Author's Notes:

'Satyr Play Part 4, Part 1' picks up from the end of Satyr Play 3, Part 2 as there is still much to do in Henry's tale.

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 insight into the upcoming Satyr Play 3)
• Satyr Play 2, Part 2
• Satyr Play 3, Part 1
• Satyr Play 3, Part 2
• Satyr Play 4, Part 1 (This one!)
• Satyr Play 4, Part 2 (Stay Tuned)

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!

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Satyr Play 4, Part 1

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Chapter 1

If you could have one wish come true for Christmas, what would it be?

This wasn't a question Henry Gable would have spent any time thinking about during the years he spent growing up in Baba Yaga's cottage in the swamp. They didn't waste any time on such frivolous, nonsensical things like wishes and Christmas. That's what she'd taught him, at least.

He was aware of wishing and the December holiday as he heard the other kids talk about both at school. However, at an early age, he learned Baba's strict position on such trivialities.

That didn't mean he hadn't thought about them at the time. He just had no one to talk to about such things as he grew up, so he put them aside.

When he spent his first Christmas in his new condo with Sandy living with him, she'd put up a few decorations, but her work schedule was so busy, and he was learning how to live with someone, so they let the seasonal celebration slip by without much attention.

He'd attended a few Christmas Parties with friends and even a VRL office Christmas party, but they were just excuses to get together with his new friends. That was what he liked best.

Camila had caught him off guard with the wish question as he was leaving the office on Friday. She'd given him a seriously hot kiss that threatened to ignite the tips of his ears and put permanent steel into his erection. Then she pulled back to smile at him and hit him with the query.

That was a dramatic way of making him reconsider the significance of wishes and Christmas. He had to admit, Camila was exceptionally persuasive at that.

He'd only just returned from his six-month convalescence on Eden a week ago. It had taken him half a year to heal from the damage his body suffered from falling twenty stories to the road surface below.

He'd learned from Roy that his injuries would have been much worse had it not been for Nate's heroic efforts to save him. He'd managed to slow their descent for a time, but when the strain proved too great for his wings, and they failed, Nate sacrificed his life to protect Henry's head from striking the ground.

Henry grieved his friend's loss and understood that some of the man's effort was likely driven by his guilt over his role in Henry's daughter's death. He knew Nate wasn't at fault for that, but he never got a chance to tell him.

It was one more reason he was glad he'd killed Mab and destroyed her cursed dagger, too.

He took some deep breaths as his chest was beginning to hurt again.

Pulling his mind back from that darkness, he forced himself to think of something happy! He recalled the previous weekend with a smile. He'd never received so many hugs and kisses in his life! It was certainly going down as one of his best weekends ever!

He'd acclimatized the twin Succubi to his friends and taught them to be protective of his group as well. They seemed particularly fond of Camila, much to her surprise. She'd then surprised the rest of them when she named the twins Aadya and Maliha and claimed them as children of House Villamor.

Sigrid obviously knew the significance of that as she gasped at her friend. Camila claimed this act should protect them from being terminated as she'd taken responsibility for them.

While they'd bonded to him and preferred to remain by his side at all times, there were times when that wasn't possible. He discovered he was able to leave them in his condo with minimal supervision. Mab must have trained them to be comfortable with only each other for company for extended periods. He found they adored nature shows, David Attenborough's voice almost put them into a trance, so he set them up with a nature channel, and they were content until he returned. He needed to speak with Camila about them.

Spending the weekend at Meixiu's mansion in a winter wonderland of snow and evergreens made everyone extra festive. It was decided that everyone was invited back to celebrate the Christmas break at the estate. With Henry's ability to create Magic Doors between any two locations, travel logistics were no longer a factor.

He'd tried to reach out to Yuko to find out how she was doing, but her cell number was no longer in service, nor was Jun's. He went to their apartment but discovered they'd moved out with no forwarding address. Camila attempted to connect with Yuko's mother but let Henry know the woman refused to return her call. He wondered if he'd become persona non-grata once more.

They were such a volatile family!

Siobhan informed him that his inner rift to the Wild Magic dimension was allowing a greater volume of energy through than before. The new levels presented a danger to post-Skyfall Event Humans.

While they still looked Human, their bodies were actually in a volatile state. Their transformation into one of the Hidden Races would be triggered once they absorbed a sufficient amount of Wild Magic. How much was enough? There was no way to tell, as they couldn't measure how much had already been absorbed. When it would happen and what they would become continued to be a mystery.

Normally, Wild Magic trickled in from ingested food and from the ambient energy in the environment. Hotspots like lightning strike zones from the Pseudo-Clouds gave off heightened levels.

Henry's inner rift was like one of these strike zones, except it moved with him. The night of his return, as he slept in his bed for the first time in over six months, the Wild Magic flowing from him saturated his condo, seeping through the walls and floors. His neighbors downstairs on the eighth floor in units 809, 808, and 807 all transformed while they slept due to this overflow from him. They were taken to the hospital in the morning and were found to be healthy.

The couple living in unit 807 became Incubus and Succubus. As their relationship had already been on shaky ground, this new state wasn't likely to resolve their differences, once the initial thrill of the sex wore off, at least. Camila assured Henry they would find their own way, and he wasn't responsible for their lives.

Another surprise, the seven occupants of 809 (a couple with twin girls) and 808 (a couple with a single son) had all woken to find they'd become a variant of the Fae race not seen in millennia. Much like the High Elves of fantasy lore, they were tall and slim, with elegant features and long pointy ears. This group transformation's consistency was far enough outside the normal curve that it generated more interest than was comfortable for Henry. That day, he resolved to stay at Meixiu's mansion.

Marisa began training him to mentally reach inside himself to control the volume of Wild Magic flowing from his inner rift. As she was an expert in managing the senses, she worked with him to devise a means to control the aperture. She found he needed a science-based analogy to allow his will to envision the controls. As the rift manifested itself as a vertical tear in the center of his being, they settled on the concept of a zipper to keep it simple. Henry constructed a spell in his mind to build and integrate the mechanical closure device along the edges of the rift. He would close it with his will to manage the flow.

Wild Magic wasn't keen on being controlled, so it quickly eroded the first dozen or so attempts until Henry thought to incorporate the Wild Magic into the device's construction itself. This slowed the erosion, but he realized he'd have to set up a maintenance schedule to replace this inner zipper periodically to ensure he could control the flow. He couldn't entirely block it, but Siobhan assured him that his most constricted setting was only twice the level of normal background levels... for now. Marisa, Siobhan, and he would have to keep an eye on it.

It took the weekend of practice to comfortably say he could limit the output. They discussed it as a group and determined that, for safety's sake, remaining at the mansion, even working from it, was a good idea until he'd perfected his method for controlling the flow.

On the following Monday, he opened a door to VRL's new boardroom to join Roy, Mahati, and Mary on their trip back to Washington, DC. The drive to the airport was delayed. There were complications with the flight tickets and airport security issues. When they finally arrived at their destination, Henry insisted they'd be using a Magic Door to return home and for all future visits. He got no arguments from his traveling companions.

The congresspeople were surprised to see Henry in his Human disguise.

It took three days of testimony before the congresspeople finally agreed they had enough information to work with. They indicated that they might call him back for additional questions. He said he could make himself available, but to keep in mind that he was a working stiff with responsibilities to his company and now a bunch of US Security Agencies. That earned him some chuckles.

He'd successfully constrained the rift and had social outings without issues, so he decided to move back to his condo. He promised that if he felt he was having problems, he would return to the mansion.

He went to work on Thursday, ready to get back to some normality, and wasn't disappointed. There were dozens of requests for reports from multiple departments at VRL, and he gleefully worked on them all afternoon and the next day as well. As he prepared to leave the office Friday night, he was excited about getting back to work on Monday.

Then Camila hit him with the question. It was only ten days to Christmas, and she left him thinking about wishes with a boner hard enough to drive nails into hickory.

Wicked woman!

Chapter 2

Tish smiled from her comfy spot on the couch where she was nursing their daughter, Celeste, as she heard Henry return from work through the closet door.

"Honey! I'm home!" he called out like some old-timey sitcom husband.

The twins leapt up from their spot before the TV to charge out of the living room and into the hall. Tish slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her laugh as she heard Henry's grunt of surprise as two sexy Succubi jumped him in their highly excited state.

The nature channel was showing a special on the mating habits of large wild cats. Henry was in for a surprise.

He briefly appeared at the end of the hall, being tugged by the two females towards the bedroom. He cast her a look of bewilderment then he was gone.

Tish returned her attention to her child, who was almost finished with her dinner. She knew Henry would be late getting home this week as he'd been away so long.

Twenty minutes later, Henry walked into the living room in only his jammie bottoms. He smelled fresh from the shower, and she sighed happily as he cuddled in next to her. He kissed her with minty fresh breath, and she gave him a suspicious look. "Did you eat dinner?"

He nodded. "Yup, I finished the second half of the sub sandwich Marisa picked up for me at lunch.

"Hmmm... and that was enough?" she pushed.

He smiled. "I'll have a big breakfast." He fixed his eye on her. "Now, what the hell were Aadya and Maliha watching before I got home?"

"Lions mating."

He gaped at her. "You can't let Succubi watch sexy movies!"

She shrugged with a grin. "I didn't find it sexy."

He snorted in annoyance.

Tish decided to change the topic. "Listen, did Mahati speak to you about Kali?"

Henry shook his head slightly with a grin. "No, and now that you mention it, where is that troublemaker?" Tish couldn't suppress the wince, and Henry's smile dropped away. "What? What happened? Where is she?"

Tish put her hand on Henry's and squeezed it gently. "We don't know. She went missing the night of the Skyfall."

Henry was immediately on his feet. "Why didn't she tell me?" He thought back to all the time they'd spent together in Washington this past week when she might have told him but didn't. "I need to speak with Mahati."

Tish released his hand. "She said Kali had been preoccupied for a bit, and she often disappeared for periods of time. Not typically this long."

Henry switched to his t-shirt and jeans glamor and pointed towards the front door.

Tish nodded. "Be really careful!"

He kissed her tenderly and smiled before leaving the condo to walk down to Mahati's door. He knew she was a bit of a night owl, so she'd be awake. He knocked.

Moments later, she pulled the door open, and her smile slipped as she saw the look of concern on his face. "Henry. What—"

"Why didn't you tell me Kali was missing?" he asked as he reached forward to take her hand in his.

She saw his concern for her plainly on his face as the warmth of his hand gave her butterflies in her tummy. She pulled him inside so she could close the door.

She led him to the sofa in her living room, and they sat.

"You had enough on your plate, and I have Roy looking into it for me," the lawyer said gently.

Henry gave her a stern look. "When my friends are in need, I don't care how much is on my plate. I need to help!"

Mahati's eyes were locked on his, and once more, he was mesmerized by how lovely they were. He needed to change directions.

"Baba left my head full of her magic. Multiple lifetimes worth of it. Some I can't and won't look at as it would corrupt my mind beyond redemption. But some is very useful. There are tracking, and location spells available to me."

Mahati looked at him in surprise, and a little hope appeared in her eyes.

Henry found a location spell in Baba's memories that seemed promising. "I need something personal of Kali's. The more connected she was to it, the better." As Mahati rushed off to Kali's bedroom to find the item, he examined the spell closer and felt its intent and purpose. Baba's most recent use was also hinted at; an image of a diary belonging to a married politician's young lover flashed in his mind. He suddenly felt a little squeamish having that knowledge as it seemed she wasn't above blackmail and extortion to make people do what she wanted.

When Mahati returned from the bedroom, he lifted his hands, and she dropped something into them. It didn't feel like a book. It was cold and metallic. He looked down into his palms and saw it was a gold chain. He frowned as his memories tickled his brain.

"She wore this every day. It was her favorite adornment," Mahati said as her lips trembled.

One end had a piercing for an ear or nostril, but the other end's piercing was more ornate, and he suddenly realized Kali wore this through her nipple. "Oh! Yes, this will work."

He held Mahati's eyes. "The spell first identifies if Kali is—" He stopped as Baba's callous nature was tainting the magic. "Sorry. It seems I'll have to be more careful in how I speak when using Baba's spells."

Mahati's eyes widened. "Her mannerisms are bound to the magic?"

Henry nodded as his face warmed up while his mind scanned over his knowledge of her spells. "I hadn't noticed before, but some of her... frequently used spells have her imprint on them."

Mahati frowned in concern. "If using the magic puts you in any danger, maybe it's not a good idea."

He shook his head. "Vigilance is the price of freedom. I can't turn my back on something that might help a friend. I just need to be cautious of her influence." He rolled his neck to loosen the muscles. "As I was about to say, the initial level of the spell forms a link between the object and the owner but only if the owner is... capable. I won't do this unless you want to know."

She bit her lip and nodded. Henry could tell she was frightened, but she pushed through it. He smiled at her and nodded. He moved back from her on the couch a little and concentrated on the chain in his hands. He opened his mind to the sensations coming from the jewelry and linked himself to the old magic in the bones of his right ring finger. This spell only worked with the old magic.

He suddenly felt the tug of the piercing on his nipple and the tingles that sent through her body. Their perceptions were blending! These... were Kali's sensations, not his, but he felt them. She gasped, and he felt the air in his lungs, the excruciating pain in her body, the cold steel of the handcuffs and the fire in his wrists, and finally, her sudden awareness of his mind in hers. He felt her desperate hope surge.

"I'm coming," he whispered to her. He knew where she was.

Henry released the spell and opened his eyes. Mahati was watching him with a mix of hope and dread on her face.

"She's alive," he said, and Mahati burst into relieved tears.

"Give me a minute," he said stiffly as he stood and walked into Kali's bedroom, stopping in the door to look back at Mahati. "Don't come in here until I say it's safe." He saw her confusion at first, then she nodded. He closed the door.

Kali was in danger. She was being tortured, and she desperately wanted to go home, but she was in restraints. He reached for another spell from Baba's memory. It was like the Magic Door, but it moved the caster. He looked at Kali's closet door and memorized it and its location. Then he dropped his glamor.

Wrapping his left hand around his right ring finger, he recalled how he used this gesture to communicate with his daughter. A stab of pain went through his chest at the memory of Baba's betrayal and his loss. It would take time to fully heal.

He took some deep breaths, then cleared his mind and called up the translocation spell. His finger ached from the demand he was making on the magic within it, but he pushed through. He pulled up Kali's location and launched the spell. His stomach twisted then a sharp pain struck across his shoulders as he heard a high-pitched scream.

He was standing in a dimly lit concrete block room. It was damp and cold and stank of shit, piss, sweat, blood, and fear. His shoulders were on fire from the sharp blow he'd taken, but he hadn't been the intended recipient of the bullwhip strike, so he'd been inside its reach, diminishing the power. Before him, Kali was chained to the wall with two pairs of handcuffs linking her arms to rings bolted to the concrete walls. Her arms were spread wide, and she was struggling to support herself on the coiled muscle of her tail.

Her glamor was gone.

In a glance, he took in countless scars on her body, and the bruising on her upper body, teeth marks on her breasts. He felt the whip coming at his back again, so he spun and grabbed the braided leather out of the air and yanked.

The man who'd held the other end stumbled forward and fell onto his stomach. He was large and thick-bodied, but he was currently covered in black studded leather from head to foot. Not an inch of skin was exposed. The leather hood, jacket, pants, and boots were crisscrossed with straps and buckles. Henry found they made excellent grips as he lifted the man by the straps on his back and slammed him down against the concrete floor repeatedly until he heard whimpers.

Henry tugged the zipper up the back of the man's head and yanked off the mask.

"NOOO!!!" the man screamed in terror, so Henry bounced him hard against the floor then flipped him over.

Henry frowned as he recognized him from somewhere. Then it popped into his head. He was one of the morning anchors from a major network channel. Chet, no, Chuck Darnell, the big, jolly goof who did the light-hearted, feel-good stories for the show. Seeing him here was so far out of context. His nose was broken from the impact against the floor.

"Keys," Henry demanded, and the man's eyes widened in panic.

"I-I-I don't have them! I don't run the place! I'm just a client!" the man babbled in fear.

Henry wanted to hurt this man, but he didn't want to waste time. If he'd had a permanent sharpie marker, he'd write his crimes on his face—

A memory rose in Henry's mind, a spell of Baba's. Almost before he was aware of what he was doing, he was writing with a fingertip across the man's forehead as he spoke words he couldn't hear. The man's eyes widened, and tears of shame formed as he struggled to take a breath.

Henry stood and looked down at him in disgust. "Leave."

The heavy man's crimes were written on his face, and he wouldn't be able to hide them from his family, friends, or coworkers. There was no ink or even scratches on the pale skin of his forehead, but the compulsion to confess his sins had been deeply imprinted in the man's mind.

Frantic to escape, he rolled over onto his hands and knees, scrambled towards the door, and then got to his feet and ran. The moment he was out the door, Henry moved to Kali's restraints and used his strength to break the links between the cuffs. He'd need a key to remove them from her wrists, but he could get her home for now. He eased her down, and she whimpered.

He heard the sound of running, so he sprinted across the room and touched the door as he cast the Magic Door spell. Seconds later, the outer hall sounds became muffled. He cautiously opened the door and saw Kali's room.

Smiling to himself, he walked back to Kali and carefully lifted her in his arms. He carried her across the room and into her bedroom. He gently set her down on her bed.

"Mahati. Can you come in, please?"

The older sister immediately entered and cried in dismay when she saw her sister. She rushed next to the bed and touched her sister's face gently.

"Do you have the number for General Crane?" he asked her.

Mahati looked at him in confusion. "What?"

"General Crane. I need to speak to him."

"Now?" she asserted.

"Yes, unless you're fine with the monsters who did this to Kali getting away," he said firmly.

She pursed her lips and rushed out of the room to return with her cell. She dialed and handed it to him.

Henry walked over to the window as he listened to the phone ring. On the fourth, he heard someone answer. "Ms. Chandra? What can I do for you?"

"Hi, General Crane. This is Henry Gable. I'm at Mahati's place, and I asked her to call you for me."

"Oh, is everything all right, Mr. Gable?" he said, sounding a little uncomfortable.

"I need some assistance from the squad of Silver Soldiers you have watching me," Henry said frankly.

Crane was quiet for a second, then cleared his throat. "Why do you think I assigned my squad to such a duty?"

"Because I spent several days telling US congresspeople a bunch of stuff that made most of them very nervous about the security of their way of life. Of course, they asked to have a squad of soldiers to keep track of me. From the few demonstrations I made of my new means of travel, they wouldn't have asked regular soldiers. Besides, I can feel their energy close by." Henry looked back at Mahati.

She turned her head to look at him incredulously, and he shook his head as he shrugged.

Crane exhaled in a gust. "Dammit! How are we supposed to do our jobs if we don't have complete intel!" the General cursed.

Henry smiled. "So, can I get their help?"

Crane sighed. "What are you asking for?"

Henry turned to look out the window again and spoke softly. "A friend of mine was kidnapped, likely around the time of the Skyfall. She's been held prisoner in some kind of torture club."

"You need help extracting her?" Gordon asked.

"No. I got her out, but there could be others, and there may be a client list for this club and information on the operators. I need help freeing the rest and collecting the information so we can shut these monsters down permanently."

"Where is the club? I can have the team raid it and call in the local authorities to collect the operators and customers," the General suggested.

"I just caught Chuck Darnell of the very popular breakfast show, New York Morning Express, whipping my friend with a bullwhip while dressed in some leather fetish wear. We aren't going in the club's front door as the cockroaches would just escape out the back ways. I have a door already opened in the dungeon. They're aware of my presence but probably think I'm trapped in the room. They'll have a team of security goons trying to bust in to get me as we speak. We break in from the inside, secure the staff and customers, rescue the tortured, then depending on who we find and what data I can retrieve, we either blow the lid on the operation or bury these bastards in an unmarked grave. That decision is yours, but we gotta do it fast."

"Shit. Okay, I can have the team to your location in two minutes."

"Thanks!" Henry hung up. He looked to Mahati. "Sorry, we'll need to use Kali's closet door to enter the club, but once we're in, I'll release the door, and we'll leave another way."

He knelt down next to the bed, and Kali's eyes tracked him. "I'll come back to heal you once we catch the bad guys, okay?"

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice cracking.

He nodded and walked to the condo's front door so she couldn't see his rage building. Opening the door, he saw several Silver Soldiers exit the stairwell into the hallway and look in his direction. He waved, and they zipped up to the doorway.

Henry recognized the one in the lead, Sergeant Michelle Tennison. She smiled at him, and he returned it. He noted that she and the other soldiers were all wearing vests make from tough black nylon straps. Affixed to these straps were insignia and some pockets for carrying essentials.

"Good to see you again, Sergeant," Henry addressed her with a smile.

"We thought this would be a covert surveillance assignment, then the General told us our cover was blown because you sensed our energy," she replied.

Henry grinned. "Yeah, please apologize to the General for me. That was a complete bluff. I can't sense your energy at all, but I knew you guys had to have been assigned to watch me for suspicious activity."

The soldier next to Michelle burst into braying laughter. "Oh man, the General is gonna be pissed when he hears he fell for that!"

"Shut it, Yablonski!" Michelle sighed wearily. She looked to Henry. "I understand time is of the essence?"

Henry nodded and gestured for them to follow him. He went inside and turned to see there were ten soldiers. He faced them in Mahati's living room. "We'll go through the bedroom and into the closet door, which leads to a dungeon room in the club. I'll release the magic, and the security goons will probably bust through the door. We tie them up, then tie up any customers in the act of torturing another being."

"What if it's just two people getting their freak on?" Yablonski asked.

Henry blinked in surprise at the soldier as Michelle scowled at him.

"Every time you say shit like that, it makes me wonder why Endale sacrificed himself to save you," the Sergeant growled.

Henry shook his head. "It's likely the person being tortured will not look Human. It may be one of those clubs. Stop the customers from hurting them. We also need to capture the people running the place and stop them from accessing the computers. There's data we need to get from them. Any questions?" He saw there were none. "Let's go."

He guided them through the bedroom and through the closet door. He immediately closed the door behind himself, stood to the side looking at the prepared Silver Soldiers, and touched the door to release it. The two men slamming their shoulders against the wooden door crashed through to fall onto the floor and were zip-tied together in a flash. Michelle and Yablonski tied up the two waiting in the hall.

Henry watched the silver streaks zip away in pursuit of the baddies in the rest of the building as he went from room to room, checking on the ones chained to the wall. For the three customers he found zip-tied, he spelled their sins on their foreheads as they stared up at him in fear and shame.

He was breaking the cuffs for a female Fae in the last room when she muttered something to him.

"Demn..."

Henry leaned closer. "What?"

"Club... owner... demon."

Henry cursed under his breath. "Thank you for the warning."

He rushed back to the door and closed it. Then he pictured Sigrid's bedroom door in his mind and touched the dungeon door as he launched the spell. He thumped on it so she'd know it wasn't Meixiu.

Light poured out around the door as it slowly opened. She was in her armor. "Henry?" she called out.

"Sorry for suddenly showing up unannounced, but we have a Demon issue," he said as he opened the door the rest of the way, holding up an arm across his eyes.

"Where is this?" she asked.

"It's some kind of torture club. I found Kali here, and I arranged to have General Crane's Silver Soldiers assist with its shutdown," he explained.

"They aren't equipped to take on a Demon!" Sigrid exclaimed.

"Hence my coming to you!" Henry pulled her into the room then closed the door, releasing the spell. When he opened it again, the club's hallway was back, and they could hear muted shouting and crashing sounds. Sigrid was out the door and racing away before Henry could say anything. He turned around and saw the old Fae was smiling. Then he noticed she was no longer breathing. Henry touched her head then followed Sigrid up the stairs toward the sound of battle. There were dead bodies in a few rooms, and some were zip-tied, which told Henry the Demon was trying to cover his tracks, snuffing out witnesses. Henry stepped into a large open chamber where Sigrid was fighting with a man in an expensive suit. The Silver Soldiers were trying to help, but it was just hindering Sigrid.

"Sergeant, pull your people back! Sigrid needs room!" Henry yelled, and the soldiers were suddenly resting back against the wall on either side of him. They looked tired, which he could help with. "Join hands," he yelled over the crash of weapons from the battle.

Henry could tell this Demon was highly skilled in battle as Sigrid's grin was almost outshining her armor.

Seeing the soldiers were all linked, he reached out and grabbed the hands next to him as he looked inward to open his rift. He directed the torrent out through his hands and heard the gasps of the Silver People as he quick-charged them. He reduced the flow and released his grip. Yablonski made a noise of disappointment and received a scowl from the Sergeant before she turned to Henry.

"Thanks for the juice. It's so much better when it's filtered," she said with a grin, and he returned it but kept his eyes on Sigrid. She was loving this.

Henry needed to find a computer. "Did you find the main office?" he asked.

"It's at the end of the hall on the right," Michelle called out over the din.

He saw the Demon glance his way in frustration after hearing the Sergeant. So, there was something to find in that office.

He looked to the Sergeant. "Leave him to Sigrid, but don't let him leave this room." She nodded.

Henry hustled down the hall and found the office with the Private sign on it. He examined the doorknob and saw a nasty little spell on it. Muttering a cleansing spell from Baba's memory, the poisonous barbs fell from the knob and shriveled up on the floor. Safe once more, Henry opened the door and walked into the office. The office was beautifully decorated with a sophisticated style, making the EMP wires circling the doorway stand out like a sore thumb. They'd wipe any computers carried through the threshold. He tore them from the wall then walked over to the desk where he found the Demon's ledgers and a laptop left on and not locked. Sloppy. Henry confirmed the machine contained the data for the ledger spreadsheets and the contact list. He also saw there were at least three other clubs.

He'd forgotten his cell, so Henry opened a small tear to Eden, then another below it to show the surface of his bureau at home. He collected his cell and let the tears close. He dialed Roy.

"Henry?"

"Hi, Roy. I found Kali and got her back to Mahati. She was held prisoner in a sex and torture club. Sigrid is currently battling the Demon running the place, and I have his computer with all his records. It looks like there are a few more clubs like this scattered around the world. The ledger only seems to go back five or so months."

"Can you get that to me?" Roy asked.

"Yes, where are you?" Henry responded.

"In my office at work."

"Is your door closed?"

Roy hesitated. "Yes."

"Okay, hang on."

Henry walked to the office's bathroom door, opened a new Magic Door to Roy's office, and knocked.

"Is that you?" Roy asked over the phone.

"Yes," Henry said and watched Roy's face as he opened the door. They hung up. Henry walked back to the desk and reset the laptop's password to Duncan123! and ensured Roy saw this. Then he shut it down and handed it to the big redhead. He grabbed its AC adapter for Roy as well. The big man put them on his desk then returned to the office to begin going through the desk drawers and cabinets.

Sigrid appeared in the doorway, breathing hard but smiling. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that she was only wearing a sweet little satin nightie, which, thankfully, had been spared being stained with demon blood. Her skin gleamed with sweat, and her deep breathing did things for Henry's libido. She looked damn sexy, and he had to fight his body's reaction to her.

"Damn! That was an epic battle! It was a senior level demon! I rarely get to fight them." She walked into the office, followed by the soldiers who were watching her with awe.

"Any survivors on the main floor?" Henry asked.

Michelle broke out of her stunned state to look at Henry. "Unfortunately, no. The Demon killed his workers and the customers. He was too tough for us to stop. He was heading downstairs to you when she exploded out of the stairwell and knocked him back into the main hall."

"There are three tied up customers in the basement who are desperate to confess, and six victims who need urgent care." He looked to Roy. "Can you give General Crane a call and let him know about the other clubs and arrange raids on their locations."

"If they're also run by Demons, you need Valkyries on your strike teams. I can make some calls."

Henry nodded and pointed down. "Would you like to get dressed first?"

"Shut up!" Yablonski groaned, and Michelle slapped the back of his head.

Sigrid smiled sexily, watching Henry as she ran her hands over the smooth fabric. "You don't like it?"

He licked his lips nervously. "Ooo, I like it a little too much for current company."

Her smile was deeply satisfied. "Then I suppose my job here is done. I can do the rest from home. If you could open a door for me, Henry?"

"Certainly." He closed the bathroom door and released the spell to launch it once more for Sigrid's bedroom. He opened the door to see her girly bed. Yablonski sighed.

Sigrid looked to Roy. "Call me once you've connected with the Brigadier-General." He nodded, and she went inside, looking back as she bit her lip and waved sexily at Henry. She laughed delightedly at his hungry expression then closed the door. He released the spell.

Henry looked to Roy, who was pulling up the map on his cell for his current location. "Do you want me to set the door back to your office?"

"Hmm? Oh! No, I'll have a clean-up team, and my squad come here. I'll catch a ride back with them. We'll get the others to a hospital," he replied.

"So, I can leave the rest to you and Sigrid? I need to help Kali," Henry said to Roy.

"Yes, and thanks," Roy said absentmindedly.

Henry nodded and left the office with the soldiers following him.

When he got back to the main hallway leading to the front door, he stopped and looked back at them. "Uh, I'm just going back to my place. I don't know where you guys were watching me from, but you can head back there if you like."

"We're sitting in the back of a van. It's so dull!" Yablonski grumbled.

Henry stared at him in dismay while the Sergeant contemplated murdering the Corporal. She glanced at Henry in embarrassment as he turned his attention to her.

"Is that true?" She nodded. "That sucks! When do you get to hang out with your family— Oh! That was insensitive of me. Did any of you lose anyone during the Skyfall Event?"

They glanced at each other, and all shook their heads.

Michelle cleared her throat. "We, uh, assisted our families earlier to ease their transition."

Henry grinned. "You made them into Silver People, too!"

They shifted from foot to foot uneasily, and he held up his hands. "It's cool! I won't say anything. I'm just glad you were able to protect them." He sighed. "Still, it sucks you're stuck in that van. I mean, I don't know what you're being asked to watch for. How often do you get to recharge?"

"We return weekly to the strike zone on the Mall in Washington, DC," Michelle admitted.

Henry shook his head. "I don't mind giving you guys a boost from time to time. Should you feel the need, please just let me know." That got smiles from them.

"Your energy is so much better than the strike zone," Yablonski sighed.

Henry walked to the front door, unlocked it, and linked it to a side door on his condo building. "This will take you back to the street outside my place." He pushed the door open, and they filed through, and Michelle stopped at the entrance.

"Aren't you coming?" she asked.

"I have to go back to Mahati's. I'll open a door to her place. Thanks for your help tonight."

Michelle stepped through with a smile, and Henry closed the door.

Henry's head was ringing as he found himself on the floor. A dark shape was swinging something at his head again, so he tilted his head to take the hit against his horns. That hurt much less, and he was able to focus on his assailant.

The man was a smaller version of the club owner, right down to the impeccable suit and expensive leather shoes. With the strength and speed, it was obviously a demon, too.

"You fucked up master's operation. I had to kill our playthings. I'll kill the one you stole—AAAAIIIEEE!"

Henry's sharp kick against its shin had the desired effect as bones snapped and poked out. Then Henry tugged it down to the floor and rolled to pin it under him. He began beating on it with his fists, harder and harder as it screamed. He bared his teeth as he slammed his fists against its face until it began to distort and flatten out.

The demon was no longer futilely trying to block Henry's strikes. Henry picked up the sound of Roy's voice.

"Henry!"

He blinked as he turned his head to look at the shocked expression on the man's face.

"It's dead, lad. You can stop now."

Henry was sucking in deep, shuddering gasps of breath. He nodded as he looked down at the paste he'd made of the demon. "It... it killed the... people downstairs." He frowned as he tried to think how the monster could have moved through the building while avoiding being seen. How did it sneak up on him in the empty hallway? It suddenly came to him. "Secret passages," he muttered. His eyes went to the ceiling. He imagined a security setup in the attic with cameras and secret passages to each level.

He looked down at the dead demon. The last one? He said master.

Henry leapt to his feet and grabbed Roy to his chest as he launched another spell around them. He poured his energy into the magic and clung to the man as the world exploded into chaos. The noise was intense, and he felt movement. When he opened his eyes again, his face was buried in Roy's fur. He pulled back to glance around and saw they were outside with bits of burning building around them.

"I think ya can cancel the hamster ball spell," Roy said with a smile in his voice.

Henry dropped the shield spell as they activated their glamors. They looked back at the devastation.

"That was quick thinking, son."

Henry glanced at Roy and saw a proud smile on his face. A warmth spread through him as he nodded to the bigger man.

"Do demons typically run operations like this and work together?" Henry asked.

Roy frowned and shook his head. "No, this is a first and a dangerous precedent."

"I don't think the demon Sigrid fought was the master the demon I killed was talking about."

Roy looked sharply to Henry. "It said it had a Master?"

Henry just nodded.

A group of black SUVs arrived, and Henry recognized Roy's packmates pouring out. They had looks of horror on their faces until they spotted Roy waving to them. Their relief was clear as they came racing over to them.

"We saw the fireball rising into the sky," one called out.

"Aye, but the lad got us out without trouble," Roy said, and grateful eyes turned Henry's way.

He looked up at Roy. "I want to go home and get cleaned up. I promised I'd help heal Kali."

Roy pointed back at the burning wreckage of the collapsed mansion they'd been in. "No operational doors to use. Can we give you a lift?" Henry looked around in the firelit murk of the night. They were in a rundown neighborhood. No lights were showing on any of the buildings, and most were commercial properties. The mansion they'd been in seemed out of place but was probably the only house when the area was zoned for commercial use.

Henry smiled as he spotted something. The mansion's front doors had blown off in the explosion and were likely protected by Henry's hamster ball. They were still in their frame. He grinned at Roy. "Can you ask your men to stand that up?"

Roy chuckled and gestured for his group to help.

Once the doors were upright, Henry tested one, and it swung easily. "These are great doors!" he said with a smile.

He closed it and touched one as he linked it to his hall closet door. "See you guys on Monday. Good night, Roy."

"Night, lad."

He opened the door and stepped through, closing it behind him as he released the spell.

"Henry?" Tish called out nervously.

"Yes, it's just me—STOP!" he barked at the twins charging excitedly at him. "I'm covered in demon blood, so I need a shower." They pouted, but he shooed them away. Tish approached and looked at him cautiously. "Demon blood? I don't see—eep!" she squeaked as he dropped his glamor, and the black blood covered his hands with streaks going up his arms, across his chest, and on his chin.

"You fought a demon?" she asked. "Where were you that you fought a demon?"

He walked into the guest bathroom and got the shower going. "Can you undo my kilt? Take my cell phone out and put it on the counter." She nodded and helped him out of his kilt.

"I went to Mahati's and used a spell to find Kali. She was a prisoner at a sex dungeon that specialized in torturing Hidden Races. It was run by demons." He stepped into the shower and worked on washing the blood from his hands first. "I got Kali out first—Oh! Chuck Darnell, that news anchor on the morning show you watch, was dressed up in studded leather, mask and all, using a bullwhip on Kali. What a fucking creep! He won't ever do that again!"

"What did you do?" Tish gasped.

He saw the shock on her face, and he shook his head. "I didn't hurt him... much. A broken nose," He recalled hearing a crack as he slammed him against the floor. "Maybe a rib or two. What I did do was use one of Baba's compulsions on him to ensure he'd confess the evil he'd done. Should be interesting days ahead for him. I think he managed to escape the club." He wondered if the demon got to him first.

"After I dropped Kali off at Mahati's, I arranged for the Silver Soldiers to assist with raiding the club. Did you know General Crane has them sitting in a van someplace nearby? The congresspeople ordered it, I think. Anyway, during the raid, we discovered the club was run by a demon, so I called Sigrid to deal with it. I brought Roy in to collect the club's data and work with General Crane to go after the other three clubs. After Sigrid and the soldiers left, I was jumped by another demon who'd been hiding in the walls. I killed that one... I punched it to death." He shook his head and rolled the tension from his shoulders. "Someone triggered an explosion, but I had Roy inside my shield, and we were thrown from the building." He looked to Tish, who was watching him wide-eyed. "Roy called the shield a hamster ball," he said with a snort of amusement. "His fur does feel really soft like a hamster."

"Are you clean yet?" she asked.

He blinked at her then looked down at himself. He was clean. "Yes."

Tish dropped her glamor and stepped into the shower to push him against the wall as her lips found his. Her tongue thrust into his mouth, and she moaned as his hands landed on her back and ass. She ground her body against his, and he quickly reacted until his cock was trapped uncomfortably between them.

"Henry, take me!" Tish begged, and he lifted her against his chest with his hands on her ass. "Oh FUCK!" she cried.

He pressed her against the wall as he lined himself up against her opening and pushed forward to drive his hard cock into her. She felt so good! Again and again, he pulled out to slam forward, deeper each time. The connection of male to female Satyr was a kind of magic in itself. Neither of them could withstand the intensity of the pleasure, and the rightness of the fit, for long. Their bodies reacted without thought or reason. This was the purest form of physical unity, and it quickly reached a pinnacle and overwhelmed their senses.

As they remained under the hot spray, their bodies passed through cascades of bliss.

Finally, he kissed her tenderly, and she rubbed her face against his. "Fuck, you get me so hot!"

He smiled as he nibbled her ear.

"Ahh! Fuck!" she gasped and pushed back, which made him pull his softening erection from her. Her legs wobbled, and he braced her against his body as she trembled.

Tish got her legs under her and shook her finger at him for the ear nibbles. She rinsed quickly and stepped out to dry herself off. Henry spent a little more time under the hot spray and heard Tish leaving the bathroom.

His mind took him back to the sex club. The demon was going to kill him, but he hadn't shied back in fear as he once would have. Instead, he'd felt his rage pushing him to do something. He had magic at his disposal, but he was nowhere near the level where he'd turn to it for some offensive attack. The shield was excellent for defense, so he was glad he had it.

He was a Satyr, and he remembered Sigrid telling him he was strong. When a Valkyrie tells you that, it means something! He remembered the demon struggling to block his punches. It was damn strong, but he'd just kept pounding until he'd broken past its defenses, then he just kept punching.

Again, inflicting that level of violence on someone would have sent his mind spinning once.

But bad shit happened to him—so much of it. He'd taken too much, and it was time for him to start fighting back.

"Henry?"

The voice was soft and tentative. He smiled as it was a soothing balm on his rattled nerves. "Yes?"

"I-I-I just wanted to express my deepest appreciation to you for rescuing Kali."

Henry's eyes opened as he suddenly realized the voice didn't belong to Tish. He turned and saw Mahati standing in the middle of his washroom. She was staring at his naked Satyr body and focusing on one part in particular. He would have reacted, but she was also naked and in her natural form. She looked... exquisite! He felt himself staring, so he looked away.

"Am I hideous? Do you find my true form repulsive?"

The plaintive tone in her voice surprised him, and he turned to face her in shock. "Oh my god! No!" he gasped, then managed to turn his face slightly as he realized he was staring again. "I remember you said something on the first day we met. At the time, it seemed a little like bragging, but now, I-I think I understand one of the reasons why the Nāga are revered as gods."

He glanced at her expression to see if she was offended, but she had a shy but stunningly white smile on her face as she allowed her eyes to roam down his body. All he could do was watch her as he was trapped by her smile.

"Kali is sleeping. I have healed her open wounds, but she is badly scarred," Mahati said.

Henry nodded, "I can help with that. If I can get Eleanor King's help, it will be even better."

Mahati nodded distractedly. "Have I mentioned that Wild Magic isn't toxic to me?" she said, her cheeks becoming a delightful shade of deep red.

She was so intensely lovely he was having trouble focusing on what she was saying. Then it clicked. "What? How?"

She flashed another smile as she inched closer. "It sounds like a boast when I say Nāga are magic, but there is a significant difference in how we channel magic through our bodies. It's what makes our offensive capabilities so much stronger." She slipped a little closer again.

"I lost my glamor in the Skyfall Event. The Wild Magic burned out the Fae glamor. I created a new channel within me where I could absorb and store as much Wild Magic as I could. It's isolated from the old realm magic within me, so I avoid the toxic reaction. I built my own glamor and bound it to the Wild Magic instead of the old realm magic."

"You had less trouble learning how to use Wild Magic than Mab did," Henry acknowledged.

She smiled again, and he struggled to keep from being dazzled. "I learned how to use the Wild Magic by putting myself in your shoes. How would Henry, a gentle and inexperienced conduit, get magic to work. I knew you could work with magic, and that was my answer. You worked with it. You didn't command it."

Henry nodded. "That concept proved impossible for Mab to grasp. Thankfully."

She was at the threshold of the shower now. "Since it's safe, would you, I mean, c-could we?" she asked in a timid voice again, but he knew what she was asking. He nodded. "Y-your glamor? Your Satyr size isn't compatible." She was having trouble speaking as her embarrassment surged.

"Do you have your ideal front and center in your mind?" he asked, and her face reddened beautifully.

She closed her eyes for a moment to take a deep breath, then opened them and nodded with a cute smile on her lips.

He activated his glamor for her, minus his clothes. She immediately looked down.

"Oh!" She glanced back up. "I've never... yours was the first I'd ever seen."

He gave her a curious smile. "Was? You're not talking about now, so when did you see it before?"

She squirmed a little as she looked away, then her eyes dropped to examine his erection once more. "The night of your house warming party. After you were healed, Tish and I carried you back to your bedroom. You were naked but not hard like now. It looks much different! Is that... is that because of me?"

Henry nodded with a little smile. "Should I come out of the shower?"

She smiled and shook her head as she joined him under the spray. She gently turned him to face away, and he tilted his head forward to soak his head. Four hands immediately began to massage shampoo into his long hair. That was a little unusual, but the sensation was entirely pleasant. He sighed as the massage moved to his back, his arms, and his ass. He felt Mahati's amazing breasts pressing against his back and her arms wrapped around to rub the suds over his chest. Her lower arms slid down over his hard stomach muscles, then lower still.

Henry could feel Mahati's excited breath panting against his back as she moved her hands to his cock.

"oh my goodness!" she sighed quietly as her fingers traced the shape of the head then slipped down the shaft. Her touch was gentle, so he wasn't too concerned when she gathered his balls in her fingers and hefted their weight.

Henry tilted his head forward under the spray, rinsing away the shampoo and letting it run from his body as well. Mahati's hands, all of them, went back to assist him with his shower, though her touch remained sensual.

He turned slowly, and she'd raised herself up on her coils to match his eye level. He drank in her finely sculpted features, her expressive eyes, and her sensual mouth he ached to kiss. He could still see some hesitation in her eyes. He could accept that, as a virgin, she was shy and wasn't sure about what to do, but he picked up it might be based on personal insecurities. Her mother was quite overwhelming, he understood.

The room was just a little steamy now, and she was no longer keeping her arms in close to save body heat, so he assumed she was comfortable with that.

"Are you aware of how incredibly beautiful you are?" he asked her as he guided a few strands of her glossy black hair back behind her small ears.

She flashed another smile then gave him a serious look. "There is beauty, and there is attraction. The first is subjective, and the second is tied into so many conditions. I-I believe I have been gifted with a certain level of beauty, measured by the symmetry of my features, the even tone of my complexion, and the fitness of my body, but I'm Nāga, and many do not find that aspect of me beautiful. We spend so much of our time with our true selves hidden away. At the same time, we're immersed in a Human culture which sets such incredibly unrealistic ideals for beauty, I find myself doubting myself and compensating for my differences."

Henry leaned forward and stroked his lips across hers and her breath caught in her chest as she pressed back. He enjoyed the plump softness of her lips and nibbled on them with his as her hands gripped his body to pull him closer. Her breasts squeezed tight against his chest muscles, and she made a sweet sound into their kiss.

His arms went between hers, and his hands caressed her back, one sliding down until it reached the beginnings of her scales. He didn't pull his fingers away but stroked them instead.

She sighed into his kiss then pulled back slightly to look into his eyes.

"You are not repulsed by this."

It wasn't a question, so he just smiled as he shook his head. "Recall that I was also disguised as a Human for most of my life and had no idea I was anything but Human. I wasn't physically impressive in any way and had no self-confidence. The boys I met in school often bullied me, so none of the girls made any indication they were attracted to me or even mildly interested. It wasn't until I began working at VRL that I met people who weren't so tied up with following Human norms for attraction. They looked deeper than the surface. That felt so good!"

He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her tenderly. She watched him dreamily when he pulled back. "I can honestly say I don't have any preconceived biases for body shape, and I'm most attracted to people who are beautiful on the inside first. Your compassion and strength of character, your sense of justice, and your bravery in pursuing it gets my fires going more than anything! Your physical beauty, all of it, is where the divine makes its presence known."

Mahati pulled him from the shower, shutting off the tap with her tail, and pushed him against the wall as she kissed him deeply. Her tongue was a little wild due to her inexperience, but he quickly guided her efforts with his own, and she trembled in his arms as the kisses slowed down but got exponentially hotter. Her lower set of hands were between their bodies, stroking his cock and pressing it against something. He wasn't sure how her anatomy worked, so he couldn't assist yet.

That something parted, and he was suddenly sliding deep into hot, wet, and soft.

"Oh my goodness!" she gasped against his cheek as she broke their kiss.

"Mahati! That feels wonderful!" he sighed as her muscles rippled along his length. He began to draw himself out to start stroking, but she pressed him against the wall, pinning him in place. The internal rippling began to speed up. While her lower half held his still, she placed all four hands on the wall next to him and pushed her torso back from his, arching her body to put more pressure on him. Her body massaged Henry's cock faster and faster. Her eyes were closed in concentration, and a tiny wrinkle appeared between her brows as she licked her lips, a flash of pink across darker skin.

While he couldn't move his lower half, he now had an excellent view of Mahati's gorgeous breasts. He took them in his palms and gently squeezed them, making her gasp and pulse quicker. She had small but very sensitive nipples, and his caressing them was doing the most extraordinary things to her connection to him.

He knew nothing about Nāga physiology, so he wasn't sure if she'd be using these to nurse her child or if they were just for his enjoyment. For all he knew, Nāga laid eggs, and their breasts were ornamental. If that was the case, she'd been blessed with perfect decorations!

Mahati's breathing was becoming rough as their dual efforts were overwhelming her. Henry was racing up on his release as well, and being held still was driving him crazy.

"Henry! Something is... happening!"

"Me too!" he gasped, then lost the ability to speak as his orgasm ripped through his mind. He leaned his head back as stream after stream of cum jetted deep into Mahati's body. He cautiously opened his eyes, but she seemed no worse for it, so he released a massive sigh.

Mahati's expression showed an intense bliss, and she suddenly leaned forward to cling to him once more, and he wrapped his arms around her as well. The internal pulsing slowed and became languorous. She tucked her face into his neck and trembled as waves of small aftershocks rushed through her.

"That was... glorious," she sighed.

Henry grinned. "It was pretty amazing for me too. Not what I'm used to but wonderful just the same."

She pulled back to look at him curiously. "What about it was different?"

He shrugged. "Usually, I get to move a lot more, thrusting in and out and stuff."

Her eyes widened in confusion. "Why would you want to take it out after you got it in? That seems counter-productive!"

He couldn't help but chuckle, which sent pulses through both of them, bringing gasps and squirming from oversensitivity. She pulled his softening cock from her body.

"Oh! That is a very large amount of Wild Magic you gave me!" she sighed.

He looked at her nervously. "Are you okay? Are you sure it's safe?"

She flashed a white smile at him and nodded. "Yes. I just feel like I might be able to power Manhattan for a night."

Henry smiled as they began to dry themselves off. He leaned in and took another kiss from her soft mouth. "Mmm... goddess lips."

She gave him a playful little slap on the arm, but her eyes were twinkling.

"I'm going to head home to keep an eye on Kali tonight. If you'd like to come over tomorrow to help her, that would be welcome." He nodded then she looked at him seriously. "I trust you can refrain from public displays of affection in the workplace?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "Have you ever seen me do that with others there?"

She opened her mouth then realized the things she'd witnessed were all instigated by the women. "No... no, I haven't."

"Your secret is safe with me," he said equally serious, and she looked at him in surprise.

"Secret?"

"That you have goddess lips." He slipped forward and nibbled her bottom lip with his. She squeaked and gently pushed him back.

"You are incorrigible!" she moaned, then engaged her glamor. With a smile she couldn't hide slipping onto her lips, she let herself out of the bathroom and closed the door. He dropped his glamor as it was the only way to dry off properly.

He heard the door behind him open, and he glanced back.

"Croo?"

"Ah..."

The twins weren't taking stop for an answer this time.

Chapter 3

Dayshia was pacing in her living room, and Michelle Beaumont was reading her book in her favorite chair in the corner. She looked up to see the dark beauty staring at her phone.

"Are you expecting the phone to call him for you?" she asked gently.

Dayshia glanced at her roommate in frustration. Michelle sighed.

"Call him! You're wearing a groove in the rug."

"Fine!" Dayshia gasped and pressed Henry's contact entry on her cell.

It rang three times, and she was about to hang up when he answered. "Hi, Dayshia!"

"Henry! Hi! How are you?"

There was the slightest pause. "I'm good! You?"

"Great! Couldn't be better! How was your day?"

She could hear the smile in his voice. "It was a really good day. I went to Mahati's, and the Kings came over so Eleanor and I could heal Kali's injuries. She looks a lot better. We couldn't remove the oldest scarring as that would have been more traumatic than leaving them. When we were done, she felt so much better. She'll have to see a counselor for the emotional toll her imprisonment took, but Mahati is excellent support for her."

Dayshia was shocked. "What? Kali was abused in prison? We heard she was missing, but no one said she was in prison!"

"No, no! She was captured during the Skyfall Event when her glamor failed. She was chained up in the basement of a torture club with other Hidden Races who'd also lost their glamors. The club was run by a demon. I used a spell to find her, then I freed her and brought her home."

"Oh my god! That's awful!" Dayshia said.

"Yeah," Henry agreed. "But she'll get better with help from her friends and family."

"Speaking of family," Dayshia winced at her clumsy redirection, and Michelle covered her mouth to quiet her giggles. Dayshia waved her hand to silence her amused roommate. "I was invited to dinner tonight at my sister's. She asked me to bring you along. Are you available? I know it's really short notice, and as she's in Chicago, we'd need to use that Magic Door thing you used from the Capitol building... you know what, just saying it out loud, I can tell it's a bad idea—"

"Dayshia! It's fine. I'd like to meet them!" he exclaimed, interrupting her.

She blinked. "Really? It's okay?"

"Of course, what time?" he asked.

"Could we be there at eight?" she asked.

"I'll pick you up at your place at two minutes to," Henry replied.

Dayshia giggled sweetly.

"Was that a giggle? So adorable!" Henry said with a grin in his voice.

"Shut up!" Dayshia squeaked and hung up. She stared in shock at Michelle. "Oh my god! I just hung up on him! I gotta call him back and apologize!"

"I seriously don't believe Henry will be upset," Michelle chuckled. "If it makes you feel better, you can apologize when he gets here."

Dayshia nodded as she bit her lip. "What am I going to wear?" she shrieked and rushed off to her room as Michelle watched with a grin.

