The Gate

40. A Story on a Starry Night

"You're worried about the wrong thing." I murmured, recounting Flora's last words.

We had been worried about the yuki onna, and overlooked everything else. The gaps in Jane-Anne's memory that weren't from Taylor. Carter nearly drowning. Jerome forgetting conversations. Getting lost in the woods and being killed by Flora. My missing Agency ID. Mrs. Pearce being unaware of Josh's murder. Makaya not identifying us as agents after the checkup. This was what she wanted.

Makaya had forced Jane-Anne to kill.

At the Gate

It was a quiet night, with nothing but the sound of crickets to compliment the starry sky. Then, something sharply broke into the stillness, clear and determined: the sound of heels clacking against pavement. They solemnly echoed into the emptiness as Makaya Gladwell glided down the sidewalk.

Makaya stopped before the towering black gate, patiently waiting for it to swing open. Sure enough, it did, and Makaya stepped through without a second thought. She turned to the security booth, where her innocent replacement was waving at her enthusiastically.

"I didn't expect to see you here!" said the woman cheerfully.

Makaya smiled sweetly. "I've spent plenty of nights out here alone. I know how it feels. I thought you could use some company." Makaya walked to the booth and set a plate of fritters on its desk.

"What happened to you?" the security woman asked, looking at Makaya's cheek. It had been slashed, and one of the cuts was still oozing blood.

Makaya touched her cheek gingerly. "Fox attack." she answered mindlessly. Makaya had gone out of her way to make sure that Setsuka wouldn't be in the picture tonight. She had put up a fight, but in the end, Makaya was smarter, stronger, and older. Setsuka had nothing on Makaya. After all, Makaya had taught her everything she knew.

"I didn't think there were any foxes around here," said the woman.

"You'd be surprised, Jingfei." Makaya answered.

"I suppose you'd know more than me," said Jingfei. Even though she had taken Makaya's position, she still respected her greatly.

"Maybe." said Makaya mischievously. "So, how do you plan on passing the time?"

Jingfei looked up at the stars, their light reflecting in her dark eyes. "I'm not sure. The sky is beautiful, though."

Makaya glanced up, but only for a moment. "I suppose." she shrugged. "It's a good night for stories, don't you think? I actually have the perfect one."

"Well, I'd love to hear it." said Jingfei, smiling politely.

"This one started about a year ago. It starts with a Forbidden meeting, back when only true Forbidden were allowed. The mixed kids who never fully belonged in either world had to stay home. One of those kids was named Hayate. Have you heard of him?"

"The name sounds familiar," said Jingfei.

"Well, because Hayate was mixed, there was a chance that he had some Forbidden traits. And since the only babysitters available during meetings were human, Hayate had to stay home by himself. When his mother left for a meeting, he was free to run around his house without any restrictions. He could run or climb wherever his little heart desired. They should have replaced those railings years ago. Fuyuko Kazama returned home from that meeting and discovered that she wasn't a mother anymore."

"That's awful!" Jingfei exclaimed.

"Losing a child can destroy you. It can twist your soul and morals in a way that will never be undone. Fuyuko's soul twisted that day, and she went to Mrs. Pearce's house, ready to kill the woman who insisted on implementing those dumb rules." Makaya took a deep breath. "Mrs. Pearce wasn't home, but her daughter was. Jane-Anne Pearce died that day, but she came back as the creature that killed her - a yuki onna."