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Satyr Play 02 Pt. 01

Author's Notes:

'Satyr Play 2' is a continuation of my surprisingly well-received first attempt to dabble in the realm of magic. Obviously, I learned nothing from the first as, in this story, I continue to ride roughshod over preconceived notions and the 'established guidelines' of the genre. Mea Culpa.

Minimal effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory, so it is highly recommended you read the stories in the following order:

  • Satyr Play
  • A Dark Heart (Short Story -- for context)
  • Satyr Play 2, Part 1 / Part 2


All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older. Most aren't even human... or real. Or are they? Dun dun DAH!

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Satyr Play 2, Part 1

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Chapter 1

Henry fought off a strong sensation of déjà vu as he sat on the couch between the two beautiful ladies. He knew this was a recollection of the last movie night he'd attended in Sandy's condo.

Sitting between the bubbly pale skinned blond with her wide, delighted smile and the polar opposite of her BFF Dayshia whose expression was as dark as her complexion, Henry smiled tentatively at Tish who was facing him on the plush chair to his left. She was rather obviously undressing him with her eyes.

On the love seat across from Tish, Roger was making no effort to hide his suspicion.

"So, you're saying you're Stanley's brother. A brother he didn't even know he had up until just before this family reunion in, of all places, Ireland! You don't even have an accent- and neither did Stanley!" the tall male nurse exclaimed incredulously.

"Roger!" Sandy exclaimed in outrage. The man drew an angry glare from Tish as well, but Dayshia barely glanced his way.

"No, it's ok. I get it. It was weird for me too!" Henry said reasonably.

He'd only returned from Ireland a few days earlier to begin the next phase of his life as a new man.

Henry Gable. Stanley Garin was, for all intents and purposes, dead and had to stay that way.

He could no longer be Stanley unless he wished to commit suicide and take all of Humanity with him.

So, Henry, it was.

His new name even came with a backstory. He was the adopted son of the late Evan and Marie Gable of Aurora, Illinois. This information would be available should anyone do a hunt for it. Paper records too!

His visit to the emerald isle hadn't been a family reunion at all. He'd gone there on the invitation of Mab, Queen of the Fae. With his ability to disguise his true nature corrupted by a deadly curse, he had to turn to the Fae for a new means to create a normal human visage. The Fae were masters at creating and bonding magical disguises to the Hidden Races, a collection of unique, magic-infused peoples. He'd only recently discovered he was a member of this mysterious group of beings.

While he'd been raised as a normal, if small, human being, to his dismay, he'd discovered that this was just an illusion. The night his magical protection temporarily failed he reverted to his true self, a Satyr, plucked from an ancient era in Earth's past by the witch Baba Yaga. He'd also discovered that humans wiped out 'his people' millennia ago making him the only one of his kind.

That's not to say he was alone. He was a member of the Hidden Races. He had the company of the Witches, Fae, Succubi, Valkyries, Lycans, Dragons, Kitsune, Vampires, Goblins, Ogres, Brownies, Gnomes, and even spider people- no, they were called Arachnids. And there were even more races he wasn't aware of yet. Magical, mythical creatures really and truly existed but they had to hide amongst the far more proliferate human race or face extinction at the hands of the humans.

Unlike the magic glamor spells used by his new friends, his original disguise was bonded to and activated by a dragon bone ring. Unlike Fae Glamors, the ring's magic made him not just look like a human; he became one while it was active. The ring recharged as he slept in Satyr form. He'd finally come to accept this and had been slowly learning the limitations this duality imposed on his life and how he interacted with others, especially true humans. People who could never know his secret.

Then he was used as a pawn in a cruel and evil plan.

A vengeful dragon placed a powerfully crafted curse upon the ring. Then, with the help of Queen Mab, ruler of the Fae, the curse was linked to her globe-spanning, area effect spell, expanding the curse's deadly reach. If the ring were ever used to activate his human disguise, Henry and every human on Earth would vanish completely, leaving the planet to the Hidden Races.

The curse left Henry unable to hide his existence as a Satyr.

The curse's existence also had to remain a secret as some of the Hidden Races might attempt to compel him to use it to rid the Earth of the human plague. When Queen Mab discovered that her -globe-spanning spell was now irrevocably linked to Henry's life, she was outraged. The spell's main function held an ancient Fae disease at bay and kept them alive. Henry needed to remain alive for the spell to remain active!

To resolve the loss of his disguise, the Queen invited him to Ireland, promising him an impenetrable glamor and she'd spent the first week summoning her most seasoned mages, wizards, or whatever their name. Magic and its use were still strange to him.

The attempt to bond a Fae glamor to Henry's core was the largest challenge the Fae had faced in millennia. His link to the realm of Wild Magic was much, much stronger than a typical connection, though he had no idea why, nor could he even feel it. It just was. The Wild Magic was much stronger than the old realm magic too, making the task that much more difficult and dangerous.

Queen Mab had insisted her people use extreme caution and to pull out at the first sign of losing themselves in the powerful, and incompatible, energies. The gathering of magical talent had been significant.

In the end, it was the sacrifice of one old Fae master who discovered the trick was to give his skills over to the very raw energy they'd fought to control and to let the Wild Magic work itself into the spell he shaped. He'd shielded the others from the brunt of the magic as he showed them the way until he succumbed to the torrent. The others, working in unison finished his work then escaped from Henry's inner being, only slightly crispy from the effort.

In the end, Henry had a glamor, unlike anything the Fae had ever created. It handled the basics, allowing him to hide his Satyr form behind the image of a human equivalent.

However, the serious and diminutive Stanley everyone knew was no more. In his place was a 6' 2" man with broad shoulders, strong arms, and big hands. Long, soft brown hair now fell in waves to his shoulders. He had a muscular torso which led to a trim waist and powerful legs. His disguise more closely resembled his true size and shape while hiding a few significant features of his Satyr form. Gone was his furry lower half, goat legs, big black cloven hooves, his ram horns, and his pointy, drooping furry ears. Instead, he looked like a human. A big one.

Best of all, his hands were human, able to perform the intricate work of server assembly, and most importantly, and using a keyboard.

On top of this basic glamor functionality, he discovered it had unexplainable physical and metaphysical attributes. Where a Fae glamor was visual trickery affecting the perception of those around the wearer including the perception of human technology, Henry's did that and more. It seemed to twist the laws of physics, and he hadn't completely grasped the extent of its boundaries.

Those who used a Fae glamor remained partially aware of the separation of their true physical attributes and those of the image they hid behind.

From inside his glamor, Henry perceived himself as the image he portrayed. He felt the four human fingers and thumb on each human looking hand even though he knew he only had three much thicker Satyr fingers and a thumb on each hand. He couldn't feel the weight of his horns and his ears were back to being mostly immobile.

Oddly, his strength when the glamor was active was that of the human displayed. He only had access to his true levels when he dropped the glamor.

Best of all, due to the strength of the magic feeding his disguise, Henry didn't have to turn it off to recharge it. He could remain as a human indefinitely. The spell remained in place even while he slept. It was strongly suggested, however, that when possible he maintain the habit of switching back to his true self at night. Doing so would help him maintain a healthy attitude towards what he truly was.

So here he sat, looking like a human with his human neighbor and her human friends hoping to be accepted into their group as Stanley had once been. While it had only been, what, three weeks since Henry came into being, he'd completely adopted his new persona. It felt like him.

He looked to Roger as the man seemed to be demanding an answer. He'd give him the best he had.

"I grew up in Illinois. I was adopted but didn't know that until they passed away and I received their will. An uncle in Ireland contacted Stanley and me. We met there," Henry explained.

"And you just so happen to have the same technical skills as your brother?" Roger huffed, but Henry just looked at him expectantly.

Roger saw that question wasn't going to get him a satisfying answer, so he moved on. "VRL just up and hired you and gave you Stanley's job and condo?"

"They just lost their CIO. I needed a job, and my skills do encompass the same areas as Stanley's did. And, we clicked when we met," he said awkwardly. He hated lying to his friends, but as Sigrid had carefully explained to him, this was for their protection as well.

"Enough Roger. I didn't invite Henry here to endure the third degree from you!" Sandy growled, and Roger leaned back against the love seat cushions with a pout.

Wanting to change the subject to happier topics, Henry looked to Sandy. "Where are Vanna and Gary?"

Eyes looked at him in surprise. Two sets continued to hold suspicion.

He recalled he wouldn't have met them as Henry, but he had his excuse ready. "Stanley told me you had a couple in your group. Isn't that the Vanna and Gary he told me about?"

"Ah! Yes, but they won't be back. They eloped and moved to Argentina to be closer to Vanna's family. I've received a few emails since they left," Sandy replied.

"Wow! Argentina! That seems sudden," he said in surprise.

"Vanna was homesick. Had been for years and Gary would follow her anywhere," Tish sighed with a smile.

Henry smiled at Tish. "Gary was a romantic."

"Yes. How about you? Are you a romantic, Henry?" Tish purred.

He blinked at the intensity of her gaze. "Uh, I- uh... I don't know. I suppose I must be since I agree Gary did the right thing."

Roger surged to his feet, and all eyes turned in his direction.

"Well, this has been a slice, but I need to go. Got people to see. Have a lovely night. Sandy, lock up behind me?" He nodded to the others then strode away quickly.

Sandy gave Henry an embarrassed look then jumped up to her feet to chase after her friend. She caught up to the tall man as he waited by the door.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You're acting stranger than you normally do!" she hissed at him quietly.

Roger sent a troubled look back in the direction of the living room and shook his head in frustration. Even he couldn't put the finger on why he was so agitated. "Something isn't right about him. He's- he's too much like Stanley. They grew up apart, in different states even, completely different environments, yet I'd swear they grew up together." He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Maybe it's just too soon."

Sandy pulled the big guy into a fierce hug, and Roger returned it. He kissed the top of her head and got a face full of hair in return. He gently pushed her back and rubbed his tingling face. "You need to invest in a humidifier and better conditioner for your clingy hair!"

She snorted gently and gave him a little push.

He turned serious again. "I want you to be careful around him. We don't know his true agenda. Not really. He's too sexy."

Sandy's eyes widened. "Sexy?"

Roger scowled. "Handsome. Good looking- Oh fuck it, you know what I mean!" he finished with a quiet growl. "I'll see you at work tomorrow." He quickly ducked out the door, leaving Sandy in a state of confusion. She shook her head as she locked the door, and headed back to the living room.

When she arrived she saw her spot on the couch had been stolen by Tish. The tall brunette was sitting very close to her guest. Sandy should have moved to the chair Tish vacated but found herself taking a seat on the edge of the coffee table directly before Henry.

He saw the women were surrounding him. He wasn't sure what was up. Glancing to his right, he was pretty sure he knew what Tish wanted. He smiled at Sandy's happy expression and looked to Dayshia, who was no longer scowling but did look distracted by something. He turned back to Sandy.

"So... were we going to watch a movie?" he asked.

"Oh! Sorry, we didn't pick one up," she said.

He nodded.

"How old are you?"

He looked to Dayshia who, it seemed, finally found her voice. "Twenty-four."

"Older than Stanley then?" Dayshia continued.

"Yes, just a little," he said. Age was another part of his backstory. He'd been ruthlessly grilled on it until his responses became automatic.

"Girlfriend?"

He blinked in surprise. "Uh, no. Never."

"Never? You must have had ladies chasing you!" Tish gasped.

He shrugged. "I- I was too shy. A tech nerd with my nose always in a book. I guess if they did I... just never noticed."

"Now that's a damn shame!" Dayshia blurted forcefully causing Sandy and Tish to burst into giggles. Henry's face flushed with embarrassment and he gave them a small smile. He needed to redirect the conversation away from himself.

"How about you three?" he said.

"You want the three of us to be your girlfriends? Ambitious!" Tish said with a twinkle in her eye.

Henry's smile fell away. "No! I mean- That's not what I meant! I was just-" he stammered.

Sandy patted his knee. "She's just a tease! She knew what you meant!"

He looked at Tish, and she was feigning innocence until Sandy gently slapped her knee. Then she began to chuckle.

"Sorry Henry, but you're just too sweet not to tease!" Tish sighed happily.

He shook his head slightly. "Will I get an answer to my intended question?"

Tish nodded and flashed a wide smile at him. "I'm not seeing anyone at the moment. My hours at the hospital make dating too difficult, and the club scene is such a draining experience."

He looked to Sandy who just nodded at Tish. "I'm in the same boat. Difficult hours and I don't fit into the current dating scene in New York."

They looked at Dayshia who gave them an imperious look. "I'm between boyfriends at the moment."

Tish made a small sound of disappointment. "Awww, I liked Flash! I thought he was a good match for you!"

The dark beauty looked away. "Yes, Flash was promising until he insisted I attend his church because I had to be welcomed and accepted by the community." She faced her friends with a stern expression. "You know I live by the rules of my faith, but I'm not going to force them on anyone else."

They nodded then Sandy looked back at Henry. "What about your family? Other than Stanley, I mean."

"As I mentioned, my folks passed away a few years ago. They were older when they adopted me and had no other kids or siblings of their own. The uncle in Ireland turned out to be an honorary uncle. A friend of our birth mother with no useful information about her and no knowledge of our father." He smiled at Sandy. "How about you? Any siblings?"

Sandy sighed and rolled her eyes. "I have an older brother. He's a lawyer somewhere in Nevada. He moved around a lot and just stopped keeping in touch. He had a falling out with us country bumpkins and ran off to become someone important. I guess he made it. My parents are retired and still live next to their friends in a small town no one's heard of in Iowa. It isn't even on most maps as people keep forgetting it's there." She smiled at Dayshia. "I was the girl who arrived from nowhere," she said as she grinned at her friend whose smile showed she recalled saying that to her when they first met.

Henry gave Dayshia an inquisitive look, and she nodded. "I have an older sister. Beth. She still lives in Chicago and keeps an eye on my dad who lives in a senior's home because he has Alzheimer's. He raised us when Mom died six months after I was born. He was a good man. My sister married a man just like him, and they have three kids of their own. Great kids too! I see them over the Christmas holidays." She looked over at Tish with a small grin. "Tish has me beat on the count of nieces and nephews though."

Henry turned to look at the woman in question and drew back a little in surprise as she was so close. Had she been smelling his hair?

Tish blushed and nodded. "Yes! Yes, I have a large family," she blurted to deflect attention away from the fact of being caught with her nose in Henry's silky locks. He smelled warm and manly!

"I'm the seventh child and youngest in my family. Most of my siblings have families of their own. There are lots of kids. Most have at least two. My oldest sister had six kids, and her oldest has a baby of her own."

Henry smiled at the thought of Auntie Tish surrounded by kids. "Inspired?" he asked with a gentle smile and saw Sandy's smile become a pained expression as a small twitch appeared at the corner of Tish's lips. "Oh! I'm sorry! Was I thoughtless?"

Tish gave him a weak smile, and he could see her shake it off. "No, it's fine. You couldn't have known. I can't have kids. Motorcycle accident."

"You ride?" he blurted in embarrassment to change the subject and once more saw Sandy wince. He shot her a desperate look. "Sorry, I have to shut up."

Tish chuckled and took his hand in hers, smiling at how well her long fingers fit in his bigger hand. "Stop worrying. I'm fine now." She looked into his compassionate eyes and smiled wistfully. Somehow, this time, the words just seemed to flow painlessly from her lips. "I was married for a short time to the wrong man. I was young and stupid. He was dangerous and exciting, and I was mostly blind to his faults. He rode a big, beat up Harley, but he was also hot-tempered and reckless. One night as we were headed home on the interstate, he got pissed at a driver who pulled in front of us dangerously. Pete kicked the guy's car while we were going sixty miles an hour and the guy bumped us back. Knocked us both off the bike. Pete broke both his legs and an arm. I broke my pelvis, my left arm, and leg, and was in a coma for three months. When I woke up, they told me I'd lost a baby I wasn't even aware I was carrying. The night of the crash, the doctors had to perform some drastic surgery to save me. The result, I won't be having kids."

Henry took her other hand in his, and her smile strengthened. "I'm ok with it now. It happened so many years ago, and I have so many kids to dote over now without having to bear any of the responsibility."

He smiled at her then his stomach growled, loudly.

Giggles of released tension burst out of Sandy, and the others chuckled.

"Anyone want to go out for dinner? My treat!" Henry asked. He recalled that he should be unfamiliar with the neighborhood, so he looked to Sandy. "Any suggestions for local eateries?"

"There's a Thai place that isn't too far away. It's walking distance," she replied. Tish and Dayshia grinned and nodded.
"Should we make a reservation?" he asked.

Sandy was already dialing and smiled at them as she listened to it ring.

They listened as she successfully booked them the last table for four with a promise to be there in five minutes. Once she hung up, they scrambled to their feet and rushed out of the condo. They took the elevator down and rushed outside. The night was beautiful, and they fast walked up the street and over one block to the small, single-story building. Sandy got them inside and seated at their reserved table in the back corner moments later. Henry sat with his back to the wall with Sandy seated next to him. Tish took the seat across from him, and Dayshia was next to her. Menus were handed out, and the waiter was delighted when they immediately began to order dish after dish.

They ordered drinks as well. Tish looked at Henry's curious expression. "Do you drink?" she asked

"I've had wine before," he admitted.

"Let me order for you," she said, and he nodded. She gave him a long evaluating look then faced the waiter. "He'll have a Long Island Ice Tea." The man nodded and rushed away to get their order started.

"That's a pretty strong drink," Dayshia cautioned.

"He's a pretty big man!" Tish grinned.

"If you don't like it you don't have to drink it all," Sandy told him, and Tish pouted at her.

It didn't take long for some of the appetizers to arrive and they were passing them back and forth as their drinks arrived.

Once the wait staff had moved on, Sandy raised her Cosmopolitan, and the other's raised their drinks as well. Tish had a Manhattan and Dayshia was drinking a Mojito. "To my new neighbor to welcome him to New York and the building! To Henry!" she cheered and the others joined in except for Henry who just nodded to them.

He took a tentative sip and was surprised to find he liked it. It didn't seem that strong. He nodded in appreciation to Tish who smiled happily and stuck her tongue out at Sandy. The blond rolled her eyes at her friend.

The chicken satay was delicious in the peanut sauce, and the spring rolls went fast.

"We should order more of these!" Henry gushed.

"Slow down fella! We have plenty more food coming. Pace yourself!" Sandy replied with a grin.

A loud slurp sound drew all eyes to Henry's glass. His straw was draining the dregs from the bottom. A waiter was immediately at his elbow. "Another?"

Henry smiled and nodded to the man who hustled off to the bar with the empty glass.

"Remember what I said about pacing yourself?" Sandy said, but Tish was delighted.

They talked a little about the hospital and the kooky patients they'd encountered this past week while Henry listened with rapt attention. The drink appeared at his elbow, and he immediately drank half.

"Whoa, whoa, WHOA, partner! Strong drink! Empty stomach! Not a good combination!" Sandy cautioned.

He looked at her in confusion. "What? I ate some satay and spring rolls. My stomach isn't empty."

"Yes, but that's not enough to absorb the alcohol!" she explained.

"I don't think there is much alcohol in this drink. It tastes very good! And it's cold and refreshing!" he returned.

"I'm just sayin' pace-"

Tish had had enough. "Let the man enjoy himself, Girl Scout!"

Sandy narrowed her eyes at Tish as she didn't like that nickname. Tish was more than a little bit of a shit disturber though not as much as Roger. Sandy was more of a rule follower. That was all. She didn't need lessons in behavior from this one!

"Peace!" Henry said, placing a hand on theirs. "I will slow down my drinking."

Sandy smiled.

"But I will have another, later." It was Tish's turn to smile.

"Don't look now but we are drawing the attention of our neighbors," Dayshia quietly said as she faced Tish. Of course, that just made everyone glance over at the occupants of the next table. Four young women in oversize t-shirts, yoga pants, too much jewelry and make-up with teased up hair were staring at Henry with expressions of delight. Three were Japanese, but one was Indian and had very dark skin and lovely eyes. She glanced over timidly.

The boldest of the group with shocking pink hair smiled at Henry. "Excuse me, please. Are you related to Stanley Garin?" she asked in a thick accent.

Henry's eyes widened as he looked back at them. He didn't recognize any of the young women, so he had no idea how they recognized him.

"Uh, yes. I'm his brother. How do you know Stanley?" he managed.

"We are friends of Yuko Imamura," the bold one answered. She held up her phone, and there was a picture of him, as Stanley, stepping out the front door of his building. Yuko had taken a picture of him and shared it with her friends?

"Ahhh..." he began then saw the looks from his table. "Stanley told me about Yuko," he quickly explained.

"Where is Stanley?" the timid girl asked. She had a ring through her nose with a chain leading down inside her t-shirt. He tried not to follow it with his eyes though he was having a little trouble keeping his eyes steady.

"Uh, he recently died in an accident while overseas."

The group moaned in dismay. "Yuko will be so upset when she hears!" pink hair exclaimed.

Henry paused. How would Yuko find out? Wasn't she being punished in Japan? "Stanley mentioned something about her going back to Japan?"

"Oh, yes. But Yuko will be back soon. Her father has forgiven her, so she is allowed to return!" the bold one cheered and her friends picked that up.

"Ah, ok. Well, it was nice meeting you." He paused as he wondered at the coincidence of meeting them here. "Do you live around here?"

"No. Yuko's father bought a condo for her and her sister in a building very near here. We came to take pictures of us standing outside of it to send to her. Oh! Could we take one with you?" Her friends were suddenly excited by the idea, and all pulled out their cells.

Henry felt rocked by the news that Yuko was not only coming back but was bringing her sister and might be living in his building! He caught Tish and Dayshia looking at him curiously as he'd paused for so long. He turned a smile to the ladies at the next table. "How about after dinner?" he suggested, and they pouted but agreed.

He turned back to his table and saw their expectant expressions. He swallowed and glanced to the other table, but they were back to looking at the pictures on their cells.

He spoke quietly to keep his words from their neighbors. "Stanley spoke to me about his encounter with... his housekeeper. He said it hadn't gone well, but she was sent back to Japan and thought she would be there permanently." He looked at them. "You met her too?" He knew they'd recall that night and saw them nod.

"Stanley told you a lot for having just met you," Dayshia said with a slight frown.

Henry had expected this. He'd prepared for it as well. This time, he had the truth to defend himself.

"Yes, we discovered we had a lot of common experiences growing up, and we shared a lot. You could say we had an instant and deep bond." He smiled faintly as he recalled seeing his new human disguise in a mirror and how he'd broken down and cried. He sucked in a breath and tried to start again. "He said-" Henry paused as his emotions suddenly welled up and almost overwhelmed him. He forced it down and took a deep breath. "He said that he grew up without friends too... he said being brought into your circle and being accepted by the people at VRL... those were the happiest moments of his life."

Henry wiped his eyes roughly then sucked back the remains of his drink. He nodded to the waiter who spotted the action and headed off to the bar once more. The man was remarkably attentive!

Henry felt hands settle down on his and squeeze. He glanced down and saw three hands resting on his on the table. He gave the ladies a shaky smile.

"You're among friends here too, Henry," Sandy said.

He struggled to smile as his emotions surged again. "Thank you," he managed with a rough voice. Another drink arrived, and he reached for it. He caught Sandy's concerned look and set the glass down.

She leaned against his shoulder, and her hair immediately swept up to rest across his back and interwove with his long wavy brown hair. Dayshia rolled her eyes and sat back, releasing Henry's hand. He pretended not to notice her abrupt pulling away and Sandy's overly fond hair.

Sandy's face relaxed, and she smiled in contentment.

Their meals began arriving, and Sandy reluctantly sat properly in her chair. Her hair released him with only a slight tug.

They enjoyed their meals and got to sample from each other's plates as each had chosen something different. Some were too spicy for Henry. He tried quenching it with his drink, but that only had the effect of making the room spin a little. Sandy leaned against his side as she giggled at his reddening face.

Tish reached across the table and poked a piece of bread between his lips. "Bread to soak up the spiced oils," she explained but let her fingertip linger on his lower lip for longer than was entirely necessary. His eyes lifted to lock onto hers as he felt a strange and gentle tingling on his neck just below his ears and beginning on the sides of his torso under his arms. Tish was smiling mischievously, but she gasped softly when she saw the heat flare in his eyes. She pulled her hand back, but her body was already tingling.

Another drink was placed on the table before Henry distracting him and the tingling faded.

"Last one," Sandy said firmly to the waiter as she straightened up in her chair and he nodded, giving her a nervous look.

Dayshia chuckled as she looked across at Sandy's concerned expression. "Such a good little mother."

Sandy scowled at Dayshia. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Her friend smirked at her. "You're such a righteous young woman! Never willing to take a risk and live dangerously."

"That's not true!" Sandy barked. "Take that back!"

Tish was grinning at the ladies and had to add her two cents. "Sorry Sandy, I have to agree with Dayshia. You're a sweet girl, as pure as the driven snow."

"I'm not!" Sandy hissed.

Henry was aware of how agitated Sandy's hair was becoming though Dayshia and Tish couldn't see it. He began sliding his left hand off the table to reach for it before it moved into view.

Dayshia reached across the table to take Sandy's hand.

"It's not a bad thing! Being innocent and a bit of a prude these days is sweet!" Dayshia insisted.

"Oh, I think prude is a little strong," Tish said putting her arm around Dayshia shoulder.

Sandy nodded firmly. "Thank you-"

"Virginal is more accurate," Tish said.

Feeling a little unbalanced, Henry grabbed the edge of the table with his right hand catching Tish's under his as he reached his left into the mass of blond hair that was about to surge upwards in anger.

"I had sex with Marisaaaaaaahhh..." Sandy blurted before her head snapped back in bliss. The shock traveled through the circle, engulfing them all in the cascade of sensation as Sandy's hair wound itself around Henry's forearm. His, Dayshia's, and Tish's heads all mirrored Sandy's movements precisely as their nervous systems synchronized for that brief instant.

Unbidden, an image flashed into Henry's mind. Marisa's lovely face smiling wickedly at him/Sandy from between his/Sandy's thighs. This time, however, the image was accompanied by the oddest and most exquisite sensation of the ravishing blonde teasing his/Sandy's clit until he/Sandy came explosively. His mind filled with a wonderfully intense glow, then he felt himself coming back to his body. He slowly opened his eyes and saw Dayshia's mouth moving, but no sound was coming out.

She sucked in a breath. "no, no, No, No, NO!" Dayshia growled as she snatched her hand away from Sandy's and shrugged off Tish's arm. "No! That did NOT just happen again!" She closed her eyes briefly as a sympathetic shiver raced through her nerves which were still tingling.

Conversations around their table stopped, and heads turned in their direction. Henry scowled at them, and people returned to their conversations and meals, only occasionally casting looks at them over their shoulders.

Their closest neighbors, however, were much more obvious and unabashed about their intense interest in what just happened at their neighboring table. The young women were staring at Sandy who'd loudly confessed to having sex with someone named Marisa? Then it looked like the entire table had an orgasm. They hadn't seen shit like that since Yuko had taken them out to that truly freaky sex club!

The Indian girl focused on Henry with disturbing intensity, but she remained quiet.

He slipped his hand free of Sandy's completely spent hair. He glanced over at Tish who had caught the motion and was smiling at him knowingly.

"What... what happened?" Sandy asked as she blinked her big blue eyes at her friends.

"Well, I guess I have to take back what I said about you being pure and virginal. Not that I've ever been attracted to another woman but damn that was a happy ending!" Tish confessed in surprise. She was giving Sandy an impressed smile.

"I said no! That didn't just happen! I did not see or feel that! Uh uh! No!" Dayshia insisted, clearly upset.

"Oh come on, Dayshia! Don't be silly! Just because you can't explain it doesn't mean you have to deny it! It doesn't have to alter your entire world. Just a small perceived corner of it. It happened! We all experienced it!" Tish exclaimed then looked to Henry. "Oh my god! How would that have felt for a man?"

He blinked at her as the room wasn't so steady anymore. The booze was finally kicking in. He considered the question until they thought he hadn't heard it. "That... was a first for me... in a number of ways. It was very nice!"

Tish turned to Dayshia who was looking at Henry sadly. She leaned a little closer to speak softly. "It doesn't make you a lesbian or even bisexual you know. If that's what you're worried about."

Dayshia shook her head in annoyance. "No! It's not that at all. It's this freaky mind to mind shit! That doesn't happen!"

"I think you need to re-evaluate that opinion... but that's just my opinion. And Sandy's. And Henry's," Tish continued.

Sandy was still feeling tingly, and her scalp felt invigorated. She reached up to run her fingers through her thick flowing hair and closed her eyes in bliss as gentle waves of comfort rippled through her. "Mmmmm, I feel sooooo goooood!"

"Henry had his hand in your crazy hair," Tish purred with a wicked smile.

"Is that what does it?!?" Dayshia exclaimed a little too loudly. "Stanley did that too the last time you dragged us into this freaky shit! I swear girl, I'm gonna shave your head while you sleep!"

Sandy's eyes flared as she bristled with rage. "Don't you DARE threaten my hair!"

"Calm down! Everyone!" Henry growled quietly, and the two ladies thumped back in their chairs to glare at each other.

"I- I don't think Sandy meant to do anything to anyone. It just... happened. I'm sorry that disturbed you... so much Dayshia, but if I've learned anything... so far in my short life, it's that fighting what is... brings far more grief... than just accepting it and moving on," Henry finally managed to get out.

Tish reached across and patted his hand. "That was lovely. Are you ok?"

He blinked at her. "I- I think I drank too much. The room is... moving around... more than a little."

Sandy raised her hand to summon the waiter. "The check, please." With a nod, the man rushed away.

"We'll get you home," Dayshia said, still looking a little troubled.

Henry paid the bill with his new credit card, obtained for his new identity, and they helped him out of the booth.

"The picture?" the pink haired woman asked from the next table as the others dropped their cash on the table to cover their bill.

"Sure, outside?" Henry asked.

Smiles beamed back at him as the ladies scrambled to follow.

When everyone was out on the sidewalk, the young women handed their phones to Dayshia and Tish and crowded around Henry. Sandy watched from the side as they took picture after picture.

"OK, that's good. We have to say goodnight," Henry insisted, and the ladies rushed forward to collect their phones. Grinning at the pictures, they thanked Henry and dashed away in a cloud of giggles.

"Huh! We take the pictures, and Henry gets the thanks! Spoiled brats!" Dayshia grumbled.

Sandy walked over to Henry and hooked her arm through his as he was swaying slightly. "Come on you. Let's get you home."

Tish took his other side, and Sandy offered her other elbow to Dayshia who shook her head timidly. She followed as they headed back.

The night was lovely, and Henry took a deep breath to try and clear his head, but he was too blitzed. The world continued to spin. He chuckled to himself at that thought. The idea that he would be able to feel the earth's rotation! Still, he tilted his head back and let his mind open to the world around him.

He imagined his mind accelerating outwards, expanding faster and faster until he could almost see... everything. He sighed in wonder as he was stunned by the sheer vastness of the Earth and the wonder of floating above it all! He suddenly felt a tingle of energy out there. It tasted familiar but smelled fresh and new!

Looking down at the Earth below him, he could see little tears in the globe. He reached out and touched them as the planet spun by below him. The tears widened at his touch, and the fresh energy flared and flashed for a time at those locations. He shook his head in confusion as his senses were blending and distorting oddly.

"Henry! Wake up!"

He was pulled back to the now and became aware of his arms held tight and two strong hands pressing against his back to keep him from toppling back. "Wha..."

"Damn, he's a heavy brute!" Dayshia huffed from behind him.

He got his legs taking his weight again and blinked at the worried faces on each side of him. "I'm sorry, what happened?"

"It looked like you were passing out!" Sandy exclaimed.

"Wow... Sorry! I drank way too much!" he sighed. "I need to get to bed. I have work tomorrow."

They made it the rest of the way to the building and took him right up to his door. He leaned back against the wall next to it as he stuffed his hand into his pocket to get his key. His hand was stuck, and Sandy gripped his arm to help him pull.

He looked up to see Tish standing before him with a sultry smile on her lips. Then she was pressing her body against his, and her mouth was caressing his lips. God, she was a good kisser!

That tingling he'd felt on his neck and sides earlier began again, just a little stronger this time and a kind of hunger flared. He pulled his hand from his pocket, dropping his keys. His hand continued to rise until he had a grip on the back of Tish's head and her ponytail. The kiss deepened, and they thumped against the opposite wall as Henry pressed his body against hers.

"Henry!"

Sandy's voice broke through the surging lust, and he pulled back from Tish's mouth as he gasped and shook.

"Tish, he's drunk. Wait until he's sober to make your move," Sandy said reasonably.

Henry saw Tish was searching his eyes, and he could see she was conflicted, but she finally nodded.

"Good night, Henry," she managed then slipped out of the space between him and the wall. He leaned his head forward to rest his forehead against the cool surface as he tried to quiet the raging lust shaking his body. His neck felt flushed as a heat radiated outwards from there and his sides to the rest of his body, not a torrent but trickling out through his limbs.

Tish fanned her flushed face with her hands as she stared wide-eyed at Dayshia. "He got me so hot!" she mouthed to her friend with a grin. The dark beauty smiled as she was also feeling tingly for some reason and rubbed her thighs together.
Sandy, experiencing tingles of her own, picked up his keys and turned to unlock his door as Dayshia moved to help Henry straighten up to get him through the door. Tish didn't trust herself to touch him again.

Henry felt Dayshia's soft body pressing against his and is lust flared once more. He turned in her arms and found her mouth with his. Her tongue thrust into his mouth as her hands slipped down to squeeze his ass. She moaned softly when she felt something large and hard pressing against her intimate parts as he sensually sucked on her tongue.

"DAYSHIA!"

Her mind snapped back to reality, and she moved her hands to his chest to push back. She felt his gentle resistance, but finally, he leaned back from her and swayed on his feet. She looked down and saw he was showing against his pants and her eyes widened.

"Henry, you need to drink some water then go to bed," Sandy said softly as she bit her lip.

He nodded and tried to clear his mind which felt like a forest fire was raging within it.

Sandy ducked in to give him a peck on the cheek only to find her hands in his hair as his gripped handfuls of hers. Their mouths were locked together, and the sensation from a massive build-up of sexual tension made their skin prickle.

Dayshia looked at Tish as they felt it too. "I'm not touching that!" she insisted angrily.

Tish realized it wasn't safe either. "GOOD NIGHT, HENRY!" she yelled.

The noise startled the two kissing, and they pulled back.

"Go inside and go to bed!" Tish commanded, and he nodded absentmindedly as he stumbled inside and closed the door behind him. They heard the lock snap closed.

Sandy was breathing hard as she looked at her friends. Her hair flowed behind her back like a serpent preparing to strike. In a daze, she moved to hug them, but they both jerked back a step.

"Uh uh! I am not touching you when you are all charged up! I learned my lesson!" Dayshia said shaking a finger at Sandy. "Good night! We'll be taking the stairs. Come on Tish."

"Night, Sandy!" Tish said as she ducked into the stairwell to follow her friend, leaving the dazed blonde to make her way to the elevator.

As they climbed down the stairs, the two women were deep in thought regarding their first meeting with Henry. Once they stepped outside of the building, they looked upward and took a deep breath to clear their minds.

Tish smiled at Dayshia as she recognized they were still in sync. She decided not to bring up that fact to the woman. "Quite a kisser isn't he!"

Dayshia looked over in surprise then smiled. "Yes, he is. He's also packing some serious meat."

Surprised laughter burst from Tish as she stared at her friend in shock.

"What? He is! Don't tell me you didn't feel that!" Dayshia purred hungrily. "He's got an anaconda down there!"

Tish was still laughing at the exaggeration as he hadn't felt that big, but she also recalled how good Henry's body had felt against hers; including the firm ridge pressing against her tender bits. Her laughter petered out as she took a deep breath and sighed in frustration with a frown. "Fuck, I'm horny."

Now it was Dayshia's turn to laugh, but it didn't last long as she had to agree. She was hungering for some action too. "Shit."

"Wanna hit a club?" Tish asked quietly.

With a final, frustrated look back at the building, Dayshia shook her head. "We have work tomorrow."

Tish scowled as they made their way towards the Path Station to go home. "Shit."

Chapter 2

"Good morning, losers!"

This greeting met with good-natured curses from the crew sitting in the control room of the nuclear power plant in Brokdorf, Germany.

"Pay up! Papa needs new shoes!" Edmund teased his coworkers. "Come on! Hoffenheim won last night like I said they would so pay up."

There were some light grumblings and assertions that Borussia Dortmund had just had an off night, but they reached into their wallets to give the man his reward for betting on the winning football team.

After paying, the floor supervisor pointed Edmund to the two men on the far side of the room. They appeared oblivious to the others as they leaned over a bank of meters and controls. "Stop your gloating and go give Heller and Karl a hand. They've been looking at those readings all night."

Edmund grinned at his boss and headed over to collect from the two men. As he got closer, he saw they were concentrating on the screens. They looked concerned and tired.

"Good morning, losers!" Edmund said quietly so as not to startle them.

Karl turned to look at Edmund with relief. "Ah so good you are here. I need you to do a physical inspection of one of our cooling pools."

Edmund smiled and ruffled the wad of cash in his hand until Karl rolled his eyes and reached for his wallet. After he paid Edmund and nudged Heller to do the same, he got Edmund's attention again.

"The sensors in cooling pool two are acting up. They are flickering off and on with their readings." Karl explained.

Edmund's eyebrows went up. "Any temperature change?"

"No, that's just it. Everything is stable and good, but the detectors are showing odd drop-offs of radiation like they are being shut off and on," Heller insisted.

"How many sensors? Which grid?"

"All of them in pool two," Karl said.

"Electrical?" Edmund asked, and Heller shook his head in frustration. Karl just patted the man's shoulder to calm him.

"We need a physical inspection," Karl said, looking back at Edmund.

Edmund nodded and headed downstairs to get suited up.

Once he was in his protective gear and made his way to the entrance to the cooling chamber, he tapped the mic on his helmet. "Are you reading me?"

"Loud and clear," Karl's voice came through.

"Right. Going in," Edmund said and flipped the camera on. The light mounted on the other side of his helmet came on as well.

"Signal is good," Karl confirmed.

Edmund went through the heavy door and walked around pool one, looking down into the blue depths. "Any issues with pool one?"

"None. All sensors optimal."

Edmund grunted and continued to pool two. He glanced inside and caught movement. Instinctively, he threw himself back and landed on his ass.

"EDMUND! WHAT HAPPENED! ARE YOU ALRIGHT!" Karl yelled.

"Sorry! I- I thought I saw something in the pool! Scared me," Edmund said with a voice made shaky by adrenaline. "Hold on."

He climbed back to his feet and inched closer to the edge of the pool. He peered over the edge and caught the motion again and ducked back.

"What was that?" Karl barked.

"You saw it too? Thank goodness because I thought I might be losing my mind." He steeled his nerves and leaned forward again. His eyes widened as he saw something swimming in the pool. "Are you seeing this?"

"What the hell is that? A manta ray?" Karl asked, wonder in his voice as he watched the graceful 'wings' flap as it circled the cooling pool.

"Not like any I've ever seen," Edmund said quietly. "It's big! It's translucent in sections, and it might be bioluminescent as well.

"The pattern, Karl!" Heller's voice came through. "It's passing over the sensors, and they stop registering while it's there and start again when it moves on!"

"I'm going to get a better look," Edmund said quietly.

"Be careful!" Karl said.

Edmund slid his foot up to the small wall circling the pool then transferred his weight to it to lean forward until he was able to see the entire pool. The creature in the water was peacefully swimming over the spent fuel cells, pausing now and then for whatever reason it might have before moving on. The lights moving through its body were mesmerizing, and Edmund found himself leaning closer and closer to the water.

"Edmund! Not so close!" Karl snapped, and Edmund came back to himself in time to pull back before he toppled into the pool.

"Sorry! The lights! They're beaut-"

"Watch out!" Karl said a split second before a jet of water shot from the pool to rip through the camera light mounted to his helmet.

Edmund crashed to the floor with his helmet partially twisted. In a panic, he straightened it and realized the left side of his helmet was gone! He scrambled on hands and knees towards pool one.

"EDMUND! Get on your feet and run!" Karl bellowed.

He pushed himself up and began to run when he heard an odd keening sound. He spun to look back and saw a tentacle-like limb stretching out of the water towards him. The bioluminescence was rippling up and down its length, but its surface was beginning to smoke like it was cooking. The bizarre sight froze him. Those watching the feed from his camera went silent as well.

The limb began retracting towards the pool, but the tip was heating up fast. Edmund realized the keening was the sound of it burning.

"Edmund- you- Edmund, leave now," Karl's voice said faintly in his helmet.

He turned to obey as the now flaming tip exploded, spraying hot liquids in an arc.

Edmund screamed as the left side of his face took a direct hit. He turned and ran for the exit. Stumbling through, he slammed the door before collapsing. Consciousness fled from the terrible pain coursing through his face and sinking into his body.

-=-

Two men in hazmat suits rushed to Edmund and lifted him by his arms to drag him to a decontamination suite. They stood under a spray on the way in then, once inside, they got his suit off and went to work spraying him down.

One ran a Geiger counter over him then pointed it to the wicked looking burns on his face. It remained relatively silent. The men looked at each other and sagged with relief.

"Thank god!" Heller said.

Arnd, one of the day-shift control center technicians, looked closer at the burns. "They're fading!"

"What?" Heller said as he leaned closer to catch the last of the terrible burn marks dissipate. Edmund's slightly pocked skin looked as normal as it had been.

"What's going on in there?" Karl's voice boomed through the intercom.

"Edmund's burns are gone!" Heller said.

"Gone? What do you mean gone! How bad were they?" Karl asked.

Heller and Arnd looked at each other.

"The entire left side of his face looked like it was going to peel off. Now it's- fine," Arnd answered.

"You two, leave the room. Now!" Karl insisted. Arnd was already moving, but Heller saw Edmund's eyes begin to flutter, and a cold shock went through his body. Instinctively, he rushed for the door.

Heller was a little embarrassed to find himself pushing Arnd out the door before slamming it closed and locking it.

"What was that about?" Arnd asked him, but Heller could only shake his head and gesture to the window looking into the room. They took their helmets off.

Karl entered from the control room and headed straight over to the window. "Did either of you touch Edmund directly, skin to skin?"

The two men shook their heads and looked at Karl with concerned expressions.

"We don't know what that thing in the pool is but Edmund may have biological contamination. We've called the CDC as well as other agencies. Anyone we could think of that might give us some answers while keeping a lid on this. We don't need a public panic on our hands." They looked through the window, Karl and Arnd right next to the glass, but Heller stepped back slightly as a shiver ran down his spine. He didn't share his observations with his colleagues.

They'd see soon enough.

-=-

"FUCK! WHAT? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE LIGHTS!?!?" Edmund cried out as he stumbled around in the decontamination suite. Ripples seemed to bounce off every surface in the room, and everything painted in reds with hot spots of white here and there and splashes of black in the corners of the room.

"Edmund!"

He jumped as the sound leapt at him from his left and bounced around the room. He followed the ripples with his eyes, watching as they bounced off surfaces and dissipated.

He recognized the voice. "Karl?" he asked and was surprised to see the sound of his voice project away from him as waves to hit the wall and scatter.

"Yes, it's Karl. Are you ok? How are you feeling?"

He looked around and found the source of Karl's voice. There was a speaker mounted up on the wall. He walked closer and put out his hand. He reached the wall and felt glass under his fingers.

"What's wrong with his eyes?" another voice yelped.

"Who's that?" Edmund asked.

"...that was Arnd. Can you see us?" Karl's voice asked gently.

"See you? No, where are you?" Edmund asked, beginning to panic.

"We're on the other side of the window, right in front of you!" Arnd's voice blurted.

Edmund stood before the window running his fingers over it. He could feel the glass, but he couldn't see through it. In a moment of inspiration, he clapped his hands together and 'saw' the boundaries of the window, the wall before him, and the door just to the right. He walked to it unerringly and grasped the release handle to find it was locked. He made his way back to the window.

"Edmund, how do you feel?" Karl's voice asked again.

"Scared. Freaked out! Why can't I see through the glass?"

"He found the door handle quick enough," Arnd's voice muttered.

"Why am I locked in?" Edmund called out.

"We have to have a doctor confirm you are ok. Standard protocol. Do you remember the explosion?" Karl's voice asked.

He nodded and put his hands carefully on the left side of his face. When he didn't feel any damage, he smiled in relief. "It doesn't feel injured now. I feel fine."

"Your face had terrible burns, but the wounds just faded away," Arnd's voice called out.

His fingers went back to his cheek as he frowned. He wished he could see it. He held his hand out in front of this face and sighed. He saw something! Quietly humming, he was able to 'see' his hand in the waves of sound. With the softer sound, he found he could make out extremely high detail, right down to the fine hairs on the back of his hand

"What are you doing?" Karl's voice again.

He looked ahead at the window where Karl was presumably watching him. He grinned crookedly. "I can see sound." He felt a little light headed after making that discovery. "I think I'm going to go lie down."

He turned and clapped his hands together, sending out a wave of sound. The room's layout displayed before him, so he turned towards the bed, walked straight to it and dropped himself on it. Maybe if he just got a little sleep, his eyes would cooperate again.

-=-

Karl, Arnd, and Heller watched Edmund walk unerringly back to the bed. Karl turned off the intercom and looked to the others.

"He can see sound?" Arnd asked incredulously.

"You saw his eyes. They're just dark red orbs. No iris. No pupil. Just red. He shouldn't be able to see anything, yet we saw him navigate the room without any trouble. He can see, somehow." He turned his head towards Heller who hadn't said a thing since leaving Edmund in the room. "You're very quiet."

Heller jumped slightly. "Hmmm! Oh, I- I'm at a loss for words. I've never seen anything like it. I... don't know what to think."

"Think what you like but keep your mouth shut. That order comes from the top," Karl said with a frown. "Can you watch him until I can find someone to relieve you?" Heller nodded. Karl glanced back in the window and headed back to the control room with Arnd at his heels.

Heller walked back to the window and watched Edmund sleeping. He felt a little better knowing the man couldn't see through the glass.

When he'd first seen the red eyes, he'd almost lost his shit. Old tales his grandpa used to tell him about a race of beings that hunted his people on moonless nights. Then Edmund admitted to seeing sound.

Fuck.

Something very big was happening. Heller felt it in his bones. Edmund was Human through and through or had been. Now he was something else. Heller had to get word to the Hidden Race Council the moment he got free from work. There were protocols for emergency contact.

He just never imagined that in his lifetime he'd have to invoke them.

Chapter 3

Henry had the blinds of his office closed, and his head was resting on his desk when Marisa found him the next morning.

"You ok, Henry?" she asked softly.

"please... stop yelling," he whimpered.

"That bad, huh? Did you take anything for it?" she whispered.

"I- uh- didn't have anything at home. I haven't gotten around to stocking the bathroom medicine cabinet," he sighed.

"Oh, Henry. I'll get you something," she whispered as she slipped away. Moments later she returned with a large bottle of water and three pills. He eyed them. "Take these and drink all of the water."

He did as he was told then smiled fondly at Marisa. "I'd say you were an angel if I didn't already know you're a Succub-"

BEEEEEEEEEP!

The shrill alarm tone screeched loudly from the ceiling intercom speaker.

Henry's eyes closed slowly as the noise bounced off every pain receptor in his body. He raised his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry," he whimpered, and the tone ended.

"That's the first time I've heard you slip," Marisa said softly with a sympathetic wince.

He nodded then settled his head back onto his desk.

"I'll give you an hour then you have to be in the executive meeting."

"Thank you," he breathed then let his mind slide away from the pain.

-=-

Queen Mab was breathtakingly beautiful, but it was a beauty that Henry had difficulty appreciating. Some were drawn like a moth to a flame, but Henry had witnessed the madness lurking just below that thin veneer and wanted nothing to do with her. Unfortunately, he needed her to give him a new human disguise. He was in Ireland as her guest, had been for weeks, waiting for her team of mages to gather and prepare. It'd been days since the last arrival was introduced to him and he sat through yet another interview so they could understand their patient.

Between all of these interviews, he'd had to be available to entertain Mab's whims. Activities ranged from tea parties, formal wear ballroom dances, to a drunken orgy to rival the mad parties of Dionysus himself, according to Mab. He managed to avoid having sex with any of the participants at the orgy thrown in his honor. The Queen was not pleased. In her rage, she may or may not have murdered the two female servants wearing glamors to appear as Fauns.

Their faces flashed in his mind causing him to cry out in despair.

"Henry! Wake up!"

He returned to the present feeling Marisa's soft hand resting on his shoulder, gently nudging him to wakefulness. He reached up to place his hand over hers. It always made him feel better to touch her hand.

"Dreaming again? The same?" she asked gently.

He pushed himself up to rest back against his chair and closed his eyes. "No... it was earlier on the trip this time."

Marisa ran her fingers through his thick, soft hair and enjoyed the sensation. Henry smiled and relaxed as she touched him. When she reluctantly pulled her fingers free, he made a little involuntary sound of disappointment. She grinned at him.

"It's time to go downstairs to the executive meeting. You don't want to be late for your first one. You know how Mother gets when she's made to wait," Marisa said with a smile.

Henry blushed as the first thought that came to his mind was Camila pouncing on him for a feeding the first time they'd been alone after he'd returned from Ireland. He squirmed at the memory.

He stood and disconnected his laptop from its docking station and smiled at Marisa as she walked back to her desk.

He took the elevator all the way to the basement as VRL had completed the renovations on the old server room. They had a brand new executive boardroom where the old servers once suffered in the depths of the building. He couldn't help but think of the space as a dungeon for torturing servers. It made his skin crawl to think of their old setup.
As he stepped out of the elevator, his eyes widened in surprise. The dully lit corridor was no more. Cream colored walls with lovely art hanging upon it caught the eye. Warm hardwood floors gleamed and what caught his eye was the lighting. It was indirect, but he swore there was sunlight splashing across the ceiling here and there. He wondered how they did that. Maybe it was solar tubes piping real sunlight from the floors above?

Two of Mr. Duncan's security personnel stood guard in the large, pleasingly lit vestibule before large dark oak double doors. He smiled and nodded to the men who returned the smile and nod while opening the doors for him. He felt a little weird with this treatment as he was capable of opening doors for himself. He wondered at VRL's seemingly over-the-top emphasis on security. He had to admit though, instead of being intimidated by the silent sentinels, the staff seemed to take comfort in their presence. He'd never seen anyone cast a worried look in their direction.

Of course, he hadn't been present when these same men collected the guilty parties his new security protocols detected moving corporate data onto unauthorized devices.

That had only happened on two occasions, and the message was received. Don't fuck with VRL. With the 'spies' identified and removed, the office settled down into a positive and comfortable environment.

Beyond the doors was a large room with a large round table in the center. Chairs circled the table with a laptop docking station before each. Some sat in their assigned chairs, while a group of executives stood by the sideboard pouring themselves a cup of coffee, tea, orange juice, or spring water. There was a selection of cookies as well.

Today's would be his first executive meeting as Henry Gable. During his time at VRL as Stanley Garin, there hadn't been an executive boardroom to have the meetings in as he'd been busy converting it into the new server room. So during that time, Camila had resorted to one on one meetings or small group meetings in her office. He hadn't attended any of the group ones, so this was a novelty for him.

"Henry! Good morning!"

He smiled as he turned to face Sigrid Gunderan, VRL's head of Human Resources. Tall, broad-shouldered and powerfully muscled, she'd lost none of her dazzling femininity for her size, in his opinion. The woman's blue eyes flashed with happiness as she smiled at his enthralled gaze. Her long blond hair was pulled back in her complex and lovely braid, bound by the gold cylinder swinging behind her.

"Good to have you," she said.

"How was the HR Conference? Florida, right?" he asked.

She grimaced and shivered. "I have no idea why those hotel conference rooms have to be so damn cold! I get it! The state is sunny and hot, but that doesn't mean they need to overcompensate by setting the thermostats so bloody low inside!"

He grinned at her then made a pouty face of false sympathy.

"Don't make me bite that lower lip," she growled quietly for just the two of them to hear.

A flush appeared on Henry's face as he glanced at the others.

She gave him a playful grin and headed over to her seat.

Henry smiled to Eve Summerly, their new CFO. For a second, he wondered if he was smiling at Anna Summerly instead. He couldn't tell the twins apart as they looked, spoke, behaved, and even dressed identically. Luckily aside from this one eccentricity, they were excellent at their jobs, and the Accounting Department staff were all very happy with their new leader and her personal assistant.

The previous CFO had been a bit of a tyrant apparently and was embezzling from the company. When he was Stanley, he'd somehow helped flush him out, though they never really explained to him how he'd helped. Honestly, he didn't want to know as it probably involved magic and he was still uncomfortable thinking about how intimately linked he was to the stuff.

The co-conspirator in the embezzling was Henry's predecessor, Mr. Hokensev, who was the former CIO. Their conspiracy led the company into a terrible technical debt with antiquated and cut-rate computer systems and a failing network. Camila Villamor, VRL's CEO, brought Stanley into the company to save them from that fate by taking on the role of CIO and personally designing and building their new systems from the ground up. In short months, he'd replaced almost all of their hardware and network technology and some of the software as well.

He smiled and sighed as he could almost feel the happy hum of VRL's new server room on the penthouse level from all the way down here in the basement.

"That's a smug smile if I've ever seen one."

Henry turned to see where the snarky comment came from and looked into the smiling eyes of their head of Security, Mr. Duncan. Henry had finally discovered the man had a first name. Roy. While he'd been invited to use it, he still didn't feel comfortable addressing the intimidatingly large red-bearded man so informally yet. The dark suits he and his team chose to wear just increased the impression of size and danger.

"No, it was just a happy one!" He gestured to the well-appointed boardroom. "This is a much better use of this space."

"Yes, I'm sure your precious machines are enjoying their lofty new home while we're stuck down here in the muck," the big man grumbled.

Surprised, Henry gave a short bark of laughter. He looked around again at the lush appointments. "How could this be considered 'muck'? It's gorgeous!"

"Ay, but ever since I heard you moved the servers to get them above sea level it gives me the willies to be down here!" he complained. Roy rolled his big shoulders and made his way to his chair.

Henry looked at the table and wondered where his position was. He spotted a man with salt and pepper hair and dark-rimmed glasses waving at him and pointing to a chair next to himself. As he walked over to the chair, he recalled meeting the man while he was doing the upgrades, when he was Stanley. The man held out his hand, and Henry shook it.

"Hi, Frank Caprelli, Operations," the man said with a broad smile.

"Hi, Henry Gable, CIO."

"Shit, do you ever look like Stanley!" the man gushed. Then he leaned forward a little to address the woman on Henry's other side. "Roz! Doesn't he look like Stanley?"

The woman in question gave Frank an exasperated look then aimed an apologetic smile at Henry. "I'm so sorry for your loss. If Frank weren't such a boob, he'd be sympathetic too."

"Oh shit, ya," Frank said as his smile dropped away. "It sucks that you meet your brother just to lose him so quick."

"It's ok. I mean it's not, but, you know," Henry waffled. He wasn't good at this. Still, he got a relieved smile from Frank and a warmer smile from the woman who was Siobhan Whelan's boss if he recalled correctly.

"I'm Rosalind Wingham, Marketing and Communications," she said as she shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you," he replied.

She passed her eyes over his features as she reminisced. "You know, your brother wasn't with us for very long, but he did some amazing things for the company. We're all in his debt."

Henry smiled and nodded as he squirmed inside. He felt weird hearing this praise and didn't know how to react. He just did his best and stayed silent. That seemed good enough.

He looked around the table and saw Myron Glickman was next to Rosalind. He led the Auditing Department. There was also an external auditing team, but they didn't attend the executive meetings.

In the next chair sat Akshay Bhatt, Head of Compliance. Henry hadn't spoken with him yet. Then Mr. Duncan, Sigrid, two empty chairs, Eve Summerly, Noah De Hann who was VRL's in-house legal counsel and someone else he hadn't spoken with, and back to Frank.

The far doors pushed open, and Camila entered, striding forward with energy and purpose. Her eyes locked on Henry's for a moment and he felt the heat in that look all the way down his torso to his balls. There was just the hint of a smile on her lips, and his mind flashed back to their reunion when he returned from Ireland. He had no doubt she was thinking of it at this moment too.

She was every bit as gorgeous as she had been the first day he met her in this very location, not that long ago really. Raven haired and stunningly beautiful from her dark eyes to her sensual lips, and her curves to drive a man to distraction. She stood six foot tall in the designer two-inch heels she preferred. Her crisp business suit spoke of style and sophistication, her keenly intelligent gaze demanded your respect and attention, yet the raw sensuality she exuded promised- ah, Henry had to turn his mind from that.

His eyes caught motion behind her, and he was surprised to see a face he'd never seen before. The woman was maybe 5' 8" and her suit jacket, crisp white blouse, and skirt spoke of fine tailoring and money; as did the ring on her right hand. The sheer quantity of large, shimmering diamonds clustered on that one piece of jewelry was daunting. Henry's ears picked up the gentle tones of the dozen or so fine gold wrist bangles she wore.

