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Morning sunlight entering the window, quietly warming up your body is something most don't think about or even appreciate, but after getting out of the witch coven and having the best sleep of my life, I can see much more of its appeal. My feet reach the floor in an attempt to test my balance before I'm fully up and about. In the bed, still fast asleep, is Dalia, with Colette nowhere to be seen, a fact that I keep in mind while moving toward the bathroom for a well-deserved morning bath.
In the mirror, I check my reflection, seeing the hickeys derivative from last night's kisses, and not too far from it, in my collarbone is the deep mark of a werewolf bite, serving as a warning to any other of this 'ownership' one of this species seeks. I lightly wash it with soap just to be sure to get no infections before hopping in the shower.
Some minutes later, now cleaned and smelling of fruits thanks to my body soap, I return to my room in search of new clothes. Upon opening my wardrobe, I find myself for the first time regretting buying only hoodies and jeans, but to my luck, the clothes I 'borrowed' from Tina help me in my quest to change style, at least for today; a strange feeling that is, I never before had a reason to dress more than what I needed to, like the anonymity and peace of mind my choices generally aim to. The reason for this change is not one you need to have a detective certificate to understand.
I chose a more stylish combo, picking up a dark blue jean that I used to wear only when the PD wanted me or Tina to make a speech to the people about a recent incident or awareness regarding the public park, putting on a light brown trustworthy shirt, the same old leather boots that I always can rely on for work and rain, and to top all of that off, a light colored flannel trench coat, envisioning that we are still in winter. Tucking the shirt in the jeans, I look at Dalia's sleeping face, so peaceful and quiet. Maybe I can make her some tea if I have any left.
Leaving my room, I find Yui snoring loudly while atop their chest lies Pandora, who seems to have fallen asleep while playing from the way she weakly holds the device in her sleep lazily. Gentle as the wind, I take the phone from her hand and plug it into the wall to charge beside them before making my way to the kitchen. Before I even enter it, the smell of cooking calls my attention. Someone must have gotten hungry and decided to make some eggs, or at least that's what the smell hints at. The worrisome aspect is the light hint of burntness that accompanies it.
The person I find, though, is not who I expected but still makes complete sense. Camille curses at my frying pan as she manages to burn the egg she was about to eat for breakfast. My gaze doesn't go unnoticed; once I'm close enough to her, she turns towards me with a slick smile. "Hey pretty, managed to get some sleep?"
"I did; what about you?"
"Yes, thanks for letting me borrow your couch."
"Anytime."
"Expect me to use those words against you later then." She grins.
Standing at Camille's side, I gesture for her to sit down by the chair, something she does immediately, and using the free space I have, I start moving around the kitchen, grabbing the last egg from the fridge, some cube-shaped bacon, and one slice of cheese. One good wash goes by to rid the pan of the mess she made, and after that, my body moves on its own in a practiced way to make her a decent breakfast.
"How did you manage to burn scrambled eggs? The pan is nonstick for a reason." I ask, half preoccupied with her future, and to tease her a bit, making sure to let a grin be in full view so she doesn't take my words wrong.
"Have you considered that I might have done it on purpose so I could have you do the work for me?"
"That would be too much trouble just for that, but for some reason, I believe you are someone who would actually do it."
"I'll take it as a compliment."
The egg goes first, then the bacon, which, once in contact with the hot surface, screams and releases its tasty aroma in the air as the slice of cheese serves to top the egg for a little more flavor.
"Have you seen Colette anywhere?"
"I did not; like you, I woke up just a while ago, but knowing her, she must have gone run somewhere for a bit," Camille answers with a curious gaze at my face. She smells the air for a second before rising from her chair. I put the food on a plate, and while trying to turn around, I meet a face too close to mine for comfort. "I'll let you in on a little secret of mine—the whole reason why I joined the agency to begin with. For the first time in I don't know how long, I can look at my sister with a smile and even see her happy for once, and you know who is responsible for that, don't you? That's why I made it my objective to help the one who helped me, but not in any way; no, that would be uninteresting. I'll claim you, as she did, to never again be separated."
Letting out a sigh, I tap her shoulder and gesture that I'll come back in a second, something that leaves her confused. I retrieve from my dirty clothes the necklace I found with Camille's letter from the trip, bringing it back to her shortly after. "If you want to make amends with her, why not start with this?"
