Warning Shot

The revolver barked loudly in Adrian’s hand as he emptied it with a steady rhythm, smoke trailing from the barrel. He narrowed his eyes, trying to make out if all six shots had found their mark. Amira leaned past him and hit a button on the wall, retracting the target from the far end of the shooting range.

“Not bad,” she commented as it drew near. One had gone wide, and a second was off by a couple of inches, but four were spaced within a three-inch circle not far from the bullseye.

“Could have done better,” Adrian replied, eyeing the target Amira had just used. All six of her shots were tightly grouped, not an inch off the mark.

“Your grouping is getting better,” she reassured him as she pulled down the target and hung a new one in its place. “When we started, you could barely hit the target at all at this range.”

After the near call outside Gilt, Amira had insisted on taking him to the gun range twice a week for training sessions. Adrian had happily agreed. He’d had no experience with guns, something he had felt it was smart to fix before his deficiencies proved fatal.

Amira hit a second button on the wall of their booth, and the fresh target retracted back down to the end of the range. “Go again,” she said.

Adrian assumed his shooter’s stance: feet firm at shoulder width, right arm held out but not rigid, left hand supporting his grip. Amira stepped behind him and made a few small adjustments, her touch light but firm.

“Focus on the trigger pull,” she instructed softly, face next to his. “You’re not smooth enough yet. That’s what’s pulling you off center.”

Adrian stared down his sights, fighting the instinct to close his left eye, and emptied the revolver once more. Amira pulled the target back when he was done. This time, he’d managed to get five of his shots near the center, including one bullseye. Adrian smiled.

“See?” Amira said. “Getting better.”

“One’s still pretty far off,” Adrian deflected.

“You didn’t wait for the gun to reset, so it went high,” Amira told him.

Adrian nodded. “My third shot. I felt it.”

That was something they’d been working on. You needed to wait long enough between shots so that the recoil wouldn’t throw your aim off. When they’d started, she’d made him go one shot at a time so that he could ignore the recoil, but he was far along enough now that she was letting him empty the gun all in one go.

“Good,” Amira said proudly. “If you can notice it, you can fix it. You’re really coming along.”

“I have a good teacher,” Adrian replied.

Amira snorted. “Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Adrian smirked. "Whatever you say, _Detective _Vare."

"It's not a sure thing," Amira scowled. "I'm not going to count my eggs before they hatch."

"I am," Adrian said, continuing to shoot her shit-eating grin. "You're a lock. Smart, strong, a good shot, and you know you aced that test."

Amira had gained some attention at the department after the shootout with 14th Street. Putting a collar on Sebastian had been quite the feather in her cap. She'd managed to parlay it into a promotion, or at least the opportunity for one. She was due to hear back any day now.

"Let's just focus on what we came here to do," Amira grumbled, uncomfortable with the praise. "Go again."

Adrian decided to let her off the hook and stop teasing. They continued their practice for a while after that, with Amira reminding him of various details and keeping him focused on improvement. Adrian did enjoy their sessions, but they weren’t here for fun. This was work, and would probably end up saving his life sooner or later.

“I wish you could talk some of the others into coming,” Amira complained, not for the first time.

“I’ve invited them,” Adrian told her. “They aren’t interested.”

“They’ll wish they had been if things get hairy,” Amira grumbled.

The conversation paused while Adrian fired. “I think if we're relying on Christine or Rhys in a gunfight, we’ve already lost. I might be able to get Ivy in here, but things are still…a little weird between us.” He didn’t even mention Faith or Opal. Neither had spoken to him since the squire meetup.

“I agree it wouldn’t be ideal,” Amira said, lining up to take her turn, “but it pays to be prepared.”

Adrian didn’t think she was wrong, but so far, none of the other squires had felt the same way. Amira assumed her stance, looking comfortable, and sent her bullets down range. Once again, all six rounds found their way inside the target’s small central circle. Adrian had seen her do it dozens of times already, but it always impressed him. She was good. More than that, she made it look easy. With a long-practiced flick of her wrist, she flung open the revolver’s cylinder and sent the spent casings clattering into a bucket down below.

“I’ll talk to them again,” Adrian said. “Maybe if I-“

“Sir Adrian.”

The whispers in Adrian’s head never went away. He had grown used to them by now, and most of the time barely noticed them at all, but this one cut through the noise. It was trying to get his attention.

