Infernal Investigations

It took only a second for Tagashin to conjure up a rope ladder made up of vines and branches. It took a while longer to convince the aunts that Tagashin would not dispel it while they were climbing.

Aunt Jing was the last, and by the time she made it down, I could hear Aunt Diwei browbeating some poor Intelligence agent. A mixture of letting them go without any trouble, and forgetting they ever were here, especially dressed this way.

It had definitely been a coincidence that I'd had the ladder unfurled not far from my front door.

"Such a pity that they'll have to walk all the way home on foot," Tagashin said up above, at least quietly enough that those below us likely couldn't hear. "If only some people had been nicer, perhaps they would not have their magic back and could teleport. Or fly."

"Shame, Tagashin," I said. "Taunting those less fortunate is very unbecoming of you. You can afford to be a little kinder. You can't bottle up every grudge, and most aren't worth bottling at all."

She snorted.

"Are you sure the diabolism lurking inside your brain hasn't partially taken you over?" Tagashin asked me. "Not that I'm complaining, but-"

She stopped, stunned, as I turned around and hugged her, pressing my face against her fur. Stiff and disbelieving, she barely responded as I squeezed her tightly.

What? I'd just done this a few minutes ago. Unless she figured that had been part of the ploy.

"I can't blame you, you've only met me at my worst and aggravated," I told her, smiling gently. "Much of that is your fault, but I forgive you. And now I must thank you for helping me once again, taking me into the feylands. And Tagashin?"

"Yes?" she replied, and I pretended not to notice the gathering fey energies around us in the astral. Trees and plants of many colors surrounded us, sprouting from the roof of my home, forming into a concentric ring ready for whatever she was preparing.

"If I hear even a whisper suggesting any of those spirits you put inside my head retain a little of what they found in my memories, neither you nor they shall survive the night," I told her in a harsher tone.

Her lips quirked, and she broke the hug just before she broke out into laughter. I stood there, looking on in bemusement as her fit continued for nigh on half a minute.

"Ah," she said, tears in her eyes as she got the laughter under control. "I shouldn't have doubted. It is you, Malvia."

"I am so glad one threat was all it took to convince you of my identity," I said, and her laughter started up again. "Should I perhaps find some poor diabolist to bite into and further convince you of it?"

"Definitely Malvia," she got out, before collapsing onto her back, kicking her legs as she descended into another fit, deliberately playing this up.

"You know, my aunts aren't too far away," I commented drily. "Perhaps they would look rather nice in Kitsune-fur coats."

"Oh, as if you would even at your worst," Tagashin said.

I sobered a little. "My worst has been far worse than things like th-"

"Oh, enough," Tagashin said, springing up from the roof. "Don't turn on this so soon after seizing it. And after what I almost did. Also, let me take a look at you."

I unconsciously stiffened a little but forced myself to relax, turning around for the kitsune.

"Would it kill you to twirl? I want to see those fins float."

"Don't push it," I said, but I had to admit, their slicing through the air felt nice. Somehow, they weren't cold despite their gossamer-thin nature.

"You know, you should wear the clothes I got you," she said.

What clothes-my cheeks flushed as I remembered the wrapper I'd woken up in following my concussion. That green, frilly, monstrosity that I should have burned.

"Not in public," I said immediately, and then despaired as I saw the glint in her eyes.

"So, in private is fine then?" She asked teasingly.

Okay, this was…some things needed to be cleared up before this conversation continued, before I ended up swan-diving into something I could not get out of.

"What are you trying to be to me, Tagashin?" I asked the kitsune. "Lover? Ancestor? Hells forbid, both?"

Tagashin seemed genuinely taken aback, her fur turning bright red. "Why would you even think the latter?"

"Fey have strange customs that defy mortal taboos," I said, already regretting the words leaving my mouth. "As for the rest-"

"I want to be a friend, Malvia," she said, thankfully cutting me off. "I want us to be close, but not that close, and my own life is private enough that I will not answer that first one."

"That is…fair," I conceded, even if it continued to make me even more suspicious of her. "I'll drop it then."

Verbally. There were blood tests I could. The trick would be getting the blood without her noticing. Could she be drugged? She was fey. Then again, some people claimed Fey liked nothing more than to be drugged into states of bliss and regularly produced pheromones to do so. That was an avenue.

"Well, good on you for dropping that, because I'm not dropping you dressing in the clothes I got you."

"I am not wearing it in public," I said flatly. "It's a wrapper, Tagashin, not something you wear around strangers. Besides, it's far too rich, and to be honest, more elegant than I can pull off. Hellfire-spewing, foul-mouthed, Infernal, remember?"

