Melody peered up at him. The notion that Tom was going to dispatch her from life was racing round in her mind.

"And what do you want to talk about?"

This question was met with a dispassionate eye roll.

"If I was going to kill you, then I would have."

Tom wandered off to the back to go look for her office. A squawking kobold followed him.

"Hey, you just can't come back here."

He paused before unlocking a wooden door.

"I was going to say, You and who's army is going to stop me, but you do have one."

The locking pins roes up and Tom turned the keyway with a thumbnail. Walking inside the cramped office and sat down in an uncomfortable metal chair. She leered at him from the doorway with her arms crossed. Tom pointed to a wireless landline phone.

"Call a sergeant, lieutenant or whatever."

Melody was caught off guard and stumble with her words.

"I'm not... w-wait, what did you just say? I umm, was going to do that."

The lack of restriction from Tom unnerved her as he responded.

"I know. Also tell her I want it to be a one on one talk. If I have a bunch of assholes start waving guns at me, I will demolish town."

Her eyebrow raised up in doubt as he exhaled a long breath of air.

"You know that news report that was just on?"

Getting a nod as an answer, he continued.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

"That was an undesirable side effect of a spell cast."

Apprehension got her to sit down at her small desk. Have some misgivings if he is being legitimate with her, but picked up the phone anyway. After dialing the number, she waited for someone to answer. Tom couldn't hear anyone when Melody addressed them with a hello.

"Yes I like to report the location for Tom Fire Tail."

Pausing for the reply, she struggled to ignore Tom's scowl.

"He is currently at my pizza place and giving me a dirty look."

Distress creeped into her voice.

"No no no. Don't do that. He whats someone to come talk to him."

Wrapping hair round one of her finger as her nerves were starting to get to her.

"He didn't say why, I'll ask."

Lowing the phone's receiver and asking him.

"She wants to know if you will talk to her on the phone?"

The scowl remained where it was as he inquired.

"Tom Fire Tail?"

Terror ran across her face and she talked into the receiver.

"I just slipped up. He's not happy about Xia changing his lest name to her's. Someone dearly needs to come down to talk to him."

Melody didn't wait for a response and hit the end call button. Giving Tom an uneasy smile.

"Someone will be here soon."

Making it crystal clear, Tom advised her.

"Only one."