Soft hums pricked Rachel’s ears as she took a deep breath and cracked open her eyes; a dim room came into focus, Nike lying unconscious in the bed beside hers. In the corner of the room stood kid Nia, twisting left and right while examining how different accessories looked with her hanfu. Vision closing, she rested for a few more minutes, taking inventory.

  Her mind was sharpening, yet it felt like she’d taken a few passes under a vibratory construction roller, and it wasn’t just physical. Nia had been right; she’d really pushed herself over the last few days, and the Legend Quest had done a real number on her that not even Maria could fix.

  “Hey, Nia, found any cute combinations?”

  “Huh?!” Opening her eyes, Rachel smiled at the startled bun, ears straight, vision wide, and cheeks coloring. “I-I was just…trying to find something good to wear when I see Moon-Mom again,” she mumbled, fiddling with her curled hair as she shuffled forward to sit on the big armchair that faced the bed. “How are you feeling, Major? You…probably want big Nia, huh?”

  Rachel swept the downcast girl’s depressed cadence, her small assortment of clothes and items spread across a much smaller bed by the mirror in the somewhat cramped room—with all three of them in here, there was little space. Releasing a grunt while adjusting her position, Rachel puffed out a long stream of air.

  “Mmm. Not yet. What’s on your mind, Nia? You’ve been taking such good care of me; how long since we last spoke? Give me a report, Soldier.”

  Nia perked up a little, seemingly trying to mirror the same posture as Chang’e from the last time they’d seen the goddess. “Oh, uh, yeah, it’s been about…two days since we came to the Washing, DC…place? I don’t know if it is a city, country, or state—a clothes cleaner—maybe it’s a giant, fancy, white hospital. I’m confused.”

  “Washing, DC?” Rachel repeated, trying not to laugh at the mistake. “Got it. Did you do everything I asked?”

  “Oh! Uh-huh! Uh-huh!” Her hair bobbed against her shoulders, legs knotting a little as she looked away and tried to think about how to say what was on her mind. “I’ve been listening…but most of it is really weird, and I don’t understand it. B-But I do know your big brother and sister and grandpa are here! Everyone’s worried about you, Major. Orders?”

  Rachel’s lips became a line, folding her arms across her belly under the sheets. If her grandpa, Nam, and Alexa were here, then it might make a few things easier. Turning a smile to the nervous bunny, who was afraid she hadn’t been as helpful as she had hoped, Rachel hummed.

  “Good work, Captain Bun. You look really cute with curly hair, by the way.”

  “You really think so?!” Nia’s countenance brightened as she pulled it around. “I learned it from your mom! She’s been talking to me, b-but I didn’t know if I should talk back, a-and I was nervous she might want an adult Nia instead, so…”

  “Hey. Come here,” Rachel whispered, tapping the side of her bed while forcing her exhausted body to the side. “Come lay with me and tell me what you think about this Moon-Mom you want to impress. Why do you like her so much?”

  Nia hesitantly hopped off her seat to walk over and crawl under the covers to take the extra pillow beside her. Staring up at the ceiling, the little girl fidgeted with her hair before moving on to her hands.

  “It’s, umm, I don’t know… I know she might be tricky, but…she’s so pretty, and e-elebant, and sweet, and pretty… She liked me, and I just felt…good. Is she a bad Moon-Mom?” Nia asked, big eyes turning to her with worry.

  Reaching up to rub the girl’s head, Rachel slowly shook her head. “I don’t know, Nia. She does seem lonely and wants someone to believe in her, but that’s a very good strategy to hit us in the feels, and you’re kind of vulnerable there, Little Bun.”

  The girl’s eyes drooped. “I know I’m not the smartest bunny… I’m trying.”

  “Hey,” Rachel prompted, nudging her softly, “don’t get down on yourself. You just gotta learn how to be tricky and play games to get people to dote on you. Okay? I’ll teach you how to wrap my mom around your little finger to get all sorts of fashion goodies.”

  “Really?!” Nia’s rosy smile returned as she reached over to hug her gently. “Thank you, Major.”

  “Of course. Now, I need to talk to Captain Big Bun, but once you’re a kid again, I want you to go out there and trick my mom into buying you a nice hairpin to go with your beautiful hanfu.”

