Chapter Eighteen

An ominous chill crept over Bernie as she peered into the gloomy basement. The lights were out, and the switch did not produce any change.

However, there was a dim flicker of illumination—a rippling yellow glow obscured from sight by the ranks of old worktops and cluttered shelves. More than one voice whispered, followed by a mad chuckle and a sharp fleshy clap.

She descended the stairs slowly, craning her head for a better view before trying again. “I can hear you’re down there, Franklin. What’s wrong with the lights? Did the breakers blow again?”

The eerie feeling intensified with each hesitant step, as though Bernie was walking into a horror movie. The location and setting were undoubtedly on point if that were the case. A shadowy subterranean storeroom filled with momentos of dead civilizations in the middle of the night?

That rated a solid seven out of ten on her scary-o-meter. Possibly an eight after another girlish giggle drifted out of the darkness.

No, that was silly. She was speaking to Franklin. Geeky, nervous, don’t-cause-a-fuss Franklin. He couldn’t hurt a fly and probably didn't have the hand/eye coordination to wield a swatter anyway.

Bernie had been dubious about using glittery fairy dust to restore the stone temple guardian. Fae magic was notoriously fickle. Unpredictable outside of controlled test environments. There were good reasons why it was heavily regulated. But he’d been earnest and honestly needed a win, so she’d pushed her misgivings aside for a friend in need.

That, and she had harbored serious doubts that anything would come of the madcap scheme.

Like, resin… Really?

The only significant risk was in the handling of the thoroughly illegal and increasingly infamous fun-time **** circulating through Madison U’s party scene,

Do-Me Dust; a virulent aphrodisiac with transmogrifying side effects that had the student body all abuzz.

The best sex of your life, those were the rumors. Still, the subsequent fallout included emergency medical treatment (of the magical kind) and severe disciplinary action by Dean Chaumers himself. The threat of academic expulsion was on the table.

But that wasn’t why Bernie had sneaked into the history building in the wee hours of the night. No, she was totally here to make sure Franklin hadn’t accidentally dosed himself, changed into some kind of super-charged pervert, and started dry-humping a chair leg like a randy cocker spaniel.

The dramatically diminished archeology department wouldn’t recover from an upset of that magnitude. Bernie’s already limited career options would be well and truly scuppered.

The dull iron bracelet around her wrist brought small comfort—a gift from her Irish-born grandparents, who were traditionally wary of The Folk. Cold-forged iron was proof against Fae mischief and warded off their magic. There’d been a run on the metal once that fact was proven.

A line of Celtic knots was etched into the bracelet, symbolizing her ancestral roots and complementing her bohemian fashion sense. Another bangle to go with her collection of knitted shawls, tatty scarfs, peasant blouses, and ankle-length skirts.

Bernie froze when glass crunched beneath her shoe and–with glacial speed–retrieved her phone and thumbed the screen.

When she turned the display outward, a small puddle of bluish light pushed back the shadows, illuminating a patch of cement floor covered with shards of shattered fluorescent tubes. Waving the phone around, the frumpy redhead was met with a poorly lit scene of destruction.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What in the nine hells…” Great, now she was cussing like her ol’ Granny. “Franklin, you better come out and explain this mess, or I’ll give you an earful you won’t soon forget!”

A shrill note of panic in her tone undermined the threat, and nearby movement in the still, stifling air stole the last of Bernie’s courage. She backed away, preparing to flee.

“Peace, Bernadette. There is nothing to fear.” Franklin finally spoke, his voice unusually deep and resolute. “For tonight, all wrongs will be made right, and judgment shall reign supreme. The penitent will find mercy while the wicked are chastised. Rest easy, child.”

The muted glow behind the shelves moved toward the basement's far end, shifting into the shadows. There was a noise like something dragging across the bare cement and… was that a muffled groan?

“Franklin, where are you going? You spouted a bunch of gnarly shit just now, which raises serious questions…” Bernie called, almost jumping out of her skin when a finger tapped her shoulder.

She spun to find a short co-ed with long dyed-pink hair, pronounced Asian features, and startling purple eyes behind her in the light from the open doorway above. The stranger was dressed in a large Madison U sports jersey that hung to her knees and white sneakers.

“Hi, I’m Konoha—Franklin’s long-distance girlfriend.” She said, beaming. “You must be Bernadette. Great to meet you at last. He’s told me sooo~ much about you.”

Franklin’s girlfriend? Bernie was certain the guy couldn’t hold down a part-time job, much less an intimate relationship with another human being. Not without bragging about it with his typically over-embellished theatrics, anyway. Not with a girl this cute and decidedly… endowed.

“You don’t say.” She replied with an arched brow. “He didn’t mention–”

“I’m from Japan and only recently arrived. He helped me out of a… sticky situation.” Konoha laughed like she’d made a joke. Bernie lacked context. “A real bind. Get it? No, you wouldn’t. Never mind. Anyhoo, we’ve been inseparable ever since. An instant connection. He probably didn't want to jinx things by bringing it up too soon.”