She was of Indian descent and truly lovely with an odd intensity. Her skin was cinnamon toned, and she kept her gleaming, straight black hair loose. It hung down to just above her ass. Her features were fine with dark brows above dark brown intense eyes. Gold framed rectangular glasses perched on a slim nose adorned with a small gold stud on the left side. Henry thought she might be wearing the glasses in an attempt to tone down the intensity of her eyes which almost, almost seemed to be glowing slightly. She wore deep red lipstick on her full lips which were currently frowning slightly.

Henry picked up the distinct impression that she wasn't exactly happy to be here.

Camila gestured to the chair next to the CFO for the new woman then took her own. When Mahati sat, the CEO addressed her people.

"Good morning, everyone. I have two introductions to make before we get started. I know I mentioned most of this in the note I sent out last Friday, but I'm making it official here. I'd like to welcome Henry Gable, brother of our dear departed Stanley Garin. He will be taking over as our CIO, and we look forward to working with him."

There was a polite round of applause while Henry smiled and nodded, experiencing a surreal out of body sensation of watching people he knew, welcoming him for the first time. He wasn't sure how many of VRL's executives were members of the Hidden Races so, following the rules, he acted like no one was and kept his mouth shut!

"Next, I'd like to introduce VRL's new external legal counsel. Mahati Chandra will be taking over Walter Zhou's efforts on our behalf. She will also work with Noah and his team."

There was another round of applause which received the merest of acknowledgment from the lawyer.

Camila glanced at the woman questioningly, but Mahati simply raised an eyebrow slightly in return.

"Ok, let's get started," Camila said turning her gaze back to the team.

Henry was excited to be involved in his first executive meeting, but that enthusiasm quickly waned as the discussion turned to a recent review of risk analysis and fund management.

"Henry? We keeping you awake?"

He jolted in his chair as he'd been falling asleep. "NNN! Sorry, I didn't sleep well last night." He blinked at the others. "Too excited about my first day of work."

That generated a burst of laughter from the others and his face pinked up.

The conversation continued, but this time Henry concentrated on just staying awake.

Finally, Camila finished going through her agenda and sat back to smile at Sigrid. "Time for question period. If you have anything, you'd like to say or questions to ask, fire away. We'll go around the table starting with Sigrid. Take it away."

The blond smiled at her friend. "I only have a request for everyone to follow up on the email I sent out last week regarding the vacation offenders. These people haven't taken their allotted vacation days, and that's an issue for them as well as us. Please speak with your staff identified on the report and get them to use up those outstanding days. Thank you." Several people made a note to do this.

"Mr. Duncan?"

"Everything is good. We're getting in a shipment of thermal imaging cameras this week and to ensure coverage; we'll be running extra shifts while the old cameras are replaced. We'll try to keep the overtime to a minimum." He included that last part for the CFO as she was looking at him questioningly. She nodded happily.

As it was his turn, Akshay just shook his head as did Myron next to him. Rosalind smiled at Camila and over at Henry. "One of our Junior Marketing Associates made the observation that our marketing kits are outdated in that they fail to reflect the modern company that we've become. With our state of the art network security and all the improvements being made to manage our client's data we can and should be presenting these features in our marketing material."

Camila frowned. "Won't drawing attention to our network security just make us a target?" She looked to Henry.

He glanced over at the hopeful expression on Rosalind's face then back to Camila. "It might. Our firewall addresses most current hacking methods, but we're still partially vulnerable to DOS attacks-" He immediately caught the annoyed look appearing on Camila's face. "A 'Denial of Service' attack. A flood of meaningless requests that tie up our connections to prevent legitimate traffic from reaching our servers. To mitigate this vulnerability we've got redundant connections through three providers. The 'N' Dimensional Labyrinth in our firewall is configured to identify and isolate DOS attackers into a holding pen, rerouting valid traffic inwards and responding outbound through the alternate connection. Customers on the affected inbound connection will experience a slowing of their access purely due to the increased volume. I- This has been tested, and according to Stanley's records, it works."

He clamped his mouth shut as he'd almost slipped.

"So... are you saying you'd be comfortable with letting Marketing publicly make claims of our security measures?" Camila pushed.

Henry looked over at Mr. Duncan whose face showed his disapproval. He knew the man was right, but there was also something to be said for tooting your own horn to drum up business. He caught Roy's eyes rolling as the man read the smile coming to his lips.

"Yes. Let me know when it reaches the public, and I'll keep an eye on the traffic analysis tools to see if there's any subsequent increase in suspect traffic," Henry said to Camila and Rosalind. The Marketing exec grinned happily at him, and he heard Mr. Duncan sigh.

"Henry, do you have any questions or statements for your first exec meeting?" Camila asked.

"No, I'm good. Thanks!" Henry replied with a smile.

Frank had nothing to add or ask and it went to Noah who welcomed Mahati and learned they'd be meeting in the afternoon.

Then it was Eve's turn. She looked to Henry with a hopeful smile. "I've been asked to find out if you were aware of some programming Mr. Garin was doing for the Investment Managers."

"Yes. I'll be completing that work," Henry said with a nod.

Eve's smile widened. "Excellent. We assume you'll need time to get familiar with the code and to grasp the changes Mr. Garin had intended so when should I tell them you plan to roll out the changes?"

"It should be ready in a week or two," he said.

Eve blinked in surprise. "A week or two?"

"Are they in a hurry? I don't think I can do it any quicker than that," Henry explained with a concerned expression.

"No! No, that's quick enough! It's just sooner than I expected," she exclaimed.

"Oh, well, I'm a quick study, and I like programming... and stuff," Henry said stumbling to a halt. Fuck, he hated this.

Eve just sent him a smile then indicated to the CEO that she had nothing further to say.

Attention turned to their new lawyer as it was her turn to speak. "If the meeting to discuss VRL's in-house business has concluded, I would like to speak with Ms. Villamor, Ms. Gunderan, Mr. Duncan, and Mr. Gable privately please."

Camila frowned but nodded. "Meeting adjourned. Thank you, people."

The executives not mentioned in Mahati's list stood and with a few glances back at her made their way out of the meeting room.

When the door closed, Camila pressed a control on the table before her, and there was a detectable pressure change in the room's air.

"Ok, we are in private mode, and the door is locked," Camila stated and turned to look at Mahati. "I had hoped we would have a more civil relationship with our new external counsel. You've been abrupt to the point of being rude, and I don't know where this attitude is coming from."

Mahati looked down at the surface of the table and seemed to be collecting herself. She took off her glasses, folded them, and placed them on the desk before her. When she looked up at Camila, Henry once more swore he could see a slight glow to her eyes as the whites were so bright compared to her dark irises.

"Please make no mistake. I am not VRL's legal counsel by choice but by necessity. There has been a shocking disregard for our laws perpetrated by this very group. The Hidden Races Council is well within their rights to take steps to sanction every one of you but especially Mr. Gable." She finished by pointing an accusing finger at Henry who stared back at her in surprise.

"I was appointed your legal counsel by the Hidden Races Council to ensure our laws are upheld and we contain the chaos that has ensued since the arrival of Mr. Gable or rather Mr. Garin," Mahati said tersely.

"Well, now that we know we're all just a big happy family, Henry lad, come sit next to me. There's no sense in you being off all alone over there," Roy said, gesturing for him to move.

Henry stood and walked over to sit in the chair next to the big redhead who smiled at him. Henry saw that Sigrid and Camila were smiling at him as well, but the CEO's expression turned grim once more as she turned back to Mahati.

"If we'd broken any laws of the Hidden Races we'd already be in custody or dead. If you're here to try to intimidate us with vague accusations, don't bother. We've had to deal with far bigger fish than you in the last few months, we're a little tired of it, and would like to get back to living normal lives, thank you very much." Camila said with steely calm.

Something flared in the eyes of the lawyer. "Fish? You compare me to fish?!?"

She suddenly stood, forcing her chair to roll back. There was a flash of light and in the place of the lovely Indian woman stood something Henry had never encountered before.

Her head and upper torso were still human shaped- except for her second set of arms. From the waist down, however, that's where Henry's mind had to give up on his old human preconceived notions of 'normal' and 'reality' and just accept that the coils of a very large snake could complete someone's lower half.

"The Nāga, to this day, are revered as gods! We defined the very laws we live by today! We've held the highest positions of authority in every level of the Hidden Races Council since its inception!"

Camila relaxed back in her chair. "Am I speaking to one of the original Nāga?"

The lawyer shifted on her thick, muscular coils. "What? No, I am the great-great-grand-daughter of-"

"We've had to deal directly with Baba Yaga and Queen Mab. They trump great-great-grand-daughter of someone important." Camila interrupted, and Mahati's mouth snapped shut. Her eyes suddenly began to glow, and everyone was up and out of their chairs walking backward away from the enraged female. Glamor's dropped, and a Succubus, Valkyrie, and Werewolf faced off against the Nāga.
Then there was Henry. He continued to sit and stare at this new amazing being. He was more than a little mesmerized by the shimmering colors of the sari she wore over her upper half and the gleaming deep green, blue and gold-flecked scales on her snake lower half. Her lustrous black hair rose up and fanned out behind her head much like a cobra's hood.

"You will show me the proper respect, or I will make you understand the severity of your mistake," she hissed at the three before her.

Threatening his friends was a splash of reality to clear Henry's dazed brain. He frowned and stood as well, switching into his Satyr form in a blink.

Glowing eyes twitched to him, and he saw them widen.

"It's true..." Mahati murmured as she scanned his body top to bot- Her eyes stopped at his very obvious nudity.

"Damn it, Henry! Can't you wear pants, underwear, even a fucking apron to hide that thing?" Roy growled in annoyance.

He looked down and groaned. "Oh sorry, I forgot to put my kilt on this morning before I switched."

He looked up to see Mahati muttering something as her four hands made odd and intricate gestures. The small hairs on his neck began to stand on end as he felt the energies building. He found himself stepping forward to reach out and grab her hands just as she brought her lefts and rights together.

"NO!" Camila screamed, but it was too late.

The spell Mahati had primed collapsed as Henry's tight grip broke her control over it. The resulting blast wave of energy exploded outwards, tossing Henry and Mahati away from each other.

Sigrid snapped her shield in place just as she pulled Camila to her side. The wave deflected around them, but Roy was blown back against the wall and fell to the floor unconscious.

The moment it passed, Camila's claws were out, and she was striding towards Mahati with murderous intent. Sigrid's cooler mind prevailed, and she stopped her friend from gutting the great-great-grand-daughter of someone important. They stared down at the Nāgi and saw she was breathing but out cold.

They moved to Roy and saw he was coming around. He appeared uninjured aside from a nasty bump on the head. His rapid healing response would take care of that, so he waved them off as he got to his feet holding his head.

Henry had tumbled head over hooves to stop against the far wall of the room. Camila and Sigrid knelt on either side of him and gently eased his heavy body away from the wall and laid him out on the soft carpet.

"How are his hands?" Sigrid asked. She was worried he would have deep burns.

Camila gently turned his palm upwards, but there wasn't a mark on him. Sigrid found the same thing on his other hand.

"How does he do that?" The tall blond said as she looked across his body to her friend.

"It's the second time I've heard of him blocking magic. The first time was with Yuko-"

"YUKO!" Henry yelped as he suddenly sat up, causing Camila and Sigrid to fall back onto their butts. He hissed and shook his hands as they were tingling badly, like hundreds of tiny needles were pricking them.

He glanced over to look at the two ladies staring back at him in surprise. "Are you ok?" he asked.

Sigrid climbed to her feet and moved to help Camila up. She looked back at Henry who remained sitting on the floor. He was rubbing his hands on his legs and grimacing. "We're fine. What's wrong with you?"

"Feels like my hands fell asleep. They're all prickly! What happened?" he asked as they helped him stand.

"You don't remember grabbing Mahati's hands as she prepared to launch a spell?" Camila said then swatted his shoulder in frustration. "You have to stop doing that!"

Henry blinked at her and rubbed his shoulder. "I- I don't remember doing that."

Sigrid shared a worried glance with Camila and led them back to stand next to Mahati who was beginning to show signs of waking.

"Owww..." the prone Nāgi moaned. She lifted her hands, all four of them, and they looked badly sunburned.

"What spell were you trying to cast on Henry?" Camila asked calmly.

Mahati suddenly sat up and looked around wildly. Her eyes stopped when they found Henry standing before her with a concerned look on his face. He showed no signs of damage yet her hands felt like they were on fire! She winced and shrank back from him. With her hands in this condition, she couldn't use her magic. "What are you?!?" she whimpered.

He glanced at Sigrid in confusion then back at the Nāga. "Uh, I'm a Satyr. The only one."

Sigrid stepped a little closer and glared at her. "You see now? He's immune to your magic so no more stupid stunts like that one. Got it?" she barked, and Mahati nodded pitifully.

"Are you going to be ok?" Henry asked gently, and she looked into his eyes for a moment before nodding.

"You are... not what I expected," she said quietly. "My sister said you were... kind. I did not believe her."

Henry's eyebrows went up. He'd met her sister?

Camila frowned and nodded. "Yet you seemed to be ready for a fight the moment you arrived. Care to explain why?"

Mahati collected her thoughts and coiled her tail underneath herself. This raised her head slightly above the others which made her feel a little better. "The Hidden Races Council came to my family to ask my mother to take the position of VRL's external legal counsel. She refused as was her right, being the matriarch of the family and far too important to work for a company as insignificant as VRL." Camila bristled but held her tongue. "Instead, I was appointed in her place." Mahati took a deep breath and continued. "I- I've never worked outside of the family practice. I'm an expert in corporate and civil law, both Human and Hidden Races but... I've never worked directly with a client before. I read the dossier and familiarized myself with the case and... I thought I understood the threat Mr. Gable represented for the stability of our society-"

"So you thought you'd just take him out quick with a lethal spell and solve everyone's troubles, especially your own," Sigrid growled and saw from the lawyer's widening eyes that she'd gotten it right. The Valkyrie's armor snapped into place flooding the room with light. The spear looked especially intimidating in her fist.

"Sigrid! Please! Put your weapons away. There's been enough violence today, and it's not even lunch-time yet!" Henry pleaded. "She made a mistake. She paid for it. Let's put it behind us and move forward." He turned his eyes to Mahati. "Please don't try to kill me anymore. I'm not a bad guy. I only want to live my life in peace. There was also some stuff missing in that file like if you kill me, the Fae race might perish as well."

Her eyes flew wide, and he realized he was right about the file.

"What? How?" the lawyer gasped.

Henry looked uncomfortable as Camila and Sigrid were scowling at him. He was speaking on things he was not allowed to discuss. "Sorry, I've said more than the Council allows. Just believe me when I say there would be unexpected ramifications. As Sigrid said, it wouldn't have worked anyway so- moot point."

Mahati looked like a light breeze might knock her over. She looked between them and sighed. "I've made such a mess of this so far. Mother is going to be most upset with me."

"We're not going to say anything," Henry said and looked into the eyes of Camila, Sigrid and Mr. Duncan who wore a frown on his face but nodded to show he agreed.

"There is still the matter of my burns. I can't hide these," Mahati moaned.

"That's something you'll need to deal with on your own. You could go to the Fae as they have excellent healers. Just don't tell them what you were trying to do when you got hurt," Camila suggested.

She nodded, and once more a flash of light preceded her switch back to her disguise. Everyone followed suit until only humanity was represented in the room. "I'll have to postpone my meeting with Mr. De Hann," she said gesturing to her hands.

"I'll let him know," Camila said and received a nod.

Mahati began to turn then looked back. "Should either Baba Yaga or Queen Mab attempt to contact you, you must contact me immediately as your legal representative. This is mandatory as a condition of Mr. Gable's ongoing freedom."

"What?" Sigrid growled. "There can be no conditions on his freedom!"

"By order of the Hidden Races Council, this condition has been invoked. If you'd like to protest, you may bring your concerns to the attention of the senior members," the lawyer stated. She looked into Henry's eyes once more, then nodded to him and walked from the room with as much dignity as she could. She had to deactivate the lock with her elbow; then she was gone.

Once the door closed, Henry looked at the unhappy faces of the others.

"I knew they were acting too supportive. I should have known there'd be a cost," Camila said quietly.

"It doesn't seem too daunting a request," Henry offered.

"It's not a request! It's a condition. Just the first of many until you have no freedom left at all," Roy grumbled. "If we don't find a way to get them to back off and I mean completely, they won't stop until you are locked away in a dark pit somewhere, drugged and paralyzed."

Henry looked at the big man in dismay. "Damn, that's pretty grim."

"Sorry, but it's a possible outcome," the security man said.

"So my new allies are worse than the Fae?" Henry said with a scowl.

Camila sighed and shared a look with her chief of security. "That's one outcome and a dark one at that, but that's what makes Roy so good at his job. He sees potentialities that others block from their perceptions. That doesn't mean he's right in this instance. That may be a long way down the line, but I agree that we need to take steps now to show conditions are not acceptable."

Henry looked at the others in dismay. "Can't I just go back to being a CIO and keep my head down?"

Sigrid looked at him fondly and nodded. "Why don't you head back upstairs and get back to that."

He gave her a grateful smile, nodded to Camila and Roy, grabbed his laptop and hustled away.

He left before they could change their minds.

Once the door closed again, Camila turned to Sigrid. "Would Henry have been immune to the Nāga's spell?"

Sigrid shook her head doubtfully. "The energy she was channeling would have blown a hole through the back wall after incinerating him if she'd managed to focus it. I don't know how Henry did it, but he was damn lucky to defocus her spell when he did." She gave them a grim look. "But she now thinks he's immune so she won't try again."

Camila frowned as she looked at her two friends. "I feel like we messed up in protecting Henry but how could we have known the legal representative the Council appointed would try to assassinate him?"

"Ay, we couldn't. Sometimes luck plays a greater part than strategy. And luck, good and bad, circle the lad like vultures." Roy said with a scowl and took some deep breaths to settle his nerves.

Camila nodded. "Ok, put some thought into how we can get the Hidden Race Council to back off on their conditions. We will meet again at the end of the day to brainstorm."

Roy and Sigrid nodded, and the three headed upstairs to begin their regular duties.

It was just a regular business day after all.

Chapter 4

"Who's fucking with the satellite imagery? I swear to God if the guilty party doesn't step forward and confess to creating these creative little masterpieces I will hunt you down and grind your balls under my sharp, pointy heels!"

The room went silent. Nervous eyes looked over monitors at Janice Whetstone, Director of the Climate Research Division of the EPA as she fumed from the doorway. Half of the technicians in the room were female, and even they were worried about that threat.

"Nobody? No modern-day Rembrandts want to confess to doctoring satellite images from the last run?" Janice asked with a sweet tone that fooled no one. She noted evident shock in the eyes of several of the techs as they heard the crime. She frowned when she felt the light touch on her arm. She turned to see a messenger in the hall. He handed her a folded piece of paper and made his escape. Janice read the paper, and her frown deepened.

When she turned her attention back to the team, they hid a little farther behind their monitors.

"I was just informed that some older images as far back as three weeks ago show the same doctoring. All images are now being reviewed to determine the true scope of this little sabotage!" the Director raged.

"Director Whetstone! Please join me in my office," a voice said from behind her.

She turned to see Rick Mondeyo, the department manager standing behind her. He was a big man and very dark skinned. Handsome in a swarthy ethnic way. The man was in jeans, a t-shirt, and sandals. Not office attire but then she recalled he was off this week.

"Aren't you on vacation?" she said tersely, doing her best to ignore his dark eyes, sexy mouth and how tight those jeans were!

He nodded and gestured for her to precede him down the hall. He leaned in the doorway and saw many grateful smiles.

"Debs, join us please."

The tech in question gave him a deer in the headlights look as all eyes turned to her. He shook his head reassuringly and gestured for her to join him. She popped up from her chair and rushed after him and the Director who was almost at his door already.

Rick let them inside, flipped on the light and moved around his desk to turn on his computer. He gestured for Janice to take a seat and indicated to the tech to stand by. He logged in to his PC and got it into the Archive application. Then he turned his attention back to the Director.

"I have access to the raw files that immediately go into the archive. They are undoctored files. The files you and the other directors receive have been processed but never doctored." He held up his hand to forestall her protest. "Please give me the file ID so I can find the source file."

She read out the ID, and he ran a cross-check to find its source. He then pulled a copy of the raw file to his local desktop. He also copied the digital version of the file she had in her hand.

"Could you get the light, Debs?" he asked as he turned on the ceiling mounted projector which lit up one of his walls. His desktop projected on the wall. He opened the raw image file in his editor then the processed one. Next, he gestured for Debs to sit at his desk before the PC.

He looked to the woman seated across the desk from him. "Which quadrant of the image had the anomalous artifacts?"

Janice snorted at his dancing around the issue, but she looked to the photo and read out the numbers.

"This is the digital file which produced the photo you hold," he said then turned to his tech. Receiving a nod from Rick, Debs pulled up the area of the photo and made a noise of surprise. There in the sky above southern Missouri was a strangely crooked rainbow giving birth to a bright white cloud. To the west of the rainbow, open skies. To the right were several big fluffy white clouds spreading out in a triangular formation.

"Magnify this quadrant to look for artifacts," Rick said to the tech.

"Artifacts?" Janice asked.

"All of the tools used for manipulating digital images leave some form of 'evidence' behind-"

The tech was shaking her head. "I don't see any artifacts, but someone could have pixel painted these, sir. That doesn't leave artifacts."

Rick looked at his worker doubtfully.

"Well?" Janice asked belligerently, hearing a possibility of sabotage.

"Debs, how many pixels in the affected area of this image?" he asked.

She zoomed out and selected the area containing the anomaly. "Oh."

"What does 'Oh' mean?" Janice said testily.

Debs looked up at her boss. "Too many pixels to have done it manually."

"Exactly. There would be no way someone could have used that method to alter the images in the time between image capture and archiving. These are unaltered files. The anomaly is there, and the image you are seeing is a faithful copy of what was happening in the sky over Missouri. No one doctored the images you reviewed. I can't explain what you see but- it is what it is!"

Debs snorted at her boss' weak joke then wiped the smile from her face seeing the hostile frown on the Director's face.

Janice huffed. She'd wanted to get to the bottom of this and return to her superiors with a simple answer. She also really wanted to dish out some punishment. Frustrated, she turned her attention to the hunk of manliness next to her. She didn't have to leave empty-handed. She opened her mouth to invite him to dinner.

"If that's everything, I have to get back to my niece's birthday party. My boyfriend was so upset that I left it to come here," Rick sighed.

Janice's mouth snapped shut as her expression soured. With a brief nod, she quickly walked from his office to head back to hers.

Debs was looking up at her boss in surprise. "I didn't know you had a boyfriend!"

Rick leaned over to shut down his PC, gestured for the woman to proceed him out of his office, and locked the door. Then he turned to face her.

"I don't. Janice isn't worthy of this," Rick said, gesturing to his body with a coy smile and headed home. Debs aimed her enormous grin at his back.

She turned and sprinted back to her team. She just had to share.

-=-

Sigrid was worn out after a long day. The encounter with Ms. Chandra at the exec meeting had been stressful but trying to work out a solution to get the Council to back off on putting conditions on Henry's freedom had been worse. They hadn't made any progress in their brainstorming session in Camila's office, so they decided to call it a day.

She smiled to herself as she climbed the stairs to her home. It was no longer a big empty home.

She opened the door with her key and smiled at the young woman standing in the entryway.

"Good evening, Meixiu."

"Good evening, Sigrid," the petite Chinese woman said with a smile and a bow. "How was your day?"

Sigrid locked the door and smiled at the seemingly young woman before her wearing her new favorite garb, an oversized t-shirt and yoga pants. Meixiu had the outward appearance of someone in her early 20's, but she'd been alive since sometime in the late eighteen hundreds. As a vampire, she was 'gifted' with an extraordinarily long life.

Walter Zhao, VRL's previous legal representative, had been a dragon, another long-lived race. He'd accepted Meixiu as a gift from her parents when she was a young child. He proceeded to bring her to America, enslaved her in his mansion, and trained her to be his servant. When she reached her twenties, he'd arranged to have her infected with a vampire virus to lock her biologically at his preferred age. That process was horrifying and excruciatingly painful but Walter wanted it, so it was done.

The virus was the last vestige of an extinct Hidden Race. While only Humans could be infected, it was the virus that linked the host to the realm of magic and gave them abilities and long lives. The moment Walter was sure the infection had taken hold, he'd placed a curse upon her to take away her sight. She'd spent the next century in the dark.

Some of the...tasks Walter had given her during that time horrified Sigrid when she'd heard of them. Each time she recalled them she replaced the thoughts with the satisfying memory of driving her spear through Walter's brain and watching the life fade from his eyes.

For all the horrors she'd been through, Meixiu was a kind and gentle soul. She'd never let Walter change her basic core values, and as long as she was obedient, he didn't care what she did or was.

Sigrid had been introducing her to present day life and guiding her in how to function in it in the hopes she might learn to be independent.
"My day was tiring," she said with a smile as she walked into her living room and dropped onto the couch. Meixiu followed her in and sat a short distance away. "We met VRL's new external legal representative. Mahati Chandra. She's a Nāga, a wielder and a strong one at that. She was directed by the Council to contain Henry. Instead, she decided that immediately eliminating him would serve the greater good.

"NO!" Meixiu gasped.

Sigrid held up her hands to calm the woman. "Henry's fine. He grabbed her hands as she was about to release the spell and- broke it? I'm not even sure how to describe what he did. The energies just collapsed into a wave of force. Knocked Mahati and Henry away from each other to the outer edges of the room. Knocked them both out but Henry had no injuries at all. Mahati's hands received burns. She'll need healing."

"You did not kill her for attacking Henry?" Meixiu asked in surprise.

"It was tempting, but Henry defused the tension in the room. Promises were made to play nice from now on. Mahati was impressed in spite of herself," Sigrid said with a small smile on her lips.

Meixiu smiled happily. "Henry is a good man!"

Sigrid nodded and smiled in return. "Yes, he is. Now, how was your day?"

"The shortwave radio you bought for me was very entertaining! I found some... stations?" She looked to Sigrid and received a nod. "...where they spoke a dialect close to my original language. The television was a less entertaining experience. I do not understand why people find improper behavior so enticing. Bad people get rewarded while virtuous people get treated so poorly."

Sigrid nodded unhappily. "Yeah, that's a sickness in this culture."

"Are you hungry? I prepared your dinner. It's being kept warm in the oven," Meixiu said with a smile.

Sigrid returned her smile. "You know I don't expect you to cook for me. You're my guest, not my servant." She looked around and saw not a speck of dust, and everything placed just so. Neat and clean.

"This is why it gives me such pleasure to do this for you! You've been so good to me! This is the least I can do to repay you," Meixiu gushed.

"There is no need but thank you!" Sigrid pushed herself to her feet and made her way into the kitchen where Meixiu slipped on the oven mitts and moved her dinner plate from the oven to the small table by the back window.

"May I give you a hug?" Sigrid asked as she stood next to the table.

Meixiu's face lit up with a happy smile, and she moved into the tall blonde's embrace.

Once the hug ended, Sigrid sat and began to enjoy the meal. Meixiu was an excellent cook.

"This is so good! Thank you! Are you going out for your own meal tonight?" she asked the petite woman. Meixiu only went out once or twice a week. Sigrid had trained her as best she could on avoiding being seen by security cameras and quickly discovered Meixiu was an expert at not being seen when she didn't want to be. Just part of a Vampire's skillset.

They'd also discussed who was a viable target for meals. Meixiu got particular satisfaction from hunting those who preyed on the weak. Aiming for the criminal element, Meixiu walked through some dangerous areas. If a mugger or rapist tried to attack her, she sprung her trap. She never took more than a few mouthfuls from her targets. In the morning they would wake, naked in an alley with no memory of her or what happened the night before. Meixiu was particularly sensitive to rape and when these monsters woke they'd find their balls had been tied off very tightly with a small silk ribbon. That damage was irreversible. Much like rape.

The petite beauty nodded happily to Sigrid.

"Don't stay out too late," Sigrid said as she extended her wrist out to Meixiu. "Be sharp out there."

Gently holding Sigrid's arm in her hands, she pressed her lips to the inner wrist and darted her tongue over the skin there, numbing it. A sharp prick from one of her razor-sharp fangs started the flow of blood. She drank a small amount then pressed her tongue once more against her skin and the healing enzymes sealed the wound. She finished by kissing the tender flesh. "Thank you!"

Sigrid pulled her arm back as tingles ran down her spine. She insisted Meixiu 'top up' from her before heading out as the Wild Magic in her blood supercharged the girl's awareness and this protected her on her hunts.

"When will you be visiting Henry again?" Meixiu said with a sly smile.

Sigrid gaped at her in surprise.

"I'm just saying. Your energy levels seem to be a little low."

Sigrid laughed as Meixiu slipped out the back door with a grin.

She very much enjoyed sharing her home with the cheeky girl.

Going back to her meal, she wondered what Henry was up to now?

Chapter 5

Henry rubbed at his eyes and pushed back from his desk. Blinking blearily, he looked at the clock on his screen. 9:43 PM. He frowned. It was just too easy for him to get lost in his work. He barely recalled Marisa telling him she was heading home and he should too as he'd been so deep in the code for the Investment Managers application. He'd finish tomorrow, but he didn't need to push this hard.

He saved his work and shut down the laptop. He locked it into its base as he wasn't taking it home tonight. He stood up and stretched his back, giving himself a shake.

He had to stop doing this. He was slipping into his old patterns. Becoming isolated by locking himself away with his work. He needed a real life. Balance.

Stepping out, he pulled his office door closed and headed out. He smiled and nodded to the two men stationed in the executive level lobby and received the same in return. As security was present, one of the execs must still be working. Then he noticed they were joining him to go down. He was the last exec working tonight!

As he waited for the elevator, he listened to the men talking and laughing about their hunting trip this past weekend, and he felt a familiar longing. A need to belong. He was only beginning to gain acceptance in Sandy's circle of friends but, aside from Roger who still hadn't warmed up to him, their interest in him was mostly based on physical attraction. He wished he had friends with similar interests. A group he could just hang out with and be comfortable around.

He stepped into the elevator, and they followed him in, continuing to talk about their plans. They went down to ground level, and the guards made their way to the Security office with a final wave to him. On his way past the empty reception desk, Henry waved to the security cameras as well.

The air outside was warm as they were still at the beginning of September. He decided he would do a little shopping. He had to pick up painkillers in case he drank too much again.

He walked along the street doing a little 'people watching' and saw a few watching him back, which was a new development. When he was Stanley, he never really registered on people's attention. He kind of preferred that.

He spotted the 24/7 drug store and made his way inside. He grabbed a basket and began making his way up and down the aisles. He stocked up on shampoo as he had so much more hair now! He'd seriously considered going back to a short haircut, but Marisa, Sigrid, Camila, and Siobhan all emphatically vetoed the idea. They said his long wavy hair was gorgeous and suited his new look far better than short hair would. So, for now, more shampoo.

In the next aisle, he faced a huge variety of painkillers. He was beginning to get frustrated when he finally spotted a bottle with pills that matched the ones Marisa gave him this morning. That went into his basket too.

One more aisle and he was standing before a vast array of condoms. He'd promised himself he would get some and he hadn't yet. If anything should happen between himself and any of the ladies in Sandy's circle he'd be prepared. He had no idea where to start. There were too many options for color, size, thickness, texture, lubricant, non-lubricated, spermicide, and material. His head spun with the choice.

"You look lost my friend. Maybe I could offer you a little advice?"

Henry turned to look at the man standing next to him. He had a friendly smile, nice eyes and was almost as tall as Henry. He was sharply dressed as if he was on his way to a club which he may well have been as there was one a few doors away.

Henry nodded. "Yes, please. I've no idea which one to choose."

"Then you are speaking to the right man!" came a boisterous voice to Henry's left.

Another man dressed for clubbing walked up and threw his arm around his friend's shoulder as he grinned at Henry. "Nate here should own stock in these companies considering how much practical experience he has with their products!"

"Joey! Come on, man! You're making me sound like a douchebag! Get outa here!" Nate growled with a thick but fake New York accent and pushed his laughing friend away. "Why I oughtta!" he fake threatened the other man who continued to laugh and walk away.

The dark-skinned man looked back at Henry apologetically. "Don't mind that mentally deficient nutcase. He's right though. I do know which ones work best."

Henry smiled at their casual comradery and thought that this was exactly what he was missing in his life. He was envious of Nate but looked back at the shelves as he didn't want the man to see it.

"Ok, do you have an allergy to latex?" Nate asked.

Henry shook his head.

"I would recommend lubricated and having the spermicide in the lubricant isn't a bad idea, but regular lube is also fine. Now, unless the ladies specifically ask for it, leave the colored ones for the couples looking for ways to add some spice." Nate continued.

Henry nodded as this was helpful.

"And speaking of spice, don't use the condoms which heat up or cool down unless, again, they specifically ask for that. I've seen a few women in pain from the chemical heat they add to the condom." Nate pointed to the shelves. "That eliminates these." He gestured to the areas which had the undesirable condoms. "Which leaves these."

Henry sighed in relief with the greatly reduced selection he now faced.

"Next question: pickle, banana, or plantain?" Nate asked.

"DUDE! You can't ask about another dude's junk!" Joey yelled from the end of the aisle.

"Hey! Then stop asking to see mine!" Nate barked back, and several male voices joined in on the ribbing of Joey who took it with a grin and good-natured curses. Henry's eyes widened as he realized Nate had a posse of friends with him in the store. His envy grew.

Nate turned back to Henry whose face was a little red. "The condom sizing only matters if you truly are plantain size. Pickle and banana can use a regular sized condom but should never use the ones designed for plantain."

"Geezus Nate! All this sexy talk is making my pickle stiff!" a voice called out from his friends and drew laughs.

Nate just shook his head with a grin. He looked back at Henry curiously.

Henry just looked at him then pulled a box of 20 lubricated x-large condoms from the shelf and dropped it into his basket.

"Plantain it is. Good for you!" Nate said with a sincere smile and picked a box of 6 lubricated regular condoms for himself.

"Who's the plantain?" a female voice demanded to know from behind Henry.

"Good evening, ladies," Nate said with a relaxed smile.

Henry turned to see two women walking down the aisle towards them. He saw they were dressed for hitting the clubs. Their shimmering skimpy party dresses displayed a lot of skin. They wore lots of jewelry as well. Their glitter eyeshadow was bold colors, too. Henry realized he knew nothing about clubbing.

The one who spoke was a black woman with her hair in tight braids that hung down to mid-back and ended with ornate wooden beads which clicked as she moved. Her dress struggled to contain her bounty both upstairs and down.

Her friend was Hispanic with big hair hanging down to her ass, huge gold hoop earrings, and the roundest breast implants Henry had ever seen. A gold necklace dangled the name 'Luna' just above her deep cleavage.

He caught motion from the corner of his eye and saw Nate was pointing to him with a smile.

"Really? This white boy is the gifted one?" the braided woman said, turning a skeptical expression towards Nate. Her smile suddenly became sultry as she eyed him up and down. "Are you sure it's not you?"

Nate smiled and shook his head. "Scouts honor."

Braids laughed. "Yeah, right. Like you were a boy scout!" She looked to the embarrassment on Henry's face. "Him? I could believe."

'Luna' stepped forward to press her tits against Henry's hard chest muscles as she smiled up at him. "¡Vaya, Trissa! I like them innocent!"

He felt an immediate surge in his pants as she rubbed her stiff nipples up and down his chest. Then her hand slipped between them, and she was squeezing his growing erection through his pants.

"¡Dios mío!" she gasped with wide eyes. "It's true!" Her expression of surprise became one of wicked delight. "Too bad for you bitch, he's mine now!" She squeezed him between her fingers, and he swelled further. "¡Voy a montar tu polla tan duro esta noche!" she purred.

"I- I don't know what you just said, but it sounded very pretty," Henry said then gasped as she rubbed him harder through his pants. Trissa slipped her hand downstairs as well, and the two were rubbing him. In the back of his mind, a hunger was waking, and his body began reacting faster than his brain could keep up. He suddenly felt tingling heat rush down his neck and sides of his torso to spread and pass outwards through his limbs. His eyes held Luna's and hers instinctively widened as she reacted to the raw need she saw there. She leaned in and inhaled his scent, her eyes flaring with a heat of her own.

Again, motion drew Henry's eye, and he saw Nate staring at him strangely. He was also leaning towards Henry and... inhaling?

Trissa, the braids wearer, squeezed herself closer, jostling her friend with a scowl. "Move aside puta! Let me see!"

"Who are you calling puta, bitch? I said he was mine!" Luna snarled as she spun to glare at the other woman.

"Ladies, no need for anger! The night is young. The club is steps away, and we can enjoy ourselves in there-" Nate said smoothly, but it was too late. Trissa slapped Luna who roared with rage and launched herself at the other. The two grabbed handfuls of each other's hair. Screams ensued.

Henry took a step back, then another. His passions surged but not for violence. He wanted nothing to do with this. He saw Nate on the other side of the two women and a group of men coming to his rescue.

How nice it must be to have that. Buddies. Guys to just chill with and who rushed to help when shit got real. His last glimpse of Nate was of him between two friends. He was staring back at Henry in shock and confusion. He was reaching towards Henry.

Henry frowned sadly and turned to make his way to the cash as two of New York's finest rushed past him to deal with the mess behind him.

The heat was still coursing through his body, and he had no idea why he felt this way. He'd never felt like this before! It felt good, but this wasn't the time or place. Especially with the cops so close. He had to calm down!

The clerk stared up at Henry with wide eyes as she rang his items through the checkout. She licked her lips and smiled at him as he paid. Henry suddenly wanted to taste that tongue, and for a moment the woman looked like she might climb over the counter to get to him, but he picked up the shopping bag and rushed from the store.

Shit! What was going on? A tremor went through his body, and another wave of heat rushed out to the tips of his fingers and toes.

More officers arrived and rushed inside as Henry walked away. He quickly made his way into the subway and was glad the train wasn't too full.

He found a seat in the middle of the car, set his shopping bag on his lap, and tucked his head down to keep from looking at anyone else. On the way in he'd noted several young couples in the seats around him but they weren't looking at him, so he turned his thoughts inward and closed his eyes. He still felt the flush of the heat rushing through his body and radiating from him, and he was almost painfully erect. His need was flaring as he struggled to calm himself! He didn't know what was happening to him but as good as this felt he- Was someone moaning? WHAT THE FUCK!

Opening his eyes, he glanced over his shopping bag at the couples around him. He was stunned to see they were in various states of undress and passionately kissing. The young man and woman closest to him were having sex! She was riding her boyfriend's cock like a wild thing, and the man was loudly moaning as he squeezed her tits. The others began ripping off their clothes to get to each other as well. Henry watched in dazed amazement as the orgy erupted around him. He throbbed and ached in his pants but made no move to join in. Sighs, moans, and cries of bliss filled the subway car and Henry grit his teeth as his need flared once more. Passengers in other cars were watching in shock through the window. Some were taking pictures. He tucked his face closer to his shopping bag to hide.

When the train finally reached the next station a group of police officers were waiting for them and rushed on board to grab them. Henry was cuffed and hustled off the train as some of the officers began to strip as well. Someone yelled 'GAS!' and there was a panic to get to the stairs.

Suddenly, a black female officer who was close to his height took a firm grip on his arm. It was difficult to tell with the vest she was wearing, but he got the impression that she was thick bodied. She was certainly stronger than he was as she roughly pulled him up the stairs and pushed him into the back of her cruiser. She'd taken his shopping bag from him and was standing outside the door looking through the items inside. When she spotted the box of condoms, she looked back in the window at him. He just looked back at her, trying to hide the need in his eyes. She frowned then licked her lips. Henry saw her walk away to speak with one of the other officers. He throbbed and shook as his need pulled at him. Another wave of heat rolled through his body. What the hell was happening to him?

The front door opened and the officer got in, closing the door with a thump. She gasped and looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes becoming a little intense. Then she faced forward, started the cruiser, and pulled away from the curb with a screech of rubber.

They drove in silence for a while until Henry noticed the residential neighborhood they turned into, not a police station. They also seemed to be going faster than before. "Excuse me, officer? Where are we going?" Henry managed.

She glanced at him in the mirror but remained quiet. She drove them into a quiet neighborhood of small single story homes and abruptly pulled into a driveway, taking the cruiser all the way down the lane to the backyard.

Henry's mind was struggling to surface from his lust, but it still had control of him. If anything it was becoming more intense. He knew he should be worried about what she was doing as this was not a police station but somehow he wasn't picking up a dangerous vibe from her. She was strong and had used her strength to move him around, but there didn't seem to be any anger in her actions.

The woman was taking deep breaths in the front seat when she suddenly pushed the door open and got out. She opened his door, and he saw she had his shopping bag in one hand. She grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the cruiser. He found himself bent over the trunk of the car and her hands were patting his legs as she looked for weapons. He gasped when she groped his cock through his pants.
"Shit," she sighed quietly, and a tremble went through her body. Then Henry was being pulled upright and marched to the back door of the house. She pushed him against the wall and held him there with one arm as she unlocked the door. Then he was being pushed inside and down a short hallway to the bedroom. The shopping bag hit the floor as she spun him and her mouth was on his. His need flared again.

Her kiss was demanding and almost bruising, but he sucked on her tongue as she undid his belt. She pulled back from the kiss to tug his pants and underwear down.

She pushed him roughly, and he fell back on the bed. She took a moment to tug off his shoes, pants, and underwear. He looked up at her as he squirmed higher on the bed while she pulled her clothes off. This took a while as she also had a vest on under her uniform. All the while his cock throbbed against his belly, and the internal heat flushed his skin.

He finally got a good look at her. She had to be 6' with a strong, heavy body, carrying just a little extra weight on her breasts, belly, ass, and thighs. She was not so much fat as thick and solid. She kept her hair short and wore a serious expression. She had a broad nose and full lips which he longed to kiss again. She had to be in her early thirties and had worry lines on her face. As she was a cop in New York, this wasn't a surprise.

She was looking more and more desperate to take him and finally tore her panties off.

"Condom!" he croaked from a tight throat, his rational mind scoring that one small victory.

She bent and ripped open the box, scattering the contents on the floor. She picked up a strip and tore one free, pulling it from the foil package.

Then she was on the bed rolling the condom over his cock as he gasped and squirmed. She knee walked over his body and sat down to pin his cock to his stomach with her pussy. She stroked him up and down this way as he moaned. Finally, she could wait no longer. She lifted his cock and forced it inside her.

"Fuck!" she gasped as more and more of him slid deep inside. She made grunting noises as she struggled to accommodate all of him.

Henry's mind filled with the bliss he'd been aching for. His hips began to roll, and this made the woman grunt and move faster. That felt better for him, and his hips rocked more. Soon she was slamming her ass down against his pelvis, and he was rocking side to side to keep pace. Henry marveled at her strength as she maintained this high level of effort at a brutal pace for minute after minute.

"Fuck! Fuck, I'm gonna cum!" she suddenly growled.

He sped up, and she threw her head back as her orgasm struck. She shook and moaned through the waves and gradually folded herself down to rest across his body.

Henry hadn't reached his release yet, and his hips continued to roll slowly, sliding himself in and out of her. She sighed and stretched her body against his, and he moved a little faster.

"Shit, that feels good," she mumbled. She pulled back to look into Henry's eyes then her mouth was on his again, this time she was sucking on his tongue.

He wanted to put his hands on her, but cuffs still pinned them behind his back. Instead, he began to bounce her hips against his, slapping her clit as he drove himself deeper and deeper.

"AH! FUCK! FUCK! FFFFFFUUUUCCCKKK!!!" she cried out as a second release overwhelmed her. Henry's orgasm was suddenly right there. The heat flowing through his limbs surged, and he thought he might spontaneously burst into flames. He filled the condom, and he could feel it begin to run up the sides, threatening to spill out inside her. He arched his back and felt himself slip free.

Henry lay panting on the bed as he felt his body slowly returning to normal. The heat inside him ebbed and dissipated, and he felt his mind sharpening once more.

The woman was also panting and trembling on his chest. She looked him in the eye and guilt suddenly flared there. She pulled back and sat on the edge of the bed facing away.

They were quiet for a while.

"Shit. Look, I'm sorry. I- I don't know what came over me," Mary said quietly.

"Hi, my name is Henry. Henry Gable."

She looked at him in surprise, snorted softly. A smile finally appeared on her lips. "Mary Carsten." She had nice eyes.

"Nice to meet you, Mary."

"Really?" she asked with a troubled look. "I practically raped you."

He shook his head briefly. "I never said no or stop, and I certainly didn't try to stop you, so it wasn't rape."

Her eyes took on a stricken look. "You're not married, are you?"

He shook his head. "Single. Not even dating."

She finally smiled in relief and shook her head. "What the hell was that? I've never behaved like that before."

"I don't know, this has never happened to me either," Henry said. "Are you married?"

She looked away. "Separated." She seemed to be collecting herself then she looked at him again. "What about those people on the train?"

"They just spontaneously started having sex. I had my eyes closed at first, so I didn't see it start," Henry explained.

She nodded and chuckled. "Some new kind of weird flash mob?"

Henry shrugged. "Can- can you remove the handcuffs now?"

She grinned down at him as she turned her body towards him. "What if I'm not done with you yet?"

He chuckled as he saw she was only teasing.

She moved closer and looked at the mess in his condom. "Damn, you were backed up there I see."

He rolled his eyes then gasped as he felt her gripping the base of his cock and squeezing upwards as she peeled the condom from his semi-rigid erection. She got most of the cum inside the condom and tied the open end closed. "Shit, that's more than I've ever seen... from one man at least." Her eyes went to his. She dropped it into a trash can next to the bed.

"That's... more than I wanted to know," he replied with a grin.

She grinned wickedly as she looked at the spilled cum on his balls. "Such a mess."

Before Henry could react, she bent forward and sucked up the spillage on his balls. He felt them tighten once more, then she took his cock into her mouth to suck and squeeze out the last drops. He cried out in surprise as she sat up to grin at him, swallowing her mouthful. Her eyelids fluttered then closed as she slumped over his chest, pinning him to the bed once more.

Henry froze. The Wild Magic in a single drop of his cum on Marisa's finger made Sandy's hair come alive. Mary swallowed a lot more than that!

He didn't know what to do! Worse, he was handcuffed and trapped under her body. He couldn't do anything even if he thought of something. He could feel and hear her breathing, so that was good, right? Fuck, she was heavy!

Maybe she'd wake soon or move. Henry thought about dropping his glamor but the cuffs? Would they break or would his larger wrists take damage? He slumped back on the bed and watched her for signs of changes.

Eventually, his eyelids drooped, and exhaustion took him down.

-=-

"YOU BITCH! YOU FUCKING BITCH!"

Henry jerked awake and looked down at the end of the bed in fright. Morning light streamed through the curtains and lit a police officer in uniform standing there. He had a terrible look of rage on his face. He was older than Mary, white, with a Van Dyke beard peppered with grey. Henry blinked at him then the man was pointing his gun at Mary's naked back as she stretched out across his chest.

"ROT IN HELL YOU CHEATING SLUT!"

"WAIT!" Henry yelled.

The gun fired twice in rapid succession, and the shots were deafening in the small room. Henry cried out in fear.

"WHA!?! FUCK! Motherfucker!" Mary yelled as she jolted awake, a massive shiver running up her spine. She blinked wide-eyed at Henry's shocked and terrified expression then turned her head to look at the man at the end of the bed. "Jeff! What the fuck are you doing in my house! I told you we were over! Get out, you lying, cheating, piece of shit loser!"

The man stared at her in shock, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

Mary and Henry watched in horror as Jeff brought the gun to his temple and blew his brains out all over her bedroom wall.

Henry closed his eyes and tried to keep his stomach from heaving as his body shook with unspent adrenaline.

"Geezus," Mary whispered as she moved to the end of the bed to look down at her ex-husband's body. She felt something pressing against her knee on the bed and picked up two flattened slugs from the mattress. She looked at them on her palm and looked around the room quickly to see what he'd shot but saw no sign of any damage. What the fuck? Two misfires then Jeff's fatal shot? Someone up there was looking out for her!

"Can you please undo the cuffs?" Henry begged.

She looked back at him and saw he was still naked from the waist down. She tried to recall what happened after they had sex but she must have just fallen asleep on him. She felt incredibly well rested. She gave herself a shake as she realized he was still waiting.

"Oh my god... Henry was it? I'm so sorry you got dragged into this mess!" Mary said sliding off the bed to get her keys from her belt on the floor. She rolled him onto his side and undid the cuffs.

Henry rubbed his sore wrists and slid off the other side of the bed to rush into the washroom. He bent over the toilet as his body heaved. He barely finished when he felt Mary's hand pulling on his arm.

"You have to go Henry. Now."

He grabbed a quick glass of water, rinsed and spit. He quickly pulled on his underwear, pants, and shoes. Then Mary was shoving his shopping bag into his hand, pushing him down the hall, and out the back door. She pointed to the gate in the back fence, and he hustled to it, out it, and into the alleyway. He picked a direction and began walking.

The neighborhood was only beginning to wake as he made his way through it. He forced a smile onto his face as he nodded to the ladies walking their dogs. He saw a busier street up ahead. Behind him, he heard sirens going by.

Now all he needed was to find a place to flag down a cab.

He shuddered. OK, maybe he should speak to someone about what he'd just witnessed too. He increased the speed of his walk.

Chapter 6

Xiong hiked to the top of the mountain behind his village once a week to visit the shrine he built on the plateau. He kept it tidy, did a little sweeping, replaced the incense and candles, and when necessary did some repairs on the small structure. He would have loved to have built a full-size temple, but that would have been pushing his luck. The shrine was small enough to be ignored by the local government.

His old bones ached from the arduous climb as he finally stepped onto the small flat area, but he knew the ache just meant he was still alive.

This morning, the air on the plateau was fresh and crisp. Certainly cleaner than the air trapped in the valley below. The factories down the road spewed their smoke in a constant exhalation, filling the valley with their smudge. Three years earlier, Xiong lost his wife to lung disease. He sent his children away to his brother's farm before the smoke could take them as well. He remained behind as he had to take care of his home and the shrine.

Taking deep breaths of the clean mountain air, he did his morning exercises and smiled at the rising sun. It was going to be a beautiful day.

He collected the broom from the tiny shed he'd built off to the side by some bushes and swept the stone tiles surrounding the shrine. Each of these stones he'd personally carried and placed. Then he dusted the shrine itself.

As he worked, a shadow crept across the plateau. He glanced towards the sun and saw a large fluffy cloud approaching. Its shadow was quite dark, so he assumed it was heavy with rain. He would be grateful if the rain cleaned the air in his valley, even if for just a little while.

From this elevation, the incoming cloud looked like it might just skim over the top of the shrine. Xiong paused his work to watch it move, and his wrinkled brow added one more wrinkle as he realized he couldn't feel the breeze pushing it along. Such a large cloud would need a stiff wind to move.

Hearing an odd rumble behind him, Xiong just had time to look over his shoulder to see a slightly smaller cloud rushing up the mountain from the valley below. He stared wide-eyed as the surprisingly solid cloud rushed over his head and clipped the point of the spire on the temple. The fluffy stuff seemed to shudder as it lifted higher to avoid the now jagged point.

Xiong felt a mist coat him and realized it was coming from the tear in the cloud. The cloud's wound?

He turned his eyes to follow the movement and saw the incoming cloud appear to slow, but it made no other evasive moves.

Xiong stared in wonder as he realized the clouds were behaving more like living creatures, which was very odd. He had the strangest sensation of watching two male lions fighting for dominance.

The two large masses reached each other, but there was no flash of teeth or baring of claws. Instead, they began to bulge upwards, and his perception once more swung back to reality as this looked very much like regular storm clouds building and climbing skywards if a little faster than usual.

He heard deep rumbles, and the ground shook from frequencies too low to hear but easily felt. More and more of the mist settled down on Xiong, drenching him. Every hair on his body began to stand up as an enormous charge built in the sky above the plateau.

He knew he should run, but his body was too old for such youthful exercise. Besides, he was feeling comfortable here on the mountaintop. Even the rain warmed him when he'd expected it to give him a chill. So he turned and sat on the base of the shrine facing out over the valley below as the battling clouds drifted above his head.

The charge continued to build, and Xiong chuckled now at how it tickled him.

The mist continued to fall, and Xiong sighed and watched the valley below with a smile.

A terrible crack and boom shook the mountain as lightning ripped down through the smaller cloud, tearing it apart.

The shrine was the final destination for all that energy. The small structure exploded as the powerful bolt played over the entire area with its white-hot plasma. The light show lasted for almost twenty seconds then the large cloud drifted down into the valley.

Late in the afternoon, two of Xiong's neighbors climbed the mountain trail, worried about their friend. They'd seen the terrible storm raging at the top of the mountain and grew worried when he didn't return.

When they reached the top, they prepared themselves for the worst, and it appeared to be true. The wooden shrine was gone, blasted into small charred splinters. Aside from the stone base, there was nothing left. The stone tiles had odd scorch marks and abstract lines etched into them from the storm's unleashed energies.

They heard a gentle scraping sound and cried out in surprise as they finally saw its source.

Late afternoon sun glistening from its outer surface, a stunningly beautiful being was patiently sweeping bits of shrine into small piles. It had the appearance of multicolored glass, and while it captured and reflected the sunlight, light shone from its core. It paused to turn and look at the two men who watched with wide eyes. Their eyes grew wider with recognition.

Xiong smiled and waved to his friends then turned back to his slow sweeping.

Such a mess! He had so much to do!

-=-

Heller was on edge and had been for a couple of days.

The people from the CDC had checked Edmund out for biological poisons, testing him for a variety of potential causes. From what Heller was overhearing, the results were coming back negative. The man was healthy- except for being blind to light and seeing sound waves.

Today a group from the government was coming in to meet with Edmund and to transfer him out. He'd been ordered to be present as he was a familiar voice for Edmund and it should keep him calm. He was terrified to be in the same room as the red-eyed monster!

Edmund was his childhood nightmares brought to life. He had to thank his grandpa for telling him those horrible stories when he was so young and impressionable. Jerk!

Karl entered the antechamber outside the containment room and smiled in relief at seeing Heller. He looked over to ensure the intercom to the containment room was off.

"Heller! Glad you could make it! I'll be thrilled when this whole thing is over, and we can get back to business."

"Yes sir," Heller responded, biting back the comment that he'd been ordered to be here.

"Did they complete the task of removing the carcass of that thing from the cooling pool?" Karl asked.

He nodded. "Yesterday. It was highly radioactive which makes Edmund's lack of radiation poisoning so much more confusing."

Karl nodded with a worried look.

The double doors leading from the admin wing opened, and three broad-shouldered men and one tall woman entered, all wearing police uniforms. These officers were the security detail for the government officials. The woman walked over and checked Karl and Heller's credentials. Heller was startled then entranced by the intensity of her almond-shaped eyes, one of which was light amber while the other was a deep shade of blue. It almost felt like she was looking through his glamor but he knew that was impossible. She quietly thanked them for their cooperation and spoke into the mic on her shoulder. Heller had extensively traveled, so he recognized her subtle accent as Egyptian.

She turned and nodded to the other officers before taking up station at the side of the room facing the window into the decontamination chamber. A group of four men wearing dark suits and grim expressions entered and moved to shake Karl's hand. Arnd was last to arrive and was checked out by one of the big officers by the door before he was allowed to join Heller.

"Shit! I almost missed this!" the man whispered to Heller.

"I wish I could have," Heller sighed. Arnd looked at him with raised brows, so Heller continued. "Those red eyes of his give me the creeps!" Arnd snorted in amusement. Heller subtly moved to put Arnd between him and the door to Edmund's room.

Karl moved to the intercom to get things moving along. They'd rigged a curtain across the window and only opened it when Edmund said he ready.

Pressing the button, Karl glanced at the group and leaned towards the mic. "Good morning Edmund. Are you ready?"

A weird crunching sound came from the speaker. Then silence.

"Karl?"

Heller shivered at the odd slurring from Edmund.

"May I open the curtain? You have company," Karl asked.

"Oh... oh god. Karl, it was trying to kill me. I had to..."

Karl looked back at the group with concern. He reached forward and opened the curtains.

There was blood splashed across the inside of the glass. In the middle of the room was Edmund, standing over the corpse of one of the cleaning staff. The man's throat was ripped open.

Edmund was making his little tick sounds as he looked at his hands. His fingertips now sported hooked claws, dripping gore and blood.

One of the officers immediately reached over and turned the intercom off. The female police officer spoke into her mic, and the double doors opened once more. The four government officials were hustled away by officers who'd been waiting in the hallway. The doors closed immediately, and the policeman turned the intercom back on.

They could hear Edmund panting, and Heller saw his teeth had grown in length as well. His jaws dripped with blood.

"What happened Edmund?" Karl asked carefully.

"It's a monster, Karl. It came in the room to kill me. I- I had to defend myself."