-=-

Henry was standing outside Michelle and Dayshia's unit just before eight. He was wearing a body-hugging black turtleneck sweater under a grey dinner jacket and slacks with black leather shoes. Tish picked the outfit from an ad she saw online. She'd clued him in on the importance of making a good impression on this date.

He had to admit that he hadn't picked up on the event's significance and originally had a more casual outfit picked out. Tish straightened that out immediately.

The door pulled open, and Dayshia stood before him in a boldly striped gold and black silk dress. Her hair was once more a huge mane of dense curls calling out for his hands to go exploring.

"Dayshia, you look del—amazing!" he gushed.

"What were you going to say there?" she asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

His face warmed up. "Delicious. I was going to say delicious."

She burst into giggles, and her eyes told him she was very pleased. Those lovely eyes swept down his body as well. "You look pretty damn delicious yourself," she grinned.

They stood there smiling at each other until Henry realized it was almost eight. "Should we go?"

"Oh! Right!" she blurted. "How do we do this?"

"I've never been there, so we're going to have to rely on your memory of their front door. I'm pretty sure this will work. Step out into the hall with me." He noticed Michelle in the room waving at him. "Hi, Michelle! Have a good night!"

"You as well!" Michelle called back.

Dayshia waved to her roommate and stepped into the hall, closing the door behind her.

"Picture the front door and concentrate on it as hard as you can. This is super important. I don't know what would happen if the Magic Door spell activated with no destination so let's not try that." Dayshia gave him a nervous stare. "When you have the door fixed in your mind, touch the door. I'll activate the spell and touch the back of your hand on the door. Then we'll knock. If Michelle opens the door, it didn't work and well have to go with method two, Google Street View."

Dayshia giggled nervously. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated. After a moment, Henry saw her reach out to the door, so he activated the spell but left the destination empty. He touched the back of Dayshia's hand and felt the spell engage. He lifted his hand, and Dayshia did too as she opened her eyes.

"It's still my condo door!" she said.

Henry smiled. "Yes, the door on this side doesn't change." He gestured for her to knock, so she did.

Seconds later, the door pulled open, and a taller, slimmer, and slightly older version of Dayshia was standing before them, staring back at them in shock. He noted her hair was brushed and tied back and became a large orb of hair just behind her head. There was a man behind the woman who was also struck speechless. Henry glanced at Dayshia and smiled as he watched her squirming. No one was saying anything.

"Hi, I'm Henry. Dayshia's boyfriend." It was how Tish told him to introduce himself. He held out a hand, and Beth suddenly snapped out of her paralysis.

"Oh my! Hello! I'm Beth, and this is my husband, Chris." She shook his hand and moved to the side, and the man reached forward to clasp his hand in a too-firm grip.

"Ooo! Strong hands you have there."

"S-sorry!" Chris said and released Henry's hand. "Is-is that a hallway in New York?"

"New Jersey, actually," Henry corrected gently.

"Where is our street? My storm door!" Chris exclaimed.

Henry smiled. "They're still there. Just as Dayshia's condo is still behind the door for us."

Three faces poked around their parent's bodies and stared at the hallway in wonder.

"This is my son, Danny, my daughter, Emily, and my youngest boy, Tommy," Beth said.

"Hi! Would you like to step from Boston to Jersey City?" Henry offered to the kids, and suddenly five people were stepping through the doorway. Henry and Dayshia had to move back to give them room. They looked around, but they were just standing in the building's interior hallway, not too spectacular. They looked back at their home inside the door.

"That is too strange," Chris muttered.

"Shall we go back to Boston?" Dayshia asked.

"Ah! Yes!" Beth said and shepherded her children and husband back through the door. Dayshia followed them with Henry at the back. He closed the door and released the spell. When he opened it again, they saw their front porch and the walkway leading to the street through the storm door's glass.

"Magic!" Danny shouted. Tommy echoed his older brother.

Henry smiled and nodded. He closed the door again. He adjusted his glamor to switch his leather shoes to soft leather slippers, but the change was so subtle no one noticed.

Beth rushed back to the kitchen. "Dinner's ready. Chris, please show them to the dining room."

Henry looked around at the cozy home the Nelsons lived in and felt a warmth in his chest. There were pictures of family on the walls and Christmas decorations everywhere he looked. They really went all out for the holiday!

They took seats around the table, which had a few festive Christmas designs like the table cloth and napkin rings. Likely made by the kids but sweet as hell! Henry found himself seated next to Dayshia, facing the three kids across the table. They were staring at him excitedly.

"Elbows off the table," Chris said, and Danny sat back in his chair after glancing at his father. Tommy leaned back too.

Emily's eyes were almost shining with happiness as she looked between Dayshia and Henry. "Are you really Auntie Dayshia's boyfriend?" she asked sweetly.

Chris frowned at the impertinent question, but Henry nodded vigorously, which made the young girl burst into giggles. Henry glanced at Dayshia, who was looking pretty happy with the answer too.

Beth returned with a large serving dish she placed on trivets on the center of the table. When she lifted the cover, Henry saw a bow tie pasta dish with spinach and some kind of tomato and meat sauce. His nose picked up the scent of spice too.

"You made your spicy sausage and spinach dish?" Dayshia asked her sister in surprise, glancing at Henry cautiously.

He returned the look. How spicy was it?

"What did I miss?" the mother asked, looking at her daughter's gleeful expression.

"Your daughter was asking about their relationship status," Chris said, steepling his fingers before him.

"Elbows," Beth said quietly to her husband, who leaned back from the table and glanced at the smirk on his oldest son's face.

Beth looked to Henry. "I'm told you're the CIO for an investment house in Manhattan. You seem young for such a role."

Henry grinned. "Yeah, I get that a lot. I'm younger than most CIOs, perhaps the youngest, but they've invested in me, and so far, they're happy with the results.

"What's a CIO?" Danny asked.

Henry smiled. "Chief Information Officer. I'm in charge of the computer systems at my office, from the hardware to the software that runs on them."

Danny seemed disappointed. "I thought you were a magician or a wizard!"

Henry chuckled and shook his head. "Magic is a recent addition to my skill set and not my favorite."

Danny was shocked to hear that. "How could magic not be your favorite?" he exclaimed.

"Danny, indoor voice," Chris said to calm his son.

Henry held the young man's eyes. "My experiences so far with using magic haven't been very happy. Lots of danger and people I care about getting hurt. Not pleasant memories." The boy frowned, and Henry shrugged. "The Magic Door spell has been really useful."

Beth spooned portions of the pasta onto the plates as Chris went back to the kitchen to bring out a wine bottle. The kids were given grape juice.

"Could I have grape juice as well?" Henry asked. The kids brightened up to see an adult who liked it too.

"No wine for you?" Chris asked.

Henry shook his head. "I have a very low tolerance to alcohol. I need to avoid it."

"Not the worst lifestyle choice," Beth said with a little smile for her sister. "Not one Dayshia's previous boyfriends shared."

"Beth," Dayshia growled, but Beth just flashed her eyes at her sister.

Henry nodded with a smile of his own.

"Do you go to church, Henry?" Beth asked.

"Beth!" Dayshia exclaimed.

Henry shook his head but kept his smile as he looked into Beth's eyes. She really did share Dayshia's lovely features. "I was raised by an adoptive grandmother who had no time for church or anything she considered frivolous." Henry held up his hands. "I don't share her attitude, but I also had no exposure to religion during those critical early years. Somehow, I think I developed a good grounding in right and wrong fundamentals, good and evil. I've certainly been exposed to examples of both recently, and my moral compass hasn't led me wrong."

She held his eyes for a bit as she put the lid back onto the pasta and took her seat. She reached out a hand to Danny and Henry. He didn't hesitate to take it. Everyone held hands as Chris said grace.

Beth smiled at Henry after they let go. "You have strong hands for a keyboard jockey."

Henry snorted softly and caught Chris' look of interest. "Yes, it's been all the non-CIO activities that have put so much strain on my body recently. I think it's also a default state for Satyrs. We're strong, as my Valkyrie friend tells me."

"You are a Satyr!" Danny exclaimed. "That was you on the TV in Washington?"

Henry nodded.

"How come you don't look like that now?" Danny pressed, and Chris looked both annoyed with his son yet interested in hearing the answer.

"I'm wearing a disguise made of magic. It's called a glamor. It lets me appear Human so people will feel comfortable around me."

He scooped up some of the pasta and put it into his mouth. As he chewed, he smiled. It was really good. Then the spices kicked in, and his eyes watered a little.

"Hoo! This is really good, but it's got a kick!" Henry gasped.

The kids laughed, and Beth smiled. Henry noticed Chris wasn't smiling. He seemed to have something on his mind. Henry wiped his eyes and looked to the man, encouraging him to ask the question on his mind.

"People are changing into new forms as they absorb this energy from another dimension. Will everyone get one of these glamors?" Chris asked.

"What's more likely to happen is that people with glamors will just stop using them as everyone will be in their new forms. They won't have to hide any longer. The world is becoming a much more interesting place. I know I'm looking forward to that day," Henry said.

"But what if we don't want to change our bodies to something else? It's not like we're being given a choice!" Chris argued. Beth looked at her husband in concern.

Henry could see Chris was becoming agitated. The thought crossed Henry's mind that Chris may have some form of body shape fixation. The man was obviously very fit and probably spent time maintaining that. He was proud of his physique. It would be particularly upsetting for him to know he was going to spontaneously change into something different.

"I see you're particularly concerned about this. I get it," Henry said with a nod. "The process of getting a glamor is not simple as the people who did it aren't able to work with the new dimension's energy."

"So, I have to be happy with whatever random chance throws my way?" Chris snapped.

"What about Tish?" Dayshia blurted, and Henry looked to her in surprise with a raised eyebrow.

"What's this about Tish?" Beth asked as Chris watched Dayshia too.

"Maybe we should finish this delicious meal before we... discuss that?" Henry suggested.

Dayshia nodded in embarrassment.

They ate their dinner, and the conversation was awkward. Even the kids picked up on it.

Finally, Henry pushed back. "That was really good! Thank you! I think we'd better address the elephant in the room, or in this case, the Satyr."

"Let's retire to the living room where we can get comfortable," Beth suggested.

Her husband led the way, and Henry paused in the doorway. The room was decked out for Christmas, complete with a lit and decorated tree. The room's warmth was so inviting. He sighed and smiled. "Now, this was what I missed growing up! It's beautiful!"

Chris smiled and gestured to the love seat. Soon Dayshia and Henry were sitting across from the Nelson family, who crowded onto their couch.

Dayshia placed her hand on Henry's. "I need to say something first." He nodded. "I shouldn't have mentioned anything about Tish before making a confession of my own." She swallowed and took a breath. "Over a year ago, I was exposed to a large amount of Wild Magic, and I... transformed."

Beth squeaked in surprise, but Dayshia raised her hand to calm her. "I changed, but Henry arranged to get me a glamor. What that cost him is something I regret to this day, but that's a story for another day. I changed, though my alteration wasn't too dramatic. I'm going to drop my glamor so you can see what I now look like." She smiled at the kids. "It isn't the slightest bit scary."

Dayshia's eyes were suddenly larger, glowing in subtle shades of blue, gold, and green, and framed with long feathery lashes.

"OH!" Beth and Chris yelped. The kid's reactions were far more dramatic.

"Auntie Dayshia! Your eyes are beautiful!" Emily gasped.

"They light up!" Danny exclaimed.

"Pretty!" Tommy squealed and clapped.

"They let me see in all kinds of different ways, across multiple frequencies. I can use them even when my glamor is active, so when I'm examining patients, I can see into their bodies to see the injuries or growths so I can operate more precisely and accurately," Dayshia admitted.

"You have x-ray vision? That is so cool!" Danny said enthusiastically.

She nodded but raised a hand. "Except it isn't x-rays. I tested it with an x-ray sensitive plate at the hospital's radiology department, and it didn't register at all."

"This change was random?" Beth asked.

"Yes."

"And nothing else changed," the older sister asked.

"No visible changes. I didn't lose any weight or grow wings. I definitely feel better than I did before, so that's a bonus," Dayshia said smiling at her sister.

Beth stood and approached as Dayshia stood and met her halfway. The older sister took her younger sister's face in her hands and looked at her new eyes closely. "They truly are breathtakingly lovely. If I were to change, I wouldn't mind becoming this." She turned to face Chris. "Would you still love me if I had eyes like Dayshia's?"

Chris looked scandalized. "Beth! Don't say crazy things! You know I'll love you regardless of what you become!"

"I feel the same about you, but you seem to be having a harder time with accepting the change," Beth acknowledged.

Chris frowned then controlled his expression as he glanced at the kids. "I-I just don't like surrendering control over something I thought was mine."

Dayshia looked to Henry, and he shifted uncomfortably as what she was asking was not guaranteed. He wouldn't deny her, though. He finally nodded.

"Please, let's sit again as I have more to say," Dayshia said to her sister. Once everyone was comfortable, she continued.

"The same night I was exposed to the Wild Magic, Tish was too. The difference was, Tish became a Faun—that's just another name for Satyr. She was holding Henry's hand to her stomach while she changed. We think she became a Faun because of this contact," Dayshia suggested.

Henry shifted uncomfortably. "That cause and effect connection hasn't been proven. It might have just been random chance that she became a Faun. No controlled testing has been done."

Beth looked to her little sister. "How can you test it if we don't know when we'll reach the threshold of energy that triggers the change?"

It was Dayshia's turn to fidget.

"I'm a source of Wild Magic. I can provide a stream of energy that would trigger the change."

Eyes turned to Henry, and Chris stood up, pulling his family with him. His expression told them he was not happy.

"I'm not a danger to anyone. I can control the flow," Henry assured them.

"Chris, you said it yourself. You're not happy losing control over the change. We might be able to give you some control. You could choose the race you'd become," Dayshia insisted.

He glared back at them then Beth pulled away. "I know I want the option to choose. I like the idea of becoming like Dayshia. It isn't a major change, and her eyes are so lovely!"

"What options do I have? What about the kids?" Chris argued.

"I'd like eyes like Auntie Dayshia too!" Emily said.

"What about glamors? You didn't say it was impossible," Chris pushed.

Henry nodded. "I'd have to speak with some people I know to see if there are any available options." He scanned Baba's spells to see if there were any glamor spells she had that might work. He pulled his mind away from a few that felt tainted with evil and was left with a few that might work. Again, he'd need Mahati's knowledge of linking a glamor to someone.

"Can you turn into a Satyr?" Danny asked.

"Are you wearing your kilt?" Dayshia asked.

Henry gave her an annoyed look. "Yes."

Beth looked at Dayshia with a curious expression.

"He's forgotten on occasion and gave everyone a show. A big show," Dayshia teased.

Henry stared at Dayshia until she dipped her eyes in apology. He next looked to Danny and nodded. He stood and faced the group, then dropped his glamor.

"You normally go around bare-chested in the winter?" Beth asked with a smile.

He returned her smile. "I don't actually feel the cold too much, but I'm also rarely in my true state outside."

"You don't have feet," Chris said, looking down at Henry's hooves.

Henry nodded. "True, but hooves are tougher and extremely stable."

Chris moved closer and looked into Henry's eyes. "You don't have goat eyes, but you do have floppy ears."

"Also true," Henry simply stated. "I also have three fingers and a thumb on each hand, but they're much stronger than Human hands. I use my Human glamor to enable my hands to use a keyboard."

Chris looked troubled. "How do I reconcile your existence with my beliefs?"

Henry blinked at the man in confusion. "Why should my existence have any impact on that? I've never claimed I nullify your beliefs. That would be terribly arrogant and ignorant of me. I certainly don't have any answers when it comes to religion," Henry assured him. He looked closer at Chris and saw he was struggling. "Look. Take some time to think about it. There's no immediate need for you to decide. It's obviously a deeply personal issue. You should feel comfortable about making it."

"While I empathize with my husband, I don't have any desire to leave my next state to random chance. I'm a rip the band-aid off kind of person," Beth insisted.

"There are other races you might choose. That said, I don't have a complete list, and with the purposeful lack of information on this, I can't give you any real advice on the races. My circle of friends doesn't contain that large of a selection," Henry explained, and Beth raised her palms to stop him.

"It's fine, Henry. I don't need to see a catalog. I'm also happy to remain looking as I do, but if there's an option which just incorporates a small cosmetic adjustment and a lovely one at that, it suits my needs." She hugged her daughter and smiled at Dayshia. "If doing this proves it works, then it protects my children from random chance as well," She glanced at Chris' look of concern. "...should we decide to give them this option." Her husband nodded.

Beth looked to Henry. "So, how do we do this?"

Dayshia turned to Henry. "Do you recall exactly how Tish was holding your hand on her stomach?" He nodded. She looked to her sister. "Maybe you should lie down on the couch."

Beth stretched out on the sofa as Chris stood back, holding the kids as they watched. "It doesn't hurt, does it?" she asked her baby sister.

Dayshia smiled. "No, I haven't heard anyone report pain from the change. It certainly didn't hurt for me." Beth nodded, reassured.

Henry stepped closer. "Dayshia, place your palm on Beth's stomach, skin to skin. Beth, you rest your hand on top of Dayshia's, your thumb and first finger gently wrapped around her wrist. That's good. Now keep it there until her change is complete." Dayshia nodded seriously. He looked into Beth's eyes. "This part is different. Tish ingested the Wild Magic, and we are going to deliver it externally."

"Can't I ingest it?" Beth asked.

"Uh, no. That's not an option," Henry said, and Dayshia snorted but quickly controlled her expression. "It's the same energy, just a different delivery method, but I had to mention it. Still want to proceed?"

"Yes," Beth indicated.

"Okay. I'll give the energy to Dayshia, and she'll direct it down through her hand into you."

"I'll do what now? I've never directed Wild Magic!" Dayshia said, looking up at Henry.

"When you feel it entering your body, guide it down your arm and through your hand into your sister. Invite it to follow with your will," Henry explained.

"Oh! I can do that!" she responded.

"All set?" he asked and got nods.

Henry placed his hands on Dayshia's back and opened his rift slightly.

"Oh!" Dayshia gasped.

"What?" Beth asked nervously.

"The energy feels good," Dayshia grinned self-consciously, and Beth frowned at her. Dayshia concentrated and directed the pooling energy down her arm and out through her hand.

"Oh!" Beth gasped.

"What? What happened?" Chris asked nervously.

Beth's body was tingling madly, and in places only her husband was supposed to assist with. "It feels really good!"

Henry kept the energy flow rate low as they were just aiming for a controlled accumulation, and it seemed to be going well.

Beth bit her lip and looked over at her husband. "I love you," she mouthed as the tingles spread throughout her body. Then her eyes rolled back as she whited out when her transformation began.

They watched very closely, holding their breath as nothing was happening. The energy continued to seep into Beth's body.

Henry shut the rift when he saw her change begin. He didn't want to overload her.

Beth's eyes began to grow, and her lashes extended and became feathery. "It's working!" Dayshia squeaked.

"Keep your hand in place," Henry insisted, and Dayshia returned to concentrating on her sister.

They watched Beth's eyes grow and slowly take their new shape. Her lashes were long and beautifully feathered like Dayshia's. When Beth relaxed, Henry lifted his hands from Dayshia. "It's done."

Dayshia lifted her hand from her sister's stomach and straightened out her shirt. She looked at Chris. "She'll need a few hours of sleep as the transformation takes a lot out of you."

"Can I get my pretty eyes now?" Emily asked.

"We're going to wait until your mother, and I can speak about it tomorrow," Chris said to Emily then he turned to Dayshia. "Are you available to visit again?"

Dayshia looked to Henry, who nodded. He raised a finger to get their attention.

"This is incredibly important. Keep what you saw here tonight to yourselves. Don't tell anyone that the change can be controlled. It's not possible for me to do this individually for over four billion people. If word got out that we've figured out how to choose the race, that would be cruel, as it would lead to a great deal of pain and heartache for a very large number of people. And there's been far too much of both recently for people to endure more," Henry said seriously. He saw serious expressions and nods.

"I'm going to look into a way to get glamors for people. I'm going to work with those who know much more about magic than I do, so we can hopefully come up with a solution for everyone if at all possible," Henry said, and Chris nodded.

Dayshia hugged Henry. "I think we should call it a night." She looked at Chris. "Have Beth call me in the morning so I can fill her in on how her vision works."

He nodded and kissed his sister in law's cheek. The kids got hugs from their aunt and gave Henry handshakes.

Henry made his way to the front door and touched it to link it to the closet door at his place as it was becoming his go-to door for returning home.

He looked back at Chris. "You have a lovely home and a wonderful family. Thank you for dinner, and I hope to see you again soon."

The man shook his hand and nodded.

Henry opened the door and ushered Dayshia through. She looked around, orienting herself as Henry closed the door and released the spell. "I'm home with company," he called out.

The twins came charging around the corner with smiles on their faces, sliding to a stop just before Dayshia.

"You met Aadya and Maliha earlier, yes?" he asked Dayshia.

"Yes, hello!" Dayshia said to them with a smile.

Aadya leaned forward and rubbed her cheek against Dayshia's affectionately. "Day Shaw."

Before the woman could react, it was Maliha's turn to rub her face against her other cheek. "Daysh."

"Day-She-Ah," Henry corrected gently. The twins looked to him and rolled the sounds around in their mouths.

"Dayshia," Aadya said, and Maliha repeated it.

"Excellent!" Henry praised them, and they grinned happily at him. Dayshia saw their pronounced fangs and her eyebrows went up.

"Camila is very pleased with their improving vocabulary. We have a meeting this week with Nuru Onwudiwe to officially register them as Members of the Villamor family.

"Nurrrrrrrrrrrru!" Aadya crooned, rolling the 'r' happily until it sounded like purring. Her sister picked it up and chased her back to the living room.

"Just thirty more minutes of TV, then it's sleepy time," Henry called out. A crooning came back around the corner. He looked to Dayshia. "They fall back on the noises when they don't have the words."

Tish stepped around the corner with Celeste in her arms. The girl was looking very sleepy, so she'd likely just fed. Henry reached out his arms and gathered the baby against his chest. He sniffed her head, and she cuddled in, asleep in seconds.

"It's not fair! I feed her, and she takes so long to fall asleep for me. Henry picks her up, and she's out," Tish moaned.

He lifted his nose to look down it at her. "It's my superior cuddliness."

Tish snorted dismissively with a grin. Henry carried the baby to her room and got her settled before joining the two ladies in the hall again, where they had their heads together, speaking in low tones.

"Anything I can hear too?" he asked.

Dayshia looked up with shock on her face. Tish seemed a little more embarrassed. He crooked his finger and led them into the living room where they sat on a couch, Henry facing the two women. "What's up?"

"You know our discovery tonight?" Dayshia asked.

"Yes..." Henry said cautiously.

Dayshia continued. "It seems Tish already knew it worked. Go ahead. Tell him."

Tish looked at Henry and saw he was waiting. "On the night of the Skyfall event, I was in my sister's backyard soaking in the green light with my entire family minus one brother-in-law. We were hugging, the entire bunch of us all at once. I was feeling very vulnerable emotionally. As I held them, I wished for some way to keep them and stay connected to my family. I didn't want to have to hide our child from them and stay away. I needed them. I wanted them so badly."

Henry was waiting for the other shoe to drop, and he didn't have to wait long.

"They transformed."

Henry blinked. "How many?"

"All thirty-four of them. They're all Fauns."

Henry was stunned. That would be impossible to explain. Then his brain choked on something. The Skyfall Event didn't trigger any transformations on the first night that he was aware of. "Hang on a second." He pulled out his cell and dialed a number.

"Hi, Henry!"

"Hi, could I ask you to look at something for me?" he asked.

"Uh, sure. Are you going to send me a picture?"

"No. It has to be in person. I need you to use your special sight. Is your bedroom door closed?" he asked.

"Hang on." There was a click in the background. "Okay. All set."

Henry stood and guided Tish to the hall and stood her in front of the closet door. Then he touched the door, linking it to the bedroom door. He hustled back to the living room, tugging a confused Dayshia with him, and they moved as far away as they could. The twins watched them with interest.

"Okay. Open the door," he said.

He listened carefully as Siobhan opened her door and faced Tish alone.

"Hi, Tish. What—Oh my god! How did I miss this!" the Selkie gasped.

"She has a rift, doesn't she," Henry asked. Dayshia gasped.

"Yes! Not a large one, but it's definitely there," Siobhan sighed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Tish exclaimed nervously.

"One more experiment. Dayshia, go back to stand next to Tish." With a curious look at Henry, Dayshia rushed back to the hall to stand next to her friend. "Well?" he asked Siobhan.

"It's closed!" she responded.

Henry walked back to join them and saw Tish's confused expression. "This is why Siobhan couldn't see the rift inside you. It only opens when other sources of Wild Magic are absent. I don't know why."

"But I was standing in a backyard filled with Wild Magic!" she asserted.

"Yes, but you pulled on the Wild Magic within you with the strength of your will. The rift answered. You saturated your family with Wild Magic due to the group hug. Your need and will shaped a spell to guide their transformation. That explains why you didn't actually need to physically touch all of them directly. You performed magic."

"What?" Siobhan gasped.

"Her entire family, all thirty-four of them, became Satyr's during Skyfall," Henry explained. He paused. "How are they not all over the news?"

Tish was reeling with the evidence that she actually was responsible. She admitted to herself she'd suspected though she couldn't be sure, but Henry just confirmed it. The concept that she'd performed magic was both thrilling and terrifying! She pushed that from her mind as he'd asked a question.

"They... they called in sick, worked from home, took a temporary leave of absence from their jobs, and some made excuses for weeks before going back. The kids are all being homeschooled. With the loss of so many people, their jobs have been extra forgiving, and the schools welcome parents keeping the kids at home to reduce the students in the classes. They haven't all experienced smooth sailing when they went back to work as Fauns but with Lorelei's music easing the way, they haven't experienced any violence or fear. None of their coworkers are aware of their family's state, and they've been keeping the secret. They also work all around the Philadelphia area and don't live in the same neighborhoods. They haven't gotten together since that night."

Henry saw the sad expression on Tish's face. "So, the very thing you dreaded has come true. You've been forced apart."

She nodded with tears coming to her eyes. Henry opened his arms, and she rushed into them. He rubbed her back as the tears flowed.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked gently.

She sniffed. "You've been overwhelmed with demands since you returned. Not being able to see my family didn't seem as important."

"Well, it is, and we're going to do something about it!" he said firmly.

She blinked at him.

"They're all invited to the Christmas Party at Meixiu's mansion. I'll have to ask Meixiu first, of course, but I'm sure she'll be on board for the extra guests at the party. I'll set up doors from their places to the mansion, so we don't have to worry about the extra sleeping requirements."

Tish's eyes lit up excitedly, then she was clinging to him again with more tears in her eyes. Henry looked to Dayshia. "Your family is invited as well!"

Dayshia joined Tish for a group hug. Henry peeked through the closet door and saw Siobhan was grinning happily. "Of course, you're invited, too."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world!" the gorgeous brunette said.

"Thank you for assisting us with this," Henry said sincerely.

"My pleasure. Lunch on Monday?" she asked.

"Sounds good. Good night," Henry said, and they hung up their phones. Tish released Henry and rushed through the door to give Siobhan a hug. When Tish rejoined Henry, Siobhan was all smiles as he closed the door, dropping the link.

Henry caught Dayshia trying to hide a yawn, so he pulled her into a hug. "I think it's time I walked you home."

"All that way? Such a gentleman," she teased.

"I know. Try to keep the fact under your hat. I don't want everyone expecting such over the top gestures," he nodded thoughtfully.

Dayshia untangled herself from Henry and gave Tish a hug goodnight. They left the condo, and he hooked his arm through hers as he leisurely walked her down the hall to her door. He smiled as he faced her. "As Emily clarified, I'm your boyfriend, yes?"

She chuckled as her eyes twinkled happily. "Yes. If you don't mind, I'd like to take it slow as I've messed up previous relationships in a wide variety of ways."

"I'm okay with that as long as I'm not forbidden the pleasure of your kiss," he teased.

"Oh, kisses are mandatory. That's non-negotiable," she said seriously.

He smiled and leaned forward and captured her mouth with his. She made a little involuntary sound of hunger as he caressed her lips with his and tasted her mouth.

By the end of the kiss, she was clinging to him, almost grinding against him as his hands slid down her back. Destination: Heavenly Ass.

She suddenly pushed back, but her hands seemed to be fighting her intent as they clung to him.

"Okay! Okay, okay. That's good for tonight. We should stop before I forget my rule about taking it slow," Dayshia gasped as her body trembled.

"Do-do you think your sister will ask us to return tomorrow?" he asked as he caught his breath.

Her eyes were watching his mouth, then flicked up to his eyes. "Yes." She chuckled. "Of course, she'll go to church first, showing them her new eyes, just to see what the congregation makes of that. She always was one to push the faith of her community."

"Chris must love that," he said.

Dayshia smiled at his observation. "So, you picked up that dynamic from dinner? Good for you. Yes, they have their disagreements, but they are solid."

"They're a wonderful family," Henry agreed.

"Okay, you'd better head home as I'm in danger of jumping your bones right here in the hallway," Dayshia said.

Henry took two steps back and blew her a kiss. Chuckling, Dayshia's smile suddenly dipped as she realized she'd forgotten something. "I don't have my keys."

The door opened, and a blushing Michelle smiled timidly at them.

"Listening in?" Dayshia squeaked.

"Someone thumped against the door, so I looked through the peephole and saw you two. It was very hot!" Michelle explained as her face grew redder.

Dayshia cast a look back at Henry and licked her lips as her memories were very fresh. "Good night, Henry."

"Good night, Dayshia. Until tomorrow. Oh! I'll be on Eden for a few hours in the morning as the twins need to exercise their wings. I'll be back by noon at the latest."

She smiled at him, then squeezed by Michelle to head to her bedroom.

Michelle remained in the doorway, looking at Henry. He smiled at her in question.

"Could-could I get a good night kiss?" she asked quietly.

"Oh! Yes—"

Michelle's lips were on Henry's in a flash as she rushed out into the hall to press herself against him. She gripped his wrists and pulled his hands to press against her breasts, so he gave them a gentle squeeze. She moaned loudly, and her kiss became more aggressive.

"Michelle, it was my date night, you know," Dayshia's voice said, cutting through their haze of lust. "Just ask him for your own date."

The woman pulled back and saw the heat in Henry's eyes as he focused on her mouth. When his hands squeezed her breasts once more, she gasped as lightning raced through her body. She pushed off and rushed back inside.

"Good night, Henry," Dayshia said with a grin as she could see he was still dazed.

"Night," he managed. Then he was alone in the hall. He took some deep breaths to settle himself and pulled out his cell. He sent a quick note to Meixiu asking if it would be possible to include Tish's extended family and Dayshia's family at the Christmas Party at her mansion. She immediately sent him a SQUEE emoji and a message stating she would love to include them.

They spent the next fifteen minutes trading messages back and forth about the logistics of incorporating the Magic Doors. She was loving the idea of having so many children at the mansion. They talked about decking out the estate with lights.

"Are you going to spend the rest of the night in the hallway?"

Henry looked up from his cell to see Tish grinning at him from their door. The twins slipped by her and ran down the hall to pull him back to the condo. He managed to send Meixiu a final text saying they'd talk tomorrow, then he surrendered himself to the three ladies' intimate demands.

In the privacy of his bedroom, of course.

Chapter 4

Henry compiled the new report into the application and promoted it to the production server. He sent out a notice to the team who requested it, letting them know they would have it available to them the next time they reloaded the application.

Leaning back in his chair, he breathed a sigh of satisfaction. This was the heaven he craved.

Who hated Mondays? That was just crazy talk!

Yesterday, he'd taken Dayshia back to Boston to see her sister. The woman had been glowing with happiness. She'd had a successful debut with her congregation and gave Henry a big hug. Chris was still on the fence about the change, so they left it at that. He said he'd put more thought into it and give them an answer at the party.

Today, Henry had accomplished so much! Seven new reports. Patches for the workstations were scheduled to load tonight after hours. His testing proved there was nothing nefarious included, so they were safe to go.

He'd had lunch in his office with Siobhan and Marisa, who joined them through a Magic Door from her place where she was still on maternity leave. Marisa loved being able to hang out with her friends without bringing all the baby's needs from home. Henry enjoyed cuddling the baby.

In the afternoon, he'd fielded a request from the National Security Agency and got a good start on the plan for the addition they'd asked for. Camila was pleased with the extra billing this would generate because it was new functionality. She planned to contact the other agencies to see if they'd be equally interested in the feature.

She celebrated by giving Henry a blow job that threatened to straighten his hair. It was satisfying for both of them. Maybe just a little more for her, as she was out immediately afterward.

Leaving your boss's office with her blissfully sleeping off her carnal meal still made him feel awkward, but Felix just gave him a knowing smile and shuffled her afternoon appointments to compensate.

Sigrid stopped by his office at the end of the day. "Hi, Henry!"

"Hi, Sigrid!" he said, looking to his doorway where the lovely blonde was smiling at him.

"I hear from Meixiu we're going to have a mega, four-day Christmas celebration!" she said with a wide smile.

He answered her with a nod. "Tish's family can't get together without people noticing they're all Faun's. Certainly not random. We'll need to deal with that sometime soon. They can't keep hiding. I'll need access to the mansion to set up rows of doors to each of their homes. I was thinking of asking Meixiu if we could just install walls of doors along the two sides of the vestibule outside the cave in the basement. Do you think she'd be okay with that?"

Sigrid chuckled. "I don't think she'd refuse you anything."

Henry's smile dropped away. "I don't want her to feel obligated for anything!" he asserted.

"Silly man. It's not a sense of obligation that makes her feel that way." Sigrid shook her head.

"Ah, sorry. I'll ask her then," he said, and Sigrid nodded.

"I came by to let you know we're going to holiday hours on Thursday. We shut down at noon, and we're closed on Friday until the following Wednesday. The on-call staff can handle all client calls though the online systems carry most of that load."

"I only get three and a half days this week?" Henry grumbled.

Sigrid rolled her eyes as she came into his office to lean over his desk, resting her elbows on the surface as she cradled her chin on her hands, smiling cheekily at him. "Whatever will you do with your free time?"

Henry was trapped by the sight of Sigrid's delectable cleavage. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, and she squeaked gently as she hadn't expected him to respond to her teasing this boldly.

When his fingers slid along her jawline, tingles raced down her neck, spine, and fireworks buckled her knees. This rocked her back and broke their kiss.

"Oh my god, Henry," she sighed quietly as she touched her lips, struggling to stand up straight.

He stood and walked around the desk, his eyes locked on hers as she watched him approach. Her stomach was filled with butterflies, and she felt rooted to the spot, his gaze trapping her in place. When he reached her, he was kissing her again, and she struggled to remember to breathe as his hands touched her body, each time setting off little bursts of bliss. She stepped back, but he followed. They synchronized their steps, their bodies brushing between each step, sending fire to intimate places. Her eyes closed with the slow sensual dance they were doing.

She felt a breeze stirring her hair as she realized her braid was undone and her long blonde locks were free. Her body felt that breeze caressing her skin. As she realized she was naked, Henry eased her down onto a bed of soft red grasses, stretching his naked body next to hers, his mouth finding hers once more.

He explored the softness of her lips, teased her tongue, and drew it into his mouth to gently suck it, stirring her fires. His hands stroked her skin, and she cried out. Then he was above her and slipping inside. Her cries grew louder, and she clung to him tighter as their movements followed the demands of their bodies. Henry was moaning with pleasure as he kissed along her jaw and nibbled her earlobe.

She was suddenly there, at the edge of ascending into another realm. The orange skies above flashed to white, her body becoming incandescent as bliss carried her into the heavens. Her body felt the warmth of Henry's embrace as his heat filled her.

It had never been like this for her before. She didn't understand, but she didn't want to look too closely, fearing it might destroy the magic.

She basked in the brilliant glow of the purest white light she'd ever experienced.

It felt like... Henry's love for her and that meant everything.

-=-

Henry rested his back against the tree, inhaling its mild cinnamon scent as Sigrid sighed in her sleep. He was in his Satyr form, and she was asleep resting back against him, wrapped in his big arms.

He couldn't get over how intense their lovemaking had been. He knew she'd been teasing him in his office, then she'd flashed her incredibly blue eyes at him, and he felt himself falling into her gaze. His body moved on its own, and he knew he had to have her. What made him open the tear to Eden, he didn't know, but it was the perfect setting for them.

He kissed the top of her head, and she sighed in her sleep, snuggling in closer. His hands rested comfortably on the tight muscles of her tummy, and he smiled as he could feel them twitch and bunch. Even in her sleep, she was working out. He struggled to contain his chuckles to not wake her.

Not that there seemed to be any chance of that happening soon. Sigrid was well and truly out. When he'd returned from his bliss, Henry discovered Sigrid was sleeping soundly. He'd moved her clothes up a gentle slope to this tree then changed into his Satyr form to carry her here. She hadn't woken through the process.

He dozed with her resting on him, and gradually he resurfaced and saw Xiong at the bottom of the slope, a distance away. He reached out to the glass being through the Wild Magic.

"Hello, Henry. My apologies for invading your privacy."

"It's fine. It's not like we made much effort to hide," he responded.

"We just wanted you to know, we believe this is the most beautiful way to honor your child," Xiong said, and Henry felt the love of Eden's community through their link. Henry saw Xiong's memory of facing this valley from the base of the same tree. He saw the child in Xiong's hands become pure energy and seep into the ground... where he chose to rest with Sigrid in his arms.

Henry expressed his love for Xiong and the others in the community back through his link and felt their joy as Xiong turned and made his way back towards the village.

He was left with his thoughts and the beauty in his arms.

Chapter 5

Wednesday morning found Henry, in his glamor, sitting in the restored boardroom at VRL between Frank and Rosalind, both of whom couldn't stop looking at him. It was his first board meeting since returning.

"I can't believe, all this time, I was sitting next to a goat-man!" Frank exclaimed.

Rosalind gave her fellow executive a scandalized look. "Frank! For Heaven's sake! He's not a goat man! He's a... a..."

"Satyr," Henry offered.

"Yes! A Satyr!" Rosalind finished. She gave him a curious look. "Is that why you're so good with computers?"

Henry chuckled. "I don't think so. I just had a very strict upbringing where studying was my only outlet. I just... get tech. I really enjoy it!"

"What's it like?" Frank asked.

"What?" Henry blinked.

"Being a Satyr. What's it like?" he asked excitedly.

Henry smiled. "What's it like being Italian?"

"Aye! He's a wiseguy, too!" Frank laughed, and Rosalind giggled.

The other execs filed in and smiled at Henry as they did.

Henry noted a stranger in the group sitting in Myron Glickman's chair. The head of the Auditing Department had a replacement? The man caught his curious look and stood to walk around the table. Henry stood as well and accepted the man's hand.

"Hi, Larry Woolcroft. I was Myron's second in command and got promoted to take over the department while you were away. He was one of the missing after Skyfall."

"Oh!" Henry jolted slightly. The news that one of their execs had been a victim that night caught him off guard.

"Sorry Henry, I should have forewarned you, but for us, it happened six months ago," Camila said as she arrived with Roy and Mahati.

He raised his hands. "It's fine. I'm the one who's out of touch. I'll catch up."

They took their seats, and Henry looked to Sigrid's empty chair and sent a concerned look to Camila. After they'd returned from Eden Monday night, he'd given her a kiss goodnight, and he thought all was good. Tuesday, she didn't come to work, and Camila didn't hear from her. Henry called Meixiu, who reported that she'd heard Sigrid leave the house sometime in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Now there was no sign of her at the meeting.

Camila called the meeting to order. "I'll begin with an update on Sigrid. She sent me a text to say she needed a few days off to visit her mother, who lives in a small mountaintop village in Italy. I'm not sure if we'll see her until after the Christmas break."

Henry leaned back and felt a little better. He hoped Sigrid's mom was okay. Winter could be a terrible time for the elderly, and she lived in the mountains? Extra chilly!

The minutes were read, and when Camila spoke of the little bit extra everyone, from the execs right down to the cleaning staff, would be getting this year in their paycheque because of the new software deals VRL signed. There was much rejoicing. Henry's return meant future windfalls, so smiles were on all faces.

Then they moved to regular business matters, and Henry got to practice staying awake.

-=-

After lunch, Henry was called to Camila's office. He knew it must almost be time for the twin's assessment. Felix gestured for him to enter, so he gave the man a smile, knocked on the door before pushing it open, and closed the door behind himself. He turned to face Camila and found himself facing her and three women in cloaks, their hoods pushed back.

Succubi were a bit of a weakness for Henry, and while Camila was in her glamor, the other three were not. Henry felt his libido sit up and take notice. The ladies smiled as they caught the automatic signs of his attraction.

"You're right on time, Henry," Camila said with a smile she obviously hoped would give him confidence. "Henry, this is Nuru Onwudiwe, leader of the Succubi Association." Henry bowed to her, and her smile widened in satisfaction. "And her two attendants, Bisa and Leal." Henry tipped his head to them, and they returned the gesture. "Nuru, this is Henry Gable, our CIO and the source of the Wild Magic I was not previously at liberty to speak of."

Nuru stepped forward to approach Henry. "I have been looking forward to meeting you since I first detected a new form of Magic powering Camila."

"I'm sorry I had to remain a secret," Henry said with a smile.

"Would you mind if I scented you?" the Succubi leader asked.

"Uh, sure," he said as he glanced at Camila, who was biting her lip to keep from laughing at his expression.

The Succubus leaned in and inhaled. Henry decided he'd give her a little treat and opened his rift slightly as she moved in close.

"Oh my god," she gasped and stumbled forward to lean against his body, gripping his biceps as he braced her arms to keep her on her feet. Her cheek rested on his shoulder, and she inhaled deeper. He let the energy gently drift from himself into her, but not too much as she'd likely lose consciousness, and he needed her to assess the twins.

She pushed herself to her feet and flashed a bright smile at him. "Thank you for the energy. It's quite delicious. She licked her lips, and he felt that, intimately. Her smile widened. "I would very much like to sample a pure source of this, but today is not that day. We are here for another purpose, a rather unorthodox and complex issue for us. A very private one as well. That Mab interfered with the Succubi internal policy is unforgivable, but the crime was committed long ago, and justice has been served. You have our thanks for that."

Henry nodded and glanced nervously at Camila.

"Now we must address the fact of the twins—"

"I have proclaimed in front of witnesses from multiple races that I claim them for House Villamor, and I have named them Aadiya and Maliha," Camila stated.

Nuru's eyes flashed as she looked at Camila. "That was presumptive of you and premature as I had not made an assessment."

Camila nodded but held her ground. Nuru's nostrils flared in frustration. "Where are they?"

"They are at my condo," Henry said, and Nuru's eyes flashed in anger.

"You didn't bring them here—"

Henry held up a hand. "Give me a minute." He watched her for a second, and she seemed to get control of her temper. He nodded and walked over to Camila's washroom door, which she'd purposefully left open. He closed it and used the Magic Door spell to link it to his closet. He opened the door and heard Nuru make a sound of surprise.

"Aadiya? Maliha?" he called out. He waited a moment as he heard them scrambling to join him. He smiled as they rushed around the corner. When they arrived, he hugged them and kissed their temples, which got them purring. He pulled back and cupped their cheeks with his palms, looking into their dark eyes as they gazed at him in adoration. "Best behavior. I want you to meet someone very important."

He turned and guided them into Camila's office. They clung to his arms as they followed him in. Their wings opened slightly as they had space for it.

Nuru gasped as she took in the red-orange skin, lack of hair, and black orbs eyes. The wings shocked her. "Feral twins," she gasped quietly. Her body trembled in disgust. This abomination—

"No!"

Nuru twitched at the sharpness in Henry's tone, and she looked to him.

"Whatever the Succubi policy was for such beings, its purpose was for maintaining secrecy, when the Hidden Races were just that, hidden. We're no longer hidden, and we have a chance at survival because of some very smart and compassionate actions. I understand you have centuries of mental programming to contend with, but we're asking you to rise above it and grasp new solutions that this new era is granting us." He saw Nuru was struggling, so he continued. "The world has changed overnight, and soon everyone will be transformed into one of the Hidden Races. There is room for all."

Nuru's mouth was working, but she made no noise. Finally, she found her voice. "Wings! They have wings! Where will they fly?" she asserted.

Henry smiled. "Eden."

"Where?" the Succubi leader asked.

"The dimension where my magic comes from. There are no people there aside from Glass People and Silver People." Henry gestured to the open space before Camila's sofa, where a tear opened to the other dimension, and the leader was looking into a new world.

"Oh my god!" she sighed as she took a step closer, her eyes taking in every difference.

"You said you dreamed of being an explorer, but it's all been discovered here. Eden is a new unknown world," Camila said.

Nuru whipped her head around to glare at Camila. "That sounds like a bribe."

"By no means. There is no connection between the status of the twins and Eden," Camila assured her.

Nuru nodded, then looked back out through the tear and watched it close.

"It takes a lot of energy to keep the tear open," Henry explained.

The Succubi leader looked to Henry. "How are you able to open Magic Doors and rips in space to other dimensions. It's my understanding that Satyr's were conduits, not wielders."

"Please understand, I'm not saying this to be a dick or to make myself sound like some kind of boogieman. Baba Yaga made me what I am, but I turned out nothing like her, much to her dismay. My natural inclinations proved stronger than her nurturing.

I'm a new breed of wielder. Baba connected me to that world of Wild Magic, which is far more powerful than the old realm, which I also have access to. This is more magic than anyone's ever seen, and I have all of Baba's spells, all of them. There's shit in my head I don't dare look at for fear of losing my sanity. But I've also learned to do things Baba had no idea could be done. That said, I have no interest in using magic, aside from the helpful stuff like the Magic Door."

He paused for a second to ensure he had their complete attention. He could see the three Succubi were already reeling from his confession. It was time to drive the point home.

"If I'm forced to do so, I will use whatever means I have at my disposal to protect my friends and family. The twins may have been claimed as part of House Villamor, but make no mistake, they're part of my family, too."

He held Nuru's eyes, and she saw the strength of his conviction. She saw she had no real choice.

"I see. Well then. I hereby endorse the membership of Aadiya and Maliha as members of House Villamor," she said. Her attendant Bisa quickly seconded the endorsement, and it was done.

"Thank you, Nuru," Henry said and bowed deeply to her. The twins glanced at her then matched his gesture.

He turned to the twins and whispered into their ears, bringing huge smiles to their faces, then he gestured for them to go back to the condo.

"Goodbye, Camila!" Aadiya and Maliha called out and waved to her as Nuru stared at them in shock. Camila waved to the ladies, and they rushed back through the washroom door. Henry closed it and released the link.

"They speak?" Nuru asked quietly.

Henry smiled at her. "Yes, they're socializing well. Still much to learn, but with my friends' love and guidance, they are progressing well. Will they ever reach full adult capabilities? Time will tell. They are sweet-tempered, loving, mischievous, and... they have unquenchable enthusiasm and hunger for... many things. Living with a Satyr may be their best option."

Nuru found herself smiling. Her earlier decision no longer felt so forced. Her interest was piqued regarding this interesting male before her.

"I look forward to getting to know you better myself," Nuru said as the tip of her tongue slipped out to touch her lips.

Henry felt that in his pants.

Nuru chuckled and nodded to Camila before leaving with her attendants.

When Henry turned back to sigh in relief at Camila, he saw she was already around her desk as she prowled towards him. His eyebrows rose. "Camila?"

"I've never been so proud of you and so incredibly turned on," she purred.

"Oh!"

That was all Henry had time to say before she dragged him down on her couch.

It was celebration time again.

-=-

When Henry stepped off the elevator carrying bags of groceries Tish sent him out for after he got home from work, he heard his name being called. He turned his head and saw Sandy bouncing down the hall towards him.

"Hi beautiful!" he said with a smile as he leaned down to kiss her. It was sweet but brief as she pulled away quickly.

"Ahh! You're cold!" she complained.

He shrugged. "It's snowing out there, and Tish the Wicked sent me out into it on this terrible quest."

"Tish the Wicked?" said a voice in false outrage.

Henry looked to Sandy and pretended to cower. "The beatings! The beatings I'll get!"

Sandy burst into giggles as she dropped her glamor, and Kesini took the bags from Henry's fingers. They followed him down the hall to join Tish at her door.

"Oh, I'll give you a beating. Fifty lashes with a wet noodle!" Tish said with a grin.

"See how mean she is to me!" Henry whimpered to Sandy.

The petite blonde rolled her eyes and followed Tish into the kitchen, Kesini setting the bags down on the island.

Henry put his winter jacket away, real clothes, and joined the ladies in the kitchen but kept his hands behind himself. He spotted black eyes watching him over the back of the sofa closest to the TV. He grinned to himself as he knew what reward they were waiting for. He tossed the coconuts he'd picked up at the grocer's over the couch, and they snatched them out of the air with cries of happiness.

"Hey! No eating those in the living room!" Tish called out, and the twins scrambled to take seats at the kitchen island. Tish slid a sheet of paper towel to each of them as she shot a look of annoyance at Henry.

The twins leaned their heads closer to the coconuts as they shook them gently, listening to the water slosh around inside.

"Do they need something to crack them open?" Sandy asked.

"No, they've figured that out," Tish sighed, but Sandy could see the small smile on her lips. "Henry's been bringing home different fruits for them to try. They see them on the nature shows, and they've been learning how to ask for them. They enjoy coconuts most. Now, that's all they ask for. The first few times were a bit of a disaster."

"Messssss," Aadya sighed with a nod as she concentrated on the coconut.

"So messy," Maliha corrected her sister.

Aadya held her coconut against the granite countertop and extended a dagger-sharp claw on her right index finger. She poked it into the coconut like it was an apple.

"Damn! That's sharp!" Sandy exclaimed.

Aadya smiled at Sandy happily, fangs on display as her sister poked a hole in her coconut.

Tish handed them straws, which they accepted with a smile.

"What do you say?" Henry prompted them.

"Thank you!" they said in unison.

"Good," Henry said, earning him smiles from both as they turned to their treats. They looked back to the TV and then Tish.

"Come back to crack those open over the paper towels," she said, and they nodded before rushing back to their show.

"What's up?" Henry said to Sandy.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Can't a lady just want to hang out with her friends?"

Henry pulled her into a warm hug. "Of course, you can!"

They enjoyed the closeness. He smiled down at her as he released her.

"I need your help," Sandy said with a grin.

He snorted and nodded. "Anything."

"I need to go back to my parent's home to collect some personal items. The realtor will be preparing the home for sale, but I want to take some things with sentimental value first."

"Certainly. We can go now if you like," he said and looked to Tish.

"I'll keep your dinner warm," she said.

"Thanks!"

"You sure?" Sandy asked.

"Of course. You'll have to open the door as I've never been there," he said and guided Sandy back to the front hall to stand before the hall closet. "Picture the door to your parent's place in your mind. When you have it fixed in your mind, touch the door and keep your hand on it."

Sandy closed her eyes and nodded her head.

"Reach forward and touch the door, keeping the image in your mind," Henry said softly.

Once her hand touched the door, Henry touched her hand and activated the spell.

