“You aren’t hungry?” Gail’s familiar heel clicks stopped behind Amari. The disappointment in her tone like someone chastising their cherished pet. “You will need to keep up your strength.”

  “After all you had me smell….” Amari tipped her fork letting the contents fall back on her plate with a grimace. “I am not sure I will want to eat again.”

  “Oh, but that has to be normal with your job.” Gail gracefully sank into the chair next to her.

  “I do not purposefully smell everyone to that level.” Amari turned, her arm resting on the back of the chair.

  “But you can learn so much.” Gail tilted her head slightly.

  Amari heard the quiver in her voice. Roaming eyes cataloged each detail of the woman. Tight eyes, a slight shake to her pen, Amari pulled back her ears. Sounds and smells from all around her crashed in like the surf threatening to knock her over. Her mind quickly ran through each for discrepancies.

  “I learned a lot, thank you.” Gail tucked a hair behind her ear and pushed one finger to the bridge of her glasses.

  Hair prickled on the back of Amari’s neck. Soft but distinct squeaks of boots again the linoleum registered just as a wall of heat formed behind her. Amari reacted, but not quick enough. Heavy hands, pressed her back into her chair. Her eyes, sharp and menacing, bore into Gail, who had the decency to look intimidated. “What is this?”

  “Mr. Morningstar has requested your presence.” The pen fluttered faster in Gail’s fingers.

  Amari side-eyed the thick fingers holding her shoulders. Her gaze pulled back to Gail as her teeth clenched. Something like disappointment warred with begrudging acceptance across the normally chipper features. Amari pressed more. “Your data will be incomplete.”

  “Unfortunately. Howev-” Gail’s gaze snapped up from the rhythmic tapping as her mouth clamped over the unfinished syllables.

  “However?” Amari’s tongue felt sluggish with fear. What could redeem the loss of data to a researcher like Gail? Blunt fingers pressed into her collarbones. A dark sigh rumbled across her soft palate. “You have a theory.”

  “It is like you have known me forever. You are on the same wavelength.” Gail rippled her fingers in the air between them. The glint in her eye held curiosity and a dash of hope. “This is why I think we could be friends.”

  Amari loathed to admit the kinship she felt with the researcher. Stories and histories held her fast, stirring her fear more as she watched Gail’s line flex before her eyes. “What are you planning to do?”

  “Mr. Morningstar has reached out to more open minded individuals. You helped me focus my questioning and formulate new testing. I have better clues to how to differentiate results. Progress will be moving faster now.” Gail held a finger over her mouth as her eyes danced with glee.

  “Who?” The pause over open-minded, gripped her throat. Amari forced her breath to remain even. Tingling tickled her fingers as she flexed away from the feeling. The rough scrubs she wore wicked away the moisture covering her palms.

  “He is inviting your family. I thought it would be nice if you all could be compared. As well as a few other families. The results of side-by-side testing should be enlightening.” Gail smiled showing all her teeth.

  “You think they will willingly accept? Are you forgetting I am here because of his threats against someone I love?” Amari bounced off strong arms, her chair scraping a little. “He will use me for leverage. That is why you needed them.”

  “Not ideal circumstances but we have to start somewhere. Werewolves.” Gail hopped in her seat.

  “You will destroy us. Humans don't take kindly to things that are different.” Amari pressed her fists into her thighs.

  “That is why I need all the evidence, the proof. One that you exist but two that you are just like us.” Gail gestured between them. Similar frame and education.

  “They won't care. They will see we can grow teeth and claws and call us monsters. Please don't let the rest of humanity know.” Amari tried to scotch forward only for her shoulders to hit the metal of concealed weapons.

  “That is why I wanted to know about the extra gifts. It's not all tooth and nail.”

  “We will never be free.”Amari hoped the words planted doubt in the ears of those listening. “Those without gifts will be forced to be super soldiers and those with gifts used nefariously. And everyone not old or young enough will likely be subject to vivisection.”

  “That’s barbaric!” Gail's hand flew to her mouth.

  “People in power far too easily become blind to the line or dance around it; they forget where it is at. You open this can of worms. It will be like Pandora's box for us.” Fear whispered the words. Amari paused, closing her eyes, she focused on her forest. An idea flashed in her mind. “How are you accounting for the duress I am under? I believe that skews your results.”

  If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “Not significantly. You scored nearly perfectly with your special gift. Even going as far as identifying specific types of cancer and other illnesses. It is remarkable the talent you have. I am running others in the medical field through the same test. I want to see if they can learn to hone to your level of capability.” Gail tapped the pen on her clipboard full of rows and columns of neat black print. “With all the evidence, I can convince everyone I am not crazy and that there is more than just us here on the earth.”

  Amari stared. The vehemence in her voice. Need. pure and simple. A need to be believed and proven right. To put mockers to shame. That is what Gail had been really doing here. Science may be her avenue to their world but she paved it because she had seen their world and no one believed her. Amari hung her head. Scientific curiosity she could curb, soul deep need, nothing created could stop that. “When?”

