Author's Notes:

Satyr Play is my attempt to dabble in the realm of magic. It's not a genre I typically work in, so I'm NOT going to play by the rules. If I break any preconceived notions or established guidelines, too bad. ;)

That said, I hope you enjoy it.

No effort is made in this tale to explain the backstory, so it is highly recommended you read the stories in the following order:

• Satyr Play
• A Dark Heart (Short Story - for context)
• Satyr Play 2, Part 1
• Song for a Still River (Short Story - for context)
• Satyr Play 2, Part 2
• Bride in Black (Short Story - for context)
• Satyr Play 3, Part 1
• Satyr Play 3, Part 2
• Satyr Play 4, Part 1
• Satyr Play 4, Part 2
• Satyr Play 5... to come.

All characters engaging in sexual relationships or activities are 18 years old or older. Most aren't even human... or real. Or are they? Dun dun DAH!

********

Satyr Play

********

Chapter 1

Stanley Garin was a serious young man. He wasn't a big, powerful, or even a particularly handsome man, but he was intelligent and passionate.

What was he passionate about?

Not sports. His five-foot-seven, slimly built body and lack of athletic abilities made him despise team sports as he'd always been excluded.

Politics? Boring!

Women? While he yearned for female companionship, he did so in silence as his tongue betrayed him around women he found attractive.

No, what Stanley loved most was computers. He loved programming them. He loved building them. He loved connecting them together. He just... understood them! He knew what to expect from them, and they behaved in rational, predictable ways for him.

That wasn't to say he'd never encountered a faulty piece of equipment, but he had an innate ability to quickly identify the flaky bit, replace it, and restore order to his life once more.

Simple! Much simpler than relationships with people.

Having such a serious nature, he'd struggled with the social aspects of school from the junior to the senior grades. He was labeled a weird nerd by the other kids. This was an even more shunned subclass of the belittled nerd social strata in the school's ecosystem. He was smart, quiet, and easy to teach, so the teachers were grateful for one less challenge in their days.

Once he'd reached college, though, he came into his own and excelled in every technical course he took. From network administration and architecture, database administration and data analysis, software programming, web design, and information security, he'd excelled in anything he could enroll in that involved his beloved computers.

He'd just graduated at the top of his class. He knew he had prospects out the wazoo... if he'd allowed himself to use silly terms like wazoo. He was destined to work at a Fortune 500 company.

So what the hell was he doing in the server room of this small, obscure financial investment house in lower Manhattan? He gazed around at the equipment in despair. Older generation switches with flickering amber trouble lights. Old-style 4U servers in the server racks droning with the unmistakable sound of wobbly and failing power supply fans. The power protection was a joke, and their backup system? What backup system?

He turned his face to the stern-looking woman giving him this tour. She'd said her name was Olive. She was maybe an inch taller than him but four times his width. Greying brown hair, no style clothing, and a grim look in her eyes. She was probably only in her fifties, but she had jowls! He had no trouble speaking with her. There was no physical attraction at all.

This was his very first job interview since graduating, and he was only doing it as a favor to one of his professors who'd sent him the recommendation. It had been going along fine until she led him into the labyrinth in the basement.

That was another thing! They kept their servers in the basement! IN MANHATTAN! They were below sea level!

"Can you work with this?" Olive asked him with a gravelly voice.

"No."

Her thick eyebrows went up. "No? But you came highly recommended. They said you were top of your class! They called you a savant with technology!"

"Really? Somebody called me a savant?" Stanley said in surprise, secretly pleased.

She scowled at him, and his hint of a smile disappeared. "You're saying you can't maintain this system?" she growled.

"No, I'm saying your company can't afford to maintain this system. It's about to fall over. You need to replace it—soon! Now! And you need to move it up at least three floors." Stanley was past the point of worrying about getting this job, not that he'd expected to actually accept it. He could feel the tech down in this pit, crying out for a quick and merciful death. It was time for some ugly truth.

"Listen, I don't know what trolls built this system," she glanced at him sharply, "but they did you no favors. Your company is in serious danger of losing its most valuable asset, its information! If you don't take immediate steps to relocate your server room, replace this stuff with more current and stable technology, and get some emergency power protection and a proper backup system, your company could die! It hurts me to see this. You need to address this before you hire anyone to maintain it."

Seeing the scale of the network, he knew they needed to hire a team to replace it. He looked around, rubbing his suddenly stiff neck muscles, and sighed. The plaintive whine of the power supply fans was getting under his skin.

When he turned back to his interviewer, he froze in surprise. Standing behind her was a tall, raven-haired beauty in a very expensive suit. The woman oozed authority and wealth, and Stanley's mouth immediately went dry.

"It's refreshing to hear such honesty in a job interview," the woman said with a voice like silk-wrapped steel. Stanley could only stare. Her Spanish heritage was evident in her lovely accent.

"Ms. Villamor! To what do I owe the honor of a visit from our CEO today?" the plump woman gushed, her dour expression banished in her employer's presence. Olive was practically simpering.

"Normally, I wouldn't come down here at all, except my people can't get their work done when their access to the Internet disappears every five minutes," the tall woman said calmly, but there was definitely a threat beneath her tone. Stanley was mesmerized by the woman's voice.

He picked up a little tremble as the subway went by and heard a corresponding odd vibration noise coming from the server racks. His entire being vibrated in sympathy with the distressed hardware. He turned his wide eyes to Olive.

"The racks are bolted down to the concrete floors with no vibration dampening? The building's over a subway! I'm surprised the servers haven't shaken themselves apart!" he gasped, then quickly leaned away from Olive when the woman turned to snarl at him. For just the briefest second, he could have sworn her eyes were glowing green!

"OIive! Leave us!" Ms. Villamor barked, and Stanley flinched. Olive bowed her head and rushed from the room.

Stanley was mortified. This job interview was going from bad to worse. Now he was face to face with the gorgeous brunette executive, and he felt his tongue die in his mouth as he looked up into her dark eyes. Were they brown... or dark gold? Either way, they held him fast.

She was much taller than he was, maybe six feet in her two-inch heels, and stunningly beautiful! Her eyes were her best feature, but it was a close contest as the rest of her was also pretty spectacular. The expensive business suit emphasized her lush curves, and it was all he could do to keep his eyes from roaming them.

Her head tilted ever so slowly as she gazed at him. The tip of a pink tongue slipped out briefly to wet her sensual lips.

"Do you know how to save us from these technological dangers?" she asked as she slowly raised one exquisitely shaped eyebrow.

"Y-y-you hire a network d-duh-design firm to come in and analyse your c-c-c-... your system as it is n-n-now and tell them what your p-puh-perceived needs will be for five to tuh-ten years from now. Then give them the m-money they'll need to build it," Stanley stuttered and gasped his way to the answer. He was sweating profusely before this smartly dressed businesswoman, and his face felt like it was on fire.

"But could you do it?"

Stanley froze. "Me?" he squeaked.

"Yes, if we supplied a large team of workers to follow your explicit instructions, could you design a replacement system and have it up and running within... let's say a month, two at most. The team would work around the clock on your orders."

"W-wouldn't you rather hire a c-company with p-puh-previous experience?" he exclaimed.

"You didn't answer my question. Could. You. Do. It."

He stared into her eyes, but his mind was already rapidly assembling a list of required components. He found himself nodding. He froze at his own unexpected audacity.

"Do you think you could look at what might be causing the Internet outages?" she asked.

He blinked, then turned to walk down the row of server cases, looking for any visible sign of where the public lines entered the system. At the end of the row, behind the last rack, he finally found a router mounted to a sheet of wood improperly bolted to a wall. His eyes widened in shock when he saw the crappy little consumer-level router, which had only the most rudimentary security features. Another subway train went by as he watched, and the wood sheet swayed. The length of network cable between the router and rack was a little short and pulled tight with each sway. This was tugging at the connector. He turned and jumped as Ms. Villamor was standing very close behind him. He looked up into her curious eyes.

"This one duh-doesn't take a genius to f-figure out." He turned to face the hardware to pretend to be talking to it. Much better. He could feel himself relax. "Replace this cable with a longer one and the problem with your connection to the Internet should be resolved, temporarily at least. Someone should secure this panel to the wall properly as well. More importantly, the router needs replacing with something that can actually give your company a truly secure connection!"

She turned and left momentarily, returning with a bin of network cables. He looked at her in surprise.

"We need to s-suh-schedule a downtime window to...." He stopped when he saw her annoyed look.

"I did mention everyone was already experiencing downtime every five minutes. I believe we can dispense with the formalities this time," she insisted, and he nodded.

Looking in the crate, he selected the appropriate cable and quickly swapped out the existing one, running the excess up along the cable channel hanging from the ceiling. He turned back to her and nodded.

"That's it?" she gasped.

"Yes."

"Did I hear you mentioning the server room shouldn't be in the basement?" she asked calmly, the hint of a smile on her lovely lips.

He nodded once more.

"Follow me," she said and spun on her high heels, dropping the bin of cables under a table on her way by. Stanley found himself following her out of the labyrinth to the elevator bank. He struggled to keep his eyes off of her lushly curved ass. Her perfume was light and almost imperceptible, but it made him feel... just a little tipsy and more than a little stimulated.

She stepped into the elevator, which opened as she approached it, and Stanley stepped in beside her. She tapped her access card against a sensor, and the elevator chimed recognition. She pressed the button for the top level. They rode in silence, and Stanley struggled to calm his mind... and his erection.

The elevator stopped, and they stepped off into a lobby. The woman nodded to the two large men in dark suits standing on either side of some double doors. They nodded and opened the doors for her. Stanley looked at them with wide eyes as they trained their gaze on him the entire time he walked past. He got the impression they were watching for the slightest hint that he was a threat, and they'd take him down. Hard.

Ms. Villamor led him down a long hallway and stopped before an opaque glass door with another sensor. Once she tapped her access card to it and pressed a control, the liquid crystal in the glass cleared, and he could see a large boardroom table and many chairs around it. The room was empty otherwise. She opened the door and walked in. Stanley followed. There was a sudden hush when the door closed as the room was soundproofed.

"We are on the top floor. This room is in the center of the floor, away from all the windows. It's used once a month. Otherwise, it remains empty. If we were to build the new network room here, we could build a new boardroom in the basement," she suggested.

He looked at the room and took in the twelve-foot ceilings. The carpet would have to go. They could take it back to the cement floor and add a raised floor. He could see the racks of servers, the air conditioning vents and exhaust, the power panels, and the cable guide.

He walked over to the far wall and put his hand against it, trying to envision where the cables would run to the lower floors and where the room's heat could be dumped.

He was nodding to himself as the picture came together in his mind.

"Would this room suffice?" she asked.

"Do we have roof access? Permission to install a diesel backup generator there? Extra air conditioning units?" Stanley was lost in a world of design and forgot to be nervous as he answered automatically.

She was tapping something into her phone. "I will find out. We own the building, so permission only depends on city building codes." She looked at him. "Do we have a deal?"

The question snapped Stanley out of his beautiful daydream and slapped him in the face with reality. He was only recently out of college; this would be his first job! He wasn't qualified to do what she was asking. He opened his mouth, and nothing came out. He closed it and cleared his throat. He faced the wall.

"I really think you would be better off hiring a company that does this kind of work. I'm hardly qualified, and the task is huge! They'll have access to a large group of installers to do the cable runs and the server builds. I'm just talking about the hardware here. I still have no idea about all the software you currently use and what upgrades you'll need to move to."

"I can get you a team of thirty workers. Absolutely dedicated, hard-working, and dependable," she insisted.

He turned to stare at the woman who was putting her company's future in his hands. He was overwhelmed.

"Why?"

She tilted her head again. "Why what?"

"Why are you p-p-putting this much f-fuh-faith in my ab-abilities? You d-duh-don't even know me!" he gasped.

"Olive wasn't the only one who read your transcript from the college. They were quite impressed with your abilities. Savant was the word they used. I know Professor Stagg. He doesn't give praise like that unless it's deserved."

He felt completely off balance. The old man had been a thorn in his side throughout his five years at the college. Stanley got excellent grades in the old man's classes, but he'd had to fight for every point. To hear he had such a high opinion of him now... he didn't know what to think.

"Besides, I knew a Garin... a long time ago. He was... a most extraordinary man," she smiled gently to herself as she remembered. When she returned from her memories, she pinned Stanley once more with her dark eyes. "Do we have a deal?"

Stanley's inner voices were screaming at him. The cautious, timid one wanted him to tell her he was flattered, but he'd pass. The louder voice told him he needed to accept this challenge as it was a once-in-a-lifetime deal.

"Okay."

"Okay?" she said with a raised eyebrow.

"S-sorry. Yes, we have a d-deal," he said, his voice quavering.

"Good. Follow me." She spun once more, and Stanley rushed to catch up.

She walked a little further down the hall and came to another glass door, but it was clear, and he could see it led to a small waiting room with an executive assistant's desk. A beautiful young woman sat behind the desk and looked up with a smile at them as they entered. Her eyes widened when she looked at him.

Stanley felt his tongue go numb once more as the woman was a younger version of Ms. Villamor. Same long raven hair, except hers was pulled back into a ponytail. Same large, dark eyes, high cheekbones, and a slim nose above full sensual lips. The only thing she was missing was the impression of power and dominance. Instead, she seemed to exude a warm and happy friendliness.

"Good morning, Mother."

"Ah!" Stanley thought.

"Paloma, you know you're supposed to address me as Ms. Villamor at the office," the older woman sighed as her daughter's face slipped into a contrite expression. Her eyes slid over to Stanley, and her smile was back.

"Hello!"

"Hi!" Stanley managed.

"This is Stanley Garin. Stanley, this is Paloma Villamor, your executive assistant."

"What?!?" Stanley gasped as Paloma's smile brightened.

"You've found a replacement for Mr. Hokensev?" the young woman chirped happily.

"Yes, just now."

Stanley was looking between the two women, and his knees were beginning to wobble. The mother saw his trembling, gently took his arm, and guided him into his new office to sit in one of the chairs before the large desk. Stanley's eyes took in the heavy and dark stained wooden furniture filling the room.

"This furniture belonged to the previous occupant of this office. You may change it to suit your taste." She turned to the doorway where Paloma was hovering. "Dear, contact the head of HR, Ms. Gunderan, and have her bring a full executive contract." She looked back at Stanley. "You can start today, yes?"

Stanley was taking slow, deep breaths to calm himself and just nodded.

"Is he all right?" Paloma asked.

"Yes, dear. Ms. Gunderan, please," the mother said, and Stanley picked up the steel in her tone. Paloma disappeared from the doorway instantly.

"I- I'm s-sorry for being a b-bother," Stanley gasped as he struggled to get his brain back to functioning. It was all happening so quickly. When the day started, he'd hoped he would end up in his own cubicle in a pod farm surrounded by other techs, maybe in charge of ordering and installing network adapters in workstations. Here he was, sitting in his top-floor office with an executive assistant, a gorgeous one at that, responsible for the company's entire IT infrastructure! It wasn't supposed to happen this way.

Paloma reappeared in the doorway. "She's on her way."

"Thank you, dear. Have Mr. Hokensev's personal items been removed from the room?"

"Yes."

Ms. Villamor caught Stanley's eyes again, and he felt locked in place. "Do you like this furniture, or would you like to change it."

He used the excuse to look away from her amazing eyes. "It's kind of... heavy, and the room is... dark? Are those blackout curtains over the windows?" he asked in puzzlement. The woman nodded with a frown as if they offended her, too. "I'd like to remove those." He looked at the furniture. "Could I get something modern? Glass and steel?"

When she looked around the room, he did as well. "I like the desk lamp and the floor lamp, though." They were the only two items he did like. The rest made him feel uneasy. He glanced at the woman standing in the doorway.

Paloma had a wide smile, and she quietly clapped her hands. Her mother snorted quietly.

"Yes, you can have this," she said to him.

She turned to her daughter. "Dear, I believe you will find Mr. Garin here far more agreeable to work for than Mr. Hokensev." Paloma's smile just got brighter. "Summon the workers," the mother said, and her daughter disappeared again.

The doorway was suddenly filled with a broad-shouldered woman with intensely blue eyes. She had to be six-foot-four in her low-heeled black boots, surpassing her boss in height and width. Fair-skinned and blond, the head of Human Resources was a powerfully built woman who gave him the impression that she could probably take both of the men he'd met in the elevator lobby in a fight... at the same time.

"Ms. Gunderan, may I present the newest executive team member, Stanley Garin," the CEO said.

Stanley stood up to shake the hand of the tall blond. He saw her long hair was pulled back in an intricately woven braid, the bottom clasped with a shiny gold cylinder, which he spotted as it swung like a pendulum when she moved. She wore a business suit with a skirt, showing off her muscular but shapely legs.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. Garin," the woman said with a smile, and she gave the CEO a questioning glance. Villamor shook her head almost imperceptibly, but Stanley caught it and Gunderan's raised eyebrow response. He wasn't sure what that was about, but he was still dazed. The woman's voice was surprisingly feminine. He'd been expecting the much deeper octave from bodybuilding and possibly taking enhancers. On closer examination, though, there was nothing masculine about Gunderan. She was lovely, just big!

"Th-thank you," he stumbled, and she grinned at him.

"I'm not scaring you, am I?" she asked sweetly, ignoring the scowl from her boss.

"N-no, I get like this around puh-pretty women," he forced out, then froze, wide-eyed at what he'd just said. To the head of HR, nonetheless. AND the CEO! He closed his eyes and put his face in his hands.

"Oh, I like this one!" Gunderan chuckled happily.

"Sigrid," her boss scolded.

"Fine, but I can't help it if he's so cute," she chuckled at Villamor's growl. She turned to Stanley, who was looking at her once more. "This is a standard executive contract for our firm. Please read it before signing it. I can answer any questions you have as you go through it."

A group of men showed up in the doorway. Stanley looked over at them and immediately felt uneasy as they were all strikingly similar. They all were roughly the same height, had the same hair color, and generally had the same facial features. They could be twins... if that happened in groups of... eight?

"Ah, we're in the way, aren't we? Let's move to my office," the CEO said.

"Is this furniture going to storage?" Sigrid asked.

"Do you want it?" Villamor asked.

The tall blond moved to sit behind the desk and ran her hands over the surface. Then she gave it a heavy thump with her fist. The heavy desk took it in stride. She grinned. "Yes, please!" She looked over to the men in the doorway. "Please strip it back to the natural wood, then give it a light oiling and a sealant before delivering it to my office."

The closest man in the doorway nodded then the rest gave the nod. Again, the hairs on the back of Stanley's neck trembled.

Ms. Villamor stood and gestured for Stanley to follow her. Gunderan followed him. They walked down the hall into another waiting room. Sitting at a desk to the right of the inner door was a beautiful, dark-haired man who must have been the CEO's executive assistant. Beyond the inner door was a corner office. He sighed when he saw the view from the expansive windows. Her desk, situated at the apex of the two bands of windows, was exactly the kind of furniture he liked. A wide glass surface on a steel tubing frame. On closer examination, though, the glass surface blended different types and colors of glass. It looked something like a Kaleidoscope. Very pretty.

The CEO gestured for them to sit on the couch to read through the contract while she returned to her desk to get some work done.

It took Stanley some time to get through the document as he'd never read one before. There were a lot of clauses regarding confidentiality and some rather strict and ominous-sounding penalties for breaching them. Sigrid was very helpful in clarifying some of the legalese, and by the end, he felt comfortable signing the document. There was still the matter of filling out the fields for his compensation.

Ms. Villamor gestured for them to join her, so they stood and sat in the chairs before her desk. She leaned back in her chair, holding Stanley's eyes with hers. "I will start you off with an annual salary of $320,000, profit sharing, and full benefits. We will review your performance after six months and assess at that time if additional compensation is warranted. Is this acceptable?"

Stanley rarely laughed, but he couldn't stop from bursting into laughter now, thinking the woman was kidding. He looked around for the hidden cameras and saw only the two women watching him with puzzled expressions. When they didn't join in, his laughter quickly choked off. "I-I thought you were juh-joking, and this was all an elaborate puh-prank."

Ms. Villamor just held his eyes with hers.

"It is highly acceptable," he squeaked. Ms. Gunderan nodded and wrote in the figures. She slid the document over to him on the desk to sign. He took the pen and added his signature to the document.

"As a final authorization, we do require a tiny drop of blood in this box at the bottom of the form," the head of HR said, and he stared at her in surprise. She reached over and gently took his hand. She pricked his finger with a pin she suddenly had in her hand and gently squeezed the finger until a single droplet of blood fell toward the paper.

Before it touched, the droplet vaporized with a tiny puff.

The women went absolutely still and looked at Stanley closely. The young man in question was looking at the paper in puzzlement. He leaned forward to look closer as a second drop fell to the paper. It, too, disappeared with a slight hiss and pop.

"How is that happening?" he said slowly with wide eyes.

He missed the exchange between the executives. The head of HR was staring at the CEO intensely, and the brunette just gave her head one brief, sharp shake to shut down the unspoken question.

"We can dispense with that formality for now, Sigrid. Thank you. That will be all."

With a final glance at her boss, the tall blond gathered up the contract and left the office. Stanley put his finger in his mouth, but it had already stopped bleeding.

"Your predecessor, Mr. Hokensev, may have kept notes on the existing equipment. You should work with Paloma to review all of his documentation. I believe you'll find her highly motivated, and she'll prove indispensable."

He nodded to her.

"You can find your way back to your office, yes?" He nodded. She held out her hand, which he shook. "Welcome to VRL Investments," she said with a smile. "Now, go save us from disaster!"

Seeing he was being dismissed, he stood up. "Th-thank you for this op-op—chance!"

She smiled and made a shooing motion with her hand as she turned back to her work.

He walked to the door, and as his hand touched the handle, she called out to him.

"I've received reports that our Internet connection is remaining stable. That's an excellent start! Keep it up!"

He smiled back at her and nodded.

He walked back to his office and stopped in surprise when he saw there was already a silver plaque with his name printed on it on the wall next to the door. It also said CIO. He had to take a moment to absorb that.

When he stepped inside, he saw Ms. Gunderan speaking in hushed tones with Paloma, who smiled when she saw him.

"Welcome to VRL, Mr. Garin!" she said cheerfully. How she said the company name made it sound like she was saying virile.

He smiled at her and nodded to the head of HR, who returned the nod as she headed out.

Then Stanley was alone with the beautiful young woman with the bright smile.

"P-please call me Stanley."

"Oh! I couldn't do that, Mr. Garin! It's disrespectful," she exclaimed with wide eyes.

"Wuh-we're the same age!" he blurted, starting to feel a little dizzy in her presence.

"Please, I'm an Executive Assistant. You're a Chief Information Officer!" she gushed and leaned forward over her desk towards him.

Suddenly, Stanley's eyes were trapped in her deep... deep cleavage. He pulled his eyes away and saw she was looking at him expectantly. "Uh, what was I doing?"

"What would you like to do first?" she asked.

"Oh! Right, Ms. Villamor said you c-c-could get me all of Muh-Mr. Hokensev's documentation on the existing n-n-network inventory," he said. He gritted his teeth as he was becoming frustrated with his stuttering.

She nodded and walked out from behind her desk to enter his office. He followed and was stunned to see the blackout curtains were already gone. He had a pretty nice view, and the desk had been replaced with a modern glass and steel model. He noticed the lack of a computer on the desk but assumed they would let him pick his own. After all, he was in charge of that now.

He saw Paloma lean over one of the black filing cabinets against the wall and open a drawer. Was she intentionally wiggling her ass at him? No, it couldn't be. He pulled his mind back from where it was trying to go.

"Oh NO!" Paloma gasped.

"What is it?"

"His files! They've been destroyed!" she exclaimed.

He walked over to stand beside her and saw the drawer was full of ashes. "Someone burned them?"

Paloma had a stern look on her face. "It was probably Mr. Hokensev himself. He became rather... hostile in his last week with us."

Stanley was a little worried about what that might mean when he did his visual inspection and inventory of the network and systems equipment, which he would have to rely on without the documentation.

He turned to look into her lovely dark eyes as she pushed the drawer closed. "Can you get me an organization chart? I n-need to know the size of the c-c-company and how many wuh-workstations I can expect we'll be su-supporting." He looked away with a scowl.

He felt a hand on his arm and looked back in surprise.

"You don't have to be nervous around me. I'm here for you one hundred percent," she said gently, her compassion showing in her eyes.

He did feel himself calming a little and smiled at her gratefully.

She bit her plump lip and reluctantly pulled her hand back from his arm. "What do we do now?"

He cleared his throat and nodded, feeling his nerves settle down. Now, he was in his comfort zone. "We do an inventory manually. We start at the bottom and work our way up!" She smiled at his enthusiasm, and her eyes sparkled at his lack of stuttering. She gave him a firm nod.

He led the way back out to her desk, where she sent a quick request to HR to get a new org chart sent to them and to get her tablet.

"I'll keep notes of your findings," she said, and he smiled in return.

They returned to the basement, and Paloma showed him the code to manually access the server room until he had an access card. Once inside, they got to work.

It took them hours to record every piece of equipment in the room, but they made an excellent team. Paloma's enthusiasm never waned, and Stanley was in his element. He truly felt relaxed around this beauty, and that was a first. He kept his thoughts professional. While he longed for a girlfriend, he knew he'd be working closely with her and had to keep this relationship purely business.

Once they were done, he had a much firmer grasp of the scale of the company's network and the scope of just how much danger it was in. He began to have doubts about his ability to achieve his goal. He felt Paloma's hand on his arm once more.

"Don't let the size of this task intimidate you. I know you can do it! I can see you understanding everything you found in here, and that's amazing to me! You know what needs to be done! That's far ahead of what most people could achieve so quickly.

He felt his confidence returning.

"Can we do a quick inventory of the equipment in use on each floor on our way upstairs?" he asked, and she gave him a happy smile.

Paloma led him to the main floor. "Reception and Security are the only departments with terminals. It's my understanding that the two reception terminals have minimal access. Let me introduce you to Mr. Duncan, our head of security." She opened a locked door and led him down an access hallway to the security offices. He'd noted the cameras in the lobby and the camera in the hallway as well. When they reached the door to the security office, they had to buzz to be admitted.

Once inside, Stanley quickly made note of the terminals they had and the vast number of screens they had to review. Most seemed to be picking up feeds from external cameras, but a surprising amount were internal.

They had a small array of servers in the corner of the office, and he squatted down to take in their make and model.

"Ms. Villamor! What are you doing bringing a stranger into the Security Office!" growled a thick Scottish accent.

Stanley stood and turned to face the source of the voice and had to crane his neck back to see the eyes of the speaker. He was as tall and intimidating as the two men guarding the top-floor elevator lobby. Flaming red hair and a red beard dominated his features, but he had pale blue eyes and freckles over a nose that looked many times broken and reset poorly. He was wearing a black suit but looked like he'd be far more comfortable in combat gear.

"Mr. Duncan, this is Stanley Garin. VRL's new CIO."

Bushy red eyebrows rose, and his eyes hardened as he closely examined the small man standing before him.

"Aye, Ms. Gunderan sent me an update on a new employee. Your mum also sent me a note," the man said, not taking his eyes off him.

Stanley held out his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir."

The security chief gripped his hand hard, pumped it a few times, then released it with a smile. "It's nice to meet you as well. Are you going to fix the mess that bastard Hokensev left us in?"

"Uh, yes, sir. That's the plan. Your servers are going to be on the list of replacements. They're much too slow to keep up with the load you're putting them under. I'm only seeing regular cameras. Are you intending to add some with thermal imaging capabilities?" He got a nod and raised eyebrows from the man. "These servers won't do it," Stanley said, looking back at the machines in the corner. "The power backup is a joke, and that wall of monitors, they're old school, low-res CRTs, aren't they. Everything has to be replaced." His expression showed his frustration. How had these systems been left to rot for so long?

Mr. Duncan smiled at Paloma, who grinned back at him. "Mr. Garin, come with me. I'll get your security access set up."

They went to the man's office, and soon Stanley had his own access card to the building. The card gave him access everywhere, including the elevators up to the executive level, but it wouldn't open the other executive offices or the Security Office door.

Stanley looked at Paloma. "Am I going to find antiquated hardware on every floor?"

"Not in the Accounting Department," the Security Chief growled.

Paloma glanced at Stanley and nodded.

They moved on, going up floor-to-floor until they reached the second to last, where each workstation was relatively new, and each monitor was a wide aspect twenty-seven inch LCD flat panel. They'd reached the Accounting Department. Stanley looked around in surprise. This was the technology every floor should have been using.

They were approached by a slim, older man who had to be at least six-foot-two. Stanley wondered if there was an unspoken HR prerequisite for being tall he had somehow bypassed. He picked up Paloma's unease and looked a little closer at the approaching gentleman.

"Ah, Ms. Villamor, is this the new CIO I've been hearing about?" the tall man said with an odd hiss behind his words.

Paloma nodded and unconsciously moved slightly behind Stanley as she turned to address the CFO. "Mr. Pfister, may I introduce Stanley Garin."

The man eagerly held his long-fingered hand out to shake. Stanley noted he wore various rings on each finger, some quite ornate.

Just as the young man slid his hand into the larger grip, a static spark shot to Mr. Pfister's hand, striking three of the rings, causing the old man to yelp and yank his hand back.

"Wow! That was quite the static shock! Are you all right?" Stanley asked as the older man didn't look well at all. He was looking at Stanley in dread. Then he looked at his rings.

Seeing the older man was unsettled, Stanley saw an opportunity to go on the offensive. "I noticed that all the workstations on this floor are current, whereas all the lower floors are struggling with ancient equipment. Can you explain that?" he asked.

The man wasn't really paying attention to him as he fussed with his rings. "Their workstations are perfectly functional. There was no need to upgrade them."

Stanley looked at the man in surprise. "That decision falls under the purview of the CIO."

Mr. Pfister was beginning to look a little desperate to get the rings off, but they looked stuck. He was also beginning to look a little... green. "Yes, but the purchase orders are approved by me, so nothing is purchased without my say-so. So, I decide."

Paloma took Stanley's arm and quickly pulled him away as she saw he was starting to get angry.

She got him into the elevator, and they rode it up to the top floor. "We need to speak with your mother," Stanley grumbled to Paloma. She nodded, and they walked to the end of the hall. When they reached her outer office, her executive assistant, Felix, asked them to take a seat.

They must have been there for ten minutes when Mr. Duncan entered the waiting room and was directed to go straight in to see the CEO. Stanley's eyes were wide with shock as he took in the ripped state of the Security Officer's suit and a splash of what looked like blood on the man's arm and cheek. Paloma placed her hand on Stanley's arm to keep him seated, which calmed him down. Another ten minutes passed then Mr. Duncan emerged with a smile on his face. He nodded, winked at Stanley, and left.

"You may go in now," Felix said.

They rose and entered the office. Ms. Villamor gestured for them to take the seats across from her desk.

They sat, and Stanley immediately slid forward on his chair. When the woman turned her dark eyes on him, he felt it like a physical shock through his body. She was just so lovely!

"Muh-Ms. Villamor, I d-d-don't..." Paloma put her hand on Stanley's arm, and he felt himself calm. He kept his eyes on the surface of the CEO's desk. "I don't believe I'll be able to resolve this company's imminent technical crisis without an immediate adjustment in policy. The CIO must be the one who decides on what purchases are made for the company's IT requirements, not the CFO." He looked back gratefully at Paloma, and she smiled at him.

"I don't believe that will be an issue for us any longer. Mr. Pfister no longer works for VRL. I believe you'll find his replacement much more reasonable," the woman said with a wide smile.

"But- but I was just speaking with him—" he began in shock.

"And you left him in a very talkative mood. When Mr. Duncan spoke with him after you left, he confessed to embezzling from the company with Mr. Hokensev's assistance. This gave us grounds to... fire him for breach of contract. He was... escorted from the building. We won't be seeing him again."

Seeing the stunned look on Stanley's face, she glanced at the clock and smiled. "You've had a very busy first day. It's well past eight, so why don't you head home, and we'll see you bright and early tomorrow morning."

"Uh, thank you, Ms. Villamor. Good night," Stanley said as he got to his feet. He admitted to himself he was tired. He was eager to move forward with this project but also needed to rest. He also had a long commute ahead of him.

Paloma followed him out of the office and down the hall to the entrance of his office.

"I guess I'll head home. I'll see you in the morning," Stanley said, fidgeting.

"See you in the morning. I'm so glad you're part of the team," Paloma said with a smile.

Stanley's head spun a little at how pretty she was. He nodded with a grin of his own. "Thanks! Good night!"

He went to the elevator lobby and was surprised when the two security agents nodded to him as he waited for the car to arrive. He nodded to them in return and took the elevator to the ground floor. Mr. Duncan was there and nodded to him as he left. The man wore a new black suit with no sign of the blood he'd seen earlier.

Stepping outside, Stanley felt an incredible rush of joy shoot through his body. He had a job, a challenging one at that, doing something he loved and was being paid quite handsomely for it! He wouldn't be just working on one small component of the company's tech but would get to work on all of it! Not only that, he had a beautiful woman assisting him. A woman he could actually talk to without swallowing his tongue! He hoped this would help him be able to speak with other women and maybe even meet someone he could date! He walked north towards the subway station, his mind lost in his memories of Paloma's smile.

He was passing an alley a short distance from VRL when a hand reached out and yanked him off his feet, tossing him deeper into the dimly lit alley. Other hands took a grip on his arms and dragged him further in, then yanked him up to his feet. He was being held between two very strong people he couldn't see.

Suddenly, a bright light shone in his eyes, and he blinked away the tears. He looked to see who was holding him, and... he still couldn't see them. They were still shadows. His mind shied away from that as he squinted against the glare to look toward the headlights a dozen feet away. Someone was standing between them, backlit.

Stanley couldn't see his features, but he was tall and wearing a tailored suit. Broad shoulders and a slim waist. Maybe he was a swimmer? Stanley had heard that swimmers had this kind of physique.

"Mr.... Garin, is it? Stanley Garin?" The voice was deep, rich, and cultured. He couldn't place the accent.

"Y-Yes? Who are you?"

"Well, that doesn't really matter right now, does it? Now that I know who you are, I have what I need," the voice said with amusement.

"I-I don't understand. What do you want with me? Why are you doing this?" Stanley was starting to get scared. Today was turning out to be really, really weird.

"Give it to me!" the voice barked as he faced sideways, toward someone out of view. Stanley saw his profile, and the man had the perfect features of one of those Michelangelo statues.

An arm reached toward the man and handed him a four-inch metallic cube. The man took it and walked towards Stanley until he was just two feet away. Stanley's eyes widened in surprise. The man was beautiful in an unearthly way. He was smiling at his prisoner, enjoying the look of awe, basking in it.

"Stanley, you are going to do me a favor. Not because you want to but because you won't really have any other choice." He gave Stanley a smile as if he found himself rather clever. "You see, in this quantum paradox trap is a demon. A truly nasty one, but it's my demon. It's under a binding to me, so when I let it out of the trap, it will enter your body and become you. Then you'll go home, get a good night's sleep, and start your workday tomorrow as my personal minion inside VRL."

"No, thank you, please," Stanley said, his voice wobbling in fear. This guy was insane. Demons? Who knows what was really in that little box.

Surprise flickered across the man's perfect features, and he barked out a laugh. "Oh my, that was precious! So polite! Sorry, I'm still going to do it. Nice try, though." The man nodded to the people holding Stanley, and they reached across to rip his shirt open to expose the skin of his hairless chest.

Stanley cried out in fear. Then felt the cold metal of the cube pressed against his sternum and looked down to see it. It was difficult to look at as the ornate patterns on the sides of the cube seemed to be moving in multiple directions simultaneously. He glanced up to see the man smiling with his brilliant white teeth exposed.

Then he heard a click.

An explosion of light and electricity blew the smiling man backward, tossing him bodily up and over the car. The headlights blew out, and the alley fell into shadow and after images of the lightning.

The shadowy men holding Stanley's arms weren't so lucky. They were tossed sideways to impact the brickwork of the buildings, like bugs on a high-speed windshield.

Stanley was the epicenter of the explosion and didn't emerge unscathed. The rebounding shockwave returning from the brick walls on either side of him slapped him to the ground, where he lay dazed. His eyes were rolling, but when they became accustomed to the low light in the alley, he saw dark figures bundling the tall man into the back of the car. Then, it screeched backward out of the alley and accelerated away. Stanley felt eyes watching him, and someone stepped out of the shadows and stood before him.

He had to be hallucinating from whatever explosive had been in that box. The being standing before him was red, covered in blood, and naked. Very naked. He looked up to the face, and yellow eyes glowed as they pinned Stanley in place.

"I should thank you for freeing me, but... that's not what I do."

Stanley gagged on the odor of its breath. The stench of diseased rot and death dripped from the being, and Stanley tried to move, but his limbs weren't responding.

"You're small, but you'll be an adequate snack." Sharp teeth flashed in its wide grin.

"PERHAPS I'D MAKE A MORE SUITABLE MEAL, FOUL DEMON!" boomed a voice from the alley's entrance.

Stanley turned his eyes over to see a large woman running towards them. The naked figure hissed in anger and spun, looking for an exit, but the alley was closed at this end. It turned to face its attacker, and leathery wings ripped from its back. It leapt into the air, desperately flapping to get altitude. Shadows were filling the alley, cast there by its wide wings.

The woman running towards them gave a thunderous battle cry and leapt upward. Huge wings of white burst from her back, their light driving back the shadows. The demon hissed louder and threw something dark at the woman.

A shield of light appeared on her arm and deflected the black spear. Then she was upon the demon, driving the point of her own spear deep into its chest with a wet popping sound. It screamed, and she heaved upwards on the shaft of the spear, ripping the razor-sharp tip up through the demon's corrupt flesh until it split the skull in two. Gore rained down onto the lane.

Stanley was lying on his back, watching this scene from a fantasy movie play out in the air above him, when his view was obscured by a wonderful and welcome sight. Paloma's beautiful face was looking down at him. Her lovely features were marred by an expression of fearful worry, but the fact that she was worried about him made him smile. Her lips caught his smile, timidly returning it as his mind began to slide into oblivion.

Before he went completely under, he saw the Valkyrie descending towards him, vast white feathered wings effortlessly slowing her descent, and he thought how similar she looked to Ms. Gunderan... if the woman had been into cosplay.

Chapter 2

Stanley needed to get home. The need pulled at him, droning in his ear and poking him with sharp sticks. Finally, his abused mind could take no more and pushed him into the conscious world.

Before his vision returned, he heard voices. Arguing. Something familiar about the voices. Ah, that was Ms. Gunderan, and the other softer voice belonged to... Paloma!

HOME!

His eyes popped open as he gasped, and Paloma squeaked in surprise.

"Mr. Garin is awake!" her large blond companion said unnecessarily.

His eyes were still having some trouble tracking, but he eventually found the sources of the voices and saw a stern and worried expression on the face of the Head of HR.

Paloma's was lit up with a smile.

"How are you feeling, Stanley?" she asked.

"I have to go home," he blurted, looking around at the unfamiliar room.

"Until we know your place is safe, it's probably better if you stay here with me," Paloma answered with a worried expression.

"Sure. I need to go home. Now." Stanley said and tried to get up. That's when he noticed he was tied to the bed. He looked at his wrists and saw silk ties securely binding him to the bed.

"Uh... what... what's going on?" he asked cautiously.

"It's for your own safety," Ms. Gunderan said, but she looked deeply uncomfortable about his bindings as well.

"I have to go! Now! Untie me!" Stanley was beginning to feel desperate. The need to get home rang like a bell through every cell of his body.

Paloma sat on the edge of the bed and tried to calm him, but suddenly, his eyes rolled back, and he arched his back in a huge gasp.

As he retreated into the peace of oblivion, he heard a gentle but ancient voice in his mind whispering.

"Too late..."

And he was gone.

-=-

Sigrid stared at the unconscious young man on the bed with wide eyes. Nothing was what it seemed with him! She'd felt something when she first met him, but Camila warned her to back off, so she did. Then, when his blood refused to be recorded? Camila intervened again.

When she got the panicked call from Paloma saying someone was attempting to abduct her new boss, Sigrid had come running. Why Paloma had been secretly following the young man, she didn't know, but she'd arrived just as a massive explosion released a demon from its containment trap. The energy needed to destroy the trap and the demon's binding would have been considerable.

She hadn't had the pleasure of dispatching one of the infernal beings for a very long time, so she'd enjoyed herself with this one.

Stanley hadn't appeared injured from being at the center of the blast, but maybe he did appear dazed. He'd been unconscious when she landed at his feet. Paloma insisted she carry him to the young woman's condo as it was closest. Sigrid had wanted to drop him off at his place so he could wake, believing it was all a crazy dream. Paloma insisted it was safer to take him to hers as the abductors might try again. The girl hadn't really explained why she'd thought it was necessary to tie him to her bed, aside from saying it was for his safety, but it looked like it had been a good precaution after all.

There was a quiet ticking noise coming from the bed, which was rapidly speeding up. Paloma began to lean over Stanley's body to discover the source of the noise. Instinct made Sigrid grab her and jump back from the bed. She held the struggling girl against her chest, then froze as light bent around Stanley. There was an odd twisting and folding, which they had to look away from. With a sharp crack, reality reset itself over Paloma's bed. Stanley was gone. In his place was something neither had ever seen before, at least not in person.

A head full of long, thick, dark brown hair with broad, bone-white ridged horns curling and twisting out of the hair near his temples. Dark-brown furred and pointed ears stuck straight out from his head and dipped downwards slightly.

Its face had Stanley's features, but they were a little longer. He was still youthful in appearance but definitely no longer slim and slight. He now had a broad, muscular chest and powerful-looking arms with three thick fingers and a thumb on each big hand. His clothing could not contain his new configuration and lay on him in torn shreds. The most dramatic of his changes was his lower half from his waist down. Densely furred and powerful, his legs had become those of some kind of goat right down to his large, black, cloven-hooved feet.

"W-what is he?" Paloma gasped.

"I think he's a Satyr, but his horns are bigger than I thought one would have, but I've never seen one before. They... they're supposed to be extinct!" Sigrid said quietly. "He, or I think more likely someone else, went to exceptional effort to keep him disguised. I've never seen that kind of glamor before. It wasn't overlaying his true self with a false image. It actually altered reality around him so he could... be... a Human. That's magic at a level I've never seen. Magic that alters reality... that's Master Level."

She reflected on her interactions with him and could see no guile in his behavior. "I'm not sure if Stanley was aware of this. He may not know what he really is." She spotted the silk ties that once bound him to the bed. They were loose on the surface of the mattress. "Paloma, you need to tightly secure him to the bed. He looks much stronger than he did before."

The girl nodded and rushed forward to secure his arms and legs to the bed. She was a little too good at this activity for Sigrid's comfort. Once she saw he was tightly bound, Sigrid walked out to get her coat, Paloma following.

She pulled it on as she looked into the wide eyes of the young woman. "Listen, I'm going to get your mother and bring her here. If he wakes keep him calm and secured until we get back." Pausing, she walked back into the bedroom. She pulled out her cell and took a quick picture as convincing Camila would be so much easier with it.

"Lock up behind me, and don't let anyone else in!" Sigrid said as Paloma followed her to the door.

With a final stern look in the young woman's eyes, she was off.

-=-

Paloma closed and locked the door. She touched the rune next to it to set the ward. If something Magic tried to enter, they were in for a nasty surprise. She rushed back to the bedroom and stopped at the foot of the bed.

Shivers ran up and down her spine. A Satyr! She'd known Stanley was special the moment she saw him! It was her gift to sense potential. While her mother had a touch of it and at times used it in her business dealings, Paloma hid how strong her gift truly was from everyone, even her mother. It was one of the skills of being a Seer, and she didn't want to become a tool for her mother's business dealings.

When Stanley had first entered her waiting room, she'd seen an aura of wild energies around him like she'd never seen before. He was completely unaware of it. She'd picked up pretty quickly that, on the surface, Stanley was what he appeared to be: a young man, awkward around women, more comfortable around technology, but at his core, a decent person. She smiled as she recalled how he'd calmed at her touch.

There was one more thing about Stanley that she found almost irresistible.

He was a virgin!

Combined with this genuine innocence, it had taken all her willpower to resist the urge to tear off his clothes and feast on his essence. Of course, her mother would have demoted her to working in the cafeteria with the hags if she'd failed the most basic lesson her kind was taught the moment they reached sexual maturity.

With the risk of being exposed increasing constantly due to the Human's ever more clever surveillance technology, the Hidden Races had to remain vigilant and take every precaution.

She wanted so much to relax and allow her own glamor to dissipate, but she knew Stanley would have a hard enough time accepting his own change. One thing at a time.

Paloma stood watching him sleep and admired his new body. He still had a sweet, innocent expression, but his torso and arms gave her not-so-innocent ideas. The buttons that hadn't torn free in the alley had all popped due to his expanding proportions, and the seams were torn, so she reached over and spread the two sides apart to get a good look at his bare chest. For all the hair, well... fur really, on his lower half, his torso was remarkably free of hair. Even his thick arms were bare of hair. His face was baby-smooth under her fingertips.

The long hair on his head was also silky smooth and so wonderfully luxurious as she ran her fingers through it. Tingles ran up and down her body, and she moaned. Biting her lip, she forced herself to take a few steps back from the bed.

Her breath was coming in gulps, and her body ached for release. Danger signals! What was taking Sigrid so long to bring her mother?

-=-

Sigrid was trying to get past Felix to Camila, but her assistant insisted his boss could not be disturbed while she was on this call to Japan. So she sat, stewing in the waiting room.

"How long do these calls normally take?" she finally sighed with exasperation.

Felix shrugged and looked over at her. "It varies."

"And there is no way you can get a message to her?" Sigrid pushed.

"I was given strictest instructions not to disturb her in any way. The Japanese official she is speaking to is very sensitive to the slightest sign of disrespect. Her cell phone is off, and her office line is muted. Her entire attention is on this man." Felix explained.

Sigrid growled and sunk into the sofa a little deeper. She hoped Paloma wasn't having any trouble with Stanley.

-=-

"WHAT? WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME!?!" Stanley bellowed as he looked down at his body in shock.

"Stanley, please just relax! Everything is okay." Paloma said in a calming tone and rested her palm on his chest. She could feel his heart beating strongly and rapidly under his dense muscles. More tingles shot through her body, and she bit her lip.

"OKAY?!? IT'S NOT OKAY! MY BODY ISN'T MY BODY ANYMORE! AND I'M STILL TIED DOWN!" he yelled as he pulled at his bindings.

"They're for your safety! Please calm down! Take some deep breaths!" she pleaded as she placed both hands on the thick slabs of his chest muscles. Her self-control was beginning to crack.

Stanley tried to do as she said, but he was sure he'd lost his mind. He looked to the right and saw his right arm, thick with muscle, and his hand—THREE FINGERS?!? He pulled again at the silk ties, but they were too well knotted to slip free. He lifted his head, which felt strangely heavy. He saw Paloma's lovely hands resting on his chest. It didn't look like his chest, but he could feel her hands on him, could feel her kneading the muscles. Looking further down just increased his distress. What happened to his legs? Why were they covered in fur?

"Oh my god! I've mutated? Did that guy in the alley inject me with some weird experimental drug?" he moaned.

"Stanley, you didn't mutate! This is just your real shape! You were wearing a disguise, a glamor over your true self before. It wore off or was damaged in the explosion in the alley," she tried to explain.

His eyes snapped to hers. "You were there? Did you see what happened? Why were you there?"

"I-I followed you from work. I saw something in your potentials, your possible futures, that concerned me, so I followed you. I saw them abduct you. I called for help then I watched them try to possess you with the demon." Paloma was running her hands over his torso, enjoying the feeling of the hard muscles of his stomach.

"Demon...." Stanley gasped as her touch confused his mind and made him feel... really good.

"Yes, a demon. I heard the man say he wanted to use you as a spy inside my mother's company. Perhaps Mother knows who he is." She gently pinched his nipples, and Stanley gasped once more and writhed on the bed.

"What-what are you doing? Paloma!" he asked, trying to get her attention. She looked up at him, and he saw her licking her lips.

"Oh, Stanley, I'm sorry to spring this on you, but the world is filled with creatures like you and me. Magical, wonderful beings who stay hidden from Humans for our and their safety."

"I'm human!" he asserted.

Paloma slid her hands along his strong arms and sighed as she brought her face down closer to his. "No, Stanley. Your disguise was Human, but your true self is this. I've never seen a glamor so complete that even the wearer is unaware of what they are." Her body was burning with need, and he was so delicious! Her control was gone. She brushed her lips across his and pulled back teasingly.

Stanley thought he heard an odd emphasis when Paloma said the word human. It didn't quite sound the way he said it.

"Wait! Wait! You said—you said creatures like you and me, but you're obviously human!" he asserted.

"But I'm not! You're only seeing my disguise. I was going to take it slow, but you've got me too excited," she cooed.

Dropping your glamor was something that was never done in public or any place that wasn't considered to be secure. But here in her bedroom, in her own private sanctuary, she could relax her guard and allow her glamor to dissipate. She looked down at Stanley's true form. Since he was no longer hidden, she could let herself be who and what she was.

Concentrating, she felt the enchantment slip into its paused state. Like a falling curtain of glitter, the overlay she wore to hide her true self from the world dissolved. Beneath it, her skin shimmered iridescently between deep blue and black. Her hair was still the color of obsidian, but it was thicker and fell to her mid-back. Horns, much smaller than Stanley's, slim and short, rose from her temples and curled back. Her facial features were much the same as her glamor displayed, though her eyes were a little larger, and her lips were fuller and black, making her white teeth gleam. Her ears had pointed tips that aimed up and back.

As his wide eyes moved down her body, he froze. She was naked! Her tits were... big! Bigger than he'd seen when she showed him some cleavage. Her curves were all more exaggerated than before, but he couldn't see more as she was crawling up his body. Then she rubbed herself over his torso. God! That felt so good! He was responding to her quickly.

She pressed her amazing tits against his chest and looked down into his eyes. The gold in her eyes was much more prominent now. He swore they were beginning to sparkle.

"What are you?" he breathed, mesmerized by her beauty. Why he wasn't terrified by her sudden transformation and her alien appearance was lost in his desire and need for her.

"I'm a Succubus," she purred, but he didn't seem to understand what that meant.

She saw the awe glowing in his eyes, and her need for him exploded. Then she felt something hot pressing insistently against her thigh. Something big!

Paloma slid to the side to look downwards. Stanley lifted his head to look down as well.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!?" he cried in shock.

Rising up from between his densely furred thighs and through the tattered remains of his pants was something that had no business being attached to him. He knew how small he was down there, and he'd finally come to terms with it. Stanley, the human, was endowed with a member on the small side of average. Okay, well toward the small side. What was boldly standing at attention between his legs was frighteningly thick and impractically long... in his opinion. There was such a thing as too much of a good thing! This wouldn't fit in the places he wanted... one day to... put... it in. Worse than that, it didn't even look like it belonged to a human!

Stanley's eyes once more took in his blatantly non-human lower half. The region this new development grew from. "oh god," he whimpered quietly.

"Mmmm, Stanley! It's magnificent!" Paloma cooed and reached down to wrap her fingers around it. She was thrilled that her fingers couldn't close. When he moaned with need at her touch, shivers ran through her body. Her need was getting out of control, and she had to feed! Soon!

Moving her grip toward the tip, she pulled down, and the skin rolled back to expose a deep purple head.

"It's got spikes," he groaned in dismay.

She admired the thick head, which capped the heavy shaft; indeed, there were small pointed projections along the ridge. She ran her thumb along them and discovered they were stiff but soft.

"OH! OH FUCK!" he cried out from the sensation, arching his back.

She couldn't wait any longer and slipped down the bed to press her tongue against his hot flesh. He tasted so good! Her long candy pink tongue slipped out to wrap around his shaft three times and squeezed.

"OMIGOD! Oh geezus! What-what are you doing?" he asked.

She chuckled sexily, unable to talk with her tongue stroking his cock up and down like a wet fist. When she reached the head, she uncoiled her tongue, licked at the spikes, and purred at their silky smooth texture.

"OH! AHHH! FuckFuckFuckFuckFuckFuck," Stanley was mumbling as his body experienced this bliss for the first time. It was quickly becoming too much for him. He felt something happening in his body. A pressure and a need.

She stretched her mouth wide and forced his thick cock deep inside until it hit the back of her throat. The points rubbed against her palate, and she squirmed at the tingling sensation. God, she wanted him! She wanted all of him! Taking a deep breath, Paloma drove forward, pushing the thick flesh deep into her throat.

"GAH!!!" Stanley bellowed as his orgasm suddenly struck, blasting ropes of cum deep into Paloma's throat.

She squealed at the sudden flood, but her eyes rolled back as the pure essence from his cum flowed through her being. This was virgin cum at its finest quality, but above this was a strange energy, something wild, primal, and natural that soaked into every cell of her body, feeding her like she'd never experienced before.

Her throat automatically squeezed and milked his thick cock as she swallowed his seed until he was finally spent. Completely satiated from the large meal she'd taken from him, she slowly pulled him from her throat, the ridges on the head stroking and tickling her all the way out.

Stanley was panting, and his eyes were rolling from his first experience. It had been so quick! Was it always so fast? He hadn't imagined his first time would be like this. The absurdity of that thought struck him. How could he have imagined this? He tugged at the ties. He didn't want to be used like this anymore.

"Untie me," he gasped quietly.

Paloma was resting on his chest, barely remaining conscious as her body tried to drag her down into sleep to absorb the glut of energy she'd consumed. She wasn't able to think straight. She felt so comfortable and content lying on his chest.

"Untie me," he whispered again.

She surfaced once more and extended her claws. The nails of her fingers and toes rapidly grew into three-inch curved blades. She stretched out over his body, dragging the claws outwards along his arms and legs, gently scratching him until she reached the silk ties. She stopped as a thought flitted through her groggy brain, but she couldn't catch it. Something she needed to do or not do... it didn't matter. She began to slip away once more.

"Untie me," he breathed.

Her claws snagged and tore through the silk like tissue paper, and he was free. As she relaxed once more, her claws shrank back to become regular nails again.

He waited until her breathing became deep and even, signaling she was in a deep sleep. Then he slowly eased her from his body until he was able to slip out from under her. He slid off the bed and stood. He expected to wobble or teeter on these new legs, but they just felt like... legs. He knew they bent in directions he wasn't used to, but he felt completely stable as he carefully exited the room. If anything, they felt more stable than his original legs.

Closing the bedroom door, he took off his shredded pants. His wallet, subway pass, house keys, phone, and the new access card were all still in his pockets. He took them out and placed them on the coffee table in the living room. Then he went looking for a mirror.

He wandered around the lovely condo until he found mirrored closet doors by the front door. He froze. His hands lifted to the large ram horns curling out of his skull. He touched his furry ears and watched them flick and bob as he'd tickled them.

And what happened to his hair! He always got a sensible, short haircut once a month like clockwork to tame the little waves that would appear. Now his head looked like a mop! So much wavy, messy hair!

He looked back up, and his face was his... almost. It was stretched top to bottom a little. He ran his hands over his forehead and cheeks, then stared at his hands. He realized he wouldn't be able to type with fingers this thick. The precision work of assembling servers and PCs would be impossible, too.

He shook his head violently and stared back at himself. Who was he kidding? He couldn't go back to his life looking like this! He couldn't even go outside! He was... what the HELL WAS HE?

He glanced back at the bedroom door. What had Paloma called herself again? A Succubus? That sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it. He'd certainly never seen anything like her before. His erection throbbed with need as he thought of her. He scowled down at it. It was like it had a mind of its own! Thinking about the beauty in the other room was charging his need for her again. He caught himself with his hand on the door handle.

Shaken, he stepped back, turned, and walked back into the living room.

What was he going to do? His new life with his awesome new job was... wait a minute! Paloma looked human when she was at the office! Maybe she could show him how to do that, too! He was in the bedroom, standing beside the bed before the thought had finished forming in his mind. He stopped to admire her lush curves, and he felt a warmth rush over his body. His cock grew harder as he picked up her scent. He inhaled deeply, and his need grew.

He was in trouble.

-=-

Felix looked at Sigrid the moment the light switched off on Camila's phone. "Now."

She nodded gratefully and rushed to the door. She gave a firm knock and stepped in almost before her boss acknowledged it. She quickly closed it behind her.

Camila looked up in surprise as Sigrid rushed across the room. "What's wrong?"

"Someone tried to snatch our new CIO tonight. Paloma was following him and called me when it happened. I got there just as they tried to use him as a host for a Demon-on-a-Leash."

Camila gasped and stood up, but the tall blond just raised her palms to calm the woman. "The protection on him that blocked his blood from being recorded kept the demon from entering, but the explosive backlash tossed his attackers back, broke the demon trap and its binding."

Camila's eyes widened, but Sigrid held her palms up once more. "I dispatched the demon, which felt so good, but Stanley was knocked unconscious. Paloma argued that his place wouldn't be safe until we knew who tried to trap him. We took him to her condo."

The CEO's face drew into an angry scowl. "She's a Succubus! A young one. He's a virgin! She's going to feed from him!" She began to move out around her desk.

"There's more," Sigrid said grimly.

"What?"

"Whatever his protection was must have been drained by the explosion. It ran out when we had him tied to her bed. He's not Human."

"WHAT?!?"

Sigrid fished her phone out, brought the picture up, and showed it to Camila.

"A SATYR?!? Oh my god! You left a young Succubus and a young Satyr alone together?!?" Camila gasped and raced for the door. "Felix! Have my car waiting downstairs! Have Mr. Duncan meet us there! Sigrid, let's go!"

-=-

Paloma was so hot! Her skin tingled with need. As she was dragged from the depths of her rest, her eyes cracked open, and she felt eyes on her. She felt their caress on her body, and she began to squirm as the tingle concentrated on the sensitive flesh between her legs. She felt herself growing wet, and she began to pant. She wanted him, this watcher. She felt his hunger radiating from him in waves. His hunger was raw and untamed. Unconsciously she drew her knees together and lifted her ass up from the mattress, whimpering with her own need for him to touch her, taste her, and take her.

She jumped when large hands gripped her hips and yanked her closer to the end of the bed. She cried out in joy when his tongue roughly stroked across her dripping pussy lips and sucked in her breath when his tongue thrust deeply into her wet channel. She moaned in disappointment when his tongue pulled away but screamed silently when his thick cock replaced it and drove deep into her body. It stretched her wide and filled her completely and then some. Her voice had failed her though she continued to scream as he fucked her roughly with his desperate hunger.

She was losing her mind. It was so good! It was too good! She'd never had someone take her so passionately. She'd had a few men get rough with her, play the dominance game, or just treat her cruelly. These were weak games compared to what she was experiencing now. There were no cruel intentions here, just hunger and intense need. Her body was responding automatically, rushing up on her release, yet he showed no signs of weakening or even slowing. She—oh, fuck—she wasn't going to—FUCK—last!

A Succubus' body was the perfect receptacle for a Satyr's lust as it adjusted to fit his size and took the driving impacts without damage.

That said, there were limits to how much pleasure Paloma could absorb. Stanley still showed no signs of slowing or reaching his own release as she crashed through a jaw-clenching, full-body earth tremor orgasm, which rolled on and on until she was spent.

Stanley pulled free from her body, and she looked back weakly at the heavy appendage bobbing and swaying before his body. He flipped her onto her back and tossed her further up the bed as she squeaked. He leapt on the bed, kneeling between her legs, and guided himself into her wet opening, driving himself deep once more. She was stunned to feel herself respond.

He captured her mouth with his and kissed her. She took his face in her hands and guided the kiss, slowing him down, and his hips slowed down as well. Soon, they were moving together, languidly, enjoying the sensations as they arrived and passed. Paloma heard Stanley moan and knew he was finally getting close to his release. She was grateful as she was exhausted and about to hit her second peak.

She heard him gasp, and then he drove himself deep one last time, grinding himself against her once he reached the bottom. Her pleasure was sharp and intense, and she cried out as she clung to him, riding her pleasure higher. Stanley came explosively, roaring his bliss as his hips twitched and rolled, surge after surge of cum firing deep inside her.

Paloma once more felt the wildfire energies sweeping through her body, but there was nowhere for it to go. Her cells were already saturated. She cried out as more and more poured into her, and her body began to change in reaction to the overflow. Her blue-black skin started to lighten, the energies bleaching her pigment. Once the pigment was replaced, it looked for other places to go.

The sound of running feet came from outside the bedroom, and Mr. Duncan burst into the room. He jumped to the bed and pulled Stanley off of Paloma, wrapping his arms under Stanley's and behind his head, pinning him.

Ms. Villamor and Ms. Gunderan rushed in after the Security Chief and took in the scene. Seeing her daughter's skin becoming pearly white, she turned on Stanley and saw his erection was still surging. Surprising everyone, she dropped to her knees and took his cock deep into her throat.

Stanley cried out, and his body spasmed as the halted orgasm suddenly continued. He jolted three more times as the rest of his cum was swallowed by the woman.

She squeezed the remaining cum from his relaxing cock as she pulled it free from her mouth. She rose to her feet as Stanley slumped in Mr. Duncan's grip.

"Sit him in the chair," Camila said, pointing to the corner as she used the tip of her finger to scoop a little spilled essence into her mouth.

Sigrid was red-faced with shock and embarrassment as she handed her a tissue. "What the hell did you do that for?" she growled.

Camila's eyes flashed a warning at the tall woman. "Paloma has taken an overdose. I had to know if his energy is toxic. The small sample I took was safe enough for me, and now I know she's not in any danger."

In truth, the small sample she'd taken was currently flooding her body with waves of bliss she was struggling to hide. She blinked as she looked at her daughter's shimmering skin. She reached out to touch the young woman's thigh with her fingertip, and Paloma gasped and sighed in her sleep. Camila's head snapped back as a wave of wild energy surged up her arm, the overflow bleeding from her daughter. She blinked herself back to self-awareness in the arms of Sigrid.

"My god! She's saturated!"

"What does that mean?" Sigrid asked as she held the woman carefully until she could stand on her own.

"I-I don't know. I've never seen anyone absorb that much energy. She's going to need to burn it off. She can't contain any more."

"What about this one?" Mr. Duncan drew their attention back to the corner where Stanley sat on the chair with his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. His cock had finally relaxed but remained a... sizable distraction for Camila while her body was still buzzing happily. She turned to Sigrid.

"Could you find something for him to wear in the closet?" she asked the tall blond. Camila approached Stanley, who looked up when he saw her feet.

"Are you all right, Stanley?" she asked gently.

He made a stifled snorting sound and looked at her incredulously. "I don't think so! What do you think?"

She frowned. Sigrid returned with a robe. A very large robe. Camila looked back at her daughter and sighed. She took it and handed it to Stanley. "Please put this on, and we'll talk in the living room."

He took the robe and stood. He put it on and tied it tight around himself. It was big, even on his new body, and reached the ground. He saw it also had a hood and wondered what kind of dressing gown this was. With a troubled glance over at Paloma, he followed Camila and Sigrid into the living room.

The two women sat on the couch, and Stanley took a chair beside it. Mr. Duncan sat on a stool near the door. Guarding the exit.

"Was this your first time?" Camila asked.

Stanley reeled back at the personal question. This woman was his boss, not someone he wanted to discuss losing his virginity with!

Camila closed her eyes and shook her head. "The first time you changed."

"Oh!" Stanley's face flushed. "Yes. I don't understand. What the hell am I? How did I... change? Can you tell me how I can change back?" he gasped. "And... what the hell is a Succubus?"

"Have you never read any books on fantasy, folklore, myths, and magical beings?" Camila asked.

He frowned and shook his head. "That's all nonsense and a waste of time. Superstitions are a weakness of the mind. There are far better things to occupy a mind with, like Science. Real information to absorb and understand," he said firmly.

Camila shared a look with Sigrid and caught the Security Chief's wide, amused grin.

"Stanley, you're a Satyr. A creature out of the myths you're denying as nonsense," she said gently.

He looked at her as if she'd just taken his candy, poisoned his puppy, told him Santa Claus was real after all, and the lunar landings were faked on a sound stage in Hollywood.

"A Succubus is another creature from those myths." She looked down at her clasped hands to arrange her thoughts. "Let me put it this way. Your perception of reality has just been expanded to include a new field of study. The Hidden Races. That's what we are, and that includes you as well. Satyrs are... ancient. There hasn't been a recorded sighting of one in... millennia. It was thought they were extinct, yet here you are!" She looked at Sigrid. "You said his glamor wasn't an overlay."

"That's right. His disguised state was truly Human. Reality itself bent around him to hide his true nature. When it... powered down, reality unfolded, and here he was," Sigrid explained.

Stanley realized he was hearing it again. The odd emphasis on 'human'. He couldn't explain it, but he could hear it. First Paloma, now Ms. Gunderan was doing it. He pushed that aside as his mind latched onto another possibility.

"Wait! Wait! What if... what if my human self is the real me and THIS is the disguise!" Stanley gasped desperately. He looked at the others and saw discomfort in the women's eyes and outright pity in Mr. Duncan's eyes. He looked back at Sigrid. "You said reality was folded, so why couldn't that reality be as valid as this one?"

Sigrid thought about that and finally nodded. "I cannot deny the realness of the reality you held before you changed, as it was as valid as this one. However, it begs the question, why hide true Human nature with that of a member of an extinct race when every member of the Hidden Races is forced to use a glamor to hide themselves as Human just to survive?"

Stanley's initial excitement at the woman accepting his idea faded as her subsequent argument sounded entirely too logical and reasonable.

"Let's set that aside for now. The question is, how do we help Stanley get his disguise—or alternate reality back in place?" Camila said to calm the young man.

"Are you wearing an item the spell is anchored to? An enchanted ring, bracelet, or pendant? Even an earring would do," the big Security Chief suggested, but Stanley just shook his head.

Sigrid sat forward. "There was a strange ticking just before the conversion. The ticking sped up then... you changed."

"Where was the ticking coming from?" Camila asked.

The blond shook her head. "We couldn't tell. It seemed to be coming from somewhere on his body, but I wasn't close enough. Paloma was closer. I barely had time to pull her away before it happened."

"Paloma won't be in any condition to answer questions for a while," Camila said with a frown.

"I-I didn't hurt her, did I?" Stanley asked hesitantly.