  “Yes, Ma’am!” Nia said with a hushed giggle, jumping off the bed to give her a salute. “Captain Little Bun, signing off.”

  Amused at the cute dynamic that was developing with her Living Denier, Rachel watched the sparkling lights expand Nia’s figure, replacing the hanfu with the black-and-red fantasy military uniform.

  Nia crossed her arms, shifting her weight onto her hip as she gave her a light glare, cheeks coloring. “What is adorable and wholesome to you, Major, is utterly awkward and shameful to me.” It was soon followed with an understanding smile and sigh. “I do appreciate you accommodating my shortcomings, though.”

  Settling into her bed with a pained laugh, Rachel propped up her head with her pillow as Nia repositioned the chair to sit closer. “Honestly, it’s a cute contrast. I know you’re under a lot of stress right now, trying to reconcile with the curse, but remember what I said: you’re more than just my clothes or a soldier. We’re partners…a team, and I’m enjoying it thus far.”

  “I am glad to hear that. Would you like me to inform you as to what really has been happening over the past three days since arriving in DC?”

  Rachel’s eyes narrowed while staring at her tightening fist, testing her motor skills. “First, I’d like to know what changes have happened to my condition, if any.”

  Nia bundled her curled hair, a hair tie appearing between her fingers as she bound it in a high ponytail. “Minimal improvement, as I can tell. Yes, the ichor is speeding up your recovery, but the actual stress to your spirit is seeing little improvement, which is likely due to our overall loose spiritual synchronization.”

  “When will I gain consciousness?”

  “Sometime in the next few hours,” she responded, sitting back and skirt shifting as she crossed her legs. “It’s hard to tell exactly. As I understand it, your spirit is the transmission between thought and physical action, or the medium, which means you’ll be extremely weak until Nike’s ichor can overcome the primary issues.”

  “Hehehe.”

  “Major?”

  Rachel scratched her forehead, her chuckle dying off as she realized the true offer Chang’e had presented her. “I need Positive Force to find balance, and your connection with Nike is helping that, but I flooded myself with multiple negative energies. I’m sure Chang’e’s blessing will provide a way for her to watch…unless I allow something more, such as with Moongmor and Eostre.”

  Nia’s vision narrowed. “Quid pro quo?”

  Shaking her head, Rachel relaxed. “Doubtful. She knows that won’t get anywhere with me. Chang’e doesn’t have many allies or friends, and she can’t trust everyone in the big show, so she’s looking to start from the grassroots, down here amongst the mortals. She probably does want to find some kind of friendship, and saw I was in need of something she could provide. She made the hopeful first act to start a dialogue.”

  “As enamoring as she is,” Nia whispered, leaning against the armrest and cupping her chin, “you cannot believe she doesn’t have ulterior motives. Aligning herself with you brings her into a camp of deities already circling you, and we’ve already seen Cerridwen is a force to be reckoned with if she could draw the attention of Izanami.”

  Rachel shrugged. “You’re not wrong. Maybe she’s trying to use this vision she can gain by me accepting her offer to feed my enemies information. There’s no way to be sure.” Her gaze drifted to Nike, the personification’s chest rising and falling under her sheets. “You said I was hurting Nike with Negative Force; does that mean Positive Force will speed up her recovery?”

  “Mmm.” Nia’s mouth drew in while observing the resting woman. “It’s possible, yet just as there are different types of Negative Forces, there are many Positive Forces. There’s no way to tell exactly how they will interact, just as the one I felt lingering when I woke up had kickstarted your recovery.”

  Vision snapping to her captain, Rachel’s fist pressed against her stomach. “What Positive Force—Nike’s?”

  “No, some other one.” Nia sat back and scratched her left ear. “It was very faint… I can’t even feel it anymore, but it was what initially jogged me awake to carry you closer to Nike. Is something wrong, Major? Was it Moongmor or Eostre?”

  Rachel worked around her jaw and crossed her arms, glaring at the wall while deliberating on the revelation. “No. Eostre would have already done all she could before we left. No, this…had to be someone that my mother channeled… What are you doing, Mom?”

  Her focus shot to the bunny when she turned away, the back of her wrist held against her mouth. “Rach, on that note, I…might have overheard something yesterday. My child’s mind just saw your mother sad and needed time alone because she was having a fight, but she was quick to bounce back, so she dismissed it.”

