I lead Nic over to a garden of sorts that the temple has. There's a fountain in the middle that I find myself drawn to. I gaze up at the sculpture while listening to Nic.
”Oui. Ma famille est originaire d'Écosse. Notre magie est liée à la terre. Je suis plus fort quand je suis en Écosse, mais je m'en sort ailleurs.” I pause, willing to go over words are translate things if Nic doesn't quite understand everything I've said
My family originated in Scotland. Our magic is tied to the land there. I'm stronger when I'm in Scotland, but I make due elsewhere.
Caden
Location: Chicago Werewolf Pack Compound – Chicago, IL Skills: Fit
I grin as I talk. ”Nero, are you worried about me?” I find it positively adorable if they are.
They ask about the wolves and I sigh. ”It went as well as could be expected. Levi thinks he owns the world he walks on. I reminded him that he doesn't,” I say. Avery snorts beside me, interrupting me and I look at him.
”What? Reminded was the least of what you did.”
”Yes, well. I have a feeling it won't be the last we hear from them unfortunately.” I have this tickle in the back of my brain that tells me I'm right.
My free hand twitches as I try to imagine the words in front of me as I translate them for myself. Most of the words I can catch without mental gymnastics, but I repeat what Cass said in my head a couple of times before I respond.
“Eh bien, nous devrions... certainement nous rendre visite ensemble.” I say with a grin, watching her face as she focuses on the statue.
“Y a-t-il quelque chose dans la fontaine?” I follow her gaze, squinting my eyes to try and see something hidden as if I could.
Well then, we should… definitely visit together // Is there something in the fountain?
“N-no! I’m just… shut up.” I feel my face flush at his tone and I’m glad he can’t see me right now. I’m even more grateful when the conversation shifts.
I hear Avery snort near Caden’s phone at his simple explanation of what happened. “Well, I guess we’ll keep an eye on the little pups, but from what Kiki said, it sounded like they deserved to lose an extra appendage. Good thing we’re all pretty strong, so it shouldn’t be a problem.” I try on a pair of black Mary Jane’s that Kiki had brought over.
I let go of Nic's hand and rest a hand on the stone. A vision flashes across my mind and I gasp, pulling my hand back. Thankfully, this new information makes it easy for me to ignore Nic's idea to visit Scotland. I don't think I'll ever be able to go home. Well, what's left of it.
I pull a couple of items from my bag and glance around. We're alone for the moment but I won't be for long.
”Entrez dans la fontaine,” I say excitedly. I pull him along. The fountain soaks my pant legs and the spray hits my shirt but I hardly notice.
Once Nic is in the fountain I mumble some words in Gaelic. A wall wraps around us. It shimmers like tiny rainbows, but from the outside the fountain looks the same and untouched. No one will see us.
”I think this fountain originated from India,” I explained to Nic. I walked around and waved my hand. The water slowed, so we weren't being sprayed and I could get closer. [color=#DB7093]”Mmm, see this symbol here? It's [I]Vata[/]. A holy tree that connects all life and the spiritual world. That would explain the vision and the connection to India.”[/color] I say in fascination.
I pull my hand back and take in the statue again. There were further symbols of representation specifically for fertility. Which made sense with it being a fountain. Water and fire were traditional in most cultures for fertility and purity. I find myself blushing and I turn around.
A group of people have walked into the space to see and admire the fountain. I smile as we continue to be ignored, like we aren't even there. Which to them, we aren't.
”Give me a minute to see if there is a massage needed,” I tell Nic. I place one hand over the Vata and keep my other hand open and shut my eyes to focus.
I don’t have time to question why we’re getting in the fountain before I’m pulled in by Cass. My mouth pops open in awe and my eyes aren’t wide enough for me to feel like I can see everything happening. I start to reach out to the wall of magic, but stop myself when others enter the area. I try to duck before I realize the wall is probably the illusion Cass had mentioned earlier to hide us from others. The small family pass by, admiring the fountain before moving along.
”They really can’t see us,” I whisper before turning to look at Cass as she explains some of the symbols on the fountain. She really is incredible. I would stay all day in this fountain with her if it was necessary.
My ears are reddening as I listen to Caden laughing and I bite my lip as I hold my tongue until he shifts back to German. “Ohne zu zögern.” I say almost immediately before I realize Caden is probably teasing me. I debate silently with myself if I want to retract the statement, but ultimately decide to leave it as is. The answer itself is true.
