Marie crashed down on the couch next to me.

The living room was empty of anyone else, Henry was setting up the table and Rose was still showering upstairs.

“I’m destroyed.” My girlfriend exhaled. “No more energy, vessel is sinking.”

“You are such a beautiful shipwreck.”

She punched me gently in the shoulder. “Shut up.”

“We’re going to have an interesting dinner.” I announced.

“Why is that?”

“Seems we have a witchier version of an Elder vampire coming to eat with us.”

“Urgh, Illy was talking about him while I was cleaning the kitchen. You want to leave?”

I pursed my lips. “I don’t know. I trust Illy and Henry not to tell too much and it could be a good opportunity for you.”

She scuffed. “If what Illy told me about him is true, I don’t think he’ll like us. Maybe if you were…Ray.” She whispered. “And we were dressed as Haute-bourgeoisie, we would get somewhere.”

“That bad? Henry wasn’t as foreboding. I‘m not worried, but If you think we need to go…” I repeated.

“No. Illy is already cooking for us, and I’d like to learn more about the coven, especially its bad parts…So, in the meantime. Whatcha reading?”

I showed her the chapter I was currently on, talking about trolls.

“Of course, you would research about your ancestors.” Marie teased.

I bit her ear.

“Hiiii.” She squeaked, her face immediately taking a tomato-color. “Gray! Stop that!”

“You tease, I tease back.” I gave her a grin.

“Not in public!”

I growled. “You look too tasty for me not to.”

She grumbled and got back to the book. “You perverted wolf…no fair.”

Her ear was once again ripe for the taking, but I decided to let her off the hook, Illy was in the neighboring room, after all.

After twenty minutes of us looking at the crazy creatures hidden in this world, I heard a car parking outside. “Seems our fun is up.” I warned my girlfriend.

She sighed. “Let’s sit around the table already. We need to take the best spots in case we have to escape.”

“I like how you think.”

“…this is Gray and Marie, Gray and Marie this is Mr. Marak.” Illy had finished introducing us to the dark-skinned, very tall and fit-looking man dressed in an elegant reddish and brown three-suit piece. He had soft features, but his eyes were blue as ice.

“Pleasure to meet you, Misses. I’m sorry to ask, but what would be your family names? I don’t like to call people by their first names.”

He hadn’t extended his hand towards us, requesting this sudden information while depositing a beautiful long coat and scarf in Illy’s extended arms.

He was giving us a sharp look, his gaze looking at me in particular longer than necessary.

Illy looked at us quizzically but went to hang the coat somewhere in the house.

“Mr. Marak.” Henry entered the room before we could answer the witch.

“Mr. Fenwood, how do you do?” The tall man had a slight British accent.

“Good, everything as usual. Sorry about the window in the kitchen, my wife and I repaired it up as we could, but it’s still not really pleasing to the eye.”

Just like my flat’s window from almost a month ago now, the damage in the kitchen had been patched up with cardboard and wooden planks.

“Yes, I noticed. Recent, I guess? Something to do with your new magic students?”

Henry looked at us while laughing. “Them? No, of course not. You can sit back down, by the way.” He told us. As we sat back on the chairs closest to the kitchen and veranda exit, Henry looked back up to the witch. “An educational necessity with our daughter, that is all.”

Mr. Marak gave him a pleased smile.

“Oh. Good, I was told she was being troublesome at school, I’m happy I didn’t have to intervene personally.”

Henry couldn’t hide the shiver traveling down his spine. At least, he couldn’t hide it from me.

“Yes. That’s very good, isn’t it?” He forced himself to smile back.

“By the way, how can I call you two?” The dark-skinned man asked us again.

“I only answer to Marie.” My girlfriend said with a strange smile.

Mr. Marak scrutinized her. It made my protective side immediately emerge, and I had to stop an aggressive snarl from piercing my lips.

Finally, he just asked: “Are you catholic?”

“Yes.” Marie answered simply.

“Pleasure to meet you, Miss Marie. What about you?”

He looked straight at me.

“You can call me Gray.” I answered.

“Which is not your family name either.”

“No.”

“I saw your signature on the portrait in the living room, it is a striking piece.”

“Thank you.”

He gave me a weird smile. Illy finally came back, Rose in toe.

“Miss Fenwood, it has been so long, I barely recognized you.” He exclaimed with fake enthusiasm at the youngest among us.

