Chapter Three

Missy grinned the moment she opened the door, and Rehalla stepped in with a large parcel. "Hello, Missy."

Missy smiled. "May I take it?"

"Of course. Would you like a hug?"

"Of course." Missy laughed as she took the parcel and walked into the kitchen. "Did you want something to drink?"

"Water is fine. Why do I smell men?" Rehalla asked.

Missy chuckled. "I seem to be collecting them. This is my familiar Tannic, and the little one is Smoog."

Rehalla looked at the man and the kitten. "Hello, I am Rehalla, a friend of Missy's."

"Tannic, and this is Smoog."

Rehalla looked at the kitten and sighed. "He's adorable."

The kitten bounded toward her, and she picked him up. Missy smiled. "He's an adult male in the body of a kitten, so watch how close you hold him."

Rehalla cuddled him, and the loud purr started as she scratched him behind his ears. "That will be then; this is now. Now he is a kitten, and I needed a cuddle."

Missy looked at her friend, put the gift down, and turned toward her, arms open.

Rehalla set Smoog on the counter, and Missy hugged one of the few people she trusted. Rehalla smelled like a bonfire after the rain. There was destruction in her scent, but there was also nurture and hope.

"Your hair looks great," Missy murmured, and Rehalla slowly released the hug.

"Thanks. I brushed it." Rehalla grinned. Her rich dark hair was up in a ponytail at the crown of her head.

Missy chuckled. "Selfie?"

"You may want to change out of your PJs."

"Oh. Oops." She changed into a summer dress so she would look right next to Rehalla's wrap dress.

They stood with their heads together, and Missy took the photo. "Cool. I am sending that to Athena."

"I wonder if she will remember me."

Missy chuckled. "I don't doubt it. What did she call you?"

"Ella. Nice and simple."

"Fun. Well, you did a good job protecting her." Missy put her phone on the counter and went to the fridge.

"Yeah, but the glamour pinched a little."

Missy saw Tannic walk over to Rehalla and shook her hand. "I am pleased to meet you, miss. You and Artemis are friends?"

"Yes. Since we were in mage training. We had rooms next to each other in the dorms and avoided the parties together."

Missy smiled and brought her friend a cold soda. "She is shy, and I am me, so we got along. When I was taken, she was the only one to figure it out."

Rehalla sighed. "Yeah, and took me a few days to get the power together to help you."

"And the fact that you went looking is what's kept you from rising above the rank of master, even though you should be next to me by now."

"Attachment issues, scooter. I am happy to be doing what I do and commuting through three countries. That is a pretty big authorized span."

Missy felt a pout coming on, and Tannic looked at her in surprise. She paused. "You are feeling something?"

"Yeah. Everything. Some of it is off-standard, but it is identifiable as an emotion. A lot of emotion."

Rehalla smiled. "No matter how weird her emotions are, I don't judge. So, she's free to be herself with me. Right, Missy?"

"Absolutely. It is super relaxing. No matter what I say or how I say it, Rehalla is still my friend."

"Tested in fire." Rehalla smiled at Tannic.

Tannic released the hand he was still holding. "So, you are an elf?"

"Mostly. That's how I am classified." She pointed at the ears exposed by her hairstyle. "Dead giveaway. I have a cousin classed as a giant but denied promotion beyond what they can't ignore. They do keep her records out of the books because she is a giant, which sucks because she carries twelve soul blades to my two."

Missy got a cupcake and brought it over to Rehalla with great ceremony. "Here. Tannic made it."

Rehalla took it. "It looks really good. Smells good." She peeled the wrapper back, lifted the cupcake, and took a huge bite. The sugary sprinkles popped off everywhere as she bit down.

Missy turned and got a napkin. Rehalla's nose was purple. Tannic opened his mouth, but Missy just held out the napkin. The purple was removed. "I like cupcakes."

Missy giggled. Rehalla didn't hold back. What you saw was what you got, and if her eyes were glowing red, what you would get was death.

