It was hard to enjoy a burger when people who wanted to stab your friends were only a few yards away.

I mean, if we’re being technical, they didn’t want to stab my friends yet, but that was only because they didn’t know what they were.

The werewolves did not share my problem as they devoured their food.

They were still doing an… ok job of not staring at the hunters. Bobby was still better at it than they were, but I could feel his attention locked on to the bikers all the same. He knew where each of them was at any given time. I was certain of that much.

After a few minutes, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his pipe. I’d seen him with it a few times, and regardless of what else he was doing, his grip always held it reverently.

It was a well-done piece. Despite its apparent age, the dark brown wood was glossy, and the carving of a wolf chasing leaves in a breeze was intricate and beautiful.

A part of my mind that was not my own started to wonder about the wood, to question what tools were used to engrave the wolf and the crafter's process. I shoved those thoughts down with a scowl.

I finished my burger at the same time as the others, which sounded impressive, but they had eaten at least double what I had and slowed down several times.

The others silently formed a half wall around Bobby as we strode to the exit, leaving cash on the table.

Brendan waved to us as we left. “Drive safe, folks,“ he said with that gap-toothed grin.

Bobby responded immediately, turning and flashing the man a bright smile. “Thanks, same to you.“ As he spoke, his hand tightened around the pipe.

Bobby rolled his shoulders as we moved to the car as if shrugging off a heavy weight. “Who wants to call the local packs and warn them hunters are in the area?”

Simon raised his hand. “On it.“

Bobby forced a chuckle. “You didn’t have to raise your hand, man, this isn’t grade school.“ Simon raised his hand again to flip him off before snatching his phone.

Bobby gave a genuine laugh and shook his head.

I shifted, uncomfortable with the subtle tension in the air. I was missing something, something more than just being the only non-werewolf in the car. “That group, are they big-time players?“

Bobby shook his head. “More medium time. They have a few cells throughout the South and a handful in the Midwest. Not particularly unique as hunters go except their willingness to escalate. They’ll attack a whole town if they think werewolves populate it.”

The image of a house burning and the sounds of gunshots sprang to my mind.

It didn’t take a detective to put two and two together. Bobby’s mindscape had not been peaceful. That kind of violence didn’t come from nowhere.

Laurel sighed and rubbed her temple. “I don’t want to be anywhere near those psychos. I know we were planning on stopping soon, but I'd rather put a few more towns between us.“

Blair nodded. “We’ll keep going. We can find somewhere to sleep when we feel safer.“

~<>~<>~

We drove until the sun slipped behind the mountains, and twilight settled over the road like a cloak.

We were all tired and eager to get out of the damn car, but that was secondary to putting distance between us and the hunters.

“There’s a town about fifteen miles out,” said Blair. “I think we have enough space to grab some beds for the night.“

We nodded, though I winced internally. I did not want to sit in this car for another 15 miles. Hell, I didn’t want to be in here for another five minutes.

My side ached fiercely, and my body was stiff. I wasn’t used to being in cars at all, and after the beatings I received, the whole sitting situation became even worse.

I kept that to myself, though, trying to focus on the passing scenery, which quickly switched from asphalt and forest to a town. I blinked. As we crested a large hill, the surrounding mountains seemed to lean close, hugging a town covered in trees thick enough to get lost in.

The road arched down sharply, moving through this little valley. It cut right through the center of the town. A train moseyed through the middle, and I could see a river winding to our left. The tallest building was only three stories, and overall, it was a less-than-impressive sight.

Blair frowned. “This isn’t on the map.“

Bobby shrugged. “They can be outdated. There are a lot of places out here that are all but abandoned. This could’ve been an old mining town.“ That theory held some weight, as a good chunk of the buildings we passed were overgrown, trees and vines reaching out to reclaim them.

I didn’t catch anyone out and about, but the place wasn’t totally abandoned. People peered through their windows at us, their expressions cautious as we passed.

“Okay, so the town isn’t abandoned.“ Laurel said.

Something poked at the edge of my awareness. An odd feeling that I couldn’t quite place. If I was fresh, I think I would’ve paid more attention to it. But exhausted from a day of travel with a new batch of memories to sort through and a desperate need for a bed, I let it slip from my mind.

The fading light cast the town in darkness, only a few notes of purple remaining as twilight faded. “No one‘s walking around. It’s not that late.” Simon noted.

“It’s a little odd. Nothing smells off, though; I guess it’s just a sleepy little town,“ Bobby said.

“I don’t think it’s that strange,” Blair said. “A town of this size isn’t going to have a wild nightlife.”