  Finding the strength to push against the headboard, Rachel tried to soothe the pain in her thumping heart; it didn’t make sense in an inner spiritual world, but it was likely just a way for her to understand the stress she was under.

  “Show me.”

  Nia gestured to the opposite side of the bed as a windowed room appeared, the side of the White House seen in the distance, illuminated in the dark night. Only part of the repurposed room was visible as her mother sat with her brother; Alexa was beside him.

  Her brother was recounting a story about the time when she refused to go down in a competition against a larger woman when their mother got a call, and her countenance changed.

  “…nose bloodied, Rachel had that death stare that—Mom?”

  Molly’s cheer fell, a somber look crossing her brown eyes as she motioned to them to continue. “No, keep going, Nam. I’ll just be a moment outside…”

  Her mother left in a hurry, causing her sister-in-law and brother to give each other questioning looks as the scene swapped to the opposite side of the room. The sound enhanced to show her what Nia had heard, focusing in on the conversation between Molly and whoever called. Answering, Rachel’s skin prickled at her somber, respectful tone, spoken in Korean.

  “Mother, to what do I owe the honor?”

  A woman Rachel had never heard answered, cold and biting. “Do not act as if you do not know what this is about, Chan-hee. You agreed not to use your powers without my express permission. Your oath is broken.”

  Her mother’s cadence took on a harder edge. “I did not break my oath in this situation, and you know it, Mother. Which spirit has turned you against your own daughter? I can—”

  “You will what, Chan-hee? You used mudang as your arm; we are exposed,” her grandmother snarled. “You have drawn attention we cannot contest and have put all of South Korea at risk…and for one soul. After all we did to help you through your grief… Do not return…or you will die. You are no daughter of mine.”

  A shiver ran through Rachel’s spine as the call ended, and her mother stood outside in the hallway; the silence stretched and security personnel walked by without comment.

  Had her mother just been disowned? And for what, using her shaman powers to save her daughter? She didn’t know much about her mother’s side of the family, other than their shamanistic practices were a big thing in their community, but her mom always talked about them with the utmost respect.

  Nia gave her a studious stare. “Is that important?”

  “Important to me,” Rachel whispered. Her father and grandfather met her in the hallway, and her mother forced a happy tone while entering the room again, not addressing what had just happened; her grandfather made a few concerned inquiries, but her mother skirted them. “How is all of South Korea in danger from her using her powers to jumpstart my healing?”

  The bunny shook her head. “Evidently, it pulled a powerful person or group’s attention. Your mother could have channeled a spirit that is dangerous or made an enemy. I have no clue how this mudang works; all I know is what little you’ve said about it.”

  Rachel rubbed between her eyes. “I don’t know much about it myself… I never cared enough to ask her. I just thought it was good she’d found peace through it.”

  Compiling everything she knew, she concluded that the best way to get answers would be to confront her mother. Every move had a counter thread that brought a murky future of fortune and misfortune; the path wasn’t as clear as it had been during the Legend Quest, which could have been due to how many threads were in play.

  “Tell me everything that happened.”

  Nia broke into her report, giving detailed information as to what happened from the instructions she’d left her, how everyone reacted, and what little she’d learned since they’d left Miami. Much of it Rachel had expected, yet there were a few things that made her ponder.

  They were in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, right next to the White House’s West Wing. One of the rooms had been fitted with medical equipment so she could be close enough to the President when she awoke.

  Everyone, including Nam, Alexa, her grandfather, and even the Green Beret platoon, had accompanied them to Washington, DC. Scarlet had been spending a bit of time with her father and grandfather at the latter’s request, wanting to hear about their adventures in the early part of The Oscillation. Apparently, her aunt and uncle were having some trouble with Soo-geun, her cousin, and he wanted to understand Scarlet’s point of view since she was close to his age of seventeen.

  Nia’s report came to an end when the bunny commented that she was pulling away from the shared spiritual space, meaning she was waking up, and slightly sooner than expected.

  “How much time do you have left?”

  The bunny brought up her window. “Two hours and thirty-eight minutes.”

  “That works… I’ll need you to be with my mom to give her updates, and I don’t want to leave her alone until I get a chance to confront her about the call.”

