Page 6 of Partnering with the Artist

Zakery presents a black card, and I blink, coming out of my thoughts to ask, “What’s this?”

“Oops. Do I need to start over?” he asks.

I flush. “Sorry. Were you talking this whole time?”

He nods. “A little bit, yeah. It’s fine. Don’t worry. I rambled a lot when all I really need to say is: come be my muse, Maelin.”

“Huh?”

“You are ravishing. I want to paint you. I want to theme a new comic series around the fantasy you evoke in my brain. It’ll take your mind off people better left alone in the woods…and I’ll also pay well.”

My stomach constricts. “S-sir, I’m very much not interestedin selling myself l-like that, for any price.”

“I’m not asking for nude modeling. Although, you should know, it’s very much not as scandalous as it sounds, and I’ve grown almost entirely desensitized to nudity.” Darkness billows through his icy eyes. “Let’s just say my parents started me very…very…veryearly in anatomy classes.”

I shudder. “I’m really…um…flatteredthat you’re…interested? But I’m awkward, and clumsy, and I don’t think it’s a good idea. I wouldn’t be very good at any kind of modeling.”

“Hm. Pity.” He pops my foam head back on to free both his hands, hooks a finger in the fabric of one of my paws, and tucks his card in against my palm. “If you change your mind—” He glides behind my back, light catching the silver buttons of his high-necked black shirt. “—call me.” He fastens my fursuit head in place. “Also, just so you know…I’d start you at fifty an hour. What did you say you made per load of laundry again?Twodollars, was it? Loads take about an hour to cycle, don’t they? Hm. Things to think on.”

This feels an awful lot like coercion. Skin crawling, I say, “Thank you very much for the offer. I’ll consider it.” Actually, I’ve considered it. Absolutely I will not become the plaything of a man with money. I am near positive my mom would prefer I make fursuits for a living instead. “Would you mind getting the door?”

Grace incarnate, he sweeps past, opens the door, and bows as I squeeze my way out. “Good luck, Maelin,” he says before the bombardment of chatter and music in the convention hall can overtake me completely. “I really hope you find what you’re looking for.”

Like a wraith, when I turn back to thank him again, he’s gone.

Chapter 2

?

Desperate times…

Maelin

I find my sisterin the car. After scouring and scouring thewholeconvention, nearly fainting, and having to babble gratitude toanotherhandler for sharing water with me, I returned to our vehicle in the wide lot outside the convention hall. I planned to wiggle out of this fursuit and hide until Morana decided she loved me more than whatever trinkets she was likely collecting…

Buthere she is.

I slap my paw against the driver-side window, and she jolts, seafoam green eyes fixing on me.

She steps out of the car, then has theaudacityto snap at me. “There you are. I’ve been calling and texting youfor an hour.”

“Um.” I lift myfreaking paws. “Hello?”

“You couldn’t feel your phone buzzing?” she quips.

“I can’t feel my legs, Mora.”

Taking a deep breath, Morana runs her fingers through her long dark hair—jet black, an equal opposite of mine. Despite our otherwise identical twinness, something ever so slightly kinked in the code between us, diverting all the ink into my little sister. “Sorry. It’s just…” She breathes, spins me, and undoes the clasp keeping my head in place. “Come on. We need to go.”

“Is everything okay? Is…” My throat closes as worst case scenarios run through my head. “Iseveryoneokay? Mom? Dad?”

She pulls off my paws, swipes down to grab Zakery’s card when it falls, turns it over, brow raised, then dumps it andthe rest of my bulkier fursuit pieces into the backseat before dragging me to the passenger side and cramming the rest of me in. “Helena called.”

I shudder as Morana slams the door on me, circles to her seat, and slides in. Hesitant, I ask, “What did your boss want? Am I… Am I making you late to one of hergrandsummons?”

Morana shakes her head. “No.”

“Then…”

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