"No, our Mr. Duncan got to you just in time. You should know something about Succubi. We feed by draining energy from the men we have sex with. That can be energy directly from their life force, which is the most filling but is dangerous to the man, or it can be from his bodily fluids, preferably his sperm. Satyrs are beings of intense sexual appetites, and your," she saw Stanley was getting embarrassed, so she toned it down, "ejaculate contains a tremendous quantity of purest energy. I've never felt anything like it. A palmful is likely enough to sustain an adult Succubus for two to three days, maybe longer." She glanced back at the door. "She received more than a small amount, didn't she?"

He couldn't speak, so he just nodded.

"She's having trouble containing the energy. It will eventually dissipate, and she'll have to burn the excess off, but she won't need to feed for some time. Her color change is concerning. We'll have to wait and see. It shouldn't affect her ability to activate her glamor enchantment."

"What is magic? Is it energy?" Stanley asked, trying to get his science-based belief system to accept this new reality.

"Yes, exactly. Some of the Hidden Races can tap into this energy and directly manipulate it. Make it do things that affect the tangible world around us. They're wielders. For others, like Satyrs, Succubi, and Valkyries, our abilities are fed by this energy. We're more of a... conduit for the energy."

"But where does the energy come from?" Stanley asked.

Camila looked at Sigrid as this was quickly going beyond her knowledge.

Sigrid picked up the conversation. "Think of here and now as a single layer. Everything we see and feel is our reality. There are overlaying layers—alternate realities that are as real as ours but are vastly different in their energy levels. This keeps them separate. One of these alternate layers bled some of its energy into ours. Some beings here adapted to use this energy and were shaped by it."

Stanley nodded as his brain got a handle on the information. He suddenly jolted. "What time is it?"

Camila checked her watch. "It's almost midnight."

"SHIT! I have to get home!" Stanley leapt up, then stopped to look down at his feet... hooves. His face fell. "How am I going to be able to go home when I look like this! How can I face my Baba looking like... like a goat man! She'll have a heart attack!"

"Your Baba?" Sigrid asked.

"I live in a room in my grandmother's attic." He frowned once more at his cloven hooves. "I was so looking forward to having a job where I could afford my own place! Now that's all messed up!"

"Stanley, this isn't going to affect your job. We'll get your disguise back." Camila insisted, and she saw he took a little comfort in her assurance.

"Can't you just call her?" Sigrid asked.

"She doesn't have a telephone. She... doesn't like technology. She's very old school," he admitted. "While I'm living under her roof, I must be home by no later than ten every night. I'm in so much trouble!"

The others smiled at him, and he realized how silly that must have sounded. He grinned self-deprecatingly. "She's really sweet, but she's also really strict."

"Are you related by blood?" Sigrid asked delicately.

Stanley blinked at the odd question. "Of course, I am. She's my Baba!"

"Then it shouldn't be a problem bringing you home in this condition. Call it a woman's intuition, but I believe it's highly likely that she knows. If you like, I can approach her and test the waters before you face her."

The more Stanley thought about going home, the more he felt like he had to. There was almost a compulsion to get there. He nodded.

They all stood, Camila helped him raise the hood, and he was pretty much covered. If it hadn't been for the hooves that showed with each step, he might have been able to pass for completely human with an oddly wide hood. He loaded the robe's one cavernous pocket with his stuff from the coffee table.

"I'm going to check on Paloma one more time, then we'll go," Camila said, and Sigrid followed her into the bedroom, leaving Stanley alone with Mr. Duncan.

He looked over at the big man. "Are you human?"

The Security man stared at him expressionless for an uncomfortable moment, then shook his head with a wide smile. "Lycanthrope."

Stanley shook his head to indicate he didn't know what that meant.

"Werewolf."

Stanley's eyes widened. He knew that word. The man's smile just got wider. He did have a lot of sharp-looking teeth.

"You're a newbie, so I'll let it go but a word to the wise. Never ask anyone questions like that," the big man growled quietly. A chill ran down Stanley's back.

Camila and Sigrid rejoined them, and they let themselves out of the condo and locked it up. Stanley walked closely behind the two women, with Mr. Duncan directly behind him. He kept his head down and his hood hiding as much as possible. They took the elevator down to the lobby and walked out the front door. They moved out of the range of the building's cameras where Camila's limo picked them up.

Sigrid pressed the intercom and gave Stanley's address. The limo got underway, as Stanley stared at the big blond nervously.

"What?" she asked.

"D-did you read my mind for my address?" he said, his mouth suddenly dry.

"Stanley. I work in Human Resources. You gave me your address when you gave us your resume," she said gently.

He sagged back in the chair. "I'm sorry. Everything is upside down, and I-I don't know which end is up anymore. It's like... It's like I've discovered that all the stuff I thought was a frivolous waste of time is now on the final exam, and I didn't study any of the material!"

That drew chuckles from the ladies and a smile from Mr. Duncan. They rode on in silence until they finally reached the city's outskirts.

"That's a long commute!" Camila said, looking at her new employee.

"Another reason to get an apartment closer to the office. That and avoiding the ten PM curfew," he said with a small smile.

They pulled onto a side road that dipped downwards and found themselves driving into a dense fog. Camila shared a look with Sigrid, then her Security Chief. Stanley caught her nervousness.

"There's a bog on either side of the road here, so it often gets foggy," he assured them.

"Any other houses on this road?" Mr. Duncan asked.

"Uh, no. Just Baba's."

They reached a gate, so the limo stopped.

"Maybe I'd better come with you. She can hear my voice..." He paused. "Well, it's deeper, but I think she'll know it's me. She's not fond of strangers." Camila nodded, and they got out.

With Stanley in the lead, they went through the gate and got three steps in when Camila, Sigrid, and Mr. Duncan just stopped. Stanley made it two more steps before he realized he was alone. He turned around and saw them looking past him with fear in their eyes. He turned and saw Baba standing on the front steps.

The woman was old, deeply wrinkled, her body bent and weathered with age, but she had a strength in her eyes that was fearful to look upon. Her peasant's dress was worn and faded. She slowly stepped down the stairs and kept her eyes on the group.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Baba, but I've had... quite a difficult night," Stanley confessed.

"Lift the hood. Let me see you, boy," the old woman said slowly.

Sighing, he lifted the hood and pushed it back. He watched the old woman's face, but she showed no fright or surprise, just regret and annoyance.

"You knew, Baba?" he whispered.

"Yes, boy. I knew. You... you weren't supposed to know. Not for a long time yet." She looked in annoyance at the three standing behind him. "What to do with these meddlesome creatures. Show yourselves!" she barked sharply.

Their disguises were ripped away.

Camila's skin was deepest ruby red and black and shimmered even in the dim light of the courtyard. Stunningly beautiful with voluptuous curves, her sensuality pulled at Stanley's body, but the fear in her eyes as she watched the crone on the steps, dampened his lust.

Sigrid hadn't changed, but he could see her wings were pinned to her back and glowed dimly. She definitely looked uncomfortable.

The change for Mr. Duncan was the most dramatic. Standing upright on wide paws with obsidian claws, his hugely muscled body was covered with blood-red fur. His head was that of a huge wolf, complete with a muzzle full of deadly teeth. His tongue was lolling in fear, and his teeth gleamed.

"Baba?" Stanley turned back to his grandma.

"What is it, boy?" she said with a frustrated tone.

"Please, these are my friends. They saved me tonight!" he said.

Her eyes snapped to his, and he felt the impact of her stare. She was looking for truth. He'd suffered this from her before, so he relaxed. He knew he was speaking the truth.

"Ms. Villamor gave me a most wonderful job at her company. Doing what I love! Earlier tonight, a man, a strangely handsome man, attacked me and tried to put... a demon inside me. There was an explosion instead. Ms. Gunderan arrived to fight and kill the demon. She saved me. I was unconscious, and they took me someplace safe, but I changed into... this."

"What about this beast? What value could he have to you?" the old woman was clearly looking for someone to punish and growled while pointing a crooked finger at the werewolf. It began to whine.

"Mr. Duncan... he saved me from hurting someone... someone I like very much. Please, Baba, I don't understand what's happening, but do they have to fear you? Do I need to fear you?" he said quietly.

Old eyes held his, and she growled. She swatted his cheek, but he recognized the hit as her way of telling him he'd won the point. The others suddenly sagged and gasped for breath.

"You know who it was that attacked the boy?" Baba asked Camila.

The woman nodded. "I-I believe I may know. An old business and ex-life partner. Most likely attempting to get inside information from my company."

"BAH! Such bothersome trivia. A plan long enacted has taken an unexpected turn. There is nothing for it but to allow it to follow its new course." She looked at Stanley contemplatively. "Your true destiny may yet come to pass."

The ancient woman turned and made for the stairs. She stopped on the second one up and turned back to Stanley. "You begin a new life today. This is goodbye. You will not return. I will offer you just one favor."

"Goodbye? But... you're my only family—" he gasped, stepping closer to her.

"One. Favor," the crone growled.

Stanley swallowed and nodded. "Could... could you make me human again?"

Her eyes trapped his again, and he fought back the tears that threatened to get free.

"Know that this is your true self. I can give you back the false reality you believed was who you were, but it cannot be permanent. Each day, you must revert to this form for an extended period of time. While you lived with me, I ensured you did this while you slept."

He nodded as what else could he do? She gestured for him to get closer, and once he did, she ran her thumbs over his eyelids and lifted his right hand. He could suddenly see he was wearing a ring of some kind of black stone on his ring finger. He jerked in surprise, seeing it there for the first time. She swatted his cheek to get his attention. He looked into her eyes again.

She spoke quietly so the others could not hear nor could they see what they were doing. "Don't play with this ring. Turn it only for the purpose of changing. Turn it completely around in one continuous motion, then reverse it all the way back, again in one motion. This will initiate the change." She looked into his eyes until he nodded to acknowledge the instructions. She stopped whispering as she continued. "Remember, you must return to your true self for an extended period of hours. This allows it to recharge. More importantly, if you don't, your body will forget its original shape, and you will not survive the switch when the ring discharges. This is all I can give you," she said gruffly.

"Thank you, Baba. For everything," he said.

"Go," she snapped.

He nodded and pulled the hood back up. Not to hide his horns but his tears.

The group returned to the limo, slipping behind their glamor disguises again. Once inside the vehicle, the driver got them moving back to the city. Stanley leaned against the door, turning his face away from the others.

Sitting next to the young man, Mr. Duncan leaned forward to whisper to Camila. "Baba Yaga?!? Seriously?" He spoke softly, but his tone was incredulous and fearful.

She glanced over at Stanley, but he made no indication that he'd heard. She looked back at her security officer and saw his hands were shaking badly. Then she noticed hers were, too. She looked at Sigrid, but the woman was watching Stanley intently.

The large blond woman gestured for the security chief to swap places with her and moved to sit beside Stanley. She touched the young man's shoulder and pulled him into a hug when he turned to face her. He froze for just a moment, then he was hugging her in return, and the tears started to flow. He cried silently against her shoulder as she held him, his body shaking with the intensity of his grief.

The others watched with guilty looks. They'd forgotten what it meant to Stanley to lose his only family. For him, he'd known her only as Baba, the grandmother who raised him. He had no knowledge of her position as one of the most powerful and terrifying witches of the old ones.

And now he was homeless, without even the clothes on his back.

When his tears finally ran dry, he pulled back from the woman, and she smiled gently. "For tonight, you will sleep on my couch. Tomorrow, we'll find you a place of your own."

He nodded, then looked into her eyes. "Thank you." She nodded.

Camila spoke with the driver, and the limo eventually stopped before a brownstone on a quiet street.

"We'll see you in the morning, all right?" Camila said as Stanley prepared to follow Sigrid from the car. He looked at her, nodded then exited the vehicle. He stood on the street and watched the long car drive away.

"Stanley, come inside. You've had a long day." Sigrid said gently, and he carefully lifted the hem on his robe to climb the steps up to the door. They went inside, and she locked up behind them. She guided them into her living room and came to a halt so suddenly that he bumped into her back.

"What—"

"Quiet. Someone's been in my home," she growled quietly.

Stanley peered around her and saw two cardboard boxes on the coffee table. On top of one of the boxes was a painted stone. His breath caught in his throat. He stepped around the woman.

"Stanley, no!"

He looked back with a sad smile. "It was Baba. These are my things. I don't know how, but she left me my things." A tear rolled down his cheek as he picked up the heavy fist-sized stone. It was a meteorite, actually. He'd found it on one of his walks in the forest with Baba when he was very young. He used it to keep his bedroom door open in the summer to get a breeze in his room. She'd insisted he paint it with a thick coat of black paint so it wouldn't get rust on her floor. He smiled at the memory.

He set the chunk of cold iron down on the table and opened the first box. His books were inside, and the charging cable for his phone. Baba's home had no electricity, so he charged the phone while in his classes at school. He pulled it out now to charge the phone overnight. He took the phone from his pocket and plugged it in by the couch.

The second box contained his clothes. He sighed as they were just jammed into the box. He began pulling the items out and refolded them as he went. He found his toiletry kit at the bottom of the box and sighed with relief. He stacked the clothes neatly back in the box once he was done.

Sigrid arrived with bedsheets for the couch and made a bed for him.

"Would you like something to eat?" she asked, but he just shook his head. "Try to get some sleep, and I'll see you for breakfast. There's a washroom in the hallway."

"Good night, and thank you, Ms. Gunderan."

"Sigrid, please," she said with a smile.

He returned the smile. "Thank you, Sigrid."

She nodded and left the room to climb up the stairs to her bedroom on the second story.

Carrying his toiletry kit, he found the washroom and brushed his teeth, scowling at the stranger in the mirror.

Then he went back to the living room and turned the lights off. He took off his robe and slipped under the sheet on the couch. It was pretty comfortable, but the day's events stirred his mind.

The first major event, he had a really great job! He was so looking forward to getting back to it!

His Executive Assistant was beautiful, and she'd had sex with him! Granted, she was a Succubus... and having sex was how they ate... so... that diminished his special moment somewhat.

He'd discovered mythical creatures exist and that he, himself, was one. He thought about that revelation, and it didn't feel too positive. He would have preferred to remain in the dark about that.

But the worst thing to happen today was the loss of his Baba. He knew that one day he would have moved out and only seen her on visits, and he was mentally preparing himself for that day, but it had come too soon, and she was clear that he wasn't allowed to visit. She was out of his life, and now there was a terrible void in it. He felt the tears welling up once more.

He yawned hugely and suddenly found himself slipping under.

"Good night, Baba," he whispered automatically to the empty room.

His gentle exhalations began as his day finally ended.

"Good night, boy," the room whispered back.

Chapter 3

Stanley sat behind his desk in his new office, looking out the window. Morning sunlight streamed in and warmed his body. His human body! He saw his reflection in the glass, smiling back at him.

True to her word, the moment he woke up this morning when he spun the black ring on his finger as Baba instructed, he felt the briefest moment of dizziness and found himself in his original human body. He'd never felt so relieved in his life! The ring had even magically resized to fit his much smaller human finger! To think he'd always had the ring there but just hadn't been able to see it. That confused him, so he pushed the thought from his mind.

He'd also discovered that he'd want to be naked each time he changed, as the folding of reality had a nasty effect on any clothing he wore. The huge robe he'd had on when the change began showed rips and tears in it when he was human again. That sucked, and needing two distinct and very different sets of clothing sucked too.

He'd have to buy himself a hooded robe for home. Speaking of home, Sigrid would meet him at lunch to take him over to a building with a condo he needed to look at. The building apparently catered to the Hidden Races. He sighed. That was something else he was going to have to get used to.

He heard noises coming from his waiting room and leapt to his feet. He'd been disappointed to see Paloma wasn't at her desk when he'd arrived. He needed to talk with her, make sure she was okay. He rushed out of his office.

"Paloma!"

"EEP!" squeaked a petite blonde woman as she spun to gape at him wide-eyed. Lovely, soft brown eyes.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I thought you were Paloma," he gasped in embarrassment.

"Do you give her a heart attack every morning too!" the woman scolded him, and he froze when he heard her lovely Irish accent.

"Actually, this is only my second day. I've barely begun to make all the mistakes I'm going to make working here," he said as he blushed.

Her scowl became a small smile as she saw his apologetic expression. She tilted her head. "I don't know what you were doing in Mr. Garin's office, but you'd better be off before he arrives, or he might sick Mr. Duncan on you." She made a shooing motion to direct him out of the waiting room.

Stanley blinked at her.

"Am I not being clear? This is the office of the CIO. I'm not sure which floor you should be on, but you'd better find your way back to it quickly. If you want, you can leave me your name, and if the younger Ms. Villamor calls in, I'll tell her that her paramour stopped by to say hello."

Stanley was soaking in her accent and could have stood there listening to her speak all day, but he had things to do. "Sure, Stanley. Stanley Garin."

The woman's eyes flashed to his as she looked confused. "Are you... Mr. Garin's son?"

"I never met my dad, but I'm pretty sure I had one, so I'm going to say yes." He was beginning to enjoy this.

"You. You're Mr. Garin, aren't you," she peeped in embarrassment.

He grinned. "Yes, I am."

"I'm terribly sorry, sir! It's just... you're so young for a CIO!" she blurted as her face became a lovely shade of warm pink.

"Yeah, I agree, but that's the job they gave me," he acknowledged.

Her phone began to ring. She rushed over to it to answer. "Mr. Garin's office. Yes, he's right here. I'll let him know."

After she hung up, she turned back to him and collected herself. "That was Ms. Villamor, our CEO. She would like you to join her in her office. Once again, I apologize."

"Really, it's not a problem. Your name?" Stanley said as he moved towards the door.

"Siobhan Whelan."

"That's lovely! Like your accent."

"What accent?" she said, smiling teasingly as he looked back in surprise. He grinned in return and stepped out into the hall.

It wasn't until he'd almost reached the CEO's office that the realization struck. He had to put a hand out to brace himself against the wall as his surprise was so profound. He was so dazed he glanced at his hand to ensure he hadn't switched back to his Satyr form. Four fingers and a thumb. Still human.

He'd just had a conversation with a pretty blond woman, who he found very attractive, and not once did he stutter. The stutter was gone! It was such a relief! He wondered what cured him, but he wouldn't look too closely in case that caused it to return.

Stanley walked into Ms. Villamor's waiting room and smiled at Felix. The man returned his smile and gestured for him to go right in. The door was open, so he looked inside as he stepped through the doorway.

"Ah, good morning, Stanley. Close the door behind you, please."

He closed it and walked over to the chair she gestured to. "Good morning, Ms. Villamor."

"When it's just us, please call me Camila," the woman said with a smile, and he flashed back to the night before when she'd dropped to her knees at his feet and—He pulled his mind away from that moment, but his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Thank you, Camila. How is Paloma? I noticed she isn't in today. She's okay, isn't she?" he asked with concern.

"Yes, I believe she'll be fine. It will take some time for her to burn off all that energy she's absorbed. I'll check in on her a few times today."

Stanley just nodded, and Camila handed him a tablet. "She told me to give you the notes she took yesterday."

"Ah! Perfect!" he exclaimed as he saw the hardware listing he and Paloma had created the day before. "Uh, I need to start preparing the new server room. Did you, by any chance, hear back about our access to the roof for adding in a diesel generator and an air conditioning unit?"

"Yes, we have permission to install units up to a specific size. I've just sent you the restriction list, and you can tell me if it is sufficient."

"I don't actually have a computer of my own yet. I'll be getting on that immediately. Did you CC my assistant?" he explained.

"Yes."

"Great, I'll check with her. Now, about the interior work in the existing boardroom?"

"Who did they send you as a temp for Paloma?"

"Siobhan Whelan."

"Good. Have her summon the workers. You can tell them what you need them to do, and they will get started."

Stanley felt a chill run up his spine. "Is there anything... strange about those guys? They give me the creeps."

Camila looked him in the eye. "Mr. Duncan informed me that he spoke with you about asking questions regarding the Humanity of beings you meet."

"Yeah, he said don't."

She nodded. "Rule number one is you don't talk about the Hidden Races. This is critically important. The only time it's safe to do so is when you are in a sanctuary with the appropriate runes activated. My office, when the door is closed, is a sanctuary. Your office is not. You must be trained to be eternally vigilant, so we won't protect your office. There will be wards, but they will just blare painfully loud should you slip and say something forbidden."

Stanley frowned, but he acknowledged it was probably a good idea.

She paused to choose her words so he would understand. "The workers we use for menial labor are artificial men. Tools powered by magic. They pass for Human, but they're just a simulacrum. Ultimately loyal and trustworthy, you need to give them explicit instructions, and the more complex the task, the more specific you need to be."

He stared at her. "Is everyone at VRL a member of the Hidden Races?"

"No. That's actually what I called you in here to discuss. Last night, you discovered you're one of us, but because you grew up as a Human, you haven't had any of the training required for hiding your true self."

"The spell hides my other self," he clarified.

Camila caught his evasion and frowned. "Stanley, you need to find the strength to accept the truth of what you are. For your safety and the safety of those around you. If you can't say it...."

Stanley scowled and looked away. He knew what she was saying was true, but he'd been given no choice.

He sighed. He'd never been able to stay mad. It just felt so unfair. He sighed again. Shit.

"I know. I'm not human. I'm a Satyr. One of the Hidden Races. Is there a handbook or manual to learn all this?"

Camila smiled. "No, Stanley. That would be a little too dangerous to leave lying around."

"What about those Myths and Legends books? Couldn't I read up on all the different kinds of beings in those?" he asked curiously.

"Unfortunately, what you'll find in them is mostly misinformation. Far simpler and safer to create a wide variety of fanciful lies to muddy the waters than to try to disprove the truth. The Greeks called your people Satyrs, and the Romans changed the name to Fauns, but neither really understood," Camila said with a sad smile.

"So... how will I learn how to behave around others?" he said in frustration.

"You already know how. Act like a Human. That's how we all survive," she explained.

"Oh!" he said in surprise.

"I understand Sigrid will take you to a condo building at lunch to check out an available unit. All the units on specific floors in that building are sold to people like us. This is done in every building we share with Humans as a precautionary measure. The buildings have a mix, but the floors are not intermixed. Even numbered floors are for Humans. Building management in these buildings is always run by someone from the Hidden Races, and they ensure this division is maintained. There are many buildings in the city like this. If this one doesn't appeal, we can try to find another. I'd like to exhaust those options before risking you staying in a non-controlled building."

"I lived in the attic of an old cottage in a swamp. I think anything with actual working electrical outlets will be fine," he said with a small smile. "I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for your support and guidance. I'm completely out of my element."

"Outside of ensuring you switch back to your true self at night to recharge and let your body remember its real shape, nothing in your life really has to change. Your job is still the same. I need you to rescue us from the technical nightmare we've found ourselves in. That's just technology. You like technology." Stanley grinned and nodded. "Act like you usually do—" she paused as she suddenly realized something. A smile spread across her face. "You don't seem to be having trouble speaking with me now. Is that because of what we did last night?" she asked with an impish smile.

Stanley's face turned quite red, but he shook his head.

"No, no. I—uh, just seem to have gotten over my stutter. Last night... well, probably everything that happened last night had something to do with it," he reluctantly agreed.

"That's good," she smiled. "Thanks to you, I won't have to feed for a few more days."

Stanley stared at her as she recalled the moment and gave herself a little shake.

"I guess I'd better get started," he said as he squirmed.

Camila noted his discomfort.

"I'm sorry if I've upset you, Stanley. I'll do my best to keep our relationship purely professional from now on," she said contritely.

"Thank you," he said with a grateful smile and stood.

She nodded, and he went back to his office carrying the tablet. Siobhan looked up and smiled at him. "Siobhan, I need you to call the workers who'll be preparing the new server room. Have them meet me in the board room, please."

"Right away, Mr. Garin," she responded.

"Stanley, please," he said as he turned to head down the hall.

"Yes, Mr. Garin."

He looked back in surprise and saw she was on the phone, but there was just the hint of a smirk on her lips. Cheeky girl.

Stanley shook his head and went to the board room. He took it all in once more, and the plan began to form in his head.

The funky glass wall on the hallway side with the liquid crystal privacy membrane could stay as it added exceptional soundproofing.

The carpet and underlay would need to be pulled up, and the concrete under it would need to be free of dirt and dust. He would order the server room raised flooring system.

There was a noise behind him, and he turned to see a group of men enter the boardroom. There had to be at least twenty of them, and they all wore the same outfits: grey slacks, a white dress shirt with a black tie, and black shoes.

He took a deep breath to settle his nerves and addressed the one in the center as he'd seen Camila do.

"I need this table disassembled and put into storage with all of these chairs. I need the projection system, including its screen, disconnected and put into storage as well. Let me know when all this is done, and I'll give you the next instructions. Understood?"

The center worker nodded, and the nodding rippled outwards through the rest of them. Stanley's skin crawled. He returned to his office and saw Siobhan was off the phone.

"I need a tape measure. A big one."

"Yes, Mr. Garin," she responded with a cheeky smile and picked up her phone. Stanley sighed and looked to the doorway to see the workers passing by, each carrying a chair. He went to his office and realized he still had no computer. He needed something now. Something powerful but portable, as he expected to be taking his work home with him on occasion. He returned to tell Siobhan that he was heading out for a bit. He'd stop by the accounting department to see if they had a company credit card he could use.

At her desk, a worker was delivering a large reel-type tape measure. "Thank you," Stanley said, taking the device from its hands. The worker nodded and joined the others in the hall, and Stanley saw the table was going by in sections. He thought he might as well get the measurements now, so he made his way back down the hall to the new server room. He enlisted the aid of one of the workers, and they took measurements of the room while the others took out the last of the furniture.

Another worker arrived with a ladder, followed by one with a toolbox. They set up under the projector and began disconnecting it from the cables while some others worked on taking down the screen.

Stanley entered the room's dimensions into his phone, then handed the wound-up tape measure to the worker assisting him. "This can go back to where it came from," he said, and the worker left with a nod. Stanley watched him leave and realized he could work with these guys... as long as he didn't think of them as anything other than guys. Another shudder went through him.

The room was quickly emptied, and the workers returned for further instructions. Once more, he addressed the one in the center.

"Okay, now we need the carpet and underlay removed. I don't know if you will reuse the carpet, so maybe you can just roll it up and put it in storage? The whole room must be cleaned once the floor is back to the concrete. This means washing the walls and floor with damp rags to ensure they are clean and as clear of dust as possible. Understood?"

The worker nodded, and the acknowledgment rippled outwards. Stanley didn't think he'd ever get used to that. With a nod of his own, he made his way back to his office.

"Siobhan, I'll be out for thirty minutes or so."

"Yes, sir. Where shall I say you are?"

"I'm picking up a new computer for myself. Back soon," he said with a smile, and she returned it.

He took the elevator to the next floor and looked for the new CFO. He spotted some workers replacing a large section of drywall and tried not to think of how it might have been damaged. He found the corner office and was greeted with a huge smile from the executive assistant sitting at the desk just outside the door.

"Good morning, Mr. Garin! I'm Anna, Ms. Summerly's assistant. How may I help you today?" the middle-aged woman asked. She was very smartly dressed and had one of those auras of total competency that led one to suspect she could run the department if the need arose.

"Good morning, Anna! Ms. Summerly is the new CFO?" At her nod, he continued. "I was wondering if she has a moment to speak with me."

"I'll check." She spoke quietly into her phone, then gestured to the closed door with a smile. He nodded his thanks and knocked before entering.

A woman stood up from behind her desk and came around to shake his hand. Stanley's smile froze as he realized Ms. Summerly was identical to the woman sitting at the desk outside the door, including her clothing.

"Anna is my twin," the woman said with a smile as she read his surprise. "My name is Eve."

"Stanley. Pardon me for asking, but doesn't working with your twin present some difficulties with mistaken identity?" he asked.

"Not so far, but this is only our first day in our new positions, so we'll just have to see!" she replied with a friendly smile. "I understand it was partially due to your intervention with the former inhabitant of this office that the opportunity became available to us."

"What? No, I couldn't have had anything to do with that. I'd only met the man once, and it was a very strange and rude conversation. My first and only impression of the man wasn't very good," Stanley admitted.

Eve gave him a smile for his modesty, then gestured for him to sit as she returned to her chair behind the desk. "What can I do for you this morning?"

"I just wanted to touch base to let you know I will need to make some rather expensive purchases in very short order. The deadline for replacing all the faulty and outdated equipment is extremely short. I need to know if this will present any issues for your department," he explained.

"Ms. Villamor spoke to me this morning to fill me in on the project. I have been authorized to support any and all purchase orders you submit to the department... as long as it pertains to technology and software for VRL," she finished with a coy grin.

He grinned in return. "I guess I'd better cancel that beer fridge and foosball table order. I do have a more immediate requirement, though. I have no computer of my own, and I need to pick one up this morning. Is there a company credit card I can use for that?"

"Ah, yes. I can take care of that immediately." She placed her thumb against a desk drawer, and there was an audible beep and click. She opened the drawer and looked inside to pull out a black and gold credit card. She turned to her terminal and tapped out something on the keys. "Okay, it's activated. There is no credit limit on this, so again, only purchases for VRL. We watch the bills very closely. Don't even add a pack of gum to the invoice. All right?"

"Understood! Thank you!" Stanley said, accepting the card from her hand. He added it to his wallet. When he looked back at her, she was still smiling at him. "Congratulations on your promotion, and thanks again."

"Anna and I are looking forward to working with you, Stanley!" she said, standing up to shake his hand once more.

"Same here," Stanley said and left her office. He nodded to Anna and made his way to the elevators and down. He stepped outside and turned left as his favorite tech shop was only a few blocks away. He kept his eyes open and left himself space when he crossed alleyways. He had no intention of being grabbed again.

It didn't take him long to select a laptop that would meet his needs, and soon, he was heading back to the office with his purchases. He felt eyes on him as he walked along the street and glanced over his shoulder a few times, but it could have just been paranoia due to carrying the expensive equipment along the street in bags that advertised where he'd just shopped.

As he stepped up to VRL's glass doors, he saw the distinctive shape of the car from last night's abduction attempt reflected in the glass. He spun to see its taillights move off down the street. He went inside and headed directly to the security office. They buzzed him in.

"Is Mr. Duncan available?" he asked a man watching the bank of monitors. The man simply pointed towards his office.

The door was open, so Stanley knocked on the door jamb. The Security Chief looked up and smiled.

"Mr. Garin! How are you this morning?"

"I'm good! Better. Do you have a second?" Stanley asked.

"Sure. Close the door and pull up a chair," the large man said, gesturing to the seat in front of his desk.

Once seated, he suddenly felt silly for wasting the Chief's time. "It's probably nothing... but on the way back from the store, I think I was followed by the same car that was used in the attempted abduction last night."

Mr. Duncan looked at him until he began to squirm. "You think, or you know," the big man asked.

"You're right, I'm just being paranoid," Stanley apologized and began to rise.

"I didn't say that. Did you see the car this morning or not?"

"I did."

"Where?"

"Driving slowly past the front of the building."

"When?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

Mr. Duncan turned to his computer and selected the camera feed on the street in front of the building. Stanley winced at the low-res quality of the image. Mr. Duncan nodded his agreement with a growl. He rolled the time back on the camera until Stanley could be seen holding the bags. He slowed the reverse until the car's back end could be seen. He froze it there. There was no way they could read the rear plate.

"This car?" Duncan asked.

"Yes."

"Pretty distinctive. Very expensive. One is owned by someone Ms. Villamor knows quite well. I'll let her know he's still a problem. She can deal with him. Thanks for bringing this to my attention."

"Oh! Great! Well... thanks, and I'll see you around," Stanley said as he definitely got the impression that their little chat was over.

He was almost out the door when he turned back. "Can you send me a count of how many cameras you intend to upgrade?"

"Sure."

Stanley nodded and headed upstairs. When he reached his office, Siobhan looked up from her desk. She smiled when she saw the packages he was carrying.

"Oh! You've bought yourself a new computer! Is it the ultimate gaming rig with all the megabytes and the video thingy?"

"Video thingy?" Stanley asked.

She waved her hand dismissively. "My younger brother is always going on about the floppity flips or the Giga-whatcha-ma-call-its! He likes to play games and is saving up for his ultimate gaming rig."

"Oh, well... no. This is strictly a business machine. I won't be playing any games on it. I actually don't play video games," he replied with a shrug.

"You don't—My, aren't you a serious young man!" she said with wide eyes and a smile.

Stanley grinned smugly. "I guess that's what it takes to become CIO and have a lovely assistant!" His face froze when he heard the words coming out of his mouth. He might have somehow miraculously been cured of his stutters, but that didn't mean he was suave enough to pull off a line like that without his face spontaneously igniting.

"Oh my god! I'm sorry—"

"It's all right this time. I'll let you off the hook. But if you're going to get all charming and flirty with me, I'll feel obligated to tell your true love that you're a bit of a player," she scolded him with a false scowl on her lips.

"True love?" he mumbled in confusion.

"Have you forgotten her already? My, you are a player!" she grinned, enjoying how his face got hotter and hotter. "The lovely Ms. Villamor junior, of course!"

"She's—she's not—I mean... I've got work to do!" Stanley huffed and went into his office. He pulled the notebook PC out and quickly finalized the software installed on it to make it usable. He heard a sound from the doorway and looked up to see Siobhan standing there leaning against the door jamb, a contrite look on her face as she bit her lip.

"Yes?" he said, just a bit guarded.

"I'm sorry if I teased you a little too much."

Stanley nodded his acknowledgment of her apology.

"It's just that you were flirting with me, so I thought—"

"I'm sorry about that. I really am. Until yesterday, I couldn't even look at a pretty girl, much less talk to one—" Stanley's voice ran out on him again as he realized he'd just called Siobhan pretty. He gave her an apologetic look, and she just nodded her acceptance of the compliment.

"You may not be intentionally flirting, but you do know how to make a lady feel special," she said. With a grin, she turned and went back to her desk.

Stanley tried to get his head back in the game, and the name of the game was saving VRL from its technical debt before it collapsed under its unstable foundation. He connected to the mail server with the credentials Sigrid gave him this morning. Apparently, HR had an interface for defining accounts for their network resources.

He read the messages Ms. Villamor sent him with the information he needed on the diesel generator and air conditioning units. He read over the building code restrictions and then did some research on units he thought he might need. He wouldn't know the actual requirements until he'd completed his server room design, but it looked like the building codes wouldn't hinder him.

He'd just begun assembling a list of replacement equipment based on the inventory he and Paloma had created when Sigrid poked her head in his office door.

"Hey, are you ready to look at the condo?"

Stanley blinked at her, then looked at the time on his screen. "It's lunch already?"

"Actually, it's one o'clock. I spoke with your pretty assistant earlier, and she let me know you'd gone out. I figured you'd need at least an hour to get some actual work done."

He put his face in his hands when he heard her emphasis on pretty.

She grinned. "As head of HR, I have to tell you that you're treading some dangerous waters with all this flirty talk. Lucky for you, I am the head of HR, I know you're not some kind of player, and I like you."

He pulled his hands away from his face and gave her a defeated look. "My mouth is just as troublesome as it was when I stuttered... just in a different way."

"Come on! Let's go look at the unit I got a line on. The property manager said he would only hold it for us until this evening, so we have to view it now."

Stanley signed his PC out and followed her out of his office. Siobhan smiled and gave him a wave as he left. He waved back, then followed Sigrid out of the building.

They took a subway and transferred to the Path train to Jersey City. The building was apparently right on the Hudson and had a view of Manhattan. When they walked toward the building, Stanley looked around at the neighborhood. He saw a lot of expensive-looking cars and well-dressed people in them. He looked questioningly at Sigrid.

"What?"

"I might have lived in an old cottage with no electricity in a swamp, but I'm not so sheltered that I can't recognize real estate I can't afford," he said. He was puzzled why Sigrid was taking him here as she knew how much he made.

"Normally, that would be the case, but I talked with Camila last night. Given your special circumstances and nature, VRL will purchase the property as an investment if you find the unit satisfactory. You will then be able to live in it at a reasonable rental rate you'll pay back to VRL." Sigrid explained.

Stanley stopped dead and stared at the woman. She took two steps before noticing he wasn't beside her. She turned to look back at him. "What?"

"A reasonable rental rate? Again, the rental price of a condo in this neighborhood would be way too expensive. Wait, is that how VRL intends to get my salary back?" Stanley said with a scowl.

Sigrid scowled back at him. "No! We don't work like that!" She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. "Okay, I get that it might look like that, but when I said reasonable, I meant a rental rate of fifteen hundred a month. It can't be free for legal and tax reasons, and even at that rate, we'll do some clever bookkeeping." She saw he was beginning to relax. "Look, VRL sees you as a major investment as well. We think you can help us in critically important ways. How we got into this mess is a black mark on us. We need you to help us get back to a safe and secure position. We hope to build a long-term relationship with you. That means we want you to be happy."

Stanley was seriously flattered by her honest words and sincere tone and tried his best to not let that show. When she smiled, he knew he'd failed at keeping it from his face. He sighed. "Okay, I get it, and I appreciate it. I do. Seriously, though, I would be fine with a small studio apartment in a much lower-scale neighborhood."

"But VRL couldn't invest in such a property unless we bought the whole building, and that's not really an option," she explained. "And trust me, the apartments like that are still stupid expensive or way too far from the office. We'd prefer you to be closer. Even this is farther than we'd like, but there's no availability within Manhattan."

He nodded his understanding, and they continued on. They followed a tenant into the lobby and went to the security desk. Sigrid let him know they had an appointment with the property manager.

A few minutes later, a very short but stout man approached them. Stanley noticed he was old, though he couldn't exactly say how old he might be. The man was wrinkled and had moles and hair growing from them, and—Stanley caught himself staring but noticed the man was staring right back at him.

"Hello, I'm Sigrid Gunderan from VRL. Camila Villamor set up our appointment?" she said, wondering if the man would acknowledge her. Finally, old eyes flicked to her, and the man nodded.

"My apologies. I am Johann Bruger, the property manager. Please follow me to my office."

He led them down a hall to a tastefully decorated office and gestured for them to enter and take a chair in front of his desk.

Stanley saw the man run his hand over the door jamb as he closed the door and wondered at the gesture. Mr. Bruger made his way behind the desk, and they soon heard the hum of a chair lift as he rose into view.

"I'm very sorry, but there seems to have been some misunderstanding about the availability. The unit in question is on the ninth floor," he said, emphasizing the floor number as he looked Sigrid straight in the eye.

"Ah, yes. I see the confusion," she smiled.

The man behind the desk relaxed and smiled.

"Mr. Garin is one of us. His protection is stronger than ours. It cannot be detected." Sigrid said calmly, and the man's smile fell away, his eyes darting to Stanley and back to Sigrid.

"I don't understand." A nervous smile replaced the man's earlier confused one.

"I can tell you've enabled a sanctuary rune as well as..." she paused momentarily to close her eyes. "An integrity compulsion?" She frowned at the property manager. "What kind of people do you normally allow into the building?"

The old man's brows came down in his own scowl. "If you can detect the rune, you can obviously counter-act it. You also know I cannot allow... others to inhabit this unit!"

Stanley was looking between the two in confusion. He finally settled on just looking at Sigrid. "Is he saying... what I think he's saying? I'm too human to live on the floor the unit is on?"

Sigrid sent him a warning look.

"What? You said he has a sanctuary rune in place. It's safe to talk, right?"

She turned to face him. "Yes. The sanctuary rune is active. However, what you are is not something we will discuss."

He caught the implicit warning in her eyes and nodded reluctantly. He turned to face Mr. Bruger and saw the man giving him an evaluating look before returning his gaze to Sigrid.

"Am I to take your word on this matter?" Mr. Bruger said carefully.

"Mine, Camila's and VRL's," Sigrid stated.

The old man looked at Stanley closely one last time and nodded. "Ya." His accent leaked out, possibly indicating an emotional response to the mystery that sat in the chair across from him. The property manager looked back to Sigrid. "Shall we go to see the unit then?"

"Yes, please."

They stood and followed Mr. Bruger to the elevators. The building was only nine stories, so this unit was on the top floor.

"Unit nine-oh-one is an eight-hundred square-foot, one-bedroom condo with a south and east view. Unfurnished. The asking price is seven-hundred-and-ten-thousand dollars." He glanced at Stanley, who made a choking noise when he heard the price. Sigrid just nodded, so the man opened the door and led them inside. The space was functional, if not exceptional, but the view made up for some of that. The floors were hardwood except in the kitchen and bathroom, where it was a neutral grey slate tile. There was a good-sized balcony facing south and a mostly unobstructed sightline to the Hudson River to see some of the Manhattan skyline. They looked at the kitchen, bathroom, laundry facilities, and finally, the bedroom, which Sigrid noted was spacious enough to accommodate a king-sized bed.

"But I only need a single," Stanley insisted.

Mr. Bruger did his best to stifle his snort and hide his smile as Sigrid leaned in to speak softly. "You may one day have company in that bed, so maybe a queen makes more sense."

"Oh, right!" Stanley said, his face burning.

They returned to the open living room, and Sigrid looked at Stanley. "So, what do you think?"

He blinked at her. "I think it's really nice and has everything I could need. But you know I don't need something this nice—"

Sigrid held up her hand and turned to the property manager. "Let's return to your office to work out the details." The man nodded with a smile.

Stanley took a final look around at the condo he would need to furnish. It was so much nicer than his attic room and made him feel like a grown-up. Of course, he had no idea how to furnish a condo... cook a meal, or wash his own clothes, as his Baba had insisted on taking care of these things. Something else to learn. So much for feeling like a grown-up.

The thought of the old woman also dimmed his spirits. He missed her, gruff as she was.

As they traveled back to the main floor, Stanley's mind took him through the myriad of things he had yet to do to replace VRL's sick network. How was he supposed to do all this domestic stuff, too?

"Stanley, could you give us a moment? Wait for me in the lobby?" Sigrid asked as they exited the elevator.

"Uh, sure," he managed before the statuesque blond followed the small man down the hall back to his office.

He wandered down to the lobby and made himself comfortable on the couch in the sitting area. As it was early afternoon, there wasn't too much traffic in and out, but he saw a few people. He thought about that. Were they... people? Humans or members of the Hidden Races. He had to accept that both were now people to him.

He heard the sound of someone struggling and looked to the inner door. A woman with long blonde hair and too many parcels was trying to hold the door open and get her bags inside. He looked over to the security desk, but the man behind it showed no signs of noticing.

Stanley got up and jogged over. "May I lend you a hand?" he asked.

The bluest eyes he'd ever seen froze him in place. He noticed the woman was young, probably his age, and was wearing scrubs, so she probably worked in a hospital. When she realized he was just trying to be helpful, her eyes softened, and she smiled at him. He was once more locked in place as she had such a wide and brilliant smile with just a hint of an overbite.

"That would be much appreciated, thank you!"

Her words broke his paralysis, and he picked up the six grocery bags at her feet while she took the remaining four. He was surprised she was trying to carry so much. "This is a lot to carry. You might want to consider one of those—"

"Grocery buggies? Yeah, mine died about two blocks back. The wheels came right off! Cheap piece of crap," she explained and looked at him expectantly.

As her eyes were level with his, he realized they were the same height. He blinked at her, wondering what she was expecting.

"I'm Sandy."

"Oh! Uh, Stanley. Stanley Garin."

"Are you visiting someone, Stanley?" she said with a coy smile.

"No, I'm looking at buying one of the units, or rather the company I work for is, and I'll rent it from them," he answered.

She gestured towards the elevator, and he moved. "Who do you work for?"

"VRL. They're an investment house in Manhattan," he said, watching her press four. Something clicked in his mind. Fourth floor. Human. Damn.

"What do you do at VRL?" she asked, still smiling as he watched the numbers absent-mindedly.

"CIO," he replied, but his mind was reviewing the implications of making friends with humans in the building. He missed her skeptical look as they exited the elevator and went down the hall a little.

"Really. You're the CIO?" she smirked.

Stanley came out of his thoughts as he realized she didn't believe him. He considered that and knew she had every right to be doubtful. It sounded crazy to him as well.

She was unlocking her door. Four-zero-four. "Yeah, I know. I just started yesterday, and it still seems like a dream." He glanced back at the elevators. "Can I leave them here? I'd better get back. It was nice meeting you, Sandy!"

"Yes, thanks for the assist. It was nice meeting you! Wait! Which unit are you looking at?"

He started back and looked over his shoulder. "Nine-oh-one."

"Maybe I'll see you around, Mr. CIO!" she said with a wide smile, which was a little dazzling. He smiled and nodded as he stepped back onto the elevator.

When he stepped into the lobby, he spotted Sigrid standing in the waiting area, looking more than a little worried.

"Where did you go?" she asked with her brows furrowed.

"I just helped a woman carry her grocery bags up to her unit," he answered.

She stared at him incredulously. "Stanley, what the hell?"

"What?"

She pitched her voice so only he would hear it. "Would you get into a stranger's car if they offered you a lift?"

"No, of course not!" he scowled.

"You were just in a kidnapping attempt yesterday, and I heard from Mr. Duncan that the same people were following you today! You have to start being more careful! There are people in this building that might... not have your best interests at heart," she said, glancing around.

He gave her an exasperated expression. "Well, that's less than helpful."

Sigrid shook her head. "I can't talk about it here. What did she look like? What unit does she live in? Please tell me you didn't enter her condo!"

Stanley was starting to worry if he would be safe living here. "She's young like me. Long, straight blond hair and blue eyes. A nice smile. Her name is Sandy, and she lives in unit four-oh-four. I left her groceries outside her door and returned to the lobby."

"Ah, an even floor. Good. Good." Sigrid mumbled to herself as she relaxed. Then her eyes snapped to Stanley's. "Wait a minute, nice smile?" She looked troubled.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe we could talk tonight so I can get instructions on how I'm supposed to live my life now?"

Sigrid heard the pain in his voice and nodded as they left the building and headed back to the office. A talk was a good idea.

Chapter 4

Paloma sat quietly in her living room, concentrating on the flame of the lit candle on the coffee table before her. She'd closed the blinds, and the room was dark except for the tiny flame. She used this one source of light to focus her mind and close out the deluge of images that now flashed through her mind unbidden.

The sex she'd had with Stanley the night before had been unlike any she'd ever had. Even now, she felt the echoes of her epic release, and she craved more, but she knew she wouldn't need to feed, and probably shouldn't feed, for a long time. The wild magic coursing through her cells made her feel like, at any moment, she might instantly transcend into a state of pure energy and leave her flesh behind.

The drawback of this intense energization was that her minor psychic gift had been supercharged. The Wild energy had found someplace to go.

When she'd awoken this morning, her mother had been sleeping in the chair beside her bed. Unlike the glimpses she'd had before, now the aura around her mother was brilliant and chaotic. She watched the woman sleep for at least ten minutes as she tried to filter through the confusing overlapping images in the aura, but her mind couldn't identify what she was seeing or decipher its meaning. She just didn't have the training for it.

That's when she'd noticed the changes in her skin. Her lovely black and deep blue coloration had become a pearly silver white. She extended the claws on her fingers, and they were also white! She let them retract and thought about getting up to look in the mirror.

"You're awake. Good!"

Paloma looked at her mother; her aura was just as chaotic as before. She instinctively pushed back on her abilities, and they... muted. She sighed in relief and looked away, glancing at the alarm clock. It was still early, but... what day was it? She suddenly had the sensation of time dilation.

"What day is it?" she asked.

"You've only slept overnight," Camila assured her.

Paloma nodded, getting her bearings. She looked up suddenly. "Stanley!"

"—is fine. We took him home last night and met his Baba." Camila frowned as that encounter still haunted her.

"Baba? Is that a term for Grandmother?" Paloma asked, missing her mother's expression.

"Yes, she was... his grandmother. She was also Baba Yaga," Camila fixed her eyes on her daughter and saw the shock and fear there. Good. She was pleased Paloma recognized the danger.

"Stanley is related to Baba Yaga?" Paloma squeaked.

"I believe she... adopted him. For what purpose, I don't know. She mentioned he was somehow involved in a long-term plan that we disturbed." Paloma gasped in fear, but Camila raised her hand to calm her daughter. "Stanley convinced her not to hurt us."

Camila watched her daughter's eyes, pale blue since her transformation, begin to glow at the mention of Stanley's rescue. "Don't!" she barked.

Paloma blinked back at her in confusion.

"He's part of something Baba Yaga is cooking up! I don't want you getting involved with him! It's too dangerous!"

"I'm his executive assistant. I work for him." She recalled something important. "He'll need the notes we made yesterday!" Paloma insisted, trying to bypass her mother's intervention without directly confronting her, something she couldn't do.

"No, you work for me. I'm the CEO, remember?" Camila insisted.

"But... I like working with Stanley, and we are a great team. He needs me to meet the deadline you set for him. You know how effective I am," Paloma said quickly before her mother's mind was set.

Camila closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. She did know how good her daughter's work was. It had made her indispensable to their previous CIO. Even if the bastard had been embezzling from the company with that snake Pfister, something Paloma had suspicions of and brought to her attention.

"Fine. You work with him. That's all! I think it's abundantly clear that you can no longer feed from him. His energy is far too... potent." Camila looked away from her.

Paloma's eyes went wide. "You fed from him too!"

Camila looked sharply back at her daughter, but she could not deny the truth. "You were overdosing! I had to confirm if his energy was toxic!"

"And after the first small amount to confirm this, you stopped?" Paloma pushed.

Camila's eyes narrowed as she realized her daughter was becoming testy. "Paloma!"

The girl dropped her eyes. "Sorry, mother."

They each took a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Truthfully... it was fortunate Stanley was almost finished when he was pulled away from you. If I'd fed any more, I might have passed out as well," Camila said to ease the tension. Paloma smiled as they shared the memory.

"My next concern is the effect it had on you. Your pigmentation has altered dramatically! Your glamor may not be able to cope with this sudden change. How do you feel?"

Paloma closed her eyes with a wide smile and stretched in satisfaction like a cat sleeping in the sun. "Sooooo good!"

"But what about your glamor?" her mother insisted, though she struggled to keep the smile from her lips.

Paloma opened her eyes and pouted. "Fine." Concentrating, she felt for the glamor spell bound to her... and discovered it was gone. Actually, a few wisps remained, but as she watched, the edges slowly faded away. She looked at her mother. "It's gone."

"Gone?" Camila exclaimed.

"Yes, it's... it's dissolving," Paloma said faintly.

Camila frowned. That wasn't supposed to be possible. She'd have to contact the Fae who bonded the spell to Paloma when she was only a baby. These spells grew and evolved with their owners and never, ever failed. A trustworthy glamor was their best and only defense. "I'll arrange to get a new glamor for you. Until then, you'll just have to stay inside your home."

Paloma nodded distractedly, then yawned widely. Her eyes suddenly felt heavy. "I'm so sleepy."

"It's okay. Rest. Stay inside. Don't answer the door. I will return at lunch," Camila said as she pulled the covers up to her daughter's chin.

Paloma smiled as she felt the familiar gestures from her mother, and soon she was asleep.

Camila did return at lunch, and Paloma watched her speak to one Fae official after another, trying to reach one that would take her seriously. A glamor spell fail? Impossible! Finally, she contacted someone senior in the organization who seemed more shocked than dismissive. She arranged to visit that night. She asked that the subject meditate to clear her mind of all concerns, as to apply a new spell at this stage of one's life required a good amount of mental assistance from the subject. Infants were easily bonded to their glamor spells as their minds were far more malleable.

So here Paloma sat in the dark, focusing on the candle, working on disciplining her mind, preparing for her new glamor spell.

"Child..."

Paloma blinked and looked closer at the flame. There was nothing special to see there.

"Child..."

She looked to the darkness beyond as the voice seemed to come from the darkest shadows. A chill ran down her spine.

"Yes?"

"Good child. You like my boy?"

Paloma froze. It was her.

"Yes," she squeaked, afraid to speak anything but the truth.

"What do you see when you see him?" the voice asked.

Paloma heard the emphasis on the repeated word and knew Baba Yaga was aware of her ability. Her mouth went dry, but she had to answer. "I see—I saw something special..."

"But you don't know what it is?"

"No. I never do. I just see the potential."

"Good... That's good, child."

Paloma found herself holding her breath. She took a gulp of air.

"Be kind to my boy... Life won't be."

The candle went out, and Paloma might have screamed. Just a little. When she found the courage to move, she reached out in the darkness to touch the lamp next to the couch, and its soft light filled the area around her. The candle's wick had simply drowned.

She rose from the couch and checked the rune by the front door. It wasn't active. She set it and wondered if her mother had forgotten to reset it when she left. Perhaps Baba Yaga turned it off herself. Someone as powerful as her would not be stopped by this simple rune.

Paloma took another candle from the drawer and went back to her meditation. Now more than ever, she needed to settle her mind... and nerves.

Two hours later, she was finally returning to a calm and floating state when she felt the gentle ping of the door rune being deactivated by her mother. She could feel Camila's presence through the rune's magic, which gave her some additional peace of mind. She wanted to tell her mother about her afternoon visitor, but something warned her to keep silent. A compulsion! Sneaky witch!

She sighed and turned on the light as her mother entered the apartment.

Walking to the windows, Camila opened the blinds. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Calm."

"Perfect. The specialist should be here shortly." The doorbell rang, and Camila raised an eyebrow as she smiled. "I'm pretty good!"

Paloma smiled at her mother as she rolled her eyes.

Camila went to the door and returned with a slight, grey-haired woman, maybe four-foot-ten, dressed elegantly in a tan raincoat over black slacks and shiny leather shoes. She was leaning slightly on an ebony walking stick. With the merest flick of her fingers, the raincoat she appeared to be wearing vanished and was replaced with a black business jacket over a gray silk shirt. Everything about this Fae was hidden behind a glamor. This wasn't too surprising considering her occupation.

"Hello, I'm Investigator Heriahn. I understand there is a claim of a failed glamor." Her voice was light but crisp.

Looking at the wispy aura around the woman, Paloma was struck by the feeling of despair. The potential in the woman seemed to be almost gone. She'd never been able to see the auras of the Fae before. Now, she wished for that to be the case again. She held her tongue as keeping her secret was far more important. "Yes, my glamor has dissolved," she said. She and her mother had decided Stanley's name and nature would be kept secret, if possible.

"Dissolved?" the investigator said with a disbelieving tone.

Paloma shrugged. "Please see for yourself."

The Fae nodded, speaking words softly to itself, and looked closer. Her eyes began to gleam oddly. Then they flew wide. "It is dissolving! Only the barest hint of it remains!"

"Will you build upon the original glamor or create an entirely new one?" Camila asked.

Heriahn shook her head slowly. "There is nothing left to anchor to with the original binding. It must be removed first. Let us sit down. We must prepare. Did you meditate and clear your mind?"

"Yes, I'm ready," Paloma said.

"Good." The woman sat on the couch next to her, facing her, and reached for her hands. Once they were linked, she looked into Paloma's eyes. "First, we will remove the original binding. It will have a deep connection and may be painful to remove, so please be prepared to remain calm and strong. I will guide you."

Camila took the seat across from the couch and watched nervously.

"Take a deep breath and release it. Good. One more. Good. All right, let's begin," the Fae sighed out a string of words that Paloma heard, but as quickly as they touched her ears, they were gone. The Fae reached out with her mind to gather up the wisps of binding. They proved to be difficult to grasp initially due to their frayed edges. She concentrated harder and finally managed to lock on to the damaged spell. She began to tug, expecting to follow the remnants down to their source in the core of Paloma's being. Instead, they pulled up towards her with almost no effort at all. The shreds of magic came faster and faster as she pulled, and she never once dipped into Paloma's core.

Suddenly, it was over, and nothing of the original binding remained within the young woman. The tattered remains in Heriahn's grasp simply... melted away. She caught the briefest glimpse of the ends of the ethereal strands and saw... charring? She looked at Paloma, who opened her eyes.

"Are we going to start?" she asked.

Shaken, Heriahn looked over at Camila, who frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"The binding came loose with no effort. It was burned from her core!" Heriahn exclaimed.

"Will you be able to apply a new one?" Camila asked.

Heriahn frowned and nodded curtly. This was her profession. Of course, she could!

The Fae blinked at Paloma as she uttered some specific words of magic from her toolkit, attempting to see the source of the scorching, what might be inside the young woman that could have destroyed such a strong spell. She understood now how the spell dissolved. A binding unbound from its host loses its integrity very quickly when no longer powered by its host. What she didn't know was what caused the spell's connection to Paloma to be burned away. Curses, corrupting spells, and other incompatible magics were the most likely cause. She glanced at the young woman, worried what she might find inside her. She also had to be cautious to not trigger an aggressive reaction if it was a curse. She had no desire to share the curse.

Taking a deep breath, she rattled off a rapid string of syllables while holding the shape of her strongest shield spell in her mind. It formed perfectly, and she felt its smooth protection all around her. Magic could flow outwards but not inwards.

Next, she prepared the anchor spell which would bind the new glamor to Paloma's inner core. She formed this just outside of her shield and inspected it. It was perfect, but she prided herself on the craftsmanship of her work.

Finally came the preparation of the glamor itself. She'd made hundreds of these, so it was simple to do. Normally, the glamor's shape was that of a Human infant with some general features of the host, hair, and eye color if applicable. This time, she built a generic adult-sized glamor and bound it to the anchor spell. She inspected this and was satisfied. The final shape would have to come from the mind of its host. She would need Paloma's assistance when it was bound, but not until then. She looked at her with eyes glowing bright yellow.

"It's time. Open yourself to me, and no matter what, accept what I give you. Don't resist. Don't fight it. It must bind fully, or the new glamor will just fade as this one did. I will tell you when to step into the glamor and shape it to your will. Make sure you have prepared the image in your mind."

Paloma nodded nervously, then closed her eyes and took deep breaths, centering herself. She allowed herself to relax as she thought of the single flame in the dark.

Heriahn nodded with a smile as she saw the young succubus slip into a receptive state of mind. Uttering the words under her breath, she formed the image of her probe and carefully reached through the being before her to the space beyond, inside. She prepared herself to watch for signs of whatever burned the initial glamor spell. She felt an odd resistance and applied more pressure. The probe was being deflected.

She leaned back a little and looked again at Paloma. She remained receptive and relaxed. Nothing had ever deflected one of her probes before. Maybe someone shielded her with something old and rare?

Heriahn was beginning to feel uneasy. She wasn't really a specialist with what she was about to do, but she knew a few ancient words of power, and she'd be damned if she would admit to these Succubi she was incapable of doing her job. Her pride would not allow this. Using the old words, she constructed her probe spell and laced it with just a little ancient Fae magic.

The probe met less resistance this time, but a strange sympathetic vibration returned through the spell. Heriahn suddenly felt like she was falling forward until she abruptly stopped at Paloma's core. The Fae gasped in shock as wild magic raced back through the link, ignoring her shield's presence.

Paloma's eyes snapped open as she stared at the Fae, seeing her as she really was, ancient, crippled and diseased. The Fae was dying and had been for a long time. The connection between them, opened by the probe, was frighteningly intimate.

More immediate for Paloma was that the probe hurt! The Fae magic was grating harshly against the wild magic saturating her body, as the two energies were slightly out of phase. The discordance made her teeth and jaw ache, and it felt like a sharp spike was being driven through her head.

She desperately needed the Fae to finish now.

Her urgency raced back through their link, washing over Heriahn, who frantically reworked her spells to adapt them to the wild magic contained within the young woman. They didn't need to speak as their thoughts were instantly being shared. The glamor activated in its dormant state, and Paloma rapidly imprinted her body image onto it.

The pain grew too intense for Paloma to cope with rationally. She struck out blindly at the probe and felt it shatter and dissolve under the raging wave of energy flooding her mind. She may have screamed.

Heriahn certainly did and flung herself backward, surging from the young woman's being. The old Fae passed out, falling into Camila's arms as Paloma slumped back against the cushions, panting and holding her head as the pain slowly dissipated.

"What happened? Are you all right? Did it work?" Camila asked in a panic as Heriahn began to come around.

As consciousness returned to the Fae, she noticed her own glamor was no longer active. She reached for it but was in too much pain to draw the magic forward. She would have to wait. She shook off Camila's hands roughly. "Cloak! I need a cloak," she rasped through her raw throat. Camila left to get the woman one of the heavy garments every Hidden Races member kept in their closet, just in case.

The disease Heriahn had battled for so many centuries was close upon her tonight. She could feel its claws in her deep. She'd used too much energy on this girl and resented it. She glared at Paloma.

"How did you come by this energy, child? Who did you feed from?" she barked as Camila re-entered the room.

Paloma looked to her mother, whose expression turned cold.

"Who we feed from is none of your business!" she snapped.

"Wild magic! With a strength not found in the Realm of Magic we draw upon. That's Fae Council business! Expect a summons tomorrow," the crone barked back, pushed herself to her feet, leaning heavily on her cane, and grabbed the cloak. She dragged it around herself and shuffled out of the apartment.

Camila locked the door behind her, setting the protection rune. She rushed back to her daughter. "The glamor! Did it take?"

Blinking at her mother, Paloma pushed herself up to sit on the edge of the couch and steadied herself. She closed her eyes and looked inside for the glamor, and there it was, waiting for her command. She called it forward and heard her mother gasp. She opened her eyes and saw her mother looking at her wide-eyed. "What's wrong? Didn't it work? It felt like it worked!"

Camila tugged her daughter to her feet and led her to the front door to stand before a large mirror. Paloma stumbled when she saw herself, or the woman she now appeared to be. "Oh my god!" she gasped. "How... how do I explain this?" she cried.

As before, her glamor followed her hair and eye color. Her new glamor kept her white hair but deepened the blue of her eyes. Her brows arched high, but the slant of her eyes remained almost unchanged. She looked exotic, and her curves were barely subdued. She could definitely pass for Human, but she'd attract a lot of attention unless she dressed to reduce the impact of some of her attributes. She had some non-prescription glasses she would now have to wear to downplay her eyes.

The problem was she looked nothing like Paloma Villamor! She caught her mother's concerned eye in the mirror. "How can I go back to work looking like this?!?"

Camila considered the issue. Glamor spells were based closely on their host's true state, so they would evolve with them as they aged. Seeing her daughter's new glamor in place, she realized the changes Stanley brought her were permanent. She saw Paloma coming to the same realization.

So. Paloma would have to become someone new as well.

"Paloma Villamor has moved back to Spain, and her cousin Marisa has come to fill in for her until further notice. I will ask Sigrid to obtain the required documentation," Camila said firmly.

The woman in the mirror looked at her in shock and began to cry. Camila understood only too well. In her long life span, she'd had to see a number of her own identities pass on. While it was early, this was only Paloma's first time, but it wouldn't be her last.

"You are now Marisa Villamor, and I will call you niece, but remember you are always flesh of my flesh, and I love you no less than completely." She pulled the young woman into a hug and rocked her in her arms as the tears flowed.

When the tears ran dry, Marisa pulled back and looked at her aunt. "Was... it like this when you changed your identity to Camila Villamor?" she said with a shaky voice.

Camila nodded. "Yes. It's like this every time. I will walk you through the process over the next few days." Her niece sucked in a few stuttering breaths and seemed to be getting control back, so she smiled at her. "Once we're both confident you have this new identity locked in, we'll introduce you to the company. Everything will be fine. I'm more concerned about how we will keep Stanley away from the Fae Council. I need to speak with Sigrid tonight. Are you going to be alright?"

"Yes, I'm still tired, and that bonding really hurt!" Marisa said.

"Get some sleep, and I'll check in on you on my way to work," Camila said and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Marisa hugged her and watched her leave.

When she was alone, she looked in the mirror to see the new person she had become.

"Marisa." She liked the name. She'd even wondered what it might be like being a blond.

She frowned. She hadn't expected it to be permanent.

She reached inside and disabled the glamor. There was no transition. No glittering curtain of sparkles. The glamor just stopped and she was looking at the new coloring of her Succubus form. Frightened, she reached for the glamor again, and it snapped back into place. It was so easy!

Before, there had been a momentary effort to switch, and the removal was always delayed as the glamor dissipated. Now, the change was instant and effortless! She looked inside again at the spell and discovered it wasn't alone. There was another dormant spell waiting for activation. She touched it with her mind and suddenly recognized it! It was the shield spell that Heriahn had tried to protect herself with. The Fae's shield had been useless against her wild magic, but this shield... was reworked to use the wild magic as its power source! She called it to activate it and felt the smooth surface of it snap into place around her. It was much stronger than the one she'd felt around Heriahn!

So now she had her very own shield, which was a good one! She had no idea why Heriahn had implanted it with the glamor, but she was keeping it!

She smiled at her new blond reflection. Whoa. She was really going to have to do something to minimize the impact of that smile. Maybe a fake retainer? She sighed.

Her thoughts turned to the old Fae and the grief she could cause Stanley.

-=-

Heriahn shuffled down the stairs into the subway. She passed her illusionary pass over the turnstile as she pushed the machinery, wincing at the pain of using even this small amount of magic, but the gate let her pass.

She slowly and wearily descended the steps to the platform and saw the train pulling away. Damn it! She'd have to wait for the next one. She shuffled over to the seats, easing herself down onto one, and spoke the words to a simple do not disturb spell to make others avoid her. She leaned back and closed her eyes, feeling the damage tonight's session had done to her.

She was so weary. She hadn't expected to deal with wild magic! And so strong! Magic was disappearing from the world as the membrane between this plane and the realm of Magic slowly closed.

It was the Humans' fault for corrupting the world. Their disease sickened this plane, and the membranes were sealing up to protect the others. Only the Fae knew of this, and they were keeping it to themselves.

To encounter this tonight... she had to inform the Fae Council. Let them know there might be a source of magic powerful enough to expedite the purging of the disease and its source, the Humans. Whoever the Succubus fed from was someone the Fae needed to know about. They would get the information from the girl.

A foul odor wafted over to her, and she opened her eyes to see where it was coming from. A homeless woman was easing herself down two seats over. Heriahn scowled. Her spell should have kept everyone away, but in her weakened state, its potency was obviously not as powerful as it should have been. It certainly wasn't as powerful as this old woman's smell of unwashed flesh. The few other people on the platform gave them both a wide berth and averted their gaze. She realized they probably thought they both smelled this bad. She scowled, closed her eyes, and reached for a stronger avoidance spell. She moaned a little as the strength it took to invoke the spell sapped her and sent pain shooting through her body.

She was startled to hear a chuckle from the old woman who should have been rushing away at this point. Heriahn painfully turned her head towards the woman and saw a wide smile on her face.

"That was a waste of your remaining strength, now wasn't it," the woman cackled quietly.

Heriahn blinked in confusion. Her head spun with the pain she was in, and she felt the disease digging in deeper.

