The apartment complex was high class, very much incompatible with the expected income of a police officer in a normal American city.

As Marie ringed the flat number King had given us, I asked for the second time: “You’re sure we’re at the right place?”

“Yes. I double-checked.” But just as she finished her sentence, the intercom hissed itself on, and someone other than King answered us.

“Yup?” Said a feminine yet grave voice.

“Erm, is this lieutenant King’s apartment?” Asked my best friend.

Something akin to a laugh came through the intercom, but the quality of the sound was so bad we couldn’t be sure.

“It’s not. It’s where she lives though. You’re Marie, right, Ray, or Gray, with you?”

“Yes.”

“Come on up. Lily was called this morning, she’ll be back at noon, normally.”

The front entrance buzzed, and we opened the metallic gate with ease. It was heavy stuff, but the system was automatized.

“Ok. Weird.” Admitted Marie.

She was nervous, so was I. I tried to lighten the atmosphere as we reached a rather posh elevator, that seemed to never have broken down, very much unlike our own. “Nothing fun about simple, right?”

“If I had to guess…”

“No, no, no. I’m the half Oracle here, you’re not allowed to make guesses.”

“I know what you’re trying to do Gray…”

“Sure.” I ignored her. “I’d say it's King’s mythological boyfriend.”

“Mermaid.” Corrected Marie.

“What?”

“We’re not far from the coastline, and mermaid was the first thing that got out of King’s mouth when she talked about the U. She knew about you through their myths.”

She looked unfazed by the diabolical level of deduction she just arrived at.

“Wow.”

“What?”

“That’s pretty impressive deducting, Holmes.”

She raised her shoulders. “I could be wrong. I didn’t think she was attracted by women, for example. So, my theory is flawed.”

“Uh, uh. You’d look sexy with a fedora.”

“It’s a deerstalker, I believe.”

“What’s that?”

“The name of Sherlock’s hat?” She didn’t seem sure of herself.

Our conversation about fictional characters ended as we had left the lift, and arrived at a single, ebony door at the end of the hallway.

Marie sighed, and I held her hand.

“I know you’re as stressed out as I am.” Despite her words, she did not reject my touch.

“I’m acting like I’m not, so you’ll be reassured. Don’t ruin my efforts.”

“Pfff, typical male.”

“You’re going out with one.”

Instead of answering me, she pushed the doorbell.

Almost a full minute later, I smelled the sea come closer to us, and heard something or someone arrive.

“Sorry, sorry, I’m cooking.” Said that someone before opening the door.

We had only a brief moment to examine the really tall man/woman in front of us. He/She was so perfectly androgynous, it was impossible to guess his/her gender. T-shirt and jeans covered by a cute apron with hearts. No visible feminine chest but wearing plain earrings.

“Come on in. I promised dinner, and I lost myself in singing, she’ll be back soon, and I want it to be perfect. Make yourself at home, just don’t enter the bedroom, it’s the red door.” And with that, he/she fled towards the obvious sounds of food being cooked.

“Oh. My. God.” Finally exhaled Marie.

“What now?”

“That was Diamond Shell.”

“What?”

“The singer.”

“So, he’s a guy?”

“Obviously. That’s not important though, he’s a super famous pop artist. I think we got more than we bargained for.”

“Nah, that’s good. I was afraid a dark monster would be waiting for us. A pop star can’t be as bad.”

“I didn’t even know he lived in the city.”

“You like his songs?”

She turned towards me, embarrassed.

“I hate them, actually.”

“Oh. Well. Fun discussions incoming. Let’s go inside before we get spotted by paparazzi.”

Marie acquiesced, and we stepped inside.

We were clearly not prepared for the luxury inside. It wasn’t like the old mansion my parents lived in. No old paintings or chandeliers. It was the modern rich. The living room was gigantic, with open bay windows on the whole of the eastern side, giving a clear view towards the city, and if the weather had been perfect, maybe even the sea could be have been from here. It was cloudy today, but even then the view was magnificent. The balcony was enormous, and a large pool took most of its space.

