Two hours flew by Rachel as she explained nearly everything she’d learned from the Legend Quest and how it connected to everything else she’d already disclosed to the four-star general. President Capell was less of a voice than Rachel expected him to be, letting Tom guide most of the questioning and clarifications; he also had to exit the room occasionally in order to oversee critical decisions, which put a pin in the discussion until he returned.

  On a positive note, she actually started to feel better overall as time went on. Yes, she wasn’t getting any stronger, and her body was a complete mess, but not being on the verge of passing out or feeling sick to her stomach was a welcomed blessing. She suspected it was due to purging the last of her unique Lunar Energy, but that was only a correlation.

  Just like her body, her mood continued to improve during the occasional respites which gave her time to collect her thoughts when the two leaders digested specific information and plotted out their own details. The Scarlet Hand had gone underground since Ms. Peck had opened up a weakness in their network that obviously was meant to stay hidden; her misfortune had certainly come down like a hammer on the organization, which would buy them time.

  Even by the halfway point, General Dallas had the whiteboard covered in names, linking lines, and speculations, all color-coordinated. With everything laid out in this manner, it helped her organize much of it herself, giving rise to new speculations.

  By the end of the second hour, the room fell silent as the three of them pondered the wealth of sides, dangers, and speculations they’d shared with each other. Surprisingly, the barest section was that of the crystal gateways, that Dionysus claimed brought some kind of trouble to the higher dimensional beings in his opening speech.

  Rachel leaned against the side of one of the quite comfortable armchairs around the mahogany table, having transferred with some effort near the start of the meeting.

  After a few minutes of study, Leo released a heavy sigh and stood up to move between topics. “I was informed in advance about the existence of these ‘gods’ that were coming into the picture…but nothing like this,” he said in his deep, Kansas accent while passing over to the section.

  “So…let me get this straight: you went to Hell, where it wasn’t a lake of molten lava, and fought the daughters of Cerberus, who made a contract with you to jail some demon or devil that is weaseling out of the rules?”

  Forcing a laugh, Rachel rubbed her temple as Nia informed her that she had some new clothing options whenever she was up for it. “Well, to be fair, it was a lake of boiling blood and molten sky before we descended into Izanami’s personal domain of Yomi. At least, that’s how I understood it.”

  “Hmm.” The man’s deep-set brown eyes drifted to Tom before returning to her. “We’re talking about four divided stages of conflict that you’re telling me we need to deal with, and not just the United States, but the world.”

  He pointed at an area marked as Stage 1. “The mortal conflict, where we have the Scarlet Hand, government bodies, Crystals, Legend Quests, and a massive array of immediate and unknown threats. The higher powers don’t have an iron grip over us due to a barrier that sections us off… A barrier that, if fails, could spell disaster, but their influence and guidance could prove pivotal in the conflicts ahead. Alliances will form.

  “Stage 2, where the lesser deities reign, and many lower ‘Divine’ or…‘Infernal’ entities live as we live in this world. You saw angels and creatures of imagination, totally beyond comprehension. These stronger gods and goddesses have the ability to empower or control the Legend Quests…if they are allowed to, which means it is a choice.”

  Tom tapped a particular note over the area. “Apparently, they only need initial access. As Rachel indicated, none of them—including Conner—had control once Dionysus had access. It is the same for increasing the Challenge Rating. A very risky thing. However, Rachel’s experience with Cerridwen proves blessings can be given with minimal access.”

  Rachel lowered the backrest a tad and took a more comfortable posture. “I highly doubt Eostre would be able to provide the kind of blessings the higher entities can, but clearly, I have to select one of their offered blessed Feats in order to have that kind of communication with them. It could be a trap, but Cerridwen made sure the ones she offered would be too good for me to pass up.”

  Tom snorted and rotated his arm, sore from all the writing, no doubt. “You still haven’t told us your Feats, but I can see your reluctance. Hmm. I don’t like this section here,” he grumbled, motioning to a timeline he’d drawn out.