  Nia got to her feet and stretched out. “I’ll go with her, but it is morning. Scarlet won’t be able to join if we go anywhere.”

  Rachel tilted her head with a small smirk. “Mmm. I’m sure she can get creative; she still has that umbrella they made, right?”

  “They do,” Nia nodded. “Not the most safe mode of transportation when the sun could burn her alive, but I suppose it depends on how willing she is to risk going out. You’ll be with this General Dallas person?”

  “Haaa. Yes, and likely for an extended period of—”

  A dizzying transition between lucid and dream suddenly veiled her thoughts, and suddenly, she was staring into the worried reapers face, bangs pulled back by bobby pins.

  “Rachel! Rachel, you’re awake?! I-I think she’s—ack!”

  “What’s up, Fangs?” Rachel forced a weary smile, lifting a hand to flick her forehead. “Space, much? Ugh. I feel like a car ran over me…on a good day.”

  Her brother’s deep chuckle followed; he came into view, the tallest of their family, towering over the rest of them—well, so long as Rachel stayed in bed. “So, an average Friday at the gym, huh? Woah, uh—and this must be Nia?”

  The grinning adult bunny shimmered into existence, holding a peace sign. “That would be me. Please be careful with the major, she’s still quite fragile.”

  “Rachel!” Mom bustling in, she got a kiss on the forehead before her father gave her a reassuring nod, pulling her mother away to hug her from behind.

  “You’ve looked worse.”

  “Thanks, Dad,” she weakly laughed. “Grandpa.”

  “Glad you’re alright, Long-Eared Devil,” he chuckled. “I’ve heard you can grow horns. There’s a lot of buzz surrounding Florida about that military operation. I look forward to the details.”

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  Alexa wore a strained smile next to her brother, arms held tightly against her dark blue dress front. “It’s…good to see you in one piece. This has been…really hard.”

  Figuring she was mainly talking about The Oscillation in general, Rachel gave her brother a soft sigh as Saint Barbara slipped into the room. “Hey, Nam, I want to talk about that police thing later; it looks like the President isn’t going to wait. Mom…”

  “Mhm! What can I do?” she hastily asked, shooting a motherly, disapproving stare in the saint’s direction for disrupting them. “Does she really need to be carted off the second she wakes up?”

  “Mom, cool it. I’m okay,” she said, probably not convincingly by her exhausted voice and appearance. “Take Scarlet and Nia shopping for me—take Alexa, too. Okay? Anything you get her to wear can be copied to me, so you have my proxy clone.”

  Nia’s eyebrows drew together. “Rachel, we were all supposed to go together?”

  “Things change, Captain Bun.” The nickname got a thrilled smile on her mother’s face. “Maybe rope Anthony, Selvaria, Maria, and Fiona into it. I need something good and formal to change into in the coming days… All of us do, probably. Go have fun, Scarlet, Nia… And Alexa…”

  The pretty blonde’s bright blue eyes creased as she gripped her arm. “Mhm?”

  “Water under the bridge? Hey, let’s talk later.”

  “Sure?”

  “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about you, Grandpa. I have some questions for you, too.”

  Her well-dressed grandfather gave her what she took as a proud nod. “Perhaps after you’ve taken a nap. You really should pace yourself.”

  Nam groaned as nurses came in to help her into a wheelchair. “You know Rach has never been one to sit still. Do you remember the claw machines she’d always somehow break when she was eight? I thought it was crazy eight out of the nine we found just didn’t work, but she wouldn’t give up, dragging mom around town.”

  Her father and mother laughed at the story, but Rachel was now seeing everything in a new light when it came to bad luck. She didn’t have much time to ponder it as she was helped out of bed—her body literally wouldn’t respond at times, spiking her frustration.

  Yet, almost as if sensing her discomfort, her mother hopped around the bed to hug and help her into the chair. “Don’t sweat a thing. I’ll make sure Nia, Scarlet, and everyone have a good time. I can’t wait to spend some time with you… You are going to rest until I deem otherwise after this debriefing thing. Right?”

  Rachel forced a smile as she was buckled into place; the look on her mother’s face brought her back to her childhood. “I get the feeling I don’t have much of a choice.”