“What is it?” Adrian asked out loud.

Amira gave him a quizzical look as he turned away from her, like he was taking a call. Understanding dawned on her face, then concern. She still wasn’t fully comfortable with the spirits.

“Araqiel must speak with you.”

“What, now?” he asked.

“It is urgent.”

Adrian looked around the shooting gallery. It was a small, indoor range at the outskirts of the city, little more than a squat concrete bunker with a sloping wall of asphalt at one end. Despite it having six booths, Adrian and Amira were the only ones using it that afternoon.

He gave Amira a look. “Watch the door.”

She snapped to attention, and Adrian thought he saw her hand going to make a salute before she caught herself. She looked momentarily embarrassed, but composed herself quickly. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“Will do,” Adrian replied.

Amira set the empty revolver down, then left to take up guard outside of the gallery's only door. Adrian saw her standing rigidly, hands clasped behind her back, before the door shut behind her. Her conditioning had been advancing steadily, and these days she was quick to do as he said.

“Ready,” Adrian told the spirits.

He had only a moment to wait before Araqiel appeared before him. He had discovered weeks ago that he only needed a candle if he was the one trying to summon it. If Araqiel itself was the one wanting to arrange a meeting, it could simply show up, no ritual necessary.

Adrian dropped to his knees, ignoring the uncomfortably hard concrete floor, and bowed his head. “How can I serve?”

“We have a problem,” it said. “One of my agents has gone missing.”

“A spirit?” Adrian asked. “That can happen?”

“Yes,” Araqiel told him, face displeased. “It was due to issue a report earlier today, but it didn’t show, and we have thus far been unable to locate it.”

Adrian grew thoughtful. “Could it be hiding on its own? Or do we suspect foul play?”

“While it is sworn to me,” Araqiel explained, “I should be able to sense its presence. The fact that I cannot is worrying.”

“So somebody is responsible,” Adrian thought out loud. “Can spirits be killed?”

Araqiel drew its lips tight. “Such things are possible.”

“Patience?” Adrian asked. He knew better than to say ‘Kyriakos’. Spirits, especially ones as powerful as an archon, could hear when somebody said their name.

“I do not know,” Araqiel said. “But the timing is suspicious.”

“How so?”

Araqiel waved him off. “Politics. I have an important meeting with some of the other Courts. You do not need to concern yourself with such things.”

Adrian frowned. “If you think they’re connected, I should know what’s going on. It could be important. Aren’t I supposed to be your right hand?”

“On Earth,” Araqiel clarified. “The politics of the Houses are beyond your purview.”

Adrian wasn’t so sure. If this was Kyriakos finally making its move, it seemed like understanding the dynamics at play would be crucial. But it wasn’t his place to second-guess Araqiel.

“As you wish,” he said simply. “Tell me about the missing spirit.”

“Its name is Orkazan, a high-ranking Soul Broker. I had sent it on a mission to the Kingdom of Saud. A little beneath its station, perhaps, but I am planting a seed there with ambitious hopes, and I needed someone I could trust.

“Orkazan succeeded in binding the soul of a tribal leader, Rakan al-Barkat. In return, we obligated ourselves to steward him towards a more important position in their political system. A mutually beneficial arrangement, since I intend to use my influence over Rakan to advance my own interests.”

“Such as?” Adrian asked.

“For such a powerful kingdom,” Araqiel answered, “our House has little sway there. Very few are at liberty to pursue their passions. I seek to loosen the restrictions that prevent those who live there from indulging in their desires. I also harbor some plans on how best to leverage the kingdom, should my efforts prove more fruitful than anticipated, but that is a long way off, and nebulous at best. What matters in the short term is that Orkazan was intending to shepherd Rakan into political success.”

“What do you need me to do?”

“Find Orkazan and Rakan. If they are in enemy hands, free them. I will decide whether to continue this operation once we know more.”

“Who are the major players?” Adrian asked. “Who are the likely culprits?”

“Houses Faith, Concord, Wrath, and Pride are strongest in the region. Naturally, House Patience is also suspect. But anyone may have moved against us. Even another Court of Lust.”

Adrian mulled that over. “Because of your upcoming…presentation?”

“Motion,” Araqiel corrected. “Yes.”

“It won’t be easy getting into Saudi Arabia,” Adrian said.

