡¯s gaze to the Geiger counter, then to Dr. Chase¡¯s office door. June raced in¡ªshe didn¡¯t need the Geiger counter to locate the source of the radiation. There, on the bookshelf, sat a large sculpture of a caduceus, with its twisting serpents. June had heard enough of Dr. Chase¡¯s snake comments and jokes to know if he had hidden the missing vial in his office, it would be inside a sculpture of snakes. Sure enough, when she smashed the caduceus on the floor, the missing vial lay in the remnants, glowing an almost neon green. It had been in the lab all along. June could have kicked herself. She rushed back to Cordelia. ¡°I don¡¯t know if this will have any effect¡ª¡± ¡°Just do it, Mom!¡± Cordelia grabbed a needle from the emergency kit, filled the syringe with the liquid from the vial, and plunged it deep into Brendan¡¯s chest. Aunt Violet grabbed June¡¯s paw and squeezed while Cordelia chanted something as the liquid entered Brendan¡¯s heart. Nothing happened. June slumped against the wall, watching and waiting. Cordelia shot to her feet and ran down the hallway. All sound faded until June heard nothing but a shrill, high-pitched buzzing. Her vision went black around the edges. Cordelia¡¯s face appeared in front of her. She was shaking June¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I called 9-1-1. They¡¯ll be here soon. You have to leave. Go back home and wait for me.¡± June didn¡¯t respond and instead turned to look at the lifeless body of Brendan. A sob rose from deep in her chest. Cordelia shook harder. ¡°Do you want him to save him? Then run, June. Run now!¡± Chapter 39 - Surprise June stood in a long, dark, brick hallway. Behind her the wall closed upon itself in a dead end. On the opposite end of the hallway stood Dr. Chase, monstrous and horrible. June, however, remained perfectly normal, wearing an ill-fitting, flower-covered dress and glasses. She tried to Shift, but nothing happened. Dr. Chase grinned wickedly at her and slithered closer, slowly, savoring the moment. June strained and struggled to Shift, without success. Her right arm hung limply at her side. She noticed Brendan now standing between them, frozen in fear. She tried to run to him, to put herself in front of him, but she moved like a sloth¡ªshe¡¯d never get there in time. ¡°I know what you are, you ssshowed me, remember?¡± Dr. Chase hissed. ¡°It won¡¯t matter, though. The boy isss mine.¡± Finally, June Shifted, though the transformation hurt immensely. But she could finally move forward with speed. Dr. Chase reached Brendan first, however, and when he opened his mouth, fire poured out and consumed Brendan. By the time June reached him, he was gone, just ashes, and Dr. Chase laughed cruelly. He fixed his vile snake eyes on her as he loomed above her and opened his mouth again. She tried to claw him, but her arms wouldn¡¯t move. June shot up in bed, her body coated in sweat and her sheets drenched. She took in her surroundings: the familiar glass-topped desk, the window seat, the plump, roly-poly shape of a cat by her feet that glared at her through one open eye. After several deep, sucking breaths, her heart stopped hammering in her ears and the tension in her body eased. June reminded herself it was just a nightmare. She clenched and unclenched her right fist, raised and lowered her right arm. It had fully healed after the fight¡ªin less than thirty minutes, in fact. Nothing remained to evidence that her injuries had ever existed, and if anything, her speed and reflexes had improved since that fateful night. What did remain, however, were the nightmares. In real life that snake face will be lined with gashes and maybe even missing an eye, she told herself. That, more than any breathing exercise, made her feel better. But deep down, a slow-burning fear reminded her that she had failed to remove Dr. Chase¡¯s heart, which meant he was still out in the world, somewhere. The clock on her nightstand read 5:17 a.m. There was no use trying to go back to sleep; she would need to get ready for school soon anyway, and today was a very special day. Four months to the day had passed since the Battle of the Laboratory Fields, as Brendan had dubbed it; June preferred the Battle of Labworts, but who can argue about names with someone wrapped up in bandages like a mummy because they saved your life? And today, Brendan would finally be back at school. She had only been able to see him a few times since he¡¯d been moved out of his months-long stay in the ICU. And those visits were brief. Heavily bandaged, he