  President Campell nodded. “These deities were aware of The Oscillation happening nearly a century before the event took place, potentially causing great conflicts during the 1900s. Their preparation is evident through the Scarlet Hand, and we can’t rule out other organizations working in the background. The question is…”

  The general moved to another area to tap it. “If they had so much time, who are planted in what positions? Could one of us be working for one such organization? It stands to reason that, at the very least, several influential figures in the government and financing fields are working for or with such parties…such as Astra.”

  Leo cupped his chin as he centered on one name. “A century… And the people you mentioned that the Scarlet Hand worshiped—Revilla and Twilight? They’re not mentioned anywhere in recorded history. Is that by design, or are they totally foreign figures? And, if I understand correctly, these deities fought an infinite number of themselves until only one remained?”

  Rachel scratched her folded-over left ear and gave a weak shrug. “That, I’m not wholly sure of yet—and the relationship with who the Scarlet Hand are contacting is also unclear. Scarlet mentioned them summoning their ‘Scarlet Aspotle,’ Revilla, but at that point, she thought it was just a crazy game, and Scarlet seemed to think they wanted to seal Twilight, so I’m unsure there, too.

  “For the rest of the deities, I’m positive it was like that for those of the 5th-dimensional tier and above, but on second thought, I don’t believe Eostre mentioned going through that hardship in the 4th.”

  “Troubling…” Tom mumbled, rubbing his throat while examining the pantheons she’d been able to identify. “You were right, Mr. President, sending an invitation to the White House to all the Native American chiefs was the right play. The issue is how many spirits and gods the many tribes had. We could be looking at a conflict between tribal deities more than the people themselves. It’ll be good to get ahead of it since…a lot of unrest is happening in most of the world.”

  He placed a finger on the next level. “Stage 3, where Chang’e, Cerridwen, Izanami, and many other high deities are…but you don’t want to call them high deities?” he asked, looking at her for clarification.

  Cracking her neck, Rachel reached for a glass of water on the table, wetting her mouth before responding. “The way it was described to me, I’d hesitate to fool ourselves into thinking that they’re such:

  “5th-dimension are lesser gods.

  “6th-dimension are your typical gods.

  “And 7th are creation deities, which implies they actually have the kind of power to do anything. I can’t confirm how skilled she is since I’m fumbling around in the dark as much as you, but Izanami appeared extremely comfortable using Conner’s Seed to do whatever she wanted and was healing the damage Dionysus did with his inexperience.”

  The white-haired man’s sober gaze returned to the information. “As for Stage 4: You believe these ‘high deities’ or ‘outer deities’ are what took Dionysus when he broke the rules?”

  Rachel tilted her head to indicate it was a guess, making the President rub between his eyes. “Probably.”

  “Well, that’s not concerning… No, what’s troubling are these barriers of isolation. We can’t be sure how far it goes up, but someone beyond everything we can conceive is orchestrating all of this… For what purpose? How fickle are these barriers? We know they can be broken through by using these Seeds in legendkin. What other weaknesses are there that others could exploit?”

  Tom sank into a chair, streaming out a long puff of air. “Taking not just one creation deity…but all of them across the multiverse, or perhaps something bigger, and smashing all of them into one being to duke it out to bring out the smartest, toughest, and most ruthless counterpart. How did this happen? Apparently, they don’t even know.”

  Leo wore a grave expression while sliding one finger from the word ‘Rachel’ to a red line connected to Cerridwen, a question mark, Fiona, and the UK’s World Tree.

  “The United Kingdom is a hornet’s nest right now. Ireland closed its borders, and prominent figures are now making demands of their neighbor. If that wasn’t enough, Scotland is getting involved, as well, causing internal and external problems, mixed with other factors, which is moving events to civil unrest. Adding to that, England had one of our most wanted terrorists on a leash while they committed atrocities on American soil…”

  He shook his head, vision darting to Galahad, Merlin, Relica, MI6, magical submarine, Scarlet Hand, Arthur, and the UK Parliament. “We confirmed that Scarlet’s mother was never on that submarine, but Relica was. Whoever Adele escaped with before the operation, it wasn’t the UK government.”

