Scylla looked at the bed above her, then glanced at her palm in anticipation for Raelle's calling card. Only a few days since Beltane, but Scylla felt Raelle slowly slipping away. A side effect of her spell, they shared a deep connection that was now unbreakable, or at least until she could find a way to get rid of it. She faced the wall and drew a sigil into it. The scratched-up and dented wall warped to reflect Raelle speaking intensely with Anacostia. She seemed upset about the subject before they parted ways. A quick rap on the bunk bed's banister broke her focus. She whipped around face to face with Murare.

"Am I needed for something, ma'am?"

"Training, let's go."

Scylla pulled on her boots and followed the general to a clearing with the other younger agents. Stuck again with the inexperienced crew in a lesson of revision for around an hour. She found her mind wandering and no longer being under Willa's wing, her teachers took the opportunity to dig into her work and pick at her throughout the duration of practice. They were finally released to their own devices save for Scylla.

"Um… I'm sorry you can't join us, Euryale but we'll bring something back for you?" Khalia offered. "Do you know when you'll be taken off lockdown?"

"When I seem like less of a flight risk, I guess."

"Why are you a flight risk?" One of the nosier witches asked.

"I guess it seemed like I'd run from my past again."

They left the safe house with the rest of their classmates. Scylla returned to her bunk, facing her roommate's bed until she dozed off, or at least until she was rudely awakened by a voice calling out to her. She glanced around the barren room, convinced she was either losing her mind from boredom or stress. Dismissing the sound, she relaxed back in her cot until she heard her name again. She sat up fully and slid out of bed.

"Warmer," the voice taunted as she approached the exterior wall. Scylla turned her head to the window. "Colder." She continued to the other exterior wall, "Warmer. Hot, red hot." She looked around the room, searching the floor and ceiling. "Look at the desk, Ramshorn." She followed her directions and opened a diary. Words began to crawl across the pages. "Found me."

"Who is this?"

"Quartermaine. Where have you been?"

"Trapped," she began to explain in a hushed tone. Scylla took a spot looking out of the window. "You crafty little witch, how'd you manage to sneak this in?"

"I snuck it in one of your friend's bags. Are you safe?"

"Define safe. I'm being fed, but I've been found out. The leader thinks we're cohorts, thanks for that, by the way."

"What if we snuck you out?"

"So, I'd be fleeing from three blood-thirsty groups?"

"Not necessarily, Alder has found a new flame to follow and your leader's letter seems to have gotten her eyes off of you and to the Camarilla."

"That's good and all, but that just means that Alder and the Spree are both on my case. They might even come together to track me down. I hear someone coming, we'll speak later, Quartermaine." Scylla hit her head against the wall until the person entered the room.

"Are you trying to give yourself brain damage?" Willa asked from the doorframe.

"It'll give me something to do."

"How about this, I have a task for you. It's remote, I don't trust you that much, but important."

"Am I contacting your daughter again?"

"No, but don't stop trying. I need you to tell me about your contact, Anacostia. She's been snooping around here lately rather than strictly meeting at the cafe."

"I wouldn't know what she does with her free time," Scylla shrugged off.

"I'm sure you know more than you're saying. Until you give me something to use, you're stuck here. It's time to choose your side, Scylla."

"I have no idea what she wants or why she's been around."

"Have you had any contact with her outside of your meetings?"

"Yes."

"About what?"

"Raelle."

"And?"

"Nothing else, ma'am."

Willa studied her closely and nodded. "Don't lie, Ramshorn, you are on thin ice."

They continued to stare at one another, shared glares that culminated in an outburst of seed sounds. Scylla struck first with a wind strike enough to push her opponent back who held her position, her feet sliding back an inch. She quickly opened the window and dove out, falling and tumbling off the room to the backyard. Scylla clambered over the fence to the street and quickly slipped into the crowd. Willa called out to the generals as she sprinted after Scylla.

She continued down the street, looking through and down the street for the red-haired witch. Willa quickly came face to face with Anacostia out of a wisp of air. She felt the air get sucked out of her lungs in an instant.