“It is handled already,” Araqiel told him. “You leave in the morning. Take such squires with you as you expect to need.”

Adrian blinked. Being able to secure them visas on such short notice, or somehow sidestep the process altogether, was a pretty impressive level of influence. He knew that, since returning, Araqiel had been hard at work expanding her network, and it looked like that effort was starting to pay off.

“I’ll get on it right away,” Adrian said.

“Good,” Araqiel replied, looking relieved.

Something nagged at Adrian. Something Araqiel wasn’t telling him.

“If these plans of yours are so long-term,” Adrian asked, “why is it such an emergency that they’re being interfered with right now?”

“Any attack on my plans constitutes an emergency,” it responded.

That wasn’t an answer. Adrian studied Araqiel’s otherworldly face. The psychology of a creature like this was alien to him; there was no reason to assume that Araqiel experienced or conveyed emotion like a person would, but Adrian thought he saw something in the set of its jaw and the wavering fires of its eyes. Concern. Could it be…

“Orkazan is your friend?” Adrian blurted out.

Immediately, Araqiel grew cross. “I do not have friends,” it hissed.

Adrian’s blood ran cold. He had begun to grow comfortable in Araqiel’s presence, but he was reminded that a little more caution and a little less familiarity may be smart. He dropped his head respectfully. “I’m sorry, my liege. I didn’t mean to imply anything by it.”

“Good,” Araqiel spoke curtly.

“It’s only that…” Adrian gathered his thoughts. “If Orkazan is someone in your confidence, then perhaps this was a move to target you personally, rather than strategically.”

Araqiel raised a sharp-nailed finger to its blood-red lips. “It is possible,” Araqiel conceded. “Orkazan’s company is more welcome to me than that of others. Somebody may have noticed this and sought to bring me pain by its absence. If so, they have miscalculated. I do not have such weaknesses.”

And yet you want me to find Orkazan as quickly as possible, Adrian thought. Smartly, he kept the comment to himself.

“I’ll handle it,” Adrian promised.

Araqiel was pensive, but nodded. “See that you do.”

Evidently, it considered the conversation over, because Araqiel vanished without a trace.

Adrian stood, knees protesting after resting so long on the hard floor, and took a deep breath. Saudi Arabia. A missing spirit. This was going to be tough.

Adrian gathered Amira from where she watched the outer room with hard eyes. When they were alone in the range again, she asked, “So what was that about?”

“We have a mission,” Adrian told her. “We need to gather the others. I’ll fill you in when we’re all together.”

“Got it,” Amira said, dropping quickly into a business-like manner and beginning to pack up her guns. Adrian moved to help, but she stopped him. “I can handle this,” she said defensively.

“Alright,” Adrian said, unsure but backing off. He let her finish up on her own, and when she was done, she shouldered his backpack in addition to all of the other supplies.

“I can carry that,” Adrian offered, but Amira turned away from him.

“It’s no problem,” she said. “Really.”

Adrian squinted. What the hell?

“A new transformation,” one of the spirits whispered to him.

“What did you do now?” Adrian did his best to growl the thought.

“She feels compelled to aid you…”

“…in mundane ways…”

“…servile ways…”

“…do you not appreciate it?”

Adrian watched as Amira struggled under the ungainly bulk of all that she was carrying. He shook his head. “That’s not right.”

“She is your squire,” was their simple response.

Adrian scowled. He opened his mouth to tell Amira about what was being done to her, but stopped. Would knowing she wasn’t doing this of her own volition really help her? He was unsure. And as far as the transformations went, this one was really not so bad. A little embarrassing, perhaps, but if she didn’t even notice, then not even that would be a problem for her. But was it right to keep it from her? She deserved to know.

Adrian waffled back and forth for a moment before deciding to just handle it later. They had bigger fish to fry at the moment, and while he could always bring it up at a different time, he couldn’t take it back once he did. He needed some time to think when there wasn’t more pressing business.

Adrian pulled his phone out to contact his other squires, and Amira hurried forward to open the door for him. “After you.”

---

Christine looked down at her phone and sighed. Adrian needed to meet, and he wanted to use her place. He said it was important. Ivy lived nearby, Rhys was on campus for class, and of course, she was already there. If they needed to meet fast, it made sense. Unfortunately, Mary was home.

Christine got up off the couch and trudged over to knock on her roommate’s bedroom door.