The cupcake was soon gone, and Rehalla was tidying up. Tannic said, "While I appreciate the back story. I am still not sure why you mentioned it."

Rehalla smiled. "You can feel what she feels, right? If you know why, it will be easier to understand. Missy has always held affection for me because I hold affection for her. We are not a couple, but I will always come when she calls, and she will always portal to me when I call. And, of course, the same for Athena."

Missy nodded. "Athena only called once."

"Yeah, but there were a few incidences before this last event. Sorry you couldn't free Tannic."

Tannic straightened. "You knew of this?"

"Sure. She's been trying to set you free for ten years. It has been unpleasant for her to depend on your very existence."

Missy shrugged and nodded. "She's not wrong."

Tannic sighed. "Well, we are now firmly enmeshed."

"Not all the way, but everything in turn." Rehalla smiled.

Missy cocked her head. "What do you mean?"

"Sex, pet. He's fixated, and you are oblivious with moments of interest. Eventually, the moments will expand, and one of you will make a move."

Missy felt her cheeks get hot. "You are sure?"

"Of course, I am. Make sure the kitten is out of the room, or shit will get weird."

Missy swallowed and looked over at Tannic, who had a slight smile on his lips. She stared, and he shrugged. "She isn't wrong."

Rehalla smiled. "Well, do you want to hear some gossip, Missy? I was at a very weird party last week."

Missy blinked. "You went to a party?"

"Yeah. I was invited to join other women of power at a satyr's wedding. It was super sweet at first, then the happy couple left, and it was every woman for herself."

Missy blinked. "Is this worthy of another cupcake?"

"Two and maybe some hot coffee or tea. Tannic is invited to chat as this was hilarious."

Missy smiled and revelled in the basics of a gossip session. When everyone was situated and there was coffee and tea, Rehalla took a deep breath and began the tale.

* * * *

Rehalla smiled. "So, I was travelling for work and going to backup an XIA team at the governor's mansion when the governor's assistant, a vampire, came up to me and asked if I could attend the bonding ceremony of the governor and his mate. I was going to be in town anyway, so I said sure."

Rehalla picked some of the shining glitter off the cupcake and smiled. "We were served lovely canapés, and the dresses were provided. The satyr had some kind of ritual attached to his choosing, so we all trooped out and were in our actual forms. A few of the ladies had wings, including the mate-to-be. The whole thing was a formality, and the governor came out and chatted with all of us, one by one. Once he had announced his choice, we all trooped out into the gardens, and there was an arbour set up. They got married there, and we ended up as bridesmaids."

Missy chuckled. "Sounds like fun."

"Oh, the fun was yet to come." She nibbled at her cupcake. "So, the happy couple is gone, the buffet opens up, and the ladies head for the food, ignoring the male witnesses to the event. Now, here is where I have to reiterate. Every single woman in the lineup was distinctly powered. All had a very different and specific energy signature. I was just glowy."

Missy chuckled. "Well, yeah. That is your default look."

"Hush. Don't spill my secrets."

"So, what happened next?"

"Well, the gentlemen who had been invited were also ridiculously energized. We were dressed all pretty, and they surged forward one by one and tried to pick us off." She snorted. "Romantically."

"Aww."

"There was music and dancing and food. The food was excellent."

"So? What happened next? Did you meet someone?"

"Yes, but I believe I managed to drive him off."

Tannic leaned forward. "What was his name?"

"Rennaulk Amberwill." She shrugged, "But he wasn't the problem. It was his brother who came to transport him home that was the issue. He was perfect. Tall, golden blonde, golden skin, and rainbow eyes that looked bronze for some reason."

Tannic sat up. "Really?"

Rehalla sipped her tea. "Really. He apologized for his brother's drunk behaviour. The governor and his mate were putting out a lot of sexual energy, and Rennaulk got a little hammered. I had to radiate heat to get him to stand down, but once he was badly sunburned, his brother showed up and took care of him."

