Page 9 of O Holy Spite

“Some may be able to, but I’ve not met them. Mythicals have a large variety in their power set. There are basic things a species can do, and then some special talents different clutches or family groups can do. I suppose I never considered what that might have to do with lineage.”

“And magic?”

He nods, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “Indeed. Legends about how each species came about are… murky. There are species like griffins that present as though they inter-bred. The Shirdals act as if that’s why there aren’t more now. But I’ve never bought into that because many of us aren’t simply a wuzzle of other creatures.”

“Like gargoyles or dragons.” I say as I slide my fingers over the keys to play the theme to the popular TV show Aubrey hates. “Don’t they teach your kids that when they’re little? That’s what Cori told me—shifter families tell their kids things the schools don’t.”

Rennie snorts. “Of course, but that goes as far back as ‘the first gargoyle clutch,’ but not whence they came. To be truthful, I never heard anyone ask. History is simply accepted how it’s relayed in the groups.”

“Dumb. This is all dumb, Rennie.” I stop playing to kick my foot against the wooden floor. “Everyone is hiding shit and apparently has been since the treaties. Now we’re facing the consequences of pretending bad shit didn’t happen so we can feel better.”

I hate knowing the Council and the other shifter groups have used time and controlled knowledge for nefarious purposes. Their greed and fear has put everyone in the shifter world in trouble now that the rebels are striking out. There was room for renegotiation and perhaps even peace, but old prejudices made them raise generations of people who now can’t defend themselves.

It’s stupid as fuck and I’m smack dab in the middle of it for some reason.

“Rennie?” He looks at me curiously, and I lick my lips before I ask him the question that’s been bothering me. “Do you think they’re hurting or killing all the missing students?”

“Killing? Probably not. They could have done that right away rather than risk moving them to another location. Hurting? Maybe. We don’t know why they still want those kids. No ransoms, no demands, not even a whisper about them has leaked online or to their parents. They’re prisoners, but not… hostages, I think.”

I frown, looking at the keys in frustration. No one who has gone missing is a great person, so I’m not exactly mourning their loss. It’s interesting the magic users haven’t kidnapped any heirs or rich kids that aren’t shitty… unless they have boundaries about who’s innocent and who deserves their fate.

Seems like a stretch, right?

“I should feel worse about that. Knowing they aren’t taking them for money or to bargain isn’t good news. Like, it means the missing people are probably being used for experiments or sacrifices or something equally dark, right?”

Sighing, my gargoyle nods. “Most likely. But, ma petite, you can’t let that get to you anymore than you can the dead students. There are a lot of bad people involved in this brewing war, and you sure as fuck didn’t start it.”

“Yeah, but my guess is I’m going to be involved in finishing it.”

Renard stays quiet at my words—he knows that I’m right.

Keep You Warm

Felix

“Is it me or is this shit ramping up, bro?” Fitz looks around, a sour expression on his face as we exit the ridiculous tube to head home. “Days like this make me miss the fucking island and you know how I feel about Bloodstone.”

I chuckle, shaking my head. Fitz isn’t wrong. The continual summer of Bloodstone is much preferable to snowy winter, especially to our tigers. Poor Chess is bundled up tight because his lithe form doesn’t carry as much padding as ours. “I think it is. The snowflakes are getting fatter and coming faster. We might be able to make snow angels or snow animals soon. Princess would love that.”

“No snowball fights this time. I can still feel that ice in places it doesn’t belong,” Chess grumbles. “Her drive to win is as bad as yours, Fitz. Dolly will nail the living shit out of us now that she’s been training this year.”

Fitz gives us both a crazy grin. “We could take you all on, even the Flying Fartknockers. Baby Girl will be vicious and it would be hot. as. fuck.”

I roll my eyes, leading them across the lawn. “We’ll see what they’re all up to. There’s not enough snow yet, anyway, so don’t get anyone’s hopes up. Princess will pout and the other two will get grumpy. You know how the old softies are when she sticks her lip out.”

Chess snickers, his eyes full of amusement. “Oh, yes, Raj. Aubrey and Ren are the only ones who give into the wide-eyed doe look. Mmmhmm. Just them.”

“Yeah, bro. All she has to do is add ‘sir,’ and you’re a goner, man. Dolly’s a wily little bunny wabbit and I love it.” Fitz runs by me in a burst of speed, throwing a playful elbow before he calls, “Last one to strip gets the last kiss, suckers.”

Looking at Chess, he bobs his brow then puts his cheetah into running and I groan.

That little shit is faster than all of us and he knows it.

No one greets us when we wrestle our way through the door and I frown. Our workout was pretty thorough; I expected to see our girl and the Frenchman back by now. Aubrey gets lost in the archives, so his absence makes sense. But where are Dolly and Ren?

“Baby Girl!” Fitz yells as he wriggles between Chess and I to barrel into the living room. “Are you hiding? I love when we play Hide & Seek.”

Silence is his answer and he frowns, turning back to us. I shrug and walk over to the intercom on the wall. Aubrey had the damn thing installed after we found him and the princess destroying the archives in the middle of the night with giant dragon sex. Dolly blushed and scolded him because she’d never kick any of us out. He just shrugged and replied that it was about safety—what if it had been an intruder and we weren’t prepared?

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