A Tail’s Misfortune

Putting the tomfoolery of Nilly’s morning scare and her weird thorn lady dream behind her, Sora maintained her foxfire hair for Ember’s sake; the little Fairy girl was somehow using her flames as a blanket. She had to wonder how long the girl normally slept since she’d been sleeping for over half a day now.

Several outfit choices floated off their racks to phase onto an illusion of herself, allowing her a 3rd person angle to study how she looked in each. After a few seconds of consideration, she went with a black dress and white overcoat for something more formal—she was going to court, after all.

Heading into the hallway and down the light elevator, Sora walked into the kitchen to greet everyone who was up, which only excluded Eyia and Kari, ironically.

Wendy had just finished whipping up some French toast and bacon while Daisy and Howie appeared to be making a homemade brown sugar and butter syrup. Fen was sitting at the bar with Jian, tails wagging and waiting for her breakfast; the woman had let slip that she was awake.

“Morning! You’re looking nice, Wendy. I see someone went out shopping while I was passed out,” Sora giggled, breathing in deeply and giving her a thumbs up. “Smells great. And, Daisy, I want to see your ring! Don’t pout; I see you and Jian, too, Fen,” she giggled, using her finger to direct her floating white leather purse onto the counter.

Wendy snickered, studious eyes sliding down her outfit as Sora presented herself. “Nice hairstyle and cute outfit. Dressed to impress, huh? Going out?”

Daisy flashed her teeth and waved as Wendy finished, her blonde hair tied into a ponytail with a black bow. “Morning, Sora. Oh, and I don’t really have a ring yet since Yez’ela—the bitch—threw it away when stripping my future husband. I’m glad she’s burning in Hell right now.”

“Yeah, I’m glad you blacked out most of those memories for me, Sweetie,” Howie said with a forced chuckle, moving in for a cute kiss that made Sora’s heart swell. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget that kiss you gave me, though—wow.”

“I’ll have to top it, then,” she returned, bumping her hip against him to shoo him away in order to slide past him to get more ingredients for the mix. “Wendy said she’d like to go ring shopping with us today. Life has just been a dream since you woke me up, Sora! Howie got a crazy raise from the new owners of the building. Oh, I should have asked if you have plans together today?”

Fen rolled her eyes, but the fox and Baihu—whatever that was—were swiftly pulled out of her mind as her best friend gave her a questioning smile while looking her over. Sora’s eyebrows drew together, knowing they had something very important planned for later today, but Wendy didn’t seem to have let them in on the meeting with her mother.

“Uh… not until much later tonight. If possible, have her back by, like… 7 or 8 p.m.? Yeah, I’ve got Sela’s trial to get to in a bit; Aiden is meeting me at the monster restaurant to discuss it.”

Placing a hand on her hip, she shifted to the side to look in the direction of the second floor, hearing Kari groaning as she stretched out across her bed. “I kind of thought you’d be free to hang with Kari and Eyia today… No?”

Wendy’s sudden scowl said it all as she took her tongs and pulled the bacon out of the pan and onto paper towels to soak off the grease. “I get you’re in this ‘forgiveness’ phase or whatever. It’s cool. Whatever. But… yeah, I’m not about to have anything to do with Kari. Eyia’s cute and fun, but if Kari will be there, then I’d much rather go ring and dress shopping while getting to know Daisy.”

Head hanging, Sora sighed. “That’s fair. It took a lot for me to get to where I am with Kari, but she will be living here down the hall. I can’t force you to like her, but she really isn’t as bad as you think if you just get to know her—the real her.”

“Sure, maybe… Anyway, are you sure you don’t want to go with stockings and a short skirt instead of the dress?” Wendy asked with a sly smirk. “It’s fae court, right? You saw the kind of outfit Titania was wearing; I don’t think it will be business style, if you know what I mean. And… you’re seeing Aiden.”

“True…” Sora mumbled, frowning as she stared down at her outfit. “Wait, this isn’t really a date,” she half scoffed. “I just said we’d go over the trial stuff; Titania was the one that said it would be good if he were there.”

“Sure. Sure,” Wendy chuckled, handing Daisy the pan of finished French toast as she walked over, turned her around, and lightly guided her back upstairs. “Let’s get you dressed more ‘Fairy-like.’ Is… that a Fairy in your hair?”