"Leave her," she commanded her, "or I'll kill you next time."

Willa looked around the crowd, desperately trying to find a way out. She collapsed to the ground as Anacostia walked away. "Witch," she rasped. "Witch… W-WITCH!" She repeated. The crowd backed away from her as they searched for the perpetrator. Civilians helped her up, checking for injuries as Willa tried to find the soldier. "She went that way!" Her generals sunk back to the safe house as the mob made a mad dash down the street in search of a possible witch.

Scylla could hear the mob approaching in her direction. She quickly sank into a cove until they passed. Her heart pounded in her chest as her adrenaline subsided and the excruciating pain from falling off the roof came. Scylla fell to her knees and held her hand to her back as she tried to fight her tears. She felt a hand on her back and shoulder try to attend to her. Scylla found the strength to pull away, skidding down the alley to look at them.

A young man with a buzzcut looked at her in shock. He placed his hand over his heart and backed away. "Are you okay? There's a witch running around."

"I-I'm fine. I just fell, thank you," she whispered.

"Can I call an ambulance or something?"

"No, thank you."

"I'm Rey or Reynard," he offered her.

Scylla shrank away from his hand and used a dumpster to stand up, she pled to herself that he leave so she could do some work on herself. She nodded then squeezed her eyes shut while she went into slight shock. Rey began to whistle to her, his voice vibrating and echoing in her core. Her pain slowly subsided until she felt like she could make a quick dash for it.

"What are you? Who are you?"

"A good samaritan," he offered again.

"What are you, Camarilla, Spree, a Soldier?"

"None of the above."

"A Dodger?"

"A Civilian."

"Impossible?"

"I thought so, too."

"I don't believe you," she insisted before she backed up again. "And I don't trust you."

"I understand, but if you need help, here's a number," he placed a business card on the ground and walked out of the alley.

Scylla scrambled to it and read the text:

Reynard Calvistan - (555) 132-9494

802 N. Coronado St, MA, United States

She flipped the card over to a modern-looking emblem.

"He didn't even need to touch me," she whispered with one hand to her spine then continued through the alley.

Scylla stopped as she hit the edge of the city. The morning had begun to fade into the afternoon and she was homeless without a cent on her and contact to that organization. She flipped the card around in her hand then glanced around her current area. At this point she was a beggar, so she reorientated herself to find the destination. As she retraced her steps, a few things occurred to her. She had passed by the safe house before without knowing it. Enough for them to keep tabs on her because Rey happening upon her was no accident. She slowed down as she encroached upon the apartment complex. Scylla glanced at her surroundings then back up at the old building.

Mulling over which was the worse situation to be in, ten minutes from the Spree, homeless, or in debt to an unknown group of witches. She finally decided to fend for herself until she knew more about the group. Scylla felt someone grab her shoulder and push their weight into her side. She briskly turned to punch them in the stomach but was quickly stopped when the stranger revealed herself to be Quartermaine.

"You were here the whole time?" she asked the soldier.

"I have been trying to find you this entire time," Anacostia explained. "Let's go to a bar, I doubt the witches will show their faces anytime soon."

"On the contrary, they'll be even more vigilant with an asset on the run," she noted with a few glances around the street.

"So, you decided to stand here and, what, regard the city delights?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. I'm trying to blend in with the tourists."

"Uh-huh. You're coming with me until further notice. I can't promise you safety, but… I do have a place not far from the base you can stay at."

"Government-funded?"

"Only through my paychecks. It's a rundown place I've spruced up since I was given my position, and thanks to you, I've gotten a bit of a promotion."

"I'll take that."

"Why don't you fix your face. I'll meet you at The Drunken Hoof in two hours."

"A drink before five, I didn't know you wanted to get started early."

"It's been a long day, we could both use a drink."

"So, what do you need me for?" Raelle inquired Izadora from the metal exam table.

"I'm hoping to understand what happened with you and the mycelium wall," she nodded at her clipboard. "First, we need to do some preliminary measurements on you." Izadora quickly went through her reflexes and balance before moving onto her blood pressure. She pressed her stethoscope against her elbow as she released the air from the cuff. "Are you nervous?" she asked as she took note of her heart rate.