"Yes, because looking elegant is something that won't suit you," Tagashin said drily. "Malvia, you could do that before you started sprouting fine fins and your coloration started shifting to a much more fitting balance. Honestly, with a little effort, you could be very striking."

I…I was an Infernal. I wasn't striking. For Hells' sake, I regularly bit people's throats out. My idea of romance was apparently biting people's throats out. If anything drew people to me, it was probably the devil's heritage, and I wanted as little to do with it as possible.

"If you're thinking inside your head that you aren't pretty," Tagashin threatened. "I will bespell you into the nearest boutique, we'll spend an entire day in there, and I'll get you in front of as many people as it takes to convince you."

Was I blushing? I'm pretty sure I was blushing. "Ah, well, the people of Anglea might surprise you-"

"The people of Anglea are racists who wouldn't know elegance if it hit them in the head," Tagashin said drily while I hoped that please, let no one downstairs have heard that. "I could just stick you alone in a room with-"

"Could we not?" I said. "I don't want to discuss this anymore."

"Because you realize I'm right?" Tagashin said. "I tell you what, Malvia, I'll drop it if you agree to one condition."

"What condition?" I asked wearily.

"We go shopping, I get to pick out one thing you have to wear, and you have to be completely honest about it, and willing to take what others say about it as the truth."

I..really? That was the condition. On the other hand. No pressing me on this subject again. That had its own benefits.

"Agreed," I said.

"And we discuss this at a future date after this case is over."

"What? No, not agreed!" I protested, and she started laughing.

After a second, I joined in, although just a few chuckles.

"This isn't another mask, is it?" She asked me, and I tensed.

She just had to say something to ruin it, didn't see. Tagashin wilted a little bit under my glare.

"Honest question," she said. "I don't want you falling into bad habits."

"It's…" I hesitated, weighing my words, my tail wriggling a bit. "It's something I'm trying to figure out. If I let go of what's weighing me down, what am I on the other side? I'm just trying to find out."

"Well, I'll take that over the self-destructive streak," Tagashin said. "Also because you were nice and promised. Later this week?"

I was actually hoping I could stretch it out for at least a month, but I could tell when I was beaten. She was not going to let this go.

"Fine."

"You make going to get a dress sound like a fight to the death."

"I'm pretty sure the last time I got a dress it involved two different fights to the death," I pointed out.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"Oh, right. Where did that one go anyway?"

"I still have it," I admitted. "Just…damaged. And I can't really justify the repairs."

Not when there were many more practical uses for money.

"Well, I suppose you are right," Tagashin admitted. "Although speaking of potential fights to the death, are you sure it's a good idea to bait your Aunt into chasing answers?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," I replied innocently, and she snorted.

"You are not being as clever as you think you are," Tagashin said. "Not enough to fool her either, so why?"

"Because I know my aunt and I can count on her to do certain things," I replied. "To be direct and blunt. To careen over things that would hold others back. To never let go of a scent. And when it comes to saving those she considers innocents, she has to make the right choice."

Tagashin snorted. "'Considers' is carrying quite a lot of that sentence, isn't it?"

I sighed. "Yes. But when it comes to dismantling a scheme, sometimes you need a wild factor that the schemer cannot anticipate, and I'd rather have a Diwei on her own peering into this than one guided by me if Samuel Voltar says no."

"There's always the risk of collateral, making a play like that," Tagashin noted.

"There are thousands of souls in those circles," I replied. "They unleashed a devil on my house, and it probably would have consumed this street if not more if we hadn't stopped it. Collateral of the Aunt Diwei variety would be a drop in the bucket. And I am hardly the only one to judge based on the harm caused."

She hummed non-committally, and yes, Aunt Diwei had hardly left the best impression. Honestly, even by the old bag's standards, tonight had been rather extreme. Speaking of the old bag, I had been hearing the tread of her new shoes this entire time. Nothing was quite like the squeak they made. A squeak that had slowly been getting quieter.

"They are probably far away enough now," I told her, as their footsteps faded from hearing.

"Hrrm?"

"That even with magically enhanced hearing or biosculpted ears, they shouldn't be able to hear us now," I said.

Tagashin sighed. "Please tell me you didn't just say all that to ensure they took away additional details on the case. That's not trickery Malvia, that's obvious."

"Of course not," I said innocently. "The thought only just occurred to me. But it does mean that if we wanted to say follow them and listen to what they are saying, they won't be able to hear us planning it."

Her ears perked up. "I'm listening."

***

The alleyway we arrived at was occupied, of course.

Even in winter, even with the skies allowed to dump snow onto the ground most nights because 'letting mages interfere with the weather would destabilize atmospheric patterns', even with the other nights chilling to the bone. Some fools would be lurking about to see if any other fools would be walking at night in this chill.

