Edi wrapped a towel around herself and moved back out into the apartment with her damp feet padding across the wood floor. If Fred was not going to be back anytime soon, she would just have to make tea for herself. She filled the kettle with water and set it on the glass of the stove. She tapped another Red Void Rock on the back of the stove and watched as the crimson energy flared across the top. The kettle began to warm as she moved back into the bedroom to get dressed.

She saw Damien still sleeping peacefully in bed as she made her way to the closet. She tossed the towel into the hamper across the room and pulled on a light shirt, jeans, socks, and her boots. She grabbed her jacket as it would be close to freezing later today and made her way back into the kitchen right as the kettle was boiling.

Edi was enjoying a warm cup of dark tea looking out over the city as the front door opened and Fred strolled in. His body was still bright and solid.

“Without me?” he said aghast.

“You took too long. I have to turn in those medical reports to Detective Sourtooth before he starts getting anxious.”

Fred smiled and pointed toward the bedroom.

“He’s still sleeping.”

“You must have tuckered him out,” Fred smirked.

She felt her cheeks flush. Stupid Freddie and his jokes. Fred moved into the kitchen and started cleaning up the tea and last night’s jam and peanut butter. Edi was always grateful to Fred for that. Her brain just got scattered sometimes. He never said anything about it.

“Thanks, Freddie, you are the best,” Edi tapped the bracer on her wrist for the time and nearly spit out her tea, “Gods! I am going to be late!”

“Be careful,” Fred said grabbing the cup from her hands as she moved to the door.

“Take care of him, Freddie. Make sure he eats something. And make sure he doesn’t get too focused on this case. You know how he gets locked in.” She looked back at the bedroom where Damien slept.

“I got it. I got it. Go on,” Fred gave her a hug as she left.

Edi made her way down into the parking garage. She stepped off the elevator and tapped her bracer to bring up the display. Her finger felt the zing of magic as she swiped the display over to the icon for her car. She hated that feeling. This type of magic was too artificial for her liking. She preferred the subtle affection of natural magic. The manipulation of the elements and enthusiastic help of the trees.

Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

She tapped the icon for her car and saw the taillights flicker as the car started. With how late they had arrived in last night she had been forced to park down at the end of the lengthy line of cars that filled the garage. She noticed several spaces were now emptied as everyone had already begun their day. She would really need to start getting on a more regular schedule. People would judge a Werewolf that was up at all hours of the night. Everyone would judge a Werewolf regardless, she thought.

She strolled to her car and used her bracer to unlock the doors. After hopping into the driver’s seat, she opened the glove box and removed her department ID. She draped the lanyard and ID around her neck and began adjusting the mirrors. As she moved the rearview, she noticed something in the back seat.

Cold blue eyes met hers in the rearview. Eyes connected to a large man with slate grey skin. A goliath. Before she could scream the man snatched her lanyard and pulled. She began to gasp for air as her head snapped back against the seat.

“It’s nothing personal doc. We just need some help.” The goliath’s voice was low, calm. Edi had trouble hearing him through the pounding in her ears. The sapphire on her collar began to glow as the Call started to take hold.

No! Not like this! Her mind raced. She gripped the gear shift and slammed it back slamming her foot on the accelerator. Light flared from the void rock pumping into the engine and the car sped forward colliding with the wall of the parking garage with the shrieking of bent metal. Edi was thrown forward and the breakaway clasp on the lanyard snapped. She tried to gasp in air as she pushed on the driver’s side door. A loud thump resounded as the door collided with the wall of the parking garage. She turned, feeling the itch of the Call race beneath her skin and clamored over into the passenger’s seat, throwing open the door and falling toward the pavement. Her momentum was quickly halted by a bulky hand gripping her ankle. She kicked back and caught something soft. Joyously she heard a grunt of pain from the goliath and her foot was free. She fell to the pavement and began to crawl her way to the elevator. She tried and failed to right herself collapsing back to the hard stone. She felt her skin begin to ripple. The Call was becoming too much. She pulled at the skin on her arm, and it fell away in chunks on the ground. The sapphire on her collar flared a vibrant blue.

“This is not how it was supposed to go!” the goliath’s voice echoed against the walls, “JUST HELP US!”

Edi felt the collar tighten around her neck. She tried to inhale once more but the collar was unrelenting. The edges of her vision began to cloud. She rolled onto her back still trying to push away from the goliath. She clawed at the leather of the collar as blue light washed out her vision.

She felt a heavy crack on the side of her head and felt the cold pavement on her cheek. Her mind faded to darkness.