Now…

As I shaved in the mirror, Lavin was leaning against the wall, nervously tapping the wood panelling and muttering to herself.

“Calm down,” I said. Lavin glanced at me and reached for her glass of whiskey. I grabbed it and poured it down the drain. “You’ve had enough to drink.”

Lavin started to complain but then she let out a long sigh and shook her head.

“You sound like Inex,” she said. “She’s always saying I drink too much.”

“You do,” I said. “By the way, just some friendly advice, but you should try to keep her a better secret. A relationship with a Marchkind could end your career.” I set the razor down and examined my work.

Lavin went pale and I saw her glance at the razor I’d put on the sink. Some Hunters would have been insulted by the very idea that a regular person might pose a threat to them with something as small as a razor, but I just found it funny.

I chuckled and said, “I’m not threatening you, just giving you a warning. If Gerry found out about it, others can.” I picked the razor back up and continued shaving.

“I know,” Lavin said, her voice shaky. “I know it’s risky.” I heard her take a deep breath and then she turned to me and asked, “Have you ever been in love, Mr. Dreadstone?”

“It’s ‘Mister’ now?”

“Oh come on, don’t do that to me. I’m a politician,” Lavin said flatly, “I avoid enough questions to know when someone’s doing it to me.”

I groaned and said, “Fine. But call me Jonas.”

“Have you ever been in love, Jonas?”

“I don’t know if I can love,” I said.

Lavin laughed and said, “I know the feeling. I read so much about romance as a kid and I had these ideas… you know, what it would be like, who it would be with, et cetera… so by the time I was grown, I was convinced I’d know it when I saw it.

“For a long time, I was sure I’d been in love a ton of times. Until I met Inex. Then I knew I hadn’t loved anyone because nothing compared to the way I felt about her. She makes everything else seem…I don’t know…like nothing in comparison. She makes me want to leave here and just…”

Lavin fell silent. I finished shaving and I washed the shaving cream off of my face. I looked at myself in the mirror and decided I looked good. Well, good enough. And that would have to do.

I started for the door but paused and turned on my heel to face Lavin.

“There’s an island off the coast of Manilow called Van Said,” I said. “I was there a few years ago tracking down some kelpies. But that’s not important… On the western tip of the island, there’s a town there. Van Oaesin.

“It was founded by Marchkind a couple hundred years ago. It’s a safe haven for them. When this is all over, you could go there. You’d be safe there.

“It’s not a big place, no more than five or ten thousand, certainly nothing like the Capital, and you wouldn’t be nobility there, but…if you ever wanted to get away from here…I already know someone who can get you safe passage.”

Lavin was silent for a long time until she finally said, “Thank you, Jonas.” I nodded and exited the bathroom, closing the door behind me.

Yvlan and Char were sitting at the dining room table, talking. They fell silent as I entered.

“Do you have it?” I asked Yvlan. She nodded and walked over to the doorway, where she’d placed a large black duffle bag. She opened it and pulled out my sword and rifle. I smiled and took them from her. There was less than 24 hours until the vote on the Pacifist Constitution, and I wanted to make sure I had them with me, if just for the feeling of familiarity and comfort they brought.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

“They are unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Yvlan said.

I pulled my sword out of its scabbard. It was a long and heavy blade, weighing just over 15 pounds, making it completely unwieldable for any normal person. For me, it felt a bit lighter than usual. The blade was forged out of Orichalcum, a jet-black alloy that could cut steel like a hot knife through butter. Other than the blade, it was a very plain looking sword, with no embellishments or decorations. Its crossguard was a simple band of metal. My master had always believed such things were superfluous and unnecessary, and I happened to agree.

I put my sword in its scabbard and hung it around my back. Then, I picked up my rifle and ran my hands along the barrel, making sure there weren’t any imperfections. My rifle was a bolt action that weighed about as much as my sword. Before I slung it around my back, I put on the bandolier, which was full of Guild-issued bullets. Each shot was heavy enough to kill an elephant and had enough kick to shatter all the bones in a normal soldier’s arm.