"Okay, let's go," he said, and Sandy opened her eyes and turned the knob, opening the closet door into the front hall. She sucked in a breath as she saw the little table in the hall was destroyed. Vandals? In this town? She surged forward as Henry closed the door behind them, releasing the spell.

He turned, and his eyes widened in surprise. The house was not in good shape. Someone had done some damage here. Only then did he recognize the red and blue lights flashing behind him. He turned and glanced out the window on the front door to see three cruisers parked there.

He stepped outside, climbed down the steps, and through the snow holding his hand in front of his face to shield himself from the spotlight they were shining back at him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

Hands grabbed him, and he was pulled behind the police cruisers.

"Who are you, and how did you get into the house?" a young cop yelled at his face.

"I'm a friend of the daughter of the couple who lived here. What's going on?"

"Did you see the monster inside the house?" the cop snapped.

Henry's eyes turned to the house. "Monster?"

"Clifford Hicks. Used to be a cop. Turned into an eight-foot-tall monster with tusks this morning after breakfast at the county jail. He busted out and killed two officers as he did it. Smashed through a cinderblock wall, and we chased him all the way here."

"Why here?"

"He claims the girl who lived here was the one who raped him. Except, we got videos from his home. He raped multiple women over the years, but we got him. Except now he's unstoppable. Bullets do nuthin' at all!"

There was a loud roar, and the front picture window on the house exploded outwards.

Henry ran forward and saw the huge monster, lit by the red and blue lights in the snow, pounding his fists on the shield surrounding Sandy. She was scowling so she wasn't hurt. Henry dropped his glamor and activated his own protection as he charged at the ogre, only to be slapped back across the yard to crash into the cruiser. "Fuck!"

The ogre only had eyes for Sandy as he went back to pounding against her shield.

Henry couldn't open a tear and drop him from a height or into lava as he was standing over Sandy. "I need to get help!" he called out.

"Do it fast!" she called back.

Henry called Roy on his cell. The man picked up on the third ring.

"Yes, Henry, what is it?" He sounded gruff, and he was breathing hard.

"We need your help. I'm at Sandy's parent's place, and she's being attacked by an ogre."

"Did he say, ogre?" Henry heard Mary say excitedly in the background.

"Aye," he replied to her, then grunted. "Okay, Henry. Mary will help you. Open a door." Roy grumbled.

"I've never been to your place!"

"HENRY! HURRY!" Sandy called out.

Henry dropped his shield, closed his eyes, and grabbed his right ring finger, holding Roy's image in his mind. He jumped.

"WHAT THE FUCK! Henry!" Roy yelled as Henry popped into... He glanced around and recognized Mary's bedroom. The scent of sex was quite strong, and Roy was struggling to hide with a sheet.

"Sorry!" he called as he ran for the closet door. He tried to link it to Sandy's parents' place's front door, but he must have left it open. "Shit!" He racked his memory and recalled a small broom closet under the staircase. It would have to do. He linked the doors. He saw Mary was yanking on her pants, so he grabbed her and leapt through the door to tumble onto the hallway floor.

"Out the window!" Henry called as Mary scrambled to her feet. "He's a rapist."

Mary smiled back at Henry and ran to the window to dive through it.

Henry pushed himself to his hooves and recalled at the last second to drop the door spell. Then he charged outside.

Mary was getting a pounding on the front lawn in the deep snow. The ogre was slamming both fists on her repeatedly, but Mary's laughter just got louder and louder.

Henry slid in next to Sandy, who was panting weakly. He slipped into her shield and activated his own. Then he poured energy into Sandy's body, and she sighed in relief.

"He almost got through," she said quietly.

"But you held him off until I got reinforcements. Damn impressive." He stood with Sandy in his arms and backed away from the beast.

The ogre's attention was drawn away from Mary, who took the opportunity to stand and cock a fist.

"For Sandy," Mary said before she punched through the ogre's groin. He squealed in pain, dropping to his knees.

Henry winced.

The gathered policemen winced.

The old man standing on the opposite sidewalk winced. His dog winced.

"Who is this?" Sandy asked.

"The young cop said he used to be an officer too, but he was arrested for raping multiple—OOF!"

Pushing Henry away, Sandy was buzzing with energy as she marched right up to the moaning ogre and poured all of her energy into slamming her fist, augmented with Kesini's power, directly against its sternum, shattering it and its connected ribs, driving them into his lungs.

Mary grinned at Sandy as the ogre collapsed onto his face, unable to breathe.

Henry engaged his glamor and walked over to Sandy. "Did you know him?"

She looked at Henry, and he could see the pain in her eyes. "He-he tried to rape me when I last visited my parents."

"But you stopped him?"

Sandy nodded.

"Did you know him?" Henry asked. Sandy shook her head. "How could he have known you lived here?" Henry asked.

She shook her head again, and he could see she was very disturbed. She also looked completely exhausted. He realized she must have used a tremendous amount of energy to fuel that punch. Henry hugged her and flooded her with energy from the rift once more. She smiled gratefully as he pulled back.

Henry walked back to the cruisers, watching at the three officers looking back at him. He returned to the talkative cop.

"How did he know she lived here. Sandy doesn't know him. He did try to rape her, but she escaped—"

"We saw the video. We saw what he did and what she did back to him!" the cop exclaimed.

"This was while he was in jail? So, which one of you told him who she was and where she lived?" Henry asked loudly. It was a wild guess, but Henry gave it a shot.

The officer blinked, but he began to turn to face the officer next to the third cruiser. That man suddenly drew his weapon and fired, but Henry had his shield in place. The first bullet wasn't for him but passed through the right bicep of the young cop. Henry leapt forward and got himself between them, so the second bullet didn't reach the target.

The cop by the middle car was caught off guard and lost a chunk of his ear to a third shot before he dove for cover.

Mary slid over the car's hood and took a round to the chest before she flattened the shooter. She had him on his belly in the slush, disarmed, and cuffed in seconds.

Henry saw Sandy was looking back at him. The ogre looked dead. Just as well.

Turning back, he saw the young man was leaning against his car, hissing in pain as he held his shoulder

"Do you want to call for assistance?"

"This is all of us! Only our captain isn't here," he snapped in his pain.

"Call him. Let him know what happened. I'm going to see if your partner needs healing," Henry said as he moved to the man. It was a nasty wound. The bullet cut a track across the side of his head. Henry held his hand.

"I'm going to heal you. This might trigger your transformation. If you want me to do it, squeeze my hand twice." He got two solid squeezes. "Okay."

Most of Baba's healing spells did nothing for the patient's pain. Instead, he used magic to reroute the man's pain signals to the pleasure center of his brain. Henry wasn't a master surgeon like Eleanor or even a surgeon-in-training like Dayshia, but he could use his own reconstruction spells to have the body put itself back together. This injury was just surface level, so he wasn't too worried about him being able to cope with it.

Henry launched his rebuilding spell on the man and watched it fill in the groove with new skin and cartilage. The cop's eyes rolled back in bliss as Henry watched him closely.

The young cop squatted down to watch with wide eyes.

"Holy shit, Larry! Your ear is rebuilding itself!"

"Don't talk to the patient while he's healing," Henry scolded as he didn't want the man to move. He could tell the man was almost healed and was about to change.

The moment Henry felt it was done, he reversed the rerouting, and the man slumped. Henry pulled his hands back and looked to the young officer. "He's going to go through his transformation.

The healed officer seemed to shrink a little, and his features sharpened slightly. The tip of his newly healed ear stretched up and back as his hair grew in length until it reached his shoulders. When it was over, they were looking at a new Fae. A very handsome one at that.

"What is he?" the cop asked.

Henry smiled. "He's a Fae. He'll be fine."

A sedan pulled up behind the last patrol car, and a heavy-set man stepped out. He was in civilian clothes, but his mannerisms told Henry this man was the captain.

"What the hell is going on here?" he bellowed. "Why is Steve cuffed on his belly in the snow? What the hell is that god awful thing lying on the lawn? Is it dead?" He glanced down at his unconscious officer leaning against the cruiser. "What the fuck happened to Larry?"

Then he looked to Henry. "Who are you?"

"Henry Gable. A good friend of Sandy Marlow." He gestured for Sandy to approach. "Her parents owned the home behind us. We came back today so she could collect some personal items before the realtor puts the home up for sale." He cocked his head as he looked curiously at the man. "How do you not know who that was on the front lawn? Where were you when he was killing his way out of the county lockup?"

"What? Glen! Why didn't you call me?" the captain bellowed again.

The young man stammered but finally managed to speak. "S-S-Steve said he called you and said you wanted us to handle it ourselves."

"Who is that?" the big man said, pointing to the ogre.

"Clifford Hicks. Steve's cousin. He transformed this morning after breakfast. Killed two cops on his way out of the prison and came directly here."

"Sandy, did you tell anyone you'd be here today?" Henry asked, curious about the impossible coincidence.

"Just my realtor, Patrick Morton," she said.

"Steve's brother," Glen offered.

"I think you need to get a new realtor," Henry suggested. She nodded with a frown.

"But why is Steve trussed up like that?" the captain asked.

Glen pulled his hand away from his arm. "He shot Larry and me, but this fella healed Larry."

"Why the fuck would he shoot you?" the leader asked.

Henry frowned. "Glen was about to identify Steve was the one who told Clifford that Sandy was coming to town. I guess he didn't like his odds of getting away with being part of the conspiracy?"

Glen nodded, then winced at the pain in his arm.

The captain frowned and looked at Henry. "Why didn't you heal Glen?"

"If I had and he passed out and transformed, who would be left to answer your questions, aside from the man who shot at us to cover up his involvement with this entire mess."

The captain finally noticed Mary. "And who are you—is that a bullet hole?"

She sighed as she looked down at her shirt. "Yeah, point-blank gunshots make a hell of a mess of my clothes. Your man Steve shot me when I went to disarm him after he shot your other men. I'm Mary Carsten, a friend, and co-worker of Mr. Gable. I was brought in to assist with the pacification of the ogre. Your men discovered their weapons had no effect on it. Nothing less than a fifty-millimeter will."

The captain sighed as it seemed he wasn't getting back to his dinner any time soon.

"We need to take all of this back to the station to get it all written down. Glen needs his arm looked after. Larry needs to sleep this off, and Steve is going into a cell. We'll also have to bring in Steve's brother. I don't know what the fuck to do with that!" he said, pointing to the ogre corpse.

Henry looked to Mary, who shrugged. He looked back at the chief. "I suppose you don't need it as evidence, and you'll just incur the cost of transporting it and burying it?"

The chief scowled at him. "Yeah." Grumpy for being reminded of his limited budget.

"You want me to dispose of it?" Henry asked.

"What? You'll bury it?" the big man asked.

Henry shook his head. "It's more of a cremation process."

"What are you going to charge for this?"

Henry shook his head. "Free of charge. It costs me nothing."

The leader frowned and walked over to take some pictures. He returned. "Fine. It's all yours. One less headache for me tonight. I suppose you have another friend coming to dispose of the bod—"

The large tear opened under the heavy corpse, which dropped through to fall into lava. The sudden burst of intense heat melted all the nearby snow. The rip closed, and the body was gone.

"What the fuck..." the captain muttered, wide-eyed.

"Problem solved. Listen, I have to help Sandy collect the items she needs, and I'll need to board up that broken window before coming to the station. That's okay, right?" Henry held the man's eye until the captain looked away.

"Yes, sure... Tonight?" the man said.

"Yes," Henry assured him as he saw an ambulance arrive. Henry walked over to Sandy with Mary, and they walked back to the house. The police captain would have to figure out the logistics of getting four vehicles back to his station with one unconscious, one injured, and one homicidal officer.

This was no longer Henry's issue. He looked at the sad expression on Sandy's face. This was.

He pulled her into his arms, and she shook as the pressure released. He didn't let go until she indicated she was ready to go back inside.

"Why aren't I colder, standing out here in the snow?" she asked him quietly.

"We're just not affected by the cold as much—no idea why," Henry sighed.

As Sandy filled a small box with personal items from her parents, Henry dug around in the basement and in the garage with Mary looking for something to board up the broken window. They struck gold in the garage workshop. Mary was handy with tools, so she measured the opening and screwed some plywood sheets together to cover the window frame.

They collected Sandy and piled into her parent's station wagon, Mary being the only one who knew how to drive, to visit the police station.

Three grueling hours later, they left the station and went back to the house. Henry and Sandy hugged Mary and Henry sent her back to her bedroom, and Roy. Henry sent Tish a text letting her know he'd be staying with Sandy tonight.

They left the house and stepped into Sandy's living room.

Henry left a message with Camila to let her know he'd be taking a half-day off. As the office was closing at noon, that was no hardship. Sandy had no shifts until the following week as she'd booked the time off.

"Could we just snuggle tonight?" she asked.

Henry smiled at her. "No wild monkey sex?"

She snorted and slapped his arm. "No! I want snuggles!"

He kissed her forehead, and they climbed under the covers.

Sleep found them quickly as they rested their heads upon the pillows. The last thing Henry recalled was Sandy's sigh of contentment.

Chapter 6

Minkah Kamilah Nassor Meskhenet walked out of the desert, east of Cairo, where she'd spent the previous two weeks evaluating her life and recentering her mind.

Since the... death of Henry Gable, she'd lost her moorings. She likened herself to a rudderless felucca, sailing down the Nile, caught in the current and pulled by fickle winds. That terrible night felt like a waking nightmare. She'd known, known he was alive beyond all reasonable expectation, though she couldn't explain to them how she knew.

She couldn't explain it to herself.

The others wept for his loss and allowed the rock woman to take him to the other world. She'd fled into the darkness that night, as if she hadn't, she might have killed them in her impotent rage.

She didn't even understand why she was reacting so strongly. That confusion had torn at her mind. She'd struggled to understand. Minkah had no relationship with Henry, yet there was an attraction and something like gravity that pulled her to him.

Months went by with her roaming Manhattan and New Jersey. She kept a hidden eye on Henry's friends and watched them struggle to come to terms with his loss and the loss of their other friends. She wanted to scream at them not to give up on Henry, but she'd come to understand, it was her that needed to let go.

Finally, she went home. In the comfort of her apartment in Cairo, she tried to put her life back on track, but there was still something in the back of her mind that wouldn't be quiet. She determined that she needed the silence of the desert to put a final end to the noise in her brain.

She'd packed her gear into her backpack and walked to the edge of the city, then just kept going, straight out into the empty sands. Most would not survive what she did, but she was a Bastet. Once considered a God in Egypt, this was her natural habitat and offered her only silence, peace, and the comfort of both. This, she needed more than anything else.

She's spent two weeks alone with her thoughts and the sound of wind on sand. She felt cleansed as she walked back into the city and made her way back to her apartment.

The city was learning how to adapt to the new beings living amongst them. She heard the music playing from the stores and mildly felt its calming influence. This, she knew, was in everyone's best interests. Sooner or later, everyone would transform into their new race, and if they could adapt to this new state, not be frightened of it, there could be peace amongst all.

Minkah passed a newsstand, and something caught her eye. She stumbled to a stop and stared. It was just a magazine, but the image on the cover had her pinned in place. It was a US Congressional Hearing. Someone was sitting at the witness table. She glanced at the magazine's banner and saw it was a popular mainstream news publication, not some disreputable rag filled with lies. It was also a current month printing. She moved closer, her eyes caught by the image which resonated with that nagging little voice in her head that she'd finally thought she'd silenced.

"HE'S ALIVE!" she roared. The shopkeeper screamed and ran as she'd dropped her glamor with her outburst.

Her claws had torn through the magazine, and she carried no money to pay for it anyway. She dropped it and quickly switched back to her Human disguise before rushing away.

Henry was alive, and that gravitational pull was back as well.

She needed to go back.

What she'd do when she saw him, she wasn't entirely sure.

-=-

It was nice sleeping in and waking up to cuddles with Sandy.

It seemed wild monkey sex was more of a morning thing for her, and she did her best to wear him out, but a Satyr's endurance was more than her match. Kesini was the one to let Sandy know they weren't going to win that one, and they had a good chuckle when the glowing hair hugged Sandy into submission.

They spent the next hour just lounging in bed, enjoying the afterglow and the comfort of being together without talking.

Sandy broke the silence when her stomach grumbled, and Henry's quickly answered. Laughing, they dragged their asses out of bed, and Henry hopped in the shower as Sandy changed the sheets. She rushed to join him, and he washed Kesini, much to their delight.

"Man, you must go through so much shampoo!" Henry sighed as he worked the suds through the golden locks. "It must take you extra time in the morning to do this as well!"

Sandy giggled as Kesini's tingles raced down her spine.

"Don't let her fool you. She only needs a small amount of shampoo, and she washes herself in less time than I need to wash myself. She just enjoys you spoiling her," Sandy said with a grin.

She ducked her head under the spray, and he ran his fingers through Kesini to wash all the shampoo away.

Henry grinned at the look of bliss on Sandy's face. "So, Kesini is the one who enjoys being spoiled?"

Sandy pushed her lower lip out in a pout, and he quickly dipped down and sucked on that plump lip.

"MMM! Fuck, that was a tease!" Sandy gasped as lightning shot through her body, but she ached a little as well and knew another round would not be a good idea. Seeing the sparkle in Henry's eye, she raised her hands in surrender.

They got out of the shower and dried off. Henry used his white t-shirt and jeans glamor and padded into the kitchen to make them some breakfast as Sandy left the bedroom dressed in her own jeans and a lovely sweater. She sat at the breakfast bar, watching him with a smile. Kesini draped herself over Sandy's shoulders, completely sated and gleaming with energy.

"Looking forward to the Christmas Party?" Henry asked over his shoulder.

"Yes! Dayshia told me about it! It's going to be so much fun! I'm so looking forward to meeting Tish's family! Dayshia and I are going out to do some shopping to get new party dresses."

Henry sent a smile to her over his shoulder. He loved that Dayshia and Sandy were besties. His mind flashed to the brief moments he spent with Nate, and the sudden ache of his loss kept him facing away from Sandy until he got control once more. He didn't want to worry her.

Soon, he poured the scrambled eggs and bacon onto their plates and buttered the toast. These went on the breakfast bar.

"Milk?" he asked, recalling the breakfasts he made for her when they lived together.

"Yes, please."

He poured two glasses then sat next to her.

They ate in silence for a bit then Sandy looked at him. Motion caught her eye, and she noticed Kesini was weaving herself through his long brown locks, and she smiled.

"What are your plans today?" she asked.

He nodded. "I'm taking Aadiya and Maliha to Eden to exercise their wings. I'll catch up with Xiong and the rest. Tonight, I'm going out with Lorelei."

There was a sharp knock on the door, and Sandy raised her eyebrows before going to answer it. Henry moved to the end of the hall to watch. She peeked through the peephole then pulled the door open. Sergeant Tennison was standing there.

"Good morning, Ms. Marlow. I need to speak with Mr. Gable," she said formally.

Sandy gestured for her to enter. "Please call me Sandy."

The Silver Soldier nodded with a smile then looked to Henry.

"What's with the formality, Sergeant? And how did you know I was here?"

Her smile dimmed. "I'm here on official business, and I asked Ms. Evans first," she gestured to the other end of the hallway.

"Do you mind if we finish up our breakfast while we talk?" Henry asked.

"No, sorry for the interruption," Michelle said.

"What's the official business?" he asked, then began eating again. Sandy sat and finished up her meal as she listened.

"Did you leave the state last night?" Michelle asked.

Henry swallowed the last of his food and drank the milk to wash it down as the Sergeant waited. He wiped his mouth. "Yes, I went to Sandy's parent's place."

"There was some kind of altercation with a man who transformed into an ogre and attacked Ms. Marlow?"

"You seem to have all the details right so far," Henry said. "What's the problem?"

"We were in a van across from your apartment, and you weren't even in the state! The Intelligence community reported on your activities last night to the Congressional Committee you got called before, and the General and I had to meet with them. He was verbally spanked for not being able to keep track of one asset. He sent me back to the team, but he's still there."

Henry leaned against the counter as he thought about the yahoos in Washington. "What is the purpose of the watch I'm under."

Michelle looked at him. "The purpose?"

"Are you there to protect me from foreign interference. Are you there to control my whereabouts? Or are you there to end my life should I prove to be a threat to the congresspeople's way of life? I think I deserve to know why I have people watching me."

"If they wanted a group of assassins, they couldn't have made a poorer choice. There is no way we would follow through on such an order!" Michelle exclaimed. "We were there, and we saw the efforts you made to save everyone. We're loyal and dependable soldiers, but there are orders we won't follow blindly."

Henry nodded. "Thank you. That doesn't mean that isn't their expectation of you."

Michelle nodded to indicate that could be true. "Our orders are to be an observation team. We are to intervene in situations where you're at risk. We can't do that if we aren't near you."

"I didn't ask for this protection or interference. I travel through Magic Doors from place to place. I take Aadiya and Maliha to Eden for their exercise. You couldn't possibly keep up, and it would be a futile effort. I think I've proven I can take care of myself," he growled. "I like you guys, but I'm not going to invite you along everywhere I go like chrome chaperones."

Henry contemplated the silent soldier for a bit. "I sympathize with the General, but he was given an order he has no means to fulfill. I'm quite willing to tell the congresspeople this." He thought about that. "You say he's still there?" She nodded. "Call the rest of the squad upstairs. We're going visiting."

While she did that, Henry tidied up the kitchen and did the dishes. Sandy answered the door, and soon they had a squad of Silver Soldiers standing in Sandy's living room.

"Which room is the General meeting the congresspeople in? The same one I was in?" Henry asked.

"No, it's a private room. No press or public," the Sergeant said.

"You were there. Do you remember the entrance door?" he asked, and she nodded. "Come stand before this door and picture the meeting room door in your mind. Focus on it, then touch the door before you like you're touching the one in Washington."

She did as he asked, and he touched the back of her hand, launching the spell. He felt it take. "Okay, you go in but leave space next to the General for me."

He stepped aside as the Sergeant opened the door and gasped in surprise. The meeting room was before her. She entered, and her squad followed her in. They stood in rows behind the General, and she heard the door close. The General was staring back at her in confusion.

"Here's your team, but where's the Ass—AAAAAAAHHH!" Congressman Marvin Cressman finished with a scream when Henry suddenly appeared standing next to General Crane.

"Did you just call me an ass?" Henry frowned at the frightened Congressman, who shook his head vigorously.

"Mr. Gable, what are you doing here?" Crane asked in annoyance.

"I'm making a point," he looked up at the people on the raised dais. "You've asked the General to do something that isn't reasonably possible. The Silver Soldiers are amazingly fast and are fiercely loyal to him, but they cannot move instantly from one place to another as I can. I don't use it for nefarious purposes, just for day-to-day travel convenience. I'm not giving up my personal freedom just so you can feel a little more comfortable with the illusion of increased control over the world. Life isn't about control. It's about being good to one another, making people smile, and showing appreciation to those who deserve it. Take an example from General Crane. He's about as good a man as I know." He glanced at the man and saw his face was a little red. Henry shrugged and smiled.

He turned to face the dais. "I have to go take the twins for flying exercises on Eden. Someplace else the Silver Soldiers can't follow me. Drop the escort assignment and give these great people something actually helpful and purposeful to do!"

"ALAKAZAM ZIMZALABIM!" Henry shouted flamboyantly at the top of this lungs and disappeared.

-=-

Brigadier-General Gordon Crane pinched the bridge of his nose as he slumped just a little in his chair.

Yablonski's braying laughter quickly cut off with a clang.

"Come on! That was classic," the Corporal hissed quietly but loud enough to be heard in the otherwise silent room.

"General Crane. Is Mr. Henry Gable of sound mind?" Cressman asked timidly.

"Yes, he is. Considering what I understand he's endured in his short life, that's all the more impressive. He's just... young."

"What are you going to do about it?" Cressman asserted.

Gordon looked at the man in confusion. "About his being young?"

"No! About what he said!" the Congressman snapped.

Crane sighed. "I'm going to assign these great people something purposeful to do. We're done chasing Mr. Gable. He's right. That's just a fool's errand."

Crane stood and nodded to the gaping congresspeople and turned to leave. He saw all of his people standing at attention, saluting him. He smiled and returned their salute.

They really were great people!

Chapter 7

Lorelei checked herself in the mirror one more time. She was feeling stupidly nervous about her date with Henry. They were going with the classic dinner and a movie, but it felt like the first time for her. The only experiences she had with dating came after she'd discovered her powers. While she hadn't used them on her lover Emily until the end of their relationship, she felt like a novice all over again.

She knew Henry was easygoing and not aggressive, so she knew there was no need to feel this way, but she so wanted to make a good impression.

It was time, so she locked up and took the elevator down to the lobby. She crossed to the doors and saw Henry was outside. He seemed to be talking to himself, so she pushed through the doors to come into his field of view.

"AH! Hi Lorelei!"

"Good evening, Henry," she said with a smile as he seemed a little nervous too.

"You look very lovely tonight!" he said.

She smiled as she admired his dark blue dinner jacket and black slacks. They would match quite well as she was wearing the same colors as they were her favorites, and they calmed her. She was wearing a black winter coat over her outfit.

He guided her across the sidewalk as he looked up at the tower. "It's a spectacular building!" He looked to the side and smiled. "You have an outdoor pool, too! Oh, with a diving board!"

She grinned at his enthusiasm. She hadn't used the pool as it reminded her of a certain man who missed it by six feet.

Henry's eyes went back up. "Which floor are you on?"

"I'm in the penthouse," she answered.

"Ooo! Like me," he teased.

"Yes, the difference between the fortieth and the ninth floors is negligible," she agreed, and he chuckled.

"So, your view is good too?" he asked with a smile.

"South-westerly, so I can see the Hudson. That makes me happy. I overlook the pool, too," she admitted with a sigh.

He barked a laugh at her look of false dismay. "I somehow doubt the noise from the pool is much of an issue for you," Henry said, opening the back door of the SUV Camila told him he could use, complete with a driver.

She slid along the bench, and Henry got in as well. He gave out the address of the restaurant.

"I've never eaten there. Is it any good?" she asked.

"I hope so. I picked it because of its proximity to the theatre. The website pictures made it look nice," Henry admitted.

"We'll roll the dice then," she sighed.

He looked at her seriously. "You want to go to a casino instead of the movie?"

She blinked at him. "What? No! I meant—" She caught the twinkle in his eye and gave him the evil eye. "You're a wicked man, Mr. Gable."

He laughed, and she smiled.

When they arrived, he assisted her out, and Henry gave the driver instructions to pick them up at the same spot in three hours.

As the SUV pulled away, Lorelei gave herself a little shake as the artificial men gave her chills. Henry caught this and nodded. "It takes a while to get used to them. On my first day at VRL, I was introduced to a large group of them, and they made me want to crawl out of my skin. Now, I just see them as tools. There is no thought or emotion there. There is no one there."

"It's still new to me. I saw one melt during Skyfall. He hopped out of the car to open the door. Got two steps into the green mist and fell over. Moments later, it was melting," she recalled.

"That must have been frightening," he said with sympathy.

She nodded then looked at him. "Not as frightening as some of the things you went through that night."

He just nodded and didn't offer anything else, so she let that go. She realized he might not want to talk about it and kicked herself internally.

"It's okay. There are just nicer things to focus on," he said as he watched the expressions flitting by on her face.

"I'm sorry—"

"Hey! It's water under the bridge. Something I believe you know something about," he said with a smile.

She caught his play on words and nodded with a big smile.

"How about that Hudson!" he exclaimed, and she giggled. "Seriously, can you talk with rivers?" he asked quietly.

She looked around and saw they were alone. "Not verbally, but I do connect with them mentally. The Hudson is overwhelming. So powerful and bold. It gives me energy and heals me, too."

They entered the restaurant, and Henry gave his name for their reservations. They were led to a table for two overlooking the street. They had privacy, but sharing a glance, they decided to bookmark their previous discussion point.

The waiter dropped off some menus, and they were alone again.

Henry reached across the table and caught Lorelei's hand. "What you've been doing is so incredibly important and is saving so many lives. I just want to personally thank you. You're my hero."

Lorelei was frozen. She made a few attempts to speak, then sipped at her water and made another try. "It isn't just me. Raymond's words are beautiful and guide the music. Siobhan is key for distributing them as well."

Henry smiled and nodded. "Their contributions are highly valued, but without you, the message wouldn't be accepted in the hearts of the people."

She smiled shyly and nodded. "Thank you."

They ordered from the lite menu as both had butterflies in their stomachs, and besides, they planned on getting popcorn at the movie.

"It's a little weird seeing movies after Skyfall as some were shot just before, and now those actors are gone," Lorelei remarked.

"Has it become a drinking game?" Henry asked.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

"I read somewhere that it was a sign that people have come to terms with a tragedy when they incorporate it into a drinking game," Henry explained.

"That can't be true!" Lorelei gasped in shock.

Henry shrugged. "People sometimes need to do outrageous things to prove to themselves that they survived and can move on."

Seeking to change the topic, Henry told Lorelei about the Silver Soldiers, their mission to watch him, and his visit to the congresspeople to tell them to back off, politely, of course.

"Yeah, with how you get around, keeping track of your position would be impossible," Lorelei said in agreement.

"Hmmm, you make me sound like a slut," he said with a grin.

Lorelei's face warmed up, and she was spared answering immediately as their food arrived. When the waiter left them alone once more, she leaned forward and locked eyes with Henry. "You know very well that's not what I meant!"

He grinned as he shook his head. "Yeah, but it's still kinda true. It seems to be the nature of Satyr's to wear their hearts on their sleeves and fall in love quickly and often. Then there's all the physical stuff."

"That's better than locking your heart away to protect it, never experiencing the joy out of fear of rejection. And there is nothing wrong with all the physical stuff," Lorelei insisted.

Henry smiled and chuckled. "I never said the physical stuff was bad."

She shook her finger at his teasing, and they made small talk as they quickly finished their small meals.

Henry paid the bill, and they left the restaurant to walk two doors over to the theatre.

"What are we seeing?" she asked.

He glanced up at the display with all the movie titles and times. "I thought maybe you'd like to see that new comedy?"

"Ooo, I heard there are some sexy scenes in that one," she grinned.

"Oh, if you're offended, I'm sure there's a slasher film we could see," Henry suggested.

"No! Sexy comedies are good!" she insisted.

Henry chuckled and went to buy the tickets.

They picked up their overpriced popcorn and drinks, and Henry picked up some super sours hard candy. Then they found decent seats in the theatre, which was still relatively empty.

The preshow was playing, which they mostly ignored as they watched a couple enter the theatre, both having separate conversations on their cell phones. The man was arguing with someone angrily, and not quietly. He was seriously pissed. The young woman was barely out of her teens, and every second word seemed to be like.

Henry and Lorelei shared a weary look as the couple sat a few rows down from them and continued to snap and blather into their cells, respectively.

Lorelei sighed. "I try not to do this in public anymore since Roy pointed out how surveillance cameras can pick up the effects of my songs. However, I also want to enjoy the movie."

She glanced around to see who else was in the theatre. There were only seven other people, three couples and a small woman seated in the back row. She caught the telltale glow of embers from that woman, so she might have been smoking—another inconsiderate behavior in the theatre.

"Okay, it looks like the coast is clear," she said in the dimly lit room. Henry glanced around as well and frowned at the back row.

Lorelei sang quietly, gradually increasing the volume. The tune carried the message of public courtesy, and when the cell phone abusers didn't respond to the call for empathy, she changed the message to specifically order them from the theatre. They got up and glanced around angrily, unaware of the direct source of the rejection, and made their way to the exit flipping the bird to the audience in general. She threw in a request for no smoking and let the song fade. She glanced at Henry shyly, and he lifted her hand and kissed the back. She felt a little thrill from that and smiled at him as she squeezed his hand in return.

She glanced back and saw no sign of the glow she'd seen earlier. She settled down in her chair and caught the tail end of Henry's glance back. He had a slightly disturbed look on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He shook his head gently. "It just seems a little sad to attend a rom-com and sit alone in the back row."

"Sitting in the back row would normally attract the least attention," Lorelei suggested. She leaned closer to whisper to him. "Besides, I think she was smoking earlier."

"Really? Who does that?" he whispered back in fake shock.

"I know, right?" she said equally aghast, then giggled.

The movie began, and they put other thoughts from their mind.

During the first sex scene, her hand landed on his leg, and after a moment, he squirmed. She glanced at him. "What's wrong?" she asked quietly.

"My pants are shrinking," he whispered.

She snorted and covered her mouth to contain her giggles. Her eyes flashed happily at him, and she gave his strong thigh a squeeze. She squirmed a little, too.

They enjoyed the movie, but by the end, they were too distracted to say they gave the film the attention needed to assess it properly. As it had worked them up, both were willing to watch it again, together.

As they left the theatre, Henry held Lorelei's hand, and she felt that warmth through her body. They walked back to the spot the driver would be picking them up in fifteen minutes. There was just a light dusting of snow, and they weren't feeling the chill in the air. The theatre crowd quickly dispersed until it was just them and the rare passer-by.

"That was a lovely date, Henry."

He smiled and nodded. "I had a great time too."

Henry suddenly pulled her off her feet and swung her up into his arms.

She squeaked and noticed the edges of a black box begin to close around them. Then, they were falling.

Henry absorbed the impact with his legs as she saw they were on Eden once more.

"What was that?"

"Someone was trying to catch us in a Paradox Trap," he said as he peeked through a tiny tear. He grinned. "There you are." He looked at Lorelei. "It would be safer if you waited here while I confronted our assailant."

"No! I'm going with you!" she insisted.

He nodded as he set her on her feet. Suddenly, he was much bigger in his Satyr form. "Please stay close but stay behind me."

She nodded as he peeked through once more, then close it and opened a new larger one, and jumped through. She leapt right behind him and heard the tear snap shut.

Then Henry backhanded the cloaked being who was facing away, and they dropped to the sidewalk. Something tumbled out of their grip. Henry bent down and picked it up. He showed it to Lorelei, and her eyes had a difficult time focusing on its moving surface.

"This is the little box you and I would have found ourselves in with no way to get out," Henry explained. He tucked it into his jacket pocket.

"Is she an assassin? Is this the Hidden Races Council again?" Lorelei asserted.

Henry chuckled. "No, they don't do that anymore since Roy's in charge of security." He flipped the cloaked one over with a hoof, and the cowl fell back. Platinum blonde long hair, white eyebrows, button nose pinked with cold, long lashes, high cheekbones, rosy from the cold, and a cut on her chin from landing on the sidewalk.

The cowl hid the dimensions of her body. Henry knelt and sniffed her mouth. He stood and stared down at her in shock. He gestured behind himself to Lorelei. "Move back, quickly. She's a dragon."

Lorelei skipped back four large strides, and reality twisted violently around the woman. Henry was right in the middle of that distorting space.

"HA!" the twenty-foot-tall white dragon bellowed as it suddenly emerged intact.

"OOOOOF," it grunted as Henry's big fist slammed into its lower stomach.

The wind left the dragon as it crumbled to the sidewalk, curling around its injured tummy. Henry seized the whiskers on the left side of its huge muzzle and pulled.

"OW! OW! Stop, you stupid git!" the beast shrieked with a full-on British accent. Lorelei was no expert on regional accents, so she didn't know which part the Dragon was from, but Jolly Ol' England was certain.

"That's no way to speak to someone in control of such a sensitive appendage," Henry insisted as he squeezed.

"AAAHH! Okay, I'm sorry! Just stop!" it shrieked again.

He eased his grip but didn't let go. A glow began in the back of the beast's throat.

Henry sighed, pulled something from his pocket, unwrapped it with one hand, and tossed the small yellow ball into the big maw. As quickly as it began, the glow snuffed out.

"CHCHCHCHCHCHCHCTTTT!" the dragon choked as it tried to clear its mouth.

"WHA IS DAH!" it cried as its tongue thrashed, trying to clear the invader.

"Switch back, or you're getting more!" Henry threatened with a handful of super sours.

The dragon shuddered, and reality twisted once more. When it snapped back into place, Henry was behind the small blonde woman, holding her arm up behind her back. She had a dagger in her grip, but he squeezed her wrist, and the knife fell. She spat out the lemon candy as she gagged.

"How? How are you able to survive the glamor change?" she asked incredulously.

Henry spun her and held her upper arms in his big hands. "I was disguised by a dragon glamor for the first two decades of my life. My body is familiar with bending to come out the other side intact. I don't fight it."

"Who gave you the Dragon's glamor?" she snapped.

He moved his mouth to her ear. "Baba Yaga bonded it to my infant finger. Walter Zhao took exception to that. He's dead. Baba took the Dragon glamor back. You have no quarrel with me." He looked her in the eye. "Now, why were you trying to capture us in a Paradox Trap?"

She blinked in fear, hearing of his link to the infamous witch. "Collection. My collection. It's gone! I was burned out of my home, and everything I collected is gone. I had to flee my home and country! Eight hundred years, I've lived in that home, and now I'm homeless."

Henry felt the softness of her plush jacket and snorted. "You're not poor."

"No, I have my bank accounts, my money, but I have no treasures!" She gestured to Lorelei with her chin. "She is unique and priceless. A perfect start to a new hoard!"

"Wrong answer. People are exempt from hoarding," Henry growled. "Inanimate objects only!"

Her mouth opened as she gazed up at him in shock.

"Non-negotiable. Break that rule, and losing your collection will be the least of your concerns."

"Who-who are you?" she asked, completely intimidated.

"The name's Henry Gable, and I'm the new sheriff in these parts, these parts being the world. Behave, and I might even assist you with digging your collection out from the cave under your house."

"AHH! How did you know about the cave?" she cried.

"Walter had a cave under his. His collection now belongs to a friend of mine. What's your name?"

Pale blue eyes examined him. "Alice Shaw." The blonde woman licked her lips nervously. "You-you can really help me retrieve my collection from under the wreckage?"

"Did you have a vestibule with a door leading into your cave?" She nodded, wide-eyed.

Henry fished a business card from his wallet and handed it to her. "Come see me at this address at the start of the new year. I'll take you to the cave, and you can begin transferring the contents to a new location. But only if you promise to release any people you're hoarding."

"Thank you!" She grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

The SUV pulled up to the curb, and Henry pulled his hand back. "Be good."

Lorelei was almost purple with suppressed laughter as she pulled Henry into the back seat of the vehicle. She had to make two attempts to say her address before the driver pulled away from the curb and got them moving.

Then she let it out. She howled, and Henry just watched her with a grin on his face.

"The name's Gable, and I'm the- the- new sheriff!" She exploded into laughter again.

When she finally started coming down from her laughter high, she smiled at him. "What on Earth made you start giving lines from a weird Western?"

Henry shrugged. "I-I don't know. Her crisp British accent just suddenly made me feel like some kinda yokel, and the western accent popped up. Besides, it seemed very appropriate for the moment. I picked it up from one of the movies Sandy likes to watch."

"You are priceless!" Lorelei sighed with a wide grin as she took his hand in hers.

They rode the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

When the SUV stopped before her building, she turned to Henry and leaned forward. He met her halfway, and the kiss was sweet but short. He looked at her in question.

"I had a wonderful time tonight, and I really want to invite you upstairs, but I don't want to rush things," she bit her lip nervously.

He reached up and gently freed her lip from the bite. "I had a great time, too! Not rushing things is fine with me. I look forward to our next date. Maybe we could go see a western."

She laughed and nodded as he eased himself out of the car and helped her out as well. "You're coming with us to the Christmas Party at the mansion, yes?" She nodded. "If I can see a closet door in your apartment, I can link it to a door in the mansion so you can walk directly from your place to the mansion."

She blinked at him. "That sounds suspiciously like an excuse to come upstairs," she said with a raised brow.

"I agree it does, but it's not. I need to see a door before I can link them, and traveling by Magic Door is so much easier." He watched her and raised a brow. "You trust me, or you don't. Remember, I'm the sheriff!"

She grinned. "Okay."

He put his head back into the car. "You can go back to VRL. Thanks!" He closed the door, and it drove away.

When he turned back to Lorelei, she had her hands on her hips, and she was staring at him.

"I'll use a door to get back to my condo. This saves me the long drive. Didn't we just talk about trust?" he asked with a raised eyebrow, and she nodded in embarrassment. She led him inside as he rubbernecked the lobby and the adjoining pool area. "This is a lovely building!"

"Thank you."

They got in the elevator, and she pressed the button for the Penthouse.

With an impressed smile, Henry leaned back against the elevator wall. Lorelei bit her lip again as she considered the lovely man smiling back at her. She'd been serious about wanting to take it slow. She wanted to be sure she was ready to get involved with a man already in so many other relationships. Her body definitely wanted him to stay, but her heart said it was too soon.

The elevator made a bing sound as the doors opened, and she stepped out with Henry following. She got her key out, but her hand was shaking too much to make it fit. Henry put his hand under hers and steadied it. She unlocked the door and stepped inside. Henry waited for her to invite him in.

When she did, he stepped inside and closed the door. He gestured to the closet door. "This one will do fine. What day will you be joining us?"

"What- what day does the party begin?" she stammered.

"The mansion opens up for breakfast on Saturday morning, December twenty-third, and then closes again on December twenty-sixth as we go back to work the next day. Tomorrow, Roy, Mary, and I are going up to set up the doors in the cave vestibule for all of the guests who wish to maintain a direct link to the mansion over the four days," he explained. Would you like me to set one up for you? I can link it to this door. I can also set it to only work for you."

"I'd like that. Thank you."

"I'll say good night then. Thanks again for an amazing date! It was fun!" he said with a smile.

She stepped close and pressed her lips to his. This time the kiss was slow and sensual.

He pulled back, and she made a small sound of protest.

"That was really nice. Good night, Lorelei."

She smiled as she knew he was being strong for her. Not trusting herself, she nodded.

He touched the closet door and stepped into a hallway, closing the door behind him.

Lorelei opened the closet to see her coats and boots. She shook her head with a smile.

She'd been seconds away from dragging him to her bedroom, but she knew it was too soon.

Luckily, he knew it too.

She was really looking forward to their next date.

Chapter 8

Friday was home renovation day as they'd be doing a lot of carpentry and painting at Meixiu's mansion, with her approval.

Roy and Mary had the most experience with this. They got the squad to provide some needed manpower to purchase and pick up sixteen identical doors, the most they could fit in the vestibule, from three separate hardware stores and bring them all to VRL where Henry and Roy carried them into the mansion through a Magic Door he made in the parking garage.

As a surprise, Roy also collected the double doors they'd busted off the torture club. They were in excellent shape, considering they'd been blown off in an explosion. It seems the frame hadn't been properly installed in the building's structure. Henry thought he might strip the old stain and replace the hardware with antique brass handles. He hadn't yet decided what he would use them for, so they were stored in the cave.

Roy also had the artificial men at VRL dig out box after box of lights and decorations for use inside and out. These were brought to the mansion and put in the front sitting room.

Mary, with Roy's assistance, framed new walls, each with openings for eight doors. The two rows of doors faced each other across the vestibule outside the cave. Once the framework was up, they began installing the doors. As they finished each, Meixiu stepped in to paint them.

As sixteen doors lined the two walls, she decided to paint the first and last doors on each side with stylized depictions of the four seasons and the remaining twelve with the Chinese Zodiac animals.

These distinct paint jobs would make the doors easy to identify for the families using them to pass through to their homes.

They had to work out the logistics of who would get doors as they only had the sixteen, and there were more people than that.

Meixiu would use a door in the second-floor master bedroom. She didn't need one of the sixteen. Henry was hoping Sigrid would return, but she'd likely use the same door as Meixiu as the source was a closet in Sigrid's home.

Tish's six siblings lived in separate homes, as well as one of her sister's oldest daughters. That meant seven of the doors were reserved for them.

Dayshia's sister needed a door as she was in Boston.

Camila, Marisa, Roy, now living with Mary, Siobhan, Lorelei, and the Kings, all lived in separate homes, which counted for another six.

As Sandy, Dayshia, Michelle, Mahati, and Kali all lived on the same floor as Henry, Tish gave them copies of their door key, and they would use the Magic Door in their place.

That meant fifteen of the sixteen were accounted for. This left one as a spare.

Henry linked the Fall door to a closet at Mary's place. He teased Roy about moving from his bachelor pad and settling down. He got growled at for that.

Meixiu insisted that the first door on the left, the Spring doorway, should be for Henry, so he set up that Magic Door to their front hall closet and Tish joined them at the mansion with the baby in a chest-mounted child carrier. Henry linked more doors and greeted Lorelei, Siobhan, Camila, and Marisa with her baby in a baby sling, as they were part of the decorating team. Mahati and Kali, using a new glamor likely created by her sister, joined him and went upstairs to assist. This group went after the boxes in the sitting room to work on the design.

Eleanor King was still working for the same hospital, explaining her changed look with the simple phrase, Skyfall Event. She had emergency surgery, so she and Raymond said they would join them in the morning. Meixiu would have to activate the door as she'd been to their place once.

Before Tish could help with decorating, her family would require connections to their homes. She called each of her siblings and her niece and let them know the mansion's Magic Doors would be linked to the doors in their homes tomorrow morning. They used video calls to ensure Tish knew which ones to use. The kids were super excited about getting to see each other and walking through a Magic Door to do it.

Dayshia called Beth to choose the door to link to. They'd set up the link with Henry in the morning.

Sigrid was still a no show, and Roy mentioned that he'd been unable to reach Minkah. She'd dropped off the face of the earth.

They ordered take-out, delivered to Henry's, Mary's, and Lorelei's places. When it arrived, they carried all the different food upstairs to the dining room to enjoy a meal together.

After dinner, everyone went outside to admire the Christmas lights Michelle and Meixiu had strung up on the façade of the three-story mansion. The herd of lit-up reindeer scattered across the snowy lawn was a lovely touch, too.

Meixiu dragged Henry around to the back yard to the gazebo. Icicle lights were strung up around the edge of the roof. The little LED lights simulated dripping, and the effect dazzled the eye. Henry sat and said he'd like to stay there for a while.

The others went inside as Meixiu cuddled up against Henry's side, enjoying his companionship, his warmth, and the slow trickle of energy he gave off.

Henry recalled sitting in this very spot, not that long ago, actually. He'd needed advice and called upon his new friend, Nate. His buddy had been there for him, had come all the way from the city to the mansion to spend a few days with him. And how did Henry reward him? By dragging him into the nightmare of Mab's fucking evil plot. Getting him tortured by that monster until Henry finally could get him out.

He had no idea that Nate would find the cursed dagger on Eden. He had no idea how damaged his friend had become at the hands of Mab. He'd seen how driven Nate was to kill her with the weapon, but maybe some of that was the weapon's influence. He'd felt its malevolent intent during the brief interval he'd held it. Nate had it for longer than he had.

Mab tricked Nate into killing Henry's daughter. That horror rested entirely on Mab's shoulders. Henry had been in no condition to speak with Nate when it happened, but he wished he had. Too late for that now.

Nate's sacrifice shook Henry. Yes, a good part of it might have been driven by his guilt over the baby's death, but Nate chose to save another life, Henry's specifically, instead of just punishing himself through suicide. He made a heroic effort, and even when he was injured and knew he couldn't stop their descent, he made one final effort and managed to limit the damage Henry suffered enough to allow him to cling to life.

He wished he'd had more time to get to know Nate's other friends and his parents so he could learn more about him.

While Henry was clawing his way back to life on Eden, Marisa found Nate's parents were amongst those taken by the ring's curse. She had no information about his friends.

Marisa named her and Nate's daughter Natalia in honor of her father. Henry vowed that Natalia would know how much he admired the man he called his friend.

"Henry? What is making you sad? I thought you would like the lights," Meixiu said.

He wiped his eyes and smiled at her. "I love the lights! They're so beautiful."

She tilted her head to look him in the eyes, and he shrugged. "This place just reminded me of Nate. I miss him. I wish he could be here."

"You are alive because of him. You are here and remember him. So, he is here."

Henry looked at Meixiu in surprise as his emotions welled up. He nodded with a lump in his throat. "Thank you, Meixiu. You're right."

He took her face between his hands and kissed her tenderly.

After, she cuddled in against his chest again. "I like being right."

He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"We should go in. Tomorrow's gonna be a busy day!" he sighed after a moment.

She looked up at him with a hopeful look. "Just two more minutes of being right!"

He smiled and gave her the two, then three more for being so damn sweet!

Chapter 9

What could Christmas possibly mean to someone who'd never celebrated it? Someone who grew up under the control of a caretaker who denied their charge anything that smacked of fantasy, imagination, or the fantastic. Someone raised with the rule that if it wasn't grounded in hard science, it was a waste of time.

Henry explored the cave under the mansion, headlamp in place, inspecting it carefully to ensure there were no dangers the arriving kids might discover. He didn't want anyone falling into any pitfalls or bear traps Walter Zhao may have hidden away in this massive cave system.

Doing this was actually just an excuse for him to burn off the excitement buzzing along his nerves. He wasn't sure why he felt this way. He was so restless! He'd celebrated Christmas last year with his friends, and while that had been fun, he hadn't woken up at four AM, unable to return to sleep, all abuzz with... with... he had no idea! Christmas morning wasn't for two more days!

He'd slipped out of bed, and Aadiya and Maliha tagged along with him as they'd picked up his excitement. Tish snored softly. Likely still spent from the previous evening's playtime.

When they first talked about the party, Meixiu confirmed for him that she'd gone through the cave with a fine-tooth comb checking for traps, and there was nothing dangerous here anymore. Just in case, Henry was in his Satyr form.

Aadiya ran into view from a side corridor, her headlight beam swinging side to side as she searched for him. She crooned to him excitedly and rushed back the way she'd come. He turned to follow her as Maliha rushed up to join them. Ahead, they saw Aadiya wiggling through a gap between some boards and disappear. Henry's brows rose. Walter boarded off the hall? He peered inside and saw debris scattered on the floor before a wall extensively veined with crystals.

He grabbed a board and pulled it loose, leaning it against the corridor wall. He moved to the next and next until he saw the rough framing bolted into the rock itself. He pulled out two vertical framing two-by-fours and stepped through the gap. Maliha was right there with him as he poked a hoof through the busted-up wood scattered all over the floor at the far end of the corridor. The veins he saw earlier crisscrossed the rock face. He ran a finger over the vein of crystal and followed it down to the floor. He stopped and brushed away the dust and fragments of shattered wood. There was a channel carved in the floor at the base of the wall. In it was the baseplate for the destroyed wooden doors.

Maliha squeaked and picked up a doorknob from the debris on the floor. After a little more poking, she lifted a second one. Double doors?

What was Walter up to here?

He looked to the twins. "I need a broom and a pry bar."

"Broom!" Aadiya said and dashed off.

Maliha looked upset that she didn't get to pick the broom. Henry smiled at her. "The pry bar is the metal stick in the vestibule with the bent end like this," he said and curled his first two fingers over in demonstration.

"Pi bar," Maliha said less certainly and rushed away.

Henry smiled to himself and went back to tidying up the floor before the wall. There were enough lumber bits to make a double set of doors, but they couldn't have been very thick. He looked back at the wall and ran his fingers over the surface. The veins felt smooth, and he picked up the tiniest tingle in his right ring finger as it touched the crystal. There was a residue of magic in the rock?