I refocused on the inside of the apartment. The living room was directly connected to the kitchen, nicely equipped, and rather pristine looking. Our mysterious stranger was there, looking active, battling with pans.

“Sorry, I got into cooking last year, I’m only getting the hang of it.” He said as he saw me look at him.

“Erm, no. No worries. Thank you for having us.”

He was too concentrated on his task to answer.

“Shit.” Marie said flabbergasted, looking around.

“Hey.”

“Sorry, but like really, what else is there to say. I’ve only seen those places in movies.”

“Yeah. I get you.”

I could see another room, with a large decorated dining table, behind the kitchen.

The corridor we went through to get to the living room had two other doors, probably toilets, and a bathroom, and on the other side of where we stood, was a red door, not even closed.

The whole place was clean, but the inside of the bedroom was messy. Clothes everywhere. Panties on the floor. A…

“Oh I’m sorry, I forgot to close it.” The pop star ran in a hurry to close the door, looked at us, shameful, then went back to cooking.

“I’m sorry, my maid doesn’t clean our room. Lily hates it when someone touches her stuff.”

“Lily? It’s lieutenant King’s name?”

“Yes. Well, I think her real name is Lilianna, but she shot me last time I called her that.”

“Erm?” He had said that with quite a serious voice, and I couldn’t tell if he was joking or not.

He continued cooking, not giving me anything else on that subject, and invited us to sit down at the counter around the kitchen.

It felt like a sushi bar, as I saw him handle his food in front of me, rather adeptly for a self-proclaimed amateur.

“So. Want to talk about the big u?” He asked without looking at us.

“Well, sure, but first of all, let me introduce myself, I’m Ray Dunkelbaumen, but I like to be called Gray. And…”

As if Marie was going to let someone introduce her. “I’m Marie Denver. And you’re Diamond Shell aren’t you?”

“Yup.”

“That can’t be your real name.”

“It’s who I am now.” I felt no deceit in his words, and I felt Marie checking my reaction to see if I had spotted any.

I gave her the ‘I’m not your lie-detector’ stare.

She giggled.

“You two seem close.”

“Way too much.” I answered. “I don’t know what to do with her half of the time.”

“You’re not the one having to bring clothes to someone in the p…”

I coughed.

Diamond’s eyes perked up, but he quickly refocused on his job.

“You guys like fish? No vegetarian diet?”

“Nope.” I answered.

“Good. I’ve fished those myself this morning, they should be great.”

“You fished those?” Marie asked. “Not exactly how I pictured myself a pop artist to occupy his free time.”

“Oh, that aspect of my life is just the money-grabbing part, I don’t care much about it. You listen to my songs?”

“Can’t say I have.” I answered honestly.

Marie didn’t answer.

He looked directly at her, a grin on his face. “You don’t like those, do you?”

Marie’s politeness had its limits. “No I'm sorry. They are empty.”

“Seriously Marie?!” I exclaimed.

“What I wasn’t going to lie! You hate it!”

“Could you not have said that…” But I was cut in my sentence as Diamond began laughing full-heartedly.

“Empty. Couldn’t have said it better myself. I don’t write the lyrics, and I can’t be myself when I sing, it would be problematic for everyone, that. No soul in those songs.”

I shut my mouth, and Marie gave me a victorious grin.

“You can’t be yourself?”

“I’m from the mermaid clan, singing is our way of life, but it can affect the unprepared violently. Doing it in front of an audience? That’s a sure way to break the First Law.”

Marie and I both looked at him, mouth wide open, at that rather suspected yet unsuspected reveal.

“Clan?” Managed Marie.

“Yeah, you can see, I’m not half fish, nor a woman.”

That still could be debatable in my book, but well, I wasn’t going to say anything.

“Those are Sirens. Mermaids are human, blessed with a Siren’s voice. It’s more complicated than that, and a bit inaccurate, but the more comprehensible explanation I can give while still not burning today’s food.”

“You’re not obligated to tell us in any way, anything is welcome.”

“Rather posh language coming from a student boy.” He noted.