“Just a second,” Mary called out. A moment later, she opened her room. “What’s up?”

She was dressed in a pair of shorts, mostly hidden underneath an oversized pink t-shirt. Mary had been enjoying her day off and had clearly just thrown the shirt on, because she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath. Christine’s eyes stuck on the modest swell of her roommate’s breasts and the bumps of Mary’s nipples, visible beneath the fabric.

Christine swallowed shamefully. This wasn’t her, she told herself. It was the spirits, undeniable evidence of the ways they were altering her. Before this all had started, she’d never once considered her roommate in that light. Sure, she’d thought Mary was cute, but…

But not like that, Christine asserted to herself. Her libido had never been at the forefront of her mind. These days, though, while it wasn’t overpowering by any stretch, it did make appearances. She’d started masturbating. Only once a week or so, but then, it would be more if she didn’t **** herself to go to sleep horny a couple of the other days, refusing to indulge the spirits any more than he had to.

During her sessions of self-pleasure, she tried to keep her fantasies generic, but she wasn’t always successful. Despite her best efforts, the formless man she imagined plowing her would usually resolve into Adrian, and even though she knew her feelings towards him were manufactured, it still excited her more to imagine him than any other man. When Christine climaxed, it was almost always to the thought of him cumming inside her, bareback, unprotected.

Even worse, when she was at her horniest and her guard at its lowest, Mary would often make an appearance too. It made Christine feel guilty, imagining her roommate like that. She shuddered to think of what her sweet, innocent friend, who was so clearly not a pervert like Christine was becoming, and would never think of Christine in such a light, would think to know what kind of dirty things she got up to in the confines of Christine’s mind.

“I have some friends coming over,” Christine said, composing herself and staring resolutely above Mary’s neckline. “Do you think I could have the apartment?”

“No problem,” Mary said, running a hand through her mousy, brown hair. “I’ll stay in my room.”

“Actually,” Christine said uncomfortably, “I was hoping we could have the place to ourselves.”

Mary narrowed her eyes. “Who’s coming over?”

“Just some people,” Christine dissembled.

“And is Adrian one of them?” Mary’s tone implied exactly what she thought of that.

Christine sighed. “I know you don’t like him, but…”

“I’ve never met him,” Mary cut her off, “so I don’t have an opinion of him one way or the other. But what I don’t like is how you’ve changed since you met him.”

“I haven’t changed,” Christine said defensively, the weakness of her protest evident even to her own ears.

Mary raised her eyebrows. “Haven’t you? You’re not participating as much in the program as you used to.”

“My work is better than ever,” Christine said defensively, which was true, in no small part thanks to what the spirits had done to her. Put bluntly, she was smarter now. Almost certainly the smartest person in the program.

“You’re missing days,” Mary insisted.

“Not many,” Christine mumbled.

“You never missed any before,” Mary replied, voice condemning. “You’re clearly working on something else, but you won’t tell me what it is.”

“It isn’t important,” Christine lied. Mary had brought this up before, but how was Christine supposed to explain to her that she was working on translating the tome she’d stolen from Adrian? That she was looking for a way out of a demonic contract? She’d been making incredible progress on the translation, her already natural talents dialed up by her transformation. Truthfully, she wished she could share her discoveries with Mary. But of course, that was a non-starter.

“That’s what bothers me most of all,” Mary said, sounding solemn. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

Christine felt the words like a knife in her chest. “No I haven’t.”

“You have, Christine. We used to be so close. We barely talk anymore. You’re pulling away.”

Christine didn’t know what to say to that.

“Be honest with me,” Mary continued. “Is it him?”

“No,” Christine told her, shaking her head.

“Because if it is, if he’s telling you to stay away from me…”

“It’s not like that,” Christine said, trying not to blush at the insinuation that she and Adrian were anything more than…than what? Acquaintances? They were definitely more than that. Coworkers? Friends? But she was letting herself get distracted. “He isn’t…we’re not…”

“At one point, you were thinking about talking to the cops about him!” Mary said, raising her voice. “Whatever happened to that?”

“Come on,” Christine replied. “That was ****. I was just upset.”

“Because he cost you your grant proposal,” Mary said flatly.

“He had his reasons,” Christine said, bristling a little at the accusation being leveled at Adrian.