"Are... are you eating him?" Karl gasped.

"IT! IT! It's not a man! It's a monster!" Edmund yelled, clearly shaken by his actions.
They traded uneasy glances, and the police officers pulled out their guns.

"Ok, Edmund. We are going to remove you from the room and take you to a place you can get cleaned up."

"Oh... ok." Edmund said, looking down at the corpse again. He licked his lips.

Two officers entered the room, one with handcuffs and the other with his gun drawn.

Edmund allowed himself to be cuffed and pushed from the room.

The moment he was in the antechamber Edmund made a loud click and scanned his red eyes around the room. He planted his feet as he stared at Karl.

"MONSTER!" he screamed, yanking his arms apart. The links between the cuffs surrendered with a ping and Edmund was leaping at Karl, claws out.

A single loud crack filled the room, and Edmund's head exploded in a red mist. His twitching body collided with Karl and the two went down in a pile.

Karl bellowed for someone to get the body off of him, so Arnd and Heller dragged it to the side. Karl was gagging as he was covered in blood.

Heller trembled with relief now that Edmund was dead. The hooked claws and long teeth finished the resemblance Edmund had to the stories his grandfather told him.

The dead man in the room might have been the assassin sent because of his report.

He looked back to the officer whose shot saved Karl. The woman's calm and lovely eyes stared back, her expression blank. Ah, a second assassin then and an expert shot too. He glanced at Karl who he now assumed was a member of the Hidden Races too. He must have reported Edmund to the Hidden Races Council as well. They were damn lucky they were sent a second assassin.

The Council moved quickly. Another shiver ran down his spine.

He'd be revisiting all of his childhood nightmares tonight.

Chapter 7

"No firewall is unbreakable! For every lock, there is a key!"

Graham rolled his eyes as he listened to Kent spewing his favorite catchphrase for the umpteenth time. If he weren't such good friends with the security tech nerd, he'd reach across the table and slap him.

"I'm just telling you what I heard. This young chick in Japan submitted a school project that incorporated a firewall that has yet to be penetrated," Graham insisted.

"Ohhhh... a Japanese school girl? I bet she hasn't been penetrated either!" Kent giggled.

"Dude! Gross!" Graham hissed as he gave his friend a warning glance then looked to see if anyone overheard them. Their shared interest in hardcore hentai was a secret they both needed to keep that way to keep their jobs.

Kent nodded his head with an apologetic look across the table. "Seriously though, send me the address, and I'll take a look."

Graham tapped a few things on his tablet and set it down again, returning to his sandwich. "Done," he said around a big bite, and a piece of it fell out of his mouth.

"Dude! Gross!" Kent said with a big grin on his face. They both broke into laughter and Graham had to struggle to keep from spewing the rest of his mouthful.

After they'd eaten, Kent passed a comic book to Graham containing a micro USB drive with the latest three episodes of their favorite lolicon hentai series. Kent then made his way back to his desk. He nodded to a few coworkers on the way. He didn't notice that most ignored him.

He so loved working for the NSA. He loved hacking into other people's computers and, working for the good guys; now he had permission to do it! He hadn't caught any terrorists yet, but he'd only had the job for a little under five years.

Kent made his way back to his desk and frowned when he got there.

Someone had left another box of tissues and a small bottle of hand lotion next to his keyboard. Worse than that there was- he hoped it was yogurt, dripped across the keyboard and on his mouse.

"You think that's funny, but it's pathetic!" he called out to the mental morons who played the prank. He thought he heard chuckling, but he wasn't sure which of these jerks was laughing at him.

He pushed the lotion and tissue into the trash can immediately. Once, he'd taken them home as, hey! Free lotion and tissues! Then he'd discovered they were both laced with capsaicin. His cock and right hand had been in burning agony for days.

He unplugged the soiled keyboard and mouse, setting them aside to rinse off later. These were just decoys anyway. Unlocking his drawer, he pulled out his real keyboard and mouse. It wasn't the first time someone messed with his desk. He'd gone to his manager once, but that had yielded nothing. So he took care of it himself.

He'd thought that once he was clear of the jocks and mental weaklings in high school and college and had a real job, the abuse would stop. What made its continuance doubly disappointing was the fact that tech nerds surrounded him! The very people who'd endured the abuse alongside him through their school careers.

Giving himself a shake and taking a deep breath, he pulled up the email Graham sent him. Work always made him feel better. He loved sneaking past someone's firewall to peer into their inner network and the data they were trying to hide. It gave him a feeling of satisfaction and power.

Kent was pre-authorized to go wherever he pleased on the net, aside from government or military sites, as he'd passed every certification test the NSA had. His skills were second to none, he came and went without leaving a trace, and senior management valued that.

Making his way to the Japanese school's firewall, he saw it was one for which they had backdoor access. So, with a contemptuous snort, he slipped inside. He polled the available access and found the computer lab. Paydirt! He found the open port for the school girl's project. He set up a scanner to read all packets coming to and leaving the port and started a log to record the data. That done he backed out ensuring he left no backtrace and smiled to himself. Tomorrow morning he'd have something to review. He'd find the key to the lock on that innocent looking port. He couldn't wait.

The rest of the day was fairly dull. He rinsed off the decoy keyboard and mouse and reinstalled them before heading out. He made his way home and spent the evening slipping past the firewalls of his favorite animation studios to make copies of their latest creations. Two more episodes of Graham's favorite Loli series. He thought the lead character was just a little too sweet-natured, but his friend was obsessed with her. Whatever, it made Graham happy.

He checked his dark web bulletin board and served a few requests for illicit vids to his customers, depositing the bitcoin in his offshore account. He wondered how Graham would react if he discovered Kent provided a means to distribute the real stuff. Would he turn him in to the authorities or would he ask to participate? As Kent didn't know for sure, Graham could never learn this secret.

The next morning he rushed in and retraced his steps to the Japanese school's computer lab. He saw the log file was still there but hadn't grown very much. So, not a lot of traffic. He transferred the log file out and cleared all references to the transfer from the school's network. Once more he slipped out of their network clearing his tracks.

Now the real work could begin. Kent opened the log and reviewed the packet data. There was the header, and that was fairly straightforward. He saw the source and destination addresses but when he looked at the data it was encrypted. No matter, he applied his analysis tool to identify the type. That took a little time, and Kent felt his excitement rising the longer it took. This might be something good!

The tool finally pinged, and he felt a little disappointed as it displayed the match. It was such a simple and antiquated encryption method it was one of the last to be checked. Damn. He decrypted one of the packets and looked at the contents. He looked at the packet's data, and all he saw was a series of gibberish characters. More encryption used inside the encrypted packet? He extracted the characters and started his analysis tool on that. The long wait and no match. Maybe it was another key? Keys inside keys was a possibility. He needed to look at another packet to see if its data was different.

He created a script to extract the data from every packet he collected and soon he had a folder with 250 distinct files. He ran a comparison script, and all 250 files came back as unique. So, there was a chance that this wasn't gibberish but hidden data. He thought there was a very good chance. It was just using an unknown encryption method. Sweet!

Kent requested access to the NSA's decryption engine. Based on a massive series of supercomputers, it would look for patterns at a pace no human mind could ever achieve. While he waited for permission, he prepared the input file for decryption, inputting each data file he'd extracted and added the header data next to each.

He had time, so he investigated the destination address. The packets went to an IP based in New York. Hmmm...

A little more poking and he had the company data. VRL Investments in Manhattan. Why was a Japanese school girl's high school project communicating with an investment house in the US? With a little more investigation, he discovered the student, Jun Imamura, was the daughter of Minister Imamura, a high ranking official in Japan's government.

He poked at VRL's firewall, and it refused him access, so he wrapped his packets in the antique encryption and borrowed some ID's from the stolen packets. Running his connection test again, he was pleased to see he was inside. Before him was a listing of the company directories. He dipped inside one and brought up a listing of files. Spreadsheets. The date stamps on the files were yesterday. He set up a download script to grab a sample then pushed back in his chair with a deep sense of disappointment. The firewall in place at VRL was so simple to break. Worse, he found no evidence of the mysterious encryption. He knew the packets shipped from the school to the investment house, but after scanning the network, he found no sign of the packets. Verdict, dull with anomalies. A call from his section chief drew his attention away.

It took all day for his access request to finally come back with an affirmative and he had to speak with three senior executives to explain his findings. They found public record of Minister Imamura's business dealings with the New York investment house. That was above board. It was the combination of this relationship plus the undisclosed use of an unknown encryption technology between his daughter's project on the Japanese school server and the US company's network that made them take an interest.

He fed his prepared data file into the decryption engine and headed home once more.

The next day he rushed in hoping to see the report but saw a note requesting his presence in a conference room. Grinning, he quickly sent a few of the files he'd pulled from VRL's server to his supervisor then rushed upstairs and knocked on the door of the conference room before entering.

His boss was inside as well as his boss' boss and two other people, a man and a woman who he didn't recognize.

"Good morning, Director Yosman. Supervisor McCalin," he said, greeting them in ranking order. He glanced to the two strangers.

McCalin had a weary look on his face. "Kent, let me introduce you to agents Gerrod Kaiba and Fran Sparling. They will be heading up the investigation of the use of this currently unbreakable cipher."

"Unbreakable?" Kent asked in surprise and his face lit up. "The Engine failed?"

"Yes, it failed. Try not to get too excited about it," the supervisor said.

"Sorry sir," Ken muttered, glancing at the smile on the director's face.

"May we assume the firewall at VRL Investments is using the same encryption?" McCalin asked.

Kent smirked at his boss. "You may not. Their firewall was a joke. I was able to slip inside and just before the meeting I sent you a few sample files found inside."

With an annoyed frown, McCalin linked his laptop to the projector then pulled up one of the email messages. He opened one of the spreadsheets, and his face showed shock and embarrassment. "What the hell is this? Didn't you check any of these?"

The screen was showing the file contained odd text:

"Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua..."

Below this was a photo of two women of extra-large proportions squeezed into latex outfits. They were engaging in some very risqué behavior.

The supervisor opened two more and found the same kind of content in each. The images just became more graphic. He was red-faced, and his eyes nervously flicked to his boss before they locked on Kent in rage. "This is decoy data!"

Kent was shaking his head in shock and embarrassment. "There was no sign of the site being counterfeit. Every test I ran against it confirmed I was inside."

"Inside a honeypot," McCalin growled and Kent's ears burned with humiliation.

The supervisor turned his head to his boss. "I think we can safely say VRL is using a very advanced firewall if one of our best can't recognize he's been tricked."

Kent appreciated the off-hand compliment, but he was too angry. He wanted to take those bastards at VRL down!

"What about the Japanese side of this. We know the school project has a firewall which is claimed to be impenetrable. Is it?"

"I- I haven't tried to break past the firewall there yet," Kent replied.

McCalin tapped a few keys on his laptop, and Kent's desktop appeared. "Ok, you can demonstrate to us now how to get inside." He slid the laptop over to Kent.

Glancing at the others, he set up the connections and brought them through the school's firewall to the computer lab. "This is the port where the project is running. I collected packets the port was sending and receiving, but I did not attempt to enter. I will do so now."

Following what he did for VRL he used a previously provided packet's header ID to get past the firewall. Sure enough, there was a directory with folders and files. "We're inside, but I think we're in the decoy site. The file names are the same."

"So we don't know what's really behind these firewalls nor do we know what data is transferring between them," the Director said.

"No sir," McCalin admitted.

The senior official sat back and pondered that for a bit. He didn't like not knowing. He looked to the young man glowering at the screen. It was clear from his expression that he also didn't like not knowing. "Can you get past this firewall?"

"No firewall is unbreakable! For every lock, there is a key!" Kent said with a tight voice.

The Director nodded. "Concentrate on the one at VRL. Let's not set off an international incident if we can avoid it. Try not to show your hand but get inside. Find out how it ticks. I'll give you until next Tuesday. That's when I want to send our agents here to speak to the principals at VRL. Get them something more than the link with the Japanese school project."

Kent nodded and felt a cold sweat break out on his forehead. It was Friday. Including the weekend, he had only three days to crack this bitch. He wasn't going to be getting much sleep in those days.

He just had to find that fucking key.

Chapter 8

Henry walked in the front door of VRL and smiled at the receptionist who was beaming a bright and cheerful smile at him. As he made to walk by, she crooked her finger at him to invite him closer. He changed his path to approach her desk.

"Good morning, Kiera!" he said.

"Late morning, Mr. Gable?"

"Yes, I, uh... slept through my alarm." He saw the clock was indicating 9:45 AM but he'd hadn't been sleeping well due to the suicide he'd witnessed last week. He'd stayed in and rested all weekend trying to catch up on the sleep he was losing. He hadn't been able to get it out of his dreams. He hadn't spoken to anyone either as he hoped he could just put the whole thing behind him. That wasn't going so well. He pushed it out of his mind once more. "Please call me Henry."

Her smile widened as she looked up into his eyes. "Henry, Mr. Duncan asked me to direct you to his office when you arrived." The tip of her pink tongue danced lightly across her upper lip.

"Ah! Ok, thanks. Have a good day!" he said as he turned to head off to the security offices. He felt her eyes on his ass as he walked away and his face burned a little. He didn't have these issues when he was skinny little Stanley.

He passed through the gauntlet to get into the inner sanctum of the Security Department, greeting the uniformly large men inside with a nod and a smile then walked over to the private office of their chief. The door was open, so he knocked on the door jamb.

"Good morning, Mr. Duncan." He still felt awkward using the man's given name.

The chief looked up, and he wasn't smiling.

"Not a good morning?" Henry asked cautiously.

"I don't know if having the damned NSA poking around your network classifies as a good start to the day," the huge redhead growled.

"The NSA? They can't get in but having their attention at all is probably not a good thing," Henry sighed.

"Thanks for the enlightenment. Join me on a visit to the CEO's office."

Henry heard the tone and knew it wasn't a request.

They made their way back out to the lobby and took the elevator up to the top floor. Henry glanced in the door on his way past his office, and Marisa looked at him in surprise.

They got to the CEO's office and her personal assistant Felix gestured to them to go right in.

Camila smiled at them, but her smile dimmed when she saw the grim expression on the security chief's face and the concerned look on Henry's.

"What's happened!" she asked cautiously, looking to Henry first, hoping for a less grim outcome.

The security chief would not be denied. "The bloody NSA is trying to snoop our network. I got a notice from Stan- Henry's firewall that the spooks were spending too much time poking about. They pounded on it all weekend. They know it's got smarts they can't get past so it's got their attention."

"So? Without a warrant, they aren't allowed to see past the firewall." Camila said.

"Commercial firewall apps have backdoor access written into them. That's why I wrote my own," Henry said.

"You should have created one that looks like a boring commercial product which lets them in to see fake data," the security chief grumbled.

Henry smiled. "I didn't have mine emulate any commercial products as I didn't want to piss off those developers and get sued for copyright infringement. Anyone who gets past the initial gate but doesn't have a valid key is taken to a dummy environment with fake data files. Spreadsheets filled with Lorum Ipsum text and image files pulled from their own local Internet cache folders."

"I'm still not hearing anything we need to be concerned about," Camila said looking at Roy.

"I'd like to know why they decided to look at us at all and why they are so persistent in their attempts to get in," the security chief said darkly.

"Do you want me to hack their network to find out?" Henry asked.

"WHAT?!? NO- Don't be daft! I don't want you to be poking your nose about in the Federal Government's network!" the big man barked in alarm then saw the suppressed smile on Henry's face. He looked to Camila and saw she was smiling too. His expression turned sour. "Oh, let's all have a big laugh at the only one with any sense when it comes to matters of security."

"I'm sorry, Roy but you walked right into that one," Camila said with a smile. She raised her hand to forestall his next protest. She looked to Henry. "Without breaking any laws, see what you can learn about our new best friend." Henry nodded to her and dropped his smile when the security man fixed an eye on him.
"Just you be really careful with these jokers. They're bad business to mess with," the man huffed and received a nod.

With a final glower, Mr. Duncan turned and left, closing the door behind him, leaving Henry with Camila.

She smiled at Henry. "So, Henry is settling in with your new neighbors?" She used his new name to reference his new identity.

He smiled happily. "Yes, they've welcomed me with open arms. They're good people," he said fondly.

She nodded. She'd heard reports from Marisa and had to agree Henry had found himself a good circle of friends. "Are you still friends with the member of the Hidden Races Council, Ms. Beaumont?"

"Yes, we're still getting used to each other's forms. Michelle's equally squeamish. My arachnophobia isn't as bad as it used to be but she's struggling a little with my having horns and hooves. She's really nice though."

"Does she talk shop with you?" Camila asked.

"No, we agreed to keep our work and home life completely separate. I think it's healthier that way," he said with a smile which faded as he saw the disappointment on her face. "What?"

"I was just hoping we might have an inside line on Council business where you were involved," she admitted. She saw the uncomfortable look on Henry's face and raised her hands. "It's fine. I'm not going to ask you to do anything that will make you uncomfortable. You've struck up a friendship with her, and I'm not going to jeopardize that."

Henry smiled in relief. "Thank you!"

She nodded and looked back at her screen, obviously ready to get back to work. "Remember what Roy said but see if you can find a way to make them lose interest in us."

"Will do."

He paused as he contemplated telling her about his ordeal with the policeman's death but with the NSA poking about he thought he'd keep the NYPD issue to himself.

Henry stepped out of her office, smiled at Felix on his way by, then headed for his own office.

As he walked into the outer office, Marisa looked up at him with a smile.

"Good morning, Mr. Gable!" she said with a wide smile, dazzling him in the process. While her glamor hid her Succubus attributes, it did very little to mute her intense beauty. Even the non-prescription glasses she'd taken to hiding behind couldn't diminish it.

He blinked to get his mind back online and returned her smile. "Good morning, Marisa!"

Her expression turned curious. "What's up with Mr. Duncan?"

Henry reached back and rubbed the back of his neck as he winced with embarrassment. "I might have attracted the attention of the NSA with our new firewall."

Lovely blue eyes widened in surprise then worry.

"It's ok though. I can... well I'm not sure what I can do yet, but I'm going to work on that today."

"Should I reschedule your 11 AM with the Marketing team?" she asked.

"Huh? No, that's fine." He said as he made his way to his office. He noticed a new door handle. "What's this?"

"Orders of Mr. Duncan. Biometric readers are replacing the access card readers in the building. They're starting with all the doors for the executive officers. The biometrics of the owners are the handle's keys. Just grip the handle for it to identify you," she explained.

His eyebrows went up as he gripped the handle and heard the latch pop open. "When did he take my biometrics?" Henry asked.

"Have you visited the Security Department recently?" Marisa asked.

"This morn-" he stopped as he recalled the new handle on the Security Office door. "Sonuva-"

Marisa's giggle snuffed out his annoyance immediately as it was such a sweet sound.

He shook his head and looked back at her. He admired her long smooth neck then realized he could see it because her hair was teased up onto her head. Elegant in a retro way.

"Oh! Sorry for not noticing before. Your hair looks lovely like that!" he said with a smile.

She nodded to him demurely. "Thank you, kind sir."

Her dress also looked rather fancy, if from a bygone era. "Are you going out after work?" he asked.

She smiled. "Very good, Henry! You're getting better at this! Yes, Siobhan and I are checking out a new club after dinner. Its theme is the Cold War espionage years. You dress up as either a Russian or an American spy. I chose American and Siobhan is dressing as a Russian."

"Sounds like a fun place!" he said.

"Would you like to join us? I know a place where we could get you a wonderful Russian General's uniform!" she said with a delighted smile.

He grinned back at her. "Thanks, no. I'm not much of a dancer." His mind flashed back to Nate and his group of friends heading to the club. He sighed. "Have a good time though!"

"Oh, we will!" she said which left little doubt in his mind that she was hunting tonight.

He turned and let himself into his office before she could see the conflicted look on his face. He understood that, as a Succubus, she needed to feed and sex with humans was her primary source of energy.

The first night they met, they'd discovered that she was also able to feed on his energy. Recently though, she seemed to be resisting her urge to be with him. He could almost feel her resistance if that made any sense. Perhaps she recalled the close call of her overdose? He felt bad about that, so he was willing to give her space and try to be understanding about her reluctance to look to him for recharging. That sounded better than feeding. He knew he was being stupid feeling jealous of the people she would be hunting tonight. To her, they were just food.

Camila had no such reservations about using him for a meal as he'd discovered when he returned from Ireland. He twitched as he'd come to do when his mind returned to his visit to the Emerald Isle. He forced his anxiety down and dropped himself in his chair.

Cold War or not, he had a spy of his own to uncover.

Chapter 9

Kent was fried. He'd spent the entire weekend at the office using every trick he had to crack open the fucking firewall at VRL. Several times he'd experienced a moment of absolute joy when it seemed he'd peeled back the last defense wall only to find he was facing another. He'd been awake for over 50 hours, tossing back energy drinks to keep his brain riding the edge of maximum sharpness but now he was struggling. He had to make a report to the Director tomorrow, and he had nothing to show for his efforts.

Having exhausted every legal and semi-legal authorized method, he had one more weapon at his disposal, but he couldn't use it from work. His home system had better access to what he needed to do. Besides, the team he was going to call upon to assist him couldn't see he was connecting to them from the NSA. He signed out from his work terminal and left his office.

"Kent! Where ya goin- shit! You don't look so good buddy," Graham said as he leaned away from his pungent friend.

Looking at Graham blankly for a few seconds, recognition finally flared in his eyes. "Graham! Sorry. Had a long weekend here. Working on a secret project. I need to head home. I'll see you tomorrow."

He wobbled away, and Graham just watched him leave with a worried look.

Kent had a few narrow misses on the drive home and drank another energy drink in a vain attempt to keep his edge.

When he got inside his home, he started up his system. Then he realized he'd left the firewall signature files on his work PC. For the next ten minutes, Kent had a screaming fit. Breathing deeply, he decided he couldn't afford the time to drive back to get the files, so he used the back door access code he'd added to the NSA firewall to hack into his office PC. Blinking with exhaustion, he realized he was using the wrong password and had to cycle through three attempts to get in. Finally, he transferred the files to his home PC.

He hammered the received files with his virus scanners and several other tools to ensure they weren't hiding anything inside. Then he copied them to a USB stick to manually transfer them to his dark web PC which was on a physically separate network. He used this connection to route its communication through a series of proxy servers. Once in place, he began making preparations for bringing the might of the darkest team of hackers on the web to bear on VRL. If his efforts were like using dynamite to blow a hole in the VRL firewall, the dark team were like a thermonuclear bomb. He giggled at that visual. He'd worked hard gaining their trust.

Now they'd do the hard work for him.

-=-

Lise-Anne Hoek was Minister of Security for the Hidden Races Council. It was one of the highest positions one could have in the secretive organization. She'd worked hard to get where she was and was proud of the work she'd done over her long tenure. Humanity remained blissfully unaware of their magic based neighbors outside of the fanciful stories the Council themselves spun and supported and a few 'nutcases' whose credibility they destroyed.

Today she heard evidence that her work might be coming undone by some unknown force. This made her very, very worried. As one of the Fairy folk, this wasn't a state of mind she could tolerate for long. They were people of action, and if something worried you, you did something about it!

She was standing before a 17th-floor window overlooking the reservoir in central park as the sunset. In her Human disguise, she could be taken for a woman in her sixties, dressed in a tailored business suit. In reality, she physically resembled a six-inch tall young girl who hovered on tiny wings. This wasn't something that would go unnoticed, even in New York.

She appreciated the view, but there was business to attend to. The argument raging at her back was getting out of control.

"ENOUGH!" she barked crisply, and silence returned as she turned to look at the group.

A short, barrel-chested man with a braided red beard was glaring at his blonde counterpart seated across from him on a facing couch. The redhead was Rand von Deussel, Council Investigator in charge of the Eastern United States. He was one of the dwarven race and a damn good investigator, normally able to keep his temper. When faced with his blond cousin Thane del Neev, Investigator for Western Europe, tempers always flared. The blonde's face was also red with suppressed anger.

Michelle Beaumont was also seated on the couch next to Rand and looked uncomfortable in the tense environment. As one of the Arachnid race, her people were typically calm and reserved and avoided displays of aggression. She was the Council's historian, a quiet and private woman, and had already informed them that the anomalies reported matched nothing on record.

Thane wasn't happy with her response as he'd insisted the man who saw sound, in his opinion, had clearly become one of the dTesh, an ancient enemy the Hidden Races had hunted to extinction millennia ago. Rand upped the ante by calling his cousin's response reactionary and emotional. That was her cue to weigh in.

"The man in question is dead. Whether or not he'd become a dTesh is a moot point. We don't have access to his body, and even if we did, as Michelle indicated, we have no certified documentation on dTesh anatomy to identify it. Their extinction occurred before the council made such records. We won't get an answer to that," she explained calmly.

The fifth member of their meeting returned from taking a call. Tall, and skeletally thin, the man had pale skin and almost no body hair. His eyes were pale and widely spaced on either side of a nose too large for his face. By Human standard, his disguise was ugly. Lise-Anne knew his true form was that of a very large raven. The 'spirit animal' race was extremely rare and intensely private. Only Ra'Anek's intense need to collect data kept him on the Council as its Minister of Risk Assessment. He vetted all information regarding threats of exposure and anomalous events. He worked closely with Lise-Anne, and today the look on his long face was grim.

"What's happened?" Lise-Anne asked.

"Plane crash. A small commuter struck one of those new pseudo-clouds. Eleven passengers, three crew. No survivors. All Humans. Nothing left of the pseudo-cloud. They're denser than real clouds, but when struck by a plane at speed they become highly volatile," he said in his quiet monotone. "Something keeps them aloft, and something enables their ability to generate massive electrical charges. When a large mass strikes them with great force, the result is a significantly concussive explosion. Ripped the plane in two, front to back."

Rand scowled. "Why didn't they avoid it? A plane that size would have radar. They must have realized there was something ahead with mass! I can understand a small two or four-seater without this equipment but not this. Do the clouds absorb radar?"

"No, they show up on the radar," Lise-Anne said, as she'd been following the reports of this new phenomenon.

Both Rand and Thane had baffled expressions.

"Human error," Ra'Anek said, and the two investigators scowled.

"You said there's no evidence of what they struck? What about the black box and flight recorders?" Lise-Anne asked.

"They'll be under high-security lockdown. Getting access will be exceptionally difficult and would likely draw suspicion," Rand said. "Our best course of action is likely generating a noisy and messy public outcry against the pilot and the airline. Lawsuits and social media floggings. We could also rattle the reactionary groups with the terrorism angle. It probably looks like damage from a bomb."

Lise-Anne nodded and made a note to get her team assigned to this. She looked up at the group. "What about the source? Has anyone been able to determine what is triggering these occurrences? We've had two incursions? How should we be describing them?"

Rand looked at Lise-Anne, and she caught the expression and his brief glance at Ms. Beaumont.

She directed her attention to the Arachnid. "Actually, before we continue Michelle, I think we've probably used enough of your time, and I don't believe we'll have any more questions for you if you wanted to head off to work."

"Oh! OK. I'll go then. Goodnight," the woman said quietly and nodded to the others. She rose to her feet and quickly left the apartment.

They felt the privacy field release and snap back into place as the door closed once more.

Rand sat forward on his chair. "The earliest sighting we've tracked occurred approximately three weeks after the Dragon linked the Satyr to the Fae's globe-spanning spell."

"Is there a direct connection between him and these 'invaders'?" Lise-Anne asked.

Rand looked to Ra'Anek. "We'd need a wielder to test the magic of one of them to see if it is the same Wild Magic found in the Satyr." The tall man looked to Lise-Anne in question.

She looked at the investigator. "Let's hypothesize. Let's say the incursions are directly linked to Mr. Gable as he's called now. What would you propose to do about it?"

Rand scowled. He knew the Fae would protect the Satyr as their lives now depended on him. "We need more information. If the invaders are from the same realm of Wild Magic, we need to know if he's attracting them somehow or creating the breaches. If he has nothing to do with their appearance, then we look elsewhere. If he is responsible, we go to the Fae and request their help in containing him."

Thane, for once in agreement with his cousin, nodded. "For the good of all of the Hidden Races, the Fae included."

-=-

A soft chime brought the old soldier to a fully alert state instantly. He glanced at his cell, positioned next to the bed. He swung his legs out from under the sheets and sat up to answer on the third ring.

"Colonel Devlin."

He listened to the quiet voice on the other end of the line and memorized his orders. He frowned as it wasn't the typical mission he received.

He didn't bother saying goodbye when the voice stopped talking but hung up and made his way to the washroom to shower. He took a quick one in cold water and dried himself quickly. It was the early hours of the morning in Frankfurt, Germany but his official visit was over, and he'd been ordered to return to the States to take up a new challenge.

His driver was ready for him when he left the front door of the small one-bedroom bungalow the Army rented for him. He lived alone and didn't need much space as he was a follower of a minimalist lifestyle.

He rode in silence to the air base and boarded the waiting transport plane. Once he strapped in, he settled back to complete his night's sleep. His mind went back to the quiet voice and his open-ended orders. "Unknown threat to be contained and/or eliminated. Fully sanctioned." The unknown target was atypical. Usually, he was aimed at an identified target and made it go away quickly and quietly.

He allowed himself a small smile. He was being given free reign to run the mission his way. The Intelligence agency which collected the information for his mission had only been able to determine there was a potentially credible threat to society but it was escalating faster than they could manage. They needed it identified, then eliminated quickly and quietly. He could do that.

He'd done exactly that on his last mission and got the job done, but a weak-minded excuse of a soldier leaked word of his methods. So he'd been transferred to the base in Germany while the situation at home cooled. He had important people in Washington backing him, so he bided his time and waited for the next call.

He was good at being patient. He was also good at making decisive actions when others hesitated.

This time he was hunting the cause of a downed small commercial aircraft. A cause linked to an anomaly he needed to get ahead of and snuff out. All he had were some reports of clouds that didn't behave like clouds. Clouds that were making it dangerous to fly the skies over his country. Someone had either fabricated a new technology to take down aircraft or, if the report was accurate, it was biological, proving someone was fucking with Mother Nature. He would find that someone and end them before the sheep began to panic and questioned their leaders.

He'd do it because that's what his country needed from him.

-=-

Sigrid was surprised to find Meixiu wasn't by the front door when she got home. She chastised herself for her expectation as Meixiu didn't have to be there but Sigrid had grown accustomed to the evening greetings. It had become their little ritual.

She walked into her home and smelled home cooking and heard an odd sound. She went back to the kitchen and Meixiu was listening to her shortwave radio with rapt attention. She squeaked in surprise as the tall blonde entered the room.

"Oh! You startled me!" Meixiu gasped.

"What are you listening to that has you so absorbed?" Sigrid asked curiously.

The young woman's face lit up with her excitement. "Something amazing has happened in China! I think it was also close to where I was born!"

Sigrid grinned at her enthusiasm. "What?"

"A mighty storm struck a mountaintop near a village, and when the villagers went up to the top they found a man made of glass!"

"A sculpture?" Sigrid suggested.

"No! It moves! It is a man, but he's made of glass. Wonderfully beautiful glass!"

Sigrid frowned in worry, and Meixiu's smile dropped away. "What?"

"Either the local Human government will suppress this or the Hidden Race Council will," Sigrid said gently.

"But it's too late! They are talking about him on the radio! Listen!" Meixiu said, pointing to the shortwave.

They listened, but the voices were now silent. There was only static. Meixiu glanced at Sigrid in surprise.

"Overt signs of magical activity are suppressed by any means possible. This protects us all. You understand this, yes?" Sigrid asked.

Meixiu looked sad. "I understand... but I would have liked to have met the glass man."
Sigrid opened her arms, and Meixiu moved into her embrace.

"Me too," she sighed.

Chapter 10

Henry found himself once more staring at his computer screen at work as the sunset.

He'd gotten a break early on in the day when the net he'd placed over the NSA firewall detected an intruder. He was running VRL's intrusion detection algorithms on a third party network. This would not be detectable to them, outside of a slight lag, as it reviewed incoming traffic. He had the intruder's feed captured and analyzed and found password attempt entries. He set those aside for later use. He logged the identity of the owner of the workstation, and when the intruder pulled some files, Henry detected them as his signature files. He appended a flag byte on each signature as they transferred. Inert on their own, if the files were added to data packets sent through the Internet, they activated other capabilities. Most important of these was the breadcrumb trail the data packets left.

He now believed he knew who the intruder was.

There was silence for hours as this 'Kent' fellow from the NSA planned his next move. When the data packets next appeared it was on the dark web.

Henry's eyebrows rose. Kent had to be going off script. Henry doubted Kent's employer sanctioned his new activities. But then, they might. He watched Kent engage with some pretty subversive accounts, and slowly a picture emerged of the man's plan. He was recruiting them but being cagey about it. He wasn't disclosing the target of his attack which just increased their interest.

Henry was almost tempted to let them try. It would give his firewall a true test.

There was a knock on his door, and Henry looked over to see Mr. Duncan standing there.

"Hi! You're just in time to see our NSA snoop, whose name is Kent by the way, attempt to hire the dark web's most notorious hackers to crack our firewall," Henry said.

"WHAT?!?" Roy barked and rushed around to stand behind Henry. He peered at the screen which was only showing a grid of encoded packet data. "I can't make heads or tails of this! What's it say?"

"It says it's time for me to shine a light on Kent so these evil doers can see who they're truly dealing with," he said.

"They aren't going to see who it is that's telling them, are they?" Roy asked in a worried tone.

"Are you nuts? Unlike Kent, these guys have real potential to be dangerous. No, I'm going to make it look like Kent sent a packet without stripping the ID from it. They will immediately backtrace it, and voila, the NSA is trying to set them up." He glanced at the screen and fired a packet off.

He pointed to the screen. "Here, I'll color code this." He entered a couple of commands, and the text blocks in the interface changed colors. "The blue ones are the hackers Kent is trying to hire. He's the shit brown one. The yellow ones are incidental accounts, browsing the boards. This red one is me or my seemingly legit connection to the board. I'm watching this overview from a signal piggybacking the legit connection.

"The blue ones are disappearing!" Roy noted.

"Yes, they are. They've seen Kent's true identity. I think we'd better-" He stared at the screen then shut down the window.

"What happened?" the security chief asked.

"Well, one of the dark web hackers is more paranoid than expected. They tried following my legit account and discovered it led to a dead account in Germany. It was safer to shut down before he or she discovered my piggybacked link.

"So... how will you know if it worked?" the big man asked.

"We keep an eye on the activity reports for our firewall. That's always been our first line of defense and early warning system," Henry said as he shut down his laptop.

"You drop a bomb then you just go home?" Roy asked incredulously.

Henry blinked tiredly at him. "Yes. I'm tired. It's past time for me to go home. There is nothing I can do outside of trusting the firewall will hold. They could still knock out the services that give us our connection, but we should be fine."

He saw the big redhead was not happy. "Look, if one of those dark web hackers decides to stick his nose where it doesn't belong and becomes a nuisance I have ways to deal with that, but there's no sense in starting a war we don't need to fight. Right now, the worst they will think is that I'm one of them and I just saved their asses," Henry assured him. He saw the man was more comfortable with that. Henry snorted. "You know that Kent opened a backdoor in the NSA's firewall for his personal use? The balls on that guy!"

Roy snorted as well. "That's something the NSA would like to know."

"Oh, they will. According to Kent's email logs, he has a bestie at work named Graham. This bestie is going to report him," Henry said.

"Why would he do that?" Roy asked curiously.

"Because Kent sent him an email from his work PC bragging about it and included the connection details. To save his ass, this fellow Graham will have to report it," Henry shrugged.

Roy grinned at Henry. "Masterfully done. You surprise me!"

Henry frowned. "What's that phrase? All's fair in love and war? I don't love Kent."

Roy scowled. "Wait a minute, email logs! I told you not to hack into the NSA network!"

He looked into the eyes of the other man. "I didn't. I just followed Kent in when he opened his connection, and I left before he did."

The security chief fixed his eye on Henry. "I had no idea you could be this devious. You're making me wonder if our firewall has hidden access too."

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'm done saying it. Either you believe I have integrity or you don't." He made shooing motions to the bigger man. "I want to go home, and I have to lock my door. Unless you have backdoor access to my new door handle." Which, of course, he did.

Roy snorted in amusement and left the room. "Good night, lad."

"Good night, Roy."

The chief smiled back at Henry's use of his name, but his smile dimmed as he saw the weariness in the young man's body language as he walked away down the hall to the elevators.

Roy would ask Sigrid if she knew what was up with the boy. Though he wouldn't admit it, he worried about him.

-=-

"NO! NO! NO!" Kent raged.

His dark web contacts disappeared one after another in rapid succession.

He sat there looking at the screen wondering what happened. He had them all primed. He was about to deliver the payload, a nice juicy target for them to attack with riches within. Then they just left.

He had nothing. Tomorrow when he went to work, he'd stand before the Director, his supervisor, and the two agents and tell them he had nothing to give them. The firewall remained impervious. Could he do it? Yes... maybe, but not without more time and perhaps exclusive access to the Decryption Engine.

He slumped back in his chair and closed his eyes. He just needed a moment... He'd come up with another plan...

As Kent slipped into an unconscious state, he missed the flicker of lights on his router and the gentle whir of his dark web PC's hard drives spinning up to speed as his visitor had a look around.

Chapter 11

Henry felt a weariness seeping into his bones. He needed sleep. He needed seven hours of uninterrupted sleep.

He'd almost nodded off in the train and was dragging himself the last block to his condo. All he could think of was his comfortable bed waiting for him.

As he approached the front door of his building blue and red lights began lighting up the area around him, and he heard a single whoop from a police siren. He stopped and turned to look back as a police cruiser pulled up to the curb next to him. The passenger side window rolled down.

"Henry Gable?" the officer asked.

He nodded.

"Get in." The man gestured to the back door.

"Excuse me?" Henry asked, beginning to wake up.

The cop sighed, pushed open his door and got out. He was a large, physically intimidating man with an angry look in his eyes. He reached back and opened the door. "The captain wants to speak to you. Downtown. Get in."

Henry looked back at the man in concern. "Am I being arrested?"

The man sighed. "No. Get in."

"No, I don't think so," Henry said and turned to leave. He'd have to call-

Rough hands grabbed Henry, spun him, and launched him into the back seat. The door slammed shut, and he saw the big man pick up the shoulder bag he'd dropped and walk behind the cruiser to drop it in the trunk.

"You- you can't do this!" Henry said to the officer sitting behind the wheel.

"Save it for the captain."

Henry cursed under his breath that he'd left his cell in his bag. The big officer got back in the cruiser, and they pulled away from the curb.

He kept his mouth shut as saying anything might make his situation worse. Besides, they weren't speaking to each other as they drove.

Once they arrived at the station, the big cop opened his door and gestured for him to get out. He glanced back to where his partner was getting his case from the trunk, but the big one pushed him forward and guided him inside.

As they made their way through the station, Henry spotted Mary Carsten sitting at a desk. The expression on her face was not happy. She also looked exhausted.

They reached a door and shoved Henry inside.

"Sit down. The captain will be with you in a moment."

Henry took a chair. He could see the big man was looking for an excuse to manhandle him again.

He wasn't sitting for long before the door opened and an older man in a suit stepped inside. Henry gauged him to be in his sixties. He was maybe 5' 6", but he was wide shouldered and looked very strong. His face held a scowl as he took the chair across from Henry. He ran a hand through his close-cropped grey hair then fixed his eyes on Henry's.

"I'm Captain Lowes. Last week you were taken into custody by officer Carsten during a disturbance on the Path system. An orgy had broken out on one of the cars. The one you were inside. Officer Carsten failed to deliver you to the station house for questioning. The next morning Officer Jeffrey Carsten was found dead in the bedroom. Evidence found at the scene indicates she'd engaged in intercourse with an unknown male." The man stared at Henry expectantly.

Henry's nerves were buzzing as he relived the shooting once more. "Charges?" he managed to croak through his tight throat.

The captain's scowl deepened. "One of my best officers died under suspicious circumstances-" Henry almost blurted that the death was a suicide but he caught himself at the last second. "and you're involved!"

"This is where I tell you I want my lawyer," Henry said as his hands began to shake.

There was a terrible crashing sound outside and angry shouts. The captain shot him an angry look then went to the door. He yanked it open to see Mary fly over a desk to crash to the floor on the other side. Henry jumped to his feet and looked over the captain's head to see where she'd landed. She was instantly back on her feet, rushing around the desk and snarling at the big cop who'd manhandled Henry.

"Is that the best you've got little man?" she sneered, and the cop threw a punch at Mary who tried to dip under it, but the huge fist struck her in the temple. Mary's head rocked back, but she immediately countered with a right to the man's kidneys. The cop grunted in pain then threw a series of body blows against Mary who just grinned and flattened the man's nose with a sharp crack. As he stumbled back in pain and shock, Mary followed up with a punch to his solar plexus and a shove which tumbled him over a desk to collapse on the floor, groaning.

"Who else wants a piece of me? Huh? Fucking cowards!" Mary growled at the angry faces around her.

The captain barged out into the open area. "Officer Carsten, stand down."

Henry spotted his shoulder bag on the floor and hooked the strap with his toe as he stepped back into the interrogation room. He probably only had seconds. He dug out his cell and sent a quick text.

Snatching the cell from his hand, the big guy's partner glared at him as he stuffed it into the shoulder bag and left the small room once more, slamming the door shut. A few minutes later the outer squad area had quieted down, and the cop returned to drag Henry from the interrogation room. He was pushed down some hallways, then pushed into a holding cell. He was surprised to see Mary Carsten was in the cell to his right. In the cell to his left, the big cop was holding a bloody rag to his nose and glaring at the two of them.

Turning his attention back to Mary, he noticed she no longer looked exhausted. After the beating she'd taken, Henry had expected her to be a mess. Instead, she looked bright-eyed and alert. She caught his eye and made a tiny shake of her head. He looked away as he'd gotten the message loud and clear. No talking.

He settled himself back on the bench and closed his eyes. He stretched his legs out in front of him and crossed his arms over his chest. His exhaustion came crashing over him, and he let it pull him down.

His last conscious thought was his hope that his text reached its destination.

Chapter 12

Siobhan was doing her best to keep from bursting into giggles as she watched the tall, handsome man in the finely tailored suit try futilely to pick up Marisa.

When he'd first approached them, martini in hand, doing his best to pull off a suave James Bond impression, they'd both looked at him with interest. He had a classic strong jaw, sensual mouth, and cool blue eyes which probably served him well in the past as his confidence was evident. As he passed his eyes over the two women, they could tell he was evaluating the option of bedding them both.

Then he opened his mouth, and the illusion broke.

"What brings two fine bitches to this club?"

Siobhan's stomach turned immediately. Bitches? Really? She rolled her eyes as she turned to her companion and caught the flash of challenge in Marisa's eyes. She watched a vacant look come to the happy blonde's eyes.

"You're cute!" Marisa giggled with her best airhead impression.

Seeing he'd lost the option of a threesome, the tall man focused his attention on the stunningly lovely blonde. She was wearing the most tantalizing perfume. It made his heart race and his extremities tingle as he swelled in his silk boxers. Fuck! He wanted her more than anything in his life he realized. He blinked to clear his thoughts and get himself back on the script. The bitch would be his!

"You- you're ravishing!" he blurted then clamped his treacherous mouth closed.

Wide eyes blinked at him blankly. "Ravishing? What's that mean?" Then she hit him with another burst of giggles which jiggled parts of her anatomy which jiggled very well indeed if his rapt attention was any indication.

Pulling his eyes back to hers. "I- I mean you are exquisitely lovely," he said, forcing himself back onto the script he'd developed. He'd won his way into the beds of many women with his routine, but he was inexplicably clumsy with it tonight. Perhaps it was his intense need for her. He needed to calm down but he couldn't. He needed her.

"Oh! You're a pretty boy, too!" Marisa giggled.

"Thank you. Why don't we-" He froze as her words sunk in. "Boy, too?"

Big but vacant blue eyes looked into his then dipped down. He followed them with his own, barely managing to get past the beauty's outrageously delectable cleavage, over her tight stomach to see the swell of her hips and the definite outline of a sizable cock pressing against the tight fabric of her dress. His eyes widened in shock as he realized she was larger than he was.

"I can't wait to be deep inside you!" she breathed quietly just for him. For a moment, just the tiniest second, he contemplated it.

Siobhan could no longer suppress her laughter as the man quickly walked away towards the exit, his face burning. She looked down with amazed eyes to watch the bulge on Marisa's dress smooth away. "Oh, you have to teach me that trick!" she gushed to her friend.

Marisa smiled and shrugged, drawing a cute pout from Siobhan. She couldn't tell her friend that her ability to control her glamor in these limited ways was entirely due to her new connection to a realm of Wild Magic. She'd filled her in on some of the details but not the dangerous ones.

While Marisa was by no means a wielder, she'd discovered the strength of her link and the strength of the magic itself had given her a little more control as well. She couldn't do much, but she was learning to have fun with it.

Besides Siobhan didn't use a glamor so, moot point.

She glanced around the room as she took a sip from her drink. She was hoping she would meet some nice healthy man she could take back to her place and fuck silly. She wasn't too hungry tonight, but she needed to confirm if feeding from a Human gave her the same level of energy she received before her change. Henry's energy was so potent; she was worried she might become addicted to it like her mother was quickly becoming.

Another worrisome fact was that when Henry made those delightful little gestures of affection like kissing her hand or even when he just held it. Afterward, she felt the sensation of having fed, a little. Worse, she couldn't tell if she was feeding off his life energy, something she never wanted to do! He certainly showed no signs of a drain, nor was there any discernable diminishing of the strength of his lifeforce.

She had no one she could ask about this, so she kept it to herself and did her best to protect Henry from her needs. This brought her back to tonight. Someone in this upscale club had to be- Siobhan touched her arm as they both spotted the handsome black man walking up to them with a friendly, confident smile on his face. Marisa's eyes flicked over his shoulder where she saw a group of four men watching him approach them with smiles of anticipation on their faces. So, they were his posse? Interesting!

She directed her eyes back to him as he approached their table. She heard Siobhan make a quiet purring noise. She liked what she was seeing. Marisa did too.

His suit was correct for the club's theme period, and he looked very good in it. He also approached at a comfortable pace, another sign of his confidence.

Marisa had her seer vision clamped down as tightly as she could as she didn't need it to detect a healthy subject.

"Hi, I'm Nate. I'm not disturbing a private party, am I?" he asked with a flash of pearly white teeth.

"Not at all Nate. I'm Siobhan, and my friend here is Marisa," she said with a smile of her own.

"The club has an interesting motif, but I think that lovely Irish accent isn't going to fool anyone into believing you're Russian," he teased.

"What accent?" she asked with a coy smile, and he nodded with a smile of his own.

He looked to Marisa. "I don't know what you said to the fellow who just left, but it was very effective."

She smiled. "He sealed his fate when he called us 'fine bitches'."

Nate winced then shook his head. "How do these Neanderthals continue to survive in this day and age?" he asked sadly.

Siobhan grinned at his response. "Think you can do better?"

Nate smiled at her and held out his hand. "Nate Walker. Freelance Creative Copywriter."

Siobhan was impressed in spite of her natural caution with smooth-talking Romeos. She shook his hand, and there was nothing limp about it at all.

Marisa shook his hand as well and gasped involuntarily as her talent flared. Potentials flashed across her sight as she looked into his surprised eyes.

Nate leaned towards Marisa and cautiously sniffed. His mouth dropped open in shock, and then he smiled excitedly. "I found you!" he gasped quietly in awe.

Marisa pulled her hand back in a daze as she forced her talent back into its paused state. His scent backed up the visions her mind had shown her. He was an Incubus! He was also- No! The visions were only potentials. Her thoughts were in turmoil as it tried to deny the images she'd seen. She wasn't ready.
There was a buzz in her clutch purse, and she welcomed its distraction. She plucked her cell out and looked at the screen. Her eyes widened in dismay.

"SHIT!" she exclaimed.

Siobhan was watching her friend in concern since her reaction to Nate's touch. She knew Marisa's talent for precognition was very strong and she must have seen something disturbing to look so shaken. When she cursed at her cell, Siobhan's concern deepened. "What's wrong?" she asked.

Marisa looked at her in anguish. She looked over at Nate whose expression was beginning to show his concern as well.

"I- I have to go!" she blurted.

"What? No!" Nate exclaimed desperately. He didn't want to lose her! She was the only Succubus he'd ever met since he escaped the clutches of the first one.

"I'm sorry! Henry's in trouble. A friend." She explained to him. "I have to go!"

"I'll come with-" Siobhan began.

"No! I mean, it's ok. I'll be contacting... people from work to help. Stay, please. Enjoy. Get to know our new friend here," Marisa said looking deeply into Siobhan's eyes and was relieved when her friend picked up the message. She looked to Nate.

"It was nice meeting you. Perhaps we could meet again. I really have to go, now!" Marisa said and rushed away.

Siobhan placed a hand on Nate's chest to prevent him from following. "She needs to do what she needs to do. Why don't we go get a drink, and you can tell me a little more about yourself?"

Nate looked towards the door he'd seen Marisa leave through. Then he looked to Siobhan. He sniffed cautiously.

"Do your friends think you're odd for taking a big ol' whiff of everyone you meet?" she asked him with a frown.

He had the good grace to look embarrassed. "Yes, they have commented on it."

"It's not polite."

"It's the only way I can detect-"

"THAT is something you DON'T discuss in public. How can you not know that?" Siobhan asked incredulously. She knew from Marisa's look that Nate was one of the Hidden Races so he should have known better.

Nate looked at her in exasperation. "Sorry, I must have slept through that class in high school."

Siobhan looked into his eyes and saw he was genuinely oblivious. "Ok, we really need to go somewhere private where we can talk. Will your posse be ok without you tonight."

Nate looked at her again and a smile formed on his lips. "Is this discussion going to include breakfast?"

She snorted at his cheekiness. She couldn't help herself from smiling back at his confident grin. "Play your cards right and it might."

"Lead on."

-=-

Ra'Anek flew through the dark skies. He rarely got the opportunity to fly these days as his Raven form was too large to be taken for a natural creature. Night flying wasn't his favorite activity, but tonight it served the greater good. He was hunting the pseudo-clouds to get a sample of their magic.

He'd flown into Tulsa, rented a car and headed northwest towards Pawhuska. When the sun set, he found a spot to pull over and took to the skies. It felt good to stretch his wings.

He was curious to see if these cloud creatures were truly from the same realm as the magic that flowed through the Satyr. He'd get a sample from the cloud, and he'd have an opportunity soon enough to test the Satyr for the comparison. Tonight was just to satisfy that curiosity. He hadn't mentioned to the others that he was doing this.

As Minister of Risk Assessment, he'd already decided on his own that Mr. Gable needed to be contained regardless of his test tonight. That's what he was going to report to the Council, and if they didn't agree with his request to imprison the Satyr, it was within his purview to order a hit team to take him out to protect the Hidden Races.

Mr. Gable's link to the Fae's healing spell would cause it to fail with his death. Ra'Anek didn't care what happened to the Fae except they provided disguises for the others. With the collapse of the spell, the Fae would be in a very desperate state. A prime opportunity to negotiate very favorable terms in a bargain.

Ra'Anek's people had found the cure for the wasting disease centuries ago. They'd secretly applied it to all of the Races- except for the Elven Fae. Even Ra'Anek's long memory failed to retrieve the reason for the omission. Perhaps he'd willed himself to forget. No matter.

So either Mr. Gable would be contained, where he could study the Satyr's link to the Wild Magic or he'd have the Satyr assassinated, and he could force the Fae into a bargain. There was no losing option for Ra'Anek here.

Lightning jumped between two thunderheads on the horizon so he tipped his wings in that direction.

Soon he was circling the massive twin towers, and the first thing he noticed was how fresh the air smelled. The tang of metals and the chemical stew was missing! The closer he flew, the sweeter the pure air became. They were purifying the air! Consuming the poisons and releasing fresh air!

He also noted his feathers were tingling madly. There was magic here and it was stronger than he'd felt in a while. He needed a direct sample. He tipped his wings and banked in towards the surface of one.

At the last second, he flared his wings and flew up the side, dragging his hooked claws through the fluffy matter. He watched the cloud tremble then his vision filled with intense blue, white light as a bolt of plasma shot down the side of the cloud. It intersected with his body and the ground, trapping him in the tube of raw energy. Blended with the plasma, Wild Magic in a strength he'd never imagined flowed through the core of the beam. He lost all control of his body, and his senses were blinded. When he hit the ground, it caught him completely by surprise. Bones shattered, blood splashed, but he clung to his consciousness with his formidable will.

The pain was intense, so he laid still. He looked up at the thunderheads which moved on as if he meant nothing. He realized the cloud slapped him out of the air much like a horse struck a fly with its tail. He felt a little indignant about that.

The ground around him positively hummed with the Wild Magic. It was soaking in and spreading outwards. That was troubling. He spotted small plants begin to sprout up through the sandy soil around his body, highly energized by the magic. The plant life looked healthy and normal, but their growth was abnormally quick. He struggled to pull his mind back to his predicament until he heard noises of someone approaching. He peered into the darkness and eyes looked back at him.

Coyotes! He reached for his magic to send them on their way but felt nothing. He was physically paralyzed and still reeling from the hit of the strong magic. His wasn't responding!

The coyotes moved in, and he squawked weakly. Teeth tore into him, tearing chunks of meat from his broken body, sending searing pain along his nerves. His body slipped further into shock.

As his brain shut down, he could have sworn he saw his spirit brother Coyote sitting on a rock watching him die, having a good chuckle over the delicious irony of his end.

Chapter 13

Stanley paced in the luxurious room he had in Mab's palace. His heavy hooves made no sound on the highly polished wood floors. This sound dampening was due to an enchantment meant to prevent disturbing people in neighboring rooms, but he found the effect a little unnerving. It was like he wasn't there.

He understood that tonight was the night. The Fae 'master magicians' had reviewed the information they'd gathered in their exhausting interviews. They'd conferred with Mab over the best course of action to build him a glamor while protecting themselves from the brute power of the magic coursing through him.

He drank another glass of water to wet his dry mouth but instead, it just went straight to his bladder, and he had to pee again.

He went into the huge washroom and lifted his kilt to pee. He'd taken to the garments as they were exceptionally comfortable. He felt himself relax as the stream hit the water.

"A good flow. A sign you have a healthy prostate."

Mid-stream he felt his muscles clamp down painfully. Wincing, he turned his head to face the delighted smile of Mab as she watched him from the doorway.

"I'd ask you for privacy, but this is your domain isn't it," he sighed.

Her grin widened. "You catch on quickly! Very good Stanley! Don't stop on my account."

He faced forward and willed himself to relax and start again. He knew Mab was expecting him to admit he couldn't so this was a major, if insignificant, win for him. He rolled his shoulders and felt the knots of tension slowly ease. He closed his eyes and let himself finish.

Opening his eyes, he saw Mab was standing next to him with paper in her hand. He accepted the paper and dried himself, dropping it in the bowl then pulled the chain to flush.

"You intrigue me Stanley, and that isn't easy to do these days," she said quietly as she gave him an evaluating look as he turned to her, dropping his kilt to cover himself once more.

"One of the burdens of immortality?" he asked.

She smiled and seemed to think on that before nodding. "I suppose so."

Stanley couldn't imagine what that must be like. Having seen some of the twisted behavior the Queen had inadvertently exposed during his visit, he was beginning to believe madness was the eventual destination.

"How did that old witch pull you from the past? How did she link you to the realm of Wild Magic? Can you link wielders of the old realm's magic to the new realm without killing them?" Mab whispered, and her eyes glowed on the last question.

He wasn't about to try answering her. Mainly, because he didn't know the answers himself, but equally, he thought Mab having those answers would be a dangerous thing.

"Intriguing," she continued as her eyes dropped down his body to his kilt. She ran her fingers over the material covering his cock. He felt that, and it began to swell automatically. "I suppose you don't know too much about Satyrs, do you Stanley?" she asked.

"Only personal first-hand knowledge," he agreed quietly.

"Creatures of insatiable lust! Rapist and defilers of Human females!" She gave him a crooked smile at his frown as she continued to brush her fingers over his kilt. "That was how the Humans of the time described your people. They had no love for the Satyr race. Well, the males didn't. The females liked them just fine. Maybe just a little too much perhaps. Back then, the Human race was slightly more primitive than it is today and females had no say at all. The Human men hunted down every last one-" she stopped with a smile. "Every last one but you. All because your kind were better lovers than the Human males could ever hope to be. It was their jealousy that drove their murderous desires."

Stanley's body was getting mixed signals as it always did with Mab. She could be so damn sexy as she stroked him to full rigidity effortlessly, but her words threatened to drive his desires away.

"I've had many Satyr lovers. They were the only ones who could truly satisfy my needs." She pouted as she contemplated how long it had been. "I've been thinking about what went wrong at the orgy I threw in your honor."

Henry's mind immediately flashed to the death of the two servants. "Murder always ruins a party," he thought to himself.