Tannic cleared his throat. "Did the brother have a small tattoo here?" He tapped the spot just above and between his eyes.

"Yeah. Anyway, so I finally saw a guy that brought my body to full attention, and I don't know his name, and he doesn't know mine and is probably married." Rehalla smiled. "So, what do you think of my story?"

Missy's eyes were wide. "Oh, wow. So, did you look him up?"

"No. I know better. He was a bright spot to a very weird evening. Fun but weird."

Tannic smiled. "Is it so odd that you met an attractive man?"

Rehalla shook her head. "No, I meet attractive men all the time. It is odd that I met one that my body reacted to. It was like all the oxygen left the room, and the elf part of my blood got all worked up."

Tannic smiled. "What will you do when you find him?"

"Oh, I am not looking. It was a lovely evening, and it is over. Sometimes, a nice encounter is just that. It doesn't have to be something else."

Missy smiled. "I could find him if you wanted."

Rehalla laughed. "No shrubs, Missy."

Missy giggled and scrunched her shoulders. "Fine. Hey, did you dance?"

"I did. Rennaulk likes a weird combo though. Elf court dances mixed with swing dancing. It was strange but fun."

Tannic asked, "Why aren't you looking for him?"

"I am an executioner. The moment I am in a relationship, they take me off the active roster, and you know how many kids my family has, so my life as I know it would come to a shrieking halt. Plus, he was polite but distant at the party, so I am sure that the attraction was one-sided."

Missy's familiar struggled to understand. "But you want him."

"I don't want him. I am fascinated by him because I felt normal around him. I have heard friends and family say what they felt when they met their mate after years of looking. This felt like that sounded, but I didn't look like this at the time. This isn't a glamour, but on that night, it was my power on display, not me. Even if he were interested, he wouldn't be able to start looking for me. I haven't pursued a guy I wasn't going to kill before, so I am just going to let this be."

Missy sighed. "You want him."

"I don't know anything about him other than that his brother is clingy."

"Right. Well, you spoke to him?"

"Yes. He apologized for his brother's behaviour. He was supposed to be the one at the wedding, but he sent his brother as the family envoy. Now, he understood that it had been a mistake. I nodded, got Rennaulk calm, and sent him off with his brother."

Tannic frowned. "Why did you have to calm him?"

"Uh, he was attached to me and wanted me to go with him. I stunned him, and his brother took him away. Romantically it was a shit show." Rehalla laughed. "Which is par for my current record."

Missy sighed, got up, and walked around to hug her.

Rehalla leaned against her friend and saw Tannic's surprise. "She knows that laugh means I am close to crying, and a hug is appropriate. She will learn you eventually. Just honestly explain what emotional response means what. She will teach you the same. Just because you can feel what she feels doesn't mean you can unravel what it means. She will give you the clues and probably a pamphlet."

"I now have a digital slideshow, but no one wants to watch it," Missy muttered.

Tannic paused. "May I see it?"

Missy straightened. "Sure. I tried to make jokes during the audio, but I don't know if they make sense."

Rehalla patted her arm. "I am good now. Thank you. Good hug."

"Thank you. I have been practicing." Missy pulled away and sat back down.

Tannic asked, "Rehalla, can you move in for a bit?"

Rehalla shook her head. "No, but I can visit while I am in between assignments."

Missy chuckled. "I have asked her that before, but she said neither of us would have to grow if we were able just to stay together. And I would never figure out a way to sleep in an empty house if I wasn't alone."

Rehalla nodded. "How is the nest working for you?"

"Good. I sleep now. I have it just the way I like it. I think it freaked Tannic out."

Tannic cleared his throat. "Not anymore. I was able to find a book in your library that explained things a little."

"Rehalla gave me that book. She and I are sort of cousins. At one point a few hundred years ago, we shared an ancestor who had a lot of kids. They had special requirements."

Tannic smiled. "Like the closet."

Missy shrugged. "Closet, quiet room, safe space. Part of me settled the moment that I got it just right. Solid walls, protected, right stuffed animals."