Something itched in the back of his head, and he let Baba's spell memories scroll by as he pressed the ring finger against the crystal. The scrolling of the memories slammed to a halt as he threw himself back from the wall, his mind filled with the sound of an explosion. He crashed through two more of the vertical studs to tumble to the floor beyond. His headlamp bounced free and stopped a few more feet away. He was lying on his back, panting in fright. The spell used on that wall wasn't a simple one, and the most critical step was feeding magic into the crystals. The feed had to be smooth, even, and without interruption. Any change in the flow and it could go critical and release the energy in a burst. Walter had gotten it wrong. Kaboom!

Henry looked up and squinted as the twin's headlights were shining in his face. He sat up and saw two red-orange faces looking at him in concern. "Sorry, I just picked up the mental residue of the previous explosion. Walter was trying to build a gateway to the old realm of magic." He pushed himself to his hooves and dusted himself off.

"Croo?"

"He did it wrong, and the door exploded." At their curious look, he mimed an explosion. "BOOOM!"

They moved closer to him, and he hugged them for their concern. Maliha handed him his headlamp, which went on, then he accepted the pry bar. He nodded at her. "Pry bar. Thank you!" She smiled at his praise.

He made short work of the rest of the frame for the wall. Then he moved to the channel on the floor and got the baseplate out. Trading the bar for the broom from Aadiya, he swept all of the debris in the hall into a neat pile. He spent extra time ensuring the channel on the floor was completely clean.

He looked to the twins again. "Can you get me a garbage bag and the dustpan?"

"Dustpan!" Maliha yelped, first this time.

Aadiya opened her mouth and huffed in annoyance before looking at Henry. "Garbage bag?"

"Roy left some in the vestibule. Black plastic bags for garbage and sweepings."

"AHH!" Aadiya cried and rushed away.

Henry was pleased with their increasing comprehension. He separated his sweepings from the lumber they'd have to carry out while he waited for them to return.

He heard the patter of feet running, and they barreled around the corner with big grins on their faces. Maliha handed him the dustpan as Aadiya showed him the garbage bag in her grip. "Excellent! Thank you! Please hold the bag open."

They made quick work of the mess on the floor. Aadiya closed the bag as Maliha picked up the tools. Henry picked up the lumber, and they made their way back to the vestibule. The bag went into the big garbage can, and Henry stacked the old lumber next to it. Roy was going to get all this stuff taken away by the artificial men.

It was still very early, so he wandered back into the cave, the ladies at his side.

That debris had been pretty old, so Walter must have made his attempt to open the portal to the old magic realm a long time ago after discovering the link to his magic was weakening but well before he got Mab's reliquary from Stanley.

Henry found himself standing in front of the double door set Roy got for him. He was examining it carefully, looking for damage, but he saw none.

"Can you two help me carry this?" he asked as he moved to one side. Roy had carried the other side before, but the twins managed it. They took frequent rests but eventually carried it down the short hall to the crystal veined wall.

Henry looked at the baseplate on the new set of doors and realized it was wider than the stone floor's channel.

"Shit," he sighed.

"Shit," Aadiya repeated.

Henry frowned. "No—"

"Shit," Mahali copied her sister.

They smiled at him, and he didn't have the heart to scold them. He'd used the word first, after all.

He moved the door frame right back against the wall and had the ladies brace it there. The channel on the floor was covered by the baseplate. When the twins stepped away from it, the door stayed where it was. Still, he thought it should be braced if there might be kids in here.

"I'm going to go bring back some of those two-by-fours to brace the door. Can you wait here and make sure the door doesn't tip and fall? I'll be right back." He gestured for them to push the door back if it tipped, and they nodded.

He walked back to the vestibule and grabbed some of the boards, some nails, and a hammer. He was no handyman but thought he could probably handle this. As he was walking back, Aadiya and Mahali almost bowled into him as they ran around a corner on their way to him. They were wide-eyed with fright.

"What happened?" he asked as they clung to his arms. Aadiya was pulling him to see what happened, while Mahali wanted nothing to do with that. She hissed at her sister.

He pulled them both into a hug. "Calm down. It's okay." He could feel their hearts pounding, so he had to see what happened. He assumed he was going to see the doors lying on the floor as it likely tipped forward.

"I need to see," he said calmly and kissed their temples. That seemed to do it, and they let him lead them back. As he rounded the hall corner, he looked at the floor, but the doors hadn't fallen. He slowed as he got closer as something was significantly different.

The door set was no longer sitting on the stone floor but in it. The baseplate was seated in a new, wider channel in the stone floor, with no step up. The outer frame was still resting back against the wall, and when he reached out and tugged on it, there was no movement. The base plate seemed to be firmly in the grip of the floor. He looked closer, but he could see nothing to indicate how it was affixed to the ground. Weird!

He took a grip on one of the handles and turned it. The door opened smoothly to show the veined stone of the wall behind it. Once more, he dragged his right ring finger across the crystals, but there was no longer a tingle. The magic was depleted.

"Huh," he said and stepped back to consider the situation. His mind went back to Baba's spell. He thought it was doable, but it probably wasn't a good idea just before a bunch of kids stumbled upon it.

There didn't appear to be any danger of the doors falling, so he gathered up the wood and the tools, and they walked back to the vestibule with the ladies. They left the headlights in a basket by the door to the cave. He'd talk to Roy once he got here.

He climbed the stairs to the main floor as he contemplated Baba's spell for the doorway. It was tainted with evil as the process for powering the crystals in the wall, which maintained the spell, was the consumption of life energy from multiple sacrifices. That wouldn't do.

First, he needed to confirm that the crystals could store Wild Energy. If they could, he'd determine a way to replace the need for the sacrifices with feeding power from the rift inside him through his hydroelectric powerplant program to even out the fluctuations.

Henry found himself at a standstill on the steps with Aadiya and Maliha looking at him in concern. He chuckled and touched their cheeks. "Sorry, I got caught up in my head thinking about stuff." They smiled in relief as they pulled him the rest of the way up. He made his way to the front sitting area and made himself comfortable on a sofa. The twins immediately curled up on the cushions on either side of him with their heads on his chest as he rested his arms along the back of the sofa. He heard them purr contentedly and smiled.

As his eyes watched the slowly brightening skies out the big windows, he let his mind return to working on a program to safely automate charging the crystals in the wall.

They were going to power a doorway to Eden.

-=-

As people showed up at the mansion, activity picked up, and noises from the kitchen drew Henry's attention. He eased himself from the couch, but the twins woke as well.

"It's okay. Go back to sleep," he suggested.

They stood as well and tilted their faces up to him, so he gave them kisses. Then they moved to a loveseat before the window that was getting rays of sunlight. They curled up together and wrapped a wing around each other as they snoozed.

Henry walked back to the huge kitchen where an explosion of organized chaos was unfolding. Breakfast preparations were underway. He slipped into that swirling energy to give his friends kisses and hugs. He topped up everyone's energy and got smiles.

Roy and Mary appeared in the doorway to greet everyone. The latter looked fresh as a daisy, but Roy looked a little tired, so Henry pulled him into a hug and sent him a surge of energy.

"Woah! It's okay, lad! I'm just a little tired from, well, never mind." He smiled awkwardly at Henry as he recalled Henry's surprise appearance in Mary's bedroom. "I guess I can skip coffee this morning."

"Can I show you something the twins and I discovered in the cave this morning?" Henry asked.

Roy looked at him with interest. "Something good?"

"It could be," Henry confirmed.

"Don't be long! We're going to need to open the rest of the Magic Doors soon!" Tish called out from her spot next to Meixiu at the stove.

"We'll be in the cave. Just call out when you need us, and we'll come back," Henry replied.

She nodded, and Henry led Roy downstairs. They met Camila in the vestibule as she stepped through the Winter door. Moments later, Marisa stepped out of the next door with Natalia back in her carrier.

Henry stepped forward and gave the ladies a kiss, charging them up and kissed the baby too.

"It's almost time to open the other doors," Camila reminded him.

Henry smiled. "Roy and I are just looking at something, but we'll be back soon," he said.

He paused then went to the spare door. He touched it and linked it to a broom closet in the main hall. He opened the door and pushed it all the way back. Now they had a way to bypass the climb up the long staircase from the vestibule.

"Thank you, Henry," Marisa said in relief.

He smiled at her and Camila, then joined Roy.

"Let's put this stuff into the parking garage at VRL," Roy suggested, pointing to the garbage, lumber, and tools. Henry linked an unused door to the door they'd used the previous day. Then he and Roy moved the stuff through until the vestibule was clean once more. Roy flagged down one of the artificial men and gave him instructions on putting the tools away and disposing of the rest.

Once back in the mansion, Henry released the link on the door and grabbed some headlamps before heading into the cave with Roy.

As they walked down the slope, Roy looked at him. "How did Walter light this place?"

Henry snorted. "He had torches which he spat fireballs at."

"Fuckin' show off," Roy grumbled.

Henry laughed. "Yeah, he was. I was thinking of suggesting LED lighting to Meixiu."

They arrived at the short hall.

"This is where you're storing the doors?"

"Actually, Aadiya found this hallway boarded up. We removed that and found a set of double doors exploded into bits, scattered all over the floor in front of that wall. The bottom frame was set into a channel in the rock floor. We cleaned up all the debris and took it out to the vestibule. We brought the new door back here, but it was wider than the channel in the floor. I went back to get some boards to brace the doors against the wall, but the channel had widened to accept the doors when I got back. There was a trickle of old realm magic stored in the crystal veining of the wall, and now it's empty."

Roy frowned in concern. "Dormant magic can be a dangerous thing."

"Yeah, I checked the rest of the cave, and it's good. This area was boarded off and now contains no magic," Henry said.

"What was Walter trying to do here?" Roy asked.

"I checked Baba's spells and recognized this one as a Dimensional Gate. Walter was trying to open a gate to the realm of the old magic. He got the powering of the crystals wrong, and the doors exploded when the energy was released from the wall in a burst." Henry looked to the wall of the corridor. The stains on the rock now took on a sinister meaning. He walked back and reached up to touch the holes where the restraining bolts were screwed in. "He was powering the crystals with the lives of sacrifices."

"Shit! Those are bloodstains?" Roy exclaimed.

Henry nodded and walked back to the wall and touched one of the veins with his index finger. Then he fed a little Wild Magic into it. He waited and then provided a little more. It took, and he nodded. It would work.

"What are you up to?" Roy asked cautiously.

"I believe I can safely power the wall and activate the Dimensional Gate spell to open a door to Eden," Henry explained.

Roy scowled. "What makes you think you can do better than Walter?"

"I can replace the requirement for the sacrifice. It just needs a steady and even flow of magic, which I imagine would be ridiculously tricky using sacrifices. I'm uniquely able to provide a steady flow of energy with my rift and my powerplant spell. The spell for the Dimensional Gate is tricky, but it isn't dangerous in itself. Opening tears is easy but keeping them open is draining as they immediately try to heal themselves. With this gate spell, the load is carried by the crystals in the wall."

"Where did those crystals come from? I didn't see these veins of crystal anywhere else in the cave," Roy said, looking around.

Henry shrugged. "I know, this wall seems to be unique, and I'm no geologist, so I have no idea what kind of mineral it is."

"Henry! It's time!" Tish's voice echoed through the cave.

"On our way!" Henry yelled back.

Roy looked at Henry as they walked back to the hallway of doors. "What would the purpose be for this Dimensional Gate?" he asked.

Henry thought about that. "I'd like an easier way to bring Aadiya and Maliha to Eden for their flying exercise. I'd like to invite Tish and her family to visit as well. To know exactly how convenient it will be, I still need to power the crystals and activate the spell to see how long the door will hold the gate open. The spell was created before knowledge of the Wild Magic dimension, so this is all new."

"Put a bookmark in that for now. We have new guests arriving," Roy suggested, and Henry nodded as they left the cave. Roy closed the doors behind himself as Henry joined Tish before the first door. She was in her Faun state.

"We're linking seven doors, starting with one for my eldest sister, Kristen," she said.

"Picture the door in her home we are linking to," Henry said. "Then touch the door with that image in your mind."

Tish closed her eyes then reached out to touch the door. Henry touched her hand and activated the spell. Tish opened her eyes and looked at Henry and saw him smiling at her.

"Go ahead and knock," he said as he stood back.

Tish grinned and rapped her knuckles against the wood.

The door immediately opened, and Henry felt a thrill rush through his chest as he saw the excited Faun faces of Kristen, her husband Lyle, and five of her six kids, Layla, George, Patrick, Craig, and Lorraine, ages sixteen to twelve. The parents stepped through tentatively, but the kids quickly pushed them further as they rushed inside.

"This is awesome!" George gushed.

Then they were all looking at Henry.

"My, aren't you..." Kristen quickly glanced at Lyle's slimmer physique, then back to Henry, "large!"

"Why are your horns so much larger than daddy's?" Layla, the sixteen-year-old, asked.

Henry shook his head. "Mine are larger than normal." That produced a burst of giggles, so he tried to rephrase it. "Your dad's are normal! Mine are too big!" The giggling just got louder. He tried again, but Tish reached up and pressed her fingers across his lips.

Tish smiled at her niece. "Henry's horns grew this way from being pushed from the ancient past to the present when he was just a baby. You won't find horns like these on any other Fauns."

"Satyr." At their blank looks, he clarified. "I'm a Satyr. It's another name for Faun." They looked at each other. "I prefer Satyr."

"Let's open Gene's door," Tish suggested. Gene was Kristen's oldest daughter at eighteen-years-old.

They repeated the spell activation, and Tish knocked.

When the door was opened by a young male Faun, he took one look at the gathered family and made a squeak noise, fainting through the door onto the floor. A petite and pretty dark-brown female Faun holding a baby was standing behind him with an embarrassed expression on her face.

Henry leaned forward and lifted the unconscious man into the vestibule, and his wife walked through the door. The young mother was so cute, and the adorable baby in her arms was a newborn. She smiled at Henry.

"You're holding my husband Sam, I'm Gene, and this is our daughter Bean," she said.

"I love the name Bean! How did you come up with that?" Henry grinned.

Gene shrugged. "She was just a tiny bean in my tummy when I became this. We weren't sure if she transformed too."

"She's beautiful!" Henry sighed.

"Okay! More doors to do!" Tish said, then looked to the family already through. "Memorize your door, so you know which one to go through to get home!"

Henry handed Sam off to Lyle, who rolled his eyes at his son-in-law's state.

Tish and Henry made their way down the row, linking each to another door somewhere in Philadelphia. The parents and kids were all wide-eyed and excited to pass through a door and find themselves in the company of their other family members in the cellar of a mansion in New York State.

Soon they were at the last door. Tish pulled Henry aside. "This will be my sister Steph's place. She is really nervous about meeting you. She may talk... excessively."

"Got it," he said with a smile. They linked the door, and Tish knocked.

Steph pushed the door open, tripped, and stumbled through right into Henry's arms. She face-planted against his broad chest then looked up in surprise. Henry grinned down at her.

"Hello! You must be Steph! You're just as lovely and bold as Tish said you'd be," he teased. Steph's face lit up with a brilliant smile.

Tish had filled Henry in on Steph's tragic discovery after the Skyfall Event.

Steph's husband David hadn't attended the party that night. He wasn't there in the backyard soaking in the Wild Magic and the love of his family. He wasn't part of the biggest group hug the family had ever done, and he missed being saturated with the Wild Magic pouring through Tish's rift. He didn't transform into a Faun like the rest of the family.

He'd missed all of these wondrous things because he spent his evening in bed with his neighbor's wife, Gloria. When her husband Rick got home from his sanitation engineer night shift at four in the morning, he found David's clothes piled on the chair in their bedroom, but his socks were on the bed with the sexy lingerie Gloria swore she only ever wore for him. There was a condom on the bed, too.

Steph received a ranting, angry call from Rick on her cell phone the next morning. He'd said some nasty things, and that's how Steph discovered her husband's infidelity and how it ended with the tragic twist.

Their three kids no longer had a father. He hadn't been a very attentive one to begin with, but now he was gone.

Tish said Steph had taken a terrible hit to her self-confidence as Gloria was not particularly pretty or fit, but she'd taken David from her.

Henry was a little dazzled by her smile, and she seemed to notice as it just got brighter. Her hands slid across his broad chest to land on his biceps.

"Tish didn't mention you were so... strong!" Steph said a little breathily.

"It's been a gradual increase of yumminess," Tish chuckled, and Steph's laugh was identical, deep and hinting at a slightly wicked naughtiness.

Steph pressed her body against Henry's, and he had the beginnings of an automatic and immediate reaction. Her eyes widened, and her pink tongue darted out to lick her lips. This triggered a second throb, which she definitely felt. He cast a quick desperate look at Tish, and she picked up the hint as she swooped in to scoop Steph away from Henry as he stealthily turned his body away from the gathering of Tish's family.

"Steph and kids, make note of the symbol on your door. That's how you get back home tonight." She faced the rest of the family, who were still milling around in the vestibule. "Come on, people, let's clear this area and move to the dining room for breakfast. Kids take the stairs. Adults take the open door to the left."

The kids charged up the long, winding stairs with excited screams as the grateful adults just stepped through the doorway to find themselves in the main hallway, where they were greeted by Meixiu welcoming them to her mansion. With all the kids charging through the home, the expensive breakables had all been moved to safety, and Henry added protective shields on the paintings to prevent accidents.

Henry took slow breaths to calm himself and opened his eyes to see Dayshia watching him with a hungry look in her eye. She'd also seen his reaction to Steph's touch.

"Are you ready to help me open a door to Beth's?" she asked as she bit her lip.

"Dayshia, please!" he gasped quietly as he began to react to her.

She smiled with satisfaction and closed her eyes as she pulled up the image of Beth's front hall closet door. She felt Henry's hand on hers, then his mouth was next to her ear. "It's all yours." Tingles shot straight down her neck to her nipples, which stiffened immediately.

"Henry! My niece and nephews are on the other side of this door!" she squealed quietly.

He just gave her a raised eyebrow as she was equally guilty. She looked away but not before he saw her smile, acknowledging his point was made.

Taking a deep breath, Dayshia knocked on the door.

It immediately opened, and Beth gave her sister a raised eyebrow as well. "You're late."

Dayshia pointed to the group still moving through the door at the end of the hall. "Tish has thirty-four relatives on their way upstairs. Introductions later. Memorize the symbol on the door as it is assigned to your place."

"Hi, Henry!" Beth said with a smile, and he admired her glowing eyes. Her smile grew a little at his appreciation and did again when he dipped forward to kiss her cheek.

"Hi, Beth! Chris," Henry said and shook Chris' hand. He shook the kids' hands too.

"We can follow them to the dining room for breakfast," Dayshia instructed.

Chris was watching Henry, so he returned the gaze. "Do you work out?" the man asked.

Henry shook his head. "Not in any traditional way. I don't know why I've developed these. It might just be a Satyr thing."

Chris nodded as he followed his wife and sister-in-law through the door.

Henry followed and looked back, but he was the last one. He faced forward and saw Meixiu was finished greeting Dayshia's family. "I think the final guests are the Kings. When will they arrive?" he asked when she was alone.

"They said after lunch," she said with a smile.

"Do you think they might enjoy a feeding?" Henry asked, and Meixiu burst into giggles.

"Henry, even having someone offer is a delight. Vampires are forced into a life of sneaking their meals just to survive. I remember my first meal from you, and while I do not regret doing it as it granted me my freedom, I am sorry it frightened you so badly. I did not have time to ease you into it."

"All was forgiven the same night," Henry insisted, and Meixiu smiled sweetly.

Henry frowned. "It's too bad Sigrid isn't here."

"I'm sure she wants to be here too. Let's get you some breakfast," Meixiu said, gently pushing Henry towards the dining room.

He grinned and shook his head when he saw twenty-six adults and three newborns squeezed around the twenty-seat main table. "Where are the kids?" Henry asked Meixiu.

"We had to set up a second table in the front sitting room as there are twenty-three kids," Meixiu said.

Henry looked at her. "Any adults with them?"

Meixiu shook her head, so Henry spun and marched to the front room to peer in the doorway. No chaos. No explosions. No tears. There was sound, but it was excited chattering, laughter, and the crooning of the twins. He stepped into the room and saw Aadiya and Maliha enjoying their favorite snack, coconuts, while the kids split their attention between watching them in fascination, talking, and eating breakfast.

There were spilled drinks, but paper towels had been used to clean up. The teens and the twins knew how to do that. Some of the older male kids struggled not to ogle Aadiya and Maliha, wearing their usual outfits of a simple cropped t-shirt and short shorts.

Dayshia's niece Emily rushed over to him with wide eyes, so he knelt down, so she didn't have to crane her neck. She gestured for him to get closer so she could whisper.

"Mr. Gable! Are the red ladies, demons?" she asked quietly.

He smiled and shook his head. "No, they're Succubi like Camila and Marisa but a special kind. They are very sweet-natured and special to me."

The little girl smiled in relief and nodded to him. She rushed back to her seat at the table and shared her knowledge with the girls sitting next to her.

Danny and Tommy Nelson were sitting amongst the Satyrs, and Henry could tell by their expressions that they would ask their parents if they could be Satyrs, too. Henry worried about Chris' resistance and his shape bias.

He moved to the twins, who looked up at him in question, chewing noisily on the coconut, their fangs catching the light. None of the kids seemed put off by the display, but many of them were equally noisy chewers.

He dipped down and kissed their temples, and they purred at him.

His stomach growled at the smell of the food, so Meixiu took his hand, and they headed for the kitchen. She made him a plate of scrambled eggs and bacon with toast, and he carried it into the dining room. Some of the moms had left the table to check on their kids, so Henry was invited to take the spot between Brian Evans and Chris Nelson. Brian was the oldest of Tish's brothers and had obviously been muscular before his transformation. Lyle was across the table and was far more svelte.

Chris was grilling them on how it felt to be Satyrs.

"I feel better than I have in years," Brian sighed. "I used to ache so badly after my upper body day, and the doctor told me I'd have to stop because of the Arthritis in my shoulders. Since the transformation, it's gone. My joints don't ache anymore. Not at all. My muscles hurt when I strain them, but even that goes away faster. I'm also lifting fifty to sixty percent more than I could before, and these crazy legs are ridiculously strong!"

Lyle rolled his eyes at his brother-in-law then turned to Chris. "I'm not a gym rat like Brian, but I do long-distance running. My fitness is now off the charts. I could easily best the current world record. I think all previous records for physical pursuits will be surpassed. With all the different shapes people are transforming into, we'll be learning their new physical capabilities. There was a report on the news yesterday about someone transforming into a Centaur. Half man, half horse."

"I don't want that!" Chris blurted, and heads turned to look at him.

"Probably, that fellow didn't wish for it either," Lyle responded sadly.

Henry finished up his breakfast. As he wiped his mouth with a napkin, he felt eyes on him. He looked up and saw it was Chris, who was frowning at him.

Henry sighed. "Chris, the only Humans who didn't change, are gone. You survived, but you're in a pre-change state. I can't prevent it. It's going to happen. Unlike the vast majority of people left on this planet, you're aware of a means to choose."

"What about Mary?" Chris said, gesturing to her. "Is she in the pre-change state? She looks human."

Beth was frowning at her husband's belligerence, but Henry knew it was just his fear talking.

Henry looked to Mary, who sighed and turned to Chris.

"Did you enjoy your breakfast this morning?" she asked the frowning man.

He blinked at her. "Y-yes, it was very good."

"Are you a crispy or chewy bacon lover?" Mary asked.

"Uh, crispy," he answered.

"Mmmm, yeah! I remember that. So good," she sighed.

Chris was hearing what she was saying. "Do you not eat bacon anymore?"

She held his eyes. "I don't eat anything anymore, and I'm stuck with this physique."

Chris looked confused. "How are you able to live without eating?"

"Oh, I eat, just not food. Roy?" she said, glancing at him as she stood.

Roy's face pinked up. He still didn't like doing this in public. He stood as well, reached back, and struck Mary's back with a brutal slap. Many people around the table jumped to their feet and cried out in anger. Mary held up her hands and people quieted down.

"That's how I eat. I'm a kinetic sink. I absorb kinetic energy and convert it to energy." She turned to Roy, who was glaring at the people who'd yelled at him. "I'm sorry, Roy, for making you do that in front of people."

He nodded gruffly and sat.

Mary looked to Chris. "I really miss eating food, but my body rejects it now. I can drink water, and that's it. I kind of wish I'd become a Satyr, but it wasn't meant to be. When I was exposed to Wild Magic, I was in full contact with Henry, but his influence didn't work in that circumstance. His hands were cuffed behind his back, as I recall."

"Wooo!" Steph called out excitedly, and the group laughed as Henry stared at Mary incredulously in the hope she would shut up.

Mary dipped her eyes in apology to Henry then looked to Chris. "The point is, if looking Human is the only consideration you're focusing on, you need to think about the downsides before you decide on being a kinetic sink like me. My job in security makes this state very useful. What do you do?"

"I'm an electrical engineer," Chris said.

Mary's smile dropped away, and she shook her head. "This isn't for you."

Chris looked at her in disappointment, and Henry stepped in. "I still haven't had a chance to speak to the experts regarding the possibility of creating a glamor powered by Wild Magic." He thought for a moment. "Actually, it's not the creating of the glamor as much as the binding process that's the difficulty. You can ask Dayshia how that went for her. I don't know if there is another way to do it."

The conversation turned to other topics, and Henry enjoyed watching the families interacting. The Nelson's seemed to fit in with Tish's multiple household family effortlessly. There was much laughter, and occasionally one or two kids would venture into the dining room as they explored the mansion. Henry didn't contribute much to the dialogue, but he loved being immersed in it.

After what seemed like hours, Danny and Tommy ran into the dining room straight for their parents. Henry knew what they were going to say before they grabbed their parents' hands, begging to be Fauns. Emily arrived seconds later and leaned against her mom.

"I still want to have eyes like you and Auntie Dayshia," she said sweetly. Beth squeezed her daughter and kissed her head.

Some of the older kids showed up in the doorway. "It's snowing hard outside, and there's a lot on the ground already. Can we go outside and play in it?" Layla asked.

"Certainly," Henry said.

"Wait!" Kristen called out, and the kids stopped to look back at her. The mother turned to Henry. "Just how safe are the kids running around outside together as Fauns? We can't let them do it at home."

Henry looked at the worried woman. "Safe from what?"

The mother clutched her hands together nervously. "We don't know any of the people living in this area, and we don't know if they're gun fanatics or spies willing to sell pictures of Fauns playing in the snow to some media outlet."

Henry looked at Tish, who was watching her sister with a sad expression. They were seeing the fears lying just under the surface. He scanned Baba's spell inventory and found something he could use to ease her concerns. Likely not what Baba would have used it for but, he wasn't his Baba.

Henry stood and walked over to Kristen and gave her a hug. He smiled down at her as he stepped back. "Give me a second."

He walked out of the dining room and into the front sitting room. He recalled the glass had a spell on it that prevented people outside from seeing people inside. He placed his hand on the glass and closed his eyes as he made a copy of the spell in his mind. He chuckled at the clever method used to disguise the occupants inside the glass. He could use this. He left the sitting room and went out onto the front step, then down into the snow. He pulled up the shield spell from Baba's inventory and copied it. He then merged the glass spell into the copy of the energy shield. After some fine-tuning, it was ready to deploy.

He looked back at the front door and saw a crowd standing there.

"Uh, everyone who doesn't want to get soaked with Wild Magic should go inside as I'm about to launch a spell with a lot of it. Better yet, step back through your door downstairs. We'll knock when it's over." Michelle immediately rushed inside though she wasn't really at risk. She was followed by Siobhan, who likely wanted to avoid the brightness for her magic vision. Chris and his kids, who were at risk, were shepherded along by Beth. "Dayshia, can you let us know when they are all through?" Henry asked. With a nod, Dayshia followed them in.

Camila joined Henry on the gravel drive. "What are you going to do?" she asked eagerly. Meixiu joined them.

"I'm gonna put up a domed shield over the property. It won't let anyone past it, and it's ballistic proof, too. It also has the spell from the front windows to hide everyone inside it," he said. He looked to Meixiu. "How big should I make it?"

"To the road ahead. To the stream to our left. To the wire fence to our right. As far behind as you want," she said, and Henry nodded.

"How do you know how to do this?" Camila asked.

He shook his head. "I just have Baba's spells, and I can feel when it will work. It's like working with computer hardware... and programming combined. The language of the spells... they appear as code to me, and I can parse code in my head like no one else," he said with a grin.

He saw Dayshia return and nod. "Okay, everyone back inside."

With reluctant pouts, Camila and Meixiu joined the others in the mansion.

Henry closed his eyes and prepared the spell/code in his mind. He would load it with magic to keep it in place for a few days. He could always recharge it later.

When he was ready, he looked to the control on his rift. He would open it all the way as he wanted the dome to be super strong, and it needed to be inflated fast, or it would just collapse.

He held his hands out and looked inwards, and eased the zipper down. It took a lot of strength to control the gradual opening as the energy wanted out! Once it was wide open, Henry brought the spell forward and invited the Wild Magic to join with it. The dome exploded outwards from him in all directions, climbing up and over the mansion in a flash to expand outwards. He felt it reach the road and stop, the fence and stream and stop. It traveled a mile back through the woods behind the mansion before he made it end there.

He opened his eyes and realized it was no longer snowing. He looked up and caught the wisps blowing around on the energy shield. He closed his eyes again and willed it to allow all forms of weather through, and down came the snow once more. Feeling the dome's shape, he realized it was more like one of those oblong winter tennis court tents. He fed more of his energy into it, and it suddenly began to glow like the sun. He quickly pulled back on the power until the dome was invisible once more.

His head was spinning as he now contained too much energy. He needed to dump it, so he walked all the way to the end of the driveway and stepped through the energy field. The road was empty, and no one was in sight, so he aimed his hands down the winding road and released the excess energy in a blast of radiant heat. When he felt his energy levels dropping to normal, he stopped the heat blast and saw the road and surrounding area were free of snow and steamed gently. He made his way back to the house.

Standing before the home, he knew he had to close the rift, or he'd be putting the Nelson family at risk. He closed his eyes, looked within, and struggled to close the zipper. It took so much effort, but finally, it closed, and he dropped to his knees, panting. He felt a gentle hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Marisa smiling down at him.

"You did amazingly well. Siobhan tells me the flow is still getting stronger. You might not be able to use that zipper control much longer."

Henry nodded. "I only barely managed to close it this time. I need something much stronger. A hydraulic door to a vault, maybe. I'll think about it."

"Is it safe to come out?" Kristen called out.

Henry nodded as he pushed himself to his hooves. Marisa waved for everyone to come out. "I'm going back inside," she said as Henry squeezed her hand in thanks and turned to face Kristen, Tish, and the others. "The dome over the property lets the weather in and wildlife, but no drones, people, or bullets. Hell, meteors wouldn't get through." He sighed as he rolled his neck to get the stiffness out. "It also hides anyone on the inside from being visible from the outside." He smiled at the excited kids. "Play to your heart's content."

"Where are the boundaries?" Brian asked.

Henry pointed away from the house. "To the road, about five hundred yards that way." He pointed left. "To the stream that marks the edge of the property, four hundred yards." He pointed right. "To the fence between the properties, about three hundred yards that way. And a mile into the forest behind the house." He turned himself in the direction of the front door. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back for a second breakfast as I've built up an appetite."

On his way to the door, he smiled at the happy sound of the kids running around in the snow. Danny, Emily, and Tommy rushed out of the house to join the others, all bundled up in their snow pants and jackets and gloves. The Satyr kids were in kilts and light jackets. It was quite the difference.

Henry went inside and shook off the snow. Meixiu was immediately by his side with a fluffy towel. He dried himself off and gave her a kiss for thanks. She skipped away happily.

He pointed himself in the direction of the kitchen in his quest for food.

Chapter 10

Minkah had endured the long voyage from Cairo to New York, and her nerves were feeling a little brittle. She still wasn't sure of her intent when she finally found Henry. Her feelings were all mixed up in her head.

On the one hand, he'd broken his word to her. He'd promised to stay by her side while he was in her custody. He'd fled to Mab's castle to rescue the Succubus. She was irrationally pissed he'd ignored her orders, again!

But he'd fought Mab and defeated her. The cost of that battle had been too high, but he completed it. She couldn't have been more impressed at his ability to complete the mission in light of that. It was exactly the level of resolve she strived to achieve herself. He'd proven he could be equal to her in that. This made her feel... things. Things she hadn't felt before.

Then he'd committed the ultimate sin. He'd gotten himself killed before she could address her feelings for him. The part of her mind that clung to his being alive beyond what had clearly been his death felt like a snide little burr inside her brain. Punishing her for doubting, for giving up.

Exiting from the path station, she rushed her steps down the walkway towards his building. Someone was entering the outer door, so she opened up her effort to an all-out run and managed to catch the inner door before it closed and locked. She rushed inside and took the elevator with the unsettled tenant. She stared at the small man who was gaping back at her.

"What is it, little man?" she snapped.

He just pointed to his face and to the mirrored panel on the elevator wall. She looked at her reflection and saw she wasn't wearing her glamor. She was Bastet in all her glory. This was another sign of her unraveling.

The door opened on the seventh floor, and the man rushed out.

She tried to calm herself and reengage the glamor, but the elevator dinged when it reached the ninth floor, and she was pushing her way out the door and running down the hall. She thumped her fist on his door and heard a squeak on the other side. The peephole darkened for a second, and there was another exclamation of surprise.

The door suddenly pulled open, and Michelle Beaumont was staring at her in shock.

"Ms. Meskhenet! You were right! Henry wasn't dead! Well, he was, but he explained to us that he hadn't left his body."

Minkah was trembling, quakes rushing through her body. She could smell him. "Where is he?"

"He's at Meixiu's mansion in upper New York—"

"NO!" Minkah cried.

The woman watched her carefully. "Are you okay?"

Minkah took a long slow breath, and that seemed to center her enough to answer. "Sorry, yes. Where-where is this mansion?"

Michelle nodded as she assessed the Bastet. "In a moment, we'll be able to step through a Magic Door and be there. You'll see him momentarily."

Minkah sighed in relief and nodded as another tremor went through her body, but she kept that hidden.

"Henry is putting a shield over the mansion to protect the kids playing in the snow?" Michelle explained.

It sounded like gibberish to Minkah's scattered thoughts, but she picked up protect the kids, which resonated with her seeing Henry with the baby in the video. "What kids?"

"Tish's sibling's families. So many children and all of them are Fauns," Michelle smiled happily, and this eased the anxiety in Minkah a little.

The knock on the closet door sent another spike through her, and she must have made a noise as Michelle's eyes flicked to her before she opened the closet door.

The one named Dayshia was talking as the door opened. "Sorry Michelle, I forgot to knock on your door after I got my sister and her super excited kids back and upstairs. Henry's done—OH! Who are you?"

"Henry's done?" Minkah blurted.

"This is Minkah," Michelle said to her roommate.

"Oh! Minkah! Yes, Henry's done making the shield. Welcome back!"

The Bastet leapt through the door, slipping past Dayshia, and took a scent. She raced up the stairs.

She was hunting Satyr.

-=-

Henry patted his tummy as he smiled at Meixiu. "Thank you for topping me up."

"My pleasure, sir," she said with a smile.

They were relaxing in the kitchen, leaning back against the counter, listening to the sound of Tish's family members talking and laughing in the dining room. They'd been apart for too long, and this get together was just what they needed.

The sound filled Henry with warmth, and he smiled in contentment. Siobhan suddenly appeared in the dining room doorway to the kitchen. He looked at her, and she was saying something to him, but he couldn't hear it over a roaring sound in his ears. She was pointing to the back door. Roy walked into the kitchen from the main hall doorway. Meixiu began to push Henry towards the back door, and he looked at her in confusion. There was a commotion in the hallway, and Roy moved to the side, stepping into the kitchen.

Henry could now see down the hall, and Minkah was standing there facing him. She was in her Bastet form, and her tail was swishing back and forth with a fierce agitation. He could see her eyes were locked on him, but her muscles seemed to be frozen.

"Boy! Run!"

Roy's voice cut through the fog in his head, and he spun and charged out the back door like he was running for his life.

-=-

Minkah saw her prey, and he was frozen by her predator's stare. When he suddenly turned and ran out of the house, it caught her by surprise, and her muscles took an extra second to unlock. As she rushed forward, she ran into a torrent of Wild Magic Henry's body had spontaneously released moments earlier.

In an attempt to catch her, a strand of webbing shot across the hallway from a door to her left, but she twisted at the last second to slide under it. As she corrected her balance, she came face to face with a dark-skinned male stumbling out of the dining room. His eyes rolled back as he fell. She was badly positioned, so they collided into a pile with him on top. She had her hands on his dense chest muscles to push him from her, but she froze as he began to change. His skin suddenly sprouted thick black fur, and she was looking at a male version of herself.

The back door slammed, and she remembered her hunt. She pushed the Bastet from her and scrambled to get back on Henry's trail.

He wouldn't get away again.

-=-

Roy watched Minkah leap out the back door, then he moved to kneel next to Chris. After all his fretting about changing, the man got an interesting transformation with the added bonus of having a built-in Human disguise. The man must have a horseshoe up his ass to beat these odds.

He waited and watched the prone man as others moved from the dining room to peer into the kitchen door at them.

Beth pushed through the doorway and shrieked in surprise. "Is that Chris?"

Roy held up a finger, and Chris suddenly switched to his Human shape. Luckily, he still looked like Chris, if not quite as top-heavy in his musculature. Bastet's tended toward slimmer builds, but they were strong and flexible, which Minkah proved when she dodged under Michelle's attempt to catch her with a strand of webbing.

Michelle and Dayshia arrived at the kitchen from the hall entrance and looked down at Chris, resting after his change.

"Sorry. I tried to stop Minkah but missed," the Arachnid apologized.

"Don't worry about it. This is perfect for someone who wants to keep looking Human," Roy said with a nod to Michelle. He looked to Beth. "And the family gets a pet cat too!"

"What?" Beth gasped in dismay.

Mary smacked Roy's shoulder for teasing poor Beth. "Don't be mean!" she scolded.

Beth looked for an explanation, and Michelle touched her arm. "Bastet's are shape shifters with three forms. Their native Bastet shape of a full-sized furred Humanoid with feline attributes. They also have a Human disguise and a small cat state."

Marisa walked into the hall from checking on Natalia and froze. "What happened? Why is there so much Wild Magic—HENRY!"

Roy held up his hand. "His control on the rift failed, and he spaced out for a second. That was enough time to flood the kitchen and beyond. Chris walked into it, then into Minkah, who was hunting Henry."

"Hunting Henry?" Brian exclaimed as he pushed into the kitchen. "We need to get out there and help him!"

Roy shook his head. "She wasn't hunting to kill him," Roy said to ease their concerns.

Beth frowned. "If she isn't hunting him to kill him, what does she want?"

Dayshia sighed at her sister's naivety. "Really?"

Beth glared at her sister then the glow in her eyes brightened. "OH!"

The front door closed with a thump. "Daddy!" a young girl shouted in fear.

Beth immediately ran toward the voice and saw her daughter trying to run toward her prone father. The girl began to wobble on her feet as she stepped into the Wild Magic. The mother frantically pulled at the jacket's zipper, which stuck momentarily then came loose. She stripped her daughter's winter coat off and pushed a hand under her shirt on her stomach, then grabbed one of the girl's hands and placed it on top of her hand. She just got positioned as Emily's eyes rolled back. She frantically watched her daughter's face and released the breath she'd held as the girl's eyes and lashes began to grow like hers. She turned to look back at Dayshia. "We need to get Danny and Tommy and have Fauns assist their transformations. With the magic loose in the house, I don't want to risk them changing randomly."

Brian and Lyle stepped forward. "What do we do?"

Dayshia looked at them. "It was a close call for Emily because of her winter coat. You need to have your hand on the bare skin of their tummy and one of their hands on top like they were holding it in place."

"How are we going to get them inside without their jackets?" Brian asked. "Do we go outside and get them prepped before bringing them in."

"I have a better idea," Dayshia said. "Lorelei?" she called out.

The woman in question joined them from the dining room and looked to Dayshia, who nodded. "Could you sing a tune to bring just Danny and Tommy to the door, unzip their jackets and expose their bellies as they come inside?"

"That would feel a little weird," Lorelei said.

"As their mother, I fully support your efforts to help with this," Beth said.

The tall lovely brunette saw the mother's determined look. "Couldn't you just call them? It feels odd."

"We don't want a stampede of kids, and we don't want the door opening too much to let the magic out until the kids have received enough to trigger their change," Dayshia explained.

Frowning, Lorelei slipped outside quickly, closing the door behind her. Pushing aside her distaste for manipulating kids, she thought for a second and then began to sing. It took just seconds for the song to locate and separate the two pre-change Human children from the Satyrs and send them back to the front door.

She soon saw them running awkwardly in their snow pants. They were panting as they arrived.

"Is it time?" Danny asked excitedly.

She knew they wanted this. She knew there were practical reasons for using her skills, but she still didn't like it.

"Yes," she said and gestured to their tummies. Both lifted their shirts to display their bare stomachs. "In you go."

Lorelei remained on the porch for a moment as she wasn't keen on being part of what still felt like manipulating children to her.

She pushed it from her mind by thinking about Henry instead. She hoped he was going to be okay. She wasn't sure what it meant that he'd lost control of the rift.

-=-

Henry was charging through the woods, his hooves finding purchase in the snow and plowing through the deeper snowdrifts. As he ran on what felt like autopilot, he tried to comprehend why he felt so dazed. He looked inwards and saw his rift was wide open, the zipper construct a destroyed mess. He released the code, and the spell dissolved until he could see the rift's edges. They showed no sign of damage, thankfully. There was just too much pressure from the other side. He was going to have to devise another way.

He picked up a sound: heavy panting and the thump of feet on the ground.

Something landed on his shoulders and knocked him off his hooves as he went headfirst into another snowdrift.

He tumbled, and the weight on his shoulders sprung away. When his forward momentum finally came to a halt, he was on his back in the deep snow. Henry wiped the snow from his face and stared up at the falling flakes. A dark shape pounced on him again and roared in his face. The sound was filled with rage, pain, and fear. He blinked up and recognized Minkah's Bastet face.

"Minkah—"

"You left my side!" she roared and beat on his chest with her fists until he grabbed her wrists.

"You promised you would remain in my custody!" she screamed with a sob at the end.

Henry looked up into her large, beautiful eyes and saw tears.

"I'm sorry, Minkah. My friends were in danger. I had to act. And Mab needed to die," he said gently.

She searched his eyes for something, and he released her wrist to reach up and touch her cheek. She was suddenly in her human disguise, without clothes! He blinked at her then engaged his glamor as well, also naked. Damn, it was cold!

Then her mouth was on his, her need desperate and eager. She began grinding her pelvis against his, and that felt damn good! He converted some of the Wild Magic coursing through his body into heat and let it chase away the chill until he was radiating the heat. Minkah gasped and pulled back to stared down at him in surprise. Then she went back to thrusting her tongue boldly into his mouth, trying to taste him. Her hands traveled over his body, stroking, scratching, squeezing, and pulling. He took this as permission to touch her as well, and she liked this very much.

His cock was quickly responding to the pressure she was applying to it. Lengthening and hardening as she ground her wet lips along its underside.

One quick twist of her hips at the top of the next stroke and Henry's cock was plunging deep into Minkah's molten depths. She sat up to put more pressure on his thrust and hissed at the sky.

"Ahhh, Minkah! So good!" he cried out as her hips began to rock as she bounced on his cock. His hands found her ass, and he squeezed the firm muscle there.

This ignited Minkah's afterburners as her motions sped up, her breath coming in desperate gasps. She was getting closer. Henry was still getting there, but she was quickly tripping over the top.

He pulled her down over his body and kissed her hard as he rolled her onto her back. She screamed from a combination of the freezing snow on the bare skin of her back and the pressure on her clit, which launched a powerful orgasm.

Henry pushed her legs back and began driving his cock into her fast and hard, slapping their bodies together brutally. She looked up at him, glassy-eyed as her peak started a new journey upwards to a new level. She clawed at his chest as she lost the capacity to think, her body going through a second cascade of sparks.

The pain of the scratches pushed Henry's release back, so he spun her onto her knees, grasped her hips, and drove into her from behind, spanking her ass with his pelvis as his cock sheathed itself in her to new depths.

She moaned, and he found himself struggling to hold on to a Bastet in his grip. He needed the extra strength, so once he slammed in deep, he dropped his glamor and tugged his kilt off.

Minkah yowled as she suddenly had a Satyr's cock filling her almost beyond capacity. He fucked her hard and fast, and she never stopped yowling at the top of her lungs. He finally reached his release, firing hot cum into her, and felt her body quaking against him. He began to pull out, but she pushed back to keep him inside.

He wrapped his arms around Minkah and lifted her black-furred body back against his chest as he nuzzled her cheek over her shoulder. She was panting and trembling in his grip, but she clung to his arms with her remaining strength.

They remained that way for a while, Henry's inner furnace keeping them both warm as he knelt in the snow holding her against his body.

"You-you've ruined me for other men," she whispered.

He glanced at her sideways. "I'm pretty sure nothing tore."

"Shut up. You know I'm not talking about that," she snapped, but with no heat.

He kissed her jawline below her ear and felt her body squeezing his cock in pulses as she sucked in another gasp.

"Stop it!" she insisted breathily once she could.

She was quiet for a bit as he slowly softened within her. She seemed to be enjoying the sensation as he picked up a quiet purring.

Finally, he pulled free, and she sighed.

"I could have killed you," she said hesitantly.

"I'm glad you didn't. I'm not sure I have it in me to return a third time," he sighed.

She turned in his grip to face him as she looked into his eyes. "So... you did die, as they said."

He nodded. "My body failed, but I wouldn't leave it. I had to come back. I understand you somehow knew I was still there."

She nodded as a shudder went through her. He kissed her, and she tried half-heartedly to stop him but finally gave in and enjoyed the sensual kiss. He pulled back to hold her eyes with his.

"I had to heal my body, but all I could do at first was use the Wild Magic to preserve my cells to keep them from degrading. It took six months to repair my body on Eden before I could wake up."

"I saw you on the cover of a magazine. You went to Washington to speak to those fools before you went to your women?" she scoffed.

He shook his head. "They aren't my women. They're my friends." He held her eye until she looked away, giving in.

Henry smiled as they shared the same opinion of the congresspeople who were so tied up in their own self-interests. "Xiong, my friend on Eden, showed me where my friends were on Earth. I wanted to go home, but I saw Roy needed my help first."

She looked deep into his eyes. "Do you always put their needs before your own?"

"Of course. I'd do the same for you," he immediately responded.

"Oh!" She pressed her claws to his throat. "Am I one of your friends now?"

Henry raised an eyebrow as he looked at her frankly. "You are what you wish to be, but you're in my heart now."

"Just because we fucked?" she snarled and pressed the sharp edges against his skin.

He took a grip on her wrists and pulled her hands away from his neck. She didn't resist.

"No, because you showed me a vulnerable side no one else gets to see. That was for me and me alone. I will treasure it, as I do you."

She was human once more and kissing him fiercely. She finished by nipping his lower lip, looking at him in challenge. He just smiled, a tiny bead of blood rising on the skin. She sighed, dipped forward, and licked the blood away, leaving healing enzymes behind.

"I won't stay. I'm not comfortable in groups. I prefer my own company," she explained, and he just nodded.

She looked at him cautiously, but he didn't argue. She nodded in satisfaction. "I will return when I need to."

He nodded, and she relaxed some more.

They stood and shook the snow off. Minkah switched back to her Bastet form as Henry put his kilt back on. Then they headed back at a slower run. Henry shut off his energy to heat process as they were no longer sitting in the snow.

"I prefer the heat of a desert. I don't care for snow," Minkah said in distaste. Henry chuckled.

When they reached the edge of the forest, Henry stopped, and Minkah looked back at him in question. "My inner rift is wide open. I can't go back into the house until I deal with it. I need to work on another method to close it. Could you let them know I'm here? Tish will get you back to New York. Thank you for coming to see me, Minkah. And for not killing me."

She snorted in amusement despite herself, and her eyes flashed at him for affecting her so.

"I will return in the new year," she said, trying to make it sound like a threat, but he just nodded with the smallest of smiles on his lips. She spun and ran to the back door, letting herself in as she switched to her Human shape, dressed in her leathers this time.

Henry felt the remembered warmth of her touch for a moment, then let the Wild Magic generate heat for him once again.

He had thinking to do.

-=-

Roy was still in the kitchen with Mary as Minkah barged in, huffing. He looked up at her in question.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

She blinked. "Yes."

"You found Henry? He's still in one piece?" Roy said casually.

Minkah frowned. "Yes."

A lovely brunette stepped into the room and turned to the windows. "He's sitting on a stump at the edge of the forest." Minkah was shocked to see the woman had her eyes closed.

"Thanks, Siobhan," Roy said with a smile, then turned his attention back to the assassin. "You've been away for a long time. Before you left, were you made aware of the new chain of command?" Roy asked.

She shook her head.

"Chancellor Mugawee appointed me the Interim Minister of Security. I'm your new boss," he explained.

Minkah's eyes widened.

"I'm going to ask you one question. Your answer to this question will define if we can continue working together."

Minkah was trembling again. Her lifestyle and livelihood were hanging in the balance. She nodded.

Roy nodded as well. "The night Henry died, you showed a heightened emotional state and refused to accept the answer that Henry was dead. We have since learned that you were correct that night. My question is, have you fully and completely resolved any and all issues you had that night, based on your behavior when you arrived here today?"

She rolled the question over in her mind, looking for the traps but saw none. Had she resolved her issues from that night? Yes, she no longer wanted to kill any of Henry's friends. Had she resolved the issue that drove her here to Henry's side today? Her face flushed with heat. She nodded to Roy, and he raised an eyebrow as he wanted a verbal response. "Yes... sir."

"Roy is fine. Okay, we're good. I want you to know I won't use your principal skills of assassination as freely as the previous Minister did. I will likely rely more heavily on your abilities for tracking and investigating."

She nodded as that was fine with her. She didn't need to kill.

"Do you have any questions?" Roy asked.

She shook her head. "Henry said Tish would get me back to New York."

Roy nodded.

"I can do that," Siobhan said and gestured for Minkah to follow. They walked away into the hallway, far more sedately than the assassin's arrival.

"I'm going to speak with Henry," Roy said, and Mary nodded, making her way back to the dining room.

Roy found Henry where Siobhan said he'd be.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm better, but I'm still leaking Wild Magic like crazy. I need to work out a new way to control the rift. I'll need Marisa's and Siobhan's help." He looked at Roy nervously. "I was pretty dazed when my control broke, and the first wave of energy burst out. How big of a mess did I make inside?"

Roy shrugged. "Oh, it wasn't too bad, and it even resolved the issue with Chris' inability to make up his mind."

Henry's expression was bleak as he looked at Roy. "Oh my god! What did he become?"