"It had all the necessary ingredients to trigger your lust, but you remained fully in control of yourself throughout the party. Unaffected." Queen Mab murmured as she gently squeezed the bulge pressing against his kilt.

His breathing was becoming rough as her fingers skillfully drew his pleasure higher and higher.

She reached down and lifted the edge if his kilt up so she could see the naked flesh of his cock. She purred happily when she saw how large and hard it was.

Henry still had trouble accepting the alien looking appendage was attached to him. He certainly felt its connection, however.

"Henry, you're in your early twenty's, yes?" she asked gently as she went back to teasing his cock with her long fingers.

"Yes," he grunted through clenched teeth.

"How much time per day were you allowed to remain in Satyr form."

He struggled to think as his body throbbed with need. "Uh... 6 to 7 hours. While I slept."

"Ahhhhh, that's it. Crafty old witch. You were only allowed to fraternize with the Humans as a Human. Your true body hasn't matured yet. Soon though, I think. Satyr's reach sexual maturity early. The first experiences, until you learn some control, should be entertaining," she purred. She took a grip on his shaft and began to pump him vigorously.

She had him right on edge, so this stroking pushed him over the edge quickly. "Cumming!" he moaned as he felt his balls tighten up. He leaned his head back and closed his eyed as she skillfully milked his cock. When he finished, he opened his eyes and saw that was exactly what Mab had been doing. As she released his spent cock, she held up a glass beaker full of his cum and examined its contents with a satisfied smile on her crimson lips.

"Thank you, Henry. I'll see you tonight." With that, she strode away, off to do who knows what with his ejaculate. He knew it was full of the Wild Magic which was toxic to wielders, like her. Maybe it was for the spellcasting tonight? He somehow didn't think so.

He began to feel defiled. He wasn't much more than a lab rat to the Queen, and now that she'd gotten what she wanted, it was back into the cage for him. He stood there in the washroom as his emotions went off the rails.

His body began to tremble then shake as his revulsion to her touch caught up to him.

"HEY! WAKE UP!"

Henry jolted awake as someone pushed and pulled at his shoulder. He yanked himself away from the unwanted touch and tumbled off a bench to land on a concrete floor. He blinked in a daze as he looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings. A cage?!? "Wha? Where am I?"

"You're in jail, fuckwit."

The voice was very nasal and came from the side. Henry glanced that way into the angry, bloodshot eyes of the large police officer that brought him to the station. Right. He was at the police station.

Henry pushed himself to his feet and looked to his right into the concerned eyes of Mary Carsten.

"You ok? That was one hell of a nightmare," she said gently, and he saw in her eyes that she somehow knew it was more. Unsettled, he just nodded and sat back on the bench. He leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes. Queen Mab was there again, so his eyes snapped open, and he leaned forward to rub his hands together as they'd suddenly gone cold.

There was a loud noise from down the hall then the click of heels on concrete as they all turned their heads towards the sound.

An officer with a grim look on his face was leading an Indian beauty with a matching grim expression.

Henry sagged with relief. His text had reached Marisa. The cavalry had arrived.

The officer unlocked his cell and gestured for him to exit. Henry joined them in the hall, and the cell door was locked again.

"Mr. Gable. Are you well?" Mahati asked him. He nodded, still a little shaky from the dream. "Which of these officers is responsible for illegally forcing you to accompany him to the station?" she asked as she looked in the other two cells.

Henry pointed to the man with the broken nose. He got a cold look in return.

Mahati took in the damage to the man's face. "Were you responsible for his injuries?"

Henry looked at her in surprise. He pointed to Mary. "No, she did that after he attacked her." He saw Mary give him a little smile and the other officer cursed quietly.

"We are done here," Mahati stated and headed off back down the hall.

Henry glanced at the officer in the hall who gestured for him to follow, so he did. When they walked into the area where the fight broke out, he saw the Captain standing in their way.

"Captain Lowes. Several officers in this precinct, including yourself, have violated my client's civil rights. These are serious offenses, and I'll be filing a grievance with the city-"

"It's a murder investigation-"

"No Captain, it is not. I've read the police and the coroner's reports. It's a suicide which you and some of your men have chosen not to accept. You have stepped beyond the bounds of the laws you are duly sworn to uphold," Mahati insisted.

"How the fuck did you get your hands on-" the captain began when four men in suits entered the squad room and approached. The man in the lead held up his badge.

"Captain Lowes? I'm Captain Danson of Internal Affairs. Come with me, please," the man insisted.

Huffing with annoyance the precinct captain left with the man and stepped into one of the interrogation rooms.

Mahati spoke to one of the officers, and they walked away to come back a few moments later with Henry's shoulder bag. He accepted it and went through the contents to ensure everything was still there.

"The fuck?" Henry quietly growled as he pulled his destroyed cell from the bag. There were smudges of a boot heel on the cracked screen. He held it up incredulously for Mahati to see. She scowled then nodded.

Mahati put her hand around Henry's arm and guided him out. When they reached the street, a black SUV pulled up, and the lawyer guided him into the back seat. The door closed and she touched something on the edge of the door. Henry felt his ears pop gently and looked to her.

"A privacy screen. Now we can speak. Your text reached Ms. Villamor but was lean on content," she said with a frown.

"They weren't going to let me call anyone. The fight between the two officers caused a distraction, so I grabbed my cell and banged out a quick text. Help, Pct, and the station number were all I had time for." He looked at her in puzzlement. "How did you find out about the officer's suicide so quickly?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Don't question our firm's methods when they lead to your freedom." He nodded with wide eyes, so she returned his questioning look. "What's your involvement with this case?" she asked.

He gave her an unhappy look.

"I'm your lawyer. I need to know."

He sighed. "I- I was with Officer Carsten in her home when the cop who killed himself broke in. I woke, and he was standing at the end of the bed. He-" Henry stopped himself from telling her about Mary's ex shooting her. He'd never be able to explain how she survived. "They screamed at each other then he put the gun to his head and-" Henry stopped talking as the scene suddenly flashed back in his mind, and his stomach threatened to heave its empty contents. He tried the window button with trembling hands, but it didn't budge. He looked at her desperately. "Air! Now!"

Mahati disabled the privacy field, and Henry's window went down. He put his face into the gap and took deep, slow breaths. A few minutes later he raised the window and settled back against the seat with his eyes closed. The shakes had finally settled down. The field went back on.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the lawyer was staring intently at him, so he turned his eyes back to the window. He didn't want to talk about this anymore. Not with her at least. Definitely with Marisa, Sigrid, Camila, and Mr. Duncan. He looked to Mahati and shrugged.

The lawyer frowned at him and moved on. "They said they had physical proof of your presence at the time of the event. What could that have been?"

He forced his mind back to the morning and twitched as he relived the man shooting himself. He pushed past that moment. "I threw up in the toilet, but I flushed. My fingerprints would be on the toilet handle- and a glass I drank water from..." A shocked expression slipped over his face as a realization struck. "oh shit. The condom."

She nodded seriously. "Yes, that would speak of immediacy. Now, why were you having sex with the officer?"
He scowled at her. That was rather private.

She glared in return, and he sighed. "I was riding the train and an orgy spontaneously broke out-"

"The gas attack in the train!" she gasped. "It was on the news!"

"Uh, yeah. I think that was just me. I don't know anything about gas but the passengers all just started having sex around me, and I was so... incredibly horny," he sighed at the memory. "She pushed me into her patrol car. She didn't take me to the station but to her place instead. We had sex. Talked afterward and fell asleep." His expression became bleak. "Then that happened."

Mahati was staring at him. "You caused a group of strangers to have sex in public, were taken into custody but instead of being charged you were taken to the officer's home to have sex."

He looked at her for a moment then nodded.

"So we could claim you were both affected by the gas," Mahati suggested.

He nodded slowly.

"Obviously, your being the source of the gas will remain a secret," she insisted, and he just stared at her because, yes, that was obvious.

She had the good grace to look embarrassed as she realized what she'd said. She then stared at him haughtily. "It is also obvious to me that you require counselling for the trauma of watching the officer commit suicide. I'm going to recommend this to the head of HR at VRL."

He nodded once more and sagged in the seat. Spending a night in jail wasn't exactly restful. He yawned broadly.

"I also recommend you get some sleep today. I'll inform your office that you are taking the day off," she insisted.

He looked to her to protest but just nodded instead. She was right. He needed this. "Thank you."

She nodded to him and looked out her window. It was her turn to look lost in thought. She needed answers.

Chapter 14

Siobhan stretched on her bed, enjoying the feel of the luxurious silk sheets. She glanced over at the gorgeous hunk sleeping next to her, currently facing away. She'd have to thank Marisa for bowing out this time. She knew Nate was attracted to her gorgeous friend but he'd certainly shown her a good time.

They'd also had such a fascinating talk before things got physical. She'd discovered that Nate had grown up thinking he was Human! He'd only learned of his true nature close to a year ago on Hallowe'en. A rather aggressive Succubus tried to make him her slave, but he'd escaped. He'd been looking for another Succubus since that day. One who wouldn't try to enslave him.

Siobhan promised to take him to VRL this morning to meet Marisa and Camila.

He'd lost his job when his boss became infatuated with him, and it got awkward at the office. He said he learned a lesson from that time.

They'd enjoyed a bottle of wine. Due to Nate's elation at having finally succeeded in finding Marisa after almost a year, Nate had gotten a little tipsy. Then a little frisky. That suited Siobhan just fine. She showed Nate a few tricks of her own. He'd been so enthralled that she made him forget the condom he'd initially insisted on using. She wasn't keen on the feel of latex, so she was very pleased when he'd given in.

The sex had been very good for her, and it must have been good for him as well as he was still here. She couldn't recall what happened after they'd finished. She must have fallen asleep. That was a little embarrassing.

She felt him stir and turned her face to smile at him as he turned his head to face her. He blinked his eyes open then they blinked wide open.

"Uh, hello," he said cautiously.

She snorted in amusement. "That's a strange morning greeting! Did I snore or fart in my sleep?"

His eyes widened further. "Siobhan?"

"Was I that unmemorable?" she pouted.

He shook his head. "No! It was amazing! I thought maybe you were a twin sister. It's- weren't you blond last night? Was that a wig?"

She frowned in confusion. "What are you on about?" She reached up and felt the slick softness of her seal pelt. She recognized its feel. She panicked as she never showed anyone her pelt! Selkie's had a bad track record of having their pelt's stolen. She leapt from the bed, backing away, and pulled her hands forward. Instead of the pelt, she was looking at the mahogany brown hair. Incredibly soft, thick, luxurious hair and lots of it! It hung down to her ass! Thankfully it continued to have the gentle waves her blond locks had. She might be able to say it was dyed but the length! She ran her fingers through and over it. It felt like her seal pelt, but this hair was attached to her head.

She rushed back to the side of the bed and pulled her purse open, but the pelt wasn't inside. She panicked, but her hands went to her hair again as she stepped back once more, eyes on Nate's look of confusion. Her mind just kept telling her the hair was her pelt.

"What? What? What?" she muttered to herself in shock as she ran her fingers through the silkiness. That felt so good! Familiar. She wrapped the silky locks around herself as she settled to the floor.

Nate scrambled to the edge of the bed and stared in open-eyed wonder as a mahogany brown seal blinked back at him. The seal's head tipped up and up until it folded back and the fur parted. Siobhan's face was there, and the look of peace on her features made Nate relax. She rose up to her feet again, and the seal just became her hair once more.

Large brown eyes opened, and she gave herself a little shake to calm her trembling. "Oh my, that felt better than it ever has!"

"What... what are you?" Nate asked in wonder.

She smiled at him. "That's one of those forbidden Hidden Races questions but considering I just showed you the most private thing I do, I suppose telling you I'm a Selkie is no worse."

She moved to stand before her dressing mirror and froze. "I don't understand! How did this happen?" In the corner of the mirror, she caught his expression change to a look of guilt. She turned back to him with hands on hips.

"Was I wearing a condom last night?" he asked cautiously. She shook her head. "It's only happened once before, with a human woman, and the change then wasn't so good. It's why I wear condoms. Not sure why I didn't last night," he muttered.

"The wine," she said.

"Oh." He looked bleakly at her. "I'm so sorry!"

She held up her hands. "Aside from the hair color and length change, it's... not so bad. It may be an improvement," she said, with just a slight tremble in her voice. Truthfully, the magnitude of this change was rocking her world! Having her pelt with her, as part of her while she was in her Human form was a dream come true! She no longer had to worry about someone stealing her purse or getting their hands on the pelt!

The fact that she'd changed so dramatically was terrifying, but the final result was so much better she was having a hard time being upset about it.

The only drawback she could see at the moment was, how was she going to explain how her hair grew so much overnight? As it was her pelt, she couldn't bring herself to cut it.

This could be problematic.

"Should I show you my true form now that I've seen yours?" Nate asked timidly.

Her attention returned to him, and she smiled. "Show me yours, and I'll show you mine?"

He chuckled. "Yeah, kinda like that. Have you ever seen an Incubus before?"

"No. Let's see it then," Siobhan said.

He climbed off the bed and closed his eyes. Then he opened them, glanced to the sides and turned himself slightly. He gave her a little embarrassed smile then his eyes closed once more. There was a reverse flash where the light around him suddenly dimmed and in his place was a creature made of darkest night. His skin had silver spots which made his obsidian skin look like a starry night sky. His powerfully built body was dreamy, but his cock was dauntingly large.

Then he opened his wings, and she understood why he'd turned his body. When they stretched out, they easily touched the far walls. A fifteen-foot wingspan?

"You can fly?" she squeaked.

"I'm not sure. I'm still building my wing strength. The first time I opened them was last year, and they were very weak. They're much stronger now, but I don't know where I'd go to practice unseen."

She nodded, approving his caution. "Your coloring is unique!"

"So Oletha told me. Of course, she'd also planned on keeping me chained. For that and these," he said pointing his thumb over his shoulder at his wings.

"Oletha was the Succubus you told me about last night?"

He nodded grimly. "Marquise Oletha Thanemark. From the UK. I do my best to keep tabs on her in case she returns. Luckily, she's a famous artist, so her fans make noise in the art trades and online when she moves from place to place. She's returned to New York City about six times since we first met. Nothing in the last few months though."

"She's determined to find you," Siobhan said with a worried frown.

"Luckily I'm renting a room from a friend and I pay her cash, so my name isn't on any address listings," he said with a smile.

"Camila may be able to help you with your issue with the Marquise."

"Anything she could do to make that nutcase leave me alone would be welcome!" Nate exclaimed.

Siobhan's alarm clock began to chime softly, and she sighed. "Time for work." She looked at Nate with a smile on her lips as he switched back to his Human form. He was gorgeous in both forms!

"I'll head back to my apartment, get freshened up and change my clothes. I want to make a good impression for Marisa and Camila," Nate said as he began to dress.

Siobhan smiled and nodded. "What time should we expect you?"

Nate shook his head. "It shouldn't take me long. No later than 10:30 AM?"

Siobhan pulled on her dressing gown and nodded. "I'll set up a meeting with them for you when I get in." She moved closer and tilted her face up for a kiss. Nate smiled and gave her one.

She patted his chest as she pulled back. "Thanks for a lovely night!"

"Thank you for being so patient and explaining so much about the Hidden Races," he returned.

She held a finger up to her lips to indicate he should be silent about that and he nodded with a smile.

Siobhan walked Nate to the door and locked up behind him. With a happy smile, she headed for the bathroom to have her shower and thought about how she was going to explain her new hair. She envied Marisa now for her glamor. She might have to get one. Today she'd wear a bulky, long sweater over her hair.

She needed to talk to Marisa about many things.

-=-

Nate smiled to himself as he left Siobhan's building and headed for the subway. He'd had a wonderful time with the beauty the night before but more than that, he'd found someone with answers who wasn't trying to make him a slave. She'd answered his questions patiently, and now she was going to arrange for him to meet two Succubi, one of whom was Marisa.

He had to admit to himself that meeting her again was what was making him smile the most. When he'd laid eyes on her across the room at the club the night before, he'd felt a burst of electricity course through his body. Her beauty and poise drew him like a moth to a flame, and he'd actually had to work at maintaining his calm as he approached the two blondes. Siobhan was certainly a beautiful woman, but Marisa moved his heart in ways he couldn't describe.

When he'd picked up her Succubus scent, his joy was complete! He'd wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms at that moment but he'd seen something in her eyes and her expression of shock derailed his plans. When she fled, he'd wanted to chase her, but his better judgment and Siobhan's hand prevented him.

Now, he was grateful the petite blond (brunette he reminded himself with chagrin) had stopped him. He felt far more prepared this morning. He wouldn't make a fool of himself and blather on about things the Hidden Races didn't say out loud.

He grinned as he rounded the last corner and looked towards the stairs leading down to the trains.

Instead, his eyes landed on a face he didn't expect to see.

"Hello, Nate."

"NO! ACKthh-" Nate's mind lit up as the tip of a stun baton was pressed against the back of his neck.

The two men who'd silently approached him from behind caught him before he collapsed and helped him into the back seat of the car parked at the curb. They climbed in as well and closed the door.

Oletha smiled as she slipped into the front passenger seat. The driver pulled away from the curb and drove off down the quiet morning street at a leisurely pace, merging into the regular Monday morning traffic, just another commuter.

Chapter 15

Henry stepped from the black SUV and looked back into Mahati's eyes.

"Rest today. I'll speak with you tomorrow at VRL," she said, and he could only nod and close the door.

He watched the big vehicle pull away then headed for the front door. As he made his way to the elevator, he heard someone call out to him.

"Henry!"

He saw Sandy entering the lobby, so he waited for her. "Your shift just ended?" he asked.

She nodded and gave him a concerned look. "Shouldn't you be heading off to work now? Are you feeling ok?"

Her genuine concern and compassion once more rattled his self-control in his exhausted state and he was only able to shake his head stiffly. He pressed the button to call the elevator.

"Henry? What happened?" she asked as she placed a hand on his arm. They stepped inside and pressed their floor buttons.

He looked back at her in her hospital scrubs. She was a nurse so she must have seen the aftermath of a lot of bad things. Suddenly he needed to talk to her about what he'd seen. "Can- can I talk to you about something? I mean, if you aren't too tired."

She smiled at him. "Of course you can!" She pressed the door close button when the elevator opened on her floor. "You'll feel more comfortable talking in your own home." He nodded at this as they ascended.

Henry led her into his condo and turned back to look at her. "Can I get you something to drink?"

She shook her head then reached back to pull the hair scrunchie from her locks. "Ah, that's better," she sighed as she ran her fingers through her mane of blonde hair. "It only feels comfortable when it's free."

"It's lovely," he said quietly, and her smile warmed him.

She sat on his couch and patted the cushion beside her. "Talk to me, Henry."

He sat and tried to think of where to begin as she waited patiently.

"Uh, you... did you hear about the subway gas attack?"

She grinned. "Yes, everyone's been talking about it at the hospital! The vids keep getting pulled off the social media sites. Not the worst kind of gas attack I suppose."

He nodded and looked at his hands in his lap. "I was there."

Sandy's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. "In an adjacent car?"

Not looking at her, he shook his head.

"Oh my god! But we watched all the vids of the event before they got pulled offline and we didn't- Oh! You're the shopping bag man!" Sandy gasped as she recalled one clip which panned past someone hiding behind their purchases.

He nodded, still facing his lap. "I was taken off the train first, cuffed, and handed off to a police officer. She, uh, she must have been affected too as she didn't take me to the station. She took me to her place."

Sandy's eyes were very wide now. "Oh! Were you affected too? You didn't seem to be on the train."

Henry nodded again. "Took longer for me." Then he lifted his eyes and looked into hers. "Afterwards, it wore off, and we talked. Then we fell asleep."

Sandy squirmed a little as she tried to hide her discomfort.

"The next part is hard to... I don't like thinking about it... but I've been having nightmares... and I'm so tired," he sighed wearily as his lower lip began to tremble. She began to look concerned.

"It's ok, Henry. Take your time."

He looked back down at his clasped hands. "The next morning, I woke up and saw a man, another cop, standing at the end of the bed pointing his gun at us."

"OH MY GOD!" Sandy gasped and took his hand in hers.

"He was her ex. He said some nasty things to her. She said some things back. I thought- he was going to shoot us! I thought I was dead! He-" Henry's chest felt tight, but he pushed onwards. "He put the gun to his temple- pulled the trigger." The image flashed in his mind causing him to twitch badly then Sandy was holding him tight. He wrapped his arms around her, and the tears came. He wasn't sure why he was crying. Anger, fear, despair, each crashed through his mind, jumbling his thoughts and his tears kept falling. He shook and held Sandy until, eventually, his tears ran dry.

Sandy sat back and looked into his eyes. "You've been carrying that around since it happened. You needed to release that tension and fear."

Henry nodded, unable to speak.

"If ever you need someone to talk to, please know you can come to me," she said gently.

Sandy had the strangest sensation of déjà vu as she recalled Stanley's ordeal with the kidnapping. Henry's reactions were so incredibly similar.

"Thank you."

A loud knocking on the door made them both jump. They looked at each other then Henry stood and walked to the door with Sandy at his heels. He paused to wipe his eyes and looked through the peephole.

"Shit," he said softly. It was Yuko and Jun!

"Who is it?"

Henry suddenly recalled he shouldn't recognize the people outside his door. "Uh, I'm not sure, but it might be Yuko."

Sandy pulled him back as she took a turn at the peephole. "It is!" She suddenly pulled the door open as Yuko made to knock again.

"Oh! It's you. Again." Yuko said flatly.

"Have you come back to throw another stun grenade?" Sandy growled.

"I did not come to speak to you. I need to see for myself what my friends tell me," she said stiffly. She looked past Sandy right at Henry. Her expression froze. "Oh! Stanley..." she sighed softly, hints of longing in her quiet voice.

Henry was raging inside but struggled to keep it from showing. Yuko was a loose cannon who could ruin everything. She was also devastatingly lovely with large dark eyes and lovely lips. Still petite at 5' 4", she'd lost a little weight on her already slim body, and her silky, black hair now reached down past her ass. He found his mind rattled once more. "Stanley's gone. I'm Henry," he said stiffly and a little harsher than intended. He watched her cautiously.

Yuko suddenly spun and pushed into the stairwell to disappear down the stairs. Her sister watched her go then turned to face them with a small smile. Henry noticed her hair was a little longer now too, but she still hid her lovely dark eyes behind the non-prescription, dark-framed glasses.

"I am Jun. I apologize for my sister's behavior. We have moved into 708. We knew Stanley. I only met him once, but Yuko was... emotionally involved. In her way."

"Welcome to the building," Sandy said to her with a smile.

"Thank you! It was nice to meet you both." She nodded to Sandy and held Henry's eyes for just long enough to raise the hairs on the back of his neck. Then she pushed into the stairwell to follow her sister.

Sandy turned back to Henry. He sagged back against the wall and rubbed his face, yawning widely.

"I take it you aren't going to work today."

He shook his head wearily. He was worried about Yuko's and Jun's presence in the building and what that might mean. He was just too exhausted to deal with it now.

"Good. Get some rest. Call me later? Maybe you could come down to my place for dinner. We'll order pizza?"

He smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Sandy! For everything!"

She smiled at him and nodded. "It's what good neighbors do!"

He raised his eyebrow. "You haven't lived in the city for very long have you," he said with a smirk.

"Get some rest, funny boy," she said and kissed him on the cheek before walking towards the elevators.
Henry smiled and closed his door. Sandy was good people. The world needed more people like her.

As he got ready for bed, he realized he was feeling a little better aside from the beginnings of a headache. He took some painkillers and drank a glass of water to prevent dehydration.

Talking it out with Sandy had helped. He didn't know why it was so easy to talk to her, but he was grateful she was there for him.

Speaking of good people, he needed to check if the not so good people had tried their luck with the VRL firewall. He logged in and brought up the logs. He smiled. Just the usual casual poking. So it seemed Kent wasn't successful in wrangling his hit team after all.

An image of Jun popped into his mind, and that triggered his recollection that he'd left the remote instance of his firewall running on her high school project. He sent a command to the VRL firewall, and a shutdown command would go out with the next scheduled update packet.

He shut down and crawled into bed.

Sighing, he pulled the covers up and let himself drift off, casting off his troubles for just a little while and hoping for a little dreamless sleep.

-=-

Kent was living in a waking nightmare.

Due to his exhaustion, he slept through his alarm. He didn't have time to shower or change his clothes and raced out of the house to drive at reckless speeds to get to work.

He'd tried to buy a coffee to perk himself up on his way to work, but his credit card wasn't working, and neither was his bank card. Then when he got to work and walked up to his desk, his PC was missing. The pranksters had gone above and beyond this time.

"You FUCKING ASSHOLES! Where's my computer?" he screamed.

A large man in a dark suit and a flat top haircut appeared next to his pod. "Kent Davidson?"

"Did you take my computer?" he blurted in a daze.

"Kent Davidson?"

He frowned and nodded.

"Come with me please."

Kent shuffled after the big man down the corridor to one of the larger boardrooms. He looked around in surprise when he entered as he saw Director Yosman, Supervisor McCalin, and Graham standing together and some FBI agents in a second group.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Did you crack that firewall?" Yosman asked.

Kent sagged with a frown. "No, sir. I need additional time. It's like nothing I've ever encountered-"

"He's all yours," the director said to the FBI agents.

The middle agent walked up to Kent and wrinkled his nose at his stench. "Kent Davidson, I'm placing you under arrest for trafficking child pornography. Agents are in the process of collecting the computers at your residence as we speak-"

"You can't do that!" Kent barked as a second agent cuffed him. They took his cell and put it into an evidence bag.

"We can and are," the first FBI agent said. Then he turned to the NSA agents. "Thank you for your assistance with this Director Yosman. Good luck with that breach."

Kent stared at Graham, but the man wouldn't look at him. Two agents took his arms and dragged him away as the nightmare continued.

"This can't be happening," Kent gasped, panic seizing his throat.

One of the agents grimaced and glanced over at him. "The fun has only just begun."

Director Yosman glared at McCalin as it was his man who caused the breach. Graham Wilkins brought them the email from Kent disclosing the backdoor access but it was too late. Someone had already used that access to infiltrate their network. The extent of the damage was under assessment.

"State of the art firewall technology circumvented by a fucking hack added by your man! We spent millions developing that software. When the FBI is done charging that punk, I'm going to press charges of our own to make sure he never sees the light of day."

McCalin scowled but nodded. He turned his eyes to Wilkins. "You have anything else you'd like to tell us?"

Graham froze like a deer in the headlights. "No, sir."

"Get back to work then," McCalin barked and Graham rushed from the room.

Yosman glowered at McCalin. "You've got an eye on that one?"

The supervisor nodded. "He's under the microscope."

The Director rubbed his face with his hands. He was going to have to report this breach to the president, and that was likely the end of his career. Many heads were going to roll because of that little freak's doing. But maybe they could salvage something. "How good was Kent?"

McCalin stared at his boss incredulously.

"With the tech!" he clarified angrily.

"Oh! Well, he was one of the best we had. Maybe the best."

Yosman thought about that. "Yet he couldn't break this firewall he was investigating. We need that software. Get someone to review Kent's findings. Get it to agent's Kaiba and Sparling by the end of the week at the latest. We'll send them to VRL next week."

McCalin nodded then quickly left.

The Director stood in the empty room, thinking about the short length of time he'd had this position. He wasn't going out like this. He'd ensure the agency was secure once more. He'd brief the agents personally. They were going to come back with that firewall technology or there'd be no reason to come back.

Chapter 16

Time would not be denied, even for the immortal.

Queen Mab wasn't particularly worried about growing old. She was already very, very old. What she was concerned about, was power. In particular, the waning nature of it, especially in recent times. That was what led her to make what might be the most foolish decision in her long life. Binding the Satyr's dragon bone ring to the Fae's Global Overlay Spell had put her in a precarious position. She'd been working on a plan to extract herself from the mess since that day.

She learned the spell was in no danger of collapsing after its conversion to being powered by the Wild Magic. If anything the spell was stronger. There were positive signs that the disease was abating. Her people would be cured, given time.

That's where the trap was. As time passed, her power was diminishing. The Fae power base was the original realm of magic and access to that continued to diminish. They'd witnessed a growing number of breaches to the realm of Wild Magic, but the corruption the Humans brought to the world was slowly closing off the access to the realm the Fae drew upon. Her magic was waning!

She immediately thought of the witch responsible for this entire mess. Baba Yaga had her crooked fingers in this and Mab couldn't yet put all the pieces together to see the crone's plan. Playing the long game was something the witch did exceptionally well. She'd thought she'd had a grasp of the master plan at the sanctuary beneath Rockefeller Center and enjoyed watching it fail.

Now though, she believed the crone's plan hadn't ended with the Satyr's refusal to spin the ring and end Humanity. She now believed the game continued. Baba Yaga had played her once more. That thought threatened to push her into a rage, so she forced it down.

The Satyr, though, he intrigued her. While not a wielder, the powerful magic coursed through his body. She'd tested his seed and found it saturated with the chaotic energies. While she currently could not use this new power herself, due to being a wielder of the old realm's incompatible source, it had given her a brilliant idea.

Henry would be the key element in a new spell she was creating. The difficulty would be in getting him to be a willing participant. She wasn't blind to the fact that she terrified him. She'd gotten quite used to that. She expected it when dealing with vastly inferior beings. They could feel their deficiencies, and that had to be frightening.

Mab summoned Ikehorn to her chambers. Her most loyal subject and enforcer had fallen into melancholy since his partner sacrificed himself in the sanctuary. She would give him a mission to rekindle his spirit.

When the Fae arrived, she had him sit next to her on the small couch. She saw him tremble at the honor and smiled.

"I have a mission for you," she began and watched him immediately perk up. "The Satyr, I need something from him he will not be willing to give."

"I will take it-" Ikehorn growled fiercely.

Mab chuckled and looked at her agent fondly as he looked back in question. "I have no doubts as to your abilities, but in this instance, it's something I need him to give willingly. That's one of the requirements of this particular ingredient. It's a component of the largest spell I will ever have crafted. Nothing less than the survival of the Fae is at stake, so sharpest attention is required."

"Yes, my Queen!" Ikehorn said trembling with new purpose.

"I need leverage against Henry Gable. Put surveillance teams on the Humans who are important to him. Bring me your report by the end of next week."

"Yes, my Queen! Thank you!" the agent exclaimed. At her nod, he bowed and rushed from her chambers.

Mab smiled again. She knew Ikehorn would come through for her.

She turned her attention to working on the other key component of the spell. That was a very delicate but exhausting task, but the end goal would vastly reward her and her people for the physical toll she paid now.

No matter how painful it might be.

-=-

Siobhan went immediately to Marisa's desk the moment she arrived at work. She needed to tell her about Nate, but she also wanted to confirm she was ok after rushing off the night before. She sighed in relief when she saw the gorgeous blond behind her desk. Marisa gave her a brilliant smile then her eyes widened in surprise as she took in the mahogany hair. Surprise gave way to confusion then alarm.

"What happened to your evening with Nate?!?" she gasped.

Siobhan smiled at her friend for her concern. "The night was eye-opening and delightful, and we need to talk about it... privately."

"Ah! Ok." Marisa stood and joined Siobhan by the door.

"Is Henry in yet?" Siobhan asked with a glance at his closed office door.

Marisa shook her head with a worried look that disappeared as quickly as it formed. "I haven't seen him yet," she said simply. She looked at her friend and saw she wasn't buying it.

"Was this the crisis that pulled you out of the club last night?" Siobhan asked gently.

Marisa gave her friend a troubled look and Siobhan raised her hands in surrender. "Never mind. Follow me." She led the blond down the hall into the executive washroom. She checked the stalls, and they were alone. She wasn't going to say anything that violated Hidden Races rules, but her demonstration was for Marisa's eyes only. The blond in question was looking at her cautiously so she took a deep breath and took off her sweater.

Marisa froze as she took in the beautiful cascade of hair that reached her friend's ass. Hair that hadn't existed last night.

"A wig?" she asked with a tight throat. She knew better.

Siobhan ran her fingers through it and sighed. "No, it's all mine, and that's not the most significant change."

"What is?" the blonde gasped.

Leaning forward slightly to whisper, she brought her lips next to Marisa's ear. "It's my pelt."

"WHAT?!?" Marisa blurted.

Siobhan nodded. "I had glorious sex with Nate last night, and this morning I discovered my... most precious possession was now my hair. This is so much better than it was before. I never have to worry about losing it, or someone stealing it, again!"

"How!" Marisa gasped as she shook her head.

"Nate! He explained that's why he insists on wearing a condom. Once before he forgot to wear one and his partner changed." Her smile slipped away. "He said that change wasn't... beneficial for her."

Seeing Marisa's outrage building, Siobhan jumped ahead. "He insisted last night too but you know I hate the feel of condoms and... I got him drunk."

Marisa pulled Siobhan into a tight hug out of fear for her, and her sight momentarily flared before she forced it back. Thankfully, she hadn't felt anything dark or foreboding but knew that could easily change based on decisions made or not made or a multitude of other factors. She hated this ability!

Sighing, she held Siobhan out at arm's length and looked into her pretty brown eyes. "Was there anything else unique about Nate?"

Siobhan blinked in surprise. "He- he didn't know he was... what he was, until recently. He didn't know! How could he not know?"

Marisa nodded definitively. "Let's go to mother's office," she said.

Siobhan read her expression then cautiously nodded as she slipped the sweater back on, once more hiding the length of her new hair.

They walked down the hall, glancing through the glass wall at the servers blinking their lights happily at the glass. Henry wasn't there either.

Felix indicated they could go right in, so they did.

Camila looked up from her desk with a smile which became a question when she caught the expressions on the two young faces. Siobhan closed the door behind them.

Then Camila noticed her hair. "Oh! That's a lovely shade of brown! It looks very nice on you!"

Siobhan smiled and nodded to the CEO then slipped her hands beneath her hair at the back of her neck and lifted the silky smooth hair from inside her sweater.

Camila's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't a wig, and there was no way she'd been hiding this much hair under a blond wig the day before. She locked the door and set the privacy rune. She looked to Marisa who nodded to her. She looked back to Siobhan. "You've had unprotected sex with Henry?" she asked.

Siobhan stared at her in surprise. "Henry?"

Camila looked sharply at her daughter.

"There is another Hidden Races member like Henry," Marisa explained.

"What?!? Another Satyr?" Camila exclaimed then held her hand up. "Wait! We need Sigrid and Roy in here." She made the calls and unlocked her door. Within the minute Sigrid arrived with Roy following moments later. Camila held up her hand to forestall Sigrid's immediate question and locked the door once more, activating the privacy rune. She turned to her daughter. "Please explain your last statement to me."

Marisa nodded. "Siobhan and I went to a club last night, and we met a very nice young man. When I shook his hand, I had a flash from my talent. I knew he was an Incubus, not a Satyr, but there was..." She swallowed and once more forced back the images she'd seen. "...a strong potential on him. I received the SOS from Henry at that moment. I left, and Siobhan stayed to speak with him."

Roy was glaring at Marisa because Siobhan was present and they were divulging information about Henry. Then he noticed Siobhan's dramatic change.

"What happened to your hair?" he asked her.

"Hey! That was my question!" Sigrid complained.

"The young man from the club last night is linked to the realm of Wild Magic. He had sex with Siobhan, and now she's linked to the realm too." Marisa explained. Siobhan's eyes flew wide in shock as she looked to her friend.

"And all that happened is your hair changed length and color," Sigrid asked.

Siobhan glanced at Marisa who nodded to her. She sighed. "No, I'm a Selkie. My hair is now my pelt."

"That seems... much more practical!" Sigrid said thoughtfully, and Siobhan nodded with a relieved smile.

"How did 'Nate' come by his link to the Wild Magic?" Roy asked cautiously.

Marisa sighed. "This is the part you aren't going to like. Siobhan, tell them the other unique thing about Nate."

The new brunette found herself the focal point of Mr. Duncan's intense stare and a chill went down her spine. "Nate explained to me last night that he grew up as a Human with Human parents. He wasn't aware of the existence of the Hidden Races until this past Hallowe'en."

"SHIT!" Roy exclaimed. "We are not getting involved with another of her... experiments!"

"Roy! Calm yourself! We don't know she's involved with Nate!" Camila snapped as she took in Siobhan's nervous stare at the security chief. "Siobhan, please continue."

The young woman glanced at her and nodded. "He said he was almost abducted by a Succubus by the name of Marquise Oletha Thanemark. From the UK."

"Shit!" Camila exclaimed with a frown then gestured for her to continue.

"After she failed to capture him that time she returned to New York six times, but he was able to avoid her by watching the art trades and online posts from her vocal fan base. She's a famous artist, according to Nate."

"She's after him for his link to the Wild Magic," Camila suggested.

Siobhan shrugged. "Nate said it was because of his unique coloring and his wings."

"Wings! You've seen them?" Roy pressed and Siobhan nodded quickly. "The witch is involved!" Roy snapped.

At Siobhan's questioning look, Camila explained. "We haven't had wings in millennia." She caught Sigrid's eye. "The witch pulled him from the past, like Henry."

Roy growled and nodded towards Siobhan.

"Oh for Pete's sake Roy, Siobhan has been physically transformed by Nate as Marisa was by Henry! She's on the inside of the secret now!" Sigrid scoffed then turned to the young woman. "Everything you hear in this room is secret and privileged information, not to be discussed outside of this group. This is a ruling straight from the Hidden Races Council which is also aware of Henry's unique status. Is that understood?"

"Y-yes!" Siobhan gasped. "Who is this woman who can pull people from the past?"

"We'll not be speaking the witch's name aloud. Is that understood?" Roy barked as his eyes went to each of them.

Ignoring Roy's intensity, Sigrid continued. "Where is Henry? Our lawyer dealt with the police issue last night, didn't she?"

Camila's intercom buzzed, interrupting them. She answered. "Yes?"

"Ms. Chandra is here to speak with you, Ms. Gunderan, and Mr. Duncan," Felix replied.

"Speak of the devil," Roy muttered.

Camila gave them all a stern look. "No one mentions Nate." She unlocked the door and pressed the intercom again. "Send her in." She looked at her daughter. "I'll bring you and Siobhan back after this."

Marisa and Siobhan prepared to leave. The sweater was once more in place, hiding the beautiful mahogany hair.

The door opened, and Mahati stepped in and paused as she saw everyone standing facing her. Marisa and Siobhan smiled and nodded politely as they passed. Mahati closed the door behind herself and Camila activated the lock and rune.

"How is Henry?" Sigrid asked.

Mahati locked eyes with her then relaxed as she saw the large blond was just concerned. "He has been extracted from the immediate danger at the police station, but we may be called in to give a statement regarding his involvement in the subway gas attack-"

"What?" Roy exclaimed.

"After dropping Mr. Gable off at his condo, I spoke with my Mother regarding Satyrs as she has significant knowledge of ancient history. The study of it is a pastime of hers. This bodily function is something Satyrs do or did. They could release pheromones in large quantities to cause a sudden loss of inhibitions. Legend has it they could generate spontaneous orgies at social gatherings. When I spoke with Mr. Gable about what happened that night, he confessed that he felt... a strong sexual excitement and people around him suddenly began to have sex. We know from the news that the effect lingered on the train after his removal, the police officers and rescue workers succumbed to it when they entered the subway car. That's where his pheromones concentrated."

Sigrid recalled her first encounter with this. Their first time. A sweet smile crossed her lips and she caught Camila watching her with a knowing smile of her own. She forced her smile away then saw Mahati was watching her as well.

"You've experienced these pheromones?" the lawyer asked.

Sigrid snorted in surprise at the bold question. "Yes, but they're not something a Valkyrie's will can't resist."
"Not that you tried," Camila said with a grin, surprising another snort from Sigrid.

"Regardless, Mr. Gable was collected from the subway car by a police officer and was placed in her cruiser. The officer took a concentrated dose of the pheromones within the vehicle. Instead of taking him to the police station she took him to her home and proceeded to have sex with him. The following morning her ex-husband entered her home, found them in bed, and shot himself in the head before Mr. Gable's eyes." She looked into Sigrid's shocked eyes. "He's exhibiting signs of post-traumatic stress."

"Damn! That's why the boy has looked so exhausted lately!" Roy muttered then looked to Sigrid. "I was going to ask you to speak to him."

"Henry witnessed a suicide and didn't speak to anyone about it?" Camila gasped.

"Where is he now? At home?" Sigrid asked.

Mahati nodded. "I told him to take today off to rest as he slept poorly in the precinct's jail cell. You should make arrangements for him to get counseling when he gets in tomorrow."

Sigrid raised an eyebrow as she watched the younger woman. Mahati realized she was telling the Head of HR how to do her job. "Apologies." Sigrid nodded. The lawyer glanced at her watch then back to Camila. "I must meet with Mr. De Hann."

The CEO nodded and unlocked the door.

With a final nod to the group Mahati left, and Roy closed the door behind her. He looked to Camila who activated the privacy rune. "Along with getting Henry help for the trauma of witnessing that man offing himself, he needs someone to train him to control his pheromones. He can't be causing orgies amongst the Humans! The Council will immediately stuff him into a dark pit."

"Sigrid, outside of that one time at your place, can you recall any other time when he lost control?" Camila asked.

The tall blond thought on that and shook her head. "No. It must be a recent issue. If it's a Satyr's bodily function, who can give him advice on it? This is like a more advanced class of Sex Ed, only with no guidebook."

Roy and Camila both looked to her hopefully and she sighed.

Camila then called Marisa and asked her to return with Siobhan.

Moments later, the two young women entered the office and closed the door.

"Henry won't be in today. He's taking a day off to recuperate from his ordeal at the police station," Camila told them.

Marisa's face wore a worried expression, but she nodded to her mother.

Camila activated their privacy once more and immediately addressed Siobhan. "When can we meet Nate?"

"Do ya not listen to a word I say?" Roy blurted in frustration.

Camila fixed her eyes on his. "Of course I listen, but sometimes I don't agree with you. Finding out about this young Incubus might help Henry. Besides, it sounds like he may need our help with the Marquise. I've heard of her. She's trouble, and she's not going to give up."

"Nate said he hadn't read anything about her visiting New York since the last time several months ago. And she visited multiple times since he escaped her the first time. Maybe she realized how large New York is and how futile it was to search for him."

Camila shook her head. "The Marquise is a hunter. She's patient. She's probably planning her next attempt."

Roy looked at Siobhan as he listened to Camila talk about the other Succubus. Hunting he understood. "You say she's from England?" The new brunette nodded to him. "If she's going to try to avoid her fans she can't take commercial flights. Too public and her travel plans are public knowledge. Besides, she intends to bring him home I assume. That cannot happen on a commercial flight." Sigrid shared a quick smile with Camila as the Security Chief's mind worked out the scenarios.

"She might hire a private jet, but she'd still have to get through the terminal and security. Plenty of opportunities to get noticed. She might fly from a smaller regional airport if the plane was capable of long distances. Difficult but not impossible. Getting Nate back to England by this method may prove difficult unless they take some extreme measures to avoid detection. Considering the passenger they're Shanghai-" Roy went silent as his thoughts raced ahead.

The women stared at him. Marisa went to speak to Camila, but she raised a finger.

"Ship. She'd come by ship. Cargo or freighter, more than likely. Slip in and out of port with no one the wiser. You said it's been months since the last attempt?" Roy asked Siobhan, and she nodded.

Roy continued. "She'd need time to find a ship. One with a crew that would look the other way regarding her cargo. One week to a month to cross from England depending on the ship. They wouldn't want to stay in port here longer than it took to load cargo for the return so she'd hire a team here to get a location on her prey. She'd arrive and collect him." Roy looked into Camila's eyes. "She's had time. She might already be here."

Siobhan was looking seriously spooked.

"Where is Nate now?" Marisa asked.

"He said he was only going to get cleaned up at his apartment, and he'd come to VRL to meet you and Camila at 10:30 AM at the latest. He was very eager to meet you."

"It's close to that time now. We'll keep an eye out for him." Camila said. "Now, what are we going to do with your rather dramatic change?" she said looking at Siobhan.

"I- I could keep wearing sweaters to cover it," the brunette suggested.

"What about cutting it?" Roy suggested, and four women glared at him. "What?"

"It's her pelt!" Sigrid exclaimed.

"Maybe I could get the Fae to give me a glamor?" Siobhan said as she looked to Camila.

Marisa stepped closer and lifted her hands but looked into Siobhan's eyes for permission. The woman nodded to her. Marisa slid her fingers into the hair and closed her eyes as her senses flared. "The magic feels identical to Henry's. Nowhere near as strong though. The Fae would have to do the same kind of glamor as they gave Henry."

"Which means asking Queen Mab for a favor. That's not something to be done lightly," Camila said with a worried expression.

Marisa lifted the hair, so the bottom reached Siobhan's shoulder blades, how long her hair had been the night before. She smiled. "Siobhan, this is Wild Magic. It's very strong and can react in odd ways. Do you recall how I made my dress bulge outwards at the club? I willed it to change and it did. With your will, tell your hair to shorten to this length."

"I'm not a wielder!" Siobhan exclaimed in shock.

"Neither am I but the Wild Magic has supercharged my talent, and I can do that little trick. Your pelt is your talent, and now it's linked to a very strong source. Give it a try. Be firm and decisive. You're the boss!" the blond said with a smile as she released the silky hair.

Siobhan smiled nervously and closed her eyes. She frowned with concentration, and they watched as the wavy locks slowly shortened until the tips just reached her shoulder blades.

"She's wielding!" Roy blurted. Sigrid and Camila were watching with wide eyes as well.

Marisa tilted her head. "In a limited fashion and only because the magic behind it is so much stronger. We can't affect anything beyond our bodies, and even then, the changes are small."

Siobhan reached up to feel her shortened hair and gave Marisa a nervous look.

"Tell it to go back to full length," Marisa said gently.

Siobhan nodded and closed her eyes. She sighed as the hair slid down her back to her ass once more.

She squealed happily and leapt to wrap her arms around her friend as Marisa chuckled. When she'd collected herself, she shrank her hair back to its shorter length and nodded with a relieved smile to Camila.

"When Nate gets here, is he going to come to you first?" the CEO asked Siobhan who nodded. "Ok, I'll make sure I keep my morning open." The lock clicked open.

That was an obvious dismissal, so Marisa and Siobhan headed out to their desks.

Roy still didn't look happy, but he nodded to Camila and left.

Sigrid stuck around looking unsettled.

"Henry will be ok. He's got a good support base," the CEO said to her friend.

"But he didn't talk to us. That's what's got me worried. I'm going to speak with Marisa. I'm going to see if he's said anything to her," Sigrid said sadly.

Camila nodded and the blonde left to walk down the hall to Henry's office. Marisa was sitting behind her desk. "Hi, can we have a little talk in my office?" Sigrid asked.

Marisa immediately stood and followed Sigrid.

Once they were comfortable with the door closed and their privacy assured, Sigrid sighed and looked into Marisa's concerned eyes. First thing, she brought the young woman up to speed on Henry's involvement with the gas attack, his subsequent witnessing of the suicide, and how that was affecting him. Marisa was struggling not to cry.

"I take it he didn't mention any of this to you?" Sigrid asked gently.

Marisa was only able to shake her head.

"I got the impression that you two were close. Any idea why Henry might not have felt he could talk to us about this?" Sigrid said cautiously.

Marisa's tears finally escaped as she began to cry.

Sigrid's instincts made her want to move to Marisa's side, but she remained in her chair and pushed a box of tissues across the desk. These seemed like tears of guilt, and Sigrid needed to know why.

Marisa took some tissues and held them to her eyes. She struggled to stop, but her guilt kept pounding her. She took some deep breaths and finally managed to force them back. She looked at Sigrid who was waiting patiently. "I- I've k-kept Henry at- at arm's length recently. He- m-might have r-read that wrong."

"Why would you do that?" Sigrid blurted in surprise.

Marisa strangled the tissues between her hands. "I was worried that I might be- the feedings- I don't want to hurt Henry!"

"Have you been hurting Henry?" Sigrid asked with a controlled voice, and Marisa heard the tone.

She shook her head. "No, I don't think so, but his energy is too good. I'm worried I'll become addicted. Like I think Mom is becoming."

"Has Henry indicated he's noticing a loss of energy?" Sigrid said then recalled Roy's comment about how tired Henry was. She fought to keep the scowl from her face. If the girl was overfeeding from Henry, she was going to do something about it.

"I haven't been with Henry since he got back."

"Oh!" Sigrid exclaimed in surprise.

"His energy is extremely potent. I can go much longer between feedings. I went to the club last night to see if I could find a suitable Human to ensure I could still feed on their energy. Then I got the text and had to leave."

Sigrid wanted to get the conversation back to Henry's resistance to speak with them. Marisa had been the closest of them. So she was the first to answer. "He didn't speak to you about dreams he was having?"

Marisa looked at her curiously. "He told me earlier that he's still having nightmares of his time with Queen Mab."

"He's more resilient than he knows. Most go mad when they spend extended periods of alone time with Mab," Sigrid grumbled. "Nothing about the suicide?"

Marisa's face fell. "As I said, recently we haven't been as close as we were before."

Sigrid sighed. "Do me a favor? Speak with him. Let him know what's going on with you. Tell him your fears and let him figure it out for himself."

Marisa nodded and looked down at her hands in shame.

"Hey, this isn't all on you! He didn't come to me to talk about it either, and I thought he knew he could talk to me about anything. I'm going to ask him about that tomorrow when he gets in," Sigrid told her to ease the young woman's self-recrimination.

That got a small smile from Marisa.

"Thank you, Sigrid."

The tall blonde just nodded and smiled in return. With a nod, Marisa stood and left the office.

Sigrid turned her mind to the task of finding professional help for Henry. It hurt that he hadn't come to her about it, but she put that aside. They'd have their talk later.

She called Henry's number but hung up before it rang. She scolded herself. He needed his rest.

She sighed as her mind kept returning to him. Truth be told she was a little addicted herself, but it was his charm that had her hooked.

Giving herself a shake, she turned her mind back to the task at hand.

She had work to do. Work that would help Henry heal.

Chapter 17

Nate slowly surfaced from a dark pit. His head felt like it might shatter with the least movement, so he held still and breathed in and out in slow deep breaths.

"When will he wake up?" rasped an irritated voice. Nate heard a lot of stress in the female's voice.

"I've never personally experienced a shock stick to the base of my skull so I can't say for sure. We can try that out on our return journey if you like."

That voice Nate recognized. He'd hoped he'd never hear it again. Oletha! He fought to control his breathing.

"I'd rather fly home! I despise traveling by ship!" snapped the other woman.

Nate suddenly realized the odd swaying movements he'd thought was a symptom of his being shocked had an external cause. That was a relief!

Oletha snorted dismissively. "That would be rather awkward for you considering they have no record of you entering the country."

The other female growled and for a second Nate swore some breed of big cat was in the room with them. Maybe a tiger or a leopard.

"I can't believe I let you convince me to join you! Three weeks on this bloody ship and when we finally get here you don't even let me join the hunt!"

"Don't pout, Chantelle. I explained that. The team I hired found our Mr. Walker here weeks ago. The hunt was over before we arrived. However, I do have a little treat for you. You get to collect the blond."

From the purr in Oletha's voice, Nate suddenly felt uneasy about the fate of this blond.

"She's coming with us?" Chantelle asked with a strained voice. Nate's unease flared into worry.

"Yes, and she'll be in your care, so I expect you to be on your best behavior."

"Of course," Chantelle said in an offhand way. A promise with no intent. Worry became dread. He heard a sigh.

"Still, I can't believe all this effort just for a fuck!" Chantelle said, the pout back in her tone.

Oletha chuckled. "While he is an amazing fuck, that's not why I collected him. I have big plans for him, but that's a tale for the return trip. I may even give you a demonstration if you behave. For now, though, you have to get moving if you're going to collect your traveling companion. I've texted you the address. Straight there and back, please. We have a schedule to keep. The ship sails tonight! Off you go."

Nate heard the door close. He wasn't sure if he was alone, so he continued to breathe in and out slowly, willing himself to relax.

He was almost undone when fingers pressed down on his cock through his pants, but he kept the hitch in his breathing minimal, and she missed it as she gently rubbed his dormant cock.

"Oh, the future I have planned for our people, Nathan. We're going to do big things," she sighed quietly.

Her hand lifted, and moments later he heard the door close again. He waited to the count of thirty before slowly opening his eyes and this time he was alone. He glanced around, but he saw no obvious cameras. What he did see was a very beautiful bedroom. He also noticed he was chained once more but this time spread-eagled to a bed. The cuffs on his wrists and ankles were very strong, but the bed itself seemed weaker. He might be able to free himself if he destroyed what looked like a very expensive piece of furniture. His freedom was worth more than the bed but it was going to make a lot of noise when- if, it broke.

He slowly pulled his legs and arms in to take up the slack on the chains and discovered there wasn't much.

"It's not going to break."

Nate jumped at the sound of Oletha's voice then tugged sharply. The bed frame bent, but as Oletha said, it didn't break. What Nate has assumed was deeply polished wood was enameled and lacquered metal instead. Both were shiny, but metal wouldn't shatter.

"LET ME GO!" Nate yelled in frustration, looking for her. She didn't appear to be in the room, so that answered his question about the hidden camera. He spotted the ceiling mounted speaker.

"Let you go? Don't be silly! I just caught you. This time I'm keeping you. Settle back and relax," she purred.

"I'd rather die than be you're slave!" Nate yelled, surprising himself with the brutal honesty in that statement.

The speaker was silent for a bit. He went back to tugging on his restraints.

"Would you live to protect Jo Hart?"

Nate froze. What did Oletha know about his best friend? The blonde! They were going to kidnap her too! He had to escape to protect her! He pulled harder on the chains, and the bed creaked.

Oletha pushed through the door, and his eyes went to her. She was as lovely as she'd appeared when he'd met her at the art gallery the previous October. Tall and svelte, pale skin and long straight jet black hair. Black lipstick and eyeshadow. Large, pale grey eyes that looked deep into your soul. He tore his eyes away from hers when he felt her slipping into his mind. He yanked on the chains and metal squealed. He risked another glance at her and saw her frustration as she thrust the stun rod against his neck.

The world lit up once more. Then nothing.

-=-

Henry was having that weird dream again. The one where he was floating over the earth watching the little tears in the globe as it turned below him. With a giddy smile, he reached out to gently touch them as they passed by, seeing them flare with color and widen temporarily. He suddenly wondered if he should be doing that, so he pulled back to just watched the lovely colors. Crazy rainbows! He grinned at his ability to interact with these dreams.

A strange trill sound dragged him to the surface of his mind and into awareness. He found himself looking up at the living room ceiling. He was on his couch, but he couldn't recall how he got there. Rolling his head to the side, he saw a bottle of painkillers on the table and a half-finished bottle of water. The room swam a little, and he blinked stupidly at his cell phone which was ringing. He reached for it, but it stopped just before he got his fingers on it. He picked it up anyway and went back to staring at the ceiling.

When the room stopped moving, he looked at the phone. The screen was shattered, but he could barely make out the name of the last caller. Sandy. Shit! He was supposed to have dinner with her! He sat up and held his head. He was still only wearing the shorts he slept in, so he needed to get dressed.

A thumping headache he'd woken up with was gone, but in its place, he had quite the buzz. He looked over at the painkillers and wondered how many he'd taken. He must have walked to the bathroom for the pills, the kitchen for the bottle of water, and made it as far as the couch where he took them.

He tried calling Sandy back, but the screen was unresponsive. He couldn't have answered if he'd tried.

There was a knock on his door.

"Henry?"

That was Sandy. He pushed himself to his feet and staggered down the hall. He opened the door, and big blue eyes looked at him then panned down his body before snapping back up to his face.

"You didn't answer your phone," she squeaked.

"Sorry. It's broken and I- I had a headache. Bad one. I think... I took too many pills," he said.

She moved into the doorway and gently pulled him into his kitchen and turned on the light. She tipped his face down and checked his eyes. She pressed fingers to his neck and felt the strong, healthy heartbeat. "How do you feel?" she asked.

"My headache is gone. I feel totally loopy though," he sighed.

"How many pills did you take?"

He tried to recall. "I... don't remember. I took two before sleeping but I woke with a wicked thumping headache, so I went to get more pills. Then I woke up on the couch when you called."

"Have you eaten anything today?"

He thought about that and shook his head.

She nodded and looked into the bottle on the table. It was pretty full, so Henry couldn't have taken a dangerous amount. She relaxed. "Go get dressed. Dinner's at my place. We need to get some food into you. That will help."

"Sorry."

"Shoo!" she said with a grin, and she gestured to his bedroom.

He went to get dressed and closed the door.

When he'd received his glamor, Camila explained that he would be able to include clothing in his disguise, but it was a skill he would have to practice to ensure it was perfect. Today he was feeling far from perfect, so he stuck with real clothes and slipped on his jeans and a black t-shirt. He walked out of his bedroom to grab his wallet, phone, and keys. He slipped on some sandals and followed Sandy out. They took the elevator down and she let them into her condo. On the way to the living room she grabbed her cell and a take-out pizza menu.

