Kaliope wrapped up work at the office and headed home. Instead of the subway, she rode the bus. Despite not being rush hour, traffic inched forward, the streets clogged with a seemingly endless sea of vehicles, each jostling for position in the never-ending game of traffic. By the end of the workday, it would be gridlocked.
She spectated the disorderly dance, with cars weaving in and out of lanes, pedestrians dodging between them, and the occasional cyclist adding to the confusion. Bus rides were a peculiar comfort. It helped her think, and her earlier conversation with Inola occupied her attention.
~~
Earlier - Sage Tower CMT
Kaliope met Inola on the way out.
"Did you talk to Ronin?" Inola's tone was all business, her eyes gray and devoid of their usual mirth.
Kaliope grimaced and bit her lip. Her admission of failure.
Inola picked up Kaliope's earlier pacing. "Doubt it would matter if you did. Met him in the parking lot. He's off. I'm sure of it. And he won't speak with any of us, anyone at all, about it." She stopped, brows furrowed. "Maybe Uncle Eli?"
Kaliope's insecurity gnawed at her. "Did I—" She clenched her fists for fortitude. "Do you think I'm the reason?"
Inola eyed her, puzzled. "Reason? Why?"
"If—" A lump formed in Kaliope's throat. She swallowed it and started again. "Since I started, I keep...causing trouble. Ronin doesn't trust me. If my presence is throwing off the team..."
Inola sighed. She pulled out Gideon's chair and gestured toward it. "Sit down."
"Do you want to know the best thing about life?"
"What's that?"
Inola leaned in. "Everything isn't always about you. When the Occult and Noccult clashed, witches suffered the brunt of the fallout. So naturally, generations later, scars remain. Gale's one of many witches who think humans can't be trusted. Most believe if it wasn't for the Rending and the disorder it caused, the current structure of witching society wouldn't exist. No main or minor houses. No witcher constitution. As for the boss." Inola eased up on the desk and crossed her leg. "Ronin's...complicated. His conditioning is why he is the way he is. Why he closes himself off."
"His conditioning?"
"When you meet his father, you'll understand."
"He and Andreas are polar opposites. Didn't they grow up together?"
"Yeah. But Ronin doesn't trust him. Don't ask me why. I'd give Andreas a wide berth. Foxes are tricksters, but lycans wear many faces."
"What about their mother?"
Inola's face fell. "She...died. Years ago. Before he and I met. Ronin's alone. Which is why I'm always worried about him. What's a wolf without a pack?"
~~
What's a wolf without a pack?
While Kaliope enjoyed solitude, it was only a haven when she chose it. Guess it's true what they say about it being lonely at the top. Unless it wasn't Ronin's choice. Her familiarity with toxic parenting granted Kaliope a unique perspective on Matthias McIntyre. He reminded her of Myra. Controlling. Vindictive. Callous. She might be projecting her personal experience without adequate information, but it scraped at the periphery of Kaliope's mind.
His conditioning is why he is the way he is. Why he closes himself off.
It hit harder when the bully turned out to be the one who should be protecting you from the world. No other betrayal cut as deep. She liked Ronin's father less with each disclosure about him. And Andreas? Kaliope shivered at considering something dark lurked underneath his charm.
Foxes are tricksters, but lycans wear many faces.
Kaliope mentally shook herself. What's this? Why was she wrapping herself up in someone else's business?
While she preoccupied herself with psycho-analyzing someone else's dysfunctional family, Ronin questioned the main suspect in their case. Should she have waited for the conclusion of his interrogation? What was she headed home early to do anyway? Alone in her apartment.
She was a wolf without a pack too.
Kaliope stroked her fingers over the pendant through her blouse. Maybe she should have accepted Inola's invitation to grab dinner earlier.
She stopped at the restaurant around the corner from her apartment. Tobias, the owner, greeted her as always with his warm, welcoming smile. Kaliope forced the semblance of a corresponding smile out of politeness and voiced her order.
"Long day?"
Kaliope puffed out her cheeks. "The longest."