had limited mobility, and was oftentimes loopy due to the pain medications he had to take. On her last visit, he had been far more lucid, but his parents had been in the room too, so they couldn¡¯t talk freely. Speaking of Brendan¡¯s parents, they had handled things since the Battle of the Laboratory Fields pretty well, all things considered. Cordelia had insisted they needed to know the truth, and June liked Cordelia¡¯s newfound insistence on honesty. So, about a month ago, June and Cordelia had visited the Todorokis and told them what had happened¡ªeverything that had happened. The Todorokis didn¡¯t laugh in their faces or demand that June and Cordelia leave and go check in to a mental hospital. They just listened. Cordelia made it the whole way through the story and explained that it was a lot to tell them and a lot to ask of them. She assured Brendan¡¯s parents that they didn¡¯t face any danger now, as the monster responsible had been grievously injured and wouldn¡¯t return. June had looked sidelong at her, wishing she could be as certain of that. The Todorokis didn¡¯t have any questions, but they did ask to see June Shift, which she did under one of the more awkward circumstances she would ever face, which is saying a lot. She walked to the tiny guest bathroom, removed her clothing, and Shifted while struggling not to break anything. She wasn¡¯t successful, as a little vase shattered in the process. When she lumbered back to the living room, the Todorokis just stared at her with wide eyes and open mouths until Cordelia nodded to June that it was time to Shift back to human form. In the end, the Todorokis thanked June and Cordelia for protecting Brendan and saving his life. They pledged to keep the secret of Shifting safe. And then they asked if June could give them time alone with their son when he returned home from the hospital, which meant she couldn¡¯t contact or visit him. June obliged¡ªalthough it felt like torture¡ªso she hadn¡¯t seen or talked to Brendan in over a month. The Seven Falls authorities were surprisingly willing to chalk everything at the lab up to a terrorist group who had recruited Dr. Chase. Cordelia had ensured the camera system at the lab was destroyed and any video recordings gone with it, so there wasn¡¯t anything to counter her story. There were a lot of raised eyebrows when Cordelia explained how June and Brendan had snuck out to the lab to try to stop the terrorists themselves, resulting in Brendan¡¯s near-death experience. The evidence left at the scene did support the explanation, however: the military-grade rifles on the roof and in the field, the earlier break-in and theft, the extent of the destruction, the injuries to Brendan from said rifles, and a rare weaponized venom that wasn¡¯t used or studied at the lab but that appeared consistent with terrorist methods of weaponizing things. The police attributed all the missing people in Seven Falls to this terrorist ring and the town filled with various types of federal agents from numerous government agencies. Most of them, at one point or another, had staked out June¡¯s house, and so her time in the forest had been woefully infrequent. Dolph¡¯s and Rudolph¡¯s bodies were never recovered. June suspected scavengers of various sorts had taken care of their remains¡ªmaybe even the bear she had first fought so long ago. Likewise, Dr. Chase had seemingly vanished into thin air, his house abandoned, no trace of him left. Detective Abernathy had been unable to find any evidence that a Dr. Hartford Chase had ever existed. June had made sure to point this out to Cordelia whenever Cordelia insisted she was right about something. And with Cordelia committed to honesty, June had asked her whether she was, in fact, a demon, as Dr. Chase had claimed. Cordelia didn¡¯t fully know. At first, she¡¯d feared the serum had made June into a demon. But June also had some characteristics of a Shifter. So, while she wasn¡¯t a full demon, she wasn¡¯t a full Shifter, either. But Cordelia did reinforce several times that June should never eat people. And aside from that bit of stellar motherly advice, Cordelia dodged repeated attempts to fully resolve the issue, despite several arguments about it. In light of Cordelia¡¯s stonewalling, June tried not to think about the fact she checked the box on several demon traits. At least she knew why her body acted with a murderous mind of its own oftentimes, and that helped her to control it. And June had no desire to increase her own power or longevity¡ªat least not by eating people. She did train a lot when she could though, and she certainly didn¡¯t mind healing from injuries within minutes.