  Scarlet wore a thankful smile, waving her off with everyone else; she probably wanted to go with her but took the hint that she wanted her to hang out with her family. It would be good to show the reaper that she trusted her; plus, she felt misfortune easing around her chest when giving Scarlet more freedom. At the very least, she hadn’t told her family about Relica, which was a good thing.

  “See you later tonight, Rachel!”

  Leaning back in her chair, Rachel’s forced smile fell when they exited the hallway; her muscles felt like jelly, and the energy it took to talk was draining. She had to conserve her strength if she was going to get through this at an acceptable pace, and she might even have to call Nia back to finish up.

  Rachel’s gaze drifted to the side room to see the woman Scarlet was fangirling about.

  “Oh, Alexa, did you see the blonde in the lobby? You said you liked anime, too, right?”

  Her sister-in-law hesitated in her response. “Yeah…I do—when I get some time to myself.”

  Well, that’s a straight-up lie. She’s always got time, Rachel internally noted, suddenly wondering if she was embarrassed by the topic.

  Scarlet appeared to be trying to put herself out there, though, or maybe they had gotten somewhat closer while she’d been out for the count. “Doesn’t she look exactly like Jeanne d’Arc? I wanted to ask if I could get a picture with her! Eh-heh, I’m just scared to ask…”

  Her mother burst into the conversation. “Let’s go ask together! She was beautiful. Maybe she’d be willing to go shopping with us. She looks like she has excellent fashion sense, so maybe she knows some good places we can go.”

  “Mom, this is the EOP,” Nam groaned with a strained laugh. “This is a place for pretty important people to do important work for the White House. We shouldn’t bother them, and she’s probably not still there.”

  “If I kept that attitude, then I’d have gotten nothing done in our community,” her mother rebutted, pulling Scarlet along with Nia and Alexa. “Let’s go meet this celebrity!”

  “W-Well, I don’t know about celebrities,” Scarlet stammered. “I just thought it was neat—I don’t know, maybe we shouldn’t, Molly.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows raised as she passed dozens of people, busy with their work. If Scarlet was calling her mom by her name, then they were getting along swimmingly, which was a good sign. Of course, her mother was always about her making more friends.

  Her vision narrowed as they entered the elevator, and Barbara took over for the nurse, putting her phone in her purse; she’d no doubt just informed their connecting party their ETA. If the legend didn’t know about Relica or the UK, then she could only hold her tongue until she was in front of the big bosses.

  “Hmm.” Barbara glanced at the mirror to lock eyes with her. “I get the feeling you’re trying to conserve energy for the discussion ahead, so there is no need to respond if you aren’t up to it. Should I get something to cover you from the sun?”

  Rachel closed her eyes, reflecting on a few things that Nia had discussed with her; the bunny actually believed she needed to be totally drained of Lunar Energy to hasten the spiritual restoration process. It said a lot that she felt so weak while having Lunar Energy, so maybe there was something to the spiritual aspect. It was worth testing, at the very least.

  “No… I need to test something.”

  “Anything I should be aware of?”

  Rachel shook her head. “I appreciate it. I’m exhausted, but not mentally… I may just need a second or two to work up to speaking at times.”

  “Understood.” Barbara’s gaze slid down to her skirt, in somewhat of a revealing position, but it was a skort, which only revealed her shorts underneath. “I can arrange for some clothes to be brought. I assume Nia will be swapping your outfit soon enough, though. Right?”

  “…I should be fine.”

  “Okay.”

  Ears scanning for any relevant data she could zero in on, Rachel opened her eyes and nodded; the number of people around the White House made much of it a jumbled mess of information since she was somewhat distracted by other thoughts.

  Her gaze lifted to the saint as the door opened; people were waiting to get on, but Barbara urged them to take the next one, pressing the button to isolate them again.

  “Hmm. I think you’re the type of girl who likes theories, so what do you think about this little hypothesis that’s been circling through the military? At this point, it’s basically become a state of fact for most people. Care to hear it?”

  “Shoot,” Rachel muttered.

  Exiting onto the ground level, they moved through the front lobby, and immediately, the sun shining through the windows struck her skin, making her sag in the chair.

