Beyond the Prophecy

Chris and I were the first to arrive even though Kyle and Calista left first. We, or I should say he, didn’t exactly break the sound barrier by speeding here, but it was still at least thirty miles per hour above the standard speed limit. I couldn’t tell if he drove fast because he was so desperate to move things along or because he actually drives in that rate on a regular basis. It caught me off guard at first, but I got used to it. It was like a car chase; terrifying and exhilarating at the same time, though I’d never admit to either emotion to him.

He wanted to enter the building while Calista and Kyle made their way here, but I wanted to wait. And since I have the keys, we waited. He wasn’t thrilled about it, but I don’t care. I didn’t unlock the door until they finally caught up to us. It was a little harder to open all the doors with my left hand but not impossible. Calista helped me out though.

I was the first to walk in and the first sound I heard made me smile. When I flicked the light switch and glanced down, there was Leda chirping and looking up at me. She brushed her paws on my leg and I bent down to pet her. “Leda, a ghra, cén chaoi 'bhfuil tú?” I said to her affectionately. She rolled onto her back and with a chuckle I rubbed her belly. Sometimes she acts like such a lazy cat.

I didn’t notice that Kyle had gone to my kitchen until I saw him walking out of it with a Ziploc bag stuffed with ice. He handed it to me and I took it with a questioning look on my face.

“It’s for your hand,” he said, “since it’s starting to swell.”

“Thank you,” I said with a smile.

“Make sure to keep it there for ten minutes and keep it off for ten minutes. Do it until the swelling goes down. And when you sit down, put your hand on a pillow so that it’s elevated. When we get back I’ll see if we have any compression gloves.”

My eyebrow arched. “Have your hands swollen up before?”

“Nope. Why?”

“I’m just wondering how you know all this.”

He smiled. “I was kicked out of medical school.”

“Nice,” I said, smiling back.

The sound of Leda meowing brought my attention back to her. Calista was petting her, but then Leda sat up and made her way towards Chris. He glanced down when Leda brushed her paws on his legs. I nearly snatched her from him when he lifted her, but it would’ve hurt too much. To my surprise, she didn’t scratch or hiss at him; she was actually friendly. How is that possible? Leda hates anyone that’s a threat to me. Was she trying to tell me something?

“So this is Leda,” he said. “She’s almost ten, isn’t she?”

“She will be soon, officially. How did you know that?”

“That’s for me to know and for you to find out.”

I sighed and shook my head. I can’t ever talk to him without getting irritated by his every word.
Before going to my bedroom I made my way towards the living room closet that held all of my luggage. Calista pulled two of them, I pulled one and, surprisingly, Chris pulled the last one. I thought Leda was still with him, but when I scanned the apartment I saw her drinking water from her bowl. At least after encountering him she’s still unharmed. If she hadn’t been then my injured hand wouldn’t have stopped me from attacking him.

“Let’s just get this over with,” Chris said as he wheeled the luggage to one of the doors down the hallway.

Bitter to the very end, I though and grinned when he glared at me.

When Chris yanked one of the doors open, I moved to the door across from it and slowly opened it. “That’s my roommate’s room. If you’re looking for my room, it’s this way.”

I kept a straight face even while he glared at me. And when he walked up to me, I stayed still and arched an eyebrow, daring him to make a move. All he did was stare me down and then walked into the bedroom.

He unzipped the luggage and started packing my closet clothes while I packed my underwear. There’s no way I’m letting him touch that. It’s just…weird. Kyle and Calista came in the room soon after and packed what they can in the luggage they dragged in. And after an hour passed, most of my belongings were packed in the suitcases. There were a few things, such as my comforter, that did not fit so I’d have to come back for them. But there was one item I wouldn’t dare leave without; a box that my ma gave me before she disappeared. I keep it hidden on the top shelf in my closet, all the way to the back. The shoeboxes I keep up there, which also didn’t fit in the luggage, hid it further.

Even though I’ve owned this box for a little less than a decade, it still fascinates me. The box was light and the width’s no bigger than the size of a standard envelope. It was made of antique wood and lined in green. The top contained a green sphere with the triskele on it, and the wheel of being was etched on each side. The wheel of being…What did that symbol mean again? Ma told me but…I don’t remember. I’ll search the internet about it when I have the chance.

“Is there a reason why a lot of these notes are flat chords?” Chris asked without looking at me.

