Ahiru ran a finger around the rim of her coffee mug, a small mouthful was left but it was too cold to have been enjoyable, so it was left to wallow in the bottom of her cup.
To say it was surprising that he was late was actually a huge understatement.
Ahiru had been waiting for nearly an hour with Mytho nowhere in sight. They were supposed to meet for coffee, but maybe she had gone to the wrong coffee house? Goldkrone did have two after all, and they weren't that different in name, so there was the possibility that Mytho was waiting for her across town just like her.
Yes.
That had to be it.
Ahiru picked up her bag and pulled her jacket over her shoulders.
They had agreed to meet here after their practice last night - with his free schedule and her more than willing to go through with the efforts - they had been meeting up every night for the past fortnight. It was nice and she woke up blissfully sore in the morning, but taking a break to get coffee instead was nice as well.
But he had been late.
Ahiru shook her head and smiled lightly to herself. It wasn't like Mytho to ditch her or show up late; he would least have the decency to call her so he must have been as confused as she had been and sitting in the coffee shop on third.
Hopefully.
Well, maybe he wasn't? Ahiru was patient and had the courtesy to wait for an hour, but would Mytho have gotten mad after fifteen - thirty - minutes of waiting and stormed out? No, right?
Ahiru rubbed her arms, so far the weather had been merciful and hadn't dipped below fifteen degrees, but today felt freezing.
Mytho was her friend - if not more, now - and he was so princely, he would have definitely chosen to wait for her. Or take some time to enjoy his drink - maybe he ordered a pastry as well - he wouldn't rush off in a fit of anger.
She could only hope.
However, to her horror, as she came up to the other coffee shop, it was closed for renovation. Even if he had meant to come to this one he would see it closed and would have gone to the other coffee shop.
Right?
This was a mess.
Ahiru tried to figure out any place he would go, creating a list of places in her head, starting with Ebine's. Then the Red Rat. Maybe the bookstore?
She ran to each, knocking on the doors, and peering into glass windows for any sign of him. But, he wasn't there.
She sighed and plopped down on the curb, trying to think. As much time as they had spent together…
They never went anywhere he wanted to go, except the Red Rat, she had no idea what places he liked to go.
Freya's Floral Boutique was closed so he wouldn't go there, well maybe to pick her up? But he wasn't there. She thought of Wasser Castle, where Rue was, but if they had broken up, then that's the last place he would go unless to reopen a slowly healing wound.
Maybe he went to see Fakir?
With Mytho and Ahiru hanging out more and Fakir constantly checking up on her - not that it was unwanted - it seemed as if their friendship had reblossomed in the last few weeks.
She stood, her last hope would be Fakir, and so she ran to her destination.
It was in full swing when Ahiru walked up, fortunately a wolf she knew was standing at the door.
"Lysander, thank god! I need to see Fakir."
There was a slight groan from the line of people when it was made obvious he was going to let her in. "Dylan, cover for me." Lysander grabbed the scruff of Dylan, the shy young man who had asked Ahiru if she and Fakir-
She blushed, but smiled and waved as she passed.
Lysander let Ahiru in and took her past the dance floor and unlocked the door to the basement were Fakir was writing in a book, shaking his head and erasing what was written. He looked up when he heard the door open and quirked an eyebrow at Ahiru.
Lysander closed the door after her, leaving her and Fakir.
"I wasn't expecting you." Fakir placed down his pencil and stood to greet her. "I was just going over the Scent's finances." but it was obvious that he wasn't entertaining Mytho if he was heavily invested in his work.
"You weren't supposed to." Ahiru was disappointed, maybe she and Mytho weren't as close as she had earlier thought. "I was supposed to meet Mytho after work for coffee, but an hour went by and I was still waiting."
"So you came here?"
"No, well," Ahiru let out a sigh before stealing his chair and putting down her purse. Running through town on just adrenaline and a bit of caffeine had wiped her out, she wouldn't have been able to chase after Mytho. "I went all over the place trying to find him but I never did."