They sat on the couch, and Henry's stomach growled as Sandy opened the menu. They chuckled about that then got down to the business of ordering their dinner.

Sandy called it in then glanced at his destroyed phone. "I have my old cell you can use until you get a new one. It's not anything fancy, but the battery lasts."

"That would be great!" he said, and she popped up to her feet and dashed off to her bedroom to return a minute later with a small box. She handed it to him, and when he opened the box, he stifled a snort.

"Hey! Don't dis my phone!" Sandy pouted.

Inside was a pink glittery monstrosity. The protective case was studded with fake gems, and on the back, there was an image of a unicorn? He looked at Sandy, suppressing his laughter. She finally giggled herself, so it was safe for him to chuckle as well. She still gave his bicep a little punch.

Henry smiled and set it down on the table and powered off his busted phone. Luckily, that button still worked. Then he fished the little sim card extraction tool from the box and extracted his card. He had to remove the protective case from Sandy's phone and found it was just plain white. He put his sim inside and booted the phone. After a few moments it started but showed the battery was almost dead, so Sandy plugged the charger into the wall, and he connected it to the phone.

"You don't mind if I skip the case, do you?" he asked.

"I should make you use it just because you don't appreciate its art," Sandy grumbled, but not seriously.

"Thank you for the loan. The art is a glimpse into the heart, mind, and soul of its owner."

Sandy sat back against the cushions giving him an evaluating look as she tried to determine if she'd received a compliment or not. She chose to believe she had so she nodded. "You're welcome."

"And thank you again for being there for me this morning," he said, holding her eyes with his and she blushed with a smile on her lips.

Then she gave him a stern look. "You shouldn't have kept that bottled up. You could have come to me earlier."

He squirmed a little on the couch. "We were only getting to know one another. I... felt awkward dumping all that on you!"

"You were ok talking with me this morning," she suggested as she unconsciously played with her hair.

Henry did his best to ignore the fact that her hair seemed to be enjoying the playtime. "Uh, I think I'd just reached a breaking point."

She just nodded as she looked at his mouth distractedly. Catching herself, she popped up to her feet again and walked over to the TV. "Would you like to watch a movie?"

"Sure, what do you have?"

She picked up the DVD Stanley had left with her. "Have you seen Casablanca?"

"Yes! I love that movie!" he sighed.

Her smile widened. "Would you care to see it again?"

"Sure!"

She got it started and rushed back to the sofa. She plunked herself down and realized she was tucked up against Henry's side. She looked up at him with a small smile, and he just rested his arm along the back of the sofa so she could be more comfortable against his side. Soon they were enthralled by the movie.

They only had to pause it momentarily when the pizza arrived, and Henry paid for it. They gorged themselves on pizza and wings while they enjoyed the movie.

As the credits rolled, they grinned at each other as they rested back against the cushions.

"Great movie! Good food!" Sandy sighed.

"Hey! You forgot 'Great Company' too!" he exclaimed with mock disappointment.

Sandy giggled and rolled towards him to hug him. "Awww! Of course, I meant to say that!" She pulled back a little then looked in his eyes.

Henry picked up her happy grin and marveled at the twinkle in her lovely blue eyes. She seemed to personify pure joy. She leaned in, and he prepared to feel her soft lips.

Henry's new phone began playing Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up!' loudly from the coffee table, and they both jumped. Sandy pulled back with a sigh.

"Sorry, no one calls me on my cell. It must be important," he said.

She pouted sweetly but nodded. He looked at the number and frowned. It was Mr. Duncan! "Hello?"

"Henry! We need your help. Are you in your condo?"

"No, I'm at Sandy's," he said, glancing at the woman in question who was watching him curiously.

"Sorry to disturb your evening but I need you to call me back from your place. Alone," Roy said with tension in his voice.

"Oh, uh, ok. Give me a couple of minutes," Henry said and hung up. He looked at Sandy apologetically. "Sorry, I'm going to have to cut our evening short. The head of security needs me for something urgent."

Sandy pouted but nodded, and they got to their feet. He collected the AC adapter from the wall and stuffed it and his old phone in the box.

She walked him to her door, but before he could touch the doorknob, she gently turned him to face her and pulled his head down to hers. Henry felt tingles travel through his body when their lips touched, and the kiss might have continued, but he pulled back as he recalled the urgency in Roy's tone.

"We're going to do more of that," Sandy said with a dreamy smile.

"Yes... definitely," Henry sighed then stepped out and hustled to the elevator.

When he was back in his condo behind a locked door, he dialed Roy.

"Henry?"

"Ya, what's up?"

"We have a situation. A special young man, much like yourself, was supposed to visit VRL today at 10:30 AM. He failed to show then and hasn't shown up yet. This young man has a stalker. She's some famous artist from the UK. She's special like Camila and Marisa. She's idle rich and has tried to pick up the young man several times before. He was warned off on the previous attempts as her fan base reports her movements. We believe she may have succeeded this time because she traveled by ship. I believe she's managed to arrange transport for herself and a security team to get here, collect him, and travel back to the UK. She'll be traveling as incognito as possible and won't want to alert the authorities. I have a contact in the Port Authority. He got me a listing of all the cargo, commercial ships currently in port. It's a single large 'flat file' whatever that is. The data I need is in there. We need you to filter the list down to the most likely candidates."

Henry was still a little stunned by the statement that the young man was special like him. He grabbed his laptop and booted it up. "Why cargo ships?" he asked.

"She's transporting human cargo. She'll need a way to get him back to England, drugged and chained down, away from prying eyes. Container. Cargo ship. I need you to identify the ships returning to England. Quickly. We think she may have him. Can I send you the data," Roy explained.

"Yes, send it to me." Something about this plan seemed just a little too dark. "You say she's rich? Very rich?" He did a quick Internet search for stories of people traveling by cargo ship and checked out some images of the living conditions. Functional but nowhere near what the truly rich would come to expect.

Roy was only paying half attention to what he was saying as he emailed the data file. "What? Oh yes, stinking rich. Old money."

"Then why wouldn't she take a yacht? Ride in luxury?" Henry suggested.

"Too much attention on celebrities! Weren't you listening?" Roy chided him.

Henry thought about that as the file came in. "Ok, not her yacht but she's rich. This woman would have rich friends with yachts. She could probably convince one of them to take her to New York City. If she's like Camila, she wouldn't have too much trouble convincing this friend." He shook his head as he read the list of ship names. The cargo ship idea felt too much like something Roy would do. It would be inconceivable for someone used to luxuries.

He pulled up the header row on the file and thankfully it included column names. He fed the data into his parser routine and injected the resulting data into a spreadsheet's columns and rows. The resulting output file was too large. He'd never be able to get it back to Roy. He saved the file then deleted a bunch of columns containing less useful information. Sorting the file by destination port showed some ships bound for England. Saving it once more to a new name produced a much smaller spreadsheet which he proceeded to email back to the security chief.

"Roy, I'm sending you the finished spreadsheet, but I still think she came in on someone else's yacht. That's my guess at least."

"Noted. Thanks." The line went dead as a loud knocking began on his door.

Henry answered it and blinked in surprise at the group waiting in the hall. Camila, Sigrid, Marisa, and Siobhan were all looking at him anxiously. He stepped back, and they moved inside.

"You have a lovely home!" Siobhan sighed as she looked around.

"Thank you! I like your new hair color!" Henry said with a smile for her. Then he looked to Camila, Sigrid, and Marisa who had their eyes fixed on him but wore three different mixed expressions. Camila's was of lust/hunger, Sigrid's was anxious/shy, and Marisa looked guilty/sad? He was worried by their emotional states. "What's going on?"

Camila answered. "Marisa and Siobhan met a young man the other night at a dance club. He's an Incubus, but like none you'd find now. A witch you know personally likely pulled him from the past, as she did for you."

Henry glanced at Siobhan who smiled at him.

"I'm in on the secret now too," she said.

"So I wasn't the only pawn in her game?" he asked.

Sigrid shook her head. "It doesn't appear that way now."

"But a Succubus from England has her talons on him now, we believe," Camila explained.

"Yeah, Roy just told me," Henry said distractedly, his eyes returning to Marisa's which still held guilt which he found disturbing. "Hold that thought, please. Marisa, come with me." He held out his hand.

She took his hand, and he led her into the bedroom and closed the door. It was the only room he had with privacy- other than the bathroom.

"What's wrong?" he said gently, keeping her hand in his.

"I heard what happened with the police officer," she said softly. Henry twitched, and her sadness increased. "You haven't spoken about it with me because of how I've behaved towards you recently." His expression told her that she was right. "I've been worried that I'll become addicted to your energy and begin to draw on your life force." She looked down at her hand in his. "Even in this small touch, I can feel myself gaining strength, draining you." She tried to tug her hand away, but he held tight.

"If you're getting energy from my touch, I can tell you I don't feel it coming from me. I don't feel in any way drained after I hold your hand or kiss it, or when you run your fingers through my hair or any of those small gestures of affection. Just the opposite! It gives me such a feeling of peace and calm! I don't know about the addiction thing. That's something only you would be able to tell. Understand though; I have no concerns if you need to feed on my energy. I don't feel any reduction of my life energy afterward. Well, nothing that a little sleep doesn't restore," he said with a small grin. "If you decide you can't be with me because of an addiction issue, I'll accept that. Just talk to me."

She pulled him into a tight hug. "I'm sorry Henry! I've been a fool!"

"Shhh, it's fine. Not foolish at all. It was sweet if unnecessary," he said gently.

Marisa pulled back to look in his eyes. "Mother's going to ask you to feed her. She's going up against a much older Succubus, more powerful. She needs the edge."

"That's... fine." He was thinking of the others waiting in the next room and how that might feel awkward. For him at least. Camila wouldn't think twice about it.

They went back out to the living room, and Camila looked up at him expectantly.

"Roy just called me to get the names of the cargo ships... but I don't think she's there. It doesn't make sense for someone used to luxury and having the option for luxury to choose a cargo ship."

"How do you think she got here then?" Sigrid asked.

"I think Roy was right about her coming by ship and if it were someone like him doing this, then the cargo ship would be the way to go. But she's rich. I get that if she used her own yacht, then her fans might report that but she probably has rich friends. One of them probably has a yacht. A big one to make the Atlantic crossing."

"How do we find the yachts?" Camila said.

"Ships are tracked by satellite these days. I'll bet you there's a websites which tracks marine traffic," Henry said as he sat down in front of his computer once more. He searched and in short-order, found a website that showed a global map with hundreds of colorful flags all over it. "I'm going to filter this to just pleasure craft." He did so then used the zoom control to expand the map to see just New York. There weren't very many remaining. He brought up the names of the ships and searched each. He ended up with three luxury yachts reported as recently arrived.

"Three. A Sultan owns one." He turned his laptop and showed them the picture. He turned it back and pulled up a picture of the next one and showed it as well. "This one is owned by a Russian industrialist." Searching for an image of the third, he put it on the screen and showed them. "The third is owned by a British entrepreneur."

"Has she associated with any of them?" Camila asked.

He did another search and only found one hit with an association. Sultan Salim bin Khattib unveiled a sculpture designed by the Marquise before one of his office towers. "That's not much of a connection. He likes her art." Henry did searches on just the owner's names. "The Sultan doesn't seem to travel to England too often. Sir Dennis Tyndall, the entrepreneur, lives in London. He might have more opportunity to interact with her. Lev Mikhailov seems to like partying in London. He's there often."

"Where is Roy going now?" Camila asked.

Henry looked at the data once more. "Some of the ships are loading at the Port Newark Container Terminal off Newark Bay. And two are at a terminal off Upper Bay."

"And where are these luxury yacht's moored?"

"Two are in Manhattan. One is at the Chelsea Pier, and one's at New York City Marina. The third one, the Jolly Jenny is- huh," Henry looked up in surprise and turned his head towards the windows.

"What?" Sigrid asked, and Henry's eyes snapped back to her.

"Uh, the Brit's yacht is just a couple of blocks from here in Liberty Harbor. Seems like an out of the way marina to pick for such a luxury ya-"

Camila pulled Henry to his feet mid-sentence and looked to Sigrid. "Call Roy and get him to meet us there!" She tugged Henry to his bedroom and closed the door behind them.

"Thanks for waiting until we had some privacy," Henry snorted in annoyance.

Camila knelt before Henry and began to undo his belt. "I'm sorry for the rush but we need to get to her before she leaves and I need to recharge. She's-"

"Older and more powerful. Marisa told me," he sighed.

Camila smiled as she tugged his underwear down to his ankles. "Mmm! I love this new glamor! Your cock is exactly as large as I need it to be!"

Henry was about to comment on that but gasped instead as she took him deep into her mouth. She could do things with her tongue that no human could. His cock quickly grew thick and hard in her talented mouth, and they both moaned in pleasure. She began to do long strokes from the head down to the base, taking him effortlessly into her throat.

"Oh my god, Camila! That's driving me crazy!" he moaned as she gently scratched at his heavy balls while slamming him deep into her throat again and again.

Camila paused her sucking for a moment as she lifted his heavy sack on her palm. She moved her hands to take a tight grip at the base of his cock and pulled her mouth clear with a pop.

"GEEZUS!" he gasped.

"Henry, when was the last time you had sex? The last time you came?" she asked.

He looked away as thinking about that made him think of the night with Mary and the following morning.

"Not for a few days then?" she answered herself, and he nodded. "You're a little backed up here. There's going to be a lot."

He looked in her eyes and wondered what she meant by that.

She began to stroke his cock, and his hips twitched forward with need. She smiled. She continued to stroke until his breathing signaled he was close.

"SIGRID!" she called out.

Seconds later the tall blond was opening the door and stepping inside.

"WHA- CAMILA! What the hell!" she shouted as she closed the door and faced it.

Camila looked curiously at the tall blonde's back as Henry pulled futilely at her fist around his cock so he could turn around. "He's carrying an enormous load of cum here. If I don't get you to stop me after two swallows- three maximum, he's going to put me to sleep again. We can't afford that! We need to be sharp! Besides you probably need a recharge too."

"That's- that's not how I do it!" Sigrid growled, still facing the door.

"Oh for Pete's sake! Turn around. You've seen this before and what do you mean that's not how you do it?"

Sigrid turned around, and her face was bright pink. Henry thought she looked adorable and he must have made a sound as her blue eyes went to his and her hands went to her burning cheeks.

"Don't look at me that way!" she growled weakly.

Camila felt the surge of his cock and grinned. "Ah, he likes that!" She shook her head. "Remember no more than... four-"

"THREE!" Sigrid said and stepped forward to force Camila's mouth over Henry's cock once more.

The brunette released her grip on the base of Henry's cock as she resumed her sucking.

"Oh god, I'm- I'm there!" Henry said desperately.

Camila squealed as the first shot hit the back of her throat. The second was close behind as the flush of energy from the first washed through her body. The second wave crashed past the first, and she pulled back as the third rope of cum landed on her tongue. Sigrid yanked her back to land on her ass. Then she turned, bent over, and flipped up her skirt, pulling her panties to the side.

Henry needed no further prompting as he drove himself deep into the Valkyrie.

"FUCK!" Sigrid howled as he filled her. She was excited and very wet, but she was a long ways off from an orgasm. Henry pinned her ass back against him as he fired his cum deep inside her. Sigrid closed her eyes as the Wild Magic surged through her. After the third wave, Sigrid reached behind herself, grabbed Henry's cock and pulled herself clear. She could feel him pulsing in her tight grip, and she looked to his desperate expression. She couldn't take any more, and when she looked to Camila, she saw the woman was recovering.
"MARISA!" Sigrid called out suddenly.

Seconds later the door opened, and the blond beauty took one look at Henry's face before dropping to her knees before him and taking him deep into her throat as Sigrid released her grip.

"Fuck!" Henry gasped as he curled over Marisa's head as his stalled orgasm resumed.

Siobhan was standing in the doorway, watching wide-eyed. Sigrid would have closed the door, but she was struggling to keep her wings from opening.

When Henry uncurled, Marisa squeezed his cock from base to head to get the last of the cum from him. She stood with a smile for him and saw him staring at the doorway as he gasped for breath. She turned and saw Siobhan frozen with surprise. She walked over to face her friend.

"What happe-MMMFF!" Siobhan began then Marisa kissed her, transferring his essence into the brunette's mouth. "MMM!" Siobhan squealed at the flavor then the energy flashed through her nerves as she swallowed. She languidly pulled back from the kiss. "Wha-"

"Does it feel different than the energy you received last night? Marisa asked.

Siobhan held still and thought about that. "Stronger... much."

Scalp tingling deliciously, her hair grew down to her calves then stopped. Her eyes closed and she shivered as her skin tingled with goosebumps. "oh shit... that feels so good!"

Henry joined them in the doorway once he had his pants on again and stared at Siobhan's hair. "What the hell!" he breathed.

"Her change began last night on her date. Your magic completed it just now." Marisa explained as she guided her tingling friend back to the living room. Henry followed, and moments later a grinning Camila joined them.

"I feel so good!" she sighed.

Sigrid finally joined them and gave Henry a timid little smile. When he returned her smile, she blushed and roughly pulled him into a hug.

"You're so sweet!" he whispered in her ear. She pushed him back, eyes flaring, and shook her finger at him. "Don't get me started again!" He chuckled.

"Did you reach Roy?" Camila asked.

Sigrid shook her head. "He's gone radio silent. I left him a message telling him where we're going. "Can we get there by foot?"

Henry was watching Siobhan make her hair contract until it only reached her shoulders. His jaw was hanging open, and Marisa reached over and lifted it closed for him. He blinked at her then looked over at Sigrid. "Sorry, wha- oh! It's very close by, but the mooring is in the far side of the channel, and you'll have to go all the way around. Driving makes more sense."

"Let's go then!" Sigrid said and gestured to the door.

"Wait, you mean us?" Henry asked in surprise.

"It's going to take Roy time to see I've left a message and more time to get to us. She could leave before he gets there. She might be getting ready to leave right now! We need to go!" Sigrid insisted.

They exited the condo, Henry locking up behind them, and took the elevator down. They rushed outside and stuffed themselves into Camila's car.

"For making a rescue, shouldn't our escape vehicle be large enough to contain all of us? We barely fit now!" Henry complained, squeezed in between Marisa and Siobhan in the back seat. The two ladies were grinning at Henry's squirming.

"We find the yacht, confirm he's on it, then we prevent it from leaving until Roy, and his team can get there," Sigrid said calmly.

Henry stared incredulously at the side of Sigrid's face until she noticed and looked back. "What?"

Henry sighed. "One. That truly sounded like an oversimplification. Two. We're not a Seal Team-"

"Cheeky," Siobhan snorted, and Marisa burst into laughter.

Henry looked at them like they'd lost their marbles but continued. "Three. Have you confirmed that Roy and his team are even coming?"

Sigrid turned in her seat to look into Henry's nervous eyes. "Siobhan can find the yacht faster than any of us without being seen. She may be able to disable it as well." She looked to Camila. "Do you have jumper cables or a length of chain in the trunk?"

Camila looked at her oddly. "Jumper cables? Why would I have those? I do have plenty of strong, light chain though."

Sigrid held up her hands to stop any further explanation. She looked back to Henry. "Siobhan can tangle the rudders with the chain. Or the anchor. It's a temporary measure, but that's all we need."

Henry looked to Siobhan who was smiling back at him. "I'm more than just a pretty girl, you know," she said with a grin, reminding him of his awkwardness with her the first time they'd met.

"I know! I suppose... because you're here, you must be someone capable of doing these things," he said, struggling to find the words.

Siobhan just grinned and nodded to him as she placed her hand on his leg. Marisa rested her hand on his other leg. He gave their matching grins a wary look.

Sigrid continued. "Confirming our target is on board is going to be the more difficult task-"

"Can't we just disable the ship and wait for Roy?" Henry suggested.

Camila glanced at him in the mirror. "We have to get him away from the Marquise before she... powers up." She grinned at Henry.

Henry's cheeks burned as he recalled the little party in his room.

"Does that happen to you a lot?" Siobhan asked quietly.

He glanced at her curious expression. "No, that was a first," he mumbled.

Sigrid picked up where she'd been interrupted. "Camila and Marisa will create a diversion by confronting the Marquise. I assume the ship will have Human armed guards I'll need to get past-"

"HOLD ON! Do you hear what you're saying?" Henry exclaimed. "Don't forget the other major complication. Because of its size, the only mooring for the yacht is at the end of a long narrow dock with many other boats. There may be people in those boats. We may not even be able to get on the dock as there are gatehouses on each dock. You probably need a key or a code. It might as well be a castle with a moat. It's a ship... on water. Surrounded by... deep water."

Siobhan reached up and gently turned his chin to make him look at her. "Henry, can you swim?"

He sucked in a sudden breath. "NO! Ok? I don't know how to swim! And I'm not a fighter. I'm useless in this situation. You're talking about walking directly into danger, and I won't be able to help or protect anyone!"

"You don't think we can take care of ourselves?" Sigrid asked with a little stiffness in her tone.

He locked eyes with her. "Of course, I do! I know exactly how capable you are, but you'll be out in the open, unable to use your abilities without being seen. That doesn't make it easier for me to hide in the shadows while my friends are risking their lives!"

"Henry, we need someone to watch for Roy and direct him to our location when he arrives. I was hoping you could do that," Sigrid said calmly, and he nodded shakily. He knew she was keeping him out of harm's way as the more capable players took risks and got the job done.

Then they were driving down the road parallel to the marina. They pulled into the parking lot entrance, and Camila took a ticket to open the gate.

"When Roy gets here he'll be driving directly over the field to get to the parking lot. He won't come in through the gate. He's going to need to know where to turn in to get to where we'll be," Sigrid explained.

Henry was looking at the path along the water's edge and worried at how many lights were lighting up the entire length. He couldn't see the boats yet to know how many witnesses there would be. They parked midway between the first two light standards where the light was the dimmest.

"I'm going to look for the yacht. I'll be right back," Siobhan said quietly. Henry slapped his hand over the ceiling light, muffling it as her door opened and closed.

"Good thinking, Henry. We'll make a spy of you yet!" Sigrid said with a smile and reached up to switch the dome light off.

Henry was watching where Siobhan had ducked into the bushes in the shadows. Then she was done, and a dark shape bounced across the path and dove into the water.

"Now we wait," Camila said.

Henry was fretting about the lights. They needed a way to turn them off.

Not too long after, Marisa made a noise and pointed. "She's back!" she chirped as the dark shape shot out of the water and bounded across the path into the bushes. Moments later, Siobhan was rushing across the grass to the car. She slipped inside once more.

"Hey! Watch the leather seats with your wet..." Camila began then stopped as she stared at the grinning and bone dry young woman. "How?"

"I don't know, but this is so much better than its ever been!" Siobhan was vibrating with excitement.

"Did you find the yacht?" Sigrid asked.

"Yes! The Jolly Jenny is where Henry said it would be, at the end of a dock, three to our left. There's a lot of movement on the deck. They may be getting ready to go."

Camila and Sigrid shared a look and exited the car. As they moved to the back, Marisa and Siobhan stepped out as well. Not wanting to be left in the car, Henry got out and looked around. He walked back and saw Camila handing Siobhan a coil of the chain.

"Will you be able to carry this in your other form?" Sigrid asked.

"Yes. Not comfortably, but yes," Siobhan said, examining the chain.

"Don't take any chances. If you can use the chain to block them from leaving immediately, do it. Be careful," Camila said.

Siobhan grabbed the chain and dashed off back to the spot she'd first entered the water.

Camila looked at Marisa, and they shared a nod. With a glance to Sigrid, they headed up the path.

"Do you have Roy's cell number?" the tall blond asked.

Henry pulled out his phone and showed her his call history. She nodded as he'd been the last call.

"Call him and get an update on his ETA," she asked as she turned to walk towards the dark grassy field.

"Wait. How are you going to get on the ship?" Henry asked.

"I can fly, remember?" she said in exasperation.

"Yes, but you glow like the sun!" he exclaimed.

She smiled at his description. "I'm going to suppress that. It's not easy, and I can only do it for short periods, so short flights." She turned and jogged off into the darkness.

Henry stood behind the car feeling useless. He called Roy, but it went to voicemail. He left a quick but detailed message telling him what was happening. Then he hung up.

He looked into the trunk and spotted a large hooded cloak much like the one he wore the night his original human disguise first failed. He lifted it out and pulled it on. He grabbed the tire iron as well. He closed the trunk. Looking at the large building at the start of the walkway leading to the docks, he pulled the hood up to hide his face then went to see if there was something he could do about all these lights.

-=-

Camila and Marisa walked up the path and reached the first challenge. The door in the small gatehouse blocking access to the dock. Luckily this one seemed to be guarded by a single man wearing a white uniform. Marisa smiled at her mother and stepped closer to the gate.

"Hello," she said with a sultry tone.

The man looked at them through the mesh on the door. He nodded cautiously but took a step closer.

Marisa glanced at the ship at the end of the dock. Another security guard was watching them. She locked her eyes on the guard at the door and smiled.

His lips immediately matched her smile. "Can I help you?"

"Yes, I think you can. We were asked to join our good friend Oletha for a little fun."

The man's eyes were beginning to show a glassy aspect that indicated her influence was overcoming his will. Much quicker than normal, Marisa noted. He'd experienced this treatment before and potentially often.

"Maybe we could have a little fun too?" Marisa said, setting the hook.

"On... on a list..." he muttered.

"She just called us. She was very insistent. I'd hate to make her wait." Marisa said with a pout, and the guard's resistance crumbled.

"Sure, right." He reached out and opened the door for them.

"Do you need to tell your friend back there everything is good?" Camila suggested with a little push.

"Of course," he replied and touched his shoulder.

Camila and Marisa walked past, and each gave him a little kiss on the cheek, blanking his mind. "Open the door for our friends who will be coming shortly, alright?" the brunette said, and he just nodded.

That taken care of they walked towards the end of the dock, eyes scanning the boats lining each side. They counted twenty-four boats in total with the larger yacht at the end. There wasn't one light showing in any of the boats and glancing over at the docks on either side they saw no lights there either.

"Did you notice something off about his compliance?" Marisa whispered to Camila, maintaining her smile.

"Something wrong there. I'll take the next one," the brunette responded then slid a brilliant smile on her lips as they reached the guard at the gangway for the yacht.

"May I help you?" the guard said, glancing beyond them in annoyance at his counterpart back at the gate.

Camila moved forward slightly to catch his eye. She decided to convince this one with the least amount of push as he also showed small signs of abuse.

"Hello, I'm Camila Villamor. I'm here to speak with Marquise Oletha Thanemark. She'll want to speak to us. It's in regards to our mutual acquaintance, Nathan Walker."

The man opened his mouth, most likely to deny she was onboard but stopped short when Camila and Marisa both gave him a look. With another scowl at the guard by the gate, he turned and walked up the gangway and stepped into a doorway.

Marisa looked to her mother. "That was bold. What if she wasn't here?" she whispered

Camila smiled slightly and spoke equally quiet. "She's here. I can smell her on these two. She's leaned on them heavily. Besides, she traveled all this way for a precious cargo she's tried so often to acquire; she's not going to leave it unguarded until she gets it home."

There was a deep rumble as the yacht's motors throbbed to life. They shared another look. The Marquise was going to run.

There was a terrible grinding screech noise then the motors went silent. Camila smiled at her daughter.

The door on the cabin above them flew open, and a tall, slim raven-haired woman stormed out and down the gangway.

She stopped at the bottom and glared at them. Hostility was rolling off her in waves. "What have you done to my ship?" she said with a glacial tone.

"What have you done with our friend?" Camila asked calmly.

Eyes locked and the air between Oletha and Camila crackled with energy as each tested the other's will. Camila felt the pressure the Succubus had abused the Human crew with but fed her energies into pushing back.

"You two don't have any idea who you're dealing with. You're infants compared to me," Oletha said contemptuously as she completely ignored Marisa, concentrating her effort on Camila who refused to crack under strain.

"You're Marquise Oletha Thanemark. From England. A visitor to our home," Marisa said.

"You need to turn around... and walk away," Oletha said slowly and crisply, death implied in each word.

Camila held the woman's eyes. "That isn't going to happen."

"She doesn't know who he belongs to, does she?" Marisa asked her mother, her eyes never leaving the Marquise.

"He's mine, and I'll kill you both before you set foot on this ship!" Oletha spat, frustrated by Camila's unnatural ability to hold her at bay.

"You know when he came from, don't you?" Marisa continued.

Oletha heard the emphasis, and her expression froze just a little. She wasn't aware anyone else knew.

"Do you know anyone powerful enough to pull someone from the past? It's not us." Marisa admitted freely.

Oletha's dark eyes were beginning to show doubt, and she hated that feeling. If she couldn't overpower the bitch's will, she had other weapons at her disposal. She'd ensured privacy by convincing all of the owners of the surrounding boat they should go home for the week. The crew was currently under her thrall, and she'd clear their memories after the trip, so she wasn't worried about them.

"She's not going to listen to reason," Marisa sighed as she tried to loosen her grip on her seer sight just a little to read the Marquise. Her mind suddenly filled with flashes of blood and pain, death, slavery, and mad laughter. She staggered back under the assault and landed on her ass.

Camila's attention shifted for a split second and Oletha launched herself forward with a savage grin. Claws extended and a lightning fast slash would open that throat-

Except she wasn't there. The swipe missed Camila by a foot at least. She shouldn't be able to react and move that fast! Snarling, Oletha fed her rage into her strength and launched another attack.

From the outside, they looked like a blur with an occasional grunt or brief cry of pain.

When they stopped, they were halfway back to the gatehouse. They were both breathing hard, and both were sporting blood from a number of shallow cuts.

Oletha saw her opponent was tiring while she still had the energy to spare. With age came capacity and she'd been feeding off the crew during the trip over. She knew she'd mentally break them by the time they returned home, but she didn't care about the fate of a few useless Humans. Not when she had a new race of powerful Succubi and Incubi to create with Nate's assistance. Willing or not.

The bitch she faced now wasn't going to interfere with her plans.

She was going to die.

-=-

Sigrid watched from a distance away in the shadows. She was waiting for Camila to capture the woman's attention completely. When they blurred into hazy shapes, Sigrid launched herself skyward and spread her wings as she forced back the light. That was extremely difficult to concentrate on while attempting to stay in the air. It took way too much energy, but she beat her shadowy wings until she was shooting forward towards the stern of the yacht. There was one crew member there looking down into the waters behind the ship.

At the last second, she swooped upwards, tucked her wings away, and dropped in a ballistic arc right onto the crewman whose face slammed against the railing as she drove him to the deck. Sigrid confirmed he was still breathing, but he was unconscious. She hustled forward and made it inside. She quickly rushed through the passageways on her way to the front of the ship, pausing only to glance inside each room as she went. She took out two more crew, slamming them against bulkheads and doorways. Finally, she entered a bedroom with a man chained to the bed. This had to be him. Then again, the woman was a Succubus. She might have a few men chained to beds.

"Nate? Nate Walker? I'm Sigrid, a friend of Camila Villamor's." she said to the sleeping man.

Eyes popped open as he'd been faking his sleep. "Thank god! Do you have the keys to these cuffs?"

"No, close your eyes, tight. Don't open them until I say and DON'T MOVE," she instructed.

He looked at her cautiously but did as she asked.

Sigrid pulled her sword, and it flashed brilliantly as she struck the chains, severing them like brittle plastic. She put the sword away throwing the room into darkness. "Ok, you're loose."

Nate opened his eyes again. "What was that bright light?" he asked.

"A mistake. It's given away my presence. We have to go now to get you off the ship!" Sigrid growled.

One of the guards suddenly burst into the room with a gun in his hand. Before he'd completed his step, Sigrid had her shield up and leapt across the room to slam him against the wall. As he collapsed, the gun bounced loose and fell at Nate's feet.

Blinking away the spots he was seeing from the flash of her shield, Nate bent to pick up the gun.

"Have you used one before?" Sigrid asked sternly.
He stopped and squinted at her. "Uh, no."

"Then leave it. It's more of a liability in an untrained hand. Let's go," she glanced outside and darted to the left.

As annoyed as he was, he had to admit she was right. He'd probably shoot his foot or worse, his rescuer.

With a frown, Nate rushed after her.

-=-

Henry inspected the building to find the light's power source. He finally had to admit it was futile. He made his way to the bushes a short distance from the dock where the yacht was. He saw Camila fighting with another woman. He couldn't see Marisa and his nerves were buzzing with worry. He jumped when his phone rang suddenly. He pressed the answer button and looked around, but he was alone. He put it to his ear. "Hello?"

"Henry! Where are you?" Roy barked.

"Oh thank god, Roy! Camila is fighting her. You have to get here! Quick!"

"Where. Are. You!"

"Liberty Landing Marina!" Henry blurted.

"Yes but where?"

"Oh! About halfway down the field between the two entrances to the parking lot!" Henry said, his heart in this throat as he saw Camila get knocked back but score a slash across the cheek of the Marquise causing her to reel back.

The phone went dead, and a large SUV pulled into the parking lot with a screech. Henry began to move to it but ducked back when the driver got out and quickly crossed over to the passenger side. It wasn't Roy. The driver was a tall and slim, dark-skinned woman. She opened the passenger's door and reached in.

She hauled another woman out of the car and hoisted her over her shoulder. Blonde hair fell forward, and Henry made a noise of surprise as it looked like Sandy. He moved to step out of his cover and hands pulled him back, making him squeak in surprise.

"Henry! Quiet!" Siobhan hissed quietly.

He turned to her in relief then found himself flying back to crash down on the paved parking lot. He dropped the tire iron which slid away into the darkness. His head and shoulders took a heavy blow, dazing him. When he could see straight, he noticed the blonde was laying on her back on the grass. He looked back towards the bushes and saw the woman had her hands around Siobhan's throat and had her off the ground, choking her out. He was on his feet running for them unsteadily before he knew what he was doing. The woman dropped Siobhan and spun, clubbing him on the side of his face. He cartwheeled into the bushes. She hit like a truck. From his new vantage point on the ground on the other side of the bushes, he saw the woman stop and watch the fight on the dock. She started to move in that direction.

He could hear Siobhan coughing, but Camila and Marisa were in danger now. He couldn't take this woman as Henry the human. She was just too strong. He pushed himself to his feet again and dropped the glamor. He was grateful for the cloak covering his larger body. He straightened the cowl over his horns to hide them as he began to run towards the woman. She heard the thud of his hooves and spun to face him. He leapt forward and wrapped his arms around her squeezing her against his chest.

Searing pain lanced through his shoulder as she sank her fangs into his thick muscles. Terrified, he ran into one of the light standards and crashed right through it, tearing it from its base. The woman in his arms took the impact across the back of her head and her bite loosened. Henry continued to charge forward and took out the next two light standards as well, each smashing into the woman's skull. He found himself running back towards the dock. His shoulder was screaming in pain, and he was wobbling on his hooves, but the woman had gone limp in his arms, and he didn't know what to do.

Suddenly, he crashed through the door of the gatehouse and collided with the guard who sailed off the dock into the water. He dropped the body of the woman. Her mouth covered in his blood, she bounced off the side of the ramp and rolled off the dock into the water.

Henry was still moving forward, but his brain was no longer driving. The lights around him went out, but the spots dancing in front of his eyes made him swat at them as he careened forward.

He was a runaway train, and the tracks were running out.

-=-

Camila was approaching exhaustion. The older Succubus looked spent as well as Camila had landed some damaging blows. Camila had managed to avoid deep injuries, but she couldn't keep it up. Roy needed to get here soon. Or Sigrid. Even in her weakened state, Oletha was too deadly for Marisa to fight.

They were taking a momentary breather, assessing each other for weaknesses and Oletha knew she was wearing Camila down. She smiled. Her endurance was phenomenal, but then Camila's ability to go toe to toe with the much older Succubus was impressive as well.

"We could have been allies. I would have made you my second in command," Oletha sighed.

"The second seat in Hell is still Hell," Camila said.

There was a loud crash back on shore, and both risked a glance to see one of the lights fall. Then a second and a third.

Oletha was no longer smiling. She knew this wasn't one of hers. Then the gatehouse exploded into pieces, and someone large in a hooded cowl was charging down the dock. He dropped the woman he was carrying, and they caught a glimpse of her bloody face as she bounced off into the water.

Camila saw Oletha's shock at seeing the woman fall and chose that moment to make her last all-out effort. She leapt past the Marquise and raked her across the eyes, blinding her. The lights on the dock suddenly shut down as Camila fell into the back of one of the parked boats and crashed up against the inner wall, utterly spent. She looked back to see if Oletha was dropping on her for the kill. But instead, she saw Henry slam Oletha down against the dock and charge over her, one of his heavy hooves cracking her skull open like a grape as he stumbled by.

But he wasn't stopping.

-=-

There were two guards with guns by the back of the ship, and they were well and truly spooked, shooting at everything. Sigrid had to change course, and they ended up in the upper bridge which was empty. Sigrid spotted surveillance screens showing scenes from the bedroom Nate had occupied. She tore the hard drives from the computers and drove her sword through them. That would be sufficient for clearing them.

"We're on the top deck! How do we escape from here?" Nate growled.

"I have wings so I might be able to glide us down to the dock but suppressing the light and flying is too draining. Carrying you as well would be impossible. I'm too damn visible otherwise.," Sigrid said.

Nate looked at her nervously. "I have wings too, but I've never flown with them."

"No time like the present. Start by gliding and if it isn't working too well, drop into the water," Sigrid suggested.

"Shit," Nate cursed softly tugging his shirt and pants off, leaving his underwear. His shoes and socks were missing. Then he allowed himself to change.

Sigrid watched him unfold his wings with wide eyes. "You should have no trouble gliding down." He felt a little better about that. Their attention was suddenly drawn to the lamp posts on shore being knocked down.

"That's got to be Roy." She looked at Nate in relief, "The cavalry in other words. They're a little fierce to look at, but they are all great people-"

They froze in surprise when the gatehouse exploded then Sigrid saw who it was. "Oh my god! That's Henry! He's hurt!" Then everything went dark as the power feed died for the dock and ship. Emergency lights flicked on just as the yacht shuddered from a large impact.

Sigrid was out the door and over the railing in a split second. Wings snapped out in all their blinding glory for the second it took for her to glide down to the doc.

Nate was right behind her, holding his clothes tight against his chest. His descent was slower than Sigrid's, so he landed midway along the dock. He closed his aching wings. That was fun, if painful.

He saw he was pretty close to Oletha's dead body. As much as he despised her, he couldn't look at her this way. It was too brutal and final.

Siobhan raced past him, then he was facing a huge fanged beast.

"You must be Nate," it rumbled, and he just nodded.

"ROY! HELP US!" Siobhan yelled before leaping into the water after Henry.

Nate stood aside as 'Roy' went around him to run back towards the ship. Nate took a moment to switch back to his human form and tugged on his pants and shirt. Then he noticed a lovely woman struggling to climb out of the back of a boat onto the dock. She seemed very shaky, so he moved to help her.

"Thank you," she said with a slight moan.

"No problem. I'm Nate Walker," he said, enthralled by her beauty and her scent. She was a Succubus!

"Camila Villamor. Help me, please," she said gesturing to the end of the dock. They saw Sigrid and Marisa with their hands on the side of the ship pushing outwards to maintain a wider gap between the dock and the ship. Roy reached down and pulled a man from the water. He laid him out on the dock and Nate gasped at the wound on his shoulder. Blood spurted, and Nate cried out again when the red furred beast moved his mouth to the wound. Was he biting him?

"Calm yourself. Roy is healing him, sealing the wound," Camila explained.

Roy pulled back and turned his face to Camila in confusion, his toothy maw coated in Henry's blood. His eyes rolled back, and he slumped sideways, but Sigrid caught him before he fell off the dock. His body rippled, and a large, red-bearded and very unconscious human remained.

"Dammit! I forgot about the blood!" Camila cursed. Sigrid gave her a worried look, but Camila just shook her head and gestured for the men rushing down the dock to hurry. Two immediately leapt up and pulled themselves over the railing to search the yacht. The other two went to Camila after looking at Roy's bloody face and Henry's shoulder. "Get Roy to his truck. Take him back to his place. He needs to sleep this off."

One of the men hoisted Roy over his shoulder in a fireman's carry and followed his partner back up the dock.

"Is Henry still bleeding?" Sigrid asked bending down to inspect his shoulder. She sighed in relief as Roy had done his job before passing out. The closed wound was red and angry looking.

Nate finally got a good look at the man lying on the dock. "Oh shit! It's him!"

Sigrid glanced sharply at him. "You know Henry?"

Nate blinked at her. "Huh? No! I mean, I met him once in a drug store. He- he seemed like a nice enough guy but I never got his name before all hell broke loose and he left."

A seal surged out of the water and landed on the dock. She shook herself, shedding the water, then stood up, becoming Siobhan. Dry once more, Siobhan had nasty bruising around her neck. She smiled at him then looked to Camila.

"I managed to get the guard out of the water. He's alive, but I can't find the bitch who tried to strangle me." She lifted her chin and Marisa winced at the sight of the bruises.

"We're going to need a containment team on this site," Sigrid sighed.

"Luckily Mr. Duncan called for one on his way over here," a voice called out from behind them.

The group turned and stared in surprise at Mahati walking towards them. The lawyer glanced down at the dead woman on the dock and grimaced.

"Who was that?" she said, looking a little ill.

"Marquise Oletha Thanemark," Camila said.

"The artist?" Mahati exclaimed in surprise and received a nod from Camila. "What happened to Mr. Duncan-" she stared in shock at the wound on Henry's shoulder. "Wait! Did he bite Mr. Gable?"

Siobhan stepped forward and displayed her bruised neck. "No, the bitch who did this to me, bit Henry. He lost a lot of blood. Roy helped him." She glanced at Marisa, not knowing how much to say.

"I don't think we should be staying here playing twenty questions. The police will arrive soon," Camila suggested.

"That's why I'm here. I'm to brief the cleanup team while you run away, so in twenty words or less please," Mahati insisted as she stared into Camila's exhausted eyes.

"Oletha was kidnapping Nate Walker here." She gestured to the man still wearing the shackles. "He was coming to see us this morning but didn't show. We came to convince her to let him go. She wasn't willing to listen to reason."

Mahati nodded. "What about the blond woman up on the grass?"

"Jo!" Nate gasped and moved to go to her. Mahati raised her hand to block him.

"Who is she?" Mahati asked.

"Jo Hart. She's my best friend! She's not like us, she's human," Nate blurted.

Mahati jolted back, staring at him wide-eyed. She caught the wince on the other faces present then the sudden contrite look on Nate's. "What's going on here?" she growled, suddenly furious.

Camila sighed. She was just too tired to come up with something convincing. She held Mahati's eyes. "We believe Nate is the same as Henry. We can discuss this more thoroughly later."

Eyes flaring with anger Mahati nodded. "We most definitely will." She looked to Nate. "Learn what not to say, or you'll soon discover how much danger your loose tongue will create." Mahati huffed in frustration as she looked him over. "Your best friend has been drugged unconscious. The clean-up crew will take her back to her home. My advice, stay away from her." She aimed a final glare at the others. "Everyone leave now." Then she headed back up the dock.

Camila saw Nate was looking a little lost and sighed. "Nate, if you don't mind, you'll come home with me tonight?" He nodded.

"I'll take Henry to my place to heal," Sigrid said.

Camila looked to Marisa and Siobhan. "Catch a ride back with the Security team?" They nodded then everyone moved.

They passed the incoming clean-up crew. Camila wondered what the cover story was going to be then pushed that from her mind as Nate helped her back to her car. She watched Sigrid carefully place Henry in the back seat of one of the security team's SUV's as Marisa and Siobhan climbed in the back of another. The big vehicles all left the way they'd come in. Back over the grass to the road. Camila sedately drove back to the exit and handed her ticket to one of the clean-up crew who was inside the booth with an unconscious guard, likely erasing all video recordings. Camila nodded, and the gate went up.

They pulled out onto the road and headed back to Manhattan. She felt weary and hungry.

"You'll find a key that should work on those cuffs in the glovebox," she suggested. Nate grinned and found the small set of keys on a ring. He quickly released the cuffs from his wrists and ankles.

She knew Nate had Wild Magic flowing through him, so she hoped he was up for a little feeding. She looked over at him and saw his hunger clearly in his eyes. They shared a smile.

Chapter 18

Roy jolted upright with a gasp and looked around at familiar surroundings in confusion. He was on his bed- but he wore his default emergency glamor. There was dried blood on his face. Whose blood?

"What the hell?" he muttered to himself.

"Hey! You awake in there?" a voice called through his bedroom door. He recognized it as Rick Santos, one of his crew. He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and walked to the door to open it. Rick and Billy Cooper were sitting on his couch watching TV with their feet up on his coffee table. Billy was tossing and catching his football.

Roy raised an eyebrow. "Comfortable?"

They grinned back at him.

"You feeling better, boss man?" Billy asked.

Roy touched the dried blood on his chin and realized he felt great! "Yeah, I'm good. What happened?"

The two men stopped grinning and glanced at each other. "You don't remember?" Rick asked.

Roy frowned. "I remember arriving at the marina and helping Siobhan Whelan to her feet. She mentioned a female attacked her. I smelled Werepanther on her then we ran for the dock. I- uh, someone was in the water? Then I woke up here. What am I missing?"

The two men shared looks and stood.

Roy's hackles rose as he scented the change. They were instinctively reacting to a perceived mental weakness. Their pack leader had to be of sound mind to remain leader. Two large werewolves were suddenly standing in his living room, and Roy shifted a split second later. The two challengers instantly froze as their eyes went wide with surprise. Then both whimpered their submission and exposed their throats.

Snorting his acceptance, he nodded to them. Everyone switched back to Human form.

"We'll see you at the office later, Mr. Duncan," Billy said with a subdued voice.

He nodded suspiciously and watched the two leave with nods back to him. Roy locked up behind them and made his way back to the washroom. He needed a shower.

Facing the mirror, he frowned and dropped his glamor. He instantly snarled at the vicious looking beast baring his fangs back at him in the mirror. Then he froze as he realized the unfamiliar face was his, just different.

He was bigger than before! Bigger muscles! Longer, sharper claws and teeth! His eyes were a little larger too!

SHIT! As he looked more carefully, he realized how incredibly sharp his vision had become. When he concentrated, he could detect the smallest details and movement.

What the FUCK!

He switched back to Human and went back into the bedroom to grab his cell. He dialed Sigrid.

After four rings she sleepily answered. "Roy? You know what time it is?" she grumbled.

"What happened last night?" he barked.

There was a pause. "Are you ok?"

It was his turn to pause as he thought about that. "Yes, but I'm... different."

"Better or worse?" she asked.

He had to admit he felt pretty damn good. "Better, but how!"

Sigrid was silent, and he listened intently. He could hear the gentle slide of silk against her skin.

SHIT! The sensitivity of his hearing had increased!

"Henry."

Roy reeled back in dismay. "I had sex with Henry?!?" he hissed.

Sigrid snorted then burst into laughter. When she got control again, she answered. "No! Of course not! His shoulder was injured, badly! There was blood. You helped him as you can." She left it at that.

"Oh." Of course. He suddenly felt stupid.

"Roy, can we talk about this in the morning?"

"Sure. Sorry for calling so early."

They hung up, and Roy sat on the edge of the bed, thinking.

Downsides. There were always downsides.

Hmmm...

He couldn't think of them at the moment.

-=-

Henry woke feeling like someone had beat on him with hammers. His jaw was stiff, and the right side of his face swollen. He could barely open his right eye. He must have moaned as Meixiu's concerned face appeared above him.

"Are you awake Henry?"

He tried to nod but pain lanced through his shoulder and he hissed instead.

"I will get Sigrid," the petite woman said.

Henry struggled against the pain for a short time then the blonde beauty was looking in his eyes. She gave him a little water through a straw.

"How bad is the pain?" she asked.

"What is a good pain?" he managed to whisper. She smiled in sympathy with a twinkle in her eyes.

"You need to disable your glamor. You'll heal faster in your true form. You're in a safe place. You can rest in that form as well," Sigrid explained.

Henry triggered the change, and the pain dimmed just a little, but any relief felt like an improvement! "Better!"

Sigrid smiled then she frowned. "Why didn't you stay in the car?"

He cast his mind back and recalled seeing someone who looked like Sandy but wasn't. "Thought I saw Sandy in danger. Wasn't her. Then that woman was choking Siobhan. She hit me. Hard. Then she was going after Camila and Marisa. I couldn't... I didn't know what to do so I grabbed her after I switch back to this and..." His memories fragmented from that point. He knew he was panicking and in terrible pain, but he didn't want to admit that in front of the Valkyrie.
"Is everyone ok?" he asked instead.

"Yes. We got Nate away from the Marquise. Camila, Marisa, and Siobhan are all good. A few cuts, some bruises. Roy called in a Council clean-up team. Mahati received a statement to share with us. The team left the scene with enough clues to give a reasonable and mundane cover story to explain what was found, including the death of the Marquise and the ship's crew."

"They're all dead?" he gasped.

Sigrid nodded sadly but held off on telling him his part in the death of the Marquise. "The clean-up team killed the crew to eliminate loose ends." Sigrid hated the Council's team default solution.

"The story is that she, and her friend Chantelle, both known for the escalation of their thrill-seeking, borrowed the yacht to sneak into New York City to kidnap the child of one of the city's crime syndicate families. Documents hinting at this were on the ship. The stunt went bad, and the target family took their revenge. They torched the yacht with the Marquise's body chained to the bed."

"What if they ask the families?" Henry asked.

"None will admit that this could happen to one of their children and all could have done what happened to the Marquise. They'll all believe one of the other families did it so they'll all maintain their innocence but not vigorously. Since no one will claim it, they'll all use the story to their advantage and as a warning."

Henry rested back against the pillows, stunned by the viciousness of the solution. "This all happened last night?" he asked cautiously.

"Yes- oh! Roy called in the middle of the night. Apparently when he licked your wounds to seal and heal them..." she paused when she saw Henry's horrified expression. "Oh stop it! Werewolves have all kinds of healing capabilities. Besides, you can't catch anything from him. Anyway, while healing you, he got a mouthful of your blood. The Wild Magic saturating it knocked him out and when he woke he'd changed."

Henry gave her a worried look. "Better or worse?"

She smiled. "Roy said better. He hasn't called me back yet so I don't know what the changes are." She saw Henry was still worried so she ran her fingers through his hair. "He didn't sound upset. It's good."

He smiled for her then his eyes slowly shut while she enjoyed his soft hair. Soon he was breathing deeply with a gentle smile on his lips.

Meixiu looked at Sigrid's matching smile then followed her out of the room.

As they made their way downstairs Meixiu caught Sigrid's eye. She'd explained the events of the night to Meixiu in great detail. "Why didn't you tell him he killed the Marquise?"

Sigrid frowned unhappily. "Henry's a gentle soul. That information would make him very upset. I don't think he was aware of what he was doing by the time he ran over her. It was an accident. There's no need to tell him as it would just cause him pain."

Meixiu thought about that and nodded to the tall blonde. She was such a good judge of people. Far better than Meixiu who'd been sheltered for so long her ability to empathize with others sometimes felt like it had atrophied from lack of use.

She liked Henry. He was kind. She remembered when he was Stanley Garin, a much smaller man and it pleased her that, even with his larger body, he hadn't changed inside.

Marquise Oletha Thanemark sounded like a very bad person to Meixiu. She felt like the universe was balancing itself by having such a good person remove the bad. There were a lot of bad people out there in the world. It made her feel better when good triumphed. She allowed herself a little smile. Sigrid called her a romantic.

Maybe she was.

She couldn't wait for Henry to get better. She wanted to show him just how much of a romantic she could be.

Chapter 19

Nate stretched his arms above his head and yawned mightily. The night before had been amazing! Camila was an exciting and skilled lover. Sex with her, both times last night, had been better than his one experience with Oletha. He frowned as he recalled that woman's gruesome end. He gave himself a little shake. He wouldn't let himself brood over that as the night's ultimate resolution was so much better than finding himself on his way to England to be a slave.

Like his time with Oletha, he didn't feel like he'd fed. The sex had been amazing, but it was just that, sex. Not that he was in any way disappointed! Camila claimed to have received energy from it, so she was happy.

He looked around the stylish and expensively furnished room and smiled. Certainly more comfortable than his rented bedroom in Jo's apartment. His happiness immediately dimmed again as he recalled the words of the lovely brown skinned woman last night. Stay away from Jo, she'd said. The blond was his best friend! He didn't want to lose her!

"What's that frown for?" Camila said as she entered the bedroom.

"Not for anything you did!" Nate said, replacing his expression with a smile.

She raised an exquisite eyebrow as she held his eyes and Nate shrugged gently. "I was thinking about my friend Jo. That woman last night told me to stay away from her but- I need her. She's my friend."

"So keep her as a friend. Just be cognizant of the dangers you potentially represent for her. Henry has a small circle of Human friends. They're precious to him."

He winced again when he heard her mention humans. She even said 'human' with a different emphasis than he did. "Sorry for screwing up last night when I mentioned Jo wasn't like us."

"That brings me to a question I have for you. You were unaware of your true state until last year, yes?" He nodded. "During your life did you ever spend time with a little old Slavic woman in a peasant's dress?" Nate slowly shook his head as he couldn't recall such a person. Camila continued. "A very grumpy, unpleasant woman-"

Lights came on behind Nate's eyes. "Oh! There was that one time back on the night with Oletha. A woman matching that description walked up to me, scowled at me strangely for a moment and said 'Shit!' before walking away. She made an impression, but I haven't seen her since. I don't recall seeing her before that day."

Camila nodded as she pondered that. "That was probably her. She's the one responsible for pulling Henry from the past. Like you, he grew up believing he was Human and learned nothing of how to disguise his true nature as he was unaware of it. Unlike you, he lived with the crone. His introduction to the Hidden Races was not smooth."

"I'd like to get to know him," Nate said.

"You should. Henry could use a friend to pull him out of his solitude. A male friend especially," Camila said. "You need to get cleaned up as I need to take you to the office today to speak with Mahati Chandra, the lawyer you met last night. You'll also need to meet with the heads of the Hidden Races Council as you represent another 'Wild Card' for them. You need to be on their good side as we all depend on them for our continued existence," she finished.

Nate looked at her in trepidation. "That's not intimidating at all!"

She nodded. "It helps to maintain that caution. Remember, the Hidden Races are greatly outnumbered by Humans who, for the most part, would hunt us to extinction if they knew we existed. Secrecy means our survival. That can't be over-emphasized. Tremendous effort is made to ensure any hint of our existence is eliminated, sometimes fatally, as happened with the ship's crew from last night."

"What?!?" Nate gasped.

Camila nodded. "The crew I met were showing signs of mental distress. Oletha abused their minds on the trip over to New York. She overfed which was why she was so strong. Who knows how damaged she would have left them after the return trip." She frowned sadly. "The clean-up team took the expedient course of action and killed them, using their deaths as part of the cover story."

Nate stared at her in surprise. "That's... frightening!"

She nodded. "The Council takes our safety and survival seriously. You'll need to prove you aren't a threat to that-" When Nate made a noise of protest she held up her hands. "We'll help you as we helped Henry. We're the best ones equipped to deal with this, and we're in your corner. Make no mention to anyone about your link to the realm of Wild Magic, nor it's transformative effect on others." She gave him a sympathetic look as she saw the lost look on his face. "Your new life isn't as bad as it may seem at the moment. There are many amazing aspects you have yet to discover. You have to learn a new set of rules. You're already an expert at the most critical one."

He looked at her curiously.

"How to behave like a Human. You and Henry do it far more comfortably than us," she said with a smile. "Now, go get ready. I washed your clothes, but you have no shoes or socks. When you're finished in the washroom, I'll show you how to include clothes in your glamor."

He smiled and slipped out of bed. He walked up to her and gave her a sensual kiss. She smiled and gently pushed him toward the door.

"That was lovely, but we need to move!" she said with a smile.

He double timed it to the washroom she mentioned and took a quick shower. She met him in the living room with a magazine open to a picture of an ad with a well-dressed male model.

"You'll need a visual aid at first, and it might take a few tries to get it right, but you'll get it. First, drop your glamor," she instructed.

He did and smiled at her.

She lifted the magazine and held it before him. "Now, look very carefully at the image. Make a mental note of the style and design of the shirt, the jacket, the slacks, the shoes, and socks. Absorb all of the little details of his outfit. See yourself in those clothes. Imagine how they feel and move on you. Keep looking at the picture and keep it in your mind as you engage your glamor."

Nate was suddenly human again, but this time he had clothes on- minus the shoes.

"You stopped thinking about the shoes," Camila said with a smile. "Once again."

It only took two more attempts with him staring intently at the picture to get it right, and Camila praised him for the success. She tore the page from the magazine and stuck it in her purse.

"Until you can do it without the visual aid and it's second nature, stick to real clothes if you are going to hang out with Humans as no one can afford a constantly changing wardrobe. You need to maintain a fixed set of clothing. I've been doing this long enough that I keep a wardrobe set in my mind."