It didn't speak well to us being out. The four Infernals who had been in the alley took one look at the two of us emerging from a stretch of shadows, then decided their efforts were best employed elsewhere.

I managed to keep my composure up long enough for them to get out of sight before dry heaving on the ground.

"Yeah," Tagashin said sympathetically, disguised as the Infernal version of Barnes. "Going through the feyrealms isn't easy on a non-fey stomach. Just be glad I shielded your mind from the worst of it."

"I don't think you did," I muttered. "What was that…thing we passed through?"

"The Eternal Carnival? Eh, it's not that impressive. Ta!"

She vanished again, while I mused on the idea that a carnival that had stretched beyond the limits of sight was not that impressive. Eh. I should just be glad her ability to track through the curse meant only going through it once.

They definitely were nearby. I was out of sight of the road, but close enough to easily hear the squeak of Aunt Diwei's clown shoes.

They were heading directly for their home, which meant going through the Tithe. That area, named because getting out of that little den of twisting alleys and sudden dead ends without being relieved of some of your coin.

There were faster ways out of the Quarter, but a longer walk to their home. Whatever else I could say about them, they didn't lack for courage. They were making good speed soon. I could only hope the sudden appearance of Tagashin would slow them down, or I'd risk them hearing me in return.

The three of them paused, the tread of their cursed boots and squeak of clown shoes coming to an end. Tagashin must have teleported far overhead. Only after letting enough of their magic leak back so they could detect her presence.

"The kitsune," Aunt Jing observed, forced tranquility betrayed by a hint of nervousness. "Why is she hovering overhead, you think?"

"Watching," Aunt Diwei said calmly. "Probably making sure that we are leaving and not doubling back to try and kill them. That first teleportation was probably staying on the track."

"The kitsune should be able to track us from the curses she still has on us," Aunt Fang said worriedly. "What if she's come to finish it outside of Lily's eyesight?"

"I really doubt that Foulblood's approval is limiting what she does," Aunt Diwei said dismissively. "If anything, that little half-breed is probably firmly under that fey's thumb, unless you see it developing a brain capable of managing it."

"Truly such wise observation," Aunt Jing said. "As wise as insulting Lily when the fey can probably hear you."

"Enough of its lock has degraded; I'm keeping it from sensing our conversation," Diwei said. "Magical creature, senses based on magic, blocked by a simple shield unless it wishes to press, which I will detect."

Yet not capable of blocking senses where magic had altered the biology involved, I thought with a small smile.

"Besides, I would insult it regardless."

"You are being far too aggressive about this," Aunt Jing said. "We were told to test, not to provoke."

"We were instructed to be harsh, to be aggressive," Aunt Diwei said unapologetically. "Any curse put on us could have been broken, in time. You two are letting that kitsune's threats affect you far too much."

"Strong words from the person who wouldn't have needed to crawl through chimneys or to be covered in swarms of rats," Aunt Fang snapped. "That was far too much risk, especially when you decided to try the sword on both her and Lily."

"They both survived, did they not? As did we. If anything, I should be the one upset. I get nothing of what I wanted out of tonight, I lost my sword and I think that cursed fey has made the lock on my magic tighter than on both of you."

"You should get over your desire to mount its trophy on your wall," Aunt Fang said. "It will take more than provocation to do that now."

So, Aunt Diwei really wanted Tagashin's head? I knew some of our oldest family stories revolved around kitsune and handling those that had terrorized villages in the past. Not always, which was one of the things I still needed to talk to Tagashin about

"Besides, whatever else, it is flesh and blood, and not everyone shares your opinions on how that issue should be handled."

Oh. I should not be shocked by this. Still, some part of me felt disappointed.

"Bah, you all hold out some hope that the monster it turned out to be reverts to the little mask it wore and played innocent behind when it was younger," Diwei complained. "It is to be tested til that mask shatters, breaks, and we finally have an excuse to do what should have been done years ago."

Yes, yes, head chopped off, consigned to the fiery pits from which I'd emerged, I thought idly. Never to irritate you or yours again, or wear a name that never should have belonged to me.

"You mean the thing that would have left us with no leverage over Bao," Fang replied drily.

"That was ill-done regardless," Aunt Jing said. "Even if it was what convinced her to accept her punishment, threatening Lily's life-"

"-She should be grateful, if she were capable of feeling, that threatening is all we did," Diwei snapped. "With what she did, that thing's life should have been ended the moment she finished it. And even that would be a light punishment at best."

"Oh yes. Tell me, are you ready for what happens if she wakes up and finds her daughter's head on your wall, Diwei?"

Diwei spat something out about not being afraid, but I was only half-listening as I could hear every beat of my heart.