"So this was the last place on your list?"
She shrugged, "I just thought he'd have wanted to hang out with you."
Fakir shook his head. "He's not the type to stand someone up."
"The first time we went out he was late."
"By an hour?"
Ahiru sighed and cupped her chin in her hands. "No."
Fakir leaned against the desk and crossed his arms. "Why don't I call him?" Fakir picked up a landline and dialed a well practiced number.
"You don't have a cellphone?" Ahiru joked lightly, her eyelids growing heavy.
"Don't make fun of your elders. And why didn't you call him?"
"I was out of minutes."
Fakir looked at her in bewilderment. "You still have minutes? Damn, he didn't pick up."
"Fakir, what if something happened to him?" She started to feel her shoulders stoop.
"It's possible, but I doubt it." He re-dialed, "He has Rue and me as family. Anyone who who would want to hurt him would have hell to pay."
Ahiru nodded, letting her eyes close. She'd keep them like that for only a minute, but once Mytho didn't pick up, she'd go back out. "But he and Rue are broken up, aren't they?"
"If they actually are broken up, I'll kill her for all the trouble she put me through." He cursed and hung up the phone again; turning back to Ahiru, he saw that she was half asleep.
"What trouble?" Ahiru finally had the sense to ask.
"You're tired, do you want me to take you home?"
Ahiru stood, her muscles sore, but she had to keep going. "I have to find Mytho, what if he's hurt?"
"You're falling asleep."
"I'm-" Ahiru stopped, covering a yawn with her hand. "Fine."
"We'll find Mytho tomorrow."
"But what if that's too late?" Her shoulders felt heavy.
"Nothing will happen to him, I promise." Fakir came to her and gripped her arms.
She rested her head on his chest. "Promise?"
He wrapped his arms around her back. "Promise. Do you want me to take you home?...Ahiru?"
Ahiru had managed to fall asleep standing up.
Fakir sighed, but he couldn't stop the corner of his lip turning up. He hooked an arm under her knees and lifted her off the floor.
"Do you want to sleep here?" He whispered.
She nodded against his chest. Fakir carried her through the club, sticking to the walls and going unnoticed.
"Do you think that maybe they did break up and Rue wants revenge?" Her voice was soft, and music thumped in his ears, but he heard her.
Fakir waited until they were in a quieter area before giving his answer. "No, she's not the type. She'd sooner accuse me than hurt Mytho."
"Oh," Ahiru yawned. "Would she accuse me of stealing him?"
"Unfortunately she likes you, so no, she wouldn't." Fakir sat her down on his bed and helped her remove her shoes and jacket. She crawled up to the pillow and rested her head on it.
"Look, Fakir, it's raining." Ahiru pointed lazily at the window where a sprinkling of rain was washing the window pane.
He nodded. "Do you need anything else?"
"Nope. Thank you, Fakir."
Fakir hadn't been able to sleep. It was concerning that Mytho was just suddenly gone, or that he would ditch Ahiru. It just simply wasn't a part of his character. He knew from the start that it was some scheme Drosselmeyer was pulling, but she always seemed so happy to see him or be with him.
Fakir couldn't take that from her.
He had to think of what could have happened, or why Mytho hadn't shown up. It just didn't make any sense. Over and over questions formed in his head until the sun rose and the black sky turned grey; the rain hadn't stopped pouring.
He decided he would join his pack for breakfast after he heard them clambering about in the kitchen. A few had to close the Scent and clean up. He joined those seven - something he tended not to do - and they definitely enjoyed his company.
"Fakir!" Juan cried. "I haven't seen you in ages, Papi, where've you been."
"Trying to figure something out." He muttered, grabbing for something to eat.
"He was with his girlfriend!" Hector - Juan's friend - supplied, causing many of them to 'ooh' loudly.
"Shut up." He shook his head.
"So why'd you join us this morning?"