"Ah, you're not well, are you? How unfortunate for you... but fortunate for me," the homeless woman whispered behind her grin. Then, as Heriahn watched in dismay, the homeless woman began to cough loudly. The deep, wet hacking barks caused the few remaining people on the platform to move even further away.

The Fae heard it then. The almost silent words of power beneath the coughs. But it was too late to respond as the disease in her core awoke with new energy and stole her last remaining years in the blink of an eye. As she sank into that most-final darkness, she looked one more time at the old woman who was shambling away. When the old crone turned the corner to exit the platform, Baba Yaga smiled back at her, and Heriahn saw nothing more.

Chapter 5

Sigrid sat in her favorite chair, under her softest blanket, in front of her small fireplace, sipping her comforting tea after having dinner with Stanley. She contemplated the young man sitting in the chair across from her. He was having a rough week.

"So VRL now owns the unit?" he asked.

"As of tomorrow afternoon. You'll get the keys at the office. You can move in any time after that," she nodded.

He thought for a moment. "I need to get furniture. Dishes. Towels. Groceries? I don't know how to use the stove or cook for myself. I've never used a washer or dryer. Baba's cottage had no electricity, and she took care of those things and never asked me to learn. I see now I should have prepared myself much better."

Sigrid tilted her head with a smile. "You need a housekeeper for a one-bedroom condo?"

He looked at her sharply but saw she was just teasing. "Ha. Ha. I'm such a helpless male."

"I'm sorry. You're right. Until now, you've led a sheltered life, but you must learn sometime," Sigrid suggested.

Stanley looked at her bleakly. "I have less than a month to replace all of VRL's network hardware and software. I got a good start on it today. We'll have the delivery of the new air conditioner and diesel generator next week. The electricians will install the new lines from the roof to a new panel in the new server room this week. I finished the design of the new network topography and will begin ordering the servers tomorrow. Based on the volume of the order and how little setup I've asked them to do, I've also managed to negotiate some excellent prices. I'll begin configuring the servers as soon as they begin arriving. There is so much to do. I can't fit all that in and learn how to be self-sufficient at home at the same time. Plus, there's the fact that my current savings won't cover the cost of the stuff I need to get for the apartment."

Sigrid realized he was a little over-burdened. "Tell you what, I'll find someone to temporarily deal with the household issues. VRL will furnish the place with the basics as we have some furniture in storage, like couches, tables, and chairs. Not a bed naturally so we'll have to buy that. We'll hire a housekeeper to tidy the place, take care of the laundry, and make your meals. Once you have VRL's situation in hand, you'll need to learn how to deal with your own household issues. I'll get you training in that." She watched Stanley slump in relief.

"That would be great! Thanks! I want to learn how to be independent and self-sufficient, but there's just too much to do at the moment!"

"Now, as to the other issue." Sigrid looked at Stanley with compassion. "As someone who isn't Human, having a relationship with a Human is not a good idea. Relationships only survive if you can be completely honest with your partner, and let's face it, this is as big of a secret as they come. You cannot share this with a Human. Doing so puts us all at risk, and that won't be allowed. Steps will be taken to discredit or silence the Human and the one who couldn't keep the secret. You will never know who's been asked to do it. You might one day be told you have to destroy someone's credibility or even kill to protect us all. It's never done lightly, and it's only done to ensure our survival. The sooner you accept that, the easier life will be."

"So, I can't even be friends with a human?" Stanley blurted.

"No, of course you can. You just can't ever have the kind of relationship with one that requires complete honesty. Think about it! You have to switch to your true form every night. That means no overnight Human guests," Sigrid explained. "Speaking of changing, shouldn't you be in your true form now?"

Stanley shrugged with a sullen look.

Sigrid looked him in the eye sympathetically. "It's not a bad thing. It's just the truth. Learn to not only accept it but embrace it. It's who you really are, and that's wonderful. You have a lot to learn about yourself. Granted, you're learning it later than most, but it's still good!"

He smiled at her effort to make him feel better. She really was a good person, and she was a Valkyrie! Then he winced. "I forgot. I ruined my robe last night when I switched back to my... human disguise while wearing it. That folding reality thing really wreaks havoc on clothes. I'll need to pick up some clothes for my true self."

She smiled at his initial efforts to accept his new state of being. "I'll loan you one of mine until you get one for yourself." She frowned. "You should take some measurements once you've changed so you can get something that fits. I'll get you a tape measure." She stood up and made her way upstairs to her bedroom.

Stanley sat and stared into the flames. He suddenly thought of Paloma and wondered how she was. Maybe he could go see her tomorrow at lunch. He'd ask Sigrid—"What is that?" he asked in dismay as he saw the short, white, gauzy nightgown Sigrid was carrying in her hands.

"What? Hey! Beggars can't be choosers. You can buy your own robe tomorrow. For tonight, all you have is this, and I want it back in one piece so change before you put it on and take it off before you change back!" Sigrid griped.

"Sorry! It's just so... girly."

"You don't think I'd like girly things or look good in them?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

Stanley froze. "No, of course you would! You're beautiful!" He caught her pleased smile and frowned. "Hey! You said you'd stop teasing me!"

She gave him an innocent look. "I did? I don't recall ever saying that." She gently tossed the garment in his direction, and it opened and settled over his head like a parachute. He pulled it off, but not before he picked up her delicate and pleasing scent from the garment. He blushed strongly, and she looked at him questioningly again. "What?"

He looked away, embarrassed. "You smell pretty, too," he muttered.

It was Sigrid's turn to blush as he caught her by surprise. She became flustered and shooed him towards the guest bathroom. "Go get changed and be careful with that! It's one of my favorites." She realized it really was and wondered why she'd loaned that particular one to him.

Stanley went to the bathroom and took off his clothes. He set them on the toilet seat with the robe and took a deep breath. He calmed his mind and thought of the instructions. Twist one way, then all the way back. He felt no difference, but the stranger looked back at him in the mirror when he opened his eyes. Taller, stronger, bigger in many ways. Looking down at himself, he took in powerful muscles, the brown fur on his legs, and the... appendage hanging between them. Geezus, that was his too.

He looked around, but nothing else in the small room had been disturbed, so it looked like he had gotten it right.

Sighing, he pulled the robe on and realized it was just a little translucent. He frowned and tied it tighter to double the fabric upfront. He looked down and realized he was as covered as he would get. He returned to the living room where Sigrid had made his bed on the couch once more. She turned when she heard him enter and almost managed to hide the snort and grin as she spun back to the sofa.

"No, really. Go ahead. Let's dress the big, bad Satyr in the pretty, girly gown," he growled.

She spun back, and he saw she was smiling broadly at him. Her eyes twinkled in happiness again, and his frown melted away as he wondered what he'd said this time.

"You think my gown is pretty and girly?" she asked.

He looked down at himself. "Yes. It's very delicate and soft."

Sigrid tilted her head as she looked at his large arms in the sleeves. When he looked back at her, she gestured for him to kneel down with her on opposite sides of the coffee table. Curious, he did as she asked, making sure the gown didn't get caught or come open. They faced each other across the small but sturdy table.

"Valkyries are seen as warriors. Strong, fierce, and unforgiving. All of that is true. I loved dispatching the demon the other night. It's been a long time since I fought one to the death! It made me feel alive! I'd like to test the strength of those big arms of yours. You should know your strength. For one day, you may need to call upon it to save yourself. Right now, you don't know your limits. I think I would be an excellent sparring partner for you to test your strength against."

"Sparring? I can't fight you! I can't fight anyone! I don't know how to fight!" he exclaimed.

She raised her hands in surrender. "I didn't mean we'd fight. I was just thinking of a little friendly arm wrestling. Have you done that?"

"No, but I know how it's done," he said, calming down.

"Good! Now, I don't want you to hold anything back. I need to gauge your true strength, so just keep pouring it on. Remember, I'm a Valkyrie. I can take it," she smirked, and he nodded.

They rested their elbows on the table and grasped each other's hands. "When I say go, start pushing and keep your elbow on the table at all times. Most importantly," she caught his eyes with hers, "you don't know how strong your Satyr side is. You can't be limited to your Human strength."

He nodded and concentrated on his grip. My god, her hand was soft!

"Ready?" she asked, bringing his mind back to the task at hand. He nodded. "Go."

Stanley pushed and saw Sigrid's eyes widen slightly as a smile slowly slipped onto her lips. He dragged his eyes from her mouth to look at her hand. Her knuckles were white with the effort of keeping his arm in place.

She said he didn't know his limits and couldn't be limited to human strength. Okay then. He took some deeper breaths and really poured it on, bunching his arm muscles as hard as he could to force her arm back.

It started to happen. Sigrid's arm was ever so slowly falling back. Her teeth were bared in a fierce snarl, and her eyes absolutely sparkled with joy. Stanley was tiring, and his arm was beginning to shake.

Sigrid immediately raised her other hand to grip his and stop the battle.

"Okay, that's good for now. You did amazingly well. If you were to exercise those muscles regularly, I wouldn't be surprised if one day you beat me. I stopped you now as you might have injured yourself if you continued. Again, you did really well! I'm really impressed."

Stanley grinned happily. He'd never achieved any real success with physical endeavors before. He'd actually managed to impress a Valkyrie! That had to be like winning a gold medal in the Olympics on his first attempt! Of course, his arm did hurt.

"Thanks! I think I'll go to sleep now. I have a busy day tomorrow, and my arm's a little sore," he said with a self-conscious grin.

She nodded with a smile of her own and stood up. She used her left hand to pull him up by his left hand.

"Sleep well, Stanley. See you in the morning."

-=-

As she climbed the steps to her bedroom, Sigrid used her left hand to massage the knots from her right bicep. If she was being honest, Stanley's wasn't the only arm that would have suffered an injury if she hadn't stopped the battle. His strength had completely surprised her. He'd almost bested her and... would have if she'd let them continue. First, he treated her like the woman she craved to be seen as then he won a strength competition against her. She was seriously turned on right now, and going upstairs was the smartest thing she could do for him. Stanley didn't need any more confusion in his life.

But damn, it was going to be difficult getting to sleep tonight.

-=-

Stanley waited until he heard Sigrid's door close upstairs before he undid and took off the robe. He was almost painfully erect, so he was glad Sigrid wasn't there to see how he treated her generous hospitality.

With adolescent horniness!

The woman had been nothing but compassionate and generous to him, doing her best to ease his transition into living as a member of the Hidden Races. Here he was, dwelling on how soft her skin was, how good she smelled, how lovely her blue eyes were when they sparkled with joy, and how amazing her mouth looked when she smiled... those lips.

GAH! He was just making it tougher for himself to get to sleep.

He folded the dressing gown and placed it on the end table next to the couch. He crawled under the covers and turned off the light.

The next twenty minutes were torture. Stanley picked up her scent from the dressing gown, and his arousal just wouldn't subside.

"Pheromones."

Stanley yelped as he hadn't heard Sigrid's stealthy approach. He flipped on the end table light.

She was leaning against the opening to the living room, watching him. Her braid was undone, so her long blond hair flowed freely down her back and over her shoulders. Stanley thought she looked stunning!

"You can't help it. It's what Satyrs do, and any receptive female nearby will be drawn to you," she explained from the doorway.

Stanley did his best to cover his erection with the sheets. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I had no idea!" he moaned.

"It's okay, Stanley. Why don't we just take care of that so we can both get some sleep tonight?" she said, looking at the bulge in the sheets.

"Take care of it?" he asked quietly.

Instead of answering, Sigrid slipped the thin shoulder straps to her nightie from her shoulders and let it drop to the floor. His eyes flew wide, and he gasped.

"My god, you're beautiful!" he sighed. Sigrid's self-control finally broke, and she strode over to him to tug away the sheets. She knelt over his body on the couch and positioned herself over his thick and very hard cock. She guided the head inside her very wet pussy and dropped down over him, driving his cock deep inside until he filled her. She threw her head back and moaned in bliss.

Sigrid hadn't been able to sleep either, with her body demanding some kind of release of the sexual tension. She'd gotten up to look for some chocolate in the fridge and slipped downstairs silently when she heard Stanley tossing and turning. That's when she detected his pheromones. She could have easily resisted them, but honestly... she didn't want to. They made an excellent excuse to do what she'd craved.

"Oh! Sigrid! Oh my god! That's so good!" he gasped. He looked up and saw the gorgeous blond biting her lush bottom lip. He sat up, hooked his hand behind her neck, and pulled her into a kiss. She squeaked and tried to push away, but his kiss was insistent and passionate. She found herself melting against him as they kissed deeply.

Finally, she pushed him onto his back and began to ride his cock. Up and down, slowly at first, gradually increasing her pace. She felt so incredibly good, and Stanley's face showed his own bliss.

His big, powerful hands cupped her breasts to caress and squeeze them as her hips drove him deep, faster and faster.

"Stanley, I'm going to—FUCK! I'm so close!" she whimpered with need.

He moved his hands down to her hips and began to drive his hips upwards, slamming their bodies together. He was also close, and he needed to warn her.

"Sigrid! I'm going to cum! We should st—"

"DO IT! I'M CUMMING! STANLEY! CUM! FUCK!" she wailed as she leaned forward over his chest, her hair flowing over him, covering his face, filling his senses with its sweet scent.

His hips sped up on their own until the sound of their bodies brutally slapping together filled the room.

"FUCK! YES! OH FUCK YES! AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!" Sigrid screamed as her orgasm took her just as Stanley's roared through him.

He felt his cum firing up into Sigrid, stream after stream. Suddenly, her enormous white wings unfolded from her back, splashing their shining brilliance across the room. Each and every feather shone with crystal sharpness as he watched wide-eyed, his body continuing to surge and pulse with his own release. Sigrid's body began to glow with the pure white light, and her long blond strands slowly rose upward as if charged. The look on her face was transcendent.

Stanley's orgasm finally ebbed, and he rested back on the sofa, gazing up in awe at the beautiful Valkyrie. She seemed to be coming back to herself slowly, languidly, reveling in the pure pleasure of their joining. She shook her head from side to side slowly, and her hair gradually settled down on her shoulders and back. Only then did she look down at him and blush when she saw his worshipful expression.

"Oh my god, Stanley! I haven't felt this good..." she blinked as she tried to recall a time when she'd felt so energized and vital. Even in the fury of righteous battle when she'd killed that demon, she'd been aware of her aches and tension. Now? It felt like anything was possible!

"It was pretty amazing for me, too," he said quietly, not quite able to believe he'd just made love to this... goddess.

She leaned over him once more, a wide grin on her lips. "That was just what I needed!"

Stanley didn't know how to respond to that. It was his pheromones that started all this. He suddenly felt very remorseful for forcing someone so gracious into this. He looked away, unable to face her with his guilt.

Her smile slipped away when she saw him looking so awkward. Then she realized she was still riding his softening cock. She felt guilty for using him like that.

"I'm sorry, Stanley. I was a little too forceful-"

"NO! No, please... don't apologize for this. None of this was your fault. You've been nothing but a perfect host, and I—" His voice cracked with his self-disgust.

"No—" she began, but he interrupted once more.

"I've only made love twice now in my life, and I'm just learning, so I apologize for not knowing about my pheromones or how to control them. I'm mortified that I forced you into this!"

"HA!"

Sigrid's bark of laughter derailed Stanley's train of thought, and he blinked at her.

"No one forces a Valkyrie into anything, especially sex! Your pheromones are strong but not stronger than my will." She sighed at his look of confusion. "I wasn't completely honest about my reasons for having sex with you, Stanley. I truly wanted to. You've been dropping compliments about my femininity since we met, and tonight, you pulled out the stops. Then you almost bested me in arm wrestling. That was so hot! A woman can only take so much flirting before she wants to act on it." She looked away with a gentle smile on her lips. "Besides, I don't get very many opportunities for sex as there are very few Hidden Races I wouldn't break under my muscles, and Humans are out of the question. You proved you were strong enough. I'm sorry for letting you think it was all your fault. I like you, Stanley, and I really enjoyed that!"

"Oh!" he said softly. "Why?"

"Why didn't I tell you?" she asked, and he nodded. She smiled with a shrug. "I didn't mean to hurt you, but it was easier to say it was just a physical need than to add more complexity to your life right now."

He looked at her. "The complexity of knowing I have someone that likes me enough to share a tremendous intimacy with me? I can deal with that kind of complexity. It actually makes my life feel less complex," he admitted.

She smiled at him and nodded again. "You're a pretty smart fellow, Stanley. I won't withhold these truths from you again."

He smiled. "Maybe you could put your wings away now. They're a little hard to look at. They're so bright!"

She glanced over her shoulder, and her mouth dropped open. "Oh my god! I didn't even feel they were open. They feel so light! And powerful!" She stepped off the couch, releasing Stanley at the same time. Then she called for her armor and weapons in her mind.

Stanley had to cover his eyes as her white armor gleamed like the sun, as did her shield and spear. Then the light in the room dimmed so quickly it felt like it was plunged into blackness even though the one end table light was still on. He blinked and realized she'd just put it all away.

"Wow! That was intensely bright! Blinding!" he muttered.

"Was it?"

He stared at her incredulously. "You couldn't tell?"

She shook her head. "Not from inside. It just feels... good!" She frowned slightly as another thought came to her. "Another reason I let you think it was just a physical thing was the fact that while I really wanted to, we really shouldn't have done that."

"Why?"

"I'm head of Human Resources. You're the CIO. We work together. We can't act too familiar at work as it will get awkward for everyone," she said, her frown deepening as she came to terms with the scope of her mistake.

"Hey, it's okay. I get it, but you don't have to worry about my behavior towards you changing at all," he assured her.

She looked at him curiously.

"When we first met, I thought you were some kind of divine angel saving me from demons and, worse, the pain of losing my only family. I held you in the highest regard and could only admire you from a distance as I'm not worthy. Now? Now I know it's true."

Blue eyes looked back at him with tears pooling in her thick lashes. "Stanley—" she choked around the lump in her throat.

He smiled and held up his hand. "It's okay. I know how our relationship has to remain. I had a wonderful time tonight and still hold you in the highest regard. You are a great person. I hope one day I'll be as good."

-=-

Sigrid was shaken. No one had ever spoken to her like this before, and more than anything, she wanted to grab Stanley and hug him, but she could see he was already pulling back. Giving her room to restore their relationship back to the friend level. She knew she had to respect that. To respect his wishes. She nodded and smiled shakily. "All right then. Sleep well, Stanley. See you in the morning."

"Good night, Sigrid," he replied.

She climbed the stairs and went back into her bedroom. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she noticed her phone was flashing. She picked it up and saw a message from Camila asking her to call immediately. It was from a couple of hours ago. She'd missed it, so she dialed.

"Sigrid! Where have you been?" Camila's voice blurted from the phone.

"I was speaking with Stanley. He is still having issues, and he needed to talk."

"He may have larger issues as of tomorrow."

"What? Why? What happened?" Sigrid asked in alarm.

"Paloma needed a new special dress, and the dressmaker wasn't pleased about making a house call, but she did. Something went wrong during the creation of the new dress, and the dressmaker told us she's going to report to the council of dressmakers that Paloma's diet was to blame."

Sigrid understood Camila's code perfectly and knew what it could mean for Stanley if the Fae Council got involved. Nobody messed with the Fae. They had a very bad reputation for playing dirty.

"Damn it! Can't he catch a break with anything?" she growled.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, then a chuckle. "I think someone is taking a liking to our new friend."

Sigrid bit her tongue and squirmed. "Of course, I like him! He's a good kid! Even you have to admit that!"

"Even me? What does that mean?" Camila's tone grew a little cool.

"When you take your CEO hat off," Sigrid replied evenly.

Camila knew this familiar argument and didn't want to go there tonight. "Yes, well..."

"More importantly, did Paloma get her new dress?" Sigrid said to change the direction of the conversation.

Gratefully, Camila sighed. "Yes. Better than before, but... she must leave the company to return to Spain. My niece Marisa will be coming to take over her responsibilities."

Sigrid gasped. She knew what this meant, as every Hidden Race member with an extended lifespan did. Paloma was no more, and Marisa was her new identity.

"I'll get the paperwork started in the morning. When can we expect our new employee to begin?" Sigrid asked quietly.

"In a few days," Camila replied.

"Is there anything we can do about the previous matter?" Sigrid asked.

"I wanted to ask you if this is something we should contact Walter about," Camila asked hesitantly.

"NO! Absolutely not!" Sigrid bristled. She hated Walter Zhao, VRL's legal representative. "We do that, and we might as well say goodbye to our new friend. We need him too much right now to let that happen." She took a deep breath and heard Camila do the same on her end of the line, so she felt the same way. "Let's see how we can deal with this on our own. If all else fails, I'll personally call on our new friend's family before Walter."

"Sigrid!" Camila gasped.

"Last resort."

"Right," Camila replied with a stern tone. A chill ran down her spine, and she wondered where Sigrid's bravery came from. She wished she had a fraction of it.

"I'm going to try to get some sleep. I suggest you do as well," the Valkyrie suggested.

"Right. See you in the morning."

Sigrid hung up and laid back on the bed. Her body still felt wonderful! She set her alarm, shut off her light, and closed her eyes.

So, Stanley thought of her as some kind of divine angel? She only hoped she could live up to his opinion.

Chapter 6

Stanley felt much more optimistic about his chances of getting the new network up and running in short order. Over the past week, he'd had the electricians in, the server room raised flooring was in, the diesel generator was installed on the roof, the server room racks were being installed right now by a crew of workers, and he had three of the key servers in his office having their software installed.

On the personal side, he'd moved into his new condo and had furniture as promised. Hand me downs from VRL except for the new bed. There were sheets and towels, and he had a housekeeper who let herself in every morning to prepare him breakfast, and when he got home, there was dinner for him on the table. So far, he'd only caught glimpses of her as she ducked out the door in the morning and at night, but he always called out his thanks. She was a tiny thing. Japanese, he thought, with a thing for colored wigs. He swore he'd seen red, pink, green, blue, and violet hair. All of it long, straight, right down to her back. Whatever made her happy! His place didn't have much in it, but it was spotless, he was well fed, and his clothes were cleaned daily. That seemed a little excessive, but he wasn't going to complain.

He missed Paloma. She never returned to work, and Camila told him she had to return to Spain. Her niece Marisa would be coming to take over the position as his executive assistant.

Speaking of Camila, she'd been on edge for the last week and had appeared quite distracted in their update meeting the day before. He was worried about her. Maybe she was worried about Paloma.

He checked on his software installs and saw they'd be busy for the next few hours. He left his office and walked out to let Siobhan know he was going to speak with Camila. He stopped by the server room, and the last few racks were going in place. The cable guides had arrived, and he showed a few of the workers what he wanted done with those with the blueprint he'd taped to the glass wall. They nodded in unison, and he left them to it.

Camila's assistant Felix announced his arrival and gestured for him to enter. Stanley opened her door and closed it behind him. He walked across the room and took in Camila's exhaustion. His smile slipped away as he got closer. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you look terrible!"

She quirked the corner of her mouth up at his words and raised an eyebrow. "How am I to take that the right way?"

"I just mean, you look exhausted! Are you not sleeping? Are you worried about Paloma? She's a smart woman. I'm sure she'll be fine!" Stanley gushed in concern.

Camila leaned back in her chair and sighed with a smile. Stanley really was a sweet young man. She felt a familiar tug and forced it down.

"No, I'm not worried about Paloma. I haven't slept well, but worse, I haven't fed since..." she struggled to recall, then her eyes widened. "since that night when you were with Paloma at her condo."

He recalled that night very well. "Wait a minute, Succubi feed on sexual energy... oh."

She looked troubled but a little desperate, too. "It's okay, Stanley. I'll try to go out to find a meal tonight."

He saw the doubt in her eyes and realized she would probably let this continue, which could be dangerous. While he was uneasy about making the offer, he knew there was something he could do to help. "With all due respect, I think you need to feed now. I-I can help with that." He looked at the windows. "Is there someplace we could go for some privacy."

Camila's eyes flared with hunger. She wanted to say no, but the last week of waiting for the damn Fae Council to pounce had prevented her from leaving Marisa's side for any extended periods. She knew they would go to the condo to speak with her. Here, Stanley was offering to feed her, which, from her last experience, was more than filling. She made the decision. To protect Marisa, she'd do it. She reached to her intercom. "Felix, Stanley and I are not to be disturbed under any circumstances".

"Understood, Ms. Villamor."

She pressed a hidden button under the desk's surface. A click announced the door's deadbolt was set. Another button lowered the curtains and closed them. The privacy rune was active, so they had their privacy.

"I'm sorry, Stanley. I shouldn't, but you're right. I've put off feeding for too long. I'm exhausted and at risk of making poor decisions. This might be one of them." She smiled tiredly.

Steeling himself, he began undressing. He knew what she needed, and he knew she'd seen him naked before, but it was still very uncomfortable taking his clothes off in front of the beautiful woman. Her hungry smile didn't make the task any easier.

As if reading his mind, she explained. "Sorry for smiling, but I usually have to hunt for my meals. Rarely do they seek me out and offer to feed me. It's... nice."

To take his mind off the process, he kept her talking. "How do you hunt?"

She tilted her head as she watched him unbutton his shirt. "I go to clubs and look for an available man with the right scent."

"I don't imagine you'd have any trouble attracting a man," he said plainly.

She grinned. "You're right, I don't, but thank you. The trouble is not every man is suitable for a meal. There has to be the right kind of energy in him. Succubi can scent this. If the man is sick, he smells sour. If he's sterile, there's almost no scent. When it's right..." she inhaled deeply and smiled serenely. "It's like spring winds across a mountain meadow."

Stanley paused. "Flowers?"

She shook her head, holding her smile. "No, Stanley, life!"

"Ahh! Okay, I think I'd better switch to my true self." He stepped to the middle of the room, turned his back on Camila, and closed his eyes. He found the experience visually disturbing. He held the image in his mind and twisted the ring. He heard a gasp, opened his eyes, and turned to see Camila staring at him in shock.

"Does that hurt?" she asked quietly.

"Not at all." He shrugged and looked uncomfortable. "Uh, I don't want to repeat what happened to Paloma, so we can only do it once. How do you want to do this?" He sounded uncomfortable, but his cock was waking up, excited by the prospect.

Camila stood and prowled around the desk. As she got closer, she dropped her glamor in a cascade of sparkles. Ruby-red lips smiled at him, showing her pearly white teeth. Her skin shimmered like wet latex, but he knew from touching Paloma that she would feel softer than anything he'd felt before.

Stanley cleared his throat as he looked into her gold eyes. "Why- why the sparkles?"

A distasteful expression passed quickly over her features. "A cruel trick of the Fae who provide for the Hidden Races who need glamor spells. The only Fae glamor spells that don't do that belong to the Fae." She smiled once more. "Let's not talk about that. I have to decide how I want to feed from you! I could take this lovely cock in my mouth and take your load down my throat."

Stanley's cock was throbbing in her grip, and he was beginning to pant.

"Or you could take me from behind over my desk. That's a faster way to take the energy," she purred.

"Yes! Let's do that one!" Stanley gasped as he felt his cock reach full erection.

"Mmmm, I like how you think, Stanley. Let me just get you lubed up." Camila sighed as she stepped back and bent at the waist to run her tongue over the thick head of his cock. He moaned, and his hips struggled to thrust forward, but she had a good grip on the base of his cock. She drooled over him and stroked him until he was good and wet.

Then she spun to rest her arms on the top of her desk and presented him with her ass and wet pussy.

Stanley dipped down and stroked her flushed skin with his tongue roughly. She was delicious, and he let his tongue explore her depths as she gasped.

"OH! That's good—" she began, then gasped as the head of his cock slapped against her swollen lips. "Fuck! Mmmm, yes! OH FUCK!" she cried out again as Stanley gripped her hips and drove his cock deep into her body.

He pulled out to the head and slammed himself deep once again as Camila gripped the desk's edge. She hadn't expected the strength of his thrusting and struggled to get control over the sex once more. She began to drive her hips back as he pushed forward, but he just thrust harder, too. Their bodies slammed together, his balls slapping her clit with each stroke. He was relentless and seemed tireless as she felt herself losing control.

"FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! STANLEY! FUCK!" She cried out with each impact and felt herself getting closer. "Cum Stanley! Cum! Oh FUCK! I'M—I'M—"

He sped up, and his thrusts were rocking her desk. "I'm there, Camila! Cumming!" he growled out between his teeth. He slammed himself deep one last time and rocked her hips against him as he exploded deep within her pussy.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" she cried as her orgasm tore through her. As her pleasure spiked, she felt his wild magic splashing into her, her body gobbling up the energy to saturate her being. Her eyes flew wide, and she fell silent as everything went white.

When she opened her eyes to blink in confusion, she looked up at Sigrid's and Stanley's relieved expressions.

"What happened?" she asked. She realized she was on her couch, and her glamor was back in place, an emergency activation since she'd passed out. Stanley was in his Human form, too, and dressed.

"You passed out, so I changed back and called Sigrid. You weren't out for long," he answered, relief in his voice.

"What the Hell! Haven't you been feeding?" Sigrid growled.

Camila stretched on the couch, feeling so much better. She felt energized and ready to take on the world. "No, I haven't had time. I'm still waiting for the damn Fae Council to show up!" she barked back, then caught Sigrid's warning glance.

"Fae Council? Who's that?" Stanley asked.

"It's nothing to be concerned about, Stanley," Sigrid said bluntly.

"Wow! You are a terrible liar," Stanley exclaimed. "Now, who are the Fae Council, and why should I be concerned," he insisted.

Camila looked guiltily at Sigrid, who frowned and then nodded. Camila turned back to Stanley. "Paloma lost her glamor when she overdosed on your energies. We had to call in a Fae to create a new glamor for her. It almost didn't work because of her oversaturation. The Fae wanted to know where the energy came from. She informed us that she would report her findings to the Fae Council, who would investigate. So far, no one has shown up. This isn't like them at all."

"Maybe it was just an idle threat? Maybe no one is coming," Stanley suggested.

"The Fae don't make idle threats," Camila said with a frown.

Stanley looked at the two women, both lost in concern. He knew nothing about the Fae Council and had no idea what it meant that they hadn't acted. He could provide nothing positive to this worry session, so he headed for the door. "I don't have the time or energy to waste on a bunch of what-ifs, so I'm returning to work. My software installs need me. I'd suggest you two put the worry aside for now, but you know better, right? Camila, please don't wait so long between feedings next time." With a wave, he opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him.

Sigrid snorted with a wide grin on her face. "Cheeky little shit, isn't he!"

Camila struggled to hide her grin, then gave up and smiled. "Indeed, he is. He's also right about a couple of things. We have other things to do that are more productive than waiting and worrying. Marisa is ready to return to work tomorrow. We will have to somehow inform Stanley that Marisa used to be Paloma, but he can't ever address her as such. We don't know if Satyrs are long-lived." Camila went silent for a moment.

"What's the other thing he was right about?" Sigrid asked, looking at her pensive friend.

"Huh? Oh, that I shouldn't wait so long next time before I feed. That sounded like an offer to me, and I will definitely take him up on it. His energy is wonderful!" she said with a satisfied smile. Her eyes widened as she caught Sigrid trying to maintain a neutral expression.

"You are a terrible liar! You've had sex with him too!" Camila exclaimed.

"Just once! A moment of weakness! He's so damn sweet! He unintentionally wooed me!" Sigrid scrambled to deflect Camila's accusation.

"Wait a minute! Valkyries aren't going to bed anyone they consider too frail. Have you seen Stanley?" Camila chirped.

Sigrid squirmed. "Human Stanley? Not a chance. Satyr Stanley? Much... much... stronger," she admitted.

Camila smiled and looked at her friend. "Well, well, well. I know intimately what his energy does for a Succubus. What does it do for a Valkyrie?

The blond looked at the drawn blinds and smiled. "You might want to cover your eyes at first."

-=-

Marisa paced her living room, going out of her mind. She was so incredibly bored. She knew her mother—aunt was arranging for her to begin tomorrow, but she couldn't understand why it couldn't have been today. Stanley needed her. She was useless here!

The doorbell rang, and she froze. The protection rune was sending her the vibe of a stranger, and security hadn't called, so this was likely the Fae council. Her mother wanted to be here when they arrived and had spent most of the week with her, training her on her new identity but also waiting for their arrival.

The doorbell rang once more. It was too late to do anything about it now. She walked to the door. "Who is it?"

"Inspector Ghammen."

Male voice. Definitely Fae. She opened the door. In the hall stood a very good-looking, slim man dressed elegantly in a tan raincoat over black slacks and shiny leather shoes. It must be a uniform. "Come in, Inspector."

He stepped inside, and they moved into the living room. As he looked around, Marisa saw his lips moving. She felt the Fae magic scanning the room. She triggered her shield just as he turned his attention to her. His magic probe slid off and around her, and his eyes widened ever so slightly.

"I'm following up on the last call Inspector Heriahn made. She'd been called out to rebuild a glamor," he said doubtfully.

It was time to use the cover story she and her mother had worked out. It might serve as a good counter to Heriahn's statement.

"Yes, that's right. She did mine. We think it was damaged during that terrorist attack years ago. It started unraveling."

"May I see the glamor transition?" he asked carefully. It was a rude question, but he was a Fae inspector, so she'd expected it. Still, it earned him a glare. She dropped the glamor and snapped it back in place. She'd felt his attempt to probe her when the glamor came down, but her shield was still in place.

"That's not a standard transition for non-Fae," he said, his frustration at being unable to get past her shield starting to show in his tone.

It was time to launch their second defensive move. "Yes, Inspector Heriahn did not appear well and had significant difficulty binding the new glamor to me. It was a very painful experience! I was surprised to see the transition was different, but she left before I could ask about it. She also left using one of my cloaks."

Ghammen froze when she mentioned Heriahn had appeared to be ill. No Fae would allow a weakness to be visible. To mention she used a cloak indicated the Fae was in distress. Considering how their people had found the inspector, this made sense. The appearance of the body showed that the long-term disease had been the cause of her death, but she should have had years left. Performing this binding may have been too much for Heriahn, and it drained her past the point where she could suppress the disease.

Still, he was frustrated by that shield. He wanted a look inside this woman's head to get the truth. This went against very strict cross-species Hidden Races policies and was a forbidden practice, but the Fae played by their own rules when it came to investigating the death of one of their own. One last attempt, then.

Marisa used her sight on the Fae to see if he was also suffering from the disease. Instead, she saw a rapid build-up of dark energies.

When Ghammen launched his mental probe, it didn't plunge into the mind of a helpless, unaware female as he'd expected. Instead, it was effortlessly deflected by a fully enraged Succubus in attack mode. Her glamor was gone, and her claws were fully extended. The razor-sharp tips carried her impenetrable shield spell around them and ripped through his glamor to score deeply across his actual cheek. Worse still, the damaged probe spell he'd launched clung to him, embedded in his own wounds marking him as a rapist. He attempted to flee, but she spun and struck him in the temple with her heel. As he crumpled to the floor, it never occurred to him how she'd seen the attack coming or how to hit his actual face through his glamor, which was a good foot lower than his glamor indicated.

Marisa took deep breaths as she struggled to regain control of her rage. She could easily kill the Fae at her feet and desperately wanted to, but his guilt was plain to see for anyone with even a minimal amount of sight. Instead, she bound his real arms and legs using her sight and called the authorities.

Not the New York Police Department but the Hidden Races Council investigator's division. She filed her complaint and asked for at least five representatives, including a Fae. This was her right, as one species filing a complaint against another was a high-level charge.

Within the hour, a group of five arrived and found the Fae struggling against his bonds on her living room floor. He screeched something at the Fae Representative, who said a few words, and he shut up immediately. The other four frowned at the Fae Representative as she'd spoken out of turn. Marisa sat in the living room with them and went through the events of the encounter and explained the circumstances of the first visit from Inspector Heriahn as she had for the Fae tied on the floor wearing the rapist's mark.

There was one major drawback for Marisa that came with filing the complaint. She had to divulge her ability as an unregistered, untrained seer to explain how she saw his imminent attack. This would go on record and her mother would learn of it and know she'd been kept in the dark all these years. She regretted that, but not enough to let this rapist go free. She would also likely be called upon to serve on some committee or other administrative body using her ability for the good of the people. Ugh.

Each of the representatives asked questions and reviewed the information they had. The four glared at the Fae Representative for preventing the prisoner from speaking in his defense. Again, she'd broken protocol and there would be ramifications amongst the Council.

Finally, they thanked Marisa for her cooperation and told her they would be in touch.

"Before you go, I would like to ask one question." They nodded, even the Fae, though reluctantly. "I'm a little confused about why Inspector Ghammen was here at all. I answered his questions, but he still tried to rape my mind. What was he here for?"

The four turned to the Fae Representative, who looked like she'd just stepped in something offensive. Sighing, she looked at Marisa. "He is investigating the death of Inspector Heriahn."

"She's dead?" Marisa's shock was clear and honest.

"Yes, seemingly from this disease you claim to have seen," the Fae snarled.

Marisa's eyes flared, and she looked at the female. It was there, too. And it was advanced. Her knowledge and surprise must have shown on her face.

The Fae's eyes flashed with shock and humiliation as she rushed out of the condo. The others realized what had happened and gave her concerned looks. A representative of the Japanese Spirits Combine leaned in towards her. "Get training in your abilities soon. Learn when to use them and, more importantly, when not to."

She nodded in regret, and he returned it with satisfaction. Two others hoisted the bound Fae between them and covered him with a blanket. Suddenly, he wasn't there. They left the condo as well. She locked up and returned to the living room to drop into a chair.

So Heriahn was dead. Before she could make her report about the wild magic she found. Killed by the same disease the Fae Representative had. Something had accelerated the disease's timeline.

Or someone.

Looking into the room's shadows, she kept that last thought to herself.

Chapter 7

Stanley woke with the distinct impression that someone was watching him. It had to be his new housekeeper, as no one else had keys to his condo, and he could smell something good cooking in the kitchen. He opened his eyes and looked at the end of his bed. Long black hair. Very pretty. Petite in stature, a few inches shorter than he was and slim. Her most striking feature, though, was the five colored fox tails moving behind her back. Red, pink, green, blue, and violet. He had no idea what to make of this. The tails twitched, became the more familiar red, black, and white of a fox's tail then vanished behind her.

"Good morning," she said.

He blinked. This was the first time she'd spoken to him. "Good morning."

"I am Yuko."

"Stanley."

"You are a puzzle."

"I am?" he asked.

"A game is being played, and you are a key piece. Maybe the key piece," she said with a tilt of her head. "We do not know what the goal of this game is. Is it good or bad? We do not know what will happen if the game is allowed to complete."

"Allowed to complete. That sounds ominous," he said nervously to the small woman who had been watching him sleep, defenseless. Maybe he should ask for her key back.

She smiled at him. "I think you are good, but good pieces can be used to do bad things."

"Good things, too, though, right? I want to do good! That should count for something," he urged.

"It should?" She looked truly puzzled by this concept.

"Of course!" He glanced at the clock. Five minutes until his alarm went off. Good enough. He turned it off and caught a flash of blue hair as she left the room with a glance and a smile back at him.

He really should ask for her key or better, get the lock changed.

He got up and switched back to his human state before showering. He'd discovered that being fresh and clean as a human translated directly into being fresh and clean as a Satyr, but it took much less time to dry off without all the fur.

After getting dressed, he went out into the kitchen. He took a deep breath. He wasn't good with confrontation. Yuko was once more headed for the door.

"Yuko, wait."

She paused and looked back.

"I need your key, please."

"My key? Why? Have I not served well?" she asked as the smile slipped from her face.

"You have done an awesome job, and I am very happy with your work." Her smile returned, and she turned to the door again. "However, you said some things this morning that's left me feeling like my life may be in danger from you if you continue to work for me. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to let you go."

She spun back to face him desperately. "No! Please! I take back what I said! Let me stay!"

Stanley paused, seeing her dismay. "I-I wish I could. I really liked having you work for me, but you can't take back what you said. I no longer feel safe with you. Please give me the key."

Large dark eyes looked up at him and filled with tears. "Please..."

Stanley's heart was breaking, but he had to remain strong. "I'm so sorry..."

"Mother will learn of my mistake and will tell my father to cut off my allowance and send for me."

"What?" he said in surprise.

"The Japanese Spirits Combine will learn of my mistake and send me away. I do not wish to go away. All my friends are here in New York City! It is so fun here and so dull at home!" Tears were beginning to roll down her cheeks.

"So, don't leave," he suggested.

"You do not understand! I cannot be disobedient to my parents. They pay for everything! When they learn of my failure, they will cut off my funds, forcing me to return to Japan and leave my friends. My life will be ruined!"

He blinked at her. She'd put him in a bad place. He no longer felt safe with her, but he didn't want to ruin her life. He glanced at the clock. He had to get to work soon. His stomach was in no mood to eat now. He sighed.

"Listen, I won't fire you now, but I want to speak with you tonight when I get home. You have until then to come up with a really good reason why I should continue to trust you and not fear for my life. If you can't, you'll give me the key and leave. Understood?"

She nodded as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. On impulse, he reached out his hands to gently tilt her face up and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "No more tears, please."

She dipped her head in a nod and did her best to hide a shy smile.

His thumbs tingled oddly, and he shook them out as he grabbed his keys and laptop case. "I'll see you tonight."

She nodded and smiled at him, her tears already drying. He felt better about that.

His new commute was definitely shorter than his old one, and he rather enjoyed moving with the throng of people to get to work. He was feeling particularly charged this morning. The server builds were moving along really well. The power protection system was going in today with more electricians, and if all went well, the backup system and the storage solutions he ordered would arrive. The new servers hummed happily and smoothly under his hands, and he'd spotted the one bad network interface card early on and replaced it. That would have set him back a week if he'd missed it.

Camila also promised him an executive assistant with Paloma's talent was arriving today. He really enjoyed working with Siobhan, but she didn't really understand technology or anticipate his needs like Paloma had. He tried not to get too discouraged, but he doubted he'd ever find someone as gifted as Paloma.

As he walked the final block to the office, he got a prickly back-of-the-neck sensation and glanced over his shoulder. He spotted the same car once more tailing him and frowned. He turned back and saw Mr. Duncan stepping from the front door of VRL, walking towards him. He heard the engine rev behind him, and the car sped past them down the road. Mr. Duncan looked at Stanley with a concerned frown on his face.

"Good morning, Mr. Duncan. Glorious morning to be stalked, isn't it?" Stanley said with a grin on his face.

"Aye. I'll have another word with the CEO about this," he grumbled.

"Thank you. That would be appreciated. Have a good day!" Stanley said as he entered the building. He took the elevator to the top floor and walked down the hall to his office. Siobhan was packing up her things at her desk.

"Good morning, Mr. Garin!" she said with her cheeky smile.

"Good morning, Ms. Whelan," he returned.

"Oh! Who's the saucy one now?" she said with a grin.

"Just giving as good as I get," he grinned in return. "I'll miss the verbal sparring. You have been an excellent executive assistant as well."

"As I will miss your energetic but largely futile attempts to teach me the ways of the giggety flippety flops," she sighed theatrically, causing him to laugh. "Before you get too comfortable, Ms. Villamor asked me to send you directly to her office when you arrive. I understand your new executive assistant is here. She's a real looker. Half the fellas in the mailroom are sticking pins in their CIO voodoo dolls as we speak. The other half are still crying that Paloma has left."

He nodded and put his bag in his office. He quickly looked at the servers on the test bench he'd set up, saw they were still happy, and locked up behind himself. With a nod to Siobhan, he headed to Camila's office. Felix gestured for him to go in, so he knocked and stepped inside, closing the door behind himself.

He turned and got three steps into the office, noticing Camila behind the desk, Sigrid sitting across from her, and another blond woman sitting in the chair next to Sigrid. This woman stood and turned to face him. She smiled. Stanley stumbled to a stop.

The woman was more than a looker, as Siobhan had mentioned. She was stunning! Stanley felt like a moth drawn to her brilliance. His eyes widened, and he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his lips. He felt his posture straightening and his chest puffing out. These were automatic corrections, and they seemed ridiculous, considering how intensely beautiful she was and how plain and small he was.

That's when it hit him. He'd felt it, but he hadn't recognized it. The pull he'd felt earlier. It wasn't just her beauty. He... he knew her. He could feel a familiarity in every cell of his body. His eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open.

"Paloma?" he whispered.

Her smile softened. "Not anymore, Stanley. My name is Marisa now. You must let my old identity go just as I had to."

He blinked in confusion. "What? Why?"

"The change I went through the night we had sex. All that energy, it permanently altered my anatomy and how I look. I'm several inches taller. Longer legs, longer torso, and longer arms. Several inches wider around my chest. It also burned away my old glamor. I had to get a new one, but I don't look like Paloma at all. Explaining these changes is impossible, so I had to take on a new persona for the Humans. I'm Marisa now."

"I-I'm so sorry! I had no idea—"

"It's okay, Stanley. I've had a few days to take it all in. I'm good with it," she smiled. "Are you ready to have me work with you as your executive assistant?"

Stanley's face split into a wide grin. "Yes!"

Camila got his attention. "Stanley, you'll have to act like Marisa is a stranger for the first few days. She's going to be meeting everyone for the first time again," Camila cautioned him and he thought about that and nodded.

Stanley was excited to get started and wanted to bring Pal—Marisa up to speed on all the updates he'd put in place. "When can we get started?"

The three women smiled, and Marisa moved forward to follow Stanley out.

When the door closed, Camila shared a look with Sigrid. Marisa had just finished filling them in on the Fae's visit the previous day. Camila was shocked to learn her daughter had some strong seer abilities, and truthfully, was a little hurt this had been kept a secret from her. She understood Marisa's hesitance to let anyone know. The only reason she had divulged it was to punish that bastard Ghammen and to protect Stanley. If Camila and Sigrid read the situation properly, the Fae council wouldn't press the issue. One of their own had been caught red-handed perpetrating the most heinous of crimes one race could do to another, and there was a very plausible answer to their outstanding questions. They'd avoid any overt interference with Marisa.

While Marisa hadn't said it out loud, Camila and Sigrid read between the lines, and both had strong suspicions about who was responsible for preventing Heriahn from speaking to the Fae Council. They were both nervous about her ultimate plan for Stanley, but for now, they could not interfere.

Camila's line buzzed. "Yes, Felix?"

"Mr. Duncan on the line."

"Put him through." There was a click. "Mr. Duncan, you're on the speaker with myself and Sigrid."

"Very good. We've had another situation with the car following our Mr. Garin to the office. I was waiting for them this morning when Mr. Garin arrived. When I stepped outside, they sped off."

"I see. It looks like they aren't going to stop without some direct intervention." Camila sighed.

There was a deep chuckle from the other end of the line. "Yes, it seems that way."

Camila looked across the desk at Sigrid, whose eyes were almost glowing. "Mr. Duncan, would you be so kind as to arrange for a car to take the three of us on a visit."

"Right away." The line went dead.

"My ex, Ulysses, wants to know what's so special about Stanley. I know him. He won't give up until he gets what he wants. His little enterprise doesn't hire Humans. That makes things a little easier for us."

Camila and Sigrid left the office and glanced in the new server room where Stanley was excitedly explaining the latest equipment and how it was all coming together to Marisa. Unlike Siobhan, Marisa got it. She'd retain everything Stanley explained and would be able to retrieve it later in conversations. Camila had asked her if she wanted the CIO role, but Paloma had laughed at the time. She'd explained that while she understood the nature of the components, she didn't have the skills required to design a system, make the components work together, or maintain them.

VRL's CEO and Head of HR left the building, where they met the Security Chief in the back of the limo. Camila gave the address, and the three rode in the back quietly. As they approached the headquarters for Ulysses Global Investments, Camila leaned forward to address Mr. Duncan.

"Did you bring sunglasses?" she asked.

"No," he replied curiously.

Camila glanced at Sigrid, who smiled in anticipation. "You take the security office then. We'll take the executive offices. Wait in the lobby for two minutes for us to reach the top floor. The last I heard, they didn't hire Humans. Scent first, then happy hunting."

The Security Chief's eyebrows rose high then he too was grinning hungrily.

The neighborhood wasn't as upscale as the one VRL was located in. The building was older and more run down. They walked in, and Duncan took a seat on a couch that had seen better days. His eyes scanned the area, and his nostrils were flared. He grinned.

Camila went directly to the elevators with Sigrid at her back. They entered the car and rode it to the top floor. Camila knew Ulysses had a ridiculously large office on the floor's south side with a large waiting room between him and the elevators. They entered the waiting room and crossed it towards the executive secretary's desk. Camila immediately identified her as a young Succubus, barely out of college. Most likely sexually abused by Ulysses. She pulled a business card from her jacket pocket and handed it to the young female.

"Take this to VRL and apply for a position there," she said firmly. The woman looked at her with wide eyes. "Go. Now."

The secretary grabbed her purse from her desk and ran for the elevators. Camila looked at Sigrid, who was looking at all the extra doors leading into the waiting room. She smiled and nodded to Camila.

Two doors had to lead into Ulysses' office as they were huge, old, carved oak double doors. Camila opened one and slipped inside.

Sigrid smiled and walked slowly to the center of the waiting room. By now, Mr. Duncan was making a nuisance of himself downstairs. Pretty soon—ah.

The doors around the room opened almost simultaneously, and people dressed in the shadow garb she'd seen in the alley during Stanley's attempted abduction began to pour into the room. Sigrid picked up the foul scent of Ghouls and Goblins, no Humans at all. Their clothes absorbed the light from the room, which became dimmer and darker until she was surrounded by at least twenty-five of Ulysses' shadow troopers. Only the dim light from the florescent above her illuminated the carpet around her. All other light was being sucked away.

"You made a terrible, terrible mistake coming here alone and unarmed." The voice came from someone before her, but she couldn't tell who spoke. She could barely see where one started and the next one ended.

She looked down and rubbed her shoe against the floor. "Shame about the carpet. They should have tiled this room."

There was an uneasy shift as they heard her confidence. Then the lights went out.

The explosion of white light was more terrifying for its complete silence. It was as if a small nuclear device had exploded where the tall blond had been standing a fraction of a second earlier. The blast wave ripped through the shadows like smoke and slammed the troopers against the outer walls.

Some, the lucky ones, went through the plaster, missing the studs to fall unconscious on the floors beyond. The wall leading to Ulysses' office was cinderblock and wasn't so forgiving to those smashed against it. Those who remained in the room and recuperated quick enough to launch a counterattack were met with a huge blurring streak of white light so intense it blinded them temporarily and left them dazed. If weapons were brought into play, a streak of light would sever the offending limb. The air in the room became a vortex, spinning and tossing the bodies of the unconscious and injured around like so much confetti. The secretary's desk, bolted to the floor, accumulated a stack of broken bodies against its windward side.

The streak darted to the bodies of the fallen, then finally moved to the center of the room once more. Huge wings flapped, canceling the force of the winds.

Sigrid looked at the carnage around her and remained vigilant in case one of the fallen had any fight left in them or if reinforcements arrived.

She grinned, hoping for the latter.

-=-

As Camila walked into Ulysses' office, she rolled her eyes. He'd placed his desk on a raised platform. The man looked up sharply and smiled as he saw who was walking towards him.

"Camila, how lovely for you to visit. I take it that little disturbance downstairs is your doing," he said smoothly. She saw his hand slip to the edge of his desk. He most likely called his security.

"You made a mistake, Ulysses."

The Incubus frowned. He didn't make mistakes and certainly didn't like it when people told him he did. "I have no idea what you are talking about," he bristled.

"You've gotten sloppy, and you're obviously on your way down the food chain," Camila said, stopping a few feet from the raised platform.

Ulysses snarled, then clamped down on his reaction. Camila knew how to push his buttons, and she did it well.

But he'd kept an eye on her movements since the incident in the alley, and he knew something she was trying to hide. She normally went out clubbing to find a source for her meals. His spies told him she hadn't fed in days. She was weak!

He'd fed the night before. Met a bachelorette party and had two of the bridal party and the bride before calling it a night. Not a quality meal, but the quantity was sufficient to make him feel quite energetic.

He stood and stepped down from his desk to walk around it to face her. "You must be a little delirious from hunger to walk into my inner sanctum to yap at me like the petty little bitch you were when we were together.

Camila snorted and looked at him with utter contempt.

Ulysses ground his teeth together. She was infuriating! He struggled to keep his calm.

"This new toy of yours. Stanley Garin, I think his name was. I'm going to take him and find out what makes him tick—"

He didn't see the blow until it hit then he was on the ground with her standing over him. Her glamor was gone, and her gold eyes glowed intensely bright. He didn't understand. She hadn't fed!

His head rang with the power of the blow. The room kept sliding sideways, and that made him feel so nauseous. Something was wrong in his head.

"You're nothing, Ulysses. You keep lying to yourself in a sad attempt to make yourself feel important, but every action you take shows that same sad desperation. You haven't realized yet that your pinnacle was when you were with me, catching the crumbs I threw you. When I realized you had nothing to offer, I cut you loose like the piece of trash you are."

He tried to push himself to his feet, but her foot slammed into his chest and knocked the wind from his lungs. He wheezed and whimpered. Why was this happening? How was she so strong? Why was he so... weak?

Her foot slipped up to his neck, and he felt the blades of her toenails resting on the pulse in his neck. He held as still as he could as his lungs strained to inhale. His eyes looked up at her fearfully.

"Do you understand now? I will no longer tolerate someone of such low standing interfering with anything or anyone who belongs to me. If I hear of you again, I will end you. Because you are nothing."

An uncontrolled sob burst from Ulysses. He tried to stop it, but he couldn't. Her lip curled as she stepped from his neck and strode away, snapping her glamor back into place. He turned his head to watch her open the door. He willed his troops to fall upon her and tear her to shreds. Instead, Camila's wretched pet Valkyrie stood there calmly waiting for her master. His eyes widened as he took in the carnage she stood in. The carpet was soaked in the blood of his warriors, but the tall blond didn't appear to have a scratch on her. However, she was wearing splashes of blood from her victims.

"Are we done here?" Sigrid asked with a bored tone.

Camila glanced over her shoulder at the broken man on the floor.

"Yes," she said, turning away with a cold finality.

He shuddered and closed his eyes. Broken.

Camila and Sigrid took the elevator down, wiping the blood from their shoes onto the cheap carpet.

They saw Mr. Duncan leaning against the wall, waiting for them when they stepped out. He had more than a little blood on him. He took in the streaks on Sigrid and Camila's spotless attire. He had a few cloaks over his arm. He dropped one and handed the other to Sigrid before donning the last one himself. He whispered into a mic, listened to the response, then nodded. They left the building, crossed to the limo, and returned to the office.

"Any trouble on your end?" Camila asked the Security Chief.

"None at all. Set off an EMP in their Security Office. Fried their surveillance equipment. Set off another in their server room. They're done."

"Resistance?"

"Ten of those shadowy goons, about eight regular ghouls with guns, knives, and clubs. Took a minute or two."

Camila looked at Sigrid.

"Twenty-six of his shadow troops. Twenty-eight seconds." She smiled at the Security Chief, who tipped his head to her with a wicked grin.

"Ulysses shouldn't give us any more trouble. Please continue to keep an eye out for him just in case, but we should be fine."

The limo took them down into the garage as the extra discretion was warranted due to the condition of their clothing. There was a small gym in the basement with locker rooms and showers.

Camila cleaned her shoes and went back to her office. Sigrid and Duncan required more thorough cleaning. Their clothes went into the incinerator with the cloaks, and they put on the spare outfits they kept in their lockers before heading back to their regular jobs.

Like regular people do.

Chapter 8

As Stanley arrived home, he saw a familiar figure trying to navigate her grocery buggy through the front door. He reached out and held the door open for her, and she glanced back at him, a wide smile appearing on her face.

"Hey, stranger! So you moved in after all! Stanley, right?" she chirped happily. She continued into the lobby, and he followed.

"Hi, Sandy! Yeah, I moved in a couple of days after we met," he said.

"And you haven't come to visit!?!" she said in mock outrage.

"I did mention I just started a new job, and that's been consuming my every waking moment," he explained with a grin.

"Even after work?" she said, accusingly fixing her eye on him.

He patted the side of his laptop case. "I bring the work home with me."

She looked at him with wide eyes. "Wow, you didn't get a new job. You've become a slave! Listen, I'm a nurse, so I do twelve-hour shifts, but at least they give me time off once in a while to recuperate."

"It's only this crazy right now because I'm working on an enormous project with a limited time frame. It will settle down in a few weeks."

"A few weeks? If you don't get downtime, you'll burn out, which won't help you or your company. You don't work on the weekends, do you?" she gasped.

"Well, I had a lot to do, so I did work during the last one," he answered awkwardly.

She put a hand to her forehead. "I'm sorry, Stanley. Don't mind me. I just get a little overexcited when I see someone in danger."

"It's okay, really. I'll be fine. I'll take some time off this weekend... uh, what day is it?" he asked.

She gave him a concerned look. "Thursday."

"Ah, well, I'll take a day off this weekend... maybe."

She frowned and turned for the elevators as he followed. "If you do, let me know. I have a bunch of friends coming over this Saturday evening around seven for a casual little get-together. We throw on a bad movie and critique it for fun. It's always a blast. You're welcome to join us."

She pushed four, and he touched nine. "Unit nine-oh-one, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "Unit four-oh-four," he said and received a smile for remembering. Her eyes were just a little bluer than Marisa's, which seemed impossible until he was looking into them.

"Saturday, two days from now. Seven PM. Open invitation to unwind!"

He grinned as she got off the elevator. "Got it."

"Be there!" she blurted as the door closed.

He really did like her, but Sigrid's words about relationships returned to him. Still, she said he could be friends with humans, and Sandy did say there would be a number of her friends there. He decided to go to her party.

He got off the elevator and walked to his door. He took a deep breath as tonight he would have to fire Yuko if she couldn't prove his safety with her. He certainly couldn't think of a way. He opened the door and immediately stopped at the threshold. The lighting in his condo was... different. The wood floors absolutely gleamed, and there was a new woven mat by the front door. All the hand-me-down furniture was gone from the living room, and in its place was new furniture with a distinctive Japanese style! He looked down and saw Yuko kneeling on the floor, wearing a traditional kimono.

"Welcome home, Stanley-san!" Yuko said, not yet looking at him. She reached out, pulled his shoes off, and set them on the new mat.

He closed the door behind himself. "What—"

She looked up at him finally, and her smile slipped into a worried look. "Are you not pleased? Are you not happy to see me?"

He finally managed to look away from the changes she'd made to his condo to really look at her. She looked... truly lovely. He felt a tugging sensation drawing him closer to her, and her smile began to reappear.

Stanley closed his eyes and shook his head to clear the fog forming there. He felt himself re-center, and he opened his eyes to see the surprised expression on Yuko's lovely features.

"Yes, I'm happy to see you. You look very pretty in your kimono," he mumbled as he walked past her down the hall into his living room. His head jerked left as he saw his bedroom had also been transformed. He took a few strides to stop in the doorway. "Where's my bed!" he barked. Mats covered the entire bedroom floor, and what looked like a futon was in the center of the room where his bed once stood. The room was beautiful, but... his bed! He didn't own any of the furniture that was now missing. VRL paid for his new bed, which he understood was very expensive.

He looked back at Yuko, standing in the middle of the living room with an almost panicked expression.

"I don't understand! Why are you acting like this?" she moaned.

He shook his head. "Acting like what?"

"You should be in love with me!" she wailed, dropping to her knees as tears began.

Again, he felt the tug and knelt down to lift her from the floor. Once more, he gently held her tear-stained face with his hands.

Then she was kissing him, and he was on his back, and her mouth was so sweet and... what the fuck just happened?!?

Stanley pushed her face from his, his wet fingers tingling madly as his head spun. She opened her eyes to blink at him in confusion and need, her body writhing over his.

"Why are you stopping? We both want this!" she asked plaintively.

"Yuko...-san, I just spoke with you for the first time today. I shouldn't be feeling this way. I—" he stopped and looked at his hands. Why were they tingling so much? Her... tears? His mind flashed back to earlier this morning when he brushed her tears away with his thumbs. They tingled then. Something in her tears?

"What have you done to me?" he growled, suddenly feeling manipulated. His anger flushed away the lust and need that had threatened to overwhelm his mind.

She blinked at him. "We are bound. You are mine, and I am yours. Why do you fight it?"

"I didn't ask to be bound... to anyone. Is it your tears?" he asked sternly.

She nodded, holding his eyes with her dark pools of... whoa! His mind was still reeling with the chemical intoxicant from her tears.

Her body felt way too good on his, and he was showing his appreciation. She felt it and smiled as she doubled her efforts to grind against him. Her face showed she was more than a little excited, too.

"We—we can't do this! We—wait a minute! Is this your answer to being allowed to stay?"

She continued to squirm against him, but from how she dipped her eyes and her frozen expression, he knew he'd guessed correctly. "If I fall in love with you—no, wait, if I'm forced to fall in love with you, then I won't fire you, and you get to stay and party with your friends?"

She was pouting now, but her eyes were glazed as her grinding continued. It felt good for him, too, but he wanted his answer.

Stanley suddenly rolled over, and she was under his body now. The pressure on her sensitive bits increased, but he stopped moving, and her desperation increased.

"I'd like an answer, please," he asked as calmly as he could.

She gasped and tried to move, but he held her still. He wasn't very strong in his human form, but he had enough leverage to do this.

"Yes! It was not planned, but when you touched my tears this morning, I thought I had found my answer. You should have fallen in love with me. It is what happens," she whimpered.

He blinked at her. She'd tried to control him with some kind of... biochemical leash? That sounded plausible. He definitely felt something tugging at his emotions, clouding his judgment. Somehow, it wasn't overpowering, and considering how her tears were all over his hands now, he must be immune... god, her lips needed kissing—Whoa! He gave his head a shake to clear it. He came back to himself.

"And all this?" he said, gesturing with his arm at his new, beautiful furnishings. His movements ground himself against her, and she sighed, her eyes flaring with her lust.

"Yes! We would be married, and I would live with you!" she cried, doubling her efforts to grind against him.

He was fully erect now. Far more modest in size than his... other state. He frowned. "Wouldn't you rather have sex with me in my real form?"

"NO! I do not have sex with the beast!" she snarled, and Stanley froze at the absurdity of her statement. Wasn't she part... fox?

"But... you have a fox tail," he muttered in confusion.

"Yes! I am Kitsune, but not when I have sex!" she panted with need. "Please, Stanley! You are not the only one affected by our binding!"

"What? What do you mean?" he frowned.

"We are bound. You are mine, and I am yours. My body needs yours, now!" She managed to rock her pelvis against his, and they both moaned with the pleasure they got from that.

He looked down at her in confusion. He didn't know her, they'd barely talked, yet he could feel his body reacting to hers, wanting her. He knew it was because of whatever her tears had done to him.

"Please," she whispered as she arched her body under his.

Then he was kissing her.

She moaned and writhed under him, and he felt her heat pressing against his hardness. He felt her hands frantically undoing the ties on her kimono, and he eased up on the pressure for her to open the garment. Her hands moved urgently, and suddenly, she was gloriously naked beneath him, lying on her open kimono.

She grabbed his shirt and pulled it up his body until it was over his head, and he tugged it free.

Yuko pushed him over onto his back and reached down to undo his pants. She tugged them down just to mid-thigh, far enough to allow his cock to be free. He glanced down and was both relieved to see his human-shaped dick was still in place and worried that she would comment on its—No, she didn't seem to mind at all as she immediately threw her leg over his body and ground her wet pussy against his hot shaft.

"Stanley-san," she cooed as she made him slick with her juices.

She reached down between her legs and lifted him up to touch her wet opening. Then he was inside and sliding deeper. He was surprised by how tight she was as he really wasn't—Oh, FUCK!

Yuko began bouncing up and down on his cock, squeezing the hell out of it as she moved faster and faster.

He was dazed by how intense she was and how fast this was all happening. It also felt amazing! He realized he was losing his human virginity. Paloma, or rather Marisa, had taken his Satyr virginity.

He looked up to see her expression of intense concentration and felt her beginning to tremble. He was surprised to see her breasts were larger than he expected, considering her size. He reached up and cupped them in his hands and sighed as they felt so soft.

The effect this had on Yuko was dramatic. She placed her hands over his and squeezed so his grip was almost cruelly tight on her flesh. She began to slam herself down on his body, and he gasped as this increased the intensity for him. He felt his release rushing up. Her stiff nipples were trapped between his fingers, and her bouncing was making him tug on them.

"Stanley-san!" she screamed as her body began to go through intense tremors. This triggered his release, and he pulled her down to take her mouth with his. His tongue caressed hers as she moaned into his mouth with the sensual pleasure of it.

They ground against each other, gasping and sighing as their bodies wrung out the last bits of pleasure from their joining. Exhausted, she rested on his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

Stanley stared at the ceiling, feeling the odd tugging sensation moving through his body. He now knew what it was, and its effect on him was greatly reduced since they'd consummated their relationship. His mind was clearing, and he was becoming acutely aware of how this was not who he was or wanted to be. Yuko felt really nice on top of his body, but she was still largely a stranger to him. A stranger he'd just had sex with.

After a time, Yuko stretched over his body and lifted her head to smile at him. The smile faded when she saw his unease.

"You have not fallen in love with me?" she asked quietly.

"I'm sorry, no. The tears didn't work on me... not completely, at least," he said. Her eyes began to look glassy. "Please, no more tears. Can we just talk? Like adults?"

She nodded and slid off of his body. They pulled their clothes on and made their way into the living room. There was a couch and a loveseat, but both were very low to the ground. He sat on the couch and was surprised by how comfortable it was. Yuko sat next to him, close to him, and looked up at him through her bangs with a sad look in her large, dark eyes.

"Trying to make me fall in love with you wasn't a good plan. Don't you think I should be allowed to choose who I fall in love with?" he asked.

"But I would make a perfect wife!" she insisted.

"What's a perfect wife?" he asked.

"I will keep your home clean, make your meals, and have babies for you!" she exclaimed.

He suddenly froze as he looked at her. "Dammit. I should have used a condom. You aren't on birth control, are you?" She shook her head.

"I will not become pregnant this time, though. I am not in heat," she explained, and a huge sense of relief washed over him. He'd pick up some condoms tomorrow and carry one around should... something like this... happen again. Considering his sudden increased level of sexual activity, this was now a necessity. He'd talk with Marisa tomorrow. He took a deep breath and relaxed before speaking again.

