September 9 | Monday Night

My attention darted to the source of something hitting the fading planks of the porch. The steady stream of conversation Mys had kept up since our arrival went mute. Zyr glanced over his shoulder at us, and he shut the back door. But a few minutes later, we clearly heard him tell someone, "I need you."

What the hell? I thought. At my look of affront, Mys lifted an elegant shoulder as if we had no reason to feel slighted. I tried to be as unaffected. As much as I hated the thought, I didn't exist in the flesh. What right did I have to be upset at Zyr seeing someone real? Especially if Mys was unbothered.

"So, what changed?" my intuitive roommate asked.

"With what?" I tabbed to something else on the playlist, and a gravelly tenor voice erupted from the cellphone. Rhythm and blues music accompanied lyrics begging for mercy from love unrequited. Groaning, I blotted out my feelings and let the song play.

"With you. Seems like you have better control of your glitchy poltergeist freak-out moments. Was it the ménage?" Mys probed.

I pulled a face and laughed. "No, asshole, and I wasn't glitchy. I think getting rid of Darcy is doing it for me. I mean, that's the best I can offer Haley. After Count Jerkula is officially canceled, my sister can make it on her own, which makes me think the investigation was the real—"

"Unfinished business," Mys finished for me. "Ten out of ten for my predictive skills. Oof."

I smiled with my eyes closed. Warm fingers skimmed my arm, whispered over my palm and brought my hand to even warmer lips. Butterflies lifted and settled in my core. When my eyelids lifted a fraction, I was captivated by the pink mouth curved into a hammock of a smile. I wanted to lay on those lips and fall asleep, safe and sound forever.

But I couldn't. This wasn't a forever thing. Unexpected emotion welled to the surface. It was impossible to hide. Concern sketched Mys' brow. "What's wrong?" they whispered. I shook my head.

"Nothing. I just wonder how?" I hesitated before blurting out, "How do you do it? Client after client, night after night, love after love?"

Mys sat up and cupped my face. "I don't. Work is work, but this..." Our lips clashed in a kiss that stole my breath. I flowed into their lap, as desire surged, but the kiss was comfort, not seduction. Mys gentled it to a languid exploration that was interrupted by Zyr reentering the cabin.

The detective made it a point to slam the door. I gripped the base of Mys' neck, moaning as we kept going. Zyr cleared his throat. "Change of plans," he said. "My partner will be here in a few hours."

Mys broke the kiss to give him a disapproving glower. "Why is she coming?" asked the Empath.

"Because we're short on supplies," Zyr muttered. Our unrelenting stare made him shift his weight and admit, "I also got a call from my younger brother, and I have reason to believe it wasn't really Yazeed."

"Did you give him our location?" I asked in alarm.

He nodded grimly. "I could be wrong, but I'd rather have reinforcements if Cyprian's trying to find us. Besides, there's nowhere else to run, and this isolated stretch is probably the best place for a showdown. I know these woods better than anyone. We have the advantage."

Zyr opened a closet and brought out a rifle. "As for Tegan," he said, "she'll play an important role getting the other witnesses to testify. Mys, you should get in touch with Kittie, too. In the meantime, we've got a handgun and a rifle."

"What about ammunition?" Mys reluctantly conceded.

"Tegan will stop at my place to grab more weapons and ammo, including the holy water hollow-points. I've got normal rounds in the truck. With motion-activated cameras throughout the woods, long as we keep watch, we shouldn't waste bullets on wildlife."

"Anything I can do to help?" I asked. Both of them assessed me. I put two fingers together and mouthed Bang. I could be an asset.

"You're telling me you know how to shoot?" Zyr raised a skeptical brow.

"I'm a girl raised in the South." I grinned. "Plus, my dad Wallace was keen on both his daughter's learning wilderness survival. He was an avid hunter."

Zyr grunted and thrust the gun into my hands. "Let's see."

"Bet," I said as I followed him out the back door.

"Yeah, be careful with that." He pushed the barrel down, and I chuckled. Once outside, the night seemed to close around us, save for the fireflies winking in the trees. I let out a surprised yelp when a huge barn owl swooped across the yard.