"Yeah, how come?" Two small girls asked together, Brielle and Beatrice, while Hatti, their tall, rather buff, friend stuck between them, nodded in agreement.
"I heard you, that's all." He took a bite of whatever he picked up. "Why the obsession over me anyway?"
"Well, between reading, and going to 'check' on the redhead, you haven't been around much, Papi." Juan said around a spoonful of cereal. "We miss you."
They all clambered in agreement.
"You're all so annoying."
"And that's why we love you!"
The others laughed, but Fakir didn't find it spiteful.
"By the way, have any of you seen Mytho?" He asked, trying to seem aloof about the matter.
"The bloodsucker's boytoy?"
"Around the club?" The Brielle and Bridget shot off. "Haven't seen him." They spoke together while Hatti nodded.
"Why?" Hector asked with a tilt of his head.
"Ahiru was looking for him, he stood her up but-"
"Mytho? No, he wouldn't dare!" said Brielle and Bridget.
"But now she can't find him anywhere." Fakir said and then finished whatever he had chosen to eat.
Mia, Sophia, and Emilia started whispering together before starting to cry. "What if he's died?"
"And why would he be dead?" Fakir wondered how these people were chosen for the pack.
"I don't know!" They wailed. "I need to go dig!"
"Aye yai yai."
"I'm going back to my room."
"You're little girlfriend is there, right?" Juan waggled his eyebrows.
Fakir chose not to answer but was followed but the sounds of loud smacking rather than a prefered silence.
Ahiru was sitting up and looking out the window when he returned. He wondered, about what that strange, rather annoying, man had said about her, was she really so powerful? "Good morning."
She didn't respond.
"Are you alright?" Fakir went up to her, standing across from her.
She shook her head. "I had a bad dream. That's all."
"About Mytho?"
A nod.
"Do you want to talk about it?" He would do the same thing with Karon when he was scared - and with Mytho when he was growing up, as well.
"No."
"Alright."
"It was weird, Rue had kidnapped Mytho and she bit him, and then he was a vampire, and you two fought each other, and-" She slumped her shoulders. "It was scary. I thought he was going to kill you."
Fakir shrugged. "Would that be such a bad thing?"
Ahiru's head shot up. "Yes, of course it would be!" She brought her knees up to her chin. "I'm just worried that's all."
"I should get you home."
"Okay."
Ahiru hopped off his bed and began tidying her things, slipping on her shoes, and adjusting herself to get moving.
"Can I get some water before we go?"
Fakir smiled lightly. "Yes, c'mon."
He took her to the kitchen and she was handed a glass of water and she nursed it slowly. The wolves talked to her and was she polite in response. They liked her, Fakir could tell, but when her back was to them, they sent mocking kisses in Fakir's direction.
So he knew they liked mocking him more.
"Oh, it's still raining." Ahiru said when they stepped out into the alley, putting her hand out to catch the water droplets.
"I know, I brought my umbrella." Fakir opened up a simple black umbrella and they started walking.
"Did you get any sleep last night, Fakir?"
"No, but it's fine, I don't need that much anyway."
Ahiru hooked her arm onto his, the one holding the umbrella. He knew why she was doing it - to be under the umbrella better - but it still made him turn his head to hide the warmth of his cheeks.
"Did you think about Mytho then?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
Fakir shook his head before stuffing a hand into his pockets. "I don't know anything about the matter except that he wasn't there and he wasn't at any of the places you checked."
"Does he have a house to go to?" Ahiru had thought about going to his place, but she then remembered he never gave her an address.
"No, when he was young he stayed with me, and when he started going out with Rue he went to Wasser Castle." He decided to let her keep her fantasy. "Since he broke up with Rue, I'd imagine he'd stay at one of the bookmen's places. He's friends with a lot of them."
"Pique and Lillie?"
"Who?"
"They attacked you the night we met."
"Oh." Fakir thought about it, he remembered them. Even if Mytho wasn't with either of them, there was a possibility they could help. "Probably; he would have to stay with someone who doesn't bend to Edel's will, and they don't really respect her at all."
