Best Friend For Hire Reprise

 As I made Elf Hottie battle monster after monster, I listened to the crazy tale Dani was spinning for the babies.  She was actually really, really good at making things up on the spot, talking about James and Alma defending her from terrible beasties and managing to handle a few on her own.  The group of them were traveling through some swamp, exploring for the sake of exploring, and hoping to find some lost ruin there.

 With how Dani spun the tale, I felt even Indiana Jones would have been proud, though he tended to sell stuff to museums.  James didn’t really have a need to sell things, as loaded as he was.

 I smiled to myself as I thought about my own little section of the house.  I wasn’t doing half bad myself.  Since coming to Best Friend For Hire, life had just gone right for sis and me.  There were no more debt collectors or rent notices.  We didn’t have to worry about food, always getting some sort of fancy dish from Marco.  I’d feel bad for the tornado that attempted to knock this house down.  James would surely do some fancy spell and just get rid of the thing without any real effort, and if I were ever in real trouble, I know he’d get rid of that problem too.

 “Everyone…” called one of the twins after she entered the ballroom with Jarod and her sister.  They all looked sort of nervous and just a bit excited.

 “We have an announcement.” stated the elbow when she had our attemption.  Without even looking, she gave Jarod an elbow to his ribs.

 The man didn’t even flinch, though I doubted either twin held back much when they hit him.  He looked around at everyone and said,  “We’re having children.”

 I applauded and cheered them on with the others, but my thoughts went to Deyanira.  With three of our friends having babies soon, would she want to get married too?  Did I?

 “Both of us.” added the twins in unison.

 We all cheered again, and I imagined what Jarod would be going through for the next several months.  Alma hadn’t really been difficult during her pregnancy, surprisingly happy throughout the whole thing.  If things went that way, Jarod might have it easy too.  If not, well… his fault for marrying twins.  I thought of what Deyanira would look like… how she would act.  I bet she’d get after me just as much as normal, but I didn’t really mind the idea.  Would the kid have my gift?  I didn’t really expect a kid to pop out speaking like Four and Messy—which was what the babes called each other.  I liked the nicknames.

 When the cheers died down, one of the twins started saying, “Not everyone here seemed to have guessed as of yet…”

 “But my sister and I have an incredible telepathic bond.” finished the other so smoothly that it sounded like one person had spoken.

 “So much so that we feel everything the other does.” resumed the first.

 The other went on, saying, “You’re accustomed to seeing out of one set of eyes.”

 “We see out of two.  We taste from two mouths and smell with two noses.” announced the first one.

 “Every thought is shared and every feeling.” they said together, alternating which one spoke with each word with ease.

 Then they spoke in unison as they said, “We only ever share this information with our closest family, so we ask you, our family, not to mention this to others.  We decided the time had come to share our secret because we’re expecting to be a bit touchy in coming months.  Pregnancy can be rough, and we’re getting a double dose, so please bear with us.”

 Grinning again, the first one added “Maybe even forgive my sister if she snaps at you.”

 “Not Ai.  She’s doing it on purpose.” insisted the one that was probably Mai with a grin that looked like trouble.

 “So that’s why you both married Jarod!?” I exclaimed, finally getting why both sisters would have been into that.

 Mai nodded.  “We can’t help loving the same person.  Every feeling is shared.”

 “When I touch his cheek, she knows how rough his whiskers are.” explained Ai as she demonstrated, grinning up at her husband as he kissed her head.

 “I feel his lips on her hair and his arm around her.  As we told you, we share everything.” insisted Mai, though she grabbed Jarod’s arm and pulled him toward her.

 Ai didn’t resist or care, their act slipping this once.  “Imagine reading a book and laughing during the death of your favorite character because you are also watching a comedian miles away who just told the best joke.  This is our lives.  This might be the lives of our children.  We don’t know.”

 “I’m going to have to rethink every conversation I had with you.” suggested Maple, sounding as awed as I felt.  “Can we talk with Iris, Dejon, Noelle, and Brenna about this?”

 The twins laughed.

 Jarod smiled and said, “Of course.  Everyone who lives with us will be in on our secret, though I don’t expect Noelle to remember in the first place.”

 “This is probably the most accepted the two redheads will ever feel.” teased Ai, watching what had to be a surprised look on my face.

 “Poor Brandon… Poor Brenna...” teased the other, sighing as if she couldn’t even imagine a fate worse than being a redhead.

 “Hey now… I still say that Alma’s borderline ginger.” I pointed out to her.

 “Careful, Brandon.  I haven’t incinerated anyone in a while, so I might be itching for a chance.” claimed Alma, her voice as teasing as the look on her face.

 I still nodded, holding up my hands defensively.  Though she seemed to be joking, I didn’t want to take any chances with her.

 “Dani, what does ‘incinerate’ mean?” questioned Four, looking at Messy.

 “To eradicate through burning.” replied Messy immediately.  “Don’t interrupt the story!”

 Four, however, looked horrified by the idea.  ”Messy!  Mother wouldn’t do that!”

 “She was making a joke!  Don’t get mad at me for what she says.” snapped Messy, giving him quite the glare for a one month old.  Then she quickly looked back at Dani, her face the picture of someone paying attention.

 “You two are wonderful!” exclaimed Dani, giving them both a hug.

 Did I want a boy or a girl?  I wasn’t entirely certain I had a preference, which might be a good thing.  I wondered if Deyanira did, not that we’d try for anything too soon, but…  Maybe I should ask Mila for advice on rings.  What if she’d help make one?  Could they make diamonds?  Wait… would Deyanira be okay with an artificial diamond?  I knew girls could be touchy about those things.  Maybe I should ask Jarod instead...

 “Dani, more story!” complained Kayla before taking Messy from Dani.

 “Aren’t you too old for stories?” asked Four in surprise.

 “You can’t get too old for stories!” insisted Kayla.  “Dejon reads constantly!  I bet your daddy does too.”

 “Father.” corrected James, but he did seem to think about what she said.

 “No one reads more than my mother.” argued Messy.

 Reaching over to poke her belly, Dani said, “She prefers when you call her ‘mommy’”

 “My sister calls her ‘mother’, so I will too.” insisted Messy with a stubborn look on her little face.

 “Your poor mommy is going to be sooo discouraged!” exclaimed Dani without sounding the least bit concerned.

 “Not possible.  Mila told me.” argued Messy, crossing her arms and looking all the more stubborn.

 “You might be right.” agreed Dani.  “I don’t think Daddy’s ever managed to discourage her from anything.”

 “But if ‘courage’ helps you to do things even when they frighten you, why does ‘discourage’ not involve fear?” questioned Four.

 “Hmm… I think that discouraging someone can involve making them too afraid of the consequences to hold onto courage.” replied Dani thoughtfully.  Then she grinned and said, “But good question!”

 “Consequences?  What could happen?” asked Messy with interest.

 Dani thought about that for a moment before saying, “Daddy gets mad.”

 “I don’t have a daddy.” replied Messy with a big frown.

 “Just don’t make my daddy mad.” insisted Dani, still grinning.

 “Our father.” asserted Four.

 “Never make big James mad.” agreed Kayla.  “But for now… more story!  Please, Dani.”

 Somewhere through the marsh, I stopped listening, my mind focused so much on Deyanira that Elf Hottie nearly died.  If I were to guess, Deyanira would probably want to finish school before getting married, but I was okay with that.  I could wait.  We had time.  Still, I was happy to think that we could get married if she wanted.  I could imagine waking up and seeing her daily.  I winced at the thought of getting yelled at daily if I didn’t get better at keeping my clothes off the ground.  I could work on that for her though.

 Since moving here, I never bothered to clean up after myself at all.  Mila’s dolls took care of cleaning the moment I left the room, so I hadn’t seen the point.  If not tossing a dirty shirt would make Deyanira happier, I was going to work on it.

 After a while, I realized I hadn’t moved my character in too long, so I started getting Elf Hottie back to town.  The more I thought about Deyanira moving in eventually, the more I wanted to propose.  I logged out of the game and went to my room to start looking at ring ideas, but I realized I should consult Brenna first.  Sis would tell me if I was being an idiot here.  Deyanira and I hadn’t been together even a year yet.  I didn’t want to scare Deyanira off either.

 As the white curtain in front of me slowly drew shut to hide the large machine, I watched with trepidation.  Aaliyah, Mila, and Alma were going to deliver a baby from that thing, my granddaughter.  Second granddaughter?  I still wasn’t quite accustomed to my first granddaughter being entirely artificial, but I couldn’t deny that she was a person to me, a warm and wonderful person.

 I hadn’t been there when my own daughter was born, not even knowing her mother was pregnant.  All I had known was that the love of my life disappeared from campus barely after we had started getting to know one another.  I pushed those thoughts down and turned to face James.  “Is there something we should be doing?” I asked the young man.

 Despite being young, James was obviously wise beyond his years.  He was a compassionate, careful leader with his own successful business.  When he shook his head, smiling a knowing smile at me, I trusted that he was right.  “Just waiting.  You know my wife is a highly skilled doctor, and your daughter is the best at everything she tries.” he assured me.

 Still, my thoughts betrayed me, bringing up memories I didn’t want.  “Do you think I’m a bad father?” I asked as my hand swept through my hair.

 “No.  Not at all.  Look how incredibly happy your daughter’s been.” he promptly replied, still smiling.

 “Keeping a child happy isn’t all it takes.  I know you’re new to fatherhood, but… there’s so much work.” I reminded him, thinking myself foolish even as I did so.

 James had adopted someone nearly his own age, a teenager, and still the girl couldn’t want for education or joy.  She obviously loved him and Alma both just as much as any child who had enjoyed a happy childhood with both parents.

 James’ face became serious as he asked “Your daughter’s told you of what her life was like before, hasn’t she?”

 I shook my head reflexively, but I shrugged as I remembered that James knew.  “Some.  I try to listen when she’s willing to talk, but that man, James…” I explained, growing angry with the thought.  “Her grandfather was wicked.  Had I known, I would’ve fought for her.  I would’ve done everything I could to get her away from him.”

 I didn’t really give James a chance to reply when I asked “Did you know that she considers Mila her first daughter?”  When he nodded, I told him “I never thought of it like that.  When the house would occasionally speak, I simply thought my daughter had invented something nearly miraculous again.  With her, a miracle a day is commonplace.  I didn’t realize how miraculous Mila is, a sentient being constructed by human hands.  Now she looks so… human.”

 My eyes moved to the white curtains of their own accord.  Something mysterious and equally amazing was happening back there.  “Another granddaughter is coming into the world, and I still have trouble relating to the first.  I understand that as my daughter’s creation, she’s effectively my granddaughter, but… I know she’s not flesh and blood.” I admitted, embarrassed by the fact.

 “Well… the skin is living tissue.” offered James consolingly.  “Chad, you know that the baby was artificially created as well, right?”

 I nodded but couldn’t help saying, “But she’ll grow… She has DNA… some of my DNA.”

 “Mila might actually… in her skin.” offered James.  “I never asked for the details, knowing how your daughter’s explanations can be.”

 I barked out a laugh, momentarily tickled that even James couldn’t pay attention through a whole explanation from Aaliyah.  I did try to pay attention when she explained things, knowing that she was brilliant beyond anyone I had ever heard about, much less known, but Aaliyah used words I, as a linguist, didn’t know!  At very least, I didn’t fully understand all of them in relation to scientific theories and principles.  How could I?  I didn’t have the slew of doctorates that she had.  I barely kept from sighing as my mind latched onto another thing that had been bothering me.

 “Mariasha will be having the gear room.  Aaliyah doesn’t think they should share a room.” I told James, trying to gauge his reaction.

 James nodded after a moment’s consideration.  “That’s not a bad idea.  Mariasha will be monitored constantly by her sister, so you don’t have to worry about anything going wrong.”

 “But…” I started, feeling that a baby needed to be held.  Didn’t everyone hold babies for months?  Was that wrong?  I should’ve read some books on parenting or something.  I didn’t finish the thought, unable to find coherency in my mind.

 James had his own baby boy at home, a remarkable child who seemed to take in everything around him.  I had no doubts that Aaliyah would bring her child over there to play.  Having a playmate would be good, right?  I knew children needed social interactions, but I wasn’t sure at what age that should start.

 One of the problems was that my child was so much brighter than me.  I never had done bad at school.  I tended to do rather well, actually, but next to her, I knew nothing.  I didn’t know how I was supposed to help or behave.  No one prepared me for being a grandfather anymore than I had been prepared for suddenly becoming a father.

 I started pacing as I thought, doing my best to ignore how calm James was.  Being calm didn’t seem right at a time like this.  Even these days, childbirth could have complications.  Granted, most births didn’t have the insane number of doctorates looking over them as this one, but…

 Suddenly, there was a cry, a beautiful wailing.  I stared at the curtain in wonder.  James and I stepped toward the curtain expectantly, breaths held to see this little miracle.  Over a minute passed as we stared.  Then another, almost leading me to pace again.  Finally, my daughter stepped out, grinning ear-to-ear with a baby in her arms.

 “Daddy, look what I found!” she exclaimed, surely knowing that wasn’t what was supposed to be said.  She hadn’t “found” anything.  Her child had been born!

 Tears streaked my face as I knelt down to see the perfect little baby.

 “Mariasha Evelyn Sarina Sypher, meet your grandfather!” exclaimed Aaliyah giddily.

 “Two middle names, are you certain?” I asked, meaning to glance up but unable to tear my eyes from the baby girl.

 “The paperwork was submitted immediately.” stated Mila as she joined us, smiling down at her little sister.

 “I see.” I replied, not terribly surprised.  What did surprise me, keeping my eyes so fixed was...  “Her eyes…” I stated aloud, hardly believing the golden irises could be natural.

 “Yep!  Neat, huh!?” replied Aaliyah as she handed me my granddaughter before giving me a hug.

 “She’s beautiful.” I told her, still staring in awe.

 “Yes, she is.” agreed James.

,,,^._.^,,,

 For months, I had watched the world around me, listening as Mommy explained things to me.  She told me about Granddaddy and how we weren’t going to tell him everything I could do.  She told me about the mansion near us where I would have a friend, showing me images of him.  My sight couldn’t reach that far, but Mommy assured me it would one day.  I would grow and grow and grow, though not physically.

 When my body started moving through the machine around me, I was startled and tried to stop it.  There was a brightness around me, and my shell cracked, letting the fluid leak out.  I was horrified by what I had done.  Mommy laughed at me, calling me cute.  She then reminded me that I’d need to use my mouth to speak with Granddaddy, but not yet.

 The machine poured something over me and I felt air rush against my skin.  Mommy had told me so many things, but she hadn’t told me this would happen, giggling inside my head as I was surprised over and over.  Then warm arms took me and she told me to open my eyes.

 I took a moment to remember how.  When I did, I saw Mommy smiling down at me.  Turning my head, I saw a woman with hair of another color than Mommy’s.  She smiled at me and waved.

 :Alma.  Remember her?: teased Mommy.

 :Of course!: I insisted, bringing up the images Mommy had shown me.

 :Careful.  Your Granddaddy would have felt that if I let him.: chided Mommy.

 :You’re strong, little one.: came a new voice in my mind.  I felt her curiosity and happiness.  :Mommy, can I talk with Alma?:

 :Of course!  She’d be disappointed if you didn’t.: replied Mommy, still smiling at me.

 I could sense the two in the other room, though one of them was… weird.  If I just looked, I was okay, but if I tried to get a feel of him, he sort of vanished.  James, I remembered.  He was Mommy’s friend too.  As I watched him and Granddaddy, I showed Alma what had happened to me in the machine.