"Right!" he nodded. That made sense to him.

They made their way down to her car for the drive to work. As she drove, she glanced over at him to catch him admiring her.

"I have another question for you," she said. "And I want you to think carefully before you answer. The Council may ask you the same question, and you'll need an honest answer."

Nate was still feeling a little nervous about meeting this group, but he nodded to her. "Shoot."

"What do you want out of your life now that you're aware of your true self?"

Nate's eyebrow rose. "What do I want?"

"Yes, what does your life look like to you now? How do you envision your life going forward? Give it some thought." Camila concentrated on getting them through the busy morning traffic as Nate sat quietly thinking.

He knew he couldn't do anything with his new state that would attract any attention. It was a colossal secret that he couldn't share. So really, it came down to what did Nate the human want? The answer came to him quickly. A soul mate. Like his dad found with his mom. He knew he couldn't have that with a human. He now knew he was a slow acting poison for humans. In a physical relationship at least. His platonic relationship with Jo hadn't caused her personality to warp.

He suddenly realized he hadn't checked on her and the guilt slammed down. "I need to call Jo. Make sure she's ok. She was taken back to her apartment last night, wasn't she?" he asked as he searched his pockets for his cell. Then he recalled these clothes were just a glamor but didn't recall the phone being in his other pants.

Camila nodded then caught his frown. "What's wrong?"

He looked at her. "I think I lost my cell! What if it was on the yacht?" he asked anxiously.

Camila shook her head. "The clean-up crew doesn't make mistakes. Besides Oletha wouldn't have allowed you to keep it. It was likely destroyed to keep you from being located by it."

Nate slumped back in his chair. "Another reason to hate her, as if I didn't have enough." He saw Camila's sympathetic smile and sighed as he collected his thoughts. He considered the woman beside him. From her condo and her car and her role as CEO of her own company he knew she was successful and wealthy. Things he aspired to be one day. But she lived alone. He was deeply curious about that.

"Maybe I should have asked this before we enjoyed ourselves last night but, is there a Mr. Villamor?" he asked.

She snorted softly. "No, I'm not married."

"Is there a reason? I understand there aren't many Incubi. Is that why?" he asked.

She gave him a curious glance. "Succubi and Incubi don't typically stay with one partner for very long." She paused as his question exposed a significant gap in his knowledge about their kind. "You probably haven't been told this yet, and I'm sorry to tell you so bluntly." He looked at her nervously. "One of the important things to know about Succubi and Incubi is that we have very long lifespans. Barring accidental death, we can live for hundreds of years. Spending that much time with one partner would be difficult. It's just not in our natures. Our longevity also means at some point you'll have to end your relationship with your Human friend before she realizes you aren't aging as she is. I'm sorry."

Nate stared out the windshield at nothing at all while Camila's words circled in his mind. It was both amazing and depressing news. He'd received the gift of living to see the future, but he wouldn't be able to share it with Jo or bring her with him. To hide his secret, he was going to have to abandon her. The shock deepened as he thought of his gang of friends from high school and college; Joey, Dave, Jeff- shit.

He returned to the present when Camila touched his arm. He glanced around and saw they were parked in an underground parking lot. "Oh! We're here?"

She nodded. "I'm so sorry to hit you with that information unprepared."

"No, I was going to have to learn sometime. It's good. I mean, some of it is good. The other part..."

She nodded. "Without knowing from the beginning, of course, you'd form strong relationships with your Human friends."

The unfairness of it filled Nate with a directionless rage. "We can't tell anyone?" he blurted.

"No. Never. You'd be putting their lives and ours at risk. The Council takes steps to ensure the secret remains protected," Camila explained carefully.

"Right. I get that." He sighed wearily. "I mean, I knew I'd be saying goodbye to them eventually but... I thought I'd be able to grow old with them. Share all that crazy old man shit with the guys."

Camila just waited patiently.

He ran his hands over his face. "Right. OK. I got this. Let's go meet the lawyer."

They got out and made their way to the elevators. Nate's mind was taking him all over the place. He had so many questions.

The elevator took them up to the top floor. Nate eyed the two large men standing by the doors in the elevator lobby, and they eyed him as they nodded to Camila.

He spotted the nameplates for the executive offices as they walked down the hall and he paused next to one. "Henry Gable, CIO," he read aloud. Camila smiled at him. "That guy is a CIO? He can't be much older than me!" he blurted.

"He may be a little younger," Camila replied with a smug little smile. "Marisa is his Executive Assistant." She glanced in the door, but her daughter wasn't in yet.

"How did he land the CIO gig?" Nate asked.

Camila gestured for him to follow and led him down the hall to pass before the windows of a server room. Nate admired the flashing lights. The room was visibly a server room, a very neat and tidy one with lots of hi-tech looking equipment inside but he knew close to nothing about computers. "Very nice."

She smiled and motioned for him to continue following her. They entered a waiting room with a good looking man behind a desk.

"Good morning, Felix! This is Nate Walker." The two men nodded to each other with a smile. "Has Ms. Chandra called yet?" Camila asked.

"Good morning. Ms. Chandra called to say she would arrive in," he glanced at the clock on his screen. "...fifteen minutes."

"Thank you. I'll be with Nate until she arrives." Camila nodded and walked over to open the door to her office. With a nod to the man behind the desk, Nate followed.

He looked around as she closed the door behind them. He was impressed with the luxurious appointments of her corner office.

Camila walked behind her desk to take her seat while gesturing to Nate to take a seat before it. "While my door's closed and the privacy ward is active, you may speak freely about anything. She started up her PC and brought up a picture on the large screen, swiveling it to show him. The image was of a dark and decrepit space filled with old computer racks. Dust, mess, and loose cabling abounded. "This is what we had before Henry arrived. Actually, at that time his name was Stanley, and his glamor presented him as a much smaller man. A professor friend of mind at a local college taught him and determined he had savant level talent with computers. I interviewed him and offered him the position. In a very short time, he took us from that to what you saw in the hall."

Nate nodded in appreciation. "How did he go from this small man to the one I saw last night?"

Camila sighed. "Most of the story is top secret by order of the Council, but I can tell you he came to need a new glamor as his old one... became cursed. Don't ask me or anyone for that matter about the curse. We can't give you details. His new glamor looks more like his true shape and size, minus the non-Human aspects."

"What is he?" Nate asked.

"That's one of those questions you just don't ask-"

"Right! Sorry!" he blurted as he kicked himself mentally.

"Not to worry. We'll teach you how to behave. We helped Henry."

Nate thought about how Stanley had done the work, and now Henry was continuing it. "How did you explain Henry taking over Stanley's job?"

Camila smiled. "Henry looks like Stanley's older brother, so the cover story is that their mother put them both up for adoption. They met in Ireland recently but Stanley 'died' in an accident while there. Henry came back to the States, and as he had similar skills, we offered him the job. He also lives in the condo Stanley rented from VRL. The tricky part was reintroducing Henry to the friends he made in the building. I understand so far, they've accepted him."

"Hidden Race or human?" Nate asked.

"Human."

Nate frowned crossly. "How is he going to deal with the aging issue? Is he going to have to abandon them as I will mine?"

Camila gave Nate a sad look, and he sighed, holding his hands up indicating she didn't have to answer that. She did anyway. "Henry isn't like us. He's unique, and we don't know how long his life span will be. That said, if he shows no signs of aging while his friends do, he'll have to leave them behind too."

"Sorry, that anger just crept up on-" Nate began then Camila's intercom buzzed. She gestured that she understood as she answered.

"Yes, Felix?"

"Ms. Chandra, Mr. Duncan, and Ms. Gunderan are here."

"Please send them in," Camila said, unlocking the door.

Roy was the first one in and immediately grabbed two extra chairs to set them beside Nate who'd stood to greet the new arrivals. Roy shook Nate's hand. "Roy Duncan, Security Chief."
"Nate Walker, freelance creative copywriter," he returned. He shook Sigrid's hand and nodded to the lawyer who was holding herself back a little as she looked to Nate.

Camila locked the door and activated the privacy rune once more.

"Explain," was all Mahati said as she looked to Camila.

The CEO sighed then began. She explained how Siobhan Whelan had discovered Nate had been unaware of his true nature until the previous October. At that time Oletha Thanemark had tried to abduct him. She'd attempted multiple times since the first. Siobhan invited him to visit yesterday, but Oletha managed to capture him. She was almost successful in kidnapping him, but they found her location and retrieved him from the yacht when she attacked Camila.

"How does this make him like Henry?" Mahati asked with a frown. "Aside from his lack of knowledge of his true nature?"

"The easiest way to prove it would be a demonstration. Nate, we wouldn't normally ask you to do this but could you show Mahati your true self?" Camila sighed as she pressed the button to close her blinds.

He looked into her eyes and saw she was serious, so he stood. He moved to the open space before the couch and smiled at the group. All eyes were on him. He closed his eyes and triggered his glamor to drop.

Roy gave a frustrated growl as he turned to Camila. "Dammit! Could ya not tell the lad to wear something underneath th' glamor! Between him and Henry!"

Nate looked down, and there it was. His Incubus junk. Big, jet black, ridged, flared and exposed for all to see. He spun to turn his back towards them and opened his wings.

"Wings!" Mahati gasped, struggling to recover from the peep show.

"Yes. Incubi haven't had wings for thousands of years. Before you ask, there has never been a case of a random activation of the dormant genes. He's been pulled from that era, as Henry was," Camila said and looked to Nate. "Thank you. You can switch back."

He looked at her nervously over his shoulder. "I- uh, need the picture."

"Sorry." She stood and walked over with the page and held it up before him as he concentrated. This time it took four attempts as he was nervous. "You'll get the hang of it," she said gently as he gave her an apologetic look.

Mahati had recovered some of her haughtiness and stared down her nose at Nate. "While startling, this doesn't prove he was involved with the witch. Did she raise him too?"

Camila looked to Nate to answer that, and he turned to the lawyer. "I have regular parents- human parents... I was adopted. I think I met the woman you're talking about once. She showed up the night I discovered what I was. She walked right up to look me in the eye. She looked disappointed and pissed off then walked away. That's the only time I recall seeing her."

"Your glamor has a non-standard transition which means it wasn't given to you by the Fae. Did you ever try to trigger your glamor before that night?" Mahati asked.

He shook his head. "I didn't know I had a glamor. When Oletha tried to get me to trigger it, I felt this terrible feeling of fear and panic. She said someone had placed a strong compulsion spell on me to resist using or even looking for it."

Camila shared a look with Roy whose face held a frustrated scowl. Mahati noticed. "You two have experienced this?"

"Aye, tis th' witch," Roy grumbled, his agitation bringing out his accent.

"It's one of her trademarks. Using fear to compel people to do, or in this case, not do something," Camila stated with a grim expression. "It's not pleasant to experience."

"We must inform the Hidden Races Council immediately! You should have notified me-" Mahati began to raise her voice.

"We just did! We only just rescued Nate from the Marquise last night!" Sigrid stated.

"And I called you last night on my way to the marina," Roy stated, holding her eyes with his.

Nate shifted uneasily in his chair. "Is there some danger involved in not immediately calling them? Are they going to send assassins after me?"

Everyone began to speak, trying to ease his fears until Mahati raised her hand for silence.

"No, you are not in any danger, and they will not assassinate you. I apologize if I gave you that impression. I am concerned that these three take on too much authority in issues that should be managed by powers greater than them." She raised her hand again to stop the protests. "When dealing with entities such as Baba Yaga and Queen Mab, two of the most powerful witches in existence, one leaves the decision making to the authorities-"

"Sometimes those authorities don't make decisions, but instead, react, following practices which are short-sighted and cruel when viable alternatives exist!" Camila insisted. When Mahati opened her mouth to argue, Camila raised her hand to stop her. "Let me finish." The lawyer glared at her but nodded stiffly. "If we hadn't intervened in Stanley's case, tell me, what course of action do you think the Council would have taken? What outcome do they typically utilize? Would they have shown compassion to a young man whose whole world was turned upside down? Who discovered his grandmother wasn't related to him and he had no real family? A young man who just wanted to work on computers and have some friends? A young man who wasn't a threat to anyone! A young man like Nate."

Mahati sat with arms crossed, breathing hard and nostrils flaring with her frustration.

"Think about it, please," Sigrid asked gently and intense brown eyes locked on the blonde's earnest blue eyes.

Nate glanced back and forth between Mahati and Camila. He was confused, so he caught Mahati's attention. "Pardon me if this sounds rude, I don't mean to be, but I'm truly confused here. As a lawyer, who's your client? The Council or VRL?"

Camila's eyes showed her pleased surprise while Mahati's narrowed with anger.

"It looks like you took that as criticism. I'm sorry. You're talking about my continued existence, so I thought maybe I should ensure I had fair representation... if that's even allowed," Nate continued.

Mahati huffed as she realized his question was honest and she was in a spot.

Camila took the opportunity of that moment of silence to launch her second attack. "The Council appointed your firm to us. We didn't choose your firm. Nor have we signed any contracts, yet, so legally we aren't your client. I didn't refuse as I generally support their efforts to keep us all safe. However, I don't agree with all of their decisions or practices. Frankly, I would welcome some intelligent oversight and review on those policies. I also wanted to see if you would be a good fit. That said, I believe we would all be more comfortable if our external legal counsel was in our corner.

Mahati blinked in surprise. "Are you firing me?"

"Just the opposite. I'd like to offer you the job of VRL's external legal counsel. I've done my research. Your mother's firm is highly respected, and your certifications are excellent. As you said, you don't have 'in the field' experience, but I believe you would be a quick study. You can call on our Mr. De Hann for any questions you may have as well. I'll offer you the same terms I gave Walter Zhao. I have a contract you may take with you and review. It comes with just one condition." She slid a large sealed envelope across her desk to the lawyer.

Mahati's eyes narrowed once more. "What is this... condition?"

"I'd like you to shake Marisa's hand."

Mahati frowned. "Why?"

"She's a seer, untrained but powerful. She sees potentials. Her read from you will tell me if I should trust you. I already feel good about this decision but as this affects more than just me, a second opinion is required."

"I don't want to know my future!" Mahati gasped in outrage.

Camila shook her head. "From what she'd told me, her talent doesn't work that way. I'm only looking for her overall impression of you. I'm just going to ask her to answer one question. Should I accept you as VRL's legal counsel, yes or no?" Camila explained.

Mahati was looking very defensive. She plucked the envelope from the desk. "Let me read the contract. I don't know if I'm even interested. You seem to be a focal point of chaotic events."

"May you live in interesting times," Nate murmured to himself, but Roy heard and smiled.

"Aye, it has its ups and downs," the big man agreed.

Camila leaned forward and caught Mahati's eye. "Can we agree to hold off on reporting Nate's existence to the Council until you've decided on the contract? I'll need time to find alternate counsel should you reject the contract. I should inform you that other law firms are approaching us with offers to use their services."

Shaken by the direction the conversation had taken but struggling not to show it, Mahati nodded stiffly to Camila. "I'll let you know tomorrow. Until then Mr. Walker's- special circumstance can remain unreported."

She stood, nodded to the group and left.

Once the door was closed and locked once more, everyone let out a sigh of relief and smiled at each other.

Except for Nate who still looked worried.

"Why does it feel like I'm jumping from the frying pan into the fire?" he said.

Sigrid smiled at him. "It only seems that way because to you the council seems like a great big unknown. We got Henry through this. We'll help you with this as will he."

Nate nodded to her, feeling a little better. "How is he doing?"

"He's a little weak from blood loss, but I have someone watching over him. He'll be back to full health in a couple of days. I'll take him back to his condo tomorrow." There was a buzz at her hip, and she lifted her cell to see a text. "Ah! Speak of the devil. One sec." She typed out a quick reply and smiled at them when she put the phone away. "Henry woke up hurting from the beating he took last night. I told her to give him some pain meds."

"I think I should set him up with some self-defense training," Roy said with a frown.

"Maybe Nate would like that training too?" Camila asked.

Nate held up his hands. "Hey, I'm a lover, not a fighter."

Roy rolled his eyes while Camila chuckled.

"Ok, Mr. Lover. What do you do for a living when you're not wooing the ladies?" the CEO asked.

Nate smiled. "I'm a freelance creative copywriter."

"Freelance by choice?" Sigrid asked with a raised eyebrow.

Nate winced and shook his head. "I might have burned a bridge last year. The night I discovered what I was I went to the boss' Hallowe'en party. She got a little frisky, and I let her take me to bed. Incredibly dumb move but I wasn't at my best that night. The next day at work when I tried to tell her we should keep things professional, she blew up and fired me. It was quite the scene. Since then, she's made it her life goal to blackball me with every ad agency and marketing firm in New York. I get jobs at smaller places, but none have offered me anything long term."

"If you can maintain a professional attitude in the workplace, I have friends in a few larger firms. I could put in a good word and probably get you an interview," Sigrid said.

He smiled broadly at her. "Lesson learned. I definitely can. That would be wonderful!"

Sigrid smiled. "Give me your cell num- " She stopped when she saw Camila shake her head.

"OIetha probably took his cell from him when she grabbed him," the CEO explained.

"It's ok. I'll pick up a new one today when I cancel my old one. Speaking of calling, could I call my friend Jo? I need to see if she's ok," Nate asked.

"You can use the phone in the waiting room just outside. Dial nine then the number," Camila said. "Wait for Sigrid when you're done, ok?" Camila instructed.

"Sure," he said with a smile as he stood and trotted over to the door.

After stepping through and closing it behind him, he smiled at Felix and used the phone to dial Jo's cell.

After four rings she picked up. "Hello?" Nate thought she sounded shaky.

"Jo? It's Nate. Are you ok?"

"Oh my god, Nate! Where are you? You didn't answer! I thought she got you! It's all over the news! I know you said not to, but I was about to call the police to see if they found you! I've been going out of my mind!" Jo gasped then started to cry.

"I'm so sorry Jo. Are you home?" he asked, his guilt stabbing him deeply.

"Yes," she managed through her tears.

"They didn't get me. I've been... hiding with some people I met in Manhattan. They got me a lead on a job as well. I'm coming home shortly. Are you going in to work?" he said quietly.

"No... called in sick."

He frowned. Jo never did that. Something must be seriously wrong. "Ok. I'll be there soon."

"Ok," she said pitifully and hung up.

Nate hung up and looked at the door anxiously. He needed to get home, now. He stood and went to the man's desk. "I have to leave. Could I leave a message for Sigrid?"

"Certainly," Felix said handing him a pen and a notepad.

Nate quickly wrote down Jo's address and a brief message for Sigrid letting her know he'd be back soon.

"Could you see she gets this?" he asked Felix who nodded. "Thanks!"

He headed for the elevators. He needed to see his friend. The one he'd never lied to. All that was going to change and there was nothing he could do about it.

He had to protect Jo as much as he could.

Chapter 20

Henry surfaced to the steady beat of his pulse hammering on his brain. He moaned quietly, and the sound drew him further into consciousness. His face also hurt, and his shoulder was throbbing with each beat of his heart.

"Are you awake again?"

He turned his eyes to see Meixiu standing next to the bed. "Pain."

"Oh! I'll ask Sigrid what I should do," the petite woman said. She tapped out a message on her cell phone, and moments later it pinged with a reply. She squeaked in delight. She loved texting! "I'll be right back!" Meixiu rushed away.

Henry tried to get comfortable, but it was no use. Everything hurt, and he was so hungry!

Meixiu was suddenly by his side again, and she had a bottle of pills and a bottle of water. "Um, how much pain are you feeling?"

"A great deal of pain," he gritted out, eyeing the pill bottle.

She looked at the label with a frown. "Oxycodone. Have you taken this before?"

"No."

Meixiu huffed. "She said I could give you a couple of painkillers so I'll give you two."

Henry shifted on the bed and gasped with a spike of pain in his shoulder.

Watching him with concern, she sighed. "Maybe three."

She poured them into her hand and dropped three pills into Henry's mouth. She tipped the water bottle to trickle the water into his mouth. Then he swallowed the pills.

"Food?" Henry begged.

Meixiu smiled at him and nodded quickly. "I'll make you a meal. Back soon." She skipped out of the room.

He once more tried to adjust himself on the bed to sit up a little and was left panting after he gave up. His head swam, and he closed his eyes but refused to pass out.

Time passed as he stared at nothing in particular. He could hear the occasional sound of Meixiu working in the kitchen. He must have phased out for a bit because he was suddenly aware of the small woman standing on the bed, one foot on either side of him. She took a grip on his torso under his arms and lifted him to a seated position against the headboard of the bed. He was impressed with her strength but waited for the pain which never came. He realized he was feeling pleasantly fuzzy.

Meixiu fed him soup and bread, then a few strips of bacon. He turned his face when he'd had enough.

"You will have steak and vegetables for dinner tonight," she said with a happy grin.

"This meal was very good," he sighed contentedly as she dabbed his lips, her eyes twinkled happily.

"Are you in any pain?" she asked.

He shook his head, and the room swam. "Noooo."

She giggled at his silly look.

His eyes settled on her pretty face, and his smile widened. He was feeling very relaxed, and the pills had obliterated his natural inhibitions. "Has anyone told you how lovely you are?"

She blinked in surprise then burst into embarrassed giggles as she covered her face with her hands.

"Don't hide your beauty!" he sighed with a pout.

She pulled her hands away, but her eyes still showed how embarrassed she was.

"There she is! So prett-OOMmm!" Henry's eyes went wide as Meixiu's mouth was suddenly pressed against his as she'd leapt up on the bed with him.

Henry moved his hand to the back of Meixiu's head into her silky hair. He noticed her tightly closed eyes and she wasn't moving her lips but just pressing them against his. He gently sucked her lower lip between his and caressed it with his tongue.

Her eyes opened in surprise, and she pulled back.

"What... what was that?" she asked quietly as she looked at his mouth.

It was his turn to look at her in surprise. An embarrassed shock went through him clearing the fog. "Uh... I was kissing you? Weren't you kissing me?" He suddenly felt awkward, like he'd overstepped. "You didn't... that- didn't you kiss me?" he mumbled.

She was looking into his eyes. "I thought I was kissing you, but I didn't do what you did!"

"You did kiss me! Good!" Then he had the uncomfortable thought that her kiss was more of a friend zone thing.

"What were you doing?" she asked, her eyes going back to his lips.

"I'm sorry, I thought you were being... intimate. I didn't understand you were only giving me a friendly kiss. I'm sorry if I offended you or made you uncomfortable."

She locked on his eyes again. "Do it again."

Eyebrows climbing, he looked questioningly at her, and she nodded.

He pulled her face gently down to his and sensually caressed her lips, sucking on them lightly. He felt her sucking in surprised breaths, and she moaned softly.

The drugs and the food were fighting to drag him under but she was so soft and delicious, he wanted to keep kissing her. She straddled his body and began rubbing herself over his stiff erection which was covered only by a thin sheet. That felt too good, and his mind began to slide away. He struggled to remain in the here and now, and his kisses took on some of that needful urgency. She was making little desperate sounds of her own as she ground her pussy along the hard ridge of his cock. There was no way his Satyr sized erection would fit inside her small body, but the pleasure they were both feeling from the rubbing was intense.

When he slipped his tongue between her lips, she squeaked and sucked on it. Her body began to shake and twitch as her orgasm struck fiercely.

Henry felt a sudden warmth between them as her orgasm tripped his own release. His eyes rolled back, and he was dragged into oblivion as his mind floated up into the clouds.

Meixiu felt Henry's body relaxing under her, and she opened her eyes to see he was unconscious. Her body tingled madly from their play, and she felt the heat between them.

Henry was so gentle! She'd told Sigrid of the times Walter had raped her. That monster had not been gentle! She never knew sex could be so tender! She smiled down at her gentle giant, sleeping peacefully.

She moved off the bed and lifted the sheet to look beneath. She grinned as she saw Henry had also enjoyed it. She would need to change the sheets.

Curious, she reached under the sheet to gently run a fingertip through the pool of cum on the hard muscles of Henry's stomach. Sigrid said she was supercharged by this.

Without a second thought, she dragged her fingers through the mess and scooped it up. Then, she stuck them in her mouth and sucked them clean. As she swallowed, the Wild Magic surged through her body, lightning branching out in all directions. Her head snapped up, and she stumbled back from the bed as every cell in her body sucked in the energy. Tingling became trembling, then shaking. She screamed silently as her vision began to fill with white light and terror shot through her as she recalled her blindness in Walter's domain.
She ran from the room and leapt up the stairs to get to the room Sigrid gave to her. She threw herself onto her bed as her muscles began to cramp and stretch. Her bones felt like they were on fire as her body continued to shake like it was going to vibrate apart and explode into sparks simultaneously. Her ears filled with the swooshing roar of her blood rushing through her veins as her heart beat faster and faster. She pulled a pillow over her face and screamed her terror into it.

Sigrid! She needed Sigrid to save her but her head filled with static, and she could no longer see anything beyond the flash of stars. She'd never find her phone now.

Whimpering, she prayed her curiosity hadn't killed her.

-=-

When Camila's door closed behind Nate, Roy turned towards Camila.

"Who are these external law firms approaching VRL?" he asked curiously.

"No one we're seriously entertaining the idea of using. She needed to believe it," Camila smirked.

He shrugged then grinned. "So is it my turn to show what Henry's little gift has done to me?"

Camila's eyes lit up as she smiled at him. "What? What changes did you experience?" she asked excitedly.

His grin turned wicked as he stood to move to the spot Nate did his big reveal. He dropped his glamor, and both women sucked in a surprised gasp as they stared wide-eyed at his new form.

"Oh my god, Roy! You look fierce!" Camila gasped. "I mean, you were fierce before but this... it's a completely new level!"

Sigrid was frozen, staring at him in surprise. When he switched back, he held her eyes. "Well?"

She gave herself a little shake. "My instincts were screaming at me to launch an attack. I've never seen a lycanthrope with such... aggressive offensive capabilities. The changes aren't just cosmetic, are they."

Roy smiled. "No, they're not. I'm stronger than before. My teeth and claws are sharper and harder. There are drawbacks, though it took me some time to find them. While it was exceptionally difficult to talk in my previous Were form, now it's impossible. I think my mental aggression has been boosted too as it's harder to control. In a real fight, I'm going to have to be extra careful to restrain my impulse from killing.

His friends frowned at that.

"Healing?" Sigrid asked.

"At least fifty percent faster."

"How many times did you stab yourself to calculate that?" Camila asked with a raised eyebrow.

Roy looked a little defensive. Sigrid snorted.

Camila stood and walked around her desk. She leaned in and scented Roy. She locked eyes with Sigrid. "Wild Magic. He's linked to the new realm."

Sigrid nodded. "Like you, he still has his glamor. Marisa is the only one who's lost hers so far-"

"She overdosed!" Camila insisted.

Sigrid nodded. "Exactly. The Wild Magic is stronger than old realm magic, but in reasonable doses, it adapts old realm spells to be powered by the new energy. Roy's glamor lost the Fae transition when it's dropped. Yours too." Camila's answering smile was very satisfied.

The tall blond looked critically at Roy, and his eyebrows went up. "What?"

"With this change, would you say you've evolved or regressed?" she asked.

"What?!? What kind of question is that? Evolved!" he barked in annoyance.

Her critical look remained. "Physically, I'll admit you've become Lycanthrope 2.0, but mentally you're making it sound more like a regression to a more aggressive, less balanced state."

Roy frowned at her explanation, but he looked like he was unable to argue the point.

Camila's smile dropped. "Shit! Has anyone other than us seen your new state?"

Roy nodded to her cautiously. "Two of my crew, Rick Santos and Billy Cooper. The ones you ordered to bring me home."

"Shit!" Sigrid said, her mind leaping to the same place Camila's had already gone. "Did they see who you were helping before you passed out?"

Roy was getting annoyed. "I assume so! They were there! What are you two on about?"

"They know you're an evolved form of Werewolf and they know how to make it happen for themselves," Camila said.

Roy's face dropped. "Excuse me."

He immediately made his way to the door and left the office quickly.

Sigrid watched him go then noticed someone missing from the outer office. "Where's Nate?" she murmured.

"Felix? Where did Nate go?" Camila called out.

Her assistant walked in with the piece of paper which he handed to Sigrid. "He made a call and seemed rather upset afterward. He rushed out after leaving the note." He nodded then went back to his desk, closing the door behind himself.

"He's gone to see his friend Jo Hart," Sigrid read.

Camila frowned. "Is he ok out there on his own? I'm still feeling a little paranoid. Have we accounted for everyone trying to get him last night?"

Sigrid frowned. "I think so, though they never recovered the body of OIetha's partner. The police have divers in the water at the marina. She fell off the dock into the water after Henry crashed her through the dock's gatehouse."

Camila's eyes widened. "She bit Henry!"

Sigrid immediately picked up how bad that could be. "She looked unconscious when she fell into the water. Could she have survived?" she asked.

Camila picked up her phone. "Felix, please forgive the rude question but, your family, good swimmers or sinkers?" She paused, and her eyes went to Sigrid with dread. "Ah, thank you. Could you order a car and contact Roy and have him meet us in front of the building? Thanks." She hung up as she stood.

"Good swimmers then," Sigrid sighed getting up to follow.

"Experts," she said, opening her door. "Felix, please reschedule my afternoon appointments to tomorrow."

He nodded to her. "Mr. Duncan asked for you to text him the address and he will join you as soon as he can."

She thanked her assistant then she and Sigrid made their way down to the lobby and out to the waiting car. Sigrid gave the address and asked the driver to get there as quickly as he could.

Sigrid fired off the text to Roy then rolled the issue around in her mind as she watched the scenery out the window. If Oletha's partner had survived, there's no reason to believe she'd stick around. But if she did, if she were out for revenge for what happened to her friend, they'd all be in trouble if she'd been changed by Henry's blood too.

She turned her head to look at Camila. "Are you back up to full strength?"

Camila must have been thinking along the same lines as her eyes showed her unease. "No, I doubt I'm even half. Nate was a delightful lover, and he's linked to the same source of magic, but Henry is far more potent. How about you?"

"I still have plenty of energy but thinking about what we may be facing, I'd feel better if we were both at our peak." Sigrid sighed.

Camila nodded. "Roy had better hurry."

-=-

Rick Santos accepted the towel filled with ice cubes and gently placed it against his swollen eye. "Shit!" he hissed.

"Tell me again what happened with Billy before he hit you," Roy said as they sat in the privacy of his office.

Rick glanced at his boss. "I got in early this morning and found him clearing out his locker. He was all jittery and mumbling to himself. I called his name, and he almost jumped out of his skin. He screamed at me for spooking him. I asked him what he was doing, and he said he was getting out before things got heavy. I asked him what he meant, and he looked at me like I was nuts. He said you'd changed and that changed everything. I... might have called him a coward. Then he hit me with a club he pulled from his locker."

Roy stared at his subordinate grimly. "What the hell spooked him so much?"

Rick held up his free hand. "I have no idea. He seemed to be trying so hard to fit in, and he was bonding with us. Then after what we saw last night, he was so shaken up. I've never seen him this upset. On the way back to the office last night I heard him mumble something that sounded like unfair."

Roy watched Rick. Billy's reaction to Roy's new state was odd, but Rick seemed fine. "Shit."

Rick glanced curiously at Roy. "So... was it Henry's blood that... boosted you?"

"I'm going to say this once. Henry's not to be touched. The lad's surrounded by more chaos and pain than I've seen anyone carry. The Hidden Races Council circles him like vultures. They've classified all information about him as top secret. Transgressions will received the severe punishments, possibly death. A second group I cannot mention is also protecting him for their own selfish needs. I can't stress this enough. For your safety, keep what you've seen to yourself and keep your lips shut. I need to deal with Billy now."

Rick scowled savagely. "I want to be there to see it."

Roy couldn't stop his answering grin. He liked Rick. He was one of his original pack members from way back. As dependable as they came. He glanced down at the file on his desk. "You up for a visit to Billy's?"

"Yes!" Rick growled in delight.

With a nod, Roy stood, and they exited his office to stop by the security desk. Roy passed along instructions to immediately send a team of three to the address Sigrid sent him. He'd text her on the way to Billy's. He hoped the bastard was still there as he had a few questions.

He needed Billy to explain his actions.

Chapter 21

Henry was floating high above the earth again. He watched the globe spin slowly by beneath him and was awed by its beauty. Here and there he saw flashes of lightning leaping through the clouds, and after a while, he began to see a difference in how the lightning moved in some storms. A few storms seemed to be directing where the bolts went. He never saw their fingers of electricity spreading horizontally. Always channeled down the side of the thunderheads to strike the ground, the ocean surface, or another nearby thunderhead. Their bolts were wider as well, blue-white beams of supercharged energy.

He moved closer to a couple of these 'battling clouds' over the plains in the middle of... Kansas? From this high up, Henry's ability to tell where exactly he was, was poor at best. He saw they were over farmland and in the far distance to the south he saw the signs of a small town, still enjoying the sunlight.

He moved closer to the clouds and watched them rumble at each other, pushing and straining to force their opponent down, unsuccessfully. They were both truly enormous but seemingly an even match. Henry was awestruck by their majesty. Something silver and incredibly fast shot past the edge of one of the clouds and Henry's attention was pulled away to follow the dot as it curved in a long arc that would bring it around to make another pass.

It was an air force jet! Maybe an F-15! Henry wasn't skilled at identifying jets and planes, but it was exciting to watch. He wondered what it would be like to be inside the cockpit.

Light blurred with motion, and suddenly Henry was looking over the shoulder of the pilot at his controls. He yelped.

The pilot jerked in his seat.

Henry could hear a muffled droning sound, but he couldn't make out any words. The pilot was speaking to someone, and they were responding but what they were saying was mush to him.

The jet banked sharply and began to rush back towards the two behemoth's battling in the sky. Henry fought back the urge to whoop with excitement. This was the coolest dream he'd ever had!

Then the pilot prepared to fire on the clouds.

Henry frowned. That felt wrong. Looking at their massive size, it also felt bloody stupid. Like a wasp harassing a whale.

"No," Henry said.

The pilot jerked in his seat again and squeezed the trigger for a small burst, raking the north side of both clouds.

More droning but with sharper tones as the pilot seemed to be arguing with the person on the other end.

The clouds suddenly changed course and began moving rapidly in a southerly direction, towards the town.

The pilot removed his finger from the trigger for his guns and turned the jet on its side as he arced away from the two combatants. Henry sighed quietly to himself and enjoyed the ride. He was mesmerized by how real it all seemed yet how surreal it felt.

The jet was climbing, and Henry realized they were coming back at the towering clouds from the west at altitude. He glanced down and saw the clouds had covered a surprising amount of ground while they turned and climbed. The town wasn't more than a few miles south from them at this point. Henry looked at the rows of buildings and smiled at what looked to him like a sleepy little prairie town. The biggest structure appeared to be a small football stadium at the northern edge and-

The sound of the guns firing spooked Henry and he turned his attention forward to witness the high powered rounds once more tearing into the north flank of both giants. The jet was going to pass by right next to the two in a few seconds. The air before the jet began to glow with a blue-white light.

Henry knew what came next and they were about to fly directly into the bolts of plasma. He threw his hands forward as the air ahead of them ripped apart in the plasma beam. In the fraction of a second, before they hit the beam, space before them ripped open in a prismatic burst of colors.

And they were gone.

-=-

"What do you mean he's disappeared from radar? Did he crash? Did the pilot eject? His only target was some bloody clouds!" Colonel Devlin barked at the flight controller.

Airforce Lieutenant Colonel Michaels frowned at his visitor. "You indicated to me that they weren't clouds," he said, pitching his voice for the two of them to hear.

"Yes, yes, technically they aren't, but they haven't shown any offensive capabilities to date. Certainly, nothing that should have caused your pilot any issues." Devlin growled. "I need eyes on the scene."

"Senior Airman Greer is approaching the last known coordinates of Major Thomas," the flight controller said as she tracked the second pilot on the radar.

"Command, this is Greer. No sign of the Major or any indication of wreckage in the surrounding area," the pilot's voice said over the radio.

"Standard sweep, airman."

"Yes, sir. I'm coming around. Uh, there's a major storm to the south, over the small town- SHIT-" the pilot gasped then the signal cut off with a sharp squelch.

"Airman Greer. What's your situation!" Michaels called out.

There was nothing but static bursting from the radio.

The flight controller looked back over her shoulder in shock. "Pilot down." She looked at the Lieutenant Colonel. "Sir, that noise at the end. It had the same wave signature as an EMP. A very large one."

Devlin locked eyes with the flight controller. That was something he was waiting for ever since he received the leaked report from China. He turned to Michaels. "My troops will take over the investigation from the ground now. Thank you for the assist."

He turned and briskly walked from the room, leaving the Lieutenant Colonel sputtering.

Once he got outside, he called his team as he climbed into the back of his personnel carrier. They were underway immediately, heading back to the base.

"Gordon, ready the troops. We may have a containment situation on our hands. Full hazmat. Be ready to roll in fifteen."

"Acknowledged."

Devlin smiled to himself as he hung up. It was good to have his old team back. Minus a few weaklings. Gordon Crane was a damn good soldier and ran a tight unit. Devlin had worked with the First Lieutenant on several ops including his last one, and Gordon was still punishing himself for how that one ended. If that made him more vigilant on this one, all the better.

He still had no idea where these cloud-like creatures were coming from, but he now knew they were showing up all over the globe. The only clue they had were some still images they'd received from the EPA. They seemed to show the clouds appearing spontaneously out of thin air with a burst of color. They were becoming a liability for aviation though there hadn't been another case of a commercial airplane striking one. Some near misses but no more than the usual near misses between planes.

He'd lied to the Air Force Lieutenant Colonel. He was aware of the creature's offensive capabilities. They could somehow produce and direct extremely powerful lightning. They also appeared to have other abilities.

The leaked report he'd read on his recent visit to Washington was about a new entity in China. The document mentioned a brief yet abnormally intense storm, and a localized EMP before the entity appeared. It was a man made of a glass-like substance, but it moved. Due to an overly excited soldier, they now knew the entity wasn't brittle but was able to deflect bullets without any visible damage. Not even a scratch!

And the Chinese government had exclusive access to him.

During the briefing with his contacts in Washington, they'd expressed their concerns with this imbalance. He reviewed the details from the Chinese report and indicated he might be able to resolve it. They didn't ask him how. They just said to make it so.

When Devlin arranged to have the air force pilot fire on the two specimens he'd located above those rural cornfields he suspected they might respond with equal violence. Injured, they should also move away from the attack, towards the town.

The flight controller's comment about the EMP was what he'd been waiting for. It meant those creatures were doing their lightning thing.

The Colonel would take his team to that small prairie town and lock it down. If he found what he suspected he might, it would bring balance back to the world. The idea that the Chinese government had something they might exploit against the US didn't sit well with him. It didn't sit well with his friends in Washington either.

His country needed him to act, so he made it happen.

-=-

Ikehorn sat in the back of the surveillance van just up the street from the brownstone containing his quarry. They knew the Satyr was involved in the mess at the marina and became injured. Queen Mab had not appreciated hearing that news. Her rage had been terrifying. Now, his team was charged with ensuring no harm came to the Satyr while they watched him.

They had no visibility to the inside of the residence, but they were watching the front and back exits.

The Valkyrie left this morning, and there'd been no activity since. Ikehorn wondered if the Satyr was well enough to take care of himself as he'd been alone for hours.

He was tempted to put on a disguise and ring the doorbell to see if their target would answer.

Instead, he just sat back and waited.

Their tedium was finally interrupted when a black SUV rushed up the street and stopped before the Valkyrie's brownstone. Two large men exited and looked up and down the street. Ikehorn knew they wouldn't see him in the shielded van.

"Who are these men?" he asked and Deslin, the Fae operating the computer in the back of the van, captured their faces from the video feed and ran a facial recognition routine on them. As the computer searched, Ikehorn watched them climb the stairs. They didn't knock or press the bell. One was concentrating on the door while the other scanned his eyes up and down the street. They were breaking in!

"No matches. Unknown," Deslin exclaimed.

"This is not a sanctioned visit. We're going to have to stop them," Ikehorn said eagerly.

Deslin was more of a tech than a field agent, so he wasn't excited about the prospect of confronting these men. "They look like they're combat trained. We're not-" Seeing Ikehorn's glare he amended that statement. "I'm not combat trained."

"Queen Mab wants the Satyr kept safe. You passed firearm training, or they'd never let you join a field team. Bring extra clips," Ikehorn instructed as he checked the spare clips for his gun. He saw the two men slip inside the front door.
Ikehorn contacted their teammate guarding the back door. "Heathlane."

"Yes?"

"We have two unknown men infiltrating the house from the front and one waiting in their vehicle. Any activity in the back?"

"All quiet."

Ikehorn moved to the back door of the van as Deslin checked his gun and spare clips. "I prefer using magic," the Fae grumbled, and Ikehorn scowled at him as he touched his mic.

"Heathlane, watch the back door. Don't let them get by you."

"Right."

Ikehorn looked to Deslin who nodded his readiness. The mission leader picked up a small puck-like disk. "I'm going to put a stunner on their truck. That should take care of the driver but if not, be ready."

Activating his glamor, he chose the plumber disguise to match their van. Deslin did the same then they exited the back door.

The driver of the waiting SUV saw two older gentlemen walking up the sidewalk carrying tool boxes. He watched them for a bit, but they seemed harmless.

As they reached the side of the SUV, Ikehorn activated the stunner's magnet and tossed it against the driver's door. The waiting driver had his hand on the window's edge and took the shock through his body as the SUV stalled. He slumped forward. Ikehorn trotted up the stairs to the front door as Deslin kept an eye on the unconscious brute behind the wheel. Then he joined Ikehorn at the top. They peeked in the door's window, but the coast appeared clear.

They shared a look then slipped inside, dropping their glamors. There was no need to hide their identities inside.

-=-

"Shit! Roy's not going to join us. He's sending some of his people instead. He's dealing with a potential sleeper agent in his team who knows about Henry," Sigrid said as she read the text.

Camila frowned, but she understood that Roy needed to deal with that issue first. She wished she'd had time to recharge from Henry. But he was healing so...

Her frown deepened as she realized just how much she'd come to rely on his energy. Never before in her life had one source of food taken on this much significance! Sigrid had questioned her before about her appetite for Henry. Maybe she was right. Maybe she was addicted to his energy. She'd have to hit a nightclub to ensure Human sources still worked for her. That was a worrying thought.

"It'll be ok. I didn't use too much energy last night," Sigrid said, misinterpreting her friend's expression.

Camila forced the frown from her face and smiled at Sigrid.

They rode on in silence until they arrived at the small apartment building.

Sigrid came out of her daze with a guilty smile. "So, what's the plan? How do we explain chasing Nate over here?"

Camila smiled. "The truth, or a piece of it. One of the two people reported having been after Nate is on the loose and we heard he was upset when he left the office. We'll offer them both a safe place to be until they find Chantelle."

Sigrid's eyebrows went up. "Where is this safe place?"

Camila shrugged. "With us to begin. That's what I was hoping Roy would be able to offer."

"Do we wait for the security team?" Sigrid asked.

Camila shook her head. "No. Let's go."

As they walked towards the front door, Sigrid scanned the rooftops and alleys for signs of attack.

Camila knew her friend was vigilant, so she concentrated on what she was going to say to convince the Human to leave her home without raising any questions.

She hoped she was in a reasonable mood.

-=-

"Where the hell were you?!?" Jo yelled at Nate.

He stood helplessly in front of his friend, worried about her current state of mind. She wasn't acting like herself at all, and he was terrified she'd been harmed. Physically, she showed no signs of injury, aside from slightly puffy eyes from crying. No bruises or abrasions on her petite, curvy body. It was the absence of her usual sunny disposition that was worrisome. He understood she'd been frightened, but his assurances and apologies seemed to be falling on deaf ears. Again, not like her.

Everything he'd heard about this council made him suspect they'd hurt his friend mentally. There was also the possibility that the one who 'collected her' hurt her. He was trying to get Jo to tell him what happened to her the previous night but all she wanted was information on him.

"I told you. I met this girl at a club, and she said she had a lead on a job so I went to speak with them but then I heard about Oletha so I-"

"You couldn't call?" she blurted angrily.

He blinked at her interruption. "I- I told you, I lost my cell. I was trying to make a good impress-"

There was a firm knock on the door, and Nate caught Jo's twitch and the slightly haunted look in her eyes. He went to the door. "Who is it?"

"Camila Villamor and Sigrid Gunderan."

Nate opened the door to stare in surprise at the two women standing in the hall. Sigrid was scanning both ends of the hall with her eyes. The hair on the back of his neck stood up to see her on guard in a place he thought of as a haven.

"What- what are you doing here?" he asked.

"May we come in?" Camila asked.

He nodded then stepped back turning to look at Jo who was staring wide-eyed at the two beautiful women entering her apartment. She immediately wiped at her eyes and tried to neaten her hair.

Nate locked the door and made the introductions. "Jo, these are the women who have a lead on the job for me, Camila Villamor and Sigrid Gunderan." She nodded with a jerky movement.

"Why are they here?" Jo asked nervously, her eyes flickering back to Nate.

Sigrid gave the petite woman a gentle smile and spoke before Camila could. "Our apologies for intruding. Nate made a great impression with us during the interview. When we heard about his troubles with this artist Oletha, we wanted to help. It's our understanding Oletha's partner is still at large-"

"CHANTELLE!" Jo blurted loudly, and her eyes rolled back as she began to fall.

Camila blurred across the distance to catch her and gently eased her down on the couch. She scented the woman's breath. "Someone drugged her, more than one substance." She gently touched her temples and closed her eyes. A frown crossed her lips. "Someone also pushed a suppression compulsion on her mind. Not too gently."

Nate snarled, but his anger swung to dread. "Did they damage her?"

Camila smiled and shook her head. "No, I can fix this. The drugs will have to work their way through her system. They will completely flush in a day or two." She closed her eyes again and began to ease the compulsion from the woman's mind.

"This Chantelle terrified her in some way," Sigrid said.

"She's still alive?" Nate asked.

Sigrid held his eyes and spoke quietly. "There is a good chance of that. A good deal of Henry's blood was on her mouth. You understand how Siobhan changed when you and she were together? Chantelle may have experienced a larger change. Or she might have drowned, but we have reason to believe that didn't happen.

Nate looked anxiously back to Jo. "So, why are you two here?"

"We'd like to move the two of you to a more secure location," she answered.

Nate's eyes widened. "Which is?"

"With us, until we can get an answer from Roy, who's dealing with some fallout from last night," Sigrid concluded.

"I'm going to bring her back to the surface. It was safer for me to remove the blockage and dull the intensity of the memories so they'll feel hazy and like a bad dream. I don't want to do more until I hear from her what she recalls from before being drugged. I can blank the memories if her mind can't find a rationalization to help her accept them but I'd rather not, as a gap often causes obsessive reactions," Camila explained.

Nate looked at her with surprise. "Am I going to be able to do that?"

Camila smirked. "Incubi talents are more... coercive." She stood and gestured for Nate to take her spot. "She'll need the familiar when she wakes."

He sat on the couch with Jo's head on his lap while Camila rejoined Sigrid. "Stroke her hair. That will bring her back to awareness," she said.

He ran his fingers through her hair, and she began to stir. Nate smiled as one slowly appeared on his friend's lips.

"Mmmm... Bev?"

Nate's smile faded as he heard her sigh the name. Bev. The woman Jo should have married and grown old with. Instead, Jo pushed her aside to follow Nate's pattern of one night stands.

It was like a sudden slap in the face. It was clear to him now. He may not have warped Jo's personality with a physical relationship, but he could no longer deny the truth of how he'd poisoned his best friend's attitude towards relationships because he needed her. For purely selfish reasons. He'd watched her throw away the one thing he now knew he would never have. He wondered if it was too late.

"Nate? What- what's wrong? Why are you crying?" Jo asked as she looked up at him.

He just shook his head and wiped his eyes as he couldn't begin to express his remorse for what he'd done to her. He would make it up to her somehow.

Jo sat up and jolted when she saw the two women standing before them. Then the memories slipped back to the surface. "What happened? Did I faint?"

"It's ok. It happens. You've been through a shock? Can you recall what happened to you last night?" Camila asked, prompting her to think back.

Jo frowned. "I got home last night. Someone was waiting on the stairs. Chantelle! The hot model from the art gallery last year! I- she-" A deeper frown appeared. "She grabbed my arm. It hurt! Then she-" Her hand went to the side of her neck. "She stuck a needle in me!" She looked around her apartment. "I- woke up on the couch. The TV was on, and the news was showing the story of that artist and how she was dead on a yacht."

Sigrid stepped forward and knelt before Jo and held her eyes with compassion showing in hers. "As Chantelle hasn't shown up on the police's radar yet, we'd like to put you up in a safer place. You should pack clothes for a few days in a suitcase. Your toiletry items too," Sigrid suggested as she glanced at the late afternoon rays of sunlight coming in the windows. They needed to get moving. She also wanted to get back to Henry.

Jo looked at Nate, and he nodded to her. She carefully got to her feet and made her way into her bedroom to pack.

Nate stood to do the same in his bedroom but paused when Camila touched his hand.

"Are you ok?" she asked.

"We'll talk later," he said and moved to the bedroom.

Camila watched him go with a sad little frown. She looked to Sigrid who was standing at the window. She saw her friend wave to someone outside and give a thumbs up.

Sigrid looked to her. "The security team is here." She pulled her cell out to quickly check in with Meixiu to see how Henry was doing. She hit send and watched the screen with a smile. Meixiu got such a thrill from receiving them and always responded instantly- except this time. Her smile dimmed. The second text failed to get a response, so she tried calling her cell. No answer. Odd. Very odd.

She called her home number, and no one answered. The hairs on the back of her neck began to stand up. "Something's wrong at home." Camila gave her a questioning look. "Meixiu isn't answering texts or the phones. That doesn't happen."

Camila took out her cell and pulled up Roy's number. Henry's immediate safety took precedence over chasing down a leak in his department.

She stared at Sigrid as a sudden thought struck. What if- what if Roy's leak was involved with what was happening at Sigrid's? "Get that security team up here. They can take Nate and Jo to the Four Seasons in Manhattan. I'll book them adjoining rooms, and our security team can watch over them there. We need to get back to your place now!" Sigrid nodded and left the apartment.

"Nate!" Camila called out.

He stepped out of his bedroom immediately. "What? What's happened?"

Camila shook her head as Jo poked her head out of the door to her room. "Nothing. Sigrid is bringing the security team upstairs. She and I have to go. The team will take you two to the Four Seasons in Manhattan. I'll book you rooms there until the police settle the issue with Chantelle."

He blinked at her in surprise. "Oh! Ok." He traded a glance with Jo who was staring at him as if he'd just announced being the winner of the Power Ball Lottery. "Ok with you?"

"Yes!" she blurted.

Camila nodded and went to the door when she heard a knock. "Who's there?"

"Sigrid."

She opened the door and entered with one of the security team. The other two were in the hallway keeping watch.

Sigrid made the introductions. "Nate, Jo, this is Allan. He and his friends in the hall will take you to the hotel." They nodded to the large man.

Camila stepped forward. "My apologies for not taking you there ourselves but feel free to order room service and enjoy the amenities the hotel has to offer."

With a final nod, Camila and Sigrid headed out. Camila immediately called the hotel and booked two adjoining rooms on VRL's account. They rushed across the yard and jumped into the back of their waiting SUV. They pulled away from the curb.

A dark blue van pulled out and followed, unseen.

In the tailing vehicle, Chantelle smiled. She knew if she staked out the little blond bitch's apartment the Incubus would show up. She'd planned on making him name the bitches responsible for Oletha's death. She hadn't expected them to show up too! When the Succubus and the Valkyrie rushed out of the building, she had a choice. Stay and deal with the three Werewolves before killing the Incubus or follow the departing SUV and see where it took her. Maybe she could get the brute who changed her too.

Not that she minded her new Were-form. It was significantly stronger and much deadlier.

No, the problem was, in the change she'd lost her glamor. She'd had to resort to physically changing to her Human-form. That was something glamors made redundant for Were-beings. Physically transitioning between the two forms was excruciatingly painful! She hadn't had to do it since she was a child during her emergency training drills. God, she'd hated those!

Worse, switching from Human to Were required an immediate meal to compensate for the energies lost in the transition.

She heard whimpering from the back of the van and looked over her shoulder at the van's owner, bound and gagged.

Her meal for when she became a Werepanther again.

Soon.

Chapter 22

Roy was struggling to contain his frustration. He and Rick had arrived to find Billy's house surrounded by police cars. That didn't bode well for them being able to have a quiet talk with the man.

The quiet neighborhood had drawn a crowd of gawkers. As he walked closer to the police line, Roy overheard a few residents complaining that this is what happens when a house is rented out instead of lived in by the owner. He figured Billy had been renting as owning one of these small homes was probably beyond his means- unless he was also collecting a paycheck from someone else.

They spoke to one of the officers at the police tape and were guided over to speak to a detective. The large man in a dark blue suit turned to look at them with a frown. The expression froze when he saw it was Roy.

"Good afternoon, Detective Harmon. It's been a while," Roy said watching the man's left eye tick. He'd lost weight, but it didn't look good on him. In general, he wasn't looking too healthy. Roy picked up the scent of alcohol, rum maybe. Another bad sign for another victim of the witch's manipulation. He knew Camila had tried her best to limit the damage, but the shocks must have gone too deep into his mind.

"What- how are you involved in this?" Harmon struggled to say calmly.

"Billy Cooper worked for me at VRL. He quit this morning, but I never had a chance to make an exit interview. We came to speak to him."

Harmon swallowed and looked away. "Well, you're out of luck. He won't be giving any more interviews."

Roy frowned. "He's dead?"

Harmon looked Roy in the eye, then as quickly looked away. "Happens when you're strung up like he was."

"He hung himself? I wouldn't have taken him for the type to commit suicide," Roy said softly.

The detective looked at Roy sharply. "It's a fucking mess in there. That was NO suicide!"

"Easy detective," Roy said gently.

"NO! DON'T! YOU... PEOPLE... AT VRL, DON'T-"

"HARMON! What the FUCK!"

They turned to see an older detective storming up to them, red-faced.

"Get back to the station! I knew it was a mistake taking you back out into the field," the gruff man scolded then looked to Roy as Harmon walked stiffly back to his car. Roy saw Harmon's hands tremble and felt sorry for him.

"Who the hell are you?" the detective asked.

"Roy Duncan. Billy worked for me as in-house security at VRL Investments. Until this morning, when he quit," he said quietly

"You're here now because?" the old man growled as he scribbled in his pad.

"Billy never gave an exit interview."

The detective snorted. "Listen, if we have any questions we'll come find you. For now, the investigation is ongoing, and this is an active crime scene. Get behind the police tape."

Roy nodded and led Rick back to the tape and they ducked under it. Roy sighed and looked to the other man. "You live nearby, don't you?"

That drew a smile from Rick as his boss had remembered. "Just a few blocks west of here."

Roy nodded. "Why don't you head home. Take the rest of the day off. Don't worry. I won't tell the boss."

Rick grinned. "Thanks!" He turned and walked away before Roy changed his mind.

An older woman approached and plucked at Roy's sleeve. He turned to look at her. He immediately picked up the scent of tea, shortbread cookies, and a cat- maybe more than one. She was maybe in her early seventies and dressed like a suburban grand-mom.

"Dearie, did that man say it was suicide?" she asked and his ears picked up the subtle Scottish accent. He smiled as he shook his head. She took this as permission to ramble on. "Well, there was a suicide not a week ago just three doors down! A police officer shot himself in front of his wife! The Carstens. Such a nice couple! She's a policewoman! I heard some officers saying Jeff confronted Mary and her lover. The officers who came to investigate all thought it was murder, but there's no way Mary would do such a thing. You can tell about people! You can see in their eyes if they're capable of such evil-"

"Did you know the young fella who lived here?" Roy jumped in, and she smiled at his accent as well.

"I only saw him come and go. The two who visited him today were frightening. They looked the type to have murder in their hearts," the woman said.

"Tell me more!" Roy said with a smile. He needed to ensure the woman didn't offer this information to the detective. If he could distract her long enough, then the shitty detective would be on his way.

The woman's eyes twinkled in delight. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"That sounds delightful! Lead on," he said with a smile.

The woman paused. "Do you like cats?"

"I love them... but, they never seem too fond of me," he gave her an unhappy look, and she patted his arm to comfort him.

"Cats are most mysterious creatures. Their whims are not for the likes of us to discern," the woman said with a smile as she led him across the street to the house two doors over.

Mary Carsten watched them leave from where she'd stood, resting back comfortably against a tree. Helen was such a busybody but otherwise, a sweet old woman.

When the detective had identified the big man was from VRL, she started paying attention. She'd learned Henry Gable also worked at VRL. They'd gotten him out of jail the night she of her suspension. She saw the paperwork before she left.

Now here they were in her neighborhood once more.
She liked Henry and had a good feeling in her gut about him. She couldn't see him mixed up in anything shady. That said, she was going to keep an eye on the big redhead.

She just had to keep her eyes open. Damn fatigue.