Bernie blinked rapidly, trying to process the quick-fire barrage of information before deciding it wasn’t pertinent to their current predicament.

Specifically, standing amid the ruins of the pitch-black archeology department in the middle of the night with this grinning oddball and a possibly unhinged colleague skulking out of sight.

“Yeah, charmed. Happy for you both.” She glanced over a shoulder, trying to pinpoint Franklin’s presence. No luck. “Listen, you shouldn’t be here after hours, but whatever, that’s unimportant. Have you seen a bag of gold glitter? Your new beau may have accidentally–”

“You’re happy for us? That’s awfully nice of you to say.” Konoha gushed, clapping and hopping excitedly. Goodness, the girl had a lot of bounce in her small build. “I always liked you—so patient and understanding. Not mean and cruel, unlike others I could name. We should be the best of friends.”

“Yeah, besties forever,” Bernie muttered, distracted by faint sounds of wet slurping and repeated smacking like meat hitting the chopping block. Her skin prickled. “Hey, I really need to find Franklin to ensure he’s not–”

“Besties forever!” The pink-haired co-ed cheered, ignoring all attempts to quench her loud exuberance. “I didn’t want to presume, but since you said it first… I’ve got a gift for you, bestie. Mast–I mean Franklin, told me about the task that yucky old professor assigned you. Identifying ancient magical artifacts, right? And wouldn’t you know it, I’m descended from a special ancestral bloodline specializing in doing exactly that!”

That caught her attention. “Wait, are you a Fae?”

It would explain the bubbly chatterbox’s vivid hair and eye color, as well as Franklin's interest. Most Fae would try sinking their horny hooks into the first man that so much as smiled at them. Supposedly, they all had a bad case of baby fever and weren’t choosy about the sperm donor.

Bernie was immediately grateful for the cold band around her wrist.

“No, silly billy. I already told you I’m Franklin’s girlfriend from Japan.” Konoha’s cheshire grin never wavered. “But I do have a magical lineage that dates back to the Kofun period when my forebears served in the court of Emperor Nintoku. Here, let me show you. Stay right there. I’ll be back in a jiffy.”

Not waiting for an answer, she dove into the shadows, leaving Bernie alone in the dark again, wondering what manner of madness she’d blundered into. The not-too-distant grunts and gurgles were unnerving but thankfully remained out of view.

“Can you at least tell me what happened down here?” She directed the question to anyone listening, praying for an explanation. Preferably a reasonable one that wouldn’t end in scandal.

There was a flare of blue and gold flames to her right, so brief she barely registered it.

“Oh, that was Daphne having another temper tantrum, you know how she gets. All... rawr, me wanna smash! I never liked the way she treated the rest of you.” The pint-sized cutie reappeared carrying a feathered headdress. Bernie recognized it from the undecided box. “That’s behind us now. Not worth worrying about. Franklin’s dealing with the hussy. Look what I got you, bestie!”

Once again, Bernie’s overburdened brain tried to compute the disjointed influx of information.

Daphne flying off the handle and causing property damage was no surprise. She had been a powderkeg searching for a spark since day dot. But Konoha spoke with the casual familiarity of someone well acquainted with her mood swings.

And Franklin was dealing with her… the so-called hussy? What did that mean? Franklin couldn’t deal a hand of poker. Suddenly, the unsettling background noise took on a malevolent air.

Ragged coughing, meaty slapping, gagging moans.

Bernie’s sense of danger rang like a fire alarm. The pink-haired co-ed’s smile widened, exposing elongated canines as she offered the headdress with a gleam in her amethyst eyes.

“I–I should go. It’s late. We can sort out… whatever this is in the morning.” She stammered, cautiously backing away.

“Won’t you try it on before you leave?” Konoha waggled the historical headwear, making the beads tinkle. “I think it’ll look good on you. The green of the jade will complement that striking red hair. Do it for me, your very best friend.”

The eagle feathers and jade stones weren’t musty or faded anymore. The ravages of time and hungry rodents were gone as though it had been professionally restored…

“Not on your life!” She bolted for the stairs and promptly tripped over a discarded broom with a shriek.

The moment she hit the floor, a wriggling weight landed on her back, and lilac fur that smelled of cherry blossoms was Bernie’s whole world. Unseen hands pressed down on her skull, affixing a headband in place.

And… nothing happened.

“Oh, phooey. It didn’t do anything.” The body pinning her eased back. Disappointed. “Sorry about this, bestie. I was certain I’d recharged it properly. The new power master granted me is playing merry hell with my spiritual magic.”

Bernie began to laugh in relief. The first giddy chortles were tinged with hysteria…

Then time crawled to a stop.

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