Uninvited

Pleasant surprises are like extra cheese on a pizza—unexpected, delightful, and adding a little extra joy to your day.

Uninvited

The next morning, the sun filtered through the thin curtains of the kitchen window, casting soft, golden light across the table. The modest kitchen was filled with the sound of clinking dishes and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the warm, comforting scent of eggs and bacon sizzling on the stove. It was a simple, unhurried morning, the kind that rarely came by given our usual whirlwind of chaos and responsibilities.

Rolo sat at the table, his hair still a mess from sleep, dark circles under his eyes that seemed like a permanent fixture now. He was picking at a plate of scrambled eggs with a fork, moving the food around more than actually eating it. His movements were slow, his expression distant, as if he were somewhere far away, lost in his own thoughts.

Alex was in a considerably better mood, leaning back in his chair with a mug of coffee in hand, his usual easy-going demeanor slightly muted but still there. He was wearing a worn-out hoodie and gym shorts, the picture of casual comfort. Every so often, he would glance over at Rolo with quiet concern, clearly trying to gauge the kitten's mood without pressing him too hard.

"So," Alex started, his tone light but probing, "did you sleep at all, Rolo? You look like you wrestled with a nightmare all night and lost."

Rolo grunted, his gaze still fixed on his plate. "I slept," he mumbled, but the way his eyes were dull and tired told a different story. He took a half-hearted bite of his eggs but didn't seem to really taste them. 

I sat at the head of the table, sipping my cocoa and observing the two of them. Yeah, well, Alex will kill me for sure.

Rolo's sullen demeanor was no surprise—he'd been unusually quiet since our visit to the gypsies the previous night. It was clear he was still processing, the weight of everything we'd talked about hanging heavily over him. Alex, on the other hand, was watching Rolo like he was trying to figure out how best to help without stepping on any landmines.

"We could've let you sleep in, you know," I said casually, trying to break the heavy silence that hung over the room. "You don't always have to be up at the crack of dawn."

Rolo glanced up briefly, then shrugged. "It's fine. I don't mind." His voice was flat, and he immediately went back to poking at his food.

Alex exchanged a look with me, one that spoke volumes without a word. Well, he will kill me for sure later. But he needed to do the shopping before that so he left soon. Rolo also went back to his room silently.

My sacred ritual of doing nothing was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of Des. The hunter dropped heavily onto the sofa next to me, and it felt like he'd added a whole cement block to the poor, creaking piece of furniture.

"What's up?" I asked absently, flipping through channels with little interest.

"Mica is following Belizár's men," he reported. "They are paying close attention to the fire witch. She is their focus not you."

Hmm, interesting news. But his voice was too grave, so I sensed some other trouble. "What else?"

"Alice has lost Derel," Des announced quietly.

His words were like a jolt to my system. I froze, the remote still clutched in my hand, and the upbeat theme of My Little Pony filled the suddenly tense room. I snapped the TV off with a sharp click, plunging us into an uneasy silence.

"Is something wrong?" I asked, already knowing the answer. If a seer couldn't track someone down, it was always bad news. Seers like Alice didn't just lose people; avoiding their eyes was nearly impossible.

Des's expression remained stoic, but his eyes held a storm of emotions beneath the surface. "I only found out recently," he said, voice laced with a quiet resentment. "I suspected something was off, but Ben refused to admit it."

He fixed his dark blue eyes on mine, a flicker of fury in his gaze. "Ben hasn't seen the future for a while."

"What?" The word slipped out in shock. How could Alice, of all people, lose his sight?

"I've asked around to my seer friends," Des continued, cutting off my impulse to grab my phone and call Mazen. "This is an isolated case; the other seers' abilities are functioning normally."

I couldn't decide whether to feel relieved or more concerned. If it was just Alice, that narrowed down the problem but didn't make it any less terrifying. "When did this start?"

Des didn't answer immediately, letting the silence stretch between us before finally speaking. "Ben says his last accurate prediction was the one he made to you."

I frowned, piecing together the timeline. His last prediction had been about Mazen's real name. The implications were unsettling.

"All right," I said decisively. "We'll get the fae doctor over."

Des nodded, but my words did little to ease the tension coiled around him. There was something else weighing on his mind. "What's the other problem?"