“Fine! Fine! Just tell me my fashion sucks—and yes, her name is Ember, and she’s a sleepyhead. Nilly gave us both a fright today.”

Wendy hummed, a small smirk on her lips while taking them to the light elevator. “Fen told us you were talking to Nilly when Nilly was sleeping on my bed—well, that you had a waking dream or something and fell off the bed. Nilly then went into your room to see what you were doing. Embarrassing!”

Sora’s ears fell back, shooting a sidelong look back at the kitchen. “So, you think I’m crazy, Fen? You have no idea. Nilly can literally be everywhere.”

The fox woman didn’t respond to her, happily eating the food Daisy put in front of her. However, Sora couldn’t dwell on the topic because when they reached the second floor, Kari was walking down the hall, dressed in her green nightgown, her absurdly thick black hair a complete mess, and her tail hanging low as she yawned.

“Oh, great,” Wendy grumbled, glaring at the dull-eyed wolf, still quite sleepy by the look on her face. “I didn’t go shopping for enough food to cook for the bully.”

Sora’s heart felt heavy at the rising tension. Yeah, Wendy, you cooked breakfast for the Huli Jing, who has likely killed hundreds of people throughout her life, but the harmless, abused puppy here is the real threat… Man, we’re going to have to address this at some point because this is rough.

“Sorry, Kari,” she quickly interjected, “Wendy is going to be hanging out with Daisy and Howie today. We have guests, too, so, hehe, it’s probably not the best idea to go slinking around dressed like that. Can you get changed before grabbing one of my cards in my purse downstairs and taking Eyia out somewhere to eat? I’m sure she’d like to have an eating contest, and… she’s just starting to get up now!”

Her gaze shifted to the end of the hallway, knowing the Valkyrie was pretty sharp when it came to conflict, and Wendy’s defensive aura was causing waves.

As Sora expected, Kari didn’t so much as put up a fight; she’d more or less given up on fighting after losing to her brother, and that worried Sora—confidence was Fenris Wolves’ base source of power, after all.

Kari’s amber eyes drifted to Wendy before her chest puffed up and she released an audible sigh, flipping on her heels to return to her room. “Sure… Sorry to be trouble.”

Sora’s stomach knotted as she watched the tall girl retreat, her tail hardly moving and slightly bristled; she knew the wolf’s agitation was more aimed at herself than Wendy.

“You went shopping with her last night, huh?” Wendy mumbled, pulling her the rest of the way into her room to raid her closet. “She… does seem a lot different.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Sora defended, crossing her arms as Wendy did a quick sweep of her available outfits before swiftly selecting a few to hold up to her. “I thought you said short skirt?” she teased, as Wendy handed her a knee-length blue-and-white skirt with a black shoulderless blouse.

“We could go with the lower front-cut skirt that flows out longer in the back,” Wendy chuckled, bypassing her comment about Kari. “You’ll want more formal heels if you are going with this look, though… I’m shocked your dad let you buy this,” she said, examining a skirt that only fell to her mid-thighs. “It’s a really nice designer piece.”

“He didn’t,” Sora said with a strained smile, using her magic to create a body double to apply it to, “I loved it when I saw it but never wore it… Sometimes, I’d splurge shop to make myself feel better. I got this four months ago—and not the best topic with you, I guess.”

Wendy’s frown deepened at the mention of Kari’s bully days. “Hey, I’m happy for you—I am—just… understand that it’s just… hard for me. It’s not a good time, is all.”

Stepping forward to hug the hurting brunette, Sora held her for a few seconds in silence, Wendy gradually working through her emotions involving her mother and pulling away.

“…I’m fine. Umm. Did you have a time you need to meet Aiden?”

Sora shrugged, using her magic to phase off her current outfit to instantly replace it with her new ones, including a black belt to go around her stomach on the high skirt. She was actually impressed with how the white and black contrasted each other, the shoulderless blouse tucked under the pure alabaster skirt.

“I said I’d text him when I was ready… Should I wear stockings or go full-leg? It’ll probably be hot today—well, it might not be in Avalon.”

Wendy grinned, taking a step back and looking her up and down. “You’re always so stupidly pretty—sometimes it makes me depressed, I swear—and definitely without. Black, ankle-strap heels with magic to make them comfortable? Uh, can you spell me some that are like that, too? Because that would be the best!”

Not going to let that comment slide, Sora smirked and snapped her fingers, creating a duplicate illusion model of Wendy in the exact same outfit. “You can’t tell me you’re not gorgeous. I’ll get one for you so we can match!”