  It dampened her Stats, and all her White Moon Energy slowly started to evaporate. Just as Nia theorized, her exhaustion continued to lessen as the tiny, tinted mixtures of Unique Lunar Energy were sapped away, leaving her cleansed. Even if it was a fraction of a percent, her spirit was struggling with even that much of the Unique Forces, and Nia couldn’t extract such a small amount.

  They could have tested it by draining all of her energy, but that wasn’t an option. Unfortunately, Nia didn’t have another pool to store it, and the bunny already confirmed gaining a sixth wasn’t an option right now. All five were currently being filled by far more potent and important options::

  Pool 1: [Blood Moon - 21%]

  Pool 2: [Black Moon - 45%]

  Pool 3: [Greater Harvest Moon - 100%]

  Pool 4: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 47%]

  Pool 5: [Hell Moon: Yomi - 100%]

  Due to Nia sapping all the residual Yomi energy from her active pool when she’d awoken, the girl managed to save her an extra 23% after she’d used 50% of Nia’s fourth pool against Relica. It was a good thing Nia had individual batteries for multiple lunar types, though, allowing her to stock up on all the moon bathing she’d done with Izanami.

  In addition, it seemed the hospital staff wasn’t always successful in keeping her away from the sun since a healthy part of it had been burned away. Losing Event or Unique Moon energy stung, though.

  The thought made her somewhat regretful that she’d been forced to dump an entire pool of the Greater Harvest Moon since the Unique Moons were more important to keep around. While the Greater Event Moon had phenomenal properties, it wasn’t up to the same tier as the other unique energies. If only she had more slots to store things, then it wouldn’t be a problem.

  Thinking ahead, she considered what would happen if she gained the ability to mix lunar energies; maybe then, they could make something totally new. It was food for thought in the future. However, all of that was pushed to the back of her mind when they walked forward, Barbara leaning forward to whisper in her ear.

  “I assume Nia told you about my thoughts on my legend, Sainthood, and the whole military thing, so I’ll just get straight to the conclusion. The working hypothesis is that somehow The Oscillation took a collective view of modern pop culture and historical beliefs, put them in a blender, and whipped us legends up. I’m sure you’re about to or already have pieced together why I’m telling you this now.”

  “…I have a rough idea,” she said, leaving the box for the main entrance, where a classy blonde young woman seemed to be waiting for them.

  Wearing a black, formal dress, the legend looked up from a sofa and smoothly rose to her feet; Scarlet’s earlier comments made sense now. Rachel judged the woman’s hair could be more impressive than her own mane of white locks; it was twined together in a braid as thick as her closed fist.

  “Saint Jeanne,” Barbara greeted with a smile, “thank you for waiting. Have you been enjoying Washington?”

  “I have!”

  Rachel could feel coils of misfortune passing between them. Scarlet had been on the money, and her brother was right that they’d miss the blonde when they got to the lobby. If pop culture did influence the historical past of myths and legends, then it could be a real problem determining certain weaknesses or strengths.

  However, that was a problem. She internally sighed at how totally ignorant she was about many historical figures. Sure, she had learned a lot in school, but not a lot of that had stayed with her. [Strategic Mind] certainly helped, but it was far from a perfect recollection of her life.

  Who is Jeanne d’Arc? French, obviously, and a saint, at that, so… Catholic? Why is she here… Her vision flicked to a few whispering individuals before returning to the blonde. Well, it seems she is a hot discussion topic, and not just in this building.

  Holding a light French accent, Jeanne moved to join them, wearing 2-inch black heels that complimented her gold accessories and dress; just like Maria and Barbara, the woman wore a rosary. [Bestial Instincts] told her the woman was quite capable, perhaps stronger than Barbara herself.

  “I’m doing well, and you needn’t engage in any formalities,” the blue-eyed saint continued. Her golden countenance and radiant smile turned toward Rachel on their way out of the building. “And you must be the hero of Miami I’ve heard about yet no one here in Washington has been able to give me your name.”

  Body feeling more vulnerable than exhausted while under the sun, Rachel distracted herself now that she had a target. Ears half-raised, she listened to whispers that followed from office gossip.

  A tired smile lifted the corner of Rachel’s lip as the cool March breeze hit them, and they moved to cross toward the West Wing of the White House. It was between 5 and 10 degrees Celsius, which was why so many people were dressed warmly.

