My mind continued to wander as we walked. I tried to figure out what it was that I had smelled and when but I couldn’t quite place it. Of course, it didn’t help that the smells of everything around me kept distracting me. Ginger’s voice relieved me from my self-imposed torture. “We are here.”
Suddenly aware that we had entered a building, I tried to get my bearings. Trinkets, jewelry, and various pieces of art were either hung or otherwise on display throughout the room. Ginger and Pendragon stood in the middle of the room next to a rather burly man. One that reminded me of Ginny of all people. Though, he wore some sort of leather coveralls and he had a fairly well-kempt beard, if a bit long in my opinion.
“So this here be my client?” The man said. His voice was gruff and deep.
“Oh, you can drop the act, Steven.” Ginger smacked the back of the man's head. Who the hell didn’t this girl know and why did they let her get away with so much? “This is Kyren. She is a close friend of Kai’s.”
Steven’s eyes widened. “Is that true?” His voice was no longer deep enough to sound like rocks that ground against each other. He almost sounded like a guy I might have run into on the street.
“Yeah, now where is your brother?”
“Quin took the night off to visit a girl.” His gesture made his thoughts clear on what he thought of that. “The idiot spends all his money on these girls yet gets little…ahem.” He coughed. “Anyway, what are we looking for today?”
“I need to get something that can securely hold a marble.” I took the lead. More so that Ginger didn’t say something that might cause some sort of argument.
“What size we talking?” He asked.
“Hmm…” I wanted to keep the thing hidden but I also wanted something that would be secure enough to prevent the damn things loss during a fight.
“Is there any way we can go to a private meeting area?” Pendragon asked.
“Don’t got one.” Steven said before barking out, “Okay, the store is closed for today. Please come back tomorrow.”
While a few people grumbled, they all left without argument. “Are you sure about this? What if one of them had plans to buy something?” I asked.
“If they were going to buy something, they could have done so before leaving. Plus I kinda owe Kai a favor or two.” He walked over to the counter and started to pull out a few delicate-looking pieces of equipment. “Pretty sure helping his girl would only serve to help me in the long run with that man.”
Given the burning sensation covering my face, I was probably as red as a fucking tomato, again. “I am not his girl. We are just friends.”
Ginger pulled Pendragon to the far wall as Steven held a hand out. “Anyway, hand it over.” I only hesitated for a second, but he noticed. “If you are going to trust me to make something to secure it, you have to trust me to hold and fit it into whatever I make.”
He wasn’t wrong. If I wasn’t willing to let him touch the orb now, how would I ever trust anything he made to contain the thing? With a forced sigh of resignation, I pulled the cursed item out of my pocket and passed it over. As soon as he had it in his hand his face turned to one of pure shock. Then he dropped the thing onto the table and collapsed to the floor as he kept mumbling something incoherent.
While the other two had been across the room, they had apparently kept us in their sights because they rushed to his side within moments. “Just what was it you gave him?” Pendragon’s eyes flashed with concern and anger as he knelt beside Steven. His eyes moved from the dwarf and to the tiny marble. Before I could retrieve it, he picked it up, read something, and facepalmed as he growled, “Of course these exist.”
I don’t know if it was on accident or not, but as Ginger went to grab the ball from Pendragon’s hand, I felt a searing pain cut across my body. The pain lasted both a moment and an eternity as the flames lit my nerves on fire and seared through my flesh. I screamed moments before darkness took me.
As I came back to myself and opened my eyes, I found myself looking up at the ceiling. It was a nice-looking ceiling, if a bit dusty. People screamed and argued outside the door about something. I tried to make the words out, or even who it might be, but my head felt like it had gone through a meat grinder. The feeling only grew worse the more so tried to focus on any one thing.
“Ah, there yah are.” Came a nice, soothing voice. When I turned I found Steven looking down at me. “Before yah ask, you have been out for about half an hour.” My eyes scanned the room for the others but found that it was just the two of us. “I kicked the rest of your group out when they wouldn’t shut up.”
While it hurt to sit up, I forced my body up enough to turn and face him. “Can we get this damned orb secured so I can walk around without any worries? I really want to go find a place to curl up and sleep for a while.”
“Sure,” he patted my knee as he got up. He picked up the orb from a nearby counter as he spoke. “The thing’s size does limit us a bit, especially when you take into account the need to keep it from getting damaged.”
He did not need to remind me of that fact. The lightly searing burn on my back was a reminder enough thank you. Still, I nodded to acknowledge his observation.
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“So, you have the choice of a bracelet, an anklet, a necklace, or a belt.” He put the orb down. “Honestly speaking, I would pick the necklace if I was you.”
“Why?” I asked out of genuine curiosity.
“It would be the hardest for yah to lose when you change forms.” It took me a moment longer than I was comfortable admitting to understand what he was saying. According to the orb, I could change into a fox. Not all that unusual given that Kitsune sometimes came in such a form.
Of course, this meant that my body would alter to match the proportions of such a creature. Skinny wrists and all. I wouldn’t be all that surprised if my transformation caused me to get tangled in my clothes.
“Don’t worry though,” he spoke as though he thought I wasn’t totally sold on the idea. “There have been quite a few shifters that have asked for something similar, though not for anything so exotic. Most of them choose to go with something that will turn into a collar of sorts in their other form.”