“Really?” Wendy shivered, smiling while studying herself. “I am kind of cute, aren’t I?”

“You could say… beautiful?” Sora pushed, playfully nudging shoulders. “I love that bangs-behind-the-ear look you do, and you can totally take those earrings I added. I haven’t used them in, like… two years? Yeah, when you’re out, go ahead and shop with Howie and Daisy. Have fun!”

Wendy released the tension in her shoulders that Kari had brought on, moving in to hug her again. “You’re the best sister a girl could ask for! I’m… really thankful for everything you’ve done for me, Sora. Now, get that bushy tail off to meet a tall handsome blond firebird already before I kick it!”

“You would never!” Sora giggled, dancing out of the closet while holding her tail. “I’ll leave one of my credit cards. Yes, you are a part of the family, so you get to use money, too! Just… keep the receipts,” she added with a wince. “My dad gets on my butt so hard for that!”

“Roger that, Lil Sis,” Wendy chimed, giving her a salute. “Now you go get some tail feathers!”

“Wendy!”

“Hehehe. Doesn’t he have tail feathers? Bring me back one,” she winked, making Sora’s face flush. “Joking! Joking! You get to keep all of them under your pillow… inside your pillow?” she thoughtfully hummed, giggling as Sora grabbed the item to throw at the brunette.

“Stop teasing me! It’s only semi-a-date. Nothing official!”

Wendy caught the fluffy article and held it as a shield. “It sounds pretty official to me! And I won dodge-pillow—I caught it—you’re out, and I won.”

“Damn you, dodge-pillow rules!” Sora snarled, fake storming out of the room; they’d made the game up when they were eight. “I’m just rusty because we haven’t played it in forever.”

“All hail the reigning Pillow Queen!” Wendy boasted, lingering behind to study her illusion, no doubt; yeah, she loved how the outfit looked on her. “Come back before seven!”

“Or eight!” Sora shot back. “Wait, wasn’t I the one who gave you those times?”

“Details. Details. Have fun!”

Sora beamed as she saw Eyia heading for her bathroom to take a shower, piled up with her change of clothing and probably thinking she best use the same one she used last time.

“Morning, Eyia! Wendy’s out, but Kari will take you out for an eating contest before your basketball game.”

“The morning has risen, Sister! You look beautiful for combat today,” the blonde cheered, dress and messy hair bouncing with her cute hops. “I look forward to the competition of balls slamming with the wolf! Kari has said that she has yet to lose, so I have a high bar to jump over, but I am a good jumper!”

Stomach hurting as she laughed at the girl’s suspect phrasing, Sora had to admit that the Valkyrie was such a sweet, innocent doll. “Don’t bust—or burst—her balls too much!”

Eyia froze, and Sora could see her brain spinning on her response. “Burst her balls? Am I not to be gentle with the balls so as not to burst them? I tried to play the balls game with the Ogres, and I burst all their balls. They were quite sad. I learned that gentle fingers are best used against such weak spheres; they are not as sturdy as stones, Sister!”

“Hahaha! No, they are not!” Sora gasped, doubling over as she went downstairs, Wendy giggling while entering her own room to pick up her phone. “Catch you girls later! I know you can hear me, Kari—show Eyia what you love to do around Miami! I want to hear about it when I get back; have a fun girls’ day out!”

Kari’s snort from inside the other suite’s master bathroom made Sora smile as the wolf projected her typical tsundere attitude she’d started to see; her former bully was a marshmallow on the inside, despite her outward fangs.

“No need to yell, Fox. You don’t need to hold my hand. Look, I’ll do what I want, okay? So go make out with Aiden already.”

Sora almost tripped in her heels, her magic safety net being the only thing that caught her. “Wha—oh, it’s on, Kari! I’ll get you back for that comment, so just you wait! You won’t see it coming—but it will come!”

“I hear barking… but I was sure there was a fox downstairs. Huh. Whatever.”

Oh, she’s mean! Such a tsundere personality, Sora quietly laughed, waving off everyone in the kitchen while picking up her purse with a magical tug; two credit cards slid out to settle on the counter. I can’t believe how lively my home is getting. I love it! Wake up soon, Dad… you have girls you need to ground!

Pressing the button to call the elevator, she flashed her teeth as a familiar brown-haired man was revealed when the doors slid open.