Kiki looks over the shoes I’ve tried on so far and instructs the sales lady following us which ones we’re buying and which ones we aren’t. I’m worried I’ll have to use the other bedroom’s closet at this rate. “Hast du Kiki ein Limit gegeben, denn ich bin mir ziemlich sicher, dass sie es überschritten hat.” Not to mention this is only the first store.
Without hesitation // Did you give a limit to Kiki because I’m pretty sure she’s passed it
I get visions in rapid succession. All of them look to be from India and all feature this woman. From the changing landscapes around her, she must be rather old. However, I can't determine how old or if she is a god or not, but she is tied to this fountain somehow.
I start to see images of India and other temples, then I see trees, hundreds of them uprooted. I shock my body and I stumble back into Nic. The connection with the Vata symbol breaks and I look at my hand. The image of the tree has been seared into my hand but it doesn't look the same as the one on the fountain. The tree is no longer rooted.
I frown and look from my hand to the fountain.
”Cette fontaine a perdu son lien avec l'Inde,” I tell Nic.
Nero's adamant statement brings a smile to my face. I'm the same way when it comes to them so their possessiveness to the point of violence doesn't deter me.
”Good,” I respond, assuring them that their more violent nature doesn't discourage me.
We are near the location and I tell Avery to park, so we can split up. ”Ah, no. I gave her the card with no limit. If you need a break just tell her. She gets excited easily when given a mission.”
I wrap my arms securely around Cass when she stumbles back into me, worry creasing my brow almost immediately. I know she’s still speaking in French for my benefit, but I’m gently grabbing her wrist to look at the seared image in her hand. “Are you okay??” I ask, glancing between her and the fountain as I process what she said in French.
“Is that bad? The lost in connection?” I’m unzipping my sling back, and grabbing antibiotic ointment and gauze from the mini first aid kit I have on me. I would have her dunk her hand in the cool water we’re standing in, but I don’t know how clean it is.
I grin stupidly at Caden’s response to my violence before I calm my face down. “I can definitely see that now.” I say, watching Kiki direct where to take the purchased goods.
I'm still frowning at the fountain even though Nic starts to fuss over me. Why was it that the spirits never told you why a thing was the way it was or how to fix it? I hear a bag zipping and pull my attention away. My eyes widened as Nic started to dig into his first aid kit.
”Nic….Nic,” I still his hands with my unburned hand and shake my head. ”I'm fine. It's already fading, see?” I hold the palm that had been seared out to show him. Already the angry red lines are receding. ”Magic likes to leave marks as warnings. The stone Vata remains the same, but the one on my hand was different, telling me something is wrong. This fountain, and therefore the temple, is losing its connection to the homeland. Something must have been removed or they aren't practising properly anymore,” I speculate.
”Nur für den Moment. Schreib mir weiterhin eine SMS. Ich mag es zu sehen, wie dein Tag verläuft.” I say. ”Ich werde Sie bald sehen,” I add before hanging up.
Only for now. Keep texting me. I like seeing how your day is going.// I'll see you soon.
I grab her hand against, watching the burn fade right before my eyes. I let out of the breath I didn’t know I was holding, relief flooding over me. “Does it go away on its own or did you heal yourself?” I flip her hand over and back just to make sure there isn’t something permanent.
“So would we want to try and speak to some of the worshippers here?” I ask after processing the next thing she said. I zip back up my bag, happy that she isn’t hurt but also very wary of what could happen next.
“Pass auf dich auf, ich liebe dich.” I manage to say quickly before Caden hangs up the phone. Kiki is at the front of the store, motioning for me to follow. I pull out my phone and send the text with what I said, just in case it didn’t pick up.
I smile at his worry. ”It went away on its own. It was just the spirits’ way of connecting and passing on a message. Unless the spirit is malevolent, those marks never linger.” I’m now debating if I should tell him about the time they tried to burn me alive, not to mention all the other times I’ve been stabbed, tied up, and beaten. I refrain for now and rest my now-healed hand on his cheek.
”Don’t worry about me, Nic. Do I need to send you pictures of me on the hour with today’s paper and the correct time, too?”
I look around, waiting for the people in the area to leave before I let the spell concealing us fall. I wade over to the edge of the fountain and step out. The pressure in the fountain goes back to normal. My pants and shoes are soaked, along with Nic’s and I debate on how to dry us off.