The road wound its way down until we reached the bottom of the valley. We passed by a police station and a handful of diners, and then, off to the side, almost hidden by a thicket of trees, was a motel.

Its big red sign was faded, and only a few letters lit up so that it spelled out Mo instead of motel. However, its open sign was flashing, and its parking lot had a grand total of two cars in it.

It would do.

Bobby let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, thank goodness, sweet sleep is in sight.“

Simon let out a thankful groan and let his head bang back against the seat. “I think I’ve been sitting so long my legs have forgotten how to work. Someone carry me.“

The rest of us climbed out except for Simon. Bobby quickly moved over to his side of the car, tossed open the door, leaned in, and pulled Simon out like he weighed nothing.

He slung the man over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and Simon closed the door.

“Much obliged.“

I chuckled as Bobby turned towards the motel. “Wait, wait! “Simon called. “Our bags, I can’t be totally useless.“

“Oh, my mistake.“ Bobby backed up so that Simon could open the trunk. The rest of us watched in silence as Simon opened it, reached in, and grabbed their bags.

He paused, then tapped Bobby on the side like a taxi. “Okay, go.”

Bobby started walking towards the motel as Simon dragged the suitcases behind them.

I burst out laughing as I reached for my bag. Blair was faster, snaking around me to grab it along with her own. I was pretty sure she would’ve taken Laurel’s if she had a third hand.

Laurel patted Blair on the arm as she picked up her suitcase. “ You’re not going to carry me?“

Blair looked down at her bags and then Laurel, her eyes considering.

Laurel raised her hands, bag included, and backed up a step. “No, hey, I don’t actually want you to carry me in.“

Blair hummed and still looked like she was solving a math problem.

Laurel laughed before dashing to catch up with the others.

Blair looked after the trio, a soft expression on her face. She looked at peace, more than she had the past several weeks. A gentle smile tugged at the corner of her lip, and her shoulders dipped ever so slightly.

I bumped her arm and started for the motel. “Come on before those stooges get into too much trouble.”

Her smile turned to me, the expression deepening for a beat. “Yeah, let’s.”

They were trying to figure out how to open the door without setting Simon down. It wasn’t a particularly narrow door, but Simon refused to put down the bags.

Blair sighed as she approached. Then, she lifted one of the bags and set it on the other. Simon lifted both of them and twisted slightly, allowing Bobby to slip inside. “I wonder if you all passed grade school sometimes.“ Blair muttered.

The front room was a small, dingy thing with gray walls, aged carpet, and an old, time-worn desk. The place smelled of overly pungent air freshener and old cigarettes. The kind of scent were even though no one had been smoking recently, they had done it so much over the years that the smell could never truly leave.

A bored man in his late 20s sat behind the desk, reading a book. As we entered, he hadn’t looked up and continued reading his book as Blair marched up to the counter. She loomed there for several seconds before he finally glanced up and did a double-take, which was a pretty fair reaction. Seeing a bunch of buff, gorgeous people was startling, and I was also here.

His eyes moved from Blair to Laurel and then to Bobby and Simon, who were currently messing around with the bags, trying to stack them to be self-balanced.

Blair cleared her throat. “How much for a room?” The man answered with a stutter. “50 for a night.“ Blair showed no expression as she nodded. “How many beds?“

“Two doubles.“

I knew Blair was just thinking, but with her blank expression, it looked like she was pissed and trying to glare a hole through the guy. He shifted in his seat, his hand drumming nervously against the desk.

“Is there room for more beds to be dragged in?”

He shook his head. “The-“ he paused, then cleared his throat. “There’s barely enough room for the two.“

I decided to step in before the guy had a heart attack. “That’ll be fine. Thank you for your help.” I said as I sidled up to Blair. The man’s gaze snapped to me, and he gave me a relieved smile. “Okay, thank you for your patronage?“ He said it like a question and wasn’t sure about the answer.

Blair handed over the money, and the man dropped a key into her hand. We walked outside, which required another game of Tetris as Simon was now holding three bags and still unwilling to drop them.

Our room was in the left corner of the motel, and Blair quickly unlocked it before ushering us inside. After setting her own down, she snagged two of Simon's bags, ignoring his protests as she pointed inside.

The room was… about what I expected. It was cheap and old, but at least it didn’t reek of cigarettes. And as far as I could tell, the two beds were clean. The werewolves all wrinkled their noses as they entered, which wasn’t a great sign, but it was dry, and it was cheap.

