The Oz Of Illinois

by Yygriega

Harry Dresden doesn't exist in this world. instead, Dorothy Eusapia Misty-Lee Dresden must save the world and unravel it's mysteries.

THE OZ OF ILLINOIS

Chapter One: Bloody Business. (Death Masks)

I'm not what I would consider a beautiful woman. I'm apparently attractive enough to be leered at but folks like that don't have too high of standards in the first place. I'm tall, too skinny, my nose is a bit big and hawkish, and I can't do a thing with my hair. But despite all that, here I was on television. All my life combined, I'd never worn as much makeup as today, the wardrobe lady made me wear a skirt, which meant shaving my legs- ugh. My leather duster was pilfered, and my shirt that said Viking World Tour on the front and listed sacked cities on the back was replaced with a pretty white blouse with large black dots and lace in areas that necessitated I wear a strapless bra- double ugh! These boobs were not made for strapless bras!

I cautiously traveled up the carpet steps onto the stage and the men already in their seats stood for me. How sweet. I took my seat closest to the desk and carefully fell into it. It was rather low, suede, and directly under a blaring hot light. I was thankful for the light though, because it made me too blind to see the folks in the audience. I lifted a hand to shield my eyes, the clunky black jewelry and dangling earrings made me feel like miss Cleo. I guess I was expected to be, all things considered.

My name is Dorothy Eusapia Misty-Lee Dresden; conjure by it at your own risk. I'm a wizard. The crowd began to chant "Lah-ree, lah-ree, lah-ree." Until a man, just about average height with porcelain veneers and an immaculate suit came out from behind a curtain and jogged to the stage he smiled and waived to his adoring public and shook an elderly woman's hand while the audience erupted in cheers and whistles. A nudge from my elbow tore my attention away from my panic and to the little bald man seated beside me. "Breathe and smile Dresden."

"I've been in house fires that made me feel more comfortable," I whispered to Mortimer Lindquist.

"You asked for this meeting, not me."

"I asked to speak with you personally, not come onto this spectacle! How long you think this will take?" I asked Mort. He eyed the two men next to him and the two of us smiled at them before returning to our conversation.

"Quite a while, considering the extra guests. Hadn't you been on the show before?"

"Lets not open old wounds dear boy, tell me what you found out."

"Not a lot."

"Come on Mort."

"Wait for a commercial break." Mortimer straightened in his chair and I shifted in mine, checking if I had to fix my strapless bra. Larry pranced up to his desk and bowed before taking his seat.

"Thank you, thank you. Today our topic is Witchcraft- phony or fabulous? Please welcome back to the show Wizard, Dorothy Dresden!" the crowd applauded, and I smiled my Coalgate smile tilting my head to the side and shrugging with a quick nervous wave. I can't help it! "Next is our local medium Mortimer Lindquist, here to share their views and a few helpful tips about the occult." The crowd applauded again. "Next we have Father Vincent, who has come all the way from the Vatican to be with us today." The audience was thrilled. "He is a leading scholar and researcher within the Catholic church on the subject of witchcraft and magic, Father, welcome to the show." I applauded too albeit nervously. I was a bit uncomfortable being four feet from a catholic witch expert.

"Lastly, welcome to the show, Dr. Paolo Ortega, world-renown researcher and debunker of the supernatural, all the way from the university of Brazil at Rio de Janeiro." Larry said with a little samba at the end. He continued but I couldn't hear him, I just stared at the man. This famous debunker of the supernatural was in fact Duke Ortega of the Red Court. He was, in fact, the witness that claimed I was at fault for touching off the war between vampires and wizards. Many memories came to mind. Too many emotions came to the surface and a camera began to melt. Mort put his hand on my hand and I turned back to look at Mort who was nodding to Larry.

When I turned to Larry I asked "what?" the clever little biddy I am. The crowd found that funny. Larry made a gesture to have the smoldering camera rolled out and a new one was quickly brought in.

"Dorothy, I was just saying to our audience that you have yourself listed in the yellow pages under Wizard. You wouldn't happen to be from Oz would you?"

"Oh, uh…" I answered to get another laugh. "Well no, I was actually named after Dorothy Dietrich, a famous stage magician. My father was a popular magician."

"So you're following his footsteps."

"Not exactly. Magicians are people who use tricks to fool the mind, Wizards use true magic." The crowd laughed at me and a scene from Carrie came to mind.

"Would you explain what it is you do and the difference between a wizard and a witch."

"Well I don't mind being called a witch. The distinction of course is that a witch was considered anyone who used magic to harm."

"So you cause harm with magic?"

"Well I can but I don't; I am a Wizard, not a witch." I corrected nervously.

"What do you do?"

"Well I mostly do tracking spells on lost items, lost people, or pets. I consult on preternatural occurrences like hauntings, ghouls, and fairy mischief." The crowd laughed. I blushed under the makeup. I knew folks wouldn't believe but to treat my life like a joke was harrowing.

"And Mortimer, you are also a returning guest, but explain for any new viewers what it is you do."

"I see dead people." Mort said, holding his fists to his chin like he was pulling sheets up. I rolled my eyes but the crowd loved it. I looked past him to eye Ortega and breathe. He looked different today than the last time I saw him, but I was so wound up over the show I wouldn't have recognized him any way. Last time he looked younger, smoother, and slender with lighter skin, and a colorful suit. Now he had gray in his hair, tanned skin with deep laugh lines about his eyes and mouth, and a few creases between his brows and under his eyes but not so prominent. He wore thin spectacles low on the bridge of his nose and his broad frame was padded with extra muscle and fat to make him seem less the shining example of a dictator in his prime and more a family man, a teacher, or a scientist.

Some time passed and Larry said we would return after a brief message then put his hand on mine. I didn't catch what he said; I just booked it. I faltered a bit in the heels I'm unaccustomed to wearing. I'm just over six feet tall so heels were a bit much. Mortimer chased me down and the two of us stopped in the hall so I could breathe.

"What is it?" he asked. I'm rarely the one afraid between the two of us.

"Vampire… Ortega…" I panted.

"You took off before I could say hello." I jerked away, holding up my shield bracelet and took a defensive stance against Duke Ortega. The dumb heels put me off balance and caused me to wobble and trip sideways instead but Ortega rushed up and caught me. "Dresden." He said suavely, holding me rather close for comfort.

"Doctor. I always wanted to say that. I'm fine now, you can let go." I tried to back away but the vampire's grip was too tight and strong. "Get off of me." I snapped.

"Relax. I don't intend to kill you on television. I wish to talk." I felt a pull from behind my skull down my spine to my lady parts toward him. A damned stupid glamour all vampires have.

"We should get to makeup. You're sweating bullets." Mort interjected, placing a hand on my arm where Ortega held me. He let go, probably noticing Mortimer for the first time, then bowed gallantly and returned to the stage. Mort and I really did go to makeup, where a man I sincerely hoped was gay adjusted my breasts quite invasively, and fixed my hair, then dabbed the sweat off my face to cake on more powder.

Fluffed and powdered, I returned to my seat and Larry was busy scolding a girl in a headset and polo shirt. She left, groveling all the way. Larry patted my hand then it was show time. He spun in his chair and adjusted his suit and then began rambling again. "Doctor Ortega,"

"Please, call me Paolo, or Paul if you prefer… all of you." Ortega said giving me a confident smirk.

"Paolo, you are the premier analyst of paranormal phenomena in the world, debunking a wide variety of supernatural occurrences. Can you tell us a little about that?"

"Certainly. I have investigated many of these events over a great number of years, and never once could I not find an adequate scientific explanation. Crop circles, vampires, hauntings… all odd but by no means supernatural." He said, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers in his lap. I snorted. Crap. I had snorted because the vampire was on national television claiming vampires were a hoax. I'm not great at lying but I do it so rarely. This was bold and widespread. It gave me a nasty taste in my mouth. "Right here in Chicago, you had a storm of toads. It was later discovered that they were blown in from elsewhere."

"Dorothy?" Larry asked. "You disagree?"

"Supernatural, magic, and paranormal are all quite subjective terms. In the past chemistry and advanced engineering was called magic. These days we think we know better; so many things we dismiss because surely it can't be magic. Yes, it can be explained through science, but its not a yet wholly understood science… it's magic. These days folks are more likely to believe in a conspiracy of coincidences led to a specific event rather than the simple belief that something preternatural had occurred."

"Interesting. Would you like to demonstrate this psudo-science of magic then?" Larry asked.

"You know that's not practical." I advised Larry. The last time I was on his show I melted three cameras by the first commercial break, and exploded half the lights starting a fire. "Magic intervenes with technology. I don't want to blow anything up again, I'm still paying off that lawyer I needed from your lawsuit against me back then." I chuckled. He too laughed and the audience followed suit.

"So Paolo, in your opinion, practitioners are-" Larry switched gears.

"Frauds." He looked me in the eye then looked away with a smirk. "No offense to your guests here." He put out a hand like he was handing out candy. "But I feel those who aren't just deluded are just excellent con artists. Why, with my knowledge and experience, it wouldn't be hard to convince everyone here I was a vampire." He laughed like it was so incredible. I laughed too, tossing my hair from my back to around my neck on his side. I didn't want his demonstration to be too easy if he tried. The room got hot and things began to sizzle and pop, blowing sparks and causing the audience to shout in collective surprise.

"We better take another break; we're having technical difficulties. Be right back with an interview of our friend from the Vatican." Larry gave me a stern look but his eyes traveled down to my chest, which, in his defense, was eye level. I covered my chest with my hand then pulled up my bra. I must have lost weight sitting under the lamps for so long. The bra was sliding down.

Ortega stood in my escape path, ushering me to remain seated, then gave Morty a look that spoke 'scram.' Mort was happy to, not wanting to be that close to a vampire. Ortega took the seat next to me and put his hand on mine as he spoke. "Dresden, I've come with a proposal."

"I'm just not ready to settle down yet." I snapped back.

"The fact is, I've been sent to kill you, but I'd hate to waste such a talent as yours, so I propose one of two things… give yourself to the red court, becoming one of ours, or engage me in single combat. When I honorably slay the symbol of this conflict, it will end the war."

"Just like that?" I asked. I looked around nervously and licked the sweat off my apple red painted lips. The lipstick tasted disgusting. A stagehand brought us bottled water, which I guzzled nervously. "And if I win? The war goes on, and the next loon is sent to kill me?"

"Chicago will be made a neutral territory, you and your loved ones will be safe, and the mortal assassins I have following your friends will be called off." He said calmly. I sputtered the last swig of water and my makeup man came to dry my face and powder my nose. He kept his hands out my blouse this time, but still fixed the girls.