Marie laughed silently. “He’s a rich boy, from a rich family.”

“Hey.” I exclaimed.

“He doesn’t feel like one.” Diamond defended me. “In any case, welcome to the U. As I hope you’ll realize yourself, most of us are nothing close to that vampire monster. She was at least four hundred years old and was one of the dominant players in the region. The rest of us are mostly human with something extra.”

“You talked about Sirens, are those nice?”

He froze a second. “No. Fortunately, they’re almost all extinct, and the last colonies are in the Bermuda Triangle and around islands in Greece.”

“Inhuman things exist then? Vampires and Werewolf still have a human form. But things like Lamias, Ogres, Trolls?” Asked Marie.

“Yes. They are extremely rare though, which is good news for everyone. Werewolves don’t exist though. No shapeshifting monsters either. It has to do with physics stuff, I don’t remember.

“Conservation of mass?” I asked, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

“Yes. That’s it. You can't create matter out of nothing. Human science mostly has the rules written down correctly.”

Marie had an anxious laugh, then changed subjects rapidly. “How are those monsters not spotted, then?”

“You mean, things like ogres?” He put the large plate filled with fish, lemon, and a large assortment of cut vegetables in the oven, and sat in front of us, on the other side of the counter. “Well, it’s impossible for them not to be spotted. It’s rare, because they are living in recluse parts of the world, but with the internet and everyone having cameras on their phone, that’s inescapable.”

“Why are we not seeing them on the news, then?”

He sighed. “Because of the First Law.”

“Well yeah, not revealing one-self is paramount, but if there are pictures, and cameras…”

“People who spot them usually disappear.”

“You mean are murdered?” Reformulated Marie

“Yeah. The First Law is also to be followed by those monsters, even though some of them can’t even talk. If they are spotted, they know it is their survival on the line, and they usually get rid of the person who saw them. Of course, some of them operate differently, but that’s an exception. If a picture of them surfaces, the U takes care of it, then comes back to eliminate them, so none other can ever be taken.”

“No second chances?”

“There was a system in place, but it was revoked when I was in my twenties. 1991, something like that, when media and cameras became bigger and bigger. Some fought for more leniency, but then came the internet, and the new rule was deemed reasonable by everyone.”

I hid my surprise at the dates. It meant he was in his forties or fifties, and he honestly didn’t seem older than thirty.

Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

Marie wasn’t as tactful. “You’re forty?”

“Fifty-two. I look younger, yes? Perks of my clan, we live longer than normal.”

“How much longer?” Pushed Marie.

“That’s a secret.” He hadn’t said it violently, but the wall had erected.

It seemed to suffice as an answer for Marie.

Knowing her, she knew exactly what that kind of answer meant, and she could probably guess his life expectancy on that alone.

Creepy seers.

“So, how do you feel?” He asked. “I’m asking you as well Marie, but I guess Gray hasn’t had the best of introduction to our world.”

“That’s the least you could say.” I said.

Marie was looking at me, seemingly interested by my possible response.

“Don’t you go psycho on me now.” I told her.

“I’m very high on the empathy scale.” She answered.

“I meant psychologist.”

“I know.”

“You’re so cute, both of you. New couple?”

“Yeah, old friends though.”

“Can lead to the best or the worst.” He seemed to know what he was talking about. “You didn’t answer my question.”

“I’m fine, honestly, it’s what scares me the most. I’ve known about the world’s violence for quite some time, but it’s the first time I’ve stared it directly in the face. And I didn’t imagine it could be so literally monstrous sometimes. Still, it didn’t impact me much.”

“I was talking about the U. But sure, it’s a response.”

“I don’t know if that changes anything to be honest. Miranda, or Jeanne, may have been a monster, a vampire, but her reactions still seemed very human to me.”

“It’s the humanity they keep that makes them so dangerous.” Acquiesced Diamond.

“Not a very pleasant thought.” Noted Marie.

“Indeed.” He said.

“Why are they so bad, then? You and lieutenant King said basically the same thing.” She asked.