Then, I slung my gun around my back and nodded to Char, who was staring at me.

“How do I look?” I asked.

“Like you’re going to war,” she answered.

I shrugged. The last time I’d gone to war, I was a young and skinny kid. I’d had weapons, but I was sorely undersupplied on ammunition. This time, I was far less prepared, so this was an upgrade.

I opened my mouth to say something and then a knock came at the door. Everyone in the room froze, including Lavin, who was just coming out of the bathroom.

Yvlan tiptoed over to the door, not making a sound, and glanced through the peephole.

She flinched and turned back, mouthing, “Military.”

I swore under my breath. I knew the military would find us eventually, but still, I was hoping for a bit more time. I whispered to Lavin, “Do you have another way out of here? A secret exit?”

She nodded furiously. I motioned for Char and Yvlan to help her.

“How do you know they’re here for me?” Lavin whispered, her eyes wide with fear.

“Don’t be stupid,” Char said. “They came for your brother, they will come for you. And this is supposed to be your secret apartment. Who else would they be here for?”

Quietly, I loaded my rifle. Yvlan and Char grabbed Lavin and they began to whisper amongst themselves as they walked into another room. The knocking got louder and more intense.

I shouted, “Coming,” which seemed to calm down the soldiers outside for a second. Standing next to the door, I leaned over and peaked through the peephole. Four soldiers, not carrying any weapons, stood outside, looking pissed. For a second, I was relieved at their lack of weapons. Then, I realized that they were unarmed because they would probably be transforming into ravenous wolf-people at first notice. Suddenly, I wished that they’d brought at least knives or batons.

I sighed and shook my head. I didn’t enjoy killing people, but the military wasn’t in the game of asking questions. They hadn’t knocked the door down yet because they didn’t want the attention from the neighbors. Fortunately, I didn’t care about that. I pressed my rifle to the door, took a second to position it, and pulled the trigger.

A hole the size of my fist exploded from the door, sending shards flying. The gunshot was deafening, echoing throughout the building. I heard screams of agony and scuffling as the people by the door started to move. I stepped out and in one smooth motion, pulled the bolt, ejecting the old bullet and loading a new one. I continued firing and began to step back.

As soon as my rifle clicked, out of ammo, the door was cleaved in half and pushed apart by a Kurtadam. The beast stepped through the doorway, its tough hide covered in bullet wounds and a ferocious snarl revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. I tossed my gun aside and pulled out my sword.

The Kurtadam growled and charged. I caught a glance of the hall, which was painted with blood. I bent down slightly and swung my sword in a downward arc, cutting open the Kurtadam’s stomach. It bellowed and collapsed at my feet, but another one tackled me from behind it.

I went crashing over the table, wrestling with the Kurtadam. I shoved it off of me, sending it into the wall. I leaped toward it with a cry, bringing my sword down into its chest. I pulled the sword downward, blood spraying out of the Kurtadam’s chest. As I pulled my sword out of my chest, I looked back to the destroyed doorway. There was a half-transformed soldier lying on the floor, her features a disgusting mix of human and wolf. There was a large bullet wound in her side. Behind her, on the stairs, an untransformed soldier lay dead.

The Kurtadam I’d cut open grabbed my ankle from the floor. I kicked its hand away and rammed my sword through its arm. The Kurtadam screamed.

“We’re never going to stop following her,” the beast said, its voice twisted by pain. “There’s nowhere on the Continent she can hide. She will die. You can’t protect her from all of us.”

I pulled my sword out of its arm and stabbed it through the neck. It twitched once, let out a rattling moan, and fell still.

I sighed and wiped some of the blood from my face. I heard the sound of heavy footsteps from the stairwell. I let out a deep breath and bent down to pick up my gun. Loading it with new bullets, the footsteps got louder and louder as the soldiers drew closer.