“Ron!” Hopping inside, skirt and hair bouncing, she gave the man a hug before shifting to the side of the box. “I’m sooo happy you’re still here. How are you and Steph—nothing bad? My mom said she talked to her before she went to her meeting. Is she back?”

The tall man pressed the button for the ground level, giving her a welcoming gesture and backing into his normal corner. “Yeah, this new org that bought out the hotel is keeping a lot of the staff you like and, frankly, paying ridiculous salaries. Apparently, some of the staff are seriously contemplating moving over to elevator staff since it pays mid-six figures.”

“Oh? Well, that makes sense since the new owners are basically catering to my every whim as the secret world shadow government who doesn’t want to upset my mom. Who is planning on taking the elevator jobs? And spill on Stephanie! I’m worried.”

Ron rubbed his chin and forced a laugh. “Steph is… having some labor problems that are rare for her race. Actually, she left me a letter detailing her time with your mom. She—Sora?”

Two floors before reaching the bottom, Sora stepped forward and pressed the stop button to bring them to a halt, and her magic twisted the key out of the lock. Worry on her voice and face, she wasn’t about to let Ron go until she knew there was nothing she could do to help.

“What’s wrong with the baby? Is there anything me or my mom can do? Is she okay?”

“Woah! Woah! No, the baby’s fine. It’s Steph, uh… how do I put this…” He puffed out a long breath and scratched his cheek. “Because of me, or… who she had a baby with… things aren’t going as planned. She’s losing a lot of her power.”

Sora’s tail bristled at the news, a warm of emotions welling up within her chest. “That means she’ll be a normal woman—a blue giant woman? Why is that happening? She’s like… super powerful, right? I… don’t know how I’d feel if I suddenly lost all my powers… No, that would really suck.”

A small, reflective smile on Ron’s face pulled Sora’s focus as he shook his head. “Sure, it is a little scary for her. It’s also a blessing in many ways because it means she won’t have to hide, and your mom already provided her with a metamorphosis charm that won’t conflict with the pregnancy. She’s excited to come to the meet-and-greet your mother has planned in two days from now.”

Left ear pulling back, Sora glanced at herself in the elevator mirror. “She didn’t tell me about any meet-and-greet… Wait, does that mean she’ll be able to come over and spend time with us?! That’s awesome!”

A sudden thought struck her, making her gulp and pull out the black icy rose the Celestial had given her. “How… much of her power is gone? Will this shatter or wilt—can it help since she created it when she was stronger?”

Ron lightly pushed it away. “It wasn’t that long ago, Sora. At her most powerful, Stephanie could probably hold her own against your grandmother or any other 1st Generation Founder, but… life can be challenging for Celestials since they are migratory beings. It’s unusual for them to stay in one place like Steph did.

“She had to go to this meeting before she lost her ability to travel there undetected. Soon… very soon, she will be almost as powerless as your mom will be. She’s trading the fear of always watching her back to being welcomed into Mia’s territory and living out her life with me, powers or not… they may never come back for all we know, and she’s okay with that.”

The waves of love, adoration, and devotion pulsing from Ron were like a hot finger sliding down her spine, making her shiver. “Wow… Stephanie really is amazing. You two are the cutest pair. I’m happy for you, and I totally want to get to know Steph more—well, if she’s okay with that.”

Ron crossed his arms and nodded. “Yeah, your dad has invited me golfing a ton of times but I’ve always had to decline since Steph has needed me close. The baby should be coming very soon, so… yeah, I’m going to be a dad! Wow-haha, that is scary to say.”

Sora closed in to deliver a comforting embrace. “You’ll do great, Ron, and you’re not alone! You’re a part of the Fox Den, too, and don’t you forget it. I’m loyal to everyone who is loyal to me, and you’ve been sooo loyal to me. Thank you, Ron. I’m always in your corner.”

“And I’m in yours, Sora,” he returned, sneakily grabbing the key out of the air to insert it into its slot. “I guess you practically own this building now, but we still gotta keep the elevator clear,” he said, twisting it. “By the way, Cynthia has already applied.”

The doors slid open, and Sora entered the lobby, spotting the brown-haired, 32-year-old woman behind the front desk; the sharp-eyed lady was always watching for her. She’d kept detailed records of when she left or came back, with any changes in her attitude or appearance since she was 28 and started the job. She didn’t say much, but her detailed notes long before her psychiatrists’ fake medical diagnoses showed how much she cared about her.