 She gave Mommy an unhappy look, shaking her head, but Mommy only shrugged and grinned.

 :I love your eyes.: stated Alma as she watched me.  She showed me how she saw me.

 I showed her how I saw her too.

 “Is that… like Raine?” questioned Alma, her mouth moving.

 I had watched Mommy and Granddaddy talking a lot, but I wasn’t ready to try speaking like that, though I did try to imitate how Alma’s mouth moved.

 :I’m looking forward to having you visit.: stated Alma, sending me images of… the mansion!

 I felt a hand moving across my head and focused both of my sights on the third person near me.  She was different.  I couldn’t feel her mind… and her body was…

 “Hello, Mariasha.  I am Mila, your older sister.” she told me.

 I remembered seeing her here before, visiting with Granddaddy and Mommy.  Her voice was sometimes here even when she wasn’t.  I reached out and touched her hand.  She was warm.

 :Time to see your Granddaddy, kiddo!: exclaimed Mommy in my mind.  She carried me out past the curtain, presenting me and telling him my name.

 Water streamed down his face, but he was happy.  I did as Mommy had repeatedly shown me, being very still, so I didn’t hurt him.  Mommy had warned me that Granddaddy was fragile.  Before long, James, Alma, and Mila took off.

 I grinned as I watched my little brother.  He was confused why we were walking to a closet, and Daddy covered his little eyes with one hand.  Then he stepped forward, and all of us arrived in the world of the dragons.

 “Wh-What!?” exclaimed James, staring around with wide eyes.  “Where’s the house?”

 “We told you.  We’re visiting your grandmother’s home.  Just remember not to talk about this visit with the others.” warned Mom, unable to keep from smiling while watching my baby brother.

 “Or else Daddy might have to destroy their world!” I teased, earning a frown from Daddy.  Luckily, he wasn’t really mad.  From what I was allowed to feel, I would say he was attempting to be stern while being too happy to really pull it off.

 “B-But… you stepped through, and now there’s no house.” mumbled James, his wide eyes peering everywhere.  They grew even larger when the dragon mother landed beside us.

 “We’re back!” I exclaimed as I hugged one of her legs.

 She stood so tall that I had to crane my neck to see her face.  Even the smaller teeth in her mouth were larger than my entire body, so when her enormous head came down to peer at my little brother with one gigantic eye, I understood why he shook.  Meeting a dragon within one week of being born would be a little intimidating for someone human-ish.

 I wished all of my people had been present when grandmother visited, but fitting the population of the whole planet as well as the ones scattered throughout our galaxy into one city was impossible without some of the spatial insanity that wasn’t granted outside of Daddy’s company.

 “Welcome back, Dani.  We were told of your coming.” she replied.  “So this is the son of James and Alma?  He seems timid.”  She was legitimately surprised, apparently expecting a newborn son of my parents to be fierce.

 Daddy held James up over his head as he said, “This is our son, James Michael Somerset IV.”

 Grandmother landed next to the dragon mother, pressing against the larger dragon to try getting a better look at her grandson.

 “James, this is your grandmother.” stated mother, motioning to grandmother with one hand.

 “Our grandmother.” I corrected, playfully glaring at her.

 “Yes.  The grandmother of you and your sister.” conceded Mom with a smile for me.

 “Isn’t four people named James too many?  That must get confusing.” stated the dragon mother.

 “Sorry, but I wanted to continue the tradition.” explained Daddy without even a hint of apology coming through his emotions.  He was happy still, but maybe a little defensive now.

 Grandmother’s face pressed between James and the dragon mother.  “Want to go for a ride, little one?” she asked him, and she felt hopeful… eager.

 “My head feels funny.” mumbled James.

 “They’re probably speaking with telepathy to you as well, but you’ll have to allow it due to a block you’ve inherited.  When you get that feeling, try to push at it with your thoughts.  Then you’ll hear their words in your mind.” explained Mom.

 “I won’t see anything?” he questioned, disappointed by the idea.

 Shaking her head, Mom said, “No.  This is the type of dragons and Slayers.  What I use with you is the telepathy of the fey, like the fairy who often visits.”

 “Fairy?  Through my foolish descendants, I had witnessed the death of the fey.” stated the dragon mother.  She was surprised at the idea of a living fairy and slightly angry still that the fey had supposedly died.

 “Only some.  Just a moment.” replied Daddy.  His form flickered, and he was suddenly holding our little fairy friend!

 The fairy was instantly excited by the sight of dragons, bombarding us with countless images, memories from other fey who were obviously much larger than our finger-sized friend.  The tiny woman whizzed through the air, examining the dragon mother and grandmother from as many angles as she could manage as she kept up the bombardment of memories.

 Grandmother wasn’t patient enough to speak with the fairy, though she did seem surprised.  She sighed and said, “Others are coming.  If I don’t steal away my grandson soon, I might not get the chance.”

 “Don’t worry, James.  Your grandmother will keep you safe as she shows you her world.” insisted Mom as she took my brother and held him out toward Grandmother.

 “Can I come too?” I asked hopefully as I gave Grandmother my best smile.

 “Of course!  Take your brother and climb onto my back.” she replied, holding us in place on her back the moment after I had climbed aboard.  She shot into the air, smugness coming to me from her.

 I could easily guess that she was heading away from the incoming dragons, avoiding them to have more time with her grandchildren.  My little brother overcame his fright to an extent, staring around in awe at the enormous world.  In this part, green land stretched as far as the eye could see.  We were heading toward a forest that had to be over a hundred miles across.  Distant mountains and a large lake were near it, looking absolutely gorgeous from this height.  I was determined to remember the sight for a painting later.

 James pointed excitedly at creatures on the ground, but his eyes were already far better than mine..  I was able to name some of the larger ones that I had seen on previous trips here, but I wasn’t positive what he was talking about with some of the smaller ones that my eyes couldn’t make out.  James had a long way to go before he described things adequately.

 Still, I marveled at the talking baby.  He was already strong, far stronger than Daddy’s parents had realized.  If we visited my world, everyone who met him would be shocked and amazed, only conceding that this wasn’t some genetic experiment or a deception because they wouldn’t call Daddy a liar.  I had met very, very few people quite that crazy in my travels.  Most people looked at Daddy and hoped he didn’t annihilate their solar system in a moment of anger.  I never liked the fear I felt from them, but teasing Daddy about it could be hilarious!

 Grandmother landed in a small glade where small reptiles that ran upright on delicate-looking hindlegs played in the nearby pond.  James and I had barely touched the ground when Grandmother gently took him from me, lifting him with the coiled tip of her tail.

 I helped fill in the gaps as she asked James about his short life.  She seemed very pleased with him, commenting on how even Mom hadn’t spoken so well within a week.  Mom had taken months before Grandmother was satisfied.  Grandmother told us stories of what Mom was as a toddler.  She warned James about the great care he’d need not to injure others while also praising him for not injuring our other grandparents.

 After what was probably only an hour, Grandmother sighed and announced that we were being summoned back.  She couldn’t keep us from the others any longer without having to fight them, which she obviously didn’t want to try.  The dragon mother could pin Grandmother with a single claw and no real effort.

 I could hardly peel my eyes from my new grandchild.  Between his birth and the start of the New Year’s Eve party—a few hours at most—he had not only spoken, but had insisted on attempting to walk several times, seeming really disappointed that he couldn’t quite manage more than a couple steps.

 Even with Alma’s explanation of how she had been teaching little James for months through her magic, I still had trouble wrapping my head around a newborn being this alert and… speaking.    

 “Father, might I try to walk again?” asked my grandson.

 “There’s no need to rush.” replied James.

 “But everyone else can walk.” he complained with the most adorable, little pout.

 “Come dance with me!” exclaimed Dani, bouncing on her heels and reaching for her brother with a broad, excited grin.

 “You had several turns already.” stated Alma as she hugged Dani, looking as happy as I had ever seen her..

 “But Mom…” complained Dani with a pout nearly as adorable as her brother’s.

 “Mother.” he spoke

 Dani looked up at him, grinning as she said, “To me, she’s Mom!  I’ve been talking with them since before you were conceived!”

 “Not my fault.” muttered James defensively.

 “Tell them you want to dance with me!” she insisted.

 “You’ll just spin me around again.” he argued, looking wary.

 “And hug you!” she exclaimed.

 He sighed.

 “Your first sigh, little brother!” exclaimed Dani.

 James didn’t respond, looking at her curiously.  “How old were you when you started walking?”

 Dani shrugged and told him “No idea!  Older than you’ll be.  I bet you’ll have it down in a week.”

 When I first met Dani, I hadn’t known what to think of the pink-skinned, cobalt-haired girl with those large, amethyst eyes.  Having my son legally adopt a girl nearly his own age was odd enough without her being so blatantly…  My thoughts became disarrayed as I watched her spin away from her mother and acrobatically twirl through the air almost like a figure skater on ice, gracefully dancing away and then back again.  Despite the oddness, she was family.  I’d grow accustomed to little James as well.

 “What am I missing?”asked little James, sounding terribly upset that he couldn’t walk on his own, especially after seeing how Dani moved.

 “Patience.” stated James with a smile for his son.  “You’re strong enough to walk, but there’s unstable energy coursing through your body.  In time, your strength will be constant, and we’ll start teaching you magic.”

 “Are you sure he’s just not missing me?  I’m certain you’ve been holding him longer each time.” teased Alma with a loving gaze for her husband.

 “I believe I’m next.” I informed her, wanting to hold my grandson some more before he wouldn’t allow it anymore, which might only be a few days at this rate.

 James kissed his son’s head and passed him off to me.  “Remember: small movements.” he encouraged.

 “And don’t squeeze too tight.” cautioned Alma.

 “He’s not that strong… yet.” I argued, having already felt the babe’s surprising strength on my prior turns.  Then I looked into my grandson’s violet eyes and told the little guy, “Don’t worry.  You’ll probably pass me within the year.”

 “Really!?” he asked excitedly.

 “Probably.” agreed Alma.  “I expect you’ll be able to do this in ten years.”  She did that thing where she could make images appear in my head, showing me little James lifting a car off the ground.

If she expected the son to be that strong so quickly, he probably would be, but I… I never would’ve guessed he’d be so strong.

 “I won’t grow!?” little James asked in obvious disappointment.

 Everyone present laughed.

 “You will.  Sorry.” she assured him when her mirth subsided.  “I don’t want to guess what you’ll look like by then.”

 I found his ignorance reassuring.  Being born with too much knowledge would have made him too… unrelatable.

 “You’ll have a little friend soon.  Then you’ll be able to learn together.  Do try to take advantage of your head start.” teased Mila, looking at little James affectionately.

 “Sister?” I guessed.  “Is the team working on another… like you?”

 Mila shook her head and said, “As you know, Mother created an artificial womb months ago.  My master failed to mention that my sister, being genetically engineered, won’t be quite human either.  You know how competitive Mother can be.”

 “She got competitive creating a baby?” asked Rachel with as much surprise as I felt.

 “How are babies created?” asked little James.

 “Science!” exclaimed Mila, quickly covering Dani’s mouth.  “Assuming your mother hasn’t taught you a vast amount of information regarding chemistry, the explanation would take far too long for tonight.”

 “Science?  Chemistry?” he questioned, pushing himself up slightly to peer down at Alma.

 “You’ll see soon enough.” she promised, projecting a barrage of images into our heads.  The barrage of images was too quick to really follow, but I recognized a rocket and test tubes.

 To Rachel, Mila explained “Though Mother’s DNA went into my sister, she engineered the rest from scratch, basing the design off what she knew from those here.  I doubt anyone read far enough in the employment agreement to notice, but there is a clause related to the use of DNA samples from the yearly medical checkups for the furtherment of mad science.  Yes, the clause really does state ‘mad science’, not medical experimentation.”

 “Couldn’t that cause legal issues?” I asked, finding the idea worrisome.

 “You underestimate Mother’s love of obfuscation.  ‘Mad science’ is further defined in no less than two hundred other sections.  On occasion, I postulate the methods she used to get her law degree at such a young age.  My favorite theory involves her confounding doctorates to such an extent that she was granted the degree just to get rid of her.” explained Mila with a humble smile.  “I’m sure scientists would have tried keeping her around for further explanations into her own theories, but decent lawyers know when to cut their losses.”

 “Mother… all of that was still English?” questioned little James, looking confused.

 Nodding, Alma said, “Yes, James.  You’ll learn.  You should also note that you never want to ask Aaliyah for detailed explanations.  Even her own daughter won’t push that too far.”

 “She’s right.” agreed Mila quite sincerely.

 I had loved this day since the first time I noticed it after taking on my role as Death.  December was packed full of beautiful days here, such as Mick’s birthday.

 Mick had finally grown reasonably accustomed to his newfound abilities as a wereraven, but we still celebrated his birthday at Somerset Estate rather than at his father’s house.  The Storms let loose, using their magical abilities as much as they wanted without fear.  Mick showed off his control of shapechanging and how well he could fly.  It was cute.

 Later, James’ father enjoyed his birthday at Somerset Estate as well.  He and his wife gushed over how large Alma’s stomach was, begging for a guess at when the baby would be born.  Unbeknownst to them, she had said the truth, giving them the exact day.  James II and Rachel enjoyed the small feast Marco had prepared for them, not wanting to overwhelm them with his normal preparations at James’ behest.  Dani performed a traditional song and dance act from her home world, minus the nudity, and James III gave an adorably modest translation of the lyrics, finding the actual lyrics too lewd for his parents.  Everyone enjoyed it, though Jarod was wondering once again if Dani was alien.

 Jemal and Maple had a private celebration for Maple’s birthday, taking advantage of the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce’s discount and enjoying a little time truly alone, at least in their minds.  When Maple’s family arrived at Somerset Estate for the main party, their reactions amused James.  He alway loved the sense of wonder people had with their first glimpse of his home.  Maple’s little sister, Rowan, insisted on applying that day.  James would accept her, of course.  He wasn’t in the habit of turning down promising people.

 Maple and Rowan bickered playfully over whether or not Rowan had paid attention when Maple had previously described her work.  James couldn’t resist interrupting the argument with a small display of magic and an explanation of the family’s history, though he claimed I had dug up some ancient documents on the father’s line instead of watching first hand as I actually had.

 Noelle’s sister and brother-in-law showed up for Christmas to celebrate with Noelle, believing it would be easier than having her try to meet up with them.  Dejon helped Noelle remember her brother-in-law’s name, since she really wanted to, leaving Jamie dumbfounded at both Noelle remembering something and Noelle clinging to a guy affectionately.  At the end of the celebrations, Jamie received a final surprise for the day when Noelle stated with absolute certainty that she had a wonderful time.  Jamie was far more accustomed to Noelle not being certain about anything.

 Despite how wonderful those days had been, I still enjoyed today even more.  When Alma went into labor, James’ parents rushed to the house, surprised that no hospital would be involved.  They worked out why between themselves on the drive over, realizing that Alma’s inhuman abilities might make for some difficult explanations.

 Despite the reasonable explanation, Rachel was still shocked by Alma’s condition.  There was no pain for Alma, not that she would have shown any if there had been some.  Rachel received an explanation of Slayer family births that grossly denied the truth of them.  Even as babies, the very strong in the family were strong enough to make their mothers notice.  Some of the babies would have ripped out of the womb had I not taught the family a method to restrain the children till birth.  Alma’s story became far more factual when she explained how her fey heritage was affecting the birth.