"Those things do sound nice, but I think I should find someone who will share those responsibilities with me and will pursue her own goals. Someone who has a life of their own, which they will share with me. We'll have common interests and sometimes differing opinions, but we will listen to each other. However, right now, I'm not looking for a wife or even a girlfriend. I'm just starting my adult life, and it's pretty crazy and busy. I just don't have time to think about that. My current responsibilities take up too much of my time. I don't plan on searching for a mate for some time."

"You do not have to search. I am right here. I will be anything you need me to be," she pleaded.

He sat back and looked at her. He didn't understand why she sounded so desperate. "Why are you so eager to marry me?"

She looked at her lap and mumbled something.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hear you."

"I've already told my father we are engaged!" she cried and hid her face in her hands as the tears returned.

Stanley sat there stunned. He looked around. "The furniture?" he muttered.

"His wedding present to us," she squeaked.

"Why? Why would you tell him that?" Stanley asked.

"Because you were supposed to be in love with me!" she howled, then threw herself down against the sofa cushions and sobbed.

Stanley was getting angry. He'd been manipulated by Yuko and put into this terrible situation. He wasn't going to be part of her lie as well.

"You'll just have to tell him the truth. Clear up this whole misunderstanding," he growled.

Yuko looked up at him in fear. "I cannot do that!"

He looked back at her with a scowl. "What do you mean? Of course, you can!"

Yuko was suddenly clinging to his shirt, looking into his eyes with a desperation in hers. "My father is a very proud man! He would be very embarrassed to learn that his wedding gift was based on a lie! His position in Japan's government would be in jeopardy if it came out!"

"WHAT?" Stanley barked. This situation was rapidly getting worse. He had to think of a way out. "You could just tell him the tears didn't work on me!"

She looked away in shame. "I did not tell him about the tears at all. He's Human."

Stanley was lost. "What? Wait... How is that possible?"

"Mother is a Kitsune, but Father does not know."

He leaned back against the cushions. This was a world he had no experience with. He had no idea what to do. "Maybe you should tell your mother it didn't work, and she could tell your father... something."

She shook her head in shame. "I cannot tell my mother that I used my tears in this way."

Stanley caught the difference. "What do you mean in this way? Your tears have multiple uses? You purposefully chose to use them as some kind of love potion on me?" he growled.

"I was desperate! You were going to fire me, and I would have to leave New York City and all my friends!" Yuko gasped.

"You're the one who dug the hole we're in with your lies. I want nothing to do with this situation. Tell them the truth!" he growled.

"I—" she began then the doorbell rang.

He looked at her, and she looked at him.

"I'm not expecting anyone. Are you?" he asked quietly, but she shook her head with wide worried eyes. "That isn't going to be your father, is it?"

"No! He is in Japan," she whispered.

He got up and went to the door as the doorbell rang a second time. He caught his reflection in a mirror, wiped Yuko's lipstick from his mouth... and closed the zipper on his pants. He peered out the peephole and saw someone he wasn't expecting at all. He looked back, but he was alone.

He opened the door. "Sandy! I wasn't expecting to see you so soon!"

She had a glass baking dish covered with plastic wrap in her hands. It looked like brownies. "Now that I know you moved in, I thought I'd bring you a little housewarming gift to welcome you to the building!" she said with a grin. "May I come in?"

"Uh..." he quickly glanced behind himself but could come up with no excuses, so he turned back and smiled. "...sure."

He stepped aside, and she walked in. She slipped off her shoes when she saw him in his socks and followed him down the hall into the living room, her eyes growing wider, taking in the lovely décor.

"Your place is gorgeous! Very... minimalistic but classic... Japanese?" she asked, looking at him finally.

"Yes... I like it," he finished lamely, as it was the truth, and he had no way to explain how all this furniture got here.

She glanced towards the open bedroom door and squeaked in surprise as a lovely woman in a kimono stepped out of the room and approached. She couldn't take her eyes from the beautiful creature.

"Ah, this is Yuko. She's my—"

"Fiancé," Yuko finished as she took the dish of brownies from Sandy's hands.

"Housekeeper! A naughty one at that! Wait, I didn't mean it like that! Naughty in the way she spoke out of turn... just then." Stanley stumbled over his words, his face turning a deep red with embarrassment. "My company hired her to take care of the place," he finished in a mumble.

"I... see. Well, I just came to deliver this and to invite you again for Saturday, but if you're busy—" she said, looking over at the lovely young woman.

"No! I mean, yes! I will be coming on Saturday!" he blurted.

Sandy smiled at him, and he began to relax.

"Good! I'll see you then. It was nice meeting you, Yuko!" Sandy said, smiling at her, and received a small bow from the woman, which delighted her. She grinned back at Stanley and headed for the door, where she slipped her shoes back on.

"Thank you for the brownies!" Stanley said as he let her out, and she grinned happily back at him. Once she was gone, he locked the door, leaned back against it, and shivered. That was close! Scowling, he headed back to the kitchen, where he'd seen Yuko go with the brownies.

She was closing the fridge door and turned to look at him.

"The fiancé thing ends here. If you want to lie to your parents, leave me and my friends out of it. I will not lie to your parents if they ask me for the truth. I understand you thought you had valid reasons for doing this, but you dragged me in without regard for my feelings or asking if I'd be a willing participant. I am not. Is this understood?" he said sternly.

She stood before him, head bowed, hands clasped before her. She looked... very sweet. He felt the tug again and pushed back against it. He resented that she'd tried to manipulate and embarrass him in front of Sandy.

"Why did you tell Sandy I was your fiancé?" he asked.

"She's Human. You cannot have a romantic relationship with her, so telling her I'm your fiancé should help her understand the boundaries of your relationship from the beginning. Is this not helpful?" she asked, looking up at him from under her bangs.

He wanted to argue, but suddenly the whole situation was just too much, and he was exhausted and wanted to go to bed. "Listen, we can talk about this in the morning. I'm too tired to eat or to deal with this. Once you've cleaned up, you should go.

She began to say something, but her voice came out as a squeak, and she just tipped her face down.

"What is it?" he said wearily.

"I no longer have a place to go," she muttered.

He looked at her incredulously. "What did you do?"

"I gave up my apartment. All my belongings are here," she whimpered.

Stanley's stomach knotted. Shit, she burned all of her bridges.

"You can stay here tonight, but get your apartment back tomorrow. You need to find your own way out of this mess. I'm going to bed. Or whatever that thing is in there. Tomorrow, you find all the furniture you moved out of here and get it back as well. That stuff belonged to VRL."

"It went back to VRL today," she said quietly.

He paused. "Including my bed?"

"That went back to the store. They have an excellent return policy."

He sighed. What a mess.

Stanley brushed his teeth and took a quick shower to freshen up after their little romp on the floor. When he was ready, he stood naked in an open space in his bedroom and closed his eyes. He twisted the ring and was a Satyr once more when he opened them. He laid down on the cushions and pulled the sheets over himself. It was surprisingly comfortable.

He was beginning to nod off when he heard his bedroom door open and close. He saw the petite form of Yuko approaching.

"What is it? What's wrong?" he said.

"May I sleep here tonight?" she asked.

"Uh... maybe that's not such a good idea."

"Please," she begged quietly.

Stanley sighed. "Okay, fine. But no funny business. Oh, I forgot. You don't like my Satyr form."

She quickly slipped under the covers and pressed her small body against his side, much to his surprise.

"I did not say I disliked your Satyr form. I said I would not have sex with it." She was quiet for a moment, but he got the impression she wasn't finished. Finally, she sighed as she let the truth out. "Your penis is too big for me in this form. Only the Human one will fit."

"Oh! Why didn't you just say that? I got the impression you didn't like Satyrs," he said in surprise.

She snuggled in closer. "That is silly. I have never met one before. How could I dislike them? Besides, you are Stanley-san no matter which form you are in," she sighed happily and was soon breathing deeply.

He was secretly pleased by her acknowledgment of him being himself in both forms, but he was puzzled over something she'd said earlier. He explicitly recalled her saying she wouldn't have sex with the beast, yet here she was happily cuddling him...

By beast, she couldn't have been referring to his... no.

Stanley suddenly realized he wasn't feeling that tugging sensation any longer. Maybe it only affected his human form?

His thoughts spun around in his brain until sleep finally took him.

Chapter 9

Stanley felt pleasantly stuffed as he rode the train to work. Yuko had gotten up early and made him a wonderful breakfast, as he'd missed supper the night before. He'd discovered that whatever she'd done to him with her tears did not survive his switch between his human and Satyr forms. Apparently, it broke the link for her as well. A handy thing to know.

Before he'd left, he told her she had to get her place back and move out. She pouted but finally nodded.

He entered the building and immediately headed for Sigrid's office. He nodded to her executive assistant then Sigrid waved him in. He closed the door behind himself.

"Good morning! Can we talk?" he asked with a raised eyebrow and glanced at the ceiling.

"Good morning to you, Stanley! Yes, it's safe to talk here," she said with a smile.

"I'm not sure if you were informed, but all of the borrowed furniture is back in VRL's possession, and the lovely bed you bought for me went back to the store yesterday.

"What? Why did you do that?" she asked in surprise.

"It wasn't my doing. It was Yuko, the Kitsune you hired to be my housekeeper," he said with exasperation.

Sigrid froze. She reached over and picked up her phone.

"Camila? Do you have a minute to talk with Stanley and me? In my office, yes. Thanks!" She hung up. When Stanley was going to ask what's up, Sigrid just raised her finger for him to wait.

There was a knock on the door, and Sigrid pressed a button on her desk to unlock it. Camila stepped in and closed it behind her. She walked over and sat beside Stanley with a curious expression.

"Good morning!" he said.

"Good morning! What crisis has arisen today?" she asked cautiously, seeing the tension in Sigrid's face.

"Stanley, start at the beginning," Sigrid asked.

He sighed and decided the beginning was when she woke him up, staring at him from the foot of his bed. He filled in the two women on what she'd said and how he reacted when he told her he was firing her.

"Oh my god, Stanley! You touched her tears?!?" Camila cried.

"Hey! It's okay! The effect wasn't very strong, and since I switched forms, it's gone," he said to the two upset women. "It would have been nice to know you shouldn't touch a Kitsune's tears, though."

Sigrid and Camila shared a guilty look.

He continued by describing what he found when he got home and what Yuko had told her parents.

"Fiancé?" Sigrid blurted.

"Her father is an important member of the Japanese government, and he's already paid for the wedding gift, the furniture. She said she couldn't tell him it was a lie as he would lose too much stature from the scandal. I told her I wouldn't be a part of the lie," Stanley explained. He looked between them again. "Why did you hire Yuko?"

"I didn't! I hired a housekeeper from a Brownie service," Sigrid exclaimed.

"Brownie? Isn't that a Girl Scout organization?" he asked in confusion.

"Wrong kind of Brownie. They're one of the Hidden Races." Camila said, but Stanley just scowled and shook his head in frustration. "Taking care of people's houses is what they specialize in." Camila continued.

"Seriously, I need some kind of who's who guide for all these different races." Camila just shook her head with a frown. He sighed. "Okay, so you hired a Brownie, and I got a Kitsune instead. Somebody changed the order. I'm hoping nothing nefarious happened to the Brownie who was supposed to do the job."

"I'll call the service," Sigrid mumbled.

Stanley nodded. "Listen. I don't know what's going on. That's pretty clear. I do know I want nothing to do with whatever game that might be afoot. I just want to do my job, which I really need to go do right now. So, if you don't mind, I'd like to get back to it." Stanley pointed his thumb over his shoulder.

Camila nodded, and he popped up from his chair and hustled away.

When the door closed again, Camila looked at Sigrid with a worried expression. "Are we in trouble?"

Sigrid nodded. "We may be ground zero for whatever she has planned for him."

"We need him!" Camila said, meaning the company, but she realized it was more than that now. She caught Sigrid's eye and knew her friend was thinking along the same lines. The Valkyrie frowned.

"VRL needs his technical expertise, and now that we've experienced the rush of his energy, it's not easy to contemplate giving that up." Her frown deepened. "We might have to, though."

"We don't really know who the players are in this game! Other than his adoptive parent, who seems to be the mastermind and won't be sharing her plan, we don't know who else is involved, targeted, or will eventually be impacted. From the hints Yuko gave, it seems at least a faction of the Japanese Spirits Combine has taken an interest in him. He makes them nervous—"

The light on Sigrid's phone lit up, and the woman frowned. She pressed the button. "Yes, Margaret?"

"I've got Felix on the line looking for Ms. Villamor. She has a priority call from Japan on hold," the executive assistant's voice said through the speaker.

Camila stood and headed for the door, looking back at Sigrid, who hung up. She opened the door and nodded to Margaret as she rushed to her office.

"She's on her way back," the woman said to Felix.

Camila stepped into her waiting room, and Felix was wide-eyed and speaking into his phone. "Yes, she's just returned to her office. I'll put your video call right through, Minister Imamura."

Camila's eyebrows went up. The official never called her and never at this hour. With her door closed, she turned off her cell and collected herself behind her desk. With a press of a button, Yuji Imamura, one of Japan's senior cabinet ministers, looked out at her from her PC screen. He preferred to speak face-to-face and wasn't averse to using this technology.

She was surprised to see he was not calling from his workplace. The room behind him appeared to be some kind of study with paintings and bookshelves. He was also dressed in a... dressing gown?

She dipped her head towards him. "Minister Imamura, my apologies for the delay. I was not expecting your call. Is everything all right?"

"No! Everything is not all right! I do not enjoy receiving calls in the middle of the night from my daughter telling me your CIO has called off their wedding! What kind of man is he to do this to her?"

Camila was momentarily frozen. Yuko... Imamura? She cleared her throat. "This is the first I have heard of a wedding. I will speak to him immediately to get to the bottom of this—"

"He must reconsider and apologize to Yuko. The wedding must proceed. Much is at stake." He held her eyes so she would understand that what was also at stake was the considerable business VRL did with his government. Losing it wouldn't cripple them, but it would hurt... significantly. "I understand. I will do what I can from here—"

The man nodded and disconnected, leaving her with her mouth open.

Shit.

Chapter 10

Marisa smiled as she saw Stanley enter the waiting room. "Good morning, Mr. Garin!" she said with a broad smile.

"Good morning, Pa—Marisa!" he stuttered and smiled apologetically at his gaff.

She gave him a raised eyebrow, and he hustled past her to unlock his office. He checked on the latest server builds and felt them humming happily. These servers would be moving into their newly completed server room. He'd stopped by the server room and relished the chilly air. The air conditioner had been installed, and the room was ready for server occupation.

The workers had installed all the network cables as he'd requested. New lines would be run throughout the building this weekend. Each workstation would have a new cable waiting for it when the new servers were ready to take over. The initial step was to move the existing workstations from the old network cables to the new ones. He'd have to come in on Sunday to ensure all the workstations connected to the new network. He was also running scripts to transfer the data from the old servers to the new ones on Saturday. The office would be closed completely this weekend for these moves. The following weekend would be the rollout of the new workstations.

Three new servers were being delivered to his office for their software to be set up on them today. As promised, the security office servers were being replaced, and Mr. Duncan would have them next week.

He walked out to see Marisa taking a call. She finished and hung up, giving him a worried look.

"What?"

"First, the good news. Your servers have arrived and are on their way upstairs," she began.

"Excellent! They're early! Now, what's the bad news?"

"Ms. Villamor would like to see you in her office immediately," Marisa said quietly.

He'd just seen her a few minutes ago! What else could have gone wrong? "That... that's not necessarily bad news... is it?" he asked.

"She didn't sound happy," the beauty pouted uneasily.

"Okay, I'd better go see what it is," Stanley mumbled, quickly leaving his office.

Felix gestured for him to go right in, and he closed the door behind himself.

Camila got straight to the point. "Yuko's father just called me. He got a call from his daughter, who told him you called off the engagement. Unfortunately, he does a lot of business with VRL and is threatening to pull those investments if you don't apologize to Yuko and marry her."

"WHAT?!?" Stanley gasped.

"We have to come up with a strategy that will extract you from this mess and will save her father's reputation," Camila said.

"That little BRAT!" Stanley growled. "All of this is Yuko's fault! She's been manipulating me from the beginning, yet she's taken no responsibility for her actions at all!"

Camila looked at him. "You're right. She needs to face the consequences of her actions. Informing her mother will take care of that. There's still the matter of her father's pride."

"Marriage can't be the only solution to that problem. He has to be okay with my not marrying Yuko!" Stanley gasped.

Camila thought about that for a moment while she eyed Stanley critically. "If we speak with Yuko's mother and explain what's been going on, she would definitely be on our side. She could convince her husband that Yuko's play time in New York is over, and she needs to grow up. He'd still be faced with the public humiliation of acknowledging his being manipulated by his daughter... unless you'd be willing to take the fall for him. For them both, actually."

Stanley looked worried. "Uh... what would that entail?"

"You said he'd have to be okay with you not marrying Yuko. If you were willing to publicly declare yourself unfit to marry her and you called off the wedding out of respect for him, he could walk away from this with more respect." She frowned. "I'm sorry, Stanley. I know it's a lot to ask of you, but the young Kitsune created an unstable situation that needs to be dealt with quickly before she makes it worse."

"When you say publicly..."

"You would address him in the legislature so his peers could hear your confession," Camila stated calmly.

"In Japan. I'd be in Japan. Standing in the building with them... in Japan," Stanley gasped in shock.

"It would need to be done face to face. Would you do it?" she asked.

"What would I be confessing to? What makes me unworthy?"

"He would accept you saying she deserves a husband from Japan. The cabinet would love that."

He blinked at her and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. "No. I can't say that," Stanley said firmly.

"The second best answer you could give him is that you couldn't give him grandchildren."

Stanley's eyes widened as he looked at Camila in shock. He thought about that. It truly would be humiliating to say such a thing, but that would make it all the more convincing, he supposed. Could he say that in public? He scowled as he realized he had little choice if he wanted to protect his job and new friends. He nodded.

Camila relaxed. "First, though, I need to speak to her mother. Let me take care of that." She looked at him compassionately. "I'm so sorry for this, Stanley. We will all owe you a tremendous debt."

He just nodded stiffly and rose to his feet. He let himself out and made his way back to his office. Marisa looked at his closed-off expression and began to rise from her chair when he closed the door to his office. He had computers to configure.

At least they didn't manipulate him.

Chapter 11

Stanley spent most of Saturday with the workers, ensuring they had no issues rewiring the building. The cables for each floor had different colors, and the workers understood where each set went. By the time he left at five PM, he'd installed several servers in the server room and had run some tests. The Security department's servers would be ready to install on Monday morning.

He also had backups running for the existing servers over the fiber links he'd had run from the basement server room to the new server room in the penthouse. That was running smoothly.

He headed home, picking up a few items for the party on the way.

His condo was quiet when he arrived. There'd been no sign of Yuko since yesterday morning. The Japanese furniture was still there, but Yuko's clothes weren't. Some of his favorite t-shirts were gone, too.

He dressed, headed downstairs a little after seven, and rang the doorbell on four-oh-four.

A few seconds later, the door opened, and lovely blue eyes looked back at him as Sandy gave him a wide smile.

"Stanley! You escaped!" she cheered.

"Very funny! I told you I would be here," he said with a self-conscious grin.

"Are those for me?" she gasped.

He remembered he was carrying the bouquet of flowers and nodded as he handed it to her. "I don't get invited to many parties. This is my first, actually, so I don't know how it works. I guessed I shouldn't arrive empty-handed." He presented his other hand, which was clutching two bottles of wine. The clerk told him it was very good wine and it certainly cost like it was.

"Ooo! Red wine!" Her eyes widened. "That looks like good red wine! Come in! Only my bestie Dayshia is here so far. The others are on their way."

They walked down the short hall into the open-concept kitchen/dining room/living room, and a woman was standing up from the couch to meet him. She was just a little taller than Stanley and pleasantly plump and curvy. She had expressive eyes and a naturally smiling mouth with full lips. Black kinky hair fell in waves to her mid-back. A crimson V-neck blouse was currently struggling to keep her generous upper assets covered while her round bottom was squeezed into very tight, stretchy pants. Stanley shook her hand when Sandy introduced them. Dayshia's dark skin almost made Sandy's paleness glow by comparison.

"This is the chivalrous young man?" Dayshia asked with a smile, and Sandy nodded as she put the flowers into a vase.

"You two work together?" Stanley asked, placing the wine with the other bottles on the granite countertop, and they nodded.

"Yes, tonight, everyone but you will be from the hospital. We're a tightly knit bunch." Dayshia said with a grin.

The doorbell rang once more, and Sandy rushed off to answer it.

"So, what do you do?" Dayshia asked.

"I'm the CIO of VRL, an investment house in Manhattan," he said.

The woman's eyes quickly scanned up and down his body. "CIO. Of an investment house in Manhattan?" The doubt was evident in her tone. He grinned and nodded.

"I know! It seems crazy to me as well, but that's what I'm doing," he said with a small smile.

"So... you're good at your job?" she asked with raised eyebrows.

"They think so," he responded. She nodded, impressed, and he silently thanked Marisa for breaking him free of his inability to speak with pretty women.

"Who's good at his job? Me!" boomed from a tall, slim man with a trimmed beard standing in the doorway. Stanley and Dayshia looked at him.

"Don't mind Roger. He has an overinflated sense of self-worth," Dayshia leaned over to say to Stanley.

"Hey! That almost hurts my feelings! Stop speaking of inflated things, you naughty, wicked woman!" Roger said, bouncing his eyebrows at Dayshia. He moved forward and shook Stanley's hand.

"Roger Jensen. Intern at large."

"Stanley Garin, CIO at VRL."

"Fuck me! You're a CIO? That's a computer thing, right? Can you fix cell phones because mine stopped working this morning?" The man fished his phone out and handed it to him.

Stanley was impressed with the energy this guy had. It was almost contagious. He glanced down at the phone in his hand and noticed it was slowly making its way through the interface. He frowned.

"Roger! Stop being a cheap bastard and take it to a repair shop like I told you to!" said a tall woman with her long ebony hair pulled back in a ponytail as she exited the hallway with Sandy following.

Stanley looked up and smiled at the latest arrivals, and Sandy moved to make the introductions.

"Patricia, this is Stanley. Stanley, Patricia."

"Please call me Tish. Everyone does. I like it more than Patricia," the tall woman said with a smile as she shook his hand. Aside from being at least five inches taller than him, the lovely woman was slim and long-limbed. She turned back to Sandy when her eyes caught the labels of the new wine bottles. Her eyebrows rose.

"Did they give you a raise or something? Buying the good stuff now?" Tish asked.

"A present from Stanley," Sandy grinned.

Tish's eye showed her curiosity. "Old money?"

Stanley didn't understand and looked back at her in confusion.

"Wealthy family? Or did you sell your Internet start-up?" Tish asked.

"Oh! No, neither of those. I just have a good-paying job, and this is the first party I've ever been invited to," he replied.

The bell rang one more time, and Sandy headed off. Stanley looked back to the phone and, after a few seconds, handed it back to Roger. "Uninstall that app, restart the phone, and it'll be fixed."

The tall man looked at him, then at the phone. "But I just got this app this... morning."

"It's got a broken resource stack implementation. It gobbles up all the memory and processor time available," Stanley explained as Roger looked at him in surprise. The man removed the app and restarted his phone. Stanley realized they were all watching in anticipation to see if it worked. He knew it would, but the others doubted.

"HEY! It's working!" Roger shouted happily as the interface flashed back to life and loaded smoothly.

"Huh! I guess you do know a little something about computers," Dayshia grinned.

"It's just a bad app on a cell phone," Stanley said self-deprecatingly.

"Yeah, but you only had it for a few seconds!" Roger gushed happily.

Sandy returned with the final two guests. A petite Hispanic woman with curly hair and a slim but fit-looking older man with close-cropped grey hair carried bags from which the most mouth-watering scents emanated.

"Stanley, this is Vanna and Gary," Sandy said. Roger and Tish took the bags from them into the kitchen.

Hands were shaken and greetings made before Sandy looked to Stanley once more.

"It worked?" He nodded. "Now everyone is going to be calling on you for tech support," she said with a grin.

"I only do that as a party trick," he replied, smiling modestly.

Sandy went into the kitchen with Dayshia. They set the food out on trays and brought it out to the large coffee table in front of the couches in the living room. There were samosas, pastizzi, spring rolls, California rolls, pizza slices, mini-sliders, nacho chips with guacamole, and a few other things Stanley didn't recognize.

The furniture was laid out in a square around the large table. With a large-screen TV on the wall, the large couch faced it over the table. A loveseat sofa encroached into the space a dining room table would have been, and two comfortable chairs were across the table from the loveseat with their backs to the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"Your home is lovely!" Stanley said to Sandy.

"Thank you! I inherited it from my grandmother when she passed on two years ago. It was a major improvement on the apartment I was renting at the time," she replied.

"The Roach Motel had character!" Roger teased, and Sandy shivered as she recalled the place.

"Stanley, you get the place of honor here in the center of the main couch tonight as you are our special guest," Sandy said, indicating where he should sit. Dayshia took the spot on his left. Tish took the first chair to Dayshia's left, and Roger took the last one. Gary and Vanna sat on the loveseat.

"Should I open Stanley's wine?" Sandy asked.

"Ooo! Let me!" Tish said, leaping to her feet to rush around the table to the kitchen.

Sandy followed her, and they brought generous glasses back for everyone. Once seated, Sandy lifted her glass to make a toast. "To another lovely get-together with my friends and our special guest, Stanley, without whom we would only have cheap wine to toast with!"

He watched the others as they swirled the wine in the long-stemmed glasses, sniffed the bouquet, and then sipped. He mimicked their actions and raised his eyebrows as he tasted wine for the first time.

"That's an interesting flavor!" he said as he looked at the glass.

Tish was smiling happily with her eyes closed, savoring the complex undertones. When her eyes opened, she looked at Stanley. "Thank you for bringing this wine. It's lovely!"

Roger put his empty glass down on the table and grinned at him. "That was some yummy booze!" Tish made a sound of protest as she looked at him in outrage, which was only partially feigned.

"Let's dig in!" Roger said, piling some of the pastries onto his paper plate.

Vanna was also very much enjoying her wine, and Gary was swirling it about in his mouth to catch all the flavors.

They munched away on the different food items and sipped at their wine, aside from Roger, who was told by Tish to switch to the cheap stuff as he had the palate of a garbage truck. The man just shrugged and poured himself a glass from Sandy's selection.

"Whose turn was it to pick the movie?" Dayshia asked.

"Mine! Ha HA!" Roger exclaimed dramatically.

There was a collective groan from the group, and Stanley looked around curiously as he took another sip of the good wine.

"Are you going to make us watch porn again?" Gary grumbled.

"I will not watch that filth again!" Vanna stated emphatically.

"It wasn't porn! That was erotica, but no, this time we're going much more mainstream," Roger claimed.

He pulled a DVD case from the chair cushion where he'd hid it earlier for dramatic effect. "Stripteaser!"

More groans from the group.

"This is not porn?" Vanna asked Gary.

"No, it's got some fairly big-name Hollywood actors in it. Debbie Moore. Brett Reynolds," he said with a weary tone.

"Ohhhhh, I like Brett Reynolds!" Vanna purred, and the group chuckled. She grinned happily at them.

Roger put the movie in, and they settled in to watch. Sandy collected the last bottle of wine Stanley brought and topped up the glasses for Tish, Vanna, Stanley, and herself. Dayshia and Gary passed, and Roger was on his fourth glass of the cheap stuff.

As the movie went on and the pained groans made them chuckle, the wine relaxed Stanley to the point where he almost fell asleep. He was resting against the cushions with Dayshia and Sandy gently leaning on him from both sides. He was all toasty in the soft cocoon.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Everyone froze as the sound reverberated in the condo.

Then the doorbell rang.

Sandy got up, and Stanley struggled to get to his feet as well, but the room spun, and he fell back against Dayshia.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I-I think I'm a little drunk," he apologized.

"Where is he?" a voice shrieked down the hallway.

Stanley froze, then pushed himself onto his feet and stood there swaying. He turned his head as Yuko barged into the living room with Sandy right behind her. She was wearing his t-shirt over tights.

"You! It is your fault!" Yuko barked with tears in her eyes.

"What are you talking about?" he replied.

"I am to go back to Japan! They are cutting me off! Because of you!" Yuko raged.

In a moment of clarity, he took a step closer to her and spoke softly. "Can we talk about this privately?"

"No! My life is ruined because of you!" she yelled, ignoring his suggestion.

Stanley's frustration, combined with the wine in his system, knocked his restraint aside, and his anger flared. "Hold on one second! None of this is my fault. You were the one who tried to trick me into marrying you, and you were the one who told your father we were engaged. Then you told him I called off the wedding so he would call my boss and make threats?!? Explain to me how any of that was my fault," he yelled.

He saw her moving her hands, and something in him screamed in alarm. She was going to use magic- right here in Sandy's apartment! He stepped forward and grabbed her hands in his. It was all he could think to do. The pain was excruciating as the incomplete spell broke free of her control and flashed outwards as a wave of light and energy. The electrical breakers popped, and the condo was plunged into darkness as everyone collapsed.

Stanley felt a gentle touch on his forehead and opened his eyes. He found himself on the floor looking up into the eyes of an older Japanese woman. Very pretty but definitely older. He blinked and sat up. The room was dimly lit, but he could see the others slumped on the chairs. Sandy was on the floor next to him. He saw she was breathing.

"Are they okay?"

"Yes, just stunned. Like a stun grenade. You can tell your friends Yuko had one. I detected the burst and came from my hiding place upstairs, where I was waiting for her. I must take my disobedient daughter home. I will see you again in Japan in a couple of days. Thank you for doing this for my husband, and please accept my apologies for allowing this to get so out of hand."

He nodded his acceptance, and she rewarded him with a small but grateful smile. Then she stood in one smooth motion, lifting her daughter onto her shoulder. She moved down the hall and was gone.

Stanley shook the tingles out of his hands and gently touched Sandy's forehead like Yuko's mother had touched his. Eyelids fluttered, and Sandy was looking up at him.

"What? What happened?"

Stanley couldn't think of a more reasonable response, so he used the suggested one. "She had a stun grenade. I woke up, and she was gone," he explained and moved to the others. Once he'd woken them, he made his way to the condo's power panel and flipped the breakers to their on position. The lights came back on.

"What the fuck just happened?" Roger asked.

"Sorry, the housekeeper my company hired for me became fixated on me, and when I didn't reciprocate, she got a little... hostile. I'm terribly sorry you got involved in that!" he said apologetically as they watched him with wide eyes. "I-I think I'd better just go home. I had a lovely night. Thank you so much for the invitation. It was very nice meeting you all."

With that, he made a hasty exit.

Roger stood up and looked at the others. "We are DEFINITELY inviting him back to the next party!"

Chapter 12

Monday morning, Marisa had her first session with a professional seer. She'd be registering with her and was getting her first assessment. Then, the lessons could begin. The one skill she'd learned on her own, and she would have gone mad if she hadn't, was putting her talent into a muted background state. That skill must have been a survival technique. Her seer vision was still active, as it never really stopped, but she could mostly ignore the flashes of colors, auras, and hazy, superimposed alternate potentialities surrounding each person she looked at.

Her doorbell rang, and she opened the door to see the smiling face of a woman with a frizzy mane of sandy blond hair. She wore a flowy, flowered sundress, sandals, and many rings and necklaces. She was slim and stood about five-foot-five, but even to Marisa's muted seer-sight, she shone as a beacon of calm and joyful light.

"Good morning! Marisa?" the woman asked with a cheerful voice.

"Yes, good morning."

"I'm Katrina. You're assigned teacher."

"Please come in!" Marisa said and stood aside to let the woman into her condo.

The woman walked in and closed her eyes with a wide smile. Marisa locked up and watched the woman reach the center of her living room and slowly turn in place with her arms outstretched, fingers moving like she was plucking the strings of a guitar.

"You have a lovely home! Such good energy flow!" Katrina sighed. She opened her eyes, looked behind her at the sofa, and sat. She patted the cushion beside her with a smile.

Marisa sat and smiled at the woman who took a small paper notepad and a pencil from her oversized purse.

"Let's get the official stuff out of the way first. I'll need your personal details to register you in our Seer Community," Katrina said.

Marisa answered a few questions that didn't dip too deeply into her personal life. Mostly just her Human system ID's. Privacy was still one of the most precious aspects of every member of the Hidden Races.

"How long have you had the seer ability?" Katrina asked.

"Since I was in my early teens, but recently, it became... much stronger."

Putting the notepad and pencil away with a sigh, Katrina smiled again at Marisa. "Now, with your permission, I would like to open my sight to take in your aura. Once I've gotten a good impression of that, I'll begin outlining each step of my evaluation. We will also go over some basic do's and don'ts."

Marisa nodded nervously, and the woman took her hand. "Relax. I'm here to help, not hurt."

Marisa's smile returned, and she did her best to relax. She watched as Katrina settled and her eyelids closed slightly. Then they flew wide.

"Oh my! Your aura is beautiful! So bright and colorful!" the woman gushed.

"That's good, right?" Marisa asked.

"It's very good!" Katrina answered. "Okay, may I assume you're able to control the activation of your abilities? You seem too calm to be continuously immersed in the flow," Katrina noted.

"Yes, thank goodness! It's never off, but I can mute it to the point where I can ignore it," Marisa said with a relieved smile.

"It never goes away completely?" Katrina asked in surprise and a little concern.

"No, but it's much easier to push into the back of my perception when it's muted," Marisa assured the woman.

"Okay, well, what I'd like to do now is do a reading, again with your permission," Katrina asked, looking the younger woman in the eye. Marisa nodded.

Once more, she relaxed and watched Katrina's eyelids relax. Her hazel eyes began to glow slightly, and Marisa watched the seer's expression go from surprise to shock.

Katrina quickly closed her eyes and put her hands over them. She began muttering a mantra to center herself.

"Is... is something wrong?" Marisa asked nervously.

"No! No, it's... your energy levels are so... intense! I've never seen anything like it," Katrina said quietly. "You say you're currently muting your abilities?"

"Yes," Marisa answered in concern.

Katrina patted her hand. "Not to worry. All is good. With your permission, I need to do another reading as you slowly open your seer sight."

"On you?"

Katrina gave her an impish smile. "Is there anyone else present?"

Marisa giggled nervously and shook her head.

"Then yes, on me. Do it as slowly as you can."

They faced each other and relaxed. Once more, Katrina's eyes began to glow slightly.

Marisa released her hold on her vision, and Katrina's aura exploded into brilliant gold and yellow. An almost overwhelming sense of calm flowed from the woman in every layer of her potential. The overlays ran deep, and each had a similar flavor of joy and peace. The beauty of such a future drew tears to Marisa's eyes. One rolled down her cheek, breaking her focus, and she pushed her vision back into its holding state. She blinked and saw Katrina slumped back against the cushions, unconscious.

She squeaked in fright, terrified she'd hurt the future she'd witnessed, but Katrina began to stir.

"Katrina! Can you hear me? Are you all right?" Marisa said, patting the woman's hand.

"Wha... Oh... yes, I'm fine. Just... overloaded," Katrina said quietly as she struggled to resurface. She looked at Marisa with a puzzled expression. "Your abilities aren't—they don't behave like anything I've seen. The power. It feels chaotic. Wild. I'm afraid I won't be able to train you after all. Seers are taught by other seers who synchronize their abilities and compare results. Your power levels are far beyond anything I've seen, and they overwhelm my own."

"Couldn't you describe the methods..." She stopped when she saw the sad look in the woman's eye.

"It's not something that can be described. It's a new sense that can only be compared with its like. But your skill is unlike any other. You will have to be your own teacher. I'm so sorry," Katrina said, and Marisa felt her compassion.

"What I can pass on is the most basic of rules. Never do a reading without explicit permission. I have no idea what you'd see when you do."

"Potentials. Possible future paths and the energies from them. I think," Marisa said quietly.

"How far?" Katrina whispered. "NO! No, don't answer that!" She yelped as she shook with reaction. "Sorry. With the strength of your vision, I was almost seduced by the idea of that knowledge. This is another basic rule. Don't speak of the future, as they are only potential routes and knowing them does not guarantee their becoming true. The only way to live is to live each day as it comes." She looked away and centered herself once more. She looked into Marisa's eyes.

"I did pick up that the energy source is someone very important to you and that you are protecting him. I'm not going to pry or report this. I know genuine emotion when it clobbers me over the head." She smiled and got one from Marisa, too. "I do hope one day you'll be able to fully disclose how you came to have this energy. Maybe then we could find you someone who might be able to train you."

She shook her head as she looked at her lap. "For now, I will indicate in my report that you aren't suitable for training. That's not as rare as you'd think. This will satisfy the Security Ministry, who are such a pain in the ass for us seers." They shared a smile. "You're very fortunate that you can suppress the perception of your seer sight. With the levels you have, if it was always on, your sanity would be at risk."

They stood, and Katrina pulled Marisa into a warm embrace. "Good luck, Marisa!"

"Thank you!" Marisa had tears pooling in her lashes from relief and the intense compassion this woman gave her. She followed Katrina to the door and locked it once she was out.

She'd been so worried at the complications the Hidden Races Council would impose on her life, and now that was no longer an issue. She'd completely lucked out with the woman assigned to be her teacher.

She glanced at the clock. She had time to get to work only a little bit late.

Chapter 13

Stanley was sitting in Sigrid's office, looking at his new passport. He was even more impressed because he'd never applied for one.

"This is going to work?" he asked hesitantly.

Sigrid looked up at him from her desk with a slight smile on her lips. "Of course. Why wouldn't it?"

"Oh... I don't know. Because I never officially applied for one. Because I don't have any personal documentation like a birth record I would have supplied to get a real passport. Because I have no one who could vouch for knowing me long enough to qualify as a guarantor? Pick any one of those or all of them."

She smiled at him broadly. "It's as real as any passport issued directly from the US passport office. Obtaining a registered and accepted passport is just part of the service the Hidden Races offers its members. You aren't unique in not having documentation."

She looked at him, fidgeting in his chair. "Do you have a suitcase?"

He shook his head with a frown.

"What's wrong, Stanley?" she said, looking him in the eye.

He tried to look away, but she gave him an open and earnest expression. "I'm scared! I've never flown anywhere before. I've never been away from the States. I don't speak the language! I'm going to be completely dependent on Camila." He looked down at his hands. "I have to say something very embarrassing... humiliating, in front of a bunch of strangers."

Sigrid sighed. It hurt her to see Stanley go through this. To lie to pay for someone else's mistakes. Just the thought made her skin crawl. She couldn't do it. "You know we have no right to ask you to do this, Stanley. It isn't fair. I understand he is worth a lot of money, but—"

"No. I'm going to do it. I said I would. But... that doesn't mean I'm happy about it," he sighed. He pushed himself to his feet. "I don't even know if I should be sending the furniture back... to where it came from... which I don't know." He shook his head. "I'm starting to get used to sleeping on the sleep mat on the floor. It's very comfortable."

She smiled at him.

"Thanks for the passport. I'll pick up a small suitcase on the way home. I have to get back to it. So many more servers to get installed. Another reason I wish I wasn't going," he grumbled as he left her office.

He took the elevator down to the main floor and visited the security office. Mr. Duncan was out on the floor doing rounds as the large wall of CRT monitors was being replaced with the new higher resolution flat panel monitors. The workers removed all of the old hardware, and the custom support rack for the new screens was bolted securely to the wall. Each of the mounts would have a labeled set of cables identifying which screen it was. These would be plugged into the back of the new flat panel displays, the other ends connected to the video bus of the new control system waiting to be installed. The operators would be able to switch the new monitors to any camera in the building, group the displays, or use the entire array as one big monitor.

The workers were doing a good job, so he returned to his office upstairs to check on the three servers he had running a burn-in script. He felt comfortable working on three servers at a time. Any more, and he felt the process went slower.

They looked good, so he checked the backup software server, and it had completed validating the first complete backup. He started the restore process, which he pointed to the new replacement servers, and watched that for a time to ensure it was working.

He was delighted with the new servers' throughput and fast storage. The restore would take significantly less time to perform than the backup from the old storage.

Speaking of the old storage, he began the differential backup to pick up any additions, changes, and deletions since the complete backup. He set it to run over the next three days, so when he returned from Japan... Shit. That thought derailed him every time.

When he returned, he would restore the backed-up data to the new storage and immediately put the database server and storage into production.

This step would signify the beginning of the change-over. The other servers would be rapidly rolled out over the following two weeks.

This would be beyond the date Camila had requested, but there wasn't a faster way to do this with only one person controlling the server builds and deployments. And he was losing all this valuable time flying around the world.

He was watching the progress of the data restore when he felt a gentle touch on his shoulder. He looked back and saw Marisa's concerned expression. He hadn't seen her this morning, so she must have just arrived.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I called out to you several times and saw you staring off into space. Are you okay?" she asked.

"Sorry, my mind was miles away. Over sixty-seven-hundred, to be honest," he sighed.

"You're worried about the trip? Ms. Villamor told me all about it. I am very sorry you were put into this situation," she sighed.

Stanley took her hand and held it in his. "I feel better when I hold your hand. Can you come with us?" he said with a slight smile.

"I wish I could, but my boss gave me this big list of steps I must follow on a rigid schedule to keep the installations on track. He's a real slave driver!" she said with a grin.

Stanley smiled up at her and nodded. He kissed her hand and released it when he realized what he'd done. He looked around, but they were alone.

She smirked and waved her finger at him, hiding that she was tingling madly from his kiss. "Ms. Villamor called to say you should head home soon to pack. She will pick you up tonight to take you to the airport. It's a private jet with a private bedroom to... let your hair down and get some sleep."

That eased one of his worries. "Thanks. Okay. I guess I'm off then." He stood up, and she suddenly pulled him into a hug. God, she felt good in his arms!

She released him and slipped away. He watched her leave, then gathered the stuff he'd need for the trip. He locked his office on the way out, but Marisa was not at her desk. He headed home.

On the way, he picked up a suitcase and a new toiletry bag to carry his grooming stuff.

He entered his apartment and laid his interview suit on the sleeping pad. He arranged which clothes he would bring and included a few spare pairs of underwear and socks. He folded everything neatly and packed it in his new suitcase. He put his toiletry items in the bag and packed it away. He zipped the suitcase closed and wheeled it out to the hallway, and his doorbell rang. He went to the door and looked out the peephole. It was Sandy!

He opened the door, and she smiled cautiously at him. "Hi!" she began.

"Hello! How are you doing?" he responded.

"I'm fine. May I come in for a minute?" Sandy asked.

"Oh, sorry! Of course, come in." Stanley said and moved aside.

She walked in and spotted the suitcase in the hall, paused for a second, and walked into the living room to sit on the couch.

She ran her hands over the surface as she smiled. "I really like your furniture."

"Yeah, it's grown on me too. I don't know if I'll be keeping it, though. It turns out it was a wedding present from Yuko's father. For a wedding I never agreed to or even knew about until it was too late.

"Are you going someplace?" she asked, pointing to the suitcase.

"Yeah, I'm flying to Japan to clear up this whole mess so I can get back to a more normal life," he sighed.

She nodded and smiled at him. "My friends all really like you. Even Roger, who is suspicious of everyone. But you fixed his phone, and he got to experience a stun grenade, so he was pretty excited when you left. He said he'd like to experience a stun grenade again. That man has never been quite right in his head."

Stanley just smiled and shook his head in amusement.

Sandy's expression became serious. "I just came by to let you know you are always welcome to visit and hang out with us. You seemed a little nervous about upsetting us last time; you should know that none of us were upset. Surprised, yes, but not upset.

"Thanks! I'd like that! Maybe we can plan for another movie night when I get back."

Sandy burst into a grin, and Stanley couldn't help but smile back. His cell pinged with a text, and he glanced at it.

"Oh! I'm sorry, my lift to the airport is here." He quickly responded and put his cell away as they stood. They made their way out of his apartment, and he locked up. Sandy smiled at him as they walked to the elevator.

"I'll work on organizing our schedules so we're off next weekend. I'll let you know during the week if I'm successful," she said.

They stepped into the elevator, and Stanley nodded to her. "Looking forward to it. This time, I'll cut back on my drinking."

"It will be your turn to pick a movie! Make it a good one!" Sandy grinned as she stepped off at her floor and gave him a happy wave as the door closed.

Stanley continued to the ground floor, left the building, gave his suitcase to the driver, then slipped into the back of the waiting limo.

"Good evening," he said.

"Good evening, Stanley," Camila responded, smiling at him. The limo got underway, and they settled back for the drive.

"What's a good movie to share with friends?" Stanley asked, and Camila's brows rose.

"That depends on the friends, doesn't it?" she replied with a smile. "How good are these friends?"

Stanley thought about that. "Well, they are very close with each other, but I'm the new guy. It's my turn to choose the movie."

"Well, they're probably going to want to see your favorite, so bring that one," she suggested, then caught his expression. "What?"

"Baba had no electricity at her house. No TV. We didn't go out to see movies. The only movies I saw were at school, and they were all bad," he sighed.

"Oh! Okay... well, you can't go wrong with bringing a classic. This group of friends, men or women?"

"Two men and four women," he replied.

"Ah, okay. Casablanca. Released in 1942. A truly lovely film," Camila sighed with a smile.

"Great! I'll buy a DVD for the party!" Stanley grinned.

"Who are your new friends?" she asked.

Stanley immediately felt a little defensive. "Just a woman from the building and some of her co-workers." Seeing the look on Camila's face, he continued. "Sigrid had the talk with me. I know the restrictions and limitations. Having friends for the first time in my life is nice. It's good to actually be able to talk to people without stuttering. I can't tell you how much better this feels."

Camila gave him a sympathetic look, but he turned his face to the window, and they rode in silence the rest of the way.

Once they were in the airport, Stanley's nervousness increased as he looked at his passport.

"I'll tell you what. Give me your passport. We'll go through together, and I'll do the talking," Camila said with her hand out. Stanley placed his passport in it. They joined the ticket line.

When they reached the counter, Stanley stayed close, answered the questions, and nodded when required, and soon, they were on their way through the Security check. Once they made it through, Stanley rolled his head to reduce the tension in his neck. He followed Camila to their gate and down the ramp to the waiting jet.

He was greatly impressed with the luxurious interior and belted himself into the plush seat.

"I assume not all planes are this comfortable," he sighed happily, and Camila chuckled as she shook her head.

They taxied out to the runway to join the queue of planes and were soon accelerating down the runway. Stanley gripped the arms of his seat as the jet leapt into the air and soared upwards.

Once the seatbelt sign clicked off, Stanley looked at Camila wide-eyed. "That was pretty scary!"

"We'll be landing for refueling in Anchorage, Alaska, then we'll fly on to Tokyo. We won't land in Japan until close to two AM, but Minister Imamura made arrangements for us in Haneda International Airport," she explained.

Stanley just nodded uneasily as he thought about meeting the man. Would he be angry? Would the man make the public confession more difficult? He pushed those thoughts from his mind and looked over at Camila, who had taken out her computer.

"Do we have Internet access?" he asked.

"Yes. The connection details are on the card in the seat pocket," she replied.

Stanley got his computer out and got it connected to the plane's WiFi. He settled back with a smile. He was going to be able to do some work after all!

Hours later, they heard the announcement that they would be landing shortly. Stanley blinked his tired eyes and saved his work. He stowed his computer and buckled in again as they made their descent. The landing was smooth, and he glanced out the window as they rolled up to the gate.

"We'll have to leave the plane while they refuel. It shouldn't take long," Camila said.

Once the door was open, they made their way out and into the terminal.

"Stay close, as we'll be boarding shortly," Camila said, holding Stanley's eyes with hers.

He nodded absently as he looked around the waiting area. He needed to stretch his legs, so he wandered down the hall a distance and then returned slowly. He caught the relieved look on Camila's face before she hid it behind a newspaper she'd picked up.

"Did you really think I'd slip away to live out my life as a backwoods hermit just to avoid this?" Stanley said as he plopped himself down in the chair next to her.

She put down the paper to look at him and had the good grace to look guilty for thinking it.

"I said I'd do it. I keep my word."

"Sigrid is not happy with me about this. She said I should never have asked you to do it." Camila admitted.

Stanley smiled as he thought of Sigrid. She was a woman of strong principles. He looked up to see the troubled expression on the lovely CEO's face.

"It's all right. I understand what's at stake here. I know you have to protect VRL and the people who work there. I just arrived at the company and want to protect it, too. It's also... not completely Minister Imamura's fault that his daughter got us into this situation," he sighed.

Camila tilted her head at Stanley. "Not completely?"

"He's her Dad. Isn't it a parent's job to teach their children about right and wrong and accepting responsibility for their actions?" he asked.

Camila nodded as she looked closely at him. She was going to ask him how he felt about not knowing his parents, but she didn't want to upset him after asking so much of him.

They heard the announcement to board once more and made their way back onto the jet.

Stanley was less nervous this time, but once they were in the air, the late hour caught up to him, and he yawned widely.

"You should get some sleep. The door there leads to a small bedroom. You should switch and recharge. The time zone hopping we're doing will confuse your time sense. We'll have to keep track of when you'll need some privacy to do that."

Stanley blinked at her, then nodded. He went to the door at the back of the seating area and entered the room beyond it. There was a queen-sized bed and an actual shower, albeit small.

He took off his clothes and spun the ring. He had a moment of intense vertigo, and his eyes snapped open as he gasped. He was in his Satyr form, and nothing else had moved, so... what had caused that terrifying sensation of falling?

Only then did the thought come to him that doing the switch while flying hundreds of miles an hour in a jet thousands of feet above the ground might not be safe. A shiver went through him, but he just shook it off and climbed under the sheets. He missed his new bed, but not enough to stay awake for long.

Sometime later, he felt Camila's soft body slip under the covers and snuggle beside him. He only surfaced for long enough to acknowledge her arrival. She didn't try anything, so he just allowed himself to drift off again, but before he did, the realization that he'd be in Japan upon waking washed over him. So far away. He wondered how Baba was doing and then slipped into the depths of sleep.

Chapter 14

Stanley stood in the antechamber of the Japanese Parliament building, waiting for the session to end. He and Camila, acting as his interpreter, would be introduced. Then Stanley would make his statement to Minister Imamura. He and Camila had gone over what he was going to say. He would speak English and pause for her to translate his words into Japanese.

As some ministers spoke fluent English, she had to translate faithfully, so his words had to be genuine and heartfelt.

There was a tap on the door, and a young man nodded to them. It was time.

Stanley followed the man with Camila right behind him. They entered a vast chamber and paused until they were introduced. As they walked down the aisle, Stanley felt many eyes on him. Luckily, most eyes were drawn to Camila, as she was definitely an exotic distraction in this room of mostly men.

Once they reached the front of the room, they turned and faced the gathering of government officials. Stanley felt like a bug under a magnifying glass. Camila had pointed out where the Minister was seated in advance and showed him an image of the official. When he faced the man, he could see the stiffness and worry on the father's face. He glanced at Camila as the room went silent. She nodded.

He turned his eyes to the Minister and bowed deeply, holding it for a time. He stood upright and addressed the man.

"Minister Imamura. My name is Stanley Garin. I was... engaged to be married to your daughter Yuko," he began and waited for Camila to translate this. "With deepest respect and humble apology, I must... withdraw my offer of marriage."

Once Camila said this, there was a definite rumble of discontent amongst the gathering. Some were looking at Yuji Imamura with joy at his apparent humiliation. It was time for Stanley to set the hook. He shivered but pushed ahead.

"It is my deepest shame that I cannot provide you with the grandchildren you deserve. This is why I must withdraw from the marriage. My respect for you and your position in this honorable government is too great to allow my... limitation to reduce your future happiness and contentment." Stanley bowed once more but bent too quickly this time. He lost his balance, dropped to his knees, and clocked his forehead on the floor.

He was slightly dazed and needed a moment, so he remained there. He felt Camila's hand on his back as she translated. The slight pressure she was applying was a hint to stay where he was. In his current state of embarrassment, not facing the room full of foreign government officials was okay with him even if he was on the floor.

The room went silent. From this prone position, Stanley saw expensive shoes approaching him. Camila's hand moved to his arm to help him up, and Stanley stood once more.

Minister Imamura looked a little overcome with emotion but kept it tightly controlled with a slight smile on his face. However, his eyes showed his gratitude plainly. He bowed slightly to Stanley, who returned it twice as deep but kept from falling this time.

"I accept," the man said.

Stanley bowed once more, with relief evident on his face.

Camila bowed to the Minister as well, then led Stanley out of the room and back into the small waiting room outside the main hall. She turned Stanley to face her and gave him a slight smile as she held his eyes with hers. "Did you fall, or was dropping to your knees and pressing your face to the ground done for effect?"

His face burned with embarrassment. "I was so bloody flustered I lost my balance," he said quietly.

"Well, it was brilliant and completely shut down the man's opponents. He's gained a tremendous amount of status from that one act," she said equally quiet.

He looked at her. "Why aren't we leaving? Aren't we done?"

"Minister Imamura's wife will pick us up and take us to his estate. We are having dinner with them tonight and will fly home afterward. They want to thank us properly," she replied.

Another young man approached them with their luggage and gestured for them to follow him. They did and made their way to an underground parking lot where the man held open the back door of a black limousine. Camila entered first, then Stanley, and they took the rear bench. Facing them on a rear-facing bench was Yuko's mother, the woman Stanley met in Sandy's apartment. Their luggage went into the trunk.

When the door closed, the car began to move.

"You have done my husband a tremendous honor. Not only have you spared him the public embarrassment of the lost engagement, but you have grandly demonstrated how much you respect him. It was... beyond expectation, and his detractors and opponents have been greatly disadvantaged today. Thank you!" she said earnestly.

Stanley didn't know what to say, so he just nodded to her with a humble smile. Then he remembered something. "The wedding present! The furniture. I was going to send it back so you could get the refund, but I don't know what shop Yuko got it from."

"Please keep the gift as thanks for your efforts today!" the woman said.

Stanley looked at the woman in surprise. "Oh! Thank you!"

She dipped her head to accept his thanks. "My name is Harumi. My spirited but undisciplined daughter Yuko has been sent to our country estate to contemplate her errors of judgment." She frowned unhappily, then made some subtle gestures with her hands. The space within the back of the car suddenly went silent, and he felt a strange muffling sensation. Harumi continued now that they had privacy. "Her use of her powers within the home of a Human is most concerning. She will need to go before a disciplinary committee to address this crime. I am just thankful you counteracted the spell before she completed it. I did not have time to ask you that night how you did, so this is still a mystery to me!"

"I-I just grabbed her hands when I saw she was moving them and felt the energy building. I've never felt anything like that before, and I don't know anything about spells," Stanley admitted.

Camila gasped, and Harumi's eyes widened as she looked at him in shock. When she finally found her voice, she leaned forward. "You grabbed her hands? With your own?"

He nodded as he looked at her in worry. "Was that a bad thing to do?"

Both Camila and Harumi nodded.

"Would you grab a pot of boiling water by the sides of the pot?" Camila asked him.

He gave her an exasperated scowl, and Camila closed her eyes as she nodded. Of course, he didn't know.

"How does he not know these things, and how was he not injured?" Harumi asked Camila pointedly.

"Unfortunately, this isn't something we can discuss," Camila said.

"Not able or not willing?" Harumi pressed.

Camila paused. "For the safety of everyone involved, it's both," she finally responded.

Harumi didn't look satisfied by that answer, but seeing Camila's discomfort, she wouldn't push further.

They drove on in silence for a while. They found themselves in a very posh, gated neighborhood and pulled up a long driveway to a lovely single-story sprawling house. Harumi exited first, and they followed her out. Harumi explained their bags would remain in the trunk until they left unless they needed them. They shook their heads and followed the woman into the home, where they dropped their shoes at the door. They walked further into the building.

Stanley's eyes were wide with delight. The rich, gleaming woods and paper dividers, with their palette of earth tones, were artistically illuminated by subtle and pleasing lighting. Combined with the minimal clutter, the space soothed his soul. "Your home is so beautiful!" he sighed, and Harumi smiled and nodded to him in thanks.

She led them to a small patio overlooking a koi pond and a small garden. They took seats and relaxed as servants brought them tea.

"My husband will be home soon, though he may take some time to accept the apologies of his opposition." She turned her head as the door chimed. "Ah! That must be our other daughter, Jun. She is two years younger than Yuko. Unlike her sister, Jun remained in Japan and attends university here in Tokyo," Harumi said as a petite young woman approached them. She nodded to her mother and then to Camila and Stanley.

Harumi began the introductions. "Jun, this is Camila Villamor and—"

"Stanley-san," Jun finished for her, looking him boldly in the eye.

He blinked and tilted his head slightly as he returned her appraising look. She was a little taller than Yuko for being younger than her sister, and her silky black hair only reached her shoulders. She was very slim and pretty, though she tried to hide that behind black-rimmed glasses that didn't appear to have prescription lenses. She also didn't smile but kept her expression very neutral. She was dressed casually: a printed t-shirt with some broken English slogan on it, deep blue stretchy pants, and black slippers.

"My sister spoke of you to me," she said, but Stanley wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Sensing his hesitation, she continued. "Yuko has always been... too quick to act without thinking. I am sorry if she has caused you trouble."

"Uh, thank you," Stanley replied, relieved.

"Jun is studying Computer Science," Harumi said proudly.

Stanley's eyes widened happily. "That was my area, too!" he said.

Jun looked at Stanley closely. "Yuko did not tell me what you do."

"I'm CIO at Ms. Villamor's investment house in Manhattan," he explained.

Jun looked at Camila, who nodded in response to her doubtful expression.

"You are a very young CIO," Jun remarked to him.

"Yeah, I get that a lot," Stanley sighed.

"Do you know anything about network security?" Jun asked. "I have an assignment due this week, and something is not working. Could you take a look at the network I have configured?"

"Dear, Mr. Garin has traveled a long way to endure a very trying ordeal. Perhaps this is not—" Harumi began.

"I don't mind at all! It will take my mind off of it!" Stanley said as he climbed to his feet. He looked to Camila, who just smiled and waved.

"When your father returns, we will be having dinner, so you have until then," Harumi stated, and her daughter nodded as she turned and led the way to her room. Stanley followed.

He admired the beautiful woodwork along the way and smiled at Jun when she opened the sliding door to her room. He went inside and grinned when he saw her workstation with the server rack next to it. The equipment was current and power-protected. He looked back at her and nodded, indicating he was impressed. She gave him a slight smile, then moved to the main terminal to log in.

Once she was connected, she looked back at Stanley. He stepped next to her, and she began to explain her issue. She brought up the firewall rules on the screen to show him the ones she'd added. He didn't see anything wrong per se, but it wasn't how he would have written the rules. He kept that to himself.

"I think we should run a benchmark on the network. Then, do some diagnostic routines to ensure the equipment isn't where the fault lies.

"This is all new equipment. It has been inspected by my professor. There will be no hardware faults," she insisted.

"Your professors don't add faults to the equipment to increase the difficulty of debugging issues?" he asked.

She gave him a shocked and outraged expression.

"I'll take that as a no. Humor me. Let's run the benchmark," he said.

She didn't look pleased as she obviously thought this was a waste of the limited time she'd have for his help. He set up the test and ran it on each computer on her small network. Then, they reviewed the results.

Stanley frowned. They weren't seeing the performance he was expecting from the router. "May I run a diagnostic routine on the router?" he asked. She nodded with a look of concern.

He set up the test and ran it against each port. One of the ports on the router was running at half duplex. "Port seven. What's it connected to?" he asked.

"The firewall," she responded.

"Do you have a free port on the router?" he asked.

"There are two."

"Switch the cable on port seven to one of the free ports," he suggested.

She raised her eyebrows in question but moved the cable.

"Run the authentication process once more," he said, and the connection was made when she did.

"Ah! It's working! What's wrong with port seven?"

"I think it was manually configured to use half duplex mode. Do you recall doing that?" he asked.

Her frown turned into barely suppressed rage, and Stanley was happy it didn't seem to be directed at him.

"No, but I know who did it," she growled. "Someone in my class who said he would help me."

"Did this person work on your router?" Stanley asked.

"He... had the opportunity," she said with a blush as she looked away.

"Oh... Ohhhh!" Stanley said as he clued in. She'd had this friend in her bedroom. "Why, uh, why would he have sabotaged your assignment?"

"So he could take my place as top of the class," she said stiffly.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to embarrass you. What he did was really mean. The way to get back at him would be—"

"To gut him with a fishing knife!" she snarled.

"No! You show up with your complete and working project, which exceeds expectations by implementing military-grade encryption." Stanley said with a grin.

She blinked at him. "We don't have access to that level of encryption," she mumbled.

"Pffft! It's easy. Let me show you how it's done," he snorted with a grin.

Stanley spent the next fifteen minutes carefully explaining in great detail how to add next-to-unbreakable encryption to the data packets on her network. When he was done and sure that she understood, he gave her a big smile. "This is the best revenge. This guy thinks your project is busted, but you show up with it not only working but more secure than any student's proje—MMMMppphh!"

Jun pulled Stanley down to the floor with her mouth fastened on his and her tongue thrusting deep inside. She was frighteningly strong and very passionate as she writhed on top of his body, grinding against his groin.

He put his hands on her sides to push her off, but that just seemed to excite her more, and her kisses became more frenzied. She was moaning and sighing as she pressed herself firmly against him. He couldn't stop himself from reacting, which made her coo in excitement.

Finally, she pulled back from his mouth to moan loudly as she felt his cock swelling and pressing against her mound.

"Stop!" he gasped.

"What?!? Why? This feels so good!" she moaned as she rubbed herself up and down his shaft.

"I said Stop!" Stanley barked as he pushed at her torso, but his hands just landed on her small tits, squeezing them, and she cooed once more.

"JUN!"

From the floor, Stanley craned his head to look up towards the door. Harumi was standing there with a shocked and angry expression on her face. He tried to pull his hands away from Jun's tits, but she'd pinned them there with an arm.

"Get off of our guest! Immediately!" the angry mother growled.

Jun finally seemed to register that her mother was there, was angry, and Stanley wasn't participating. She looked down at him. "Yuko said you were good at sex."

Stanley frowned. "She also didn't ask me if I wanted to have sex."

Jun rolled off of him. Stanley got to his feet and did his best to straighten his clothes. He realized she'd somehow managed to pull his zipper down. He zipped up and turned his red face back to the mother, who gestured for him to join her. She turned her attention back to her daughter.

"You will not be joining us for dinner tonight, Jun. Apologize to Stanley."

Jun rose to her feet and did look ashamed. "I am truly sorry for forcing myself upon you. I see now that you are not attracted to me."

Stanley sputtered. "Wait a minute! I never said that! I think you're beautiful! It's- it's just not a... good time to be... doing that. It's complicated."

She caught his eyes with hers, and he felt the heat and passion in hers rush through his body. "Some other time then?" He saw the flash of her fox tail for just a second and realized she was also Kitsune.

His mouth dropped open, and he found himself nodding as his voice failed him. A gentle hand guided him out of the room and started him down the hallway. He felt the woman walking just a pace behind him as they approached a larger open space. She moved before him, and they stopped at the threshold, still out of sight of the people inside.

"My apologies for how my daughters allowed their passions to guide them so willfully. Let me go in while you... calm yourself," she said, looking at the slight bulge still pushing against his pants.

He blushed and nodded then he was alone. He closed his eyes to take some deep breaths to center himself and felt the first gentle twinges of his need to recharge make itself known. His eyes flashed open. With the time zone jumping, he'd forgotten that his sleep cycle was all skewed. The nervous rush was enough to kill his desire so he could enter the room.

When he rounded the corner, he saw Minister Imamura speaking with Camila and his wife. The man turned to him and smiled. He immediately walked over and shook Stanley's hand.

Stanley returned his smile. He recalled that the man was not aware of the Hidden Races. Blissfully ignorant as Stanley had been not so long ago.

"So you have met my daughter Jun?" the man asked.

Stanley looked him in the eye and saw only a father's pride. "Yes, she's very smart and lovely as well."

"Did you help her with this problem she has?" Yuji asked, and Stanley paused for a second.

"Oh! The network issue. Yes, though she would have found it eventually," he replied honestly.

"It was very important to her for her grade," the older man said with gravity.

Stanley smiled. "I'm sure she'll get top grades for her assignment now. Maybe even bonus points."

"Bonus points!" Yuji laughed happily and patted Stanley on the shoulder.

He wasn't sure what was so funny about that, but Stanley just grinned and allowed himself to be directed towards the dining room table. He caught Camila's eye and mouthed the word time to her. He was relieved to see she picked up on the cue. She nodded and spoke quietly into Harumi's ear, who glanced at Stanley and nodded to Camila.

They took seats at the table, and the servants immediately began bringing out the food. It smelled delicious, and Stanley's mouth watered. He watched Camila for clues on what to do, as he'd never dined with government officials in Japan before. He smiled to himself as he thought about how his life had changed so dramatically.

"What amuses you so, Stanley-san?" Yuji asked.

"I was just thinking of how much my life has changed in such a short time. Not long ago, I lived in a cottage with no electricity in a swamp while attending college in New York City. Then, I got my first job with Ms. Villamor's company. Now, I'm dining with important government officials in Japan. My head is spinning with how rapidly this all happened."

"So you come from humble beginnings. This is a good thing! Your progress must make your parents very proud," Yuji said.

Stanley glanced at Camila before addressing him. "I-I never knew my parents. I was raised by my Ba—my grandmother."

"Humble beginnings, indeed," the minister said with a sympathetic look.

They turned their attention to the meal, and Stanley was pleased to discover it tasted as good as it smelled.

The Minister and his wife took turns asking Stanley questions about his childhood and his enjoyment of working with technology, considering his lack of exposure to it early in his life.

When Stanley caught his head dipping to his chest, he snapped open his eyes and looked at Camila worriedly. He felt the need to change in the back of his mind. She nodded to him.

"I think we must cut our visit short. We need to get back to the airport for our flight home, and Stanley looks like he's about to fall asleep at the table," Camila said smoothly.

Faces smiled in his direction as he struggled to keep his eyes open with a sheepish grin.

"You are welcome to stay the night and fly home tomorrow," Yuji suggested.

"That's very gracious of you, but business demands we return as quickly as we arrived," Camila countered graciously.

The Minister nodded as he knew all too well the demands of business. They all stood, and once more, Yuji took Stanley's hand in his. "I cannot say how grateful I am for what you did for me today. I understand my daughter Yuko put us all into this unfortunate situation, but how you resolved it has solidified my position and authority in the government. Thank you!"

Stanley didn't know how to respond, so he bowed to Yuji, drawing a warm smile from him.