"If you agree to my terms, I'll call them off this second." He offered.

"I won't be made a vampire." I scowled at him.

"Good, then you will duel me, I'm glad."

"Even if you win, I could still kill you with my death curse."

"I am not so important as the whole of the court. I will gladly give my life to end the suffering of both my people and the innocent mortals caught in the conflict."

"Hells bells: dedicated, honorable, self-sacrificing, courageous… stop it before I start to like you." I grumbled. He laughed; a baritone rumbles from his deep hairy chest. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Damn stinking glamour! "I'll need it in writing with a copy sent to the wizard council."

"And then you will agree?" he asked. I nodded but before words made it out my mouth Larry interjected.

"Oh we played musical chairs while I was out?" Larry asked. While we're switching seats, how about the two of you move so I'll be closer to Father Vincent?" Larry asked. I jumped to swap with Vincent and sit by Mort again. Ortega smirked to himself.

I couldn't pay attention to what Larry and Vincent were saying, I was too busy trying not to freak out and run away. Once filming was done, with only two cameras and one light irreparably damaged, and a few bulbs fried, I changed back to my clothes and left the studio for the blue beetle. Father Vincent was waiting at my car.

"Padre." I said courteously with a curtsey. He scrambled to bow and reached out his hand. I gave him mine and he captured it between both of his.

"I must confess." He began. I laughed. "Yes I haven't overlooked the humor in that, but I'm not only here to appear on the show."

"Oh. You came to see me, then?"

"How did you?" he began to ask. "You see, Father Forthill recommended you…" wow, I didn't even think Father Forthill thought of me, let alone favorably enough to make a recommendation.

"To do what?"

"Its rather sensitive in nature…" Vinny said.

"You think I'm a crackpot, a scam artist, a charlatan, and if I'm for real, well… we all remember the inquisition." I said in response.

"I just know you are the best investigator in the city for lost items, and an expert of the occult."

"Oh… I got ya. Well if Forthill thinks I can help, I'd be glad to try, for my standard fees of course."

"Yes of course. And you can spare me the magician rigmarole-"

"Wizard."

"My dear child, you don't truly believe in such things do you?"

"You believe in wizards too padre. They mimicked Moses's miracles to prove to the king that Moses was just another trickster."

"You are well versed in the bible then."

"You'll find most people who aren't religious are more educated in the scriptures than those who are." I winked at the priest. "Shall we head somewhere a little more private?" I asked the priest. "To discuss the details of the case." I finished. I didn't want the padre thinking I was coming onto him. I had a long misunderstanding with my old postal worker over something similar. He quit my route.

"Oh yes, I have photographs in my hotel room along with some-" he was cut short when I dragged him to the ground in time to avoid being shot. The shots were silenced which meant instead of being ear splitting; it was about as loud as a book falling off a table. "What's going on?"

"A hit!" I answered incredulously. I popped open my trunk at the front of my beetle and took out my shotgun, chambered a round and rolled onto my back to pocket the gun and bring it to bear. The attacker came around the back of the car as I did all this, and shot at me… and missed! He was 20 feet away and missed! But I fired at him, causing him to retreat. I watched him get into a vehicle driven my none other than Cujo, a red-haired linebacker sized bodyguard for John Marcone. "Get in the car!" I roared as I chambered the next round, pocketed the shotgun, and stood over the hood of my car to fire another shot. Cujo swerved and rushed on down the road. The other way was covered so someone was there to shoot out my windows trying to hit me. We both ducked instinctively, but after hauling ass down the road I felt certain we either lost them or their silencers gave out so they'd have to quit.

After driving a few blocks in no particular pattern I felt comfortable enough to put the shotgun away. "Where to?"

"Does this happen to you often?"

"More than most but not a whole lot."

"Oh my…" he said.

"My sentiments exactly." I sighed. When we got to the motel, we rushed right in, and got to work. Basically the old padre didn't trust the police and a crew called the Church mice stole a priceless relic from the Cathedral of Saint John the Baptist. I was supposed to keep the whole thing hush-hush. Oh the relic? The freaking Shroud of Turin! Father Vincent believed in its significance, but its power was another story all together. Father Vincent wrote his number on some stationary from the motel and I passed him my own card before I headed home.

When I got out my car I felt something cold and slithery over my flesh. You know, other than the February chill. I found its source when a vampire jumped out of my basement stairway at me. I put up my blasting rod where his teeth intended to chomp down on my throat then fell backwards, kicking my legs forward. I felt his slobber speckle on my face. We flipped so that I was atop him, and he was chewing stick. When I lifted my hand to conjure fire at him, he freed himself of his bit and his hands flew at my throat. I crammed the magical fire into the face of his flesh mask, exposing the hideous beast within, then tossed the rod to my firing hand and blasted more at him. He hissed and fled but I should have known he was just a diversion.

The rod was kicked from my hand then another blow hit me low in my back. I spun with my shield and deflected the next two hits then threw my weight into a punch to my assailant's jaw. "Forzare!" the rings on my fingers do more than look tacky, they also store up kinetic energy to be released with a little will and a magic word. I heard bones snap and crunch as his head was forced around too far, and he dropped like a bag of Legos. I fell to my knees, disoriented by the narcotic vampire spit, then resolved myself to drag my happy ass indoors. I tried to shower it off in a shocking cold shower, then climbed naked under my covers.

The narcotics were wearing off and my body was relaxed, no longer shivering, just enjoying the smooth feeling of soft sheets on soft skin so the phone went and rang just to mess it all up. I picked it up and had a tone of 'what the hell do you want?' but what I actually said was "hello?"

"Sorry to wake you Dresden." Karen Murphy; my good friend, and a girl so cute I want to vomit when I see her, was on the other line. "I was calling because I wanted your take on something."

"Sorry Murph, I'll head right over." I said rubbing my face.

"I'm at the morgue." She replied. Now normally I would find that discomforting but Murphy was a cop. She was head of CPD Special investigations, the part of the mortal authorities that handled all the weird stuff.

"Yeah, gimme a sec." I said rolling out of bed and begrudgingly dressing again. I got to the morgue and was greeted- gag- by Murphy. She didn't look like a monster hunting Valkyrie; more like a cheerleader. She had blond hair and blue eyes, always cut in a style over her eyes long in front and short in back. She would clip it into a pompadour if she truly expected to shoot somebody that day, and typically she never left home without her second chance vest on. I could tell she wasn't in it today because I could make out her slender frame and curves. Her hair was straightened, she wore makeup for once, and earrings. That being said, she was a monster hunting Valkyrie.

"You wearing makeup? And your hair is done…" she observed.

"I went on the Larry Fowler show today. I'd taken a shower and washed my face but this is the first time my hair has ever been down-worthy so I protected it."

"Stage makeup is tough to get off. Good luck with that... You look nice." She said as she led me toward loud polka music. In the stark white and metal room a man sat scribbling on some forms. When he looked up he stood straight away. A lab coat and bunny slippers complimented his scrubs.

"Karen- Wowza. Why you look so fancy?"

"Municipal brass stomping around."

"Ah, that explains your Sunday best. This must be Dorothy Dresden."

"That's what it says on my panties." I replied, holding out my hand. The man shook it. I can't explain the chills I get when dudes try to kiss my hand. If you don't wear ironic t-shirts and you cut your hair often enough to recall the last time you cut it, kissing hands is a sleazy move. Then again, if you are handsome and European, it's kind of expected.

"Dresden, this is Waldo Butters." Murph introduced.

"You're beautiful!" he blurted out, looking at me the way doctors do when I'm in their office about another concussion. It wasn't exactly admiring, more examining. "Uh…" he cleared his throat. "I just wasn't expecting that."

"Oh, well that makes me feel better." Before he could blunder over apologizing I put up my hand. "What am I here to look at?" I asked. He snapped on gloves and pointed to a tray with masks.

"Please stand back, put on the masks and please, please, please don't vomit on my floor." He advised us. I put on the mask and grabbed the trashcan just in case. When Butters noticed, I raised a brow daring him to protest. He blushed, cleared his throat and drew back the sheet over the corpse.

I almost puked at once. What? I'm a delicate fucking flower. I closed my eyes and turned away. I had seen plenty. "Gee, wonder what killed him." I asked mildly.

"Well all this was done post mortem." Butters said, looking closely at the corpse. "I'm still waiting for the tests to come back, but my best guess is the plague killed him. Or multiple plagues."

"Why are we standing here chatting over him? Shouldn't he be quarantined or something?"

"He's disinfected pretty well. Just stay back, and keep your mask on, you should be fine." His calm demeanor was both comforting and unsettling.

"You got time of death?" Murph asked.

"48 hours tops. Some of these cuts were ante mortem the only way I can imagine what happened to him was that multiple different viruses were introduced to his system at different times, considering their incubation period, so that he would come down with all these illnesses at once. Once their little experiment was done, they chopped off his limbs and Ginsued the rest of him. That's pure theory though. There are some holes in that logic but it's the closest thing to believable I have." Butters stammered.

"Must have done it so he couldn't be identified." Murph said, apparently unphased by the man chop on the table.

"Is that a tattoo?" I asked indicating the bicep. It was small faded green, in a geometric/almost Egyptian open eye. "Can I get some paper?" I asked him. "Please?" I rushed to add so I wasn't too demanding. He waived a finger in the air like I reminded him of something.

"Do you one better." He snapped several photos of the tattoo with one of those instant Polaroid cameras and passed one to Murph and one to me. Keeping two to himself.

"You recognize it, Dresden?" Murph asked.

"Not quite. I'll look into it. So guy dies of a zillion diseases at once, how long would that take? Days?"

"Hours." Butters replied.

"Where was he found?"

"Under an overpass, naked, wrapped in tarp." Murph answered.

"It seems odd now but before the autopsy, why did SI get this one?"

"All of Homicide is focusing on a big case from the Municipal court. Why?" Murph read my expression. "What's up, Dorothy?" I looked to Butters then nodded to Murph. She followed me to take off our masks in the hall and I looked around.

"Bunny slippers!?" I whispered to Murph. She burst out laughing.

"Don't knock it."

"Yeah, okay but the polka-"

"What do you got?" she asked me seriously.

"Well it wasn't a coincidence or even mortal magic, that's about it. I caught a case that aside from the plague sounds similar to this. I promised my client that I'd keep it hush-hush so I can't tell you anything. Maybe if you asked Interpol about a thief named LaRouche, they could say but I'm staying out of it."

"Of course you are, you tight lipped bastard." Murph smiled wryly at me. "Give Butters a chance though. He's good at what he does and he's… open minded."

