Page 2 of Peacock Me Like a Hurricane

The Resistance formed to fight back against The Cabal’s control, and for two years, I’ve kept it afloat through sheer determination.

Trust is a scarce commodity in this world, and alliances shift as easily as sand in a storm. My circle is as chaotic as the worldwe’re fighting in. Rhea and Sari, two of my closest allies, develop similar mutant powers to mine that threaten to spiral out of control.

I take Rhea on a hunting expedition with Taurus, hoping to teach her discipline, but it only highlights the fractures in our group. Power dynamics, jealousy, and manipulation swirl around us, and keeping everyone on the same page feels like herding cats—pun very much intended.

Taurus complicates everything. I’ve built my leadership on clarity and focus, but he shakes me in ways I don’t like to admit. He’s arrogant, infuriating, and maddeningly magnetic. Our bond grows stronger, but it’s a constant source of friction. He challenges me in ways no one else does, forcing me to confront the parts of myself I’d rather ignore. It’s a strange, volatile connection that feels equal parts strength and vulnerability.

My search for a solution to The Beast takes a turn when I finally face the truth: The Company’s tech will not help me. If they had the answers, they would know I’m a walking threat to everything in this little reality and come for me. That realization hits hard, but it pushes me to explore a different path—one rooted in the old ways, in gods, goddesses, and magic.

It’s a long shot, but if science can’t fix me, maybe something divine can.

The ritual becomes my last-ditch effort to rid myself of The Beast. It’s meant to be a renewal ceremony, a calling down of power from the gods and goddesses of The Rift.

As the leader, I’m supposed to guide it with calm authority, but inside, I’m anything but calm. I’ve kept my desperation hidden from the others, but this ritual is personal. I don’t just want to renew energy or please some deity—I want to excise the part of me that feels like it’s eating me alive.

The ceremony is chaos, as expected.

The Rift itself feels alive, its energy volatile and unpredictable, as though it’s mocking our attempt to control it. I pour everything I have into the ritual, invoking every god and goddess I can think of, begging them to take The Beast from me. The power of a goddess surges through me, overwhelming and raw, and for a moment, I think it’s working.

The Beast seems to calm at the beginning of the ritual, and I feel a glimmer of hope.

But the gods, it seems, have a sense of humor.

Instead of banishing The Beast, the ritual leaves me more connected to it than ever. It’s not gone—it’s integrated. The primal force I’ve fought for so long is now a part of my magic, my identity, my power. The realization is both freeing and terrifying.

I can’t escape what I’ve become, but maybe I don’t need to.

The aftermath of the ritual is sobering. The Resistance still faces the constant threat of my two-faced allies, and my leadership is more critical than ever. The cracks in our group deepen, and I’m forced to make tough decisions that weigh heavily on me. My bond with Taurus grows stronger, though it remains complicated and messy. He sees me—both the leader and the Beast—and somehow; he doesn’t flinch.

It’s infuriating and comforting in equal measure.

By the end, I stand on the precipice of something new. I’m no longer running from The Beast or what it means to me.

I’m Delilah—leader, fighter, and survivor.

The path ahead is uncertain, but for the first time, I feel ready to walk it on my own terms, claws and all.

The Cat Pretends Nothing Happened

DELILAH

It’s been a week since they opened that stupid bar, and though we had a serious discussion with Belle and Sari, I don’t think it did a damn bit of good. Every day I hear about shit going on there that concerns me, but I don’t get involved. They’ve already developed a persecuted narrative and I don’t want to feed into it. But I know it will be the source of major conflicts and breaches of boundaries soon—it’s inevitable with those two in charge.

Unfortunately, I can’t do a fucking thing about it without looking like a tyrant.

The worst part is having to contact people I want nothing to do with about this damn ritual. If I didn’t need it, if that dream woman hadn’t been adamant about me having more powers… I would have just abandoned the whole idea. But if that odd chat with the hooded specter was more of a premonition, I shouldnotskip our biggest spring holiday. I just have to survive doing this shit with a bunch of witchy tourists and asshole mates that I’d rather punch in the teeth.

Piece of cake, right?

“I think I’m going to pick Kali,” Sari says as she chews on a licorice twist. She bobs her brows, making a slashing motion like she has a sword and I groan inwardly.

Of course, she is. That’s a fitting choice for someone bent on avenging every imagined slight in the worst possible ways.

“She’s a dangerous choice,” Lily says, trying to tactfully relay to Sari that inviting a Hindu goddess of vengeance might not be prudent. “ might choose Athena.”

I wouldn’t bat a lash at that choice. Lily is highly intelligent, introverted, and values logic over all else. Athena is perfect for her, and it’s not a dangerous one if this damn ceremony has any reality attached to it.

“I-I believe… I’m g-g-going with Artemis,” Calista murmurs. Being that she’s all about nature and thinks she’s calling a wolf in Veruca, that also fits. Artemis has a strong sense of justice and fairness, too, so I'm less worried she’ll use that against me in Sari’s name.

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