I walked over and looked at the sheet music he had his eyes on. The song was unfinished; I stopped working on it a long time ago.

“It sounds better that way. I tried them in the regular chords and it didn’t sound polished.

Staring at it for another brief moment, he said, “You’re right.”

“I didn’t know you can read music. Do you play an instrument?”

“I used to play the piano. But I’m not going to talk about it.” With that said, he grabbed two of the suitcases that were full and rolled them out of the room.

What’s his problem?

“Whoa, nice box,” Calista said to me.

“Thanks,” I said with a smile. “My mother gave it to me when I was five. It’s unbreakable and no one’s been able to open it. She called it the anamchara bosca.”

“What does that mean?”

“Bosca is Gaelic for box and anamchara means soul mate. My mom said that only he, my soul mate, can open it. When he’s present, the green sphere will glow. Inside is a note with instructions for him, and he’s supposed to read it before I can see what’s inside.”

“That’s so cool. Where can I get a box like that?” Her smile grew when Kyle chuckled.

“I don’t know, but something tells me that this box wasn’t purchased.” I placed the anamchara bosca in a red backpack where I packed all the small items that were most dear to me.

The front door opened and I knew exactly who it was before I went to take a look. Her long black and blond dyed hair swung a bit as she turned to close the door, and when her dark brown eyes glanced in my direction she smiled.

“I’m surprised you got here before me,” she said.

“You’re here early too. I thought you were closing tonight.”

“So did I, but since the restaurant was actually slow tonight they let me go home. Plus, they were kind of overstaffed anyway.”

I fought a negative reaction when Chris moved beside me. “Chris, this is Samantha Rodriguez, my roommate. Sam, this is Chris.”

Sam’s eyes opened more before the ends of her lips curled up. Then she shook his hand and said, “Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise,” he said. “Natasha spoke highly of you.”

“Did she now,” she said, grinning.

“Sam, I need to talk to you,” I said.

“Okay, we can talk in my room.”

“I’ll meet you there.”

She headed towards her room as Kyle and Calista started walking out of mine while dragging the rest of the luggage. The three of them introduced each other and then went their separate ways. Calista and Kyle told me they’d take all four luggages to the car and they offered to come back for the rest of my stuff, the ones that didn’t fit in the suitcases. Afterwards, they left the apartment.

I faced Chris with an arched eyebrow. “‘Natasha spoke highly of you?’ Why’d you say that?”

“I’m not completely devoid of good manners.”

“Yet you have none when it comes to me.”

“Precisely.”

I rolled my eyes. Why do I even bother?

“Excuse me. Sam’s waiting for me.”

I walked to Sam’s door before I knocked and stepped in. Even though I shut the door, I knew that it wouldn’t keep Chris from hearing our conversation. Doesn’t matter. I had to lie to Sam anyway, as much as I didn’t want to.

“Ay que guapo,” she said with a grin. “That guy’s mad cute.”

I smiled. “Yeah he is.” On the outside, I added.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?”

I sighed. “I’m just going to say it…I’m moving out.”

“What?” she exclaimed. “Why? When?”

“Tonight.”

“Tonight?” she echoed before shaking her head. Then she pulled me towards the bed and we sat facing each other. “¿Tasha, que estas pasando? What’s going on? I mean you never came home last night and didn’t call me until earlier today, and now you’re moving out right away? Are you in trouble or something?”

“No, it’s not like that. I know it seems strange but it’s a long story.”

“Well you better tell me something because I’m not letting you step one foot out the door until you do.”

I smiled. If I really wanted to leave and I assured her that I’d be fine, then I know she wouldn’t stop me. She’s just protective of me, even though she’s only two years older than me.

Everything I told Ava about Chris I repeated for Sam. If I have to keep lying then I want it to be consistent. The tension on Sam’s face loosened a bit when I was done, but she still seemed skeptical.

“I still don’t get why you’re moving in with him last minute.”

“For some time I’ve been thinking of moving out, but I didn’t want to tell you until I found a new place to live. Things might feel weird when Miguel moves in and I wanted both of you to have your own privacy. It works out for all of us.”

“Well, yeah, but you’ve been my roommate for years. Things won’t feel right without you around.”

“Just because I won’t be living here doesn’t mean that we won’t see each other again.” At least, I hope that that’s the truth. “You’ll get to live with your fella, and I guess in a way I’ll get to live with mine.”