Zyr drew my attention to his firepit. "Need some light?" he asked.

"Are you sure you want a kumbaya campfire in the middle of this business arrangement?" I retorted. He ignored my jibe and grabbed a cord of wood from a neatly stacked pile on side of the cabin. Mys joined the mercurial werewolf carrying bundles to the stone pit, while I explored the nightscape.

I overheard Zyr speaking softly to my roommate. "If things go south, I want you guys to go with Tegan. Help her get to the Humanity Ambassador. You'll all be given asylum since her life is at risk by association. "

"What about Kittie?" Mys whispered.

"She'll be safe there, too. Someone at the embassy can draft a formal request for Aurie to get an audience with the Council. Present whatever evidence Kittie and Tegan manage to collect and give your official testimony. When you and I get the chance, there are some other things I need to go over with you so you can be ready for what's to come...but I think we have a little more time before I go feral," he trailed off.

I hugged myself and turned back to my companions. "Do you think he'll find us?" I asked.

Zyr looked uncertain. "Cyprian? We'll be ready either way," he muttered as he lit the kindling.

Mys pointed at a line of soda bottles on a crooked fence illuminated by the glowing campfire. "See if you can hit one of those," my roommate suggested. Shaking off my fear for the detective, I grabbed the shotgun and squared off to make my late father proud. After all the losses I had suffered in life, I didn't know how much longer I would get with these two, and experience had taught me not to take a single shot for granted.

~*~

"She's here." Mys glanced up from the magazine we were scanning together.

"I heard the car turning onto the lane a while ago," Zyr mumbled. He was freshly showered, and his citrus and cardamom scent blended with the rich, woodsy musk of the cabin. He kept his distance on the couch across the room, watching DVDs, giving me the chance to gossip with Mys.

"What does she feel like?" I asked.

The Empath stared at a glossy advertisement a few seconds before responding, "Like...high school."

"What the hell does that mean?" I giggled.

"She has a crush on the detective."

"Ohhh," I intoned, wrinkling my nose. "That's why you don't like her."

After flipping to another page, my roommate didn't say anything. I gave them a nudge. "I don't dis-like her. She just feels overeager, but that's probably good for us, right? She'll do anything for the detective." Mys flaunted a smile that didn't reach the eyes.

She can't be that bad. I turned to greet the new arrival. Tegan entered the cabin like a wake-up call, talking way too loudly and with far more enthusiasm than anyone should've been able to muster at this time of night.

The sight of her up close stopped me in my tracks. Her hourglass figure was poured into designer jeans and a form-fitting t-shirt that showed off every curve. Features cut to perfection were symmetrically aligned for maximum attractiveness. Mys visibly shuddered. Was it jealousy? Were we jealous?

"Where's Ajit?" She asked as she flipped waist-length red hair over her shoulder and flashed a vibrant smile at Zyr.

"My dog? Had to leave him. We hit the road in such a hurry, but never mind that. Come meet everyone," Zyr invited. His smoldering partner surveyed the room with a baffled look, seeing only Mys. Zyr gave a crimped smile and added, "I might've left out a detail or two when we discussed Overlay City. Now, I think it's time you know everything. This is Mys, my..."

"No, yeah, I get it!" Tegan supplied. "You're the pretty little thing from the pub!"

Mys said coolly, "I'm his friend."

Tegan arched a delicate brow that stood out against her blemish-free ivory skin. "Well, Zyr has always been full of surprises. It's nice to meet you. I hope we can be friends, too."

"And this is...Aurelia Edison," Zyr said, gesturing at me.

"Beg your pardon?" Tegan blinked at what surely looked like open air.

I put my hands on my hips and walked around her, reveling in being invisible. "I certainly see the appeal. I mean, she's hot. I'd bang her."

Zyr hummed in reproach. "Don't do that."

"Don't do what?" Tegan asked with a bewildered grin. "Alright, you're making me uncomfortable, buddy. We both know where Aurelia Edison is."

"Yeah, Zyr." I slammed the door and rammed the hand-carved table against it for good measure. "She doesn't believe in ghosts."