I stared at the beds and then at the werewolves. Part of me had wanted to ask for a separate room, but not only would Blair have fought me on that, I knew she was right, too. It was better to be safe than sorry somewhere you didn’t know. Unfortunately, that meant I would be sleeping on the floor. I set my bag near the wall after Blair relinquished it and started the slow process of bending over. I was tired enough to fall asleep on the spot.

“What are you doing? “Laurel asked with a sigh.

“Going to bed.“

“I can see that. But you’re not doing it on the floor. Take a bed.”

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

I scratched the back of my neck as I stared at her. “There’s only two. I know you guys are fine with sharing, and I’ve been getting more comfortable around you all, but I… I can’t be bunkmates with someone yet. I won’t force one of you to sleep on the floor.”

They all looked at me like I was stupid. “One of us is a fragile, fleshy, injured human who cannot ignore a night of sleeping on the floor like it’s nothing.“ Bobby rolled his eyes at me.

“The rest of us are shining examples of werewolf vitality. Take a bed.“

Blair didn’t say anything. She just looked at me. I had the impression that if I tried lying on the floor, I would be deposited on a bed.

I smiled at them. “Thanks, guys, I appreciate it.”

“Dummy.“ Simon said.

I laid down in the bed with a quiet groan. My muscles ached, and my side cramped until I saw stars.

I did my best not to make any more noises, riding out the cramps and spasms until my vision cleared. I didn’t want to worry the others.

The bed was not soft, the pillows were lumpy, and I felt like bedbugs might be in there. But I was so tired that none of it mattered.

I closed my eyes and began to drift off to sleep. As I did, that feeling returned. That vague prickle at the edge of my awareness, like a whisper you could barely catch but couldn’t quite make out.

Before I could dwell on that, my exhaustion rolled over me in a wave, and I was out like a lamp.

~<>~<>~

I woke slowly, which felt wrong. I was so used to waking with a start or jerk, some horrific nightmare forcing me from dreamland into the waking world.

This time, I felt consciousness slowly seep in, my eyes blinking open. I was still tired, which checked out since the near total darkness of the room meant it was still night.

A clock on the nightstand read 3 AM. I rubbed my eyes and listened. Breathing, three sets of it. There were no lights close enough to shine through the curtains, I couldn’t hear anything off. What had woken—a knock on the window made me jerk up.

I moved so quickly that my side cramped, and I had to hold my breath to keep quiet.

I looked around, but none of the others had woken. They still lay in bed or on the floor, seemingly at ease. A part of my brain began to turn over.

Something’s wrong.

A knock on the window should’ve brought all of them to their feet. Especially Blai- …I couldn’t see Blair.

What?

I rose to my feet and crept towards the window. I glanced through a crack in the shades. A distant streetlight filtered through the trees to land in front of the window like a stage light.

How did that angle work?

The thought flickered across my mind, but before I could examine it, my attention was stolen by the lone figure just outside the window.

Blair stood outside, her fist raised to give another knock. I blinked and threw open the curtain.

Blair‘s fist paused just a beat behind the glass as she gave me a rueful grin. “Hey, Alder, I was hoping to wake one of the others; you need the rest more than we do.“ She pushed a strand of blond hair behind her ear and glanced to the side. “Could you unlock the door? I went out for some fresh air and forgot my key.”

I immediately went to the door, reaching out for the handle. My hand froze just before I could turn it.

Forgot her key?

The nob was cold under my grip, and I felt a shiver travel up my spine.

Blair Northwood was many, many things. Forgetful was not one of them.

No one in this room was likely to go out in the middle of the night in an unfamiliar area, and none of them would do it without waking someone or taking a key.

Least of all, Blair.

I moved back to the window and stared at Not Blair. “That was a decent attempt. But you should’ve picked someone else’s face. I might've done it if you’d used Bobby’s or maybe Simon’s. But Blair wouldn’t forget the key. I’m pretty sure she would melt like the Wicked Witch first.”

Not Blair frowned, a look of hurt and confusion spreading over her face. “What are you talking about, Alder?“

She took a step back, a hint of annoyance slipping in. “I was only planning to be out for a minute or two. I was out the door before I even thought about it.”

I shook my head at her. “No. No, she didn’t, and no, she wouldn’t.“

I examined Not Blair closer. It was an uncanny effect. Visually, the thing had gotten her down almost exactly. Every contour of her face, every aspect of her body I could see, and even the way she shifted her weight was just like Blair.

“Why did you pick Blair? You have some of our memories if you know my name. Is that all you can get? Names and appearance? No it has to be more than that. How can you copy her mannerisms so well?”

Blair's stony mask was the only answer. “See, like that, that is absolutely her stonewall expression, and you’ve got it perfect!”