"Oh, so she didn't get my letter?" Camille's voice becomes low and embarrassed for a second.
"She did, but despite that, she still got after you."
She sits on top of the counter, resting her hand near the plate, hesitant to eat for a moment as her thoughts accumulate. "I said some harsh things in that letter—all lies—but I didn't wanted her to be put in my problems. A shame it didn't work out, huh?"
"In my opinion, this was for the best."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, first, you and Colette are together again, and second, having you alongside us is a relief; it helps me feel safe knowing our group is stronger than before."
Camille holds the necklace carefully, placing it on her thighs, so she can grab the plate and start eating. "The necklace was a present I gave her a year before things had gone to shit—a birthday present to be more exact." She takes her finger and lifts from inside her shirt a necklace similar to the one she's talking about. "A promise to forever be there for each other. I wanted to be there for her after my first transformation, but the only way for her to be safe was for me to take all the problems and keep them close, giving me control enough to not allow them to find her so she could lead a normal life."
I move near her, sitting on the counter as well and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, earning a smile from her. "She's happier with you by her side; that's all that matters now. The past is the past."
"So lovingly the way you try to comfort me, even after I kidnapped you and left a maniac to steal your blood."
"I had worst dates before."
"That just reinforces my objective; I'll make sure to talk it over with Colette and the witch." As these words escape her mouth, words that make me question if all the people I help will try to, as she said, 'claim me', the apartment door opens up. Entering the living room is a sweaty and peaceful-looking Colette.
"Finish breakfast; I'll take care of some things." My hands fall on a cup that I fill up with cold water before leaving the kitchen. Approaching Colette, I'm able to see her going back to my room without looking back, probably in hopes of finding me there, so slowly and carefully, I get inside too, closing the door behind me to let her know of my presence.
Eyes as sharp as a newly forged blade soften like cotton candy upon recognition, leaving me unable to hold back a smile from reaching my lips. "You had a good run?" I extend the water cup to her, something she takes gratefully, drinking the content in one go before putting it aside.
She nods her head in response, changing her focus to the bed where Dalia moves, a signal to her soon-to-come awakening. With a confident step, I get to Colette's side and place a loving peck on her cheek. "Go take a bath; I'll call JB in five to discuss what we will do."
As I pull my phone from my pocket, Colette's strong hands grab my wrist in an attempt to grab my attention, successfully doing so. "You are okay?" She asks with a serious tone, trying to mask her worry under a hard gaze.
"I am, thanks to you and Dalia." Her hold on my wrist subsides, and her look moves from my eyes to my collarbone—the exact place her bite stays, hidden beneath the thin layer of my shirt. "You can relax about that; I know how important it is to you, so I won't hold any grudges, I promise."
The small hint of worry on her brows disappears, something I only notice now. Behind a hard-to-read expression is a lot of signs that tell me exactly what she's thinking about. Another nod of her head goes, and this time she takes her leave, entering the bathroom and leaving the door open, so soon enough the sound of running water fills the bedroom. That serves to speed up the process of Dalia's waking.
Tired, she lets out a yawn before stretching her arms, hair all messy and unkept, giving her a wild look I never expected to fit her so well.
"Good morning," I say when I catch her gaze studying the empty bed in search of my presence or Colette's, once my voice reaches her ears, the witch's expression turns bright and pure. "You look like you had a good night's sleep."
"I did indeed; your warmth helped to make sure of this fact." If her words aren't sweet enough, the way she extends her arms forward for a hug makes me grin like a kid in an amusement park. Our bodies touch; her naked form is pleasing to the touch, as it was last night. "Where's Colette?"
"Shower, she just came from a stroll," I answer, pointing to the open bathroom door.
"I'll wait for her to finish showering, then we will need to report to JB about the incident."
"I'm ahead of you." Showing her my phone, she looks proudly at me, urging me to sit down on the edge of the bed. "You can rest a bit more; I'll keep you company."
Dalia's only answer is a happy sound as she places her chin on my shoulder, locking her arms around my chest and dozing off, using me as her personal pillow.
One phone call away, and JB is already in my apartment. Colette and Dalia had taken their bath, and we all moved towards the living room, expecting the problematic conversation ahead of us. One thing I noticed while I lent some clothes to Colette was that Dalia got a pencil from my cabinet and started to draw some sigils on my bathroom door. I didn't question before, but hearing a familiar bark makes me turn around.