He snorted, frustration twisting his features. "People can't stop running their mouths about everything."

I blinked, unsure what he was referring to. "I don't follow."

Des's lips curled into a snarl. "Some idiot blabbed about me and Ben. Now everyone's talking."

"Oh," I said, the pieces falling into place. "I thought it was just your squad that knew."

"It was," Des gritted out, "but I've already dealt with the idiot who let it slip." There was a dangerous edge to his voice that made it clear exactly what "dealing with" entailed. "But now people won't shut up."

"I didn't think you'd care much about hunters gossiping," I observed.

"Normally, I wouldn't." His fists clenched, knuckles turning white. "But Willingham's trying to use it to have Ben transferred."

I stared at him, stunned. "Seriously? Willingham's pushing for that?"

Des nodded, fury radiating from him like heat off a furnace. The hunter's conservative views and schemes were well known, but trying to manipulate Des's relationship for his own agenda was beyond infuriating.

"Couldn't you have just denied the rumors?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

Des's glare could have burned through stone. "I'm not denying Ben," he snapped.

"All right, calm down," I said, holding up my hands in a placating gesture. "We'll figure something out."

Des had options, though none of them were easy. He could quit hunting, but I knew that wasn't an option for him. Hunting was ingrained in his very being, a bitter lifeblood that coursed through him. The second option was to endure Willingham's pressure and try to see Ben only outside of missions—not ideal, and frankly impossible for the two of them. And then there was option three: going to war with Willingham, but that would end messily.

"I already have a plan," I said, a sly grin spreading across my face. Des tried to pry the details out of me, but I kept them close to my chest. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

First, we went to retrieve Alice and drag him to the fae doctor, who, despite his best efforts, couldn't determine what was wrong. He ran spells, blood tests, and muttered diagnostics under his breath, but every method came up empty. Alice seemed weary but compliant, his usual confidence noticeably frayed.

Afterward, as I escorted the doctor to his car, he lingered for a moment as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he simply waved and drove off, leaving me standing there, staring at the empty road.

"Simon," I called softly, and the ghost materialized beside me, his pale form rippling in the morning light. "Hold out your hand."

Simon looked at me, puzzled, but did as I asked. I nicked my finger with a claw, letting a few drops of my blood drip into his spectral palm.

"What are you doing?" he asked, a mix of curiosity and concern in his voice.

"I'm afraid Alice has something seriously wrong with him," I said, my tone grave. "Slip this into his tea or something when you get the chance. Just in case."

Simon's eyes widened in understanding. He nodded solemnly, his form flickering with a hint of determination. As he vanished, I felt a faint sense of relief. It wasn't much, but it was a start. We'd have to find out what was plaguing Alice, one way or another.

I pulled out my phone and texted Lil.

[Hey, Lil. Are you home?]

(...)

After a couple of hours, there was still no answer so I decided to go to her place and soon I found myself standing in front of her door. I knocked and waited, the sense of urgency growing with each passing second. There was no answer. The door was unlocked, though. I took a few deep breaths trying to smell intruders but I only could smell Lil's familiar scent.

I searched the house methodically, but she was nowhere to be found. Just as I was about to give up, a flash of light caught my eye through the window. I stepped outside into the yard and came upon a startling sight: Lilinette crouching amid a pile of ashes. Her skin was smeared with soot, and flickers of flame danced across her form. Her eyes were fixed skyward, and her lips were parted in labored breaths.

As she drew in a final gasp, the light returned to her eyes, and she turned her head sharply towards me. The look she gave me was a mix of shock and something deeper—an emotion that felt almost tangible in the air between us.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, her voice a blend of surprise and vulnerability.

With a swift motion, she conjured a robe to cover herself, though the brief flash of her bare skin added an unexpected layer of tension to the scene.

I stepped closer, my concern overriding any lingering awkwardness.

"Lil, are you okay? What happened?" I asked softly, my gaze steady but gentle.

She wrapped the robe tighter around herself, though it did little to mask the soot on her skin.

"It's nothing," she said quickly, though her voice wavered. "Just some advanced magic."

I raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced. "You were practically engulfed in flames. Are you sure you're alright?"