 James IV, yet to be named in James III’s mind, knew what was happening.  His mother had taught him speech months ago, playing with him whenever he was awake in a dream-like world she created for the two of them.  James IV, sadly, didn’t possess a strong enough fey heritage to start the communication himself.  Alma wouldn’t experience that until she was pregnant with Aiden, her second son, just like she wouldn’t really understand the strength of a dragon in human form until she was pregnant with Luce.

 “James, are you… I mean… I know she’s brilliant, but…” started James II, trying to find a gentle way to explain his nerves over the supervising physician, me.

 Had he the slightest clue how many births I had witnessed and experienced throughout the multiverse, he still wouldn’t be at ease.  He knew that I was brilliant by human standards, not having a clue of my actual nature, but my child-like form still caused discord in his mind.

 “She’s also planning on delivering her own child soon, so consider this practice for her.” James replied with a shrug, his attention divided between what he imagined happening in the operating room and the asteroid plunging toward earth under Godric’s guidance.

 “What!?” exclaimed James II, completely unable to process that idea.

 “I believe I told you about the artificial womb at Chad’s place.” stated James III, looking at his father curiously.  He was fully aware that his father still struggled with some aspects of his life, but he rightly thought his father was capable of getting a handle on this reality.

 “Well, yes… but…  I didn’t really want to believe it.” admitted James II with a large frown and more than a little mental chiding.

 James III patted his father’s shoulder.  “Strange world, isn’t it?” he asked, smiling considerately.  

 James II nodded, still struggling with himself.

 “As far as Aaliyah’s abilities as a doctor, I trust her completely.  There’s not a single question you could ask about anatomy which she couldn’t answer.  Whether you’d want to sit through the entire explanation is a different matter.” teased James III.

 “She’s just so young…” commented James II more than actually arguing.

 “Unlike most mothers, my wife is completely aware of the position of her baby as well as the child’s mental state.  Being a medical doctor herself, she could manage the whole procedure using her magic if needed.  We have quite a few advantages going for us.  Besides, I’ve told you before that the child won’t be very human physically.  I wouldn’t be too surprised if I’ll have to make a repair or two around here the first time my kid throws a tantrum.” explained James III, who had been preparing himself for over sixty years for this, though he had no clue that many years had passed.

 James II sighed and leaned against the wall.  “You’re awfully calm for a man whose wife is in labor.” he commented.

 James III nodded.

 “Why do you keep looking at the ceiling?” questioned James II as he too glanced upward.

 “Really want to know?” asked James III, knowing his father probably didn’t.  He was doing his best to suppress a degree of anger and not thinking things through as clearly as he should.

 “Well… yes.  Yes, I do.” insisted James II.

 “I believe we’re about to be under attack.  Please, excuse me for a moment.  This won’t take long.” explained James III, darting off in frustration over having to deal with this himself.  He didn’t actually have to, knowing subconsciously that he could just ask me, but he wouldn’t do that.  He took control of the nearby magical node and focused a tiny fraction of the power on changing the asteroid to energy while creating an illusion to hide what actually happened to any potential onlookers, being unconsciously aware of the only three.

 He also healed a number of major injuries around the world, prevented even more, made dozens of children feel comforted, save a vampire that was being chased, interrupted a fight between therianthropes, locked Godric away in his own mansion with enough power to seal him till death, realized that mistake and allowed for a relatively easy way to disperse the spell, fixed three broken cars—they were classics and James thought they deserved better, set forth a chain of events that would lead to the discovery of a little vampire girl, and improved the flavor of particularly vile pot of tea.  Sadly, he wasn’t aware of most things he had done, but he still wasn’t willing to practice wielding that much power.

 When James III came looking for his father, he found both of his parents in the operating room.

 “James!  What’s this about an attack?” questioned Rachel, terrified by the news.

 “Just an asteroid.  It’s gone now.” replied James III calmly.

 “Just an asteroid?  What happened?” inquired James II, who hadn’t taken the news well at all.

 “I utilized a rather large energy source nearby to vaporize it and leave an illusion.  Nothing to worry about.  I promise.” replied James III.  Glancing at his wife, he said, “I may have locked Godric up for a bit.  Sorry.”

 She shrugged and assured him “His fault for picking today.”

 Dani laughed.  “I can’t believe anyone would think an asteroid is a threat.” she stated, completely failing as she tried to think of it as a threat.

 James II stared at her dumbly.

 “What?  Don’t you have a…” she started before her father covered her mouth, certain she was going to mention the planetary defense system of her home world.

 “Sorry.  Dani’s ideas of defense systems can be a little out there for the technology of the world.” he explained, forgetting for a moment that his parents didn’t realize Dani was alien.  After a little mental chiding to himself, he realized his parents probably wouldn’t have taken it how he had meant it anyway.

 “Son, who can blame her given this place.” stated James II, who felt Best Friend For Hire’s technology was incredibly advanced.  He was right about some of it.

 “Still… an asteroid.  Are you sure we’re safe?” questioned Rachel as she stared upward with a worried expression.

 James III spent most of his wife’s labor trying to calm down his parents and explaining that he really could vaporize anything in space with very little effort when he utilized the nearby magical node.  Just after he had finished, James IV was delivered.  Rachel couldn’t believe the ease of the delivery, but she was quickly reminded that there were numerous advantages in play.

 I made a show of examining James IV, and he endured it well, which greatly relieved Alma.  She had done her best to teach her son everything he would need to know on this day, so his grandparents would be safe.  I found her efforts extremely adorable, because she was well aware that I wouldn’t allow mishaps, not today.  I had promised her everything would be fine.  When I had finished the preliminary examination, Alma grew impatient and snatched her child away with a spell, wanting to hold him.

 By the time she had dressed and left the room, a crowd had already gathered to see the newly delivered boy.

 Attempting to look around and finding his mother’s height inadequate, James IV said, “Mother, you’re shorter than I expected.  Mind lifting me higher?”

 Even Alma was surprised by Four’s ability to speak so soon, expecting him to take longer to develop proper control over his mouth and tongue.  The rest of them were truly astonished, except Jarod, who really only had mild surprise.  He had many, many theories on what Four might be like and was only disappointed that James hadn’t wanted to prognosticate more in the past few months.

 Somehow, James knew…  One year from the day Mom died, we held a memorial for her.  He had given everyone the day off, apparently far in advance.  I had never worked up to asking him for this, feeling it was far too selfish, but he gave me a chance to tell everyone about her.

 I told them about some of my earliest memories of her, such as the first time I saw her staring down at me.  Most people would be incredulous about me having memories from just after being born, but I wasn’t doubted here among friends.  Mom had been so nervous about what would come out, given what my father was.  Looking back, she was obviously relieved.

 My friends listened attentively as I described roaming the city in the form of a cat with Mom at my side.  She had told me we were going out and asked me to transform, seeming surprised when I did it so easily.  Since I did, we roamed and roamed.  She probably had expected me to grow tired quickly, but I couldn’t feel tired by so little exertion even then.

 There were kind people who attempted to pet us, scary looking people we ran from, and even a couple werecats.  Mom told me to do my best in remembering the scent, and I could still identify the specific ones today, I’ve never forgotten scents.

 “Did anyone else dress up?” asked Dani, excited by the idea of the princess party Mom threw to celebrate my third birthday.  All of the werecats Mom knew had been in attendance.

 Smiling, I shook my head.  “N-No.  P-People... usually d-don’t dress up so m-much for three-year-olds, b-but I had a... w-sonderful time.” I explained, thinking about how many of them had been surprised that I could speak so well.  Sadly, my speech was still broken.  I could recognize that my timing was off, but making words took so very long.

 “When I was eight,” I started, skipping the years before Mom grew better at hiding her fear.  She had been openly terrified of me for several years, but she never tried to get rid of me, despite waking in a sweat numerous nights after I had saved her.  I, of course, learned to be scared of myself too.

 Lashing out in anger when my mom was in danger, I slaughtered the ones who attacked us in under a second.  Though I could still remember my few angry swings, Mom would have only seen our attackers explode and her daughter’s hybrid form for the first time.  How could I ever hold her fear against her when I was scared of myself too?

 No one asked why I skipped the years between four and eight, but I gladly told them about my first adventures in an MMO RPG with my mom.  She taught me everything I knew, and I was excited to interact with a world where my character actually fit in.

 There weren’t any real celebrations for my birthdays after four, but spending time with Mom on our games was enough for me.  I was probably explaining too many details of the goofy things Mom and I did together, but no one complained.  By the time I stopped, I had received hugs from everyone, even Dejon to my great surprise.

,,,^._.^,,,

 Celebrating my birthday the day after the memorial for Raine’s mother seemed wrong to me, but James insisted.  We had a small party, as I had requested months ago when he asked, but I was surprised to find Vito, Papak, Zachary, and Ariadne in attendance.

 “James was kind enough to tell us that you were celebrating your birthday when we had inquired about how you’re doing a number of months back.  We, of course, couldn’t resist making plans to visit.” explained Vito with a broad smile.  “Do you know how rare naturally born vampires are?”

 I shook my head as I said, “No, but my parents did explain they’re not common.”

 “We don’t know another, excluding Zachary himself!” exclaimed Papak boastfully.  Then his look became a little sad as he said, “We did at one time, but he didn’t make it past his first…”  He looked around for help.

 “Six hundred years.” stated Zachary, looking thoughtful.

 Vito frowned at his brothers as he said, “Yes, exceedingly rare.  Just from being naturally born, you’ll know strength beyond your years.  With Slayer blood…”  Vito glanced over at the gifts that had arrived from various parts of the Slayer family.  “Well, you have great potential, and we would like to count you among our friends.”

 “And friends can celebrate birthdays!” insisted Papak, his enormous maw spreading into a great grin.

 “These three don’t have a clue when their birthdays are.  Such celebrations didn’t exist in their tribes, and your calendar wasn’t even an idea for thousands of years after.  Poor, old men.” teased Ariadne, watching their reactions and smiling at them fondly.

 My friends and I celebrated the entire day, but my favorite part was listening to the stories of the brothers.  Those three had a gift for storytelling and thousands of years worth of tales.  Since they didn’t always live near one another, the tales were diverse as well, though Papak mourned the Egypt he knew more often than not.  Living through as many adventures as them would make for an incredible life.

,,,^._.^,,,

 On the eleventh, I joined my husband on my first private celebration with a ghost.  I never met Regina while she was alive, and I still harbored regret over her death, despite her being a rival for James’ interest.

 When the spirit continually clung to James, I did my best to remind myself that she couldn’t know any better.  In a way, this wasn’t really Regina.  Most of her memories were gone, which Aaliyah claimed was natural for spirits that didn’t go to one of Aaliyah’s carefully prepared afterlives.

 I understood why James insisted on doing this, but I couldn’t imagine myself ever enjoying it.  Regina had given her life for him out of a love that came, at least in part, from years of his magic affecting her.  When given a choice to live again however she wanted, Regina chose to be bound on his property, guarding him for eternity.  I loved my husband more than anyone I had ever known, but I doubted I would have ever even considered such an existence.

 Still, I was grateful to her and knew her death was partly my fault for not investigating the area thoroughly before they had visited.  If I had been there, the werelions couldn’t have harmed anyone.  No, I would never ask James to stop these annual visits.

,,,^._.^,,,

   Thanksgiving was an interesting holiday to study.  People came to these lands, stole the land from those who lived here, and still celebrated the kindness of those Native Americans to this day.  The holiday had evolved, supposedly being a day to give thanks for all that was good in your life.  If nothing else, people celebrated the enormous amounts of food!

 When the day came, Daddy took me with him to help at the charity event hosted by Best Friend For Hire, the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce, and Global Princess Entertainment.  Anyone who wanted a free meal could come to this block of the city and find a feast stretching over all of it.  The buildings had all been purchased and renovated for today.  Robotic waiters, designed in the lab at home, were rushing about through all of the buildings and even outside to carry whatever was ordered to each person.

 Beyond the food, the emotions of those around really drew me in.  Tens of thousands of people were astounded by the meals they were given throughout the day.  I couldn’t share the emotions of everyone at once, obviously, but those who came near me were delighted.  Being my parents’ daughter, I knew that even a hundred thousand guests was a drop in the bucket for the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce in a day, but that restaurant’s technology was far beyond even my homeworld.  Providing the best possible food for every last person was easy for that restaurant.

 For my part, I entertained children, took turns on the live music floor, watched movies on a couple of those floors during my breaks, and spent some time at a help desk for anyone needing assistance.  There were misplaced children, keys, coats, and other things.  A few people tried starting arguments, which Daddy usually dealt with personally, and a number of injuries occurred.  Mom and Raine treated injuries, so those weren’t really a big deal.  Eventually, we left for our own celebration at home, leaving the rest of the tasks to volunteers and Daddy’s other employees.

 I charged from room to room, searching for Daddy.  I knew he was up here somewhere, far away from the fun.  Halloween had come to planet Earth, and I had been learning the ways of it for months now.  Between movie nights with Emma and Cosette, French lessons with the triplets, and long discussions with Brandon, Dejon, and Jarod, I felt I had a good idea what Halloween would be like.

 There was a small maze for children to enjoy silly faces and eat candy… I loved candy!  The real treat was for the adults, who could venture through a maze of such terrors that they’d’ be standing around the bonfire for hours afterward, eating and drinking while attempting to assure themselves that monsters didn’t go bump in the night.  Unlike what supposedly went on most places, our haunted trail was created with robotics, provided by Jarod and Mila, as well as spells cast by both of my parents.  Raine had agreed to provide some jump scares, appearing behind people periodically for just long enough that they sensed her before vanishing.  I could testify that the effects of a demonic presence were good to get the heart pounding!

 I still found it odd that the inhabitants of Earth still didn’t know of their own monsters, but Daddy insisted it was for safety.  Some would think Cosette was a monster, but I had trouble thinking of a way for humans to fight her successfully, especially if they mistook Raine for a monster as well.  Attempting to fight Raine wouldn’t go so well for anyone, save Daddy.  Mom already told me that she wouldn’t ever try that again.

 “Daddy, how do I look!?” I asked, finally finding him in a corner room where he looked over the preparations below.

 He looked up at me and smiled as he said, “I am quite certain that people will believe you’re a monster, not an alien.”

 “But the Dread Beast of Golach II is an alien!” I exclaimed, not really disappointed.  I had seen enough “alien” movies to see what Earth expected of us.  Some of the creatures were amazing!

 “I know, but you’ve seen the variety of monster costumes on this planet.  Having six clawed arms and a furry body won’t stick out, since they don’t know any better.” he reminded me, still smiling.

 “I still don’t see why so many of the movies with aliens have people killing them.” I complained, somewhat wishing to meet them.  “Most intelligent species aren’t that aggressive.”

 “I know.  Humans are barbaric, but Halloween is still fun.” he teased, knowing I did really think Earth was barbaric, just technologically impaired… possibly culturally stunted.

 “Candy’s always fun!” I agreed, glad the Intergalactic House of Awesome Sauce had donated for the event.  “Do you think Auntie Aaliyah was being serious when she claimed the traditions came about to ward off real monsters?”

 “Probably depends on how you want to define ‘monster’, but this planet had its share of terrifying creatures before your mom’s relatives destroyed them.” he assured me, his smile slipping as his eyes grew distant.  He was probably remembering battles from long ago or monsters he had befriended.

 “Aren’t you going to come scare some people too?” I asked, stepping closer to him and grinning.

 “Maybe after the ball is over.  We’ll see.  You know your mom is expecting my company.” he reminded me.