  The President tapped the legendary figure’s name. “Arthur Pendragon…a member of the Cabinet who is a pivotal Independent governing figure in the country with ties to the major parties. He has many friends amongst the House of Lords and is generally very well seen as a populist, bringing sides together… I can’t see him having anything to do with Relica.”

  Rachel relieved an itch under her bra strap and leaned against the chair’s side. “I agree. It’s too soon for all the ‘Knights of the Round’ to meet up or do anything as a unit. I bet Arthur is looking to make his circle, though. If possible, I’d like to meet with him personally.”

  Leo kept his gaze on the board. “I’ll see what I can do. It might be worthwhile to see what you can extract from him, given your young but impressive talents, and Maria being present could catch any lies. In any case, Tom and I will be pouring over this board for some time, adding to it, and working out a way forward. We’ll address a few more things before I let you rest…”

  His firm expression shifted to her. “I am intrigued by this PMC angle you brought to Tom. Naturally, if I were to propose something like this, I’d need to go through Congress and the Senate, ironing out rules, procedures, and protocols for safety. We already need to amend the US Constitution to include all of you that changed…including my 8-year-old daughter.”

  Rachel’s eyebrows furrowed, catching a laugh from the man for the first time. “Yes, I’m a late father, adopted, which means I have skin in the game. I’m not going to have a world where my daughter is shunned and discriminated against, nor the average unpowered human cast aside. We need to do this right.”

  Showing the US leader a soft smile, Rachel nodded. “I can understand that. What about Scarlet?”

  Tom stood to get a better look at all the lines connected to Scarlet’s name. “For now, I think it goes without saying she’s best situated with you. How is she adapting? I’ve heard good things from Captain Barbara.”

  Her ears tilted to the right; the White House was fairly isolated, unusually so, blocking her from most of the sounds outside. “My mother seems to have taken a shine to her. In fact, I think my sister-in-law and her have a lot in common,” she mumbled, recalling everything Nia had shown her. “I’ll figure it out, I guess.”

  “Text me if you need anything in that regard,” the general stated, focusing on the whiteboard, where her name and his attached notes were. “Level 12… The highest we’ve been able to confirm is Level 6, outside of your group and Relica, but I can understand why with the last week you’ve had.

  “Currently, Anthony is doing a follow-up quest with Fiona, Maria, and some of the Green Berets you were with to test a few things that were different from Barbara’s.”

  He paused, mouth tight, upon reaching the World Tree again. “Fiona keeps asking about returning home and her family, but I’m not sure when that will be possible with the current situation between Ireland and the UK. We’re stretched too thin on resources, too. If that’s not enough…”

  Rachel pulled up the back of her chair as Tom looked at the President, who glanced back before returning his gaze to the most barren side of the board, where the Crystal section was. A short sigh came from the white-haired man as he rubbed his jaw.

  “Very well, Tom, after meeting her, I’ll green-light her addition, regardless of the PMC business with Congress and the Senate. A lot of what we had planned will change after this meeting anyway… The whole damn world changed overnight, and we’re trying to catch up.”

  “Yes, Sir,” Tom said, his grave tone more somber now as he slid a folder over for her to browse. “To begin, Rachel, I fully expect you to be invested in pursuing this PMC angle now more than ever, right? You want the freedom to go places restricted to the public and pursue angles you have a vested interest in.”

  “I am,” Rachel confirmed, tapping a finger against the folder. “That being said, my body probably won’t be up for any stress for the next week or two, no matter how crazy it makes me just to sit around. Even I have my limitations, it seems, and Maria isn’t fully fixing this one.”

  He forced a chuckle, dropping into a seat to open another folder. “Understandable. I don’t expect you to be ready to start this until you’ve recovered. This is just…preparing you for what we’re expecting from this ‘potential’ PMC future, not that you don’t have experience in this area already.”

  Tom’s brow furrowed as his eyes flicked up to study her. “And you still haven’t told us what you’re going to do about the offer Chang’e gave you.”