“Fella? You guys are dating?”

“Not exactly dating. What did you call it again? We’re…talking. We dated occasionally in Ireland, but I left before anything became official. I guess you can say that we’re starting fresh.” We smiled. “I better go. He’s waiting for me. Calista and Kyle are going to stop by soon to pick up the rest of my stuff, so don’t be too surprised when you see them again. I’d do it myself but my hand is growing too much.”

“I noticed. What happened to it?”

“I…tripped on the last step off the stage and landed on my hand wrong.”

“Ouch! Well let me at least help you pack some stuff. Did you pack any of Leda’s food and toys yet?”

“No not yet, it’s all that’s left except for the things that don’t fit in the luggage.”

“I can pack them into your duffel bag then. Since your hand’s all retarded right now, want me to help you carry some of your stuff down?”

“Nah, it’s okay. You must be tired from working and besides, Chris said he’d help me.” Honestly, he never did but if I have to move then he can help me do it.

After Leda’s stuff was packed, I grabbed the red backpack from my room and Sam walked me to the door. Then she picked up Leda and handed her to me. The pet carrier was too big to pack in the Porsche so Leda would have to lie on my lap. I left the duffel bag for Chris to carry. Sam and I said our goodbyes just before Chris and I left the apartment.

The drive from the mansion to my apartment was at least thirty minutes, so I took out Jerry, Leda’s plush mouse, from the duffel bag. It’s her favorite toy, especially since it has a pouch I can put catnip in. Hope it can keep her entertained the entire time.

“If that cat does anything to my car then she’ll be road kill or dinner for my fenrir,” Chris told me.

I smirked and said nothing. Just for that comment, I hope she does tear up his car. But he’s not laying a hand on her. Not while I’m around.

Lucky for him, Leda was calm for the first ten minutes even though she was able to smell the catnip while I was hiding Jerry for when he was needed. It wasn’t until she started fidgeting that I brought him out. I can’t hold her steady with an injured hand.

I pulled out my cell phone when it started ringing. Ava was calling. As much as I wanted to talk to her, I couldn’t do it in front of Chris. No, I want to talk to her when he’s not around. But how can I explain all this? My band mates must be upset that I left the club without a word, and they’d find out I moved away. I’ll be living even further away which makes it harder for us to get together. I can’t keep lying to them about this. But if I told them the truth…would they be able to handle it? Would they even believe me? As much as I don’t want them involved, I need them. Talking to someone I know about all this would make it so much easier to handle.

“You’re afraid to answer your phone?” he asked.

“No. I’d rather talk to my friends when you’re not anywhere near me, that’s all.”

“If you’re planning on telling them all that’s happened then you’d be wasting your time because they won’t believe you. Especially with no evidentiary support.”

“And if they do believe me?”
He was silent for a few seconds before answering. “Then I hope you trust them with your life.”

“You’d kill me if I told them?”

“No, not me.”
This conversation just took an eerie turn.

“If you think that I’m the only one you have to worry about then you’re mistaken. There are many things in this world that you are not aware of. Because of the prophecy, you’re no good to me dead. But too many others don’t feel the same.”

“Does that mean that they’d kill me just for telling my friends about all this?”

“Only if your friends can’t keep a secret. Exposure of all things preternatural puts many lives in danger, including theirs and your own.” He smirked. “Are you certain you want to tell them still?”

Bollocks.

The drive from then on was silent. Jerry was no longer keeping Leda amused so she started to get fidgety. We should be arriving at the mansion shortly but I don’t think she can stay calm any longer. After being stuck in a pet carrier from one car only to be confined in another car soon after, I didn’t expect her to stay in my lap for too long. But with only one good hand I couldn’t keep her still. And when she crouched low and her tail swerve from side to side, I knew what would follow.

“You should drive faster,” I said.

“We’ll be there in a minute.”

I looked out the window to see if anything looked familiar, but it’s looked the same for the past fifteen minutes: a dark, one way street with forests on each side. When I turned back to Leda, she sprung at the headrest in the same moment that Chris took a sharp turn into the forest on my right. Her claws clung to the headrest and scratched it. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her off, but the scratches to the leather grew deeper and longer. The seat looked absolutely atrocious.

“Fuck!” Chris shouted, gripping the wheel tightly.