Roy raised his hands to calm Henry. "He passed out and crashed into Minkah. She got tangled up with him, and he became a Bastet."

Henry froze as that information bounced around in his head. It was a fortunate transformation. "A Human disguise!" He exclaimed. "How did he look?"

Roy nodded. "Well, he looked like himself, just not as ripped. Bastet's aren't as heavily muscled. He'll have to deal with that."

Henry nodded. That could still be an issue for the man, but he'd just have to deal.

He looked to Henry and winced. "Is the ambient level of Wild Magic still elevated?"

"Beth's daughter came back early, but Beth got to her just before she transformed, so she's like her mother. Beth wanted her sons to be Satyr's, so she had two of Tish's relatives assist with that. We carried them through their door to their home, and Beth is watching over them. They'll be back tomorrow. Siobhan had us open the front and back doors for a short time, and the energy is back down to normal levels."

Roy patted Henry's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "You're going to have to stay at the mansion until you can guarantee this won't happen again. It caught you completely by surprise this time."

Henry nodded. "Yeah, I think I overdid it when I made the shield over the property. I had it wide open, and I was pushing the energy into the spell. I had a hard time closing it afterward. Then it burst open without warning when I was in the kitchen. I just suddenly felt dizzy."

Roy shrugged and gave him a smile.

Henry smiled fondly. "Can I give you an early Christmas present?"

Roy looked at him cautiously. "What is it?"

Henry shrugged. "It's just a prototype at this point, but I need your feedback on it. I got the idea when I was building the spell for the property dome from Baba's original spell. Mine is heavily modified."

Roy's eyebrows went up, and he nodded.

Henry grinned and touched Roy's right temple as he bound the spell to the bone just under Roy's skin. "Okay. The first time you launch it, it has to configure itself to your shape. If you switch shapes, it reconfigures. That takes up to three seconds, so be aware of that. Otherwise, it's instant. Touch the spot and will the spell to activate."

Roy touched his right temple and waited. Three seconds later, he glanced up and to the left. "I see a tiny green bar in the upper left quadrant of my vision. What is that?"

Henry grinned. "That's the energy charge. Stand there and hold still."

He walked ten feet away and scooped up some snow. He packed it tight between his hands. "Okay, let it hit you." Roy nodded.

Henry wound up and let loose a blistering throw... three feet over Roy's head.

"Hang on! I've got this." Henry scooped more snow and made another hard snowball. He eyed Roy and let it fly. It hit the ground three feet before his target.

Roy looked at Henry, whose face was bright red.

A snowball whizzed past Henry's head and beaned Roy right in the face. A second and third shot by to hit Roy's shoulder and chest.

Henry took the fourth one on the back of his head.

He turned to look at Kristen's four kids, all grinning at him.

"Mom is calling everyone in for lunch," Layla said.

"Thanks!" Roy called out, and the kids ran back around the house.

Roy walked up to Henry and brushed the snow from his hair. "The shield worked perfectly. Nothing got through. How much force will it take before failing?"

He shrugged, still embarrassed. "Fully charged? It'll withstand a surface to air missile, but just one." He looked at Roy. "I've never thrown a snowball before."

"It's all right, lad," Roy said with a smile. "I've never created a body-contouring personal force field able to withstand missiles!"

"Missile. Singular," Henry corrected but smiled in thanks. "Keep an eye on the power level indicator. Green is good, one hundred down to seventy percent. Yellow is caution, sixty-nine to forty percent. Red is bad, thirty-nine to ten. It flashes below ten, and you can't rely on it from that point. Of course, those numbers are rough approximations."

"You know my next question," Roy said.

Henry smiled. "I'll finish fine-tuning it, and your teams will all get one in the New Year."

"That's my boy!" Roy said and hugged him.

"Merry Christmas, Roy. Mary shouldn't use one unless facing magic or electric attacks. Also, my skeletal anchoring method feels inferior compared to how the Fae bind their spells as it requires the spot to be physically pressed to activate it. That's a work in progress. I'm also working on an idea for a Wild Magic charging station, aside from using me. Now, go get some lunch while I work out a way to close this bloody rift."

With a final look to see if Henry really was okay, Roy left to go inside.

Henry walked over to the gazebo and took his favorite seat. He let out a sigh of contentment. Working with magic was becoming easier as he continued to combine it with his software coding methodology. Dealing with this rift issue was thwarting him as it was behaving more like a physical skill he needed to learn... like throwing snowballs.

"How come you can't throw?"

Henry lifted right off his chair when he jolted in surprise. A burst of giggles made him turn around to see Layla grinning back at him. He frowned, embarrassed all over again.

"I never learned how to. I didn't play games or participate in sports when I was your age," he said stiffly.

"Oh, come on. You're not that much older than me," the sixteen-year-old insisted with a skeptical look.

"My surrogate grandmother insisted I exercise my brain, not my muscles," Henry explained.

"Yet you ended up so big?" Layla's skepticism looked like it might spill over into cynicism, so Henry sighed. "I only recently got this body. I grew up as a short, less than impressive physical example of Humanity. I also only recently discovered I wasn't a Human at all, but a Satyr disguised as a Human. While I was Human, I was smart but not physically coordinated or athletic at all. You know how the smart, small kids in school are treated? Add in a strict guardian that refused to permit any after school activities. That was me."

Layla's expression had gone from mocking to sympathetic, and that gave Henry hope for her.

"That sucks! So, now you're all beefy but still uncoordinated?" she asked, and his hope slipped a little. "I could teach you how to throw?" she suggested, and he felt better again. He nodded, and she grinned happily.

She gestured for him to follow her, and they walked closer to the trees. "We'll practice throwing snowballs at the trees," she explained, and he nodded again.

They each scooped up some snow and made a snowball. "Watch how I move my arm."

Layla wound up like a baseball pitcher and flung the ball, nailing the center of the tree trunk with a crisp THOCK!

Henry nodded with an impressed expression, and she glowed with the praise. "You play in a baseball league?" he asked.

"I do, and we won the regional championship this year!" she gushed.

"Congratulations!" Henry cheered.

Henry learned the intricacies of throwing over the next forty minutes. When they finished, Henry hit the tree trunk once every three throws, which he took as an improvement.

"Henry! Please come inside," Camila called out from the back door, and he nodded to her.

"Thanks for the throwing lessons," he said to Layla.

She grinned up at him. "You're getting better. I mean, you're still no threat in a snowball fight, but practice will get you there."

He chuckled and nodded to her as they walked to the back door.

They dried their hooves, and Layla rushed away with a wave and a smile.

Camila smiled at Henry, who looked to see who was around. He could hear voices and laughter from the dining room and younger voices from the front of the house. "I'm so sorry about losing control of the rift. Are Chris and the kids okay?"

She reached out to touch his chest, and her eyes widened in surprise. "I thought your skin would be cold from being outside this long!"

He smiled. "I'm converting some of the rift's Wild Magic to heat."

She shook her head with wonder. "I still can't get over how you're learning so much about magic so quickly!"

He shrugged and shook his head as he also found it surprising but was trying not to worry about it. "Maybe it's partially because of how I was raised by Baba. The discipline she drilled into me. It may also be partially due to the vast storehouse of magic spells Baba loaded into my head. Bits of her personality and her most recent impressions of using them seems to be included with the spells. I think it may be helping with my comprehension." He didn't mention his other suspicion.

She pulled him into her arms. "Chris and the kids are fine. They'll be back tomorrow, and you can talk to them then. Trust me, the kids are going to be thrilled. Chris should be happy too." She smiled and pressed her forehead against his. "It feels so good to be basking in your energy."

"Sure, unless you're one of the pre-transformed. Where are Marisa and Siobhan? I was hoping to get their help on shutting the rift again."

"Marisa took Natalia home—" At Henry's look of concern, she patted his chest. "The baby was fussing with all the noise of the kids and adults. Potentially, she might be showing signs of having some of her mother's abilities. That's surprisingly early, so Marisa will take her to see the doctor tomorrow to run some tests. They should return tomorrow night. They're both fine, and Siobhan went with her."

She cupped his cheek, and he took comfort from that.

"Camila, has he come in—Oh! Sorry!" Steph squeaked as she spotted them in the embrace.

The Succubus turned to face the Faun as she turned Henry too and looped her arm through his. "He certainly has, and he's brought his delicious energy with him. Can't you feel it?"

Steph was biting her lip as her eyes roamed over his chest. "Uh, yes. Is all that coming from you, Henry?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah, the rift broke the controls I added to it, so it's flooding out."

She stepped closer. "It feels... refreshing!"

Camila purred. "It's my second favorite way to receive Henry's energy. Mmmm, make that my third."

Steph glanced at Camila in confusion and saw the woman licking her lips. Comprehension suddenly flashed across her face, and her eyes immediately dropped to the front of Henry's kilt.

"Yes, he's absolutely saturated with—"

"Camila!" Henry growled, and she burst into delighted giggles.

"Sorry, Henry, but you're just so delicious I can't stop bragging about you!" she purred happily.

"I think that's called an overshare!" he asserted.

Tish joined them with Celeste in her arms, and Henry immediately reached for her with a smile then pulled back as his expression switched to worry.

"Am I safe around her like this?" he asked.

Tish looked to Camila. "I'm no expert when it comes to this. Any ideas?"

"I believe it's perfectly safe, but we could ask Mahati. Get a wielder's opinion. Is she still with your family in the dining room?" Camila said with a shrug.

Tish nodded. "She and Kali have dropped their glamors, as has Michelle, and they have everyone captivated. It turned out my sister-in-law, Julie, has a touch of Arachnophobia. It's not extreme, thankfully. Nothing worse than Sandy's. Jackie's husband Nick isn't too comfortable with snakes, but again, it's manageable. None of the kids are having any issues, so that's a relief. Speaking of Sandy, Kesini is a huge hit with the kids."

"Where is Lorelei?" Henry asked.

Tish looked at him. "Uh, I think I saw her in the front sitting room."

Henry gently disengaged from Camila and walked to the front room. He spotted his friend sitting on the middle of the couch with Aadiya and Maliha curled up on either side of her, resting their heads on her legs but facing her. Henry picked up immediately that Lorelei wasn't happy. The twins were very sensitive to mood, and they were holding her hands and watching her. Henry immediately knelt before Lorelei, and the twins sat up beside her, leaning gently against her shoulders.

"What happened?" he asked.

She tried to shrug it off, but her lip suddenly trembled. Henry stood, reached down, and pulled her from the couch to hold her against his chest. "Talk to me, please."

She hesitated for a moment, then he felt her relax. "I-I tried to ignore it, but it's eating at me," she said quietly against his chest.

Aadiya and Maliha moved to the loveseat, and Henry sat facing Lorelei on the couch with her hands in his. She was looking at his big three fingers and thumb as she ran her much slimmer digits against them. "It was when you lost control, and the energy was in the house. They wanted the two boys to come inside to change, but they only wanted them, and they needed to be prepared. They asked me to sing them into the house."

"What? Who did?" Henry asked firmly.

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter—"

"It does. Who?" Henry insisted, and Lorelei looked into his eyes.

"Dayshia."

Henry looked to the twins. "Please bring Dayshia here." They leapt from the loveseat to race away.

"No, please," Lorelei began, but Henry held her gaze. "It's important."

They heard a squeak and some squawking, but soon the twins returned with Dayshia between them. She didn't look happy, but she froze when she saw the tears on Lorelei's cheeks. Her eyes immediately went to Henry and saw his grim expression. Her unhappiness became dread.

"We can't ask Lorelei to use her abilities to manipulate children," he stated calmly.

"What? I didn't—" she began.

Henry pushed. "Did you ask Lorelei to sing to bring your two nephews to the house and prepare them for the transformation?"

"I-I-yes, but how is that different from the music she is creating—"

"Dayshia! It's completely different! One is a message of peace and love sent out into the world to calm and heal everyone and save lives. The other targeted two children to perform specific actions. It was direct manipulation of these two kids. Not bad manipulation as the actions were in their best interests and I assume had parental approval, but you have to understand how it might feel to Lorelei."

Dayshia's bottom lip was trembling, and her eyes were getting glassy. Henry needed to get out in front of that. "We know you didn't do it maliciously. It likely felt like the simplest solution, but it wasn't something we should ever ask her to do."

"I'm sorry," Dayshia said in a little girl's voice. Her eyes showed she was almost reaching a state of panic.

Henry stood and held out a hand to Lorelei. She took it and stood to face Dayshia. She nodded to the woman. "Thank you." Henry leaned in and kissed Lorelei's temple. Then he immediately pulled Dayshia to his chest to hug her as well. Dayshia was surprised and burst into tears of relief.

He held them both until Lorelei pushed back gently to face Dayshia with a curious expression.

Dayshia glanced to Henry, then back to Lorelei. "I-I'm sorry I asked you to use your abilities without considering how it would make you feel." Lorelei nodded, so Dayshia looked back at Henry. "You don't hate me?" The little girl's voice was back.

He smiled and kissed her forehead tenderly. "Of course not!"

"I thought-I thought I'd ruined another relationship," she stammered.

Henry shook his head. "I know you didn't do it intentionally or maliciously. This is all completely new to us, so we need to be vigilant about being aware of each other's feelings."

Aadiya and Mahali wanted to be part of the hug, so they joined in and rubbed their faces against Dayshia's and Lorelei's.

Henry chuckled and smiled at the ladies. "They're very affectionate."

Lorelei smiled at Henry. "I think I'll go home now and get some sleep. It's been an emotional day, and I'm feeling a little worn out. I'm not used to being around so many people."

Dayshia's eyes were getting glassy again, so Lorelei reached out and took her hand. "It's okay. Apology accepted."

"Let me walk you home," Henry offered, and Dayshia snorted involuntarily, drawing Lorelei's curious eyes.

"Sorry. The walk home becomes a different level of gesture when a Magic Door or a neighboring condo are involved," Dayshia explained with a small smile.

Lorelei paused to think about that and chuckled. "I suppose it does!"

"Still, it's the gentlemanly thing to do, and I'm nothing if not a gentleman," Henry insisted with a smile.

Lorelei stepped back from the hug to bow slightly to him. "I will graciously take you up on your offer then."

The twins went back to the loveseat to cuddle together and nap as the hug was breaking up.

Henry dipped down and gave Dayshia a sweet kiss, and she smiled up at him as she turned to head back to the dining room.

"We could take a long route via the stairs or just walk through the door," he offered.

"The long route," she immediately said.

That drew a smile from Henry, so he nodded and offered an elbow to her. She slipped her arm through, and they went to the stairs leading down into the earth.

Lorelei was surprised by how long the stairs went. "Where is the vestibule in comparison to the house?"

"The caves are pretty deep underground. I haven't measured it," Henry explained.

"Caves?"

"Would you like a quick look?" Henry offered, and she nodded quickly, a little excitement returning to her eyes.

"The previous owner of the mansion was a dragon—"

"Like the one we met outside the theatre!" Lorelei exclaimed.

"Walter was much, much older. He was an evil bastard," Henry growled slightly.

Lorelei looked over at Henry. "You obviously didn't care for him."

Henry smiled weakly and nodded. "He was the one who actually created the curse that wiped out Humanity—with Mab's help."

"Oh!" Lorelei gasped.

They finally reached the chamber with the doors, and she looked back at the stairs. "We're quite a distance underground! The way the stairs turn is deceptive."

Henry nodded and guided her to the double doors leading into the cave system.

"Can we come too?"

Henry turned to see a group of kids standing behind him. Layla was their designated leader, being the oldest. He looked back at the basket of headlamps and saw they only had eight of them. He turned around, and even more kids had arrived.

"Not enough lights for the kids," Lorelei realized.

Henry scanned Baba's spells for something that produced light. He skipped the ones that powered themselves from the user's life force and the one that exploded the target into light energy.

He found a Will-o'-the-Wisp spell. He reviewed the magic and saw they were designed to lead the unwary to their doom. He made a copy and stripped out all the malevolent code. He replaced this with instructions to be a companion light. Instead of leading their target, they'd remain at fingertip's reach directly above the head of their target. He added color controls so they could be adjusted but still give enough light to see.

"Okay, I have a better way," Henry said with a grin. He faced Lorelei and touched the crown of her head as he fed energy into the spell.

The kids excitedly cheered as a ball of slow-burning wispy fire suddenly popped into being above Lorelei's head. Henry ran his finger through it to show it wasn't dangerous and gave off no heat.

"Me! Me! Me!" the kids called out, and Lorelei clapped in delight as she looked up to see her own fireball. She reached up to poke it and giggled.

"It's so pretty!" she said.

"Think of a color as you touch it," Henry suggested.

She did, and the flames turned a pale blue.

That ramped the kid's excitement levels to max. "Me!"

He chuckled and saw more of the kids were arriving, and a few parents joined to see what the noise was all about. He gave one to Layla, and she immediately poked it to turn it pale red.

"Thank you!" she said, and he nodded to her.

"I may not be able to throw a snowball very well, but I can make fireballs like no one else," he told her, and she giggled happily.

Henry made his way through the group of kids, touching their heads to link the spells. Due to the cautious looks from two mothers, he demonstrated the fire only gave off light and couldn't burn.

Henry called out to get everyone's attention. "The spells have enough energy to last for three hours, then they dissolve. Enjoy them until then."

Layla walked by, and her flames were multi-colored. Henry laughed and gave her a thumbs up for figuring out the trick.

The other kids rushed up to her to ask how she did it, and she made them beg her before she demonstrated. Soon the ripples of color were running through many of the lights.

Henry opened the door as he looked back to the group. "There is one section of the cave I need to lock down, but the rest is safe for poking around."

He made his own companion flame and headed inside. He and Lorelei stayed together and went directly to the short corridor with the double doors at its end. He immediately added an energy shield spell to keep everyone out of the hall. Then he took Lorelei's hand and eased them through the shield. Pausing when they were inside, he touched the energy shield's inner surface and momentarily closed his eyes, adding soundproofing to the spell. Then he opened them and saw Lorelei was already standing before the set of doors.

"Where do these go?" she asked him.

He walked up to them and opened them to show the stone wall with veins of crystals behind them.

"Right now, they go nowhere, but once I've filled these crystals with Wild Magic, I'm going to activate a spell that will open a Dimensional Gate to Eden."

She stared at him. "A doorway to an alternate world. That's something a lot of people would be keen to get their hands on. Having an entire world to exploit would drive reasonable people mad with greed."

"Hence my asking people not to talk about this outside the mansion." Henry spotted Raymond King standing behind the energy shield, his hands up to feel the edges of the field. He had no headlamp with him as Vampires had no trouble seeing in the dark. He was speaking, but they couldn't hear him. Henry closed the doors, then took Lorelei's hand and led her back through the shield as Eleanor and Meixiu arrived.

The surgeon looked down at the floor then at the wall inside the short hall. "Are those bloodstains?" she asked.

Henry nodded, and Lorelei looked back in surprise.

"Walter tried to activate a spell in this area a long time ago and powered it with sacrifices. The magic failed catastrophically. I sealed the corridor as I need to power-wash the wall and floor. The kids aren't allowed in. He paused and turned to face the energy field and closed his eyes once more. The shield's surface picked up the texture of stone. The corridor seemed to disappear.

"Wow! You're getting good with this stuff!" Raymond said.

Henry smiled. "Learning as I go."

Meixiu pointed to the ball of flame giving off light above Henry's head. "You learned this too?" He nodded with a smile.

"We just arrived and wanted to say hello," Raymond said, glancing at the fake stone wall once more.

Henry recalled he was supposed to set a door for them. "The door!"

Eleanor smiled and waved a hand. "We went to your place and called Tish when no one answered the door. She let us in through your door."

"Let's set up your Magic Door now. Lorelei was heading home as she's a little tired," he said, and they nodded. The group began walking back. They saw kids running everywhere, colorful orbs of flame bobbling along above them. Meixiu gasped. "Henry! It's like Christmas lights coming to life!"

He chuckled and nodded as he watched them play.

"We should set up a huge dining room down here for everyone and light the place with those amazing fire orbs!" Meixiu suggested.

"I'm okay with that," Henry said as he imagined how lovely that would look. It would certainly make the cave look better than Walter's greasy torches had.

They reached the doors, and Meixiu pointed to the King's assigned door. Henry looked to Eleanor. "Picture in your mind the door at your place you want this to open on, then press your hand to the door."

She looked at him in surprise. "Oh! Okay."

Henry touched the back of her hand on the door and linked it. "Raymond, touch the door as well." When he did, Henry pulled his hand back. "Okay, it's keyed to only open for you two. Give it a try."

Eleanor pulled it open and made a little noise of delight. She looked back at Raymond with a wide smile. "This is so much easier!"

Henry smiled and waved as he switched to his Human glamor with a white t-shirt and jeans. Then he walked Lorelei to her door. "Thank you for coming today."

"Can you come in for a minute?" Lorelei asked timidly.

He smiled and nodded.

She opened her door and stepped through with Henry at her heels. Once they were inside with the door closed, she pressed herself to his chest and kissed him deeply.

Henry was surprised but went with it as she felt so warm and soft in his arms. She moaned slightly as his hands settled on her back.

Finally, she pulled back from the kiss then rested her forehead against his as she caught her breath.

"Thank you for standing up for me about the use of my magic," she said quietly. "And for understanding."

"I've thought about what it might feel like to have your powers, and I know what it feels like to be lonely. I'm so glad you found us. No one should feel like that—MMmmmph!"

Lorelei's second kiss was far more aggressive and went on longer. When she did pull back, Henry was more than a little dazed.

"I-I'm really glad you found me!" he gasped, and she burst into happy giggles.

"Do you think we could arrange for another date night? Maybe this week?" he asked, and she nodded happily. "Uh, tomorrow's Christmas Eve, and I'm not clear on the protocols. Do I say Merry Christmas Eve Eve?"

She chuckled and shook her head. "No. Merry Christmas is fine or just good night."

"See you tomorrow?" he asked with a smile, and she nodded. "Good night!"

Henry stepped back into the vestibule and dropped his glamor.

"HE-Henry!"

He jumped a little at the shriek and looked to see Steph staring at him, a little wild-eyed, with her hand over the eyes of a struggling Layla. He gave her a confused look, and she jerked her head down, so he looked down as well and spotted his kilt rising from his excitement. He forced it down uncomfortably and threw her an apologetic look, then rushed through the door and made for the stairs to the upper floors.

He stopped on the third floor at the end of the hall, entering an open bedroom door. He closed it behind him for a little peace and quiet. He looked around at the smaller room, and an odd thought popped into his head. Was this the room Nate and Marisa conceived Natalia in?

He took in the antique furnishings, and it felt masculine, warm, and comfortable. The décor was understated yet drew the eyes to the tasteful touches. There was no ensuite bathroom, but it did have a space for a nice desk before the window. He could picture himself working there.

The washroom he'd use was out in the hall, and he recalled a chimney ran between this room and the hall washroom with the remaining rooms beyond that. It gave this room extra soundproofing and privacy.

He was still standing just inside the door, but he knew if there was a bedroom in the home he'd lay claim to, it would be this one. It certainly wasn't the largest or grandest, but it felt like... him. If he had to live at the mansion until he could guarantee a means to control the rift, he would stay here. He'd ask Meixiu about it at dinner.

The window faced south-west over the front-drive. The third-floor height faced the upper branches of the trees across the front yard, which would be a lovely view in the spring, summer, and fall.

He switched to his default glamor but left his feet bare so he could feel the hand-knotted antique rug under them. He sat on the edge of the bed and nodded to himself. The antiquity of the furnishings did not include the mattress, which was a comfortable pillow top. Meixiu wanted her guests to be comfortable, so she must have upgraded all the beds.

He looked at the pillows, and they seemed so comfortable. Recalling how early he'd been up this morning, he decided he could take a little nap. He pushed himself up the bed to rest his head back against the pillows, and he was out.

-=-

When Henry's eyes blinked open, the room was dark. The sun had set long ago. He'd missed dinner. They must have decided he needed the sleep more. They were obviously right.

Then he noticed he wasn't alone in the bed.

Soft heat was pressed up against his left side. It wasn't the twins as there was only one, and they did everything together.

There was so little light in the room, no glow from a digital clock, no indicator LED lights on power switches. No electronics at all. He triggered his Will-'O-the-Wisp but gradually fed power into it to slowly brighten the bed.

He heard a slight gasp and turned his eyes to see the white flames reflecting back in Kali's eyes. Her lovely straight black hair was pooling on the bed. She'd also dropped her glamor, so her snake lower half was pressed up against his body, the tip curled under his feet and partially up his other side.

"Kali?"

"Please don't send me away! Please," she begged.

Henry was immediately on alert. "What's wrong?"

She hesitated and pressed her face to his arm. Then she pulled back to look up at him again. "You're going to be disgusted with me and throw me out."

She began to leave the bed, but he grabbed her arm and wrapped his leg over her, which was more of a symbolic gesture as her snake body was very strong. But she stopped and looked into his eyes.

"You will allow me the courtesy of deciding for myself what I will or won't do," he said firmly.

She immediately dipped her eyes and nodded to him.

"Speak to me," he insisted.

She squirmed slightly until he interlaced his fingers with hers. This seemed to calm her, and she began.

"The night... of the housewarming party, you were injured, and we got to see you naked with your glamor active. I knew the properties of your glamor, but I wasn't prepared."

Henry waited for her to continue. He knew how his glamor worked, but he couldn't see what they saw and only got an impression of what they felt based on their reactions, so he just had to enjoy his own experience.

Finally, she found her voice again. "I didn't know. I've only had sex a few times, and I wasn't really happy with those experiences. They always felt empty and unfulfilling." Her eyes locked on his and her mouth opened a few times silently. She swallowed. "With you, I saw my deepest desire, and it frightened me."

Kali shook her head like she was trying to banish some painful memories, and she might have been. "I couldn't sleep. I lost interest in anything but discovering the truth. I went to the sex club Yuko took us to, and I asked a few discreet questions. Or so I thought. I was sent to visit the club you rescued me from. I was almost there when the light fell, and I lost my glamor. They grabbed me and locked me away for torturing."

She sighed and shuddered, her eyes flicking up to his face, looking for rejection. "When you rescued me, all I could think of was you holding me against the wall and fucking me... as I was chained there, helpless. So, I'd know for sure."

Henry was picking up clues, and he was a little concerned her tastes were something he might not be able to do.

"Did Mahati tell you about me?" she suddenly asked.

He held her eyes. "About what?"

Kali swallowed painfully. "My failure to be useful with magic. My failure to be useful to my mother."

Henry shook his head. "She said nothing about your magic. She said you were free of your mother's control. I can't respect the parenting skills of any parent who behaves as yours does to you. A child's value cannot be defined by their parent's expectations. That's bad parenting."

"I-I have minimal control over magic," Kali confessed guiltily. "I don't use it because people get hurt when I do."

Henry contemplated Kali for a moment. He had a suspicion, but he had to be sure. Kali needed to learn something about herself too.

"I'm not going to send you away. I believe you have a lot of value. I also believe you are very beautiful." Her eyes dropped, so he took a grip on the hair on the back of her head and tilted it back. Her eyes flew wide, and her mouth dropped open in a gasp. "Don't hide your eyes from me. They're beautiful, and I want to see them."

He admired her fine features, especially her mouth. "I want to kiss you," he said and did. He took his kiss from her aggressively, and she trembled and whimpered faintly.

While she was distracted, he dropped his clothes from his glamor.

Henry pulled back from the kiss to look at her hungrily. "Touch me. Put your hands on my cock," he commanded. This was where he needed to watch her carefully.

Her breath gushed out as she stared at him nervously. Then she moved her lower hands down to tentatively brush against his growing erection.

Her eyes threatened to roll back, but she brought her hands back into contact, but her touch was so delicate. He tightened his grip on her hair, and her eyes snapped to his.

"I said, put your hands on my cock. Take a grip!" he insisted.

Her hands immediately went to his cock, but they were shaking badly.

"I think I'm going to fuck you now," he growled, and she whimpered as her fingers gripped tighter. Her eyes were threatening to roll back again.

"Yesss..." she breathed almost silently as her body trembled.

He was going to need her help as Mahati did for them.

"Guide my cock inside you, Kali," he whispered in her ear as he moved his body over hers and heard her breath catch in her throat.

She tugged at his cock erratically until the head was pressing into her body. Her hands immediately pulled away and landed on his hips to pull him closer. Hot and so wet, her inner tremors were almost sharp in their intensity.

It took much longer to sheath himself completely in Kali. She alternated between gasps, clipped cries, and hisses the entire time he drove himself deeper. She was almost catatonic by the time he pressed his body tight against hers.

"You feel so fucking good, Kali!" he sighed, and she whimpered.

She was also holding her inner muscles absolutely still though he picked up their trembling.

"Get to it, Kali. Squeeze my cock," he said, his lips brushing her ear.

That broke her control, and he grunted slightly at the sudden increase in pressure. Her body had been denied its natural movements and was making up for it now. The internal pulsing was rapid and a little erratic, but her jaw was hanging open with a strangled scream. He frowned as he couldn't be sure or not if she was enduring pain or enjoying pleasure at the moment. It could have been both. Her body jolted with every inner squeeze.

All of these quick motions were pushing him closer to his release. Remembering what Mahati said, he took Kali's face between his hands and forced her to look at him. "Can you compartmentalize the Wild Magic, or should I pull out?"

"Don't pull out!" she screamed.

"What did I ask you?" he said as he pulled back just a little.

"AHHH! It's safe! Mahati showed me!" she gasped desperately.

He pressed in deep again, and her internal pulsing went into overdrive.

It was too much for Henry, and he fired his cum deep inside.

Kali moaned and clung to him with all four arms as her body shook.

He kissed her, and she whimpered happily.

Henry waited for Kali to calm. When the pressure eased, he began to shrink. Eventually, he was able to pull free.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

Kali's eyes opened slowly. "Yessss... it's never been that good." She suddenly looked at him self-consciously and bit her lip.

"You need to be dominated," he suggested, and her eyes began to get glassy.

"What's wrong with me?" she moaned.

"Hey, there's no need to get upset. There's nothing wrong. It's just something you need. It doesn't upset me," he said gently.

She clung to him again and pressed her face to his chest. He seized her hair and pulled her head back to kiss her hard. She melted in his hands.

They rested for a while, and he let the light from the fire orb dim a little.

"When you said you no longer do magic, you're talking about the old realm magic, yes?" he asked, and she nodded.

"That magic is not suited to your temperament. Ask Mahati to teach you how to use Wild Magic. You might have better success with it."

"She won't teach me magic—"

"She will. If she denies you, let me know, and I'll speak to her."

Kali tucked herself in against him. "No one has ever believed in me before."

"Mahati believes in you. She saw you as a free soul, able to express yourself and explore the world when she could not. She was in a desperate state when I returned from Eden. She knew you disappeared from time to time, but you'd been gone for longer than before, and she was extremely worried."

"You rescued me."

"With her help," Henry insisted. He saw Kali's eyes glisten in the dim light of the room as she looked up at him.

He kissed her tenderly, and she sighed.

"Get some sleep, and we'll talk in the morning," he said.

She squeaked. "Can I use the washroom first?"

Henry worried she was giving over control to him completely.

"Of course! I expect you to take care of your needs first," he insisted.

Kali slipped off the bed and moaned as she held still.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes... just an ache." She moved slowly with a quiet hiss.

He watched her leave, moving slowly and almost gingerly, and decided he was going to have a long talk with her in the morning about adjusting her concept of what he looked like down there if he was causing her this much discomfort.

Long minutes later, he was about to get up to check on her when she returned.

"Henry?"

"Are you coming back to bed?" he asked, and she closed the door behind her and moved much quicker to the bed than she'd moved earlier.

She slipped under the covers and pressed herself to his side.

Before he snuffed out the light, he saw she was looking up at him. He kissed her again and felt her tremble.

"Is everything okay?" he asked.

"I feel more right than I've felt in a long time," she whispered as if speaking it aloud would break the spell.

"From how you were moving, I was concerned I'd caused you some injury," he said in concern.

"No! No, I'm fine. No permanent injury, just an ache, and it's delicious!" she sighed as she rubbed herself against him.

He let the light fade and closed his eyes. "Good night."

She said something, but it was mumbled, and he paused as it sounded like something.

"I didn't hear you. Repeat that," he said.

She hesitated. "Good night... master." Her voice quavered. She was experimenting with the term and discovering its impact on her for the first time.

He also felt a zing go through him. The stakes had just been raised. Henry couldn't deal with it now, and he certainly couldn't find it in himself to call her slave.

"Good night... my Kali."

She trembled as she clung to him.

Henry looked towards the window as he contemplated what this new relationship might entail and how it would function amongst the others he was involved in. Kali seemed to have dropped off immediately into a deep sleep, but his mind spun until he was finally dragged under.

Chapter 11

The morning of Christmas Eve, Henry awoke to Aadiya and Mahali crawling up the bed over the sheets. Kali was still against his side but had slipped under the covers to keep her head warm. Mahali noticed the extra body under the blankets and got a wicked smile on her face as she ran her hands up and down the sheets as Aadiya stole her good morning kiss from Henry.

Kali pushed the blanket down to see who was giving her the delicious rub down and found Mahali's lips pressed against hers. She squeaked in surprise.

"Who sent you two up here to wake us up?" Henry asked.

"Camila!" they said in unison with big grins.

"Figures. Okay, we're up. Let her know we'll be down shortly," he sighed.

Mahali crawled over to kiss him as Aadiya slipped under her body to steal a kiss from Kali, who squeaked again.

Then they were prancing over to the door. They waved as they left.

He looked at Kali, whose eyes were large as she watched the ladies leave. She glanced at Henry guiltily.

"What's that look for?" he asked.

"I've never kissed a female before," she said quietly.

"I highly recommend it as they are soft and delicious!" he said as he captured her mouth with his and teased her lips before kissing her hungrily.

"Oh! God, I love your kisses!" Kali purred once he pulled back.

He smiled and threw the blanket back. They had to get up and take their showers to get the day started.

As if reading his mind, Kali slipped out her side of the bed and smiled at him timidly. "May I join you in your shower this morning?" she asked.

He saw the hope in her eyes, so he nodded. He set his glamor to a pair of shorts, and they quickly made the bed. He walked out into the hall and heard sounds of happy voices below. That put a smile on his face.

He stepped into the hall washroom, and Kali followed. The shower stall was large enough to accommodate them both if Kali used her glamor. She washed his hair as he washed hers. She kept losing track of what she was doing as his powerful hands massaged her scalp.

Finally, they rinsed the shampoo and soap off, and Henry rubbed a thick towel over Kali's body as she got a little glassy-eyed. With a mischievous smile, Henry quickly knelt and pressed his lips to Kali's mound. She cried out and clung to his head as his tongue went to work.

It took less than a minute to bring the highly excited woman to her peak and over it.

She leaned back against the counter as she panted.

"Kali?"

"Yes, master," she sighed.

"You will only call me that in private," he said, seriously.

Her eyes opened, and she nodded quickly.

"I'm fine with others knowing about us being together, but they don't need to know what kind of a relationship we're in. That should be private."

"Mahati?" she asked, timidly.

"She can know, but only if she agrees to keep it to herself," he asserted, and she nodded. He took her chin in his hand and looked into her lovely dark eyes. "I'm not ashamed of this, but the details are for us. Understood?"

She smiled happily, so he kissed her again. "Let's get moving."

-=-

Everyone had returned for breakfast, but the Faun families brought the fixings this morning and were busy in the kitchen. The ladies complimented Meixiu on the kitchen, its flow, and how much workspace there was.

Today, Henry managed to get a seat at the table and found himself facing Chris.

"I'm sorry I triggered your transformation yesterday," Henry said.

Chris shook his head. "It's okay. I'm told I actually hit the jackpot as Bastets include a human disguise."

Henry nodded. "I know very little about Bastets, but I do know they're shapeshifters with three forms, Bastet, Human, and Cat. They're really fast runners, and they're strong. Not Satyr strong but better than Human strength."

He looked to Camila. "Speaking of strong, any word from Sigrid?"

The woman shook her head sadly.

"How is Natalia?" he asked.

Camila smiled proudly. "She's perfect. It was her senses amplified by abilities inherited from her mother. Marisa helped her pull them back, so she's happy now. They will make an appearance this afternoon."

Henry enjoyed his meal as he soaked in the sounds of the happy families. Tish was in heaven, and she smiled at him from a few seats away.

When he finished his meal, he collected his dishes and gave up his seat to Gene, carrying Bean. He marveled at how small the baby was. Her name was so appropriate.

He met Meixiu in the kitchen and gave her a sweet kiss.

"Roy let me know yesterday that I should remain here until I can guarantee I can control my rift. Is that okay with you?" he asked.

"Of course! What room will you use?" she asked, and Henry wondered at the little smile on her face.

"I-I kind of like the one at the end of the hall on the third floor," he answered. Meixiu smile became a pout. "What? Is that room not available? It's okay—"

"No, it's fine. The room is available. I lost a bet with Sigrid because we had a bet on which room you would choose. I said you'd choose the master on the second floor, and she said you'd pick the one you did." She moved back to the counter to check on the warming trays for the breakfast foods they'd prepared.

He grinned. "I like the second-floor master, but it's a bit grand for me. I don't need that much space. Remember, I grew up with a small room in the attic of my Baba's cottage in a swamp."

Meixiu turned to face him directly as she changed the subject. "I'll need your help setting up a dining room in the main chamber of the cave for our Christmas Day dinner. Can you install those fireball lights hanging from the ceiling?"

He thought about that and frowned. He tethered the ones for the kids from the top of the kids' heads like balloons. Tethering them from the top was another magnitude of complexity.

Michelle arrived and rushed over to Henry for a kiss. As her soft lips pressed against his, he had a sudden epiphany. She pulled back and smiled happily at him. She plucked a strip of bacon from the tray and nibbled at it.

Henry explained what popped into his head. "We need to string up lights in the main chamber of the cave. The lights will be large Will-'O-the-Wisp fireballs, but I need something to anchor them to."

"Webbing?" Michelle suggested.

He nodded. "Yes! If there were strands from side to side, then I could tether the light orbs to that," Henry suggested.

"Sure! Let's go!" Michelle said.

"Finish your breakfast, no hurry," Henry insisted.

She popped the last of the bacon into her mouth and wiped her fingers on a napkin. "Done!" she grinned.

Henry snorted, and Meixiu grinned as the three set off to design some beautiful lighting for their dining room.

-=-

Brigadier-General Gordon Crane was beginning to feel the discomforting realization that he might have been over-promoted.

Sitting in on endless defense meetings was mind-numbing. He wanted to be out there doing things!

He'd managed to keep command of his people, but that was only because no one else felt comfortable commanding them.

Something caught his attention, and he focused on General Brixton, who was saying something in his usual full-auto machine gun cadence and volume.

"...anomalous activity noted near the New York-Connecticut border by several commercial flights. They reported an enormous burst of blinding light in a forested area about two hours drive north of New York City. They claimed it looked like a brief flash of an atomic bomb, but there was no mushroom cloud, EMP burst, or shockwave. Satellite coverage of the area at the time confirms the visible light but shows no increase in radiation. Briefly, after the flash, there was a significant burst of infrared." The man's cold eyes swung to lock onto Crane. "Anything you'd like to add to that report, Brigadier-General Pain?"

Crane sighed. "It's Crane. Could we at least pretend we aren't in Kindergarten?"

Brixton raised a hand in apology though his smile never made it to his eyes.

"My team has no presence in that area in the past few days," he remarked, indicating none of his Silver Soldiers were responsible for the infrared burst. He tapped out a quick text with the location coordinates and sent it off to the sergeant. "I'll have my team take a look."

"Did you just send coordinates in plain text?!?" Brixton barked.

"No, I use an encryption app to ensure my communications are secure," Crane replied, maintaining his calm, with effort. His cell pinged, and he saw her response indicating the team was on its way. "They're on it."

"That's great! Brigadier-General Internet and his team of freaks are on the case." Brixton snapped.

"Soldiers, Brixton, not freaks," Crane said, glaring at the thick-necked buzz cut throwback. He leaned forward in his chair to hold the man's eye. "I couldn't care less what you think of me, but I'll be damned if I'll stand by while you disrespect these excellent men and women."

"THAT'S JUST IT! They AREN'T men and women. They are silver abominations!" Brixton yelled.

"Have you been living with your head up your ass for the last year? The very fact that you're still here means you've been changed by the energy bleeding in from the other dimension sufficiently to protect you from the genocide! Someday, sooner or later, you are going to reach a threshold, and you're going to become one of these other beings."

"That bullshit story of yours doesn't become any more convincing with another retelling. I'm as human now as I was the day I was born, and that's how I'll stay!" Brixton growled.

Crane just shook his head as he saw a few others nodding in agreement. He wished he could be there when they changed just so he could see the look of surprise and disappointment in their eyes.

"Over three billion people suddenly disappeared. This happened after multiple incursions into our world by these pseudo-clouds, the lava creatures, and even creatures who prefer to swim in the water inside a nuclear reactor. Why do you think the three billion were removed, and you got to stay? And please don't bring up the Rapture as a very large percentage of the people taken weren't Evangelistic Christians. My driver, Corporal Tom Dulane, was Agnostic, and he was taken," Crane insisted.

Expressions just closed up, so he just shook his head again. "Are there any more points to discuss?"

Brixton shook his head stiffly.

"I'll let you know what my team discovers," Gordon said as he pushed himself to his feet and walked from the room.

If there had been any way to make it happen, Crane would have willingly switched Dulane with any of the Generals in that room.

Even himself.

-=-

Yablonski loved running. Working for the Brigadier-General, he got to run to many amazing places and help people. That felt good.

Today, he and the others were racing north from New York City to the sleepy little towns along the two-lane highway. The weather conditions were terrible, with a huge snowstorm crawling up the coast and dumping its payload all over them.

Not that they had any issues with traction. They quickly discovered their feet found purchase on almost any surface, including snowy and icy roads.

They were running all out. It was an extravagant use of their energy, but the Sergeant said they would drop by Henry Gable's place to take him up on his offer of a recharge when they were on the way back to Washington.

Mick signaled there was a turn coming up, and they'd be stopping. They got really good at paying attention to her signals as they were moving so quickly, it was too easy to get separated by considerable distances otherwise. They reached the turn, and everyone stepped off the small highway to gather next to the Sergeant who was checking her cell for the location.

"Okay, it's a few miles up this road, tucked away in the woods. It's just residential properties up here. The uber-wealthy families keep their country homes here. I doubt many of them will be inhabited this time of year."

She gestured to the road, and they saw there weren't any car tracks in the snow.

Then they were on the move again but slower now that they were close. The road wound through the forest and rolling hills, and they enjoyed the winter scenery. Most of the homes had forbidding looking gates on the driveway.

They came around a corner, and this section had far less snow on it. They stopped to look at the shape of the area of reduced snow coverage. They jogged forward as they panned their eyes over the roadway. "It's very even, like a wide straight line. Right down the road," Mick suggested.

"Could this be the area of the heat burst?" Feinberg asked.

Mick looked back in the direction they'd come, and there was a distinct tubular shape of the melt pattern, now covered by snow but still visible. "Yeah, I think so."

Yablonski pointed ahead to the opening of a driveway. "It starts from there!" This time the driveway led into a treed lane, and there was no nasty gate to stop them. He rushed forward and just began to hear the Sergeant protest when he turned into the driveway and bounced off, flying back across the road into the bushes on the opposite side.

Head spinning from the shock he'd taken, he looked up at the concerned face of his Sergeant. "What-what hit me?"

Feinberg leaned into his field of view. "It's what you hit."

"I hit? The driveway was emp—" He looked again and saw the rest of the squad pressing their hands against empty air. "A force field?"

"Seems like it," Mick said and turned to face Corporal Dane. "Dane, map its boundaries."

The Corporal nodded and reached out his left hand to hover next to the field as he ran further up the road. They saw him turn left and hop over a fence at the road and pick up speed as he ran parallel to the fence leading away.

Mick lifted her cell and called the General.

"Yes," Yablonski heard the man answer.

"We're at the coordinates, and we've encountered a residential property that may be under some kind of force field."

"Tell me Yablonski ran straight into it," the General said, and Mick chuckled.

"Yes, sir. It packed quite a kick."

Yablonski stood and frowned at the Sergeant's smiling face.

"We're investigating," Mick said.

"Be careful. If anything dangerous comes up, just throw Yablonski at it first," Crane instructed, and Mick laughed.

"Yes, sir!" She disconnected, and the cell went back into her harness pocket.

Yablonski snorted. Working for the Brigadier-General was a regular riot.

-=-

Layla and Felicia, Amanda, and Belinda stood at the driveway's end, staring at the Silver People acting oddly. This was the first encounter for all of them, so they weren't sure what to make of it or what to do.

Felicia, Brian's oldest daughter, was also sixteen, but Layla had the foresight to befriend the leader of the Faun's as Henry had been named by the kids. This gave her more clout in the eyes of the others, so Felicia looked to her cousin. "What should we do?"

Layla was on the spot as Amanda and Belinda looked at her and waited. She could think of only one thing. "We need to tell Henry immediately! Let's go!"

She turned and sprinted back to the house with the others right behind. When they came dashing out of the treed lane into the circular drive before the house, the other kids stopped to look. Layla and Felicia immediately went inside, but Amanda and Belinda paused on the steps as the rest of the kids ran up to get the news.

The fourteen-and-thirteen-year-old girls liked being the center of attention and quickly spilled the news to their attentive audience. Then began the rush to look at these Silver People, Danny and Tommy Nelson in the lead. Amanda chased after them, calling out for them to stop.

Belinda remained on the front step, fretting about what to do.

Inside, Layla and Felicia quickly learned from their parents that Henry was in the cave, so they raced through the Magic Door and into the main cavern. There they came to a complete stop as they looked up in wonder. The cave ceiling was crisscrossed with silver web threads, and hovering above these were the fire orbs, but each was easily twice the size of a basketball and throwing a sparkling white light everywhere.

Clinging to the cave wall was Michelle Beaumont in her Spider form. She was affixing a thread of webbing from one cross cavern thread to another.

Meixiu crawled down the opposite wall, her sharp claws finding purchase in the rock surface.

Layla looked to Henry, who was standing in the center of the chamber with his eyes closed.

"That's almost got it, Michelle! I think we need a final link between cross-strand four and five. Then they'll all be interconnected." He opened his eyes and saw Michelle was looking to the entrance. He followed her gaze and saw the two young women. He moved to join them as Michelle climbed to reach strand four.

Layla smiled up at Henry and saw Felicia getting a little awestruck. Then, she hadn't witnessed how poorly he threw a snowball.

"What can I do for you ladies?" he asked.

"SILVER PEOPLE!" Felicia blurted.

Henry's eyebrows went up as Layla frowned. She quickly moved to control the situation. "We were at the end of the drive and saw a group of Silver People touching the outside of the barrier you made for us."

"Were they wearing anything?" he asked.

"STRAPS!" Felicia blurted again, embarrassing Layla.

"Vests made of black straps with little American Flags—" She stopped when she saw Henry's expression relax.

"Friends, I believe. I'll go talk with them," he said. Then he looked into their eyes. "Don't spill the beans on the décor here to anyone as we want it to be a surprise tomorrow."

Layla and Felicia grinned widely as they loved being part of the secret. They nodded.

Michelle, in her Human glamor, and Meixiu joined them. Henry looked up and reached out to the lowest orb. He sent it instructions, and each globe strobed and sent out a cascade of sparkles in sequence all the way up to the cavern ceiling three stories up.

"Ooo!" Layla and Felicia gasped.

"Our secret," Henry said again, and they nodded in excitement.

"After the Christmas dinner, I'll add one more light closer to the floor so everyone can have a go at making the lights do something pretty," he explained.

Layla couldn't wait, and her mind was already thinking up patterns for the light show.

Henry dimmed the light orbs as they walked back to the vestibule.

"Now, let's go talk to the Silver Soldiers."

-=-

Danny and Tommy were running all out to stay ahead of the others. They loved being Fauns, and running was so much fun! Not being bundled into bulky snowsuits was especially cool.

They came around the last corner, and there they were. The Silver People were standing on the roadway just beyond the end of the driveway. Danny saw how close they were getting, so he skidded to a stop, but Tommy didn't see his brother stop until too late. He tried to stop but tumbled instead and slid on his back through the force field into the legs of one of the Silver People who fell, barely missing squishing Tommy.

Danny stood on the inside and fretted about what to do. When he saw a Silver Person take a grip on his brother's shoulders to lift him to his hooves, Danny surged forward through the field.

"Don't you touch my brother!" Danny yelled.

The one lifting Tommy looked at him, and Danny saw it had a female shape and features.

"We meant no harm. He looked a little dazed from knocking Yablonski off his feet," she said and gently guided Tommy into the arms of his brother.

Danny quickly pulled Tommy after himself and ran back to the driveway, only to bounce off the shield and fall on his ass. He stared at the empty driveway in shock. Tommy was beginning to look scared. He needed to be brave for his little brother. He stood and pulled Tommy behind him as he faced the Silver People and pulled his shoulders back.

The female Silver Person sat down on the road and crossed her legs with a smile, resting her wrists on her knees. The others quickly matched her until Danny and Tommy were the only ones on their feet.

"I'm Sergeant Michelle Tennison of the US Army. This is my squad," she said. "That was quite surprising, you coming out of thin air like that. We couldn't see you coming at all."

Danny was feeling a little more confident now and nodded. "Mr. Gable said it would keep us hidden."

The woman looked surprised again. "Henry Gable? He's here?"

Danny nodded cautiously.

"I'll give him a call, let him know he should let you back inside," the Sergeant said.

"No need, I'm here."

Danny turned around and saw the big Satyr smiling down at him. Then he saw a large arch spanning the driveway entrance, and he could see the other kids watching them.

The cavalry had arrived. He looked at Tommy and saw the smile on his face too.

Now, if he could only think of a way to keep his parents from hearing about this.

-=-

Henry stepped forward and shook Mick's hand.

"Oh, man! That feels good!" she sighed as she felt the waves of energy pouring from him.

Henry paused then frowned. "You seem a little drained."

"We haven't had an opportunity to recharge recently. We were going to stop by your place on our way back to New York to take you up on your offer."

Henry nodded. "We can do it now if you'd like."

The Sergeant nodded and took his hand as she took Feinberg's until they'd formed a chain with Yablonski taking Henry's other hand.

Henry directed the entirety of the flow down his arm into the Sergeant. The energy raced around the loop, back to Henry's other hand. The excess just flowed from him.

When he felt all of the Soldiers were running at max, he pulled his hands back and heard them all sigh happily.

"Damn, that's the good stuff!" Yablonski exclaimed.

That got chuckles from the others who were riding a high too.

"Thank you for the energy!" Mick said to Henry.

He nodded to her. "Not a problem. As you can probably tell, I have no shortage."

She nodded thoughtfully to him. "Yes, you seem to have an increased flow of it."

He nodded and sighed. "It's one of the reasons I'm up here in the boonies."

"Can we meet your silver friends?" Layla called out from inside.