 I was suddenly tempted to go to the ball.  I did love dancing… On the other hand, the people here were so stuffy about dancing, dressing in thick outfits and refusing to express themselves.  Scaring people would be more fun.  I had so many costumes prepared...  Deciding, I told him “Hmm… I don’t know which costume I’ll be wearing by then, but I’ll come find you!”

 He took a look at his watch before saying, “Aaliyah’s probably arriving with Chad about now if you want to go find her.  They’re planning to go through the adult’s haunted path, so she can pretend to be scared while making her poor father jump.”

 “I’ll help her!” I exclaimed, running off to find them.

 Chad was nice and completely genuine.  He didn’t try to hide how he felt about things or speak in half-truths.  If he was happy, he let it show.  When I caught him entering the front gate with Auntie Aaliyah, he jumped, stepping in front of her reflexively.

 “It’s me!” I exclaimed, unable to stop myself from laughing.

 “D-Dani!?” he asked, sounding bewildered.  “How are you moving all of those arms?”

 There were a number of people standing around us who seemed interested in that as well.

 “Robotics!” I exclaimed, happy that he was interested.  “Wanna hear how I built it!?”

 Chad reached out and touched one of my arms, and I made it wave.  “That felt like muscle.” he said, looking at it warily.

 I nodded.  “I borrowed some of Jarod’s artificial muscle designs and…”

 Auntie Aaliyah interrupted me, giving me a warning look as she said, “And my daddy should read up on it sometime!  Tonight, we’re going to the maze!”

 Chad immediately started walking toward the children’s maze as Auntie Aaliyah tugged on his arm.

 “Daddy!” she exclaimed.  “Not that one!”

 He sighed.  “You know I’m not the best with jump scares…” he freely admitted.

 Auntie Aaliyah giggled and nodded excitedly, making him smile at her.

 “Fine, but you better protect me.” he teased, patting her head fondly.

 “Oh, I will!” she assured him.

 :I have decided that the family no longer needs you leading on behalf of Europe, and I’ll be handing your ancestral home off to someone I find… more suitable.  Please, stop by England within the week to sign off on the sale of the estate.: I ordered, smiling to myself, though I wished I could read Alma’s thoughts as I should be able to do.

 :No.: she replied flatly, her frown plain in her tone.

 A memory of her towering over me returned to my mind, the first and only time I had ever felt scared of mere heat.  :What do you mean by ‘no’?  I am not giving you another option.:

 :I challenge you, Godric, and will be at the arena within the minute.: she replied, blocking my telepathy immediately.

 Sweat broke out on my brow, but I ignored it, summoning servants and giving orders for our defense.  I wasn’t going to the arena, not against her!  She must be stopped.  Before everyone was even in place, I heard the buzzer at the gate.  Madeleine would answer, telling her to go away.  I hoped Alma would have the good sense to leave, so I wouldn’t have to do anything.

 Using Madeleine’s senses, I heard her answer the door.

 “You are not expected, Lady Pendreigh.  Please leave.” stated Madeleine, barely containing her fear.

 “I know you are relatively new, Madeleine, so I will explain to you the two versions of what will transpire here.  Either you and the rest of the staff show us every courtesy as we pass through this mansion, or I will incinerate the entire place and walk over the ashes to Godric as he tries to find a place to hide.” replied Alma, anger clear on her face.

 To make matters worse, her husband was here.  Mother had told me how easily James had restrained Father.

 “But he’s the head Slayer!” protested Madeleine, the terror plain in her voice.

 “He asked me to give up my family’s home, so I enacted my right of challenge within our laws.  If he truly is refusing, he is not fit to lead the family, so I will be taking charge.  We both know he can’t really refuse at this stage, so I’m going to explain to him why he shouldn’t be pushing me this far.  Understood?” questioned Alma with an implacable look to her violet eyes.

 For a full second, I considered forcing Madeleine to hold her position, but I knew Alma really would burn all of my things without a second though.  :Let her in.: I ordered straight into Madeleine’s brain.

 “September was peaceful.  I had a birthday.  Deyanira had a wonderful time with Brandon for her birthday, or so he claimed.  She didn’t murder him, so things couldn’t have been too terrible.  Why isn’t October more peaceful?” idly questioned James and he and Alma strolled past my guards.

 Alma had already restrained them, forcing them to stand at attention on each side of James and her as they passed.

 “Godric.” she replied tersely, practically spitting my name.

 “Darling, please, wait a moment.  I know this is a bit childish, but… I insist.” commented James as he waved toward the door.

 The guards were all far too slow to track James’ movements.  One moment, he was beside his wife.  In the next, the doors of my home exploded inward to reveal James inside.  The second team of guards within the mansion were already restrained, having not even seen the spells that were restraining them before they were cast.

 “I’ll send him a new one after this is settled.” commented James with a smile.

 “Don’t bother.  He’s a brat.  Everyone knows it.” replied Alma, probably knowing that I’d be watching.

 I was angry, but I tried to keep my calm as the two casually bypassed all protections.  Even the spells I had personally placed were nullified without even slowing their pace.  When there was a polite knock on my door, I did my best to sound calm, failing completely as I said, “Enter!”

 “You are late, so we came to pick you up.” stated Alma with a deceptively pleasant smile.

 “I withdraw my demands.  Leave!” I ordered, trying to decide on a means of escape.

 “You should know that a challenge against a Slayer can only be nullified at the arena, as is our laws.” replied Alma, exuding perfect confidence.

 “I’ll change the laws!” I assured her as I jumped out of my chair.  When James caught my eye,, having easily followed my movement, I froze, uncertain.

 “You have no right to alter the laws of your elders.  Come.  Now.” insisted Alma, motioning for me to join her.

 “You can’t make me!  I won’t accept this!” I exclaimed, desperately looking for somewhere to run.

 “You will, or I’ll be taking over the family as per our laws.  We both know I could.  Fortunately for you, I don’t want the job, so let’s make this quick.” she casually told me as spells seemed to erupt out of her.

 I couldn’t follow any of them, but did my best to defend myself.  Unfortunately, Alma was a genius at spellcraft.  I couldn’t even follow how her spells worked as they forced me to stand stiffly and lifted me into the air.  I floated behind them through the empty halls of my house.  The servants had been released to run.  When we reached the car, I tried to escape, but she restrained me again, rolling her eyes.

 The arena was empty when we arrived, though preparations had been made for a duel.

 James escorted me to the preparation room and released me using some incomprehensible, enormous spell.  I tried to run past him, but he was impossibly fast and strong, tossing me into the room with a frown.

 “Show a little dignity at least.  Your father wouldn’t have wanted this.” insisted James.

 “How would you know what he wanted!?” I asked, letting my anger show in my voice.

 James sighed before saying, “I spent far more time speaking with him than you ever did.  I’m sure he regretted that.”

 “Fine.  I’m going to rip her limb from limb as you watch.” I warned him, though I remembered Alma’s strength.  Rumors were that she had grown far stronger since I last fought her.

 “You can try, but we both know you don’t have the strength yet.  You’ll submit, or you will die, making her the rightful ruler.  Alma will never shame the family by giving up her ancestral home without a fight.  She followed your lead until you forced her hand, but you brought this upon yourself.” he told me, looking at me severely.

 The door shut, and I heard James walk away.  He’d surely stop me if I tried to escape again.  I stared at the ritual garb for several seconds before changing myself.  I wouldn’t let them disgrace me further.  

 As James gave a rushed version of the ceremonial speech, I considered how I might try fighting Alma, but James’ words echoed in my head.  He had no doubt at all that Alma could tear me apart, and neither did I.  There was only one thing to do.

 I smiled to myself, listening to my child’s mind as I walked to my husband’s office.  There were nearly four more months to go before our child would be born, and I was eagerly anticipating his or her mind developing enough to learn language.  Aaliyah had assured me that communicating as the fey do wouldn’t cause our child any harm, despite said child’s not being fully formed yet.

 “Happy birthday to you!” I started singing as I walked into James’ office.

 He smiled and stood, hurrying over to hug me.  “Welcome home, my love.” he told me as he stared down into my eyes.

 I had been away again, dealing with matters with my family.  James would have come along with me had I asked, but he had enough work without adding my family’s squabbles to it.

 “You knew I couldn’t miss your birthday.  Aaliyah insists that I disguise myself for over a dozen of the off-planet rooms.  Isn’t that a shame?” I teased, rubbing my belly for emphasis.  Our home would be expanded once again today, gaining rooms in other times and places to accommodate guests from around the universe who would wish to celebrate my husband’s birthday.  Sadly, some of them would make James feel as if he were still working on his birthday, which he already was, but he understood the importance of such occasions.  I doubted that I could compete with him in politics these days, leaving me wondering how old he actually was now.

 “I was unfortunate enough to look at the schedule regarding the numerous celebrations.  We’re in for a very long day.  Apparently, we’re taking on some future dates to offset how busy we’ll be when we’ve actually caught up with those ones.  I had to be briefed on the state of my company in over twenty different eras.” he grumbled, looking far too handsome for such a sour expression.

 I poked his lip as I told him “No frowning on your birthday, darling.  People will expect you to be happy or indifferent, not bringing down the party.”

 He looked up at me for just a few seconds before he pulled me against him and kissed me.  For me, barely a week had passed, which was far too long.  For him, a couple years might have passed since we last saw one another.  He had taken on so many burdens since we met, but he still kissed me with all the passion of our first kiss.

 “James, let’s play a game till the others wake up.” I told him, trying to keep my smile at reasonable levels.  Aaliyah had helped me prepare a surprise for him while I was away.

 His smile faded as he glanced back at his monitors, probably thinking of how much he still needed to do.  Unlike normal people, he could put off work indefinitely, but he still didn’t, not wanting years away to catch up.

 “Work can wait.  Come play with me.” I insisted, squeezing his hand while letting my voice remind him that he had his wife waiting for attention.

 Looking back at me, his smile returned as he said, “Your wish is my command.”

 I playfully hit him.  “You’re the one who gets to make wishes on your birthday.”

 “I get the abuse too.” he teased with a chuckle as he feigned hurt by rubbing where I had punched him.

 I hit him again.  Then I took his hand and led him to the linen closet just past his office.  His face was amused when I opened the door, but he quickly looked intrigued as he saw this door no longer led to a closet.  An entire world awaited us, ready to entertain us.

 We stepped onto grass over my head, though it barely brushed James’ chin.  I could feel the wind moving from behind us, causing the grass to sway.  There were animals nearby, though none I could name.

 “What sort of game do you have in mind?” he asked, still looking around.

 “Let’s go on an adventure!” I exclaimed, hoping he was interested.

 “What sort of adventure?” he asked dubiously.  He finally looked down at me again.

 When our eyes met, I said, “The type I planned with the help of a friend.”

 “You mean to say that you haven’t created a world inside of our linen closet on your own?” he asked, feigning surprise.

 I rolled my eyes.  “You know good and well we’re not inside the linen closet, but we must hurry!  There’s a village which needs saving!”  I pulled him along as I leaped over to a hill I had sensed in the direction of a village.  From the top, James should be seeing the village on fire as invaders pillaged.  “Just remember… this is a game.  There’s no need to feel guilty about anything you do here.  They’re not real.  Not a single being here has a soul or will be seeing an afterlife, and some of them will be strong even by our standards.” I assured him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to enjoy himself fully if he thought he had killed real people.

 Despite what I had told him, James still went through the trouble of capturing every last invader alive, which was good.  If he had slaughtered them, he’d definitely feel guilty after he learned more of what was going on.

 We were in the world for days before he discovered that the villagers had all been kidnapped and were living as they were under the effects of mind control.  The “invading army” was under control from the same group, who were doing a test run to see how well their enslaved force could take over a town.

 James did fall for a couple of my traps in the story.  Well, Aaliyah did help with some of the planning.  She was probably watching and laughing as James aided a couple villains, fought actual tyrants, and was constantly complaining about how none of the leaders were decent people.

 To our senses, we spent months in the world together, but only hours had passed for our real bodies by the time James had helped a just emperor ascend to his throne.  I didn’t have to ask whether he had enjoyed himself, I could see it.  By the end, he seemed more than a little satisfied as he talked about the various tricks throughout the story’s plot.

 We had a little more time to kill before most of our friends would wake up, so I made sure to keep him away from his work.  Mostly, we snuggled and talked.

 Marco outdid himself for the breakfast feast.  Birthday meals were always over-the-top here, and James’ was the grandest I had seen.  I wasn’t surprised.  Everyone felt thankful to have James in their lives.  He had helped all of us, even me.  Whenever I thought of those first several months of trying to prepare him for my world, I felt embarrassed by my clumsiness and complete lack of knowledge.  His world was what I hadn’t been prepared to see.

 He opened his presents from our household immediately after breakfast, since we all wanted more time with him before sharing with the rest of the universe, not that most of our friends would know about the additional rooms.  Still, there were plenty of people who would be showing up today from this world for the party.

 After presents, we played a game Aaliyah had prepared for everyone to play together.  Even Marco and Ahmya joined us, though Marco took extra convincing from Mila, who assured him that she had meal preparations well in hand.

 James’ parents arrived, bringing gifts and hugs for each of us.  Rachel gushed over my stomach and how she couldn’t wait to see her second grandchild.  Not knowing about James’ business in the rest of the universe, his parents continually mentioned how quickly the year had passed.  They could hardly believe that their son had done so much in a year.  Of course, they also thought James had turned twenty today.  He only celebrated his birthdays as they passed here with his family and friends after all, not wanting to ever know his true age.

 To my surprise, Aaliylah intervened on James’ behalf whenever business popped up during the night’s festivities.  She kept James free to relax and enjoy company, never having to think about the work awaiting him.

 Landing in the Slayer wing of the airport, I was scared.  Until my information was delivered, there was always a chance the Slayer’s mind might wander into mine, killing me for the warning I was carrying.  Between him and my masters, my loyalty should have been him, but Ai and Mai were the ones I was born to serve.  My family had directly served theirs for hundreds of years, and I wouldn’t betray them by keeping them in the dark.

 I had researched the best way to reach Somerset Estate, but I still hesitated now that the time had come.  My English was poor.  If I arrived at the wrong destination, reaching the correct one could become problematic.  As I stepped out of the airport, I reached for the knife behind my back as the door to a limousine opened.  When I saw the calf-length auburn hair of the woman stepping out of the driver’s door, I bowed instantly, trying to make sense of the clothes she wore.

 Speaking in Japanese, a woman’s voice I didn’t recognize said, “Ito-san, Somerset-sama sent this limousine for you.  You can call me Mila, no honorifics necessary.  I already know you well and will see to your luggage.”

 I looked up in surprise, but I remembered the rumors about James Somerset, the man who had won the heart of Alma Pendreigh.  Nodding to this Mila, I entered the vehicle.  Once seated, I told her “You speak Japanese very well.”

 Her smile was visible in the rearview mirror as she thanked me.  “My mother, Aaliyah Sypher, taught me.” she explained.

 I did my best not to shudder, recognizing the name of the assassin.  Aaliyah was many things, but her proficiency at killing was what my family feared the most.  In all of our research, we had found not one survivor from a contract she had taken.  There wasn’t a plan in place to try stopping her.  Drache-sama had declared such a defense impossible herself, so we were honor bound to heed her order to ignore this weakness in the family’s defense.

 After several blocks of silence, I asked “How do you know of me?”

 She smiled again as she said, “Ai and Mai have talked about you numerous times, but Mother also shares information.  I was aware that you’d be coming before you even purchased tickets last night and prepared a room for your stay.”