Camila collected him, and they headed back to the door. They said their goodbyes, and the limousine picked them up to take them to the airport. Stanley fidgeted and did whatever he could to hold back the need to switch. He looked desperately at Camila, but she just shook her head, indicating that talking wasn't safe.

They finally reached the airport and got their bags. After checking in, Camila had to explain Stanley's agitation as a reaction to his jet lag. The security people nodded as they saw his sleepy eyes. They were allowed into the waiting area and sat by the gate.

"How much longer?" Stanley gasped as he felt a vibration traveling through his body. He adjusted the strap on his computer bag one more time.

"Hang in there. Maybe ten minutes at most," Camila said with a concerned look.

"W—what happens if I can't make it? What do we... do?" he groaned.

"We really didn't think this one through. We'd have to call in support. I have a number... oh, thank god! There's the flight crew. Stay put. I'll go speak with them!" Camila said as she jumped to her feet and rushed away to speak with the captain. He and the co-pilot spoke with Camila quietly, and both nodded to her. She gestured for Stanley to join them.

He pushed himself to his feet and struggled to walk over to them as he concentrated on maintaining his human shape. He followed the crew down the jet bridge. The pilot and co-pilot turned left to go into the cockpit, and Stanley rushed right, dropped his bag on a chair, and made his way directly into the bedroom at the back.

He closed the door behind himself and spun the ring without bothering with his clothes, holding the image of his Satyr form in his mind.

The transition was not smooth this time.

Reality snapped around him with a vengeance, and his large form was thrown against the inner wall of the plane with great force.

He crashed to the floor, and everything went black.

Chapter 15

Camila was sitting in the hospital waiting room when Marisa, Sigrid, and Mr. Duncan rushed in.

"How is he?" Marisa gasped.

"I haven't heard from the doctor yet."

"Why did you fly him all the way home before getting him medical attention!" Sigrid barked. She'd been in a state since receiving the shaky call from Camila hours before.

Camila glared at her. "I wasn't given a choice!" A shiver went through her as her mind flashed back to the moment.

There was a large thump from the back, which shook the plane. Then the lights suddenly went out, plunging her into darkness. She felt the cold hand on her shoulder, and the voice by her ear sent a burst of terror through her.

"Bring him home."

Only three words, but Camila knew exactly who had spoken them and how far away she'd been when she said them. The lights came back on, and the Pilot finally opened the stuck cockpit door. He came rushing back into the passenger section.

"What was that?!?" he called out as Camila looked into the back room. She saw Stanley's large body on the floor and the broken plastic panels on the side wall where he'd slammed against them. Bits of plastic were in his fur, and his clothes were shredded.

She turned to tell them to call an ambulance, but her voice stuck in her throat. She took a breath and felt the compulsion ease. "Get us home," she managed.

The pilot looked like he was going to argue but suddenly turned and returned to the cockpit.

"Camila!"

She snapped back to the present to see Sigrid holding her shoulders.

"Sorry. I had a... visit from someone we all met that first night. She told me to bring him home. I had to," she said with a shiver.

Marisa touched her mother's arm, and the woman seemed to relax. "What happened to Stanley?"

"We flew to Japan, and he switched late to recharge after we flew from Anchorage. We got into Japan, and he switched back. It was only two AM there, so we went all the way to ten PM the following night before we boarded the plane. Stanley was barely keeping it together. He needed to switch, but he couldn't until we had the privacy of the plane. Something must have gone wrong during his change. There was a terrible crash, and when I looked inside the room, he was unconscious on the floor in his other state. The inside wall of the jet, just the plastic interior part, was smashed to bits."

Marisa gasped and made a sympathetic noise.

"He slept all the way back to Alaska. We refueled but stayed on the plane this time. I don't know what was happening to the flight crew, as they acted like we weren't there from that point on. When we got back to New York, I called in the support teams to extract him, but when I went back to check on him, he was back to his other state but still unconscious. The sheets were shredded, but he didn't get thrown against the wall again."

"She's still watching over him?" Mr. Duncan asked quietly.

Camila nodded. "He isn't to know," she said, looking nervously at Sigrid as she touched her lips. Sigrid shared her worried expression.

"Geezus," the big man growled nervously.

They all jumped when the doctor pushed through the door.

He looked at them in surprise. "Are you all here with Mr. Garin?"

"Yes, I brought him in," Camila stated. "How is he? Can we see him?"

"He's badly bruised. Was he in a car accident or fall from a height?"

"I didn't see it happen, but I believe he fell," Camila answered as honestly as she could. "Anything broken?"

"Miraculously, no, and no concussion, thank goodness, but he's going to be in a lot of pain for a little while. I'll prescribe him some strong painkillers, but they're highly addictive, so he should try to limit his intake when possible," the doctor explained. He looked at the group. "I think initially only one visitor. I'll write up the script, and I'd like to keep him overnight for observation—"

"No! Sorry, he needs to come home. Now," Camila blurted, once more feeling the compulsion flaring.

The doctor scowled at her. He looked upset but nodded brusquely and left the room with Marisa following. Camila sagged against the back of the row of chairs.

"I assume the crone knows what's best for him," Sigrid said quietly, and Mr. Duncan shivered.

-=-

Marisa followed the doctor into the private room where Stanley was resting. She sighed as she saw the bruising on his arms on top of the sheets.

He had a nasty bruise on his jawline as well.

The doctor checked the readings on the monitor and confirmed the IV drip contained the painkiller he'd ordered. Then he nodded to her as he left.

"Oh, Stanley," she moaned gently.

His eyes cracked open at the sound of her voice. "Hello, Marisa," he said weakly.

"Shhh... rest. I'm so sorry you injured yourself," she said.

He turned his hand over on the bed beside her, and she slipped her hand into his. He sighed happily.

"There is something in your touch that soothes me. It makes me feel like everything will be okay," he whispered.

Tears pooled in her eyes as she recalled the old woman's words about how life wouldn't be good to her boy. So far, her words had been fairly prophetic.

She did her best to suppress her sight when she looked at Stanley, as there was something big in his future, and that event had a kind of gravity to it. It pulled at her new, more powerful abilities, so she looked away.

"Am I hideous?" he murmured.

"What? No! You're just bruised. You'll heal," she assured him.

His eyes closed, and he fell asleep once more. She leaned over and kissed his forehead. When she pulled back, he had a sweet, innocent smile on his lips.

-=-

Camila signed the release forms for Stanley, and with Mr. Duncan's help to carry the unconscious young man, they took a limo back to his condo. Sigrid carried his suitcase, Marisa had his computer bag, and Camila had his keys while the big man gently cradled Stanley in his arms.

"OH MY GOD! What happened to Stanley!"

They turned to see a young blond woman in hospital scrubs rushing up to them.

"And you are?" Camila asked.

"I'm Sandy, his neighbor and friend!" she blustered as she looked nervously at the big man carrying Stanley.

"Ah! Right. Stanley was in an accident. He's badly bruised but otherwise uninjured. I'm Camila Villamor, his employer. Could we get him inside?"

"Of course! Sorry." Sandy said and rushed forward to get the door. The rest followed, the big man carefully navigating Stanley's prone body through the doors.

Sandy looked closely at the bruises on Stanley's face, and her eyes widened in shock. She looked at the large woman with a long blond braid, and her eyes widened as the white-blond beauty stepped past. She followed and ducked into the elevator with them at the last second, though she was pressed up against the abundant chest of the young beauty.

"I'm Marisa Villamor, Stanley's executive assistant." She tilted her head towards the woman with the braid. "This is Sigrid Gunderan, VRL's Head of Human Resources. Carrying Stanley is Mr. Duncan, our Head of Security. My aunt is the CEO."

Sandy's eyes were wide with surprise. So many top-level executives looking after Stanley. But then he did say he was the CIO. "It's great you're all so concerned with Stanley's well-being!" she ventured cautiously.

Marisa smiled warmly. "Stanley is a very special young man. We have a major investment in him."

Sandy giggled nervously, overwhelmed by the raw beauty of the people protecting her neighbor. Even the silent Mr. Duncan had a... savage beauty about him. She felt a shiver run down her spine as he smiled at her stare.

The elevator stopped. "Your floor, I believe," the HR Executive said as she looked at Sandy.

"Oh! Uh, okay. I'll check in on Stanley later, I guess," Sandy stuttered as she stepped back from Marisa's warm body. She felt the oddest urge to step forward again to return to that soft embrace. She gave herself a shake as her face flushed.

"When Stanley is awake, I'll tell him you were asking about him. It was nice meeting you," Marisa said kindly as the door closed.

Dazed, Sandy made her way to her condo. She felt so tingly where she'd touched Marisa. She wasn't attracted to women! She wasn't!

She let herself into her front door and realized she might be willing to amend that policy for Marisa.

The idea shocked and thrilled her equally.

-=-

Up on the ninth floor, Camila opened Stanley's front door and made her way inside. She looked at the furnishings in surprise as the others followed her in.

"Oh! This is lovely!" Marisa gushed.

"Where is the bedroom?" Mr. Duncan growled.

"The door to the left," Sigrid offered.

"Is that his bed?" the big redhead said in surprise, looking at the mattress on the floor.

Marisa removed her shoes and hurried into the bedroom to pull back the comforter. She guided the big man to gently set Stanley down, but he moaned as his body settled down onto the pad.

Stanley's eyes opened, and he looked up. "Wha... Dad? Where am I? Why do I hurt so much?"

The Security Chief glanced uneasily at Marisa. Dad?

"It's the pain meds. They're confusing him," she said with a grin.

"Oh, Mr. Duncan? Are your servers working? The software is new. I got the latest version. How about the monitor bank?" Stanley struggled to ask as his eyes threatened to close again.

"They're great, Stanley. Everything works perfectly! Good job. Get some rest," the man said awkwardly.

"Good..." Stanley said with a smile and drifted off.

Marisa covered him with the blanket and followed Mr. Duncan into the living room, where Camila sat with Sigrid. She sat across from her mother as the big man made his way into the kitchen. He opened the fridge and made a happy noise when he spotted a baking pan of brownies. He pulled it out, got a knife from the drawer, and carried both back to the living room. He sat next to Marisa, peeled back the plastic wrap, and cut her a brownie, which she accepted with a smile. He cut two more for Camila and Sigrid, then one for himself.

"Oh my god, this is good!" Marisa sighed as the chocolatey treat melted in her mouth.

"Did Yuko make these?" Camila asked, looking suspiciously at the square in her hand. Marisa stopped eating to look at her nervously.

"No, I believe these were from the pretty blond neighbor," Sigrid explained.

Marisa sighed in relief and took another bite. "So good!"

"How did it go in Japan?" Sigrid asked.

"Better than expected. Stanley was marvelous in addressing the Minister, leaving him with a very secure position in the cabinet. Afterward, we had a lovely dinner with him and his wife, but we mistimed Stanley's recharging and had to leave rather hurriedly," Camila explained. "You may get a bill for the damage to the inside of the jet."

"So no more taking the boy overseas," Mr. Duncan said firmly.

She looked at him and nodded. "Last time. After seeing what happened with Marisa, I don't believe the idea of getting Stanley a glamour from the Fey is an option. He's not compatible with Fey magic. He has to stick with his current method, which has strict timing requirements. The repercussions of not following the timing is too severe." She looked sadly at his bedroom door. "It will also have a very restrictive impact on his social life, speaking of the pretty blond."

Marisa nodded sadly. She'd felt Sandy's attraction to Stanley, her genuine concern. There was only pain ahead for them if they pursued that.

Camila looked at Marisa. "How goes the technology upgrade? Are we safe yet?"

"Stanley has worked some real miracles. The equipment he's configured is working perfectly. I don't understand how he does it, but he gets the most out of every system he installs. It all just works for him. We would have been migrating to the new data server and file storage systems if Stanley hadn't been injured. With this setback, he'll have to rework the data backup and restore plan. It will add a couple of days. That would have been the beginning of the rollout of the new servers. I mean, aside from Mr. Duncan's, which are already in production," Marisa explained.

"How did you jump the queue?" Camila asked her Security Chief.

"The boy treats me like a father," he smirked.

Marisa smiled at him and shook her head. "Stanley said Mr. Duncan's servers were the easiest to upgrade, and as his system protects all the other systems, Stanley prioritized it." She turned to the redhead. "Were you aware that Stanley configured our new firewall to send you reports of intrusion attempts?"

The man grinned wickedly. "Yes, its honeypot and backtrace features are especially helpful."

"We're being hacked?" Camila blurted.

Marisa grinned with pride. "Were. Past tense. He sent the details to Mr. Duncan. Stanley identified the back door access someone added into our old firewall and replaced the whole thing with an N-Dimensional Labyrinth. That's what Stanley called it, at least. He wrote the software himself in college. All I know is that it can thwart any kind of cyber-attack we try to throw at it. Stanley keeps trying to break it with new hacking methods he reads about, but so far, it's impenetrable, and all attempts are reported to Security."

"What's next?" Camila asked.

"This weekend, the new workstations are to be rolled out. I need to speak with Stanley to see if we should proceed with that, as we were going to switch over to the new network simultaneously, which requires the data server and file storage to be in place. If he says yes, it will take all the workers to manage the installations," Marisa explained.

Sigrid finished her brownie and stood up. "We should be getting back to the office. Are you going to stay to watch over him?" she said, looking at Marisa, who nodded. "Save the receipts for any meals you order, and we'll cover the expense."

"I'll bring over a bag of clothes and essentials later," Camila said as she stood and handed Stanley's keys to her daughter.

Mr. Duncan cut himself another brownie square and put the pan back in the fridge before joining the two women. He grinned back at Marisa, chocolate crumbs on his lips, as she locked up behind them.

She went back to Stanley's bedroom and looked in on him. He was sleeping peacefully. She knew his current meds would likely run out around dinner time. This meant he should be able to get a few more hours of pain-free sleep before she'd need to give him a pill. She went back out to the living room and checked the pills her mother had received from the doctor. Then she curled up on the couch to rest her eyes for a bit.

She jolted awake when she heard the phone ring. She got up to answer it and saw it was six-thirty PM.

"Hello?"

"It's me. Buzz me in," Camila said, so she pressed the nine button and heard its rasping tone. While she waited, she went to check on Stanley and saw he was moving restlessly.

She heard a knock and moved to let her mother into the condo. She had Marisa's suitcase with her.

"Thank you for this," she said as she took the case from her hand.

"How is he?"

"I think he's ready for his next pill," Marisa said with a frown.

Camila walked over to the bedroom door and looked in. "He's going to need to switch before he does. It's time. Let's get him on his feet and out of his clothes."

"Really? He has to be naked?" Marisa asked skeptically.

"The change shreds clothes," Camila said, scowling at her daughter, who moved to pull the blanket from his body.

Camila knelt down on one side of Stanley, and Marisa took the other.

"Stanley. It's time for you to change, so we're going to stand you up and get you undressed. Okay?" Camila said gently.

His eyes opened, and he smiled at her and then Marisa. They gently held his shoulders and helped him sit up.

"Ohhhh," he moaned quietly. They stood and held him as he got his legs under himself. Then they lifted him, and he sucked in a sharp breath. "Oh fuck," he whispered.

Looking at her mother with concern, Marisa helped her quickly undress him, and they had him stand on his own. The livid bruises covering his torso were awful to see, and they bit their lips to keep from gasping.

"Are you able to do it?" Camila asked as he wobbled slightly on his feet.

"Stand further back," he mumbled.

They moved then he put one hand in the other. They couldn't see what he was doing with his hands, but the air twisted around him, and a Satyr was before them. He collapsed as they rushed to catch him.

"Stanley!" Marisa cried out.

He just moaned, so they straightened out his limbs on the bed and pulled the blanket up over his much larger body. It took all their combined strength to move him, and they were as careful as possible not to hurt him.

"Would you like something to eat?" Marisa asked.

His eyes opened, and he looked at her. "No."

"I'll get you a pill and some water," she said.

Camila stayed with him while Marisa went out to the living room and got the pills. She poured a large glass of water as well. She went back into the bedroom and knelt next to him.

"Stanley, open up," she said, and Camila gently lifted his head so she could put the pill on his tongue. Then she held the glass to his lips, and he drank it all.

Camila let his head rest back against the pillow, then ran her fingers through his silky soft hair as she looked down at him fondly.

"I'm so sorry this happened, Stanley."

"S'okay." He was struggling to stay awake.

"Rest, Stanley. I'll check in on you later," Marisa said as she and her mother stood and left the room.

"Are you going to be safe with him tonight?" Camila asked when they were in the living room.

"Yes, I won't need to feed for a few more days at least," she sighed at her mother's caution.

Camila nodded and rubbed her fingers together, recalling how soft his hair had been. "Okay, I'm going to head home then. I'll stop in on the way in to work tomorrow."

Marisa didn't bother to argue. She knew her mother would be here regardless. She just nodded and followed her to the front door. She gave her mother's cheek a kiss and closed the door behind her after being subjected to another look from the woman.

She walked back to the living room and dropped herself onto the couch. She just closed her eyes when there was a knock on the door. Sighing, she pushed herself back onto her feet and walked back to the door.

"We're fine, Mother!" she exclaimed, pulling the door open.

The blond neighbor looked at her in surprise as she stood there holding a large pot of something that smelled very good.

"Sandy?"

"Hi, Marisa. I was worried about Stanley and thought I might pop up and bring him some supper. It's homemade chili."

Marisa froze. She couldn't let her in as Stanley was in Satyr form and unconscious at that.

"Ah, that's really nice of you, but this isn't a good time. I just gave him his pill, and he's just fallen asleep again."

"This is really heavy, and it's getting hot, so can I set it down on his stove?" Sandy said.

Marisa bit her lip and then nodded as she stepped back. She followed Sandy down the short hall and immediately ducked behind her to shut Stanley's bedroom door as the other woman headed for the kitchen. They met back in the hall.

Sandy looked behind Marisa and raised an eyebrow. "You know, I am a nurse."

"Yes, but this isn't a hospital, so Stanley's privacy matters here," Marisa said gently.

"But I'm a friend!"

"He's not up for visiting friends at the moment, I'm afraid," Marisa countered.

Sandy panned her eyes down Marisa's body and smiled. "You're a very good Executive Assistant. Very protective."

Marisa returned the smile. "I like to think so."

"But are you his friend?" Sandy asked with a coy smile.

"I'm that as well, but tonight, I'm his assistant first."

"Are you anything else to Stanley?" Sandy asked, trying to sound casual. Her voice held just the slightest tremor, which gave away how intimidated she was by Marisa's beauty.

Marisa fixed her eyes on Sandy's and saw the woman's nerve break.

"I'm sorry, that was completely rude of me. Ignore my question. I'll be going—" Sandy groaned and turned to leave.

She stopped when Marisa caught her arm in a gentle grip.

"Have you had dinner?" Marisa asked her. "I have this delicious-smelling chili if you'd like some."

Sandy grinned nervously and glanced towards the bedroom door.

"It will be just us two girls. Stanley is still off-limits. Agreed?"

Sandy nodded, and they moved into the kitchen to get themselves bowls of the chili.

Marisa found a nice bottle of wine in the fridge and opened it for them.

They sat on the stools at the breakfast bar and raised a toast.

"To Stanley's quick return to good health!" Sandy said, and Marisa nodded. They drank, and both made appreciative noises. "Stanley has good taste in wine for someone who never drank before coming to work at your company."

Marisa smiled and ate a spoonful of the chili. "Oh, this is really good!"

Sandy grinned at the look of happiness on Marisa's face.

They ate in silence for a while, just enjoying the good wine, the comfort food, and the friendly company.

Sandy drank quicker than Marisa, still nervous with the gorgeous woman. She kept looking at the glasses she was wearing. She swore the lenses weren't prescription.

"Do you like my glasses?"

"What?" Sandy blurted.

"You've been staring at them," Marisa noted.

"Oh god, have I? How rude! I'm sorry! It's just... you don't seem to need them, and they hide your lovely eyes," Sandy gushed.

Marisa smiled at the compliment. "Maybe I need them to hide my lovely eyes."

The nurse gasped in surprise and reached over to hold Marisa's arm. "Why would you want to do that? Beauty shouldn't be hidden!"

Marisa could tell Sandy was a little tipsy, but that didn't prevent the tingles from spreading outwards from the woman's touch. She hadn't been lying to her mother that she wouldn't need to feed, but a little snack wouldn't be unwelcome. She reached up with her free hand and removed her glasses, letting Sandy feel the full power of her direct attention.

"Ohhh, your eyes are beautiful!" the woman cooed, and her grip on Marisa's arm tightened ever so slightly.

Marisa took another sip of her wine while holding Sandy's eyes with hers and saw the woman squeeze and rub her thighs together as she squirmed on her bar stool. Sandy also took another gulp of her wine but couldn't look away.

The young succubus would have to tread carefully as this was someone close to Stanley. Someone he interacted with. She didn't want to leave him with more troubles than he currently had.

"Would it be too forward for me to say I think you're beautiful too?" Marisa said, sinking the hook. Sandy began to take deep breaths, and her nipples were starting to show against the tight fabric of her top.

"No... that would be okay," Sandy mumbled as her eyes went to Marisa's lush lips.

When Marisa bit her lip, Sandy moaned and unconsciously leaned closer to her. Marisa matched her motion, and soon, they were face to face.

"Do... do you like girls? I've never—" Sandy squeaked.

"I like sex," Marisa breathed. Then her mouth was on Sandy's, and the woman melted against her body as their tongues caressed.

Sandy's nipples felt like diamonds through the thin material of her top and bra. Marisa's fingers gently squeezed and tugged on them, and Sandy gasped into the kiss. The heat of the kiss escalated, and Sandy's hands sunk into the thick white tresses on the back of Marisa's head.

Marisa gently pulled the other woman to her feet and guided them over to the sofa in the living room, all the while maintaining the kiss and subtly caressing her body to increase her passion. Sandy was gasping and moaning as she sank back against the cushions. She was entirely under the thrall of the Succubus now, and Marisa was taking her time to ensure they both enjoyed this.

Moving her mouth to Sandy's throat, Marisa's tongue felt and measured the rapid beating of the woman's heart. She was ready. She pulled back to tug the shirt up and over Sandy's head. The young nurse tried to return the favor, but getting the tailored silk blouse past Marisa's large tits proved impossible without undoing the buttons. Sandy's eyes were wide with excitement as she finally exposed the satin and lace bra.

"Even your lingerie is beautiful!" Sandy sighed.

"It makes me feel pretty!" Marisa said simply.

Sandy gaped at her. "You don't need clothes to be gorgeous!"

Marisa turned a sexy, wicked smile on the dazed woman beneath her. "Let's find out if that's true." She reached back, popped the clasp on the bra, let it slip forward and off, and tossed it aside.

"Oh my..." Sandy sighed as she looked at the most perfect breasts she'd ever seen. Full, round, and firm with pink areola and deeper pink nipples, which were stiff with excitement. She couldn't stop herself from reaching forward to cup and squeeze them in her hands. She'd never touched another woman's breasts like this before, but she wanted this. Marisa was cooing and sighing, which made her want to touch her more. Seeing the pleasure on Marisa's beautiful face was... doing things to her own body.

Marisa slipped her hand under Sandy's back and released the bra, tugging it forward and off. Her modest breasts were freed, and Marisa wasted no more time. She moved down to kiss her deeply, pressing her tits against Sandy's, making the woman moan with pleasure.

Sandy had never felt anything so sensual before and was being carried away on a wave of delicious euphoria. Her nipples ached with their stiffness, and her pussy was begging for attention.

She felt hands on her hips tugging her yoga pants and panties down, and she just lifted her ass to ease their descent.

Marisa's tongue was so delicious, and when the woman occasionally nibbled on Sandy's lips, bolts of pleasure shot through her to the wetness below. Her need to be touched there was getting out of control. She tried to move her hands down to touch herself, but Marisa pinned her hands and pulled them above her head. The beauty pulled back from the kiss and smiled down at her.

"No, my sweet woman. That's for me," Marisa said, her voice breathy and smooth.

Sandy yipped in surprise as Marisa nibbled her way down her neck and squirmed as the woman's tongue teased her breasts before finally reaching her stiff nipples.

"OH! FUCK YES!" Sandy cried out as Marisa sucked and caressed her nipples until she thought she'd go out of her mind. They'd wanted attention, and now they were overwhelmed by the sensations. It was almost too much! "Oooo! Fuck! Geezus! Ahhhhh!"

Marisa's tongue began to move further down, and Sandy's body tensed in anticipation. Her muscles trembled and twitched with every dart of the clever tongue.

When it dipped into her hot pussy as lips sucked on her swollen clit Sandy's body arched below Marisa. She screamed as she grabbed the white-blond hair and held the woman's mouth against her throbbing pussy as wave after wave of bliss exploded over her. The tongue stroked in and out and went deeper than she expected it could, bringing her pleasure higher and higher until her world hovered on the edge of consciousness.

Just before she slipped away into that nirvana, her mind flashed an image that shocked and excited her beyond her ability to cope. Consciousness fled, carrying that image deep into her subconscious.

-=-

Marisa was drinking deeply from Sandy's gushing pussy when she felt the woman's body suddenly go slack. She pulled back to look up in surprise. She'd been so careful to keep her on the raw edge of bliss without sending her over. This shouldn't have happened! Marisa was highly excited and needed a release of her own.

When the heat of Stanley's thick cock pressed against her wet pussy she yelped in shock and then moaned loudly as it sank slowly into her depths. With Sandy sprawled out over the sofa, Marisa had to move down, so she was hanging over the arm with her ass presented for easy access. Big hands held her hips in place as the huge cock went deeper and deeper, filling her up so completely. He felt so hot and delicious inside her.

She knew they couldn't be doing this. Not in front of a Human, even if she was unconscious! She tried to break free from the rapture her body was going through and escape his grip, but she only managed to wiggle her hips. He grunted and slammed himself forward to slap her ass with his pelvis. He moaned and held himself very still.

Marisa was shaking with the sensations flooding her body. She had no leverage to escape his grasp, and she didn't think she could, as he felt too good inside her. She felt him throb and swell so deep inside and bit her lip to contain her moans.

He finally moved again, but it was only to slowly draw his cock out to the head. He was moving so deliberately slow that every ripple and bump was dragging against her flesh, exaggerating the sensations. She began to pant with need as he pushed forward once more, driving his cock deep into her pussy. Her mouth dropped open, and she slapped a hand over it to contain her guttural moans.

She needed release, but this slow fuck was excruciatingly stimulating without being intense enough to push her over the edge. She felt the precipice so close.

She gave Sandy a worried look as she had no idea when she'd return to consciousness. She needed Stanley to finish quickly, but he was... why was he moving so slowly?

Marisa turned her head to look over her shoulder. Stanley's eyes were barely open and glazed with the drugs in his system. He was also trembling from the pain of holding himself upright. She could see his bruised muscles twitching from fatigue. Only the drugs blocking the pain receptors enabled him to stay upright. She gasped in dismay, seeing the pain his body was experiencing.

Still, he thrust in and pulled out, driving Marisa insane with lust until her own body began to tremble with fatigue. She needed to cum so badly! She squeezed his cock with her pussy as he pushed himself deep, and he slid a thick thumb into her ass.

Marisa's mind exploded as the sudden intensity triggered a chain reaction in her. Her glamor dropped, and she moaned as her limbs stretched outwards, electricity jumping and flashing through her nerves as she clamped down on his thick cock.

When he suddenly began spraying streams of energy-rich cum into her, she cried out in pure joy as her body gobbled up the wild magic. Her cells craved the power in his essence and glutted themselves once more.

When she finally came back to herself, she was resting her cheek on the belly of the blond nurse. She snapped her glamor back in place and cautiously looked up at Sandy's face, but she was still out.

Carefully lifting herself from the woman's body, she realized Stanley was no longer inside or behind her. She pushed herself to her feet and stifled a cry of dismay as she saw him collapsed on the floor. He was still in his Satyr form, so she struggled to get him to his hooves and helped him back into his bedroom and onto the bed. She pulled the blanket over him, saw he was out, and stepped outside to close his door.

"Hey."

Marisa squeaked as she spun to look at the sofa.

Sandy raised her hands in alarm. "Is everything okay?" she asked cautiously.

Heart hammering in her chest, Marisa leaned back against the door. "Yes, you just startled me. You were sound asleep when I went in to check on Stanley—he's okay," she said quickly at the woman's look of concern. "I just heard a noise, so I checked it out."

Sandy's eyes traveled down Marisa's lush body and took in the flush on her smooth skin. Then she noticed something... embarrassing. "Uh, you've got something..." she murmured as she tentatively pointed down.

Marisa looked down and turned her back on Sandy as she slipped a finger between her thighs. She felt something wet and scooped it out. Looking at her finger, she saw it was a large blob of Stanley's cum. She stared at it, struggling not to suck it into her mouth when her instincts were screaming at her to do just that.

Enough! She pushed the finger away and spun quickly to go into the kitchen to rinse it off. Her outstretched finger caught Sandy's open mouth as the woman had approached her in concern and was about to speak. Surprised by Marisa's finger, Sandy closed her lips around the digit.

Marisa yanked her finger back, but it was too late. Sandy looked at Marisa in shock as she ran her tongue over the stuff left in her mouth. She looked like she was trying to determine what it was when her eyes rolled back. The energy from the wild magic was flooding through a body completely unprepared for it. Marisa caught her and carried her back to the couch.

Humans were generally unaffected by magic as their cells weren't attuned to the energy. Wild Magic was a new ball game. It didn't behave like the magic the Hidden Races interacted with. It was... unpredictable.

Marisa held Sandy in her arms and tried to wake her, but the woman was caught in the torrent of energy. Her long blond hair was spread out on the sofa like a mane. Marisa's jaw dropped as the hair began to gleam as if freshly washed and in direct sunlight. Then it moved like it was in a gentle breeze. Tentatively, Marisa ran her fingers through the hair, and Sandy cooed in her sleep. It felt ultra-soft and light between her fingers.

They sat like that on the couch for the next forty minutes as Marisa struggled to think of some way to explain to Sandy why her hair was so shiny and seemed to move on its own.

Fuck! She'd really messed up.

When the woman began to stir, Marisa looked down into Sandy's eyes as they slowly opened. A slow smile spread across the woman's face as she looked up at Marisa's mouth.

"I feel so good in your arms," Sandy said. Then she tried to open her eyes wider and struggled to do so. "Hoo, I drank too much tonight! My head is spinning!"

"I'll walk you home," Marisa said with a relieved smile, earning another one from Sandy.

They stood and put their clothes back on.

"I've never been with a woman before. Does this mean I'm a lesbian?" Sandy asked in a daze.

"Are you still attracted to men?" Marisa asked as she buttoned her silk blouse.

Sandy thought about that and how thinking about Stanley gave her tingles in good places. "Yes, yes, I am."

"Then maybe that label isn't applicable. Better yet, you could do what I do and ignore the labels entirely," Marisa suggested.

Sandy smiled and put a hand against the wall to keep her balance.

Marisa gathered up Stanley's keys and let them out of the condo. They took the elevator to the fourth, and Marisa walked her to her door. "I had a lovely time tonight. Thanks, too, for the chili."

Sandy snorted and looked back at Marisa in awe. "I had... one of the most exciting nights of my life." She pushed her hair back unconsciously as it was sliding over her neck. "I'm still feeling a little dazed. I'd better get some sleep. Please tell Stanley I was asking after him."

"I will. Good night." She leaned forward and gave Sandy a kiss on the lips and felt something caressing her breasts. She pulled back and saw Sandy's hair sliding off her silk blouse. The woman appeared unaware of it entirely but was still a little dazed. Hopefully, the magic would wear off soon.

Once Sandy went inside, Marisa returned to Stanley's condo and settled on the couch. She didn't dare sleep in the same bed as Stanley. She'd hurt him enough tonight.

-=-

Sandy tugged off her clothes and dumped them in the bin. She stood before the mirror and ran her fingers over her body, feeling a lingering afterglow. She tried to think of how many glasses of wine she'd had but gave up when images of Marisa kept intruding.

My god, she was beautiful, and she said Sandy was too!

She certainly felt beautiful! She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed happily, which turned into a yawn. She walked into her bedroom, slipped under the sheets, and turned off the light. She didn't bother with an alarm as the following day was her day off. It was salon day with Dayshia.

She frowned. She was going to cancel her appointment. She suddenly had no desire to cut her hair.

She closed her eyes and let herself drift off. As she relaxed, an image flashed into her mind. It felt like a memory, but it had to be a memory of a fantasy or a dream. A large creature was standing before her. Massive horns, long flowing dark hair, he had a powerful chest and strong arms. But the lower half of his body wasn't clear in her mind.

Except for his massive cock.

Terrifying and exciting, it rose from between his dark thighs, demanding relief.

She whimpered in her sleep, and the image mercifully went away.

Then, she longed for its return.

Chapter 16

Camila sat on the sofa, staring at her daughter in disbelief and shock. Marisa looked miserable. Granted, she glowed with an energy and vitality that made Camila envious, but emotionally, the young woman was a wreck.

"I'm so sorry! I never planned for it to happen! I had no idea it could happen! He was asleep! Drugged! I was just having dinner with his neighbor, and she was being so sweet. I got caught up in the moment!" she moaned.

"Why did you let her in? Stanley was in his Satyr form!"

"I didn't let her anywhere near the bedroom. She didn't see him," Marisa assured her mother. "She was also drunk when she left, so she would have doubted her eyes if she had."

"But you had sex with him... in front of a Human!" Camila pressed with outrage.

Marisa's face was filled with shame. "I'm so sorry! I don't know why he came out—"

"He's a Satyr! It's what they do! They're sexual magnets! A Succubus having sex nearby must have felt like a raging bonfire for Stanley. He couldn't help but be drawn to you!" Camila explained.

Marisa's expression of dawning comprehension and grief let her know she'd gotten through finally. Marisa burst into tears, and her mother moved to console her. The young woman cried on her shoulder as she rubbed her back.

"Why is Marisa crying?"

The two women jumped at the sound of Stanley's voice. They saw him in Human form standing in his bedroom door with his bathrobe on. His bruises could still be seen on his chin, neck, and arms as they poked out of the sleeves.

"What are you doing up?" Camila said.

"The drugs are making me feel ill. I need to clear my head. Now, why is Marisa crying?" he asserted.

"We had sex last night!" she blurted.

Stanley's eyes snapped wide. "You didn't change again, did you? Are you all right? I didn't hurt you, did I?" he blurted in dismay.

"No! No Stanley. I'm fine, but you were in such pain! I hurt you!" Marisa cried.

He hobbled over and sat beside her as they moved to give him room. "Listen, I don't remember anything from last night. I certainly don't remember being in pain. I'm sore now, but it isn't too bad. I want to see if I can endure it. I don't like how I feel on the pills."

"There... there's more," Marisa sniffed as she held Stanley's eyes. She saw she had his full attention. "I had sex with Sandy."

"You fed from Sandy?!? She's my friend! You don't get to feed from my friends!" he barked.

"I didn't seduce her. She was flirting with me! It was sweet, and I... let it happen. That's when you came out of the bedroom and fucked me."

Stanley pulled back in horror. "She saw me?!? As that!?!"

"No! She passed out when I was bringing her to her release." Marisa assured her, then a guilty look crossed her face, and she turned away from him to look directly into the hard look from her mother. She knew her mother saw the guilt.

"What happened, Marisa," she asked sternly.

"A-after Stanley had sex with me, he passed out, so I got him back into his room. When I came out, Sandy woke up. I had some of Stanley's cum on my thigh. She noticed and asked what it was." She closed her eyes at the stressful memory. "I-I might have accidentally made her eat it."

At their outraged cries, she continued. "I mean, it was an accident. It was on my finger, and I turned suddenly, and she was in the way, so my finger went into her mouth. She swallowed it."

Stanley was reeling with the latest revelation. He didn't know what to say or what to do. How was Sandy going to behave around him now? Would they still be friends?"

Camila was deeply worried. She was at least aware of the potential for disaster, considering the wild magic contained in his cum. "What happened to her?" she asked in dread.

"What the HELL do you mean by what happened to her?" Stanley gasped.

"She only got a little, so the change was minimal!" Marisa cried.

Stanley stared at the young woman in shock! Change? Sandy changed? "What happened to my friend?" he asked quietly.

Marisa had tears running down her cheeks. "Her blond hair. It looks really fresh and clean now... and it moves on its own. She wasn't aware of it... last night. She passed out from the experience and didn't recall eating your cum!"

Stanley looked at her with his mouth agape. He didn't know what to do or say. This was so far out of his realm of experience. He looked at Camila for help, but she seemed lost in thought.

"It... it should wear off. You said it was just a small amount? Probably, it was just enough to trigger some temporary alteration. It should fade soon enough. Hopefully," Camila said, but her tone wasn't very convincing.

"Oh my god! Am I a danger to those around me? Maybe I should be abstaining from sex entirely!" Stanley blurted in desperation.

"NO!" Camila and Marisa yelped simultaneously, then looked at each other in embarrassment.

"No, Stanley. That's not necessary. We just need to be more careful. Have you had sex in your Human form?" Camila reasoned.

He looked at her uncomfortably, then nodded.

"Was there any... energy transfer at that time?" she asked.

He thought about his night with Yuko and shook his head. "No."

"So, it's only when you are in your true state. That makes sense. Humans must never see your true state, so they shouldn't come into contact with your essence." Camila explained.

"What do I do about Sandy?" he asked miserably.

"There is nothing you can do. As I said, the effect should fade over time. It sounds subtle, so not drawing attention to it will let her explain it away as something mundane like static electricity moving her hair. It will be okay, Stanley." She gave him a sympathetic look. "Why don't you go back to bed and get some rest?"

"No, I'm not going to sleep now. I need to log in and do the incremental backup so we can proceed with the server switchover this weekend," he explained.

She looked at him to see if he was pushing himself too hard, but he just looked determined. Maybe working would occupy his mind. She nodded to him and stood up to leave. On impulse, she bent down, took his face in her hands, and kissed him on the mouth. He looked at her in surprise when she released his face and pulled back.

"I'm so sorry I put you through that ordeal in Japan. I should have paid closer attention to your sleep cycle to ensure you had the opportunity to recharge properly," she said sincerely.

Stanley blushed and nodded to her, not knowing how to react to the intimacy. She was still his boss, and her beauty still dazzled him.

With a final hard look at her daughter, who stood as well, Camila walked to the door, and Marisa closed up behind her. The young woman rushed back to Stanley's side.

"Can I make you some breakfast?" she asked.

He shook his head as his stomach wasn't feeling up to eating. The drugs were still going through his system, and he felt queasy. "Could you get me my computer? It's in the case in my bedroom."

With a quick nod, she rushed to get the machine. When she returned, he powered it up and connected to the office. It was time to get to work.

Marisa made herself breakfast and managed to get him to eat some lightly buttered toast with tea. He was pleased by the throughput on the backup job and let her know they would be ready for the switch over on Saturday.

He made a face as he looked at her. "I need a shower and to do some laundry. My robe is a little funky."

She grinned happily and helped him to his feet. "I can help you with that." She guided him into the bathroom and undid his robe. She quickly took off her own clothes as he looked at her in surprise.

"I'm just going to help you get washed, no fooling around. I need a shower, too," Marisa insisted.

He did his best to not stare at her incredible tits and ass as they stood under the spray. She turned him to face away from her and gently lathered his body. The bruises weren't too painful, but the ache quickly killed any sexy thoughts he was having.

She washed his hair, rinsed, and he was ready to get out to dry himself as she turned her attention to washing herself. He ran a towel carefully over his body, groaning quietly as the motions caused him to ache badly. Then he moved to the bedroom to get dressed. He slowly pulled on a t-shirt, underwear, socks, and jeans before shuffling back into the living room.

There was a knock on his door, so he hobbled over and looked through the peep hole. It was Sandy and Dayshia!

Taking a deep breath to steady his nerves, he opened the door.

"Good morning, Sandy! Dayshia!"

Sandy flashed him a wide smile. "Stanley! I'm so glad to see you back on your feet! How are you feeling?"

"Better. Please come in!" he said, standing aside. As she passed, a lock of Sandy's hair reached out and caressed his face, stroking his lips. Dayshia passed by, rolling her eyes as she saw his look of surprise.

"That girl has the wickedest case of fly-away hair I have ever seen!" the dark beauty sighed. "I told her she should go for a shorter cut."

Sandy looked back with an outraged expression.

"I-I think her hair is lovely as it is!" Stanley offered, and Sandy's smile came back amplified.

"See! Stanley agrees with me! The long hair stays. I love it! Besides, it has so much body this morning and looks so healthy, it would be criminal to cut it!" Sandy gushed, running her fingers through it.

Dayshia snorted at her friend's enthusiasm.

Sandy's expression turned sympathetic as she took in the bruises. "They told me you were in an accident. What happened?"

Stanley froze. He didn't know the cover story, so he went with the next best answer. "I don't remember."

"Did you strike your head? You should be in the hospital!" Dayshia said in concern.

"They took me to a hospital. My head is fine. I'm just badly bruised," he explained.

"Stanley, who was—"

Marisa walked into the hall with only a towel wrapped around herself and abruptly stopped. "Oh! Hello!" she said with a smile as she saw Sandy's delighted expression.

Stanley's face flushed a deep red as the lovely blond stood in the entrance, smiling at his guests. His tongue refused to help him in this situation and he looked away from her as she looked incredible in that towel.

Glancing at Stanley's embarrassed expression, Sandy took his looking away as a gentlemanly gesture. She smiled and took over the introductions. "Dayshia, this is Marisa Villamor, Stanley's Executive Assistant."

Dayshia's eyes were climbing skyward. She knew Sandy had a soft spot for Stanley, and here was a direct threat to her friend's happiness. She went on the offensive. "Executive Assistant? What were you assisting him with this morning?"

"Dayshia!" Sandy gasped in dismay.

Marisa just smiled as she knew a protective friend when she met one. Instead of answering, she went to Stanley and lifted the hem of his t-shirt so Dayshia could see the extent of his bruising. The woman winced, seeing the purple, green, and yellow streaks across his chest.

"Stanley cannot shower himself properly with this kind of injury. I'm his friend as well as his assistant," she said gently.

Dayshia's mouth moved but she had no response to that. She looked at Sandy for help, but her friend was just grinning at her.

"Marisa is a very protective Executive Assistant and a very good friend," Sandy said with a wide smile.

"I'm going to get dressed. I'll be back shortly," Marisa said as she picked up her suitcase and walked into Stanley's room. She glanced over her shoulder with a demure smile and dropped the towel just as she disappeared from sight, giving them all a glimpse of her exquisite ass. The door closed.

Dayshia looked at Sandy incredulously, but her friend was still looking toward the door, grinning.

Sandy was also tingling madly as she recalled the previous night. She looked at her friend. "Isn't she amazing?"

Stanley had reached the limit of his strength, so he moved to the sofa and eased himself down slowly. Sandy moved to help him, but he shook his head and got there on his own.

"Shouldn't you take a pain killer if it's that bad?" Sandy asked.

"I don't like how they make me feel," Stanley said quietly as he leaned back against the cushions.

"Pain-free?" Dayshia snorted.

"Drugged," Stanley returned, and the woman acknowledged that with a nod. He sighed. "If it gets worse, I'll take one."

"Why aren't you in bed?" Sandy said, sitting next to him. Dayshia sat on the chair across from the sofa and admired the décor.

"I had some work to do. It doesn't take long, it's not strenuous, and I can rest here as I do it," he responded, gesturing to his computer on the coffee table. He looked at the two women curiously. "Is this your day off?"

"Yes! It was supposed to be a salon day so we could get our hair and nails done, but somebody got cold feet," Dayshia said, giving Sandy a stern look.

"A woman is entitled to change her mind," Sandy said with a small smile.

"We're still getting our nails done later!" Dayshia insisted, and Sandy nodded.

Marisa returned to the living room, and all eyes turned to watch her approach. She was wearing an off-the-shoulder red knit sweater that exposed a lot of flawless skin and clung to her full breasts. Below, she wore tight white jeans, which emphasized her curves. Sandals dangled from her finger as she went barefoot. They could see two silver rings on her toes.

"Damn, girl!" Sandy gasped with a huge grin.

Marisa smiled and twirled for her.

Dayshia was struck speechless and looked at her friend in question. Sandy just blushed and squirmed as she looked away. Dayshia made a note to question her on her odd behavior later.

"Would you like to join us at the nail parlor?" Sandy asked.

"Thanks, but my slave driver boss is demanding I go to the office to prepare for the big rollout this weekend," Marisa said with a sweet pout.

Stanley snorted and smiled at her. He really did need her to check on the workstation builds.

Sandy gave him the evil eye, but she wasn't really serious.

He shrugged. "What can I say? I'm a hard man to please."

Sandy giggled, and even Dayshia cracked a smile at the image of Stanley bossing the taller beauty around.

"Well, I just wanted to check in on you since Marisa wouldn't let me see you last night. She's such a..." Sandy began then lost her train of thought as she looked into Marisa's smiling eyes.

Dayshia pushed herself to her feet when Sandy seemed like she wasn't going to finish the thought. "Well, I'm sorry you got hurt, Stanley, and I hope you get better soon. Are you going to be able to join us this weekend for a movie night, or are you going to be working?"

He winced. "Yeah, this weekend isn't good. The next one should be open, though. That will give me time to heal as well."

Sandy stood beside her friend, and they shared a look. "That works for us," Sandy replied. "It will be your turn to pick the movie," she insisted.

He recalled Camila's suggestion. "How about Casablanca?"

Sandy squealed happily and clapped her hands. "Yes! I love that movie!" Dayshia was nodding with a smile as well.

"Good, that's what I'll bring then," he said definitively.

He struggled to his feet as they protested, and he shuffled after the two women to the door. When they got there, they surprised him by taking turns kissing him on the cheek. Once more, Sandy's hair moved forward to caress his neck and face as her lips pressed against his skin. He blushed and smiled at them as they waved and headed down the hall to the elevator. He closed the door as he turned to face Marisa.

"Okay, Sandy's still oblivious to her hair's new mobility. Even Dayshia thinks it's just static. We should be good. Especially if it fades," Stanley sighed as Marisa nodded.

"You do need me to go to the office, don't you," she said. He nodded to her, and she smiled. "Whatever you need, Stanley," she said.

He smiled and hobbled back to the living room. He grabbed his computer and eased himself down on the sofa. He checked on the backup, and it was working smoothly. The next incremental would be tonight when the office closed then the real work would begin.

"We are on track for deploying tonight, so I need you to confirm the new workstations are ready, ensure the staff are logged out, and their old workstations are completely shut down. Then I'll get the last backup and get started from here," he instructed, and she nodded with a smile.

She was standing before him, and a nervous look passed across her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I-I just wanted to apologize to you for how badly I screwed up last night. Mother was right. I should never have allowed Sandy into your apartment while you were in your true form. That might have been catastrophic! It was a big lapse in my judgment, and I'm truly sorry," she said anxiously and bit her lip, holding him with her nervous gaze.

He swallowed and nodded slightly. "This is all new to me. I'm starting to glimpse just how dangerous it could have gotten for Sandy and me. We'll just have to try harder."

Marisa dipped down and kissed Stanley deeply before spinning, grabbing her purse, and rushing to the door.

Stanley sat on the couch, his lips tingling madly from her kiss, and listened to his front door deadbolt engage. He saw his keys on the coffee table and realized she must have the spare set.

He... was okay with that.

Struggling to get his mind back on his task, he turned back to his computer.

-=-

Out on the street, eyes watched the stunning blond exit the building and slip on her large sunglasses. She strode purposefully past the white utility van as she made her way to the path train back to Manhattan.

"Subject is on the move. Follow?" the watcher asked the listener over his encrypted cell.

"No. What is her state?" the listener replied.

The watcher rolled back the thermographic video of the blonde's passing, and eyes widened.

"Her energy levels are almost off the scale. Much higher than yesterday's."

"We've potentially found the source then. It must be the new one. He's new to the building as well," said the voice.

"Should we collect him?" the watcher asked, eager to act.

"No. The building is off-limits. The source must be picked up discreetly somewhere between his home and office. Keep watching." The line went dead.

The watcher settled back to wait for his prey.

The Fae were nothing if not patient.

Chapter 17

The weekend passed as Stanley expected it would. He ran his processes remotely from his living room, and Marisa managed the physical steps from the office. By Monday morning, the staff arrived to slick new machines next to their desks with larger, sharper monitors, and fresh, clean keyboards and mice. Best of all they had a much-improved working experience.

With the new servers in place, even the accounting people with their previously upgraded equipment found a difference in the speed of their access.

There were still some services that Stanley would be migrating in the coming days and a few servers to build, but the critical systems and data were now protected. This meant Camila and the senior-level executives could breathe a sigh of relief.

The company's data was safe, backed up, and isolated from external intrigue by Stanley's data security systems.

As for internal intrigue, Mr. Duncan was surprised and delighted on the very first day when he received an automated report of one of the Sales Department staff attempting to move files to an unauthorized external drive. He immediately had a friendly one-on-one conversation with the man. Using his own tried and true methods, discovered the employee was selling the information to a competitor.

The Sales Department had an immediate opening that afternoon.

Marisa returned to Stanley's condo each night to ensure he was eating and healing and guarded him each night in his bed, though they refrained from having sex as she was saturated in her words.

As the week progressed, Stanley's bruises faded nicely. His return to a steady and timely transition between forms seemed to expedite his recovery, and the actual switch went back to being smooth and effortless each night and morning.

As he'd become so acutely sensitive to the ring's recharge demand, he discovered that only six and a half to seven hours were needed to fully recharge the ring. Switching back to his Satyr form during the day for an hour or so extended the time he could remain in human form at night. He thought that was pretty cool!

Thursday morning, Marisa and Stanley went in to work together, and she brought her suitcase with her as it was time for her to return to her own condo. As they pushed through the front doors, Stanley was surprised by a hero's welcome from a large group of happy coworkers in the lobby.

He stood there with a stunned look on his face as Camila, Sigrid, Mr. Duncan, and the Summerly twins from Accounting smiled and clapped in front of a gathering of staff. He turned to look at Marisa's smiling face.

"You knew they were going to do this?" he asked with a smile.

Her smile just broadened as she nodded.

He shook his head and made his way forward to shake hands and accept his coworkers' pats on the shoulder. Soon enough, they began to head back to their desks.

Camila approached and smiled at him. "So, are you done?"

"The critical systems are done. I don't have many more servers to replace. Maybe four... five more days? We'll need to wipe the old machines and dispose of them. Then you can begin renovating the old server room into a new boardroom," he replied with a smile.

She moved a little closer and spoke quietly. "Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, my bruises no longer hurt, and they're fading nicely," he responded.

"So... you'd be up to a little feeding?" she asked casually, touching the corner of her mouth with the tip of her tongue as her eyes held his.

Stanley felt that sexy gesture right down to his balls. His face flushed, and his tongue failed him. He resorted to just nodding.

She smiled happily and dazzled him with a flash of teeth. "Whenever you have a moment this morning, then?"

He nodded again and did his best not to stare as she turned and prowled away, the very image of an apex predator.

Mr. Duncan brought his attention back as he shook Stanley's hand. "You did an excellent job with the new security protocols and the reporting process for internal espionage. Good work!"

"Oh! Thank you! I thought you might find that useful!" Stanley said with a happy smile.

With a nod, the Security Chief headed back to his office.

Sigrid touched his arm as she passed, and he glanced at her. "Come by my office later? I need to speak to you."

"Anything wrong?" he asked, recalling previous emergencies.

She blushed, shook her head, and quickly walked back to the elevators as Stanley wondered what was up. Maybe there was another threat?

Marisa returned from talking with Siobhan, who was grinning at Stanley. He smiled and waved at her.

"Shall we go up, or would you like to linger in the praise?" Marisa teased.

He rolled his eyes and got into the next elevator with a group of people from the marketing department. Siobhan jumped in as the doors began to close and bumped into Stanley's chest. The car was tightly packed, so they had to remain that way, much to his embarrassment.

To make matters worse, Marisa's tits were pressing against his back, and he could feel her breath on his neck. He began to react and did his best to keep from pressing his groin against Siobhan. Marisa was so close behind him he couldn't pull back very far, so he tried not to move.

"Which floor?" he asked, his voice cracking.

She gave him her crooked smile. "I work in the Marketing Department now. A big promotion from temp services."

"Congratulations!" he said, giving her a happy smile as he tried not to sigh. God, he loved her Irish accent.

Marketing was just below accounting, so he smiled awkwardly and looked up at the numbers. Her face was so close to his, and it felt so good to be sandwiched between the two women.

When two account managers got off a floor below marketing, Stanley breathed a sigh of relief, but when the doors closed, he was still wedged between the two women. Realization appeared in his eyes as his face flushed with frustration. The elevator stopped, and Siobhan stepped back from his chest and out of the car with a wicked grin on her face. She nodded to Marisa over Stanley's shoulder as the other Marketing people exited, too. When the door closed, it was just Marisa and Stanley left.

"What? Why—" he sputtered.

"We saw what mother was up to and felt your engine could use a little priming," Marisa said with a grin just as wicked as Siobhan's had been.

Stanley's eyes widened. "She knows?!?" he gasped incredulously.

Marisa raised her palms to calm him. "Only that mother likes you and wants you... that way. Siobhan is a good friend, and she's very discreet."

Stanley was stiff as iron, and his pants were too tight.

Marisa reached past him to wave her access card by the sensor to get the elevator moving upwards again.

"Maybe you should check in with the CEO before getting started on the servers," Marisa suggested subtly as they stepped out onto the top floor. He nodded to her with a blush and headed down the hallway towards Camila's office.

Felix smiled at him and gestured for him to go right in. He nodded to the man and wondered if he also knew what Stanley was here to do.

He knocked on the open door, and Camila looked up with a smile. Her eyes went down, and her smile became wider.

"Close the door behind you, please," she said as she stood and came around her desk. Her blinds were already drawn.

He heard the door lock behind him and moved forward to meet her. "Haven't you been... feeding?" he asked awkwardly.

She stopped and considered his unease as she tilted her head slightly. "Am I embarrassing you, Stanley? Are you uncomfortable? Just let me know if you don't want to do this."

He squirmed as his body did want to do it. Very much. "I do want to, but I think we should be a little more discreet."

"Was I indiscreet?" she asked in surprise. "I thought I was speaking very softly."

"It was more the look you gave me and the incredibly sexy way you walked away that left little doubt as to what you wanted... and were going to get," he said cautiously.

"Oh!" she said in surprise, smiling happily at his description. She drifted closer.

"That! That's what I'm talking about. The way you move is so seductive and provocative!" he gasped.

Her smile became sultry. "Stanley, my silly boy. I am a Succubus, after all. It's my nature."

She dropped her glamor, and his eyes went wide with lust. She was so exotically beautiful, and he wanted her so much. He knew this magnetism was just a trait of her race, but it made no difference. He had to be with her.

Her mouth was on his, and his tongue was chasing hers as her nimble fingers undid his clothes.

He was standing naked before her when he came up for air from the kiss. He blinked as he looked down at himself, then faced her hot gaze. "You... you'd better step back a little for this," he gasped.

She did, and he brought his hands together as she watched his cock go from small Human to large Satyr in a blink. She'd wanted to see the actual transformation happen, but the distortion of reality was too difficult to watch. She smiled hungrily as she took in his large muscular body and the appendage bobbing before him, demanding her attention.

She immediately dropped to her knees before him and stroked the length of his heavy cock with her active tongue. "Oh, Stanley! It's so beautiful!" she moaned, pressing her lips to the hot skin. He threw his head back as it felt so good!

His muscles tensed as she sucked him into her mouth and worked the thick head deeper and deeper into her throat. There was a residual ache from his injuries, but he could ignore it as it was being drowned out by the intense pleasure.

"Oh fuck, Camila! That's so amazing!" he purred, and her movements sped up.

She was taking him so deep into her throat, and he could hear her struggling to get a breath between each thrust.

Finally, she pulled him from her throat and looked at the slick flesh. Her eyes locked on his. "Stanley, I need you to fuck me. Fuck me hard!" she panted.

He immediately pushed her onto her back and grabbed her legs behind her knees, and pushed them back until her ass came up off the floor. She cried out in bliss when he stroked the tender flesh of her pussy with his tongue, then wailed when he forced it deep into her ass.

He fucked the tight orifice with his tongue as she thrashed in his grip. His strength wouldn't be denied, and she began to crest with a small release. Her pussy drooled and ran down the crack of her ass.

When he suddenly withdrew his tongue, she gasped in protest, but her words were lost in a scream as his cock plunged deep into the slick wetness of her pussy. He continued to push her legs back so he could pound her body with his pelvis.

"AHHH! FUCK! YES! YES! FUCK ME! STANLEY!" she wailed as his thrusts became more forceful. She could feel his hot flesh forcing and spreading her open as the barbed head tickled her insides. The sensation was beyond anything she'd felt before, and she was rapidly approaching a huge climax.

She glanced up at Stanley's face and saw he was beginning to tense up, signaling his release was imminent. His movements included trembles and twitches.

Suddenly, he sucked in a deep breath and drove himself in deep to rock back and forth against her clit.

"YES! FUUUUUUUUUUCK! AAAAHHHH!!!" she cried as her body clamped down on his cock, which fired stream after stream of hot cum into her body. There was so much! She whited out for a short moment.

She felt her body being lifted as if it weighed nothing. She felt the oddest sensation of movement, and then Stanley's mouth was on hers, and his kiss was so sweet. He was caressing her soft lips as he pressed her back against the cold shower tiles in her personal washroom. Then her mind was lost again as her sated body sluggishly absorbed the heavenly energy he continued to feed into her. It was so delicious that she almost cried when he finished and withdrew from her.

He turned on the water and cleaned them both gently while supporting her trembling muscles. He shut the water off and toweled her dry after seating her on the toilet. Then he dried himself and carried her out to her couch.

"Your glamor. Put it back in place," he whispered into her ear, and she gasped gently, pressing her cheek to his. When her mind returned, she activated her glamor. She heard him sigh, and he rested her back against the pillows. She smiled and slipped into a deep sleep.

Stanley switched himself back and dressed as he watched Camila smile serenely in her sleep. He sighed and went to her phone to call Sigrid. He wasn't sure what to do. This time, he could tell Camila was just asleep, but should he leave her sleeping on the couch and return to work? Didn't she have things to do today? He watched her as he listened to the phone ring.

"Hello, Camila."

He returned his attention to the phone. "Actually, it's Stanley."

"Oh! Is she all right? Did-did she overfeed?" Sigrid asked.

"She's just sleeping it off, but I'm unsure what to do. Should I just leave? What do I tell Felix? Does he know... what she does?"

"Hang on. I'll be right there," she said, and the phone went dead.

Stanley hung up the phone and pressed the button on the desk to unlock the door. A couple of minutes later, there was a gentle knock, and Sigrid let herself in. She saw Stanley sitting in a chair in front of Camila's desk with a sad smile on his lips. She looked over at the sleeping CEO and sighed.

Sigrid sat in the chair beside Stanley and saw he looked a little lost. "What's wrong?"

He shrugged and looked away.

"Speak to me, Stanley," she said gently.

"I... I don't know how to act. I've just discovered that I'm part of a secret group of beings hiding from humans but amongst them. I know very little about these other races except for the fact that they exist. Because they have to remain hidden, I'm always on edge trying to keep the secret from people who may or may not be one themselves. There's no secret handshake or gesture, so I can't tell. It's exhausting. You all seem so at ease with it, but I've had no training to make it second nature."

He looked over at Camila. "Take my current situation. I've just had sex with a gorgeous Succubus. She's... sleeping off her meal. In the human world, I just entered the CEO's office for a meeting, and now I have to leave it with her asleep on the couch. How do I explain that if someone asks? I don't know if Felix is human or not. What would I say to him? I'm no good at lying or quickly coming up with plausible excuses."

Sigrid gave Stanley a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry, Stanley. Normally, this wouldn't happen, and you wouldn't be put on the spot like this. Camila should have waited for a more appropriate time and place. I'm afraid she's becoming addicted to the energy you can provide. This led to some obviously poor judgment. I understand Marisa had a little lapse of her own recently. I think it's a Succubus thing. Due to their nature, your being a Satyr brings out the hedonist in them." Seeing Stanley's unhappy expression, she hastened to address his next fear. "It's not just the energy you give them that attracts them to you. They genuinely like you. We all do. You're pretty important to us... in many ways."

Stanley saw Sigrid's face heat up. Her hands were clasped together tightly in her lap.

"It's my turn to ask you what's wrong," he said.

"It's nothing."

"No, it can't be if it can make a Valkyrie uncomfortable," he stated, holding her eye.

She felt a little zing pass through her when he said Valkyrie with awe in his voice.

"I feel terribly selfish mentioning it now," she said, glancing over at Camila.

He looked at Camila as well, then took in Sigrid's blush. "Oh. OH!"

"I was wondering if you were feeling better, maybe you'd like to come over to my place for dinner and a movie," she blurted in a rush.

"And a little love making, Valkyrie style," he thought. She looked so very cute with her pink cheeks. His admiration must have shown on his face as her blush got deeper.

"What!?!" she squeaked in her tension.

"Sorry, you just look so sweet!" he said with a smile. "I'd love to come to dinner. How about tomorrow night?"

She was completely flustered when he said she looked sweet. All she could do was nod.

"Now, what do we do about leaving with Camila asleep?" he asked.

"You don't have to worry about Felix. He's one of us. I'm not going to tell you anything more about him as it's personal. You should learn that most important fact. We don't talk about our true selves as it's a safer habit to develop," she explained.

He nodded and stood up. "Thank you, Sigrid. As usual, your grace and compassion have soothed my worried mind," he sighed.

She grinned at him and shook her head. "Such a charmer!"

He looked at her in surprise, then grinned self-consciously.

They left the office, closing the door behind them quietly. Sigrid whispered something to Felix, who just smiled and nodded.

Stanley caught himself considering Felix who just returned his look curiously. Stanley blushed and smiled at the man as he left.

He walked back to his office and studiously avoided Marisa's knowing look as he opened his door. Three new servers were sitting there waiting for his attention. He smiled and rubbed his hands together.

It was going to be a good day! It was time to get to work.

-=-

Hours later, something was trying to distract him.

"Stanley!"

He looked up and blinked towards his doorway. He'd been code-spelunking in some trend analysis software for Mr. Constantin, who was in charge of a team of Asset Managers. He'd heard from Marisa that Stanley had mad programming skills, so he'd come to Stanley to ask if he could look for a mistake in the code that occasionally skewed the figures for longer-term investments.

Marisa was standing in the doorway with a concerned look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I've been calling you for a few minutes!" she pouted.

"Sorry, this code is really complex. I got lost in it," he explained and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

"It's after six! Time to call it a day."

"Right, right. Okay, thanks!" he sighed and made note of the line of code he was on. He'd get back to it in the morning. He looked at the three servers humming happily behind him. He ran through the shutdown routine on all three until they were quiet. He'd get them moved to the server room tomorrow as well.

He locked his office, shouldered his computer bag, and smiled at Marisa as she packed up to go home herself. "It's going to feel odd being home alone after your visit," he said wistfully.

She looked at him with concern. "Do you need me to stay over tonight?"

He shook his head and grinned self-consciously. "No, I'll be fine. I have to get used to taking care of myself. It's part of growing up, right?"

She smiled at him and nodded.

They took the elevator down together, and he saw something was missing. "Where's your suitcase?"

"I'm going out for drinks with Siobhan tonight. I'll bring the suitcase home tomorrow," she explained.

He nodded. "You and Siobhan had a little fun with me this morning."

Marisa giggled and grinned at him as she nodded.

"There will be payback. I'm not sure how or when, but I will have my revenge," he said, holding her eyes with his as he raised one eyebrow to show he meant business.

Showing how seriously she took him, she giggled harder.

They met Siobhan in the lobby, and Stanley pointed to his eyes and back at hers to let her know he was keeping his eyes on her. She burst into giggles, too. The two ladies left arm in arm, out to enjoy their night, have a drink or two, and possibly fulfill or dash some dreams.

He snorted as he watched them leave. He knew he was just kidding himself. There was no way he'd be able to get revenge on them for their teasing. Smiling to himself, he headed outside and thought about what he'd do tonight.

He remembered the weekend party and the movie he had to pick up. He recalled a shop on his way to the train where he could get that. He'd also pick up a few bottles of that wine they liked.

The night was pleasantly warm, and he felt much better, so he enjoyed the walk.

The shop had a huge selection of electronics and DVDs, so he wandered through the store looking at the big TVs. One looked like the one in Sandy's place. There were so many different models and sizes. There'd been no TV in the cottage when he grew up. There was no electricity. He certainly saw TVs when they visited the city, but he'd never really shown any interest in them. He had his books.

He stopped and just absorbed the barrage of information beaming at him from the wall and the shelves on both sides of him. He didn't have a TV in his condo and wondered if he should get one. He had his computer and could watch videos on its screen if he wanted to, but... he really wasn't interested. He smiled as he realized he was content without one.

"Hey there! Aren't these amazing? Are you looking to pick up a TV today?" a man said from just over his shoulder. Stanley turned to look at him and saw the name tag from the store.

"No."

"Not today?" the man said with a grin.

"No, I'm not going to have one of these in my home," he clarified.

The salesman immediately lost interest in the weirdo and moved on.

Stanley watched him walk away and then went to the movie section. He had to get help to find where they kept the classics, but he left the store with the DVD he was after. The wine shop was just a few doors from the entrance to the train, so he tucked his purchase into his shoulder bag and continued walking. The streets were busy with other shoppers and people just enjoying a stroll.

The wine shop was fairly quiet, with only two other customers heading to the checkout as he came in. On the way to the back, where the good stuff was kept, he spotted and added one of those padded carrying bags to his cart as it would keep the bottles from clinking as he walked. He didn't want to advertise to the winos that he was ready to party.

He decided he'd get three bottles this time. It was a little extravagant, but his last party hadn't ended so well, so he wanted to make it up to them.

Stanley paid for the wine, wincing at the price, and put the bottles into the padded bag. As he stepped out of the shop he noticed a white utility van parked in front of the shop. Its side door was open.

He felt a mighty shove and dropped the padded bag as he tumbled forward into the van's side door. Rough hands grabbed him and his bag and tossed him the rest of the way in to hit the far wall. Whoever had pushed him followed him inside and slammed the rolling side door closed. The van immediately surged away from the curb.

Stanley's head spun from the impact on the wall. He felt something sting the side of his throat, and the world shifted sideways as his spinning senses dropped him into a deep, dark pit. He was out before he could even get a look at his attackers.