"Ew, you two aren't-" I asked making an obnoxiously lewd gesture. She laughed.

"No… he's single." She twitched a brow at me. Ugh a set-up

"Shut up. Okay I'll track this tattoo angle for you. If things get…" I made a grand messed up gesture with my arms, "messy, I'll clue you in." I said.

"Jeeze. A half dozen hitters are in town, morgue doing double duty, City Hall making us bend over backward for some foreign dignitary, and now a plague demon or something is leaving chopped dude under bridges." Butters poked his head out the room to wave at me excitedly while I left. Murphy snorted and waved too. I was exhausted. It was an eventful day.

As I walked across the alley the half a block from the hospital to the lot with my car, I felt another chill. I held my keys with my right hand, but instead of the car key, I held a charm that functioned a lot like a Taser. If anything got close I could zap it with the electricity stored inside. I reached out with my senses and felt nothing so I hurried along. I passed a little old man in worn old clothes, hobbling along on a thick wooden cane. A while further down I spotted a black youth in a too tight old sweat suit and too big raggedy old jacket, gripping a bottle of vodka.

I felt silly. I was just being jumpy. I don't know if men get this way but every time I'm alone in public I almost expect to get jumped, especially in a big city with a track record like Chicago's. I don't carry a purse, I wear pants, layers, a belt, have my keys out like a weapon, they are a weapon; I like to think I'm a hard target but it never really makes me feel safe. I don't look like easy prey. So there's that… but some predators like a challenge.

Like the bear barreling toward me! I was shocked for a moment but my feet knew what to do. They were fleeing the beast before I made the choice to. I thought about shrieking. I wanted to. My throat constricted and breath built in my chest but what the hell does screaming do? I pocketed the Taser keys and pulled out my blasting rod to conjure fiery red light to see the damn thing. It had six legs, ram horns, two extra sets of eyes, and a second row of teeth. AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! I have a deep voice for a woman but my screams are just as shrill and loud as the women on campy horror movies.

It threw itself at me in a leap but I fell so it would over jump me. I turned and dashed the other way down the alley I jumped over some cardboard boxes, tripped and fell onto the young man. He swore, I swore, then I pulled him to his feet and tugged him my direction. "Move, move!" I beckoned him, pointing excitedly at the beast approaching. His eyes widened and he joined my flight.

A few more seconds of running and we ran into the old man. I screamed in frustration rather than fear. "Get him out of here, both of you, RUN!" I had no choice but to face the bear, as long as it took to get the civilians away anyhow. I conjured fire at the beast with a word and it faltered, tripped then slid to a few feet away. When it turned its eyes to me a soul gaze began unexpectedly.

"You're human?" I whispered incredulously as I fell forward onto it's massive head. After catching my bearings I rushed backward in a sort of crabwalk and watched it rear up on its hind legs and roar. I instinctively threw another lance of flame toward him, this time it bounced off. The orange eyes flared brighter. I shambled to my feet to run again but was flanked by the two derelicts from earlier. "Run!" I cried out, trying to do so myself.

The old man was Asian, long bearded, and wore glasses. He took them off and shoved them at me "hold please." Then lifted his cane. When the bear came down after him, he sidestepped, spun with his hands up, then slapped the cane down on the bear's head, snapping his jaw shut with a crunch. Ouch. He darted before the beast and drew his blade to cut it's throat but it ducked out of the way only losing an ear. It screamed and held it's wound then snarled at the old man. I came to a conclusion when I recognized the sword. This old man was a knight of the cross.

"Oy Ursiel. Let the lady go." The old knight commanded.

"Shiro, little fool. You have grown old and weak. You can not defeat me."

"Are you here to talk?" Shiro asked the beast.

"No." it snarled.

"Then stop talking!" Shiro moved like a shaolin monk in those movies Murphy loves, all one fluid movement as if he knew how the fight would go and choreographed a dance for it. The young man put a hand on my shoulder, pushing me down to the ground as I tried to leap to the old man's aide. He gave me an intense look, then stepped into the ring. The young man's movements were crude, just the sort of skill one earns from a lot of fighting but with no formal training. Nonetheless it was smart and fast. The two seemed to have the beast on the ropes, but Shiro was too eager for the kill and was smacked down, but Michael Carpenter came out of freaking nowhere and delivered the fatal blow.

The men folk exchanged their niceties as I sat on my rump still dumbfounded. Michael looked over to me and smiled broadly. The young man, who was apparently Russian, offered me his hand. I took it, and shifted my feet to stand but he yanked me off the ground by sheer strength. "Are you well?"

"Peachy." I answered with a weary smile. I moved past him and draped myself over Michael. He was my height, short cropped hair, cropped beard, and taken, but he was also a good and long-time friend. "How did you know to come here?"

"Good advice." He answered cryptically.

"pft- yeah, okay." I responded, hugging him tighter. "So I take it these are the other two knights?" I patted my cheeks and snorted up some sniffles.

"Are you wearing makeup?" he asked me, cocking his head to the side.

"I was on the Larry Fowler show again." I said rolling my eyes.

"Ah, well…" he straightened himself out and untangled me from him before introducing the others and explaining that this guy that took all four of us was one of 30 people possessed by fallen angels. Things were coming together in my brain but I didn't have the puzzle guide handy to figure it all out yet.

"Yep, you know what? I'm out of here. I'm going home, getting naked, and sleeping like a log till noon." I said tiredly.

"Unfortunately, we can not let you. We believe the fallen are here for you Dorothy." Michael explained, blushing a bit under his beard. We got to St Mary of the angels and Michael vanished to call his wife, Charity. She doesn't like me. Not that I can blame her but I kind of like her. Its not like I want to steal her man, I just want to hang out with him, he's good people. Unfortunately our interactions are restricted to fights for the perpetuation of mankind so she now associates my presence with her husband being seriously injured. There's just no winning. I flopped onto a cot and sighed.

"Am I sleeping over?"

"Yes, if you don't mind." Father Forthill answered as he brought food and tea out. I blew out an exasperated sound and removed my belt, bra (through my sleeves) and jacket, tossing them all on a chair. Padre and Shiro chuckled, Sanya scowled, Michael averted his eyes.

"So how long have you been a wiccan?" Sanya asked, sitting on a cot by mine and peeling the disguise off from over his clothes.

"A wha?"

"Er, Pegan, witch…"

"Honey, I'm a wizard."

"What's the difference?"

"Wizard has a z." I explained. To that he tilted his head confused. "Nobody appreciates me." I said, throwing up my hands. "Paganism and Wicca are faiths. I may use magic but I don't bother any structured belief systems with my nonsense. I'd just get kicked out. Instead I'm more like a mechanic. Things work a certain way is all, no gods or goddesses involved." I shrugged.

"So you are agnostic."

"Sure call it that."

"Me too." He said cheerily. I laughed, not because I didn't believe him but that it was a funny thing.

"How did you pick up the sword?"

"Michael gave it to me."

"He's never been to Russia."

"No… That Michael." Sanya pointed up.

"You get handed a holy sword with a mission to protect the weak by one of the winged serpents himself, but you still don't believe?"

"He could be from another planet or dimension." Sanya shrugged. I nodded. He was right. I took a sandwich and scarfed it down. After a conversation with the seemingly all-knowing Shiro I was left alone with Michael. He sat awkwardly on the cot beside me then after a long silence he blew out a breath of determination.

"Dorothy. I have to ask something of you… I know you will find difficult."

"Name it. I owe you big time, and you're my friend."

"Get out of town."

"No I mean it."

"I mean it too. Leave! Get out of this business. Be safe."

"You're kidding."

"I'm afraid not. Dorothy, I care about you. I can't let you be harmed in all of this. It's our fight, not yours."

"I can help."

"You'll be hunted." He raised his voice. It's a powerful voice. I shrank a bit. If my father lived long enough to remember would his voice have been so resonating? Would he be giving me caring advice like this? Who cares? He's dead, and I'd be damned if I put my own safety before another child's father, mother, or the children them selves! Being an orphan isn't terrible, but it ain't something I wish on anyone either.

"So what? Another B-horror-movie monster is hell-bent of killing me. What else is new?"

"They don't want you dead, Dorothy… they want you." He practically growled at me. I nearly wet myself. After some circuitous conversation I went to sleep. Sleep was shallow. I only got three hours- wait, that's all I ever get. So I guess sleep wasn't too bad. I crept out of the church and the all-knowing Shiro locked the door behind me, then I went right for my lab. My guard cat was by the door waiting to ambush me with love and reassurance, and when I got to my lab, Bob, the skull was waiting to ambush me with snark.

I asked him how to make a potion to keep vampire spit from affecting me like last night, then I asked him about the duel I was challenged to. After completing the potion and the lesson, I chatted with him about minced man meat, plagues, tattoos, and fallen angels. He didn't like that part. He gave me a lead and I sent him to spy on Marcone while I followed it. Talking to his oracle spirit friend was a lot better than other things I've summoned. She was nice, helped me out, and threw in a prophecy while we were at it.

I don't put much stock in prophecies. They're manipulative. Make you do what you might not have done otherwise which leads to the fulfillment of the prophecy. Take Romulus and Remus. Uncle was told his nephews would dethrone him so he orders their death and their mother whisks them away before its carried out. The boys grow up, come back and dethrone the guy. Had he just left them alone they wouldn't have even wanted to mess with his crown. He gave them a better reason by reacting to the prophecy. And so it repeats for Oedipus, Perseus, and Snow White, so on and so on. All of that aside, I was already bound and determined to do what the prophecy wanted me to do.

The phone rang as soon as my informant was gone. Good timing. "Dresden." I answered.

"Hoss." I smiled on my end. "Don't you worry about this duel nonsense, we're slapping it down."

"Neez! What? Don't. If I loose, it can stop the war." I was glad to hear my mentor's voice. I guess I reminded him of his daughter. We looked a lot alike from the single high school photo of her and the awesome clothes he gave me. He treated me like a daughter, and a decent human being, so I had a pretty high opinion of the guy.

"You intend to lose? Hoss!" his concern for me was heart warming.

"I just mean it's a win-win either way. He also said if I don't he has hit men following my friends they'll die if I don't." Ebenezer spat something in Gaelic then took a deep calming breath.

"You better tell me what happened." I filled him in and he spat another Gaelic swear. He told me about the war, we reminisced about the farm and a Russian satellite I mistook for an asteroid. "Whatever happened to that old telescope?"

"I packed it in the steam trunk in the horse stall."

"With the observation logs?"

"Yeah."

"Much obliged, girlie. Well I better call off the dogs. We'll agree to the duel if that's what you really want."