He frowned. "I thought those were pillows."

"They are. Those super squishy ones that look like stuffed animals."

Rehalla grabbed another cupcake. "She has a favourite."

"Shut up, Rehalla!" Missy hissed.

"Why? It might give him some hope." She chuckled and ate the cupcake.

Tannic was staring at them and rubbing his temple. "What is that?"

Rehalla smiled. "Embarrassment. It comes through differently for her. It's because it involves things concealed because she has an issue dealing with them. So, I am guessing that her mind is an orange blaze right now."

Missy looked at her, huffed, and sat down.

"Good girl." Rehalla winked.

"Don't."

"Oh, come on. I have been on your side for fifteen years. You want him and have no proper plan of attack, so I am giving him a tip sheet to help him figure out the moves. He's old but hasn't dealt with anyone like you before. You are one of a kind, Missy."

Rehalla watched as Missy settled back in her chair. "You are a bully, Rehalla."

"Yes, I am, Missy, but I mean well. So, open your housewarming present, and I will be on my way."

Missy blinked and then turned to the present. She walked to the counter and opened the parcel, softly humming as she opened the silky ribbon and draped it around her neck. She opened the crackling brown paper and gasped as she saw the golden artificial fur.

Rehalla looked at Missy as she went face-first into the blanket, and then she smiled at Tannic. "She uses texture for emotional control. Burlap and nylon make her furious. Denim is iffy. If there is high humidity, forget it. It sticks to her."

Tannic blinked and looked like he wanted to ask why she was telling him that, but Missy was still making happy sounds with her face pressed against the fur. "Oh. Right."

He narrowed his eyes and then widened them. "Holy hell. She's happy."

"She doesn't get happy from events; she gets happy from comfort and relaxation. She is happy with me because we are comfortable. She wanted to be happy with you around, but she was young, and that was too much, so she went for distance and found comfort elsewhere." Rehalla stroked the kitten that had somehow ended up in her lap.

"So, you two are really related?"

Rehalla looked at him as Missy stopped chortling and began excavating the two books of restricted magic from the blanket. She shrieked and hopped up and down before sprinting to the library to tuck the new books in.

"Yes. We ran a genetics test as part of a class project. No one was surprised that we had a blood connection."

"So, do you share any behavioural issues?"

"Some. More patterns than issues. There is a reason that I know what she will find soft and soothing."

"Hmm. Why won't you pursue the male you met that night?"

"Well, he saw my energy signature in glow form, not the actual me. We didn't talk much or interact. In my mind, he will be the one who got away. Definitely beats the ones that I caught." She smiled and finished her tea.

"So, you don't want to pursue a relationship?"

"Pursue implies exertion, and I am not currently in the mood." She rubbed her forehead. "Solitary life is simpler." She wiggled her fingers as she said, "Men complicate things."

He paused. "I suppose that we do, but if you don't let us in, things won't change."

"But if we do, you make demands, become bullies, and steal all the leftovers. Does no one ever feed you?" She looked at him with challenge in her eyes.

He smiled slowly. "You adjust as we do. The multitude of products in the bathroom, the knickknacks everywhere, the soft furnishings. They are all a shock to the system."

She smirked. "Ah. I understand."

Missy came back in, smiling and humming. She took a look at Rehalla and said, "What were you talking about?"

"The amount of adaptation that men do in a relationship versus what women do. Tannic suspects that I have too many knickknacks and a cluttered bathroom."

Missy snorted. "Rehalla lives in guild barracks, or she lives rough. She washes her hair with whatever is handy and air dries after a shower."

Tannic blinked. "Why?"

Rehalla smirked and poured more tea. "I have burned down three houses. Twice while I was under attack. One was a nightmare. I woke up with dark flames everywhere. It took my knickknack count down to nothing."

Tannic looked embarrassed. "I didn't know."

"I know. I manage to clean up good for someone who spent last night in a tree." Rehalla smirked.