-=-

Two large men stood next to the bed and stared at the creature lying on it. Ram horns. Furry lower half with goat's legs and cloven hooves. Big. Naked and it smelled like sex. The men glanced uneasily at each other.

It must have been drugged as it didn't wake up when they entered the room or when they poked it. It was breathing shallowly, and its pupil responded very slowly when they lifted an eyelid.

One of the men pulled a large antique syringe from a leather pouch on his hip and shoved it into one of the veins on the Satyr's thick arm. He drew the blood until the syringe was full. When he pulled the needle out, the spot began to bleed.

"Shit! He's bleeding!" the other announced, earning a scowl.

"Give me a second!" the one with the syringe growled as he reached for the bandage in his pocket. They froze as a tiny spot of green light appeared over the injury and the hole sealed up. The light winked out then reappeared on the Satyr's shoulder, spreading over the entire area of damage there, like a dim green fog. The men shared uneasy looks.

A cell phone began ringing, and they froze. When it stopped, and they heard nothing, they sighed. Then the home phone rang, and they froze once more. Still no noise.

"OK, time to leave," the first said as the syringe went back into the leather case. The other one ran for the door. He got to the top of the stairs and surprised two Fae quietly climbing the steps. With a snarl, he dropped his glamor and dove at them. The front Fae jumped to the right over the banister, grabbing it to keep from falling. The second Fae got off only one shot, but it caught the leaper between the eyes and passed through his brain. He still crashed into the Fae, taking him down the stairs to land in a pile at the landing. They slammed against the drywall, punching a huge dent in it.

Ikehorn heaved himself back over the banister and rushed upwards to face a Werewolf in midleap. It raked Ikehorn's cheek with its claws and drove its knee into the side of the Fae's head as it passed over him.

Kicking off the wall, the Were grabbed the bannister to swing out into the open space and dropped ten feet onto a small table in the hall below. The furniture splintered under his weight and he sprawled on the floor with a loud grunt.

Shaking off the bad landing, he pushed himself up, grabbed the body of its fallen teammate, now back in its glamor, and sprinted towards the back door. Rounds from Ikehorn's gun hit the body draped over his shoulder, but one grazed his calf. He engaged his glamor as he crashed through the back door, knocking another Fae over the railing of a small deck onto the bricks below. He leapt down and scaled the back wall to heave himself over it. Their SUV was rushing down the alley towards him. He threw the body in the back seat and crawled in after it, slamming the door. He glanced at his driver who looked a little singed. "DRIVE!"

They sped away as he checked the hard leather case on his belt.

Due to a broken clasp the syringe was no longer inside. "FUCK!"

His boss wasn't going to be pleased that he'd lost one of his pack to a team of Fae. He would be arriving without the proof too. He contemplated telling the driver to head for the Canadian border.

It wouldn't be far enough.

Still, he had Billy's confession and the fact that the guy who changed Roy Duncan was a big goat man.

It would have to do.

-=-

Back inside the brownstone, Ikehorn climbed down the stairs and checked on Deslin.

"Am I dead?" the injured tech moaned.

"No, you did very well. Now, get up! We need to check on the Satyr. If it's dead, you may wish you died here on the stairs," Ikehorn scolded.

He helped Deslin to his feet and other than scrapes and bruises he seemed to be fine. Ikehorn's face was a screaming agony, but he pushed the pain aside. He had a mission for the Queen.

They climbed the stairs and entered the bedroom the Werewolves, he now knew, had exited. They moved to the bed and stared at the Satyr.

"Is it dead?" Deslin asked.

Ikehorn was staring at the dim green haze hovering over the injury on the Satyr's shoulder. Was that a good or bad thing? The side of the Satyr's face was swollen too, with a green glow over it. He tilted his ear over the Satyr's nose. "He's breathing but barely."

He pulled back, and Deslin stared at his face with wide eyes. "What?"

"The uh... green. It's on your face now too," Deslin pointed out as he took a step back.

Ikehorn realized his face didn't hurt as much now. Whatever. He reached over the Satyr and lifted an eyelid. Widely dilated pupils. "Maybe they drugged him."

"DON'T TOUCH HIM!"

Deslin jumped, grunted in pain, and dropped his gun which bounced under the bed. Ikehorn looked to the doorway and saw a tall, slim Chinese girl. Her skin was alabaster white, but her lips were crimson. Intense dark eyes focused on them, and he could feel his willpower drawing away.

"We are not here to harm," he said and felt that compulsion ease.

"Who caused the damage in the hallway?" the girl asked, slowly gliding forward.

Her movements were mesmerizing, so Ikehorn looked to the Satyr. "Two men broke into the house, and we followed them in, catching them coming out of this room. They attacked, and we defended ourselves." He pointed to the Satyr. "I don't know what they were doing in here, but the Satyr is under the influence of some drug. His breathing is slow and shallow. We need to call a healer."

She was beside the bed and looked to the green glow on Henry's shoulder. "What is this? Did you do this?"

"No, it was there when we came in. I moved too close, and now it's on my cheek," Ikehorn explained.

"It's all over you now," Deslin noted, taking another step away.

The ethereal beauty leaned over the Satyr with a worried look on her face.

"Henry? Wake up! Where are you?"

-=-

Henry was terrified. He'd finally realized that something was terribly wrong. He was no longer sure this was a dream. Maybe this was a hallucination from the drugs? It felt like a lucid dream. He wasn't sure what was happening, but he was sure there was no fucking way he could create a dream this bizarre on his own. When he realized he had some control, it was no longer fun to be flying in the jet as he felt responsible for the life of the other passenger in this dream, the pilot.

When they'd flown through the rift, for want of a better term, he felt an immediate surge of energy. It felt like he might pop like the largest Fourth of July firework in history. Instead, the energy just snapped and crackled along his nerves making him very lightheaded.

When he came back from that buzz, he saw the pilot was struggling to keep the jet in the air. They were in a vast cloud bank, but the pilot was hitting the denser sections as if he couldn't see them. They were blindingly obvious to Henry. He suddenly got the impression that they were in a giant factory or nursery for those cloud things!

They were rapidly approaching a huge, dense mass ahead yet the pilot showed no signs of turning, so Henry reached down and gently pushed the pilot's hands to the right. While the man resisted at first, he finally accepted the course change, and they narrowly missed the giant. Soon they were flying along smoothly, swooping side to side to avoid the fluffy obstacles in their way. The vibrations diminished, and the pilot seemed to relax.

When they suddenly burst free of the clouds, Henry gasped at the vista. The world was spread out before them, but it looked nothing like Earth. The sky above was yellow! The sun was reddish-orange and three times the size it should have been! The plants were all colored in tones of red. There were rivers of molten rock flowing below them in the direction they were flying and in the distance was a mountain range taller than anything seen on Earth.

Something huge and black was beating its wings to climb up to intercept the jet. In the nanosecond Henry had to decide, he pushed the stick forward, and the pilot squeezed the trigger. The black thing shredded into bits. As they fell back to the surface, bright yellow strings swooped in to devour them. The pilot pulled back on the stick.

A light began to flash on the instrument panel. Fuel. Shit.

The pilot began looking for a place to land below, but Henry looked up.

Rainbows. They winked into and out of existence above them. They had the same colors as the rift, but they were beginning to fade.

When the pilot moved the stick forward, Henry pulled back. He looked at the control for the thrust and pushed it forward. The pilot caught on and added extra speed as he centered the nose on their target. An alarm began to blare its dire warning.

Henry reached forward and grabbed the last collapsing rainbow and held it open with every bit of willpower he had. It twisted and bent in the grip of his will.

They punched through into blue skies and soon after heard the sharp tones of someone barking orders over their radio.

The pilot barked something happy sounding in return and made some course changes as he struggled to get the failing jet safely to the ground.

Henry heard something. "...where are you!" called a distant voice. Tugging.

Henry slammed back into his body, dragging along the energy he'd collected on the other side. His body arched up as it took a huge gasp of air. The green glow on his shoulder exploded like a flashbulb. Ikehorn's full body glow triggered next and when the light waves intersected two small arcs of lightning jumped from Henry's horns to strike Ikehorn. The flashes stunned the Fae and Meixiu, and they fell to the floor, dazed.

Deslin recovered first and immediately went to Ikehorn. He gasped as he looked at his unconscious partner. The facial wounds were gone! He looked younger than before!

"Ikehorn!"

The Fae opened his eyes and looked up at Deslin. Then he wondered why he was lying on his back. He stood up and immediately felt the difference. Nothing hurt.

"Your face! It's healed."

Frowning, he touched his injured cheek, and his eyebrows went up. The skin was whole and felt smooth and free of wrinkles. He saw the young woman move to Henry's side again. The Satyr was breathing deeply and smoothly once more. The wound on his shoulder was gone. So, the green light was a healing spell- Ikehorn's eyes widened in shock as he connected the dots. He needed to leave right now.

"We'll leave him to you," he said brusquely to the woman and dragged Deslin with him, only pausing for the agent to pick up his gun. They hurried down the stairs and saw a black SUV pull to a stop in front of the brownstone. It was the Valkyrie!

Ikehorn reversed direction and glanced down when his eye caught sight of something out of place. Quickly moving to the debris of the shattered table, he bent to pick up the pieces of an old glass syringe. There was blood on the floor where the syringe had been. Had the Werewolves been after the Satyr's blood? Why? He tucked the device in his jacket pocket and pulled Deslin to the back of the house and out the shattered back door. They found Heathlane dead, head tilted at an unnatural angle on the bricks below the patio. Ikehorn lifted the body onto his shoulder and pointed to the gate on the back wall. "Magic."

Deslin smiled and cracked the lock with a quickly whispered spell. They slipped out into the alley and rushed away in the shadows. Throwing their glamors back on, adjusted for the load Ikehorn was carrying. They circled the block to get back to the van and loaded the tools, actually Heathlane's body, into the back.

Ikehorn had to get to Queen Mab. She needed to know the Satyr was pulling the Global healing magic to him.

As Deslin drove, Ikehorn looked up and gasped softly. The Aurora Borealis? Visible above, even with light pollution of the city? It faded as he watched.

Many disturbing signs tonight.

-=-

As they got closer to Sigrid's home, they began to notice people out on the street looking and pointing up towards the sky. They rolled down their windows and stuck their heads out to look up. Both were stunned to see the northern lights overhead.

They pulled their heads in, closed the windows, and shared a look.

"Go faster!" Sigrid instructed the driver.

Minutes later they pulled to a stop before her home. Sigrid got out and headed for the stairs as Camila slid over to exit Sigrid's side of the truck.

The front door wasn't locked. The first danger sign. Next, she saw the smashed hall table with blood in the splinters. She could see her back door was missing. Something serious went down.

"Meixiu!" she called out.

"Sigrid!" came the reply from the top of the stairs.

As Sigrid watched in stunned surprise, a tall version of Meixiu danced down the staircase like her feet never touched the ground. She rushed up and flung herself against the larger woman's chest. Sigrid wrapped her arms around the trembling girl. "What happened to you?" she gasped.

Meixiu pulled back and gave her a guilty look. "I was with Henry. I sampled his essence. Too much of it. It changed me. It hurt, and I was frightened!" Then she waved her hands between them to ignore that as a delicate pink tone showed on her cheeks. "He is sleeping upstairs, but there was an attack in the house! Two men broke in and were after Henry. Two Fae followed them in and fought with them and drove them away."

"The Fae did that? Are they still here?" Sigrid asked carefully.

"No, they left just after Henry healed himself... and one of the Fae."

"WHAT?" Camila gasped from behind Sigrid who was blocking the doorway, subconsciously protecting her friend. "Sigrid, move inside!" Camila exclaimed in frustration. She pushed past the blond and gaped at the destruction. "Call in a cleaner team. I'm going up to see Henry!" she called out as she dashed up the stairs.

She found Henry asleep on the bed and after inspecting his chest, arms, and head for injuries, lifted the sheet to confirm everything was in working order down below as well.

"What are you doing?" Sigrid asked as she rushed in.

"Just making sure they didn't injure anything important," Camila insisted.

Sigrid rolled her eyes and made the call for the cleaners while Camila lifted an eyelid and took his scent.

"Someone drugged him!" she gasped. Looking to Meixiu, she frowned. "He's deeply unconscious. I don't know what those men gave him but what did you give him?"

Meixiu looked nervously between Sigrid and Camila. "I just gave him the pills from the bottle on the top shelf, as Sigrid instructed."

"Did I say top?" Sigrid asked while she tried to remember. "Wait! Did you give him my Oxycodone? How many?"

"Three," the young woman squeaked.

The two ladies glanced at each other and Sigrid shook her head. "He shouldn't have reacted this strongly to three. Loopy yes, but I don't think it should have knocked him unconscious." They watched him sleeping peacefully for a moment. "I'm sorry Meixiu. I should have just said the acetaminophen. We'll watch him tonight. He should come out of it soon. I'll take him to his place in the morning. He can go back to work the day after," Sigrid decided.

The doorbell rang, and Sigrid rushed away to answer it.

"The Fae, did they mention why they were watching the house?" Camila asked.

Meixiu shook her head. "I am grateful they were. I was upstairs becoming this," she gestured to her new body. "I could not see or hear, and my body was in such pain from growing. Then it was suddenly over, and I heard gunshots and crashing sounds. I couldn't walk properly as my body moves so oddly now. It took me time to get downstairs to this room. It was over when I arrived. The older Fae had a badly cut face but after Henry healed him the wounds were gone and he looked much younger! Henry's wounds were gone too!"

Camila was aware of Henry's link to the Fae's globe-spanning healing spell, but she couldn't mention it to Meixiu. Maybe Henry was learning how to use it for himself?

More concerning for her was the mystery men who broke in to get to Henry. She needed to know who they were. With a nod to Meixiu, she headed downstairs. The team was arriving with tools to do the physical repairs. The broken table debris was already gone, and the floor was mopped clean. She looked toward the back door and saw Sigrid talking to one of the workers. And Roy. She headed back there too.

"Roy? Where were you?" she barked.

The big man frowned as he turned to her. "One step behind, again."

Camila huffed as she looked into his troubled eyes. They couldn't talk while the workers were present. Her nose twitched, and she raised an exquisite eyebrow. "Do I smell cat?"

Roy nodded with a small smile. "Weirdest thing. I met some cats who like me. Maine Coons. They're huge! And fluffy!"

"You gonna get one?" Sigrid asked with a grin.

Roy put a casual expression on his face. "I'm not ruling out the possibility."

The lights suddenly went out when a transformer on a pole down the back alley exploded in sparks. All houses on the alley were now dark.

"Dammit! What now?" Sigrid growled.

Roy moved to the back door, and they saw his silhouette against the dim light from the next street over. He inhaled deeply. "Not a coincidence. We have company. It's another kind of feline. Get the workers out the front door. Protect Henry."

With that, Roy disappeared into the dark alley.

-=-

Mary parked her motorcycle at the end of the block. The vibration of the big bike on the ride had kept her awake, and surprisingly, she felt a little more alert.

She'd followed the redhead from Helen's place across town to this neighborhood of brownstones. Definitely moving up in the world. She watched him climb the stairs and head inside one of the homes, midway down the block.

She was about to head down the sidewalk when she caught a distinct sound. A scream began but suddenly choked off. Frowning, she looked back down the row of homes to memorize the location of the one he'd entered then she jogged down the lane to an alley that ran between the two rows of homes. Someone had parked a dark blue van a short distance up the alley, and it was bouncing oddly on its springs. Another stifled scream came from inside. That was a cry of pain!

She ran to the back of the van and pulled open the right door as the left had no external handle. A young man with a mop of hair and a thick beard tumbled out into her arms. She caught the terrified look in his eyes, the gag over his mouth, and his bindings. He tried screaming, but something inside the van yanked him from Mary's grip back into the shadows. His scream cut off with a gurgle and crunch.

Mary stumbled back from the door and narrowly avoided the left side smashing open. In the open doorway was something from a nightmare. Dense black fur, powerfully muscled, enormous fangs and claws, it was crouching in the back of the van staring at her. Its jaws dripped blood and bits of flesh. Its eyes were large and seemed to glow slightly with an inner light. The streetlight reflected oddly off the yellow irises.

Mary's mouth worked, but she couldn't speak as the creature unfolded itself as it stepped from the van. It couldn't be real. Was it an illusion or projection?

"Ugly fucker," Mary finally managed to gasp out then slammed against the brick wall on the opposite side of the alley to fall onto her back, staring at the sky. She hadn't even seen the slap coming. Any thought of that thing being an illusion was gone. She shivered as energy flowed back into her body. She didn't have time to think about that as the beast bent over to grab her leg. Frightened, she kicked it in the chin with all her might with her other foot. It grunted in pain as blood gushed from its mouth.
Mary crashed into the side panel of the van and the metal bent inwards deeply. She pushed herself free of the indent and was seized once more in the large clawed paws of the monster. The unreal nature of the moment struck her. She should have felt terrified, but instead, she was tingling with energy and struggling not to laugh with the sheer joy of how good she felt. She grinned at the face of the big cat monster. Then she slammed her forehead into its nose. It yanked its face back sharply, so Mary lifted both legs and kicked it in the chest, breaking its grip. She hit the ground and tried to get to her feet, but the beast pounced on her to pound on her with its closed fists, bouncing her head against the paving.

Struggling to keep her giggles under control, she gazed up at the monster which stared at her, confusion and frustration showing in its large yellow eyes. Mary knew she should be terrified but the lack of pain and injury combined with how good she was feeling instead just wiped her cares away.

The beast turned its head to look at the dim street lights in the alley then Mary was flying through the air. Her back slammed against something which gave. A huge explosion of sparks shot out around her. Electricity arced through her body and that hurt very much. She screamed soundlessly as she dropped to the ground and hit the paving. The street lights went out, and Mary slumped, completely stunned by the shock from the power transformer. She struggled to watch the creature, but it was moving up the alley. She could only see parts of it in silhouette.

The numbness in her limbs was slowly dissipating, but she was back to feeling exhausted. She finally connected the dots. Being hit made her feel energized. She needed to get hit. She had no idea why it worked, but she needed it to beat on her.

But she couldn't even get off the ground.

A deep thud sounded from an impact up the alley, and she turned her eyes in that direction once more. It seemed like something else was in the murky shadows fighting with the monster. They grappled and rolled around, and suddenly one of them was airborne. She watched it tumble through the air in an arc until it crashed down on top of her.

"Yes!" she sighed from under the furry beast as energy flowed into her body. It scrambled to get off of her, and she squinted in the alley's dim light. She could barely see it, but it seemed to be staring back at her. She thought this one looked more like a monstrous wolf.

"Hit me, fucker!" she growled at it.

It gave her a gentle shove towards the exit to the alley, then it was fighting for its life as the first monster dropped on it from above. Claws flashed, teeth snapped, and fur ripped free.

She tried to get closer, but the damn wolf thing kept pushing her away. Screaming in frustration, she leapt onto the back of the cat thing and pulled on its ears as hard as she could. It spun and slapped her so hard she sailed up the alley and over one of the gates into a backyard to crash against a brick fireplace.

Mary immediately got back on her feet and tried the gate. It was locked, and she was on the wrong side of the wall. Frustrated she kicked the door, tearing it from the hinges and sending it flying into the alley. She stared with wide eyes then ran back down the alley to the fight.

"You call that a hit? Come on bitch!" she bellowed then noticed the wolf monster was in trouble. The big cat had its jaws around its throat and was squeezing.

"Fuck! Hit me-"

The wolf savagely kicked her, and she flew backward through the open back doors of the van to smash out the front windshield. She bounced and skipped a few times but the moment she stopped she was on her feet running back to the fight. She grabbed the jaws of the cat and wrenched them apart with a scream until she heard the crack of bones. It made a choking wail sound and tried to grab her, but she slid onto its back and wrapped an arm under its flopping jaw and squeezed. She poured everything into the effort and heard another loud crack. The monster went still in her arms.

She pushed it off and took deep gasps of breath while staring up at the sky.

Then she heard the cracking of bones and turned her head to see the cat monster was collapsing in on itself. She stared in shock as the fur fell away and the limbs reshaped.

Mary sat up and looked at the dead woman lying on the pavement next to her. She looked up and saw the big redhead watching her wearily. He looked exhausted, but he certainly wasn't a badly injured wolf monster.

"Oh fuck. Fuck!" Mary moaned as she looked again at the dead woman.

The man tried to say something, but his voice was still raw from- no, that happened to the wolf thing, didn't it? Shit!

Mary leapt to her feet and looked down at her shredded and bloody clothes. She ran from the alley, dodging the man's outstretched arm. She got on her motorcycle and sped away. She needed to get her head straight.

She'd just killed a woman- or a monster.

What did that make her?

Chapter 23

When Henry woke the next morning, he felt great! He stretched and yawned then glanced down to see he was naked and in Satyr form. Looking around, he saw he was in one of Sigrid's guest bedrooms. He sat up and tried to recall how he got there.

"Good morning, Henry!"

He turned his head, and his eyes widened in surprise as he pulled the sheet over his nakedness.

"Meixiu? What hap- you changed!" he gasped. Her cheeks pinked up as she glided over to the bed. "You move differently too," he mumbled as it was a little mesmerizing.

"Yes, I changed yesterday after we... enjoyed each other. I sampled your essence, and it changed me. I'm still getting used to how to walk with this taller body. I feel like I might fall from this great height but I don't. Everything feels different!"

He blinked at her as he had no memory of them being together. "I- we... were together?"

She stared at him. "You don't remember?"

His brow furrowed as he tried to remember the last thing- "The marina! Are Camila and Marisa ok? Sigrid? Did they find that guy who's like me?"

Meixiu looked at him sadly, and his worry grew. "Are they ok?" he said with a small voice.

"Yes! Sorry! Everyone is ok. I'm sad because you have lost some memories," she said contritely.

He sighed in relief that no one was hurt. "How much time?" he asked cautiously.

"All of yesterday and some of the night before," she explained.

Henry's stomach grumbled, and Meixiu's smile returned. "Would you like me to bring you some breakfast?"

He pushed off the unease from the memory loss. He'd deal with it later. "I'm going to take a shower then I'll come downstairs," he replied. Meixiu smiled and turned to leave.

"I think your new look is very attractive," he said with a smile.

"Thank you, Henry," she said with a demure smile over her shoulder, then she walked out of the room. He struggled not to gawk.

He slipped out of bed and concentrated on the image of his human self in a dressing gown. His glamor activated and he found himself in an oversized cloak. Not what he asked for but whatever. Good enough to get him to the washroom in the hall.

As he stepped out of the bedroom, he smelled paint fumes. And a chemical cleaning agent. Sigrid must be redecorating.

He grabbed a towel from the linen closet and went into the washroom. He stepped into the shower and reset the glamor to be naked. He got the water running and sighed as the hot water poured over his head. He washed his too long hair and rinsed the shampoo out. He winced as he got a little in his eye.

As he let the water pour over his face to clear the soap from his eyes, he felt hands begin rubbing suds onto his back. He yelped then looked over his shoulder. Camila gave him one of her sexy smiles. Her hands traveled down his back and over the hard muscles of his ass. Then her tits were pressing against his back as her soapy hands slipped around to the front of his body. She pulled him tighter against her tits as she washed his arms, chest, stomach and finally his cock and balls.

He sighed as he grew harder in her skilled hands.

"Henry, I want the real thing. Please?" she pleaded sweetly.

As much of a pain as it was to dry his fur, he couldn't deny her anything when she sounded like that. With a sigh, he dropped his glamor.

"Oooo fuck, YES!" she gasped as she held his heavy member in her hands.

"I need this inside me!" she whimpered.

Once more, he was her willing servant. He turned and lifted her against his chest. She was trembling and ready, so he positioned the thick head at her opening and gently lowered her onto him as he spread her wide.

She sucked in a long breath, almost a hiss as he sunk deeper and deeper. He was amazed she could take so much, but she wasn't human, so he didn't know her limitations. She certainly wasn't complaining.

"Oh fuck Henry! That feels so good!" she whimpered as she clung to him.

Finally, she reached the bottom and had all of him. "Give me a sec to adjust. Holy fuck Henry, you fill me up so well!"

"What are you doing at Sigrid's so early?" he asked.

Her eyelids fluttered open. "What? Oh, I slept here last night. We took turns watching you."

His eyebrows went up. "Watching me?"

"Mmmm... yes, you were having a strong reaction to the painkillers Meixiu gave you, so we watched over you. I need you to move now," she sighed. She kept the news that unknown assailants might have drugged him to herself.

He squeezed her ass cheeks in his big hands and bounced her against the last inch of his cock in short but rapid strokes each ending with a bump to her clit.

"AH! FUCK! AH! HENRY!"

"Who's 'we'? How many people watched me?" he asked as he struggled to keep the strokes short.

"Fuck! You're driving me crazy!" she gasped and looked into his eyes. "Uh, so hard to think! SHIT!" She panted for a bit as the slapping continued. "Muh-me! Sigrid! Shit! Meixiu- AHH! Oh! And Roy! Fuck me!" she pleaded. He was surprised and more than a little touched by the number of people looking after him.

Now Henry started the long strokes, still ending them with a slap against his body.

"AAAAAAHHHHH!!! YYYYYYEEEEESSSSS!!!!" Camila cried out.

"Are you close because I'm almost there!" he gasped.

"YES! THERE! OH PLEASE, I'M...THERE!" she pleaded.

He was concerned about putting her to sleep again. "Should I pull out on three like last time?"

"No! I need it all today!" she whined as her body began to quake.

He gave her a questioning look; then it was too late to second guess as his orgasm began and he erupted into her body in surges.

"Ohhhhh yyyyeeesssssss, Henry!" she cooed as she felt her body become flush with energy once more. She pushed away any nagging concerns about addiction for now and just rested her cheek against his shoulder. She was feeling so warm and sleepy in his arms.

Henry recalled once telling her she should call on him if she needed to feed and wondered if she went to anyone else. He'd ask her about it later. He decided to get some answers about the missing hours in his memory.

"Did Meixiu tell you I lost some memory?" he asked.

"Hmmm... oh yes. It's all ok. Likely just the drugs you were on and maybe the self-healing you did," she purred.

"Self-healing?"

"Mmmm... you sustained injuries in the rescue of Nathan. We brought you here to heal. Yesterday, Meixiu said your injury had a green glow over it, it flashed brightly, and healed you. We think you tapped into the Fae's global healing spell." She pushed herself back to smile at him. "Are you finished in the shower? I need to use it now."

He nodded, pulled himself free, and gently set her on her feet, holding her until her legs stopped wobbling. A quick rinse and he stepped out of the shower to dry off, grumbling at how much longer it took. Once he was relatively dry, he enabled his glamor with a white t-shirt, blue jeans, and white sneakers. It was one of his go-to outfits as it was so simple.

He walked down the stairs, and the smell of paint was strong on the landing. As he walked back to the kitchen, that smell gave way to the delicious scent of breakfast cooking and his stomach growled.

As he reached the back of the house, he saw Sigrid and Roy sitting at a table by the window overlooking the small patio. Sunlight was streaming in, and the scene looked so cozy and domestic he had to smile. Meixiu was by the stove preparing the food and singing quietly to herself.

"Look who's finally awake," Roy grumbled.

Sigrid looked up, and a wide smile spread across her face. She quickly stood and pranced over to pull Henry into a hug for a firm squeeze.

"How are you feeling?" she asked as she pulled back to look in his eyes.

He smiled at her. "Good! Hungry!"

Meixiu smiled over her shoulder at him. "It's almost ready. Take a seat."

He nodded to her and gave Sigrid a look as she wasn't releasing him.

"Did... did something happen while I was asleep?" he asked, wondering why Sigrid was extra clingy this morning.

Roy snorted. "Sleeps through world war three and wonders what all the fuss is about."

"WHAT?" Henry gasped.

"Don't listen to Roy. He's still cranky from almost dying last night," Sigrid said fondly, finally releasing him.

Another grumble from Roy. "I don't need the reminder."

Henry quickly walked over to Roy and sat in the chair next to him. "Are you ok? What happened?" he asked in concern.

Roy glanced at Henry's worried expression and smiled. "I'm fine. Healing. I'll be good by tonight. Unless you can pull that healing magic from the sky again and heal me now."

Henry looked at him in confusion. "I- I don't think I know how to do that."

Roy looked at Sigrid. "He doesn't remember anything."

Henry looked to Sigrid for an answer. She smiled gently.

"Apparently while you were injured and riding a high from the painkillers, you may have pulled on the Fae's global healing spell to fix your shoulder."

He shook his head and put his fingers to his shoulder. "Other one," Sigrid said.

He switched but felt no residual pain or scarring on that one either. "What happened to my shoulder?"

"Bit by a Werepanther. Badly," Roy said and sipped his tea.

"I'm not going to become one, am I?" Henry asked.

Roy scowled at him then looked to Sigrid. "Has he learned nothing?"

"Oh Roy, stop being so testy! You know he's had no upbringing with this stuff!" Sigrid scolded the man. She looked to Henry. "It doesn't work that way. It's not transferable by biting."

"She came back last night to finish the job and dispatch the rest of us. She was juiced up on your blood, so she was larger than any Werepanther I've ever seen. If I hadn't juiced up myself I wouldn't have lasted a minute," Roy sighed.

Henry looked at him. "How did you get... juiced up?" he asked quietly with wide eyes.

Roy scowled. "Your blood, boy! Your injuries from the marina rescue! I helped you by sealing the wound. I swallowed a mouthful of your blood in the process. The magic changed me."

"Ah! Right. Sorry," Henry said quietly as he glanced at Sigrid's face which was red from her barely contained laughter.

Meixiu saved him by placing a large plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast in front of him. With an annoyed look, Roy stole one of his slices of bacon.

"I've got to go to work. Thank you for the hospitality Sigrid," Roy said as he stood. She popped to her feet and gave him a kiss and a hug.

"Thank you, Roy, for protecting us last night!" she said looking him in the eye.

He looked away. "I'm not so sure I can claim that."

"Even if that woman made the final kill it sounds like you were instrumental in helping her do it! A team effort! Don't deny how important that was!"

"I'm not sure if I should thank her or kick her ass for being such a distraction during the fight," he grumbled.

Sigrid grinned and gave him a gentle push. "Go to work. I'll see you there later."

As Roy was heading out of the kitchen, Camila was walking in with a wide, satisfied smile. He just shook his head and walked by. She looked back at him then turned to Sigrid.

"What's up with Mr. Sourpuss?" she asked.

"Maybe the question should be, why are you looking so- YOU DIDN'T!?!" Sigrid suddenly gasped in outrage.

Camila's expression froze.

Sigrid looked to Henry who was studiously eating his breakfast and keeping his eyes on his plate. His ears, however, were bright red.

She looked back to Camila. "He just came out of a drug induced coma! Couldn't you give him at least a day to recover?"

"I feel fine-"

"Hush, Henry! This is about Camila's lack of control and her growing addiction," Sigrid said.

Camila gasped. "You can't talk to me like-"

"Yes, I can because I'm your friend and sometimes friends tell you stuff you need to hear, even when you don't want to hear it," Sigrid said firmly.

Camila huffed and pouted with her arms crossed under her breasts. Henry caught himself staring, so he forced himself to return to his meal.

"See! Henry enjoys it too," Camila said, obviously having caught the direction of his stare.

"He's a young male Satyr! Of course, he's going to find a Succubus irresistible! The issue here is your ability to resist!" Sigrid exclaimed. Camila dropped down in the chair Roy exited and glanced at Henry. His cheeks were pink. Then she looked over at Sigrid who'd also noticed his embarrassment.

"Yes! I admit I crave the energy I get from Henry. I feel so incredibly good and powerful after sex with him. But he's also so damn sweet! You know exactly what I mean!" Camila asserted.

Sigrid sighed as she closed her eyes and nodded. "Yes, but I don't jump on him every chance I get!"

"You don't get enough chances," Meixiu said as she placed a coffee in front of Camila, who burst into laughter at Sigrid's shocked and embarrassed expression.

Henry looked at the tall blond beauty in concern. "Have- have I not been there for you?" he asked her quietly, ashamed he might have neglected his friend.

She squirmed under his earnest stare. "It's ok Henry. You have a full calendar. We just don't always find time to- be together."

"I don't have plans tonight. Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" he asked.

Cheeks burning, she nodded with a sweet smile.

He was caught by her beauty once more and just gazed into her twinkling blue eyes in awe.

She suddenly pushed herself to her feet and fixed her eyes on Camila. "This doesn't get you off the hook about your inability to resist!" Camila just smirked as Sigrid's own addiction was clearly evident.

"AAAAGGGHHH! I'm getting ready for work!" Sigrid stormed off.

Meixiu took her seat and sipped at her tea, a small smile on her lips.

Henry finished eating then looked to Camila as he wiped his mouth. "What exactly happened with Roy last night? Who was he protecting us from?"

"Chantelle Gauthier. She's the co-conspirator of Oletha Thanemark. She'd ingested a large quantity of your blood and changed as well. She was a Werepanther and became extremely dangerous. Roy encountered another powerful woman in the alley who helped him defeat Chantelle. We were lucky to have the clean-up team onsite as they had to remove the evidence immediately."

"Who was the woman?" Henry asked.

"We don't know. She ran off the moment Chantelle was dead."

Henry sighed. There was so much he still didn't know about the Hidden Races. Were some vigilantes? That seemed dangerous with the Council having their hit squads for people who didn't follow the rules. He paused. Maybe she was a member of one of these squads?

Sigrid walked back into the kitchen. "I'm ready to go. The car will be here shortly. Henry, we'll drop you at home-"

"I'm going with you to the office. I don't need my laptop as I can use another PC when I'm there," Henry insisted.
Sigrid looked him in the eye. "I said you were taking the day to recover."

"I feel great! Besides, if I stay home, I'll only work from there," he said with a smile.

"Why does no one listen to me?" she growled as she spun to stomp back to the front door.

Camila stood and followed her out with a sly smile.

Henry turned to Meixiu. "Thank you for taking such good care of me. I'm sorry I can't remember yesterday."

"It is too bad as you taught me something," she said with a slight smile.

"I did?"

She nodded then her mouth was on his, and the tip of her tongue dipped into his mouth. Henry's body jolted with the sensation, and he might have moaned just a little.

"MEIXIU!"

The young woman pulled back with a guilty smile for Sigrid as Henry wobbled.

The tall blond collected Henry while giving Meixiu a stern look and led him by the arm to the front door and out. Meixiu followed to lock up.

Henry climbed in and found himself pressed between the two lovely women when Sigrid got in. He heard both begin to purr at the sensation.

"No! Nope! Out!" he said firmly, and Sigrid hopped back out with a surprised look. Henry followed her out then rounded the front of the vehicle to sit in the passenger seat up front. He rested back with a sigh as the tingling heat on his neck settled down.

He had work to do today!

-=-

Nate was lounging on the decadently comfortable bed in his hotel room watching the news. He was feeling particularly spoiled after sleeping in Camila's wonderful bed and now this cloud of a mattress.

Speaking of clouds, there was this crazy story on the news about a rogue air force pilot flying in Kansas who started shooting clouds. He disappeared only to reappear eight minutes later in the skies above Fort McMurray, Alberta. There was a lot of angry saber-rattling between the governments of the two countries. The Canadians accused the US of flying top-secret experimental aircraft missions into their airspace. The US wanted the pilot and the jet back, immediately.

The pilot was demanding asylum as he'd been guided there by a divine presence. The media was having a blast with their headlines for Major Tom, but nobody was taking him seriously.

Meanwhile back in Kansas, in the small town where the pilot originally departed US airspace, tragedy struck at a high school football stadium when a sudden and fierce rainstorm swept over the field catching the two teams and the spectators by surprise. The clouds above then unleashed a hellish amount of lightning onto the sodden crowd. Electronics up to a mile away fried in the pulse.

Within hours, Army trucks rolled into town with personnel wearing hazmat suits. They quarantined the town, and the press weren't being allowed anywhere near the grisly scene. The conspiracy theorists were having a field day.

"Are you watching this too?" Nate called out as he thought he heard an echo through the open door between their rooms.

Jo came running into his room wearing one of the super plush hotel bathrobes. Her bubbliness seemed to have returned after a good night's sleep.

She jumped up on his bed and crawled up to lean back against the pillows he set up for her against the headboard. "This is crazy shit!" she gasped.

"They're saying the plane flew over sixteen hundred miles in eight minutes! That's like, uh..." Nate struggled to do the math.

Jo squinted at him as she worked it out too. "Twelve million miles per hour?"

He gave her an incredulous look. "What?!? No! It's- twelve thousand miles per hour."

She stuck out her tongue. "Sue me! I'm a creative genius, not a math nerd."

"The point is, it couldn't possibly have flown that fast. So either the Air Force found a way to warp space, or it's a hoax, maybe to spook the Russians."

Jo stuck out her bottom lip. "It's going to be a hoax. They always end up admitting that," she sighed. "What about the town? Those poor people! That's so scary! You're living there, minding your own business then BAM! Mother Nature kicks your ass, and the army locks you in the town, cutting off all access to the outside world."

They sat quietly watching the news anchors filling the air with useless speculation, repeated ad nauseam.

"I hope they don't find her."

Nate looked over at Jo's profile in surprise. "You don't want them to find the freak who attacked you?"

"Then we could stay in this luxurious hideout forever," Jo sighed.

Nate snorted. "Our benefactors are exceptionally generous, but there are limits." He lifted the TV remote and flipped to the local news. The weather was going to remain warm for a little while yet.

"Who cares how it is outside when it's so perfect inside," Jo pouted.

"We have to go outside at some point. Life is out there," he explained.

"Overrated. This bed is better than anything you'd find out there."

He gave her a sad look. "Other people are out there."

She snorted. "Other people bring us room service. We meet people!"

"No offense to Steven, the busboy but I'm talking about people we can have more meaningful relationships with."

"Meh," was her response.

He continued to look at her profile as she stared at the screen.

"Shit."

He looked back to the screen, and they were displaying the portrait of Chantelle Gauthier. The dark-skinned beauty's body washed up on the shore not too far from the marina where Oletha had died.

"Well, we had a lovely night's sleep at least," Nate said.

"Poo."

He regarded her for a while until she looked at him.

"What? Do I have a booger dangling from my nose?" she asked.

"Gross!" he growled. "No. I- I'm... I just want to say I'm sorry."

She looked at him curiously. "For what?"

He looked away. "For whatever role I played in ruining your chances with Bev."

She scowled at him. "Why did you have to ruin a perfectly good moment of being lazy with thoughts of her?"

"Because what you had with her is what I want most in the world and what I fear I'll never have."

The scowl became a glare. "So why don't you marry Bev?"

"When I find someone who loves me as much as she loved you, I'll marry them," he sighed.

The glare now included scorn. "Oh please! The man who gets more action than anyone I know would give all that up for monogamy?"

"For my soul mate, I would. In a second. You know I've always wanted to find a match like my parents."

Jo looked away. "Yeah, well... that doesn't happen for everyone."

"It could happen for you."

Eyes flashed. "Why the sudden interest in matchmaking?"

He looked away. "Just having an epiphany of the impact I have on those around me."

"Wow, ego much?"

He shook his head. "I've tried to have relationships with eleven women. Eleven decent, friendly, happy women-"

"Batshit crazy, you mean!" she snorted.

"Afterwards."

She blinked at him. "What?"

"That's how they all were, afterward. Ask their friends how they behaved before me. I did. Well, the ones who would talk to me."

Jo turned to face him with a serious expression. "You don't seriously believe there is something about you that turned nice girls into those monsters, do you?"

"My belief is immaterial. It happens."

She watched him and saw his conviction. "Wait, how is this related to Bev and me?"

"You're the twelfth woman."

Eyebrows went up. "Excuse me?"

"You are the only other woman I've had a long-term relationship with," he confessed.

Her mouth worked, but nothing came out, at first. "You're lumping me in with the crazy bitches?!?"

"No. Your personality remained true. You are just as sweet and funny as you've always been. It's your attitude towards long-term relationships and love that's twisted since I met you."

She looked at him, speechless.

He continued. "You'd been in a relationship with Bev for three years when we met, and you two were such a good match. You both had a life plan and similar dreams. I brought home one sexy tart after another, parading them by you without thought. You became restless while I struggled to find what you and Bev already had." He took a deep breath. "I know you had sex with Melanie, right before I broke up with her... and you with Bev."

She jolted at the memory and looked at him cautiously.

"Melanie talked about how pretty you were and asked me if I'd consider a ménage à trois. By the end, she'd convinced herself I was already having sex with you."

"Why didn't you?"

It was his turn to stare at her incredulously.

"Don't get me wrong. I'm not interested, but I always thought you'd at least try. Don't straight men typically think Lesbian's just need a good fuck to straighten them out?" she scoffed.

"NO! Geezus- I don't know. Listen, I can't speak for other men, but no, I've never thought that! Besides, I wouldn't, with you," he finished awkwardly. She pulled back like he'd slapped her and his face fell. "Come on! I didn't mean it in a bad way! I wouldn't want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship! Sex would kill it. You're my best friend! I need you!"

She was quiet for a while just looking at him. "Then why are you bringing up something painful."

He sighed. "Because a good friend would have stopped you from throwing away something as good as what you had with Bev. I did nothing! I said nothing! Purely selfish, I was only thinking of me."

"You don't think I can make my own decisions?" Jo barked.

"Of course I do. But no one makes decisions without some outside influence. I've been a terrible example. One night stand after one night stand, and now you seem to be following the same pattern-"

"Maybe I want that! Maybe I'm enjoying it!" Jo yelled.

He turned sad eyes on her. "If you were, you'd smile more often like you did when you were with her."

Jo slid off the bed to stand next to it and faced him. "You know what? Fuck you. I'm going home. And I'm keeping the robe!" She stormed off, slamming the door between their rooms. He heard the lock snap into place.

He sighed. There was a knock on the main door.

He peeked out the door and saw Allan the VRL security man, so he opened it. "Good morning."

"Good morning, Mr. Walker. I've received word that the danger is over, so the security team was released."

"Yeah, we saw it on the news. We'll check out this morning."

"Very good sir. VRL is picking up the tab." He paused and looked back with a slight smile. "Including the robes."

Nate smiled guiltily. "Thanks!"

With a nod, the big man walked away and joined two others as they went to the elevators.

Nate closed the door and glanced at the door to Jo's room. He went to take a shower. He wasn't sure what to do next.

He seemed to be burning bridges again. Maybe it was time to build new ones?

Chapter 24

Henry was wearing a very sharp black jacket over a charcoal grey dress shirt, open at the collar, black dress pants, and black leather shoes. He'd been taught the basics when he initially received his glamor. He had some basic casual wear outfits memorized but had never tried anything beyond that.

While Camila warned him to stick to real physical clothes for his human body whenever possible, on special occasions like this, he could incorporate fancier clothes into his glamor once he was skilled enough. For now, he used a picture on his cell he'd pulled from a website to help him visualize it.

The cell phone was new as well as Sandy's hadn't survived being crushed against the side of a yacht then dunked in the harbor. He'd have to pay her back somehow for destroying it.

Camila had said she wanted his date to go well as she felt bad about pushing Sigrid so hard. He thought she might have an ulterior motive, but he kept that to himself as he also wanted the date to go well. She'd explained she taught Nathan to do this and, now that Henry had a real glamor, this would work for him as well.

He was looking forward to finally meeting Nate again.

For now, though, Henry was sitting across from Sigrid in a lovely intimate restaurant trying to keep his eyes in his head. She looked gorgeous! Her long blonde hair was partially teased up but fell in cascades over her shoulders. Her makeup was minimal, but her glow of happiness took his breath away. She was smiling at his obvious appreciation of her beauty.

"Henry! Stop! My cheeks are beginning to hurt from smiling!" she said quietly.

"I'm sorry!" he blurted softly. "I've just never seen you look this radiant before!"

"Oh my god, stop!" she gushed.

Henry looked down at his plate. The black halter-style evening gown she'd selected wasn't blatantly sexy, but it did hint at the wonders it contained. The Valkyrie had wonders in abundance.

The waiter arrived and took their orders. Henry chose something light. Truthfully he didn't even recall what it was as his eyes kept stealing looks at Sigrid. She ordered a bottle of wine.

When they were alone again, Sigrid leaned forward slightly, and his eyes dipped to glance at her cleavage before guiltily lifting to her eyes.

"This is why I told you to meet me at the restaurant!" she sighed.

She'd had her nails painted a deep, bold red and she seemed a little self-conscious of that decision. She normally just wore a clear coat. Her hands moved nervously around the table's surface, adjusting the tablecloth and the setting.

Finally, Henry reached across the table and took her hands in his. She smiled in relief as her hands now had something meaningful to do.

"I like the color! It looks good on you!" he said admiring her nails and enjoying her soft skin.

"It isn't too... dark? I don't know why I let Camila talk me into this color! Red looks better on her!" she fretted.

"Sigrid." He held her eyes and spoke with conviction. "Since when do you let anyone talk you into anything? You chose this color because you wanted it. Now, what does this color mean to you?"

She held still as she looked at her nails resting against the palms of his big hands. "Passion," she blurted then her face flushed with heat.

He nodded. "I like it! Definitely a good word for you!" he said with a smile. Her eyes twinkled with her happiness.

The wine arrived, and he released her hands. He'd only be having one glass tonight as he was still a little freaked out about losing a day to the painkillers.

Once they were alone again, they touched glasses and smiled at each other. Henry nodded to Sigrid after his sip. "Very nice wine! Good choice! I mean, I'm no wine aficionado, but I like it!"

"Thank you!" she said. She looked at her glass, and he saw her preparing herself.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head faintly. "When you experienced that traumatic event with the police officer, you didn't tell anyone about it. I was wondering if I ever made you feel like you couldn't talk to me?" she asked quietly.

He held her eyes. "No. Absolutely not. Ever since that first night when you..." He glanced around, but they had privacy. "rescued me, you've shown me nothing but compassion. You have been incredible-"

"Then why-"

He shrugged. "I don't know. It was probably because I didn't want to think about it. At all. I pushed it back into my mind and tried to forget. But I couldn't. It kept surfacing."

"I have the name of a doctor who you can speak to," Sigrid offered.

He smiled at her and lifted her hand to his lips, gently pressing them to her knuckles. "Thank you. When I could no longer bear to keep it inside, I spoke with Sandy. She's an excellent listener too. That took the edge off. I'm sleeping better, for the most part. Granted, that might also be due to recent activities. I've had the nightmare again, but its intensity greatly reduced. I'm hopeful the worst of it is over. If you believe the doctor can help me make it go away completely, I'd be willing to see them. Truthfully though, I do feel better."

She looked into his eyes, and he did seem calmer and well rested. However, she wanted him healthy in body and mind. "I'll set up an appointment for you to talk with her." He nodded.

Their meals arrived, and they made small talk. Most of the larger topics were off limits for discussing in public. None the less, they enjoyed themselves as Henry flirted with her to keep the smile on her face.

Finally, she held up her hands. "Ok, you have to stop. My cheek muscles are sore from grinning like a fool."

He grinned back at her then his expression changed to concern as her smile drained away quickly. He saw she was looking over his shoulder and turned to see what she saw. He understood why she stopped smiling.

The Fae agent Ikehorn was approaching and right behind him was Queen Mab. The agent pulled a chair from a vacant table across from their table and positioned it for Queen Mab to sit facing them. Then he stood back, and the Queen sat with a smile on her perfect lips.

Sigrid was watching her cautiously, but Henry was wobbling back and forth between being terrified and pissed off. "Queen Mab, I wasn't expecting to see you... any time soon, especially here in New York, and certainly not while I was on a date," he blurted as his frustration won over his fear.

She smiled at him. "I do enjoy visiting this city from time to time. I'll be spending a month or two here. After receiving a rather disturbing report from Ikehorn, I felt it was in everyone's best interest that I address some points with you directly."

Henry wasn't surprised that she ignored his annoyance at the interruption, but he was surprised that she hadn't punished him for it. He glanced at Ikehorn and caught the displeasure in his expression. Then he took a closer look at the Fae. He looked very fit and vital! Younger too?

"Ah, you've noticed Ikehorn's recent makeover. I understand he has you to thank for that. You've been manipulating the global healing spell for your personal use."

Sigrid shifted uncomfortably at Mab's speaking openly about magic, and the Queen turned her attention to the Valkyrie. "Within my area of influence, we have complete privacy including protection against all forms of Human electronic surveillance."

"I wasn't aware of manipulating anything. That's not my thing," Henry said honestly.

Mab looked into his eyes and saw he was speaking the truth. She frowned. "Aware or not you must not treat the spell as your personal first aid kit. Which brings me to my second point." Her eyes turned to Sigrid, and there was a suppressed rage there that made the hairs on the back of Sigrid's neck stand at attention. "Why is Henry being placed in dangerous situations which resulted in his need to be healed? I believe he indicated he just wanted to work on computers. That sounds like a safe and dull occupation. No danger there," Mab insisted.

"They told me to stay with the car. They didn't place me in danger. I did... to protect my friends," Henry rushed to their defense. Mab turned her green-eyed stare on him, and beads of sweat popped up on his forehead.

"Do I need to remind you of your importance to the Fae? We need you alive and healthy. We don't need them alive and healthy." Mab said with a frosty clarity.

Ikehorn caught the motion of someone approaching and watched in surprise as they were able to ignore the aversion compulsion of the spell. Then he recognized Lise-Anne Hoek and Rand von Deussel from the Hidden Races Council. They stopped a distance away from the edge of the spell and waited to be acknowledged.

Ikehorn leaned in and whispered to the Queen. She pursed her lips in frustration and turned her head to look to the two council members. She gestured for them to approach, willing the spell to give them access.

Once they were close, they gave her shallow bows. Lise-Anne appointed herself speaker for the two. "Your majesty. We weren't expecting to meet you here tonight." She glanced over to Henry and saw his discomfort at the Queen's presence as well.
Mab just watched them, waiting for them to get to the point.

"We've come to speak with Mr. Gable in regards to some recent alarming events we believe he might have influenced."

"Aside from the rather suspicious fact that everyone seems to know where Henry is at all times, haven't you appointed a lawyer to VRL to keep an eye on him? Shouldn't you be addressing your questions through her?" Sigrid jumped in. "Oh! I suppose I don't need to notify her we've met with Queen Mab now that you're here too."

Lise-Anne gave her an angry scowl. "There's been a rather dramatic development in Kansas. Containment is at risk. We believe the magic involved is the same magic coursing through Henry."

"You have proof of this and his involvement?" the Queen asked.

The two glanced at each other as they had no proof, yet. "We believe Ra'Anek was collecting pure samples from the pseudo-clouds when he went missing. They found his rental car abandoned in a location near one of their entry points."

Henry looked at them. "And, I'm responsible for these events how? I'm not a wielder, and I've never been to Kansas!"

Rand gave him a frustrated scowl. "We don't know how it's happening. We do know these things didn't begin happening until you became linked to the Fae's global spell."

Henry continued to look at the shorter man. "I didn't ask to be linked to any spells. I don't want anything to do with magic. I just want to live a quiet life, working on computers. Dull, safe, mundane computers." He looked at Queen Mab as he said this and the corner of her lips curved up slightly.

"Indeed, Henry has kept up his part of the bargain. I believe your part was to remain hands off. Do you have Pixies following him? No more. Did you put conditions on his freedom? That ends tonight as well. Tonight's confrontation during his dinner date doesn't appear to be very hands-off either," Mab said with more than a hint of steel in her tone.

The two council members shared a look. Lise-Anne picked up the conversation for her frustrated colleague. "This meeting wasn't meant to be confrontational. Merely an opportunity to share our concerns with Henry, and, as you are here, yourself. Our mission is nothing short of protecting the survival of the Hidden Races-"

"And you feel Henry is a threat to that?" Mab asked bluntly.

There was a definite pause. "We didn't say that," Lise-Anne recovered.

"In the spirit of sharing concerns let me share something as well. As long as Henry's linked to the global spell keeping my people alive, he's protected by the Fae. Not one hair on his head is to be disturbed. He has indicated to me that he's 'not aware of manipulating anything' and that's good enough for me. I suggest it's good enough for the Council as well," Mab said. She turned her face away from them. Their audience was over.

Lise-Anne bowed and Rand nodded stiffly, barely meeting the requirements for civility but the Queen graciously let it go. The councilors turned and left quietly. Mab watched them leave from the corner of her eye and only when they were beyond her influence did she turn her attention back to Henry.

"As we do know you manipulated the spell, what circumstances led to you not being aware of it?" he said fixing her eyes on his.

Henry looked nervously to Sigrid who was frowning as she thought about that.

"He was under the influence of some very strong painkillers. Deeply under," Sigrid said as she looked to the Queen.

"Because he was placed in danger and became injured," Queen Mab stated coldly.

"I'll make extra effort to avoid activities that may lead to danger," Henry offered, and Sigrid threw him a sharp look.

Mab smiled. "That's all I ask, Henry. Take care of yourself and stay in control of your mind," she said sweetly.

"In control of my mind?" Henry mumbled.

She nodded with a little smile on her lips. "If drugs can cause you to interfere with the spell, then I suggest any form of intoxicant might have the same effect."

He looked at his half-empty wine glass.

"Moderation and vigilance. You bear a great responsibility," Mab nodded. She stood, and Henry automatically stood as well. She gave him a little smile and walked away. Ikehorn moved the chair back and nodded to Henry with a subtle but satisfied smile on his face as well as he moved to catch up to his Queen.

Henry dropped himself into his chair, and a tremor went through his muscles. His eyes lifted to see Sigrid's worried look.

"She seriously messes with my nerves," he mumbled to her.

"You need to be careful of what you agree to with her or any 'of her kind' for that matter," Sigrid warned.

He gave her a worried look. "Did I sign away my soul?"

She snorted and smiled at him. "No, I think you're good on that front, so far." She saw him relax a little. "The smiles you saw on their faces as they left were because you'd adopted a conciliatory attitude towards them. Friendly is fine but be on guard against giving anything away for free. They must pay for everything they want. They understand deals and bargains but will rob you blind if you show you're willing to give it away."

Henry sighed. "Right. Something else to remember." He took some calming breaths as he looked to Sigrid. He felt himself relaxing and appreciated the beauty before him. His eyes took in her intricate hairstyle once more. "You're so lovely."

"Henry, would you mind if we skipped the dancing tonight? And dessert?" she asked.

He blinked at her then caught on to her true intention. "Oh! Sure!" He flagged down the waitress who rushed over and apologized for her lack of attention. Henry assured her it was fine and asked for the bill. The flustered woman rushed away and returned shortly. Henry paid after quietly choking at the price they charged for the wine.

As they left the restaurant, they walked arm in arm and enjoyed the feeling of their bodies touching.

"Would you like to come back to my place?" Henry asked.

Sigrid smiled and gave him a little nod as she looked into his eyes.

Henry was overwhelmed with how sweet she looked, so he stopped to face her. He leaned in and kissed her, and she made a needful little sound.

She eagerly accepted the caress of his lips on hers and sucked on his tongue when it slipped past her parted lips.

They pulled back and rested their foreheads together.

"Henry! Your kiss is making my heart race!" she sighed.

He lifted his hand and flagged down a taxi. They hopped in, and he gave his address.

Sigrid and Henry left space between them but held hands. Any more contact than that and the activities in the back seat could quickly become x-rated.

After a painfully long drive, they were in front of his building, and he paid. They entered the building no longer touching as the proximity to their ultimate destination was making it harder to refrain from bolder touches.

They managed to make it up to his floor and inside his door without touching. The lock snapped closed, and eyes met.

Before she could speak, Henry dropped his glamor and was pinning her to the wall with his naked body as he kissed her deeply. She moaned and grabbed his ass in her hands pulling him tighter against her.

He felt a tremor rock through her body as he ground his pelvis against hers.

He suddenly pulled back and bent down to throw her over his shoulder. She squeaked in surprise as he carried her to his bedroom, his arm wrapped around her legs.

When he set her down on her feet next to his bed, he spun her and pulled the zipper down on her dress. She reached up and lifted the dress' halter collar over her head and let the dress pool at her feet.

Henry knelt behind her and slipped her panties down her legs as she gasped. He turned her to face him and took her ass cheeks in his hands, giving them a firm squeeze as he stroked her pussy with his tongue.

"FUCK! HENRY!?!" she cried out as she grabbed his horns.

He continued to knead her ass as he ran his tongue over her sensitive flesh,

"OH! FUCK! Henry, you're going to make me cum!"

He kept up his teasing and sucking as she ground her pussy against his mouth with an almost bruising pressure.

"OH- THAT'S IT! I'M- I'M CUMMING!!!!" she wailed as her legs shook. He had a good grip on her, so she was in no danger of falling, though her legs had turned to rubber.

He eased her down onto his bed as she panted and trembled through her bliss. She wasn't a light woman, so Henry had to use all of the strength in his Satyr body to keep from dropping her. As she caught her breath, he slipped away to freshen up as she'd sprayed him a little at the end. When he returned, she was still coming down and blinked at him. "I've never reached orgasm that way before," she sighed with a gentle smile.