"I'll try not to lose… but if I do… there are some papers in my lab- you'll know where to find them." I choked up a bit. "There are some folks I'd like to protect."

"I understand. But you better win now. I'd be right cranky if I had to drive all the way to Chicago twice in so many years."

"I wouldn't want that." I smiled. We wished each other luck then I looked at the time. Seconds before dawn Bob teetered in straight to his skull and went to sleep. "Holly cats!" I swore. There was a trail of steaming purple plasma in his wake. Bob was a mess! I bustled about quietly cleaning my mess. I had found that as much as I hated to clean, an orderly lab was a far less destructive lab. The apartment above was clean and matched with a Moroccan air to it. Peace of mind meant efficiency of my magic. I heard the green ward flame flicker and puff and eyed it suspiciously. Next the yellow flame erupted into a tall bright flame and shrank to flicker and puff.

"Merciful Minerva!" I said, rushing out the sub basement and grabbing my staff. The red glow from my red candle erupted as I kicked the trap door closed and heard a car crunch over the gravel beside my apartment. A door opened, someone heavy walked around the car opened another door, then someone light… skipped toward my door. Whatever it was, first and foremost it was powerful! My mind raced as I heard it skip a few steps down to my door then hop a couple of times waiting for the heavy visitor to clomp down each step.

I looked to my cat that seemed nonplused by the visitors, and then there was a heavy rap at my door. Two knocks. "Who's there?" I asked

"The Archive." A man's brisk voice answered.

"The Archive who?" I asked. There was a child's giggle. At least someone appreciated me.

"The Archive who has been appointed emissary in this dispute, and is here to discuss the duel with Wizard Dresden."

The man was a bodyguard and the Archive turned out to be a little girl of about 7, cuuuuute, and refined. But still a little girl, so forgive me if I felt that not having a proper name was disgusting. I called her Ivy and Mister relaxed enough to let her play with him. We chatted about her predicament and the duel then she left me a number to have my second call then left. I checked in with Father Vincent and then gave Michael a call. Instead Molly answered the phone. Thank heaven. Charity was scary and if I asked to speak with Michael she'd just hang up.

Molly put the phone down to fetch her father then Charity answered and gave me crap. Michael was getting doughnuts, so I hung up, but not before hearing Molly give me a line from wizard of Oz about the wicked witch. I had to hang up before I laughed in Charity's ear. So then I went to the docks to find some church mice. They found me. Held me at gunpoint… took my coat. It wasn't a total loss though. I figured out what minced those dead bodies: Another Denarian. She had long hair made of blades, knees that bent the wrong way, and 4 extra eyes. I lost the girl and the shroud. The other girl died and the Denarian got away, but I survived. Yay.

I called father Vinny, hung up on his condescending ass, arranged for him to get me some threads from the shroud, and then checked out the stuff I stole from the Church mice. The phone rang. I exchanged an exasperated look with my cat then answered.

"Dresden."

"Oh wow. Your voice is… uh ahem." Butters trailed off.

"Butters, right?"

"Yeah. Uh… the germs are gone…"

"Germs?"

"The body that died of plagues… I checked it again because the lab said they found nothing, and all my tests were negative."

"Ah. Okay, I get it. The sunrise wiped out the plague spell."

"Vampire germs?"

"You should have known from all the tiny capes. No… magic spells are like a topical ointment. They only last for so long… you with me?"

"Oh yeah." Butters said with a strange tone.

"Only instead of wearing out over time, it is cleaned off by the sunrise."

"But the corpse was inside."

"Doesn't matter. Some spells are strong enough to need direct sunlight but the vast majority can just tell." I explained.

"So are the magic germs still infectious?"

"Its better to presume they are."

"Magic germs…"

"Magic germs." I confirmed.

"Is there a text book or journal on this stuff?"

"Bock's Books has a selection of the real stuff. He's expensive. The folks at the Arcane are fairly well informed… elsewise, you got me." I assured him. He coughed. "Oh hey, you mind giving me a call should anything like him turn up?"

"Well we just got a body… female, cut by the same blade; precise, cauterized, but sloppier than the other one. This was just one incision in the belly, one in the throat. Someone else is doing her autopsy." Butters explained.

"Oh damn."

"What?"

"I know what made those cuts. Its not something you can arrest either."

"Oh? Oh, did you ever figure out that tattoo?"

"Its called the eye of Toth. Pretty common though, its possible the tattoo doesn't mean anything. Oh, let Murph know about the samples and the connected bodies."

"Already did. That's how I got your number."

"Oh yeah."

"Uh… can I say something?"

"Shoot."

"Your number needs a 1-900 in front of it to mentally prepare a guy for your voice." He said seriously. I couldn't help but giggle.

"It's a good idea. I need the money. Well, I'll call Murph."

"She was headed to bed… when we talked- on the phone!"

"I'll wait then. Thank you Butters." I said. He stammered a bit so I added, "Good… morning." I almost said goodnight.

"Yeah- Heh- bye." I hung up and heard a knock at my door. Mister, my over protective boyfriend (yeah right) hissed at the door, rumbling in a cat-growl against my leg. I grabbed my blasting rod and answered.

"who goes there?" I asked. A low sexy rumble met my ears. One I now recognized to be Duke Ortega.

"Dresden, may we speak?"

"I have nothing to say to you. My second will get in touch with your second."

"I mean you no harm. As the code duello dictates, I may not threaten you in any way that might harm your chances in the duel."

"Then beat feet, pal."

"Please, I have information for you. I wish only to help."

"You want to help me?"

"Indeed. I wish to provide you with information that will surely motivate you to do the right thing in this duel." I thought of my gravestone courtesy of Bianca. It was inscribed with the phrase 'she died doing the right thing.' She had given it to me almost two years ago at a costume party. Karen was dressed as Gabrielle while I was dressed as Xena. My first choice of sidekick, Michael, was busy with his dying wife and dying newborn baby… until I killed Kravos and Bianca to lift the spell on them. Bianca was Ortega's daughter, I reminded myself. I didn't want to let my guard down. I opened the door and Ortega let himself in, leaving his power at the door.

"So talk."

"Its so cold in here." He commented. I had to change clothes from nearly drowning at the marina. I was now in a gray thermal shirt and black sweat pants so I hadn't noticed. Ortega chose his youthful appearance again. This time he was at eye level with me. He wore another handsome suit of black and azure.

"I mean, what do you want."

"I smell blood." He sniffed the air. "… gas, and lake water. Were you hurt… at a marina?"

"Not me, a woman died not 5 feet away from me." I grumbled. He nodded.

"When I watched you against my daughter I knew you cared nothing of yourself. The thought of people in the world suffering pained you worse than burns. You should reconsider becoming a vampire. You could be my duchess, and rule." He took a step toward me, I stepped back. "With you as Duchess of the red court, so much suffering can be stopped. Do you not want that? Power, authority, a chance to do more good?"

"Too late, I already took the duel." I crossed my arms. I realized I wasn't wearing a bra. Awkward.

"Was it a vampire?"

"No, it was a demon." I answered.

"Is there anything I can do to help? I wouldn't want you harmed… before the duel, that is."

"I got some leads to chase." I shrugged, looking a moment at the table where the note reading 'Mariot 2345' Ortega spared it a glance.

"Is that an informant meeting you at the hotel?"

"Not me, a buyer meeting a thief there. I don't know what the numbers are. Likely a time, maybe a room." I shrugged.

"A lot of footwork then." He said pensively. How about I take care of that for you?"

"Not necessary."

"You need rest. There are dark circles under your eyes and tracking a lead on so little information will be time consuming. You also need to arrange for a second to contact mine and to choose a weapon."

"What is your game?" I asked inpatiently. He wagged a finger at me then sat in my easy chair.

"You see… right now, all over central and south America, the red court owns everything. I am a sort of figurehead; a show of power occupying space but the true dictator is my wife, Arianna… Bianca's mother." He began, crossing his legs and lacing his fingers. "It is she who wishes vengeance against you and rallies our kind into war against the wizards. Under her, fleets of our kind descend on the mortals, addicting them to our kiss, lowering inhibitions, feeding on the entire town, and feeding on the many children born from the drunken visits, and creating more vampires to feed. It must stop. I am old, comparatively powerful, but I cannot overpower Arianna."

"At what point is this relevant to me?"

"I need you. With your help I can weed out the riffraff, cleanse us of the truly monstrous among our ranks."

"You came to offer to turn me so I can kill your wife for you, then start picking off all the badest of the vamps from the inside?"

"And sue for armistice between wizards and vampires. You of both worlds would be… of unique perspective."

"And on what would I feed?"

"Donors. We cycle servants out of the palace frequently so to keep from any long-term effects."

"And are they also from a nearby village, bred and poisoned into worship? Do children serve you?"

"You would be in a position to change all that."

"Answer the question." I snarled. He swallowed and nodded slowly. "Get out." Ortega stood slowly, close enough for me to feel his feverishly warm body heat. He strode to the door then looked back at me again.

"I beg you reconsider. Its hard to accept but you might do more good as a vampire duchess than as a meager wizard doing tricks for petty cash. Next time you pay rent for this hovel, think of the palace you could live in."

"Just kill your old wife an become your new. Yeah that's a good start to a relationship. Go now before I choose to fry you here and now." I threatened emptily. I figured if I did duel was off, and war was back on with my friends being picked off by assassins. Ortega bowed then left in his limo; The flashy ass hole. I took a nap then went to the Carpenter's house to talk to Michael. I got to see a disturbingly mature 14-year-old Molly, and help Charity and her platoon of children unload groceries. Shiro offered to act as my second instead of Michael, who was off slaying Denarians, and the all-knowing old man was plenty well versed on the code duelo.

I helped Charity prepare dinner, had a good talk… like I said, I like the woman. Strong, shorter than me, buxom, a holy good person… she just doesn't like me. For good reason, she thought of me as a bad omen more than some villain. When I got home, Murph was already inside. She talked to me about the case, what I saw, what eye-witnesses reported in, they said a super model in an old beetle was seen fleeing the scene. I was a little flattered. I'm tall and skinny enough. I can hardly afford to eat three meals a day and when I do, I must metabolize it quickly because nothing sticks. My chest practically caves in before my boobs start.

Murph warned me off the case so Rudolf wouldn't finger me as the suspect. The case was passed to homicide and Murph was forced to take a vacation. I gave her a cell phone to get info off of. She immediately took it out of my emp radius and checked it out. A dummy corporation with a p.o. box address was on it. Maybe how they did financial transactions. Murph noticed my missing coat, and maybe read a little too much into it but it was winter and I love that coat. I checked on Bob, still sleepy and incoherent, and then I was about to leave again when I got a call.