They had walked a few paces in silence, content on their next step of action, when Fakir got the urge to speak to her.
Maybe it was the wrong time.
Maybe it was the wrong place, but…
"Ahiru?"
"Hmm?"
He cleared his throat. "When we first met-"
"Fakir it's okay." Ahiru smiled at him. "I forgave you already."
"Ahiru, I don't think I deserve-"
"And I've seen you with Karon, you're very parental around him, you know?"
Fakir stopped, forcing her to stop with him, he stepped in front of her and peered into her eyes.
"I never should have forced you into this.. I never should have- have- bit you." His voice softened, and his eyes, which had been locked with hers, were cast down "It wasn't right and it wasn't fair, and I'm sorry." He stepped away from her ever so slightly; she seemed to shiver at the lose of the contact.
"I know you're sorry." Her eyebrows furrowed, "You're a good person, Fakir." Then, her face lit up so brightly he felt blinded. "But thank you, for apologizing!"
She was a complete mystery to him.
A weight seemed to float off his chest as they continued walking, her arm went back around his and she started to chatter, however it was chatter about Mytho.
"- I just can't think of where he might be, and my dream keeps pestering at me, like it's a premonition of some kind! Maybe getting in the crossfire of two supernatural species isn't such a bad thing if it comes with side effects-"
He nodded along, only half paying attention to her when he got a whiff of a familiar smell. "Hang on." He stopped them, taking a stronger sniff of the air. "I think one of your friends is coming."
"Hm?" Ahiru turned and she recognized the girl with dyed pink hair - was it magenta now? It looked magenta - as she came racing down the street, completely soaked.
"Ahiru!" She called and Ahiru slipped out from under the umbrella and ran to meet her. Fakir was able to keep up, but that didn't keep Ahiru from getting drenched in the downpour.
When they met Pique half way, the two girls were gasping for breath. Shakily, Pique held out a blood stained piece of paper. Ahiru's eyes went wide.
"Sorry about the blood." Pique took in a huge gulp of air. "It was from Lillie, she but her finger on the edge."
Ahiru unfolded the paper and read it before grasping and clamping a hand onto her mouth. She passed it to Fakir.
I have taken my dearest prince so that we may be together forever.
You can try to find us, but by the time you do, you may be too late!
Mytho will be mine for forever and eternity by the full moon.
"Damn, you were right, she is trying to turn him."
"Where did you find it?" Ahiru asked Pique.
"It was slipped under the restaurant door. Lillie was the hostess at the time and picked it up before anyone saw and showed it to me. We tried to call you but it was like your phone was dead."
"I was out of minutes."
"Minutes? You still have minutes?"
"He still has a landline!" Ahiru huffed before turning to Fakir. "What should we do?"
Fakir took the letter and gave it a once over with his nose. "She was stupid and wrote it herself. That's not normally like her."
"You typically get letters from Rue?" Ahiru asked.
"Sort of." Fakir looked it over again. "Rue loves to send invitations and letters to her evil plots, normally it's because she wants me to stop her before she murders a bunch of people, but she would always make someone else write it so I wouldn't pick up her scent, and to also throw Drosselmeyer off."
"So why didn't she do that?"
"Somethings wrong." Fakir decided. "She would never force Mytho's hand and I know for a fact that Mytho never wanted to change. So she must be forcing him to do this." He shook his head. "This isn't like her."
"Yes, so what do we do?"
Fakir held up the paper and smiled. "Her scent is all over this, it's easily trackable. I just have to find the freshest trail and follow that."
Ahiru smiled brightly and cheered. "So how do we do that?"
"Rue is all over this town, the easiest way would be to run over and find the newest one."
"Oh, so am I burden?"
She obviously wanted to help find him. "I have to run, the full moon is tonight and there's a lot of different smells to sort through. Climb on my back."