“I’d be comfortable with her at the door,” she replied, nodding and chuckling as Ron pointed at her flaming hair. “Yes, it’s hidden behind illusions. I look forward to seeing a less stressed Stephanie. Have a good day, Ron.”

“You too, Sora.”

She stepped out, giving the hotel staff the best smile she could to let them know she was doing well. Compared to how she was doing a few weeks ago, she was practically an entirely new girl.

She entered the salted air of Miami Beach, breathing in the wind, and set off to meet Aiden, absently using her Desire Magic to send him a text that she was on her way. She spun in a circle before exiting the hotel sidewalk and entering the public flow.

I’m free! Walking with the tourists and locals, seemingly oblivious to the chaos and hurricane that had struck the city less than a week ago, Sora couldn’t believe how good she felt. I’m a vulpes Founder. I’m becoming friends with my bully. My best friend is now my sister, and I’ve got an adorably innocent Valkyrie sister now, too! I’m not alone!

Her heart swelled as she glanced between the various groups of foreign girls, laughing with one another and taking photos to post on social media; it used to make her so jealous and hurt to see other girls having fun. She used to wonder why her pain was so invisible to everyone. All of that was gone, replaced by new dreams and expectations.

Mom’s coming home to be a family. Dad’s going to get better and be happy again. We’re all going to Avalon Academy—a flipping fae school! Jin is going to be our battle and physical education instructor, which… is kind of scary, but exciting for something new. And then we have this mysterious Darkness that turns fae into Unseelie. A little danger and mystery can be fun! Well, hopefully. Maybe I’m just running on a high. Yeah, I’m definitely high!

The city she’d grown up in shone with a new light on her journey to the monster restaurant, and she was positive her magical energy reserves were stacked to the brim partly due to her mood. She had thoughts of her weird thorn dreams, Nilly, and the strange happenings on the moon base, but all of that was either in the future or past. Right now, she had a meeting with a certain blond firebird.

She couldn’t stop her tail from wagging as she found Aiden waiting for her just outside of the alleyway, dressed in a formal suit for their court attendance. Anticipation twisted her stomach as she grinned and greeted the tall boy.

“Hey! I hope you didn’t wait long. My house is kind of crazy recently.”

Aiden took his left hand out of his pocket, putting off the soothing vibes that eased her thumping heart; she wasn’t sure what to expect with her first time to Avalon, and it would be with one of the few boys that she knew.

“Not long; I scheduled my business in the area, anyway. That being said,” he offered his arm with a teasing smirk, “I stand corrected.”

Tingles ran down her arms as she took his arm; feeling like the vulpes princess she was, Sora’s ears shifted to give him a sidelong, dubious look. “Corrected of what, my good sir?”

His rainbow eyes gave her a short, appraising sweep. “To be honest, I thought you couldn’t get more beautiful, but look at you, dashing expectations—those heels and skirt are killers.”

Sora rolled her eyes, yet there was a smile on her lips. “Oh, shut up. How many girls have you given that line? And I see you’re a leg guy, huh? I don’t know how Wendy can tell with guys, but she’s, like, 80% right on what guys like, I swear.”

Aiden tilted his head as he led them into the dirty alley, vanishing from public view. “I wouldn’t say I’m only a leg kind of guy,” he considered. “You do have some ankles and feet there, too, ya know.”

“Ooh. Go on!” Sora pressed, imagining herself holding a knife to his neck; she was a killer today! “What is so great about my ankles and feet?”

“Hold up. Hold up,” Aiden defended. “I need to address your previous question. And for your information, I have said that to another lady.”

“Hmmm? What kind of lady? The monster kind?”

Sora’s stare demanded answers, yet the bird wasn’t budging with that smug smile that said he had her.

“Nope. Entirely human, and only once… to a cute 8-year-old in Yemen, who loved to hang onto my shirt and hide behind me. No one over 8, though, so take that how you will,” he said with a laugh, obtaining total victory.

“Aww. That is adorable,” Sora cooed, imagining it and thinking back to her world travels. “I’ve been to a lot of places… but nowhere like that. You went to a lot of wartorn places, huh? I guess monsters would congregate near those areas.”

A bittersweet crease came to the boy’s eyes as he opened the door for her to enter first. “I like bringing smiles to children. It’s… something else to see real starvation. It makes you grateful for what you have. Let’s get to the main topic, though.”