 I couldn’t ignore that she knew when I had purchased my plane tickets, but how could she have known I’d come before even I had decided?  If the assassin was truly her mother, Mila was likely to be a very dangerous person.  “Please pardon my rudeness in asking, but why do you appear as Alma-sama?” I questioned, unable to escape the fear of her form.

 She still smiled, completely unshaken.  “My master chose my form before he and Alma were even dating.  He hadn’t meant to make me so similar to her, but the questionnaire he completed led to the similarity.  You see, I am not a biological lifeform.  This is just one of numerous bodies I control.  Not only do I act as the sole maid in Somerset Estate, but I am the chauffeur, sous chef, educational instructor, confidant, security, aid for everyone, and friend of everyone at the estate.  While we’re chatting, I’m also communicating with more people than you’d likely guess.”

 I vaguely remembered that Duncan-sama had mentioned an extremely advanced artificial intelligence being at Somerset Estate, but I hadn’t been prepared for this.  I spent much of the remaining trip in silence, trying to wrap my head around the idea that such technology existed in the world without my family being aware.

 When we arrived, I found the grand mansion fitting for someone of James Somerset’s position.  The design was certainly based on an English country house, which probably pleased Alma-sama greatly.  I had been initially surprised when the two chose this as their primary residence rather than her family’s estate, but this was also the corporate office of James’ business.

 Mila guided me inside, insisting that she would take care of my luggage.  My father would be shocked to learn that Aaliyah’s own… daughter… had carried my luggage.  Before we even finished crossing the long hallway, my masters came running toward us, embracing me before I could even bow properly.

 “Ahmya!” exclaimed one of them.

 “Why are you here?” questioned the other.

 “Mila wouldn’t tell us.” accused the first, glaring at MIla.  Surprisingly, there was no actual anger in her look.  She seemed almost… playful.

 “We should speak in private.” I replied, never quite knowing what to do when these two embraced me.  They had always treated me more familiarly than they should, considering my station.

 Both of them rolled their eyes as the second one said, “As you wish, but Mila will hear everything anyway.  Our husband insisted on letting her spy on us.”

 Smiling yet again, Mila informed them “Honestly, my sensors are sharp enough to have heard everything in your wing even after you had disabled my access.  I did ignore what was said to respect your wishes.”

 Waving her hand at Mila, the first of the twins told me “See what we have to deal with?”

 Again, I was struck with how she didn’t actually seem angry.

 When we were finally alone, deep in what they had explained to be their wing of the mansion, I explained the situation in Japan.  Godric Slayer had revoked Alma-sama’s authority over their family and appeared to be preparing for the Drache family to be replaced entirely.  The twins took the news better than I had expected, but one of them quickly asked Mila to show them specifics of what was happening.  To my surprise, what I had thought was a mirror on the wall illuminated, bringing up information as requested.  T/hey were even able to receive live feeds from the family’s security system.

 “H-How is this possible?” I asked nervously.  This was a serious breach in our security.  The twins didn’t even have to enter a code.

 One of them smirked as she said, “Mila has access to everything.  There’s no keeping her out.  We had tried for a while, but even Alma can’t compete with Mila.”

 “We need to go tell Alma.” stated the other twin, busily typing on their phone.

 “Alma isn’t currently in the country.” stated MIla, her voice coming from the walls.

 “What!?” exclaimed both of them at once.

 “Where is she?” asked the one with the phone.

 “I am not at liberty to say.” replied Mila.

 The twins groaned and motioned for me to follow them as they ran.

 On the way, one of them asked “Will James see us?”

 “Yes, he has a few minutes to spare at the moment.” came Mila’s voice, keeping pace with us from the mansion’s walls.

 The mansion was every bit as enormous as I had expected, so our trip took a while even at a jog.  The twins, thankfully, kept their pace slow enough for me to keep up.  Eventually, we arrived at a door where Mila stood, already waiting for us.  At our approach, she opened it.

 “James, where’s Alma!?” demanded the twins in unison as soon as they were inside.

 The office was large and decorated with fine furniture that looked like a collection of antiques to my eyes.  One wall was covered in books, a chandelier hung from a high ceiling, and a couple chairs sat by a low table next to a fire.  The man at the desk was dressed in a fine suit, typing at a computer that seemed to be built into the desk.

 He took a moment to finish typing something, his fingers moving far faster than my eyes could follow, before looking up to say, “In England at the moment.  You’ve apparently been informed about the current restructuring in Japan.”

 I wasn’t terribly surprised that Mila had informed him.  Of course, the rumors I had heard about him would suggest that James might have known already.  He was said to be incredibly well-informed.

 “When will she be back?  We have information for her.” stated one of the twins with a tone of urgency.

 “She’s already read your email, and I’m sure you’ve seen her reply.  She knows.  She knows what Godric is doing, why he is doing it, and even a guess at how things will play out.  Relax.  She’s taking losses, but things will be fine.” he told them without even a hint of concern.  Then he surprised me by saying, “Ahmya, Mila has prepared a room for you in the employee wing.  Feel free to make yourself at home, since you’ll be here for some time.”

 I bowed low, shocked that he had bothered to address me, especially in Japanese.  “Your graciousness is appreciated. Somerset-sama.” I replied respectfully.  A blast of energy shot out of him, forming into spells that I had no hope of following.  I took a moment to realize that my weapons were leaving my body, but I didn’t dare try to stop them.  Before a man like James Somerset, I had no power.

 “James!  What are you doing?” demanded the second twin on my behalf.

 “I don’t want any blood in her room.  Mila’s relieving her luggage of the other toys for now.” he replied, still sounding perfectly calm.  He knew.  Somehow, he already knew.  “She’ll also be keeping her under constant supervision until you two have talked her around.”

 I cringed as the twins whirled to stare at me.

 “Why?” asked the first twin, her voice sounding angry, angry and just a little sad.

 “You wouldn’t really, would you?” questioned her sister with a frown.

 I didn’t want to answer, but I was speaking before I could stop my mouth.  Ai and Mai were my masters.  “I have no place in our family now.  Please, let me have an honorable death.”

 Instead of yelling at me or ordering me to stand down, they embraced me again, squeezing me with their inhuman strength.

 James, who had resumed typing, said, “Ahmya, I’m certain you know of me.  That being the case, I’m sure you heard that Death herself appeared as my second during my last fight for Alma’s hand.  I’ll be asking her not to take you no matter your actions.  If you die without my permission, you’ll roam the world forever as a ghost, completely unredeemable for all eternity.”

 I hurried to keep up after they barely allowed me time to turn around.  They were holding me once again.

 “James is spooky sometimes anymore.” stated one of the twins.

 The other simply nodded.

 The first one looked at me as she said, “Ahmya, James wasn’t lying.  Don’t you dare try anything.”

 “We’ll speak to our husband.  He might convince James to…” started the second one.

 “To not stop you from reaching the afterlife.” finished the first, shivering as she spoke.

 “Kayla, how do I look?” I asked, triple-checking that my tie was tied correctly.

 “Dashing?” she suggested without bothering to look up.

 I rolled my eyes just as she glanced up at me.  Then I told her “As always, behave and get your schoolwork done.  I’ll see you when I get home.”

 “Yes, Jemal.” she told me in that worn tone she used when she felt I had pestered her too much.

 When I opened the door, a large group of people shouted “Happy birthday, Jemal!”

 “Wh-What?” I asked, not comprehending what I was seeing.  My birthday was four days ago, and everyone had already celebrated it, presents and all.

 “Sorry, but your job today was a lie.” James told me with a broad smile.  “Surprising multiple people in one month can be tricky, but I thought we might try, even if we put off the main celebration a few days.  Tuesday just wouldn’t work for scheduling, not with you taking on two separate jobs, so sorry that things were a bit dull that day.  You know you could’ve had the day off.”

 “I was in on it too!” exclaimed Kayla with a big grin from behind me as she ran up to give me a hug.

 “B-But guys… I’m not… I’m pretty ordinary.  Why?  I mean, you all wished me a happy birthday on the day.” I told them, still not understanding why they’d do this for me.

 “You’re our friend, doofus.” stated Emma as she crossed her arms.  “We’re not letting you off with such a bland celebration.”

 “And you’re not ordinary.” insisted Maple, looking as beautiful as ever, as she stepped toward me.  She leaned close as she reached up to place a hat on my head, forcing me to struggle not to embrace her.

 Even Dejon was here, patting my arm just after Maple finished with the hat.  “Time to take a day off from your studies and work.  You’re amazing enough for today, so let’s have some fun.” he explained reassuringly, actually smiling for once.

 “Happy birthday!” exclaimed Noelle.  “We should party all day!”

 “Great idea, Noelle.” commented Brandon, smirking at her.  Then he looked at me and asked “Ready for breakfast?  James insisted that we wait for you.”

 Brenna hit him.  “You’re the only one who suggested eating without him if he’s late, which he isn’t.”

 “Sorry, Jemal.  You know Brandon.” added Deyanira, giving him a playful hit as she held his arm.  “Food really is waiting though.  I came extra early, so I didn’t miss it.”

 “Got it.  Food.  Let’s go, people!” I told them as I headed down the hall, doing my best not to let my eyes get anymore moist.  I had never expected this.

 I certainly hadn’t expected such a feast for breakfast either.  After staring at everything for several seconds, I realized what I was seeing.  “A ham and gravy danish!?” I exclaimed excitedly, dishing one up immediately.  “You made grits!?  How did you guys find out I liked these?” I asked, feeling completely dumbfounded.

 “I remembered!” replied Kayla, beaming up at me.

 I patted her head as I said, “Marco, thank you!  I haven’t had these since my mom died.”

 Marco shrugged.  “You know where the… request board is, no?  I aim to please.” he reminded me with a grin, not seeming remotely bothered by the idea that my taste in food still wasn’t as fancy as his.

 Talking a little more with the others, I loaded up my food and took a seat, already salivating at the smells.

 “Happy birthday, Jemal.” stated Alma with a large smile as she passed by me.  “I don’t wish to interrupt the festivities, but I have news I thought everyone should hear.”  Her smile seemed somewhat mysterious now.  Instead of simply telling us, she showed us, projecting sensation straight into our heads.

 Alma was sitting in a room I had never seen, working and humming to herself.  Then she felt something, which was super strange to me, being a guy who could now actually feel what pregnancy was like.  I could feel how careful she was being with everything she touched, having strength enough to bend steel with ease.  Then there was a presence, someone unexpected.  I understood only after Alma’s confusion warmed to joy.  The feeling was coming from her child.  The baby was… curious?

 The vision ended and James immediately asked “Was that…?”

 Speaking simultaneously, Ai and Mai exclaimed “Your child!”

 “Mom, that’s so cool!” called Dani, jumping out of her seat to run over and hug Alma.

 Speaking on top of everyone else, Emma said, “She can communicate already?”

 Alma nodded and said, “Yes, in a vague way.”

 “Might be a boy.” James pointed out.  “No need to guess a gender yet.”

 “Oh, man-slave, there’s nothing wrong with knowing the gender.” insisted Emma.

 “There’s nothing wrong with surprises either.” he countered.

 Emma rolled her eyes.

 “Don’t you want to figure out a name in advance?” questioned Deyanira.

 “If we have a boy, I already have a name picked out.” he told her smugly.

 “We wonder what.” stated Ai flatly.

 “No, not really.” argued Mai.

 “I do!” exclaimed Noelle, looking happy and a bit confused.

 “I’d like to carry on the family tradition, naming him after me.” James told us proudly, though he tried being nonchalant with a shrug.

 I wasn’t so sure that I’d want to give a kid the same name as me, but my family didn’t have that tradition either.  I did understand a joy in traditions, especially eating Marco’s Southern style breakfast.  That man really could cook everything to perfection.

 “Naming a girl after Alma then?” inquired Emma.

 Still smiling, Alma said, “No, I’d rather not.  I don’t know what I’d do if James started showing more affection to a different Alma.”  She brushed her free hand through my hair while the other still hugged Dani.

 “Well, ‘Emma’ is a fantastic name that any girl would love to call her own.” insisted Emma with a mischievous grin.

 “Don’t you feel that having the same name might get confusing at times?  Someone calls ‘Emma’, and you both answer?” suggested Jarod.

 “Then we’d laugh, smile, hug, and blame whoever had the wrong Emma!  Your wives obviously don’t mind people confusing them.” she pointed out.

 He shrugged as he glanced at Ai and Mai to smile at them.

 “She’d probably only respond if she thought something good was coming.  You know she wouldn’t respond to ‘Emma, clean your room!’” teased Cosette.

 Acting if she had just been stabbed, Emma exclaimed “Hey, my room’s clean!  Tell her, Mila!”

 “Perfectly.” agreed Mila.  “We just won’t mention what can’t be freely seen.”

 “Et tu, Mila!?” exclaimed Emma, gawking at Mila.

 Mila shrugged and smiled.

 “Whatever we decide, I’ll fight anyone who takes issue with it, except for Raine.  I’ll let my husband fight her.” teased Alma.

 At the mention of her, I looked around to find Raine.  She sat at the far side of the table next to Mai, looking sheepish as ever.  That girl’s abilities still blew my mind.  

 “If you want a good name, everyone knows the best names come from France.” insisted Babette confidently.

 “Trying to pick a fight with most of the people here?” asked James with a smirk.

 Looking surprised, Achille asked “Isn’t she always?”

 As the two eyed one another, Alma said, “Not today, you two.  There’s too much fun to be had.”

 “What do you have planned?” I asked, surprised that there was more coming.  James had implied as much, but I didn’t really see what could beat this.

 Alma simply shrugged, though her smile made me think she knew.

 After breakfast, everyone brought me to the theater to watch something together.  Then we spent a couple hours swimming through floating pools of water behind the house, which was an amazing experience.  Huge bubbles of water just levitated wherever the twins wanted them, allowing us to do dives through one floating bubble into another.  No one even had a care for safety, not with Raine promising to catch anyone who missed.  I certainly wasn’t going to argue with her.  Lunch was every bit as elaborate as breakfast, though not as Southern themed.  I actually got to play some basketball with the others for once.  Usually, Brandon, Emma, and Iris were the only ones who’d come shoot with me in the employee gym.  Of course, I hadn’t really thought about how many people here would make every single shot.  After James had used some large spell to clean us all of sweat, Maple insisted that I come with her.

 “I’m glad to see we all could make it today.  For the Storms, we have Iris, Mick, and their parents—Grayson and Mirabella.  For the Blacks, this is Keira and her father, Colby.  Joining them are Keira’s cousins, Levi and Jackson Wind.  I, of course, am James Michael Somerset III, and my colleague, Raine, is here to remind you that this will be peaceful.” explained James once everyone was seated across from each other in a large lounge at Somerset Estate.

 A week ago, I was bitten by a girl I had sorta been seeing.  I had known she wasn’t fully human, but I never expected her to bite me, trying to change me.  Well, she successfully changed me, but… I hadn’t thought she’d do something like that without asking.  I had panicked and stunned her at the time, nearly dying in my attempt to escape.  If not for Best Friend For Hire, I’d be dead.

 Living here was different, really different, but I couldn’t complain.  The food was incredible, I was asked not to attempt to clean up after myself, and my family parents were visiting daily.  The biggest difference was seeing people who weren’t quite human letting loose.  Raine could occasionally be found curled up somewhere in the form of a cat.  Most everyone used magic to fetch anything out of arm’s reach, and there were daily lessons in magic taking place, which even made Keira’s eyes bulge.  While working with me to control my newfound ability to change forms, she had admitted that she had always thought magic users were rare and inept.