They were talking about my mother. They were….Uncle Liu had said us both being banished had been her fault, but I hadn't believed him, just dismissed it as some other attempt to manipulate. Calm Malvia, calm. Just because he hadn't been lying about that didn't mean the rest of what he'd said or even just hinted at was true. For all I knew, her crime could have been as benign as mine was. Considering my existence was enough to be condemned by two out of the three-

"-and Lily makes great strides in attempting to fight the nature of her blood," Aunt Jing was protesting. "If anything else, her effort at resisting the taint within her is worthy of-"

Condemned by three out of the three, I thought irritably.

"Enough," Aunt Fang said, then silence for a while. "I don't care how confident you are in this shield, Diwei. We stop talking until we get home. I don't care how you interpreted the directions, but it's a matter reserved for later."

I listened as the squeak of clown shoes began again, all three of them stalking off. A few seconds later, Tagashin-as-Barnes was next to me.

"Do you think they knew someone was listening?" Tagashin whispered to me.

"Maybe," I said. "Or they are worried about the lock. We got what we needed."

This hadn't been entirely about Tagashin. A test of me. Something they had been directed to do, and Diwei might have overstepped their instructions on. Grandfather. Uncle Liu was not respected by Diwei enough for her to obey him. Last I'd interacted with them as a group anyway. Still, my bet would be on the old man.

"So," I said after relaying the pertinent details. "Some things explained, even more questions to be answered now."

"Sounds like family drama," Tagashin commented. "Not multiple hellgates across the city threatening to open drama. You should just let me curse them and be done with it."

"No," I said firmly, starting to walk back to my home, letting my fins extend. The cold still felt nice, as snow began to fall once again. I felt…warm, warmer than I ever had in weather like this. It was only now I realized while I could feel chill it didn't seem to penetrate beyond my skin to the flesh underneath. Interesting, was I better insulated against the cold?

"Just the two who won't even consider you a person then," Tagashin offered, settling into a walk next to me.

The kistune had put on a glamor, back to the tiefling version of Barnes. Complete with that ridiculous all-pink get-up. Well, I suppose the time for sneaking had passed.

"No," I insisted, but less firmly than the first time.

"Just the clown then," she said. "She sounded smug. Only sad that you didn't give her an excuse to behead you. Come on, she deserves being part of the circus for a week. Shoveling elephant and owlbear dung is very character-building."

"Again no," I said, rolling my eyes. "Tagashin, while I remain very certain in your abilities to handle them, I remain less certain in your abilities to handle the entire clan. And they would not take your word or mine about any changes being 'only for a week'"

A pause as we walked in silence, as my breath misted in the late evening air.

"If I did every single one of your family at the same time?"

"No," I insisted. "Look at it this way, won't striving to be better than them be more satisfying? Lording over the fact that you could inflict torment on them yet choosing not to?"

Tagashin pondered the question.

"No, I'd much rather just turn her into a clown."

***

As we approached the house, Tagashin giggled.

"What?" I asked, still comfortably warm in my new skin. Oh, I could save a fortune on fire in the winter doing this.

"I just pictured how people are going to react," she told me.

"About what?" I asked, idly watching the sky. Snow was starting to fall. Again. Drat. I didn't want to test how much cold I could withstand, and worse, I'd have to sweep.

"Your new body, and your attempts at a new attitude," she said, giggling again. "Oh, this will be fun."

"The body, maybe, the attitude, I was never incapable of acting like this," I protested.

"You have smiled on multiple occasions in the past hour."

"I've smiled before!"

"You have sneered, scowled, smirked, and looked like you were considering biting someone while baring your teeth. You did not smile. Okay, except as Falaras when I was disguised as Voltar say…twice?"

"You exaggerate," I groused.

"Everyone is going to be unnerved," she told me.

"It won't be that bad," I protested.

"You're being polite. You're smiling! They're going to be confused, and they'll blame me for it. Say if the diabolism didn't take you over I put fey spirits in your brain."

"You did put fey spirits in my brain."

"Yeah, but they'll think I used them to inject you with happiness."

"Shush, it won't be that bad," I said, walking up to my own door, smiling politely at the two Intelligence agents there. "Good evening, gentlemen. Thank you for guarding my door on this pleasant evening. Would it be right if we came in, please?"

Both of them looked at me, a pistol slipping out of one of their hands.

"Could you repeat that?" One asked me, while the other one asked Tagashin "This is Harrow, right?"

Tagashin coughed behind me, and I could feel smugness radiating off of her. This wasn't my fault! These two had only met me the one time, and as a near-devil for most of it, of course they would be unnerved!

It wouldn't be this bad inside. I was sure of it.