It takes me five minutes to get ready completely. The note beneath the Kris reads, “found someone to translate this for you - Oak.” Beneath that was a short block of text. I fold it up and put it into the pocket of my new pair of cargo pants that had been set aside, and slip the sheathed kris on my hip. It seems, also, that my chainmail is missing. I should ask about that. I think my staff turned to ash, but Shawn had left me the rod that the Ratman mage had used in the aqueducts. I fill up my bottle of water, and slide it into my bag; fastening and tightening my bags. I grab my phone off the charger. That many missed calls? I’ll listen to them later.

“O companion of mine, come to me.”

Brrow...mister? You’re finally up?

Came the cooing whisper of Shadow’s voice.

“Yes, I’m up. Later there’s going to be people coming by to gather my stuff here. Can you keep an eye on them to make sure that they don’t take anything?”

Hmm. Yes, I’ll do that.

Good, cats were better at keeping out of sight. She could hide under the bed, behind a curtain or —

While I was thinking along these lines, Shadow vanished from sight, as if she simply popped out of existence.

“Shadow? Are you still there?”

As if answering my question, the lamp on the table pressed against the wall falls over.

“How are you doing that?”

I don’t know. Just found out that I could last week.

Last week? Maybe it had something to do with the skill evolving. Did Clio gain any abilities as well? I look down at the brown dog, who looks up at me with her doe eyes. Couldn’t be. I scratch behind her ear. Not a chance.

“If they do take anything, let me know, okay?”

I will mister. Came the reply.

I’m glad someone was feeding them while I was out, at least. I step outside. The other three are waiting for me at the end of the parking lot. Every single parking spot is filled with parked cars, and even now, at this hour, there was someone at the receptionist’s hall; red face and screaming at an exasperated Jenna.

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I step toward the office, ignoring the frantic waving of Janet. I could probably play it off as her being in my blind spot. I mean, at a certain point she would be, right? It’s not like I was lying. There we go. Now I can’t see her, and she can’t say anything.

“Private Able, get over here!”

“What? I can’t hear you over the engine.” I motion to the idling Prius a few steps away. "Sorry! I'll be right over there."

“Oh, bullshit!”

I ignore her and push in to the office. Jenna sees me and casts a quick smile before turning her attention back to the fuming man.

“No rooms? That’s BS!” He slams his fist onto the table, “My family and I drove all the way here from Las Vegas! They’re exhausted, and all the other places are packed.”

“Sorry, sir. Nothing I can do for you.”

“Well...do SOMETHING.”

“Hey, Jenna. Just came in to say that this is probably my last day here.”

“You can wait for your tur—” The man’s spittle flies in my face as he turns. His gray eyes rest immediately on my empty socket. He turns around ashamed. “Should cover that up.” He manages to mutter.

Jenna ignores him and addresses me.

“Good. Do you know how long it’ll take to get your stuff out?”

“I’ll ask Janet over there,” I motion to Janet and the brother and sister pair waiting on the sidewalk, “to send some people to pick up my things to take them to the compound. Thank you for allowing me to stay this long.”

“Allowing? You paid. That’s the extent of our relationship, Lawrence.”

Yeah, I had figured already. Just because someone is treating you like a human, doesn’t mean that they’re interested in you, after all. I set the key card down.

“Well, see you.”

Before I step out she calls to me once more. The man had stepped out of the way and avoided eye contact with either of us; though I could tell his eyes were glued to the key card on the table. Jenna quickly snatches it before he got any ideas.

“You’ve changed, you know that? When you first got here you were kind of... I don’t know, sad? Pathetic. But now, you’re...different. More charismatic.”

“Well thank you...” I bow my head and head out the door. She quickly has the man on his way after me, promising him that there’ll be a room available in an hour or so.

Had I changed? Certainly. I’ve gotten more confident, for one. Even I could tell that much. Was it the lost weight? No, that wasn’t it. I was still pretty big and still didn’t feel comfortable about it. Was it something else? It was as if a heavy and dark fog had been blown out of my head when I woke up in the motel room this morning. Was my possession theory right? Or maybe...maybe Reynard is influencing me somehow. It would make sense. According to him, I am borrowing the power that fuels his very existence as fuel, after all...

“Insubordination!” Janet screams. Her tanned face had taken on a notably redder tone.

“Sorry, I really couldn’t hear you. And you know,” I tap the empty socket.

She fumes, but she seems to accept my explanation. I wonder how far I could push her...

I chase that intrusive thought out of my head. Yeah, Reynard was affecting me. That has to be it. I hope I don’t turn into a fox at some point.

“What are we going to do?”

“There are two gates left on this street,” Janet says as she calms down and turns on her heel, “One at the very end of the street in the middle of the interception, and one in the old bowling alley; we’re doing the first today, and then starting on the street that intercepts this one at the end.”

“Why not do the one in the bowling alley as well.”

“Because we were not told to.” Janet says, “And we do not have the...capacity to. It’s a high-level one. Higher than anything we’ve seen in town. Level 60. We plan on conquering it at the end of next week.”

I stand on the edge of the group so that they’re all in view of my good eye. I see Monica glancing over now and then; curiosity painted across her face. Janet snaps to attention and turns around.

“Do you guys understand?”

“ Yes, Janet.”

“That’s ma’am.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was never in the military or anything of the sort. Honest mistake, won’t happen again.” I hold up my hands defensively.

“Good. Now let’s go.”

“Yes, man.”

Oh. He was DEFINITELY affecting me. Or, perhaps it was this woman who drew this side out of me.