  “Is that what they’re calling me? And I think you know my name, legend of Saint Jeanne d’Arc. Something tells me you actually know more than you’re letting on. And you’re traveling with Saint Charlemagne, someone important to France, apparently.”

  “Sharp ears,” Jeanne complimented, glancing at the crowds following them with their eyes. “I’ll try to be more forward as it seems to be your style. Yes, Rachel, I know a little about you from what the DGSE has briefed us on—our version of the CIA. How many people are talking about us?”

  “Plenty. I just happen to stand out,” Rachel mused, striking further at the blonde’s purpose for being here. “Probing for more information? I’m pretty sure who I am would be classified at this time. I’m flattered that I’m important enough to be given special attention by the French government. But, I can’t help you much further. No help, Barb?”

  The auburn-haired woman laughed. “Oh, yeah, well…I figured you’d ask if you wanted it. Then again, I didn’t think I’d need to step in or that you’d want my intervention. I guess I’m still figuring you out.”

  “Fair,” Rachel mused, heavy eyes lifting to see the unabashed grin on the blonde’s face. “Mmm. And you’re already giving them a profile of me by the fact she’s walking with us. She’s here for information.”

  “Guilty!” Jeanne chirped. “I am curious as to why you’ve been given special treatment to the point of interrupting Saint Charlemagne’s meeting with the President. Does it have something to do with the UK’s Cabinet Minister who recently flew in… Arthur Pendragon, if I’m not mistaken? Oh! That got a reaction. Isn’t it interesting how many important figures have changed into legends or myths?”

  “It certainly is…and how they’re taking on their new identity to hide their old.”

  Jeanne was sharp, somehow catching a twitch from her ear. Rachel’s eyes fell to the road, integrating the detail. France must have their eye on her due to her priority treatment, but there were hidden layers to this conversation.

  Sure, in a situation like The Oscillation, many high-level people would be flying in to speak to the US President, so why single out Arthur and the UK compared to other foreign visitors to DC? It could have been blind luck, but given the prickly misfortune vibes she got from the saint, she knew exactly what the blonde was doing. France had insider information about her.

  Ticking off boxes in her head, Rachel’s narrowed eyes lifted to the smiling blonde. Immediately her mind went to possible leaks: Saint Barbara as a saint, which was unlikely, given her screening, or Astra, the hacker for hire that so happened to insert themselves into the operation and disappear soon after. They knew about the UK, Relica, and her Hellish origins, which would be a hot topic for a saint, as Barbara or even Maria already demonstrated.

  When Rachel didn’t pursue the topic, Jeanne slid right past it, instead choosing to chat with Barbara. The bright and bubbly blonde kept the discussion light until they were escorted into the elevator to reach the Situation Room.

  Holding her hand behind her back, the woman hummed, and a subtle, intimidating pulse of pressure locked the air in Rachel’s lungs. “Your outfit has a certain way of drawing eyes… I’m surprised you’d allow her to wear that while meeting your President, Saint Barbara.”

  Rachel eased out the tension in her chest, maintaining a cool cadence; the Secret Service members gave each other uncomfortable looks, thinking it was fashion-related, but Barbara knew it was the potent, hellish force stored within that drew Jeanne’s attention.

  The Marine officer gave a short chortle. “Personally, I think Rachel’s attire is quite acceptable. There is a change of clothes in the works. Is this where we part ways?”

  “Haaa.” Jeanne’s pressure flipped off like a switch as she gave her a curious smile. “It seems so. And I hope I didn’t come off as rude, Rachel. You certainly do look quite nice, all things considered.”

  “Well played, Jeanne…” Rachel weakly chuckled as a stern, black-haired man met them as the doors slid open. “If you or Ambassador Charlemagne want to discuss things later, I’m sure you’ll find me. Have a good evening.”

  “I appreciate the open invitation,” the man said, offering a nod as they passed into the underground hallway. “Saint Jeanne, thank you for waiting. Why don’t we find somewhere to have dinner?”

  The doors slid shut, and Barbara let go of a pent-up breath. “Politics is not my favorite arena.”

  Rachel let out a dry chuckle, her attention wandering to all the people bustling about, busy compiling or browsing reports from all over the globe. “I think I’m beginning to see the appeal.”