"Ah! Uh, yes, hang on," Henry started and called back. He looked to the Sergeant. "What you are about to see is currently a secret to protect the families involved."

"You mean the fact that they're all Satyrs? That's beating the odds quite soundly," she said with a smile. "Have you found a way to choose the race for new transformations?"

"Not with any scientific accuracy, but yes, it seems to work."

Mick gave Henry an evaluating look. "What's the catch?"

"Come on in, and we'll discuss it," he said.

The Silver Soldiers made their way inside the dome, and Henry closed the arch once more. Layla was all grins as she faced the new arrivals. The kids were fascinated by the shiny soldiers, and the feeling was mutual.

"Danny and Tommy here, and Emily," he gestured to the two boys and the girl with the glowing eyes. "were all transformed here recently. All the others were transformed during Skyfall when they were exposed to an energy source like mine while being in contact with a Faun. Magic was involved to a large extent."

He sighed. "The trick is twofold. There needs to be a strong source of Wild Magic, the energy that powers you guys, to saturate the pre-change Humans, so their transformations can be controlled. I only know of two such sources at this time, and you're looking at one of them. There also needs to be intentional physical hands-on contact from someone who has already changed to be the template. Again, this wasn't discovered or confirmed scientifically."

"Still, it's helpful to know," Mick stated.

"As long as it's understood that there are no guarantees on the success rate. There may be some other factors we aren't aware of," Henry said.

"How many Satyrs were created during that one instance on Skyfall?" she asked.

"Thirty-four," Henry said.

"Damn!" Yablonski exclaimed.

"Yes, and if the press got wind of it, they would be under a microscope, and their lives would be completely disrupted, instead of just partially disrupted. They haven't been able to get together since that night, and this place is a sanctuary for them to relax and be a family once more."

"Okay, I get it. I do have to ask you about an event that happened yesterday. Several commercial flights reported seeing an enormous flash of light in this area. They thought it might be thermonuclear. Naturally, the brass got involved."

Henry winced. "Yeah, sorry. That was me, but it was nothing so frightening. I fed too much energy into the shield I put up around the property, and it went incandescent for a second or two.

"Ah, okay. I'll let the General know," Mick said.

"How's Brigadier-General Crane doing with his promotion?" Henry said with a smile.

Mick chuckled. "I get the impression he'd much rather be out here with us, but he's been able to use his influence to keep us in the field and out of the clutches of the bad people."

Henry nodded as that was what he'd expected to hear. "Come on back to the house, and you can meet the rest of the family."

The whole group was walking back to the mansion in a snowfall that seemed to be getting heavier. The sky was so dark the photocell controlling the Christmas lights made them come on. As they left the lane, they saw the house was all lit up."

"You own this place?" Yablonski asked.

Henry snorted. "No. It belongs to a friend of mine. I'll be staying here for a while until I can control the energy flow."

Something roared by overhead quickly, followed by a second. All heads looked up.

"F-18s?" Yablonski asked.

"Those were F-35A fighters," Feinberg corrected him. "I didn't see how they were configured, though."

Mick was on her cell speaking quietly to someone.

"How strong is that dome?" Yablonski asked nervously.

"Strong enough to keep out anything those jets can drop on it," Henry said, then looked to the surrounding forest. "Would they have incendiary bombs?" The soldier nodded, so Henry closed his eyes and adjusted the properties of the dome spell.

"I don't want them setting fire to the neighboring forests," Henry explained but received confused expressions.

"What did you do?" Feinberg asked.

"I—" Henry began, but the scream of the jets drowned him out as they pulled up sharply after firing their missiles at the property below. The falling snow lit up with a bright splash of brilliant colors as the dome rang with a deep tone in response to the missiles striking it.

"OOooo!" the kids all cheered and danced around.

"What the—where's the big boom?" Yablonski asked. Henry just shook his head with a smile.

"Are those what I think they are?" Mick said, staring up at the sky where four intact missiles seemed to be hovering.

Henry flicked his fingers as if brushing the weapons away and the outer surface of the dome rippled, carrying the missiles to the edge where they rolled down to fall into the snow. He looked to the Sergeant. "The field absorbs all kinetic energy and fries their electronics, but they're still dangerous and filled with explosive stuff. Can I ask you to get someone to dispose of them?"

She nodded in shock.

"I think those guys will likely try again. Can you ask the General to make them stop?"

Mick got her brain working once more. "I asked him about the jets, and he said he'd contact the Air Force about it. I'll let him know we're being fired upon." She dialed once more.

The parents of the kids started coming out. "What's this I hear about firework—" Brian froze when he saw the Silver Soldiers.

"Hey. These are friends of mine. They came up from Washington to look into a report about a flash of light I made yesterday with the dome. Today we seem to be under attack by two jets. The Sergeant is looking into it now."

"Their shooting at us?!?" Kristen cried, and several other mothers scrambled to collect their kids.

Brian moved closer to Henry. "Uh, shouldn't we get to cover?" he asked.

Henry looked to him. "We are under cover." He gestured up at the invisible dome.

Tish patted his arm. "Everyone, let's go back to our homes while this gets settled. Henry will knock on the doors when it's over, and it's safe to return." He nodded, and the parents got their children moving. The young ones weren't too happy about leaving as they were enjoying the light show.

Roy and Mary approached. "Who's attacking us?" he asked.

"I think they're US Airforce jets, but who would order an airstrike on a residence in New York State? I have no idea. General Crane is looking into it."

"So, the force field is holding?" Roy asked.

Henry was listening for the jets return pass. "Huh? Oh yeah, I have it neutralizing any missiles fired at it, so they don't explode and cause any damage to the forest around us."

Roy nodded. "So, what's your plan?"

Henry looked at him and paused. "Plan? Uh, they have a limited amount of ammo, so... they'll eventually run out and go away. Or General Crane will reach the right person to get them to recall the pilots."

Roy tapped his chin with a finger as he thought about that. "But they might just go back to the base and reload with stronger weapons. Is there something you might do to discourage them from doing so?"

Henry thought about that for a bit as the Silver Soldiers watched him nervously.

"I don't want to harm the pilots. I also don't want the planes to crash as that will make a mess of the forest and might start a fire," he said.

"A warning to send them back to base?" Roy offered.

Henry thought about that, and a wicked idea came to his mind. Baba's dirty bag of tricks was always ready to provide ways to punish. With a few adjustments, he could make a less lethal version that would suit his purposes nicely. He rapidly spun the program he'd require and readied it as he moved to an open space on the drive and prepared two large fireball spells that floated next to him.

Mick got closer. "You're going to shoot plasma at them? How is that not harmful or dangerous?"

Henry kept his eyes on the sky as he waited for the jets to return. "Touch it."

Mick tentatively reached out and put her hand close to one. She frowned as there was no heat. She passed her hand through the edge and nothing. She boldly pushed her hand into the middle, and still nothing.

"There's no fire here!" she exclaimed.

Henry was ready this time as the jets passed by overhead. He jabbed his index finger on each hand to pretend to touch the tail of each fighter but set an anchor on each with his will. The fireballs immediately shot from the ground to get within ten feet of each plane like heat-seeking missiles with attitude. The jets peeled off in opposite directions trying to elude the rockets on their tails.

The second phase of Henry's attack kicked in. Through their magic tethers, the spell overrode their radios with a message for them to return to base. They were told their safety would be guaranteed if they returned and landed safely.

Henry explained this to Roy, and he had a good laugh. The Silver Soldiers were still concerned.

"So, they aren't in any danger?" Mick asked to confirm.

"Not from those balloons tied to their tails. As soon as they land, the tether dissolves, and they float away," Henry explained.

"Sneaky bastard!" Yablonski said with a grin.

Henry shrugged. "They drew first blood. You have to admit, they're getting off lightly. Please, don't forget to remove those missiles."

The Sergeant nodded.

They waited for a few minutes, listening carefully until Henry looked at Roy, who was smiling and nodding.

"It sounds like it might have worked," he said, then gave Henry an evaluating look. "The spell you used was one of Baba's?" Henry nodded. "What did it originally do?"

Henry glanced at the Silver Soldiers then back to Roy. "Nothing pleasant."

Roy nodded. "I'll assume terror, madness, and death were somehow involved." Henry nodded stiffly.

"I'm sorry she put that in your head, but I'm grateful you're able to adapt it for better purposes," Roy said compassionately.

"Thanks, Roy," Henry said with a nod to the big man.

Mick noticed there were no cars parked anywhere in sight. "How are all these people getting to the mansion?"

Henry looked at her. "Magic Doors. I set them up from their homes to here. The safest way to travel in bad weather," Henry said with a grin at the end.

His cell phone rang, so Henry glanced at the screen. "It's the General." He pressed answer. "Hello, General Crane. I have Roy, Mary, and your team with me. Can I put you on speaker?"

Crane sighed. "Yes." Henry tapped the phone and held it out for everyone to hear. The Soldiers gathered closer.

"Did you find out who sent the air force after me?" Henry asked.

"Whoever it was covered their tracks very well. It shouldn't be this difficult to trace the commands, but the orders seem to be missing. I have my suspicions, but that's all they are. I did hear the jets returned to base safely, and the missiles chasing them floated away?"

The soldiers all laughed, but Henry picked up relief in the sound. "Yeah, the decoy balloons were pretty convincing, I guess," Henry admitted.

There was a pause. "They could have been deadlier though, couldn't they," Crane asked.

Henry didn't know how to respond without sounding like a dick, so the Sergeant spoke up.

"This is Sergeant Tennison. Our understanding is the payload could easily have been lethal, but that option was not considered, even though the jets fired four missiles at the mansion with deadly intent. This brings me to the question of where we deliver the missiles."

"What do you mean? You have the missiles? They didn't explode?" Crane asked in surprise.

"Again, it's our understanding that the missiles have had their electronics neutralized, but they still contain the explosives," Mick explained. "Mr. Gable wants them removed. Where do we take them?"

More silence from the General. "You do realize they need to be transported in special containers with a convoy of military trucks, and the entire East Coast is in the middle of blizzard conditions."

Henry frowned. "General, these explosives were dropped on my friend's property and remain dangerous. We have children here! The weapons are not staying here." He glanced at the soldiers. "Your people have been through many airbases. They can point me to a doorway I can open for them to hand-deliver these weapons, but you have to okay that and pick one where the weapons will be properly dealt with."

"You plan to walk explosives onto a military base?" Crane exclaimed.

"No, sir. I expect US Army personnel to deliver partially neutralized US military ordinance to a secure location where they can be properly and safely disposed of. But they have to go today. I'm being very reasonable, considering what someone in my government just attempted to do to my friends and me. I have the high ground here."

No one in hearing range of Henry's last statement missed the strength in his voice.

"I understand. Please give me some time to make the arrangements," Crane said wearily.

"Thank you, General. Today, please. As I said, we have children on the property," Henry said.

"Yes, I'll call you back. Goodbye."

"Bye."

Henry hung up and looked to Mick. "Can I ask you and your team to guard the missiles, so we can let the families return and the kids play outside?"

"Sure, and listen, we're sorry someone on our side did this," she said.

Henry just nodded. "I know you guys wouldn't be involved in anything like this." He shook his head. "It boggles my mind how reactionary some people become when faced with change. My whole life, I've been dealing with bullies, and yet, now when I've changed and now have the strength and skills to defend myself and my friends, I'm not out there stepping on anyone's neck. I find the whole idea repulsive!"

The soldiers nodded as they understood, having undergone a realignment of their priorities when they were transformed into Silver People.

"We'll need to protect the missiles on both sides of the force field. How do we get out and in?" Mick asked.

"Getting out, just walk through. Getting in, have someone on the inside reach out and pull you through. You won't be able to see them," Henry explained, and the Sergeant nodded as she signaled her team to head out to the site of the missiles.

Henry walked back to the mansion with Roy.

"How many do you think will come back?" Roy asked.

"All of them. Haven't you seen how much they need each other? They're not at risk here. It's one of the safest spots on earth at the moment." Roy snorted but looked up and nodded to himself.

Henry paused before going inside, and Roy waited. "Considering how they act around each other, I don't understand how Tish managed to be apart from them for so long. I know that's never happening again. She needs to be with them as much as they need each other."

"With access to the Magic Doors, they no longer need to be," Roy said.

Henry nodded. "But these all lead to Meixiu's place, which she's been so generous to offer. I don't want to abuse her hospitality."

He opened the door and came face to face with Sigrid... but not Sigrid. She wasn't smiling, and he picked up subtle lines around her eyes and mouth, laugh lines. Her eyes were a paler blue than Sigrid's, and her body was just a little thicker. It was the twin tails hanging down from the back of her head that really jarred with his image of his beautiful friend. The woman before him was also lovely, but it suddenly came to him that this could be Sigrid's older sister.

"Hilda?" Roy blurted in surprise from the step.

"Roy," the woman acknowledged, then Henry's chin was a hotspot of agony, and he was flying out over the driveway to land in the snow.

Moments later, Hilda landed after leaping from the steps and drove her left fist at Henry's face. He twitched and managed to take the punch against his horns. She hissed in pain as her knuckles cracked loudly. She grabbed his other horn in her uninjured fist and threw him into the air. He had time to see the Silver Soldiers rushing to his aid and the enraged woman spinning in a circle with her glowing white spear extended. Most of the soldiers had the presence of mind to leap back, but one caught the shaft against his side and went sailing.

Henry was done with being beat on, so he engaged his shield and dumped more energy into it as he fell back to the ground.

He hit hard, but the impact was absorbed by the field. He rolled to his hooves to find himself struggling to avoid a flurry of strikes from the butt of Hilda's spear. Several landed against his body, and he saw the power levels on the shield dropping quickly. She wasn't pulling any of these strikes—

She suddenly spun and struck him on the side of the neck with the spear's shaft causing Henry to do a complete cartwheel. He somehow managed to stay on his hooves. If he hadn't been wearing the force field, he would have been badly injured if not crippled. The shield's gauge was flashing red.

His rage broke loose.

The next strike slapped into his big hand as he gripped and yanked the spear from her hands. His left fist slammed into her right temple, knocking her off her feet. She rolled and lurched back to her feet, but he was right there delivering a mighty hit against her ribs with a right. Something cracked. She deflected the punch from his left and tried to strike his throat with a punch, but he dipped his head and caught it against his chin painfully for both of them.

Hilda grinned as she launched a flurry of body strikes that were no longer blocked by a shield. A rib broke on Henry's left side, and he leapt back, struggling to get a breath. She pressed her attack, and he got a lucky punch through to slam against her sternum. She fell back and rolled to her feet to charge forward but abruptly stopped as her eyes widened. Henry sucked in a needed breath and looked to his hands, which dripped black flames. He hadn't even been aware of invoking Baba's spell but knew it was a particularly nasty one. Repulsed, he released the magic and shook the flames from his hands.

The moment the black flames extinguished, Hilda surged forward, and Henry was on the defensive again. He took hit after hit but pushed the pain back as he looked for an opening. He knew shit about fighting, but even he could see how skilled the woman was as she beat the snot out of him.

He had no skill, but he was strong, and he knew pain intimately.

Her next right met his right fist, and bones broke. She cried out, the first time since the fight began. She hit him glancingly on the cheek with a left as she nursed her right hand. When she went to repeat the punch, his left fist smashed into hers, and he pulled another cry from her.

Henry grabbed her shoulders with his broken hands and yanked her forward. At the last second, he saw the fear in her eyes and recalled Mab's terror as he crushed her skull.

He pulled his strength from the head butt and stopped at dazing her. He threw her down and put a heavy hoof on her chest to keep her down.

When her eyes refocused on him, he held up the bent and broken fingers on his right hand. She went still as Henry poured his healing spell into his hand. The fingers cracked and realigned before popping wetly back into place. He flexed the fist once more then peered into her eyes to see if she got the message. She didn't hear his internal screams at how much that had hurt or how much he wanted to lie down right now.

She huffed with a pained frown, then nodded. "I yield," she said through gritted teeth as if speaking the words was far more painful than her injuries.

Henry stepped back cautiously and watched her slowly lurch to her feet. She locked her gaze on him.

"How do you come to possess the soul ripping magic?" she said in a stiff voice.

Henry knew she was talking about the black flames. His mind shied away from the details of that spell in his head.

"Baba Yaga stuffed her knowledge of spells into my head before she disappeared on Skyfall. I wasn't aware I'd called this particular one," he admitted.

She nodded. "You know how to heal too, but I've never seen anyone heal themselves."

"I'm not like anyone else."

Hilda burst into laughter, which quickly became a wince and a moan as pain from her broken rib flared. "You are a master of understatement," she sighed as she stretched her back muscles. She gave him another evaluating look. "I've never met a Satyr, so I've never had the opportunity to fight one. You fight like shit, but you still bested me. That... hurts my pride more than anything. Which makes my next question all the more difficult to ask. I don't suppose you'd consider using that healing magic on my injuries."

He gaped at her. "Considering you attacked me the moment we met, you'll understand my hesitance to assist you."

"I had to be sure. It's the way of Valkyries," she said simply as if that answered everything. She nodded to something behind him, but he refused to look away from her. She chuckled softly. "Our fight is over. I yielded. I've never had to do that before. Consider it the greatest of honors."

Henry nodded as he considered this loon of a Valkyrie before him. He decided it might be safe to look away and turned his head to see Sigrid approaching with Roy. The man's expression looked a lot like shock, then Henry's eyes were drinking in the beauty of the blonde woman sliding into his arms. Her lips tasted his, and he surrendered to her need, and the kiss deepened. She felt so good in his arms, but something was different. She was leaning forward. Then he felt it—a pressure against his belly.

He pulled back from the kiss and glanced down. His eyes were momentarily trapped in her cleavage, which seemed more pronounced. Then he was puzzling over the dome of her stomach. Her severely distended stomach. She was pregnant? He saw her loving eyes, and it clicked.

Henry's eyebrows threatened to crawl up into his scalp. It was his! How?

Sigrid touched his broken left hand tenderly. "I'm so sorry about your injuries, but I wasn't able to dissuade mother from testing you. I knew you'd win. I'm so grateful you didn't kill her."

"Mother? Not... sister?" he gasped and looked back at the other woman in surprise. His image of a wizened old frail woman was shattered. Then he realized how stupid that preconceived notion was for a Valkyrie.

He caught a delighted twinkle in the mother's eye, so he willed the healing magic into his left hand and gritted his teeth as the bones reset and ligaments reattached. He flexed it painfully once it was healed.

Then he placed his healed hands on Sigrid's hips to move her a short distance out so he could see her properly.

"You're so far along! I don't understand," he exclaimed, containing his painful grunts.

She smiled sweetly at him. "It was the night you made love to me in Eden. Valkyries are warriors. We cannot afford extended pregnancies. It happens very rapidly. I wasn't aware my body had chosen you until I woke the next morning. I immediately left to visit my mother. She wanted us to come back so she could meet you before the birth."

He placed his hands on her belly and felt the life inside. "When are you due?"

"Tomorrow."

Henry's eyes widened, and he looked to Roy.

"Congratulations?" the redhead said with a grin.

Henry turned back to Sigrid and lifted her hands to his lips, and kissed them both tenderly. Then he looked at her with a puzzled expression once more. "What... what did you mean your body chose me?"

She smiled. "When a Valkyrie finds a worthy mate, her body prepares for creating a child. I wasn't aware of it. It's a natural process. Typically, the male no longer plays a role in raising the child as the daughter is raised to be a Valkyrie and only Valkyries can do his."

"That has not changed!" Hilda said firmly.

Henry frowned at her but saw the woman was ready to go a few more rounds to get her way. He sighed. They could argue about this later. "Let's go inside so I can heal us properly."

He caught the relief in Hilda's eyes. He waved to the Silver Soldiers, who went back to their posts. Yablonski was nursing his injured side.

Once he entered the door, a distraught Meixiu rushed to Henry's side and clung to him. "Sigrid asked me not to interfere," the woman moaned.

"It's fine, Meixiu. It all worked out in the end," Henry sighed.

"I'm going to start knocking on doors to let people return," Roy said and left.

Henry looked at Hilda. "You're going to want to lie down while you heal. Do you have a bedroom assigned?"

"I'll sleep next to Sigrid. I must defend her during her pregnancy," Hilda insisted.

Henry looked to Sigrid. "We'll be in the second-floor master," she said.

He climbed the stairs with Sigrid, Hilda, and Meixiu leading the way. They entered the room, and Henry gestured for the mother to recline on the bed.

"Maybe you should join me so I can properly show you my appreciation for the healing afterward," Hilda said with a hungry grin.

"Sigrid, tell your mom to behave," Henry said as he reviewed his healing spells.

"She's a Valkyrie. You can't tell them anything," Sigrid said with a happy smile.

"Incorrigible, the two of you!" Henry muttered as he concentrated on the spell he chose. He ignored their delighted giggling as best he could.

Bone setting spells tended to be very painful with a fair amount of residual ache. He countered this with a spell to reroute the pain signals to pleasure instead. He launched that one inside Hilda and watched her eyes widen immediately. She looked to him in question. "Painkiller," he said.

Then he launched the spell to heal her body from her toes to her scalp. He linked the magic to the excess energy he was kicking out.

Hilda cooed as a few improperly healed breaks in her toes refractured, then realigned as the wave moved on. Her eyes snapped open. "What-what have you done?"

"The spell can be pretty painful. I temporarily rerouted your pain signals to your pleasure center."

Hilda's eyes rolled back as the scar tissue in her knees tore away to be replaced by new growth.

Henry frowned and upped the flow of energy into her body to compensate for the amount of damage being repaired. He looked to Sigrid. "I think her body has taken a lot of abuse."

Sigrid snorted. "She's a Valkyrie!"

Henry glanced at her. "That's your answer for everything." She just grinned happily.

He was concerned about losing the woman if her body repairs exceeded her capacity to withstand the sensations. He'd endured the incredible pain, but the intense pleasure was equally dangerous.

He let a little of the pain through, and Hilda gasped as her eyes flew open to look at him. He moved closer to her ear and whispered to her. "I replaced most of my body this way, and I didn't have the option of pleasure. I survived. Will you do less?"

Hilda's eyes flared with a mix of emotions as they held his. Then she grinned. "Bring it on."

Henry watched the spell progress through her body. The worst spots were her broken ribs, he'd fractured more than one, and her damaged hands. While she was immersed in bliss, he allowed a little pain through to bring her back from the clouds. Each time she'd look for him and grin to let him know she was still there.

Finally, the spell reached her scalp, and he was surprised to see the grey in her hair begin to gleam with gold once more.

"Shit, Henry! This rejuvenation magic would make you a fortune!" Sigrid said in shock.

He just shook his head. "No. It takes the strength of a Valkyrie to survive it."

He dipped his mouth down to Hilda's ear once more. "Now you look even less like a grandmother, sorry."

She chuckled softly then she slipped into sleep.

Henry removed the rerouting of her pain, and he was done. He turned to Sigrid, and she was kissing him once more. He went with it as it was bliss, and he had no other choice. Then the growing pain in his ribs finally made him pull back, and she looked at him curiously.

"Sorry, my ribs..."

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry, Henry!" she gasped.

"I need to go heal myself now and catch a few winks," he sighed as she stepped back. "Don't let me miss dinner tonight, okay?"

She smiled and nodded to him. "Thank you," she said, gesturing to her mother.

He smiled and shook his head. "Yeah, it would have been nice to get a heads up in advance that I'd be in a life and death battle with a Valkyrie." Sigrid looked apologetic at least.

"We need to talk," he said gently as he touched Sigrid's tummy, and she nodded with a smile on her lips.

He touched his chin tenderly. Hilda had probably cracked his jaw. That was gonna hurt. He sighed.

He left the bedroom and climbed to the third floor, and found Meixiu walking behind him. He looked at her in question.

"I am worried. I want to keep watch," she said.

He shook his head. "That's not a good idea. It's not a pretty process to watch."

Meixiu was confused. "Sigrid's mother endured it, and she didn't seem to suffer too much."

He smiled. "I was managing her pain and pleasure levels throughout the process. I can't do that for myself. I have to go full pain."

Meixiu gasped, and her eyes became glassy with tears. "Why must you suffer so?"

He reached out a hand and gently cupped her cheek. She leaned into it, and a tear rolled down to cool his skin.

"Some lives have more pain in them than others. It's okay, though. Mine is also filled with love, and that was such an unexpected gift. It makes it far easier to survive these... other brief moments." She nodded. "Promise me you'll go back downstairs and come back to get me for dinner. No listening at the door."

He saw her expression change, so he knew that's what she'd intended to do. She finally nodded, so he leaned down and kissed her tenderly.

He smiled as he stepped into his room. "See you soon." He closed the door and didn't bother listening to hear her leave as she moved silently. He'd just have to trust that she did.

Lying down on the bed, he prepared the healing spell for himself but didn't bother with the rerouting of his pain. He was just going to have to get through it.

Sighing, he launched the spell and gritted his teeth. He'd survive this.

He wouldn't allow himself to do less.

-=-

General Crane sat back and contemplated the call he'd just had from the commanding officer at the base where the jets had launched from. It had taken him a couple of hours of calling and questioning to find the right person to speak to. The man wasn't keen on having his people used for missions he couldn't verify had been sanctioned at the appropriate levels. The documentation suddenly disappeared after the planes had been launched.

The last name Crane confirmed on the orders was Major-General Hollis, who acted like a minion for Brixton. He'd gladly throw himself on a grenade for his superior, protecting him from any shit this order might generate. Gordon was going to have to be careful about how he proceeded with this information.

He just had one more call to make today to get those damaged missiles off the property. He'd packed his briefcase, and after dealing with that last item, he'd call it a day. It was Christmas Eve, after all.

His cell rang, and he saw it was Mick. Just the person he needed to speak with.

"Yes, Sergeant?"

"Mr. Gable was just attacked by someone from inside the home. A woman, but definitely not human. Inhuman strength. She started off with a spear, but he got that away from her, so they fought bare-knuckled. She was far more skilled than Henry was."

"Is he alive?" Crane asked.

"Yes! He won the fight by breaking his own fists against hers then knocked her down with his horns. For a second, I swore he was going to kill her like he did Mab, but he pulled it and just knocked her down. He put a hoof on her, healed one of his hands in front of her, and that was that. She was done fighting."

"Did you..."

"Yes, sir. I got most of the fight recorded. It was so brutal! It would be a huge hit on that Ultimate Fighter cable show!"

Mick chuckled, and Crane could hear the excitement in her voice. It must have been quite the show. "Did you attempt to intervene?"

"Yes, sir. In the beginning, when she was wielding her spear. Only Yablonski got hit by it. He's aching, but I don't think the damage is permanent."

Crane sighed. The boy had to learn a little restraint.

"Did you make any progress on finding a base for us to deliver the missiles to?" Mick asked.

"Yes. I was about to call you. Colonel Miller of Bentford Air Base has agreed to receive the weapons back. We've been through that base a few times. You're familiar?"

"Yes, sir."

"The Colonel did us a solid, so let's be good to him as well. Store them well away from the other buildings and runways," Gordon said.

"Yes, sir."

Gordon considered the fantastic events in that secluded neighborhood and how they revolved around one young man, or Satyr, to be more accurate. He'd begun to experiment with his new abilities. "This force field Mr. Gable put up over the property. What do you believe it is capable of?"

"The missiles fired at it were coming in at Mach two, maybe Mach three, yet they completely stopped, and the field just rippled and flashed pretty colors. And from outside, it completely hides anyone standing inside."

Crane took a deep breath. "I swear, everything that young man does, opens up a Pandora's box of issues!" The Sergeant chuckled as she obviously agreed. He pushed on as he had less fun things to ask of the squad leader.

"I'm going to need you close by for the next few days. I have a name for who ordered the mission to fire upon a civilian residence. When I take that upstairs, it's going to make me some very dangerous enemies. Not that we're friends now."

"I can send half the team back to you now," Mick said in concern.

It was a sign of his recognition of the danger that made him think that might be a good idea. "Yes, that might be prudent. Not Yablonski, though, please."

Mick snorted. "Yes, sir."

Crane hung up and tucked the cell away. He didn't want to act paranoid, but there was a legitimate concern. A military assault had been launched against a target on domestic soil. There were clear signs that this was not a sanctioned mission... and he knew who ordered it.

He left his office and noticed the building was mostly empty. Not surprising for Christmas Eve during a major snowstorm. He sighed. Leaving the building, he dashed across to the garage and took the stairs to the second story to make his way to his rental car. As he reached for the handle, the lights went out in the garage, throwing him into pitch darkness. He turned his head to the left, expecting to see the street lights through the structure's open design, but there was nothing—just darkness, silence, and cold.

Then the lights came back, and he was standing in the shadows of the bushes next to an office tower across the street from the parking garage. His rental car was the source of a huge fireball rolling up the side of the structure, and alarms were blaring. He looked down at himself, and there wasn't a scorch mark, smudge, or tear on his uniform. How did he get here? What was that darkness? Was that a blackout? He'd never had one before, but he recalled being able to think throughout the experience, so it wasn't likely that.

First things first. He pulled his cell and dialed the Sergeant.

"Yes, sir?"

"K2." He hung up.

It was code to let her know he was going to ground.

What would Yablonski say?

Shit was getting real.

-=-

Mick stared at her cell, and dread filled her. She signaled to the others she was stepping away and rushed to the front door of the mansion. She knocked, and a moment later, the pretty Chinese girl answered it.

"Yes?"

"I need to speak to Henry immediately."

"He is sleeping after healing himself. Can it wait? I will be getting him to come down for supper in half an hour," Meixiu suggested.

"I'm afraid it can't wait. Crane's life is in danger!"

"Oh! Come with me!" Meixiu leapt for the stairs and made it to the third floor with the Sergeant right behind her. She rushed down the hall and gently knocked on Henry's door before opening it.

Henry was blinking his bleary eyes at them. When he saw Mick behind Meixiu, he sat up suddenly. "What's wrong?"

"I just got a call from the General. He's in danger. We need to get back to Washington. He also gave us the location for the missiles to be returned."

Henry looked at her sharply. "Should you go to him immediately?"

She shook her head. "The code he gave me indicated he was going into hiding, so he isn't in imminent danger. We can take care of the missiles first as that will only take a minute."

Henry heaved himself out of bed then realized his kilt was on the chair. He quickly picked it up and strapped it on before turning back to the Sergeant. "Sorry."

Meixiu was all smiles as she led them back downstairs. Henry went outside with the Sergeant after he gave Meixiu a kiss.

He turned to the Sergeant. "We'll use the door on the garden shed. Do you have a door at the destination in mind?"

"Uh, yeah. There is a small shack at the northwest corner of the airbase. Might be a guard station," she said.

When they got to the spot where the missiles were resting in the snow on the other side of the shield, Henry created an arch in the dome, and the team lifted the four defunct weapons and carried them inside. Henry closed the opening and led them over to the small outbuilding. He asked the Sergeant to assist him with the door, and she opened it to see a snow-swept field with a runway in the distance.

The team quickly marched the weapons through and left them lined up in the snow side by side. Then they rushed back in, and Henry dropped the door spell.

"We have to go," Mick said urgently.

Henry hooked a thumb at the door. "Where do you want to go?"

Mick froze. Shit! She could be back in Washington now! "Washington, DC. The Mall would be perfect."

"Can you think of a destination door?" Henry asked.

She nodded and touched the shed door again. He initiated the spell, and she pulled the handle. There was the Mall with the enclosure build up around the Strike Zone.

"Thanks!" Mick said as she gestured for the team to enter.

"Listen, if you or the General need assistance with anything, please call me," Henry offered.

Mick smiled and nodded to him. "Merry Christmas!" she chuckled, and Henry grinned back.

Once she was through, Mick had them run over to the General's office. Firetrucks and police cars were lined up before the parking structure, and scorch marks showed where a car had exploded.

"Shit's getting real!" Yablonski exclaimed.

Mick faced her squad and ensured she had their full attention. "The cloud cover will hide the infrared, so we're going top speed to meet the General. Follow me."

She saw wide smiles as they rarely got to run that fast.

Mick shot away, and each of them joined the line until they vanished from visible sight.

Seconds later, they were grouped behind a motel on the edge of town under an awning.

"I saw the General in a cab three miles west of the hotel," Feinberg noted. Several heads nodded as they'd seen the same.

They waited in the shelter from the blowing snow until the taxi appeared, slowed, and pulled into the parking lot. The moment it pulled away, Mick rushed around the corner and approached the General. "K2," she called out.

He turned and looked at her in surprise. He hustled over to the side of the building, and she guided him back to the rest of the squad.

"How did you get back so—Ah! Magic Door. Never mind," he said in relief.

"How did you know they'd boobytrapped your car?" Mick asked.

"I didn't. I was almost inside when everything went dark, and the next thing I knew, I was across the street hiding in some bushes while my rental car burned," he said, and the soldiers all shared spooked glances.

"Henry said if you need anything, just ask," Mick explained.

"What's he doing up there?" Gordon asked.

"He's celebrating Christmas with the families of his friends. He's also isolating himself from pre-transformed people because his body is currently throwing off huge waves of energy."

The General locked eyes with Mick. "He's a source of the energy that transforms people, and he's shedding large quantities?" The Sergeant nodded. He smiled. An idea was forming in his mind.

Gordon Crane wasn't going to wait for these bastards to try again. He was going into the lion's den to take the fight to them.

-=-

General Brixton stared at the chess pieces on the board before him as his mind worked on a completely separate challenge.

His plan to eliminate the threat in the woods on the Connecticut border while taking out Crane's freaks had done neither. What should have been a simple fait accompli was now a race to eliminate the evidence trail.

He knew he had sympathetic ears in congress who would have quickly jumped to support his efforts to bring sanity back to their lives. All this talk about strange new sources of energy, followed by the report of the flash of super-intense light from what had always been a quiet region of the state, signaled activity from one or more of these mutations that were popping up all over the world. Eliminating what was obviously a threat would prove the human way of life would continue, and humanity would be the dominant species on the planet.

While he wasn't keen on using terrorist tactics, the car bomb had been effective in tying off the loose end of that idiot, Brigadier-General Internet. Perhaps with the head of that freak team cut off, he'd be able to get the Silver People repurposed. Maybe even for medical experimentation.

His cell rang, and he frowned at it. It was too soon for Hollis to contact him. He looked at the screen and froze.

Crane was alive? He'd have to play ignorant.

He quickly composed himself and answered the call.

"Crane, don't you know it's Christmas Eve? Why are you calling me?" he growled in full bluster mode.

The man's voice came through the earpiece in gasps, like he'd been running. "Yes-sorry... but," He took a deep breath. "...someone just tried to kill me with a car bomb. My team was at the coordinates when US Air Force jets fired upon the civilian residence! I began investigating immediately and may have uncovered a conspiracy! My efforts must have caught their attention as they booby-trapped my rental. I'll have more evidence soon! We need to get the other members of our committee to join us back at the Pentagon. I'll be getting a call in forty minutes. The commanding officer of the airbase where jets flew from says he's digging up all the correspondence from their computer systems on the attack. He'll send it to me then. Can you get the others?"

Brixton nodded to himself as this could work. Even if Crane was trying to play him, he had more resources to reach out to for closing off the loose ends. The Colonel at the airbase was one he could easily deal with.

"Again, it's Christmas Eve, so some of them aren't available. I will get who I can. We'll be there in thirty."

"Good, good. Listen, I've been in this location too long. I have to keep moving. I'll see you in thirty." Crane hung up.

Brixton would be there in fifteen minutes to prepare their conference room. He'd ensure the recording system was deactivated, and he had a few trusted men in security ready to deal with surprises if Crane planned anything.

He called Hollis and Densbridge and told them to be in the room in twenty minutes.

Then he made a quick call to Bentford Air Base to have his man deal with a certain nosy Colonel.

Back to the situation at hand, if Crane came with evidence, he wouldn't be leaving with it. There were better than even odds he wouldn't be leaving at all.

-=-

General Crane walked briskly to the Pentagon's front doors and pulled one open, pausing a second before entering. He walked up to the Security and made a fuss about looking for his access card. Then he signed in and headed down the cold empty hallway to the elevator bank. The building was never vacant, but there was definitely a reduced presence tonight.

He pressed the down button, and an elevator door opened. He stepped inside and held the door as he listened, but the hall remained silent and empty.

Nodding, he pressed the button for the subfloor their meeting room was located and leaned back against the rail to go over the plan once more. He'd grilled the Sergeant, Feinberg, Dane, and Blayne on their roles, but he wasn't sure if it wasn't all going to go to hell once he stepped into that room and faced Brixton. He was pretty sure his acting on the call was a disaster, but he knew the man wouldn't refuse the bait and miss the opportunity to take care of what he'd failed to do earlier.

When he stepped off the elevator, he turned left and noticed two junior officers at the far end of the hall glance up at him then quickly look away. Well, that wasn't obvious at all.

He strode down the hall purposefully, and midway he turned to the door to the chamber and took another deep breath as he rubbed his temple. He pushed open the door and stood just inside, looking at the two men he'd expected to see and one he hadn't.

"This is it? Three?" he said with a scowl.

"It's fucking Christmas Eve! You're lucky you got us." Brixton snapped back. "Besides, you're almost late yourself."

Crane pulled his cell phone out and moved to join the other Generals by the desk. The phone rang so he answered it and put it on speaker. He touched his lips to get the others to remain quiet as he set the cell on the table surface.

"General Crane here."

"General, this is Colonel Miller."

In the corner of his eye, Gordon caught Brixton clenching his jaw.

"Yes, Colonel. Were you successful in retrieving the records?" Gordon asked.

"I was. I can ship you the records immediately," he replied.

"Excellent news! Please do! In the interim, can you give me the authorizing name on the order to send the jet fighters on the live-fire mission in New York State?"

"Major-General Hollis," Miller stated clearly.

Crane looked to Hollis, whose face was red with suppressed anger.

"One second, Colonel," Gordon said and placed the cell on mute.

He locked eyes with the Major-General. "What do you have to say about that?"

"Fuck you is what I say," the angry man responded.

"Hold that thought," Crane said as he disabled the mute. "Colonel, was there anything else you need to report?"

"Yes, you were right. Someone did attempt to silence me tonight. He was quite surprised to be captured by the two Silver Soldiers you loaned me. They proved to be equally successful at compelling a confession out of him. He said he was ordered to do it by General Brixton just moments after you spoke to the General."

"One second, Colonel," Gordon said again, but only pretended to put the phone on mute this time.

Now it was Brixton's turn to face Crane's piercing stare. "Any words, General?"

Instead of speaking, Brixton pulled a monstrous handgun and fired it point-blank at Crane's chest.

The man flew back and landed in a crumpled heap.

"FUCK!" Densbridge yelled as he looked back at the corpse cooling on the meeting room floor. "Was that entirely necessary?" he barked.

"Of course, it was necessary, Rick! The asshole restored the digital data trail I was informed was permanently removed. They got Hollis for ordering the attack—"

"That was your order!" Hollis barked at Brixton in his shock.

"Don't be a pussy, Hollis! You know it was required, and you participated, as did Rick." He looked back at Densbridge. "I don't know how they got the confession out of my guy at the base. Probably tortured by one of those silver freaks. Now they have me for ordering a hit. Why is tonight falling into the shitter?"

Hollis suddenly slumped and fell to the floor.

"Gawdammit!" Brixton cursed and watched Densbridge kneel to check on the man, then jump to his feet with a shout of fear.

"What the fuck!" Rick said, pointing at the prone man who seemed to be shrinking.

Brixton watched in shock and yelped when Densbridge toppled over as well.

"What? What's going on? This is bullshiiii..." His gun dropped from his grip as he staggered forward, dropped to his knees, and flopped forward onto his face.

The room went silent.

-=-

Henry was kneeling next to Crane and checked his pulse. He breathed a silent sigh of relief as his heartbeat was strong and steady.

He felt another of his personal force fields brush against his, and suddenly he could see the Sergeant as their fields merged into one two-person bubble. She touched his arm, and he felt her guilt and fear. He pushed his reassurance that the General was alive and would survive.

What frightened Henry was that the force field spell he gave Crane hadn't worked. Worse, he couldn't find any sign of it on the man. The magic didn't stick!

He'd been shot at close range from a huge handgun. Even with the bulletproof vest the man wore under his uniform, such a big weapon would likely have punched through it at that distance. Yet, there was no blood. He was breathing, but Henry had to believe he was badly bruised if he didn't have broken ribs.

Then he noticed some black shards of a stone-like substance on the floor next to Crane's chest. Henry touched one and yanked his fingers back. The stone gave off a terrible vibration through the Wild Magic. He had a momentary flash to the darkness he'd fought his way out of during those months on Eden.

Henry looked closer at the exposed surface of the destroyed vest the man wore under his clothes. There seemed to be a layer of this black stone inside the vest. He needed to get a sample. He reached for another shard, but it suddenly disintegrated into a faint black mist. Henry blew on it to keep it from the unconscious man's face. The last thing the General needed was to breathe in the evil stuff.

When Crane called him up with the plan, Henry was more than a little shocked. The General asked him if he could create personal force fields and add the invisibility component to them. He wanted to sneak some of his squad into the Pentagon for protection when he confronted General Brixton and an unknown number of co-conspirators. He was bringing one tech to ensure the recording equipment was running in the room as Brixton would likely disable it. He'd bring one team member to handle any participants in the hallway and two more to be in the room with him. All of them had to be invisible as they couldn't show on the recording.

Henry already had the personal shield spell he'd given Roy and adding the light bending technique was simple.

It was the last request that made Henry the most uncomfortable. The General wanted Henry to jump into the meeting room as he'd appeared in the Capitol Hill hearing chamber. He wanted Henry to dose the co-conspirators with energy to crush what he saw as a growing denial movement. They needed to accept their change. Henry would also have to be invisible.

He warned the General that he could change as well, but the man just nodded and said he was ready. Looking at the unconscious man now, Henry couldn't tell if he had, but it seemed unlikely.

Henry stood and ensured he never stepped between the room's two cameras and the bodies lying on the floor. While the invisibility worked perfectly on flat surface fields, there were many curved surfaces on a personal force field, which caused a slight ripple effect.

The first man to fall was now a Brownie. The second man definitely had a Fae's features, but the last one to fall had transformed the most. He was half his original height but had thick limbs, much like Rand Von Deussel. No beard like the Dwarf had, though.

Henry heard the sound of running feet, so he knew he had to leave. The room was going to be saturated with Wild Magic for a while.

With a final puzzled look at Crane, Henry took a grip on his right ring finger and jumped back to the mansion. He dropped the force field, and Meixiu squeaked in surprise as she stood by the double doors in the hidden hallway in the cave. He pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you for waiting here for me and giving me someone to return to," he said with a smile.

She tilted her face up to him, and he kissed her tenderly. After, she rubbed her face against his chest. "I spent so many years in this house in misery and fear. I never believed I would ever feel this joy in my heart while I was within these walls. Now I see the home was never the source of those terrible feelings. It's just a place, and now I'm filling it with my own memories and treasured moments. It has become a place of love, friendship, and now family! I love that Trish's family feels so comfortable here. I want to do something for them to show my appreciation.

"Your acceptance of them in your home proves your generosity!" Henry asserted.

He kissed her once more until she patted his chest so she could catch her breath. She held him tightly as she tingled deliciously.

"I have an idea about showing them our appreciation of being included in their family if you'd like to help me," he suggested softly.

She nodded to him excitedly.

Henry turned to the double doors set into the stone. It was time.

Chapter 12

Steph had fidgeted all through dinner, casting glances at Henry while everyone enjoyed the Christmas Eve meal of Brian's special chili and fluffy white basmati rice. It was an Evan's family Christmas tradition.

When Henry left the table to take a US Army Brigadier-General's call, Steph felt a little thrill shoot through her. He was so much more interesting than her cold-fish husband David had ever been. He was doing something with his Magic Doors and the Silver Soldiers, and she saw them arrive and leave. Then he'd whispered something to Meixiu, and they'd gone down to the cave.

Everyone was expected to stay out of that room until Christmas dinner tomorrow, so she couldn't follow him down, though she really wanted to.

She'd caught Tish watching her with a knowing smile throughout the meal, but she did her best to pretend she wasn't obsessing over the big, strong, sexy as hell man—Satyr, he preferred the term, Satyr.

When dinner finally broke up, the adults were directed to the formal living room as a very pregnant and very fit looking blonde woman named Sigrid wished to make an announcement. Tish hooked her elbow through Steph's and led her to a loveseat.

"I'll introduce myself again in case anyone missed it the first time. My name is Sigrid Gunderan, and this is my mother, Hilda Gunderan."

There were sounds of surprise as Hilda didn't look much older than her daughter. This made Hilda very happy.

"As you can see, I'm very pregnant." That produced chuckles. "In fact, I'll be giving birth tomorrow." That produced exclamations of surprise and shock.

"How can you be sure?" Tish's sister Ellen asked.

Sigrid smiled. "I'm a Valkyrie. We have very short pregnancies, and they're never late or early."

There were several snorts and nervous giggles.

"How short is short?" Tish's other sister Jackie asked.

"One week," Sigrid said, and the noise level rocketed as the gathered were a noisy bunch.

Tish grinned happily as Steph had been one of the loudest voices in the group. Steph blushed in embarrassment from her outburst but saw Sigrid was just smiling at her.

"Fauns are twelve months," Tish volunteered, and dismayed eyes turned her way. "I didn't begin to show until nine months."

Kristen was shaking her head in wonder. "One week from fetus to newborn? That's amazing!"

"Does that rate of development continue after birth?" Brian asked.

"Yes, for a time. A Valkyrie child must be able to run within four months and fly by six. At twelve months, they're able to fight using non-bladed weapons.

"Fight?" Ellen shrieked.

Hilda chuckled. "Of course. We're warriors."

"Shouldn't Henry be part of this conversation? He's the Dad, isn't he?" Tish asked Sigrid.

Her family exploded into noisy bewilderment. Camila, Marisa, and Siobhan grinned at the excitable family while the Kings watched in fascination.

Lorelei watched Tish closely as she'd just admitted the father of her child was also the father of Sigrid's. She wasn't sure if it was said as an accusation or not.

Sigrid blinked at the uproar then looked to Tish. "I'll fill him in tomorrow."

"You mean he is? What about Tish's child?" Brian complained.

Tish raised her hands to stem another explosion of sound from her family. She smiled at them, and this calmed them somewhat.

"You know me. I've always been a free spirit, a non-conformist. I love Henry, and he loves me. He loves our baby, Celeste, and will be her father. However, we're not exclusive. You could say we're a level above friends with benefits. Really, really, really good benefits!"

Sigrid smiled and nodded, which started a chain reaction as Camila and Marisa nodded vigorously while giggling. A few of the other ladies began to nod in agreement, as well.

Mahati was one of them, but her face was flushed with embarrassment. She stared at Kali when she saw her sister had joined in. "We'll talk later," Kali mouthed to her.

Aadiya and Mahali pranced into the room, looking at the happy faces.

Dotty, Brian's wife, looked to the latest arrivals and a light went on in her eyes. "Henry's with these two as well isn't he!"

Tish glanced at her brother and then to his wife, as this sounded like her soapbox being dragged out. The woman would go on crusades if something offended her.

"If I may?" Camila said to get everyone's attention. She gestured for the twins to join her, and they quickly rushed to her and sat on either side of the Succubus. Marisa had to slide down the couch to give Mahali space. "Aadiya and Mahali are a special case. They are what's called Feral Succubi. Until recently, it was a terrible but necessary practice for feral newborns to be euthanized as they could not be hidden from Humanity.

Mab stole these rarer than rare twins from their birth mother, and they've been in her captivity for most of their lives. Mab treated them like pets. They were little more than instinct-driven creatures when she introduced them to Henry. What she hadn't expected was that they would bond with him. It's an instinctual process, and it cannot be broken. They must be with him at regular intervals, or they lose their will to live and die.

Baba Yaga took them from Henry the night they bonded, so she must have put them into some form of stasis. Then she released them on Eden, probably just before she went to Mab. The twins hunted and found him. When we last saw them, they didn't have wings, and they had longer horns and fangs. They returned with these changes, so we assume they were evolved by exposure to Henry's Wild Magic at some point."

She stroked their cheeks affectionately, and they cuddled in against her. "I have to say, they are far calmer and more affectionate than I expected. Their vocabulary is growing as well."

Dotty looked to Tish uncomfortably. "But are you okay with your man just showing up with two... sexualized beings and expecting them to live with you?"

Tish laughed. "Weren't you listening, Dotty? He isn't my man. He's my very good friend, my sex partner, the father to our child, and he loves me as I love him. He's a Satyr! He loves many of my friends. And when he showed up with the sexy twins, he'd just returned from the dead after six months! I was ecstatic to have him back at all! Do I mind them living with us? Not at all! Henry isn't in my bed every night, but they are. Let me tell you, they're insatiable and highly skilled in the arts of sex."

The room exploded once more with laughter, cries of shock, and annoyed exclamation of distaste at hearing about a sibling's sex life. Tish laughed and fended off Steph's playful slaps. She looked at the twins and blew them kisses, which made them grin happily and blow kisses back.

The conversation was forcibly redirected back to Sigrid's impending birth.

"I'll be having the birthing ceremony here at the mansion. Mother will be my midwife. Eleanor King has volunteered to be her second should there be medical complications. Dayshia said she will be Eleanor's support," Sigrid explained.

Henry stepped into the doorway with a sleepy look in his eye. He smiled at the assembled adults. Meixiu was at his elbow, and her excited grin drew everyone's attention.

"What?" Sigrid asked her.

Meixiu shook her head with a mischievous grin. "You must wait until tomorrow for Henry's surprise!"

Now everyone was looking at Henry, and he chuckled at their eager expressions. "I just stopped by the other sitting room to get the kid's impressions of what Christmas feels like for them. One of the things they mentioned was the feeling of anticipation. I never celebrated Christmas as a kid, so I didn't get to experience that. Tomorrow after dinner, I have a special gift for all of you. Now you get to enjoy what the kids say is one of the best parts of Christmas, and I get to anticipate the fun of giving it to you!"

Henry held up his hands to shield him from their pleas and just shook his head. "Meixiu has been sworn to secrecy as well. You'll just have to wait."

He walked over to see Sigrid and took her hands in his. "Sorry. I missed your announcement with all that running around with General Crane. Are you feeling okay?"

She squeezed his hands. "Yes. I feel as big as a bus!" She gave her head a shake as he began to protest. "We can talk in the morning. You look like you used too much energy tonight. You should get some sleep." He nodded wearily.

"Did he get that issue resolved?" Roy asked.

"Yeah, I think so. Crane was hurt in the process. Most likely just some nasty bruising, but he could have some busted ribs." He frowned and looked over at Siobhan. "Could I ask you to take a quick look at the General tomorrow? He was exposed to a great deal of Wild Magic, but it doesn't look like he's being affected by it."

"Wild Magic affects everybody!" Camila said in surprise.

Henry nodded to her and shrugged as he didn't have an answer to that.

"No problem, Henry," Siobhan replied.

"Thanks!" He looked at the rest of the people in the room. "Merry Christmas! See you tomorrow." Everyone smiled and wished him a Merry Christmas as well.