”We should talk to some of the people who frequent the temple. See if something has changed recently,” I agree.
When Nero tells me they love me, I wish I had done the same. I wasn’t sure they wanted to while they were with Kimiko since she also knew German. I open my phone to text them, but their message comes through first. I smile and tell them I love them and to have fun.
I set my phone away and looked at Avery. ”Do you want to drive and try and pick someone up, or do you want me to?”
Avery Zain
Location: Aston Martin —> Street – Chicago, IL Skills: Fit
”You can,” I say immediately. I know he’s going to make me do something else, but I really don’t want to play a character. I hate doing that.
Caden chuckles but nods. We get out of the car and switch. ”Give me ten minutes, and then you can walk in. I’d suggest saying you are looking for someone. Give the description we got last night. Someone will likely know where they are. I’ll try to get what information I can.”
I nod and watch Caden drive away. I run a hand over my head and tug on my shirt's collars, counting down the seconds until I can start moving.
My ears burn when she asks if she needs to do the same as my dad and I purse my lips, reminding myself that she’s not fragile. “You’re a lot more capable of taking care of yourself than my father, so no, I won’t make you do that.” The magical wall comes down and we step out of the fountain, soaked at the bottom of our clothes.
“Do we want to wait for our clothes to dry off a bit first?” I ask as I kneel down to try and wring water out of my pants.
I grin happily when Caden texts me back and skip after Kiki as we go to the next shop she insists on, a little too lovestruck to worry about where we’re going next. I take a selfie from behind Kiki as I follow her and send it to Caden with a funny face.
The next store we go into seems to be garnered more towards basics and Kiki is already hard at work finding clothes for me. A lot of them seem to just be t-shirts, shorts, socks, etc, but I blush when a sales lady appears to take me into the back to take bra measurements.
I focus heavily on the task at hand, determined not to think about what I overheard. It seems way too fast for that, but this isn’t my relationship. I do manage to get a little video of Nero skipping down the sidewalk with a big grin for Caden though.
I dig through my bag until I find some matches. ”Here, I have an idea.” I take Nic’s hand and walk us off the path and into the trees so we are out of the way. I find a stump and direct Nic to put one foot up on the stump. I break a match in my hand before I speak an incantation in Latin.
”Les lames colligo. Ad me gluttuli.” I run my hands down Nic’s leg several times, repeating the incantation. The water from his pants gets pulled out and soaks into the ground under us. I do this repeatedly, breaking and lighting matches periodically as a sort of offering and to give me something to draw power from, so I’m not pulling from myself.
Eventually, I finish and pull a bottle of water from my bag; I drink most of the contents. ”Okay. It’s not perfect, but at least we won’t be tracking water everywhere.” Our pants and shoes are still damp but are no longer soaking wet.
Caden
Location: Car —> Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills: Fit
The supernatural district of Chicago could be compared to the South Side. It was a place no one sane would go. The treaty was still in place here, but if a human wandered in, there was a good chance they wouldn’t get to wander out.
I drive down the street slowly, looking for the right corner. A few men and women linger along this street and I turn down the proper road and park. A man approached me first, and I politely turned them down, expressing my interest in another ‘flavour’ this time. A woman quickly replaced them, and I let her into the car before driving away.
I drive us around the corner and onto another street before I park. Immediately, she is telling me how much I can get and for what before she starts putting her hands on me. ”I’ll give you five hundred dollars not to touch me and another five hundred to answer my questions.” She stares at me in disbelief. I pulled out my wallet and fanned out ten one-hundred-dollar bills. She holds her hand out for the first five and lets me ask all the questions I want.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, but I can't answer it this time. Unfortunately, Nero will have to wait.
Avery Zain
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills: Fit
I wait ten minutes like Caden asked before walking to the district. I stand out, but not nearly as much as Caden in the Aston. I walk up and down the street, scanning faces and sizing people up. There were vampires and djinn, demons, ghouls, and several other species. It was like being at the club all over again.
I remain focused on my task though, looking for something that meets Mage’s description. I’m coming up empty, though, so I start asking others if they have seen whom I’m looking for. It takes a while, and I feel ready to give up. I'm sure an hour has passed, but I eventually get lucky when someone approaches me.
Of course, I am on my guard when they have me follow them, and they point out a building the girl might be in. I look up at it, frowning. I thank the person and give them a couple hundred dollars, courtesy of Caden, and approach the building. I pull out my phone and call Caden.