Ahiru nodded, and like she had before, wrapping her legs and arms around him, holding the umbrella in her hands.
"Thank you, Pique." Ahiru handed her the umbrella.
"That was mine you know." Fakir told her, after they had put some distance between themselves and Pique.
"I'll buy you a new one! Check the coffee shop!" She yelled over the wind. "Rue could have snatched him there!"
Fakir nodded but found nothing, only a very old trail that may or may not have been a bat. He changed directions and went to Wasser Castle, but stopped. "Ahiru, where were they in your dream?"
"What? Fakir, I'm getting soaked, an- and it was just a dream!"
She's a witch, Fakir thought, wondering if that included premonitions in the form of dreams. "I'm just checking all the bases."
She let out a huff and shook her head. "I don't know! It was-" She closed her eyes. "Like a forest, they were on a lake, or by a lake?"
Fakir nodded, starting to run towards the woods that edged Wasser Castle.
"I found it!" Fakir said, finding her trail and his, mingled together and headed straight for the forest. "It's only a few hours old."
"So… I was right?"
He looked over his shoulder at Ahiru but her eyes were trained on the large forest that surrounded their town, they looked unbelieving. He hitched her up and held her legs closer to his body before taking off again.
Rue pet his head while singing lightly to him to keep him in his trance.
Kraehe, we're running out of time, do it now while we have him where we want him.
"Father, this isn't right."
Mien Kraehe, do you doubt your father's wisdom?
"No, I- "
Then do as I say!
"No!"
No?
"Mytho would never want this." She looked down at him in his sleep like state, his eyes glazed over but still open.
Mytho doesn't know what he wants, you didn't want to get turned, did you?
"No, but -"
Would you have been able to fall in love with him if you hadn't?
"No, father, I just think-"
What you think doesn't matter. Mytho will be turned and will live with you forever.
"Father- "
If you could have turned mother, wouldn't you have? Or me?
"Of course."
Then turn him.
"He'll hate me."
He'll realize that you were right, he'll come around.
Rue felt her eyes begin to water, was this right? She knew that as abrasive as Fakir was, he would never do such a thing to Mytho.
"Father-"
What, my daughter?
"I love him, but I don't want to lose him."
Then turn him.
"But he'll hate me."
For forever?
"Well, at least for a while. And perhaps during that time, he'll get over me. Perhaps he will fall in love with Ahiru. She's human."
She will die one day, just like everyone else you ever cared about, don't you want the heartbreak to stop?
"He would be under Drosselmeyer's control then and I would never put that upon him."
Her father chuckled darkly.
"Father?"
Mien Kraehe, given the chance to live forever with your mother or watch her die again, I would turn her.
Rue shook her head.
No? What if I said I would protect him from Drosselmeyer's control, hm?
"You can do that?"
I can use my spirit as a shield, per say, and guard him from Drosselmeyer's reins.
"Father, I just don't know."
Kraehe!
Rue flinched. He had snapped, the last time his voice sounded like that he had brought a broom handle against her.
"Yes?"
You will change him.
She felt a change in her heart, as if it was beating again. Could her father do that? Did he have that power? To make her feel alive?
She closed her eyes.
She could feel the beating of her heart.
"Yes. I will change him." She sat down next to him, forced his mouth open and cut open her wrist so that several droplets of blood would roll down his throat. She closed her eyes again as she prepared to bite him herself, completing the transformation, but-
We have company.
Rue opened her eyes and looked out across the lake to the shore where two familiar foes stood. She rose from her place - a rock out in the middle of the lake - and greeted them. "About time you got here, I was worried."
"Give Mytho back!" Ahiru shouted.
Rue put a finger to her chin. "No." Her heart beat faster. It was exhilarating, more intoxicating than any wine. "I'm going to change him, first." Her slit wrist had already healed
"Rue, what's wrong with you?" Fakir called out, "You would never force him against his will!"
"No, but circumstances change!" Rue crossed her arms and stepped out rather on the island, water lapping at her feet.