As Henry left the room, the twins following close behind, Steph felt another surge of tingles as her eyes drank in his powerful arms and back. She glanced at Tish and saw she was watching her. The younger sister leaned in to rest her forehead against Steph's.

"If you want to be with him, just ask him. Not tonight though, he looks exhausted."

Steph gasped softly and bit her lip. She looked into her baby sister's eyes and saw love and acceptance there. With tears of happiness welling up in hers, she threw her arms around her sister and hugged her.

She loved her family!

Chapter 13

Henry woke feeling refreshed and content. He felt the soft bodies of the twins cuddled in next to him. He kissed them gently, and their eyes opened as they smiled.

"Good morning, Mahali, Aadiya," he whispered. "You don't need to get up."

Their eyes closed again, and they reached for each other as he slipped out of bed. They were asleep once more in seconds.

Henry grabbed a fresh Kilt and made his way to the washroom, where he quickly showered in his Human glamor. He dried, dropped his glamor, and dressed in the kilt before heading downstairs.

He stopped on the second floor and listened at the master bedroom door, but it seemed Sigrid was still asleep. He didn't want to wake her, but he also wanted to talk to her about their child. He rocked slightly on his hooves as the concept of being a father again so soon shook his foundations.

He continued downstairs and raided the fridge for a quick breakfast. He went out into the back yard and took his favorite seat in the gazebo. He engaged his Wild Magic-to-heat spell and felt toasty warm almost immediately, not that he'd been affected by the cold too badly, to begin with. He enjoyed the peace and quiet of dawn for a while before pulling out his cell and checking for messages.

There was a text from the Sergeant asking him to call as soon as possible.

Feeling a little guilty for enjoying his relaxed morning routine, he dialed the soldier's number.

"Henry! What the hell went wrong last night?" she immediately hissed quietly into her cell.

"Is General Crane okay?" Henry asked. He heard the sound of wind rushing by the cell's microphone, so the Sergeant was moving somewhere she could speak freely.

"Yes, no thanks to your force field!" she barked in a normal voice.

Henry frowned. "The spell wasn't there when I arrived in the conference room."

There was a moment of silence. "What? What's that mean?"

"Everyone in that conference room absorbed a high amount of Wild Magic, but the only one who wasn't affected was General Crane. Something is off."

"I almost blew the mission last night when the General was shot. How did he survive that point-blank gunshot if the force field wasn't active?

"He had the bulletproof vest under his clothes—" Henry began

"The vest should have failed against that hand cannon that close!" Mick asserted heatedly.

"When I looked, the vest seemed to be filled with some kind of stone, but that turned into a mist shortly after I saw it. I've never seen anything like it. Any ideas?"

She was quiet for a moment. "We don't have bulletproof vests filled with stone," she responded. "Can you heal his injuries?"

Henry sighed. "Not if he's immune to Wild Magic. I'd like to have a friend of mine take a look at him. She'll try to determine why. Where is he now?"

"He's at the hospital being guarded by members of the squad," the Sergeant explained.

"Can one of the soldiers who's been in the hospital room come to my condo in New Jersey so I can get them to open the door to the hospital room for my friend to take a look at him? I don't dare visit the hospital myself as I'm still gushing Wild Magic everywhere."

"Sure, I'll send Yablonski," Mick said.

"Thanks! Did you get the evidence you needed?" Henry asked.

"Yes, the room's recorders caught everything, and we got a copy too. They took Brixton, Hollis, and Densbridge into custody last night. Colonel Miller is delighted to offer evidence against them as well."

"So, I shouldn't have to worry about more missile attacks any time soon?" he asked, and she laughed.

"Keep that dome up, and you won't ever have to worry," she suggested with a chuckle.

He smiled. "Noted. I'll adjust the permission to allow you and your team entry, but you'll need to slow to a walk to pass through it as there might be people inside."

"Noted. Thanks! Yablonski will be at your apartment in roughly an hour," Mick advised.

"Thanks! I'll top him up when he gets here," Henry said.

"Lucky man!" Mick moaned.

Henry thought about that. "I'll try to send him back with a packed lunch for the rest of you."

There was silence. "Really? You can do that?"

"I won't know until I try," Henry replied.

"You're getting pretty handy with this magic stuff!" the Sergeant said, impressed.

He sighed. "Yeah, it seems to be coming to me easier and easier. It's starting to feel like second nature, but that may be because of the stuff Baba crammed into my brain. I'd still rather just work on tech."

"Talk to you soon," Mick said.

"Bye."

Henry sent Siobhan a text asking her to call him when she had a moment, then leaned back against the bench to enjoy the sight of the falling snow. They'd had quite a bit of it last night, and it didn't seem to be slowing. The kids were going to love this!

"You needed to speak to me, Henry?"

He turned in his seat and saw someone standing in the back doorway. The falling snow was obscuring the view, but he recognized Siobhan's voice. She'd know where he was based on the glow he was casting off.

"Hang on, I'll be right there," he called out.

As he walked back to the house, he looked up at the snowfall. It felt heavier than the day before. Crazy!

He shook off the snow and went in the back door. As he towel-dried, he saw many people preparing breakfast but none of Tish's family nor Dayshia's. Henry guessed they were celebrating their Christmas morning traditions at home.

Tish had Celeste in her arms, and Marisa held Natalia as they sat at a small table to the side with Sigrid and Hilda.

"Merry Christmas, everyone!" he called out from the doorway, and they returned the greeting.

Siobahn was waiting nearby with her eyes closed, so Henry gave her a friendly kiss and a hug.

"Mmm! I wasn't expecting you to be so warm after being outside," she said in surprise.

"Ah, I forgot to turn off the heating spell," he said and did so.

Camila rushed over to get a kiss and hug, which was naturally outrageously sexy, and he had to struggle not to react. "Find me later when everything settles down," she whispered in his ear, her tongue teasing his earlobe as she pulled back.

Shocks and tingles raced through his body as she pranced back to the counter. Henry took some deep breaths as Siobahn patted his arm.

"What did you need to ask me?" she said.

"It's about General Crane. I have one of his Silver Soldiers coming to help me open a connection to his hospital room. I need you to look at his aura to see if there is something off."

Siobhan's eyebrows went up. "Right! You said he's not affected by Wild Magic. He'd be the only one to be that way," she said quietly.

He nodded. "He's also the only Human who was in a separate dimension when Mab tripped the curse. I believe he's the only fully Human man on Earth. I need you to take a look at the General but be careful, okay? Just a surface look."

"When do you need this done?" she asked.

"One of the Silver Soldiers will be coming to the condo. I'll bring him here so he can open a door into the General's hospital room," Henry explained.

"I'll be here," she said, patting his arm, then returned to the counter to help.

Henry joined the ladies sitting at the table. He kissed the heads of the two babies, then kissed their mothers, Marisa doing an excellent job of mimicking her mother's earlier efforts. She gave him a hot smile as he pulled back from her lips.

He stumbled over to stand before Sigrid. "Good morning! How are you feeling?"

She pouted, and his eyes locked on her bottom lip. "I feel as big as an aircraft carrier!"

Henry snorted at the imagery. "Nonsense! You look amazing!" He couldn't resist any longer, so he swept in and caressed her mouth with his and paid extra attention to that plump lower lip.

"OHMmmm!" she moaned and clung to his arms. He pulled back, and her blue eyes locked on his mouth hungrily.

Hilda made a noise to draw his attention. He faced her. "Good morning, Hilda."

"You're going to leave me feeling left out?" she asked with a sly smile.

He froze, then he glanced between the others at the table. "I don't know the protocols here. How-how does one kiss the mother of one's girlfriend? And no, it's not the same as Marisa and Camila."

Tish just shook her head as she grinned, and Sigrid snorted in amusement. Marisa offered advice. "Follow her lead." That made Hilda's grin wider, and her eyes flashed with what looked like a challenge.

He moved to her side, and she turned to face him, still smiling. He bent to gently touch his lips to hers and felt her fingers slide into his hair on the back of his head. She took a tight grip then began to kiss him deeper. This was another dominance contest for her. He could tell he was going to have challenges with this one.

He slid his fingertips along her jawline, and her bold tongue thrusts paused as he sent a torrent of tingles rushing down her neck. She tried to take the initiative again, but he was cupping her face in his big hands, lightning was racing through her nerves, and his mouth began to caress hers, nibbling at her lips, the tip of his tongue stroking across them, gently sucking on them and her tongue.

Her eyes closed as his fingers massaged the back of her neck. She struggled to catch her breath and gasped into his kiss.

When he pulled back, she swayed on her chair and grabbed the table to steady herself.

"Good morning, Hilda," he repeated, looking into her eyes.

"G-good morning... Henry," she breathed.

Sigrid could no longer suppress her laughter, and the cheerful sound lit up the kitchen. The others who'd been watching silently also joined in.

Hilda suddenly realized she had an audience and looked around in surprise.

Sigrid patted her hand on the table. "Mother, never try to out kiss a Satyr."

She looked back at Henry. "No... I suppose not," she said softly, which caused more giggles.

Mahati and Kali arrived, and Henry kissed them on his way out. Both looked quite pleased.

He spotted Dayshia and Sandy stepping out of the door to the vestibule. Henry was immediately engulfed in Kesini's embrace. He chuckled and smiled at Sandy when he noticed she and Dayshia were carrying large shopping bags.

"Whatcha got there?" Henry asked curiously.

"Toys for the tables," Dayshia said with a grin, and Henry just shook his head curiously.

Sandy pulled one of the items from the bag. It was a set of miniature building blocks that could be used to build a variety of shapes. "We have a variety of different toys, and we'll put one in front of each place setting on the table, so everyone has something to play with," Sandy explained.

"That's so cool! These will be a big hit!" he grinned.

"Does that earn us a hint as to what your surprise is?" Dayshia asked slyly. Sandy cheered.

"Nope! Nice try, though," Henry chuckled as he pulled the blonde into his arms.

She was swooning when they parted, and Kesini had to carry her shopping bag.

Dayshia got a hot kiss as well and pushed at him rather frantically as she caught herself grinding against him and was getting too excited.

They rushed away toward the kitchen, grinning back at him as they kept each other steady.

Henry stepped through the door into the cavern vestibule and saw one of the doors opening. He smiled at Lorelei, who he'd caught mid-yawn.

"Sorry, I'm more of a night person," she said as she blushed in embarrassment.

"I've been up since dawn," Henry said with a smile.

"Ugh! You're one of those!" she teased.

He laughed. "No sleep shaming!"

She held up her hands and nodded her agreement.

He held out his hands to her and gathered her against him once she placed her hands in his. He kissed her sweetly, and she sighed ever so faintly. "Good morning."

"Good morning to you. I might be willing to be more of a morning person if I can get more of that," she said sweetly.

"If I told you they're available at all hours—"

"I'd never wake early again," she immediately answered.

"Don't go changin'," he sang, and she burst into giggles. "Hey!" he exclaimed with a pout.

He pretended to stomp away to his door.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

He smiled back at her. "Just for a bit. I'm meeting one of the Silver Soldiers in a few minutes, and I'll be back."

"Don't take long," she said as she walked past and tapped his lips with a finger. She giggled at his surprised look as she headed for the kitchen.

He went through the door and went to his front door, but the hall was empty. He went into his bedroom and rummaged for something he could use to store energy in that wouldn't immediately leak it all out.

He found some dumbbells Tish used to use before her muscles outgrew them in the bottom of the closet. The heads were encased in rubber with a chromed handle between them. Henry picked up the thirty-pound weight set and gripped the handles, directing the energy from his rift down his arms, forcing it into the handle and the connected heads. It took a lot of effort to feed the power into the solid metal. Once he'd filled all of the available space in both heads for each weight, he released the handles. He couldn't see the energy, but when he gripped the handles again, he noted they wouldn't accept any more, so it seemed to be holding.

There was a knock at the door, so he carried the weights to the small table in the hall and confirmed it was the soldier before opening the door.

"Welcome, Mr. Yablonski!" He welcomed him in and locked up.

"Hey! The Sergeant mentioned you'd top me up?" the soldier said immediately.

Henry smiled and gestured to the dumbbells. "Grip the handles."

The soldier glanced at them. "Thirty pounds? That's nothing!"

Henry nodded to them with a smile, so the soldier took a grip on both.

"OH SHIT! YEAH!" the soldier exclaimed with a large smile as he felt his energy levels surging upwards until he had to let go.

"That's pretty smart!" Yablonski said as he smiled at Henry.

He needed to know how much the soldier had taken, so Henry took a grip and forced more energy inside the heavy metal. It didn't take much, so these two weights would probably be enough to charge the entire squad at least once—hopefully.

Henry had spent more time in his condo than he felt comfortable with, so he grabbed a small reusable fabric shopping bag from his kitchen and put the weights inside. "Let's go."

He stepped through the closet door into the mansion and went up to the entrance to the kitchen.

"Siobhan?" Henry called out, and the woman turned to look at him. She nodded and joined him in the hall. "This is Mr. Yablonski," he said, gesturing to the silver man. "This is Siobhan."

They nodded and smiled at each other.

Henry tapped on a door to a two-piece bathroom in the hall, heard nothing, and no one was inside when he opened it. "Good. Mr. Yablonski, picture in your mind the hospital door that leads to General Crane's room.

The man nodded. "Keep thinking of that door as you touch this one." Henry touched the back of his hand and launched the spell. "Okay." He handed the shopping back to the soldier. "Give these to the Sergeant when you see her. I'm going to go outside, then you knock on the door." He gave Siobhan a look, and she nodded.

With a final nod, Henry walked to the front of the house and stepped outside.

Three minutes later, Siobhan came running out and threw herself against Henry's chest. She was trembling and crying. "What? What happened? Are you okay?"

She squeezed herself tighter against Henry. He waited, but it took five minutes for her to calm enough to be able to speak. He put his heat spell on again, and his warmth finally drew her out. "It's awful, Henry!"

He saw the Sergeant standing in the front doorway. "Henry, can you turn off the Magic Door so I can leave the General's room?"

"Sorry," he said and guided Siobhan back inside. He had her take a seat in the formal living room as he brought the Sergeant back to the door to the hospital room.

Mick stopped him just outside the door to the hospital room. "I know you need to get back to Siobhan, but I wanted to thank you for the energy dumbbells. They're brilliant!" Her expression showed she was uneasy about something. "I-I need to ask another favor, but I'll let you get back to her. Call me when you find out what she saw. She really freaked us out," Mick said, and he nodded. She stepped inside, and he closed the door and released the spell.

He rushed back to Siobhan and sat next to her, pulling her to his chest once more.

"Start from the beginning," he said gently.

She nodded, and a tremor went through her muscles. "I-I did as you said, just a surface look. The Sergeant and Yablonski were in the room too. She wasn't glowing as brightly as Yablonski. Some of your excess had poured through the doorway, but when it flowed near the bed and the General, he seemed to fade into a shadow that pushed the Wild Magic away." She sucked in a deep breath. He could see she was calming herself, so he remained quiet until she was ready.

"I didn't mean to. I was just so startled by the darkness moving I looked closer, and then I was inside." Her eyes opened, and she turned her face from him, but she left them open. "It was dark, cold, ancient, vast, alien, and it felt like there was more than one. Our minds didn't touch, but I got all that just from the briefest glance. They-it was so vast, I was insignificant to it. I-I think I might have screamed. I shut down my sight and ran from the room."

Henry sighed as he knew what that darkness was. He was putting pieces together, but it formed an unhappy picture.

"I'm sorry I exposed you to that, Siobhan."

She shook her head. "You warned me. It's not your fault." She paused. "You know what it is."

He wondered if he should tell her, but she was better off not knowing all the details. "I have some hints from Baba's knowledge. You're fine, though. You never linked to it, just got pulled by the gravity into its influence briefly. That proximity leads to heightened paranoia. You can let it go as it was just an external stimulus. It isn't permanent or meaningful, and it fades quickly."

Henry could see Siobhan relaxing as he spoke. He lifted her to her feet. "Please don't tell anyone about Crane until I work out what we can do. Okay?" She nodded. "Thanks! Let's go to the kitchen and see how the others are doing."

She nodded with a little smile, and they marched down the hall and into a room filled with talking and laughter. Henry watched the last shreds of the clinging dread wash away under the sound of friendly voices.

When he was sure she was settled, he slipped back into the hallway and made his way out the front door once again. He pulled out his cell and called the Sergeant.

"Henry! Did she tell you what she saw?" the woman asked nervously.

He thought her anxiety levels seemed higher than normal, which would also be a sign of this shadow's influence on her.

"There is good news. The General is not in any imminent danger. Can you tell me if anything odd happened to him lately? Aside from last night, any dangerous situations he somehow avoided?"

"The car bombing! Someone planted a bomb in his rental car. As he was about to get in, he said everything went black, then he was across the street!" Mick exclaimed.

Henry sighed as this confirmed his suspicions. There were ramifications and conclusions for this line of thought, but he still needed time to prepare himself for that, so he set it aside.

"Yeah, like that. Listen, as I said, the General isn't in any imminent danger, but you and the team will be if you stay in close physical proximity to him. You need to be around positive influences to counteract the thing that's protecting him. Laughter, family, relaxing, these will restore balance. You can still have short intervals in the General's presence, but when possible, use your cell instead of a face-to-face."

"You say no imminent danger, but there is a danger, isn't there," Mick said.

Henry knew he had to be straight with her. "Yes, but it's an over-time accumulative danger. He's fine for now. I'm working on it."

He heard her sigh in relief.

"You said something about a favor?" he reminded her.

"Now I feel doubly guilty," she moaned.

"Out with it! I'll tell you if it's outrageous."

She chuckled a little. "Uh, you mentioned family a moment ago, and being around them would be good. You know the Squad's family are all Silver People now, yes?"

"Yes, you mentioned that to me," Henry said with a smile.

"Well, they're all out doing rescue missions on the highways due to the storm. They're pulling cars out of the ditches, ensuring the people are safe, warm, and have food and water while they wait for emergency vehicles, anything they can do to help," Mick explained.

"That's wonderful!" Henry said.

"The problem is, the storm has been going on for so long, they're becoming exhausted."

"You need me to recharge them?" Henry asked.

"Could you?" the Sergeant asked timidly.

"Where are they now?" Henry asked.

"They've been following the storm, so most of them aren't far from you. Not far in terms of how fast one of us can run, that is," Mick explained.

"Okay. Listen, tell them the address of the mansion and how to get here. Tell them to walk through the energy field and be careful of the kids like I described to you. I'll initially charge them myself, but I'm going to set up a charging station in the woods behind the mansion. Future top-ups can be done there."

"Thanks, Henry!"

"I'm just glad to be able to assist them in their rescue efforts. They're doing good deeds. That should be rewarded!" Henry said with a smile.

"You're one of the good ones too, Henry," Mick said fondly.

"Thanks! You too. Talk to you later."

Henry knew what he needed for the charging station. He'd picked up the main component last night with Meixiu's assistance, but he needed a base. He walked over to the garden shed and went inside. There were supplies for a garden that Walter never constructed in the back corner. One item caught his eye. It was one of those reflective orbs people put in their gardens to reflect the beauty around them.

He dug it out and saw it was a chrome metal orb bolted to a concrete stand. He carried it out of the shed and left it at the edge of the woods behind the mansion. Then he made his way back to the front door and went inside. He listened, but the voices sounded like they were in the dining room, so he slipped into the vestibule then into the cavern. He quickly made his way to the hidden corridor and slipped inside. He picked up the largest of the crystals he'd collected and made his way back to listen at the hallway door.

He was still clear, so he quietly stepped to the front door and outside. He decided to take the long way around to eliminate any chance of someone inside seeing him carrying part of today's surprise. When he was in the woods behind the home, he took some deep breaths and turned his perceptions inside to listen to the Wild Magic. He was listening for a deep hum that would indicate the crystal he was carrying was resonating with the crystals in the hidden corridor in the cave deep under his feet. He moved in an expanding spiral until he heard the hum, deep and strong. He set it down then went back for the chrome orb and concrete stand.

It was a tricky maneuver, but he used two tears, one to Eden and one inside the chrome orb's interior, and transferred the large crystal inside. It barely fit, but he released the tears, and the sphere contained the crystal.

"Henry!"

He looked towards the house as that was Roy's voice calling out for him.

"I'll be right there!" he yelled back.

He wondered how Roy found him then recalled that Siobhan could probably find him by his glow.

He'd have to do this quick. The crystal was inside, but it wasn't connected yet. He put his hands on the chrome orb and dumped some Wild Magic into the metal. It took a fraction of a second for this charge to create a path to the crystal inside. This caused a pulse in the crystal, which jumped down through the solid rock to link to the power generator he'd set up in the cave. A conduit was made, and Wild Magic pulsed on the surface of the Chrome orb. The charging station was working!

He added a binding spell to anchor the concrete base to the ground. He'd have to come out in the Spring to pour a real concrete pad to bolt the stand to.

With the task done, he jogged through the snow to the back of the house, where Roy was giving him an annoyed look.

"What?" Henry asked.

"Didja perhaps fail to mention to anyone that we'd be getting a whole lot of Silver visitors?" he growled.

"Oh! Damn! Sorry, I thought I'd have time before they got here. They're family members of the Silver Soldiers. They're doing highway rescue work due to the storm, and they needed a recharge," he explained.

"Ah, okay. Well, your guests are all out front."

"Could you ask them to come around into the backyard?" Henry asked.

"Aye," Roy grumbled and went back inside.

Henry walked back to the woods' edge and turned to see the first of the Silver People jog around the building. He waved to them, and they adjusted their path to reach him.

"Hi! I'm Henry," he said to the first one who seemed to be their leader.

"Hi, Ron Tennison. Papa of Sergeant Michelle Tennison. This is my lovely wife, Dixie," the man said, gesturing to a shorter female.

It was hard to gauge age on silver faces, but Ron's voice had command authority in it. He was likely a military man himself, once. Henry saw the rest of the group had caught up.

"Your daughter told me about the awesome work you guys are doing. I'm so impressed and glad to help. I just finished constructing a charging station for you guys. Just follow the tracks in the snow until you see the reflective ball. That's it. Just touch it and release when you are topped up."

Henry walked back with Ron, who glanced once at Henry then reached out a hand to touch the orb.

"Whoa!" he exclaimed, then put his other hand on it and smiled at Henry. He lifted his hands no more than ten seconds later.

He grinned at the others. "That beats chasing storms!"

Dixie was next and only needed seven seconds before she pulled her hands back.

Henry moved aside with Ron and Dixie as each member of the group took their turn.

"Why do you feel like fresh lightning?" Dixie asked.

Henry smiled as he recalled the same words from—He froze as he saw four familiar faces in the group.

"Sam and Jeannie! Jake and Brenda!"

The Lagrange and Miller couples waved at him, and once they'd recharged, they joined Henry for a group hug. Jeannie was all giggles as she recalled the first time they did this with him. She gestured for Ron and Dixie to join, and suddenly there were seventy-seven Silver People all hugging one Satyr in the center. He let his Wild Magic flow through everyone, and they all grinned.

"Okay, people, we got rescuin' to do. We can't be wasting time hugging all day!" Ron called out and got a few boos but more chuckles.

As the group pulled back, Dixie caught Henry's eye, and he could see she was still waiting for an answer.

"I have a rift to the alternate dimension inside me. The Wild Magic Energy flows out of it. It's the same energy you get from the charging station," he explained.

"It feels smoother from you," Sam said with a grin.

"It's the filtration!" Jake offered.

"I'm just a filter?" Henry asked with a grin, and Brenda playfully slapped her husband's arm for suggesting he was.

Ron moved a little closer. "Would it be okay for us to come back to use the charging station from time to time?"

"Come back as often as you need. As long as you enter the property line at a walking pace and watch for playing children," Henry said.

"What happens if we run across the line?" one of the others called out.

"You'll get knocked back violently by the force field," Henry warned. "Also, from outside, you can't see anyone inside. Running in risks colliding with someone."

He had their attention. "You can run on the way out, though. It's inbound traffic that the field protects against."

"We'll all follow those rules," Ron said loudly, and the group nodded.

"Thank you for the energy," Ron said to Henry.

"You are most welcome. I'm just glad I can support your efforts," Henry said.

"Sorry to eat and run," Dixie said with a smile. Henry just nodded.

He looked to the four Midwesterners. "How did you get caught up in this group of the Silver Soldier families?" he asked.

"Who do you think helped the soldiers transform their families?" Sam said with a wave, and the four raced away after their new friends.

Henry was walking back to the house when he came across a group of kids from Tish's family. Layla smiled as she saw him.

"What are you doing out here?" she asked.

"I just built a charging station for the Silver People. It's the reflective orb in the woods back there. Please let everyone know to leave it alone, okay?" he instructed.

Layla nodded as she accepted her mission to inform the others. Then they rushed off to take a look at the charging station. Henry rolled his eyes as he headed back to the house. Of course, they'd want to see it for themselves before they told others not to mess with it. There wasn't really much they could do to damage it, but caution was prudent. He could always add another shield around it to only allow Silver People to get to it, but he hoped that wasn't needed.

If the kids were here, it meant the adults were too, so he should help finish up the new dining room preparations. He also needed to speak with Sigrid,

He realized last night that some might feel uncomfortable with being in a cave, so he planned to add some windows that would show a live view of what was happening outside the real front living room and rear kitchen windows. He'd found a spell in Baba's collection, originally designed to disguise deadly pitfall traps with illusions. He thought of a way to source the illusion with the light from the selected window panes.

He went in the back door where Meixiu met him with a fluffy towel. He grinned at her as she dried off his legs and hooves. "How go the preparations downstairs?" he said quietly.

She smiled. "Very well! We placed Sandy's and Dayshia's items on the tables and added evergreen boughs and ribbons! It looks so beautiful!"

He gave her a kiss then called out as he saw Mary.

She stopped and wandered back to see what he needed.

"You are my go-to carpentry person. Especially for framing!" Henry began with a grin, and Mary raised an eyebrow at him. "I need two frames built which mirror this wall of windows." He pointed to the windows on the kitchen wall that faced the gazebo and back yard. "And the wall of windows in the front sitting room. I'm going to mount them on two walls of the cave and project what can be seen from these windows in the new frames."

Mary nodded, impressed with his idea. "Seems simple enough, but I'd need tools, screws, and lumber. Do you have these?"

"No, but Roy does back at VRL," Henry suggested.

Roy was entering the kitchen, looking for Mary. "I heard my name."

Mary smiled. "We have a project. A quick one!" she added to defeat Roy's pout.

Henry walked with them to the vestibule and linked the spare door to a door in VRL's basement.

"We have it from here, Henry. When the frames are ready, I'll find you. Sigrid was looking for you," Mary said.

"Oh! Thanks!" he said and headed back upstairs.

There was a fair amount of noise coming from the dining room, which seemed to be the adults' default gathering spot. Most of the kids were outside though a few were in the front sitting room playing games.

Sigrid was seated at one end of the table with her ever-present guardian, Hilda. The mother saw him at the doorway and stood to approach him. Henry immediately felt himself tense up. Hilda caught this and frowned sadly.

She gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen where they'd be alone.

"I'm sorry for leaving you with the impression that I'm always on the attack. You have my word that you have nothing to fear from me. You've proven your mettle in battle and your compassion when you healed me. I have to thank you as I haven't felt this good since I was Sigrid's age!"

Henry relaxed a little and nodded to her.

She continued. "I've spent a few decades in my mountaintop villa in Italy. That last battle against the Archdemon who'd replaced the village magistrate almost finished me. I was left with knees that would fail me under pressure and hands with diminished strength. I had no choice but to retire." She took a deep breath as she seemed to be struggling with something.

"Those three decades were a self-imposed exile. I shut myself away from everyone, even my own daughter. She'd visit from time to time, but they were painful reminders of what I was no longer capable of being. When Sigrid came to me this time, she was pregnant, and once more, my world was shaken. There hasn't been a Valkyrie birth since Sigrid came into this world. We don't choose our partners lightly. I had to know if you were worthy or had used magic to somehow trick her into carrying your child. How you defeated me left me with questions. Honestly, you really aren't very skilled in battle. It was embarrassing to admit you'd won, but when you healed me, how you guided and goaded me to survive, I knew you understood. You've endured greater battles than the one with me, even with your feeble fighting skills."

She seemed to notice Henry's scowl as she quickly finished. "Valkyries define our worth on our ability to fight the forces of evil." She clasped Henry's big hand in an arm wrestler's clasp between them as she looked into his eyes. "You have my eternal gratitude for restoring me to my former strength so I can come out of retirement and stand side-by-side with my daughter once more."

He nodded to her and raised an eyebrow to let her know he was aware of her grip's increasing pressure. She didn't stop until he ramped up his own grasp. She pulled her hand back with a joyful bark of laughter.

"You are a suitable mate for my daughter! Tonight's birth ceremony will be glorious! The Valkyries I've summoned will be in for an amazing surprise!"

Henry blinked at the woman. "You've summoned Valkyries to join us here? Tonight?"

"Yes! They must witness the birth!" Hilda said joyfully.

"Is Sigrid aware of this?" Henry asked.

Hilda made a dismissive gesture. "It is the way of Valkyries!"

"How many are you expecting to show?" he asked.

She tilted her head to look at him, puzzled by his continued protest. "Between fifteen and twenty."

"An extra twenty people are going to descend on the mansion without any preparation for them? You have been under a rock for the last three decades if you don't grasp the logistical difficulties that just added to our Christmas Party!" Henry snapped.

He turned and went into the dining room, where he saw all eyes looking his way. "Did you hear that?" he asked, and Sigrid shook her head. "Fifteen to twenty Valkyries will be arriving tonight to witness a Valkyrie birthing ceremony." Sigrid's eyes flew wide in surprise then she looked to her mother.

Henry suddenly pictured in his mind a Valkyrie swooping down from the sky only to strike the force field like a beetle in a bug zapper. "Shit!" He ran for the front door and grabbed Hilda's hand on the way by, dragging her after him. They reached the drive, and Henry looked up. The snow was still falling steadily. He looked into the bewildered eyes of the woman. "Are they going to fly here or drive here?"

"What? Why?" she asked.

"Because the entire property is under a force field that will keep them out. If they strike it from above, it might hurt them," he clarified at her disbelieving scowl.

"Some will fly, and some will arrive in cars—"

"The road in isn't plowed." Henry sighed. "Please come with me so we can adjust the force field to allow Valkyries through."

They walked to the end of the driveway, and Henry had Hilda step through and turn around. He saw her startled expression when she couldn't see him. He reached a hand outside and guided her back through slowly as he had the force field record the particulars about Valkyries.

"Can you do it again but with your wings and armor?" he asked, and she turned around and stepped outside. He reached out and brought her back in. Once she was in, the spell was ready, and he let the change go through. The fly-ins and the walk-ins would be safe now. Then he stepped through the field himself to see the road conditions outside, and she followed.

He looked at the winding lane through the trees and thought it looked truly lovely, but the snow would be too deep even for some four-wheel-drive trucks. It was at least two miles to the two-lane highway this lane connected to. He looked left and saw the road ended in a large circular area for cars to turn around. That would make a good parking lot. Maybe it was time to call in a favor of his own.

"Let's go back," he sighed.

As they walked back to the mansion, he felt her watching him. Finally, he stopped and looked at her. "What?"

"I don't understand you. I made a mistake, yet you are the one taking on the burden of fixing it," she said quietly.

He frowned. "The force field is my construct. It's meant to protect, but it can also harm. I would feel terrible if someone good were to hurt themselves on it."

She nodded as she thought about that. "I see, but it wouldn't be your fault."

"I'd still feel bad if I had the means to prevent it and didn't try," he explained.

"Okay, but the road, you have no control over the weather, and I didn't consider the logistics before inviting them. This isn't your responsibility."

"I'm assuming a Valkyrie Birthing Ceremony is significantly important since births are so infrequent." He looked into her eyes, and she nodded. "Then it's important for Sigrid, and I'll make any and all efforts to ensure she's happy." He paused as he thought about it.

"It's the way of Satyrs."

Once he got inside, he called the Sergeant, who was more than happy to loan him eight members of her team to shovel out the turning circle and the two miles of a country lane to reach the highway. The Sergeant said they'd bring their own snow pushers, so Henry opened a door between the garden shed and the bathroom door in the General's room for them. He told Mick where the charging station was, and she told him they'd call when they finished.

Henry joined the others in the dining room and saw Sigrid was having an intense conversation with her mother, so he let them be. He looked around the room and noticed some missing people. He poked his head into the kitchen and spotted Meixiu working with Steph and Jackie. Meixiu smiled at him. "We're preparing more food for the additional arrivals. Kristen, Dotty, and Ellen went back to their homes to prepare some dishes as well. We have many kitchens available to us."

He spoke with Layla and Felicia and asked them if they could quickly make some signs that said park here and a couple with parking and an arrow. They nodded and rushed away. Ten minutes later, they were back, and Layla had the bright idea to bring a staple gun. She was carrying their supplies in her backpack, so they went out to the turning circle and saw it was already clear of snow. In the distance, they could see plumes of snow from the Silver Soldiers working quickly.

They put up the signs and stood back to admire their work. Some of them had little stars and heart stickers on them. Felicia made those she informed him.

"This looks great! Thanks!" Henry said.

"What happens if a car turns into the driveway?" Felicia asked.

Henry thought about that. "It'll hit the force field... and fry the electronics."

"We need to block access and put warning signs up!" Layla said enthusiastically.

"One of those yellow and black striped sticks!" Felicia offered.

Henry moved to the edge of the field, closed his eyes, and pictured in his mind the warning Felicia was describing. He reached out and touched the energy field, walking across the width of the driveway. When he opened his eyes, he looked back and saw a wobbly yellow and black line.

"That is so cool!" Layla gushed!

He shrugged, then touched it again to envision it to be straight and six inches tall. The new shape snapped into place, and the girls clapped.

"Can we do that?" Felicia asked.

"If I help, yes," he said.

"I want to draw an arrow!" Layla gushed.

Henry put a hand on her shoulder, and she immediately dragged her finger along the field, but nothing happened. She looked back at him.

He smiled. "You have to use your will to envision the shape and invite the magic to play." Layla's smile grew wider, and she nodded.

The next time she tried, the wooden shaft of an arrow appeared on the surface of the field. Henry was impressed with how realistic it appeared. Then she added a silver triangular arrowhead and a brilliant white feather fletching at the other end.

When she pulled her finger back, Henry released her shoulder and stared at the oversized, three-dimensional arrow floating above the left end of his bar, pointing to the parking area. "That's brilliant!" Henry gushed. He looked at his poor flat warning bar in disappointment. Art was apparently not his forte.

"My turn!" Felicia said excitedly. She moved to the right side of Henry's bar and lifted her fingers in preparation. He put his hand on her shoulder and reminded her of what she needed to do. He wasn't finished speaking when she was already using all the fingers on both hands to draw a brilliant red heart.

Once again, it was three-dimensional, and it even seemed to pulse slightly.

When Felicia stepped back, Henry released her shoulder, and she squealed as the girls hugged each other and bounced in place, staring at their art.

Again, Henry's eyes were drawn to his feeble attempt, which paled in comparison.

"Okay, my ego has been bruised enough. Let's go back," he sighed.

That caused them to laugh hysterically, but they grabbed his arms and pulled him towards the house. They walked through their art, but it snapped back into place once they were through.

"You drew a very nice yellow and black bar. I'm sure it will prevent people from wrecking their cars," Layla said.

"2D is very retro," Felicia added, and the girls burst into giggles again.

Henry couldn't prevent the smile from appearing on his face from the happy sound.

"Thank you for your help," he said to them as they went in the front door. They flashed brilliant smiles at him as they rushed away to the sitting room to tell the others what they'd done.

He knew he was setting himself up for a day of art with the kids... but that didn't seem like a bad thing.

The door knocker thumped, so Henry turned around and answered it. He pulled the door open and saw a large woman standing before him. A second Valkyrie was putting her wings away as she set down just behind and to the side of the first.

The two women stared at him in surprise and took a step back.

"What are you, and how do I get one to answer my door," the closest one said as she ran her eyes up and down his body. She was tall and powerfully built, perhaps a little over-developed in her upper body as her arms were forced outward by her massive biceps. Her jet-black hair was long but worn in ringlets and cascaded over her wide shoulders. Her skin was very dark, she was pretty and had a wide mouth showing many very white teeth, and her eyes flashed hungrily at him.

The Valkyrie behind her was just a little shorter than her friend, and her musculature was closer to Sigrid's and looked more balanced. She also wore her hair loose, but it was strawberry blonde leaning towards red. Her expression was serious, and Henry got the immediate impression she rarely smiled. She just gave off the vibe of a serious person. Her lovely eyes were also roaming his physique, but she was calculating strengths and weaknesses. He was being evaluated.

"I'm Henry Gable. I'm a Satyr. You've come for the Birthing Ceremony?"

The musclebound one's smile just got wider, if that was possible. "Mmmm! I wonder if those stories of a Satyr's prowess in bed are true." She reached for the bottom of his kilt, and Henry stepped back.

"My dance card is full," he said in annoyance.

"Revna, this one is half beast. Do you not care what you lay with?" the serious girl said, her eyes locked on Henry's, gauging his reactions, always evaluating. Her accent was thick, but Henry had no idea where it was from.

"What a racist thing to say! Keep that up, and I'm probably not going to like you," Henry said with a frown.

"Is that Revna? Slut of the southern beaches? And Kari, Inhabitant of Revna's bunghole?"

Henry turned and saw Hilda striding towards the front door with a wide grin on her face. He stepped aside to give her unimpeded access to the two visitors. He watched their expressions to see how they'd react to Hilda's new look. They certainly responded to her words, their body language clearly indicating they were primed for World War Three.

Then they saw her, really saw her. They saw not a woman beaten by the ravages of her battles and hidden away for three decades, but a fully blooded Valkyrie ready to sink her teeth into the throat of anyone defying her anything she fucking wanted to do.

"Gods! Hilda... you're back?" Revna asked softly.

Hilda bellowed a warrior's victory cry and leapt from the doorstep, her arms outstretched to grab the two women, carrying them down into the snow of the drive.

Three more Valkyrie swooped down from the sky to land a few feet back from the three wrestling in the snow. Hilda popped back up to her feet and moved to grip the forearms of the three women smiling at her in delight.

"Ingrid! Runa! Sylvi! So good to see you again!" Hilda exclaimed.

Revna pushed herself to her feet, brushing the snow from herself as she continued to stare at Hilda in shock. Her companion, Kari, scowled at Revna from the ground and got to her feet on her own.

Sigrid appeared in the doorway, and all eyes went to her.

"Sweet miracles, it's true!" Runa gasped, and Sigrid's face burst into a dazzling smile. She stepped out to lean against Henry. Eyes snapped to him, and smiles disappeared as comprehension dawned.

"That's the father?!?" Kari snarled.

Sigrid looked to Henry. "Can you switch to your glamor?"

He nodded, and he was suddenly Human in jeans and a leather winter coat.

"That's just a glamor!" Revna cried.

Sigrid's smile didn't waver, and Hilda watched her daughter proudly.

"You know a Valkyrie can only become pregnant if her body chooses a suitable Human male. Henry's glamor is powered by Wild Magic and has properties unlike any other. It matches the desires and needs of his partner. Henry was able to give a Kitsune a child. He was able to give me one as well."

"This Wild Magic, just how strong is it?" Revna asked doubtfully.

Sigrid looked at her. "I cannot don my armor for obvious reasons, but I can give you a little demonstration."

She looked at Henry and gripped his hand. "Charge me up," she whispered.

He nodded and fed power into her body until she let go with a sigh. Henry stepped away and turned his face as he closed his eyes tight.

Sigrid's wings snapped out to full extension, and everyone staggered back, Revna falling to her ass once more as the front lawn momentarily became full sun midday instead of the dull gray stormy afternoon. She pulled her wings in, and the dim light returned.

Revna stood again, patting the snow from her ass and blinking the spots from her eyes. She looked to Hilda, who was staring at her daughter in awe. "You didn't know?" Revna asked.

"No, she hadn't mentioned she was powered by this new magic yet."

"A glamor cannot read and respond to desires and needs!" Kari insisted.

Sigrid looked to Henry, who was looking back at her pleadingly. "I'm sorry, Henry. They need to see it working."

His shoulders dropped. "I'm gonna put up another privacy field, so everyone hold still," he growled.

The Valkyries looked at each other as Henry created a dome over the immediate group. Now they were invisible from outside it. Taking a deep breath, he dropped the clothes from his glamor.

"Ooo! Very nice, Henry!" Hilda purred.

Everyone got a good look, so he dropped his glamor, canceled the privacy field, and shot an annoyed glance at Sigrid.

Kari gave Sigrid a frustrated look. "All this proves is that he has a good penis."

"Hold your hands up to show the length you saw," Sigrid instructed as she demonstrated what she saw. The gathered Valkyrie held their hands up and stared at each other's measurements. Some were close, but some were definitely not. Everyone looked at Revna as her hands were a good twelve inches apart. She stared in surprise at the others.

"Now use your hand to indicate its girth," Sigrid said.

They compared again, and no one had the same measurement. They all looked at Revna, who was using two hands.

"Hey! Don't kink-shame me!" she barked and eyed Henry hungrily.

"Also note that Kitsune are wielders of the old realm magic. Wild Magic is toxic to them. Henry's body is saturated with Wild Magic, but he was able to make love to the Kitsune, help her conceive, and his essence contained no Wild Magic, so she was protected. This was what she needed, so this is what the glamor did for her. I'm linked to the Wild Magic realm, so Henry's energy just powers me up. What I needed for creating a child, he provided. He gave me this."

"But he's not Human," Kari insisted.

"No, he's not. He's a Satyr and a beautiful person."

"What if the child isn't a Valkyrie?" Sylvi asked.

Sigrid giggled, and the others shifted uncomfortably. "If she wasn't a Valkyrie, she wouldn't have been in such a hurry to be born."

She shook her head gently at the doubting expressions. "You only need to wait a few more hours to see for yourselves. You've already waited forty-five years since the last birth. I think you can be patient a little while longer."

She went back into the house, and Henry stood to the side of the door as the women followed her inside. Revna was last and paused before him. This close, Henry realized just how massive she was. Then he jolted as her fingers were under his kilt, wrapping around his cock.

"Mmmm, you don't disappoint, do you," she purred.

He knocked her hand away and looked her in the eye. "No, I don't, but for you, I'll make an exception."

She blinked then laughed as she joined the others. Hilda looked back and saw the suppressed rage on Henry's face. She frowned at Revna.

Henry pulled the front door closed and remained outside to cool off.

He saw the Silver Soldiers race by, dragging their big snow scoops behind them. He walked around the house and saw the shovels leaning against the shed. He realized the soldiers were recharging, so he waited. They soon came rushing back, all smiles.

Specialist Feinberg stopped before him. "This was a lot more fun than guarding a hospital room, and that charging station is amazing! I wish we had one of these in Washington."

"Has the Strike Zone started to fade?" Henry asked.

"No, the power there is still sharp as glass shards," Dane replied.

Henry frowned. That was odd. Maybe he'd be allowed to look into that. He smiled at the group. "Thank you for your efforts today on such short notice."

"Like I said, it was fun! Our pleasure," Feinberg said with a nod. They opened the shed door and stepped through carrying their snow movers, and Dane closed the door behind them. Henry released the spell.

On his way back to the home, he spotted the twinkling of headlights in the distance, moving along the lane. He moved faster and was at the front door when a trio of Valkyrie marched up the drive to face him. Uniformly large and strong, striding boldly into the unknown. The two at the back might have been twins. Blonde and blue-eyed with their long hair bound back with ribboned braids. The one in front wore her curly red hair loose. She had gorgeous but intense green eyes and three deep scars crossing her face. Henry could see the left corner of her mouth drooped slightly, which was probably a cut nerve. His hands began to itch with his need to heal that. His mind flashed back to a memory of Ikehorn and feeling his need to heal Tish. He smiled at the memory.

"Are you going to stare at us like a simpleton, or are you going to let us in?" the redhead snapped.

Henry jolted out of his trip down memory lane. "Apologies," he said hastily and opened the door. Hilda's voice boomed out in laughter from the formal living room. Henry looked to the lead Valkyrie once more. "To the left." She nodded stiffly as she began to enter.

He couldn't stop himself. "Speak to Hilda about her healing."

Green eyes locked on his and the fierceness in her gaze pushed at him to avert his gaze, but he didn't. He saw a little confusion slip into her eyes, then she was past him. Next, he was facing the blonde twins, and their fierceness was only a shadow less than their redheaded friend. They leaned closer and closer until he could feel their breath on his face.

"Who are you to defy Talia?" the first whispered.

Henry sighed. He'd hoped by the time he'd grown up, he'd no longer have to deal with bullies, but these Valkyries were reminding him of all those episodes in the hallways of the schools he'd attended. Unlike then, he was no longer defenseless.

He engaged his personal force field, and the powerful charge instantly stunned the two who were standing much too close. He dropped the spell as he took their arms and marched them staggering into the living room. He pushed them into a loveseat just inside the entrance. He looked up and saw a room of silent Valkyrie staring at him in shock. "These two need a lesson on respecting personal space," he growled and left the room.

Hilda's delighted laughter followed him down the hall to the kitchen.

His mind was still stuck in the dark times of his childhood, and Camila saw the pain beneath. She stepped forward and pulled him into her arms. He wrapped his around her and breathed in her warm and spicy scent, feeling his calm returning. He closed his eyes and let the comforting sounds of cooking and the aromas of the delicious food fill his awareness. He heard Lorelei's joyful laughter from the dining room, and Siobhan's and Michelle's laugh join hers. Tish's family was busy trading stories, and the sounds of their happiness helped unwind his tension. Roy's big hand rested on his back, and Kesini wove her locks around Henry's fingers. He gave them a squeeze and raised his hand to his lips to kiss the hair. He heard Sandy's sigh nearby. Camila leaned back to look into his opening eyes as Roy moved into view.

"Could I ask you to greet the rest of the incoming Valkyrie?" Henry asked.

"Sure," Roy said. "Mary finished the window frames, and they're up on the walls."

Henry returned his gaze to the adoring eyes of the woman in his arms. He felt something move in his chest and felt a little embarrassed by the surge of emotion. He covered it up by dipping down and kissing her. She squeaked in surprise but enjoyed his enthusiasm.

When he pulled back, he didn't feel any less emotional, so he released Camila, who watched his expression.

"If no one minds, I'm going to take a little me time to check on the spells I need to set up for the windows in the cave." The people in the kitchen just nodded.

He took one step toward the hall, turned, and kissed Sandy until she gently pushed against his chest. He quickly walked away, hearing Camila's deep purr of amusement as she helped a wobbly Sandy make it to a chair.

The noise coming from the living room was unsettling, so he rushed through the hall door into the vestibule then into the cave, closing the double doors behind him. The doors blocked all sound from above, so he had silence at last. Henry slowly walked down the gentle slope to the cave's main hall, feeling his emotional equilibrium returning.

He saw the framing hung on the wall to the left and approached it. The illusion spell slipped into his mind with ease. He realized his ability to access Baba's magic was no longer a matter of hunting and picking through lists. Now he just had to think of what he wanted, and the appropriate spell slipped into his control. If his suspicions were correct, he understood why his abilities with magic were improving so rapidly.

He couldn't focus on that right now, but soon.

Seemingly out of the blue, his mind took him to Sigrid's comment about his impregnating a Kitsune. Once again, he wondered how Yuko was and if she was having any issues with their child. He wanted to know, but he wasn't sure if he should just use his magic to appear at her location to speak with her. Maybe he could ask Kali to find out for him.

Putting these thoughts aside, again, he approached the construction Mary and Roy had done for him. He linked each opening to a corresponding window pane in the kitchen. As the framing was the same size as the windows they were connected to, the illusion filled the space with a duplicate of the source window. He made his way down the row of windows until they were all showing the back yard. He caught sight of Ron and Dixie Tennison walking back from the charging station. They were talking with Layla and Felicia, who walked along with them.

When he turned to face the chamber, he saw multiple round tables had been set up under their lighting. Each table was decorated festively. They likely borrowed all these tables and chairs from VRL.

Henry walked across the cavern to the other frame. He applied the illusion spell to link these to the windows on the front of the house. Two more Valkyries were walking up the drive, and a third landed on the driveway and turned to wave at the others. They did the forearm embrace and grinned at each other. It was nice to see these people coming together after a long period, and their being able to fly openly must have felt good as well.

Henry turned from the windows and walked deeper into the cave until he reached the hidden corridor. He hadn't expected to have all these extra guests, so he hadn't gathered enough crystals to give one to everyone. He'd put them away for now until the Valkyrie had left.

He picked up the two heavy gym bags, carried them back to the vestibule, through his door, and left them in his condo's closet. Then he went back to the mansion. Several people were entering the corridor from their homes, and they were all carrying platters of food.

"Ah! Just the man we need!" Dayshia called out from the door to the main floor hallway. He turned to follow her to the dining room, where he saw all the chairs had been pulled back from the table, which was now bare.

Dayshia stepped up to Henry and smiled at him. "We have so much food we need to get this table down into the cave to hold the platters. Can you open a Magic Door?"

Henry looked at the table and the fully open French Doors between the dining room and kitchen. "I've never made a Magic Door using French Doors. More importantly, will the table fit through the doorway?"

"If we roll it onto its side first and carry it that way, it will," Mary said.

Dayshia and Mary closed the doors, and he pictured the doors leading into the cave. The glass panes flashed to black, and for just a second, Henry thought he saw something in that darkness looking back. Then the panes were all showing the stone corridor leading to the cave. He would have put that brief impression down as paranoia, but it matched the pattern he was tracking. No one else seemed to have noticed it, which was another sign he was on the right track with his suspicions.

Again, he pushed it aside to deal with later.

The table was enormously heavy as it was overengineered, so Henry told everyone to leave it where it was while he got help. He marched to the living room and was almost there when he heard Camila's strong voice.

"...before you even think of disrespecting him, ask yourself if you have what it takes to endure what he has. Do you have even half of his willpower and strength of character?" She was quiet for a moment, and the room matched her. "That's what I thought."

Henry resumed walking, and all eyes went to him as he entered the room. Camila turned to look at him, and he swore he could see the hair on the back of her neck standing up in her rage. Her cheeks were pink, and she was breathing through her flared nostrils in an attempt to control her breathing. He leaned towards her and tenderly kissed her cheek. Her eyes flashed to his, and a smile slipped onto her lips. He wasn't sure what she told them, but they were quiet now.

"I need seven volunteers to carry a dining room table a few dozen feet. Weaklings need not apply." Amused snorts were forced from several of the ladies. He raised his hand to stop Sigrid from standing. "Pregnant ladies need not apply either." She grinned at him.

Camila left the room, and Henry followed her. He knew he'd get more volunteers than he needed. Valkyrie pride demanded nothing less.

When he arrived in the dining room, he had a dozen Valkyries lined up behind him. He immediately stepped up to the head of the table closest to the French Doors, which were now wide open. He took a grip on the tabletop and the end leg.