I watch in amazement, yet again, as Cass manages to get our clothes less sopping wet.“Much less conspicuous now at least.” I say with a nod as I watch her chug water down. “Are you going to be okay?”
I know she’s told me her magic comes from the earth, but I still want to make sure she’s not overdoing it or anything. And I know I have no right to worry, this woman has at least 270 years on me if not more and has done just fine so far in her life, but it’s second nature for me to be concerned.
“Should I start having towels on me now?” I joke, trying not to start going nurse mode all over again with her.
”I think it’s official - you now have an entire wardrobe.” Kiki tells me with a nod, proud of her work apparently. The back of the SUV is packed with boxes and bags. I should have told her to stop way earlier. I know Caden is stupid rich, but this seems like it might be too much.
Although, i remind myself that the man had asked me to move in with him. Getting in the car I fidget anxiously, debating if I want to open up to someone else about it. I stare out the window instead, getting lost in my own thoughts as Kiki drives us back to Cadens.
“Penny for your thoughts?” I hear Kiki say and I turn to face her. If there is ever a time to start believing in ‘signs’, now would be it I guess,
With a sigh, I run my fingers through my short hair as I explain to her what Caden had suggested. I’ve barely been to my own place since meeting Caden, so what is there to debate even? Kiki listens silently as I ramble on about it, her face not giving any emotion away.
Nic is still fussing over me, and I smile softly. I look at him, really look at him, and I can see genuine concern in every part of his body. He’s leaning towards me; his shoulders are tight, and his eyes are searching. I tuck my water bottle away and close the gap between us. The trees conceal us for now, and I place my hands on his arms.
His concern is endearing, and although I don’t want him to worry about me, I can see that I won’t be able to convince him otherwise. It is a part of his nature to care for others, and I’m lucky enough to have been pulled into that circle of care.
It makes me nervous, and I still want to push Nic away. I'm worried for his own safety, but I don’t think Nic is going to let me go that easily. I find myself not wanting him to let me go. I want to try to make this work. I want to care about someone else again. I want the butterflies in my stomach and the burning, electric feeling across my skin when he touches or looks at me a certain way. I want to fall asleep with the sensation of his lips on mine or hands on me still lingering even hours after we’ve seen each other.
I want Nic, which terrifies me because what if he doesn’t want me after he really knows what I can do and how I got my power? Everything comes with a price, and although I was trained to take over as matron and knew what I needed to do, it didn’t make the idea less barbaric. It didn’t make me turning my back on my family less devastating when I lost them all because of it. Still, I want to try with Nic.
I squeeze Nic’s arms, smiling at him. ”I’m okay. The hour drive home will be a good break for me.” I huff a laugh when he asks if he needs to carry towels on him. ”I don’t make climbing into fountains a habit.”
Caden
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
My phone starts to buzz consistently, letting me know I have a phone call. I apologize to the woman I am talking to before I pick up my phone. ”What is it?” Avery gives me the location of a building to meet him, and I hang up the phone. I cross-reference the building with the woman, and she nods.
It’s a building that used to be abandoned, but the community managed to make it livable. It was usually reserved for families and those who needed it more. If this person lived there, it was likely because she was living with someone else or removed that person.
I give my informant the rest of the money I promised her before dropping her back off. I speed away to meet back up with Avery. I park across the street from the building and get out.
It looks to be in decent shape, but that didn’t mean the conditions on the inside were manageable. After assessing the outside of the building, I pull my phone out again. I smile, shaking my head at the silly selfie Nero took before I watched the video Kiki sent me. I rewatched this a couple more times before responding.
The strangest demon you ever did see.
And it was true. Nero was a paradox. Their having such a bubbly, teenage-like personality did not make sense with the dark demon persona the world had come to know. I found it endearing and charming. I found it irresistible.
I take a picture of myself with Avery frowning at the building in the background. I point over my shoulder at Avery with a shrug before I snap the photo and send it to Nero with the caption: ‘Can’t get this one to relax.’
”Je ne suis pas mannequin,” he declares. I laugh and put my phone away.
”Maybe you should be. You have the whole brooding thing going for you.” Avery looks at me, frowning more. ”Keep that up and you’re going to get lines,” I tease.