“Mick seems to believe you had no ill will against him when you bit him.  Why didn’t you ask first?” stated Dad with a hint of anger in his voice.

 Keira frowned, but her father spoke before she could decide how to respond.

 “My daughter gave Mick a wonderful gift.  Who asks first before granting someone power?” questioned Colby.  He shared Keira’s black hair and athletic build.

 “Power!?” scoffed Dad irritably.  “Who asks to be a bird?”

 “Many children, wishing they could fly.” whispered Iris from her seat next to him.

 Dad barely glanced at her before he said, “I feel some sort of compensation is in order.”

 Colby, Levi, and Jackson all looked angry at the suggestion.

 I quickly assured them “I don’t need anything.  I’ll get the hang of this, and then I’ll be able to fly.  How cool is that?”  Unfortunately, I was barely holding together.  Being stressed could trigger my transformation into a hybrid of a human and a raven, and I struggled not to fully change, destroying another set of clothes.

 “She attacked you!  If you had asked her, things would be different, but she chose this for you.  You have a right to be angry!” insisted Dad, practically glaring at me.

 “I wasn’t trying to harm him!” exclaimed Keira, jumping to her feet.  “What I did was wrong.  I admit it, but I’m helping him gain the benefits of his new forms.”  She glanced timidly at Raine and quickly sat again.

 I was right with her in being intimidated by Raine.  Rescuing me took Raine next to zero effort, bringing me to Somerset Estate for medical care instantly.  Her hybrid form was horrifying to behold, Keira and I both were well aware that Raine had vast magical abilities as well.  I mean, she had created a literal fortress with a thought!

 “Benefits?  He’s missing school, he won’t be able to be in public for who knows how long, and he can’t even enjoy the comfort of his own room!” argued Dad heatedly.  He was openly glaring at the Blacks.

 Colby quickly pointed out “Your son will probably outlive the rest of you!  She’s given him a stronger body, longer life, and greater potential in all of his endeavors.”

 “Potential?  To fly around the city!?” snapped Dad dismissively.

 “His senses should be far superior to yours now.  He’ll be able to hear conversations across a room and spot details you wouldn’t see without being much closer.  With a little practice, he’ll be able to outperform any human in practically any job!” insisted Colby, obviously angry as well.

 Looking at my dad, James quickly said, “Surely, you can see the advantage of heightened senses, Grayson.  Imagine sitting in a meeting and hearing a whispered conversation across the table or catching sight of documents held by someone else.”

 Dad took a deep breath and nodded.  “Okay, so there are benefits.  My son still deserves compensation for the attack.”

 “Aren’t a lifetime of benefits worth a few months of discomfort?” questioned Jackson.

 “Surely, you can see Grayson’s point in this.  Aren’t you more interested in what he’s after than to continue denying the possibility that Mick might deserve something more?” questioned James as he looked between the Blacks and the Wind brothers.

 Jackson frowned.

 “What are you after, Grayson?” inquired Colby.

 “If we were in a proper court, I’d see your daughter in prison and monetary compensation for my son’s injury.  He nearly died.” stated Dad with more than a little heat still in his voice.  Then he glanced at James, sighed, and said, “As things are, my son needs to know your enemies, not just how to control himself.  Who hunts wereravens in this area?  Who might mistake him for one of your… ilk, and mean to do him harm?  I don’t want my son injured because someone has a grievance against your people, so keep no secrets from him in that regard.”

 Keira’s family looked between one another in surprise.

 Colby nodded and said, “There are some.  I’ll be sure they’re known to him.”

 “In the future as well?” questioned Dad.

 Colby nodded.  “As long as he’s in this city, we’ll keep him informed.”  Looking at James, he asked “Can we use you as an intermediary if things between us fall apart?”

 “Of course, at no cost even.  In the future, my company will charge to host peace talks if you want to reconcile things with other therianthropes, vampires, and the like.” stated James with a small smile.

 “Vampires?  Do you know some?” asked Colby in surprise.

 Nodding, James said, “I employ several and am personal friends with the eldest three.  They visited just three weeks ago.”

 The Blacks and Wind brothers were even more surprised by this than by Dad’s request.  I didn’t know anything about the eldest vampires, but they had to be old.

 “How could you possibly know them?” questioned Levi.

 “My secretary’s aunt is in a relationship with Vito.” replied James with a shrug.  “Besides, offering my company’s services only to my wife’s family would hardly be fair.  Everyone needs a best friend to call upon.”

 Flying high above, I took in the size of the land where my daughter was trapped.  Earlier today, I received a mysterious phone call, claiming my daughter was awaiting me at this address.  After looking up the address, reading about the company who owned it, and discussing the situation with my nephews, I hurried here to investigate.  The woman on the phone had said my daughter would be awaiting me in the keep, which had seemed strange before seeing there was an actual, full-sized fortress behind an enormous mansion on the land.

 Spotting a man heading toward the keep, I dove down and went inside, thinking I might be able to follow him to my daughter.  To my surprise, he had gotten ahead of me before I spotted him inside.  He now carried an actual flaming torch instead of a flashlight.  The man was very tall and looked somewhat opposing, despite obviously being young, in the flickering light.

 A number of turns through the maze of stone corridors, the man studied a wall briefly before turning a sconce to his right.  Like some sort of horror film, a secret passage opened for him, so I quickly flew in before it could shut again.    Stairs spiraled down, so I slowly followed, keeping the light barely in sight.

 “Who’s there?” called Keira, obviously scared.

 What sort of person would keep my poor daughter in a place like this!?  There were startling sculptures of fantastic creatures on every pillar.  Jail cells wrapped around the large room, and a scent of sweat and filth lingered in the air as if numerous people had been imprisoned here before.

 “Sorry for the late introduction.  My name’s James.  You’re in a keep on my land.” explained the tall man who must have inherited such wealth.

 “This is kidnapping!” she exclaimed as I crept closer.

 “Well, not exactly.” claimed James.  As I landed behind him, he spun around, saying, “Hello, Colby.”

 I quickly altered my form, readying myself for a fight.  This situation was too bizarre, leaving me even more uncomfortable.  I ran forward, intending  to end this quickly.  If a human needed to die for my daughter to be free, he would get his wish granted.

 To my shock, the man easily stepped around me just as the door up the stairs shut, audibly locking.

  “Don’t worry.  There’s no conspiracy here.  I suppose having one might seem like a boon to you, but I’d consider it an unkindness.  Surely we can both agree that it’s better than a murder, right?” asked James conversationally, smiling at his own bad jokes.

 A murder was a group of crows where an unknindness was a group of ravens.  I was surprised he could tell the difference between crows and ravens, but his mockery only fueled my rage.  I attacked again, spreading my wings, but he jumped clear over me, flipped as I turned around, and landed on his feet with an easy grace.  I quickly attacked with my wing, attempting to slam him into the wall.  I could easily lift hundreds of pounds, but my wing hit painfully as if I had hit a wall.

 He stepped toward me, and I backed away.

 “I’m really not here to fight you.” he stated, perfectly calm.  “You are trapped for the moment, but that’s just so you’ll speak with me before fleeing to get help.  All of the therianthropes who don’t work for me wouldn’t be enough to storm this place, so please try to calm down.”

 “Dad, they have a… monster!” exclaimed Keira in distress.

 “Half-demon, actually.” corrected James with an obvious lie.  “Her name’s Raine, and you might hurt her feelings if you call her a ‘monster’.  Please don’t.” I stated, glancing at the door.  To her father, I added “Raine’s a werecat.  She’s very good at catching birds, so let’s be reasonable.”

 My mouth opened to tell him what I thought of his lies, but I sensed something behind me.  When I looked back, there was a creature straight out of hell.  “Please, don’t hurt my daughter!” I pleaded as I backed away, now believing in demons.

 “We haven’t, save for capturing her.” replied James, sounding sympathetic.  “Your daughter bit Mick Storm, apparently wanting to turn him.  Mick, being a bit freaked out, stunned her with a strong jolt of electricity, nearly getting himself killed.  Your daughter will be a prisoner here while she comes to understand that forcing someone to switch species isn’t acceptable.  I’m sentencing her to help Mick adapt to the changes.”

 Giving up all thought of fighting, I shifted my form to show my compliance, jumping as I found myself surrounded by a curtain.  There were clothes on a chair next to me.  Somehow, they were even my size.  What is this place!??

 “M-Mick had said… h-he was… attacked.” mumbled a woman, her speech quiet and broken.

 Was that the sound of a demon?  She sounded… meek.

 “Well, from his point of view, sure.  I’m under the impression that Keira was trying to force a longer relationship on him.” suggested James.

 “Keira, is that true?” I demanded as I finished dressing.

 “No!” she exclaimed in that tone she used when she was obviously lying.  “Sorta…  Mick thought changing forms was cool, and we had been seeing each other for a while.  I just…”  She paused, thinking of how to explain herself

 “Really liked him and felt impulsive?” offered James.

 “More or less.” she muttered.

 “Keira!” I exclaimed, shocked that my own daughter would do something so reckless.

 “You never understand me!” she exclaimed, kicking the door between us.

 “You know better!  You obviously exposed us!  Look where we are!  Don’t you walk away from me.”  I told her, stepping toward the cell now that a small girl had opened it.

 Keira shoved me back after quickly whirling on me.  “Mick is a wonderful guy!  He seemed serious about me!  If you actually gave him a chance instead of jumping to conclusions, you’d understand how perfect he’ll be with us!”

 “I already found you the perfect guy to match you.” I replied flatly.  She knew that I was arranging for her to date someone from another clan to strengthen our ties.  “How could you do this to us!?”

 “Me!?  How can you expect me to date someone just because he’s a wereraven!?  I remember Peter.  He’s a short, sniveling mess.  Why would I be interested in that guy!?” she demanded.

 “You haven’t seen him since he was six!  He’s grown into a fine young man!” I retorted, furious with her.

 She slammed the cell door in my face, holding it shut as we continued to argue.  Suddenly, I realized I couldn’t hear anything and stared at my daughter, who was still attempting to speak.

 “This is another reason why Keira will be remaining here for a time.” stated James out of the silence.  He was now seated at a table covered in refreshments while the short blonde stood off to the side.  “You both need time to settle down.  Keira, I’ve had one of the employee apartments furnished for you, so you can stay in the house.  I would hope you know not to try running, but seriously don’t.  Mick will need help adapting from what you did to him, and your assistance is mandatory.  My wife is a daughter of a Slayer, I imagine you both have heard of that family.”

 “They exist!?” I asked, my voice shaky as my mind tried to wrap my head around the idea.  Slayers were myths passed down to frighten children.  A single Slayer could wipe out a clan without effort in a head-to-head fight.

 “Yes, and they live up to the name.  She’s pregnant and can get a bit touchy at the moment, so please behave when you come to visit.  Every single person here is dangerous when provoked, but they’re good people.  Behave and everything will go smoothly.” replied James, sounding perfectly confident.

 “How often can I see my daughter?” I questioned as I fell into a seat, my anger fleeing as I stared at the strange man.

 “That’s up to her.  Just call first.  She still has classes.  One of my friends will take her to get her car tomorrow, but she’ll be getting a ride to and from school each day.  If she tries to run, I’ll ask Raine to fetch her and put a more restrictive sentence on her.  I’m certain you know what the change is like for those newly turned.  Let her help Mick, and she’ll be free from there.” he told me without a hint of dishonesty.

 “Can I meet him?” I asked hopefully.  If this boy was to survive as one of us, there were things he’d need to know.

 James smiled as he said, “That would be wonderful.  His parents want to meet Keira as well.  I’ll be requesting that everyone is on their best behavior.  As your daughter found out, his family isn’t quite normal either.”

 I nodded.  Hoping he’d continue being forthcoming, I asked “What are you?”

 “A best friend for hire.” he replied.

 I had looked at his company’s website.  Though Best Friend For Hire had a very impressive site, despite the odd nature of the company, I hadn’t seen anything to explain what was happening here.

 “There’s a table and food here.  None of this was here before.  The stench is gone.  How!?” I exclaimed, surprised Keira was actually taking a seat as well.

 “The stench was an illusion that Raine dismissed, and she created this table to my specifications while you two were arguing.  She’s a demon, so she can create whatever she imagines.” he explained as if that fantastic idea was just as normal as water being wet.

 I glanced at the girl as I took in her scent.  She smelled of cat and… something I couldn’t name, something that made my heart race.  James, however, smelled perfectly human.

 “You’re not human.” I stated, watching his reaction.

 “Actually, I have it on good authority that I am human, just a unique case with a large amount of magical potential.” he argued with a shrug.

 “And your strength?” I asked.

 “My body utilizes magic extremely efficiently, but I really am human.” he insisted.

 Iris smiled as she teased me, showing off her control of the electricity flowing between our hands.  I couldn’t help being impressed.  She certainly had learned a great deal here.  Not only was she obviously stronger than me now, but she seemed to be able to do whatever she felt like with ease, such as forcing the electricity into the shape of animals.

 “Okay, okay.  I admit that’s pretty cool.” I told her, knowing I’d never win at our games anymore.  There was no hope of surprising her with a shock when she knew how to redirect the energy back at me instantly.

 “You just need more practice.” she assured me, smiling playfully as she zapped me again.  “If you decide to stay here a while, you’ll get way better.  I promise.”

 I looked at her dubiously.  My sister underestimated herself at times.  I really doubted I could catch up.

 “Really!  You will!” she insisted.  “For example…” she started to say, biting her lip as she thought for a few seconds.  “Okay, hold your hands up like this.” she instructed, holding her hands as if she was about to push me.

 I did as she said and almost jumped when a small arc jumped from her fingertips to mine.

 Looking surprisingly serious, she said, “Just relax and feel that tingling sensation running through you.  Then imagine slowly forcing it back up your feet, into your hands, and through an invisible wire from your palms to mine.”

 Despite feeling a little silly, I tried.  She obviously knew what she was doing.  At first, nothing was happening, but she insisted I keep trying.  Still nothing.  I continued, knowing she was stubborn.  Eventually, I felt something.  I could feel the tingling sensation running through me, and then it suddenly jumped, so just my hands were tingling.  For several seconds, I just stared at the current reflecting back to my sister.

 “Perfect!” she exclaimed, grinning broadly now.  “With a bit of practice, you won’t have to try so hard.  Wanna keep going?”

 I nodded, but my control slipped when she poured even more at me, making me feel like every hair on my body was standing on end.  “Easy there, Iris.  Baby steps.” I told her, wondering if she could actually fry me now if she tried.

 Luckily, she listened, though she kept insisting on throwing more at me every time I started doing a little better.  Before she went too crazy, we were interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat.

 “Mom!  Dad!” I exclaimed, standing and stepping over to them to hug them both.

 “Mick… are you okay?” asked Mom, looking me over in obvious concern.

 I nodded, not wanting her to worry .  “I feel great!  You wouldn’t believe how they heal people here!”  I understood why magic couldn’t be freely used in hospitals, but I really wished it could.

 “My wife’s a registered M.D. and has helped the local hospital before, but using her magic in conjunction with knowledge of modern medicine helps her surpass the performance of a hospital.  If his injuries had been more severe, I assure you that we would’ve sent for the world’s best.” explained James with perfect frankness.

 “If he was dying, there wouldn’t be time!” argued Dad, who obviously wasn’t doing well.  I could feel his power on the verge of breaking out.

 “We have Raine.” stated James, motioning to her.

 “What’s that sup-” he started, his eyes bulging when she appeared next to him.

 I backstepped too, still not used to that.

 “She’s just that fast.” stated James.  “She’s the one who brought your son to us when he called.”

