Some explanations were in order.

“Okay!” Isaac said, pulling the gauntlet off his hand and holding it up accusatorily. “What is going on?!”

Tyler, in the front seat, drove with one hand and opened the sunroof with the other. Through the sunroof, Torik dropped in, wings tucked in close so he could fit, and stood on the center console. “Let’s start at the beginning,” Tyler said. “We opened the first portal a few years ago. A lot of shit has happened since then, but to make that story short, the monsters coming through are all running from something. That goes especially for Torik and Ophelia here.” He glanced over his shoulder, around Torik at Ophelia.

Ophelia nodded. “Torik and I are part of a… I guess a gang of demons and other wayward people, called the Unchained. We all are running from some kind of oppression, and all of us have some kind of tie to Declan Grimm and his sister, Ozyris Grimm. When he found our secret meeting spot, we had to flee. Some of us left to this world, while others ran deeper into the old world. He appears to have followed us here.” She turned to Torik, a big grin on her face. “It’s damn good to see you.”

Torik lurched forward, slipping into the backseat to clumsily hug her. “It’s been too long.”

Isaac scratched the back of his neck. “So… are you two…”

Jade let Isaac trail off, then asked the question on his mind. “Did you two used to fuck?”

Torik laughed, awkwardly maneuvering back to his place on the center console. He barely fit, despite the rather spacious backseat. “Gods, no. She’s basically my sister.”

Ophelia, her body slowly shifting back to how Isaac recognized it, punched Isaac lightly on the shoulder. “Even if we did, you’ve got the best dick I’ve had.”

“Alright, okay,” Isaac said, waving her off and blushing. He lifted the gauntlet. “What’s this thing? Everyone called it a Wraithrider.”

Torik and Ophelia shared a glance, but Torik started talking. “Right, so that is, indeed, a Wraithrider. It’s a magitech device powered by spirit energy. It’s pre-charged, which you can tell through the gauge on the back of the hand which… is still full. Huh. Anyway, it can be used to make constructs, make projectile attacks, or, most importantly, nullify magic. If you wear that thing and hold a magical object long enough, it’ll siphon out the energy and render the object inert.”

“And, to add on to that,” Ophelia cut in, “you’re an artificer.”

Isaac stared blankly. A what?

“He is?” Tyler said, shaking his head as the car took a turn. “Oh, boy. Okay. Aoife, want to take this one?”

Isaac looked around the car for another person that he didn’t find. After a moment, he focused back on the front seat, where he spotted someone who definitely hadn’t been there a moment before.

A ghostly woman sat in the passenger seat, slightly translucent and purple at the edges. Glowing purple hair hovered around her shoulders, and dark, luminescent eyes peered at Isaac. Her face was smooth and beautiful,adorned with dark lipstick and eyeshadow. A deep purple dress hung loosely from her shoulders, cut low on her chest. Her skin was smooth, unblemished and faintly glowing.

“Hi,” she said with a bit of a shy smile as half the car’s occupants startled. “I’m Aoife. I-I’m a poltergeist, so… apologies for hiding.”

“Fuck,” Jade muttered. “She’s so pretty.”

Aoife seemed not to notice, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “So, as an artificer, you have an affinity for anything magitech. When magic and technology are put together, you can innately wield it to its full potential. With the right practice, you could maybe make some things, too.” She lifted her hand and the Wraithrider flew into her grip. She examined it for a moment. “It looks like you managed to very efficiently utilize it. The energy within is barely expended.” Her hand glowed the same ethereal lavender as her hair. The energy in the gauntlet seemed to roil and crackle, before fading to lavender. “There! Now it’s synced to my energy signature, instead of whatever spirit it used to be linked to. I can recharge it, if you need, and its previous owner can’t track it.” She handed it back.

Isaac slowly took it and slipped it on. Where previously it was cold and buzzing, it now had a soft warmth. “Thanks, Aoife. I really appreciate it.”

She smiled again and looked away. “N-no problem.” She turned to face forward, lifting her hands and plucking at the air as if plucking the strings of an instrument. “From what I can read on the leylines, Grimm is not currently in pursuit. I can't see his magical signature. We should be safe to stop somewhere. My home is two miles to the east of here, or we can go back to the AWIO.”

“AWIO isn’t an option,” Tyler said with a shake of his head. “Is your home defensible?”

“It’s just a small house, but it should be. It’s warded.”

“You have your own place?” Ophelia asked.

Aoife nodded. “I work closely with this branch of the AWIO, and I am educated enough that I am considered safe to be independent. I have a small home, I work with Tyler. The AWIO pays for my house and utilities, because I’m their, uh, I think the official title is Arcane Minister.” She wrung her hands, still looking forward. “I’m very effective with magic and enchanted items. It’s my expertise.”

“She’s been instrumental,” Tyler said. “Both in getting our operation going here, and in developing our tools. She’s a really good enchanter.”

The car drove for a while as they sat in silence, rumbling on for at least half an hour before it came to a stop outside a quaint home. All doors on the car opened immediately, on their own.

“Fancy,” Jade said. “This car must’ve been pricey.”

Aoife smiled. “That was me. It’s… also my expertise. Manipulating items.”

Isaac smiled back at her. “Pretty cool.”

She looked away, dark purple blush rising in her cheeks as she drifted through the car, then landed on her feet once over the sidewalk. She winced, covering her eyes to shield them from the sun. “L-let’s all get inside, then we can keep planning.”

Now that Isaac had a good view of her he could see the curvy shape of her beneath her dark dress, her wide hips and shoulders, and how her skin faded at her extremities. A black belt wound around her waist, holding down her dress. She was about Isaac’s height, but she held herself small, drawn in. She walked with a flowing gait, clearly not actually solid enough to walk on the concrete but mimicking it nonetheless.

Isaac, Jade, Tyler, Ophelia, and Torik all exited the car, moving toward the house. “Good idea, Aoife,” Isaac said. He paused to hug Ophelia, then wrapped an arm around Jade’s shoulders. Torik and Ophelia started talking animatedly in hushed tones, and Tyler stayed back to lock up the car.

They all followed Aoife into her home, and Isaac breathed a sigh of relief.