I walk back to the boot of my car and open up the secret compartment. Still frowning, Avery follows me and looks inside. ”Do you have any idea what we are dealing with?” he asks.
”I got it narrowed down to a Siren, Rugaru, or Lamia. From the description and behaviours, I’m thinking Siren or Lamia. Both are women or creatures that can appear as the intended victim’s ideal woman and lure them to their death. Lamia, however, can turn into animal-like creatures and tear into the flesh of its victims, remove their hearts, and drain their blood.”
I pull out a blessed silver knife along with two concoctions of rosemary and salt. I hand one to Avery and pocket the other with the silver knife.
I am not a model.
Avery Zain
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
I look over the items Caden pulls from his trunk and surmise this is how you kill a Lamia. ”And if it’s a Siren?”
Caden looks back at the building and shrugs. ”Brute strength, and don’t let it stick its tongue down your throat.” He closes the trunk, smiling at me, and I shake my head.
I look down at her when she squeezes my arm, still concerned but I feel it start to dissipate. I smile warmly before I pull her into a hug. “I’m sorry, it’s going to take a minute before I don’t go full nurse mode on you anytime you’re hurt or in trouble. I have to remind myself that you’re not some fragile doll I need to take care of. I’ll work on it, I promise.” I close my eyes and lean my head on hers, inhaling the scent of her hair as I remind myself to relax.
“But if I start annoying you, you have full permission to smack me.” I say teasingly. If she actually hurt me, both of us can help it heal. I smile to myself, thinking of the irony of someone in the medical field dating someone who can use magic to heal.
I listen to Nero as they talk, still surprised and a little confused by Caden’s behavior. His text message was accurate though - this little imp was not like other demons. When Nero says they’ve been trying to regain their humanity, I raise my eyebrows in surprise, but ultimately realize that this makes sense with their demeanor.
“So, what’s holding you back? Just that other demons will find out and what - judge you for it or something? Or that they might hurt him?” I glance over to see Nero fidget and shift their weight in their seat. Granted, I could understand being worried about Caden’s safety, but also the man was pretty indestructible. “Caden’s a big boy, he’s been taking care of himself for centuries now, after all.” I say bluntly as I turn my focus back to the road.
Nero rolls their eyes as they cross their arms over their chest, slightly pouting as they turn to look out the window again. “It’s not that simple.” They mumble.
“Then tell me. The only other people you’d get solid advice about Caden from are Cassi, Henry, or Avery.” I see them scrunch their nose at the mention of Cassi and I smirk, dying to know what caused a reaction like that, but otherwise ignoring it for now. I turn down the street to their townhome, Nero having insisted earlier that they wanted to grab their cats at the very least.
When I pull up, I can see demons meandering on the plot. Nero hops out and tells me to stay in the car before they run up to the others and head inside. They don’t seem confused by Nero’s appearance or their eccentric behavior - in fact they seem to treat Nero as some kind of boss. Who exactly is this demon?
Nero reappears with a black cat and a white cat in each arm and a tote full of what I can only assume to be things for the cats. They set the bag in the back seat before climbing back into the passenger’s seat, still holding the mewing cats.
I smile as Nic holds me. I let my eyes close and wiggle in closer to Nic. ”I won’t smack you. I’ll just give you an aggressive jab in the stomach,” I say. I take a moment to breathe in Nic’s scent before I pull back and look at him.
”I don’t mind you worrying about me or trying to heal me, but I do a lot of this kind of thing. Sometimes with Caden, sometimes on my own.” I rest my hand on his cheek, my eyes drifting to his lips before looking into his eyes again. ”I promise to let you know if something happens to the point of needing medical attention. Deal?”
Avery Zain
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
We head inside the building and split up to cover more ground. I move up to the second floor while Caden searches the ground floor. I sniff the air, looking for that blasted perfume.
I climb the stairs to the third and then to the fourth floor. This building only has five floors. If we don’t find this thing, we might have to come back. As soon as I enter the third floor, I can smell the perfume. Why didn’t I grab the silver knife? I uncork the rosemary and salt as I walk down the hallway.
I knock on doors and open the ones that are unlocked, searching as far into each apartment as I dare before reentering the hallway. I’m about to knock on the third last door when the hair on the back of my neck starts to stand on end. My hands twitch, and I turn around in time to see a medium-sized animal launching itself at me. I toss the salt and rosemary at it, and it screeches before diving to the side.