Chapter 18

"It's time!"

Stanley's mind rebelled at the voice, but it was insistent and drew him up from the depths. As his eyes fluttered open, he saw he was in a room with a thick wooden door and grey cinderblock walls. The floor was grey cement, and he was sitting in the middle of it with his arms tightly taped together behind his back around a steel pole.

With consciousness came terrible nausea. Waves of it. He immediately leaned to the side and threw up as the waves washed over him. He heaved until he felt turned inside out.

Even in his wretched state, he realized he was naked. Another bad sign.

"Yes, the drug has a nasty after-effect. It will pass," a soft voice said from the doorway.

Stanley groggily looked up and saw a small, impeccably dressed, grey-haired man standing a few feet inside the door. He was maybe five-foot tall and very slim, but his suit was exquisitely tailored and looked very expensive, right down to his handcrafted leather shoes. He had several gold rings on the slender fingers of both hands, and he was holding a lace handkerchief up to his nose.

Everything about the man was... dainty.

"Who... who are you? Why are you doing this?" Stanley gasped out. He felt his head beginning to clear as the nausea gradually diminished.

The man smiled at Stanley. "You have the good fortune to be addressing Inspector Leaharin, Master Inquisitor for the Fae Council."

Stanley's head dropped forward as his strength sagged with a residual wave of sick. His muscles clenched once more, and he spat to the side.

"Clean him up!" the inspector called out in revulsion as he left the room. Stanley hoped they'd get him some clothes, too, as the room was chilly, and he felt so exposed.

When the blast of cold water hit him, Stanley cried out in shock. He struggled to breathe in the hard stream of water. The water hit him and the floor around him and flowed down towards a drain in the far corner of the otherwise empty room. Once the torrent was finally shut off he was shivering badly. He looked towards the doorway, and his body went rigid in shock. Standing just inside the room were two... creatures holding a firehose. They were grinning back at him in malice.

Topping out at four-foot-nothing, their hairless, wrinkled skin was the color of ashes. They had small dark eyes and wide mouths of sharp teeth, now clearly visible. Their ears were long and pointed upwards, but their legs shocked him the most. They were like Stanley's when he was in his Satyr form, only without the fur. Wide cloven hooves clacked against the cement as they turned and left with the hose.

One returned with a push broom and swept the remaining water towards the drain in the corner. It managed to jab Stanley a few times with the broom and grinned at his cries of pain.

"Out!"

The creature scowled towards the Inspector who'd returned to the room, but it obeyed the command after poking Stanley painfully one more time with the broom.

When the door closed, Leaharin looked towards Stanley once more. "I've found Goblins are useful for collecting suspects and grunt work but little else."

"Goblins?" Stanley croaked out between his chattering teeth.

The dapper little man examined Stanley curiously. "You play the role of an oblivious Human better than most, but you cannot deny you are more."

Stanley blinked at him in surprise. "I was told not to talk about that."

"Here," the man gestured around them, "there can be no secrets from me. This is my work studio."

"What do you do?" Stanley asked uneasily.

"I extract truth."

The grin on his face wasn't the least bit comforting.

"I'd like to go home now," Stanley said. "My friends will be worried and will be looking for me."

"Alas, they aren't going to find you anywhere," Leaharin smiled. "My studio is very well hidden. It's like you fell off the face of the world." He chuckled to himself and then rubbed his hands together.

"Why are you doing this? What have I done to deserve this?" Stanley asked as he shivered.

The small man crouched down to look into Stanley's eyes. "You really don't know?" When Stanley shook his head, Leaharin sighed. "You can thank the young Succubus Marisa Villamor for your treatment today. She drew our attention when she somehow lost her glamor. This doesn't happen. It's quite impossible. When our Investigator met her death under suspicious circumstances, a second Inspector was dispatched to speak with the young Succubus. Her answers failed to satisfy the questions. Then, she managed to block his mental probe. This is something else that doesn't happen. Do you know how she was able to do this? Hmmm?"

Stanley shivered and trembled but shook his head in bewilderment. "Please, I'm so cold!"

Leaharin just sighed once more and looked at Stanley in disappointment.

"Succubi are magic-infused beings but are not wielders of magic. They are connected to the realm of magical energy, which gives them some of their attributes, but they cannot manipulate this energy to bend it to their will. The Fae are gifted with the ability to directly access the energy and create spells from it. We graciously bind glamor spells to the races who don't have this ability, so they may disguise their true aspect. The spells can be simply switched on and off. Are you following me?"

Stanley nodded as he shook.

"So how does a Succubus learn how to block a Fae mental probe? How does she maintain an energy level far exceeding anything we've ever seen?" The Investigator's eyes bore into Stanley's, but he continued looking back in confusion. A sudden frown appeared on the being's face. "You won't like the methods you are forcing me to use. You should just answer the questions."

"I-I-I d-don't know," Stanley said through chattering teeth.

"Stanley, Stanley, Stanley, I believe you do know. She visited you in your new condominium, and when she left, she was glowing with energy like the sun above. No one in the building could have done that. You, you are the new element in this story. What are you?"

He kept his mouth shut as... he'd been told not to talk about it. Mr. Duncan was the first to let him know it was the pinnacle of poor behavior to question someone about their species. No matter how well-dressed this man was, he was an ill-mannered brute, in Stanley's opinion. He wasn't worthy to speak to, so Stanley just turned his eyes away in disgust. He missed the look of surprise and rage that flitted across the Fae's face.

"Have it your way. I will have my answers. The truth cannot be hidden from me," Leaharin growled.

He stood before Stanley and began to make bold gestures with his hands as he muttered to himself.

Stanley had never seen anyone performing magic before. Real magic, not shitty sleight-of-hand card tricks. While he feared what the Fae would use the magic for, seeing the energy bent into strange luminescent shapes floating around them was fascinating. The shapes seemed to know where to go, and soon Stanley saw they were forming a circular net around them both.

"It's time."

Stanley felt the tug of the ring telling him he needed to switch. He begged for more time. He didn't want to show the Fae what he was. He somehow knew that would be... very, very bad. He wasn't in the state he'd been in back in Japan, so he knew he could hold it off... for a short time.

Leaharin finished and held Stanley's eyes with his, which were glowing slightly with the build-up of magical energy he was channeling through his body. "Last chance, Stanley. Will you tell me what I want to know?"

"No."

"So be it."

With a gesture, one of the symbols, a frosty blue squiggle, floated down towards Stanley's head. He leaned his head away from the light, but it followed him and slapped against his forehead.

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" Stanley screamed and thrashed against the steel pillar he was tied to as the intense cold burrowed into his head.

He missed Leaharin's next gesture, but at the last second, he saw the white circles descend to slap against his temples.

His muscles locked in rigor as every cell in his body took a shot of voltage. The circles and the cold band pulled away, and he sagged to the ground with no muscle tone.

"Now the truly repugnant part begins. For the Queen," Leaharin muttered to himself, and Stanley froze at the cold cruelty in his voice.

Stanley lifted his eyes painfully to see the Fae move closer to reach down and hover his hands just next to his temples.

The sudden sensation of having his mind peeled open for the Fae to look inside horrified Stanley. Being physically violated instead would have been a mercy. Leaharin was exposing the very essence of who Stanley was.

The Fae's presence grew then just seemed to come to a stop.

"What's this?" Leaharin whispered with interest, followed by a quick and painful tearing sensation.

Stanley was wide open.

His defilement was... complete. It was too much. He wanted Leaharin OUT! NOW!

His muscles were still locked in the aftermath of the white rings, which waited close by for another chance at him should he regain some motor control.

But Stanley realized he could still move his fingers. His arms were taped together behind his back, and his hands were together.

He didn't pause to think about it. Nothing was more important than getting the hideous and foul creature out of his head.

He spun the ring.

Leaharin was leaning over Stanley, almost touching him, close enough for Stanley to feel the heat radiating from the Fae's skin.

Far too close when reality snapped, folded, and twisted around Stanley's body.

The Fae screamed as the bones in his hands and arms shattered into powder. Stanley was abruptly alone in his mind once more, and he sagged in relief. The scream came to an abrupt squealing stop when the Fae's lower jaw folded down and merged with his throat. Leaharin's spine bent backwards with a wet pop then he was viciously flung across the room, crashing in a limp pile against the door jamb.

The cloud of magic torture tools Leaharin had activated for his work began reacting violently to their master's condition and the warped space they'd been in.

The white circles slapped together and exploded in a huge thunderclap, which tumbled Stanley head over hooves into the back corner of the room as his bindings had ripped free.

The steel pillar was now the focal point as one after another of the spells were drawn to the heavy post. Blasts of radiant heat, intense cold, ultrasound vibration, electric shock, acid, liquid flame, and ice shards all struck the metal, rushing up and down the surface to splash against the ceiling and floor.

A large ball of pulsing grey energy seemed to be holding back until it suddenly rushed in and clung to the post, oozing up and down and spreading outwards in all directions as it thinned out. Stanley struggled to squeeze himself tighter against the wall to avoid the encroaching... mist? Liquid? He couldn't tell. It slowly stopped moving and seemed to sink into the concrete. He watched in shock as the hard surface aged before his eyes, cracking and flaking. A fine powder began falling from the ceiling.

He was dazzled by a new flash of light as the now rusty post took another blast of electrical energy. The remaining spells were continuing their assault.

Sensation began returning to Stanley's body, and he shook with relief. He could feel his ability to control his muscles returning quickly.

He realized he was over the grate and could see fast-flowing water below. He pressed his nose to the grill and picked up the scent of foul air. It was probably a sewer line. Still, it might be his only way out.

Stanley hooked a thick finger into the grill and pulled. The grill began to rise, and he got his other hand under the lip to tilt it up, resting it back against the wall. The opening was too small for his Satyr body to fit, but his human form would. Dropping down into the sewer was not his favorite option. He twisted the ring again and snapped back into his human shape, but he could feel he had only minutes left before switching back.

He looked down into the pit, trying to psyche himself up to drop inside, but he chickened out. Instead, he made his way around the room, hugging the walls as the steel post continued to get blasted by one state of raw energy after another. He was almost to the door when the ceiling finally began to give. A huge chunk of concrete dropped from above, bringing a dusty office desk down with it. The desk cracked and tumbled towards Stanley, who leapt back to avoid it. It stopped before it reached him and stayed largely intact. The concrete had smashed against the floor, and some larger pieces of rubble went straight through. The floor showed signs of fragmenting under the blasts, which continued to pop, crackle, and flare.

Stanley ducked behind the broken desk as the door to the room pushed open. He heard outraged screaming as they spotted the Fae crippled on the floor. Then, louder curses as they rush back to the open floor grate. Stanley slipped from his hiding space and rushed over to the door. He looked down at Leaharin and was shocked to see the Fae's eyes were open and watching Stanley with seething hate.

The pillar finally gave, falling into the space below the building, dragging chunks of the floor and the two screaming Goblins with them. The few remaining magic remnants followed the pillar into the hole and exploded.

Stanley leapt through the doorway and fell to the floor in the next room. He looked back just as Leaharin tumbled off a small flooring ledge into the darkness and dust below, a look of absolute terror in his eyes.

Pushing himself to his feet, Stanley spotted his clothes and computer bag. The computer was on the table next to the bag with his cell phone. Also on the table, beside a stack of hard-core porn magazines, was a tablet PC in a quality leather case and an expensive-looking leather-bound journal with an ornate pen. Stanley shoved everything, except the magazines, into his bag and grabbed his clothes. The building groaned and vibrated under his feet, so he ran for the door on the opposite wall. He found a staircase and had to use his cell as a flashlight to help him climb up to the next floor. He exited into a wide, empty room, probably an abandoned warehouse. The building's floor felt firmer here, so he decided to get dressed.

"It's time."

He cursed the inner voice. He stuffed his clothes into the bag and set it down. He stepped away and twisted the ring.

Being in his true form felt like a relief, but now he was naked and trapped in an abandoned building who knows where. There may also be more Goblins or Fae around. He grabbed the bag and cell phone, went to an outer door, and listened. He could hear planes taking off somewhere nearby.

The old door was locked with a heavy metal bar across it but no keyed lock. He passed his flashlight over the door's edges but saw no sensors for an alarm, so he lifted the bar away and turned his flashlight off before opening the door a crack. The unused hinges creaked loudly. He held his breath, but he was alone.

Outside was pitch dark, but he could see the street and a streetlight dimly illuminating something large, round, and orange, but he couldn't tell what it was. He left the door open a crack.

He struggled to make a call with his cell using his much thicker fingers. He finally had to resort to using voice control. He didn't have Mr. Duncan's number, but he did have Sigrid's, so he quietly asked his phone to call her.

He huddled beside the door as he peered outside, looking for movement. Nothing. He heard ringing. And more ringing.

"Hello? Stanley?" she asked, her voice sounding sleepy.

He fought back a relieved gasp at the sound of her concerned voice. "Sigrid! I-I'm in trouble!"

She was instantly alert. "What happened? Where are you?"

"I don't know! I was grabbed on my way home and drugged. I woke tied up in a basement. He was... torturing me." Stanley froze when he returned to the moment he felt the Fae's mind sliding into his. "I-I got free. I can't... I'm in a big warehouse. It looks abandoned. I can hear airplanes nearby. I-I'm scared."

"Stanley, does your phone have a map application?" she asked.

He groaned at how dense he was.

"It's okay. Just open the map and tell me where it says you are," she said gently.

"Hang on. Uh, my fingers are too big for this phone. Wait, I have something," he gasped softly.

He fished the fancy pen from the bag and discovered he could use it with the touch screen. He brought up the map and saw he was next to Newark Bay, just south of Newark Liberty International Airport.

"Sigrid, you there?"

"Yes, where are you?"

"It says I'm in Elizabeth, New Jersey." He read out the street address and heard the scratching of a pencil as she wrote it down.

"Hang tight, Stanley, we're coming to get you. We'll come as fast as we can."

"Can you bring me something to wear? Something big to hide in?" he said timidly.

"Sure. I'll text you when we get there. Stay hidden until I do," she said and hung up. He wanted to keep speaking, but that would just delay her.

Sitting on the floor, he examined the pen he was using and discovered it had no ink so it must be a stylus for the tablet he collected. He put it away and kept watch, hoping they'd hurry.

He must have nodded off as a sudden sound caused him to jump.

He looked around in a panic. The sound came again, and it was coming from inside his bag. He pulled the tablet out and saw a small green light flashing. He wasn't sure what to do. When it dinged again, he jolted and fumbled the tablet between his big fingers. The cover flipped open, and the screen lit up, brightly splashing his face with light. He closed his eyes protectively.

A feminine voice gasped. He opened his eyes and stared back at the most ravishing redhead he'd ever seen.

She was staring back at him in surprise and delight.

"My, my, my... what do we have here? A Satyr?!? How delicious!" she cooed. The way she said delicious made Stanley feel like he'd already been licked.

He opened and closed his mouth in surprise.

"Hello, beautiful!" she said to him.

He managed a croak noise, and her eyes went up to his horns. "Aren't you lovely!" she sighed. "It's been a... very long time since I've had the pleasure of meeting one of your kind."

"You've met another Satyr?" Stanley finally managed to get out in his surprise.

Her expression turned sympathetic. "You haven't, have you? Poor dear."

He was frozen in her gaze but managed to shake his head.

"Your horns are far larger than a Satyr as young as yourself should have." The tip of her tongue ran along her upper lip. "Normally, they'd be just nubs. I wonder what else is so well... developed."

Stanley squirmed uncomfortably. Her voice was doing things to him. "I-I have to go."

"Tut tut, do not disconnect me. I've called to speak to Leaharin," she commanded with her smooth voice.

Stanley's tongue felt like it was drying up again. Fuck, she was intimidating! "I-I think he's dead."

If he thought her gaze was fearsome before, now it felt almost physically painful. "Did you kill my Leaharin?" she asked softly.

The horror and rage he'd felt when the Fae opened his mind suddenly burst forth. "He was in my mind! He opened... me! It was rape!" Stanley cried out, shaking the tablet.

"Ahhh... shhhhh, my little one. It's over now. Be calm. Be calm," the ethereal beauty said gently as Stanley took deep gulps of air and wiped at his eyes, which were tearing with reaction. "He can't hurt you anymore."

Stanley felt his body calming and realized she must be extremely powerful if her influence could be felt remotely through a piece of electronics. He began to be very worried. He sucked in a breath to calm his nerves and looked at her. "Who are you?"

She blinked in surprise, then smiled as she'd enjoyed the rare sensation of being surprised. "I'm Queen of the Fae. Queen Mab. I'm your Queen."

"My Queen?" he blinked in return.

"How could you not know? Satyrs are a Fae race. Or were before they were all murdered by jealous Humans." She took in his bewildered expression. "Oh, my darling, we have so much to talk about. Why don't we start off with your name?"

He knew he should hang up, throw the tablet into the river, and hide under a rock, but he... just... couldn't. "Stanley. Stanley Garin."

"Stanley, how could you not know you're one of the Fae?" she asked calmly.

"I was raised as a human. Disguised as one. I just found out recently I was a Satyr," he mumbled in embarrassment, then froze as her eyes began to glow. He could see a terrible rage building in them, and he shrank back from the screen. She noticed his fear and clamped down on her emotions fiercely, getting control of herself until she closed her eyes briefly to take a calming breath. When her eyes opened once more, they were warm and comforting.

"Well, I'll have my people collect you to bring you to me in Ireland. I'll explain everything to you when you arrive."

"I can't travel! A recent trip to Japan almost killed me!" he blurted in fear.

She looked at him curiously. "Then my people will bring you to a place in New York where we can speak more freely."

"Leaharin was one of your people, and he raped me," Stanley exclaimed.

"Did he know you were a Satyr at the time, or were you disguised as a Human?" she asked slowly.

"He didn't know."

"Well then. A Fae would never mind probe another Fae," she said simply as if that justified his action.

"NO ONE deserves that!" Stanley barked and slammed the lid closed on the tablet. He caught her surprised gasp before the connection broke. His nerves were jangling with rage and fear as his mind swung back and forth between his memory of what Leaharin had done to him and what he'd just done to the Queen of the Fae.

He supposed as Queen no one ever hung up on her. He shut the tablet's power off just in case she tried to call back.

He had a sinking feeling that he'd just done something really bad. Really, really bad. He sat with his back against the door jamb and pondered just how fucked up his life was becoming. Was it even salvageable at this point?

He yelped when his cell chirped at him. He looked at it and saw a text from Sigrid. 'We're here. Where are you?'

He peeked out the window and saw a large black SUV idling beside the large orange thing.

He needed to make sure it was her. "What can you see out your window?" he typed and sent.

"An orange sign shaped like a big wheel of cheese," popped up on his screen. He felt his body relaxing when he read that.

"I'm in the door across from that," he sent.

He watched the car door open, and the tall woman started jogging toward the building but not to his door. He creaked the door open a little more, and she adjusted her direction.

He grabbed his items and pulled the door open enough to get out. Sigrid was there with the cloak. He tugged it on, and she immediately took his arm and pulled him back to the car. They got into the back seat and he saw Mr. Duncan was at the wheel. They started moving immediately as Stanley sagged back against the seat. His body began shivering in reaction, and Sigrid held him close.

"What happened? Did you get a good look at your attackers?" she asked.

He nodded. "Goblins. Two of them. They grabbed me, drugged me, and brought me here to a small man. A Fae."

"Damn. They didn't give up after all," Mr. Duncan said from the front seat.

Stanley's trembling continued, but he gently pushed away from Sigrid to see her face. "Why didn't you tell me I'm Fae too?"

Sigrid looked at him in surprise. "Did the Fae see you as you are now?"

A huge tremor went through Stanley's body, and he squeezed his eyes shut as he relived the moment. His teeth chattered a little when he came out of it.

"He... he was in my brain. I had to get him out... so... I changed when he was leaning over me. He was too—he was too close, so it folded and broke him.

"Oh my god, Stanley!" Sigrid gasped and moved to hug him, but he held his hand up to stop her.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Satyrs don't exist anymore, I mean besides you. Most of the classes that were once considered Fae are no longer thought of that way. Each is independent now. Most..." She paused to stare at Stanley in confusion. "Wait, you said the change broke the Fae as you changed. How did he—"

"It wasn't him. Queen Mab told me."

The truck suddenly swerved into a parking lot and stopped abruptly. Mr. Duncan turned off the engine and spun in his seat to stare at Stanley over the seat. "Queen Mab was there? Boy, how did you get away from her?" he growled.

"She wasn't there. She called Leaharin on his tablet—"

The man's eyes went wide. "Leaharin? The Fae's Master Inquisitor? He was the Fae you broke?" the big redhead barked.

"Roy! Calm down!" Sigrid scolded.

Stanley blinked at the two, glaring at each other.

Roy? He had a first name?

"Calm down? The boy is the focal point in something much larger than any of us can handle! We need to negotiate our way out of this mess! We cannae stand between the Witch and the Fae Queen!" he raged.

"Do we abandon our friends?" Sigrid asked with a cold voice, her body trembling with righteous fury.

Mr. Duncan opened his mouth and looked at Sigrid in desperation as she held his eyes. He was the first to look away. "Naw."

"Stanley is our friend. He didn't ask to be part of... whatever this is and needs our help. He will get it!" she said firmly. "Now, please take us to Camila's."

Before they could move, two black SUVs and a white van raced by. Their truck was thankfully hidden by the fencing for the parking lot and the deep shadows.

"Stanley... did the Queen mention sending someone to collect you by any chance?" Mr. Duncan asked carefully.

Stanley nodded, his eyes wide.

Mr. Duncan glanced once more at Sigrid, then turned back to the wheel. "Right. Camila's."

He slowly pulled out of the parking lot and drove away once he confirmed the Fae's vehicles weren't anywhere in sight.

Exhaustion pulled Stanley into a fitful sleep as they drove, and Sigrid watched him wrestling with something in his subconscious. The fact that he'd been mentally raped by the Fae was horrifying to Sigrid. Resorting to killing Leaharin to save himself must have left a mark on Stanley's psyche.

She called Camila to let her know they were incoming.

Forty minutes later, they pulled into the basement garage of Camila's building and took one of the few remaining visitor spots. Sigrid gently woke Stanley, who yelped as his eyes snapped open. She ensured his cloak covered him fully, then led the group to the elevator. They made their way up to Camila's condo. She opened the door as they arrived and ushered them inside, locking up behind them.

"Are you all right, Stanley?" she asked as she followed him into the living room.

He was taking in the expensive art and the luxurious furnishing, so he initially missed the question. At Sigrid's gentle touch on his arm to guide him down onto the sofa, it sank in.

"Yes," he blurted in embarrassment. "Sorry, your home is... stunning."

She smiled at him. "Thank you. Now, what happened? From the beginning."

He took a deep breath and felt their eyes on him. He had to get this out, so he just began.

When he was done, he saw the troubled looks in their eyes. Mr. Duncan was back to looking agitated.

"I agree we need to help Stanley, but how? This is so much bigger than we are!" the man exclaimed.

"Am I Fae or not?" Stanley asked.

Camila looked at him. "The Fae, today, are seen as just the race of magic wielders. The Goblins work for them, but the other races have declared independence. What you said makes it sound like Queen Mab didn't really accept that, though she said she did at the time. Her people still give glamor spells to non-magic-wielding races who were once under her domain, but that just serves her best interests. With the complexities of living amongst the Humans and their ever-watching electronic surveillance, it had become too difficult for all these individuals from so many races to maintain that fealty and follow the rituals."

"So, she let them all go to better protect us all, but she didn't really give up her expectations of ruling them," Sigrid suggested, and Camila nodded thoughtfully.

"Why all the interest in me?" Stanley asked next. "Other than being the last of my kind, whether I'm Fae or not, I'm just one of the non-wielders of magic. Am I even magic-infused like Leaharin said Succubi are?"

Camila laughed, and Stanley looked at her in confusion. "I'm sorry, Stanley, but you have to know that you are definitely infused with magic, as your experiences with Marisa, Sigrid, and I prove."

"Sigrid?" Mr. Duncan gasped.

"Easy, Roy. Yes, I've had sex with Stanley. We're just friends. Like you and I are," the Valkyrie explained.

Stanley was looking between the two of them in shock and embarrassment. He pulled his mind back to the current trouble. "Oh, okay, but isn't it just the same magic?"

Camila frowned and looked towards Sigrid. "I'm not a wielder, but I can tell it's not the same at all. It's a wild magic. Fresh and powerful. As fantastical as it sounds, I think it's probably from a different realm. It's also not compatible with the magic the Fae control, as it burned out Marisa's glamor when she overdosed. I've been careful to avoid that so far. The Fae who came to bind a new glamor to Marisa was badly affected by the wild magic saturating Marisa's body."

"This begs the question, as you are a Satyr which should be linked to the same magic realm we all are, what did your... caregiver do to you that linked you to a different one?" Sigrid asked.

"How about the answer to the question of where Stanley has been all this time if the last Satyr was killed in the purges millennia ago?" Mr. Duncan asked, then looked to Stanley. "Sorry lad, but you shouldn't exist."

"How far back do your memories go?" Camila asked.

Stanley sighed as he'd never had much luck recalling anything from his early childhood. He looked inward and froze as a memory he'd never seen before rose in his mind.

It was a smiling face looking down at him as he was on his back. The face filled him with joy, peace, and a terrible longing. She had sandy blonde hair pulled back in a long braid, large blue eyes, and tall, tufted ears with small, slim horns rising from her temples.

A second face joined the first, and Stanley choked out a gasp. Fire red hair and beard, blue eyes, and bone white horns curling out of his hair near his temples. The beginnings of horns like his. The male was smiling at him, too, and Stanley's chest hurt so much.

He knew. He knew these were his parents. Every cell in his body screamed it. Whatever else that rapist had done, he'd freed up some sealed-away memories for Stanley.

Only one person could have hidden them, and her betrayal was overwhelming.

He put his face in his hands, and the tears came. Deep, soul-wrenching sobs tore through him.

"Stanley! What's wrong?" Sigrid said, putting her arm around him. He leaned against her and shook as his grief crashed through his defenses.

The woman looked at Camila, who looked back, equally concerned.

It took some time, but Stanley eventually got some control back, but he felt hollowed out. He was limp in Sigrid's arms.

"Stanley, what happened?" she asked gently.

"I can remember."

"Remember? Remember what?"

"My parents. Leaharin must have cleared a memory blockage." He frowned. "She—she hid the memories," he forced out between his teeth, an irrational rage almost getting loose. He breathed slowly, and it subsided.

Stanley's eyes went to Mr. Duncan, examining his flame-red hair and beard, so much like his father's. A tremble went through his body. "M-my father... he looked a lot like you."

Mr. Duncan leaned back in surprise.

Stanley had another epiphany. "Mother... she looked... a little like Sandy."

The tears threatened to return, but he pushed them back. He couldn't let himself get trapped in despair. "What do I do now? I don't want you to be in any danger. Maybe I should just go speak with the Fae—"

"No!"

Everyone looked surprised at Mr. Duncan, who was suddenly on his feet. He seemed distinctly embarrassed after his outburst and sat back down.

The doorbell rang, and Mr. Duncan leapt to his feet again and began moving to the door.

"It's probably Marisa. I called her," Camila called out.

He returned with the pretty blonde, who immediately ran to sink to her knees before Stanley.

"Oh my god, Stanley! Are you all right?" she gasped, holding his hands.

His emotions almost got away from him again, but he brutally forced them down and nodded to her shakily.

Camila leaned forward to bring her daughter up to speed quickly. "The Fae have been watching you and saw your increase in energy after being with Stanley in his condo. They kidnapped him, and the Fae's Master Inquisitor mind probed him to learn his secrets. He reacted by switching when the Fae was too close. Stanley killed the Fae and escaped, but not before speaking with Queen Mab on the inquisitor's tablet. She's now aware of his presence and attempted to collect him again. She wants him."

"I'm so sorry!" Marisa cried and pressed her face to his legs. She didn't want to see the aura pulsing around Stanley now. There was so much darkness in it. So much potential for grief, pain, misfortune, and even disaster. She was still nowhere near being skilled at interpreting the images she saw, but she could feel the tides turning against him or at least directing him down a path of great hardship. The witch's words were coming back to haunt her.

Stanley shook his head. "It's not your fault. We're all caught up in this thing my Baba... she started." He paused as that sunk in. This situation was entirely of her making. He could see now that he'd been manipulated from a very early age. She wasn't unkind to him, not really, but she needed to explain what happened to his parents and what had changed for him. He looked into Marisa's lovely eyes. "I don't know what plan she had for me, but it's putting too many people I care about at risk. I need it to stop. I think I need to find her and ask her to explain what she's done to me and what she's expecting of me."

"You can't do that! She's... not the forgiving type. You can't make demands of her—" Sigrid gasped.

Stanley smiled and took the woman's hand in his. "I grew up with her. Better than anyone, I know what I can and cannot do."

He looked over at Mr. Duncan. "Could I get a lift out to her house? I'll go in by myself this time." The man nodded, having no desire to meet the witch again.

"Hang on! No one is going anywhere—" Sigrid exclaimed, becoming alarmed.

"It's okay, Sigrid. Please let me do this. I have to try," Stanley said.

Sigrid looked at the others for backup, and they all looked thoughtful. Finally, she had to admit that if anyone could get answers from the witch, it was Stanley. "I'm coming with you!"

"No. It's better if you don't. I'll go in alone, and if things go south, Mr. Duncan—"

"Roy."

Stanley blinked at the man, then nodded with a grateful smile. "Roy can come back to tell you. This way, no one feels compelled to do something heroic."

"Besides you," Sigrid muttered helplessly.

"No, I'm just going to ask some questions. Maybe she will answer. Maybe not. I hope she will," he said sadly.

He turned his attention to Marisa. "In case... the three servers in my office are ready to be installed in the server room. You have their locations on the diagram I sent you. That will be the last of the upgrades. The system is safe and sound now. The equipment in the old server room can be scrubbed, disconnected, and disposed of. From this point on, it's just a daily maintenance task."

He stood and helped Marisa to her feet. She immediately pulled him into a hug. Next was Sigrid, and she held him a little tighter than was comfortable, but he knew where it was coming from, so he didn't complain. Camila hugged him as well. Trying to keep his emotions in check, he pulled his hood up to hide himself and followed Roy out of the condo. They took the elevator down to the truck.

As they pulled out on the street, he looked at the man and saw his grim expression. "When we get there, you can drop me off at the end of the street. That's where the bus stop was, and I'm used to walking from there."

Roy glanced at him and then frowned. "I feel like I've let you down somehow."

"What?" Stanley said in surprise.

"I haven't been the most supportive voice," the big man continued.

"I think you've been the voice of reason in the group. You're probably right. This is well above our ability to control or deal with. The smartest move is to distance yourselves from me." He saw a look of guilt pass over Roy's face as he heard his own words.

Stanley continued. "Listen, I have no idea how magic works. If it's not technology-based, I'm lost. But I can see the group's reactions to the names of the people who control that power, and I can see how worried you all are. I honestly believe you and the others are better off without being dragged into this."

His words didn't seem to cheer Roy up, so they drove on in silence. Stanley was still tired, so he leaned up against the door and rested.

As he slipped away, he thought he felt Baba running her fingers through his hair as she used to when he was just a young boy to help him fall asleep. Now, the memory was bittersweet, but he still faded quickly.

Chapter 19

Sigrid frowned at Camila and shook her head again. "I still don't think it's time to involve Walter."

"Stanley and Roy are right. We are out of our league, and if we have to start dealing directly with the Queen of the Fae, we need a skilled negotiator. You know Walter could do that for us!" Camila insisted.

"And you know Walter doesn't do anything for others. He has to have a stake in it, or he can't be bothered. This time, there would be something for him. You remember how much of an obsessive collector he is of rare and unique items. How excited do you think he'd be about a Satyr?"

"Oh, come on! Even Walter wouldn't stoop to keeping Stanley captive for his collection!" Camila gasped as she looked at Sigrid in shock.

"Don't underestimate the power of his compulsion. You know what he is. It's in his nature." Sigrid warned.

Marisa just gave her mother a worried look.

Sigrid tried another approach. "If Stanley is successful with getting some answers from the witch, then we reassess—"

"Do you seriously believe she'll share her plan for him?" Camila scoffed with a raised eyebrow.

Sigrid's mouth opened in shock, but nothing came out until her voice returned. "Why didn't you back me earlier when I said he shouldn't go?" Sigrid exclaimed.

"Because he needed to go. He'd blame himself later if he didn't. I don't think she'll tell him anything, and I think she's been protecting him—" Sigrid made her own noise of disbelief, and Camila held up her hand. "In her own way, which isn't overt. He is still alive. When he returns, we need to ask him about speaking to Walter."

Sigrid sat back and looked Camila right in the eye. "If we take him to see Walter, I will be next to Stanley at all times, and he's not to leave my sight."

Camila saw her friend's determined expression and nodded. "We will need to call Walter to see if he has time to see us." Receiving a nod from the Valkyrie, she picked up the phone and dialed VRL's outside counsel.

"What if he's asleep?" Marisa asked.

"Walter doesn't sleep," Camila answered as she listened to the phone ring.

"Camila! How lovely of you to call—oh! This is early for you! Everything all right?"

"Good morning, Walter. If everything was all right, you know I wouldn't be calling to ask for some of your very valuable time," she responded. "I have Sigrid Gunderan and my niece Marisa with me. May I put you on speaker?"

"Certainly."

Camila put the handset down and pressed the hands-free button.

"How is this?" she asked.

"It's fine. I have ensured our connection is private, so rest assured you may speak freely. Is this call regarding the little crisis developing between a certain new employee of yours and the Fae community?"

Sigrid's face flushed with anger. She hated that he seemed so well-connected but did nothing with the information unless it benefited him directly.

"What little crisis?" Camila asked cautiously.

"Someone of great import in the Fae Royal Court was discovered dead this morning in a magically shielded building near Newark Bay. The body was badly disfigured and then crushed under cement blocks. It was reported that items of great value belonging to this court official were also taken," Walter said with an edge of excitement in his voice, no doubt he wanted these items.

"Are charges being filed?" Sigrid asked.

"Strangely, they seem to be holding off on that for the time being. A request has been made to speak to a person of interest said to have been at the location at the time to determine what may or may not have occurred," Walter offered casually.

"The person of interest?" Camila asked cautiously.

"A new employee of VRL. One Stanley Garin," Walter replied.

"I see," Camila sighed. It was both better and worse than she hoped. The Fae weren't filing charges with the Hidden Races Council, so they wanted to keep this out of the court system. She wasn't sure if that was safer for Stanley or not. His official standing amongst the Hidden Races had yet to be defined. The courts would make that determination... if he was introduced to them. His anonymity, which they'd been protecting for, to be honest, less than selfless reasons, may now have become a hindrance to keeping him safe.

"Are you going to introduce your new employee to me? Is he there?" Walter asked.

"Don't you know the answer to that too?" Sigrid growled before Camila could stop her.

Walter chuckled. "Ah, Ms. Gunderan, so protective. Such an exemplary Head of Human Resources, though the title is... demeaning. I see many, many things, but I value privacy too, as you know."

"I'm not convinced of that. How many fingers am I holding up?" Sigrid said as she flipped the bird towards the phone.

He chuckled again. "I assume one, and a rude gesture at that." Marisa's eyes were wide with surprise.

Camila glared at her friend. "Sorry, Walter. To get back to the matter at hand, we were just talking about making that introduction. We will speak with him about it when he returns... from his attempt to gather some crucial information. I should let you know now that this involves not only the Queen of the Fae but also a certain master-level witch."

"My... you are moving in deep currents," Walter said cautiously.

"By happenstance, not intent," Camila assured him.

"Are you looking for an expedient exit?" Walter asked in a curious tone.

"No!" Sigrid blurted before Camila could block her.

"No, we've made a major, long-term investment in this particular employee and intend to see that through," Camila replied, staring Sigrid down.

"I see." Walter's interest in Stanley was evident. "Well then, by all means, bring him around at your earliest convenience so I might meet the young gentleman who inspires such fierce devotion in his fellow executives."

"Thank you, Walter. Goodbye." Camila said and shut the connection before Sigrid could respond.

"Antagonizing Walter doesn't make the task of protecting Stanley any easier!" she barked at Sigrid.

"I'm sorry, but I don't trust him!" Sigrid growled back.

"Neither do I, but of all of us, he stands the best chance of mediating a cease-fire amongst these bigger players."

"I've never met him, have I?" Marisa asked her mother.

Camila smiled. "No, Walter rarely leaves his home. He's a bit of a recluse. He finds using a disguise to be demeaning."

"Do you really think he can help Stanley?" she asked her mother, who nodded.

"The question is, will he. And at what cost," Sigrid added. She shared a worried look with Camila.

Chapter 20

Sandy was sitting on the bench by her locker in the staff room. She'd just finished a long overnight shift and was preparing to go home when Roger slammed through the door with his cell phone in his hand. She yelped in surprise.

"Sandy! Thank god you haven't left yet!"

"Roger, please, I'm exhausted. I don't want to see any titty pics or videos of animals eating people. I just want to go home," she moaned. Even her flyaway hair was limp this morning.

He looked at her in confusion, then shook his head. "No, no! It's not that! I just came across a video someone shot of a sidewalk abduction in Manhattan last night. The footage is a little rough—"

"Did you not hear me? I'm tired! I want to go home! Show me tomorrow night at my place when we get together for Stanley's movie night," she growled and gave him a baleful look.

"That's just it, see! I think the guy being abducted is Stanley! Look!" he said excitedly, holding out the phone.

She gave him another skeptical look, fully expecting to see a clip of someone flashing their tits. It wouldn't be the first time he'd done it. The video clip started with a pretty woman walking along the sidewalk towards the camera. She was smiling, and Sandy was about to growl at Roger when the woman's expression went from smile to worry. The camera spun to see what she was looking at. It showed the front of a wine shop and someone walking out the door with a computer bag like Stanley's over his shoulder and carrying a bag of wine bottles in one hand. In profile, the man certainly looked like Stanley. Then someone standing by the shop's front window leapt forward to shove him hard. He dropped the wine and fell forward towards the open side door of the white van. Hands from inside grabbed him and yanked him inside as the one who shoved him followed him, slamming the door closed. The van peeled away from the curb, and the video ended.

Sandy shook her head. That couldn't have been Stanley. She hit the replay button and watched the movie a second time, then a third to pause it when the man could be seen in profile. The video wasn't terribly sharp, but the more she watched it, the more convinced she was that it was Stanley. She pushed an errant strand of her hair from the screen.

She looked at Roger, who was squirming with tension. "I think that's Stanley—"

"GOD! Yes! I knew it!" Roger exploded in relief.

The door pushed open to admit Dayshia and Tish, holding her cell phone horizontally, playing the video. They both had worried expressions.

"Did you see—" Tish began, then saw Roger bouncing on his toes and Sandy sharing their worry.

"Could it be a prank? A hazing ritual?" Dayshia asked.

"COME ON! Did you see how hard that guy hit Stanley from behind?!?" Roger gasped incredulously.

"The video is making the rounds, and the police are asking for assistance in identifying the guy potentially being abducted," Tish said as she read the details under the video. "No one has been reported as missing."

Roger grabbed his phone back, but Sandy gripped his hand before he could start typing a response to the post.

"Hold on! Before we embarrass Stanley, let me see if I can reach him. He just went through an ordeal of some kind in Japan. If this isn't him, it might cause him a lot of additional grief," she said sternly.

"But they're asking a question I know the answer to!" Roger whined, desperate to add his voice to the online community's request.

"Roger! Grow a pair!" Tish barked.

He stuck out his tongue at the tall brunette but pocketed his phone begrudgingly.

"Do you know his phone number?" Dayshia asked.

Sandy frowned. "No, but he works at VRL Investments. This time of day, he's probably on his way to work. I'll call his office when I get home." She was quiet for a moment. "It makes no sense. How could it be Stanley? Who could possibly want to abduct him?" she muttered. She played with her hair, which made her feel a little better these days.

Roger's eyes were wide. "He works in an investment house and controls their technology? Haven't you seen any movies from this decade? Cyber-crime is the new frontier for the criminal element. Stanley could give them backdoor access to their accounting system and siphon off millions!"

"Maybe you've seen too many movies from this decade," Tish told Roger with a frown, but she was worried just the same.

"It could be organized crime from Russia or any of the European countries!" Roger enthused.

"You're not making me feel any better about this," Sandy growled. She huffed and looked into the anxious eyes of her friends. They hadn't known Stanley for long and really didn't know him at all but they had a really good feeling about him. She could see they were concerned, and that made her like them even more. They were good people. Just like Stanley was.

"Maybe I'll head over to VRL before heading home," she said, and they all smiled.

"We'll come with you," Dayshia said.

Sandy felt better about that, too.

Chapter 21

Stanley stood in front of his old bus stop in human form, dressed in the loose track pants, sweatshirt, and running shoes Mr. Duncan picked up for him in a twenty-four-hour big box store. He was looking down at the new section of concrete sidewalk that stretched out ahead of him where the old lane way used to be. In the light of a new dawn, there was no sign of the old gravel side road that led down into the swamp. He turned to look where the road used to go, and there was no sign of the swamp. Instead, a huge billboard showed an image of a new industrial park to be built on the freshly bulldozed mound of dirt that buried the wetland... and his childhood.

Mr. Duncan set the blinkers on the truck and joined Stanley on the sidewalk. "Fuck, it's all gone." He glanced at Stanley's stricken expression and immediately felt bad for his callous words. "I'm really sorry, Stanley."

"C-can you give me a minute?" Stanley mumbled as he stared out over the expanse of flattened dirt.

"Sure," Roy said quietly and went back into the truck.

Stanley walked behind the glass booth of the bus shelter and touched the graffiti doodles he'd added to the back of the metal corner posts when he was much younger. He felt a wave of relief wash through him. It was proof that his childhood existed. He rested his forehead against the cool metal and closed his eyes.

"Baba, why?" he said in anguish.

"Everyone wants to know why."

His eyes snapped open, and the old woman was sitting on the bench inside the shelter. Glancing at Mr. Duncan, he saw the man seemed oblivious to her presence.

Stanley rushed around to the opening, keeping his eyes on her. She was looking back at him with an unhappy frown.

He had so much he wanted to ask her, but pushing to the front of his mind was the image of his parents. It would not be denied. "I remember them. I can see their faces."

"Who?" she snapped, and he remembered she detested when he wasn't clear.

"My parents. The Fae who broke into my mind cleared the blockage, and I remember them."

"I will have to deal with this Fae," Baba growled, and he could feel the rage boiling within her.

"He's dead," Stanley blurted, drawing a surprised smile from the old woman. "Tell me please, my parents, what happened to them? How did... how did you get me?" Stanley begged, and her smile instantly disappeared in a scowl.

"You think I killed them and stole you?" she asked in a quiet, stiff voice.

"My heart says no, but I'm lost in this world of magic and intrigue. You're more than who I thought you were. Please!"

"Don't beg! I didn't raise you to beg!" she snapped angrily.

Stanley knelt in front of her. "You did raise me! You're the only parent I had growing up, and I am eternally grateful. But I'm a Satyr, and I know now my parents were Satyrs, and the race hasn't existed for a very long time."

"That's true. The Satyrs were all viciously murdered by Humans. The very creatures I raised you to believe you were," she said, peering into his eyes as if gauging his reaction.

"M-my parents were murdered by humans?" he asked shakily.

The witch nodded. "I located them the night they were killed and spoke to them before the savage mob arrived. I could not save them, but I gave them the opportunity to save you. They loved you enough to agree."

Tears ran down Stanley's cheeks as he shook with grief and relief. His parents loved him, and his Baba hadn't killed them. That was important to him. He nodded then he looked into her old eyes. "But something happened to me."

The witch smiled slightly as she looked at him. "Yes." There was something in her eyes that felt like intent, patience, and anticipation.

"I'm different than the others."

"Yes." Her eyes began to twinkle with mischievous delight.

"Why?"

She broke their gaze and threw her bony hands in the air in exasperation. "That question again. I will not give you its answer because it's not time."

He looked at her but knew not to press her anymore on that. "The Fae Queen has spoken with me." The old woman's eyes snapped back to his.

"Did she now?"

He nodded. "She said I was one of hers. A Fae."

"As your birth happened during the time interval she ruled them all, I suppose she is... technically correct. The current treaty makes no provisions for an extinct race." Baba reasoned calmly.

"She wants me," Stanley said nervously.

Old eyes examined his young ones for clues of his intent. "Will you give yourself to her? Know this, she never gives up that which is freely given. What is taken, however, may escape," she said cryptically.

"I won't go willingly. She's terrifying!" Stanley gasped.

"Beautiful and terrible, I believe it is said," Baba agreed casually, seeming at ease once more, knowing Stanley wasn't under the Queen's thrall. She pushed herself to her feet with a quiet groan.

"My friends are in danger. How can I protect them?" Stanley blurted.

"Their fate is no concern of mine, nor should it be yours. Interfering meddlers," she grumbled as she stepped past Stanley to exit the shelter. They saw Mr. Duncan jump in sudden shock and stare back at the old woman's sudden appearance.

The witch turned back to face Stanley and gave his face a swat. "Pay attention. Be vigilant. You will know what to do when you have to. I didn't raise a fool. Stop looking for me here. I've moved on. So should you."

She shuffled away to walk behind the bus shelter, and as she passed the corner post, she didn't reappear on its other side behind the clear glass. Stanley didn't bother following as he knew she'd be gone. He had no idea how she did it, but he had to accept that she could.

He walked to the passenger door and knocked to break the man from his shock and unlock the door. Once he was inside, he looked across at the big redhead. "Sorry, she frightened you. I didn't know you couldn't see her."

"I'll make no apologies for being afraid of Baba Yaga. She might be your grannie but she's one of the most powerful witches that ever existed. She scares the pee out of me," Roy growled as he started the truck and headed back in the opposite direction.

Stanley just nodded to the man and kept his silence. A short time later, Stanley spotted a shop and asked him to pull into the lot. They went inside, and Roy was surprised when Stanley picked up a padded carrying bag and three bottles of expensive red wine.

"The Go—the bastards made me drop the wine I bought when they grabbed me," he growled.

Once he'd paid, they got back on their way.

"Who's the wine for?" Roy asked.

"I've been invited to a party this weekend. I intend to be there. The Fae aren't going to make me change my plans," he insisted while he scowled out the window. He missed Roy's impressed look.

They made it back to Camila's without trouble and were greeted at Camila's door by three anxious women.

Marisa and Sigrid drew Stanley back to the sofa and sat him between them. Roy smirked at Stanley's flustered expression and carried the bag of wine over to put it next to the computer bag.

"What happened?" Camila asked her Head of Security quietly as she followed him.

Glancing over at Stanley briefly, Roy spoke quietly to his boss.

"The swamp is gone. Filled in with dirt and bulldozed flat. His old home is no more," he said.

"Oh my god! How did Stanley take that?" she gasped.

"He was pretty shaken. I went back into the truck to give him some privacy. There's just the bus stop on the road where the gravel side road used to be... but the witch was there. She came to speak to him."

A shiver ran down Camila's spine.

"I thought Stanley was talking to himself as I couldn't see her. Then, she walked out from behind a pane of clear glass as she was about to leave. The way she just appeared and disappeared was scary as fuck!" He looked at Stanley thoughtfully. "She was kind enough to him, though."

They walked over to join the others.

Sigrid looked at them. "She acknowledged she changed him, but not why."

"You learned more than I expected you would," Camila said gently to him.

"I learned my parents were killed by humans but saved me by giving me to her."

"So, either she was there that very night and somehow kept you in a state of suspended animation through the intervening millennia, or... she learned how to reach back in time to collect you from your parents. I can't begin to comprehend the power she'd need to be able to do either of those things! Neither should be possible!" Sigrid said in awe.

"We need to focus on the now for a moment, Stanley," Camila began. "While you and Mr. Duncan were out, we spoke to VRL's outside legal representative, Walter Zhou, who let us know that the Fae are making noises about an important member of their Royal Court who was killed last night. He indicated they're not filing charges for the moment as they want to speak with you."

At his sound of protest, she raised her hand to calm him. "Before you even entertain the idea of speaking with the Fae, we feel you should meet with Walter. He can act as a go-between. Perhaps we can completely avoid a face-to-face with the Fae entirely. Especially the Queen."

"Walter Zhou. What kind of law does he practice? If he's corporate law, will he be able to deal with this?" Stanley asked nervously.

"Walter is well versed in every form of legal practice. He's... had time to study it." Sigrid acknowledged begrudgingly.

Stanley picked up on her unease as she wasn't good at hiding her true emotions. "You don't like him."

She looked him in the eye and shook her head. "He's an excellent lawyer but also... extremely self-serving. He doesn't do anything unless there's something in it for him, personally. This makes me suspicious of his motives." She looked at Camila's scowl. "He has the right to know whose parlor he's entering."

"He's a big spider?" Stanley gasped, staring at Sigrid with a shocked expression.

Everyone looked at him, and Sigrid snorted. "Oh! I'm sorry, Stanley! I didn't mean that in the literal sense! He's not an Arachnid."

Stanley relaxed a little, then stared at her again. "But there is a race of Spider-People amongst the Hidden Races?"

"Arachnids, Stanley. Not Spider-People." Marisa said calmly. "They are typically very shy but nice people."

He shivered but forced his mind back to the issue at hand. "So this Mr. Zhou, he could help me, but there will be a cost?"

"We'll pay his bill—" Camila began.

"It's not money I'm worried about," Sigrid interrupted.

"Okay, this option doesn't sound much better than the Fae!" Stanley blurted.

"Only because Sigrid is letting her personal dislike of the man interfere with her better judgment!" Camila growled as she tried to stare the Valkyrie down.

Sigrid turned to Stanley and took his hand. "Listen, Stanley. Camila is right. Walter can be a great asset in dealing with the Fae. She's also right that I don't like him, but know this. I will be there with you, by your side, and I will protect you. I give you my solemn promise."

He read the conviction in her eyes and nodded to her, showing he trusted her.

"Can we get moving then?" Camila said in exasperation.

"Give us a few minutes," Sigrid said as she stood, pulled Stanley to his feet, and led him out of the living room as the others watched curiously.

She held his hand and brought him down the hall and into a guest bedroom. She closed the door behind them, then moved to close the blinds.

"What's wrong?" Stanley asked anxiously.

She returned to stand before him, her face warming up with a blush. "This isn't how I wanted to do this, but I need to be at full strength if we're going to see Walter." She began tugging at his sweat shirt.

"What? Oh! Now?" he gasped.

"Please, Stanley!" she begged, and he thought she looked so sweet he couldn't stop the smile from spreading across his lips.

"What?" she asked with a pout.

"You're so adorable!" he blurted.

She was practically vibrating with need. "Stanley, you need to change now while I can still hold myself back." She began to pull her own clothes off rapidly.

He stepped back, yanked his sweater over his head, and pushed his pants off as he kicked his shoes off. He pushed his clothes into a pile with his foot.

He held her eyes with his as he stepped back. "Stay back while I change. It's dangerous!" he said firmly. She nodded.

With a quick glance around, he saw he was clear, so he twisted the ring. Sigrid was in his arms kissing him the moment he was in Satyr form. She felt so good against his body, and her tongue tasted so good!

He reached down and lifted her up against his body, making her squeak with surprise. She automatically wrapped her legs around his hips and felt the heat of him rise up to press against her.

Sigrid's head was spinning. She was usually the aggressor, and being handled passionately was both shocking and highly erotic. She moaned into the kiss as he squeezed her body against his and walked them to the foot of the bed. Then he was knee-walking them awkwardly up the mattress. He toppled forward to land on her and slammed his horns against the headboard. The wood cracked loudly as he split the dense lumber. He looked up in dismay at the destruction.

"To hell with the bed! Fuck me!" she growled, and she felt his cock surge as it pressed against her.

He tipped his head down and took her eager mouth with his as he moved his hand to squeeze her full breast. She moaned into the kiss and held him more frantically. Her passion was getting him very excited, and he needed to taste her.

He moved his kisses down her throat as she gasped and writhed under his body. When he took her stiff nipple into his mouth, she cried out and grabbed his horns to hold him still, but that didn't stop his tongue from teasing the tender nub.

"OH FUCK! Stanley! FFFFFFAAAAHHHHHKKKK!"

He dragged his teeth gently over the sensitive areola, and she clung tighter to him, curling her head over his and hissing out his name. When he gently kissed and released the tingling flesh, she uncurled with a gasp and relaxed her grip on his horns. He wasted no time moving to the other nipple, sucking it between his lips.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!!! SHIT!" she cried as she arched her back, forcing her soft flesh against his mouth. He rolled her other nipple gently between his fingers, giving it light tugs, and she squirmed frantically under him, but he kept her pinned to the bed. He ground his hard stomach muscles against her mound, and he felt her body going through minor quakes.

As she thrashed in ecstasy, she drove her heel into one of the bed posts. It gave with a sharp crack, and the lower left corner of the bed suddenly sagged as the frame tore away.

Stanley looked up from Sigrid's hot body when he heard the loud sound, but she turned his face back towards hers. Her eyes with intense with lust.

"Take me, Stanley. I need you inside me, now!"

She tried to flip them over but was shocked when he pinned her arms back and lowered his face to hers to take a deep kiss. While she was dazed by the kiss, he moved the head of his thick cock against her wet pussy and pushed ever so lightly to dip inside.

She moaned once more as she struggled to free her arms. His thickness slowly drove deeper into her body. She was shaking uncontrollably as she wanted him to move faster. It felt too good!

When he finally rested his body against hers, he rocked side to side to tease her clit.

"Oh! Oh! Oh fuck! Oh, Stanley! Shit! Shit! Oh fuck!" she panted.

He released her wrists, and her hands immediately went to his ass to squeeze him tighter against her. She felt so incredibly hot and tight around his cock.

"This feels so good, Sigrid!" He sighed as he took in her flushed face. Her blond hair fanning over the bed, and her eyes were dreamy with the bliss they were sharing. A look of awe came to his face as he was enthralled by her. "Goddess. You're a goddess! So incredibly beauti—mmmph!"

She kissed him hard as she was overcome with emotion.

Stanley drew himself out slowly and slammed himself forward to slap their bodies together. Sigrid broke the kiss and gasped.

"Yes! Finally! Fuck me, Stanley. Don't be gentle! I need it!" she cried as she moved her heels to his ass to assist his thrusts and to open herself wider.

He pulled out to the head, then thrust himself in faster and faster until the wet slap of skin on skin bounced off the room's walls. He increased his speed and held nothing back as he watched her face. Her smile grew as her eyes closed in happiness.

Soon, he was brutally pounding her against the mattress, and she was pulling at him to make him thrust harder. The damaged bed frame was squeaking and cracking in protest. With a final creak and snap, the other three corners of the frame shattered, and the box spring dropped a foot to hit the floor. Stanley paused for only a second before continuing, as Sigrid hadn't noticed.

"OH! OH! YES! I'M THERE! FUCK! YES! HARDER! FASTER!" Sigrid screamed as she clawed at Stanley's ass which was pumping like a machine.

It was too much for him. His orgasm exploded through his senses as Sigrid wailed through her own. He clung tight to Sigrid's body and rocked his pelvis against hers as deep as he could be, firing stream after stream of hot cum deep inside the Valkyrie. It felt like it was lasting forever as Sigrid squeezed his ass and shook under his body. He could hear her sucking in a deep breath as her body absorbed the huge surge of energy.

Suddenly, the room flashed white as her wings tore their way out from under them with a loud ripping noise. Chunks of fabric and padding flew everywhere. Metal springs and bits of them bounced off the walls, ceiling, and floor.

Stanley kept his eyes tightly closed, but the brilliance of her wings was bleeding through.

"Sigrid! Put them away before I go blind!" he moaned.

"Wha—What?" she gasped, coming back to herself. Her hips continued to undulate, milking the last drops from him.

"Your wings!"

"Oh! Oh, Stanley! That was so good!" She stopped when she noticed the mess they'd made of the bed. "Uh, you should get off of me before I close them, or they're just going to make a bigger mess of the mattress."

He pulled his softening cock from her body, and she gasped and shook through a little aftershock. He held his arm before his eyes and knelt on the bed.

Sigrid sat up and snapped her wings back. They moved so effortlessly she couldn't keep the grin from her face. Then she looked at Stanley's heavy cock hanging down between his legs, and a thrill went through her body. "It's safe to open your eyes now, Stanley."

He did so cautiously, then dropped his arm. "Oh my god. What have we done?" he moaned in dismay at the destruction.

"I'll buy her a new bed. That was worth it!" she giggled, then giggled some more and wrapped her arms around herself in happiness. She felt... high! She'd never indulged in drugs, but this must be what they felt like!

She looked back at him and caught his look of wonder. "Stop it! You're going to get me going again!"

"I don't think Camila's furniture could take any more," Stanley said as he looked around.

They stood, carefully avoiding the splintered wood from the frame and the bits of bedsprings.

"Do I have time to grab a quick shower? I haven't had one since... yesterday morning. I'm feeling a little gritty. And now sweaty." He smiled at her, and she nodded. She guided him into the small bathroom connected to the room. He switched to his human form as washing a smaller body and drying a furless one was quicker. They took a quick shower to freshen up and managed to get through it and dry off without giving in to the temptation. They dressed and then went back out to see the others. Mr. Duncan was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Roy?" Sigrid asked.

"When the pheromones started pumping, he made a quick exit. He said he'd be downstairs in the truck when we are ready to go," Camila said. "Was that really required? Now?"

Sigrid just smiled broadly and nodded quickly.

Marisa returned from peeking in the room. Her eyes were wide with shock. "Were you battling or having sex? The bed is destroyed!"

Camila made a squeak of dismay and rushed off to see for herself. They heard her make a much louder, much angrier noise when she got there.

"SIGRID!" She returned with a full head of steam. Stanley shrank back from the rage in her eyes.

"I'm sorry! I'll buy you a new bed and mattress set," the tall woman said, but her smile never left her lips.

"Yes, you will, later. Let's go!" Camila growled.

Stanley grabbed his computer bag and the bag of wine.

After this visit, he wanted to go home!

Chapter 22

Sandy stood in the lobby of VRL, trying to get the young woman behind the desk to contact somebody who could let her know if Stanley was in. It seemed that she was new to the company and wasn't completely familiar with the phone system nor recognized the names Sandy mentioned.

She noticed Roger was making a nuisance of himself and had actually gained the attention of one of the members of the security department. Well, he was on his own. She turned back to the pretty woman across the counter.

"Stanley Garin! He's the CIO!" she gasped at the greeter, becoming too frustrated with the blank looks from the woman.

She saw a pretty, petite blond woman with the softest brown eyes standing at her elbow.

"Excuse me, I overheard you mentioning Stanley's name. I'm Siobhan. I worked for him as his assistant for a time. How are you acquainted with Mr. Garin?" she asked with a delightful accent.

"Stanley's my neighbor. I'm Sandy Marlow. I'm just trying to confirm he's all right."

Siobhan's eyebrows elevated. "Now, why wouldn't he be?"

Sandy turned to look at Tish standing a few feet away with Dayshia. "Tish, do you have the video queued? Could you show it to Siobhan?"

The tall brunette came over and played the video for Siobhan, who squeaked in shock when Stanley was shoved into the van.

"That does look like Stanley, doesn't it!" she exclaimed to Sandy, who nodded with a worried look.

Siobhan turned to the young woman at the counter. "Give me the phone and dial extension 3333."

She held the receiver to her ear and listened. Her expression became frustrated. She looked at the woman again. "Hang up and dial 3001." She listened and heard it pick up.

"Ms. Villamor's office."

"Felix, this is Siobhan in the lobby. I'm looking for Marisa or Stanley, but they aren't answering. Have you heard from either?"

"Hi, Siobhan! No, I haven't seen either, and their door is closed."

"Is Ms. Villamor in? Maybe she knows."

"She hasn't come in yet. I haven't received any news from her," Felix said with just a hint of annoyance in his voice. Siobhan sympathized, knowing how difficult it was to manage someone's calendar if they didn't keep you in the loop. "Is something wrong?" Felix asked.

"Open up your web browser and enter this address," Siobhan said and read out the letters. Soon, she could hear the video playing in the background.

"Oh my god! Was that Mr. Garin?" Felix exclaimed.

"That's what we're trying to determine," Siobhan said grimly.

"I'll put a call in to Ms. Villamor. Hold, please." The line went to soft music.

Siobhan looked at the anxious faces of the three women. "Felix is the CEO's personal assistant. He's trying to reach her now."

"The CEO keeps tabs on Stanley?" Dayshia asked in surprise, and Tish looked equally intrigued.

Sandy smiled, recalling a certain elevator ride with the company's executives. "Not just the CEO. The heads of HR and Security as well."

Siobhan shared a small smile with Sandy. "Stanley's a friend magnet, isn't he?" she said.

The group watched as one of VRL's big security officers led a struggling Roger from the lobby and pushed him outside the building. "Is he with you?" Siobhan asked quietly.

Tish just sighed and shook her head. "Not at the moment, he isn't."

The line opened again, and Siobhan turned her attention back to Felix.

"She's not picking up. I left a message. Mr. Garin's personal line goes directly to voicemail, as does Ms. Gunderan's and Mr. Duncan's," he said.

"What should we do?" Siobhan asked.

"Without being able to connect to anyone who might have an answer, I don't know. They may be aware of the situation and may be working on a way to resolve it. If so, our involvement would definitely not be welcome. Or they may just be out of contact for other reasons and unaware of this. I can't tell."

"Should we call the authorities," Siobhan asked, emphasizing the last word for Felix to pick up on.

He made a hesitant sound. "Why don't you leave that with me? I'll make a few more attempts to reach someone, and if I still can't reach them, I'll make the call."

"Okay, thanks very much, Felix!" she said and hung up.

"Well?" Sandy asked.

"We can't reach any of the people who might know where he is, nor can we reach his personal line. They may be aware of the situation and be on top of it. We shouldn't interfere if that's the case. If they aren't aware, then we'll take steps. Felix will continue to try to connect with them. If he can't get someone, he will contact the authorities."

She saw Sandy was still feeling anxious, so she reached out and pulled her into a hug. Dayshia and Tish immediately joined in, and they all felt a little better afterward.

"I have to get to my job upstairs, but here's my cell number so you can call me later. I'll take yours as well. I'll keep in touch with Felix during the day to get updates. I'll call you if I hear anything." She looked out the front doors to see Roger pacing back and forth, waiting for them. "Try to keep your friend out of trouble," she said with a grin. Tish snorted.

Once they'd exchanged numbers, Siobhan waved and headed to the elevators. Sandy turned to her friends. "I-I guess I'll just go home and wait by the phone."

"We'll all go to your place and take turns waiting for the call while the others rest," Dayshia insisted. They looked out the door. "Not Roger though. No one would get any sleep," she growled, and the others giggled.

They went outside, and Roger was immediately with them. "Can you believe they forced me to leave the building?"

"What's unbelievable about that? You were acting like a crazy person!" Tish barked at him.

"What? Just because I tried to warn them that someone might be forcing Stanley to access their financial data from outside? How is that crazy? He's missing, man! Abducted in broad daylight! Okay, it was at night, but they did it in plain sight of bystanders. Totally ballsy, like the Russian Mob... or maybe the Yakuza! You said something happened to him in Japan, right? Geezus! Why are we just standing here? We need to call in the Feds!"

"Stop! We aren't calling anyone! While you were ranting at the security staff, we made constructive contact and spoke with the CEO's executive assistant. He is trying to get an update from her and the other execs. He will contact the authorities if he can't reach them. We'd just be muddying the waters, which wouldn't help Stanley."

Roger seemed to deflate and looked at the others in frustration. "So, we're expected to just sit and wait."

"Go home, Roger. We will call you when we hear any news. This is the best thing we can do for Stanley," Dayshia insisted.

Defeated, he nodded and headed off towards the subway. Considering how upset they'd be if they knew, he kept to himself that he'd texted the NYPD Stanley's name and home address after getting tossed from the building.

That couldn't hurt, could it?

Chapter 23

The drive to Walter Zhou's mansion took an hour and had them driving north into the secluded and wooded neighborhoods on the border of Connecticut. Walter Zhou worked out of his home, a huge manor hidden in the forest at the end of a long lane.

As they pulled up the driveway, Camila looked over the seat at the others. "Walter is especially paranoid about photos, so please leave your cell phones in the truck."

She took hers out and saw it was flashing with multiple messages. She frowned and put the phone in the glove box. She'd listen to them later.

Stanley pulled his cell phone out and noticed its battery was dead. He handed it to Camila as Sigrid handed hers over.

Camila looked at her daughter with raised eyebrows.

"I forgot mine at home," Marisa explained.

"So did I. I wasn't exactly my sharpest when Sigrid called me," Mr. Duncan growled, then yawned.

They parked in a shady spot and exited from the truck. Roy remained as he wasn't needed inside, and he really needed a nap.

The rest made their way to stand on the wide front step, waiting for someone to answer the doorbell they'd rung.

Stanley was fidgeting nervously, so Marisa took his hand, and he began to calm down. He gave her a grateful smile, then twitched as the big door creaked open. Inside was a small Chinese woman. Young, maybe in her twenties, and pretty. Her skin was very pale, almost white as if she'd never been in the sun. Her jet-black hair was arranged skillfully and pinned in place. Loose, it might have reached the back of her knees.

She wore a simple white gown with red trim, tied at the waist and white slippers. Looking at her gently smiling face, Stanley immediately realized she was blind as her eyes were milky white.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Camila Villamor and friends here to see Walter Zhou.

"Ah yes, he mentioned you may be visiting today. Please come in." She turned and walked away, expecting them to follow. They entered, Sigrid bringing up the rear and closing the door behind them.

Stanley was surprised to see how dark the home was inside. Drapes were drawn over every window, the walls were covered in dark, rich wood, and the light fixtures were few and far between. He supposed the woman didn't need the light, but he was extra cautious walking through the halls not to bump into anything.

What décor he could see looked exceptionally expensive. Art hung on the walls, ornate vases and sculptures sat on antique tables in the hallway. He wondered if Mr. Zhou enjoyed the art that sat in the dark.

They reached a staircase leading down. The woman paused to touch a switch on the wall, and the stairway was lit. Stanley was surprised to see just how far down the stairs led. As they descended, he realized this wasn't your standard basement. It had to go deep underground.

"There's a natural cave system under the house. Walter took advantage of this. He... needs the space." Sigrid said for Stanley's benefit.