"A little, but I know I have no choice."

"Really? Your heart is going wild. I'd almost think you had just finished running a mile."

"That happens sometimes."

Izadora mulled over her thoughts for a while before nodding. "I'm sending you to the medical ward for a check-up. Can't do tests on you if you're still sick." She quickly signed off a piece of paper and handed it to Raelle before putting her belongings away. "Return when you have a few tests down, Collar. Until then I'll send you back to Wick."

"Yes, ma'am. May I ask what happened to your project that made you think I was the cause?"

"When we found out it had changed, we spent the first month trying to go through our logs to see if this had happened in the past but found nothing. The next few months were spent brainstorming until one night, on Beltane, she began to glow and pulse more than she had in the past. A brilliant blue I hadn't seen before. A student of mine was briefly working for the Health Center when she happened upon your file."

"My file?"

"We do routine checks to see when you were last given an exam and given your prior injuries, well you were on the list when she noticed something peculiar about your blood work. This whole heart thing you've got going on may be explained by your contact with the mycelium, but we won't know until you get checked out."

Raelle glanced down at the note with Izadora's stamp: Unexplained Tachycardia. Seemed to feel nothing, please check. "Tachycardia?"

"Fancy word for fast heart rate. It's common in people who have had heart conditions like your injury last year."

Collar pulled on her clothes and began towards the infirmary. She was quite surprised that Izadora didn't make note of the S-shaped scar on her palm, nor the slight scaring when she tried to get rid of it the day before. Taking note of what her superior had written, Collar must have begun to ignore the bizarre emotions and physical alterations she experienced from being connected to Scylla. As much as she tried to ignore the feeling, Raelle began to dwell on her partner's current situation that may have caused her to go through this physical trauma. She mindlessly drew the S into her palm and whispered the incantation before pulling on her gloves as she neared the road.

"Raelle!" she heard Tally called down to her. "Wait right there!"

She did as she was told and waited for her old unit mate to meet her on the street. "Abigail told me that you were being pulled out of class."

"How'd she know about that?"

Tally shrugged then continued, "What are you doing with the Necros? Are you switching focuses?"

"No, no. I could never do that whole Necro thing. They're basically pawns for the Army. How's your training?"

"Boring now. We've been learning how to access and project our sight, but it's all mundane. For the most part, I think about you and Abigail during it."

"Not even your side thing?"

"Never," she assured Raelle.

"Have you seen her since your fight?"

"No, and I really don't care to. You know how she is with caring about literally anyone else."

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Don't act like you don't care about her. We're a unit."

"We were a unit. It's time we actually grew up. I mean, look at you. You've changed a helluva lot since we met. Now that we're being specialized we shouldn't be so keen on staying together when we're just going to be shipped off-"

"Hey, you know our training, in general, doesn't end here. Once we finish our first year, they're going to put us into platoons? These will be the witches we fight alongside until the end."

"While I know you meant for that to be encouraging to our relationship, I really don't want to see you die," Raelle admitted.

"What's going on in your life, Rae?"

"A lot. Too much, in fact, but I don't feel like talking about it."

"Please don't bottle it up," she pled. "Know that I'm here for you like I always have. I care about you and I know that Abigail does, too." Raelle nodded shamefully and continued on her task until Tally called, "Let's meet for dinner?"

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, even with the knowledge that she'd probably ambush her with Abigail. "Are you free for a while? I have to check in with the infirmary before I can continue with Izadora's prodding and poking, but I'd like to chill with you for a while."

"Oh, yeah! I'm all done with my classes today, so I'm free today."

They continued to the Health Center, checking in and Tally making light conversation with the soldier at the front desk while Raelle was led to the back. Collar followed an intern through the familiar corridor, reminding her that she's probably seen this building more than most other soldiers or cadets. She smirked at the thought and silently continued to a private room for a doctor to proceed.