  Laughter shook Rachel’s chest as she looked at the top-secret folder in front of her. “You’ve piqued my interest. I’m guessing it has something to do with the Legend Quests. As for Chang’e… I’ve looked at her Feat, and it is quite tempting, but I won’t make a decision until my mind’s in the right place.”

  The President and general nodded, yet not in response to her expectations on the next topic.

  Tom sucked his lips into a line as he spread out a few pictures and documents that were outside of Rachel’s line of sight. “Smart… And, no, not the Legend Quests.”

  “Oh? Interesting…” Ears rising a tad, Rachel’s gaze swept the board for a second.

  The man took a moment to open an energy drink, he chugged it as Rachel opened the file and began scanning the contents. Her throat felt like it would have enjoyed its own beverage as she saw the first high-resolution pictures.

  “Right,” Tom mumbled, rubbing the edge of a photo, reasonably uncomfortable about the new discussion as Rachel examined the reports. He cleared his throat. “Follow along while I explain; this is going to get pretty insane.”

  “I can see that,” she whispered, tail stiffening as Tom prepared to read it aloud. “This is from that Crystal you mentioned a few days ago? Was it the sand toads that we—no…something else?”

  “Ahem. Astra showed you a little of this, but on Wednesday, at approximately ten-twenty-four p.m., an hour and eleven minutes after The Oscillation, we were made aware of another strange phenomenon…before you even brought many of the details about these Crystals to my attention. These are pictures taken at High Rolls, New Mexico, population one thousand three hundred and sixty.

  “As you can see,” he said with a disgusted tone, “the entire settlement was surrounded by the same type of dome, the same unidentifiable substance as The Oscillation. You were inside one of these, and saw it cut you off from the rest of the world.”

  Rachel had to detach herself as he continued, trying to mentally project herself into the situation with what the general explained. She’d heard about the incident earlier during one of their discussions and the savagery that had befallen the small town had made her stomach turn, yet her perspective on things had also changed a lot since Conner’s Legend Quest.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Some people on a nearby highway stated that it was forming the moment The Oscillation started, and we have reports that it solidified after an hour.”

  “I recall the feeling when it activated—solid, but also not,” she said, turning a page and sucking in her lips while reading further down the report. “Some curious people who approached the dome couldn’t get in; if they touched the barrier, then they’d instantly teleport to the opposite side of the town…

  “Everything inside was completely indistinct, so you can’t see what is happening inside either. Total isolation; digging a hole revealed it continued underground, too. Hmm. It seems identical to the reports I heard from the one I was in.”

  Tom nodded. “Well, some differences, but it lasted exactly twenty-three minutes before the dome cracked and shattered into dust. We have to assume there were miniature crystal gateways inside, but this seems to be the result if you don’t destroy them.”

  Her emotional side squirmed as she read the next part of the report, and Rachel looked up at the general; the President didn’t seem to want to comment on it, stone-cold eyes still on the board. “This is real?”

  The general scratched his hand and nodded. “Every horrifying detail. No known or unknown energy or material was found from the dome shattering. It’s as if the material vanished into thin air…the same as the one you were inside.”

  That wasn’t what Rachel was talking about, though, so she summarized it aloud. “Out of one thousand six hundred and four people trapped inside, tourists included, there’d have to be some changed individuals during The Oscillation. At least several of them were likely affected by the phenomenon in some fashion. Yet there was no resistance?”

  Tom licked his lips, nose twisting in disgust as he voiced the number. “Nine hundred and fifty-five female and six hundred and forty-nine male. It looks as if they were forced into some form of satanic death ritual. My first thought was the Scarlet Hand—it fits their profile—but I don’t think this was human work.”

  Rachel coldly examined each brutal picture, as Tom explained. The grinning, devilish face of Yseress, gripping her demon-hide purse or the hellish fiends of Hell that she’d seen came to mind; this didn’t have a human touch.