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From behind me, a floral scent emerges, stopping a few feet away and bowing her head, allowing the white hair atop her head to flow gently, and its yellow roses to welcome me. How could I forget? Flora and Jax were in the house when the fire started. Before guilt can strike me down, the fact that Flora stands in front of me turns into a bigger question. That's when Jax licks my leg, trying to steal my attention for himself.
A look towards the bathroom door and the impossible sight that I know now a lot more stands—the library from the house. They must have taken shelter when the fire started, as it seems no flames reached anywhere in that room.
It's more like an instinctive impulse that forces me to hug Flora. At first, her eyes widen with a force that almost knocks her down, but once she understands what is going on, her gentle gloved hand reaches for my back, a hug a lot more gentle than mine, a lot less desperate too.
Our encounter is cut short as a voice calls us to the living room, forcing me to break the hug. While I give Jax a head pat for good measure, I notice Dalia gazing upon me, not saying a word but smiling with the strength of a poem.
"Thank you," I say lowly, like a gasp of wind, revealing the tears that I hold on to so much.
"I don't deserve this gratitude, the magic that did the job." Her smile is so humble that it makes me want to kiss her, so she at least accepts that.
Soon, we take our path toward the voices in the now lively living room.
I take some puffs from my room and chairs from the kitchen and get them to the living room so everyone can sit down. Sprawled on my sofa is JB, with a tired expression that shows that she's relieved to see us. Colette sits on a chair with a serious expression like she always had, different from some minutes ago, which is rather cute to watch. Yui lays on a puffle, raising her phone in a way to let me know that she knows I left it to charge as she slept. Jax takes the other puffle and soon falls asleep, tired and stressed after what happened to the house.
Dalia takes the last chair and looks at me, petting her lap so I sit with her, something that Colette catches on to and guides her chair to Dalia's, putting both together and making the same gesture as the loving witch. With no more options, I sit on one leg of Dalia and Colette, letting Pandora climb to my lap and complete this Matryoshka doll. Flora appears from the kitchen with a steamy coffee mug, placing it in front of JB.
"Thank you," JB readjusts herself on the sofa and needly drinks the coffee, letting its warmth and bitter taste set in her tired body. "I'm glad that you are all okay and in one piece. When I was informed about the fire, I feared the worst could have happened.
"Olivia, my pup, do you mind if the unit stays in your apartment until we rebuild the place?"
I nod my head. "It's no problem for me, but what do you mean? The agency will rebuild the house?"
"Yes, with the help of the witches from the coven, we can place some spells so that won't happen ever again. That is something I wanted to talk to you about, the girl you sent to help me; you didn't need to do it, but I'm glad you did."
"I'm glad I can be of help."
"Well, pups, I won't be able to stay long, so I'll get straight to the point," She forces the coffee down her throat and rubs her eyes, regaining some life for them. "The tracker you three placed last night, the cargo destination, is on your phones. If you wish to investigate, just keep me updated. I'll take the rest of my day off to help with the new headquarters plans; it should be a good opportunity to wind down.
"Colette, you make the game plan; Dalia, you're in charge of keeping everything and everyone in check; no more taking big risks; the rest of you all follow the order from those two, and you'll be fine."
As she places the mug down and thanks Flora once again, JB uses the opportunity to gesture for me to follow her outside for a minute, and with everyone focused on the plan and letting Pandora with Dalia, I do so. We stop at the balcony and close the window sliding doors, trapping all the sound of the plan-making inside, leaving us with a comfortable symphony of the wind wisps.
JB takes a cigarette out of her pocket, all beaten up and creased from apparently spending too much time in there. "You mind?"
"I don't; feel free," I answer, taking a chair and putting it beside her so she can sit down—something she does gratefully. "Did something happen?"
"Dalia stated what happened last night to me: we... suspected that you could be a product of Kaina's accident. I don't want you to ask me anything; I'm prohibited from talking about this, but you are not." Grabbing a key card from her pocket, she holds it in my direction, so I take it. Doing so and inspecting it, I read the 'clearance three' stamped in it. "In the agency's archives, there is a door hidden magically between bookshelves Z4 and Z3. There will be a card reader and a supernatural taking care of anyone who tries to pry what they shouldn't, so don't go alone."
My eyes stay on the card for a moment; this can be the chance to figure out who I truly am and if that man was telling the truth. "Thank you, but, before you go, can I talk to you about something?"