Mary sighed. “Alright. If you say so, I’ll believe you. But something’s going on, Christine. Let me in.”

Christine was tempted. Mary was, or at least had been, her closest friend. It would take a weight off of both of their shoulders to tell her, and it would be nice for Christine to have a confidant who wasn’t involved in the whole debacle. But even if it was smart to share - and it certainly wasn’t - there was no way that Mary would believe her.

“It’s nothing,” Christine finally said.

Mary scowled. “Fine. If you want to shut me out, I can’t stop you. Enjoy your day. I’ll just go grab a coffee or something. Say hi to Adrian for me.”

Mary shut her door in Christine’s face, harder than was necessary, presumably so that she could get changed. Christine stood there for a second, lost. She’d messed that conversation up, although it was beyond her what she should have done differently. Whatever else was true, she regretted this wedge that had been forming between her and Mary, but she didn’t know how to fix it.

Mary’s anger towards Adrian was understandable, if misplaced. He was doing his best, and all things considered, he was a pretty good guy. The telltale tickle in Christine’s stomach appeared at the thought of him. She’d been on guard, careful not to let herself indulge her whims regarding him, but she needn’t have been. He’d been true to his word; he hadn’t taken advantage of Christine’s…feelings. That was a relief, but it also made a small part of her even more enticed by him.

Christine shook herself and shuffled back to her room. She needed to tell Adrian that they were a go to meet at her place, and that meant she should probably get changed too. She’d figure out what to do about Mary some other time.

---

Adrian and Amira parked next to each other outside of Christine’s complex and got out of their cars. Adrian was glad that Christine had been able to host on such short notice. The club would be open soon, but for now, this was more convenient.

Adrian spied Ivy walking down the road, coming from the direction of Marlinth’s campus.

“You remember which unit is hers?” Adrian asked Amira.

She peered over at Ivy, then gave Adria a knowing look. “Yeah. I’ll be upstairs.”

Adrian nodded and made his way over to Ivy, who stopped as he approached.

“Hey,” he said. “You made it.”

“I figured I should at least see what this was about,” she told him.

This wasn’t the first time they’d seen each other since the big squire meet-up. Adrian had stopped by her coffee shop a few times after work, but things between them were still a little weird. That easy rapport they’d developed was gone.

Adrian shuffled his feet. “Right, well, glad you made the choice. I could use the help.”

“Is it serious then?” she asked.

“I should probably just explain it when we get inside,” Adrian told her. “But…how is everything?”

“Fine,” Ivy said. “Finals are coming up, so I’m pretty busy with that.”

“That sucks,” Adrian said. He kicked his shoe against the pavement as the conversation lulled.

“Should we head up?” Ivy asked.

“Yeah,” Adrian sighed. “Probably should.”

They walked over to Christine’s apartment together. Adrian caught a few side glances from Ivy, but neither of them said anything.

When they got there, he opened the door and stepped in without knocking, finding that everyone else had already arrived. Christine was offering Amira a cup of coffee, while Rhys, sitting on the couch, nursed his own.

“Hey, Adrian,” Rhys smiled. “Hey, uh, Ivy.” He waved cheerily.

“Hey, Rhys,” Ivy said, plopping down on the couch next to him.

“Coffee?” Christine asked.

“I’m good,” Ivy told her. “I had plenty this morning.

“I’ll take a cup,” Adrian said.

“Coming right up,” Christine said, whisking her way into the kitchen.

“So,” Ivy said, turning towards Rhys. “How’s the project coming?”

“Really well,” Rhys answered. “We’re trying to get the robot to handle stairs.”

“I thought it could already walk?” Ivy asked.

“It can,” Rhys clarified, “but stairs are tricky. It needs to be able to keep its balance.”

“Ahh,” Ivy said. “I can see that, I guess.”

Adrian knew that the two of them stayed in touch. Rhys had kept him up to date on the times they grabbed lunch together at the university’s cafeteria. He was glad for it; it helped both of them to have each other to talk to, and it was a good way to keep Ivy feeling connected to the group. A childish part of him was a little jealous that Ivy felt comfortable hanging out with Rhys but not him, though he didn’t pay it any mind.

“You’re building a robot?” Amira asked, settling into a chair off to the side.

“It’s just a school project,” Rhys answered.

“It’s badass,” Ivy cut in. “It’s going to be able to do monkey bars soon.”