"Dresden." I answered.

"Dorothy, It's Paulo. My, your voice is sexy on the phone."

"I get that a lot. What do you want now?"

"The Marriott downtown is hosting an art gala this very night. Its being sponsored by the Chicago History and Art society."

"Never heard of them."

"Some very small elite club for the reprehensibly wealthy. John Marcone is the chairman of the board and I was just sworn in a few minutes ago."

"What for?"

"Just a formality. I also had to put up a five thousand dollar donation to charity."

"I've never even seen so much money in one place!"

"I figure as soon as the meeting is over, we could change and head to the gala."

"Together?" I asked skeptically. "Don't we need chaperones or something?"

"only while discussing the duel." He assured me. I actually felt less assured by that. "I'll fetch you something to wear." He added. "do you prefer white gold or silver?" he asked a moment later.

"I had no idea there were different shades of gold." I said incredulously.

"Oh my, yes. I can't imagine you're allergic then."

"No, just poor, thanks. You don't have to. I'll find something."

"Please, think of it as a disguise, or maybe pretend you're squeezing me for all I'm worth before killing me."

"No thanks."

"I wouldn't mind. Any preferences?"

I paused for a moment then when he somehow sounded anxous for my reply I blew out an exasperated breath. "I have a lot of scars on my front. And I think I look best in dark colors. And please no sequins." I said patiently. He rumbled a jovial laugh and thanked me before hanging up. I had to hurry and pick up some threads of the shroud and Shiro before the meeting.

Ortega's second turned out to be the white court vampire I met at Bianca's. he acted drunk and petulant at the meeting but I think it was an act. He kept a pretty good lid on his incubus vibes, which required a lot of effort as he claimed once before. Ortega bought my beer, held my chair, treated me like a lady; it was suspicious. After the meeting, Shiro stayed to chat with Kincaid and Thomas while Ortega escorted me to a gala.

My black nylon dress covered my arms, but not my shoulders, the front of my body but hardly the back, and fell to the floor but had a high slit in front. My mother's pentacle was tucked inside the dress with a chain of braided gold chains on the outside; one gold, one metallic pink, one silvery. Ortega called it tri-gold. There were matching earrings with three different colored pearls, and a nice ring that bore three tiny pearls on a gold band with diamonds bordering the band and clustered in with the pearls. It was all too much. My hair was curled with a strand braided and used as a tie, makeup was applied, and strappy heels were slapped on my feet. He passed me a purse for my magical arsenal. I kept my shield bracelet but stuffed a few things into the black little handbag.

As we entered the Marriott, I felt Ortega's warm hand slip under one of the crossed ribbons of fabric along my torso so that he could touch the bare flesh on the small of my back. He guided me toward the party like this, and leaned in to whisper "smile. These people care too much about image, you'll stick out if you keep scowling." Chills ran down my spine. I wanted to jerk away but I controlled myself. After introducing Ortega to a few upper crust types that I was surprised I knew, and sipping champagne with Susan Rodriguez, a reporter friend of mine, I begged to stop and eat.

"Can we grab some food? I need fuel for my fire spells and we still need to find the loading docks." I asked impatiently, feeling my face strain to smile and my teeth creak from being clenched so tightly.

"Patience. Once the auction begins we will have the chance to slip away. Assuming the number was a time, that will give us 45 minutes." Ortega assured me while guiding me to the buffet table by the small of my back again.

I sat with my sandwiches and watched Ortega sip champagne while he watched me with a small-satisfied smirk. "I don't want this."

"Then don't eat it."

"The duel."

"Ah… neither do I."

"Then lets walk."

"We can not. If we both leave the fight, war will continue, and neither of us will be allowed another chance to end it as decisively and without bloodshed. There simply is no other way… unless…"

"I'm not becoming a vampire."

"Dorothy, consider things outside yourself for a moment. If this conflict is allowed to escalate it will threaten the whole world; flesh and spirit. Imagine the destruction."

"Then lets start the peace movement. We can sell beads out a van and make a slogan like 'make blood not war.' I'll wear flowers in my hair and stop shaving." I explained. Ortega began to laugh, then sighed somberly.

"Its too late for that, I'm afraid." He began. "At tis point, the only thing my peers want is your blood."

"I'll donate. You bring the cookies and juice." I retorted hopefully.

"You murdered a noble of my court."

"Well she-" Ortega stopped me with a finger on my lips. It's a terribly awkward gesture guys do a lot and I don't know why. Their fingers are always going for my lips. I wish my teeth were sharper so I could bite it off and squelch the trend.

"I do not mean your reasons were invalid, but you did come to her home as a guest and murder her."

"killing me won't change that."

"no but bringing her killer to justice will slake the thirst for blood of many of the nobles."

"until your forces are strong enough for you to wipe us all out with one strike."

"true enough. We have been building and positioning our forces to eradicate the wizard race well before you murdered my daughter… but we never had a reason before."

"and that offer to make me a duchess… its in part to strengthen your ranks and have a general with inside information." I surmised.

"indeed. Once you eliminate Arianna and her savages, we can build up ranks of loyal, dignified, reserved soldiers. They would be more efficient, there would be less collateral damage, and they would grow stronger faster. Most importantly, I stress, there will be less human life wasted." Ortega looked up and fixed his tux, then stood to shake a man's hand. I turned to come face-to-face with Gentleman John Marcone.

"Miss Dresden, I didn't realize you were a fine art collector."

"I'm a collector of fine art collectors really." I said twining my arm around Ortega's.

"Such an unusual match." He said, eying our arms.

"Well this old blood sucker apparently has a thing for powerful women. He just wouldn't take no for an answer so here we are."

"Charming tale. And you, Duke Ortega, have you found anything of interest tonight?"

"Not terribly so, but I don't have so refined of taste as most your other patrons. Really, any old rag will do." He delivered the final sentence with a bit of weight, catching Marcone and myself off balance.

"Ah well, in that case please exercise caution in your acquisitions tonight."

"Indeed. I wouldn't want one of your troubleshooters to attempt to resolve me like the other night." I replied.

"beg pardon?" Marcone is usually cool, collected, like a snake, but true confusion flashed across his features. Cujo lumbered over with a supermodel on his arm.

"Everything okay here?" he asked.

"Yes, quite alright." Marcone answered.

"Hello, I'm Dorothy Dresden." I greeted the leggy blond. She was my height (yay!) pale blond, and slightly curved. She had a healthy girth in contrast with my nigh heroin sheik, likely from lots of hard work and exercise; something I avoid like the plague.

"Call me Miss Guard." She said with a Scandinavian accent, ignoring my hand to incline her head. I followed suit. Scandinavians can mimic American accents the best, but some words come out just wrong.

"An employee I take it."

"Consultant." She replied.

"Regarding what?"

"Security." She answered. "I make sure to keep thieves, spies, and poor wandering spirits from littering the lawn." She smirked at me. I was filled with rage, my air spirit Bob must have run into her defenses. He almost died! Ortega must have felt me tense up because he made some polite goodbyes and dragged me to the dance floor. I watched Miss Guard and Hendrix shadow Marcone around shaking hands and nodding. Ugh.

"You can dance." Ortega said incredulously.

"Oh… I took a class but I was so tall I ended up standing in for the man." After a moment of Zen I remembered the conversation.

"Hey, how did you know about the shroud?"

"While you were putting things in your purse, I noticed a bag of dirty white threads that seemed to… disagree with me. Holy artifacts only affect vampires so strongly when they are very old. So really all I knew was that it was a holy relic, and a cloth at least as old as me. When you say the shroud, surely you don't mean…"

"As in 'of Turin' I do."

"I might not be of much use then. I cannot come too close to it." Ortega said pensively. I filed that in the back of my mind for safekeeping.

"Will you be able to come within 100 feet?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Okay, well Marcone won't like me at his party, invited or not."

"I hardly blame him." To my stern look, Ortega made an indignant face. "I stand by my statement. Every home I've heard you invited into burned to cinders shortly after."

"That's me, a walking insurance claim." I muttered, as we waltzed toward the servant's door. When a crowd came between us and where Hendrix glared at us, we rushed through the door and down a nearby flight of stairs into the actual kitchen. Swinging service doors led us out into a hall and we rounded the corner to find the loading docks.

I drew a circle with magic marker, giggling about the name, and sat inside with a little cartoon bomb with feet. It was a bk meal toy for Mario brothers. The little wind up toy didn't go far but it was able to turn. After tying the threads of the shroud to it and casting my tracking spell, I wound up the toy and put it on the floor. It sat perfectly still. Next I broke the circle with an effort of will and the little b-bomb waddled in a circle and began to march hurriedly down the hall.

"Strange and remarkable." Ortega remarked on my spell.

"Glad you think so." We followed the b-bomb to a laundry room where I searched the clothes and sheets where the little bomb was bashing against the wall. I found an airshaft there and put the little guy inside. It led me to a vent and just squatted. The spell ran its course so I crammed the little bugger into my cleavage and looked through the vent. Valmont was patiently waiting, well arguing over a two-way radio about price, when she caught me trying to make off with the shroud and shot me. Barely a breath later, a black flabby beast in a disheveled tux flew through the vent and was about to attack Valmont but I stopped him.

"Ortega! Stop, don't hurt her!" I called. He froze and backed to my side, hideous and frightful, the thing of nightmares. His eyes flicked to my wounded leg and he licked his… lips.

"She harmed you." He moved between us on his oddly hinged legs but flinched away from the canister, now on the ground, smoldering on the side that faced it.

"Not bad. You can still kill me later." I advised him. He passed me my bag then flexed his claws and growled. Valmont stared, white around her eyes. "Valmont, there are folks after you and the shroud that you don't want to mess with. Please come with me and return the shroud to the church." She scoffed.

"Who, Marcone?"

"Marcone isn't the one with cutlery for hair. Demons are after the shroud. They killed your partners, and they wont bat an eye at killing you the same way."

"You're kidding." She argued, backing away from the drooling massive bat thing that was Ortega. The door screamed as medusa pulled it off it's hinges. Anna opened fire, but I grabbed the canister and Anna and climbed into the vent. Ortega came up behind, and pushed us through. He lifted me into his too long rubbery arms, a place I abhorred to be but at this moment appreciated, then ushered Anna to follow us out.

I looked behind us as he swayed in his lumbering gate, and watched a snake man crash out the door and slither momentarily along the wall before barreling after us on the utilitarian carpet. I screamed. It doesn't help, but I couldn't form words for what I was looking at. After he flinched his super bat ears away from my scream he chanced a look behind us and scooped Valmont up despite the burn of the shroud, and tucked us both under his arms as he took off like an ostrich.