”Caden! A blessed silver knife would be really great right now!” I yell. The creature shakes off the attack and comes back at me. I loosen my stance and go to grab and throw it, but it barrels into me and knocks me to the ground. Lamia are apparently inhumanly strong.
I grunt as I struggle to keep the snapping jaws and claws away from my face. I can feel Caden getting near from our bond, but he’s taking his time. I managed to get a good hit on the Lamia, but not before it left a mark on me. My eyes flash yellow as I toss the creature. I get back up onto my feet and growl at the Lamia.
Caden
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
I hear Avery call for me, but I’m otherwise preoccupied. I was on the third floor when Avery moved up to the fourth. As soon as he left, I sensed I was being watched. I knocked on some doors, trying to look nonchalant, but I was hunting what was hunting me.
I turn a corner, and a highly attractive woman stands at the end of the hallway. She cocks her head, looking me up and down before she makes a slow sensual walk towards me. I can see how men easily succumb to this woman, but I am otherwise taken and rather old. These simple tricks don’t work on me.
I smirked, pulled the blessed silver knife out of my jacket, and flashed it at her. The Lamia pauses, glaring at the knife before glaring at me. ”Sorry, love, no time to chat,” I say and flip the knife around. That is when Avery calls, and I hear a thud from above. Temporarily distracted, the Lamia jumps me. I go down but quickly throw her off, flip over, and get to my feet. She’s coming at me right away. I flip the knife around and throw it. The knife finds its mark and impales the Lamia. She screeches and falls to the ground, withering before bursting into flames.
I rush forward once the flames die down and pick up the knife. ”I’ll take that.” I make my way up to the fourth floor to help Avery.
“You might hurt your hand on these rock-hard abs.” I tease lightly. When she pulls back, I look down at her, catching where her eyes drift as mine do the same before I process what she’s saying. “Deal.” I say with a nod before glancing around. We’re still a little hidden and I seize the opportunity to tilt her chin up more so I can lean down and seal the deal with a kiss.
“You seem to have some kind of power in hell if you have demons working for you, so what’s really the problem? Moving too fast?” Kiki says after a moment of awkward silence.
Oh I’m definitely not going to talk about this with her. I don’t know exactly what’s making me apprehensive, but I think it might be the fact that I don’t know why I went to hell when I died. I know Caden has assured me on multiple occasions that it doesn’t matter, that he accepts me for who I am, but there’s part of me that doesn’t believe.
“It’s nothing.” I reply, choosing to look out the window as we near Caden’s home. I hear a huff of mild irritation from Kiki, but so far only Caden knew who I actually am as a demon and I want to keep it that way.
My stomach does a little flip when Nic pulls me in the way he does for a kiss. It truly feels like a promise and I hope it's one I get to keep.
Who knew our second date would be this eventful, but I'm glad for it all the same. I pull back from the kiss, more because of necessity rather than want. I smile at Nic and take his hand, pulling him away from the trees and back to the temple.
”So, when you're asking questions, you can ask about the fountain and where it was built, or what the religious services are like. Try to keep questions vague, and really play the tourist aspect up. People are often willing to answer more questions if you're a curious tourist.”
Caden
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
I climb the stairs two at a time and make it to see a furry object being tossed into a wall. Plaster cracks and falls down to the floor.
”About time!” Avery yells. He sounds annoyed, but I can see the joy in his face. Avery had been itching for a fight and to do something to get that pent up energy out.
”I was otherwise preoccupied. There are two of them. Well, one now.” That seems to trigger a response from the four legged creature.
They turn on me, snarling before running for me. I look up at Avery and he grins, giving chase. He launches himself onto the Lamia before it gets me. I drop down and stab the thing where it's heart should be. Just like before the creature convulses on the floor but they shift to a woman, the one matching Mage's and the others descriptions before bursting into flames.
”Well, that was fun,” Avery said, his eyes glowing.
I smirk and look around. ”Let's clear the rest of the building. If there were two, there could be more.” Avery nods and we get to work.
I smile as she leads the two of us back to the temple and explains how we should go about the next steps. “So, be myself but with a splash of airhead. Got it.” I’m curious by nature anyway, so some of the questions might even end up being ones I’m genuinely interested in.
“Are we splitting up to do this or are we that tourist couple?” I ask Cass, holding onto her hand for now. I’ve never felt this close to someone outside my family before - even with Jane. She’s just very observant and picked up on details naturally. It both thrills me and excites me that I’m able to be honest with her and Cass is honest with me. I smile again, silently hoping for the success in our relationship to last.