  “By what forensics determined, their flesh was completely skinned, and it was done in a manner to make sure they’d live—somehow, they were alive for all of it. Their skin was stretched across an unknown kind of black-colored wood, with ritualistic markings carved into it and a harness of strange green leather attached; it’s extremely durable, and mysterious plants connected the skin and harness.”

  He slid a new photo across to her, showing the scribbles Ms. Peck made before slitting her Green Beret escort’s throat and doing the same to herself. “They don’t match the symbols the known Scarlet Hand member made, and the azure-colored paint they used has a totally unique molecular structure.”

  “What kind of monsters do this?” Rachel asked, her gut churning as Tom went to a brutal photo of the revolting acts. “The sand toads just wanted to murder us, efficiently and swiftly… But this? I’m not even sure if this was for pleasure. Is this some kind of ritual to connect our worlds or something?”

  Leo swiveled his chair to the side. “We aren’t ruling anything out.”

  She took in the whole picture at once, pits filled with the blood and organs of the citizens—things she didn’t want to see again. The data showed the gore was mixed with several other weird liquids that didn’t conform to known science and must have come from their world.

  “It doesn’t make sense,” Rachel mumbled. “Cleaning the bones, digging blood pits into a…web design? All of this is methodical and done with precision.”

  The President folded his fingers in his lap. “We’re still trying to put back together each victim to determine causes of death and identity…that is how well the skin was peeled. Teams are reassembling the remains as we speak, but the US has been hit with terrorist attacks across the states, such as the Seattle vampire incident, and now I’m supposed to address this?” He reached up to rub his nose and beard.

  “What am I supposed to say? How am I supposed to make this public? Five-fingered aliens with six clawed toes could attack them out of nowhere? Should I have an artist give shape to their fears with their two tails and have a live comparison with a human, showing they could be anywhere from two to three meters tall…or that they were somehow powerful enough to literally rip a fire truck to its bolts…”

  Teeth grinding together, he rubbed his thighs while further scanning the report. “Show a video simulation about how they didn’t touch a single building, or how, magically, all the residents seemed to gather together as if hypnotized before all electronics were fried and recordings failed? Fuel their fear by telling them not one camera picked these aliens up. Guns were fired but seemingly useless. No shells were found, but powder residue on clothes seemed to be present.

  “How about that all pets are missing, and only human corpses were discovered? No serration marks on the bones, as if they were cleanly plucked out. And all of this insanity was over and done in exactly twenty-three minutes?”

  Rachel sat back, deep in thought. “To be fair, my time in Anthony’s quest and Conner’s Legend Quest was compressed.”

  “Sure,” Tom said, acknowledging her questioning nod. “From your original report, your first quest with Anthony was stretched slightly, but Conner’s was stretched dramatically more. For that reason, we are starting to consider that a lesser god may be involved in this incident. At least, the option is open.

  “The implications are huge, and though Izanami said yours was a unique circumstance, if these—or any—aliens have access to higher powers…”

  Rachel sighed, knowing it would be a hell of a lot worse if these creatures somehow invoked a higher being’s power for this attack. “True. All the more to investigate it.”

  Pointing at the correlating sections of the sheet, Tom made a few more notes on the paper. “Progress is slow since information is so sporadic and unverified. Our observations from a few sample quests, such as Barbara and Anthony’s, tell us their time shenanigans are normally more discreet.”

  “My own Crystal at the college ran parallel with the outside time,” she agreed, scanning the cliffnotes from the report on her experience. “In High Rolls you were able to verify there had been a time difference due to the still-functioning mechanical clocks inside houses. Spooky.”

  Tom rubbed his face. “More than that. Ugh. It’s a damn migraine-inducing shitstorm. How do twenty-three minutes turn into two days inside? Even your account in the Legend Quest wasn’t nearly that large of a time dilation. Yet, all other factors we have, besides yours, tell us time should be linked and congruent between the bridged worlds, which means we’re missing something.”