“I don’t know. I think when they are turned, they lose something in exchange. Or maybe it's just the power and the immortality. Look at most politicians, corruption isn’t something innate, it’s something you learn through gaining power no-one should ever obtain.”

“A good theory. But what about those that go through their mandates without falling for the power?”

I didn’t like where this conversation went. I agreed with Diamond, power was the herald of evil, but where did that put me? I was powerful. I had killed old things singlehandedly. Would it change me?

I ONLY BELIEVE IN CHAOS.

“Did you guys hear something?” Diamond stood up, looking panicked.

“No?” Marie exclaimed.

“I swear something…It’s gone. Must be my imagination, sorry. All those stories of the serial killer on the news, I’m anxious.”

Did he hear the Beast? Inside me?

At the same time, I smelled and heard someone come closer to the apartment.

Was it this that Diamond heard? I tensed up, but the conversation continued.

“Not about your safety though.” Marie pushed deeper.

“True. I'm anxious for Lily, she’s on the frontline and she won’t let me…”

He was cut short by a dangling sound of metal in the entrance.

I finally recognized the odor, and relaxed. Wait, that meant he truly did hear…

“I’m baAack.” Shouted lieutenant King.

“Lily!” Diamond visibly perked up, a big smile creeping up his mouth. He went towards her. “Welcome back! You’re okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

They reached each other in the middle of the living room, and she gave him a chaste kiss on the mouth.

“Sorry about that, I should have sent a text.” She said to us.

“No worries, Diamond was a very accommodating host.”

“Wait, did he do the big “Welcome to the U” speech without me?”

“Only half of it. I couldn’t just not tell them anything while we waited for you.” Diamond explained.

“I was looking forwards to that! It’s the best part of the job.”

She was most likely not talking about her police work.

She sighed and fell onto the large sofa in the middle of the room.

Not caring one bit about appearances, she removed her shoes.

“We’re eating in twenty minutes.” Diamond announced.

“Thank you.” She answered earnestly.

She couldn’t see him, but the pop star had a happy smile on his face.

I heard Marie say quietly “Interesting.”

“You sound like…” I began teasing.

“Don’t you finish that sentence.” She pointed her finger at my nose. I decided to nibble it.

“EEeeek.” She shrieked.

“You deserved that.”

Diamond had seen the exchange and was discretely laughing in front of the oven door.

“What’s happening?” King turned around and was peeking above the couch. She then seemed to remember something. “Oh, yeah, I dozed off, we’re supposed to talk, aren’t we?”

Marie and I both grinned at that, and I cut her off before she could make fun of our very generous informant. “It’s fine, we’re in no hurry. You look tired.”

“I am. We’re closing off the investigation, but we’re still thinking about what to say to the press.”

“How can you close the investigation? You told them Miranda, Jeanne, erm, the vampire, was dead?” I inquired.

“No, I didn't have to. The Elders sent a fake body to the forensics. We don’t owe them anymore, but it’s worth it. The families needed closure.”

“A fake body?”

“Yeah, some dead bloke, transformed into Jeanne with necromancy.”

“Uh, creepy.” Said Marie. I felt the same way.

“Nothing modern surgery couldn’t do. Just in a way forensics can’t see through.”

“I’m sorry again.” I said.

“What about?”

“Your colleagues. Twice police died to protect me.”

“Nothing you could do; it was that vampire’s fault.”

“I could have told you the truth when we first met. And everything would have been avoided.”

Marie interjected. “Stop blaming yourself.”

“Easier said than done…”

But King agreed with my best friend.

“No, she’s right. Stop blaming yourself, you did the right thing. If I had been out of the U, you would have broken the First Law, and if it had been known, you would’ve been killed.”

“But you are in the U.”

“Yes, and I would have asked help from the Hunters. They would have surveilled you day and night. I think considering your stance on them, the secret you’re hiding wouldn’t have pleased them, would it?”

I was going to answer, but Marie intervened. “She’s fishing.”

I realized it then. “Where you just trying to know more about this potential secret of mine?” I asked the lieutenant.