He leaned forward to kiss her, and she pulled back a little with a nervous glance, so he gently blew on her face. She smiled when she scented the mint on his breath then her face flushed with embarrassment.

"I figured you might be a little squeamish about tasting yourself on my lips," he said with a smile.

She put her hands over her face and gave an embarrassed moan.

He took her hands and moved them to the mattress and held them there as he moved his body over hers. She sucked in a breath as the hot tip of his cock brushed up against the wet lips of her pussy. That gasp turned into a moan of pleasure as he rubbed his hard shaft across her opening.

She held his eyes as he looked into hers. When he tipped his hips back to drop the head of his cock down against her pussy her eyes flared with need. He pushed forward and slowly, ever so slowly, his thickness forced its way deeper into her body.

"Oh, that feels so good!" she sighed.

He eased back out and forward again to go a little deeper each time but maintained the slow pace as it felt so incredibly good. Henry knew he probably wouldn't last long if he accelerated his thrusts.

She grunted gently as his body finally rested against hers.

"Are you ok?" he asked gently.

"Yesss... it's wonderful!" she sighed as he shifted his weight on her body.

He rolled his hips.

"FUCK! AH! Oh geez! I'm a little sensitive!" she hissed.

"Do you want me to stop?" he asked.

"NO!" she yelped, causing them to both to chuckle.

Henry began to make slow strokes, and Sigrid's hips began to do a roll of their own.

"Can I be on top?" she asked, and Henry recalled the time they'd destroyed the bed in Camila's guest bedroom. He loved his bed, so he nodded quickly and pulled free, making her squeak.

Sigrid pushed him down onto his back and swung her leg over his body. She positioned him against her and pushed to take him all the way to the base in one stroke.

From that point on her need drove her. She lifted and dropped her body on Henry's pelvis faster and faster.

He struggled to hold back as his orgasm was right there. He would hold off for the gorgeous Valkyrie.

"That's good... I'm right there!" she panted.

He reached up and took her heavy breasts in his hands and squeezed her nipples between his fingers. She threw her head back as her movements switched to a rapid rocking as she ground her clit against him. Her mouth was open, but she wasn't making any sounds. Henry could no longer hold back and felt his cum surge up inside her. He glanced to his window blinds and was relieved to see they were closed because-

Sigrid's wings snapped open, blindingly bright as she sighed and shook over his body. He released her breasts and pulled his arms over his eyes as he held them tightly closed. He grinned to himself. Sigrid was so refreshingly open and honest compared to Queen Mab and even Camila. He felt a little bad about comparing Mab and Camila but understood the significant difference between those two women was their intent. Camila always considered Henry's happiness. Mab? She just wanted something in return. Always.

He felt Sigrid gently pulling his arms away from his eyes and blinked up at her. Her wings were away, and she was smiling down at him.

"What's that smile for?" she asked.

"I was just thinking how nice it was to have such a visible sign that I've pleased you," he said cheekily.

She gave him a fake look of outrage and gently pummeled his chest with her fists. He laughed and pulled her down to lie across his body. His lips found hers, and they enjoyed a sweet kiss.

Pulling back slightly, she smiled at him. "Obviously, you pleased me very much."

"Good! I was very pleased as well," he said with a chuckle.

"Speaking of being pleased, I've meant to ask you if you've experienced that pheromone burst again, like the time in the subway."

"No- wait." He thought about that. "I felt the start of it when I was squeezed in between you and Camila in the SUV this morning."

"Ah, that's why you moved to the front seat."

"Yup."

"So what we did tonight didn't trigger it?" she asked curiously.

He realized that was the case. "Huh. It didn't." He shrugged with a frustrated frown. "It would be great to be able to speak with an expert on Satyr physiology. Other than Queen Mab, that is."

Sigrid eased off of Henry to lie on her side beside him, leaning her head against her palm so she could see his face.

"I'm sorry we can't be more help with that," Sigrid sighed.

He snorted. "I don't expect you guys to have all the answers! You've been so amazing helping me through all the changes so far! The heat, I guess it's just something Satyr's experience once they mature to a certain age. I think I'm just a little delayed because Baba kept me as a human for most of the time. I'll learn how to control it."

Sigrid looked impressed and nodded to him.

"So... do you want to stay tonight?" he asked.

She smiled at him. "If you don't mind, I'll take a rain check on breakfast. I have some errands I need to run tomorrow morning which will be easier if I get an early start from my place." She leaned in and gave him another kiss.

"Ok, rain check," he purred when she pulled back.

Sigrid stood and gathered her clothes, taking them into the washroom.

Henry stood and switched to his human glamor. He tugged on a robe and was waiting for her when she came back out.

"Thank you for a delightful evening," she said with a happy smile.

"I had an amazing time too. But next time, let's not invite Mab and the Council members," he quipped.

"Sounds like a plan!" she agreed with a smile.

He kissed her, and after a moment she patted his chest as she pulled back.

"Mmmm! See you on Monday! Have a good weekend!" she purred with joy glowing in her eyes.

"You too!"

She opened his door, and he watched her walking away. Damn, he could watch that all night. He waited until she got into the elevator with a smile and a wave.

As the elevator door closed, Michelle stepped out of her apartment with a glance in both directions. She spotted Henry, and he caught a look of concern crossing her face.

"Good evening, Michelle. Everything ok?"

"Good evening, Henry. Could- could I speak with you for a moment?"

He blinked at her and nodded. She locked her door and quickly walked to his and went inside as he stepped aside.

He locked up and followed her to the living room.

"I'm not supposed to talk to you about Council business, but it's been bothering me," she said with a trembling voice.

Henry had some idea what they might have said due to their visit at dinner. He'd let Michelle off the hook. "They think I have something to do with weird stuff happening in the world because of my link with the Fae's spell."

Michelle stared at him with wide, nervous eyes.

"They confronted me about it while I was out on a date with a friend tonight," he explained.

"Oh! And?"

"Queen Mab crashed the date first, so she told them to back off." He wasn't going to tell her that Mab thought he might be messing with the healing spell when he was inebriated.

"Queen Mab!?! She's still following you?" Michelle squeaked nervously.

"Yeah, she's in town and thought it might be a good idea to drop by and tell me to take care not to injure myself because of how important I was to their global healing spell." He sighed. "I get the feeling she's not the type to give up." He saw Michelle was feeling better. She'd stopped her compulsive hand-wringing. She had such lovely hands that it was almost painful to see them moving in distress. "You can go to work with a clear conscience and rest easy," he told her with a gentle smile on his lips.

A surprised and relieved smile popped onto her face, and spontaneously she pulled him into a hug. Once he got past his surprise, he wrapped his arms around her as well.

She immediately pushed him back, so he released her and looked at her startled expression.

"Sorry!" she blurted, her face turning pink.

"Hey, no problem! No harm in a hug," he grinned.

She flashed him a pretty smile then hesitantly moved to the front door. "I- I should get to work."

He followed her and opened the door for her. "Thanks for thinking of me," he said sincerely.

She paused, eyes watching his mouth, then she rushed off to the elevators with a quick wave.

Henry stepped inside and locked up as he shook his head with a smile. It was truly nice to have so many people looking out for him.

He was really glad tomorrow was Saturday. He'd promised himself that he was going to take the weekend off. No work.

He had to make some new lifestyle choices as free time gave him more opportunities to have a social life. He was only now realizing how much his life was missing this.

What was that phrase? All work and no play makes Henry a dull boy.

While a dull life had appeal compared to what he'd been through, Henry had no desire to be a dull boy.

Chapter 25

After the fight in the alley, Mary had gone home to shower and change into clothes that weren't destroyed. Then she rode her motorcycle north until she was riding along small country roads, sticking to the paved ones. She stuck to the speed limits while she rode as it was her mind that was racing.

She let her thoughts run in circles. It always came back to the same two things.

VRL and Henry Gable. They were at the center of all the weird shit that had happened to her recently.

She remembered finding the two flattened bullets the morning after her night with Henry. She now realized Jeff had tried to shoot her. Somehow, she was bulletproof? That would be useful for a cop if they let her go back to work. From the hints she'd received from friends on the inside, the brass was leaning in the other direction. The stink of corruption from her precinct was sticking to all the officers, guilty or not.

Knowing Jeff had tried to kill her cleared away the last doubts she had about him. He'd expected the bullet to pass through her to kill Henry too. No wonder Henry had looked so terrified that morning.

Her gut was standing by its assessment of Henry, but he did have answers to her questions. She would get them.

Foremost in her mind though, was the fact that she'd killed a woman. But she hadn't been a woman when Mary killed her, right? Mary was probably going to have to turn herself in for that. She couldn't see her future beyond that action.

She'd stayed overnight in a small roadside motel and went for breakfast in the connected diner this morning. She was only going through the motions as eating food didn't seem so important anymore. Above and behind the counter, she saw the newscast on the TV mounted there. A reporter was talking about the police finding the missing body of the second half of the mob kid kidnap crew. Oletha Thanemark's accomplice, Chantelle Gauthier, had been found. Her body had washed up on the shore next to a golf course off Upper Bay, a short distance from the marina.

Mary almost dropped her coffee mug when they displayed a photo of Chantelle. It was the woman she'd killed! She sat staring at the set wondering what the hell was going on! She knew where the woman died. She knew who'd been there at the time. The body was moved! As she watched the full story, she began to wonder if any of it was true. How wide did this conspiracy go? She looked around the restaurant, but no one paid any attention to her.
She needed answers and needed to talk to someone. In her mind, she saw that detective on her street yelling something about VRL to the big redhead. Maybe Detective- Harmon? Yes, maybe he had some answers.

She paid for her breakfast and headed outside. She had a long drive ahead to get back to the city. She had a detective to interrogate.

Then she'd hunt down Henry.

-=-

Rand fumed as he paced back and forth in Lise-Anne's office.

After their meeting with Henry and surprise guest Queen Mab last night, the two councilors had gone their separate ways. Lise-Anne returned to headquarters to track the latest developments, and Rand caught a flight to Kansas and did some recon. He'd met up with his Central States counterpart, but they'd been unable to get close to the town due to an extraordinary amount of paranoid military security. Even with their no-see-um spells active there was no real opportunity to see the townspeople directly.

They did manage to find two drunk soldiers and heard one complain about guarding 'marbles' before his less drunk companion shut him up.

Rand flew back to New York and came directly to their office to let the Minister of Security know they weren't going to be able to contain the scene unless they brought in serious firepower. Lise-Anne was not pleased with his report.

"I'll have to bring this to the attention of the Hidden Races Congress," she griped.

"That's just going to slow the decision-making process!" Rand growled.

Lise-Anne scowled at him. "I know!"

"We played our hand against the Satyr too early!" Rand continued.

She stared at him. "Are you just going to bark the obvious at me?"

Rand scowled and sat on the couch with a grumble.

She leaned back against her desk and slowly rocked her head from side to side to release the tension in her sore neck muscles. "I've recalled the watchers," she sighed.

"You know she has the Fae watching him-"

"YES, I'M AWARE!" she yelled, and he looked at her sourly. She sighed. "Sorry. It's been a long night. We got word that the event in China is unsettling the region. Civil disobedience is way up. Even with a military lockdown by the government the locals are insisting they be allowed to visit the glass man."

Rand stared at Lise-Anne. His mind was racing ahead. "Do you have a description of this glass man?"

The woman watched him carefully. "Our agent said he was transparent, translucent, and colorful like-"

"Marbles," Rand finished. Her eyebrows went up.

"What?" she asked.

He shook his head. "What if what happened in China was the same thing that happened in Kansas? Only here, it happened on a much larger scale."

"They turned to glass?" she said incredulously.

Rand held her gaze. "We overheard one soldier mention guarding marbles, but I didn't connect it. The glass man in China. Is it a statue?"

"No, it moves. Not quickly but it does move independently," Lise-Anne answered.

"So maybe we assume the people in that small Kansas town were changed into glass as well. What will the Humans do? They won't think it's magic as they have no frame of reference. Instead, I think they'll try to contain and study them. Force a science framework around it. What I don't know is if these new beings will try to escape."

Lise-Anne nodded thoughtfully. "It's in our best interests to support the Army's efforts. Keep this under wraps. That's going to be my recommendation for the Council. We'll bring that to the Congress." Rand nodded.

The two sat quietly contemplating their next moves. Rand was going over what was said in the restaurant the night before. He frowned with a grunt.

"It's the Satyr. Mab was lying."

Lise-Anne lifted her eyes to look at him. She could see he wasn't just letting his frustration drive him. She sighed and nodded as her suspicions were pointing to the same conclusion. "So, what can we do about it?"

"What we can't do is stop the surveillance on him. Just make sure they're aware that the Fae will be watching for them as well," Rand suggested.

She also thought they had to continue watching him, so she nodded. "I'll let them know."

"It's probably a long shot but if they catch the Satyr causing the anomalies we can deal with the Fae from a position of strength." Rand frowned. "We'll also need a contingency plan for containment in place should the threat escalate dramatically. Easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission." He held Lise-Anne's eyes as he couldn't risk saying the words out loud, even in the security and privacy of her office. Such words, released to the ether could manifest some powerful and lingering causalities on their own.

"Short of a final solution which none of us could afford, the best we can ask for is to contain and disable the threat permanently. Fire and forget?" she suggested quietly.

He considered that. "Conditional."

"Term?"

"With the current time frame for the events, no more than three months."

It was Lise-Anne's turn to be surprised. "Really?"

"Three months," he said firmly. "Tracking the trend, I'd be surprised if the contingency didn't activate earlier than that." He took a deep breath as he preferred a face to face confrontation personally. "You have someone in mind?"

Lise-Anne nodded with a sly smile, and he held up his hand. Fire and forget. Better if he didn't know the name of the weapon they were about to launch.

They settled in to work out the trigger conditions.

This is where the finesse was required. Lise-Anne was far better suited for this work, but Rand's hands were going to be just as dirty.

-=-

Finding Detective Harmon wasn't too hard. Mary just went to the bar closest to his precinct. This time of night it was pretty empty, and the few people inside were too far gone to pay attention to anyone else. The bartender barely glanced in her direction since she wasn't walking up to the bar.

She found Harmon, alone in a booth at the back, nursing a tumbler of scotch. She could tell he'd had a few. She stood next to his table, and bloodshot eyes lifted to look into hers. Something was torturing the man. She wondered how much longer he'd be able to endure it.

He examined her for a moment then lights came on in his eyes. "You were at the crime scene yesterday."

She smiled gently as this proved his observational skills were still intact at least. "Mary Carsten. I live a few doors down from the home of the deceased."

"You talk like a cop."

She nodded. "Currently suspended."

He looked back to his drink. "So, suspended Officer Carsten, why are you here interrupting me getting my drunk on?"

She slid into the other side of his booth, and he looked at her in surprise. "I overheard you at the scene speaking with the big redhead from VRL," she said and watched him twitch. His eyes locked on hers with a glare.

"I've got nothing to say about that or them!" he growled menacingly.

"Just listen then. Recently I was involved with the subway gas attack case. I was on the scene and collected a potential suspect. I was to transport him to the station-house, but I'd been affected by the gas too. Instead, I took him to my place where we had sex." Harmon was looking more embarrassed than angry now. "The gas wore off, and I felt incredibly guilty and embarrassed. The suspect introduced himself to me as Henry Gable." She watched the detective, but he made no signs of recognition at the name which made her feel a little better.

"I must have passed out from the gas as my next memory was waking up the next morning with my ex in the bedroom pointing his gun at us. I told him off, and he shot himself in the head. I sent Henry home because... I wasn't thinking straight at the time. Cops from my precinct arrived, and a bunch of them said I did it. The coroner confirmed it was suicide, but the Captain wouldn't accept that. They brought Henry in for interrogation. The Officer who brought him was a buddy of my ex and attacked me. We all ended up in cells. Henry's lawyer got him out in the morning. The lawyer brought Internal Affairs with them, and the station house restructured. All new chain of command. A number of us got suspended pending review. I found out later that the lawyer worked for VRL as did Henry. He's their CIO though he seems a little young for the position."

She stopped to look at the detective whose hands were trembling visibly. He wasn't telling her to stop, so she pressed on. It seemed a smart move to omit the changes she'd undergone. There was no way she could explain it even to herself.

"Then you show up on my street for that murder scene. VRL shows up too. I decided to follow the redhead-" Harmon jerked slightly. "... back to Manhattan to a neighborhood of brownstones. I was about to follow him when I hear a scream down an alley. I investigate and see a van bouncing around. In the back was a guy all tied up and something fucking monstrous-"

"NO!" Harmon yelled and slammed his palm on the table. His eyes were wild with fright, and he slid out of the booth to stand up quickly. He jabbed a finger at her. "NO!" Spittle dripped from his lips unnoticed.

She stared at him in shock as he hustled out of the bar, knocking a few chairs over in his haste. There was no sign of the bartender, and the other customers had passed out. She slid out and ran after the detective. She spotted his retreating back up the sidewalk and called out to him. He glanced over his shoulder and walked faster. When she started to follow, he sent a panicked look at her and started to run.

He never saw the bus that hit him.

Mary froze in shock. One second he was there and the next he was gone. Her legs automatically turned her around and walked her away at a normal pace. From the impact, she knew the detective was dead. She couldn't be involved in this, or her career as a cop was over. While she was horrified by what happened, she hadn't pushed him in front of that bus which had raced for the light. Out of service, the driver was blatantly speeding to get back to the depot.

The streets were empty, so she made it back to her motorcycle without being seen. As she rode home, questions circled in her mind. What had Harmon experienced that affected him so badly? What was VRL's involvement? His hands shook when she mentioned the CIO, but he didn't recognize Henry's name. What did that mean?

She had too many questions.

Henry was going to answer them.

Chapter 26

Saturday morning, Henry sent Sandy a text and asked if she had plans for the night. She excitedly texted back that they should go out for dinner then go dancing. She said the whole gang would be available and they'd pick a fun club. He realized he had to try dancing at least once, so he agreed to the plan and received several celebratory emoticons from Sandy via text. He assumed that was a good thing.

The next problem was, looking in his closet, Henry realized he had nothing nice enough for clubbing. He remembered how Nate dressed for going out when he first met him in the drug store, and Henry had nothing like that. He wasn't ready to attempt it with his glamor, so he headed over to Manhattan to shop for clothes. While he managed to find a few outfits in the last store he tried, he determined that shopping for clothes was one of his least favorite activities.

This made him feel a little grateful to know that one day he'd be able to integrate any outfit into his glamor. For now, though, he was a long way off from being able to do that. He still didn't understand how his glamor worked to allow human clothes on his Satyr body, but he pushed the contrary thoughts to the back of his mind and tried to accept it. He'd just have to refrain from switching back to his true form while dressed in his new, real, clothes.

He went down to Sandy's at 7:30 PM and Tish opened the door when he knocked. He was captivated by her as she wasn't sporting her usual ponytail but was letting her long, ebony hair flow over her shoulders and midway down her back. She also had a modest amount of makeup on and was wearing a very flattering, and tight, dark blue dress that displayed her long, toned legs as it clung to her fit body.

"Good evening, Henry!" she said with a happy smile.

"Good evening, Tish! You look incredibly lovely!" he finished awkwardly, but her smile just widened in delight.

"Come in! We're just waiting on Roger," she said sweetly.

Once inside, she took his arm and walked him into the living room. His eyes widened when he saw Dayshia in a tight, glittery gold dress that displayed her ample cleavage for maximum effect. The contrast of the bright dress against her dark skin was eye-catching. From her satisfied smile, he realized that was her intent. "Wow, I'm beginning to feel underdressed. You look amazing, Dayshia!"

"Thank you, Henry. You look very handsome in your outfit," she replied.

"Delicious!" Tish agreed with a mischievous grin. He glanced at her with a nervous smile which just fueled her enjoyment.

Just then, Sandy walked out of the bedroom door adding some dangly, glittery earrings. Her hair glowed like spun gold and flowed down over her shoulders which were visible in her off the shoulder red dress. Like the others, her dress clung to the curves of her body. Unlike the others, hers stopped just above the knees, not at mid-thigh.

"Wow!" was all Henry could manage.

"Thank you! You look great! I love the bold print of that shirt!" Sandy gushed with a happy smile.

"Now I know I'm underdressed," Henry sighed as he took in the three gorgeous women in their party dresses.

"Nonsense! You're dressed perfectly for going dancing!" Sandy insisted, and Dayshia nodded in agreement. Tish looked like she was undressing him with her eyes and he felt a stirring down below.

"The saleswoman said this combination was perfect for going dancing, but she said that about every outfit she brought me. After a while, it just started to sound like she wasn't serious," he said with a frown.

"Did a little shopping today, did you?" Dayshia asked with a smile.

"I didn't think T-shirts would be appropriate for this evening."

"Got that right!" Dayshia nodded.

There was a very loud knock on the door, and Henry jumped, glancing back over his shoulder.

"That's just Roger," Tish said rolling her eyes as she went to the door to let him in.

Henry smiled at Sandy as they waited.

"I'm here! The party can begin!" Roger loudly announced as he barged into the living room.

Henry smiled at him as the man ran his eyes up and down his new outfit.

"Damn! I have that same outfit at home, and now it's gonna look like shit on me!" Roger complained with a frown.

Henry's face fell, but Tish came to his rescue.

"Man up, Roger!"

"Bite me, beanpole!"

"You mean damn sexy beanpole, twerp!"

"Are we going to trade insults or are we going out to dinner?" Sandy asked, staring at Roger. The man threw his hands in the air in surrender.

Sandy had called for a couple of taxis, so they all went downstairs. Roger tugged Henry to join him in the second car. The ladies pouted, and Sandy pointed to her eyes then to Roger's to warn him to behave.

Roger gave the driver an address in Manhattan, and they were on their way. Then he turned to look at Henry.

"Henry... may I call you Henry?" Roger started.

Henry smiled at him. "Sure. It's my name so feel free."

"What are your intentions towards Sandy?" the man asked bluntly.

Henry couldn't stop the snort of amusement. Then he saw Roger was waiting for an answer.

"Oh! You're serious?!?" Henry said in surprise, but Roger said nothing.

Henry thought about it for a moment. "I want to be friends with Sandy. I've mentioned that I didn't have friends growing up, so this is truly special to me."

"What if she wants more than friendship? What if she's envisioning a white picket fence around a charming little bungalow in the suburbs with 2.1 children playing in the yard?" Roger pushed.

Henry's smiled sadly at Roger. "That sounds really nice, but I don't believe that's going to happen for me, children especially. I don't believe I'll be able to have them."

"Don't you think she deserves to know that?!?" Roger exclaimed testily.

Henry blinked at the man who seemed genuinely upset. "Uh, she hasn't even asked me to be her boyfriend! Why would that have come up in conversation? If it ever does, I certainly won't lie to her. I'd never intentionally hurt Sandy. Or Dayshia or Tish. You're not worried about them too?"

Roger looked defensive. "Sandy's an innocent. The others need no protection."

Henry smiled. "And you're her big brother?"

The man said nothing but his defensive look was still firmly in place.

"I can only give you my assurances I'll do my absolute best not to hurt her, but they're just words. I'll let my actions speak for me," Henry said with a gentle smile.

Roger took a deep breath as he held Henry's eyes. "I'll be watching." Henry nodded, and Roger continued. "I'm still upset you look better in that shirt than me."

Henry chuckled and shrugged. Roger looked away, but Henry thought he caught a little smile at the corner of the man's mouth.

They rode on in silence and when they arrived Roger looked at him. "Pay the man." With that, he hopped out of the cab. Henry dug his wallet out and paid the fare before joining the group on the sidewalk.

"You cheapskate!"

Henry looked at Tish in surprise as she punched Roger's arm.

"OW!" the tall man yelped as he stepped away from the angry woman.

"What's going on?" Henry asked.

Tish looked at him. "Your first time out with us and he made you pay for the taxi, didn't he!"

"Uh, that's ok," Henry mumbled looking to Roger.

"See! He doesn't mind! Besides, he's loaded compared to me!" Roger asserted.

"He's a lot of good things compared to you!" Dayshia growled as she held the intern's eye.

"Hey, why don't we put this aside and go inside for dinner?" Henry suggested with a hopeful smile.

Sandy looped her arm around Henry's and lifted her nose to Roger. "Someone knows how to behave like a gentleman." She moved forward, and Henry had no choice but to go with her. Dayshia and Tish followed, leaving Roger to catch up.

When they got inside Henry looked around with interest as the decor was very modern, yet intimate. The subdued lighting gave privacy to the numerous round booths in various sizes. The owners designed the place for groups of 4 to 6. Any larger and the tables became too large to be functional or to hear across. Plush leather bench seats ringed the tables. Decorating the restaurant and adding mood lighting were a multitude of brilliantly colored glass sculptures in interesting shapes, all lit from underneath to make them glow.

Once they settled into their booth, Henry looked to the others. "Have you eaten here before?"

They shook their heads and Tish, seated to his left, patted his hand. "I've read some very good reviews."

The waiter arrived and asked for their drink orders.

"Long Island ice tea?" Tish asked looking at Henry with a wicked smile.

"No, not this time. I promised myself I would refrain from drinking," he insisted earnestly. "When we go to the dance club I'll order one just to calm my nerves about making a fool of myself dancing," he explained.

"You'll be fine!" Tish said with a happy smile.

He ordered water with lemon and the others chose their favorite mixed drinks.

Henry decided he would eat light as dancing on a nervous stomach would be difficult enough without feeling bloated too. The stir-fry bowls sounded yummy, so he ordered one when the waiter returned to collect their orders. Sandy and Tish followed in his footsteps and ordered the same.

Once they were alone, Roger immediately leapt into his latest conspiracy tale. He told them the Chinese government was holding everyone in a remote village hostage to protect the secret that they had an alien cornered on a mountaintop nearby.
"Where the hell do you hear these stories?" Dayshia exclaimed.

"It's on the dark web. That's not all the weird stuff that's going on," Roger insisted.

"None of these stories can be verified. It's just wild fantasy! You're talking about a village in rural China. Who's going to get a news crew to that location to validate the story?" Dayshia challenged him.

"Fine, that location might be a little difficult to get to but what about that small town in Kansas the US military has mysteriously quarantined? Poison gas? Radioactivity? I call bullshit, and I'm not the only one!" Roger insisted.

"So what, you'd have someone break into the town based on what? The suspicion that the danger isn't real? Why would they go to this much effort if there was no threat to life or our society?" Tish asked.

Roger gaped at her. "You would be ok with someone hiding the truth of extraterrestrial life from you?"

Henry was enjoying the spirited back and forth. He decided to join in. "Here's a question for you Roger. What do you think would happen to society if we suddenly received absolute proof of life out there? We've barely evolved past our poop throwing monkey origins. Would it be fair to say there would be an upheaval of the established order?"

Roger grinned. "I certainly hope so!"

"And there you have it. Roger is an anarchist," Tish sighed. The man shrugged.

"You understand there is a better than even chance that the initial response to that news will be intensely negative and reactionary," Henry suggested.

Roger nodded. "Society needs a reboot."

Henry leaned back and pondered the serious expression on Roger's face. He didn't doubt that Roger believed it, even welcomed it. Glancing at Sandy, he wondered if Roger understood how much this contradicted his previous protective statements for the woman.

"This is why no one votes for you to head up anything at work," Dayshia sighed.

Tish chuckled at Roger's annoyed look.

"Did anyone else see the northern lights over the city?" Sandy asked excitedly.

"Careful, Roger will claim the Northern Lights are camouflage for UFO's!" Tish teased.

They slipped into an easy banter, and Henry just enjoyed listening to the flow. He offered a word or two when prompted, but mostly he just listened.

These were his friends. He soaked in their happiness and how they included him. Well, the ladies did at least. He still got the impression that Roger was still holding him at arm's length.

Sandy, Tish, and Dayshia were feeling very comfortable with him now, and there was a lot of casual and affectionate touching which Henry had never really experienced before. He was seriously becoming enthralled by the three beauties, and their smiles showed they could tell.

Dinner was delicious, and Henry agreed with Tish that the reviews were spot on and this was absolutely a new favorite.

The dance club was many blocks away so it would be another round of cabs. Tish insisted this time Henry would go with her and Roger would share one with the others.

Sandy flagged down a taxi, jumped in with Dayshia and Roger, and they were off.

It took a few more minutes before Tish managed to flag another empty taxi down. She squeezed in next to Henry even though there was plenty of room in the back seat. He looked at her curiously, and she smiled happily as she took his hand.

"I'm so looking forward to dancing with you! I was thrilled to hear from Sandy that you were going to join us tonight," she said and bit her lip.

The sight of her lip caught between her white teeth trapped his eyes, and he felt himself drawn towards her.

Suddenly Henry felt his balance shift as the car veer to the right. He slammed up against the window, clocking his head against the glass.

"Ow! What the hell!?!" Henry growled at the driver as he rubbed his temple while looking around to see what they'd swung around so dramatically.

The driver glanced in the mirror curiously. Incredulous at his callous attitude, Henry looked to Trish to see how she was. He was surprised to see her looking just a little upset.

"If you didn't want to kiss me you could have just said so," she said quietly.

"What? Of course, I want to kiss you, but the taxi just veered into the next lane!" he said equally quiet.

She looked at him cautiously. "The taxi didn't change course, at all. We've been moving straightforward for a few minutes."

He blinked at her. "But I felt a distinct vector change. I felt the gee's tug me to the left. I think I even heard you call out for help the moment it happened."

Now she looked worried. She pulled his face close and looked at his pupils. She used her cell phone flashlight to test his pupil dilation and saw no signs of a concussion. Finally, she sat back and shook her head. "I didn't say anything. You were leaning in for a kiss, and then you pulled away sharply and banged your head on the window."

He saw she was still upset and he had no way to explain his distinct recollection of being pulled to the left and the cry for help. He sighed internally. Another freaking mystery. However, he could deal with one issue right now.

He put a serious expression on his face. "There's only one way to see what happened. Re-enactment."

Tish's lips curved up slightly at his studious look.

"I believe you were there, you were biting your lip-" She did it again, and a thrill shot through him. This time his lips found hers, and they were kissing passionately.

"We're here."

Henry pulled back to blink at the driver. "Oh, right." He paid the driver as Tish was still recovering.

He reached around her and opened her door. He helped her out of the taxi, and the cooler air finally got through to Tish's dazzled mind. "Wait, I was supposed to pay for the taxi!"

"You cheapskate!" Roger barked as he appeared next to them on the sidewalk. He aimed a punch at Tish's arm, but Henry caught Roger's fist in his palm. It was a gentle enough punch, but Henry couldn't let anyone hurt Tish. He shook his head at Roger who pouted at him.

"Hey! There's a big difference between my momentary forgetfulness and your deliberate action," Tish barked as she glared at Roger.

"What distracted you from your arrival here?" Dayshia said knowingly with a big grin on her face.

Tish was wearing a smudge proof lipstick so she just grinned and looped her arms through Sandy's and Dayshia's as she moved towards the line for the club. Henry and Roger followed.

"I thought you said you weren't going to hurt Sandy?" Roger whispered to Henry.

"Does she look hurt to you?" Henry whispered back as he gestured to the smiling woman. "I told you, she hasn't asked to be exclusive."

They had to wait in line for some time as it slowly inched forward. Henry was beginning to wonder if this was the dance club experience. They spent the time people watching and a lot more casual touching. Henry was in heaven!

Eventually, they reached the front of the line, and the door man let their group inside. Roger and Henry had to pay a door charge, but the ladies got in for free.

Dayshia immediately pulled them all out onto the dance floor. Henry squeaked nervously as he hadn't fortified his courage with alcohol first.

He did his best to relax and flow with the music, but he was overly conscious of the position of his feet and his arms. After the second number, Roger took pity on him and dragged him to the bar.

"We need you to get some happy juice in you so you can relax!" Roger said into his ear. The bar area was very busy, so Roger took Henry's order, a simple rum, and coke, and waded into the crowd. When he returned with drinks in hand, he didn't let Henry pay for his. "I shouldn't have stiffed you in the taxi. It's my treat."

"Thanks!" Henry said. He took a sip and reeled back a little. "Wow! That's strong!"

Roger shook his head. "They use a strongly flavored Rum." He saw the ladies waving at them to come back to the floor. "Bottoms up, the ladies are waiting!" Roger bellowed and tossed back his drink.

Henry gaped at the man then looked to see Sandy beckoning. He tossed his drink back and went into a coughing fit. That was awful Rum!

Roger grinned at him as he'd ordered him a double then threw in a shot he'd bought separately. He almost giggled, knowing how hard this was going to hit Henry. One drink? Pussy.

They rejoined the ladies and picked up where they left off, and after only a couple of songs, Henry began to feel more comfortable shaking his ass to the music. He turned and shook his ass at Sandy, and the ladies hooted and cheered. He felt some groping as well, but it didn't bother him too much. Roger seemed to be having a good time as well.

Tish, Dayshia, and Roger went in search of a table while Sandy continued to dance with Henry. He was very relaxed by this point. The number slowed down, and he felt Sandy's body press up against his. There was the occasional bump from strangers on the crowded dance floor.

He smiled at Sandy then her lips were on his, and he went with it. She slid her tongue into his mouth, and he chased it with his. He slid his hands down to her ass and squeezed her cheeks making her moan into his mouth.

He felt so good! Warm and tingly. The other dancers were still rubbing against them unintentionally. Without warning, heat rushed down his neck and sides, continuing out through his limbs. Sandy moaned and kissed him deeper which just fueled his heat. He lifted her up against his chest as she ground her pelvis against his.

The heat surged through him again, and Sandy's silky hair engulfed his head.

Someone crashed into Henry's back, and he stumbled forward only to trip over the bodies of a couple writhing in ecstasy on the floor. He somehow kept his footing as Sandy clung to his chest. Her legs wrapped around his hips. She was running her tongue along his neck, and that felt too good.

"HHNNRRYY!"

He turned and spotted Roger also on his feet amongst the writhing bodies. The man was holding a wet bar towel over his mouth and nose and gesturing frantically for Henry to follow him as he scrambled away, carefully avoiding the bodies.

Henry wanted to lie down with Sandy and make love to her until she screamed enough! Instead, he forced himself to carry her over the orgy, down a corridor to a backdoor where police were grabbing people as they left and passed them back.

Henry was still burning up and the hands grabbing him started to travel over his body. In a moment of clarity, he suddenly knew he had to get away. His face was still largely covered by Sandy's soft hair, and the alley was dark and chaotic, so there was a chance.

Sandy was rocking and trembling through a release caused by the grinding and jostling as he carried her out. She panted against his neck sending shivers up his spine.

He saw Roger hacking and coughing against the far wall with a wide-eyed Tish and Dayshia by his side.

"Roger!" he croaked.

A fight suddenly broke out in the crowd behind Henry as passions flared erratically and chaos exploded in the narrow alley.

Roger reached forward to take Sandy when Henry pulled her from his chest. The crowd behind him crashed into his back. Hands grabbed him and pulled him into the mass as he watched his friends staring at him in dismay. A fist struck his cheekbone, and he heard Dayshia scream, then he was lost in a sea of jostling, groping, and pushing bodies. Strong hands grabbed his arms from behind and dragged him bodily through the chaos into the deeper shadows.

He heard a gate open and close then he was placed back on his feet. He found himself walking unsteadily along a sidewalk; his arm held only to provide support. He looked at his guide and saw Ikehorn glaring up at him.

"You need to suppress your pheromones!" the Fae growled.

"How?" he slurred.

The Fae stopped to stare at him. "Are you drunk?" he asked incredulously.

Henry rocked on his feet as he tried to focus on Ikehorn's face. "Shit! I only had one-" Light dawned slowly. "Bastard spiked my drink."

Ikehorn wanted to beat the drunk senseless, but his Queen had plans for him. He sighed.

"Contain it. Pull it in and compress it down until you can lock it away," the Fae said slowly as he looked into Henry's glassy eyes.

Henry felt the heat radiating from his core out to the ends of his fingers, toes, and other parts. It made him feel like a balloon.

Contain it. Ok.

Closing his eyes, he envisioned the balloon deflating, getting smaller and smaller, shrinking down inside his body, centered on his core. The smaller the balloon got, the smaller the ball of heat became. It also became hotter as it shrank, but he did his best to ignore that as it became a pinpoint of white-hot plasma. He imagined sealing it inside a small glass bottle deep inside him. When the cork went on, he opened his eyes and felt at peace.

Ikehorn was staring at him oddly again.

"Are you sure you aren't a wielder?" the Fae asked quietly.

Henry made some sudden hand movements approximating what he'd seen Master Inquisitor Leaharin do and Ikehorn's eyes flew wide in fright.

Nothing happened of course, and Henry began to laugh, loudly. "Sorry man, that was too easy!"

Infuriated, Ikehorn pulled on Henry's arm to drag him down the street. He pushed him into the front passenger seat of the surveillance van and buckled him in. He got behind the wheel and glanced over at the drunk who had the oddest look of concentration on his face.

"Do you hear them?" Henry mumbled then he suddenly lurched to the right and slammed his right temple against the window.

"Owwww!" Henry moaned as he gently touched his bruised face.

Ikehorn snorted in disgust and got the van moving. The next time he looked over the Satyr was half asleep. He'd get the drunk home then he'd be done protecting this damn fool! He would go immediately to speak with his Queen. He'd collected the evidence she needed.

The Human females the Satyr was with tonight were special to him. They were his weakness.

Henry dozed but struggled to remain awake as the voices were becoming clearer and more desperate.

He felt the van moving and eventually it stopped. He was pulled from the van and marched to the front door of his building. He fumbled with his keys and got into the lobby. Ikehorn looked like he might leave but Henry wobbled. Cursing under his breath, Ikehorn led Henry to the elevator, took him up to his floor and out into the hall.

Michelle Beaumont was leaving her unit when she saw the Fae struggling to get Henry to walk down the hall. She was immediately suspicious of the man's intent, especially when she saw the bruises on Henry's face.

"What happened to Henry?" she asked a little sharper than she intended.

The Fae sighed as he stared at the woman. "He's drunk and got into a fight. I pulled him out and brought him home. He can take it from here." With that, he leaned Henry against the wall, went back to the elevator and took it down.

Michelle moved closer and smelled the alcohol on Henry's breath. "Why did you drink so much?" She muttered to herself.

"One... spiked... Roger," Henry mumbled as he struggled to stay awake.

Michelle didn't know who Roger was. Uneasily, she put her arm around Henry and gently guided him to his condo. She used his key to open the door and guided him inside. He kicked off his shoes, so she did the same then walked him into his bedroom.

The bed was on the floor!

She tried to set him down gently but the moment he felt the mattress under him Henry's body went slack, and he collapsed onto it tugging her down with him. Michelle lost her balance and ended up sprawled over Henry's chest.

"Mmmmmm..." he purred, his eyes closed.

Michelle was frozen. She'd never been with a man before, and here she was in bed with one! Granted, he was almost unconscious. Strangely, that made it easier for her. He wasn't holding her down, and she was in complete control.

As she rested on his strong body she knew she should get off, but he felt so good, and he didn't seem to mind. She watched his mouth.

She couldn't.

She wouldn't.

Nervously watching his closed eyes, she shifted slightly higher on his body and trembled when he adjusted his position under her. She could feel his breath on her face, and aside from the spice of the Rum, it wasn't too bad. His eyes were still closed, but he had a little smile on his lips. She dipped her face closer, then closer still until her lips touched his. At first, he didn't move, and she held her breath. She was enjoying this!

Then, ever so gently, he nibbled her lower lip with his and sparks shot through her body.

Her hand was on the door handle leaving his condo before she became aware she was fleeing. She closed the door again and rested her head against it, heart pounding. She looked over her shoulder then made her way back to the door of the bedroom. He was sound asleep and still smiling. She sighed in relief. Her lips were still tingling, but she'd had enough excitement for tonight. She left his keys on the coffee table and went to the front door to slip her shoes back on. She spun a long thread of strong silk and looped it over one side of the deadbolt handle. Then she opened the door and looped the silk under the door. Stepping out into the hall, she pulled the door closed behind herself and tugged on the silk. The deadbolt snapped into place, and she coiled the thread and tucked it into a pocket as she walked down the hall towards the elevator. As she stepped inside, she smiled and touched her lips.

She hoped Henry had sweet dreams.

-=-

Mary now had even more questions for Henry. She had no doubt he was somehow involved in the subway gas attack.

She'd found his address and arrived at his condo to see him leave in a taxi with another man. A second taxi following them had three nicely dressed ladies in it. She moved to follow, but a white van pulled out and cut her off. She held back and realized the van was tailing the taxis so following it would follow Henry.

She observed the van while the group had dinner. One of the occupants followed the group into the restaurant and left before them. They took up the chase once more when the group headed out again. She figured out they were going to a club and sure enough, the van stopped down the street from the venue, and the man exited once more and somehow managed to get into the club before the group.

Mary discovered stakeouts were tedious but things got exciting when the patrons started running out the door, and police began to arrive. When the van left without its second occupant, she made a split second decision to follow it. It didn't go far as it stopped next to an alley two blocks away. She spotted Henry being helped along by the man who'd entered the club before them. He loaded Henry into the van, and she followed them back to Henry's condo where she saw the man help a very drunk Henry inside. A short time later the man returned, got in the van and it drove off.

Mary sat in a little park facing Henry's building wondering if she should barge in and demand her answers now while he was drunk. She was confused and disappointed about his involvement in the second gas attack.

Finally, she decided to wait. She was tired of sneaking around. It was time to visit the lion's den.

She'd confront Henry at VRL directly.

-=-

Dark. Absolute dark. Crushing, draining dark.

Henry felt the tug again only this time it pulled his mind alone as his body rested. He felt the pull through the magic permeating his being. Magic he wasn't even aware of while awake. The distance he traveled flew by in an instant.

He found himself in a large room. He couldn't see anything, but it felt large and what sounds penetrated the walls gave the impression of cavernous space. Surrounding him he could feel close to one hundred distinct minds, all waiting for him to do something.
He didn't know what they wanted. He couldn't see them and that frustrated him.

Why was it so bloody dark?

Hunger.

That intense impression came from the minds around him. They were starving! The urgency to talk, to communicate with them was driving him to distraction as was the background of desperation he felt in his mind. Some of them were very weak. He moved around the perimeter of the room, but there was no light and no unlocked doors. He needed light as the minds did.

The rainbow! He could get some light into the room! He desperately reached towards the wall and used his will to rip space apart in a brilliant flare of multicolored light. He kept up the pressure and the gap widened in the rippling rainbow. The space in the gap filled with yellow skies, a red hillside, and the reddish-orange sun. It was low in the sky and shone its brilliant light straight through the gap to strike the still beings in the huge chamber. Light scattered everywhere as their bodies absorbed and directed the beam. Henry looked away from the gap and saw they were in a large school gymnasium!

He felt their collective sigh in his mind as the sunlight fed the beings he was now able to see. Henry was dazzled by how beautiful they were! Multicolored glass in a generally humanoid shape but in various shapes and sizes.

The prism effect within their bodies directed the light wider and further back until the light touched every glass being. They began to glow from within their cores. Henry felt their desperation easing, and a grand joy began to fill them. This light was exactly what they needed. It was where they needed to be. The glass beings began to move towards the opening. Henry was getting tired from holding it open so he pushed his own urgency through his link to them and they all moved faster. The closer they got to the rip to the alternate dimension, the more energy they pulled from the light and the faster they moved.

Finally, there were only three left on this side of the tear which was beginning to collapse. These stopped beside Henry. He felt their gratitude, but they all pointed away from the rip and slightly to the right. He listened. He felt a single mind crying out to them. It felt them leaving and didn't want to be left behind. He sent his assurance to the three, and they rushed through the opening to join the others. Henry watched them moving away down the hillside, and the feeling of the contentment which filled them bled through to him. As he released his grip on the gap, something huge and black rushed through the tear into the dark gym before the opening collapsed completely. Frightened, Henry's mind fled the chamber and flew away into the night, drawn towards the solitary mind. The enormous distance flashed by in an instant.

Henry found himself floating on the mountaintop plateau next to the last glass being. He was weary beyond measure, but he'd promised. He felt the loneliness in this one and sent assurances, feeling its hope in return. He reached out with his will once more, envisioning the hillside once again and a smaller tear flashed into existence. The effort to widen it enough for the being to step through drained him severely.

The Glass Man could see the others down the hill, and his happiness surged through their link, and this gave Henry a little strength. As it walked towards the opening, Henry heard angry screaming and turned to see a group of soldiers running towards the Glass Man to prevent his escape. The soldier in the lead seemed to be the one in charge as he was screaming most violently and pointing his gun at the rift.

Henry desperately tried to block the soldiers and a second tear appeared before them. This one showed only yellow sky. Keeping it open was impossible for Henry in his weakened state, and it collapsed shortly after the squad leader tumbled through. His scream of rage turned to terror then silence as the small rift snapped shut. The squad of soldiers slammed to a stop, frozen in shock. They watched the Glass Man step through the first opening and walk away into the red field. Through the opening, in the far distance, they saw their leader plummet from the sky into a river of lava before the rift snapped closed. Henry watched the men share nervous glances then turn and walk away.

Weary beyond measure, Henry turned to face home, but he didn't have the strength to make the journey. Instead, he let his mind drift upwards into the sky to join with the Fae spell and hoped it would guide him the long way home.

-=-

Siobhan woke to the sound of her cell ringing. She blinked blearily at it and fumbled it before she managed to hit the answer button.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Siobhan? I'm so sorry to call you but Henry was grabbed at the dance club, and I don't know how to reach anyone else at VRL!" a voice frantically babbled.

Siobhan was immediately awake when she heard Henry was in danger. She sat up. The voice- "Sandy?"

"Yes!"

"Take a breath and tell me what happened. Who grabbed Henry?"

"We don't know! There was another gas attack like the one on the subway, and everyone was tearing their clothes off to have sex or trying to escape the dance club! Henry carried me outside, but a fight broke out, and he got pulled into it. Roger thinks he saw someone pulling Henry away. Once the police cleared the fight, there was no sign of him."

Siobhan was stunned. She didn't know who would have kidnapped Henry. "Is Roger with you?"

"Yes."

"Put him on, please."

She heard the sound of the phone being passed then Roger's voice. "Hello?"

"Can you describe the person who took Henry?" Siobhan asked.

"It looked like the guy who came to Stanley's condo after the kidnapping. Hey! His family has the shittiest luck when it comes to being grabbed! OWW! Fuck! Stop it! I'm sorry!"

Siobhan heard female voices raised in anger and Roger taking slaps.

"What did he look like?" Siobhan called out.

"Shit! Stop! She's asking me a question! Fuck- uh, look like? Uh- like an aristocratic snob. Smaller than Henry but he dragged him away." Roger said with a pained voice.

"So Henry didn't go willingly," Siobhan asked to clarify.

"No but... he took a few punches from the crowd and... he might have been a little drunk," Roger said reluctantly.

Siobhan heard Sandy arguing with Roger. She heard something about only one drink. Roger then admitted to spiking his drink to help him relax. More screams of outrage and the sound of slaps. There was a loud clunk noise and a shriek followed by fumbling sounds.

"Siobhan, are you there?" Sandy asked in a panic, having picked up the dropped phone.

"Yes. I'm going to call Marisa. She has keys to Henry's place," she said.

"You think they took Henry there?"

Siobhan heard the other women at Sandy's elbow. "Where? Took him where?" they asked in annoyance.

"Shhh! I can't hear! She said home! Go ahead," Sandy said.

Siobhan smiled in spite of her worry as she knew these women liked Henry very much. "I'm not one hundred percent sure but it's the first place to look. Marisa will also let the others know."

"We'll meet her there! Thanks, Siobhan! You're the best!" The line went dead.

Siobhan blinked at her cell in surprise. Sighing, she looked at the clock and was glad it was Sunday as she wasn't getting back to sleep any time soon. She'd sleep later. She made the call.

-=-

Marisa, Sigrid, and Meixiu stepped off the elevator at Henry's building into an argument in the hallway before his unit.

"You will all leave. Last chance!" A small, wide and hairy man in a dressing gown growled at three ladies in party dresses.

"Not until we hear Henry's ok! Oh, thank god! Marisa!" Sandy gushed in relief as she saw them coming.

The small man turned and locked eyes with Sigrid who fought back a snarl as she picked up the scent of a demon.

"Is there a problem here?" she asked.

"Noisy bitches are knocking on the door!" the man growled, his eyes never leaving Sigrid's.

"All's quiet now. I'd say it's time to move on," Sigrid said between her teeth, sounding a little like a female Clint Eastwood.

The demon panicked as it leapt for the stairwell door, slammed through, and ran down the stairs.

All eyes turned to Sigrid in silence as she struggled not to give chase.

Marisa recovered first. "You knocked on Henry's door?"

Sandy jumped and looked to the gorgeous blond. She smiled and nodded then her smile dropped away. "He's not answering!"

Marisa moved to the door with her keys then looked back at the nervous expressions. "I'll be going in. Alone. I don't know what state Henry will be in if he's home, so this is to preserve his dignity. No arguments or you'll deal with Sigrid." She finished with a smile to take the sting out of her words, but they glanced at the intimidating woman nonetheless.

Tish, Dayshia, and Sandy stood back as Marisa let herself in and locked up behind herself.

"Which unit did the unpleasant one live in?" Sigrid asked to draw their attention away. Dayshia pointed to the first door past the stairwell. Sigrid saw it was across from Michelle Beaumont's condo. She moved to stand before the door. She reached out to almost touch its surface then pulled her hand back as she'd felt the sickening evidence of its inhabitation. No one else would likely notice, but Valkyries were particularly sensitive to their spoor. She pulled out her phone and sent an email for a clean-up team to visit the unit. She CC'd Johann Bruger, the property manager.

The original tenant whose shape the demon had stolen would be dead, likely smeared over the walls inside. She needed to start hunting the demon soon, while the trail was fresh and before it took another host. It wouldn't be back.

She noticed the three ladies looking curiously at her and Meixiu. "Oh! I'm sorry. I'm Sigrid Gunderan, Head of Human Resources at VRL. This is Meixiu, my friend and roommate."

"I'm Sandy Marlow. This is Tish Evans and Dayshia Morrison." She glanced at the door nervously. "Shouldn't she-"

The door opened, and Marisa stepped back out into the hall. She smiled at the nervous and eager expressions. "Henry is inside, asleep. He has a few bruises on his head and face. He also stinks of Rum. A lot of it." She scowled. "He can't drink! He's such a lightweight when it comes to alcohol."

"I could kill Roger!" Tish hissed.

"Can we see him?" Sandy pleaded.

Marisa shook her head. "He's in no shape for a visit. In the afternoon maybe? I'll let him know you were here checking on him," she said with a sympathetic smile.

Sandy smiled at her. "You're as protective of Henry as you were for Stanley."

Marisa nodded with a smile then saw Sigrid gesturing and turned her attention to her.

"Do you need me for a bit? I'm curious about that creep who ran away earlier," she asked.

Marisa nodded. Sigrid stepped into the stairwell and was gone.

Dayshia looked at the others with wide eyes and a grin. "Damn! She's my new definition of badass!"

Marisa and Meixiu chuckled and nodded while the others grinned.

Sandy moved forward and hugged Marisa. "Thank you for taking such good care of Henry. I'm so sorry we lost track of him at the club."

"Not your fault. Just keep him away from alcohol and keep an eye on that fellow, Roger," Marisa said with a frown.

"Oh, we'll deal with Roger," Tish promised.

"Give me your number, and I'll give you mine," Marisa said to Sandy as she pulled out her cell.

That done, Dayshia and Tish waved and pulled Sandy with them to the elevator and left.

The moment the elevator door closed Marisa's smile slipped away, and she pulled Meixiu into the condo and locked the door.

"What's wrong?" Meixiu asked nervously as they moved to the bedroom.

Marisa dropped to her knees next to Henry and put her ear to his mouth. Then she looked to the other woman. "He's breathing, but it's very shallow, and he's not waking up!"

Meixiu touched Marisa's hand. "I've seen this before. When he was injured and healing in Sigrid's guest room, he did this!"

"How did you bring him back?" Marisa asked.

"I leaned close, and I said Henry? You need to wake up! Where are you?" she said as she demonstrated. They held their breath as they watched him.

"Do it again," Marisa said.

"Henry! Wake up! Where are you?" she said louder.

Marisa's cell rang, and she glanced at it and frowned. Sandy? She held up her hand for Meixiu to be quiet.

"Sandy? What's up?"

"The Northern Lights are back!" she exclaimed. "So bright this time!"

"Hang on." Marisa and Meixiu rushed out of the bedroom and went out on the balcony to look up. Sure enough, the sky above the building was showing a green glow. It was across the section of the sky above, but from their perspective, it was much brighter directly above this building. Marisa covered the phone and turned to Meixiu with wide eyes. "Keep calling him back." The woman rushed inside.

"It's very beautiful!" Marisa said as she listened for Meixiu.

"I- I just wanted to share that with you," Sandy said, drawing a smile to Marisa's lips.

"Thank you for this. It's lovely!" Marisa replied.

She heard a sudden, sharp and loud intake of breath from inside the condo. Loud enough that Sandy heard it too.

"Was that Henry?" she gasped.

"Just a nightmare. I have to go. Good night Sandy. I'll speak to you later, ok?"

"Sure. Bye."

Marisa looked up, and the green was quickly fading. It was a little frightening to think Henry had a link to that. She moved into the bedroom and knelt down again.

Henry's eyes were slightly open but rolling.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Sick... gonna be... sick..." he moaned.

Marisa and Meixiu managed to get him up and into the washroom where he lost his stomach contents into the toilet. The women shared sad looks while Henry heaved and moaned.

When he began to shiver and shake, they got him up, rinsed his mouth out, and got him back in his bed. Marisa crawled under the blanket with him to warm him up. He began to drowse.

There was a knock at the door, so Meixiu went to answer it. It was Sigrid, so she let her in.

"Did you see the Northern Lights?" she asked, and Meixiu nodded.

"It was Henry. He was lost out there, and we called him back."

"WHAT?!?" Sigrid gasped and rushed to the bedroom door.

Marisa was easing herself out from the sheets as Henry had fallen asleep. She gestured for Sigrid to be quiet and left the room, closing the door.

They moved to the living room. "It looked like Henry was having an out of body experience. The stupid spell he's linked to must be drawing him out when he's drunk or otherwise incapacitated," Marisa said with a scowl.

"Henry was very sick when he came back," Meixiu offered, and Marisa nodded.

"He lost what was left in his stomach then got the chills," Marisa said sadly then leaned back from Sigrid. "You might want to take a shower. I take it you dealt with the man who fled?"

"Demon," Sigrid confirmed with a nod and a smile then sniffed herself and grimaced. She made her way into Henry's bathroom.

Marisa and Meixiu dropped themselves onto the couch.

"It is very dangerous for Henry to do this," Meixiu said. "What if we hadn't called him back?"

Marisa sighed as she agreed but she didn't know how to protect him from it.

They dozed on the couch until they heard a noise and saw Sigrid exit the washroom wrapped in a towel. She glanced at them then dipped into Henry's room for a moment and came out with some clothes. She went back into the washroom, and when she came out, she was wearing one of Henry's T-shirts and track pants.

Marisa grinned at her.

"Shut up. Demon ruined my clothes. Their blood doesn't come out." She pouted then a little smile appeared on her lips. "These smell like Henry."

"Why does Henry not have a TV?" Meixiu asked with a frown.

Sigrid snorted. The vampire hadn't experienced television during her entire long life, not long ago she considered it inferior to radio, and suddenly she thought it was an essential service. "He doesn't consider it important."

"We were just discussing how we could protect Henry from future out of body episodes," Marisa said.

Sigrid raised an eyebrow. "And your idea was?"

Marisa and Meixiu just shook their heads sadly.

"As long as he's linked to the spell he'll be endangered by it," Sigrid sighed. "Queen Mab is in town, and you know she'll be aware of tonight's event. You said it was his man that brought Henry home?"

"That's what Siobhan said- dammit! I forgot to call her." Marisa popped to her feet to go into the kitchen to make the call.

"Is it not strange that they interrupted your date to warn him from using the spell then saved him from a fight and brought him home?" Meixiu asked.

"They need him healthy," Sigrid said.

"I do not trust their motives," Meixiu said with a scowl and Sigrid could only nod.

Marisa settled back on the couch. "Ok, Siobhan can go back to sleep."

Sigrid gave her a look. "Are you staying here?"

Marisa nodded. "I'll keep an eye on him today and go home tonight. Thanks for coming over with me."

Sigrid's smile was a little bloodthirsty as she thought of the demon. "I'm glad I did." They all stood, and Marisa walked them to the door where they hugged. Meixiu loved this ritual most of all. With a good night, they left, and Marisa locked up. She headed back to the couch. She was lucky it was very comfy.

She glanced at the bedroom door and considered joining Henry, but that was a bad idea. Just warming his body had felt too good.

So the couch it was.

As she made herself comfy, she recalled the firmness of Henry's body. She squirmed a little and sighed.

She hoped Henry felt better in the morning.

-=- End of Part 1 -=-
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