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. All of which brought June to today. As she got up and dressed, she felt like a kid on Christmas Eve¡ªschool couldn¡¯t come fast enough. When Cordelia dropped her off, however, June was surprised to discover that she had a pit in her stomach and her excitement had morphed into something else. Something like worry. Her first few classes brought no sign of Brendan. As she closed her locker to head to science, she wondered if, after a month away, he even wanted to see her. Without drugs in his system, maybe Brendan even blamed her for what happened to him. She barely heard the whispered and not-so-whispered talk about her that swirled as she walked by. Insults had been replaced with rumors stemming from what happened at the lab, but the end result was the same: shunning, distance, and sometimes hostility. Jennifer Hammond yelled something at June, but despite her enhanced abilities, June did not hear her. June reached the science classroom at a near run, and her heart sank when she saw hers and Brendan¡¯s usual table was still empty. She dropped onto a stool like a deflated balloon on its last gasp. The disappointment stung her eyes, and she fought back tears. She leaned down to pull her science book out of her bag. When she looked back up, she almost fell out of her seat and blinked rapidly¡ªBrendan was standing right in front of her. ¡°Why the long face, June?¡± he asked with a twinkle in his eye. ¡°Brendan!¡± She hopped up and wrapped him in a hug. People hooted and someone yelled ¡°gross!¡± Sitting back down, she was unable to suppress one of the widest smiles her face had ever known. Brendan wore a navy hoodie, which said Blimey! Detectives across the front, a gift from June while he was recovering. But snaking out and up from his collar a few inches, and poking out under his left sleeve, were twisting scars¡ªthe venom had burned him like acid. Thankfully, his face was untouched. Still, the sight of the scarring made June¡¯s stomach hurt and her smile faded. She dropped her eyes. He wouldn¡¯t have those injuries if not for her. If Dr. Chase hadn¡¯t seen me Shifted at his house, he wouldn¡¯t have known what I was, he wouldn¡¯t have come to Aunt Violet¡¯s, he wouldn¡¯t have seen what I was capable of. Then he wouldn¡¯t have been so prepared for me, and Brendan wouldn¡¯t have almost died. In her mind, she had a brief glimpse of the nightmarish snake face that haunted her dreams. I should have fought harder, and then I wouldn¡¯t have needed Brendan to rescue me and get hurt. Brendan, watching her intently, must have read her thoughts. He sat down next to her and touched her shoulder. ¡°June, this isn¡¯t your fault. I made my own choices, and I would make them again. Plus, I received a surprise gift when I woke up in the hospital that I¡¯ll have to tell you about later. And it changes everything.¡± The playful, knowing look he gave her was unmistakable. June remembered her conversation with Brendan the day after her birthday. Her eyebrows shot up questioningly. ¡°Later,¡± he promised with a wink. ¡°I have a surprise for you too,¡± June said. ¡°I spent the last month reading The Lord of the Rings.¡± Now Brendan¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°...And?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°Not bad?¡± Brendan asked, playfulness infusing his words. ¡°Not bad? How about¡ª¡± ¡°Slightly better than mediocre,¡± June cut in and smirked. Brendan shook his head in mock disgust. ¡°Well, I had a lot of time on my hands recently too, and I may have read all of the Harry Potter books in the last month.¡± ¡°Brendan Todoroki! You didn¡¯t!¡± ¡°I did. They were marginally above average.¡± June narrowed her eyes at him. ¡°How dare you. Does ¡®marginally above average¡¯ get its own theme park? Plus, I saw you on that medication. I¡¯m not sure you could even understand the books.¡± She tried to suppress a laugh at his expression but failed. Despite the scars, Brendan looked good. Healthy, even¡­strong. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± she ventured. ¡°Great, actually. How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Stronger. I¡¯ve been doing a lot of training while you were gone.¡± She paused and swallowed a quickly forming lump in her throat. ¡°There are so many things I should have done differently. I should have stopped him long before you had to...