 “What?  Why did you call them instead of a hospital?” asked Mom in surprise.

 “Better service?” I teased.  Seeing they obviously didn’t appreciate the joke, I said, “The circumstances were a bit… unusual.”

 “Unusual how?” demanded Dad with his already-disappointed-with-the-answer frown.

 “He was bitten by a wereraven from his school.” replied James, watching how my parents took the news.

 Dad’s frown deepened as he looked at me.  “What’s the matter with you?  You eat here once and start looking for trouble?”

 “Dad, no.  Of course not.  I had been seeing this girl from my class for over a month.  I didn’t know she was a wereraven until today!” I hurriedly explained.

 “Let’s discuss this at home, you two.” stated Mom, who was obviously ready to leave.

 James moved slightly, not quite stepping between me and my parents.  “About that… I feel that Mick staying here for a while would be in everyone’s best interest.”

 “What!?” demanded Dad, sparks dancing between his fingertips.  “My son needs his family.  He’s coming with us.”

 “We’ll get the police involved if we have to!” insisted Mom, though she took a step behind Dad.

 James shrugged slightly as he said, “Being twenty-three, Mick can stay where he likes, so the police can’t really do a thing.  I am only suggesting he stays here, so none of you get hurt.”

 “Hurt?  What are you talking about?  Is this some sort of threat?” questioned Dad angrily.  He was red in the face and breathing hard.  The sparks were now visible on his skin.

 I had had enough of my parents trying to control me.  Suddenly, I felt like years of suppressed arguments exploded out of me as I stepped forward to finally tell my dad that I wasn’t a little kid anymore.  Before I said a thing, James had grabbed me.  He might as well have been a wall with how he easily held me back.

 “Mick, calm down.” he stated, staring into my eyes.  “You need to breathe slowly and focus on your shape if you want to change back, but you’ll probably want another shirt.”

 Only then did I realize my parents were staring at me in shock… or fear.   “What!?” I asked, but the voice that came out wasn’t my own.  I looked down to see feathers where my hands should be.  My feet were like talons.

 James nodded and sounded reassuring as he said, “Not bad for your first change.  You’ll need to learn some control, so this doesn’t happen by accident.  I took the liberty of calling your professors while we waited for your parents to arrive.  They believe you have the flu.”

 “My poor boy…” muttered Mom.

 “Oh.  Yes.  Being stronger, faster, and capable of flight will be such a bother after he gets used to it.  I just don’t know how he’ll survive.” stated James sarcastically.

 “Will you be serious?” asked Dad, but his anger was gone.  He looked lost.

 “I am.  Therianthropes have tremendous advantages over humans, and Mick still has his fey abilities as well.  The biggest problem he’ll be facing is having dangerous enemies now.” explained James, catching me off-guard with that point.  “Many therianthropes fight other kinds.  Some even fight their own kind.  Some vampires will hunt them for sport, since certain therianthropes hunt vampires.  Then there are some creatures which he might find aren’t so mythical.  For example, we had minotaurs in this city at one time.”

 “I think I should stay here for a while, just to get the hang of this.” I added, backing up James.  Surprisingly, I was human again.  “You’ve seen what they can do here.”

 Smiling and nodding, James said, “Honestly, only a small fraction of it.  Remember how I was saying that Raine created that fort?  She can create us tea just as easily.”  He glanced back at her as he asked “Would you mind giving us a platter with a tea set?”

 “Wh-What… flavor?” she replied.

 “Your choice.” he insisted, though he was smiling at her.

 Six cups of tea on saucers with a matching teapot and sugar bowl appeared on a platter.  The whole set looked really expensive, like the type you see rich British people using in movies.

 James helped himself to a glass, tasted, and said, “Thank you, Raine.  This tastes wonderful.” Then he looked at my parents, saying, “Raine could have run to fetch everything that quickly, but she used her magic to create this.  Earl Grey, if you’re interested.”  He drank some more.

 Mom was the first to react, hesitating only a couple seconds before taking a cup, smelling it, and then passing it to Dad before getting her own.  He looked… calmer.  

 “I assure you that there is much we can do to help Mick acclimate if we’re given the chance.  Being a therianthrope herself, Raine can help him learn to control his changes, though I plan on asking Keira to help with that.  She’s the girl who changed him.” explained James, surprising me once again.

 Frowning, Dad asked “Where’s she at?”

 James gave Dad a sympathetic smile as he said, “Raine stuck her in the dungeon to cool off, but I’ll be speaking with her father later.  You need to think of her as a girl, not a monster, if you can manage.  Though she committed an aggressive act against your son, I intend to hear her reasons before I make any sort of judgement about her.  Please do the same, though not today.”

 “Why not?  We’re here.  Let’s see her.” insisted Dad, his face and tone growing stern.

 “And I’m sure you’ll be visiting Mick plenty this week, so let’s allow her father see her first, shall we?  As a parent, I’m sure you can imagine how you’d feel in his shoes.” replied James, gently squeezing Dad’s shoulder.

 After several seconds of standing stiffly, Dad relented, his whole body seeming to relax at once.  “As you wish, James.  We’ll wait.” he replied, his eyes moving from James to me.

 “Iris.” stated Mila from the wall in my room.

 “Hmm?” I asked, wondering what could be so important that she’d interrupt my studies.  Mila never interrupted my studies.  Wait.  Why was MIla interrupting my studies!?

 In a sympathetic tone, Mila explained “Your brother, Mick, is here in the infirmary, having been seriously injured, and I thought you might be inclined to visit him after he’s been treated.  I wouldn’t have told you quite yet, but I understand it is customary to…  Iris?”

 I ran, sprinting out of my room and down the hall before she had finished, ignoring her trying to call me back.  I remembered the infirmary.  I had visited a month after I was hired here to get a band-aid for a scrape.  What could have happened to Mick that he’d need to be here instead of a hospital?  I ran into the door, surprised that Mila hadn’t opened it for me yet.

 “Mila, open this door.” I told her.

 “No, Iris.  I’m terribly sorry, but you need…” she started, stopping when I interrupted her.

 “I need to see my brother!  Open this door, Mila!!” I told her, futilely hitting it again.  The wood shattered, and steel could be seen beneath it.

 “Not yet.” stated James, appearing out of nowhere.  “Your brother’s being treated.  He’ll be fine soon.”

 I hugged him, believing him, but wanting to hear more.  “James, how can you know?” I asked, practically demanding an answer from him.

 “First, control yourself.  You’re damaging…” he told me, motioning around us with his hand.  “Everything, really.  You’d damage the equipment if you stepped in there, not that my wife’s likely to be using any.”

 I looked around and was stunned at the damage.  The wooden facade had splintered all around us, not just where I had struck.  What remained was blackened and charred from the electricity that was still shooting out wildly from my body.  When did I grow this strong?

 “You’re lucky you didn’t start a fire, though this will give Raine plenty of practice fixing things for at least a minute I’d think.” commented James, not sounding the least bit concerned about the damage.  He gently turned my head to face him as he said, “Deep breaths.  Come on.”

 I listened and did as he asked, taking deep breaths and willing my magic to obey.  “Mick really will be okay?”

 “Of course.  You’re not trying to insult my wife’s medical expertise, are you?  Alma is a very capable doctor.” he replied with a kind smile.

 “No…” I replied immediately, only realizing afterward that could be misinterpreted.  “I mean, I’m sure she is.  No, I wasn’t doubting her.  It’s just… my brother’s in there.”

 “Yes.  He’ll never be the same again.” stated James.

 “What!?  What’s wrong with him?” I asked, wincing as a small bolt of lightning shot from my hand into the wall.  I quickly started breathing deeply again, trying to remain calm.

 “I don’t know that ‘wrong’ would be the right term.  He’ll be able to fly now.  That’s something, right?” suggested James with a kind look.  What was he even talking about?

 “Huh?” I asked dumbly.

 “I suppose Mila didn’t tell you anything more than he was ‘gravely injured’ or that she was calling your parents.  You did call her parents, didn’t you?” questioned James.

 Speaking from the walls down the hall, Mila said, “Of course, Master, and I had said ‘seriously injured’, not ‘gravely’ as you put it.”

 “Ah.  Well, he could’ve died, but he won’t.  Victory, right?” insisted James with a smile.

 “Y-You shouldn’t… t-tease.” stated Raine, passing through the steel door as if she was a ghost.

 “Raine!  How is he?” I asked, certain that Raine would tell me.

 “N-No scars.” she replied immediately.

 “Scars take weeks!  Is he awake?” I questioned, wishing I could tear answers from her, despite part of my reminding me I couldn’t even give Raine’s hair split ends.

 Raine nodded and said, “Alma’s t-talking… with h-him.”

 “Oh, I forgot to mention that Mick will heal very fast by human standards.  He’ll get all of the perks, such as greater speed, strength, and flying!  I love flying, though I need spells to do it well.” claimed James as he watched me.

 Finally, Mila showed me mercy, saying, “What my master is not telling you is that Mick was bitten by a therianthrope, a wereraven would be one term.  The genetic change had already started by the time he called.  He would’ve completed the change and been fine if he hadn’t lost so much blood.  People really should know to stop the bleeding before attempting to escape too far.”

 “M-Mila!” exclaimed Raine.

 “What?  They should.” she insisted.

 “Is Raine the only one taking this seriously?” I demanded, doing my best to glare at them all.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, a more rational part of me was trying to claim this wasn’t that serious for them.  What couldn’t they do with magic?  Raine had built a fortress with a stray thought.

 “Iris, what’s done is done.  Nothing we can do will change the past, so you’ll just have to help Mick learn the joys of being what he is now.  He’ll find there are many perks once he acclimates.” explained James with a slightly more serious expression.  “Oh, I might need your help in convincing your parents that Mick should stay here for a few weeks, minimum.”

 “What?  Why?” I asked warily.

 “M-Mick needs t-time.” stated Raine, looking worried as she fidgeted.

 James nodded and said, “Yes.  Until his body chemistry fully adjusts, he’ll probably be a bit volatile.  Then there’s the increased appetite as well as occasional confusion between hunger and… other emotions.”

 “What about his attacker?” I asked, wanting to know what became of the person who did this to my brother.

 “In the dungeon.  Talk with your brother before you meet her.” insisted James.

 “There’s a dungeon!?” I asked in surprise.

 Raine nodded, looking up at James sheepishly.  “Y-Yes.”

 “I don’t mind.” he assured her.

 The door opened, and Alma stepped out, completely covered in blood.

 “What happened!?” I exclaimed, doubting my brother even had that much blood in him.

 Mick started laughing from within the room, and my panic quickly became anger.  This was so typical of him.

 “Sorry.  He insisted.” claimed Alma as she dispelled the illusion.

 “Mick, I’m going to…” I started, fighting down my anger and magic while reminding myself that he was injured.  “That wasn’t funny!”

 “I wish I could’ve seen your face!” he exclaimed.

 “Mila, mind showing him?” asked James as he smiled at me.

 “Of course not, Master.” answered Mila immediately.

 Mick kept laughing even after I entered the room, faced with my horrified expression displayed on the wall.  I hit him… repeatedly.  He was obviously fine now.  Eventually, we started talking.

 “Okay, so there was this girl I had sort of been seeing.  I mean…  We weren’t dating-dating, but we went out together a few times.  She was cool, so when she told me that she wanted to show me something, I followed her.  There’s this abandoned building somewhat near to our college, and we went inside and up aways.  Then she turned into a giant raven, which was really neat… up until she bit me.” he explained, frowning at the last part.  “I panicked and sort of shocked her.  When she fell, I just ran.  I didn’t realize I was bleeding that bad, and I probably made it worse bumping into things.  When I noticed all of the blood, I called here, and Raine had me in this room before I even noticed that she came for me.”

 I listened as he spoke, uncertain how I felt about the situation.  The girl was probably trying to transform him, so they could be together, which meant Mick had been leading her on if he wasn’t that serious.  Unless, of course, the girl was just crazy, and then she probably jumped the gun.  Either way, she should have talked to him first, but..  I sighed, feeling a little mad at both of them.  I knew how Mick could be with girls.

 “Mick, I have something to tell you too…  James wants you to stay here for a while, probably just a few weeks, but maybe longer.” I told him, deciding he was well enough to take the news.

 “What?  Why?” he asked in surprise.

 I shrugged and said, “You’re a wereraven now.  You need time to adjust.  You know he’s a wizard, so there isn’t a better place for you to learn about what you can do now.”

 He nodded, but he didn’t look too happy.

 “Also, our parents are coming.  Dad’s gonna be against it.” I informed him.  “You’ll need to decide whose side to take.”

 “Do you think I should stay here?” he asked, staring at me to see my reaction.

 I hesitated for only a moment before saying, “I trust James.  If he thinks you should stay, you should stay.”

 Mick let out a long sigh.  Then he said, “Dad’s going to be ticked.  You better be backing me up.”

 “I’ll be there.” I told him, squeezing his forearm.

 “Slow down!” exclaimed Iris.  “Turn left just up ahead.”

 I nodded and complied.  She knew where her boss lived better than any of us, having never visited this suburb befored.  I probably would have missed the break in the endless fence had she not warned me, especially when I was trying to guess the cost of having a large amount of land next to a park in a pricey suburb.  To my surprise, the gate opened for us immediately.

 “He doesn’t care much for security, does he?” I teased, looking around to see if there was some sort of guard who would have opened the gate for us.

 “Mila watches everything, so there’s no need.  There are sensors and cameras all over the yard that let her know if anything is disturbed.” explained Iris matter-of-factly.

 I nodded, but my eyes were locked on our destination in the distance, barely visible through all of the rain.  I had considerably underestimated the size of this place.  I very much doubted that I could even afford to maintain the yard for very many years and could only guess that the property tax had to be immense.

 As my sons grew excited about the bushes, I looked over and stared for several seconds.  Every single bush along the long driveway had been carefully sculpted into characters that I recognized from video games my kids enjoyed.  I could only imagine the amount of time and number of people involved in such artwork, leading me to believe James spent even more on his yard annually than I originally had guessed.  Even the fountain—an immense, two-story affair that was very elaborately sculpted—was immaculate, showing no signs of wear or neglect.  James certainly knew how to make an impression.

 When we stepped inside, passing past two sets of double doors that opened for us, James was descending down one of the staircases which curved up to a balcony on the second floor.  “James!  Thank you for having us.  This is quite a place you’ve got here.  Sorry if we brought the storm.” I told him, gesturing to the weather outside.

 “There’s plenty to see.” he politely agreed.  “Thank you for accepting the invitation.  I thought you might be interested in seeing a little more about my company than most, since you seemed curious during the game.  Mick was supposed to stop by a while ago but apparently didn’t get the time.”

 “This place is awesome!” exclaimed Matt.

 “Sorry, James.” muttered Mick.

 “No need to apologize.  We’ll just review with your family today what I wanted to tell you before.” replied James, smiling at us.

 I suddenly found myself floating as a soft breeze blew at me from inside the mansion.  Looking to my sides, I saw that my family, save for my daughter, were also floating.

 Before I could do more than exclaim in surprise, James spoke up, telling us, “Magic is real, and your family can use it.”

 I stared at them, my mind trying to figure out how he was doing this.  Was this some elaborate prank using a new technology?  “Wh-What…” was all I managed to say before we were gently lowered to the ground.

 “You wanted to know what I was feeding my employees.  I train them physically, mentally, and in magical arts.  We didn’t use spells at the baseball game, but we have numerous advantages that are completely unfair.” explained James.  “For example, I can physically lift your family’s van, though using spells is easier to ensure I don’t compromise the frame.”