“I told you to drive faster,” I said while holding back my laughter. I also held back the urge to pet Leda and complement her on her decorative skills.

“That piece of shit’s going to pay for that.”

“Don’t talk about Leda that way. And if you dare lay a hand on her I’ll―”

“You’ll what? Are you that desperate to risk wounding your only functional hand?”
I scoffed.

“Because of the damage your cat cost, compensation is in order.”

“I’m not paying for shit.” I smirked. “Besides, if you can afford to live in a mansion then you can afford to replace the seat.”

He slowed the car to a stop a few paces away from the mansion and two people came outside and towards the car. We got out of the car and I held on to Leda. Chris looked at the extent of the damage and grumbled about it under his breath. He fought not to slam the car door closed but it still wasn’t gentle. One of the people that came outside, someone I didn’t recognize, held out his hand and Chris dropped the keys in them. The other person, Kyle, grabbed the rest of my belongings just before the other person drove away with the Porche.

“I’m not replacing the seat. I’m replacing the whole thing,” Chris said.

“The whole thing?” I asked before my eyes went wide. “The whole car? You’d replace a car just because your seat was scratched?”

“Yes. The car’s no good to me now.”

I can’t believe him. He’d throw away a perfectly good car for a fixable damage. This little prince must have been spoiled his entire life, however long that is.

If his cars didn’t show that, then his home certainly did. I never had the chance to really look at the structure, even when I snuck out of here earlier. The color of the mansion looked dark red and cream with a dark colored roof, but I can’t tell if it’s the real color or the effect of the lighting. Regardless, it’s a lot bigger than I thought. Some mansions look like a really big house; this one looked like a manor fit for a king. It was probably bigger than the White House. And at least six times bigger than my home in Lusk. The iron balconies twisted and formed to look more like vines than a mechanical structure. The whole building had other organic décor, such as the carvings around some of the windows and the actual windowpane in others window.

“Art nouveau architecture,” Chris said, standing beside me. “It’s reminiscent of the modernism style in combination with the Vienna Secession architecture. It was built in 1902 specifically for my family to use in the autumn, but it’s my main residence.”

I glanced at him then, my eyes a open little wider. “Just how old are you anyway?”

He smirked. “Well over two hundred. My birth year is 1779.”

Holy…shit. You’ve got to be kidding me.

A few minutes later, after recovering from the shock of Chris’s age, Kyle was leading me down a hall with five doors. He stopped at one of the ones to the right and opened it for me. I took two steps inside and stopped in my tracks. My jaw dropped closer and closer to the ground with every inch I saw of the bedroom. The only bedroom I saw the last time I was here wasn’t nearly as impressive as this one, but then again I wasn’t feeling completely right at the time and the lights were too dim to see it all.

“Pretty nice, isn’t it?” said Kyle. “Master Chris said that this will be your room from now on.”

“This can’t all be just for me,” I said. “The bed alone is large enough for at least four people.”

“Then I guess you can roll around three times without falling off the bed.”
I laughed. “I believe it.”

“The door across from us leads to your private bathroom and the folding doors on the wall to the right belong to your walk-in closet. There are some clothes in there for you already. Calista and I placed your bags in there. Do you need anything before I go?”

“Yeah, food. I’m starved and my mouth feels like sandpaper. Where can I find the kitchen?”

“One of the servants can bring you something to eat if you want.”

“Oh don’t be silly, I can make something myself. Besides, I need to use the jacks before I eat.”

“The what?”

“The loo.” I sighed when his eyebrow arched. “Toilet?”

“Oh. Well, the kitchen’s on the first floor and down the hall to the left. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks so much.”

“You’re welcome.” After he said that, he placed the rest of my belongings in the closet and headed out, closing the door behind him.

I turned back to the room and whispered, “Wow.”

In between the room and bathroom entrances were two armchairs and an ottoman made in a purplish-brown color that sat in front of a bay window with beige curtains drawn on each side. Even the warm light coming from the floor lamp behind one of the seats couldn’t hide how smooth they looked.

The walls and ceiling were painted cream except for the wall behind the bed, the wall across the room entrance; it was painted a nice forest green, so the walls matched the bed covers and pillows. The bed itself had antique metal bed frames. A matching bench sat in front of it and there was a nightstand on each side of the bed. Across from them was the dresser with a mirror on top.

