Chapter 8
Dravik
Simone is peering through the glass panels of the front door, while also trying to shush Tito and Missy, who are making it known that there are intruders and they’re not happy about any of it.
I’m standing by the coatrack, stuffing my legs into the overly large pair of jeans I keep for backup when I’m in my true form, murmuring the incantation to myself as I go, only to find that my color is that of a human, but I still have wings.
“Shit!”
Simone glances at me with horror. “That don’t look right. What’s wrong?”
Whoever is outside knocks again, and I’m just going to have to deal with being a big, scary demon for right now. “Go ahead and open it, I think I know who it is anyway. They’ll just have to deal.”
Sure enough, in walks Merna and Tamsin, the latter carrying the nearly rusted device I helped create decades ago. It’s smoking slightly, bringing an acrid scent inside. Merna looks me up and down, and then glances at Simone with knowing eyes.
“Hey, Drav, how’s it going?” Her tone suggests she knows exactly how it's been going for me, but I decide to ignore it.
“Good, and not so good. It’s been a long time,” I see Tamsin looking at me, but not with fear.
I give her an awkward wave and motion to my body.
“Sorry, I’m having issues masking right now.
I have a feeling it’s whatever is going on in town that is interfering.
” I hike my jeans up a bit higher, still self-conscious about the fact that I’m half naked in front of three women.
Merna waves me away. “Don’t care, we have more important shit to deal with than your naked demon chest.” She points to the smoking device.
“We’re in deep shit, and only you can help us since you helped build these things.
The other nine seem okay for now, but this one got fried in the fire, and now the whole system is short-circuiting. ”
Simone beats me to it, picking it up by the potholder Tamsin is using to inspect it carefully.
“Looks like the surge fried the whole logic board. Whatever hit this, it wasn’t a normal current.
That’s overload at the component level.” She turns to me now, “Was there an onboard computer in here? If there was, I could run a diagnostic.”
I want to shove Merna and Tamsin out the door so I can take this woman again and never let her leave my side.
Her techy talk is burning a fire in my loins, but my heart is thudding wildly as she works the problem.
Instead, I nod thoughtfully. “Yes, I added a simple one about five years ago to all the devices so that we could track them remotely, and do updates without having to do it manually. You thinking we’ll be able to try to sync with this one and see if it still works? ”
“Yes! That’s exactly where I was going with it. Based on what we find, we’ll decide next steps.” We’re smiling at each other, at how in sync we are with our thinking.
“When did y’all meet?” Tamsin breaks in, her looks bouncing between us as we’ve been talking.
Simone shrugs. “Yesterday?” She glances at me for confirmation.
“Yep, yesterday.” Not sure where Tamsin is going with her questions. I’m annoyed she’s here. Annoyed, they decided to break up our cozy evening, when Simone and I could still be on the couch together.
“Mmm.” Tamsin looks over at the dogs, now cuddled together in bed, snoozing away. “That your dog?” She points to Tito.
“Yesss.” Simone sneaks a glance at me, as if to silently ask, “What is up with her?”
I shake my head, having not a clue.
“You both seem really in sync for having just met yesterday. Your auras are doing some kinda neon happy dance all over the place.” She points to Missy and Tito. “Even your dogs are in love.”
Simone’s mouth drops open, her face turning bright red. “Well…” She stutters. “We both really like tech, and techy people are just like that.”
Tamsin smirks. “Right.”
Merna breaks the awkward moment. “Well, let’s do this diagnostic thing you’re talking about and see if we can’t protect the town from realizing how many non-humans this place really has, shall we?” She glares at Tamsin, who shrugs in response.
???
THIRTY MINUTES LATER, the results are in, all four of us gathered around the table.
“Is this the only option?” Merna asks, her voice quiet.
Simone and I glance at each other, as if confirming our findings and ultimately, the solution.
“It’s the only way,” I say, solemn.
“Can I just ask, do you know who is doing this, or even if it is a who?” Simone cuts the tension with her blunt question.
Merna and Tamsin glance at each other before Tamsin responds.
“We think so, but it doesn’t really matter who is behind it.
All that matters is that it can’t happen again in the future.
Hopefully, once we fix the problem, we’ll be even more secure.
This is just baseline-level protection. Almost every non-human in town usually has an extra protective layer, like Drav here, but this is like a fail-safe. Nothing works without this.”
“So, the Coven actually consults with non-humans in town, helping them to get settled in, then? Patching any weird stuff that pokes through?” Simone asks, incredulous.
“Basically, yeah. It’d be a full-time job for one of us, but that’s why we formed a Coven. We have lots of witches living here, undercover.”
Merna points at Simone, winking. “It’s a book club as far as you know!”
Simone crosses her fingers over her heart. “I got you! Don’t worry about me!”
I go to grab my large coat and hat, since shifting is out and we’re about to head into town. Just out of earshot, I hear Tamsin tell Simone, “I’m really glad you came to town. There’s a reason for everything, you know.”
“You think so?”
“I know so,” Tamsin assures her.
Merna and Tamsin head outside. Just before we step out the door, I sweep Simone into my arms, kissing her deeply, and inhaling her bergamot scent.
“Don’t get yourself hurt out there,” I insist.
She pokes me in the chest. “You don’t let anyone see you too closely.” Her forehead scrunches up in worry. “I don’t want some crazy human trying to stake you or something.”
My laugh rumbles in my chest, causing her to smile in that way I like. “Anything for you, Simone.”
We walk away from the door, Missy and Tito crying behind us, leaving us both with anxiety in our hearts at having to go without them.