“No.” She was lying.

“That’s a lie.” Added Diamond. “We have rules Lily, leave work outside my home.”

“Oh come on, there is something juicy with those two, I’m certain of it.”

“Stop poking your nose in other’s businesses, it’s bad for your health.” He countered.

“Fine.” She pouted, looking much younger than she was. “Those two are not dangerous though, just scared. I want to help.”

HER DESIRE OF ORDER CREATES SUCH CHAOS, ONE OF THE OBLIVIOUS DEVOTEES.

As I heard the Beast say his usual nonsense, I immediately looked at the self-proclaimed mermaid.

He was looking straight at me, fear in his eyes.

“I think you’re wrong about that, Lil.”

DOES HE WANT TO PLAY?

“There is something there, isn’t it.” He whispered to me. Marie was still her back turned, looking at King’s childish behavior.

“Don’t.” I answered him.

Marie looked at us both. And even though I couldn’t see her reaction, I knew she would’ve gotten the gist of what had happened just with that, as she was well, Marie.

“I’m no fool.” He finally responded.

BORING.

I felt IT recede.

“Didn’t you hear me? What’s dangerous about them?” King asked, having moved almost soundlessly just above my shoulder.

Diamond smiled; his fear gone from his eyes. “Plenty, I’m sure. But. It’s none of our business.”

“Look at him.” She pointed at me with one hand as she took my head in a grip with the other. “He’s so cute.”

Danger. Close contact. Boobs on my face.

I could feel Marie’s anger flare next to me.

DANGER.

“Would you kindly let him go, dear.” Said Diamond.

Well, that was interesting, he looked pissed off too.

“Aw come on, stop acting jealous with me, I know I’m just one of your side dishes.” She rejected his claim, but still let go of me.

I didn’t need to be Marie to see the flash of pain on his face. “That is not true.” He told her.

“Pshh. I don’t mind.”

The oven’s clock began ringing.

“It’s done.” He kept his apparent feelings to himself. “Could you wait for me in the dining room? I’ll be bringing everything.”

“Can’t we help?” I asked. I realized I should have done so earlier.

“No, guests can only help once they visited thrice.”

“Family rule?” Asked Marie.

“Yes. Now go! Shoo! I need to finalize everything.”

“Thank you again Little Almond.” Said King.

The pop star didn’t seem to like being called that: “Don’t call me…” But she was already inside the dining room.

We followed her soon after, with Diamond sighing behind us.

“How can I make her understand…” I overheard him say.

The dining room was rather small compared to the other rooms we had seen. It had enough place to fit a table for eight and the chairs, but nothing else.

“Saddest place to eat, but there are only three spots around the kitchen.” Said King out loud.

True to her words, the room was rather dark, with only a window on the western wall. At this hour of the day, it was barely illuminating anything.

We only just sat down before hearing an “Incoming!”. Diamond came in, not bothering to close the door behind him, and deposited a large dish filled with fish on it. Salmon and trout. I salivated and my stomach rumbled. It smelled exquisite, and my improved senses could spot how fresh the fish had been, cooking it was almost a waste, but that was another part of me talking.

“It looks delicious.” Said Marie as she was served.

“It will be, I hope.” Answered our host.

I received a plate of my own and suffered for everyone to be served before beginning.

He was a talented chef, and I enjoyed myself tremendously. The only conversation we had was about Diamond’s pop world, which didn’t interest me much, so I zoned out.

“…Ray?” Marie was trying to get me out of my food coma.

“Mh?”

“We’re here to ask questions, remember.”

“I’ll let you answer Lil, I’m gonna do the dishes.” Diamond told King, as he began excusing himself.

“No, leave it, I’ll take care of it.”

“You could be called anytime, and then it won’t be done. No can do.”

“Come on…” King tried to insist.

Diamond left the room, unwavering.

“He’s way too nice.” Said King.

“That’s a strange complaint to make about someone.” Marie was digging.

“He is, though. It’s way too comfortable living with him.”

“Is it a recent arrangement?”