Medusa was running close behind snake boy and gaining fast. "Dig in, Paolo!" I called. He seemed to understand me and crouched down protectively of Valmont, digging his clawed hands and feet into the floor. I held up my hand and called a rush of spell fire and winds down the hall. The two denarians were blown down the hall in a tangle of bodies. The alarms went off and sprinklers engaged. I could hear Ortega dashed forward again, draped in women like a mink.

We came to an exit door and the shadows congealed into a strange shape that strangled our shadows, which in turn strangled us. I centered myself and called "Luminus" and the strange shadow shrank away. We tumbled down the stairway then made a break for the door but were weighed down by a pile of snakes. They bit and coiled around us, slithering all over until I was able to mutter "entropus" evaporating the snakes away. We rushed down the hall and out the door to the limo and Valmont was crammed in while Ortega recovered his flesh mask. He guided me in and followed closely.

"Wait! The canister!" I said, examining Valmont. Ortega pulled me off of Anna as the car got moving and I was able to see his flesh mask glowing as it burned away and slowly repaired itself over and over. I turned to Valmont and she pulled out a rolled up plastic package with the shroud inside… and a detonator. Ka-boom.

We left Valmont and the Shroud with the Knights of the cross and I advised Vinny in a voicemail that the Knights were in possession of it and we could arrange a meeting to pass it to him in the morning. From there, Ortega offered to drive me home. Not that there was much choice. He gathered my things (boots, jeans, bra, shirt, jacket) and followed me to the apartment. I stopped at my door and held out my arms for my stuff but he looked out at the street, ignoring me as I flailed to get his attention. I shrugged, disabled the ward and turned the key, then SLAM!

Ortega was on me in the blink of an eye. For a startled moment as I tumbled through the door, I thought someone else was attacking us. He kicked the door shut behind us and pushed me down by my wrists. His long tong slithered up my throat, jaw, then into my ear, before he closed very normal feeling teeth on the lobe and proceeded to scrape the flat dull teeth in light nips down my neck. I shuddered. My body reacted to him feverishly, and I wasn't so much afraid as excited... in the fight and flight response way. "NO!" I cried out. "STOP!" I struggled against him for a moment but the slimy narcotic set in. "Help!" I tried to call, but my throat was too tired to make much sound. My strength left me, my resolve withered, and soon his every touch was ecstasy.

I couldn't speak up in response. I wanted to tell him to go marry a toaster and plug it in on the wedding night. Instead I moaned. It was a shameful sound, and I hated myself for feeling so good under him. Oh but he felt so strong and touched me with caution. He slid his hands over my breasts with thin fragile nylon as my only protection. I tried to swat him away but all I managed was to brush his arm and not far. He lowered his lips to mine for a kiss then let it go to remove my dress. For a moment the shock was enough to feel sober again.

I kicked his face, screamed incoherently, twisted out of the cumbersome gown into a standing position, and ran for the door, tripping a bit in the hard to remove, strappy heels. I don't mind being drugged up and naked in public. It was nearing daylight out so maybe he would be vulnerable; maybe the spit hated sunlight as much as the vamps did. The third possibility was that his powers would be returned once he passed outside through my threshold and I'd be just as vulnerable while he was stronger. I shuddered, faltered a step and slammed into the door as dizzy as ever. I slid down the smooth cold wood, feeling blissfully comfortable while egging myself on to grab the handle and free myself from his trap.

Soon a bare chest pressed against my back, strong arms lifted me to my feet, and a sexy rumbly laugh rolled out his throat against the back of my neck. I felt the spit hard at work, closed my eyes to feel the floor move as if I was on a boat on choppy water. Ortega became an anchor to the dizziness. I felt him turn me and by pure reflex, I tied my arms around his neck. He made another happy purr and lifted my feet off the floor using the door to help him hold me in place for what came next.

My phone rang. I blearily eyed it for a solid three more rings before understanding what it wanted. I picked it up. "Dorsin." I answered, slurring my words a bit. "Dorysin… Dory Dorson… y'know oo y'called." I slurred, dropping my head back. I inspected my surroundings as the voice on the phone rambled something. I was in bed, washed, the room was clean for once… my little sanctuary from house chores, and my thighs back and backside were aching. I tried to stand and sucked at it, then flopped back into the bed, realizing I was supposed to be on the phone with someone.

"Dorothy, you still there?" Michael asked with concern.

"I don't know. Whats up?"

"We were attacked. The denarians knew we had the shroud and took Molly. Could you do a tracking spell to find her?" Michael's voice trembled.

"I'll do it." I slurred.

"Please don't drive yourself, and let me go in after her. Don't go near the Denarians."

"Can't drive, I loaned Shiro my car… oh my head. That must have been some awesome champagne I drank at the gala last night…" I considered how much I had; 2 flutes. Hardly all that much. Then my stomach lurched, I threw my sheet off my legs and examined my thigh. Four puckered little marks on my inner thigh, so close to my privates whoever bit me could hear what my womb was thinking. I felt my back and claw marks creased where love handles would be if I was graced with them.

The room spun, I fell to my knees, and felt more claw marks on the meat of my butt. My shoulder had a bruise from being gripped too tight, and three parallel lines of swollen scratches crossed from left shoulder to right butt cheek. My insides felt like I clenched them into my spine. Tears welled in my eyes, like they would change anything. My throat was hoarse. I knew I was carefully bathed but I felt the need to do it again.

When the Taxi dropped me off at the Carpenter house, I got straight to work. Inside the house it was warm, I draped my jacket and flannel shirt over the couch and made a circle on the kitchen floor with salt. Inside, I used hairs from her brush to make four compasses that pointed to Molly rather than north.

"Why four?" Father Forthill asked.

"Whyfor dost thou ask?" I retorted. "To secan yon fair maiden mid noble knights three, obviously." I answered as I passed out the compasses to the knights.

"Dorothy, I can not let you near them; they will kill you." Michael warned me. He looked at my arms and neck and frowned. "What happened to your skin?"

"I just scrubbed a little hard."

"You seem different." He said cautiously. Oh crap. Oh no. Oh crap. Had Ortega made me a vampire last night? There was a lot I remembered but it left off on a cliffhanger. Strictly speaking a very sexy cliffhanger. I blushed when I remembered it. Tears welled up again; stupid tears. Michael frowned harder.

"Lets get a move on! Molly is more important!" I hit Michael weakly in the arm and dawned my jacket. When I went to get my keys to my car they were both gone. I checked my pockets and pulled out a little Arcanos piece, some hard candy, and a crumpled dollar. "Was no one watching the thief?"

"The shroud." Charity said, rushing to her bedroom where one of those cartoonish massive safes sat with the bit that looks like a helm and everything sat wide open and missing only the shroud.

"I know who she's taking it to, right now, save Molly, I'll get the shroud later." We piled in Michael's truck and followed the compasses to a crummy neighborhood. Michael tried to elect me to stay with the truck but I convinced Sanya to do it so the rest of us could fan out and figure out where the child was. I ended up in the sewers, because what self-respecting villain stays at a five star hotel? Still not deep enough. Soon I found a way into Undertown. You think the neighborhood at ground level was bad. I half expected some grabby morlock to catch me of guard as I used my blasting rod to light my way. Not a morlock, just a creepy disembodied shadow. It swallowed me up and I faded to black.

"I had done my research on you miss Dresden, but nothing prepared me for seeing you in person. You are the spitting image of your mother. I can see a bit of that mortal father of yours… hmm; your hair and your nose. Yes, those are from him, but the rest is all Maggie." A voice rambled in the dark. Oh it wasn't dark, I was blind! I pushed my head out of the running water and gasped. My vision was still dark and tunneled but it was coming to me. I could hardly move from where I rested, on my knees but lifted by my wrists enough to keep my legs from sleeping.

Being a twig has its benefits. I'm quite flexible. I stood and my arms pulled back at an angle I've only seen Africans in national geographic documentaries do. It wasn't confortable but it was better than hanging by the tight ropes around my wrists. "I wish you told me you were dropping by, I would have taken a shower, mopped the floor."

"Even your voice is the same." The voice mused. When I looked at the man he was in a trench coat, handsomely aged, and sitting at a table with Molly bound to a chair and a female in another. "And her sense of humor." I shivered. It was cold but mainly this jerk was talking about my mother in a familiar way. I had obtained little snippets of information about her; mostly that she was in with the wrong crowd, and I allegedly had an older sibling. I didn't take much stock in the info considering the sources. "may I be frank with you Dorothy?"

"Don't ask me, ask Frank." I snipped.

"You've faced a fair amount of enemies but by and large they've all been idiots. I don't intend to underestimate you like so many of your other adversaries and allies have."

"Okay, but the wet t-shirt contest might be a bit overkill." I grumbled. I was so cold, my breasts were sore, and the cold bit down to my bones… considering how little I have protecting said bones.

"You should take it as a compliment."

"You're too kind."

"I did try to keep you out of this out of respect for your mother."

"Oh, well that explains why you've given everyone the impression that you're hunting me."

"Well I've found myself with a vacancy and you fit the requirements."

"Sorry, I'm not a joining up type."

"No, I suppose not. Neither was Maggie." He said solemnly. ARG! Stop talking about my mother! the water heated around me. It wasn't a whole lot, maybe 5 degrees but think of what a relief it was for me who was use to I forming icicles from my ear lobes.

"So I guess this is the evil genius banter. Next you'll divulge your plan and leave me in an easily escapable overly elaborate death machine."

"Dorothy, I'm wounded by the lack of professional respect." The man mimed a heart ache. "No I shall simply give you the choice, join my troupe and save the girl or I'll keep the girl as one of my colleagues and kill you." He snapped his fingers and a man in a suit that didn't seem to eat or talk a whole lot came in with a small jewelry box.

"Oh! I thought you'd never ask!" I exclaimed mimicking a blushing fiancé best I could, tied and soaked to the bone. "Got to tell you, I don't like the options. How about a third?"

"And what would that be?"

"Let the girl go and just try to kill me." I snarled, clinging to the hatred and jealousy I harbored for this man. He tossed my mother's name around all conversation long. I never got to know her, never got to be loved by her, be molded by her… but people were constantly telling me how alike we were. The water felt warm as a shower now. I was sure it was still cold but no longer frigid. The pouring slowed to a stop and for a fraction of a second, it began to move away from my flesh. I gathered energy into the process, moving the water away from myself but my efforts washed away and I sagged to my knees.

"Impressive. You were so confident." He mused. "And I am confident you will make the right choice."