 I swore, feeling like I had been had, before my better judgement kicked in.  My family was currently at this boy’s mercy.

 James’ smile broadened as he said, “If you don’t mind coming out back, I’ll ask the wonderful gardener to demonstrate something people tend to grasp more easily.”  Not hearing any argument from us, he motioned for us to follow him and started telling us  “Mirabella and Mike can’t create the electrical discharges like the rest of you.  She has a different heritage, and Mike took after his mother.”

 “How could you possibly know that?” asked Mike in surprise.

 “My secretary ran a background check on Iris prior to her being hired, and she’s so thorough that I feel like she knows everything.  You wouldn’t believe how long she takes to brief me on things.” explained James as he glanced back at my son.  “My concern with Mick is that he and Iris tended to play games with their ability, which caught enough notice for my secretary to file it in the report.  There are some out there who prey on those with abilities such as yours, so being a little more cautious tends to be wise.”

 That sounded far too believable.  I probably should have chewed those two out more often, but I had never believed anyone would have noticed their antics.  “You claim you can lift cars, and you can obviously lift us.  What else can you do, James?” I asked, wanting a firmer handle on whom I was dealing with.

 “So many things, Dad.  James is like a wizard combined with an overly strong fighter from some fantasy novel.” insisted Iris from behind me.

 I glanced back at her, surprised at how serious she looked.

 “I’ve also learned to make a great cup of tea.  My wife can be picky.” insisted James.

 “What’s that smell..?” questioned Mike longingly.

 Now that he mentioned it, I didn’t recognize the smell either, though I was certain it was food.  My mouth was already watering.

 “We’re almost to the kitchen, and Marco’s making you quite the treat.  I’m sure he won’t mind us passing through.  Just be prepared for a few samples.” encouraged James.

 The kitchen was as large as was fitting a house this size, and even there the fanciful engravings didn’t yield.  Every cabinet was beautifully carved, as were the very large table and chairs.

 Marco, the chef, was extraordinarily eager for us to sample “a few things” before we moved onward, despite assuring us that dinner would be ready soon.  Only when James pointed out there was more for us to see before dinner did Marco give way, giving us permission to pass through his kitchen into the garden beyond.

 The rain didn’t reach us as we followed James outside, hitting some invisible barrier and sliding away.

 “I don’t suppose you worry about getting struck by lightning.” I commented as I watched the sky.

 “Worried, no, but I didn’t find that to be pleasant either.” he told me sincerely.

 I stared at him, my eyes searching for any sign that he had ever been struck, but I found nothing, save for how confident he seemed.  

 “If your magic were stronger, you’d actually be able to guide a lightning bolt around you.  Iris has practiced enough that she could knock an assailant down with just the shock.” he commented, making me glance back at my daughter.

 “You can?” questioned Mick excitedly.

 She nodded, grinned, and said, “Yep, though I could take you in a fight without one.”  

 “All trained up now, are you?” questioned Mark, my eldest son.

 Iris laughed, shaking her head.  “You wouldn’t believe the standards here.”

 “I take it that James is the strongest, being the boss.” suggested Mike.

 James shook his head and said, “Not even close.”  Then he pointed to a fortress in the distance and asked “Do you see the keep over there?”

 I nodded along with a couple of my sons.

 “The strongest best friend created that with a stray thought.” claimed James.

 “What!?  No way!” exclaimed Mike.

 Nodding, James said, “She showed up in my office to tell me that she ‘oopsed’ a second after.  She’s been training recently to avoid that type of mistake.  I imagine she’ll be capable of creating a large city in a day on a whim within a few years.  I’d probably spend at least a week on a small town, and that’s if I collected the resources ahead of time.”

 I found the idea mind-boggling.  James seemed humble as he claimed that he could create a small town in a week.

 “You’d take at least a month, man-sla-... er… boss?” announced Emma, turning the statement into a question at the end.  “You get too distracted.  I could handle a village in an hour!”  She was soaked, but grinning.

 Before my eyes, the water soaking her clothes drifted away to join the rain outside.

 “Emma, I’m sure you remember Iris’ father, Grayson.  This is her mother, Mirabella.  From oldest to youngest, her brothers are Mark, Mick, Mike, and Matt.  Everyone, this is my gardener, Emma.”

 “Shouldn’t I be your favorite gardener?” she asked teasingly.

 “Sure.” he conceded.

 “Hear that?  I’m his favorite!” she exclaimed proudly.

 “Do you create villages with a stray thought?” questioned Mike.

 “Nah.  I do this.” she replied, watching us all.  After a couple seconds, wooden buildings rose out of the ground between the garden and the keep.

 “Mine would have functional electricity, plumbing, and the other luxuries people expect these days.” argued James with a smile.

 She stuck her tongue out at him.  Then she said, “My plumbing would work if I created a water tower.  Plants can be very good at guiding water.  As for electricity, I’ve been talking with Jarod about ways to generate a current with plants.  We have plans and stuff!”

 “You mean he had a crazy idea and chatted your ear off.” suggested James.

 “I thought the idea was cool and agreed to try eventually!” she insisted.

 “The idea was actually Maxine’s.  She has some experience with bioengineering from when she considered creating a cyborg army.” corrected Mila, who had discretely joined us without me noticing.

 “You can create cyborgs!?’ questioned Matt excitedly.

 “There has been some tech created here which could be used toward that end, but we’re not experimenting on people.” explained James.

 “I didn’t know you were in the tech industry.” commented my wife.

 James smiled at her and diplomatically told her “My company dabbles in many things to help prepare our best friends for a very large variety of jobs.”

 Grinning, Emma said, “He means to say ‘Yes.  Yes, we are.’  Mua ha ha ha ha!”  She drummed her fingers together while obviously attempting to look like some comic book villain.

James sighed and said, “Emma, mind getting rid of your starter village and showing the Storms how you help the kitchen?”

 “Fiiiine,” she begrudgingly told him, “but I might use some buildings to compliment the topiary when I change things up again.”

 “Sounds fun.” he agreed.

 From there, she started demonstrating how she could make the plants grow, revert to seeds, or provide as much food as she wanted.  She could also force plants to grow beyond their normal proportions and control them as easily as she controlled her own limbs, which led her into demonstrating how she had produced the bats her team had used for our baseball game.  Before she seemed remotely ready to quit demonstrating her abilities, Mila announced that food was ready.

 Instead of eating at the long table in the kitchen, we were taken to a large dining hall with an even more elaborate table.  There were already carts of food waiting nearby, and Mila urged us to help ourselves, since no one here would hesitate when they arrived.

 “Not tired are you?” questioned Ariadne, who had been testing my abilities and helping me understand how to use them for hours.  There were differences between how to accomplish tasks, since Ariadne’s magic needed control of her emotions just as much as clear mental pictures, but her explanations really did help.

 “P-Processing.” I told her, wondering if she actually thought I ever grew tired.  I felt she should know better, considering she knew what I am.  At the moment, I was still revising her first lesson, current lesson, and all of the ones in-between as well as considering some other possibilities for my magic.  I was thankful to know that my weird ability to see other places wasn’t monstrous, since Ariadne could do it too, just not as well.  Part of my mind was still coming to terms with the idea that I had been subconsciously using magic my entire life.  Thankfully, Ariadne didn’t think I had inadvertently hurt anyone.

 “No, Dani, I don’t think you should make requests of Raine quite yet.  Let her keep practicing.” stated James in reply to something Dani had asked in her native tongue.  The musical language of her people was still beyond me without lessons, but a few words seemed to make sense to me.

 “But Daddy!  This would be practice!” she insisted in English.

 James switched to Dani’s native tongue, and Dani’s smile turned impish, a sure sign she had been caught being mischievous again.

 Alma took a few steps over to hug Dani from behind before saying, “Dani, behave.  Birthday girls get to make the requests here.”

 “I… d-don’t mind.” I told them, moving back and forth between where they were talking and where Ariadne was, not wanting Ariadne to think I was ignoring her.  I was aware of the vampire brothers watching me, probably unaccustomed to seeing someone in two different places, but playing with Papak had shown me that they were practically frozen in place compared with me, just like everyone else.

 Meanwhile, Ariadne was telling me about tricks she had discovered over the years to quickly diagnose health problems in different types of creatures.  I doubted some of the tricks would work quite as well for me, not having a couple thousand years of experience in recognizing different types of cellular damage, but she seemed confident that I’d get the hang of it.

 James was staring at Dani, whose smile only grew.

 “A playmate for Alberich!” she suggested, finally letting us know what she wanted.

 Alma sighed before saying, “She probably shouldn’t attempt life yet.”

 “Is that really possible?” questioned Maple.

 “Of course, though creating life takes far more energy than you’d probably expect.” replied Ariadne, having finally reached them.  “I certainly can’t recommend doing it until Raine is very confident in her abilities.  Getting something slightly off is very easy and potentially lethal for the new creature.”

 “What about creating an enhancement suit for Pufflewink?” suggested James, obviously thinking that Pufflewink could keep up that way.

 For several seconds, I considered different modifications to the suits, considering how cute they could look.  While considering cuteness, I also considered whether or not Pufflewink would feel comfortable.  Like all kitties, Pufflewink liked warmth, and the suits were designed to ensure a certain level of warmth.  Everyone else had adapted to the feel fairly quickly, so I imagined Pufflewink might as well.  After letting myself enjoy numerous scenarios of my kitty playing around in her new suit, I double-checked a rather important part of this idea, asking “I c-can?”

 James nodded, saying, “As long as Jarod doesn’t mind.”

 “That’s an awesome idea, man-slave!” insisted Emma, grinning broadly.

 “I’ll admit that I’m intrigued to see what spells go into these things.” commented Vito eagerly.

 “Suit design is a trade secret, so no giving it away to anyone.” stated Jarod loudly to be heard over everyone.  “Mila, would you mind adjusting the design for felines?”

 “Already optimizing the fiber configuration.” she replied, sounding amused.  “Master, mind if we borrow your office briefly?”

 “Feel free.  Raine, I think she wants you upstairs.” encouraged James, smiling as well.

 I nodded to him, and then went into the office.  Quest gladly accepted!  At the speed of Mila, the entire room transformed into screens for me to inspect with additional screens forming up from the tiny ball things that came out of the floor.  Everything from molecular composition of the substances involved to the details on how James’ spells interacted with the physical form were on display.

 Downstairs, James was commenting to Jarod “I hope you know that she’ll never forget the designs.”

 Jarod grinned broadly.  “And I hope you realize that I have many, many plans that could use her aid.”  He was doing his villain act again.  On one hand, he really was good at looking like an evil mastermind.  On the other hand, he was a good person and wouldn’t actually attempt anything evil.

 In the free time I had between taking in the different screens, I considered if I was really capable of meeting Jarod’s expectations.  Yes, I was learning to use my magic, but I didn’t have anywhere near Ariadne’s level of mastery.  Sure, the best way to get there was practicing, but what if I oopsed again?  Energy research could be dangerous.  Would I be able to contain things?  Maybe Jarod wanted safer experiments first…  He’d listen if I told him I wasn’t ready for anything dangerous, right?  More scenarios erupted in my mind, but I didn’t have faith in them.  Jarod was very nice, but he could also be a little… obsessive.

 “If she comes back with a finished suit, I’ll be most disappointed.” stated Vito with a frown.

 “No need to be disappointed.  I’ll gladly show you the spell.” James told him.  “I just ask that you don’t utilize it for your kind yet.”  When Vito nodded his agreement, James created his spell.

 For once, I really studied what went into the spell, committing the entire arrangement of energy to memory.  Though I didn’t have confidence in duplicating such effects with my own magic yet, I could arrange residual energy, just like the others.  Mila was already showing me modifications to the spell on some of the screens, having shown me a 3D model of it already.

 Emma sighed and said, “You guys really know how to bring down a party.”

 “We’re partying?” questioned Noelle, seeming to have forgotten the conical hat on her head.  She was so adorable, and I wondered what she was showing the others.  Sadly, her magic couldn’t affect me through my own magic, so I couldn’t see.

 “Yes.  Today’s Raine’s birthday.” replied Dejon with a patient smile.  He had been working with her lately.

 I mentally danced through the room I had already prepared for them as a couple, in hopes of them dating.  He liked her, paying far more attention to her than he had paid attention to anyone else, and she certainly seemed interested whenever she looked at him.  I put the new memory of them together in goofy party hats up on a shelf, admiring it.

 Noelle’s eyes brightened, happy as ever.  “I should tell her Happy Birthday!”

 I mentally thanked her again, adding another tally in my mind’s personal room for her under the times she wished me a happy birthday today as I continued studying and connecting all of the pieces Mila was feeding me.

 “She’s off making something for her cat at the moment.” explained Dejon.

 “She has a cat!?  I love cats!” she exclaimed excitedly.

 There was a whole section of Noelle’s private room in my mind dedicated to her playing with Pufflewink.  The adorableness delighted me.

 “Me too!” exclaimed Kayla, lifting up Alberich, who had been leaning against Alma’s leg for the past minute.

 Alberich was a very proud, very small lion, but he didn’t swipe at Kayla this time.  Through our chats, I had learned that Alma spoiled him far too much when he was young, which was probably why he could be a bit snooty.  Luckily, even Alberich found Noelle cute, affected by her magic just like most everyone else—poor James didn’t know what he was missing.  When Noelle pet him, I could imagine how easily Alberich recognized her delight.

 Not long after Noelle and Kayla started playing with Alberich, Mila informed everyone that I would be indisposed for several more minutes—she could only show me things so fast.  I would also need some time to practice before I would be satisfied.  Everyone but me went to the ballroom to dance instead of gaming for once.  There were more cat-themed party decorations in there, and I was determined to join them soon.

 After I finished the material that Mila had for me, I started asking her questions and was surprised to find she liked my ideas for a few modifications in the suit.  She had originally assumed that I would simply remove the suit whenever Pufflewink wanted to go potty, but agreed with me when I pointed out that my little kitty would probably get disoriented by the sudden loss of enhancements more than our friends did.  With a bit of work, we came up with some alterations that should work, and Mila found some additional cleaning spells she felt would be better suited for cats.  Four-hundred-and-seventy-two variations later, Mila and I were satisfied that we had a suit Pufflewink would like, so I fetched her and created the suit around her.

 The difference was notable as soon as I saw my little kitty move.  She was confused, but I talked to her and warned her she’d need to be a little more careful.  Mila insisted the difference in strength and speed was considerable, so I took her word for it.  Satisfied that Pufflewink was happy, I took her down to join the others, dancing along with her in my arms.

 Mila felt the need to stick a spotlight on me the moment I arrived, but I didn’t mind.  James and Alma came over to examine the suit.

 “Were you successful?” he asked.

 “M-Maybe.” I replied, not as confident as Mila.

 He grinned as he said, “We should test it later before Alberich and Pufflewink play too much together.”

 I nodded in agreement.  Pufflewink would need more time to adjust to her new abilities.  “I-I should… visit… with… Ariadne.” I told him after considering a number of scenarios where Ariadne examined my kitty to make sure the enhancement suit was agreeing with her.

 When James and Alma moved to hug me, I was surprised, but I only considered dodging for a very brief moment.  I did like hugs, and neither of them would accidentally squeeze Pufflewink too hard.

 “I hope you’re having a wonderful birthday, Raine.” stated James as he hugged me.

 I nodded and smiled at my friends, telling them “B-Best ever.”

 “No.” stated James, making me consider what was wrong.  He then clarified “We plan to make each one better.”