I was not going to get involved, I was still digesting.

“Us living together? I guess it has been a year already, it’s just too easy.”

“You fear you’re going to lose something? Independence?”

“What? No. We’ve known each other since we were teenagers. We always let the other do what he wanted. Anyway, let’s begin our talk about the U.” King very obviously diverted the conversation away from the relationship type.

We were not close friends and King’s reaction was natural, but I could feel Marie was slightly annoyed by the withdrawal. Most definitely professional habit.

“What do you want to know?”

I posed my hand on Marie’s knee as I forced myself to wake up from my dreamy state.

“Not your job.” I told my best friend, then diverted my attention back to the lieutenant.

“First of all, how many non-human things roam around?” I was going to ask everything I could, even though some of the answers wouldn’t be of real use.

King seemed eager to respond.

“Rather difficult to answer. In terms of “monsters”, sirens, ghouls, things like that… very few. Most of them have been hunted. At most a million in the whole world. Probably way less.”

“That seems like a lot.” Noted Marie.

“In a world as big as ours? No. It’s negligible. Most of them sleep deep under the oceans too, not the ideal meeting spot.”

“True.” Marie seemed satisfied with that answer.

“No monster safari for us then?”

King laughed. “No, no safari. Wouldn’t be wise, I assure you.”

“It was a rhetorical question, not like I wanted to go hu…” I didn’t let myself finish the sentence. I knew part of me would have loved to go hunt dangerous creatures.

“What about everyone that knows about the U?” Asked Marie.

“Well, twenty, thirty million. I’m not part of the census team, I don’t know the exact number. Most of them are humans, either normal or with something more.”

I tried to understand what that number meant, in vain. Would that mean it was unlikely to find anyone else who knew? I asked something else. “Where do vampires fit in this?”

“Humans with something less, I’d say. But yes, they are homo sapiens, in the latest news.”

I didn’t know what to do with that information. “They don’t consider themselves to be human.”

“I guess some of them don’t, I have to be honest, I kill vampires, I don’t really chat with them.”

“You kill them?” Marie said, surprised.

“Yes. My job is to track and destroy vampires who are on a murder spree. They all do it, in the end, but we’re only allowed to act when it’s too late.”

“Seems like you’re ready to go on a genocide.” Marie provoked.

“With them? Yes. Undoubtedly.” I was still confused as to how she could say such a heinous thing with such calm and indifference.

“I know how it sounds. It is just that at their core, vampires are a lost cause. There is no point in them existing, they just leech on other people, sucking their lives, families, everything with them. What happened to you isn’t unusual, Gray. I’ve never seen any good coming from a vampire. You’re lucky not to have lost anyone close to you.”

“It came close to that…” I acquiesced.

“I can’t believe that every single one of them is so irrefutably evil. Even if the vampire condition is as mind and soul corrupting as you say, there has always been cases of people who found goodness in the worst circumstances.” Marie contradicted.

King looked at her and sighed. “You’re young, you’re free to believe what you want.”

Marie smiled at that. “Ahah.”

“What?”

Now the two women were staring each other down.

“Well, let’s stop this conversation here. I think I don’t want to reiterate the experience of meeting with vampires, anyway. You talked about the Vampire Elders. Why not get rid of them?”

King refocused on me. “Oh, I don’t think we could if we wanted to. They’re way stronger than even Jeanne was. What’s more, even though it pains me to admit it, we need them.”

“You need them now?” Marie provoked again.

King didn’t notice the sarcasm in her voice though. “Yes, they keep the younglings in check, and honestly, the Elders are some of the biggest protectors of the three laws. Without them, a war between the supernatural and humans would have happened ages ago. They’re responsible for the shift in stories about the mythos, too. All the stuff about the supernatural that is not so dangerous, the love stories, so on and so on, they launched that trend. It’s in case we are discovered. In hope humans won’t immediately attack if they found out something else than them exists in this world.”

“Isn’t that against the First Law?” I asked, my voice becoming ‘juridical’.