¡± She looked down at the ground again, unable to maintain eye contact. ¡°To rescue you? June, look at me.¡± She looked up. ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®should¡¯ on yourself.¡± He grinned. She managed to roll her eyes despite the lingering shame. ¡°You have nothing to apologize for,¡± he continued. ¡°We¡¯re a team, remember? Considering how many times you rescued me, it¡¯s the least I could do. And who would have thought that goblin could spit venom?¡± ¡°Did I tell you he looked like a goblin?¡± she asked with surprise. ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°I always thought he looked like one too,¡± she replied. ¡°I guess great minds think alike.¡± ¡°Are you going soft on me now?¡± Brendan tapped the side of his head. ¡°You finally admitted I have a great mind.¡± June snickered, but before she could reply, Mrs. Hatcher walked in, ending the conversation. ¡°Welcome back, Brendan!¡± she said with a bright smile. ¡°You missed the rest of our section on snakes, unfortunately, but I¡¯ve no doubt you¡¯ll get caught up quickly.¡± Brendan and June gave each other a sideways glance. *** June finished paying for her lunch at the checkout counter. She had two plates of spaghetti and extra meatballs. Brendan had gone ahead to find a table. As she entered the cafeteria, she heard someone say, ¡°Welcome back, loser,¡± long before she saw the group surrounding Brendan. Luke Crane was standing directly in front of Brendan, his friends encircling him. Michael Lark had never returned to school after that fateful day June had chased him through the woods¡ªJune was certain Dr. Chase had eaten him and regretted that her actions had cost Michael his life. Accordingly, Luke had risen to claim the top of the bully pyramid and inherited Michael¡¯s henchmen. As June rushed toward the group, Luke poked Brendan hard in the chest. Rage boiled in June¡¯s stomach, and she thought about all the different ways she could hurt Luke. Quickening her pace, June reached the back of the circle and shouldered her way in, hard. Several boys went stumbling sideways. She stood next to Brendan now, scowling at Luke. ¡°You know, June, you move pretty quickly for someone of your size,¡± he said, to peals of laughter from those who hadn¡¯t been sent staggering away. ¡°Walk away now, Luke, and you don¡¯t have to get hurt,¡± Brendan said calmly and confidently. June smiled inwardly¡ªBrendan was still confident in her ability to protect him. Luke only laughed. ¡°Are you being serious? I¡¯ll give you credit, Brain-den, you¡¯ve gotten bold while going from crispy back to well-done in the hospital.¡± This was too much¡ªJune felt certain that steam was coming out of her ears now. It took tremendous restraint not to maul him then and there. She had to be careful, though, not to do anything that would stand out too much. If he tried to punch Brendan, perhaps she could snap his arm in half and make it look accidental. ¡°Clever.¡± Brendan chuckled. ¡°Walk away Luke. Last chance.¡± June whispered sideways. ¡°I¡¯ll take it from¡ª¡± ¡°Or what?¡± Luke shouted as he lunged for Brendan¡¯s lunch tray. June saw her moment to strike¡ªin a blink she could slam Luke headfirst to the ground. Brendan would be untouched; Luke would have a minor concussion. But before she could act, Brendan was already moving. His speed stunned her and she froze. Luke suddenly found himself stepping toward no one. Before he could adjust, Brendan had extended his foot, and Luke¡¯s momentum carried him over the foot and down to the ground face-first. He moaned in pain. The rest of the group around them gaped at Luke in confusion. Mr. Walker, the math teacher, finally noticed the scrum from the other side of the cafeteria and approached, yelling, ¡°What¡¯s going on over there! Break it up!¡± June gawked at Brendan, her mouth hanging open. He had moved fast¡ªinhumanly fast. He caught her stare and winked at her. ¡°Surprise!¡± he said and then nodded before she could even ask the question. ¡°But you¡­you aren¡¯t¡­how?¡± ¡°I know right! I realized it when I got home from the hospital. Talk about a shock.¡± June stared at him as her mind whirled. ¡°Do you Shift?¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Wait until you see me. We¡¯re going to be a superhero pair!¡± Then he flushed. ¡°I mean, not like a couple-type pair, just, like, er, partners, I mean, you know, friends.¡± June beamed at him. Maybe they could find a few more scorpions that needed squishing, and there was almost certainly a snake out in the world that needed to be dealt with too.