"Thank you for your-"

"Of course," she quickly cut her off, instantly closing the curtain to avoid further conversation. A few minutes passed until a soft rap on the door broke the silence.

"So, Collar, I hear you have a note from Dr. Izadora?"

"Yes, ma'am," she produced the note.

"I was afraid this would happen. Have you been having issues with your heart or light-headedness?"

"Not any more than usual. Sometimes during drops, I'll feel a little woozy, but the meds help with that."

"Good. The side effects can sometimes cause an increased heart rate, but not enough to put it over 100 bpm at rest. I'm going to take a few measurements with you in different positions, so please stand up." Fellthorn proceeded to take her bpm standing, sitting, and laying on her back. She wrote down her results then sat before the soldier. "My professional opinion is that you are healthy. I can't explain why she picked it up. My best guess is you were nervous about whatever she has planned for you, so when you're feeling stressed or have emotions that raise your blood pressure, breathe and go to your happy place. I'm not comfortable with increasing your doses. Talking about your injury, are you having any anxiety from your VAD? Any worries or concerns?"

"No, I'm not- like- scared it'll stop working. I'm aware that it's rare."

"Good. Um… I also know you have another check-up next week, would you like to do that now or on your appointment?"

"I'll come back for that."

"Okay, well you have my signature, good luck with your project, Collar."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Raelle went back down the hallway to Tally who was still actively speaking with the soldier at the front desk. She hopped up and joined her friend as they strolled around campus.

They passed the dorms in silence until Tally finally asked, "How do you feel about the tests Izadora is having you do?"

"I'm not sure yet. We were supposed to begin today, but she was concerned about my heart, so yeah. I'm kind of glad to see that they don't want to kill me outright, but I wish I knew what she had planned for me."

"Have you had any contact with Scylla since last week?"

"Constant."

"Have you responded?"

"No, I need to move on, but I think she has something to do with my body functions."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, sometimes I feel emotions or- like- physical things when they don't match my situation."

"Really? Interesting."

"Annoying really. If this keeps up, I may have to have the VAD longer."

"What were you feeling that caused this whole thing?"

"Fear, kind of, and flightiness. Like she was running away, so that's a soothing thought. Enough about me, really. How's training been?"

"Good, good. We have a new male witch in our class. Gregorio. He's interesting. He knew me?"

"How?"

"He said he was at Charvel's wedding, but I don't remember him."

"You were a bit preoccupied with everything that day."

Tally nodded and avoided delving further into that memory. "Well, apparently, we're getting ready to be sorted into our platoons by next month."

"Already?"

"Yeah."

"Are you even specialized?"

"No, I'm not even sure what I'm best at? I think I could qualify for Knowers in the Intel squad, a comfy desk job that my mom would prefer, but I've been visited by General Clary who leads the Special Ops corps, so I'm not entirely sure where I'm going to go."

"Well at least those both call for some more training, you guys just might be a little behind. But it's good to see we're still getting special treatment."

"Benefits to a Bellweather."

"And being damn good at your job, that helps, too. But, what is Gregorio like?"

"He's nice, kind of a himbo, but cocky."

"We like 'em adorkable, better than a pick-me guy."

"Oh, my Goddess, I know. In passing period, you would not believe how many desperate guys there are, especially since I know Abigail. It's like she has the Midas touch."

"Luckily, haven't had to deal with that."

"It got tiring after the third month, now it's just distracting. What about on your end, anyone of interest to you?"

"Not really, Scylla kind of fucked me up. So, I think I might just take a break from dating and the like until I'm better."

"I understand. Not even to recharge?"

"No, not even to recharge," she confirmed. "I'm not interested in that."

Tally nodded as they continued down the row of classrooms and fresh recruits getting yelled at by the new Drill Sergeant. "I know Anacostia still has her title, but why isn't she leading the new recruits?"

"Do you think she may have been kind of pushed into another role?"

"No, I don't recall Alder even thinking she knew about the puppeteering."

"Ew."

"I know, but… I kind of understand why she felt pushed, I mean if she hadn't done that, Khalida and Adil would have been the last of the Tarim."

