"No problem. Are you okay now?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to head back to town. One of the red cloaks is waiting for me," she replied.

"Alright. I'll join you then."

As I walked behind her, I noticed her entire demeanor had changed. There was… confidence in her step. One that hadn't belonged there before.

Good for her. She deserves some peace of mind.

When we entered the town, I tagged along, curious to see who the hunter was. At some point, I needed to go looking for Alice. The huntress might have abandoned me, but it would be rude to leave without her.

The woman, whose name I still didn't know, led me to a small building towards the center. Rich tea wafted from inside, and I heard shouting coming from within.

She carefully peeked around the corner and then turned to stare at me. "Looks like she's busy."

I quirked an eyebrow and peeked inside.

Two red-tinted eyes glowered from across the room. They looked past me and then toward the woman. They widened before moving on to their original target.

"Explain yourself," Adeline ordered.

Alice stared defiantly into Adeline's eyes. "I need to go on a hunt."

"Then you should have come to me. Not gone around me to demand Devon take you!"

The tea shop's sole occupants were the two huntresses. I looked around, but not even a shopkeeper or cafe owner sat behind the desk.

While the Grimms had a showdown, I turned and whispered to the woman, "Do you want to go somewhere else? We can probably leave them to it."

She shook her head and walked past me. The two briefly stopped their glaring to watch the woman pull out a chair at a nearby table and sit down. With her hands resting on her lap, she looked wholly unbothered by the exchange and closed her eyes.

Adeline grimaced but turned back to Alice. "Why? Why do you need to go on a hunt so badly? We've worked well together all year."

"Because I am tired of taking it slow. I'm ready to hunt," Alice replied.

"And you will, just not now. Give it a while; you still need time to-"

The sound of creaking irritated my ears. Alice slowly released her grip on the table and brought a closed fist towards her lap. "I don't need to be told how to handle my loss."

Adeline searched Alice's face. After a moment, she narrowed her eyes. "No. No, you don't."

"Thank you."

Adeline leaned forward and pushed herself close to Alice's face. "Don't mistake my acknowledgment as acceptance for your foolhardiness. Rushing to throw yourself into danger is not the answer to your problems."

Alice kept her cool and forced her expression blank, even as I saw her fist tighten underneath the table. "I will decide that for myself. You trained me well; trust that."

Adeline snorted. She picked up her cup and threw it back like a shot. "Ahhh. You're just as stubborn as both of them, you know."

Alice's calm facade cracked. "What do you mean?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"You're kidding." Adeline shook her head. "Of course you're not. Listen to yourself. Devon and Elias are stubborn asses, especially Devon. You're just like them."

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"Except none of you realize how stubborn you are. Whatever, go on the hunt, come back stronger, gain a level, and grow, Alice." Adeline flipped her cup over and tapped the base. "Just don't die. You understand?"

Alice nodded. "I do. I won't."

"Good." Adeline turned to me. "Will you come sit down, Cain? Standing around awkwardly isn't helping anyone."

"Are you sure? I can return at another time," I replied.

"Get in here already."

I shrugged and joined the woman whose name I still didn't know. "Hey, I should have done this at the start, but too late for that. I'm Cain. What's your name?"

She opened her eyes and smiled. "I'm Kierra. Nice to meet you, Cain."

Adeline shifted in her chair to face us directly. Her eyes danced across Kierra's hair. "So you went through with it. Do you want me to fix up the back?"

Kierra nodded. "That'd be lovely, thank you."

"Is this the person you were waiting for?" Alice asked.

"I'm sorry for the wait. I needed some time to myself."

Alice shrugged. "Nothing wrong with that. I'm Alice."

"Kierra."

I waited, expecting the conversation to continue, but Alice didn't ask a follow-up question, and Kierra kept silent. Between looking at the two, Adeline hung her head and lightly banged it on the table.

How am I the extroverted one? Just how?

Alice sniffed the air and cocked her head. "Where did you go? You smell strange."

I shifted my arms and felt something in my pocket. Remembering that I had a necklace stashed away, I pulled it out and held it up.

"So, I met a crazy old lady. Wrinkles, giant cart, at the edge of the woods? She looked and felt like a witch. We made a deal for me to hear her out, and in return, I got this necklace. Any idea if it's safe to wear?"

Adeline rushed off her chair and snatched the necklace from my hands.

The three of us watched as she held the thing up to the light and closed her eyes.

I glanced at Alice, but she looked just as confused.

"Adeline?"

She grunted and let the red crystal dangle down. "The necklace is fine. There are no enchantments on it."

"Then why do you look so angry?" Alice asked.

Adeline handed me the necklace. She continued to stare at it as she spoke. "Because it means she's back. And she targeted Cain. Tell me the exact terms of her deal."

"Uh, that for the duration of our conversation, she swears not to harm me, intentionally or not?"

"She made a system promise? Really?"

"Who are we talking about?" Alice asked. "I didn't know any of the townsfolk had access to the system."

"Because they don't," Adeline said, shaking her head. "And you wouldn't know; she hasn't been here for over six years."

"Six years? That's when..."

"Yes. When you and Elias came to the Warren."

I could feel the tension building in the room. "If it's any consolation, whatever she tried to do to me, she failed."

"What do you mean?"

I grabbed the base of my cloak and waved it. "I'm pretty sure this protected me somehow. She didn't look happy afterward, I know that much."

Three sets of eyes fell upon my cloak, and I felt it flare up in my senses.

Thanks again.

"Good. That's something. What did she want from you? She targeted you specifically, so she has to need something from you."

I hesitated.

I can't say what she offered as a reward. Not while Alice is here.

"Just to grant her a favor. To protect or something if I see her."

She growled. Adeline marched back to her chair and sat down. Her leg began to shake. "That's too vague. All of this. I'm getting really tired of all the secrets."

I met her glare, and she looked away before sighing. "You didn't agree to anything, did you?"

"No. I'm not that stupid."

Her leg stilled. "Stay away from her for now. Astra would know more, but she hasn't caused us harm, not directly. I don't want that to change."

I didn't plan on it. So that works out.

I nodded and stared at the necklace. After some deliberation, I put it on and felt it against my chest. It looked surprisingly good with the red cloak.

When I looked up, I found Kierra staring at the crystal. "Are you okay?"

She turned to the older huntress. "Magic, werewolves, iron weapons. What exactly do you guys do?"

"We do a lot of things, but essentially, we're monster hunters. Some view us as mercenaries; others view us as guardians. However noble you want to think our work is, that's what we do–we hunt down and slay monsters."

"I see…"

Kierra looked at me. "You said you don't regret it. Were you telling the truth?"

I shook my head. "I wasn't lying. Despite all the crazy, I don't think so."

She stilled, the same way as before.

What's going through your head right now? You're so collected.

Nobody pushed. There wasn't anything to do, so I rubbed at the crystal. It felt cool but not cold. The string, while corded, felt soft against my skin.

I hope the string can hold up to physical activity. I should probably not wear this, seems like a work safety hazard.

My inner musings came to an end when Kierra stood up. "I want to become a Grimm."