Be Sure to Wear a Disguise

We go up the stairs to my apartment, and a Werewolf is all ready at the top, staring at us. Lyris is getting mad and sweeps past him.

Caan is standing by the window, looking at the army of Shadows. He turns to me, eyes glowing again. Lyris glares at him and Caan looks at me, ignoring him.

"You'll be leaving?" He asks, turning to face me.

"I don't know what to do." I start to cry. I break away from Lyris and bury myself into Caan's shirt, his arms folding around me.

"Yes, we're leaving." Lyris snaps at Caan.

"You don't have to." Caan whisper into my ear.

I look up at him and he brushes the tears off my cheeks. Lyris starts to pace the floor. Caan draws the curtain closed, and has us sit on the couch.

"They are out to get you because you housed a fugitive, and the whole...human thing." He speaks quietly.

"Fugitive?" I feel my voice shaking.

"Yes," Lyris says, making my eyes snap to him, "Troy had committed murders of one member of his family and two outsiders. He was starting up new when you moved into town."

I look between the two of them and feel like screaming. This can't be right. Troy would never do that. But then I think of him, always quiet and looking off into the distance.

"Do you understand?" Caan asks, "They are trying to avenge a few things."

"The death of a pack member and the compensation of other packs." Lyris fills in my information.

"But how is my death going to fix that?" I whisper.

"Vengeance is a fire. It consumes without reason." Caan says.

I hear a ruffling outside and shadows fall under the door. I can feel them, the gold eyes drilling into me. Caan gently pulls me into his chest and Lyris stands in between me and the door, and slowly his wings uncurl.

"We're going now. Come if you choose." Lyris pulls me up and Caan stands and follows us to the window in the back of the apartment. Lyris pulls it open and loot at me.

"Closes your eyes..." He says wrapping his arms around me. I close them and suddenly the rush of wind fills my ears.



My eyes flutter open, and I know I was asleep. I look around the room and, sure enough, I'm in the same room that Lyris has for me. I throw back the covers and leave the room, walking down the stairs that I know so well.

I can hear Caan and Lyris talking in the kitchen. I stop on the landing and listen to them, trying to stay silent, but in body and in mind.

"So, this is how you plan to keep her safe?" Caan sounds a little irritated. "A Half-way house?"

"It's worked in the past." Lyris sounds calm, only it's a forced calm, like he;d trying not to break something.

"But you can't force her to stay between worlds! She has to live, don't you understand that hiding out is --"

"Running around in the Overworld or trying to hide out in the underworld won't work. And you know that. I have a promise to keep! The Overworld and Underworld can't help, They can track her there."

"You realize that it;'s only a short matter of time before they start looking here, in the Shadow realm, right?" Caan huffs.

"I know... but at least here we can all..."

I hold my breath, but I already know that my presents is known.

"Rin... come down of the stair landing please, and join us in the kitchen." Caan sounds calm again.

I hop down the stairs. Lyris is standing by the sink and Caan looks like he just sat down at the table. I settle into the other chair and look at them.

"What'll make 'em stop chasing me?" I ask, cutting straight to the core of my problem.

"Death." Lyris mumbles, "Of them or you."

"Or... " Caan looks up at him, then to me. "Loss of humanity."