You would think the idea of wearing a collar would piss me off or make me uncomfortable but I found the idea felt right. The idea resonated with me. “Let’s go with that,” as I spoke, an idea occurred to me. “Can I ask you to add a few things to the collar and not tell anyone?”
The look he shot me was both curious and concerned. “Depends on what it is?” I proceeded to tell him what I needed. The more I spoke, the more his concern vanished as a malicious grin took its place. “I can do that, give me an hour to get it made.”
“That fast?” I suddenly doubted the guy. That just seemed too fast to make something this complicated.
The dwarf shot me a reproachful glare for doubting his craft. “I already have all the materials and most of it is preformed. I just need to do a few alterations is all.”
“And how much will all this cost?” I asked as I wondered just how I would pay Xander back for everything he had done for me.
He helped me to my feet as he answered, “Your friends already covered the cost.”
“But…”
“Stop worrying over it.” He said as he gently pushed me toward the door. “It is the least they can do after they hurt you.” With those words, he pushed me through the door and into the much darker outside. A cold breeze brushed my long, loose hair across my face as the noise of the open space overwhelmed my senses.
The arguing stopped a moment before something slammed into my back. You know how sometimes you forget there is a part of you until something brought your attention to the appendage? Whatever slammed into me smashed my tail into my spine. It wouldn’t have been a problem but I was pretty sure the damned thing was not meant to bend that sharply. “AHH!” I screamed.
“Wha…Oh damn.” Ginger’s voice went from my ear to a few feet back as whatever had been holding me in its steel grip let me go. “I am so sorry.” While I heard her apologize, I was more focused on reaching around to feel for any kinks. Thankfully I found none, but that didn’t mean the spot didn’t sting.
“Can we just get some dinner?” My growl was something I did not expect but I liked it. The sound was a bit menacing. I mean it probably wasn’t enough to scare these guys, but it might have a decent effect on others…maybe.
“Sure,” Pendragon nodded. “There is a decent BBQ joint around here.”
My mouth salivated at the idea of barbecue. I had always wanted to try some but never got the chance. “You will like it,” Ginger said as the crowds swallowed us up while we started to move down the street. “Did you manage to get something squared away with Steven?”
I nodded my head. “He should have something ready after dinner, or so he says.”
“Yeah, he works fast when he finds something intriguing to work on.” I caught the gleam in her eyes as she skipped next to me. Her tail practically smacked me in the face as she moved a bit too fast and had to slow down to let us catch up. “So, what did you end up going for?”
With a shrug, I answered her, “A necklace.”
Ginger spun around and faced me as she hopped sideways. Her eyes met mine as she made sure I heard her ask her question. “Oh, what will happen when you transform?”
“What makes you think I will transform?” I snorted.
“The werewolves will require that you run at least one time with them or they won't let you stay with them.” Pendragon sounded as though he had some experience with the group.
“Oh, come on, that can’t be true.” I playfully whined. While I was willing to give my fox form a chance, I wasn’t going to do so without a fight or because I had no other choice.
Ginger sounded wistful as she spoke, “You will, I know I wish I could join in the runs but they require one to be fully changed. Something I will never be able to do.” Pendragon pulled her to him as we exited the flow and entered a restaurant full of distractingly delicious smells coupled with the sounds of a full kitchen working hard to churn out food. I ignored my mouth as I thought over what Ginger had said.
While I knew that beastkin of all sorts were part animal, I didn’t realize that they were stuck between both groups. Some could pass as human but the animal parts would ensure they were held at arms reach for most. Their lack of ability to take on an animal form would ensure they didn’t find a place with those who could.
It insulated a group that just wanted to be accepted. Maybe that was why there were villages of just beastkin. I was also sure those villages were very isolated, if not insular, and worked to keep it that way.
Either I had been completely engrossed in my thoughts for longer than I had expected, or someone had ordered ahead because our meals came without me having to say a word. My plate held a stack of ribs and a moderate-sized salad. I dug right into the meat with gusto. My teeth barely had to touch the meat before it fell apart. Juices drizzled down my fingers and chin as I savored each piece of heaven.
As I set the last piece down, I moaned. My stomach was as filled as my taste buds were sated. The salad was all I had left. Given the heaping pile of ribs I just devoured, I was fine with that. “Hey Kyren,” Ginger started. I looked up to find her looking out the window in the direction of the jewelry shop. "Did you leave your orb with Steven or did you bring it with you.”
“I left it there so he didn’t have a problem.” Yeah, no. I had forgotten to grab the damned thing on my way. In my defense, the dwarf practically threw my ass out. “Why?”
“It's just that… that was the second guard squad to run down the street.” She sighed, “While it is likely nothing, I just have a gut feeling.”
“You mean indegestion?” She tossed her napkin at me. I caught it as my tone went from playful to serious. It even felt as though my ears crushed themselves into my hair. “Well, he did say he would be done after dinner so might as well head on over.” I looked over to Pendragon, “How much do I owe you for dinner?”
He waved me off as he went up to the counter. These people and their need to pay for me was starting to get annoying. I hated it when people paid for me. It was like they were saying that I wasn’t capable of taking care of myself. Given that I had done so for quite a while, I needed to get settled down and get to grinding so I could pay some of these people back. While it might take a little bit, it did give me time to figure out what was next. It also gave me time to think over the Oracle's words.
How was I going to prevent what they said was inevitable? How could I stop the end of whatever worlds he had been talking about? Where would I best fit in? Why me? I couldn’t even seem to keep track of my fucking orb.