  Dropping her off into a well-guarded, triple-security checkpoint room, one of the Secret Service agents took her to her first, and hopefully not last, live audience with the United States President and the four-star general.

  Wheeled into the expansive underground conference room underneath the White House, she tried to sit a little straighter as she caught sight of the white-haired, fifty-eight-year-old leader of the United States Of America. His feathery hair was parted on the left side, swept back, and neatly cut.

  He sported a rather defining white beard, thick and trimmed in a way that framed his weathered face—if word was to be believed, he used to be a farmer out of Kansas in his younger days. His perfectly fitted suit showed that he kept up with physical exercise, as well. This was what she’d been mentally preparing for.

  “President Capell, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  The older man’s narrow eyes shifted from a massive whiteboard, with Tom clearing it of data as she entered the space. Projecting a deep, weathered tone, he promptly moved to shake her hand as she was wheeled forward, not wearing a smile.

  “Call me Leo; this isn’t the time for formalities and flowery language. Tom tells me you’ve got vital intelligence that could change the scope of this crisis. I hope there’s some bits of good news in that report.”

  Leo’s grip was firm and strong, but it eased as she grimaced, ears twitching at her far weaker pressure. “How is your condition?” He motioned to a bed set up in the corner. “I have a medical team always on standby, and if you need to rest, I prepared in advance.”

  Tom chuckled as he finished wiping the data clean. The guard returned to his post and closed the door behind them, giving them privacy. “I suspect rest is the last thing Rachel wants. I’d say the woman has her sights set on public office if she wasn’t so damn invested in fighting.”

  Pumping her hand a few times to stop the tingles, Rachel cleared her throat and let out a nervous laugh. “I…don’t think I have a choice at this point. As to how I feel, I’d say I’m at peak physical condition for a five-year-old girl and on the up.”

  Her focus drifted to the massive whiteboard and colorful dry erasers for organizing data. It didn’t take long for her tone to lower, vision locking onto the general. “Before we get into anything else…”

  “Relica?” Tom sighed, rubbing the top of his bald head and moving to one of the many cream folders spread all across the table. “I wondered if she or Saint Jeanne would be the first topic you brought up.”

  Leo pulled out one of the cushioned chairs to sit, taking a comfortable position. “France knows quite a bit about the Miami incident; you did well there, by the way. Charlemagne even knew about the UK getting involved. As for the names, it seems many European nations are adopting the name of their legends to hide their previous identity or spark interest from the public.”

  “I’m sure the opposite is true,” Tom muttered, moving to another folder. “Relica is still MIA, but we’re certain she hasn’t left the country. A submarine that small couldn’t make the journey, and we had some potential sightings in South Carolina. Agents are on the ground working on it, but I’m of the opinion that with the myth or legend of Merlin, we’re not going to find them unless they want to be found.”

  Rachel leaned against the arm of her wheelchair and rubbed her forehead. “I figured as much. You won’t know more until you speak to Arthur. Ugh. Is that his real name? No, I guess it doesn’t matter… Dammit. If only I hadn’t been so arrogant and just killed her when I had the chance. I suppose that could be a product of the Hell Moon…”

  “Hell Moon?” Leo repeated, stroking his beard.

  Figuring she had to start somewhere, she began with their previous topic of France’s high levels of intelligence on their Miami Beach mission.

  “Well, on that note, why don’t we get right into it…because, for only a few days, there is a lot to discuss. How did France know enough to take an interest in me? My educated guess… Astra was working for them.”

  “That snake,” Tom hummed, adding his name to the board with Charlemagne, Jeanne, and France, each potentially their own interest group. “We don’t have any technology in here to hack, but we have our own security expert who’s now locking everything down; it’s probably why he hasn’t made contact yet.”

  Rachel rubbed between her eyes before taking a more comfortable position. “Astra is hired out and has their own agenda. I suspect they were probably captured by the French before The Oscillation, and maybe went rogue after; still, there’s a history with them, so Astra reached out to get access to resources they didn’t have. We can’t be sure if Astra isn’t actually a group of people, either. I can’t think of any other way they would be in direct contact with France this soon, but…why don’t we go back to the beginning.”

  Taking on a more serious note, she looked into the President’s intelligent, brown eyes. “Let’s start with The Oscillation, where Cerridwen, the Celtic goddess, blessed me.”