When we pull into the driveway of Caden’s place, I’m itching to leave the car. The tense silence since I refused to go into more details with Kiki had been deafening and I want to just go hide in Caden’s bed, enveloped by his scent, until he comes home. I’m tempted to use telekinesis to try and get the haul from the shopping trip into the house, but I didn’t want to rustle Kiki’s feathers any further. I don’t know if the servants will unpack the vehicle for us, but I’m going to count on it now.
Without so much as a word, I jump out, leaving Luci and Mika in the front seat for a moment so I could grab the tote full of their stuff from the backseat before I pull them back into my arms again. Kiki looks ready to start asking more questions, so I scramble off to Caden’s room to hide before she can. I can hear her frustrated groan as I do so.
Once I’m burrowed under the blanket with the cats, I check my phone and see I missed a message from Caden.
Just got home - are you still safe or are there hands I need to break?
The little imp gives me no time to try and discover their secrets as they go running off with their cats in tow. I know I need to trust that Caden has his reasons for even letting a demon this close to him, so he would certainly have very good reasons to want to live with them. I still don’t like it though; my intuition told me there’s things buried deep that maybe even Nero doesn’t know that could threaten my oldest and most trusted friend.
I leave it be for now, knowing Caden would certainly not enjoy me invading his bedroom just to interrogate his partner. I quickly change back into my comfortable sweatshirt and leggings, grabbing a notebook from my room and a pencil to go spend some time in Caden’s library.
”Mmm, let's split up and see how much ground we can cover. Plus I can then make sure your detective skills are top tier,” I tease, grinning at him.
Once we get close to the temple, I let go of his hand. ”Have fun,” I say before going in my own direction.
Avery Zain
Location: Supernatural District – Chicago, IL Skills:
Caden and I clear the rest of the fourth and the fifth floor together. We even go out to the roof and check for anything strange. Thankfully, we don't find any other evidence of Lamia. We do find what room they were in and thoroughly go through everything to ensure there isn't evidence of more Lamia in Chicago.
Caden bags some things up to take to the station, while I write down the address and the apartment number for the supernatural police unit to come and do their investigation. After that, we head to the station to do a debrief.
Caden
Location: Police Station – Chicago, IL Skills:
As usual, when Detective Costa sees me enter his office, he looks relieved but apprehensive. He glances around me and when he doesn't see a certain demon, he seems to relax some.
I take a seat and relay the events of the day to him. I hand over the evidence as well.
”There's one more thing. When you go to raid that building, don't displace anyone. They are struggling enough to get what they need within the limits of the treaty. The Lamia took advantage of that situation as they are known to do.” Costa looks like he wants to argue but he doesn't and simply nods.
After an hour stuck in the station debriefing, Avery and I are finally heading home.
Hello, little imp. How was your girls' day? I text Nero on the drive back, letting Avery take the wheel.
I watch her leave with a smile and shake of my head. Because trying to discover why a fountain lost its connection is ‘fun’. It might be lucky that I’m using a fanny pack as a sling bag. I switch it around so that it’s around my hips instead before I go off in the opposite direction of Cass.
It doesn’t take me long to find someone who works at the temple. I give my best impression of an innocent tourist with a ravenous appetite for knowledge, even throwing a little Chinese accent in there to sell it. I ask how the temple compares to some of the temples or shrines back in China and Japan, what kind of customs they do, and more that follow a smooth flow of a conversation. Once I sense this person is tired of me, I go looking for someone else to play pop quiz with.
I roll over under the blanket onto my back when Caden texts back. I have a surprise for you when you get home ;) I send, hoping to tease Caden into thinking of something else when really I meant the cats.
How did everything go with the lead you got from the puppies? I peek out from under the blankets to see Luci and Mika still running around exploring Caden’s room. Hopefully he doesn’t mind.
I wrote down information I currently have on Nero and what some of my guesses are for what they’re hiding. As much as I want to text or call Caden, I force myself to be patient until he’s home. It doesn’t need to be right away, but I definitely want to talk to him about the trust he has in his little imp.
Part of me might be upset that Nero was accepted by Avery while he continues to give me shit, but I banish that thought to the back of my mind. I’m concerned for someone in my life who is important to me, that’s all.