They finally reached a rectangular antechamber leading to an ornate set of double doors.

"You should change now," their guide stated.

Stanley looked at her in surprise.

"It's his way, his house, his rules," Camila explained.

Stanley caught their guide looking away with a shiver. His nervousness increased.

"It's okay, Stanley. I brought your cloak." Marisa said as she dropped her glamor.

He nodded and began to undress, glancing at the petite Chinese woman. She was looking somewhere past him and hadn't reacted at all to Marisa's change.

Camila dropped her glamor in a shower of sparkles. She looked at her daughter with a hint of jealousy for her instant transition.

Stanley looked at Sigrid curiously.

She smiled at him. "I don't use a glamor. I just call for my armor and weapons when I need them."

"Ah," he said as he hesitated, his thumbs under the elastic of his waistband.

"Stanley? What's wrong?" Camila asked, seeing his hesitance.

He shook his head with a deep frown, then pushed his track pants down, stepping out of them. He studiously avoided looking at the women as he knew they were all looking at him, and he didn't want to react to their interest. Once he was naked, he stepped away from his clothes and twisted the ring. Reality folded.

"AAAAAIIIEEEE!!!" their guide shrieked and threw herself away from Stanley as she pressed her hands to her eyes. Everyone stared at the woman in shock. She was curled up in a ball on the floor at the base of the stairs, trembling.

"What happened?" Stanley asked Sigrid anxiously. His nerves were buzzing.

Camila moved towards the servant, but the petite woman quickly pushed herself to her feet. She kept her face averted from them.

"I am fine. My apologies for the outburst. Please—please enter the chamber when you are ready. I will be here when you return," she said quickly, then rushed up the stairs and was gone.

They looked at each other and turned to walk to the other end of the antechamber. Stanley left his clothes on a bench against the wall and hurried to catch up with the others. Sigrid moved to stand beside him as Marisa helped him put his robe on.

"Ready?"

Stanley nodded.

"Before we go in, I want to assure you Walter Zhou is no danger to you. We are with you." Camila said, and Sigrid nodded with a serious expression.

"You know, saying stuff like that just makes me more nervous," Stanley said in exasperation.

Marisa smiled and took his hand. He sighed.

"This! This is what calms me down," he said to the two women as he lifted Marisa's hand in his. They smiled at him and moved to open the doors.

Inside was a rough stone walkway leading downwards. They exited out into a vast cavern, the extent of which could not be seen in the inky blackness. The acoustics made the chamber feel enormous, and it was much warmer than Stanley expected. There was an odd smell, and he made a face at Marisa, which she nodded to. She found it unpleasant, as well.

"Ahhhhhhh, you made it! Welcome!"

The voice seemed to come from everywhere.

"Walter, could we tone down the theatrics for Stanley and Marisa's first visit?" Sigrid growled.

"This is the trouble with Valkyries! No romance in their souls!" the voice sighed but focused on a point before them... and up.

Stanley raised his eyes and saw two very large gold eyes glowing in the darkness about fifteen feet up. Suddenly, two small bursts of flame puffed out of the nostrils on its long face. As the smoke dissipated, Stanley could see the enormous bearded jaws. It shot tiny spitballs of fire unerringly against some torches, and the light level increased to the point where Stanley could see at least some of the... dragon's long serpentine body.

Its scales were a dark green bordering on black but shimmered iridescently in the firelight. Looking back up at its head, Stanley realized the beard wasn't hair or fur but smoke that clung close to his jaws!

From the slight grinding noise, Stanley looked down and saw its enormous claws scratching the hard stone. It... it was real!

"Oh... You're a dragon!" Stanley mumbled.

"And you are the impossible come to life! A Satyr? Here? Now? How fascinating!" the dragon's deep voice purred as its eyes glowed brighter.

"I-I've seen pictures and art pieces, but I never understood how beautiful dragons could be in real life!" Stanley said in a daze, then snorted incredulously as he heard what he'd just said. "Real life," he mumbled again a little desperately as the room began to tilt.

He dropped to his knees, then forward onto his hands as his head spun.

"Stanley!" Marisa cried as she dropped down to her knees beside him.

"Is he all right?" Walter asked as he looked towards Camila.

"Stanley?" Sigrid said as she knelt on his other side.

He was taking deep, slow breaths with his eyes closed. "Sorry, I just felt dizzy. It's just too much all at once... I-I need to take a minute," he said quietly.

Camila addressed their lawyer. "Stanley only very recently discovered he was a Satyr and that the Hidden Races exist. He was raised as a Human."

"How awful!" Walter exclaimed, and it was clear even in Stanley's dazed state that the idea of being human disturbed the Dragon the most.

Sigrid and Marisa helped him up onto his hooves, and he thanked them quietly.

"Sorry, I never expected... this. I guess there are limits to my ability to deal with shocks," Stanley said contritely.

"No need to apologize, Stanley. At least you didn't run away screaming or simply go mad. Your mind is far more resilient than you give yourself credit for," Walter said with a smile.

He felt a little better, though the cavern was too hot to wear the heavy cloak. He was burning up, so he shrugged it off.

Gold eyes widened as he could now fully see Stanley's Satyr nature. "Now I see why the Fae are so eager to get their hands on you! You are definitely unique and an intriguing mystery! Valuable indeed!" Walter said smoothly and moved closer.

Sigrid stepped forward, placing herself between the dragon and the others, glaring up at the huge beast. "Resist the temptation, Walter, or your days of collecting are over."

Walter's glowing eyes narrowed as it glared down at the Valkyrie. "Don't make threats to me in my domain, little one. Especially threats you cannot—"

"Sun."

The huge cavern exploded with brilliant light, and Walter cried out in shock. The others had thrown their arms over their eyes as Sigrid made them rehearse in the truck on the way to Walter's.

Sigrid's huge wings stretched outwards from her back in all their glory, blazing like the sun, extinguishing all shadows.

"ENOUGH! STOP! PLEASE!" Walter bellowed.

"Fine." Darkness returned instantly, and even though they'd protected their eyes, they had to blink away the afterimages, except Sigrid, who hadn't noticed the change.

"H-how is it possible for you to contain so much power?" Walter gasped as he looked at the Valkyrie.

Sigrid thought about that a moment. "Stanley. He's changed me. He's linked to an alternate realm of magic and has shared that with me. I can feel my own connection to it now as well. The witch changed Stanley when she collected him from his parents. We don't know how she did it. We don't know what her intent was for doing so. She's a master of not only magic but of the long game. Who knows what her plans were for Stanley."

"Were?" the dragon asked.

"When we first met her, she told us we'd interfered with her plan, and he was now on a new course. She said Stanley's true destiny may yet come to pass, but she's refused to divulge what that might be."

"You questioned her on it?" Walter asked skeptically. No one pushes Baba Yaga.

"No, Stanley did. She raised him as her own. They have a relationship. She's very protective of him. Remember that." Sigrid said firmly.

"You might have opened with that information," the huge beast grumbled, still upset about her display of power in his home. He turned his attention back to Stanley. "A new realm of magic! That might also explain the Fae's lust for capturing him! How might I sample this new power?"

"Uh, I'm not—" Stanley began uncomfortably, and Camila came to his rescue.

"Stanley isn't a wielder of magic. He's a conduit like Succubi and Valkyrie. Marisa's glamor spell was burned from her core when she over-saturated herself with Stanley's energy. The wild magic isn't compatible with the old magic. The Fae who replaced Marisa's glamor was badly affected by it. I suspect wielders might not be compatible."

The dragon fell silent as it contemplated the Satyr before it.

"Dragons are magic wielders, too," Marisa explained quietly to Stanley, who appeared a little lost.

"The only wielder who might have some idea how to tap into it is probably Baba Yaga," Camila offered. She looked within, then smiled at Sigrid with wide eyes. "You're right. I can feel it, too. I'm linked to the realm of wild magic. What does that mean?"

"I don't know. I didn't feel it after my first time with him," Sigrid replied.

The two women looked at Marisa, who'd been with Stanley more than them.

The young Succubus glanced at Walter, who was watching with interest. She looked back to her mother. "I'm connected to the new realm as well. My new glamor is powered by the wild magic." She kept the existence of her shield to herself.

Sigrid wanted to get on with the question of what to do about the Fae, then get the hell out of Walter's house. "Are the Fae going to press charges? They kidnapped Stanley off the street, drugged him, and took him to that secluded spot to torture answers from him. They don't have any grounds to defend their actions. All Stanley did was defend himself and escape."

"There is the matter of the valuable items. Stanley, did you perhaps take something that did not belong to you?"

He blinked up at the huge face and could almost feel the intense interest in its eyes. "Uh, I grabbed my computer and cell phone, which were next to my computer bag. I also took a tablet PC, a leather-bound journal, and what I thought was a pen. I think it's actually an ornate stylus for a touch screen. Probably the tablet."

"DO YOU STILL HAVE IT?" Walter boomed as he moved closer. Once more, Sigrid stepped forward to glare at him, and the dragon reluctantly moved back.

"Yes, it's in my computer bag... in the truck," Stanley said uneasily.

"Get it! Bring it to me!" he insisted.

"The stylus, what is it really?" Camila asked.

Gold eyes narrowed suspiciously. Camila put her hands on her hips and tilted her head at him. "Seriously, if it belongs to the Fae, none of us want it."

Walter relaxed as he realized something and accepted her answer. "I suppose it wouldn't work for you anyway now that you're no longer linked to the same realm of magic as we are." He passed his eyes over them and came to a decision. The truth it was. "It's a kind of reliquary. It contains a physical artifact from the realm of magic. They are extremely rare. It was said that Queen Mab had two of them. One, she loaned out to special servants, such as the late Leaharin."

"What's it do?" Sigrid asked suspiciously.

Walter snorted at her tone. "It strengthens the holder's link to the realm for a period of time. Amplifies their ability to draw on the magic."

"What's to keep someone from using it constantly, to build the strength of their link to godlike powers?" Sigrid boldly asked.

"The Reliquary itself. It manages the flow and closes if there is too much draw. You can certainly strengthen your power, probably to two... maybe three times your usual levels, but that's it. It wears off eventually, and you'll have to wait for the same period of time to use it again or risk having it have the opposite effect. As it is useless to you, you should give it to me." He decided to keep to himself the fact that the old magic was weakening.

He wanted that Reliquary!

It was Camila's turn to lay down the law. "Not so fast, Walter. First, you're going to help extract Stanley from this mess. Call the Fae as Stanley's legal advisor and get them to back off."

He scowled at the Succubus. "This is the Queen of the Fae we're talking about. She cannot back down without losing the respect of her court. She's just asking to speak with Stanley. That isn't unreasonable."

"She claimed him as hers the moment she saw him. That isn't something a reasonable person says," Camila argued.

"Camila, accept that Stanley must at least speak to the Queen. Grant her that and potentially nullify the threat of future attacks. Deny her, and she will not stop until she takes him from you. Know this," Walter explained.

Camila fumed. She looked at Sigrid, who took up the argument.

"Okay, be Stanley's go-between and set up a meeting with witnesses from the Hidden Races Council. If we are disclosing Stanley's existence, it must be before the others so Queen Mab doesn't have a chance to snatch and hide him away. He needs to ensure his independence. The Treaty of Independence for the former Fae races makes no mention of Satyrs, as they were extinct by the time it was written. We've been told Stanley was born during the time the Queen reigned over them all, so technically, he may still be her subject but he's living in this age and has no desire to be a subject of the Queen. That's true, isn't it, Stanley?"

"Yes! Uh, I want nothing to do with the Fae. They've shown their true colors, and they aren't for me!" he asserted.

Walter snorted amusedly at Stanley's stern expression.

"Now, they are expecting to get these items back from Stanley. How will we deal with that if you want the reliquary?" Camila asked.

"That's simple. The building where Leaharin's body was discovered is not owned by the Fae. They were trespassing when they brought Stanley there. With the death of Leaharin, the reliquary and anything else he left behind became lost property. Stanley was free to remove them from the building as they were evidence of his abduction. His subsequent exchanging of the reliquary to me for my legal services will be documented and he will receive a receipt for the transaction. A contract is something the Fae understand quite well. They have to accept its legal standing. Stanley will be off the hook, so to speak, regarding the reliquary at least. You can give them the tablet and the journal, though I would be very interested in seeing what the Master Inquisitor was writing in it. There must be something about Stanley in there."

"Write up the contract. While you do that, Stanley will get the items." Camila said and nodded to Stanley.

Walter moved further back in the cavern to his office to produce the receipt as Sigrid kept her eye on him. Stanley walked back up the ramp to step through the doors to where his clothes were. He closed the doors as he faced them, then froze when he felt lips on his neck. His muscles just stopped responding to him, and panic began to surge through his mind.

"I'm very sorry for this."

He felt a sharp pinch, then a darting tongue licking the wound on his neck as his body tingled. The bite was cold, and there was no pain. The tongue paused from its darting to press against the wound then he heard the soft but rapid patter of her feet as she rushed away towards the stairs.

When his body suddenly unlocked, he pitched forward against the doors with a crash. His unclenched muscles dropped him to the floor, and he rolled over onto his back. His head was swimming, and his body was shaking from unspent adrenaline.

The door burst open, and the three women charged through, Sigrid in the lead. "Stanley! What happened?"

He looked up into her frightened face as his teeth chattered. "I-I th-think she b-b-bit me!"

"What? Where?" she yelped.

"Neck."

Sigrid moved his head to the side, and sure enough, there were two small red holes on the side of his neck. They weren't bleeding and healed as she watched.

"That BITCH!" Sigrid roared.

"Am I going to die?" Stanley asked in a quiet, frightened voice. His shakes were quickly settling down.

"What?!? No! No, Stanley. You're in no danger. The bite has no permanent effect. Depending on how much of your blood she drank, you might feel a little woozy. That will pass."

"Then why did you yell like that?" he asked.

"She attacked you! Stole blood from you! That isn't done, and it won't go unpunished!" she growled in outrage. She also felt horribly guilty for failing to keep her promise to protect him. There was also the fact that it happened the moment he was out of her sight, something she'd said she wouldn't let happen. Her anger turned to shame. "I'm sorry, Stanley! I should have been with you!"

Stanley took her hand to reassure her that he wasn't blaming her. "It's okay."

"Marisa, go get Stanley's computer bag from the truck. Keep an eye out for the vampire," her mother said, and the young succubus snapped her glamor in place as she rushed away, claws extended.

"I don't think she wanted to do it," Stanley said weakly as he struggled to sit up with Sigrid's help. His head was really spinning. He must have lost more blood than he thought, or maybe he was just recovering from the scare and adrenaline rush.

"Marisa? She doesn't mind," Camila said, confused by his response.

"No, I mean the woman who bit me. She... apologized before she did it. It felt sincere and a little bit desperate. I don't know why."

"I do."

They turned their faces to the cavern doors to see a petite Chinese man in a black silk dressing gown. A red dragon was embroidered upon it. He couldn't have been more than four-foot-eight and looked like leather stretched over bones. His eyes were sharp, though, and Stanley could see Walter's true strength there. This was his glamor, his illusion... and it displeased him. The hugely powerful dragon became the frail old man.

Walter saw Stanley's look of surprise and scowled. His eyes flicked to the staircase and he seemed to be trying to decide something but he sagged and turned an annoyed expression at Camila and Sigrid. "You may have cost me a very useful servant. If she was desperate enough to attack one of you in my home, then she's desperate enough to have fled the house, even without her sight. By now, Meixiu is most likely out of my reach. I will search the neighborhood for her just the same. She was my servant for many years, and I had her trained perfectly. She was the youngest daughter of the president of a company I purchased long ago. A gift to show his respect." Walter pursed his lips together in a deep frown. "If I have to find another and begin the training all over again, it will cost me a great deal of valuable time." He turned a baleful eye on Sigrid.

"We had nothing to do with your losing your slave. She attacked Stanley without provocation and then ran away. Did you give her a reason to run?" Sigrid growled through clenched teeth.

Marisa returned with the computer bag, and Walter's mood completely reversed. "Ah! You have it!" he said eagerly.

"Contract first," Camila said.

"Yes, yes," he agreed as he kept his eye on the prize. He pulled a scroll from the sleeve of his gown and handed it to Camila. She unrolled it and read through the text. She nodded and gave it to Sigrid, who read it as well. Satisfied, she turned to Stanley, who was now holding his computer bag.

"Put this in a secure pocket inside the bag and give Walter the reliquary," Sigrid said.

He slipped the scroll into the bag and zipped the compartment closed. Then he fished out the stylus. In the brighter light of the antechamber, he could see the delicate scrollwork of its metal shell. The tip, which he'd originally mistaken for a pen, was made of some smooth stone. It was lovely, but he wanted nothing to do with it. He reached to hand it to Walter who took a step back.

"Wait! I don't want to activate it just yet. Give me a moment!" Walter said eagerly with a grin and shuffled away as quickly as his old body would let him go.

Stanley glanced at Sigrid, who had an annoyed look on her face.

"Why is Walter's glamor so old? It hampers his movement so much. He's obviously so much stronger and more vital as a Dragon." Stanley asked quietly.

"It's not Fae magic. He makes his own spells. I've never witnessed him change. You'd have to ask him... but I suggest you don't," Sigrid said.

"I heard his question, and I'll give him an answer," Walter said, returning with a small tray lined with silk. He held the tray out, and Stanley laid the reliquary gently on its surface. The man smiled at Stanley and nodded. Stanley reached into his bag and handed Walter the leather-bound journal as well, bringing another delighted smile to the man's face. He shrugged as he accepted the tablet, though it was clear he was not interested in it.

"Dragons don't use a glamor or any kind of spell. We have the ability to translate our true form into any other form, but certain aspects of our true form are maintained. As a Dragon, I've been around a very long time, so my Human form approximates that age. I could use other shapes, but Human is the one I must use to survive here, so I try not to switch to it very often."

He turned to Sigrid. "I never switch in the presence of others as the distortion of reality can have... detrimental effects."

Stanley made a choking noise as he flashed to the memory of Leaharin screaming when he was folded in two. Sigrid gave him a sharp look, clearly wanting him to remain quiet.

"What is it?" Walter asked.

Stanley looked away, unable to speak.

Camila stepped forward. "Stanley has had a very rough couple of days. He needs rest. Real, uninterrupted rest. He won't be able to rest easy until we put this all behind him. When are you going to contact the Fae Council?"

"I will contact them now and the Hidden Races Council. Will Stanley be available this weekend to meet with them?" Walter asked.

Stanley looked at Camila with pleading eyes. "No, Monday is early enough. Give him time to recover from the attack," she responded. Stanley's expression was grateful.

Walter nodded to himself. He could work with this. "I'll need his address for the Hidden Races Council records."

"I'll email you the details. Thank you, Walter," Camila said as she gathered up Stanley's clothes from the bench and began leading them from the room.

Stanley watched her with surprise as he'd expected to switch and get dressed here, but he guessed there was a change of plans. He nodded to Walter, pulled his robe on, and hustled after the others.

He noticed Camila had switched her glamor spell on as they climbed the stairs. He made to ask Sigrid, but she just shook her head at him.

Camila set the clothes on a small table when they reached the vestibule before the front doors. "Now, Stanley. Quickly, please."

He blinked at her, dropped the robe, and kicked it forward as he stepped back from the ladies. He twisted the ring and snapped back into his human form. Marisa stepped close with his clothes, and he dressed himself as quickly as he could.

"Camila..."

Walter's voice was doing that omnipresent thing again, but he didn't sound happy this time.

"Yes, Walter?" she answered cautiously towards the ceiling, now assuming there were hidden cameras.

"How is it that Stanley alters his form like a Dragon?" the voice returned, slow and calm, but there was an undercurrent of barely contained rage. This confirmed her suspicions about the cameras.

"You would need to ask Baba Yaga that question. This was her doing. Remember, she took Stanley as an infant. She hid his true form from him his entire life. She didn't ask the Fae to give him a glamor, and I believe you are starting to understand why," Camila said.

"I see." There was silence. "Send me his details. Have a good evening."

Dressed, Stanley left the mansion holding Marisa's hand, and Sigrid brought up the rear, watching for danger. Or reprisal.

The sun was just dipping under the horizon when they returned to the truck, where Mr. Duncan waited patiently. He took in the tense expressions and held his questions until everyone was seated and they were on their way back down the lane.

"Did everything not go all right? Is Walter not going to help Stanley? I heard from Marisa about Stanley being bitten, but did something else happen?" he asked.

"We discovered where Stanley's ability to switch shapes comes from. Dragons change the same way. The witch obtained the switching power from one, which likely meant the end of the line for the Dragon."

"Shit," Roy said quietly.

They reached the end of the lane and pulled out onto the quiet road that would take them to the thruway back to the city. They got maybe half a mile from Walter's place when they spotted someone wearing a white gown with red trim sitting in the middle of the road.

"That's Meixiu!" Camila exclaimed.

"May You?" Roy asked.

"The vampire! The one who bit Stanley!"

"Should I accelerate?" he asked.

"NO!" Stanley and Marisa cried out.

"She's kneeling in the middle of our lane, head down and hands on her thighs. That doesn't look like a stance of aggression, but... she's a vampire. I don't know much about them." Camila said, examining the woman they were approaching.

Mr. Duncan stopped the truck twenty feet from Meixiu, keeping her in the headlights, and Sigrid got out. She gestured for the others to stay inside.

Slowly walking closer, she looked for signs of movement, preparing herself to fight. She stopped eight feet from the kneeling woman who looked so tiny.

"I am so very sorry for my actions. It was my first and only opportunity to escape in a very long time," the woman said with a trembling voice.

She tilted her face up, and the first thing Sigrid noticed was her dark eyes. The milky white was gone. She was no longer blind.

"I see your eyesight has improved," Sigrid said carefully.

"It was the young man! He broke Mr. Zhou's curse!" the young woman gasped.

"Stanley? How—" Sigrid began then she recalled that he'd changed before her and how she'd reacted. "Your blindness was caused by a curse from Walter?"

"To keep me from escaping!" Meixiu blurted as her lips trembled.

"Why did you bite Stanley?" Sigrid growled, and the Meixiu dipped her head forward in shame.

"Mr. Zhou wouldn't feed me often, so I was always weak and dependent on him. The only extra food I could get was from vermin that entered his home. I knew I wouldn't be able to get far if I didn't feed. Again, I'm so sorry for my actions, but I had to escape. Please don't take me back! I would rather you kill me. I-I'm unable to take my own life."

"Why are you waiting here?" Sigrid asked.

"I have nowhere to go. I don't know this country. I've been inside Mr. Zhou's home for a very long time. Since I was sent here from China. I was only a child then. I'm frightened," Meixiu moaned.

"Damn," Sigrid sighed. "Give me a moment."

Sigrid walked back to the car and related what she'd been told.

"Damn," Camila sighed.

"We have to bring her with us," Stanley said firmly.

"Stanley! She bit you! She may want to do it again!" Sigrid exclaimed in frustration.

"She's apologized. You know her reason. Her parents gave her away as a present! We have to help her!" Stanley gushed, then realized he was getting a little overly emotional. "Sorry, I'm a little shaky at the moment. But I stand by my words."

"We can't stay parked on this road much longer," Mr. Duncan said.

"Fine. We take her with us, but then what?" Camila said.

"I'll keep her with me for now," Sigrid sighed. "My place has enough room." She turned to face the young woman. "Meixiu! Come here." Looking inside the truck, she pointed to the back seat for Stanley to sit with Marisa. Sigrid would keep an eye on Meixiu in the middle seats.

The woman in question approached, and Sigrid gestured for her to enter the truck and move to the far seat. She climbed in, and Sigrid showed her how to put on a seat belt. Then they went on their way.

Meixiu gasped and clutched the armrests.

"You haven't been in a car before?" Stanley asked.

"No, I was brought to Mr. Zhou's a long time ago. There were no cars then. We rode in my parent's carriage to the ship. I remember... horses. My time on the ship was terrible. Then I was given to Mr. Zhou, and I woke in his home. I have been there ever since."

They were quiet for a time as they digested the horror of her story.

Stanley finally faded and fell asleep, cuddled against Marisa's shoulder.

Meixiu looked over the seat at Stanley and looked into Marisa's eyes. She mouthed an apology, and Marisa nodded with a small smile.

She turned back to see the tall blonde beside her, giving her a troubled and evaluating look.

This one would not be so quick to forgive her.

Chapter 24

Stanley woke with a snort in the back seat. The truck had parked. He saw he was alone with Mr. Duncan, who must have dropped the others off on the way. They got out, and the big redhead walked him inside, carrying his bag of wine bottles, and took him right upstairs to the door of his condo.

"Stay inside this weekend and get rested up. I'll come back for you when it's time for the meeting," he said gruffly.

"Thanks for everything, Mr. Duncan," Stanley said quietly.

"Roy."

Stanley smiled, nodded to the man, and closed and locked the door. He walked into the kitchen to put the bottles on the counter. Next, he made his way into the living room. He pulled his cell phone out of his bag and plugged it in to charge the dead battery.

Speaking of batteries, he realized he'd spent much of today in Satyr form, so the ring wouldn't need to charge too soon. Still, he had to keep the cycle to ensure a full charge for the next day. He looked at the clock and saw it was only nine.

He jumped when there was a sharp knocking on his front door. Sick dread shot through him. They'd come for him. His cell was dead, and the condo phone only worked to operate the front door. He had no way of reaching any of his friends. The Fae would break down his door and take him by force, and he'd never see his friends again.

He peeked around the corner at the front door.

"Stanley? Are you in there?"

A huge tremble of relief rocked through his body as he recognized Sandy's voice. Suddenly, it was all too much. He opened the door and took his friend in his arms as he broke down and wept. She burst into tears as well as she clung to him. More arms held them both, and he looked up to see Tish, Dayshia, and Roger were all there.

"Let's go inside," Dayshia suggested gently.

He nodded and released Sandy. He had to gently untangle himself from her hair and felt its gentle resistance. He kept his worry about that from his face. He moved back inside his condo with Sandy clinging to his hand as he led everyone inside.

Roger brought up the rear and locked the door.

They all took seats in the living room, and Stanley struggled to get his emotions under control.

"We've been worried sick about you all day! Roger spotted a video of you being abducted online. We went to your office, but you weren't there, and no one could reach you or any of the executives."

"Was it the Russian mob? Were they after you to get them backdoor access to the financial data at your office?" Roger blurted excitedly.

Stanley looked at him in surprise.

"Roger! Shut the fuck up!" Dayshia growled. "Can't you see he's still shaken by the ordeal?"

"I-I didn't really see them too well. I was drugged and woke up in an old building by a bay. It collapsed while they tort—hurt me, but I managed to get away. They didn't." It was the truth, or at least enough for him to be convincing.

"Holy fuck!" Roger blurted as the others stared at him in horror.

"Oh my god, Stanley!" Sandy exclaimed and pulled him into a hug. He was enveloped in her hair again.

When she recovered from her shock, she held him out at arm's length to look into his eyes as her locks settled to rest on her chest. "How did you get away?"

"The pole they taped my arms around fell through the floor, and I got out of the room before the rest of the floor broke free. I found my bag in the next room and carried it upstairs. Then I called for help."

"You called the police? Then why are they still looking for you?" Roger asked.

"I called Sigrid—Ms. Gunderan, head of HR at my company," he replied quietly as his mind absorbed that the police were looking for him. That could be bad.

"Why did you call her?" Sandy blinked.

"It was—I remembered her number," he said with a shrug. He couldn't give the real reason, but they accepted that his state of mind wasn't at its best at the time. "She and our head of Security picked me up and took me to the CEO's place. We went to speak to a lawyer this afternoon. I'm laying low until Monday." Stanley heard himself babbling, so he shut up.

"Siobhan called me just minutes ago when the CEO's assistant called her to say you were okay and on your way home," Sandy explained.

"You spoke with Siobhan?" Stanley asked, his mind struggling to keep his two worlds separate. He knew the Hidden Races interacted with humanity, but the awareness didn't run both ways, so that's where the danger lay. He was too shaky at the moment, so his safest bet was silence.

Sandy smiled. "Yes, she's a lovely person! She really helped us out this morning. Roger made a nuisance of himself and got tossed from the lobby of VRL, but she started calling people to get information. She said she'd call when she heard something, and she did.

"Yeah, then you sent me home when you three came here. You left me to fret all day. If I hadn't come over when I did, I would have missed this!" Roger complained.

Tish gave him a weary look, and he pouted.

There was another sharp rap on the door, and Stanley jumped again.

"Let me answer it," Roger said with a growl as he leapt to his feet.

The tall man stormed to the door and glanced through the peep hole. He saw two serious-looking men in tan raincoats over black slacks. He pulled the door open. "Yes?" he boomed belligerently.

They stared up at him in surprise.

Roger noted they both had slim builds and a gauntness to their faces. Both also now had expressions like they'd just smelled something bad. One chose to speak, and his aristocratic voice grated on Roger's irritated nerves.

"We need to speak to Mr. Garin."

"Mr. Garin isn't entertaining guests in his home this evening," Roger said in an equally haughty tone.

"You are a guest, are you not?"

Roger paused at the boldness of the question. "No. I'm a friend. There's a difference."

"Regardless, he needs to speak to us."

"I said, not tonight," Roger said, leaning closer.

The elevator chimed, and three people exited and headed down the hallway in their direction. The raincoat wearer, not speaking with Roger, glanced back and paused when he saw the surprised and angry expressions on the approaching faces. He reached out to touch the sleeve of his partner, who was about to respond to Roger with some belligerence of his own. The speaker paused and looked in the direction his partner was looking. His face froze, and his jaw clenched in frustration.

Roger took in the newcomers when he saw how upset the two at the door had become. There was an older woman, maybe in her sixties, slim and wearing a nicely tailored but severe business jacket and skirt. The one in the middle was almost as tall as he was, younger than the woman, with a lanky build, close-cropped black hair, and chunky plastic-rimmed glasses. The third was short and barrel-chested with long red hair and a braided beard. The short man looked like he was all muscle.

The three took a good look at Roger, who just stared back. They glanced at each other with cautious expressions.

"Are you here for these clowns, or are you expecting to speak with Mr. Garin as well?" Roger asked before anyone else could speak.

The woman was their spokesperson. "We have business with Mr. Garin."

"Like I told these two, he isn't seeing guests tonight. Come back on Monday," Roger explained.

The tall one with glasses frowned. "That won't do. We need to speak with him tonight."

"No, he needs to come with us tonight," the agitated man in the raincoat asserted.

"You will leave before this becomes a reportable offence," braid beard said to the two at the door.

Suddenly, there was a palpable tension, and the five people froze as they eyed each other warily.

Tish appeared at Roger's elbow. "What the hell is going on out here? We can hear you arguing from the living room—" She saw Roger was enjoying the escalation before him. She immediately picked up on the tension. From the way they were holding their bodies, she swore they were about to pull out weapons.

"Nobody do anything stupid. Remember, this is a residential building full of innocent bystanders," she berated them scornfully.

The elevator dinged again, and eyes flicked back to see who else was approaching.

Two largish men in rumpled suits were walking towards them. From her years in the ER, Tish immediately recognized the swagger. Here came two of New York's finest.

"What's this? A floor party?" the one in the brown suit called out with a cheeky grin as his partner in a dark blue suit scanned the group with cold eyes. The five visitors immediately relaxed their stances.

"Tell Mr. Garin we will return, and he must join us when we do," the raincoat closest to Roger said tersely and moved off into the stairwell, followed closely by the other. Tish grabbed Roger's arm to keep him quiet.

"We really must speak with Mr. Garin at his earliest convenience. Before the others," the woman said stiffly.

"You have a business card?" Roger asked and got three blank looks.

"We'll return as well," the older woman said, and they left.

The cops stood aside as the three passed them on their way to the elevator.

"Was it something we said?" brown suit snorted.

"I'm Detective Harmon, and this is Detective Morris," the big man in the blue suit said to Tish and Roger. "This is Stanley Garin's place? You're not him, are you."

"Nope," Roger said with a grin.

"This idiot is Roger Jensen," Tish sighed.

"Roger 'RogerDodger' Jensen?" Detective Morris asked with a grin as he glanced at the scribble he'd made earlier in his notes of the address on the message they'd received.

The tall intern's smile slipped off his face, and he glanced nervously at Tish as she looked at him with wide eyes. "Uh, yeah. How—"

"We're following up on the tip you texted in," Morris said.

Tish was staring daggers at Roger, so he panicked. "We saw the video of Stanley getting nabbed, and the security goons at VRL weren't listening to me about how he was probably being used to hack into their financial systems, and they tossed me out! I was trying to help! I was angry! I angry-texted!"

"You're such a moron," Tish growled.

"Is Mr. Garin in? We need to speak to him," Harmon said.

Tish pushed Roger back into the condo and gestured for the two officers to follow. They all walked down the short hall into the living room.

Stanley looked up from the couch at the two big men in suits and looked at the badges they held out briefly.

"I'm Detective Harmon. This is my partner, Detective Morris. I understand you were grabbed off the street last night and tossed into the back of a van. What can you tell us about it?"

Stanley's mouth was dry. He was in over his head and out of his comfort zone. He took some deep breaths to calm himself.

"I remember coming out of the wine shop. Someone hit me from behind, and I was pulled into the van. They stuck a needle in my neck. I woke up in the basement of an old building. My arms were taped together behind me around a metal post." His body shook as a tremor went through him. Sandy held his hand.

"Did you see their faces?" Harmon asked.

Stanley's mind flashed the Goblin's hideous faces at him, and he twitched. "No... not clearly," he muttered as the cops shared a look.

"There was a man there. Small, slim, wore a lot of rings. He... he tortured me."

"You saw this guy's face?" Morris asked. "You can give a description to a Police sketch artist?"

Stanley nodded. He saw no point in protecting the dead Fae.

"How did he torture you?" Harmon asked.

Stanley twitched again as he relived the man sliding into his brain. He shook his head to get the images and the sick feeling out. "I don't want to talk about it!"

Harmon frowned and changed direction. "What did he want?"

"I-I don't know. The building began falling apart," Stanley said quietly.

"Falling apart?" Morris blurted.

"The pole he was tied to fell through the floor, and the bad guys fell in, but Stanley got away!" Roger blurted excitedly.

Detective Harmon frowned at Roger, then looked at Stanley.

"That's what happened. The building just crumbled, and I got out of the room. They fell through the floor," Stanley said.

"They?" Morris seized on the detail and pressed.

"The small man and two others. I didn't see their faces as it was dark and dusty from the basement falling in."

"Then what happened?" Harmon asked.

"I found my bag in the next room, so I went upstairs and called a friend to pick me up," Stanley said and yawned widely as he was quickly fading. It had been a very long and eventful day.

"Why didn't you call the police?" Harmon asked bluntly.

Stanley glared at the man and let some of his exhaustion into his voice. "I just wanted to go home. My kidnappers were dead or at least badly injured. Punished enough. I didn't know who they were and didn't care at that point."

"The police have been looking for you since the video was released last night. Why didn't you come forward to contact us?" Morris asked.

Stanley sighed. "I didn't know about the video, and I just found out from Roger a few minutes ago that the police were looking for me. Listen, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm exhausted, and I'd really just like to go to bed and sleep through the weekend, so if you don't mind." He looked towards the door.

"We need the location of where you were taken last night. As you remarked, people probably died there. We received no report of that," Harmon insisted.

Stanley looked at them in surprise as he thought it had been reported. He then frowned as he tried to recall the address. He looked over a Dayshia, who was closest to his phone. "Would you please unplug that and hand it to me?"

She did, and once it started, he saw he only had a few minutes of power at most. He needed to get a new phone with a better battery. Pushing that thought aside, he opened the map application and glanced at the detectives watching him curiously. "It's how I discovered where I was and how to ask my friend to pick me up." He read out the address, and they wrote it down.

"Who were the people gathered outside your door this evening?" Harmon asked.

"What people?" Stanley asked.

Roger spoke up. "Two groups of people were trying to get in to see you tonight. Two thin men in matching raincoats. Then, three people who couldn't have looked more different if they tried. An older woman, a tall, skinny guy, and a short, muscular guy with a red beard in braids. The two groups seemed to know the other. The first two said you had to go with them, and the others wanted to talk with you first. They all said they'd be back. Do you know them? Do they work at VRL, too?"

Stanley felt a sick dread. The ones wanting him to accompany them had to be Fae. The others he had no idea who they were. He needed to call Camila or Sigrid. Mr. Zhou was supposed to make them leave him alone, wasn't he?

He couldn't answer the questions, so he just shook his head and shrugged. From the scowls on the detective's faces, he could see they weren't satisfied with the answer.

"What do you do at VRL?" Morris asked.

"I'm the CIO."

"Really?" the detective said skeptically.

"Hey! The guy's a freaking savant with technology!" Roger boasted, and Stanley looked at Roger sharply in surprise. "He fixed my cell phone after looking at it for less than a minute!" Roger continued, and Stanley relaxed.

"So you are in charge of computer systems with access to confidential financial information, as Mr. Jensen suggested?" Harmon asserted.

"Yes, but—"

"So these people might have been after the assets of VRL? They might have been preparing you to hack into VRL?" Harmon interrupted.

"I-I guess that could have been their intent," Stanley allowed. He couldn't exactly tell the detectives that Leaharin was actually after him. "But VRL can't be hacked externally. At least not by currently known methods," Stanley said wearily.

"Pretty high opinion of your work," Morris snorted.

"There isn't a computer network so secure it can't be hacked," Harmon insisted.

Stanley just looked at him. He didn't have to prove anything to the detective. He knew it was secure.

"You telling me you haven't built-in backdoor access for yourself to get in?" Morris scoffed.

"Why would I do that? That just weakens the integrity of the system. Dumb. Are we done?" Stanley growled. His exhaustion was making him bolder than he naturally would be.

The detectives shared another look. They had an angle to work with.

"If we have any more questions—"

"I'll be here," Stanley said with a nod as he sagged back against the cushions. He returned the phone to Dayshia, and she plugged it back in.

Tish walked the detectives out and locked up behind them.

"Stanley, we're going to go too. Do you need someone to stay to keep an eye on you?" Dayshia asked.

"No, thanks, though. I'm just wiped. I need to get some sleep." He looked at their concerned faces, and once more, he struggled to contain his emotions. "Really, thanks for looking out for me," he said with a rough voice.

Sandy pulled him into a hug, and he gasped and clung to her as well. When he released her, Dayshia had to gently tug her to get Sandy to follow her out. The blond looked back at Stanley as he followed them to the door. "I'm just downstairs if you need me."

"Thank you!" he said with a nod. "The party is still on tomorrow, right?"

"Yes, if you're up to it!" Sandy smiled back at him.

"I definitely want some normality back in my life right now. A movie night would be so good!" Stanley sighed.

Sandy and her friends smiled back at him. "Excellent! It's on!"

He locked up behind them and then went immediately to his phone. He had enough juice to make a short call. He dialed Camila.

"Hello?"

"Camila? My phone is almost out of power, so I have to make this quick. Two people came to my door tonight to get me to go with them. My friends from the fourth floor made them go away. Three other people wanted to talk to me but were sent away, too. Two detectives stopped by to ask me about the abduction, and they may come by VRL. They all said they are coming back. What should I do?"

"I'll call Mr. Zhou. They shouldn't have visited tonight. Rest easy. We'll take care—" Camila said before the phone's battery died.

Stanley cursed at his phone and plugged it in again.

He did feel better knowing Camila was aware of the issue and sounded like she would take steps to keep these people away. He hoped he'd be able to have a normal weekend at least. He'd worry about Monday on Monday.

He yawned mightily, went into his bathroom to brush his teeth, then got undressed. He checked the lock one more time, then went into his bedroom and spun the ring. A ring that likely once belonged to a Dragon. Or worse, it was made from a piece of a Dragon. With a shudder, he tucked that thought away in the back of his mind, switched off the light, and climbed under the covers.

He'd have the weekend to worry about stuff he couldn't control. Now, he just wanted to sleep.

Unbidden, the image of his parents smiling down at him in his crib came to him. He gasped at the pain of their loss. He knew it happened long ago, but he'd never known them and now that he remembered, it felt like a raw wound.

Emotionally unprepared, the tears came, and he cried until exhaustion took him.

Chapter 25

Detective Harmon and Morris stood next to their car with Detective Ken Hillsdale from Newark's Fifth Precinct, watching the construction workers trampling all over their crime scene.

Hillsdale gave the other detectives a confused look. "This is the place?"

Harmon scowled and nodded. "This is the address we were given."

The New Jersey detective shrugged and walked over to the site, the other two following him. He flagged down one of the workers and flashed him his badge. "Who's in charge here?" The worker pointed to a big man wearing a red and black check jacket, looking at blueprints unrolled over the hood of his truck. The three detectives walked over to him.

"You in charge here?" Hillsdale asked as he once more showed his badge.

The bear of a man turned to face them, and his bushy eyebrows went up. "Yeah, Site Foreman Reggie Dollard. What's going on? I got permits!"

"We got a report that this site was used in a kidnapping last night. That at least three people may have died in the collapse of a room in the basement," Harmon said.

"Last night?!? Did they use explosives?" Reggie asked.

"No. The witness indicated the room just fell apart, and the floor fell in." Harmon replied. "You think it was explosives? Were there signs of an explosion?"

"Just fell apart?" the man snorted, gesturing for them to follow. He grabbed three hardhats from the back of the truck. "This is one of the weirdest jobs I've ever been called in to do," he said as he handed out the headgear. "Watch your step."

He led them inside the building, which was brightly lit with lights they'd strung up. They crossed a wide, empty space to the entrance to a stairwell. Harmon noted how clean the floor was. They descended to the basement and saw another pristine room. There was an opening in one wall that looked like it might have had a door at one time but was gone now. Beyond the doorway, they could see the floor to the room was mostly missing, as was the ceiling.

As for signs of explosives, there were none. In fact, the walls were in good condition. No scorch marks, chipping, holes, or cracks that one might expect after an explosion large enough to blow out a ceiling and floor.

"You guys do quick work!" Morris said.

"That's just it. It was like this when we got here. Someone cleaned this room, the room above, and the main floor leading out. Even the debris down in the pit was hosed down with a power steam washer. It was still a little steamy when I arrived."

They saw a ladder leading down into the rubble-filled pit below the missing floor. In the far corner, they saw an opening to a sewer.

There was a team working on welding new rebar in place to rebuild the floors.

"According to the report, the floors just fell in last night. Wouldn't a safety inspector have to inspect the building and sign off on it before it could be fixed?" Hillsdale asked.

"I got the inspector's certificate. I wouldn't send my crew into an unsafe worksite." Reggie insisted. "The building is sound. It's built like a bunker! That's what makes this so weird! I have no idea how these two floors failed so spectacularly. The damage is so localized!"

The cops looked around, but aside from the obviously missing floors, they could see no evidence of what caused the failure.

"Who ordered the repairs?" Harmon asked.

"I'd have to check the work order. It's in my truck. I think the company was Ulysses something. The check came from a numbered company, and it was good. We were paid in full to do an expedited repair. Replace two damaged floors," Reggie explained.

"Let's go look at that work order," Harmon suggested.

They made their way back outside, and Reggie pulled the documents out of the cab of his truck. "Yeah, here it is. Ulysses Global Investments." He handed the work order to Detective Harmon, who added the name and address to his notes.

"Are we okay to continue working here?" Reggie asked.

"Is there going to be access to the debris at the bottom when you are done replacing the floors?" Morris asked.

"Yeah."

Morris looked at Harmon, who nodded. He turned to the site foreman. "The crime scene, if there is one, was professionally cleaned. We may send some people to look for evidence in the rubble, but that's it. You can repair the floors."

With a nod to the site foreman, the detectives walked back to their cars.

"Mob?" Hillsdale asked the others.

"Possible, but it doesn't feel like their work. Everything is moving much too fast. Too efficient but there are too many loose ends. I don't buy the kidnapping victim's story about his escape. It's too clean," Harmon complained.

"Clean like the crime scene," Morris growled, and his partner nodded.

"We'll check out this Ulysses Global Investments tomorrow and confirm their connection," Harmon said.

"Hey, you guys keep me in the loop. I'm curious to hear what actually went down here," Hillsdale said.

"Sure, Ken! Have a good night. Say hello to the missus for me," Morris said, bouncing his eyebrows at the other detective as he leered.

"Yeah, just you never mind my missus. She's too good for the likes of you, Morris!" Hillsdale barked at the man with a grin.

They got into their cars and went their separate ways.

As he drove back through the Holland tunnel to the island, Harmon brooded over the weird direction this case was taking. He had a bad feeling about that. He glanced over at his partner, who was smiling out the window.

No doubt thinking about Ken's wife.

Lech.

Chapter 26

Stanley was relieved to hear from Camila in the morning that Mr. Zhou had successfully reached the Fae Council and the Hidden Races Council and arranged for both sides to hold off until a meeting on Monday morning. So, Stanley had the weekend to decompress.

He listened to and erased the messages in his voicemail. There wasn't anything he needed to do about them now. Felix would have reached Camila by now, anyway.

He spent the rest of the morning and afternoon connected to the office, catching up on some work. Reviewing the backup logs and debugging the trend analysis software for Mr. Constantin soothed his nerves with their mundane nature.

He yelped Eureka when he finally tracked down the errant bit of code responsible for the bad math. He put the fix in place and recompiled the application. Once it was in place, he sent a note to the leader of the Asset Management Team, letting him know it was fixed.

Glancing at the clock, he saw he had about an hour to get ready for Sandy's party, so he took a nice hot shower, groomed, and dressed himself in something nice. A black dress shirt and grey jeans.

He took the wine from the fridge. He'd put it in just before his shower as he'd read that the proper temperature for red wine was in the low to mid-sixties Fahrenheit. The bottles went into the carrying bag, and he also slipped the DVD into one of the empty slots in the bag.

After one final look at himself in the mirror, he grabbed his keys and phone and moved to his front door. He peered through the peephole to confirm the hall was empty, as he still carried a little bit of anxiety. He let himself out of his condo and locked the door. He heard the rattle of keys and turned to see his nearest neighbor locking up after herself.

In Stanley's nervous glance, his heightened perception of her flashed into his mind.

Her skin was palest white. Her straight, jet-black hair curled in to touch the base of her long, slim neck. Full sensual lips of deepest ruby and eyes so dark he swore they were all pupil. Her petite nose and high cheekbones made her eyes appear larger in her heart-shaped face.

She had to be at least five-foot-ten with a slim body. The smart, tailored black suit she was wearing just made her skin seem that much whiter. She had a red, open-necked blouse under the jacket, and the cuffs showed slightly beyond the jacket's sleeves. This drew his attention to her hands, which were gracefully slim, with long fingers and lovely nails matching the color of her lips.

He swallowed as she looked back at him. She seemed equally nervous, so he forced a smile onto his lips. "Hello."

"Hello," she replied quietly.

"I'm Stanley."

"Michelle."

"I just moved in not that long ago. You're the first neighbor on this floor I've met.

"I work nights. I should be going, or I'll be late." She nodded with a small smile and made her way to the elevator. Stanley joined her in waiting. They stepped inside, where she pressed the ground floor button, and he pressed four. She glanced at him, then down at the bag of wine.

He smiled. "I'm going to a friend's party."

Her eyes went wide as she looked at the number again. He realized there were probably few people from odd-numbered floors interacting with the tenants of the even-numbered floors. He sighed.

"Yeah, but they're good people," he said, and she looked closer at him in surprise.

The elevator stopped, and he stepped off. "Have a good night!" he said back to her, and she nodded to him as the door closed.

He hoped he hadn't offended his first neighbor.

Walking to Sandy's door, he glanced at his phone. He was a minute early. He stopped outside the door and fidgeted.

The door suddenly opened and Sandy was standing there with a surprised look on her face. "Oh! Hi, Stanley!" She glanced down the hall.

"Hi, Sandy!" he said. "You look very nice!"

She blushed and twirled her sun dress for him a little, and they both grinned. "Come in!" she said.

He followed her in and pulled the DVD from the bag. "I got the movie."

"Ooo! It's one of my favorites!" Sandy gushed.

He held the bag out. "I brought more of that nice wine, too. I chilled it."

"Thank you, Stanley. Come have a seat."

They walked into the living room and sat next to each other on the couch.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked gently.

"Much better, thank you! I just stayed inside and worked on debugging a program for work, and that was really relaxing," he said with a smile, and she giggled. "What?"

She held up her hands and shook her head with a smile. "If that's what relaxes you, good for you!"

The doorbell rang, and Sandy jumped to her feet and went to answer it.

Stanley got up as well and carried the bag of wine into the kitchen. He touched the bottles and wondered if they could use a little more time in the fridge.

He set the bag on the counter and heard a noise behind him. He turned to see a stranger dressed in a tan coat.

"AHHHH!" Stanley yelled and threw himself back against the far counter.

The stranger also jumped in fright. "FUCKIN HELL! GEEZUS, you fuckin' scared me! I almost dropped this!"

Stanley's heart pounded as he stared wide-eyed at the courier holding a crate against his chest.

"It's fuckin' heavy! Where am I putting it?" the man growled.

Sandy came around the corner to give Stanley a concerned look, then spoke to the courier. "Just put it on the counter there. Thank you."

The man set the heavy box on the counter, and with a final glare at Stanley, he left.

As Sandy went to lock up, Stanley turned to the sink and washed his hands. It gave him a chance to still their shaking.

"Stanley, are you all right?" Sandy said gently from the entrance to the small kitchen.

"I-I guess I'm not as all right as I thought," he said, facing the sink.

The phone rang, and Sandy answered it, keeping her eyes on him. "Hello?... okay, I'll buzz you in."

She looked back at Stanley. "The gangs arrived. Most of them, anyway. Vanna and Gary went upstate this weekend for a little couple's getaway."

"They're together?" Stanley asked, struggling to get back to a calm state.

Sandy smiled. "Yes, they've been kind of courting for a few years. They only recently decided to see if they could be a couple."

"That's nice," Stanley said with a smile.

The doorbell rang, and Sandy went to open it. Stanley heard the happy voices of Tish, Dayshia, and Roger, of course.

"We bringa da fooda!" Roger boomed in a terrible Italian accent.

They came around the corner and smiled at Stanley.

"Stanley! My man! Looking sharp!" Roger said cheerfully and loudly. He had two large insulated bags in his hands, which he carried in and put on the counter.

"Thanks," Stanley replied with a smile. "Something smells delicious!"

"Itsa spaghetti ala bolognaise anda garlica breada!"

"Someone, please stop him... or hit him. Either is fine," Tish groaned as she walked into the kitchen with two more bags. The small kitchen had reached capacity with three people, so Stanley eased out to move to the living room, where Sandy was speaking quietly with Dayshia.

"We have sorbetto for dessert!" Roger cheered, and Stanley grinned back at the man's enthusiasm.

He turned back and found his face planted in Dayshia's ample bosom as she gave him a firm hug.

He blinked in surprise, and his face flushed in embarrassment when she finally released him. "What— what was that for?" he asked, flustered.

"We're just concerned about you," Sandy said.

"Is someone going to address the elephant in the room?" Roger asked when he wandered into the living room with a serious expression.

Stanley looked at him with trepidation.

Everyone else just waited.

"What's in the BOX!?!" Roger whined, pointing at the crate.

It was Sandy's turn to blush. "Never you mind. That's just for me. I'll open it later."

Roger moaned in frustration while Tish and Dayshia looked intrigued.

Sandy waved her hands dismissively. "Let's just get dinner served before it gets cold."

Stanley was quite content to let Sandy keep her secret as he had one of his own that he could never share.

They got plates and served the spaghetti with a rich meat sauce. The garlic bread was hot and buttery, and they went quiet for a while.

Stanley brought the wine from the kitchen, and Tish cheered when she saw he'd brought more of the delicious red. A bottle was opened, and they all had a glass. He thought it went really well with the bolognese sauce. They consumed two of the bottles before they finished dinner.

The sorbetto was a cold, sweet, and delicious way to end the meal.

Once they felt stuffed, they all took their customary positions in front of the set and sipped at another glass of wine from the third and final bottle while Sandy got the movie playing.

Then, it was all Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. In his tipsy state, Stanley was mesmerized and completely taken with the story. By the end, a few tears rolled down his cheeks unnoticed by him, but Sandy and Dayshia, cuddled in on either side of him, watched with a smile.

When the credits rolled, Stanley looked to the others in awe. "What a lovely story!" he gasped.

Smiles were beamed at him, and Roger popped to his feet as he glanced at his watch.

"I hate to eat, watch a movie, and run, but I told some buddies I'd meet them for last call at a pub in my hood, so I have to skedaddle! Sandy, as usual, I had a lovely time... even though you never opened the crate. You still have time! I'll even help!"

"Goodnight, Roger!" Sandy said firmly.

"Fine! See if I ever disclose any secrets to you again!" he grumped.

"Is that a promise?" Sandy replied with a grin and got the tall man's dramatic look of anguish. Sandy got up and gave Roger a hug as she followed him to the door. He waved goodbye to the others and was gone.

When Sandy returned to the living room, Dayshia and Tish were standing next to the crate.

"You're not going to keep it a secret from us, are you?" Dayshia said with a grin.

Sandy's face flushed pink as she glanced over at Stanley, looking up at them from the couch.

Pitching her voice low, she leaned towards her two girlfriends. "It's about that recurring s-e-x dream I mentioned," she whispered.

"Oh my god! Now I have to see it!" Dayshia gasped, oblivious to Sandy's embarrassment.

Tish's eyes were twinkling with excitement as well. Sandy tilted her head towards the living room, and Dayshia snorted dismissively. "He doesn't know the context. To him, it'll just be art!"

"Should I leave?" Stanley said, picking up Sandy's embarrassment but not knowing the cause.

"NO! I mean, no, it's fine. It's just a sculpture I saw online and ordered. It caught my fancy," she said hurriedly.

Dayshia snorted as she'd heard about the dreams and knew it had caught her friend's fancy in a big way. She was dying to see this dream in three dimensions. She rushed into the kitchen and looked in the bottom drawer to get the screwdriver and a small hammer Sandy used to hang pictures. She held the tools up to Sandy.

"Fine!" Sandy said in exasperation, taking the tools from her grinning friend's hands.

They braced the crate as she pried open one side of the box.

Stanley was standing, watching the front of the crate slowly open as he sipped the remains of his wine. He was feeling a pleasant buzz and smiled at the excitement on their faces. The side panel suddenly fell away, and packing peanuts poured out of the box.

Standing inside was a two-foot-tall replica of Stanley... in Satyr form.

Stanley's last swallow went down the wrong pipe, then up his nose as he gasped and went into a coughing fit. Tish immediately came to his aid with some napkins and guided him to the washroom. He went inside and closed the door. He did his best to clear the wine from his lungs and nose and got his breathing under control. After a quick check, he saw he'd managed to miss getting wine on his clothes.

He looked at his bleary eyes in the mirror and pulled his shoulders back. Showtime.

Exiting the bathroom, he saw three different expressions from the three women. Tish just smiled as she looked amused. Dayshia's expression was thoughtful, as if she was trying to determine why he'd reacted as he had.

It was Sandy's expression that gave him pause. She looked... hurt. Defensive. He wasn't sure where that was coming from.

"My apologies, I swallowed the wine down the ol' windpipe," he said apologetically. He walked back to the open side of the crate and saw they'd brushed away the rest of the packing material. The statue was fully on display, including the oversized penis in full erection.

"What is it?" he asked, as it seemed like a safe way to start.

"It's a Faun," Sandy said, still a little defensive.

"Satyr?" Stanley blurted, unconsciously correcting her, then bit his tongue.

"Two names for the same thing, I think. One's Greek, and one's from the Romans," Tish replied as she admired the sculpture.

Stanley made a show of looking around at the other art in the room. "I didn't know you were interested in ancient myths?" he said with a voice he was sure sounded wobbly and thin. Thankfully, they either didn't notice or put it down to his earlier coughing fit as they all turned their eyes back to the sculpture.

"I think it's lovely!" Tish said.

"He's very... excited," Dayshia grinned.

Sandy looked unhappy or dissatisfied. "It's not... right."

"Oversized for sure," Dayshia agreed.

Stanley was looking at the sculpture, and the hair on the back of his neck was rising. He was seeing where the artist got it right... and wrong. It was a little mesmerizing.

"No, the horns. The sculptor got them wrong. They shouldn't be short and pointy like that. They should be like... like..." Sandy struggled.

"Ram horns," Stanley muttered in a daze, and three sets of eyes turned to lock on him.

Sandy took three quick steps and grabbed his arms as her eyes searched his. "YES! Yes, that's it! Have you seen it, too?"

Stanley blinked at her, cursing inwardly. "Seen it? It's a myth! They don't really exist!" he babbled.

"I know that! I know! I mean, where did you see a faun with the ram horns? I've been seeing him in my dreams almost every night for over a week! I need to know where I saw him originally!" she gasped as she clung to him fiercely.

"I-I don't—I can't recall," he stammered under her intense stare.

Her frustration boiled up, and she growled as she spun quickly to stare at the statue. Her long hair swung up and hovered like a slow-motion blonde cloud. Tish and Dayshia stared wide-eyed as the nimbus floated behind their friend's head. Wanting to hide its odd behavior, Stanley instinctively reached his right hand deep into the mass of rising hair as her friends yelped and grabbed his arms to stop him from touching what must be a huge static charge.

Instead of a snap, crackle, pop, or any other violent effect, the hair quickly coiled itself around his arm. A wave of delicious sparks shot up his arm and chased through every nerve. His head snapped back, his eyes closed, and his mouth dropped open as his face flushed.

Facing away, Sandy sucked in a quick breath and moaned as intense tingles cascaded from her scalp down through her body right to her toes. The image of the Satyr from her memory surged into her mind, and she gasped as she could almost feel his breath on her neck.

Tish and Dayshia were caught in the feedback from Stanley, and both felt their bodies flash through an exquisite bliss.

Sated, Sandy's hair relaxed and slid away from Stanley's arm, breaking the connection.

"Oh... oh my... god! What was that?" Tish sighed happily as the residual tingles faded slowly. She dropped her grip on Stanley's arm and rubbed at her tingling nose.

Dayshia pulled her hand back quickly from his other arm and looked back and forth between Sandy and Stanley in confusion. An image had flashed in her mind, and she was having trouble figuring out where it came from. She turned her head to examine the statue once more. She froze when she realized how much it didn't match the picture in her mind. She saw the essential wrongness of it.

Stanley was wobbling on his feet. He rubbed at his face with his hands, then looked down to see he was tenting his pants badly. Glancing at the others and catching Dayshia's troubled look, he discreetly lowered his hands to cover himself.

"You felt that too, Stanley?" Tish purred. She'd seen the evidence.

Sandy turned to face him and saw his cheeks had gone bright pink.

"I-I think I'll head home now. I had a lovely time tonight," he said with a rough voice.

"Are you sure you can't stay a little longer?" Sandy asked and bit her lip.

The sight of that went straight to Stanley's cock so he shook his head and eased around the three women. They followed him to the door. When he turned to say goodnight, Tish stepped closer, took his face between her hands, and kissed him. She was a great kisser. She released him, and he had to brace himself against the wall.

"Good night, Stanley," Tish said sweetly, and he nodded in a daze.

Dayshia's kiss caught him completely by surprise as it was so quick and intense then she was disappearing down the hall to the living room. He turned back to the door and into a deep and sensual kiss from Sandy. God! She felt and tasted amazing!

As the kiss parted, a lock of her hair reached forward to stroke across his lips. Sandy didn't even appear aware of this as she looked him in the eye with a smile.

Then she stepped back, closing the door, and he was out in the hall. He walked to the elevator and took it up to his floor. He let himself in and locked up. He had to lean back against the door to catch his breath.

He wasn't sure what had just happened... but his body appreciated it. He stripped off his clothes and got ready for bed.

But sleep wasn't quick to claim him tonight.

-=-

Back in Sandy's condo, the three women were busy grinning at each other.

"He's a pretty good kisser! A little gentle for my tastes," Tish sighed.

Something about that comment triggered a recollection for Dayshia. She looked at the statue again. "Three fingers."

Sandy's head whipped around to stare at her friend. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"Bigger muscles. Much bigger," Tish sighed, looking at the art piece too, now.

Sandy stared at her as well. "Long brown hair," she said quietly, and her friends nodded, Tish with a dreamy smile and Dayshia with wide troubled eyes.

"And an absolutely monstrous cock!" Tish giggled.

Dayshia had reached her limit. "How the hell are we all seeing the same image? I know I've never seen this... Satyr... Faun... thing before in my life! Yet now it's front and center in my mind!"

"What happened?" Sandy asked.

Dayshia shook her head. "Your crazy hair got all charged up, and Stanley put his hand right into it! I grabbed his arm—"

"I grabbed the other one!" Tish blurted with a grin.

"Next thing I knew, I was... feeling... really good!"

"Me too!" Tish sighed.

"I felt incredible! My whole body did!" Sandy sighed. "Stanley put his hand into my hair?" she asked quietly.

Tish had a sexy smile as she recalled Stanley's reaction. "I think it felt really good for him too!"

"That's when I saw the... Faun!" Dayshia asserted.

"That's when I was remembering it!" Sandy said with wide eyes.

Dayshia blinked at her friend. "No... no, that's not possible," she said as she shook her head.

"Hey! Crazy shit happens!" Tish said with a shrug. "Maybe something about that static charge let us synchronize our minds for a second. That's all the time it would take to share an image." She raised her hands. "I'm not saying that's what did happen. I'm just suggesting that maybe it could have happened that way."

"I don't believe in telepathy or any of that other mystical shit!" Dayshia growled.

Tish held up her hands in surrender but smiled. "I'm just offering a potential explanation."

"There has to be a more reasonable answer," Dayshia insisted.

"Come on, let's head out. On the way, we'll try to come up with answers your silly, rational mind will accept," Tish said with a grin. She hugged Sandy, as did Dayshia, and they headed home.

Sandy tidied up the packing peanuts and realized she'd be returning the sculpture. The differences between it and the image of the Faun in her memory were too annoying to let her keep it.

She'd send it back in the morning.

As she prepared for bed, she thought about that amazing feeling she'd experienced when Stanley touched her hair. A new wave of tingles, gentle this time, trickled from her scalp to her toes as she smiled and hugged herself. She twirled a lock of her hair around a finger as she laid back on her pillow. She had warm thoughts of Stanley as she recalled their kiss tonight. He seemed pretty tipsy. She wondered if he'd remember in the morning. She doubted she'd ever forget. Tish was right. He was a good kisser!

Chapter 27

Detective Harmon scowled at the polished concrete floors. He'd spent all of his Saturday trying to get an address for this business and then most of his Sunday trying to reach the super of the building to get him inside when he discovered the business seemed to be shut down.

"Geezus! I wish my place was this fucking clean!" Morris growled.

The building super looked between the two angry detectives. "Is there a problem with how clean it is? The previous tenant moved out and removed the leasehold improvements they made as per their leasing agreement."

"Do they normally scrub and polish the concrete?" Morris asked.

"No... never."

"When did Ulysses Global Investments close up shop?" Harmon asked him.

"I don't know. Maybe... ten days ago? I got a message from the owner saying he was breaking the lease. A few days later, I came by and found it like this. I wish all tenants were this good about cleaning up when they left," the super said.

"Do you have an address for the owner?" Harmon sighed.

"Mr. Ulysses? No. The only address I had bounced his mail back to me. I always contacted him here, but his checks always cleared at the bank," the man responded.

"Geezus, the guy's name is Ulysses? Sounds like a tool." Morris grumbled.

"Are all the floors like this?" Harmon asked.

"The company only used the ground floor, the second floor, and the top floor, though they rented the whole building," the super explained. "The other floors are as clean. Like I said, a good tenant."

"Shit." Harmon sighed. Another dead end. He wanted to go back to speak to their witness. See if the name Ulysses rang any bells with him. If that didn't work, maybe he'd let Morris get the truth from the little guy.

He sighed as he knew he wouldn't do that but was starting to taste the rot in this case. It was turning his gut. This scrubbed-clean building set his instincts off. They were telling him that, like the original scene of the kidnapping, someone died here.

Someone was keeping secrets. Harmon wondered exactly how much Mr. Garin knew.

Chapter 28

Stanley relaxed back against his sofa after handing Marisa a cup of tea. She'd brought him some dinner, and they'd enjoyed the meal.

He'd brought her up to speed on the events of Sandy's party, omitting the kissing, and she was wearing a concerned look on her face.

"The magic isn't fading," she murmured quietly.

"What happens if she draws attention to the fact that her hair actually does have a mind of its own?" Stanley asked.

Marisa's face showed her worry quite plainly, so he inferred something bad might befall his friend to silence her.

"Shit! How do I warn her to keep it quiet without giving anything away or making her want to know more? This is my fault!" Stanley exclaimed.

"It's more my fault than yours, Stanley," Marisa said sadly.

"Then what are we going to do about it!" he asked.

"There isn't anything we can do about it. We aren't magic wielders. We can't take the magic away. Saying anything to her is just going to make matters worse for her. If she appears on the Hidden Races Council's radar as a problem... steps will be taken."

"If we're not wielders, maybe we could ask a wielder to nullify the effect on her hair for us!" he said excitedly.

"Who? Walter? You must have picked up on how he feels about Humans. The Fae? Not fans of Humanity either. Their solutions would involve violence of some kind," she sighed.

"What about Baba? I could ask her!" he blurted.

Marisa gave him a sad smile. "Do you really believe she would make this kind of effort for a Human? How do you think she feels about Humanity?"

Stanley recalled her expression when she told him his parents had been murdered by humans. She'd been testing him, but he didn't know for what.

"She's human—"

"Maybe... once. A very long time ago. I don't believe she holds any connection to the race anymore," Marisa said softly.

Stanley surged to his feet in frustration. He needed to do something!

Marisa leaned forward to catch his eye. "There's also the matter that the magic which... changed Sandy isn't the old magic. It's stronger. Feeling my connection to it, I can feel how weak the old magic has become. I doubt the current wielders could do anything to suppress or control it. Their solutions, again, would be more permanent."

"Fuck! I hate all this secrecy!" he barked.

"You understand its importance, though, right?" she asked cautiously.

He sagged back to the couch. "Yes," he said in defeat. He was just one man. What could he do?

There was a loud knock on the door. Marisa shared a look with Stanley. He rose to his feet. Marisa joined him as they walked to the door.

"I'm not expecting anyone," Stanley said quietly.

He reached the door and looked through the peephole.

"It's the detectives!" Stanley said as he pulled the door open. The two men were not smiling.