"Still uncool. Disgusting in fact. I'm just glad nothing's come out of that. Can you imagine the number of hate crimes and Camarilla recruits we'd face?" Raelle cringed in pain as she felt a sharp cramp in her spine.

"Are you okay?"

"I feel like I fell off a roof."

"Do you think it could be Scylla?"

"Oh, I know it's her. She's in trouble and it's pulling me in again."

"Pulling you in?"

"The work we did on each other has tied our bodies together. I feel like I have a twin now, maybe not that term," she corrected. Raelle twisted her back with a loud series of cracks before they continued. "Let's keep going. What's going on with your face?"

Tally quickly fixed her expressions and shrugged, "Don't worry about it."

"Tal."

"I'm just worried. Maybe we should try to cut the tie?"

"I tried, but I'm kind of mixed about seeing Scylla again."

"Do you remember what she did to make the mark?"

"She whispered something and the scar appeared, but… I don't remember how I did it to her. I just knew."

Scylla waited in the corner of the bar until she spotted Anacostia in the corner. She carefully watched her from the dark until she was sure it was the real soldier she was looking at.

Scylla slid beside her at the bar, politely asking, "Is this seat taken?"

"It is, actually. For a confused kid."

Scylla cocked her head to the side for a split second before nodding at her words. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I'm just here to offer you a place to stay. As far as I know, my place is secure and only an hour away from the fort. It's not much, but I don't think you're really in a place to choose where you can stay. You certainly burned that bridge."

"Would I be allowed to visit Her or at least speak to Her in person?"

"I couldn't see why not? I'm not too sure she'll be all that excited to see you, though. I think she's just trying to figure out what she wants."

"Could I at least speak with her to clear things up?"

"We'll have to be careful. I'm sure they haven't finished whatever it was they wanted with her to begin with."

"They most definitely aren't done with her."

"Did you really have to get chased?"

"You offered me a place to be where I would be free and that's all I really want in the end."

"I guess I just thought you'd dig your heels in more."

Scylla mulled over her response, deciding to indulge her new companion. "Maybe you're finally getting through to me. That sounded less cheesy in my head, but I'm willing to try something different now that I have nothing left."

"That works for me. After this round, let's head back to my place."

"What a cheeky way to phrase it," Ramshorn winked.

Anacostia downed her glass of wine and left a tip on the bar on her way out. Scylla followed her to a white car before they drove off in silence. Once out of the Spree's territory, Anacostia flipped on the radio and asked, "What do you think the Spree will do now that you and I have escaped?"

"Probably remotely contact you or Alder and switch locations."

"Do you know any safehouses they would go to?"

"Normally we don't find out until we return. They leave a message somewhere hinting at who to ask or the location, but… well, they do have a place up in New York. I think it's in the more rural part of New York."

"Do you have a name for the town?"

"Yes, but I'm not going to tell you yet. You may be housing me, but I'm not about to give everything up to you. I still believe in the Spree." Anacostia only nodded at her words as they passed through a small town. "So, how do you blend in here?"

"This is a fairly Purple area, so I don't worry about that. It's smart of you to stay in those Camarilla hot zones."

"What?"

"You've been there for a year. Did you not notice the Camarilla outreach groups?"

"That wasn't my job. I spent my time keeping tabs on Alder's next moves and Raelle. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised, though. It did seem more hostile around the area."

They pulled up in the garage of a small blue house. It looked like the old military housing from the 50s, trim and all. Even the front door had a copper mail slot and window. The house was immaculately clean when they walked in, something I'm sure was deeply ingrained in her since her childhood.

"How long have you had this place?" Scylla asked as she inspected the house.

"Probably four years now. Your room is the last one on the right. I live here on the weekends, so I'll bring food for the week. I know you're going to be living just as you did with the Spree, but hopefully, we'll think of something before you're found out." She checked her watch and grabbed her keys. "I have to go back to the fort, but I'll be back in about an hour."

"So, what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay low. I'll make an excuse to my neighbors so you can have some sort of life."