“Well,” Rhys hedged, “if we have time to make it work.”

“You’ll get it,” Ivy said confidently. “You’re smart.”

“Um, thanks,” Rhys blushed.

“I keep telling him to put a saw on it,” Ivy said to Amira. “Think the police would have a use for a robot with a saw?”

Amira frowned. “I don’t think so.”

“Ah, well, you should put one on it anyway,” she teased Rhys.

“I’ll see what the others think,” Rhys told her. Ivy was only joking, but Adrian suspected that if she kept at it, Rhys really would find an excuse to put a saw on his robot.

Christine came back from the kitchen with Adrian’s coffee. “So you and Ivy came over together?” she asked nonchalantly as she handed him the cup.

“We only met outside,” he explained.

“Oh,” Christine said. “That makes sense.” She went to take the third spot on the couch, seeming a little relieved.

Adrian winced internally. He knew that, like Ivy, the spirits had instilled a crush on him into Christine’s psyche. She was so reserved and in control that most of the time it didn’t come up. Adrian could almost forget about it entirely, but then a little moment like that would remind him.

He didn’t let himself consider it. Christine may have been beautiful, and smart, but he’d made her a promise not to take advantage of her, and he intended to keep it. He left her with her dignity by never acknowledging her slip-ups, and for his part, considered her firmly off the table.

“So what’s the emergency?” Amira asked, getting down to business.

Rhys looked concerned. “Emergency?”

“I don’t know that it's that bad,” Adrian said, moving to stand in front of the group, “but it is time sensitive.”

“Then this is it, then,” Christine said. “Our first task from Araqiel.”

Adrian nodded. “Recently, one of her spirits, Orkazan, disappeared.”

He filled them in on the rest of what Araqiel had told him, about Orkazan’s mission and the details surrounding its disappearance, fielding questions as he went. He left out his suspicions that this was personal for Araqiel, but otherwise told his squires everything. They were supposed to be a team, and that meant he wanted them fully on board. When he was done, a nervous energy suffused the room.

“We’re just supposed to go to Saudi Arabia?” Ivy asked.

“That’s the job,” Adrian told her.

“We went to Scotland already,” Rhys said. “This is sort of like that.”

“Still though…” Ivy trailed off, looking uncertain.

“Who are you taking with you?” Christine asked.

Adrian rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, obviously Faith and Opal are out. I didn’t even bother inviting them today.”

“You need to reach out to them,” Rhys commented.

“I know,” Adrian sighed. “But first things first. I’ll need to leave one of you behind to handle things at the club for me.”

“I can stay,” Rhys offered. “I have a lot on my plate with my project. Going out of town would be a bit of a problem for me.”

“You’ll have time to oversee the club?” Adrian asked.

Rhys shrugged. “I’ll make it work.”

Adrian thought about it for a second. “Alright. Hang back when we’re done. I have a few things to go over with you.”

Rhys nodded.

“Does Araqiel have a translator lined up for us?” Christine asked. “We’ll need someone who speaks Arabic.”

“Actually,” Amira chimed in, “I can handle that.”

“Really?” Adrian asked.

“Mhm,” she nodded. “My mom’s from Jordan. She taught me growing up.”

“I thought you were Persian,” Christine said.

“On my dad’s side,” Amira clarified. “But I speak Arabic well enough. Shouldn’t be a problem.”

“One more thing off our plate then,” Adrian said.

“What about our cover, though?” Amira asked. “We can’t just tell people the truth while we’re poking around.”

“Oil investors,” Christine answered.

“Good idea,” Adrian told her. “Generic, boring, plausible.”

“Will it hold up if anyone presses you on it?” Rhys wondered.

Adrian shrugged. “We can make it work. It doesn’t need to be perfect.”

Amira looked uncomfortable with that, doubtless wanting something more solid, but didn’t speak up.

After that, they spent more time going over travel arrangements and logistics before deciding they were ready.

“I should head out,” Amira said. “I need to pack.”

“See you in the morning,” Adrian told her, the others saying goodbye as well.

When she was gone, Christine and Rhys broke off to speak privately while Adrian approached Ivy. She had spent most of the meeting in silence, looking baffled.

“I…I don’t know if I can do this,” she admitted.

“What’s the problem?” he asked.