“Not at all. It’s all fake, after all. No one in their right mind would believe it. It’s even better than that, if someone finds out some of it is true, people just assume it’s a crazy fan who took things too far.”

“Smart.”

“It is, and that is why we need them, even though some of the biggest horrors of history were perpetrated by the Elders.”

“For example? Our history has to be read in another way now, right?” I asked.

“Actually, most of it is completely accurate, some U species actually remember the middle ages, and can help historians in their work. They just use that opportunity to hide that a hero was actually a Fay prince, or that some Nazi experiments were led by a demonologist.”

“Demons exist?” Marie intervened.

“No idea. Demonologist do. They use some kind of dark magic. Not my specialty.”

“You could tell us, Marie.” I teased.

“Oh shut up.”

“What does that mean?” King was grinning.

“She’s a witch, only gives her body to Satan.”

“Women are not Satan, you masochistic pig.” Marie counterattacked.

“Oh no, a feminist, my male fantasy’s worst nightmare.”

“Shut up.”

King was laughing wholeheartedly at our exchange, then stopped, as she realized something.

“Wait, you’re a lesbian?” She asked Marie.

“Well, yes?” Marie answered, unaware of what would follow.

I suddenly had a bad feeling.

“You’re not going out with Gray?”

“Erm.” She stopped to think about what to answer.

Yeah, the way we acted around each other couldn’t mean anything else.

“No, I am going out with him.” Marie finally decided to answer.

“So, you’re bi.”

“It’s complicated. I did not dig deeper about you and Diamond; I’d like for you to do the same.”

“What about me and Diamond? We’re just friends with benefits.”

“In any case, the meal was delicious…” The tension between the two women was reaching quite a high level, and I tried the good old, clapping my hands together and acting like I’m going away trick. It had the expected result; nothing.

“He doesn’t seem to think that at all. I think he’s very serious about you.” Marie ignored me.

The lieutenant laughed mockingly. “Look at you young girl, you just met him today, how could you…”

“Do you want to know one thing?” Marie had gotten up from her seat and was reaching for the police officer, I stopped her dead in her tracks by picking her off the floor gently.

King didn’t seem offended in the least. “She’s feisty.”

“Fuck off.” Retorted Marie.

“I think we’ve overstayed our welcome, let’s stay away from touchy subjects about her sexuality, next time ok? She doesn’t handle it well, for good reasons you have no business knowing.”

The lieutenant sighed. And visibly backed down.

“Sure. I’m sorry Marie, I can be really nosy about others.”

Marie stopped resisting my grip, so I put her down. She dusted imaginary dust off herself.

“Sorry too, same is true for me.” And she left the room.

King was scratching the back of her head.

“Don’t worry about it.” I reassured her. “Let’s do this again sometimes. Your lover is very interesting, and I’d like to ask him about his clan in the future, if it is possible.”

“He’s just a friend.” She tried.

I remembered words. Given to me in a language long forgotten, through a painting long gone.

“Years bring wisdom. But there is no wisdom in rejecting the teachings of the day.”

“What does that mean?”

“There is wisdom in every experience. Whether it comes from child or grandpa. Rejecting it is foolishness.”

“I still don’t get it.”

I changed subjects, feeling myself get into a creative trance again.

“I’d like to come to draw here sometimes if it doesn’t bother you. It feels…appropriate.”

“Erm…ask Diamond?” She was taken aback by my sudden change of mood.

“So I shall.”

Diamond was talking to Marie as I left King alone with my words of advice.

“…I think you two are similar.” He was saying.

“I don’t want to admit it, but that’s most likely. It’s usually the kind of people I get angry at.”

He laughed.

“We’re going to go.” I announced.

“Sure. Seemed heated in there.”

“Not in a good way, I’m afraid. I’m going to calm down the beast and…”

I felt a pinch on my sides.

“Hey!”

“Don’t talk about me like I’m not there.” Marie accused me.

“Yeah. Yeah. Won’t do it again.”

“That’s a lie.”

“I didn’t specify for how long.”

“You two are really cute together.”