"See, all the bad guys are always telling me that; 'join or die,' 'you'll make the right choice.' The right choice here would be save the girl, but that comes with becoming a bad guy so I'm in a pickle…" I examined the coin inside the ring box. "This thing has a holy ride-along, does it?"

"Indeed, it does."

"What keeps me from using that power against you?"

"I have a feeling you'll come to understand we are not bad guys, we are just willing to do what needs to be done to save the world." The man said plainly. "Enough stalling, I know the knights are near. Make your choice." I looked at Molly. The woman was playing with a very sharp looking knife, smiling to herself.

"Don't hurt her, please."

"That's all up to you. If you do not take the coin by choice we will force it on her. Either way we will have a powerful witch. Accept the coin and the girl goes free. You will also be allowed to leave in peace."

I carried Molly, sobbing in my arms, and found the other knights before returning to the van. Once we were back at the Carpenter home I stopped at the fence.

"What's wrong, Dorothy? You must be freezing, come inside. I'm sure Charity can find you something dry that'll fit." Michael beckoned me. I began to cry but when Michael moved to hold me, I flinched away, reached into my pocket and showed him the coin. He looked from the coin to me, expressionless, and cold. "Its going to be okay." He said calmly. "Father Forthill will safely collect the coin, nothing bad is going to happen to you. You're a good person."

"No, I'm not. People are always counting on me to do the right thing… even my enemies… but I don't always have the right thing as an option."

"Molly is alive because of you."

"There's something you should know that the leader of those nickel-heads said."

"His name is Nicodemus."

"Well Nick said Molly was a powerful practitioner, or was potentially one. He wasn't going to kill her, he was going to make her one of them. I chose to save my own life and pick up the coin instead of dying and letting Molly get that power and go free." I began to cry. I'm not an attractive crier. Despite the coin that he was keeping a safe distance from before, when I cried, Michael held me.

I couldn't stay depressed long, I had a duel to win, and oh what a satisfying duel it would be. I got a feeling in my stomach, like fluttering going the wrong direction. My insides churned. That blood-sucking bastard was going down! Shiro advised me that I was too upset, that the weapons were wills and if I let my anger cloud my judgment, I would lose. I wasn't just angry; I was ashamed that I just let it happen. Sure I fought back, resisted, and even screamed, but it wasn't enough to protect myself. I let my guard down and this is what happened.

Thomas sauntered over in a tight Buffy the vampire slayer shirt and white skinny jeans. His boots were laced tight for once though he tried to act drunk and/or high. Shiro took him up on his offer of some rum, but I declined. Ortega seemed a bit different; cold, professional, and completely ignored my angry glares. When Thomas offered him a swig, he swatted the bottle from Thomas's hand and it shattered on the ground. We made it into the stadium and took our places. Ivy stood on the pitcher's mound holding a box of mordite and explained the rules then let us at it.

We struggled against each other, evenly matched. Time eroded my will to the point that Ortega began to inch the mordite toward me. Shiro shouted for me to clear my mind, but it was so full I had to let it out.

"Was that why you did it?" I hissed at the vampire.

"Did what?" Ortega asked me sincerely.

"Why you made me think you were an okay guy. To fill me with all these conflicted feelings."

"I couldn't care less how you feel. I will kill you!"

"Just playing with your food? That why you… why you did that to me too? You wanted to mess with me so I couldn't beat you today? Or was I a play thing?" tears welled in my eyes. Angry tears.

"I really don't understand what you are talking about." Ortega growled at me. I got it off my chest. I wanted closure of some sort, answers of motive but it was perhaps too much to ask. But I said it out loud, and let it go. I took a breath, found my center, and pushed the mordite toward Ortega. I hadn't entirely wanted him to die. If I died it would end the war, if we both quit, we could… I don't even know anymore… start a revolution? But no. He was a dick. Now he would die. Ortega had to take a few steps back to evade the Mordite, but in time he caught it and began pushing it back slowly. I pushed harder and harder but something caught my eye and I lost a fraction of control.

His flesh mask was still in place. The arms both extended, but his slimy black bat hand pulled a luger out the front of his pants and aimed it in on me. I thought furiously of how I could put up my shield but not lose the mordite, but I was too late. What looked like blood splattered out his ear with a fair amount of gore, a sound like an explosive sneeze met my ear. I flinched, drawing my shield, thinking I had been shot, and then the mordite consumed Ortega's remains.

There was no time for confusion. Instantly a chorus of inhuman war cries met my ears. A wave of bat-like monsters rolled out of hiding into the stadium to swarm me. The mordite zipped into the crowd, flowing from body-to-body, consuming them until Ivy willed it back into its box. Kincaid used fancy six-shooters to take out 12 vamps with custom bullets before switching to a shotgun. Thomas watched Shiro's back while the knight of the cross cut down the vampires that dared to head his way, and somehow Vamps were dropping when they came near me. Each death was followed by a sneeze of riffle fire: a sniper. I didn't have time to wonder whom. I rushed toward Shiro, and was met by Kincaid.

"What happened out there?"

"Someone really cared about the rules." I answered. We fought our way off the field and into the parking lot in a protective formation around Ivy. We piled into our respective vehicles, Shiro driving so I could shoot fire. After driving evasively and recklessly for a while, I had an idea. "Lets pit our two problems against each other." I suggested to Shiro. He didn't question me at all, just nodded.

I banged on the door of the sleazy motel room that I met with a certain fake ass priest at not too long ago. I'll explain how I figured it out in a second. He opened the door, sputtering, but I just barged on in. "so what's your real name?" I demanded. He stayed in character and even threw around some accusations of his own, but I blew the freaking TV up with magic to shut him up. That dropped his character. Or to me it did. Father Vincent didn't believe in magic, so when he didn't immediately start praying or building a fire when I used it, I knew this man did believe.

I also knew he wasn't Vinnie because I remembered where I saw the tattoo on the corpse. I saw it on Father Forthill. When I asked how a priest could mar his body with tattoos he told me a story about young visionaries in religion including himself and the real father Vincent who all had the same tattoo on the same spot, and this Vinnie didn't have it. Furthermore, the nickel-heads couldn't have known to attack the carpenters without being told by someone… fake Vinnie. I wanted to chat but I could feel the vamps come closer.

Next was the tricky part; making veils and illusions. You would think, being named after an illusionist, I'd learn a thing or two about it. I'm good at pouring energy into stuff, just not doing tricky things, so I improvised. I used my talents. I have an old Arcanos figure of a female wizard. Those tiny metal ones for using a board. She's painted to look just like me, and for a while, whomever holding her does too. I had lost it a long time ago but found it in the jacket when I was fishing for keys. I stuffed it into Vinnie's pocket while I was threatening him, and happened to find a tainted silver coin there. Slight of hand is one of my talents. Next I zip-tied him to the bed frame and went into the bathroom and listened as vamps came in, mistook fake Vinnie for me, and the rest, I don't know. I was squeezing out the bathroom window under a veil and getting into the car through the window. Shiro drove us back to Chez Carpenter without the tails.

Work wasn't done yet. The Denarians were still after the shroud and knew to go after Marcone. I called in Murphy's help, rallied the knights, and stopped the bad guys. Shiro sacrificed himself to save me, but passed his sword to Murphy. I got shot in the shoulder, but Butters fished it out and Murph tried to pass the sword to me but I didn't feel right with it after touching a tainted coin. Some of the denarians escaped, but they were gone, all was somewhat well now.

The next day, I still had work to do. I gave Forthill the coins, explained in detail what happened in the duel to Ivy, and followed Marcone around all day to get the shroud back… I didn't take it back actually. I gave him 3 days with it and insisted he return it to the church. 3 days later Forthill called me to let me know he did. And then there was the issue of Molly. These nickel heads said she had powers so I became her teacher. A couple weeks went by and she was indeed learning to use her powers. At Shiro's funeral his nephew, the only family he had left since his wife died of old age and they couldn't have children, explained that he had cancer and he died fighting which was the best he could ask for.

I got a package in the mail: my stolen coat, and a call from my mentor: McCoy. He told me the vamps are mad that I killed Ortega and struck back already. That's fine; I didn't do it but whatever. Since the mordite ate the body and vampires have messed up fingerprints, no one can tell conclusively who had the luger, and so I was blamed for that too by the vampires. I wanted to talk to McCoy anyway, just not about this. "Hey, Neezer." I began. "Can I come over?"

"Any time." He said warmly. Only 6 hours later, I showed up. He poured me tea, herbal stuff he grew in his garden, then sat with me in silence for a while. I curled up on my wooden chair in the kitchen across the table from McCoy.

"Your daughter Maggie… you mentioned once that I look a lot like her…" he made a noise like an affirmation so I continued my line of questioning. "It occurs to me that I'm also a lot like my mother, who is also called Maggie."

"I know where you're going with that girlie… maybe it doesn't have to be spelled out. There are folks who could use it against the both of us."

"I understand." I said numbly. I began to cry a little. "Uh… a lot has happened the last month." I explained everything that happened leading up to the most startling news: I was pregnant. My grandfather swore something in Gaelic but slid his chair beside mine and held me while I cried. The television was on in the next room. It got fuzzy from all the emotions flying around but I vaguely understood the reporter claiming a Russian satellite went down somewhere in south America. They rattled off a death toll and a small number of injured survivors. Neezer went stiff as if he was getting ready for a backlash about the news but I didn't have the energy to get mad at him right now. It was clear that he was the one who dropped the space junk on the place but it must have been something to do with the war. I didn't pry. I just stayed in my grandfather's embrace as long as I could.

Chapter Two: Quantum Leap (all the books between Death Masks and Changes)

So I had a beautiful baby girl. She's not at all vampire-like either, which was a plus, and soon I was hired by Thomas to work on a porno. Well investigate strangeness on a porn set, not take my clothes off. I got a new dog for helping some monks get their puppies back, and I met Thomas's sisters, and found out I was his sister too. That was nuts. There was a black court vampire thing for like a day but when I sent Bob to find the nest he said the vamps were already slaughtered in the worse possible way and some Renfields were also taken out, exsanguinated as Butters later told me when he asked me out. I was still having issues letting my guard down but Murph convinced me to go. It was actually nice, and he didn't mind me bringing a baby to a fancy restaurant. Maggie was a perfect gentlewoman.