  She tapped on a report. “Either the clocks were tampered with or time itself was changed…perhaps both. It is troubling, I agree…

  “Still, they did have their issues. It seems like they first destroyed anything producing high volumes of sound, which gives the impression they might be sensitive to specific ranges of frequency. The toads could enter a sand-like state but had to solidify to attack. There are weaknesses to exploit. Wait, this doesn’t look like the Crystal I was in?”

  He looked up at her as she studied a massive crystal structure. “Ah, I should backtrack a little… We were lucky enough to get a few pictures of it, though mostly grainy, from people as they drove past. An immaterial cube-shaped crystal, roughly fifteen meters in width and dimension. It was a purplish color with a greenish glow, which is much bigger than the six-meter cone one at your campus… Inside, you can see there was a cave being reflected.”

  Leo rubbed his face and got to his feet to reach another file. “Yes, it was horrible, Tom, and there was nothing we could do about that, but this is the immediate concern. Look,” he prompted, tossing her one to open. “We have a rough estimation from a few smaller incidents reported across the globe that the shape and color somehow correlate with its strength.”

  Rachel nodded, sliding through a few photos; it was obvious they were telling her they wanted her skillset in one of these. “You’ve ranked them by levels, and size increases the number of attackers that can enter…

  “Level 1: Green

  “Level 2: Blue… It’s still insane to me that the toads were only Level 2… Hmm.

  “Level 3: Purple, and…

  “Level 4: Pink… There’s another one?”

  Tom got up to give her yet another sealed document. He broke the band and opened it, laying the photo out in front of her. “This was in Mutumbo, Angola, Africa… We’re sending a team to scope it out, but we expect it to be already done; it’s still under investigation, but the chilling part is this. Turn to the next page. That’s a satellite image taken five minutes apart.”

  A shiver ran through Rachel’s spine. “It…changed? It was a Level 2, and it jumped to Level 4… The whole landscape is a black crater,” she mumbled, turning to the 3rd photo.

  Leo gave her one last folder. “Yes. It’s as if it were hit by a meteor, and this…this is a photo taken twenty minutes ago in Billings, Montana.”

  “Shit…”

  Rachel spread the images out, seeing the full scope of the city, where a 35-meter-tall tetrahedron stood in a supermarket parking lot; it was purple, the same color as the High Rolls Crystal, only this one was still transparent, indicating it wasn’t active yet.

  “We aren’t sure what the glowing outline means yet,” Tom said, sliding her a new sheet. “We’re talking about a population of over a hundred and twenty thousand… We cannot let what happened in New Mexico happen here. That…that’s double the casualties across all of the Vietnam War, and an attack like that…on US soil… This is tantamount to a launched nuclear warhead, waiting to explode.”

  Rachel breathed out a hot puff of air as the Secret Service knocked on the door to inform the President that Arthur was there. “Wow. That is a lot of pressure. Astra showed that you ordered an evacuation?”

  Leo forced a laugh. “On a scale that large? It takes time not to incite a panic and figure out how to humanely relocate them. Tom is scouting out other changed people who seem to have unique skills. And if you can convince the others in the Miami incident to join you, then I’m not opposed… Considering the lives at risk, I’ll consider almost anything. So rest up because your country needs you at your best.”

  Rachel rubbed between her eyes as they cleaned up the folders, pulled a curtain over the board, and took her outside. On her exit, she passed a very handsome blond man wearing a tailored suit and red tie. He gave her a friendly wave when they crossed, and she could feel a positive vibe from him, only in a different way than the saints.

  “Good afternoon.”

  “Hi,” Rachel responded.

  And that was it. Entering the hallway, Rachel had Barbara wheel her up to a waiting room where she could listen in. The saint gave her an encouraging smile, having chosen a place outside of the sun.

  “I know I haven’t said it yet, and I’m sure it’s been said by others, but thank you for the help you gave me back in Miami, Rachel. The city seems to be stabilizing faster than most, and I’d consider that a result of your action.”

  A pained laugh shook Rachel’s chest as she saw the many Secret Service agents checking everyone who passed by. She couldn’t believe she was in the White House and had just had a meeting about the fate of the world with the President. It almost felt like a dream.