I took off my shoes and brushed my bare feet across the soft, light gray carpeting. When I made my way to the bed Leda jumped onto it, beating me to it. She kneaded the covers to make herself more comfortable.

“Don’t even think about it,” I told her. “This one’s my bed.” She ignored my comment and lay in bed anyway. Something tells me that she’ll have her scent on everything before the end of the night.

Since she took over my bed, temporarily, I decided to use the loo and shower. The walk-in closet was too dark for me to see a thing, so I turned on the table lamp to help me locate the light switch. I pulled the chord dangling from the ceiling and gasped. My old closet was decent, but there was no walking into it. I could actually take three large steps from one side to the other in this one. The wall to my left had built in drawers, and the one to my right had built in shelves for shoes. There were already a few pairs on them, and none that I recognized as my own. I’ll have to play around with those later. The long, metal bar in front of me held some clothes already along with a lot of wooden hangers.

I looked through the clothes; they weren’t mine either. But Kyle did say that there were clothes in here for me, so these must be it. The clothes were my kind of style too; graphic tees, fitted jeans, leather jackets…I’d wear them all. They were all in the sizes I’d pick out too. It made me wonder…just how much did Chris find out about me while he was searching for me? And how exactly did he find out anyway?

After some time I was showered and dressed in my favorite cotton night dress, along with a robe I found behind the bathroom door. There was a tray of food in the seating area with a note from Kyle saying that Chris told him to bring me food anyway. Figures. And after I consumed nearly everything on my plate a servant I didn’t recognize came and took the tray back to the kitchen. After that I laid in bed while listening to my mp3 player with Leda beside me. Even though I didn’t want to be here, I have to admit that it actually is comfortable. So long as Chris was nowhere near this room.

Someone knocked on my door, so I stood to open it. Leda jumped off the bed and beat me to the door. “Stay back Leda.” When I opened the door, however, I wanted to slam it closed. “What do you want?”

“Just making sure you weren’t halfway out the window by now,” said Chris.

“Aw, don’t you trust me?”

“No.”

“Good.”

“Just make sure to stay put unless I send someone for you.”

“Stay put? I’m not spending my time cooped up in here. You are not my nanny, so don’t watch me like one!”

He moved closer but I didn’t move an inch. “You’re right, I’m not a babysitter. If I was then at least I would be compensated for sacrificing a bedroom for you and constantly getting you out of trouble. You think I enjoy searching for you, watching you, and wasting my time healing you? I lost more blood than I cared to the last time I did, because of your fucking habit of not listening and for your fucking mistake of running into the forest in the first place!”

“I didn’t ask for you to heal me, you forced me to beg for it! So whose fucking mistake was that? The same person who did this to my hand.”

Before I could even react, Chris pulled out his switchblade and sliced the palm of my hand. I cried out in pain, but he gripped my wrist too tightly for me to pull away. He bit down on his own wrist until it started to run with blood. His blood fell into the new gash on my hand just before his wrist healed.

“Yet another sacrifice I had to make for you. Now you can stop bitching about your hand.”

“It’s not a sacrifice, it’s a compensation,” I said with sass.

He moved his hands towards me and balled them into fists before dropping them to the side. “I swear, if I didn’t need you then I’d kill you myself.”

“How can you be so sure that I’m the prophesized one anyway? What proof do you have?”

“I have several, but you carry one of them.”

“And what would that be?”

“Are you sure you want to know?”

I thought about that for a moment. Did I want to know? Yes I did. But it also depends on what exactly he was talking about. “Sure.”

“Then I’ll show you. But you have to stay calm and give in. Struggling would do nothing so don’t bother fighting.” He closed the door behind him and walked passed me.

I turned to face him with my arms crossed. “Where is it?”

“You’re too far to see it.”

I rolled my eyes and walked up to him. “Show me.” I stiffened when he wrapped his arms around my waist and moved me too close to him. Then I felt his lips on my neck. “What are you doing?” I nearly shouted.

“Give in,” he said calmly. “This can be done the easy way, or the hard way. I could control your free will instead if you prefer.”

“Do you plan on drinking my blood again?”

“No.”

“Swear it.”

“You have my word.”

With a deep breath I gave him a small nod and felt his lips on my neck again. The kisses made me blink slowly and my heart race but I tried to think of something mundane as a distraction. It wasn’t working. It’s been months since the last time I was with a man, but was I really desperate enough to let him do this to me? Maybe. I don’t know. Give in, he says. So with hesitation I allowed myself to give in, and with it the awkwardness and uncertainty I felt before faded.