The teenager had her head down and answered in a very soft voice. “Hi Mr. Marak.”

She immediately went and sat down next to me.

“Good spot.” I whispered to her. “Third best place to flee.”

She gave me a surprised look, and I responded with a conniving wink.

For the first time, the teen gave me a somewhat decent response, as she genuinely smirked at my joke.

“Illy?” Mr. Marak asked the housewife. “What delicious things have you concocted for me this time?”

“Oh, well, just a normal salmon dish.”

“Perfect! Just as I had guessed. If you don’t mind, I’ll sit here.” He went to the end of the table.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Of course not, it’s almost ready, so you won’t have to wait long.”

Henry sat between Mr. Marak and his daughter and began serving him red wine.

“So, you two are the newest arrival in the U world. Not too disorienting?” Mr. Marak had a large smile, it seemed normal conversation, at first glance, but I knew best, and so did Marie, as I saw her tense slightly.

“Not at all. I’m lucky to have Gray with me, we’re helping each other out.” She answered.

“Yes, and there is your best friend, Ray, isn’t it?” Mr. Marak continued for her.

The question was strange and made me immediately suspicious.

How much did he know? King hadn’t told anybody, as far as I knew. It had been a few weeks since the reveal, but she had only sent me one message since; as long as I did not make waves, she would hide my secret, because I was right, if the hunters knew, I would not be protected by them anymore.

Not that it mattered with Astarte right now; but trusting the old god’s whimsical nature was clearly not a synonym of sanity.

In any case, this man seemed to know more about us than he should have. Alik, maybe? Both of them were enforcers of the First Law, after all.

While I was lost in conjectures, Marie was answering with no hesitation.

“Yes, Ray is a big help as well.”

“Where is he right now?” Mr. Marak asked.

“He’s working today.”

“Painter as well, same brush name as you?” He was looking at me this time.

“Yes.” Marie continued for me. “She and Ray are related, even if she’s not a Dunkelbaumen. I would ask you don’t ask more on this particular subject; we are not free to answer your questions.”

“Why not?” Mr. Marak raised his eyebrows.

“You would need to ask our new roommate first.” Marie smiled.

At those words, Mr. Marak laughed wholeheartedly. “Good. You are smart, I like you already.”

Henry and Rose stayed silent, but the NASA employee was now looking at me with questions in his eyes. ‘Roommate?’ was written clearly in his pupils.

Illy arrived with the cooked fish, and for a few minutes, tension receded as we ate.

It didn’t last long, as I hadn’t yet finished my second fish that Henry’s curiosity got the better of him.

“I’m really sorry Marie, but why should he ask your roommate’s permission?”

Me and my girlfriend both winced, but I felt it was my turn to talk. “It should be well known already, but someone rather powerful has taken us under her protection.”

“Oh? Who? Gione?” Henry looked at Mr. Marak.

He shook his head left from right. “No, the coven has not involved itself with those two, as they were too heavily involved with the Elder for us to take action without it seeming like an act of rebellion.”

Illy looked at Mr. Marak, then the both of us, realization, or an emotion akin to it, growing on her face.

“Wait, Nat told me a crazy story. She was drunk. It can’t have been true.”

Marie scratched the back of her head.

“Oh my god.” Illy began freaking out.

“My love?” Asked henry.

Mr. Marak acted immediately at the surge of emotions coming from our teacher. His energy grew, reaching for the nature witch. It was a heavy, powerful sensation, impossible not to notice.

TASTY.

Shut up!

But Mr. Marak didn’t feel the appearance of the beast, his energy went to Illy, who immediately calmed down.

Her shock receded, and she cleared her throat.

“Thank you, Sir. I’m sorry.” Illy apologized to the dark-skinned witch.

“Mom?” Rose asked, worriedly.

“It’s nothing darling. Could you leave us for a moment?”

“But I haven’t fin…”

“Please.” There had been no aggressiveness in Marie’s tone, but the teenager understood it was not the time to be conflictual, and she just took her plate and went back to her room.

“She didn’t need to leave.” Mr. Marak observed.

“If we’re talking about Astarte, I’d rather she didn’t know.” Illy continued.

“Astarte?” Henry asked, clearly not recognizing the name.

I hid a bit of surprise, as I thought everyone in the U knew her. At least she acted like that.