  “That happens when you take out a huge chunk of the criminal underground and have someone like Maria, who has contacts to fill the void… Damn. Well, I should probably change.”

  Barbara gave her a curious look as she contacted Nia, waiting for the three men downstairs to get past the introductions and foreplay politics.

  You have a new outfit for me, Captain Big Bun? Actually, being able to communicate from long distances like this is extremely useful. You really are my lucky rabbit foot.

  Nia snorted. “Thank you, Major. Well, this lucky rabbit’s foot is close to shrinking, so I’ll be quick. All of us picked out the outfit. I tried my best to make it fit for a formal dinner. Changing it now.”

  Rachel glanced down as her clothes began to twinkle, illuminating before the light solidified into a simple yet beautiful combination.

  A modest, fitted white blouse that was loose enough to be comfortable, a violet, tiered shin-high skirt that sparkled when it caught the light, and a black floral belt with a bow angled to the side; its lilac-hued petals complimented the skirt well. The three-inch heels matched the purple color scheme; its strap buckle and trim were bronze, making for a classy look with the gold bracelet on her right wrist.

  “What do you think, Major?”

  I think you four did phenomenally! Give everyone my thanks. It helps to have a twin to go out shopping for me.

  “Aww. Stop it! You’re going to make me blush,” Nia chuckled. “It’s been a real treat being able to spend time with your family.”

  Oooh! And all the treats that she buys you?

  “I won’t say that isn’t a bonus,” she mused. “Also, an FYI, Major, we can send out Delphinus as long as we want, but the moment we enter combat, his time limit is triggered. What do you want to do with him?”

  Rachel held up a finger to Barbara, who seemed to realize she was talking to Nia by the patient, appraising smile she held while studying her changed attire; it had drawn more than a few eyes from those passing in the hallway before they moved on.

  Why don’t we keep him for your little bun side for now? Eventually, I want to give him to Selvaria as a signing bonus to join the company. We could use a super-tough leviathan, and she’d probably get better use out of him than us. I’m considering having you pick up that Feat you can unlock to turn Lunar Energy into little soldier buns for you.

  Nia paused, probably talking with the group she was with. “Your mother says she loves you, and Scarlet wants to know how you’re feeling. As for the buns, I’d love some privates to boss around, but I…do have my concerns. I’m not sure if they’ll follow Little Bun’s orders. I don’t think I have the commanding presence to whip them into shape as a kid.”

  Tell them I’m doing better. My stomach isn’t as sick and I’m not on the verge of passing out; I’m just physically weak right now. We can discuss the bun business later, Rachel returned, still admiring her new outfit. Don’t you worry. I’m thinking about our upgrades. I just need to unwind some more to dig into them.

  In her opinion, it did fit the ‘being beautiful, yet not too much’ category, which was just what she liked; it suited its purpose to distract and make others underestimate her. Nia and her mother worked well as a fashion duo. Although a necklace might complete it, that could come later.

  I have things to do, so have fun with what time you have left.

  “Yes, Ma’am. We’re off to try something called…ice cream? Scarlet has blood to add to hers.”

  Exciting! Enjoy. Let them know I’ll be leaving the White House shortly.

  “Will do, Major Hops.”

  Over and out, Captain Bun.

  “Your mom made sure to remind you that you’re strictly on resting duties now! Don’t do too much and hurt poor Nike again!”

  Yes, yes; I’ll be careful. You can tell Mom that I’ll sleep as much as she wants when this is all over.

  “Sorry about that,” Rachel said, crossing her legs to bend down and run her finger down the smooth, expensive-looking heels. “I was just giving a status update to my family.”

  “Cute,” the auburn-haired legend chimed, “and I’m not just talking about the love for family. Although, perhaps I should say you look more beautiful than cute; the colors really suit you with your white hair and blouse, which contrasts the purple theme on the lower half. Have you considered earrings?”