Not Blair opened her mouth again, presumably to convince me of her authenticity, only to close it.

She regarded me, cocking her head to the side slightly.

Something shifted.

It was a subtle thing; her face didn’t literally contort. Neither bone nor muscle warped, but that essence, that spark of Blair that it had imitated so well up until now, vanished.

She regarded me with cold, dead eyes. Not cold and unemotional like Blair’s signature look, but dead. Like an insect or a doll. The edges of her lips drooped, her cheeks tensing strangely, like a puppet with faulty strings.

“Well, aren’t you clever.“ Not Blair said. It was still in Blair‘s voice, which was downright unnerving from her new expression. “I suppose you can always get cocky. I witnessed a handful of werewolves and a little human march into my town, and I thought I’d have a free meal. But you’re not an idiot…how disappointing.”

Not Blair sniffed, her eyes dilating slightly. “You do have magic, though. I can smell that much. Your veil is good little mage. It's very good. I didn’t notice until you were right here, just a few precious feet away. It wouldn’t have to hurt, you know.“ She grinned, the expression decidedly unfriendly. “I could make it quick or long, whatever you prefer. Just let me in.“ I shook my head and gave Not Blair an exaggerated shudder.

Though it wasn’t much of an exaggeration.

“I’m good, actually; you are horrifying.“

“Oh, don’t be like that,“ she said, stepping back and putting a hand to her chest. “It’s not often that I get such interesting snacks wandering into my web. I’d hate for you to deny me. Come on, twist the lock.“

My hand shifted slightly as if itching to move the lock. It was only then that I noticed the intrusion.

It was a subtle, insidious little thing. A thin, almost invisible tendril of inky magic. It was slipping into the edges of my mind, wriggling around as it tried to worm its way deeper.

I slammed the metaphorical doors on it, tearing it from my head with a grunt. I glared at Not Blair. “Rude. Don’t go digging in people's heads.“ I tried for casual, but my heart was pounding.

Not Blair leaned back, her lips twitching slightly in surprise. “Mages your age don’t usually pick up on those. It’s not until they’re in their 80s or early hundreds that they start to fumble around with their minds. What a misfortunate night. You know you really should open the door. There are far worse fates out there. I don’t even touch your soul; merely your body and mind is not such a terrible trade for a clean death.”

I disregarded that horrifically creepy statement as I glanced around the room. Blair was now visible. I was practically standing on her as she had positioned herself in front of the door. She would be the first thing they’d see if anyone tried to enter.

I fought back an affectionate snort. That was exactly what I expected her to do.

I turned my attention back to Not Blair. “It seems that we’re at something of an impasse then. I have no desire to let you in, and I have the creeping suspicion that you don’t want to leave.“

Not Blair rolled her eyes, though the slightest hint of a smile played across her lips. She’s enjoying this. “Come now, human, I can’t simply let you slip away like this. That would bring shame on my name.”

“Oh, but I don’t even know your name, so if I tell anyone, it won’t bring shame on you, will it?”

“You’ll know my name if you let me in.“

I made a shooing motion at her. “I’m pretty sure we’ve passed three denials. I guess the rule of three doesn’t mean anything anymore. The fairytales lied to me.“

Not Blair went still for a beat, and their voice grew slack. “I am not a fey, human. I am not bound by their covenants, nor am I trapped in a realm of whimsy. I am still real, still here.“

The genuine venom in the things words took me off guard. Okay, whatever this thing was, it really didn’t like the fey.

“You know I could just stay here all night. What are you going to do then?“

Not Blair’s slack expression twisted again, contorting into a sickening smile as she leaned in. “You are not the only person in that room, human. What would happen if one of the others were to see me? I wonder what the owner of this face would do?“

I felt a bit of ice form in my stomach. Blair would lose it upon seeing this thing. A monster using her face? Using her face to try and lure me out to kill me?

There was a decent chance she would wake up, see it, and then throw herself through the wall at it, which this creature seemed perfectly ok with. That was a bad sign. At first, I thought this thing wanted to lure me out, but as the conversation went on, it became clear that it wanted all of us.

I’d figured it could take the werewolves in their sleep—a quiet assassin with mental magic to keep them under. But now…this creature was perfectly willing to fight them while awake.

Which was bad. Very bad. If the thing was that confident, I wouldn’t call its bluff.

Yet, despite its seeming confidence, it hadn't reached out to the others yet.

Why?

Maybe…maybe it didn’t want to give up. Switching to one of the others would be seen as admitting defeat. Accepting that it couldn’t control me.