  “Oh, soon. Though remember, Mr. Morningstar has requested your presence.” Gail brushed past or simply didn’t recognize the surrender.

  Amari breathed shakily through her nose. Her stomach churned as she swallowed against the nausea. Him. Mitchell was taking her to him. The thought hit her in the gut like a physical blow. Robotically she rose out of the chair as the thick hands pulled at her arms. Shaking her head, Amari forced her focus in. Each step and turn added to her mental map. One last door opened with an echoed clomp of the metal release. The squeal of tires and rumble of engines. Three silver SUVs pulled up. The mountain to her left opened the door, she stepped into the rich maroon leather interior. If she didn’t know better she would have said she was sandwiched between two stone golems.

  “What are you two waiting for?” Mitchell’s cold voice hissed from the front.

  Amari felt the two shift to look at each other. She watched the red creep up bulging veins as it went up Mitchell’s neck.

  Mitchell rolled his eyes. Tight, clipped syllables escaped his lips. “Blind fold her.”

  A mumbled oh, one shifted, lifting a strip of silvered cloth.

  Amari hissed covering the chuckles as the lines of silver seared at her skin. Pressing her hands into her thighs, Amari focused on the pressure. Stings like little electric shocks and the pungent gangrenous apple blossoms enveloped her poking and prodding her to lose control. A brush of leather on her right. A sudden stop. Amari let the movement of the vehicle lull her into a meditative state.

  “Tell them I love them.” Amari didn’t need to turn around to know Ruac stood just within the trees.

  “You will tell them yourself.” Ruac’s comforting but terrifying rumble wrapped around her mind.

  Amari hated the doubt that creeped up in her. Such a short memory. Hadn’t Ruac and Asseric helped and carried her through so much? How could it mean so little now?

  “Oh, little one.” Ruac pressed his forehead onto the back of her head. “You believe and have far more courage than you give yourself credit.”

  “Of course you know what I am thinking.” Amari turned burying her head in the soft flowing fur. “I am scared. Of never seeing my family again. Of him. Of disappointing you.”

  “Little one. That is why I am here. I will provide a way. You simply need to stand firm.” Ruac’s voice rumbled around and through her.

  “I didn’t stand firm with Gail. How am I supposed to stand firm against HIM!” Amari felt the hysteria pitch her voice higher and higher. The trees swayed a little as she paced within her mind. Each step rustling them more and more.

  “You did as I commanded.” Ruac’s paw forced her to stop as his words cut off the wind.

  Amari brushed her hair back with her hands. Her eyes focused on the lush green eyes that held the whole of life itself. Unable to help it, her cheeks bunched. A new sound crashed behind him. Pushing through the trees a thick barrier rushed toward them. It wrapped around them like a bubble threatening to pop around her before it finally squeezed her through. “We are in the fae realm aren’t we.”

  “Yes, little one. It won’t be too much longer and you will be in his domain.” Ruac brushed alongside her. “Just stand firm. He will try to trick you. But you know me. Others may be tricked but you know me like others don’t.”

  Amari nodded.

  “I am never far.” Ruac melted into the trees.

  Cold night air slipped under the hem of her scrubs pebbling across her skin. The crunch and slip of gravel under her slip on shoes nearly had her stumble to the ground. Air dense with magic and something else pressed in on her like a thousand hands. All the sweetest smells of earth swam in her head while under the surface the slipperiness of the rot tangled around her like seaweed. Amari held still despite the shiver itching to make her crawl away.

  Amari blinked as the sting disappeared. Once her eyes focused in the dim light, she took in her surroundings. Dark flowers bloomed from even darker stems. Each petal held patterns of the milky way. Spotted amongst the leaves, flowers of bright fire broke the darkness. Sounds of chittering and skittering in the darkness, a new wave of trepidation tightened her throat.

  She felt the pinch of strong hands around her upper arms. Each step, Amari felt the sweetness fall away bit by bit. The gangrenous threatened to seep into her heart. Minutes or hours could have passed. She blinked furiously, the world around her drained away like rain on a window.

  Trees splintered the sky with jagged branches. Long slimy tendrils hung limply from the cruxes coating the bark with ichor. Chipped and cracked statues of imposing winged beings grew out of the swampy runoff. A long staircase of stone loomed ahead of them. Her eyes followed them to the thin glowing line of embers.

  She turned in shock. “How?”

  “How about you worry about yourself?” Mitchell flicked his wrist.

  Amari felt herself half pushed, half dragged up the long staircase. The line of embers slowly morphed into a glowing doorway yawning open before them. Gargoyles and rock beasts scraped along the stone. Amari shook her head. Why was this place familiar?

  As they drew closer and closer, the details sharpened. Thousands of windows dully glowed from beneath the ichor trailing down the walls. Huge hewn stones built this massive dark castle.

  Amari froze against the press of firm hands as the castle seemed to breathe out the gangrenous odor in palpable waves. Her head shook.

  “Move her. He doesn’t like to be kept waiting and we are already late.” Mitchell commanded.

  Amari’s toes scraped the ground as she was lifted into the living orange glow.