"Always pup," Her genuine, motherly-like smile makes me relax a little, which is a feeling that I welcome.
Resting against the balcony's railing, I look at the city, watching the cars go by on the main road a distance away. "The thing I want to talk about is a little important to me, even if it's a dumb problem.
"It's just that, before all of this, when I was still a normal girl, freshly promoted, I never questioned myself about my... romantic life, and now, I have two people that take a very important place in my heart, and one more wanting to do the same. I fear that in the end, I'll end up having a lot more on my plate than I can deal with."
"The truth is that this was something I expected from the beginning," JB states with a gentle smile, still holding the unlit cigarette in between her fingers. "No one can force you to do something you don't want to; these girls spent most of their lives without being able to trust anyone about who they really are. So your sudden arrival and the way you just welcome them as they are without questions is appealing for sure; that's why they can become a little too quick on the trigger. But what is it that you want? To stay with Colette and Dalia? Maybe open your heart to one more or to all of them? That's the real question, one that you don't need to answer now, but one day yo-"
I stop her before she can finish. "I want it so much sometimes that it scares me. My whole life, Tina was the one I could rely on, and all I wanted was to be like her—something I can do now—help them, open myself to them. I just don't want to hurt anyone by taking this decision."
"Leave that to them; if any problems arise, they will deal with them by themselves; they are adults. You don't need to solve everything; put that in your head, pup." She places the cigarette back in her pocket and rises to her feet, wrapping me in a warm hug. "Don't let this good feeling become one more problem in your path; there are already many without you adding to the pile."
The hug ends as JB's phone rings. "I need to go now; promise me that you'll think less about it."
"I promise."
"Good, now go enjoy their company. Call me if anything happens." With those words, JB is gone. She rushes out of the apartment before the phone stops ringing, leaving me to breathe alone on the balcony, watching the same city that these past weeks seemed to have created claws just to punish me for something that I didn't do.
Going back to the living room, I see my coffee table taken by a map of the city filled with words and circles done by a very familiar red marker. It seems someone found the drawer where I stored the extra materials for my investigation wall. I take my seat on the couch and quietly watch the exchange between the girls. Jax and Pandora take their opportunity to join my side, resting and bathing in my presence, something that makes me involuntarily pet them both.
"The tracker stopped at this location," Yui points out on the coast side of Wayhaven, exactly atop the famous lighthouse. "It has been there since dawn."
"We should investigate then, no?" I ask, receiving a stare from Colette that is hard to read.
"Yes, we should, but you aren't coming with us."
"Wait, why?"
Dalia places her hand on my shoulder and attempts to give me her kindest smile. "Knowing now that you're their target means we can't risk placing you in a trap."
My will to argue over it disappears little by little as I notice Colette's hands clasped into a fist, trembling. She prefers risking offending me and leaving me mad than getting me into something that can possibly mean my death. Dammit, I wanted so much to be mad now, to tell them I'm no damsel in distress, but they are right; the way I acted last night didn't exactly pass as well when I lost control like that. It's best to use this as an opportunity to investigate the agency, visit Tina while doing so, and if I manage, check on Flamma; her not entering into contact this long can't mean any good.
Yui's voice pulls me away from my deep thoughts. "Then you three go, and I'll stay with the detective here. How's that sound?"
Colette and Dalia both look at each other, staying like that for a few seconds before nodding timely. "Okay, but nothing about visiting the agency or the burned house; we can't risk it now." Colette orders.
"Yeah, sure, I already know that." Yui's tone is not easily trustworthy, but not many other options are presented to the rest of the group. "Now go; there's no time to waste, right?"
Dalia takes a moment to grab my chin and deliver a goodbye kiss before whispering to me lovingly. "When we are back, I promise to talk over to JB so we can take a day off to go on a date." With this promise set, Dalia starts walking out of the apartment. Colette looks over to me, and her gaze tells me all. I extend my hand so she places hers on top of mine, and once she complies, my lips find the back of her hand.
"Good luck, my knight." Cheesy, but overall effective by the way she breaks off the serious mask she put on, letting an almost unnoticeable smile slip by.
"Sis, come on, there are things to do and conversations to be had." Camille talks loudly enough for me to hear, on purpose, as I, right now, am the only one to understand the meaning behind them. All of them leave the apartment, and I look over at Yui, who looks back at me with the face of someone with a plan in mind.
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