“Yes. It’s an old being, many believe and have worshipped as a god. She’s unpredictable, dangerous, and terrifying. Being protected by her is…”

“The main reason why I’m here tonight, I couldn’t let this occasion slip.” Mr. Marak continued.

“We didn’t tell you they would be here.” Henry noted.

“Not necessary, I looked it up in one of my books, I knew they would stay here for dinner.”

Illy fidgeted uncomfortably in her chair. “I’m sorry Marie, Gray. I should have been more respectful towards you. You should have told me…”

“Stop!” I began. “We didn’t want to freak everyone out. Me and Marie understand how feared our new roommate is but honestly, right now, she really is just that. A roommate.” The atmosphere around the table improved slightly at my words.

“Still, the only people Astarte is known to hang out with have…some particularities.” Mr. Marak countered.

“And we have some. But isn’t it in the U etiquette not to delve too deep?” I continued.

“Yes. As it is in the U tradition to make sure no secret can be hidden long.” He retorted.

That sentence was weirdly close to the one the Hunters used.

“Anyhow. It doesn’t matter.” He carried on. “I know enough and won’t risk insulting the God-Child’s protection. Marie, you would be much welcome in the coven, as for Gray…Illy told me you were unable to draw magic and your spells were chaotic at best. Is that true?”

“Yes…”

“It doesn’t bother you?”

“Not really.”

“It’ll mean you’ll never be a member of the coven, though, I’m sorry to say.”

Illy immediately jumped on her seat. “How! Even Henry had no problems getting in?”

“This and that is a vastly different matter. A little and no magic is an enormous difference to us. It poses no problem for her though, as Astarte is in charge of her protection.”

“I…but…” Illy continued.

“This shall be all on that subject.”

And this concluded the dinner, as the rest happened in heavy silence, making even me almost lose appetite.

The Fenwoods called a taxi for me and Marie, as we refused a lift back from Mr. Marak.

The aforementioned witch was now on the verge of leaving. He had already said goodbye to everyone, even to Rose who had come down just to give her farewells. Then, as he passed through the living room to go to the house’s entrance, he stopped in front of my painting. He slipped a smartphone out of his pocket and took a picture without asking.

“A beautiful painting.” He noted.

Very unnaturally, he then went in my direction (I was going to the couch, as I needed my usual post-eating nap time) and gave me a handshake.

I felt energy creeping up in his fingers.

Gentle breeze on the infinity of the ocean.

Nothing happened.

For a split second, his face showed an indescribable expression. Then, he smiled, and simply left without a word.

Me and Marie were sitting together in the living room, as were Henry and Illy.

“Sorry about that, I really didn’t think he would go all Spanish inquisition on you like this.” Henry apologized to us.

“Ironic, as he’s a witch.” I commented.

Illy had a somber look. “You should be careful Gray, maybe he isn’t as opposed to the idea of hunting Conscients as we thought.”

“I don’t think anyone will try something as long as Astarte is here.” Marie noted. She was squeezing my fingers. “Not that anyone could do a thing when I’ve got wolfy you.” She whispered to me.

I smirked but didn’t answer as I was digesting.

“That’s crazy, by the way. Nat even told me, but I just didn’t believe it.” Illy continued.

“I still don’t understand how I was not made aware of a demi-god living in our city.” Henry scratched his chin.

“It’s not well known, especially for those who like you have not been raised in the U world since a child. Astarte is a living myth, not a demi-god. She is feared and respected.”

“Why not tell me about it?”

“You do know the stories about the king-eater, no?”

“The one you told the kids?”

“That’s her.”

“Oh.” Henry looked at us. “Seems you’ve got a hell of a roommate.”

“As much as I’d love to hear this story.” Marie continued. “My little doggie here is tired, and our taxi should be long now.”

Did she just call me her doggie? I would let it slide, for now.

I yawned.

“Did anyone tell you, you act very animal-like sometimes?” Henry asked me.

I grinned. “Humans are animals.”

“Yes, of course.” He smiled back at me.

I heard the sound of screeching tires on pebble.

Time for us to get back to our den.

-------

“Never play chess against a wolf.”

The little boy looked at the Child with Jagged Teeth. “…Why not?”

“A wolf cannot play chess, that would be silly. It’ll just eat your hand when you go for its king.”