"Such as?"
"I love him and I refuse to let him die!"
"Rue?" Ahiru called out, taking her chance and stepping into the water. "Please? I know you love Mytho with all your heart, but you can't force him to be something he's not! You have to let him choose to do it!"
When Fakir looked at her, however, he noticed that unlike Rue, Ahiru's feet were balanced on the water's surface, as if it were solid.
Was that man right?
Rue felt her lip quiver, "He refuses! I can't watch him die!"
"Rue-" Ahiru took another step out onto the seemingly frozen water; Fakir grabbed at her arm but couldn't stop her. "I know what it's like to watch someone die, it's painful, but my mother chose death. She-" She faltered, but she clenched her fist and took another step. "She chose to follow her dream instead of going to get treatment. She died doing what she loved. It hurt to watch, but I had to respect her decision!"
"You don't understand." Rue shook her head. "At least you get to die and see her again! I'm immortal, I can never die! I can't live the rest of my life knowing I could have saved him but didn't! I can't live with the knowledge that my life is never ending when he's on his deathbed!"
"Rue," Fakir called out, "We all have had our loses, but this is extremely low, even for you."
"Your life didn't start in tragedy!" Rue seemed deranged, it was evident that she didn't care any longer. "Try to take him from me, if you dare!"
"I dare." Fakir rushed out into the water to stand next to Ahiru, as tall as he was while she stood on the water's head. "Say the word, Ahiru, and I'll bite her head off."
"That won't be necessary." Ahiru looked down at her feet, where she was still standing on the water and took a few steps forward. "Rue-"
"No!"
Ahiru made her way across the lake. "I think you should let Mytho decide what he wants to do with his life."
Tears fell down Rue's cheeks, "But he'll die."
"Then that's his choice." Ahiru stepped onto the island and wrapped her arms around Rue. She stood there, still, but soon returned Ahiru's hold, perhaps holding Ahiru as tightly as she could without breaking her.
"The voice won't stop talking." Rue whispered in her ear.
"What voice? Rue, who's talking to you?" Ahiru didn't pull away.
"My father."
"But you told me he was dead, how would he-?"
"Ahiru, let go and run." Rue said through clenched teeth.
"Rue, what? No, I-"
"Ahiru, look out!" Fakir called from shore.
"Run!" Rue pushed herself away and Ahiru fell into the water.
It was quiet, and for a moment, Ahiru sunk, bubbles surrounded her and it was peaceful, as if none of this was real. None of this had happened, she'd break through the surface and it would have been like it was before.
Ahiru turned and started kicking, taking in the deep breath as she breached.
Rue was gone and Mytho took her place, taking her hand and pulling her out of the water.
"Rue." Ahiru looked around her but Rue couldn't be found.
"Ahiru, are you alright?" Mytho asked.
"I'm fine, where'd she go?" Ahiru whipped her head around trying to find her. Soaking wet, she started to shiver, the rain making it hard to see.
"She transported herself away, Ahiru, she was going to attack you."
"What?" Ahiru looked up at him, she shook her head in disbelief.
Mytho gave her a sympathetic look, "I don't know- I don't know what has been happening with her."
"Rue kidnapped you, Mytho, we were really scared."
Mytho nodded. "I'm sorry to have worried you." He looked out across the water. "How do you suggest we get out of the lake?"
Ahiru shrugged, "I was able to just walk across it, before." She lowered her hands to touch the water but her fingers dipped in.
"How strange."
"Fakir!" Ahiru yelled, "How do we get off!"
"How should I know!"
Ahiru groaned. She stood and started looking for a way off, circling the island and looking towards shore. "I think there's a boat on the other side!"
Fakir heard, nodded, and started running along the perimeter of the lake.
Mytho put a hand to his head, he licked his lips and swallowed, suddenly feeling ill. "Ahiru, I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be of much assistance."
"What, why?" Ahiru turned just in time to see him topple over. "Mytho!"