  “Haha. Honestly?” Rachel reached up to run a hand down her left ear’s full length, “No, I haven’t. Nia is the one who is always thinking about fashion. Clothing is another form of battle that I acknowledge and am lacking in experience, which is why I rely on my new partner.”

  “Double cute!” Barbara’s smile fell a tad. “How are things below?”

  Resting her cheek against her closed fist, she gave a weak shrug. “Politics. It is getting to the part I’m interested in.”

  “Sounds good.” The legend pulled out her phone to play with it. “Don’t mind me! Just let me know when you’re ready to head back.”

  Letting the conversation end, Rachel’s gaze drifted to a potted plant, letting the world fall away as she listened to the influential men below; it was hard enough to hear them talk normally due to whatever dampening magic had been placed around the White House. One thing was sure: President Leo was cautious.

  Arthur’s voice was as handsome as his face, rich with deep strength and subtle wisdom. “…I’m afraid the UK officially denies any involvement with terrorists, as you have no doubt already received from the Prime Minister, which is why I reached out through some contacts to get the details directly from Merlin.”

  “Off the record, of course,” Tom muttered. “What is the UK’s connection to Relica and the Scarlet Hand?”

  “A complicated one,” Arthur returned, sipping at his water. “I understand it is hard to trust what is coming out of London right now since paranoia is rampant due to Ireland’s aggressive—and quite spontaneous—negotiations… The giant tree outside of the window on Parliament Hill doesn’t help matters.”

  Leo leaned back in his chair. “Let’s skip all of this bullshit, Arthur. You chose to change your name for a reason, as did many others now taking on their new identities… I’m sure everyone in the UK knows you want something in the US. Rumors are circulating that former king and queen legends are making political plays on all fronts. You know what we want. What is it that you want?”

  Arthur was silent for a time, probably looking at the curtains veiling the whiteboard with information that would make the whole world salivate. “What I want is to stabilize my home. Something unusual is happening in Ireland; the Irish Prime Minister is acting erratically, and some believe he is under the influence of someone. I’m looking for support, but Merlin thinks the US may be in bed with devils now…that white-haired hare woman I passed.”

  A short chuckle came from Leo as he repositioned. “Isn’t this a sticky situation? Your magician rescued a terrorist who attempted to murder hundreds of children and was instrumental in the murder of hundreds across Miami, and now he’s telling you we’re the bad guys? Rachel was trying to stop that terrorist and save hundreds of people. You’re not coming in on a good light, Arthur.”

  “I know,” he stated without any hesitation. “And that is why I will tell you precisely why I am committing treason in telling you about this quite sketchy MI6 task force that I was made aware of on my flight over. It seems that the Scarlet Hand has infiltrated parts of the UK intelligence and military apparatus, and this task force has been trying to uncover them…headed by Merlin. Relica is a vital informant.”

  Leaning forward, the legend’s voice lowered, making Rachel’s ears lift to try and catch the right frequency. “I have had two attempts on my life leaving the UK, one of which was on my way here. Someone, or many someones, don’t want me in this meeting. I suspect it has something to do with me learning about Adele…the head of the snake that Merlin’s been chasing leads on. Relica finally gave her up. We all seem to have a common enemy now.”

  Rachel forced herself back into the wheelchair, a bitter taste in her mouth as she projected where this would go. “Let’s go.”

  “Hmm?” Barbara set down her phone and rose to push her back to her makeshift hospital room. “Bad direction?”

  She crossed her arms, fingers digging into her side. “An understandable direction… We’re probably going to be forced to work with that witch for a time, won’t we? Well, work with her until she’s no longer useful, but I will get my pound of flesh eventually. I can feel it in my bones—Relica’s days are numbered.”

  Ugh. Sorry, Mom, but I can’t stay still after hearing that bullshit. Just…please don’t be too mad that I need more time. Ah-heh, you are scarier than Conner when you’re angry.

  Feeling an urge for violence, Rachel couldn’t get the tightness out of her chest as she breathed. “…Barb, let’s swap pace and go to an MMA octagon match. I heard some talk about one going on in an hour or two… I need to see a fight.”