Mary stood at the top of the table and waited until everyone had a grip. "Okay, eyes on me. On three, lift. One, Two, Three!"

The warriors grunted with the effort but got it a foot off the floor. Mary marched them through the door and down the ramp. When they finally got it into the chamber, several of the Valkyries were distracted by the fire orb lighting and lost their grip. Then a few more as the dropping table slipped through their fingers. Then only Revna at one end and Henry at the top were keeping it from crashing into the floor.

Henry turned his head to look back. "Half of you get to the other side of the table and lift the bottom so we can tip it back onto its feet!" Six of the Valkyries hustled to get around the table.

"Hurry, damn you!" Revna cursed as her muscles shook.

Once there were hands on both sides, they tipped it up and got it on its feet. It was much easier to work with then. They positioned it where Mary pointed and stepped back with a sigh.

"Thank you," Henry said to the Valkyries, and they nodded though some looked a little embarrassed at having lost their grip.

Meixiu approached Henry. "Can you change the Magic Door to face the kitchen instead of the dining room so we can bring the food in?"

He walked to the door and altered the spell to do what she asked and got a kiss on the cheek from her for it.

The remaining Valkyries, including Hilda and Sigrid, walked down the corridor. A few more had arrived, bringing the total to eighteen. They joined the others and stared up at the lights.

"What manner of flame is this?" Talia asked, her intense green eyes locking on Henry's.

Henry approached her and handed her a smaller ball of rose-red fire. She looked confused at first but accepted the ball in her palm. He saw her grit her teeth, expecting to be burned but still taking it. He nodded to her as she gasped softly in relief as she realized it had no heat. Henry passed a finger through it to show it was safe.

"It's from a Will-O'-the-Wisp spell but with the malignant purpose replaced with instructions to remain tethered," he explained.

"It's lovely," she whispered, eyes mesmerized by the slow ebb of the flame.

He smiled and nodded to her.

The platters of food were coming down the corridor to be placed on the long table. The kids started arriving and began a search for seats. There were no formal seating arrangements.

Henry saw the Valkyries were watching the children, and most of the expressions were positive.

Soon the parents were coming down the ramp, bringing the last of the food for the table.

Mary whistled shrilly for attention and got it from everyone. She then gestured to Meixiu, who faced the group.

"Firstly, I would like to thank you all for joining us for the very first ever Christmas dinner celebration in my home. I've lived in this mansion for more than a century, and there has never been more joy and laughter within its walls than this weekend. Never has it seen children running and playing in its halls and yard, filling the home and property with their happiness. The transformation of my home to a place where families are welcome has filled my heart with a happiness I don't have words to describe. Thank you for sharing your joy with us."

There was a burst of applause and whistling for her, and she bowed graciously to the group. She held up her hands and people quieted once more.

"I also want to thank everyone who helped prepare this feast on the table behind me. It all smells very good!" She clapped, and more cheering erupted.

"We should also thank Henry for the extraordinary efforts he made to transform what was once a dark and gloomy cave for a cold and evil dragon into a warm, open, and dazzling banquet hall! These windows are amazing! OH! I can see another Valkyrie guest arriving!" she said, pointing to the window across the room. Roy headed for the front door to greet the late arrival. Meixiu turned and looked at the back window, then faced the group again. She pointed to that window as well. "The Silver People, who give their time and effort unselfishly to help and protect others, are welcome here as well! Henry provided them with a charging station they seem to enjoy very much." More cheering as Roy returned with the last Valkyrie to join, bringing the total to nineteen.

"My final thanks go to my best friend Sigrid, who took me in when I first escaped from the monster's captivity, gave me a home and a purpose, and asked for nothing in return. I am so happy to share my home with you for this most special event. The birth of a new generation of Valkyrie!"

Huge, thunderous applause from the Valkyries erupted, and the rest joined in.

When sanity returned, Mary whistled again, and Meixiu instructed people to get their plates and fill them at the tables.

Camila slipped up next to Henry and guided him to a table, and put a plate in his hands as she took the next one. Then she gently moved him with the gathering crowd to the line forming at the table.

"I want to make sure you eat. You missed lunch today, didn't you," she asked.

He realized he had and nodded in surprise. "You take too much onto those broad shoulders of yours. Your new abilities with magic seem to be consuming you. I'm very impressed that you've become so adept so quickly, but it is a little worrying as well."

He nodded. "It's almost like there's some form of compulsion to become proficient with magic in a short time," he said quietly, and Camila's eyes locked on his as her smile slipped away. He nodded and touched a finger across his lips. "I'm aware."

They moved a little closer to the table, and he noticed Camila was leaning against him a little more firmly. He hugged her, kissed her temple, and whispered into her hair. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. Soon."

She looked up at him with worry. "Soon?"

He just nodded with a smile. "We'll talk with Roy after the birthing ceremony." He frowned. "Uh, where is that supposed to take place anyway?"

Camila shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure. Outside apparently. Hilda said Valkyrie births are always outside."

Henry nodded, then noticed Camila had unconsciously wrapped her finger in his hair as she rested her left hand on his shoulder. He chuckled and gently tugged his hair by tilting his head.

She released his hair, and her face went a little red. She gently punched his arm.

It was finally their turn at the table, and Henry's eyes widened when he saw the variety of food available.

"This is incredible!" he gushed and saw happy faces smiling back at him. So many people had contributed to the meal. Henry would have to come back for seconds and thirds to get to try most of the dishes.

Sigrid was passing by on her way to her table, and her plate was piled high. "Shut up! I'm eating for two!" she pouted at Camila's grin.

They finished loading their plates and went back towards their table. Henry stopped a few times along the way to talk to his friends and confirm all was good. Finally, Camila got him seated next to Sigrid, who'd already made it halfway through her meal. Camila sat on his other side.

Sigrid reached over and plucked a chicken wing from Henry's plate. "These are really good!" she said after she took a big bite of it.

"Hey! I only had one of those!" Henry complained.

"Don't be a cry baby," she teased.

He stuck his tongue out at her, and she giggled.

Henry set his attention to his plate as he discovered he was really hungry.

Camila rested her left hand on Henry's leg under the table, but he noticed she was just doing it for comfort. He realized it might have been premature to let her know. He was sorry he worried her.

He managed to finish his plate just as Sigrid finished her meal. They got up for seconds, but Camila just waved her hand to indicate she wasn't ready. Sigrid cleared her plate into the waste bin and rejoined the line, which was shorter this time. Henry stepped behind her once his plate was empty.

He spotted Aadiya and Mahali sitting with Layla and Felicia. The twins were watching the two girls very closely and mirroring their gestures and mannerisms. Henry worried this might not be the best situation. Laughter from a nearby table drew his attention away.

"Do you think your Valkyrie friends are having a good time?" he asked as he realized the warriors had joined the tables with Tish's family instead of clustering all together.

"We're a gregarious bunch. I'm sure they'd be even more delighted if there was wine, beer, or hard liquor available, but I let them know we're alcohol-free this weekend," Sigrid said.

Henry nodded. "Camila told me the birthing ceremony will be outside."

Sigrid nodded as she plucked a few more chicken wings from a tray. Henry stole one from her plate, making her squeak and attempt to get it back, but he successfully blocked her hand. She replaced the missing wing with another from the tray and stuck her tongue out at him.

"So... the gazebo or on the front driveway?" he continued.

She huffed then looked around in embarrassment. "I don't know. Apparently, I'll just know and go there. It could be in the woods. It's instinctive."

He looked at her in surprise. "Huh! That's fascinating!"

"Shut up," she pouted.

He smiled. "What? The big bad Valkyrie doesn't like being pushed around by her own biology?"

She turned and leaned her forehead against his as she looked into his eyes. "Exactly!"

He kissed her and got a hand under her plate before it slipped from her fingers.

She blinked as she returned from the kiss. She bit her lip gently as she collected herself. She glanced down and took a grip on her plate once more.

Then she stole the chicken wing back from Henry's plate.

"Wha—I saved you from dropping your plate, and you steal from me?" he gasped quietly in mock outrage.

She looked down her nose at Henry with a little smile on her lips. "A dropping almost caused by you and your naughty lips."

"Oh! I'll show you naughty lips!" he growled playfully.

Roy stepped between them to reach for a dinner roll. "Less dinner theatre and more dining," he grumbled.

Henry and Sigrid glanced at the tables and saw most eyes were turned their way. Instantly their faces flushed with embarrassment.

Henry grabbed another wing from the platter and another portion of lasagna as Sigrid headed back to the table.

As he left the buffet table, he saw Kristie looking at his plate and smiling. He raised a brow in question.

"You like the lasagna?" she asked.

"I love the lasagna! Did you make it?" he asked, and she nodded. "It's delicious! Best I've had," he gushed, and she chuckled happily as she nodded to him, accepting his compliments.

"And the wings?" a voice said from behind him. He turned to see Steph looking up at him with a hopeful expression.

"They are incredibly good! Quite possibly addictive and definitely the root cause of the upcoming battle between the Valkyries over the last one," he teased.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, then burst into giggles.

Two nearby warriors heard Henry's statement about the wings running out and immediately leapt to their feet to rush the table to get more.

Henry leaned closer to Steph to whisper. "See!"

She smiled up at him and trembled. Her voice failed her, so she just nodded. He smiled and continued back to his table. He lifted his fork to fend off Sigrid's encroachment and missed seeing Camila lift a wing from his plate.

He looked down, then his head whipped around to stare at Camila in shock as she nibbled the wing. Sigrid burst into laughter as her mother watched her happiness with a loving smile.

Camila smiled victoriously with the spicy-sweet barbeque sauce on her lips.

Henry dipped his face to hers and cleaned the sauce away with the tip of his tongue. Camila felt that zing from her lips to her intimate areas and gasped.

"Damn good wings," Henry said with a pleased smile as he turned back to his plate. He had to fuel his big body, after all.

Dinner was filled with laughter, excellent food, great conversation, and anticipation for Henry's big surprise. Felicia was first to wander by Henry and drop a subtle hint that she could keep a secret if he wanted to tell her. He just chuckled.

Henry spotted Raymond and Eleanor King arriving and Meixiu jumping up to greet them. He wiped his mouth and joined them by the entrance.

"Merry Christmas, Henry!" the Kings said in unison, and he shook Raymond's hand and dipped forward to kiss Eleanor's cheek.

"Could I speak with you three upstairs for a second?" he asked, and they all nodded with a curious look.

He led the way up to the formal living room where they could be alone and turned to face them with a smile.

"We're busy stuffing our faces with a magnificent meal Meixiu and others prepared for us, and she doesn't get to partake in it. I thought it only fair to offer you a meal as well," Henry said.

"It never stops feeling both strange and charming to be offered a meal," Eleanor said with a bashful smile. "Thank you so much for your generosity," she said as Henry raised his left wrist to her.

She took a drink and healed the spot. "Ooo! I think I'd better sit for a moment. I have a bit of a head rush."

Raymond helped her sit, then accepted Henry's left wrist as well. He took his meal and trembled after he licked the spot to close the bite. He thanked Henry then carefully sat next to his wife. She leaned against his shoulder.

"Best. Christmas. Ever," she sighed. Raymond chuckled.

Meixiu approached Henry, and he wrapped her in his right arm, pulling her back to his chest as he lifted his wrist to her mouth. She kissed the soft skin there first. "Thank you, Henry." She drank.

After, Henry sat the sleepy woman in the chair across from the couple and kissed her tenderly. He turned to the Kings. "When you feel up to it, please join us. The kids are doing light show presentations after the meal." They nodded, so he headed back to the cavern and rejoined his table.

Near the end of the meal, he added a medium-sized flame orb by the cavern wall waist-high, and Michelle added a strand of silk from it to the nearby lowest strand that supported the large fireballs. He turned to the tables.

"Hello! Can I have your attention, please!" he called out loudly to be heard above the Valkyrie's laughter. Heads turned in his direction. "Just a heads up, we're going to let the kids do some light shows with the overhead orbs. I'll add a light to each table to ensure you can see each other and see your desserts." He noticed the food trays were being replaced on the table with new trays of cookies, cakes, and pies.

Henry walked from table to table, touching the edge and tethering a softball-sized orb of white flame that floated to the center and hovered two feet above the surface. He greeted the people at each table, and the Valkyries were always surprised by his little magic trick. The Kings were impressed as well.

He spotted Talia, and she still had her red orb resting on her shoulder. It cast its light against her red hair, making it glow. She smiled at him with a nod.

He had to pause by the dessert table to end a squabble and inform Aadiya and Mahali that Dotty's coconut squares were for everyone. Dotty was deeply flattered and let them take three each. They thanked her and rushed away with their treats.

Once all the tables had a glowing centerpiece, Henry gave the signal, and Layla touched the wall-mounted orb with her eyes closed. Starting at the lowest one and working their way up, the large flaming ball popped into a shower of sparks, which fell amongst the diners. The audience was suitably impressed, and all of the lights came back to full brightness once the show was done. The gathering applauded for Layla, and she bowed with a broad smile.

Felicia was next and stuck to what she knew. Each of the large globes became a big red heart from bottom to top, with each pulse sending a shower of smaller red hearts floating down to the tables. More applause for the girl, and she skipped away happily.

Each of the kids did their best, and Henry was very proud of Tommy's effort, which had all of the orbs become large blue water drops at once with rain falling on the tables below. There was a round of applause for all of the kids once they'd all had their turn, and suddenly Sigrid appeared at Henry's elbow with a frantic look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Nothing. I-I know where I need to be!"

He waited, but she just looked at him. Hilda walked up to her with a concerned expression. "Sigrid, you have to say it out loud."

"EDEN!" she shouted as her body trembled. Henry's eyes widened at her intensity.

"Where's Eden?" Hilda asked.

"Now!" Sigrid said, and Eleanor rushed over to join them with Dayshia at her heels.

Henry faced the crowd, who were now all on their feet. "This wasn't exactly how I was going to do this, but my surprise for everyone is a trip to another dimension... if you want to join us." At Sigrid's tightened grip, he turned and walked deeper into the cave.

"Aadiya! Mahali!" Henry called out, and moments later, they dropped down in front of him, having flown over the others.

"We're going to Eden. I need you two on sky patrol." Henry instructed, and they hopped up and down excitedly with wide grins.

"Henry! Where are we going?" Sigrid asked desperately. "Can't you just open a tear?"

He shook his head. "Not for this many people! Don't worry. We're here."

Henry reached forward and touched the rock wall before them, and it disappeared. A short corridor appeared before them with a set of heavy wooden doors at the end. He released Sigrid's hand and added light orbs to the walls. He turned back to the crowd in the hall. "What you are about to see is quite possibly the most sensitive secret on the planet. Keep it to yourself. Don't tell anyone." At Sigrid's frantic look, he turned, closed his eyes, grasped the handles, and launched the spell. The crystals in the wall behind the doors flared to life and glowed iridescently. He pulled the doors open, and behind them was a field of tall red grass.

Sigrid cried out in relief and surged forward, but not before Aadiya and Mahali shot through the door and leapt into the sky, hunting for ribbon creatures.

Henry looked over his shoulder at the doors, which appeared to be embedded in a flat rock face that rose another ten feet before becoming a wooded hill. He anchored two flame orbs to the rock on either side of the doors then felt his hand gripped by Sigrid.

She immediately began marching then toward the small rise in the distance where they'd conceived their child.

Hilda, Eleanor, and Dayshia were directly behind them. The Valkyries were coming out of their state of stunned awe and were beginning to hustle to catch up a short distance back. Further back, Roy and Mary were guiding the families inside.

Sigrid tugged his hand, and he saw she was tiring, so he scooped her into his arms and began to run.

They crossed the field as Henry's powerful legs pounded the ground between big strides. He carried her to the spot they'd enjoyed each other in the grasses.

"A little further," Sigrid said with her eyes closed.

He slowed, but he knew where they were going. He stopped before the tree as Sigrid opened her eyes with a relieved smile. "Yes. Here."

Henry's heart was in his throat, so he couldn't tell her the significance of this spot for him. Once he got control again, he realized he needed to keep it to himself. This spot was special to Sigrid for her own reasons and should remain so.

Hilda landed and knelt next to Sigrid. "How are you doing, sweetpea?"

Henry looked at Sigrid in delight. "Sweetpea? I love it!"

She pouted, but he could see the smile in her eyes. She looked to her mother. "It's time."

Eleanor finally caught up, but Dayshia was still a way out.

"I'm going to go get Dayshia," Henry said to Sigrid, who nodded.

He ran down the slope and charged across the field of red grasses. Dayshia stopped moving when she saw him returning so she could catch her breath. He reached her and immediately scooped her into his arms, and headed back at a run.

"Is everything all right?" she asked.

"Yes, it's just time, so Sigrid says," Henry answered.

They looked up as the Valkyries flew by overhead. Looking to the skies to their left, Henry saw Aadiya and Mahali ripping a medium-sized ribbon creature to shreds. They only needed to do that once to make all ribbons in a ten-mile radius make themselves scarce. The twins would be returning shortly.

Henry set Dayshia down on her feet then moved to Sigrid. "What can I do?" he asked.

"Nothing! This is a Valkyrie rite!" Hilda scolded, and he frowned at her.

Sigrid smiled up at him. "Stay close." He nodded to her and moved to stand by Eleanor and Dayshia. The Valkyries had all landed fairly close and were either watching Sigrid with intense concentration or were casting their eyes around this strange new world with its red vegetation and orange sky.

Hilda was kneeling between Sigrid's bent knees as she watched the baby's birth progress, speaking soft instructions to Sigrid, who was doing her best.

Henry looked back across the field and saw a group containing Camila, Tish, and many of her siblings and their spouses making their way closer. A second group, mostly the kids, remained close to the doorway. The kids seemed to be having fun running around in the red grasses.

Sigrid lifted her hand in his direction, and he immediately knelt next to her and took her hand. He felt how low her energy levels were getting. This was taking too much out of her. He gently pushed the Wild Magic into her body. It was much harder for him to do it here as the rift wasn't under pressure. He realized he could implement a stronger control on his rift if he did it here. That was a thought for later. For now, Sigrid needed energy, so he gave her as much as he could.

"That's better, sweetpea! Keep pushing! The head is crowning!"

Sigrid's wings suddenly extended, and their brilliance, powered by Henry at the moment, exploded across the field.

Henry squinted as he could see Hilda doing something, then he heard a slap and a baby's howl of shock and outrage. Hilda turned and held the baby up for all of the gathered Valkyrie to see.

"Born this day on a world none of her kin has ever seen, behold the wonder of Ylva Gunderan! Vow your shield to defend and your spear to avenge!"

An enormous battle cry rolled over the hillside. The gathered Valkyrie were suddenly in the battle armor, banging sword, hammer, or spear against their shields as they raised their voices to the heavens, unfamiliar as they were.

Henry watched this in shock, then looked to Sigrid, who looked exhausted. "Put your wings away, Sigrid," he said as he gently touched her tummy. He froze and looked down as he felt something pushing back.

"Uh, Hilda?" he asked, but she was walking down the slope to show off her new granddaughter when he looked.

He looked to Eleanor. "Help?"

She and Dayshia rushed to his side. "What's wrong?" the surgeon said.

"I think she has another baby!" Henry said and looked to Dayshia. "What do you see?"

The woman's eyes flashed softly. "Yes! Another baby! Uh, it's breech."

Sigrid moaned. "Henry, I cannot..."

He was getting worried as she was seriously weakening. "It's okay, sweetpea—Ow!" He held his ear as it stung from Sigrid's slap.

"Only mother calls me that..." she sighed and winced.

He kissed her hand as his mind raced. Baba had no useful spells as they all ended up with someone dying. He needed to get the baby turned head down then out of Sigrid, but no one would be strong enough to reach inside a Valkyrie—

He looked to Eleanor. "Get Sandy here, now!"

The surgeon turned and raced down the hill as fast as her Vampire abilities allowed her to move. Henry saw her meet the blonde then they were both running back at high speed, Eleanor towing and Kesini keeping Sandy on her feet.

By now, their actions finally caught Hilda's attention, and she was returning with the baby in her arms and a concerned look on her face.

"What's happening?" she gasped.

"Sigrid has a second baby," Henry said as he gestured Sandy closer.

"That's impossible! Valkyries have one child! The birthing ceremony—"

"Is done! You have the daughter. Now move back and let us work!" Henry said and glared at her. She stepped back in surprise.

Henry immediately ignored her. "Sandy. I need you to have Kesini reach in and turn the baby, head down." He had an idea. "Dayshia, do you remember when we used to share an image amongst all of us?"

Dayshia's expression soured. "Yes, confusing days."

"I want you to look inside Sigrid and share what you see with Sandy, through me. Sandy can guide Kesini," Henry explained.

"How can I see too? I can help!" Eleanor insisted.

"Just close your eyes and put your hand on my shoulder," he said.

Henry opened his connection to the Wild Magic and held out a hand to Dayshia. She reluctantly gripped it and turned her eyes to Sigrid once more.

The image began a little hazy as Dayshia was resisting, but he squeezed her fingers reassuringly, and the picture came through sharply. He found Eleanor's link to him and sent her the image. She cried out in surprise then he was feeding the image to Sandy and Kesini.

"Make sure Kesini curls her tips before insertion," Eleanor suggested, and Kesini curled her tips and slid inside. More and more of Kesini slid inside until she reached the baby and slid up its back.

Henry watched as Eleanor guided Sandy and Kesini in turning the baby. He spared a quick peek at Sigrid. "Are you able to push?"

Sigrid barely shook her head, and her eyes were mere slits.

"Okay, we're going to do it for you," he said gently. He pictured in his mind Kesini enveloping the baby and pulling it out. More of Kesini went up inside Sigrid and carefully wrapped around the baby. When they tried to pull, Sigrid's muscles wouldn't relax.

Henry put his hand under Sigrid's ass and sent energy into her body, feeling her muscles warm and relax.

"Now Kesini. Push her walls open to get the baby by," he directed.

Sigrid cried out as she experienced the worst muscle cramp possible, then she passed out as Kesini guided the baby out.

Henry looked up at a dumbfounded Hilda. "Give the baby to Camila and help us with the umbilical cord," he snapped as Dayshia and Eleanor moved back.

Kesini unbundled the baby as Hilda knelt down. Henry caught a glimpse of the joy on Camila's face then he was gripping Hilda's arm to keep her kneeling next to him as she struggled to get up.

"Yes, I see it too. It's called a penis, and baby boys have them. He needs your help, grandma."

She looked at him, and he could tell she was upset that her perfect little dream wasn't going to plan. He raised an eyebrow. "Does a Valkyrie go to pieces each time life gets complicated? If so, buckle up, buttercup, my life is as complicated as they get, and if you're around me, you're joining the party, like it or not."

She trembled, then got to the task of tying off the umbilical cord. She didn't have a second clamp and looked to him. He looked over her head at the other Valkyries. "Anyone carrying a spare clamp for the umbilical?"

Talia stepped forward quickly and handed him one. He looked at her in surprise. "A Valkyrie is prepared," she said as her face pinked up. She looked away as Hilda added the clamp.

Henry picked up his son before Hilda could slap him. He cuddled him and rubbed his back. He coughed and began to cry, loudly. Henry grinned at everyone, then tears of happiness rolled down his cheeks as he looked at the perfect little face. He was pink and perfect, with a patch of jet-black hair, ten little fingers, and most importantly, ten little toes, no hooves.

Henry looked to Sigrid and saw she was smiling at him. He thought she actually looked a little better as her energy levels increased. She suddenly grunted painfully, and the placenta dropped onto the ground. Eleanor moved forward and examined it with Dayshia. They both pronounced it looked healthy and were pleased Sigrid passed it successfully.

Henry sniffed his boy, then yelped painfully as the baby got a grip on his ear and squeezed.

"OW! OW! FuckFuckFuck!" Henry cursed as he tugged his ear free from the infant's grip.

He held the baby cradled in his arm and looked down at him in surprise as the baby looked up at him, no longer crying.

"What kind of newborn is that strong?" he gasped.

Hilda blinked at the child then shared a look with Talia, who was suppressing a smile of her own.

"I suppose I should name him," Hilda said.

"No..."

They looked down at Sigrid. "His... name is Stanley."

Henry sucked in a breath as his chest suddenly tightened.

"That's not the name a Valkyrie should have—"

"It's Stanley! Let me hold my babies," Sigrid said, holding her hands out.

Henry immediately laid baby Stanley in his mother's arm, and she cooed to him. His eyes followed her face.

Henry accepted his daughter from Camila with a huge smile. The baby girl had the whitest blonde hair, and her eyes were blue, but he'd heard they were always blue before they change. He couldn't help but recall another blue-eyed baby girl, laid to rest on this very spot. He vowed to ensure this child would get to have the life the other had been denied.

He dipped his face close to smell her.

"OW! ShitShitShit! OW!" Henry hissed as he tugged his bruised ear from Ylva's tiny fist. He set her down on Sigrid, who grinned at him before nuzzling her daughter.

"Do we really need to call her Ylva?" he asked.

Sigrid looked up at him in surprise. "Why? What's wrong with Ylva? It's a solid Valkyrie name," she insisted.

"Yeah, but you never see it on a souvenir mug or baseball cap," he suggested, and she snorted.

"That's not my priority," she responded.

He looked her in the eye. "I can't tell you how much it means to me that you named our son, Stanley."

"He looks like a Stanley," she said happily.

"When he gets all muscular, we're gonna have to start calling him Stan," Henry sighed, and Sigrid giggled. She sighed and leaned back against the tree, taking in the scenery.

"I don't know why but this place makes me feel so calm and at peace with... everything," she said quietly.

Henry looked at her seriously. "You gave me a scare for a moment. You were weakening, and I was doing everything I could, but it wasn't working."

She looked at him oddly. "What are you talking about? You've given me all this energy!"

He frowned. "At the beginning, yes. But I was a little too busy to do that after Ylva was born."

Camila pushed Henry aside with a frown of her own for his ignoring the children before him. She smiled at Sigrid. "Your babies are so beautiful, and I love that you've named him Stanley!"

Sigrid beamed a wonderful smile at her friend. "It just felt right!"

Henry turned to Sandy, Dayshia, and Eleanor. "I want to thank you for stepping up and coming to our aid under less-than-ideal conditions."

The three ladies looked around at the natural setting around them and burst into laughter.

Sandy recovered first. "Henry, we work in some of the busiest hospitals in New York City. This is idyllic by comparison." Kesini moved a little stiffly. "A shower would be welcome, though."

Eleanor's face was glowing in her excitement. "That was one of the most fascinating experiences I've had in... let's just say it's been a long time."

"I've never worked in obstetrics, but it felt so good to help bring a new life into the world!" Dayshia gushed. She also seemed to be riding a high.

Henry noticed Xiong standing a short distance away with Revna, Ingrid, Sylvi, and Runa standing around him, poking him with their fingers and peering inside his glassy depths.

"Excuse me for a minute?" he asked the three healthcare ladies, but they were already lost in an intense conversation. He hustled over to Xiong's side.

Revna looked back at Henry. "What's this strange creature that inhabits this world?"

Henry smiled as he opened a link to Xiong through the magic and sent a hello. He looked to the Valkyrie. "This is Xiong. He was the first Human to be changed into a Glass Person by the Pseudo-Clouds back on Earth. He lived in a small village in a mountainous region of China."

Revna's jaw dropped. "This was Human?"

"Yes, but he's so much more now. The Glass People are beings of deep compassion and intellectual brilliance. They're learning about themselves and the world around them at exponential rates. They're a beautiful people." He smiled at his friend. "He's also the de facto leader of the village though it embarrasses him to be called that," Henry said with a grin.

He connected with Xiong and asked about a place to get cleaned up. Xiong excitedly showed him a recent discovery not too far from the village. It was a hot spring and a large one.

Henry thanked Xiong and felt the village's love pouring through. He sent his love for them in return.

"The Glass People here were all Humans at one time, but they like it here more," Henry explained.

"How?" Revna asked. "Did they all walk through your little door?" Her tone was more than a little condescending. He couldn't let that slide.

Henry smiled as he walked right up to her and opened a tear at her back, leading to the mansion's snowy front lawn. "Who needs a door?" He shoved her through to land in the snow. The others laughed as she sputtered in the fluffy stuff. "See you shortly," he said with a grin and shut the tear.

This made the remaining Valkyries burst into laughter and clap him solidly on his back.

"Was that too far?" he asked, and Silvi snorted.

"It's the only thing she understands. Trust me, she'll like you even more now." She paused. "Not that that's necessarily a good thing."

Rena and Ingrid laughed even harder as the three walked back to the others.

"Your abilities with magic have grown exceptionally," Xiong said, and he nodded. "Could that be due—"

"I'm aware," he said in interruption, and Xiong nodded then changed the subject.

"We're so pleased you gave your daughter another chance at life, then returned to have your children here," Xiong sighed to him happily.

Henry looked sharply at Xiong.

"Did you not feel her? We did! She was so happy!" the Glass Being sighed.

Henry's eyes were filling with tears again, and Xiong looked to his friend. "Oh! I've upset you?"

Struggling to regain his composure, Henry shook his head and put his hand on Xiong's shoulder. "No, I-I don't understand how any of this works, but to know she's happy is enough. Please don't share this with Sigrid or the others."

Xiong bowed, and Henry felt the village's agreement too. He sent them all a hug.

Henry wiped the tears from his eyes and smiled. "I have some ladies I need to take to the hot springs."

He said his goodbyes and joined Sigrid and her entourage.

Sandy looked pitifully at him. "I really need to take a shower."

"How would you like to relax in a hot spring instead?"

"YES!" the people within earshot all shouted in unison. There were many Valkyries in that range, so the noise was quite loud. Henry's eyebrows rose. He called up the image of the hot spring and realized they were large enough for everyone, and he could add a privacy field down the middle to separate the men and the ladies since there were kids present.

"Uh, we'll be naked in front—" Dayshia began.

"No, I'll ensure there are privacy fields between the sexes," Henry assured her.

Camila smiled. "The field can allow the ladies to see the men," she suggested.

"No. Behave," Henry said, and she pouted sweetly. He felt that look cause a surge under his kilt. "Behave!" he insisted, and she giggled.

Meixiu rushed up to him. "We have many new towels still in their packaging in a storage room off the laundry room. I can get them!"

"Let me get you some help," Henry said as he looked to the grasslands. He saw Aadiya and Mahali being chased by the kids. He concentrated on them, and they looked in his direction. He gestured for them to come back, and they pointed to the hillside, and the kids all raced toward the adults, with the twins following to ensure none were left behind. They scooped up two of the youngest, Jolene and Marian, both six, and leapt into the sky to fly past the leaders and arrive first. They left the cheering girls with their moms and joined Henry.

"No fair! Flying!" Felicia called out, but Layla just laughed, so Felicia had to drop her complaint.

Henry kissed Aadiya and Mahali, much to their delight. He held their hands to get them to focus their attention. "Your flying is much improved! You're obviously stronger too, if you can carry the kids. How are your wings feeling now?"

"Good!" Aadiya exclaimed. "Strong!" Mahali added.

He nodded. "Excellent! I have another request for you. Can you assist Meixiu with collecting some towels from the mansion and bring them to the hot springs?"

They nodded enthusiastically.

"Where is the hot spring?" Meixiu asked.

"When you pass through the doors, turn left and walk over the ridge. As you cross the field, the village will be on your left. Keep an eye open for the tethered lights the kids are going to get!" He raised his voice, so the kids heard that last part, and they all squealed happily. He grinned at them as they came running to his side. He tapped each on the top of their head, and a pretty colored light appeared above them, then they moved for the next kid.

As Henry worked, he looked to Meixiu and continued his instructions. "If it takes you longer and we've left the field, I'll leave fire orbs as a trail. Just follow them. Oh! If you see Revna, let her know where we are," Henry said, and Meixiu nodded before rushing away with the twins flying behind her.

He turned to the rest of the group. He scanned them and noted some significant absences. "Where's Roy, Mary, and Lorelei?"

Camila touched his arm. "Lorelei was unable to leave Earth. Her bond to the planet is too strong."

"Oh!" Henry exclaimed, feeling terrible for not being aware of this.

"She said she had a lovely time, and you could make this up to her on your date this week," Camila continued with a cheeky smile. "Roy and Mary decided to man the fort until we return."

He nodded, still feeling a little unsettled for having missed her, then looked to the others. "Okay, we're going to walk this way to the hot springs." He pointed over the small wooded hillside. He pointed at Sigrid and the babies. "You, I'm carrying."

She smiled at him as he knelt and got his arms under her and lifted her against his chest. Then he pushed with his legs and stood with her and their babies safely in his arms.

Tish's oldest brother approached and walked alongside him. "Hi, Henry!"

"Hey, Brian. What's up?"

"This place is amazing and all..."

Henry looked closer at the man. "But..."

"But it's a complete unknown to us. Are there any dangerous creatures we should be concerned about? Any poisonous bugs or snakes? Anything we need our kids to be careful of?"

Henry shook his head. "No bugs or reptiles anywhere near us. The only dangerous creature we've encountered is a toothy ribbon that flies. When we got here, I sent the twins, Aadiya and Mahali, hunting. They killed one, making every other one for at least ten miles around avoid the area. Should we see another one, I'm sure one of our brave warrior goddesses will welcome the opportunity to hunt it. Sigrid quite enjoyed it."

Henry saw he'd attracted the attention of nearby Valkyrie with the word hunt. There were many smiles at his reference to them as goddesses.

Talia moved closer with a gleam in her intense green eyes. "I would welcome the opportunity to test my mettle against a beast from this world."

Sigrid smiled with a bloodthirsty gleam in her eye. "The ribbons are fast and maneuverable with sharp teeth that will rend any exposed flesh, but they can be defeated. Once that happens, all others in the area head for safer pastures for a time."

Talia grinned a Sigrid. "When do you think one might venture back?"

Sigrid pondered that and glanced up at Henry. "You say the twins killed one just as we got here?" Henry nodded. "There might be one sniffing around on the edges of the area a few miles out."

Talia leapt upwards and snapped her wings open the climb into the sky. Her wings glowed like Sigrid's had the first time he saw her saving him from a demon in the alley near VRL. They were bright but nowhere near as blinding as Sigrids were now.

"What if she gets lost?" Henry muttered, and Sigrid laughed then stopped to consider the possibility.

He sighed. "I'll tether a large fire orb above the hot spring so they can see it from the sky."

"That's my Henry. Always thinking of others," Sigrid said with a sweet smile.

They crossed the vast field next to the village, and a few Silver People came by to welcome them. They were from Kuwait, so there was a bit of a language barrier, but Henry could speak with them through the Wild Magic via imagery, and they seemed thrilled to meet him. They didn't exactly swarm him, and they didn't interfere with his carrying Sigrid and the children. They finally rushed back to the village as Henry's group headed up the next slope.

Henry began to drop tethered light orbs so Meixiu would be able to follow them. He put them eight to ten feet apart as they walked.

As they crested the hill and passed through the grove of trees, Henry felt the humidity rising and heard the hiss of a cascade of water falling from a rocky crag into a pool. The forest continued to climb up a steeper slope to the left, toward the river's source. They turned right instead and followed the slope down towards a flat expanse, which appeared to be a series of tiered pools. Henry wasn't sure where the hot water was sourced as the mist from the waterfall felt quite chilly.

When they got closer, they saw a stream coming from the pool fed by the waterfall met a steaming stream gushing up from between some rock. That stream was almost boiling hot.

Scalding met freezing and mixed. The result was tiered pools downstream, and by the third and largest pool, the water was a perfect soaking temperature.

He set Sigrid and the babies down a short distance from the water and asked everyone to stay back from the water for a minute.

He created a huge red and blue flame orb with a two-hundred-foot tether and let it rise up into the sky.

Then Henry walked to the edge of the large pool of dreamy water and envisioned how he would put up a temporary privacy wall dividing the water into his and hers sides. For now, he didn't need anything fancy. He created a clear force field dome over the large pool extending ten feet beyond the shoreline on both sides. Then, he bisected the energy dome with a wall that went right down to the water's bottom but didn't restrict the water's flow. The bisecting division was translucent, so the light passing through it was heavily blurred. He extended that blurring to the parts of the dome that extended past the edge of the water. This would be the changing area. His last adjustment was to adjust all non-blurred parts of the structure to only allow visibility outwards. It would also protect against the ribbon beasts.

Stepping out of the spa building, he added a rule to the spell that restricted access on the left side to the males and the other side to females. He adjusted the dome to allow babies of either sex inside either side.

He drew a vertical dividing line where the dome was bisected, then scribbled MEN on the left side of the line and WOMEN on the right side.

Henry turned to face the group. "The dome will ensure privacy. Towels are on the way."

He heard thumping footfalls and saw Revna trotting down the hill towards them with a grin on her face. That was a good sign, he thought.

"What? No unisex hot spring? Henry, I'm disappointed!"

"See! I told you," he said with a smirk and followed the men through the blurred wall.

He missed the look of confusion on her face, then the flash when she remembered he'd promised to make an exception for her.

-=-

The hot springs had been a huge hit, and Eleanor ensured they didn't stay in the water too long.

Talia arrived ten minutes into their soak, and from the sounds coming from the lady's side, the other Valkyries were seriously envious of whatever trophy she'd taken from the beast she'd slain.

Once everyone had dried off with the towels Meixiu and the twins had delivered, they packed them back into the large laundry sacks, and the Valkyries carried them as the group walked back to the doors to the mansion's cave.

Sigrid insisted she was well enough for a casual stroll but promised to take him up on his offer to carry her if she encountered any pain or cramping.

Henry got to carry Stanley, who was asleep in his arms. He couldn't get over how small he was. Truthfully, he was slightly smaller than his sister Ylva who was currently sleeping in Hilda's arms.

When he'd asked Sigrid if she needed help with the twins, she assured him that Hilda was all the help she needed. Her mother would be moving into a spare bedroom in her brownstone until the children passed into their independent stage.

He wondered how this would impact their date nights.

Talia sauntered up beside him and smiled at the baby in his arms. "A male Valkyrie. I never thought I'd live to see the day."

Henry nodded as he had no words for that.

Then it came to him as he looked at his son. "These are special days."

Talia smiled thoughtfully and nodded.

"I hear your hunt went well," Henry said.

Her smile widened. "Yes, it was glorious! Forty feet from teeth to tail, black as midnight, and fast as a lightning strike. There were moments when I thought I might have chosen a foe too great for my skill. It was in one of those moments I found something more in me and took its head with a single slash."

He could see she was reliving the moment when she faced her mortality and survived, so he remained quiet.

She came back to the moment and blushed slightly.

"You took a trophy?" he asked.

'Yes! One of its larger fangs!" She carefully extracted a white dagger-shaped tooth from a pouch she had strapped to her hip. The tooth had to be at least nine inches long.

Henry whistled in appreciation. "That's the biggest one I've seen yet! It looks deadly sharp!"

"It is! It will make an excellent weapon!" Talia exclaimed excitedly.

He smiled at her enthusiasm.

Her smile was replaced with a look of serious contemplation. "I spoke with Hilda regarding your ability to heal. No Valkyrie is ashamed of their scars. They tell the story of my battles. They are me."

"I wouldn't remove the scars. For that, you'd be better off with someone as skilled as Eleanor, anyway. Like you said, you want to keep them. I would only repair the underlying structure, the damaged muscle, and nerves. To give you back their function and sensation."

Talia unconsciously touched her drooping lip.

"It's up to you. There's no deadline on the offer. If you ever decide you want it done, just let me know. Hilda told you about the pain management?"

"Valkyries are no stranger to pain. That said, Hilda said there were moments when she was almost lost, but you brought her back."

Henry frowned. Hilda hadn't said that to him, and he couldn't recall having any foresight when he applied the pain. "I-I don't know about that. I do know it can overwhelm those unable to endure it. Hilda survived."

"Then I can do no less. I will take you up on your offer, but I won't be available to do it for a while," she said. He nodded, and she moved off to speak to Sylvi.

Henry saw they were approaching the doors and was glad he'd added the light orbs as the daylight was waning. He saw Roy and Mary by the doors welcoming the families back and keeping them moving through. Sigrid met Henry at the door and plucked Stanley from his arms. He kissed her, and she smiled wearily.

"I'm going to get some sleep. We can talk in the morning?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course, we can," he said with a smile. Hilda, carrying Ylva, collected her daughter, and they went into the cave.

Camila waited with Henry, Roy, and Mary until all of the guests were through and Roy confirmed that none of their guests remained on Eden. Henry gestured for them to go first then he pushed the doors closed. He put the dimensional gate spell back into its dormant state, and the crystals dimmed once more. He checked their power levels. The door had been open for almost three hours, and he was still at seventy-six percent. In the power generator's dormant mode, it would trickle charging the crystals up to ninety-nine percent.

When he turned around, he saw Camila and Roy were waiting for him with their arms crossed across their chests. Mary was looking between them and Henry with interest.

He took a deep breath, raised a finger, and whispered a few words.

The corridor's end was suddenly closed with what looked like a solid wall of rock once more. The light globes dimmed, and there was a slight sensation of pressure on their ears. He nodded to Roy.

"We have privacy now?" Roy asked, and Henry nodded again. "What's this Camila tells me about you being under a compulsion to use magic?"

He shook his head slowly. "I think compulsion is the wrong word. It feels like I'm still being used in a battle of wills between Baba and the beings who gave her powers. Neither side has overtly tried to communicate with me. I don't think they can do that."

He frowned and shook his head. "No, I have to amend that statement. When I was fighting Hilda, she provoked me badly, and in a moment of inattention, I called up a spell in my defense from the dark spells. I immediately disabled it but not before feeling its strong link to dark entities."

Camila made a sound of concern, but Henry made a gesture to assure her. "I never connected mentally to the spell. It was launched for me."

Roy and Camila froze and looked at him. "That shouldn't be possible," Roy said.

Henry nodded. "Without my willful approval, no spell can be accessed and launched within me. Yet one was."

Now his friends looked really worried. Even Mary, who had no background in Magic, was looking at Henry like a time bomb. He continued. "I've taken the precaution of adding a kill switch. If one of the really bad spells is launched without my will being involved, I die."

"WHAT? What the hell were you thinking? That's completely daft!" Roy roared.

Henry calmly looked the big redhead in the eye. "You don't know what these spells do. You don't understand the scale of the entities backing them, providing the corrupt, unnatural energies to unleash their evil payload. I WON'T BE USED FOR THAT!" Henry roared back.

Roy was taken aback at the strength in Henry's conviction. He tried a different tack. "Who launched the spell?"

It was Camila who answered. "Baba."

Henry gave Camila an approving look for her clever mind. "Hilda wasn't pulling any punches. She would have killed me if she could have. The risk was real. She forced Baba to show her hand. She always lacked faith in me, but then, she'd lost faith in everyone."

"Is... is she inside you?" Roy asked.

Henry winced and shook his head a little as Roy watched him cautiously.

"Not as a full-blown consciousness. That exists... elsewhere, but she can reach me, as proven by her launching that spell. You know Baba stuffed my head full of knowledge before she disappeared." They nodded. "To be included with those taken by the curse, Baba needed to shed her powers, so she forced it on me. All of it. Some of those spells contained the sensations of their being used and the perceptions she experienced when they were. Bits of Baba were included and are stored in my brain."

"Not a fate I'd wish for you," Roy said softly.

Henry snorted. "It wasn't like I had the power to say no." They nodded in silent agreement.

"When she was Human, in her desperation to save her dying son, she made an arrangement with dark entities and was given powers. The price was to live and remember. That became too much for her, and she struggled to find a way to break her deal. The only loophole she found was the end of the beings she'd been tasked to watch and remember, but she couldn't be the one to do it. We know how that went."

"Aye, she killed all of the Humans," Roy spat.

"No. Not all."

Camila and Roy looked at him then their eyes widened. "General Crane!" they said in unison.

"Wait, wait, wait! Crane has been exposed to all kinds of Wild Magic! It changes everyone!" Mary argued.

"Crane was on Eden when the curse was launched. But even before that, I believe the ones who made a deal with Baba were becoming aware of her efforts. They hedged their bets. They ensured Crane was kept free of the Wild Magic. They may have made sure he was with the group I sent to Eden. Someone planted a bomb in his car recently, and he was miraculously moved from its location before it exploded. Then he was shot at point-blank range from a handgun that should have punched straight through his bulletproof vest and him, but somehow the liner of the vest was replaced with a rock-like substance I watched turn to vapor. I had Siobhan use her sight on the General, and she confirmed he's surrounded by a dark aura that blocks him from being touched by Wild Magic. She claimed she felt a presence. It was dark, cold, ancient, vast, alien, and she felt more than one mind. She didn't connect to it, so she's safe."

Seeing he still had them following along, he continued. "The two sides are still fighting, but their influence to directly manipulate the environment is extremely limited.

As Baba planned, the curse stripped her of her physical being. Yet, the deal denied her the final rest she was after because one true Human still exists. I don't know what it costs these dark entities to allow her to get free of the deal, but it seems they're unwilling.

Now, as an untethered spirit, Baba's ability to influence anything in this world is limited to one individual, me, but she can only do it through her magic inside me, as it's bound to parts of her. I added the self destruct so she'd lose her only access if she makes any further attempts. She can't afford that. I've been waiting for her to make her presence known in my dreams, but she may still be too weak.

Instead, Baba has been at her subtle best, suggesting in the back of my mind how I can make things better with the use of magic, making it easier to access her vast library of spells, and recently I have become much more proficient in its use. I believe she's still looking for a way to use me against the dark entities."

"The caveat of using the magic is I'm becoming more visible to those entities. In recent days, I've felt them on the boundaries. I know they're very much aware their grip on Earth is tenuous as they only ever had an influence on it through the use of the spells soaked in their vile intent, the ones I refuse to use. They need a replacement for Baba. I think they want me."

Camila made another sound of fright, and he held her hand between his to calm her.

"I've tried to purge the dark spells, but they're the ones most tightly linked to Baba, and she's blocking me. Again, she doesn't have enough faith in me."

Camila couldn't stop herself from pulling Henry into a tight hug. He wrapped his arms around her and heard her say something against his chest, but she shook her head when he asked her to say it again. He glanced at Roy, but the man just looked troubled. Mary shook her head.

"What are you going to do, lad?" Roy asked softly.

Henry smiled weakly. "I think I need to help Baba achieve her wish. She needs to be released from the deal. Once she is, I may be able to purge the dark spells that will break me from the entities or reduce their awareness of me. I've made no deals with them, and I won't." His mind took him to the days he struggled to drag himself out of the darkness to return to his body. He'd felt their attention on him then, heard their whispered promises. He'd had some dark moments, days and weeks really, but he remembered Baba's words, and he'd proven to himself that he wasn't a quitter. The confidence he'd returned with was his reward.

"Does Crane need to die for this?" Roy asked cautiously.

Henry's eyes snapped to Roy, then he eased his expression and unclenched his jaws. "Sorry. No. The General said he was ready to transform, so I need to somehow get past that dark energy shield around him to get the Wild Magic into him. Once he's affected by the magic, he's no longer Human, and the deal ends. Baba is released, and I purge the dark energy spells."

"Aye, it's that simple," Roy said skeptically.

"Yup! Bing. Bang. Boom," Henry replied with a grin.

"When."

Henry looked down at his chest. The word came from Camila.

He glanced at Roy. "What time is it?"

"It's two AM. Boxing Day," he replied.

"Today, then. I need to make some prep—"

Camila pulled him towards the wall blocking the end of the hall. "Open this," she insisted.

"It's open," he said, so she pulled him through the field. He glanced back and saw Roy and Mary following at a slower pace speaking softly to each other.

Henry was towed through the caverns, past the large chamber where Meixiu, the Kings, and a few others were tidying up. He wanted to stop and help, but Camila wasn't slowing down and marched him right up the ramp, to the stairs, and up to his room. She tugged his kilt off and pushed him back onto the bed before dropping her glamor and climbing on top of him.

Gone was the sex kitten, the teasing harlot. Camila was desperate for his touch, his kiss, his closeness.

She writhed over his larger body, pressing as much of her skin to his as she could. She felt so damn good, and her kiss was so demanding, he quickly reacted and was soon almost painfully erect. She moaned when she felt the heat from his cock begin to press against her.

She didn't have time for gentleness. She reached between them, positioned him at her entrance, and drove herself down upon him.

"FFFUUUUUCCKKK!!!!" she cried out.

All Henry could manage was a grunt as the bliss hit him so hard and fast.

Then she was kissing him again as she bounced on him, trying to get all of him inside. She was incredibly hot and wet, but he was just so big. Finally, she made a frustrated sound and tugged on him to indicate she wanted him on top. He pulled her down then flipped them on the bed. With this extra pressure, Henry drove himself fully inside her body in two more strokes. He was resting on her, his cock filling her completely. She moaned, trembled, and shook, then her heels hooked behind is ass cheeks and tugged.

Henry got the hint, so he began to long stroke her, and her gasps and cries grew louder. She pulled his face down to hers, and her kisses became soft and tender as he pounded her against the bed. He saw her expression softening, and tears appeared in her eyes.

He began to slow his thrusts.

"No... please... keep going," she sighed, so he did.

The tears concerned him, though. "What's wrong?"

She shook her head and gasped as her bliss was making it hard to think. "Do... do you remember... I asked... if you could have... one wish come true for Christmas... what would it be?"

He was surprised by the question as it seemed so out of context, but her eyes were holding his so intensely, he felt compelled to look deep inside for his most intimate desire.

He found he did have something he wished for, more than anything. Something he'd been denied for most of his life until he'd begin to believe he wasn't worthy of it.

Voice tight with emotion, he made his confession.

"Love."

Her smile bloomed across her face. "I love you, Henry!"

He blinked at her, struggling to keep going as her heels pulled at him. "You-you said Succubi couldn't—"

She pulled his mouth to hers, and the kiss was electric. Their bodies reacted immediately, grinding together as their releases exploded in their minds. Henry was lost in her kiss, the raw emotions he felt there, her need for him, her surrender to him, and her love for him.

Long minutes passed as they clung to each other. Finally, Henry pulled back to see her smiling eyes and bliss flushed face. He was sure he looked equally ecstatic.

"You love me?" he asked quietly.

She nodded. "Yes. I didn't recognize it. I've never felt this way about anyone in my life. It's... a bit frightening, truthfully. I feel so exposed. I'm so terrified of what you are facing, and there's nothing I can do—"

He touched her lips gently to stop her words. "You cannot imagine how much strength your love gives me. What you've done for me is immeasurable!"

She pulled his face down to hers, and the kiss was tender but sent tingles through their bodies.

Once the kiss ended, Henry moved to lie beside her, and Camila smiled blissfully at him. "I can't believe how much better sex is with love! It's a whole new level of bliss!"

Henry nodded as it had exceeded his expectations too. He yawned widely. "Sorry," he said as his face heated up.

She cupped his cheek. "Go to sleep, my love."

He held her eyes as his heart filled with joy at her words. "I love you, Camila."

He saw his love in her eyes as his slowly closed.

It was the perfect Christmas gift and the best way to end the day.

-=- End of Part 1 -=-