Tobias disappeared into the kitchen with her order slip. Kaliope occupied her time, eying the mysterious gold sign across the room. She was still adjusting to the overlaps where the Occult and Nocculted seeded into each other. Similar symbols appeared in the pharmacy, the gas station where she bought her ice cream, the supermarket near the frozen produce aisle, and the subway. Kaliope avoided them all.
Tobias returned with her order and caught her gazing at the gold sign. Kaliope acted as if she was interested in the aquarium beside the entrance. He was part of the Occult if he had a gold sign in his eatery. She'd puzzled over what he might be—lycan, witch, fox demon, or werewolf. His chance of being one of the few Chimerans who blended in with humans was slim.
Kaliope handed him the money for her bill.
"You see it, don't you?"
"See what?"
Tobias smiled and handed her the change. "You weren't able to until recently. Saw your face the first time you noticed the sign. Bad experience?"
Kaliope raised a brow. "You lost me." She hesitated to admit her awareness of what he was.
Tobias sighed and raised a hand, blocking his face from the view of the other customers. The pupils of his sandy brown eyes elongated into slits. Kaliope gasped. He showed her his teeth next. His fangs.
"You're a—" Kaliope pursed her lips, remembering where she was and leaned over the counter to whisper. "You're a fox demon."
Tobias nodded.
She shook her head in disbelief. "My whole life, it really is a lie."
Kaliope changed her order from "to go" and dined in. She forgot her policy against fraternizing with the restaurant owner as he set her up at a corner table. Far enough away from any human ears.
After pardoning himself from his duties, Tobias joined her. Kaliope planned on eating alone when she refused another of Inola's invites for dinner earlier. Yet, here she was, dining with another fox demon. They chatted for almost two hours about the Occult and Kaliope's magic poisoning because she wandered into a forbidden zone.
Tobias' eyes traveled over her face. "Still not feeling well?"
Kaliope touched her cheeks. "Don't tell me it's obvious?"
"I didn't want to say it, but." He half shrugged. "On a serious note..." Tobias squinted at her with his fox eyes. "There's a trace amount of magic flowing off you."
Kaliope checked herself, half expecting to see faint streaks of light leaving her body.
"You need to see a Med Mage. Humans and magic—"
Kaliope waved him off. "I know. I know. My boss forced me to do a follow-up already. The doc cleared me."
"Another one won't hurt."
Kaliope pouted. "I hate doctors. No matter how magical they are."
"Too bad. Think of it as a favor to me." Tobias folded his arms on the table. "If I lose one of my regulars, it might bankrupt my business." A grin parted his lips.
Tch. Back with the flirting. Whereas Inola radiated mischief and skullduggery, Tobias reminded Kaliope of a lycan. The Andreas type—confident, without arrogance. Likable. She supposed there were all sorts. Still, it wouldn't be wise to muddy the waters between them.
"Fine. I'll visit the doc tomorrow." Kaliope gathered her bag and her jacket. "Time for me to vacate the premises and for you to get back to work." The woman behind the counter had sent them one too many sourpuss scowls.
Tobias walked her out.
~
Kaliope turned in early for the night, woozy and exhausted after the events of her day. Maybe revisiting the doc wasn't such a bad idea. She fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow.
She returned to Kelmor Jeweler in her dream, to the forbidden room with the gold sign. Approaching voices diverted her attention from the living crystal at the center of the room. Kaliope was on the floor, disoriented. A woman approached. She rested two fingers on Kaliope's forehead. Heat spread from where the woman touched.
A male voice hovered nearby. Frantic. Questioning. Kaliope recognized it. Then pain. So much pain. Like the woman engraved something into the soft folds of her brain.
Kaliope screamed awake, grasping her head. Agony tore at her, threatening to rip her mind apart. She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand. Who would she call? Eli. Yes. She can call the professor. He'd come.
Laboring to focus her eyes through the fog of agony, Kaliope struggled to dial his number. The line rang. A voice answered. It reached her as if the person was speaking from miles away. Kaliope fought to hold on to consciousness.
"Help. Me."
~~~
To read the entire first season, along with Seasons 2 and 3, join me on Ream. The link's in my bio on the home page. Hope to see you there.