“Me?” Sora asked, showing him a toothy grin that made his chest shake with laughter.

“I mean, we could discuss the difference in tail length between Kari and you, if you want—not that shorter tails are bad—but we could get philosophical on it,” he mused, waving at the server, who guided them to the VIP room without a word. “For one, you don’t get it caught in sliding glass doors! That’s a plus, right?”

“Dangerous line, Bird Boy,” Sora giggled, enjoying herself as she gave him a light glare. “I’m guessing that is a segway for you to ask how Kari’s doing, and she is doing great! I gave Eyia to her for the day. If there is anyone who can pull Kari out of her slump, it’s that adorable blonde! I… am a genius.”

“Bravo!” Aiden clapped, sliding forward to pull out her chair and scoot her in. “I hope you’re hungry because I told the cooks that today is a special celebratory dinner!”

“Is that so?” Hands pressing into her lap after adjusting her sitting position and skirt, she looked at the firebird’s warm, welcoming face as he took off his jacket and placed it over the chair’s back. “What are we celebrating? I thought this was more or less a business meeting on Sela’s trial.”

Taking his seat, Aiden leaned against the table to stare into her eyes, making her heart thump a little, for some reason; it wasn’t like this was an actual date. They were just playing around. There was a look in his colorful irises that she’d never seen a guy give her, though.

“The day when my family is recovering. Eric is happy to have an entire organization to tell him where challenges lie and where he can assert his dominion.”

“Oh.” Sora felt as if cold water had been dumped over her head, making her ears fall back a little with a bitter taste that entered her mouth. “Yeah, wooh… Eric is happy.”

Aiden’s smile grew, and the attendant left their menus on the table, making his exit to let them determine what they wanted.

“Not just Eric. Kari has found a certain fox who she can be herself with, and who knows, maybe become friends.”

“Mhm… Kari’s a cute puppy that tries to act like a wolf,” Sora mumbled, picking up her menu to scan the items. “I’m starting to like having her around, which is causing some friction with Wendy, but I’ll handle it.”

“And… there it is!” Aiden chuckled.

Sora’s ears rose again, looking over her menu to see him now sitting back, arm slung over the back of his chair as the boy stared at her. “There… what is?”

“The girl who put a spell on me… You are something else, Sora.”

“Huh? I didn’t put a spell on you…” she trailed off, throat going dry at the curious, searching stare Aiden was giving her, looking truly puzzled and intrigued. “What do you mean by that?” she slowly asked, lowering the menu to the table as a hand gripped her lungs.

The corner of Aiden’s lips pulled up into a half-smile as he shook his head. “You are not like any other girl I’ve met, and I’ve met a lot of girls across the world. Your best friend is having trouble with you trying to mend bridges with your worst enemy, yet you just say you’ll handle it like that isn’t something special.”

Throat feeling scratchy, she choked. “Come again?”

Aiden wasn’t going to let her off the hook, though, and she recalled that this good-natured, kind blond boy had lived a very dangerous life and had constantly run into battlefields. There wasn’t much he was afraid to say or do.

Am I reading this right? she internally cried, heart thumping like a rabbit.

“I want to figure you out, Sora Moore,” Aiden smoothly continued, maintaining eye contact. “You’ve captivated and impressed me more than any other woman I’ve met. From bullied teenage girl to radiant vulpes princess, charging forward to take everything she wants and daring anyone to stand in her way. Whenever you cross my mind, I can’t get that moment when we first met out of my head: the boldness and courage you showed.”

He looked way too comfortable talking, as he chuckled and gave her a dashing smile. “You put a spell on me because you inspire me, Sora. I don’t think there’s anyone else I’d want as an example for my sister, and I don’t think there is a stronger way to express it other than that. You’re amazing, Sora, and I look forward to getting to know you better.”

Trying not to stumble over her words or let her face flush, Sora felt like she’d been punched in the chest as she cleared her throat. She was in dangerous territory and needed to navigate these rough waters because she was starting to see herself approaching a slope.

“Thank you… Hehe. That… was so sweet of you to say. Umm, should we order and talk about Sela? I don’t know when Ember will wake up and tell us it’s time to go.”

Aiden held up his fingers and snapped them, creating a multi-colored spark that zipped through the door to call their server. “Let’s do it. What’s the plan?”