My shoulders dropped as my eyes closed. He moved my arms around his neck and gripped me close again. One of his hands brushed gently my arm before moving to my cheek. I didn’t realize we moved until I felt the bed behind me. Slowly, he lowered me to it and trailed kisses to my collarbone. A few seconds into all this and I was already breathing faster. It must’ve been too long since I’ve been with someone, because it’s starting to feel so good.

I threaded my hands in his hair and bit my lower lip to keep from making a sound. He bent one of my legs and brushed his hand up my calf just before moving his lips to the other side of my neck. This time I couldn’t hold back the moan that escaped the opening of my lips. I used one hand to move his head closer and the other to brush my hand up his back. Then I folded the other leg and held him closer to me. I think I heard him make a sound too after that.

His kisses moved from my neck, to my jaw line and then to my chin. When he moved his head up more, I could feel his lips hovering just a few inches away from mine. I opened my eyes a little, and then opened them more to look at his. He opened his eyes too. We looked at each other for a moment, wondering who would close the distance, if it was to even happen. The look in his eyes held the same feeling mine must have: sheer curiosity. But instead of kissing my lips he kissed a spot just beside it. I released a breath I didn’t know I held and made a low sound at the same time.

Slowly, his hand slid up my leg and towards my upper thigh on the inside. The combination of his cool skin against my tepid one drove me insane in the best way. And when he moved his lips to my ear, he said lowly, “This…is proof.”

I glanced where his hand was and saw him covering the triskele on my thigh. “It’s…just a mark,” I said with ragged breaths. “Nothing special.”

“It’s much more significant than you think. The triskele’s a Celtic tripartite symbol. The prophesized one is supposed to carry such a symbol, one they were born with. Though…” He smirked.

“What?” I asked.

He moved his lips to my ear once more and, in a sultry voice, said to me, “It doesn’t take much to turn you on, does it.”

I nearly pushed him off me, but then I smirked when I thought of something to say. “I should be saying the same to you,” I retorted. “Is that a gun in your pocket, or are you just happy to be near me?”

The sound of Leda crying saved him from responding. All he did was shoot me a small glare and then slide off the bed. I laid there a moment longer, trying to regain my composure. When I finally stood on my own two feet, Chris and I glanced at each other and then turned our backs to one another.

“I hope you know that it’s your fault we went through that in the first place,” I told him.

“You wanted proof, so I delivered.”

“So telling me about the triskele would’ve been too much trouble?”

“You could’ve stopped me anytime. I didn’t relieve you of your free will.”

I opened my mouth, closed it and then crossed my arms under my chest.

“Your silence proves I’m correct.”

“No, you’re wrong. If I didn’t give in then you would’ve chosen to show me the triskele the hard way.”

“That was the hard way.”

I turned to face him with narrow eyes. “Sorry? How can that be the hard way?”

He turned then and I could see him fighting a smirk. “Taking away your free will would’ve pissed you off and put the complete blame on me because there would’ve been nothing you can do about it. You would’ve hated me even more than you do now, if that’s at all possible. But going through all of this while you were still in control of yourself meant that you had the power to control the outcome. You could’ve pushed me away or fought against me, but instead you chose to keep going. So in reality, you are just as much to blame as I am.”

“You did all this on purpose?” I grimaced at his smirk. “Bastard.” My attempt to slap him failed when he grabbed my wrist before I even touched his face.

“I hurt this hand before. Don’t make me break it off this time.”

It wasn’t until he said that that I noticed my hand was healed completely. Even the gash his knife made was gone, and there were no marks or scars left behind as evidence.

Leda groaned again, so I turned to her. She was crouched on the floor with her eyes clenched tight. Something wasn’t right. I’ve had her for ten years and not once had she ever made a sound like that before. She seemed to be in an awful amount of pain. I sat on the floor and slid her to my lap. “Leda, what’s wrong?”

“She’s not going to answer you in English.”

“I know that you fecking tool. I’m just talking to her.” I stroked her back slowly and frowned. “Where’s the nearest animal hos―”

Before I could finish my statement, bright, white rays of light emanated from Leda’s fur.

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A ghra, cén chaoi 'bhfuil tú: My love, how are you?