"Mr. Garin. We have some additional questions," one said as his partner was openly checking Marisa out. Stanley bristled until he felt her hand on his shoulder.

"Come in, officers," she said, gently pulling Stanley back to the living room.

They closed the door and followed them in.

"And you are?"

Stanley recalled this one was Detective Harmon.

"I'm Marisa Villamor."

The detectives' eyes locked on her. "Villamor of VRL's Villamor?"

"My aunt, Camila Villamor, is the CEO. I'm Stanley's Executive Assistant," she said with a smile.

The other detective snorted, and Stanley gave him a frown.

"We went to the address you gave us, Mr. Garin, but the site had been professionally cleaned. There was also already a crew repairing the damage. Paid for by Ulysses Global Investments." The detective was watching Stanley's reaction

"You seem to know that name, Executive Ass-istant Villamor," Detective Morris said with a greasy smile.

She threw him a bored look and turned to the other detective to answer. "They're a competitor of VRL. I believe my aunt knew the president."

"Used to be a competitor. Closed up shop. No forwarding address." Harmon said with a scowl.

Marisa didn't have to fake her surprise, and Detective Harmon frowned as another lead seemed to be going cold.

"Any idea why this tool Ulysses would want to kidnap little ol' Stanley here?" Morris asked Marisa.

The detective was getting under Stanley's skin. He scowled at Morris. "Why don't you go ask him?"

"We tried. His office was cleaned out, right down to the cement floors, and even those were scrubbed and polished. Anything you'd like to tell us about that," Morris growled at Stanley in return.

Stanley just shook his head in confusion at the man. "What the hell would I know?"

"I'm not buying this bullshit about the floor just falling in so you could miraculously escape! I wanna know what really happened in that basement! What secrets are you hiding in that big brain of yours?" Morris yelled, getting right up in Stanley's face.

Heart pounding and blood roaring in his ears as he flashed back to Leaharin's rape, Stanley froze as he felt himself touching his ring with teeth bared in a snarl. He saw Marisa's wide, frightened eyes and slowly pulled his hands apart as he allowed his face to relax. He glanced towards Detective Harmon, who was watching him closely, with confusion in his eyes and tension evident in his stance.

Taking slow, deep breaths, Stanley turned from Detective Morris and sat on the sofa.

"I think it's time you both left. If you have any additional questions, please contact my lawyer, Walter Zhou. Good evening, gentlemen," Stanley said stiffly as tremors ran through his muscles.

Morris looked like he wanted to continue, but Harmon touched the back of his arm to move him towards the door.

Marisa locked up behind them, then rushed back to Stanley's side.

"Oh my god, Stanley! I thought you were going to kill him!" she said quietly. She hugged him as he struggled to get his equilibrium back.

-=-

As they walked out the front door of the building, Detective Morris rolled his stiff neck muscles. He had a lot of unspent adrenaline. He would have liked to beat the little punk down, then taken his assistant's sweet ass for a ride... if Harmon hadn't been there. He snorted in frustration and looked at the other man to catch a strange expression on his face.

"What?"

"Why do you have to play the bad cop so well?" Harmon sighed.

"Who says I was playin'?" Morris grinned. He liked pulling the man's chain and dancing on danger's edge. He missed Harmon's grimace.

Detective Harmon glanced back at the building. He knew Stanley Garin was a small man, not a big bruiser like Morris. But he couldn't shake the impression he'd been a split second away from seeing his partner's death.

Chapter 29

"It was a fascinating read."

The two representatives of the Fae council glared at Walter across the expansive surface of the oak desk in the lawyer's study. Upon its surface lay the leather-bound journal once owned by Leaharin. Next to it was the tablet PC.

"Are we to believe you have reviewed the encrypted contents of a private journal of the Queen's Inquisitor?" the Fae, who'd introduced himself as Ikehorn, said quietly.

"This act alone has sealed your fate," the other Fae, Kelshard, growled.

"Oh, please. The encryption was child's play to one such as myself. As for my fate, I haven't invested in a life this long to take needless risks now. No, we have too much to gain by our mutual cooperation to consider my little trespass to be of any concern to either of us," Walter chuckled.

"What could one such as yourself have to offer the Fae?" Ikehorn said in disdain to the old man across the desk.

Walter smiled. "A means to extinguish the pestilence of Humanity once and for all."

The Fae's expressions froze.

"I thought that might catch your attention. Leaharin was very troubled by the damage Humans are causing the world and the effects this is having on our link to the realm of magic, the source of our power. The plans he outlined in his journal have potential but lack a decisiveness that would guarantee their elimination. They breed like vermin. It is necessary to expunge them all in one act."

"There are billions of them. How could that many be... expunged, as you say, without damaging the very environment we must preserve?" Ikehorn asked.

"That's where our cooperation comes in," Walter smiled wickedly. "For decades, the Fae have been maintaining and priming a spell that currently encompasses the planet. In itself, it has great range, but there is no payload. It achieves nothing. I can supply the payload that will act decisively to eliminate all Humans within the focal area of this spell. Every Human on the planet. Gone."

Ikehorn was disturbed that the Dragon was even aware of the spell, but his partner leaned forward in interest. "We're listening," Kelshard smiled.

"That's good, but I'm done talking to lowly underlings such as yourself. For the rest, I'll only speak to the Queen." Walter leaned back with a satisfied smile.

The Fae's expressions immediately went back to scowls.

"The Queen does not entertain idle boasts. What proof do we have of this payload?" Ikehorn sneered.

"Let's just say the Queen's current object of desire is integral to the payload's delivery," Walter offered.

"The Satyr?" Kelshard blurted.

Walter nodded slowly.

The Fae shared a troubled glance then Ikehorn pulled out his cell. Glancing at the old man across from him, he dialed and waited. He murmured into the phone when it connected, and moments later, he placed it face up on the desk.

A circular disc of light formed above the cell roughly three feet in diameter. When the light focused, Walter was facing Queen Mab.

"Greetings, your Majesty. I am Walter Zhou," he said in introduction.

The Queen did not look happy. She was not used to being denied and did not like it. Being unable to get possession of the Satyr had put her into a terrible mood. Before her was one of the people obstructing her. "Why am I speaking to the legal representative who is denying me what is rightfully mine before the scheduled meeting?" she said sharply. Ikehorn and Kelshard twitched.

"I asked to speak with you to discuss a matter that concerns us both greatly and how our cooperating will greatly benefit us both."

"Indeed. What matter causes us both great concern?" she asked, holding his eyes with hers.

"The extinguishing of our link to the realm of magic." This was a title he'd read in Leaharin's journal.

Now, he had her attention. "You've read my Leaharin's journal." Death was hinted at in her tone.

"The issue was already known to me. I have watched the state of our connection to the realm diminish for centuries. The journal's reference was merely a confirmation from an outside source," Walter said calmly.

She was quiet for a moment. "And this cooperation. How would it benefit us both?"

Walter smiled. "By eliminating the cause. Completely. Once... and for all."

"The Humans. You propose a means to eliminate Humanity?" she said in an amused tone, but there was no amusement in her eyes. "I have heard such suggestions before, and none have proven to be more than empty boasts. No one has enough power to do such a thing. Except the Humans themselves, of course. But they'd take the rest of us with them." Her expression turned bitter.

Walter leaned forward and lost his smile as well. "You are correct. Alone, no one has the power to launch such a powerful spell, but together, it can be done."

"Together?" she snorted delicately. "Since when are Dragons team players?" Mab said, raising one exquisite eyebrow in question.

"Indeed, we are solitary beings. However, like the Fae, Dragons are wielders. We, too, are dependent on access to the realm of magic. The boundaries between here and there are closing to protect the other side from the rot Humanity has polluted this world with. We would both benefit from eradicating the cause. Reversing the damage can only begin when the source is dealt with."

The Queen was silent for a time as she pondered the being before her.

"What would our part be in this... plan," she asked carefully.

"Access to the Fae's global overlay spell," Walter stated.

Her eyes flared for a moment when he mentioned the spell. It was one of their greatest secrets. The Dragon knew too much, but she wasn't sure if he knew its role in holding back the disease her people suffered from. She could not allow the spell to be harmed.

Walter continued as if unaware of her sudden reaction. "The Fae spell has the benefit of encompassing the globe, making it the perfect vector for a payload I am uniquely qualified to create and deliver."

"This spell cannot be altered. It will not be disabled," she said with finality.

"Neither is required. It needs to continue exactly as it is. Undisturbed and spanning the planet. My payload would merely use its focus as a location vector to isolate its targets. The payload draws no energy from the overlay."

"This... payload. How can you know it will work?" Mab asked.

"The means for our deliverance was introduced to me just the other day. You've met him too, I understand. A creature from long ago. Last of his kind."

"The Satyr!"

"Yes. What you may not be aware of is his origin. A certain Slavic witch saved him as an infant from death during the ancient purge and raised him in the present day as a Human. How she pulled him from that time to the present is still unknown. However, she used a very special method of disguising him. It worked so well, even he was unaware of his true nature."

Fae glamor spells worked outwards, so the subject remained aware of their true shape and dimensions. To be unaware of yourself was something the Fae had difficulty conceiving. Queen Mab included, it seemed, as she frowned at him.

"I will not explain how it works. The witch obtained the ability to disguise him at the cost of one of my kind. This is a debt I will see her repay."

"Now I know you are boasting. She is too powerful for you to kill," the Queen smiled.

"I won't harm a hair on her head... but I'll still have revenge for the life she took." He waved his hands and frowned dismissively. "But that is secondary to the main goal of ridding ourselves of the Humans. The witch made a fatal error when she took the ability from my kin to hide her pet Satyr. Because of her hubris, she's given me the means to destroy Humanity. With your help, of course."

"You still haven't offered any proof that you can deliver what you say you can," the Queen said with a frown, but he saw she was intrigued.

"You are aware of Sympathetic magic?" he said to her.

She tilted her head at him with a frown, indicating she wasn't impressed with his stupid question.

He nodded in apology. "I'm a master of its use. I'm also the only one who can link a spell to the means the young Satyr uses to disguise himself. He is the perfect weapon to use against the Humans."

Queen Mab was leaping ahead with her understanding of what he was suggesting. "You intend to kill the Satyr when he uses his method of disguising himself as a Human? How could this possibly be used in Sympathetic Magic? He's a Satyr."

"He isn't disguised as a Human. He becomes one."

Queen Mab stared at the old man smiling back at her.

"It's not a disguise," she muttered in shock.

"No, it's not."

"If you design the spell to kill him as a symbol of Humanity, you expect this to target every other Human within the focus area of the spell," she said, working it out in her mind.

"A focus area defined by your existing globe-spanning spell. That's the critical element. My payload spell must have access to your spell. It must be integrated sufficiently to use its range. Otherwise, we just kill a unique creature for no value at all."

"That is a concern of mine as well. He is one of my subjects. He is unique, and I want him. Giving him up is only conceivable if what you promise is actually possible and you can truly make it happen. Only under that singular circumstance would the loss of this precious specimen be regrettable but acceptable. Rebuilding our world to a state before Humans poisoned it... is far more desirable," she said.

"It is possible, and I can make it happen. I'm the only one who can," Walter said.

"You'll understand my concern considering the fact that you are currently betraying your client. The being you are legally obligated to protect. Oaths were taken to that effect, were they not?" Mab said with another raised eyebrow.

Walter scowled. "Stanley Garin has no legal standing in the current society of the Hidden Races. When disguised, he is fully Human and would fall under the legal protection of the Human court system. When in his true state, he is not from this time, as Satyrs are not mentioned in the accords. He is, as you say, yours... based on ancient precedent. My legal responsibility is transferred to his representative... you."

"Spoken like a true lawyer," Mab said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes, but Walter nodded as if accepting praise just the same.

Queen Mab considered the old man before her and then made a decision. "I will speak to my people to determine if we can provide access to only the focus component of the overlay spell. If they say this is possible, I will grant you access to it. When will you be ready?"

"Our best and maybe only opportunity will be during today's meeting. I can produce the payload in time. Could your people be ready?" he asked.

Her eyes flared with anger. "You set too tight a deadline!"

"I will contact all parties and state I need more time to review the precedents in the ancient laws. I will ask to postpone until the evening. That is the best I can do," Walter offered.

Queen Mab nodded, still frowning.

"I will send the request for rescheduling momentarily. To avoid suspicion, do not respond until an hour before the scheduled time," he suggested.

She nodded stiffly. "Agreed. Until this evening." The disc of light flashed to darkness.

Ikehorn retrieved his cell. "What will happen to the Humans? Are we going to be left with billions of rotting corpses?" His partner, Kelshard, grimaced at the concept.

"Not at all. They will simply flash out of existence," Walter said with a smile.

"All of them? At once?" Kelshard asked, failing to hide the awe in his voice.

Walter nodded. "Now, I have important work to do, so if you don't mind." He shoved the journal and tablet PC across the desk towards the Fae.

The Fae scowled but got to their feet, picked up Leaharin's items, and left the house.

Walter locked up behind them and set his wards. The home hummed quietly as the protection spells activated. Nothing was getting in now.

He made his way down to the cavern in the basement and willed his body to expand back to his Dragon form in relief. Space unfolded, and he stretched open his wings. The tips brushed the walls. He allowed himself a moment of excited anticipation at the thought of being able to fly in the open skies again. Stealing his freedom to fly as he pleased was the cruelest crime Humanity was guilty of, in his opinion.

He went to his office, narrated a note requesting the postponement, and sent it to all parties in the scheduled meeting. That sent away, he moved to the center of the cavern to begin his preparations for building his spell. He had to be precise as this one would be his best work ever.

He smiled as he thought of thanking Stanley for making this possible. His delivery of the reliquary would give Walter the strength to create such a powerful spell.

He plucked the ancient device from the silver tray and touched the runes on it in sequence. There was a click, and the tiny apertures on the side of the device opened. Resting these against his skin, he felt a prickly sensation as the matter within almost touched him. The reliquary didn't allow for actual contact as that would destroy the contents. Just being this close to the physical manifestation of the other side was enough to focus his connection to the realm. He could feel it like a cool spring breeze whispering across his wings, and his eyes glowed brightly as the energy seeped into his bones.

He remembered when he always felt like this when he was much younger. Before the Humans began to outstrip the resources of their habitat and befoul the air, land, and sea. It was time they were stopped.

With the newfound clarity and strength, he focused his mind on the task at hand. He had a spell to craft to set things right.

Thanks to Stanley.

Chapter 30

Monday morning found Stanley standing in the new server room listening to the happy hum of the servers and switches. The new firewall was protecting them from the baddies out in the world. The new backup system was protecting their investment in their data. The network served this data to the workstations at speeds never before seen in this company's history. The users were happy and productive... well, their computers weren't holding them back. Stanley could attest to that, at least.

He'd done what he promised to do. VRL's technical debt was a thing of the past.

Maintenance of the hardware and systems he'd installed would take some of his time as he needed to keep on top of the latest threats and advancements.

Now, he was focusing on the custom software VRL used for trend analysis and asset account management. While code spelunking in the software for Mr. Constantin, he found areas that needed improvement, so he would approach Camila about spending time on that.

He left the server room and walked back to his office. Marisa looked up from her desk as he entered, and she gave him a smile.

"Finished admiring your handiwork?" she said with a grin.

He answered her smile with one of his own. "Yes. It's a good system. I'm happy with it." An unwelcome thought came to his mind and dimmed his smile. She picked up on his mood change immediately.

"What's wrong?"

He sighed as the thought wouldn't leave his head. "If... if I have to go with them—" He held up a hand to stop her protest. "I've written instructions for maintaining the backups and the other systems. The firewall is custom, so I don't have docs for that. Safer that way. It can be replaced with any standard firewall hardware if necessary." He rubbed his hands together nervously.

Marisa got up from her chair and walked around her desk to give Stanley a hug. "It won't come to that. Mr. Zhou said he has a line on protecting you from them."

They heard a knock on the doorjamb and looked over to see Siobhan standing there with a little smile on her lips.

"Any chance I could get in on that hug?" she said.

Stanley smiled at her, and she rushed over to wrap her arms around him and squeeze.

"I just came by to do this and to say good luck this afternoon," she said after she pulled back from him.

"It's been moved to tonight," Marisa said with a pout.

"Oh! How are you feeling about that?" she asked Stanley with concern.

"Mixed feelings. It feels like a reprieve, but it also prolongs the anxiety," he said quietly.

They froze in surprise when Mr. Duncan walked past the door with Detectives Harmon and Morris on their way to Camila's office.

Stanley and Marisa shared a worried look.

"Who were those two?" Siobhan asked.

"Detectives investigating my abduction last Friday," Stanley said absentmindedly.

Siobhan shared a wide-eyed look with Marisa, who shook her head to discourage further questioning at this time. Instead, she leaned forward and kissed Stanley's cheek, surprising him.

"That's for luck!" Siobhan said and headed out with a smile at the two.

"Thanks, Siobhan!" Stanley said as she slipped out the door.

He went back to worrying, and Marisa did as well. She hoped her conversation with her mother last night would help her mother deal with the two detectives.

-=-

Camila rose from her desk to walk around it to shake the hands of the two men. Stepping out into the waiting room, Mr. Duncan closed the door behind himself after giving her a quick look.

From their scent, touch, and looking deeply into their eyes, she determined Detective Harmon was intelligent, stable, and healthy. At the same time, his partner was a borderline psychopath with liver disease and a bad cocaine addiction. She gestured to the chairs before her desk and walked back to hers. She felt their eyes on her ass, but Harmon looked away while Morris struggled not to act on his impulse.

Once seated, she leaned forward slightly to trap their eyes in her cleavage and launched her first question.

"Gentlemen, how may VRL be of assistance to you today?"

Harmon cleared his throat and began. "We're investigating the abduction attempt on one of your employees, Stanley Garin." He watched her reaction closely, and all the physical cues he'd been expecting were present. She was worried about her employee, frightened that the abduction had even happened, and relieved that he'd gotten away safe and sound.

"During our investigation, we discovered the scene of the crime had been cleaned professionally and was being repaired. These repairs were paid for nominally by a company you are acquainted with, according to your niece. Ulysses Global Investments."

Camila frowned. "They went out of business weeks ago. I find it unlikely that they could be involved in this."

"You were aware of the company's dissolution?" Harmon asked.

Camila was aware that Morris was staring at her tits rather blatantly. As this kept him occupied, she ignored him, aside from pulling her shoulders back slightly to expose a little more of her chest. "Yes, and it came as no surprise. Ulysses is a terrible businessman."

"Why-why would he try to abduct Stanley?" Morris blurted, shifting on the chair to give his erection room in his pants.

Camila looked at the Detective in surprise. "You have evidence of Ulysses' involvement in the actual kidnapping?"

From the scowl on Morris' face Camila knew the answer was no.

"I didn't think so. There probably isn't any. He's not that bright. Of course, the kidnapping failed, so that's very much his style," she said, shaking her head.

"That seems like a rather personal observation," Harmon noted.

"Yes, well... I had a brief relationship with the man before I realized how useless he was. It was a long time ago. The only reason he started his little investment firm was to try to show me how wrong I was to dump him. Once more, he failed."

She could tell Detective Morris was becoming agitated by her ball-busting. So, he was likely a misogynist, too. Wasn't he a delight! She ran a finger down the side of her neck and saw Detective Morris watching the fingertip descend. She could tell he was ripe for cracking at any moment.

After speaking with Marisa, Camila and Mr. Duncan met at Sigrid's last night to discuss why the Fae had chosen to implicate Ulysses in the crime. The only reason they could come up with was to focus attention back on VRL. They were breaking another Hidden Races rule. When dealing with the Human legal process, never implicate another member of the Hidden Races. She would have to bring this to the Council's attention.

"Do you have an address for Ulysses? Does he have a last name?" Harmon asked.

"Sorry, no. I've completely distanced myself from him, so I have no knowledge of his whereabouts at all. And he always went by the one name," Camila answered.

"Could he have grabbed Mr. Garin to force him to steal your company's digital assets or to hack in to simply destroy your company?" Harmon asked after glancing at his partner, who seemed fixated on the woman's chest.

"I could speculate, but I honestly don't have any real insight into what thoughts go through that man's little brain. I can tell you that Stanley designed our new network to eliminate that kind of risk. All external access is vetted by a rather ingenious firewall of his own design that immediately notifies our Security personnel should the behavior of incoming requests fall outside of expected parameters."

"Shit, this is a new level of bullshit! Every software developer adds in a backdoor for themselves!" Morris barked, venting his intense frustration.

"Not Stanley," she said with a satisfied smile. She could see the Detective was well beyond his endurance.

"Fuck this!"

"Morris!" Harmon barked as his partner suddenly stood up.

"Nah, I'm done. This case is going nowhere because none of these people want to cooperate. They don't want to know who kidnapped the little shit. Fuck, they could all be in on it for all we know. I'm done wasting my time. We haven't even proven a crime actually happened! All we have is that damn amateur video, which could have been faked, and the weak testimony from a few witnesses, but none of it proves anything. There are cases out there that need our attention more than this one." The big man headed for the door.

Harmon looked at Camila in embarrassment and stood as well. "Thank you for your time."

Camila stood and shook his hand across the desk. She scented him once more and smiled. He smelled very good.

With a final nod, Harmon rushed out after his partner. He stopped and handed her assistant his business card.

He caught up with Morris at the elevator. He took in the flushed expression and the almost manic look in his eye. Their escort, the large red-bearded brute in a black suit, stood behind them in silence. The elevator arrived, and they all got in.

Harmon wanted to ask his partner what the fuck was wrong with him, but he'd have to wait until they were alone. It was an awkward ride to the lobby. The Security officer finally spoke as they approached the front door.

"Have a good afternoon, detectives."

Morris looked back at the smiling man. "Fuck you."

Harmon saw the redhead chuckle as Morris pushed his way outside.

Once they were on the street heading back to the car, it was Harmon's turn. "What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Morris stopped and took a deep breath. He turned to glare at his partner. "Why are we wasting time on this case?"

"It's our job! Crimes were committed, and we solve them! It's what we do, detective!" Harmon growled.

"What crime? There is nothing to this case! The shrimp gets grabbed but gets away! The scene is a demo zone, but it's been professionally cleaned. Dead end. The name on the work order leads to an empty office building that's also been cleaned. Dead end. None of the people involved have anything to say. Even the so-called victim told us to fuck off! It's time to drop the case because THERE. IS. NO. CASE!" he finished with a shout.

"Tell me your gut doesn't tell you that people died at the crime scene! Even that office building gave off the vibe!" Harmon exclaimed.

"It doesn't matter because there's no proof! And nobody cares! What the fuck is wrong with you that you can't see that!" Morris bellowed back. He glared at his partner but could see he wasn't getting through to the Boy Scout. "Fuck it! I need a drink. Maybe two." He raised his hand and flagged down a passing taxi.

Harmon stared at Morris in surprise and frustration. He didn't stop him, though. As the taxi pulled away, he actually felt a little relieved. He still had a job to do. When he'd stopped after leaving Ms. Villamor's office, he spotted a calendar entry on the executive assistant's screen while he distracted the man with the card. He hadn't been able to read much, but he saw a seven PM meeting that said forty-five Rockefeller and Stanley.

Detective Harmon intended to be there, too.

Chapter 31

Stanley was doing his best to keep his breathing under control. He admitted to himself that he was riding the edge of panic and had been all the way uptown to Rockefeller Center. Apparently, there was a large meeting room in a sub-sub-basement that was magically shielded from surveillance and set aside exclusively for Hidden Races Council business. There, he would be presented to the Council and representatives of the Fae Council. His secret would be out in the open... well, not completely.

Their SUV stopped before the huge building, and everyone but their driver exited out on the sidewalk. Stanley felt his feet carrying him away from the others, and only the firm grip of Mr. Duncan's hand on his shoulder kept him from bursting into a sprint. He stopped, looked back at Roy, and saw the man smiling at him. He forced himself to turn and follow Camila and Sigrid, who all gave him sympathetic smiles. Marisa wasn't looking his way but followed her mother, eyes on the ground.

Roy's arm rested lightly over his shoulder, his big hand on Stanley's right. He took strength from that gentle support.

Walter was waiting for them at the entrance to the building with a wide smile. Stanley couldn't help but see the Dragon's wide maw, full of razor-sharp teeth. He took no comfort from the lawyer's smile.

They went inside and walked through the concourse to a service elevator, which took them several floors down into the basement. Then, it was a trek through blank hallways to a set of stairs that took them down once more. They exited into more blank hallways, and after uncounted turns, Stanley was looking at huge metal doors that wouldn't have looked out of place in a bank's vault. Two men in dark grey suits stood on either side of the door. They stared hard at Stanley, but after a few quiet words from Walter, they nodded to the lawyer and pulled the massively heavy doors open.

The area beyond the doors was impossible to see clearly. It was like trying to see through rippling water. The group moved forward and passed through the barrier, which tingled on Stanley's skin.

After a walk down a short hall, he gasped as he took in the vastness of the space. They were... outside!

The sky above them was a crisp blue Stanley had never seen before. Birds chased each other and sang in the trees. The sun was just beginning its descent to Stanley's right, but its warm light filled the area ahead.

The air smelled wonderfully fresh, and he picked up the delicate scent of the flowering bushes that encircled the round clearing they were approaching. Butterflies and bees flew from flower to flower. Behind the flowers, the forest began.

"How?" Stanley gasped.

"It's a form of illusion. A shared memory. I've been informed this is a present for you," Walter said as he admired the flowers.

"For me?" he squeaked.

"This is a memory of the world as it was when you were born. It's a present from Queen Mab," he said with another of those Dragon smiles.

Stanley looked away from the teeth towards the people awaiting their approach. They were separated into two groups. The larger group on the right was comprised of a variety of people. He saw a tall, slim man in thick plastic-rimmed glasses standing beside an older woman in a business suit. Next to them was a short but strong-looking red-bearded man with braids in his beard.

Stanley blinked in surprise as he recognized his beautiful brunette neighbor, who was returning his surprised look. She looked away with a blush.

There was also a large blond man Stanley thought looked like a male version of Sigrid. He glanced over at her, and she smiled at him and shook her head slightly. She knew what he'd seen. He smiled in embarrassment.

Turning his eyes to the left, his gaze was trapped by eyes so green and so deep he forgot to breathe. Marisa touched his arm, breaking the trance, and he took a deep, gasping breath as Queen Mab turned her eyes aside with a pleased smile on her lips.

"Shall we get started?" Walter asked.

-=-

Detective Harmon cursed under his breath as he backtracked again in the basement hallway. He'd lost sight of his target when they got into the elevator, but he'd noted the floor they got off on and tracked them this far.

When he'd seen the big security agent stop the smaller man from escaping, he knew something was up. Something Mr. Garin wanted nothing to do with.

But now, he was lost.

He walked around a corner and almost bumped into a stunningly handsome man carrying a small cooler. The man looked at his frustrated expression, and a wide smile appeared on his sensual lips.

"Lost?"

Harmon felt himself relaxing in that smile and struggled to maintain his caution.

"Just a little turned around." He flashed his badge. "Detective Harmon, NYPD."

The man's smile just got wider, though the look in his eye was a little manic.

"Well met, detective! I'm Ulysses. I believe we were meant to meet here!"

Harmon stared at Ulysses in surprise.

"I can help you find who you are seeking and help you get the answers you are after," Ulysses said with a grin.

"How do you know I'm looking for some—"

"Stanley Garin."

The detective paused again and looked closer at the man.

"He's at the center of everything. I've come to ask some questions of my own. Perhaps you will join me?" Ulysses asked, and Harmon found himself nodding.

Ulysses set off down the hall in the direction Harmon had just come from, but he rushed after the man.

As they reached the end, Ulysses touched the wall, and a door to a stairwell swung open. Ulysses looked back at him with an odd smile.

"You couldn't see that, could you?"

Harmon shook his head.

Ulysses chuckled and descended with the detective following.

They reached another basement level and more hallways, but Ulysses never slowed. Then, he abruptly stopped as they approached yet another corner.

"The guard dogs aren't going to appreciate seeing you down here, so stay hidden until I deal with them," the smiling man said quietly.

"Deal with them?" the detective asked.

He lifted the cooler. "Feed them something to help them sleep. Stay put!" Ulysses said as he strode around the corner boldly.

Detective Harmon heard some low murmuring and the air pressure changed in the hall as if a window had opened. Then came roaring and the sound of the cooler splintering.

Harmon peeked around the corner just as two large men slumped to the floor.

Ulysses gestured for him to hurry over but quietly.

Harmon did but looked at the men nervously as their mouths were smeared with blood. Inside the door, his attention was drawn to a rippling curtain of...water? He had no time to investigate this as Ulysses grabbed his arm and dragged him inside, grinning merrily to himself.

Then they stepped... into the impossible.

-=-

The big blond man had a surprisingly high-pitched voice. At Walter's request, he began with introductions.

"My name is Isaac Nils. I'm the Minister of Diplomatic Affairs. I'll be the arbitrator for tonight's meeting. Firstly, I am honored to introduce Her Royal Highness, Queen Mab, ruler of the Fae."

Everyone bowed towards the Queen, but she only had eyes for Stanley, and he was beginning to sweat. Isaac introduced the two Fae agents next to the Queen, but Stanley missed their names due to the roaring in his ears.

The arbitrator turned to introduce the Hidden Races Council members. The older woman in the tailored suit was Lise-Anne Hoek, Minister of Security. The tall, lanky man with the glasses was Clive Darrowess, Racial Affairs Minister. The man with the braided red beard was Rand von Deussel, Council Investigator in charge of the Eastern United States.

Michelle Beaumont was a historian working for the Council. Stanley immediately had a million questions for her. She knew stuff! Once more, she blushed under his excited and pleased look.

"Mr. Zhou, I believe you mentioned you would like to make an opening remark?" Isaac said. Walter nodded and stepped forward to address the gathering.

"We are gathered here tonight to review a very delicate matter. Nothing less than the legal standing of an individual from a race long thought lost. In fact, we have learned that he is the only one of his kind. He came to the attention of the Fae council after a series of unfortunate miscommunications."

Marisa had been trying to keep from looking at Stanley as even her muted seer sight was beginning to show her confusing and frightening flashes around him she couldn't interpret.

While she'd averted her gaze from everyone on the way in, she looked sharply at Walter when he blatantly minimized the Fae's horrid attacks. Her sight flared to full power as she peered at the small man and saw his aura was filled with darkness, fire, and death on a scale unimagined! There was such a finality to the images that he lacked the layers of potential. He was on a single track, and it only led to death. Her head spun from the horror. Sigrid managed to catch her as the strength in her legs gave out. Camila was immediately at her side.

As Stanley turned to face Marisa, Walter seized the opportunity. He looked to the Queen. She nodded and whispered a word of power. The grass under Stanley's feet glowed almost imperceptibly as he was linked into the Fae's Global Overlay spell.

Walter immediately stepped forward into the circle and gripped Stanley's right hand as he bound his payload spell to the small man with a few brief utterances. His use of the reliquary when creating the spell ensured its potency, and he still felt the extra strength of his link coursing through him. He smiled as he felt his magic sink into the Dragon bone ring Stanley wore. He released Stanley's hand as the man snatched it back and shook it as if it stung. Walter hoped it did.

"What?" Stanley asked, having missed what Walter had just said.

"You'll be expected to switch to show the Council your true form," he uttered.

Stanley looked at him in surprise, then scowled. He was going to have to get naked before them? He angrily began taking off his clothes and tossing them aside as he looked back at Marisa, who was only now opening her eyes from her faint.

Marisa felt the urge to vomit but pushed it down deep as she felt her mother and Sigrid supporting her. Their energy was in tune with hers, and they gave her strength. She opened her eyes and saw Stanley standing before her, pulling his pants off and shucking off his underwear. His back was to the Fae and the Council Ministers, the last group watching with shock. She looked back to Stanley as he reached for his ring, and her seer sight flared once more.

Death. One path. Death.

Behind him, the specter of death unfurled Dragon wings and grinned madly.

"NOOOOO!!!" she screamed and tried to leap to her feet.

Space bent around Stanley, and a Satyr stood in his place. Huge, powerful, and naked.

"NOOOOO!!!" Marisa wailed as she finally made it to her feet to fling herself against his chest. He wrapped his powerful arms around her, and she dropped her glamor.

"What's wrong?" he exclaimed.

"He cursed you! He's stolen your life!" she cried against his shoulder.

"WHAT? WHO?"

As she clung to his body, her visions were sharpening. "Walter! He's planning to kill you... no... EVERYONE! Oh my god! You're the trigger!"

The lawyer's professional smile wore thin as he watched the young Succubus disclose his plot. His expression turned sour.

Eyes turned in his direction. Lise-Anne stepped forward. "We were told your seer abilities were untrainable."

Marisa was shaking in Stanley's arms, but she faced the Minister of Security. "I'm untrainable by current seers because they aren't powerful enough to guide me." Her eyes turned to Walter, who stepped back as the young woman's eyes flared bright white. "I see you for the monster you are, bringer of death, you diseased wyrm—"

"ENOUGH!" Walter roared and exploded upwards into his true form. He cast his wings wide and glared down at the pitiful beings at his feet. "It's too late for your whining. The spell is cast and primed. You can do nothing to keep young Stanley from fulfilling his true destiny."

Sigrid was suddenly glowing with an intense white light in her armor. "And what destiny is that, foul creature."

"The Death of Humanity," the Dragon said with a wide smile.

-=-

Ulysses walked down the short hall towards the gathering, still clinging to the arm of the detective. He looked back at the man and grinned at the stupid look of incredulity on the detective's face. He loved seeing how lost the man was.

He pulled him next to the wall, and they stopped, partially hidden behind some bushes. It wasn't the best cover, but nobody seemed to notice them.

Ever since he'd woken screaming in the night two days ago from a nightmare he couldn't remember, he'd had a burning desire to confront the source of his current misery. Stanley Garin. The name resonated in his head. It drove him forward.

And there he was. The little runt himself.

He was next to Camila. Ulysses couldn't stop a whimper of fear from escaping his lips when he saw her. His eyes shot to the detective, but the man was still too stunned to notice any sound he made. He looked back to the people standing in the clearing. The young woman was falling, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Magic was being used. Powerful magic. He saw the Queen's lips move to cause the grasses below Stanley's feet to glow faintly. Then, the old man grabbed Stanley's hand and spoke the words of another spell. Ulysses had no idea why this excited him so much. Something big was happening, and he had no idea what it was, except he had the weird sensation that it was exactly what was supposed to happen.

When the young woman screamed, he felt a sudden sharp pain at the base of his skull, like a pin prick or an insect bite. He no longer felt the excitement of a moment ago and couldn't understand why he was here. He didn't want to be. The pain at the back of his head got worse and worse, and he felt himself getting weaker and weaker.

What was happening?

-=-

Harmon was lost. He'd stepped through the looking glass, and nothing made sense. He was in the subbasement of a skyscraper in Manhattan and he was in a room that looked like a forest clearing. The air was fresh and sweet with the scent of flowers and trees. Insects were flying around, and the sky above was... sky. Impossible sky!

He'd long stopped paying attention to the nutcase who'd brought him here. He was lost to his own thoughts.

Looking at the group of people ahead, he spotted Stanley Garin in the midst of them. He saw both of the Villamor women, the security man from VRL, the three people from the hallway outside Stanley Garin's condo, and others.

Stanley was stripping naked? The young woman was screaming something—

Harmon felt his mind struggling to comprehend what his eyes were seeing. What happened to Stanley? What the hell was that? He glanced back at Ulysses and screamed as he leapt away to land on his back, watching in horror.

The husk of Ulysses hung from the lips of an old crone who was sucking him dry as she filled out. She spat the remains of the man from her lips and smiled at the detective.

"It's almost time to make our dramatic entrance," she cackled. She pointed forward, and Harmon couldn't stop himself from standing and turning to face the group. When the old man transformed into a Dragon, Harmon just shook his head as this couldn't be real. The Valkyrie's sudden brilliant presence pushed his mind a little further toward madness. The Dragon was saying Stanley was destined to destroy humanity?

Something broke inside his mind.

-=-

"That's our cue. Let's join them, shall we?" Baba Yaga said, and the detective stiffly offered her his arm to support her as they walked forward.

The others suddenly gasped as they became aware of the witch walking towards them, supported by the arm of a Human.

The Dragon hissed at the old woman, but she paid it no attention as she was smiling at the Queen.

"Hello, Mab."

"Hello, Witch," the Queen said coldly.

Baba Yaga looked to Stanley and the young Succubus clinging to him. She snorted and winked at the girl.

"Hello, boy."

"Hello, Baba."

The witch looked at the gathered people, all staring back in shock and fear, and Baba frowned. "Do you think it's polite to expect my Stanley to stand before you in his true state while you hide behind these feeble disguises?"

Mr. Duncan was the first to drop his glamor and stood before them in all his vicious glory.

Camila dropped hers but glanced at the detective, who seemed to be suffering shock after shock to his mind. She grew worried for him.

Sigrid allowed her armor and weapons to fade but kept her eyes on the Dragon, who was moving uneasily, his eyes never leaving the witch. The hate in them was clear, but she could tell he was plotting his next move. She'd be ready for it.

The Council Ministers were less willing to drop their glamors, and Baba flicked a hand towards them in annoyance, ripping their disguises away.

Isaac's buff body was replaced with a skinny, scale-covered one with a fish head. Stanley blinked in surprise.

Lise-Anne stood before them or rather hovered in place on delicate translucent wings. Her fairy body was only six inches tall, and she looked like a young girl. With a frustrated pout, she allowed her body to expand in size until she stood before them, appearing as a four-foot-tall child... with wings.

The tall man in glasses was replaced by a small man dressed entirely in brown. He was smaller in stature than Lise-Anne's expanded child.

Rand's change was minimal. He was a dwarven warrior. The only real change was the appearance of his leather battle armor and the two axes strapped to his back. He snorted at the witch.

Moaning in fear, Michelle tried to hide herself, but there was nowhere for her to go in the circular clearing. Her transformation was the greatest. She was Humanoid from the tip of her scalp to her lower abdomen, where her spider body began. While her Humanoid parts were covered in pale, almost white skin, the rest was covered in black chitin armor. While the rest of her facial features were distinctly Human, her eyes were large and black, with two additional, smaller eyes at her temples.

"Is there a need for such cruelty?" Queen Mab said to Baba Yaga.

The witch fixed her old eyes on the frowning Queen. "Cruel, you say? Well, the Fae are experts in that, aren't they! Attempting to mind-rape the girl. Actually raping the mind of my Stanley!" she finished with a yell, and the ground rumbled with her anger.

"So why didn't you protect your Stanley?" Queen Mab asked sweetly, ignoring the other woman's rage.

The witch snorted and fixed her eye on the Queen. "Though we like to pretend otherwise and are far more aware than these children, we aren't omniscient, are we Mab. Besides, the boy learned a valuable lesson on the true nature of the Fae from that experience. As you know."

"What about Mr. Zhou's cruelty! He's cursed Stanley!" Marisa cried out.

The Dragon hissed at the young Succubus, but Sigrid suddenly stood between them with a spear of blindingly white light in her hand.

The witch looked to Sigrid. "Put away your toys, woman. The Wyrm isn't about to risk his death. He covets time more than any treasure to risk losing the rest of it."

"Baba Yaga, please. Let me treat the Human," Camila said, unable to take seeing the detective's distress any longer.

The witch glanced at the twitching Human, gave the Succubus an annoyed frown and a nod, and let her lead the man off to the side.

Camila turned him away from the others and held his eyes with hers as she caressed his temples to soothe him into a receptive state. Then she kissed him, overwhelming his mind with bliss to blank his short-term memories or at least fog them. She felt him relax further until she lowered him to the ground to rest his head in her lap. His mind was calm and resting. With luck, he'd put this down to a bad hallucination. Camila ran her fingers through his hair, and he smiled in his sleep.

Baba walked up to Stanley, picked up his shirt, and handed it to him. She gave his face a pat. It was the gentlest she'd ever touched him, and he smiled at her as he tied the arms of his shirt around his waist to wear it like an apron.

"What did Walter do to me?" Stanley asked quietly.

The witch turned to the Dragon and frowned at the crick in her neck she got from looking up at him. She pointed at the ground before her, and the huge creature was dragged down to thud against the dirt. He struggled for a bit, then held still, fear filling his eyes as he realized how outclassed he was by the old woman standing before him.

"Tell me Wyrm of this masterful curse you've linked to the boy," Baba said contemptuously.

The Dragon's eyes flared with hate once more. "You made it possible! Your heinous crime of killing a Dragon to harvest the switching abilities for your pet."

Baba Yaga laughed in his face, and the rage built in the Dragon's eyes.

"Stupid Wyrm! I didn't kill your kin for the ability. It was chained in a pit of its own filth, wings savagely cut from its back by its Human captors." She glanced at Stanley's face to ensure he heard yet another atrocity the Humans were guilty of. She turned her attention back to the Dragon. "Can you imagine its misery? It wanted to die, but its chains prevented even this escape. I bargained with it. Its form-altering ability in exchange for the perception of an eternity of bliss before it expired. It most gratefully accepted."

Stanley felt himself relax as once more he heard that his Baba was capable of compassion and the ring he wore wasn't the product of murder.

Walter was confused but still enraged. "The Humans must still die!"

"Why does he keep saying that? What has he done to me?" Stanley asked.

"I believe the Wyrm would like you to use the ring once more to launch the cursed spell," Baba said and saw the excitement flare in the Dragon's eyes. "Stanley, don't touch the ring," she said, and he nodded, wide-eyed. Baba looked at his hand and smiled. "A rather elegant Sympathetic Magic spell. I expected nothing less."

"What?" Stanley started, surprised by her words.

She gave him an annoyed look, then closed her eyes and moved her open hands over his body. She felt the tug of magic. Someone was attempting to unbind a spell from Stanley. She grinned widely when she opened her eyes again and saw a hint of frustration on Mab's face. Most would simply see a calm and impassive expression but Baba had centuries to learn her opponent's tells. Mab was furious.

"He told you it would be safe, didn't he, and your failsafe release just failed," she cackled at the Queen.

Glaring at her murderously, Mab neither confirmed nor denied her words. Baba just shook her head in amusement.

She looked back at the young Succubus. "What does your seer-sight see of the curse Stanley is bound to now?"

Marisa closed her eyes and shook her head as she didn't want to see the death bound to him so tightly.

"Girl! Open your eyes and tell us." Baba commanded, and Marisa gasped as she felt the weight of the compulsion settle on her. She looked at Stanley's worried expression, opened her sight and gasped. There were two paths! The finality of death was there still, sucking all of the light and warmth from the room until she moved her perception to the new path. There was a glimmer of warmth and the possibility of happiness there. It was still greatly overshadowed by the first, but it was growing. Marisa clamped down on her sight and moved her eyes to Baba gratefully.

"Speak only of the curse!" the witch said sternly.

Marisa jumped and nodded obediently. "It's linked to his ring. If he changes back to a Human, he dies. All Humans die."

Baba Yaga smiled and walked towards the Queen. "Well, aside from Stanley's death, which I would take very personally, the outcome of the curse seems like a win for the Hidden Races, doesn't it? No more Humans. The Earth could be allowed to heal so the membrane to the realm of Magic would heal and open as it was. Life would certainly become better for most of the Hidden Races. Not all, but certainly, the Fae would benefit. But how could this spell on Stanley reach every Human on the planet?" she asked, staring Mab right in the eye.

"Our Global Overlay spell," the Queen ground out between her teeth.

"Yes, that. That would let the Dragon's spell find all Humans, every single one, and target them all at once," Baba said, nodding thoughtfully.

Stanley looked at his hand in fear. He tried to remove the ring but discovered it wouldn't come off.

"It's permanently attached, boy. The bone ring is bound to your own skeleton. I couldn't have it falling off, now could I?"

"Baba, take it away! Stop the spell!" he cried out.

"I can't. The Dragon's Curse is very cleverly designed. It's embedded in the marrow of the ring itself, which is bound to you."

"What... what if I cut my finger off?" Stanley gasped out.

Baba's eyebrows went up in surprise. She admired his strength to even contemplate the act.

"The ring could still be turned as long as it is bound to part of you. The curse could be launched... though the one who turned it would likely be killed due to proximity. Who would you trust to keep the finger? Before you ask, I won't take it."

Stanley looked at the people gathered around him. Some were sympathetic, but others looked like they seriously wanted him to spin the ring. Especially the two Fae agents with the Queen.

Baba saw their enthusiasm, too. She turned to Stanley. "Something else to note. The Fae's overlay spell is now permanently bound to you, as the Queen has just discovered to her dismay. As we speak, your magic is becoming unalterably interwoven with the Fae's spell, reworking it. By now, it's likely fully integrated."

"WHAT?!?" Queen Mab exclaimed.

Baba gave her an amused look. "Oh yes, didn't the Wyrm tell you about that? The boy's not linked to the same realm of Magic as the rest of the Hidden Races. His Magic is wild, chaotic, and incompatible with the old Magic. It's far stronger and tends to bend the old Magic to its will."

"That overlay is keeping my people alive as this world is poisoned by the Humans! The Fae protect the secret of all of the Hidden Races! Without us, they'd be exposed, and the Humans will kill them all!" Queen Mab raged.

Baba turned to Stanley. "You have been given an awful power. If you spin the ring to return to your Human form, you will die, but you will also take all the Humans on the planet with you. Do this only if you wish to save the planet from the Humans. Personally, I find them to be closer to a viral infection than a sentient race. Remember, the Humans took your parents from you. They exterminated your entire race as well as others. If you do this, you will protect the Hidden Races... except those who rely on the Humans for sustenance and reproduction." She looked over at Camila, who was watching them with the Detective sleeping on her lap.

"Wait!" Queen Mab snapped angrily. "Now that he's bound to it, what effect will his death have on the Overlay Spell?"

"Ah, you're finally catching on. I was starting to think you'd lost your edge." Baba grinned evilly at the Queen. "Ask the people who maintain your precious spell."

Mab was staring daggers at the witch. The very air between them crackled with violent potential energy. Finally, she muttered something to her agent, Kelshard, and he quickly rushed from the room to make a call.

"While we wait for confirmation, I have to decide what to do with this naughty Dragon," Baba said, turning back to Walter. He shot his wings forward to strike the witch, but—she wasn't there. Freed of her control, Walter sprung into the air and flapped hard to get altitude. He would strike her with his fire from above.

Sigrid felt a pat on her arm and looked to see the crone smiling up at her.

"He's all yours," Baba said simply.

The Valkyrie grinned broadly and leapt upwards. Her huge, brilliant wings snapped out to beat effortlessly to lift her higher in the sky. Her armor and weapons shone with a pure white light as she chased after the inky black Dragon.

Her heart soared with righteous joy. This was right. This needed to be done.

-=-

"WHAT... THE... FUCK!"

The remaining people in the clearing turned and looked back towards the hallway and saw an injured Fae being gripped around the neck and held against the chest of a Human in a rumpled brown suit.

Morris was holding his gun out, swinging it back and forth as he tried to grasp what he saw.

A creepy old woman smiling at him.

A fish man.

A little girl with fluttering insect wings.

A red-bearded dwarf out of some nerd's wet dream.

A huge red-haired wolfman!

FUCK ME! Was that a huge fuckin' spider lady?

Then he spotted Harmon lying down with his head on the lap of a sexy woman... thing! His partner had a smile on his face, so maybe she fucked him unconscious?

A second sex kitten was hugging a horned freak with furry legs and hooves. The face, though... it looked fam—No!

"Stanley Garin?" he asked incredulously.

"Hi, Detective Morris," Stanley replied, keeping an eye on the swinging gun.

"Start—start talking!" Morris yelled at him.

"I have no idea where to begin. How could I possibly describe what you're seeing in terms that make sense to you? Shit, it doesn't make sense to me at times," Stanley sighed and saw Morris was looking a little less freaked out. This was a good start.

"Okay, how about I just start knocking off a few freaks, and we'll see if the answers get easier." His eyes were pulled to the spider, and he aimed his gun at her. Shit! He hated spiders, and this was a big one. It would be very satisfying to kill it.

Stanley released the sexy chick and stepped between him and the spider, holding up his hands. That pissed Morris off. He would have shot him, but he wanted answers first.

"Please, I'll give you a quick rundown of what's happening! Just please don't shoot anybody!" Stanley begged.

Morris noticed the old bitch frown when she heard Stanley. So, she didn't like hearing Stanley beg? Too fuckin' bad.

"You last saw me in my human disguise. The big guy flying around up there is my lawyer. He really hates humans, so he fucked me over big time by putting a curse on my method of disguising myself. If I change now to become human again, the curse will kill me and all humans."

Morris looked at him as Stanley waited. "So, you're saying you're stuck looking like a freak?" Morris asked skeptically.

"A Satyr, yes."

"A freak," Morris growled.

"Okay, a freak," Stanley said to keep him calm.

The old woman frowned once more.

"What is your fuckin' problem, you old hag?" Morris growled. Then he spotted his prisoner moving his lips as if talking with someone. He smacked his gun against the man's temple. "Did I fuckin' say you could talk?"

He looked back at Stanley with a mad grin. "You know, nothing you've told me so far explains shit, so why don't you just go and change back into a human so we can have a nice sane conversation," the detective suggested.

Stanley blinked. Didn't the detective hear what he said? "I-I can't change. It's like I told you. I change, I die, every human dies. You die."

"He can't be allowed to change back as that would kill him, and he is keeping my people alive," a seriously scary-intense chick with a regal bearing said as she approached. Morris almost jumped out of his skin as he hadn't seen her before.

The old woman looked at the approaching woman in surprise. "What?"

"Yes, it seems the alterations to the global overlay are complete, but it's not failing. Indeed, my people can no longer maintain it, but the spell continues to work and, if anything, appears stronger. Thank you, witch. For the first time, your manipulations might have actually benefited us. Stanley has become even more important to us. The Fae must protect him at all costs." The regal woman glanced up and then at Stanley.

"Stanley, take four large steps backward now," she told him. He immediately did, pulling Marisa with him. The old crone, grumbling under her breath, stepped away as well.

Morris was pissed off at how stuck up the intense bitch was as she stepped back as well. She was doing that whisper thing again, and his rage flared. It was time to put a slug in someone's head. She looked like a perfect volunteer.

-=-

Walter was becoming exhausted. He was so out of practice, and he was old. Even for one as long-lived as his kind could be, he was old. The Valkyrie showed no signs of slowing or weakening. The skies they flew in were limited as they were merely a memory. He had to veer away from the edges as he felt them approaching, and each time he did, he felt the cursed woman gaining on him. He might be faster than her in a straight flight but he didn't have the space.

If he couldn't outfly her, he would go on the offensive. He coiled his neck back to rapidly spit fireballs at her, but she dodged and twisted through the stream of missiles then shot forward.

Panicking, Walter blasted a huge gout of fire, then radically altered his vector while hidden by the cloud of fire. He felt his wings strain painfully. While it was his magic that gave him flight, it was his wings that assisted in his maneuverability.

He couldn't pull off this move more than once, but that's all he needed. He swung his tail in a wide sweep to hit the Valkyrie as she burst out of the flames right... THERE!

The heavy tail swung through the dissipating fireball to hit—nothing! Once more, his muscles strained to compensate for the efforts he was making. He twisted and tried to look in every direction as she wasn't hard to find with that obnoxious glowing. He sailed in a circle frantically looking for the Valkyrie, but she was nowhere to be found. Could... could he have knocked her from the sky with the fireball? He scanned the clearing below, but she was not there. She fell into the forest?

His eyes locked on Baba, and he forgot about the Valkyrie. He still had some of the extra power from his link. He shot downward, preparing to spit fire at the crone. If he could cause enough chaos, he might have a chance of escaping this damn trap.

Too late, he heard the high-pitched scream of wind ripped apart by the Valkyrie's wings as her attack came out of the sun. He wrenched his body badly as he twisted at the last second to put his claws between them, but it was her spear that greeted him. The point drove through his chest and punched out the other side, through his spine. He felt the moment his lower half lost sensation and his wings lost coordination.

Walter wasn't too far above the clearing but was now in freefall.

-=-

Morris swung the gun's muzzle back towards the snooty bitch giving orders. Fuck, he hated bossy chicks! This one needed to die. No one would talk to the cops about what happened down here, so there was no need to resist his natural impulse.

He grinned in anticipation, then screamed in pain as the goon he had in a headlock bit down on his arm deeply. Blood spurted as sharp-pointed teeth punctured a vein, and Morris felt his left hand go numb as intense pain shot up his arm. His right arm was being pushed upwards, spoiling his aim at the woman. Glancing up at his gun, he just had time to see the sky filling with the body of the falling monster.

He didn't have time for another scream.

The Dragon's body slammed to the ground, crushing the detective and his hostage.

Huge white wings beat the air as Sigrid settled down feather-light on the chest of the huge beast. She took a grip on her spear and wrenched it from the wound, blood spurting from the hole as the pierced heart drained Walter's blood into his chest.

The Dragon struggled to lift its head to look at the Valkyrie standing on him. He coughed lightly and blinked his glazed eyes. "You... are just... a puppet... of the witch."

Sigrid smiled. "I didn't do this for her. I'm taking your life for what you did to Stanley and Meixiu. What you've done to him is beyond evil, but we will see it undone. What you did to Meixiu? She was just a child! She told me. She told me the horrible, sick things you forced her to do. I do this for her... this is HER VENGEANCE!" Sigrid bellowed as she drove the point of her spear into Walter's skull, between his eyes into his brain. There was just a quick flash of terror before the life drained from the large eyes. Sigrid kicked his snout as she yanked her spear free. She flicked the gore from the weapon, then put it away. Leaping from his chest, she sailed gracefully down to the ground and took a moment to give thanks.

"Put the light show away."

Sigrid glanced over at the squinting crone, then put away her armor, the clearing dimming significantly.

"Nicely done," Baba said to the Valkyrie as she walked slowly past. She climbed onto the Dragon's chest as the rest watched in surprise.

The witch pulled some large ornate scissors from the pocket of her apron and proceeded to cut her way into the Dragon's chest cavity. The sight of the old woman sinking deeper into the body was horrifying, as was the sound of bones breaking.

They heard a triumphant cry from inside, and the witch crawled back out of the steaming hole, clinging to a large circular ring of black bone. She was covered in blood and bits of Dragon flesh. As she crawled back down to the ground, the blood and flesh soaked into her clothes and skin, so she was clean by the time her feet touched the ground.

"Stanley, come here! I have a new ring for you,"

"Are you mad?!? Absolutely not!" Queen Mab cried.

Baba glared at the Queen. "You are partially responsible for spoiling his disguise, so you have no say in how he protects himself from the Humans now."

"Spoiling? The ring is a doomsday weapon!" Marisa exclaimed. "You have to find a way to remove or defuse it!"

"I don't have to do anything, girl!" the witch snapped.

Stanley's mind was reeling. All he'd wanted was to have a quiet life working with tech. Now, he was being told he was a doomsday weapon. The device that made it possible for him to have that peaceful life was now the trigger to ending it all. He didn't want so much responsibility! It wasn't fair, but... since when had his life been fair. "Baba, I don't want another ring," he said.

The witch turned her scowl on the Satyr. "And how will you hide your true self from the Humans? They will kill you. You understand this?"

"Yes, Baba, but to have two rings, one which just returns me to my human state and the other which kills me and every human—"

"And Fae," Queen Mab insisted.

Stanley blinked at her, then nodded. "The danger of spinning the wrong one would be too great."

"Stupid boy! I taught you left from right on my knee when you were just an infant!" Baba growled.

He smiled. "And I will always love you for your lessons, for saving me, and for raising me to be the man I am today. You'll always be my Baba."

She stared at him, then snorted in frustration as she stuffed the bone ring into her apron pocket. "I'm keeping this for when you come to your senses." Then she eyed him closely. "How will you survive in the Human world?"

"There is no need. Stanley will come with me and reside in luxury for the rest of his days," Queen Mab said with a satisfied smile.

"Thank you, but no. A luxurious prison is still a prison," Stanley said firmly, drawing a grin from the witch.

"We have to protect you! The fate of the Fae depends on it!" the Queen insisted.

"Taking my freedom is not the same as protecting me! I have a life! A really good one. I want to live it. I-I deserve to," Stanley growled.

Baba Yaga looked pleased and turned her eyes to the Queen expectantly.

"What?" Mab growled.

"How are you going to repay my Stanley for your betrayal and reward him for how he is healing the Fae?" she asked smugly. She was enjoying having the Fae Queen in her debt. Well, Stanley's debt.

The Queen locked eyes with the witch, and her jaw muscles jumped. She wanted so badly to kill her, but the old woman was not so easily dispatched. A thought came to her. "We will give him a glamor," Queen Mab insisted.

Baba rolled her eyes at the Queen, who stiffened at the insult. "Did you not hear the point about Stanley's Magic being incompatible with the Fae?"

Marisa switched back to her Human glamor, then paused it again as Baba turned to her. "Inspector Heriahn was able to create one for me, and I'm linked to the new Magic now. Maybe it will work with Stanley?" she said timidly as the witch watched her with a menacing eye.

"How did this Fae manage against the new Magic?" the witch asked quietly.

Marisa looked away. "Not well."

"That is not your concern, witch. To do this properly, Stanley will need to come with me to my home—for a brief interval only!" she clarified for Stanley, who looked like he was about to protest.

"If he goes with you, he will have an escort from the Hidden Races Council to ensure his timely return. After all, as he said, he does have a life," Lise-Anne insisted.

Showing uncharacteristic boldness, Michelle moved closer to the group. "His legal standing as a member of an independent race must be agreed upon before he leaves this room. This was the original and primary goal for this meeting, was it not?" The shy woman trembled slightly as she asserted herself.

Queen Mab glared at the Arachnid, but under the scrutiny of the room's occupants, especially Stanley, she begrudgingly nodded. "Agreed."

Michelle pulled a scroll from a tube strapped to her thorax and quickly filled in the date and Stanley's race on the appropriate line, holding the document flat between her front two legs. She looked at Stanley with a hopeful smile and turned the document toward him.

He discovered he felt more relaxed around Michelle, so he moved to her and took the pen from her hand to sign the document. She gave him another smile as she accepted it back.

The Arachnid looked to the Queen, who stiffly moved forward and signed the document, too.

Lise-Anne and Rand added their signatures as witnesses, and Michelle tucked the scroll back into the tube for safekeeping.

"How long will Stanley be in Ireland?" Lise-Anne asked.

"We must gather the most skilled Fae we have to build him a glamor. It will take a week—two at most. I do not give up the lives of my people willingly. We will find a way to do this as safely as possible," the Queen stated with finality.

Stanley was collecting the rest of his dropped clothes into his arms and looked at her with trepidation. He didn't want anyone to die!

"Michelle, Rand. Would you please accompany Stanley on this journey?" Lise-Anne asked. Rand nodded immediately, but Michelle looked a little surprised to be asked. She finally nodded. She handed the scroll to the Security Minister, who tucked it away. The fairy hesitated for just a moment, then looked to Baba Yaga.

"There is still the outstanding question of how you rescued a Satyr from so far in the pas—" Lise-Anne began but stopped abruptly when the witch glared at her with murder in her eyes.

"Baba?" Stanley said cautiously to defuse the situation. The old woman looked him in the eye, took a deep breath then snorted.

"I will not speak of this. Never ask again," the witch said with cold finality.

Queen Mab wasn't finished, however. "His horns!" she sighed with deep satisfaction.

Baba's eyes shot to hers, but she allowed a slight nod to the woman.

The others obviously still had questions but clearly knew it was best not to ask.

Lise-Anne, Clive, and Isaac nodded to the group, bowed to the Queen, activated their glamor disguises, and left with the scroll.

"There is still the matter of the Human interlopers. Well, the live one," Mab said. "The dead will be immolated once we leave the chamber."

Baba went to Camila and knelt down beside the woman. She touched the detective's temple, and a bump and bruise suddenly formed. "He will have a mild concussion. Tell him you found him in the stairwell where he must have slipped and fallen. Tell him you were bringing Stanley to meet his family for the first time, and he went to visit them." She looked to Mr. Duncan. "You! Furry one! Change back and carry this man back to the concourse."

Roy moved forward and lifted the detective gently in his arms.

Seeing this as permission to re-engage their glamor spells, everyone who had one activated it and made their way out of the clearing towards the hallway.

On their way, they noticed the shriveled and dried husk of what might have once been a man. It lay discarded on the floor by the bushes. They shared uneasy glances. Obviously, this was the work of Baba Yaga, as she was the last one in. They scurried past.

Once everyone left the chamber, the shame-faced and groggy guards closed the huge doors.

Queen Mab placed her hand on the door and spoke the words of power. The memory inside the room collapsed in on itself, squeezing tighter and tighter within a bubble of magic until the contents flash ignited. The temperature continued to climb until all matter in the bubble was converted into a ball of plasma. This energy was moved into an adjoining facility where the power trickled back into the building's power grid to reduce their electric bill by the amount the hidden basement levels consumed.

Camila, Marisa, and Sigrid were hesitant to leave Stanley, but Baba pointed them toward the exit, so they knew they likely didn't have much time before the detective woke. They quickly gave Stanley kisses, then rushed away after Mr. Duncan.

Before disappearing around the corner, Marisa looked back and opened her sight to him once more. She saw the bright path was much more present than before. She knew he would have the path of death linked to him until they found a way to break the curse.

Baba swatted Stanley's face to get his attention, and he looked into her eyes. He could read her question there. He just nodded, so she smiled and walked away.

Stanley was left with Queen Mab, her remaining agent, Rand, and Michelle. He looked to the Queen. "How will I get out of the building looking like this?"

"We're going to a private underground parking lot in the adjoining building. Stay close, and I'll shield you within my aura."

He nodded, and she hooked her arm through his. They walked down a corridor leading in the opposite direction the others went.

"I don't have my passport!" Stanley exclaimed.

The Queen smiled indulgently at him. "No need to worry about that. I'll get us there."

He looked at her in surprise, and she smiled gleefully.

"Stanley, we are going to have such a lovely time while you are visiting," the Queen purred.

He glanced at Michelle and Rand, and they gave him reassuring smiles. But they couldn't feel how good the Queen's body felt against his, sense how her perfume was making his head spin, or hear how her breathing was beginning to quicken.

He was in trouble.

Chapter 32

Sandy dragged the squeaking grocery cart behind her, cursing the greedy, sadistic bastards who designed them to fall apart so quickly.

She flashed back to the first conversation she'd had with Stanley, and her mood dipped closer to despair. She fought her grief back and blinked away the impending tears.

It had been a little more than a month since he went to visit family overseas. Marisa had called to let her know he'd be away for a short time.

Then, a week later, the beauty appeared on her doorstep. This time, the message was he wasn't coming back. There'd been an accident—

Sandy sucked back a gasp as her emotions threatened to get loose.

The cart's wheel chose that moment to break loose and roll off into the street to be crushed under the wheels of a bus.

She stood on the sidewalk, frozen by the sheer fucking mean spirit of fate.

She tried one more step, but a grocery cart with just one wheel was more like an anchor. She'd loaded down on food as she wanted to cook for her friends to lift her spirits.

Fuck it!

She kicked the remaining wheel until it broke free. Then she gripped the cart's handle and dragged the metal cage, scraping along the last block to her building. She pulled the bags out of the broken cart at the front door and struggled to maneuver herself and the heavy, awkward bags inside.

"May I lend you a hand?"

Sandy yelped and dropped one of her bags, but a hand shot forward and caught it before it hit the floor.

She remained frozen as the large man collected all the bags from her numb hands. She couldn't help but stare at the stranger with the familiar features.

He was at least six feet tall with broad shoulders, strong arms, and big hands. Long, soft brown hair fell to his shoulders. His tailored shirt showed off his trim waist, and the black pants hinted at powerful legs.

But his face held her eyes, making her unable to look away. So familiar but... different.

"Stanley?" she squeaked quietly.

The man shook his head sadly. "Sorry, no. I'm Henry." His expression wobbled a little. "Stanley... was my brother."

Sandy suddenly realized how ridiculous she sounded. This man... this beautiful, large man couldn't possibly be Stanley. But his brother? Yes, there was definitely a strong family resemblance.

She realized she was standing in the doorway, gaping at the man effortlessly carrying all her grocery bags. "Oh! I'm so sorry! I'm Sandy! I was—"

"A good friend of Stanley's. Yes, he told me. I hope... we can be good friends too," Henry said with a hopeful smile. His voice was similar to Stanley's but deeper.

Sandy's expression opened with a wide smile. She nodded and made her way to the elevators. They entered, and she pressed four.

"Are... are you here to collect his things?" Sandy said with just a little pain in her voice. Henry's face showed sympathetic pain of his own.

"No, I'm moving in. I've been offered Stanley's condo and position with VRL."

"Oh!" Sandy exclaimed with wide eyes. "Are you good with technology too!"

Henry smiled self-consciously and looked away shyly. "VRL thinks so," he said.

Sandy's breath caught in her chest at the gesture. The man shared so much with Stanley! Her heart ached at his loss, but this meeting felt like he was still somehow with her, watching over her.

She opened her door, and he followed her inside to place the groceries on her kitchen counter.

He looked around with a smile. "You have a lovely place!"

She blushed. "Thank you!" She had an idea. "Would you like to join me and my friends for dinner tonight? It's just a casual get-together. They'd love to meet you!"

Henry seemed to think about it for a moment, then he nodded with a smile. "I'd like that."

Sandy smiled widely, then blushed at his obvious look of delight. "Come by at seven?" she asked, looking up at him through her bangs.

"I'll be here," he replied with another smile.

She followed him back to her front door. When he turned to say goodbye, she spontaneously leaned forward and gathered him into a hug.

Henry froze for just a moment then he hugged her, too, with his strong arms.

She swooned just a little at the feel of his big, hard muscles.

Blonde hair swept forward to envelop and caress Henry's head.

Sandy giggled as she pulled back to collect her unruly hair. "I'm so sorry about that! I don't know what gets into my hair sometimes."

"It's no problem," he chuckled. He caught a lock of the shining hair in his fingers and pressed it against his lips with a gentle smile.

Sandy gasped as pleasure cascaded through her body from her scalp to her toes. Her mind flashed back to Stanley's kiss, and the memory warmed her heart.

"Until tonight," he said as he slipped out the door.

Sandy leaned back against her door and hugged herself as she bathed in the afterglow of his kiss.

She suddenly recalled who else, or rather what else, Henry reminded her of!

Grinning madly, she couldn't wait for her friends to meet her new neighbor!