"It was a clairvoyance spell," she explained but still didn't look into my eyes. "Seeing through fire."

"It was a clairvoyance spell," she explained, her gaze fixed on a point just past my shoulder. "Seeing through fire."

"What did you see?" I asked, leaning in slightly to catch her quiet voice.

Lilinette finally turned her eyes towards me, though they remained clouded with thought. "I know what the Syndicate is looking for," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"What is it?" I raised an eyebrow, my curiosity piqued.

She took a step closer, and I instinctively reached out to gently wipe a smudge of dirt from her face. Her skin was warm under my touch, and she met my gaze with something I couldn't quite place.

"I only saw it," she continued quietly. "I still need to find out its name."

I nodded, sensing the weight of her revelation. We made our way back to the apartment in silence, the air between us charged with unspoken thoughts.

Once inside, I busied myself preparing tea and cocoa while Lilinette hurried to the shower. The comforting aroma of the drinks filled the room, providing a temporary distraction from the intensity of our earlier conversation.

A few minutes later, Lilinette emerged, her hair damp and her scent subtly hinting of the fresh, clean warmth of the shower. She gave me a grateful nod as she took the steaming mug of cocoa I had prepared.

"Thanks," she said, her voice softer now. "I needed this."

I watched as she took a sip, the contented sigh she gave highlighting the relief she felt. There was something intimate in the moment, a quiet connection forged over simple comforts.

"Anytime," I replied with a smile.

"But what are you doing here, Shay?"

I hesitated for a moment, then decided to be straightforward. "Des came by earlier. He brought some troubling news. The Syndicate's been keeping an eye on your movements. They might attack sometime soon."

Lilinette's body tensed, her eyes narrowing slightly. She set her mug down with a clink and looked away, a bitter smile playing on her lips. "Of course they are," she muttered. "It was only a matter of time."

"What's the problem?" I asked, concerned by her reaction.

She turned back to me, her smile tinged with frustration. "I need a day to replenish my magic. I exhausted all my energy and the magic in the barriers protecting this place just to see through the fire. That's why you could enter uninvited."

I frowned, processing her words. "So, if they come now...?"

"I would have no means to defend myself," she admitted, her voice tight with worry. "The barriers are down, and my magic is depleted."

I saw the hesitation in her eyes and knew she was weighing her options. "Look, if you need to get your strength back, I can stay here until you're ready. I'm more than capable of keeping an eye on things."

Lilinette's eyes widened slightly, and she shook her head. "You don't have to do that. I can manage on my own."

"But you're clearly exhausted and vulnerable," I pointed out. "It's not just about being able to fend off an attack—it's about having the space and peace to restore your strength. Let me help."

She seemed to struggle with her reluctance. "It's not just that. I... I don't usually allow anyone into my home. It's a matter of principle."

"I understand," I said. "But right now, your safety is more important. And if it helps, I'll be respectful of your space and only intervene if absolutely necessary."

Lilinette's gaze softened as she met my eyes, and after a moment of silence, she nodded. "Alright, stay if you must. But keep your distance and don't make a mess."

I grinned. "Deal. I'll be the perfect guest."

I pulled out my phone and quickly texted Alex:

[Hey Alex, just a heads up. I'm going to be staying with Lilinette for a bit. We'll need to skip lunch and dinner together today.]

I sent the next message to Rolo:

[You'll be training with Olie today.]

I barely had time to put my phone away before Rolo's reply came through. The response was immediate and frantic.

Genius Brat Totally-Not-Overcompensating: [WHAT?! NO WAY! CHANGE MY PARTNER! I CAN'T TRAIN WITH THAT ASSHOLE!]

I chuckled softly, already anticipating Rolo's reaction. I quickly typed back:

[No can do. This is important for your progress.]

I hit send and leaned back, knowing that Rolo was likely fuming. Then I pulled up Olie's contact.

[Rolo will be training with you today instead of me. I'm sure you'll have a great session together.]

Olie's response came almost instantly:

Cheeky Mage Bastard: [WHAT?! Are you serious?]

I couldn't help but smile at the similarity between Olie's and Rolo's reactions. [Yep. Good luck.]

With that, I set my phone aside.