Missy smiled. "Seriously, Rehalla. You can stay here. We can strip everything out and ward your room."

"Naw. I feel confined inside a house now." Rehalla looked at her. "I can sleep in the tree in your back yard. We can have breakfast together."

"Done. I have to head to Athena's for her engagement party tomorrow night." Missy perked up. "Did you want to come?"

"I don't think I am invited. This is probably a family and friends thing, and I haven't seen her for a few years."

Missy pouted, and Tannic stared at her. Rehalla snickered. Missy picked up her phone and started typing before raising it and, snapping another picture of Rehalla.

Rehalla asked, "What are you doing?"

"Asking Athena if I could bring an emotional support person with me. Tannic will already be there, so he doesn't count." Missy smirked as she sent the text.

Tannic murmured, "Ask Cassian as well. He's usually at his desk all day."

Missy nodded and quickly punched the message in again.

Rehalla sighed. "It isn't appropriate. The engagement party is for celebration, not letting in the weirdos."

Missy snorted. "Then they shouldn't have invited me."

Tannic took out his phone and started typing.

Rehalla smiled. "Well, as you two are busy and your kitten is unconscious, I think I will make my escape before you get a response."

She lifted Smoog to the table and got to her feet. She kissed the top of Missy's head and nodded at Tannic. "Nice meeting you."

Missy made a sound of protest. "Stay for dinner."

"What is dinner?"

Tannic cleared his throat. "How about a roast, potatoes, vegetables—"

Missy finished, "And strawberry shortcake."

Rehalla grinned. "Deal. What are we going to do for the rest of the afternoon?"

"I thought we could just hang out, or I could show you the dancing that Tannic has taught me."

Tannic blinked. "You aren't serious."

"Sure. Rehalla might know how to dance. She is an excellent instructor for stuff like that."

"You are learning how to dance?"

"Yeah. Athena likes it and wants me to dance at her parties and wedding."

"If it isn't too creepy, I can help."

Tannic cocked his head. "You dance?"

"Not very well, but if you do, Missy is a visual learner. Once she sees how it's done, she can do it."

"Ah, so if she watches us..."

Missy nodded. "It will help. The slow dancing is fine, but anything else I need help with."

Tannic blinked. "Right. Well, I don't know how advanced I am, but if that is what it takes, that is what it takes."

Rehalla smiled. "Prepare to be stepped on."

Missy chuckled.

Tannic frowned; Rehalla smiled. "What you are feeling from her is smugness. She knows that it is likely I will give in to her and stay over."

Missy shook her head. "No, I am smug because Athena is sending you an invitation to the engagement party tomorrow night. She was surprised that the name she knew you under wasn't actually your name. You make a good Ella. Check your phone."

Rehalla checked her phone, and there was the invitation. "Well, I am going to have to figure out something to wear. I think I have a cocktail dress at the guild barracks."

Missy frowned. "I always wondered why you went for the guild instead of the XIA?"

Rehalla chuckled. "While elves can go either way, I chose the guild because that is where my buddy was."

Missy smiled. "Thought so. You like me."

"Yes, goober. I do. Now, what do we need to do to get the promised dinner underway? Then we can dance, and someone can provide me with shortcake."

Tannic got to his feet. "Yes, ma'am."

Missy looked at him. "You don't have to cook. I can cook."

"I like it. It's enjoyable. Being a familiar lets me actually do it. Normally, I would have servants, but since I am here, it isn't necessary, so I have found pleasure in the daily tasks of studying and even working."

Rehalla watched the couple cook and answered a few texts from Athena. She filled her in about the last few years since they had worked together at the bakery while Rehalla was in disguise and acting as a bodyguard for Athena. Missy had paid her in portal charms.

When the meal was prepped and in the slow cooker, Tannic smiled. "Now, does anyone want to dance? It will kill some time while we wait."

Rehalla smiled. "Sure. You will understand what I mean."

Missy chuckled and nibbled on a carrot. "I think he will figure it out."