Page 54 of Foxes of Legend

Kairos mace smashed into an oni, lightning exploding and shattering the creature like glass. Enko sprinted in, his fiery blade slashing a path like a machete through a jungle.

The demon smiled as he drew his staff from his back. It swung around, putrid smoke liberated from the holes through the center. Poison.

It shot out at Kairos and Enko. Kairos collapsed onto the ground, Enko staggered backward. I cried out, squirming as the oni poisoned my mates.

“I see you, Shadow,” the demon snarled, pointing his weapon at the invisible Seven. “Your tricks don’t work on me.”

Seven flickered back into view in front of the sword, charging forward, both of his shadow weapons drawn and ready to fight. The demon slashed out his staff, deflecting the blow. Seven dodged the first few swings, but a large stone golem demon—Tier III—appeared behind him and slammed a fist into the top of his head. Seven dropped.

No. Not again. This can’t be happening again.

I won’t lose them.

A surge of warmth bolted through me, shattering outward. I lit up like a beacon of daylight, brightening the courtyard with a white golden light.

The demons shrieked, shielding themselves from the light. The monsters scattered, and my three Fated rose from the ground, rushing over to me.

32

Dove

I shrank, smaller, smaller. The light grew brighter, brighter. I tried to look at myself, spinning in a circle until my poofy white tail came into sight. My fox form! My fur was the same white as my human hair, except it was glowing.

“Holy shit,” Kairos said, looking down on me. I jumped around in a circle, dancing around my lost clothes, the three men standing in a circle around me.

The demons retreated, flakes falling from the sky. At first I thought it was ash, but it was the first freeze of the season. Snow.

“Hide her. Get to my office,” the Archfox ordered as he approached.

A heavy coat landed on top of me like I was a wild raccoon. He proceeded to wrestle me into a suffocating bundle and held me like a football.

Enko.

I growled at my captor. Enko’s laugh rumbled in his chest furthering my irritation. “She’s not happy.”

After a few moments of annoyed struggling, I gave up. The soft cocoon of his jacket enveloped me in warmth, and the gentle tingle of Enko’s foxfire hummed between us as he walked.

“Let me see her,” came the order of the Archfox a couple minutes later.

And just like that, the warm comfort ended. My fur’s soft glow illuminated the room as Enko removed the jacket. I glanced around, finding my three Fated staring at me. I sat on the Archfox’s desk, my fluffy white tail wrapping around me.

Kairos stepped forward, leaning down close and whispering, “I knew that you’d be a cute fox.” Sleepiness flowed through me in his warm allure.

The Archfox glared. “Enough, we have matters to discuss. Get her off of my desk.”

“My, you are being bossy, aren’t you?” Seven stepped between us, growling. “Maybe you should give us a few minutes to bond with her in fox form.”

“Did you not see that fucking attack, Seven?” The Archfox turned to Kairos and Enko, walking around Seven to take his seat. “Sit down, all of you. Dove, off.”

“Why, yes, of course, your Holiness, we must appease you,” Seven commented snidely, earning a roll of the eyes from the Archfox.

I nimbly leapt to Kairos’ lap, snuggling against his warm chest after eyeing the amount of blood leaking from his wound.

“Dove is a Disciple. That explains why she has so many mates.”

“A what?” Seven asked and I gleamed up at him in shock. How could he not know of our history?

“They were believed to have gone extinct centuries ago, sometimes called the Heavenly Foxes?” the Archfox explained. “The goddess sends down Disciples, protectors of our realm against demons if they ever become too strong. They can have any number of abilities. At least, that’s how the myth goes.”

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