“Everything!” she shouted, raising her hands, bewildered. “I’m supposed to just drop everything and fly halfway around the world to find a missing spirit! This is insane!”

“Yeah,” Adrian snorted, sitting down on the couch opposite her so that he wouldn’t tower over her. “It’s a little crazy.”

Ivy raised her eyebrows. “A little? This is batshit.”

“We all thought the same thing when we got started,” he told her, motioning to Christine and Rhys. “You get used to it.”

“Maybe you guys did, but not me.”

“If Rhys can handle it,” Adrian said, “you can. Besides, think of the silver lining. How many people your age get to travel like this?”

“I guess…” Ivy mumbled. “It will be pretty cool to see the place.”

“Give it a shot,” he told her. “If it’s really not a good fit, maybe you can stay behind on the next one.”

“The next one.” Ivy shook her head in disbelief. “How is this my life?”

“You’re a smart girl,” he said confidently. “Capable. You can handle this.”

Ivy fidgeted uncomfortably, blushing slightly. “I should get going. There’s some work I need to get done if I’m going to be missing the next couple of days.”

Adrian sighed. This wasn’t the first time he’d tried to connect with her since she had found out she was a squire, and she always rebuffed him. He wanted things to go back to how they had been, but it wasn’t looking like that was possible.

“Alright,” he said. “But you’re going then?”

“Do I have a choice?” she asked.

“Not really,” he admitted.

“Then I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Ivy stood up and walked over to the door. “Bye Rhys. Bye, Christine.” She gave them a wave as they looked up from their own conversation.

“See you, Ivy,” Adrian said.

She didn’t reply before she left. Christine raised a disapproving eyebrow Adrian’s way, but he ignored it. He didn’t have the headspace to deal with her just then. Instead, he stood up and made his way to Rhys, fishing through his pockets as he walked. He found his key chain and popped off a spare key.

“What’s this for?” Rhys asked, taking it from Adrian’s hand.

“My apartment,” Adrian told him. “All of the paperwork for the club is in there, so if you need anything, that’s where you’ll find it.”

“Got it,” Rhys said, pocketing the key.

“Rodrigo pretty much has the renovation in hand. He’ll call me if there’s a problem, but you should stop by occasionally just to be sure. Other than that, there are a few things for the grand opening I haven’t been able to handle yet, but nothing too bad. I’ll text you a list.”

Rhys nodded. “Anything else?”

“Yeah. I was thinking…” Adrian paused. “If you need any help, you should reach out to Opal and Faith.”

That surprised Rhys. “Will they help?”

“I don’t know,” Adrian admitted. “Maybe they’ll be more receptive to you asking than me. It couldn’t hurt to get them a little more involved.”

“Faith seemed pretty opposed to this whole thing,” Christine noted.

“She…has reasons to keep us appeased,” Adrian said. “If it’s not too much trouble, she might go along to get along.”

“And what about Opal?” Rhys asked.

“Yeah, that one might be tougher,” Adrian answered. “But I have something that may help.”

He produced a small brass handbell about the size of his fist. It tinkled lightly as he handed it to Rhys. The spirits perked up in the back of Adrian’s mind, excited, but they calmed when he explained he wouldn’t be using it just then.

“What’s this?” Rhys asked.

“The spirits gave it to me,” Adrian explained. “It’s one of Opal’s changes. Ring it, and Opal will have to come and find you. It’s only supposed to work for me, but I asked, and apparently I can lend it out.”

Christine took a step closer. “How does it work?”

“No idea,” Adrian answered. “I’m just sharing what I was told.”

Christine stared at the bell curiously, Rhys with trepidation. “She is not going to like this,” he said.

Adrian brushed past Rhys’s concerns. “She’ll get over it. If you need an extra pair of hands, use it.”

“This isn’t how I wanted to include her,” Rhys frowned.

“Well, it's what we have,” Adrian told him. Honestly, he couldn’t care less about Opal’s comfort in the matter. That ship had sailed. “If there’s anything else, just call me.”

Rhys nodded, and Adrian clasped him on the shoulder. Rhys was a good choice to watch over things at home. He did well with the other squires, and he was more than competent enough to handle any issues that came up with the club.

“I’ll see you when I get back,” he told Rhys. “Christine, see you in the morning.” They finished their farewells, and Adrian left. He spent the ride home wondering what the hell he would need to pack for Saudi Arabia.