“You and King too.”

He winced. “Yeah. It’s…difficult. We’ve got a long history together; she doesn’t want to realize I may want it to change.”

“It’ll happen. On that subject, could I come and draw here?”

“Erm? How are those two things related? Anyway. Sure. You’re welcome to, here’s my number.”

He got a business card out of seemingly nowhere.

As I reached for it, he retracted his hand.

“Just promise me you’ll let me and Lily live in peace.”

“What? Of course.”

Marie corrected me.

“He’s not talking to you.”

YOU ARE THE SON OF THE OCEAN. DAUGHTER OF MY MISTRESS. YOU AND YOUR MATE ARE NO PREY TO US.

I heard the Beast talk inside my mind, much clearer and louder than usual.

Diamond deposited his card in my hand.

“Thank you.”

“Why are you not telling Lily?” Asked Marie.

“How can you hear IT?” I asked at the same time.

“Every clan has its powers. I’ll just say that I can hear and feel everything related to the tide. And I won’t tell her because she’s stubborn and reckless. She’ll get involved. If you are what I think you are, getting involved with you is in and of itself a breach of the Third Law.”

“I’d like to know everything you know about IT and…”

“What are you three looking all serious for?” Asked Lily.

Diamond immediately changed expressions. “We were talking about how a bad conversationalist you were. You’re lucky our guests are so accommodating. Vampire genocide speech? Really.” He smiled.

“Oh come on, you know I’m not wrong.”

“Being right or wrong should not impact your tableside manners.”

He looked back at us.

“I wish you the calmest of seas, while you sail to your home.” Then he addressed me personally. “Call me, I’ll be happy for you to come and draw here, I heard about your art. We’ll talk more then.”

And with that out of the way, Marie and I left the luxurious flat.

“Well, that was…”

“I may have stopped us from getting more info, but…” Marie cut me off as we left the building.

“I know Marie, you don’t have to explain.”

“Thank you.”

“Well thank you for saying I was your boyfriend, even though it could ruin your street cred.”

She sighed. “I just hope mom doesn’t find out.”

“Why would she? And even then, you’ll just continue telling her nothing and asking her to guess, like the horrible child you are.”

“Oy! That wasn’t funny.”

I ignored her furious stare. “You’re not worried about your mom; she’ll always love you. You’re afraid about how you would feel if your dad found out. Even though he’s four states away.”

“Seven.”

“You shouldn’t keep track of where he is…”

“I know. He’s still my dad.”

“I understand. Trust me.”

“Broken families, both of us.”

“Fixing ourselves together.”

I changed into Igris’s form inside the bathroom stalls of the subway. Marie was unfair, in that form, she didn’t mind me sniffing her the whole ride.

As we got back home, I began drawing, and Marie went to bed, her headache had come back.

I was training and wasn’t trying to do something concrete. Imagining how I could compose the thing I had foreseen in Diamond and King’s place.

IT came.

THE ELDERS AND THE HUNTERS REPRESENT ORDER, DO YOU SEE? THEY WILL TRY TO FIND US, DESTROY US.

What?

THEY ARE THE PERFECT PREY.

No, no, no. I did not agree with all that.

THERE IS NO AGREEING. YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT WILL GO, AND AS YOU KNOW, I KNOW.

I trembled. Yes, the elders, if they were half as good as King made them seem to be, would realize something was amiss. Their investigation would come to me. I didn’t know about the hunters though.

GOD OF BLOOD, GOD OF PAPER, FOLLOWERS OF ORDER. ALL SHALL COME AND FIND US, IGNORANT OF THE FACT THEY ARE OUR PREY.

We shall not hunt the Underworld police. That’s crazy.

WE SHALL DO NOTHING. WE SHALL WAIT.

I had an image of a wolf. For hours, days, it did not move an inch, until a deer finally came too close.

IT SHALL BE EASIER WHEN WE LEAD A PACK.

What does that mean?

But on those words, he had left again, and as always, did not answer me.

I could feel his presence. Still silent. Unmoving.

Waiting.