Plus, it had to have some other magic in effect. Otherwise, Blair and the others would have woken up immediately. Maybe it couldn’t switch targets midway through its spell?

I thought frantically as we stared at each other. What did I know? It was a monster, obviously. That wasn’t helpful; lots of things were monsters. Some people counted werewolves as monsters.

It wasn’t fey, which checked out. The fey were gone. But it seemed to have a relation to them. Or at least it had known them judging by its reaction.

What did that tell me? It was old. Very old. And very old things tended to have peculiar rules, like being unable to enter a domain unless invited.

Unlock the door.

An open door was an invitation.

Fallen vampires needed an invitation, but this thing did not strike me as a vamp. I didn’t know everything vampires could do; their magic could be pretty weird and out there as they age, but its compulsion seemed subtler than vampires.

Pride, shame its name, the thoughts bounced around until something clicked. “Why don’t we make a game of this.”

Not Blair stiffened. Her face contorted slightly as if someone had jerked back on those puppet strings. Lifeless blue eyes bored into me as she let a laugh escape. “I am fond of games, little mage. What did you have in mind?“

I took a deep breath. “If you can force me to unlock the door in one minute, I lose, and you get your chance to devour us and beat me. If I win, and you can’t make me unlock it, then you have to leave and let us escape this town.“

Not Blair leaned to the left then the right, the motion odd, as if the balance wasn’t right. Almost like she was rotating the ground beneath her instead of her own body. The motion gave me an odd sense of vertigo, and I had to blink my eyes.

“Prideful little human, I’m almost insulted you would suggest such a lopsided game. Five minutes. If you can withstand me for five minutes, you win. If not… I feast.“

One minute had been a pipe dream. I’d hoped that their pride was big enough that it would consider one minute more than enough time to crush my mind.

That hadn’t worked. That was okay, though. I had a feeling I could withstand this thing for as long as I had to. And that wasn’t just ego on my part.

I’ve fended off Grumpy and the Silent Straits. Those things wouldn’t bother with these little games if they wanted to kill us.

This thing enjoyed the banter; that much was obvious, but I was guessing another reason it hadn’t immediately tried to crush my Will was that it would expend more energy than it wanted.

It might feel confident taking on a room full of werewolves at once, but it had already underestimated me. I was betting it would do it again.

And well, if I was wrong, we were fighting anyway.

Not Blair gave me a wobbly, uneven grin that twitched in strange places, as of the puppeteer was fidgeting in their seat.

Our eyes flicked to the nearby alarm clock, waiting for it to tick over.

Tension hung in the air, making everything seem muted to my ear. Blair breathed slowly beneath me, my heart pounded in my ears, and the silence of the night outside seemed to crowd in like a physical thing.

3:05 AM

…

3:06 AM

“Five minutes,” Not Blair whispered. Then it slammed into my mind like a linebacker. I grunted, pain spiking, but I didn’t move an inch.

I gave the thing a wide, toothy smile. “Clocks ticking.”

~<>~<>~

Blair woke with a start, her nose twitching as she realized Alder was standing over her. Her eyes snapped open, and she sprang to her feet, careful not to hit him. “What’s going on!” she snapped. Alder stared out the window, his jaw clenched and his feet squared.

How had she not heard him? How did she not hear him open the curtain!?

Before Blair could have an existential crisis about her senses, Alder grunted. “Well, it was an abomination of its word.“

Blair blinked at him. “What?” The others were jumping up, her voice rousing them.

“Holy shit, I’m glad that worked.“ Alder sagged slightly, and Blair stepped forward, slipping a hand around his waist to catch him.

He gave her a small smile and patted her arm. “Thanks.”

He stared into her eyes for several seconds with far more intensity than normal. It went on for long enough that she started to feel uncomfortable when he tilted his head. “Would you mind smiling, then frowning for me?”

She frowned in confusion.

“Good enough. I know what your face looks like, but I needed a comparison after staring at that thing for so long.“

That sent a spike of alarm through all of them. Bobby was at the door in a heartbeat while Laurel and Simon rushed towards the window.

“It’s gone.“ Alder said. “Though it gave me a piece of its mind.”

Blair took a deep breath. She could smell Alder’s exertion, tinges of fear, anger, and resolve. She took another deeper breath.

Cleaner, antiseptic, the old filth that the motel owner had never bothered to truly clean out, linen sheets, and…something else. Something from outside. It reeked like a swamp, but it reminded her of herself.

“I’m just going to warn you now,” Alder said, dragging her attention back to him. “If you ask me to let you inside anywhere, I’m going to refuse.”