The next year Murph went to Hawaii, pissed because my love life, with some meddling on her part, was going so much better than hers. She had me watch her house for her, and I ended up protecting Butters from Necromancers. He thought I was cheating on him with Thomas so I explained that we were siblings and he was a vampire. He moved in with me after his other sisters kicked him out. Poor guy. He was paying half my rent and food, and watched Maggie so it was working out. We spent most our time at Butters' apartment any way. Well once that crisis was averted we got to work stopping a group of necromancers from performing a rite to become gods, and a black court vampire stole the word of Kemmler from us. Oh well. She vanished. I met my fallen angel. I thought getting rid of the coin got rid of him but Laciel imprinted himself on my brain.

Next a bunch of movie monsters came to life at a convention. My apprentice and brother and new dog helped me stop them. Molly had actually been misusing her powers, falling in with the wrong sort, so we got her out of that, and a lot of Council politics was getting on my nerves. Thomas was being framed in a series of kidnappings and murders… well Thomas was kidnapping women but to save them from the murderer. I had to play around in white court politics, but we saved lots of women, including Maggie and myself: Always good. And Laciel sacrificed himself to save my skull: Also good.

I owed Mab a favor so I saved John Marcone from the Nickel heads, endangering Ivy, and being hunted by Titania, but succeeded. Morgan- thorn in my side, and hole of an ass- came bloody and filthy to me to prove his innocence. Apparently he was accused of killing another council member so I hid him. Butters patched him up and broke up with me. He said I wasn't in love with him and didn't trust him. I was hurt, of course I had trust issues! I loved him; we were great together! WTF! Anyway, Karen helped me solve the mystery, I brought the case to the council and they believed me. The bad guy ran but didn't get away… but Morgan still died.

I was depressed for a while until I was at the morgue for a job and asked not to talk to Butters and was instead directed to speak with an M.E. named Fernando Ortiz. He was South American, moved to The U.S. six years ago to flee a war, and sparks flew! I was always jumpy and on guard, but he forgave me. After being together for a while I started to get nervous. He was fine with all my flaws and finally he admitted his. He was a red court vampire and he moved to Chicago from Peru because he wanted to attend Yale and it wasn't in the cards so Chicago U won out but also because he didn't want to fight the wizards. He told me he was part of a tiny group who are against the war called the brotherhood of St Giles. Basically a bunch of preternatural misfits; It blew my mind. After that, we had a great relationship. He was great with Maggie, though Maggie and I never spent the night over again, one could understand, and he was fine with that. Yep life was getting better.

Chapter Three: Responsibilities (Changes)

I sprawled across the bed, naked save for the red satin sheet and Latin lover, Nando Ortiz, draped sparingly across me. He was taller than me by maybe two inches, had a light tan but clearly Spanish features, and the irises of his eyes faded from gold around his pupils to the green of money to reddish brown along the edges. Mister's eyes were a similar hazel. His lashes were long, thick and dark brown like his short hair and beard, but this week he decided to be clean-shaven. That was nice too. His face looked too young without a beard, especially when he smiled and his dimples showed. Sigh. He opened one eye at me then closed it when he saw that I spotted him. I rolled over and slipped one leg from under his legs and put it around his waist.

"Stop faking, I saw you." I murmured. He smiled.

"Gladly. I don't mind you knowing that when you do sleep over, all I do is watch how beautiful and peaceful you look." He said with his sexy Spanish accent. He pulled me close and kissed me on the lips. It was a tongue-less pressing of faces against each other. For months I wondered why he never tried to slip me tongue or take it to the next level, but when he explained what he was I understood. "Coffee?" he gestured to the table on the other side of me beside the bed. It had a tall fancy teapot, a mug, and a dish full of sugar cubes. I moaned blissfully as I rolled over to serve myself coffee, still hot. "I just made it a few minutes ago."

I checked the time then settled in to sip the coffee while I basked in my boyfriend's beauty. He balanced that with masculinity perfectly. "Tell me about yourself… before becoming a vampire."

"You really want to know?"

"Sure." Sip. So good!

"I'm honored. It means you are thinking of me more, asking questions about me… falling in love."

"Slow down, lover boy, I just got time to kill between shaking off your spit and getting Maggie from school." I put up a hand.

"I'll drive. I would like to take her out for tacos and ice-cream." He said excitedly, pulling my hand down to fiddle with my fingers. I laughed.

"That sounds like fun only you have work and don't seem to have slept yet."

"Vampires as old as I, do not need so much sleep any longer."

"Tell me then."

"Well my name was originally Hernando Cortes de Monroy y Pizarro." He said, rolling his 'R's. "I was born in Spain, was a naughty boy, already dropping out of law school and sleeping with married women by 16 years of age."

"Shame on you." I mused. He wiggled his brows and continued, lounging conversationally beside me.

"I sailed to Hispaniola in 1504, colonizing modern day Haiti, in 1511 I conquered Cuba and was entitled magistrate of Santiago. In 1518 I was sent on an expedition to bring my lord silver and gold, and slaves. At the time I became rivals with a governor but I was having a fling with his sister-in-law… and her sister."

"You're terrible!" I scolded him.

"I was forced to marry her." He admitted. "The next year I ignored a direct order from the governor, left my wife in Cuba, and sailed to Mexico. I claimed Yucatan for Spain, traveled to Tabasco, beat the natives in battle, got a handful of slaves and used them to translate as I continued to conquer Mexico."

"Wait… you're… HERNAN CORTES?" I exclaimed.

"Si… I am not very proud of this past, but I feel since you asked… Ah, well this was when I met Malinalli. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Until you, my dear." He added, kissing my fingers. I rolled my eyes and took my hand away to roll a continue gesture. "I renamed her Dona Marina, made her my personal translator, took her everywhere I went, showered her with gifts…" he shook his head. "I was a stupid man: drawn in by her looks. I didn't see her soul. We had a son, Martin, and he grew to despise us because of her… theatrics."

"A drama queen eh?"

"I too was at fault. I was already married and brought my wife to live with us and Dona Marina told him lies of abuse and neglect. Dona Marina still believed in old violent gods. I tried to convert her to Christianity, but she still performed rituals in secret. One of her rituals made my wife's heart explode from her chest. I was blamed… shamed. I had a responsibility to them but I no longer loved my beautiful but evil consort and her bastard child that hated me. So I remarried, as a political move… had three children. I named the oldest Martin as well. I returned to Spain, became a don, and was sent back to Mexico… when I arrived in Yucatan, Dona Marina was waiting. She drugged me somehow, took me to Chichen Itza, and a man in a mask did some sort of ritual."

"They made you a vampire?" I asked, white knuckling the mug. Nando nodded.

"There were other vampires before Marina and I, but they were far older. We made our son, Martin a half-vampire. He never wanted to become a whole vampire like his mother, and I was not a full vampire yet either. After having to restore order in my colonies, I faked my own death." He laughed. I'm afraid I may have fueled a few notions that there was a spring or a well that awarded ever-lasting youth considering the fact that at 68, I still looked to be in my 30s."

"You are why the fountain of youth nonsense happened?" I gaped at him, and then scoffed. "I've been sleeping with history!"

"Whatever the case, I traveled with many Spaniards on conquests until I became a full vampire and stayed in Chichen Itza with Marina, Martin, and the old vampires. They had me amass an army, and become a warlord." Nando explained.

"Amazing! Oh, I gotta go grab Maggie." I said scooting to the edge of the bed.

"But the Tacos…" he pouted. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. Fine." I said getting out of the bed and sauntering to the shower. "Well hurry up, let's shower and get ready." I exclaimed. "And if you are driving… I don't have to be sober." I winked at him.

Maggie's school is a catholic school; Not that I'm a fan of organized religion, but it was one of the best-rated schools in Chicago and they agreed to let her bring Mouse. I pulled into the packed waiting area and showed the officer Maggie's card, and he radioed for her to come out to the section Nando was parked. After he moved on to the next car he got a radio message and returned to tell me she was already picked up almost an hour ago. Nando parked in the other parking lot and I rushed to the office. Murphy and McCoy were the only people authorized to pick her up but they would have gotten in touch with me somehow. Had I missed the call? I didn't check my answering service; maybe they left me a message. I hoped that was it as I waited for them to show me the log report… it said that I checked Maggie out.

"Impossible, I was… busy at the time!" I raised my voice. The assistant looked to the secretary who came to calm me down.

"Are you sure you didn't just forget? You said she had an appointment. Remember? I complimented you on your tan… the dog was acting angry at you, and you said he overheard you mention neutering him."

"No… no! That wasn't me! Do I look tanned to you now?"

"You knew the password, had the ID card…" the secretary explained. I stormed to the car and explained what I was told to Nando.

"It must be a vampire. The older ones can change their flesh mask to look like anyone. No doubt Arianna." He growled.

"Why? How can you be so sure?"

"I know her all too well. Call your police friend; I will contact my men at the brotherhood of St. Giles. We will find her." Nando kissed my hand then drove me to CPD so I could go talk to Murph while he likely dug up his cell phone and called his contacts.

When I got to Murphy's office I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Karen had bleached her hair nearly white, put it up in a rockabilly style, her lips were too red, eyes had cat–like eyeliner and her outfit was super hot. Her black bra was visible under a tight white lace shirt dotted with black spots and tiny cherries. She wore a pencil skirt that only went from her ribs to half-way to her knees, and tall candy red pumps. "Whoa, Murph!" I exclaimed as she strode to me with a rag in hand.

"Under cover op. its over now, thank goodness." She said, scrubbing fake tattoos off her arms.

"Some of this is a bit much, but you pull it off." I told her. "Can we speak in private?" I asked. She nodded then led me to the stairwell, our usual private talk area since she got demoted.

"What's up?"

"Maggie's been taken. We think the red court is responsible."

"My god!"

"She was kidnapped from the school by an imposter disguised as me. She somehow knew the checkout procedures and my password." I explained.

"Okay, I'll get the security footage from the school and try and trace what direction she went." Murph said, putting a hand on my arm. "We'll get her back."

"Thank you." I hugged my little friend. When I got back to the car Nando explained that he knew only two things: Arianna was in town, and she owned the building I'd been working in for the last 8 years. One thing led to another… and the building blew up.

"Tell me you had nothing to do with that explosion this morning." Murph said, barging into my apartment at 4 in the morning. The remnants of half-washed rockabilly makeup was smeared into darkened eyelids, and her lips looked cracked but it was just half washed lip-stain. Her hair was a total mess, and she wore a loose shirt and sweat pants with running shoes that were loosely tied so she could slip them on and off.

"That'll be hard to do. The building was blown in order to kill us. We were inside but-"

"MY GOD! I'm glad you made it out! Are you hurt?" Murph began inspecting me rather invasively. I was fresh out the shower in just sweats and a roomy shirt myself. She pulled me into a hug. "This is going to fall on impetuous ears, but I still have to say it… be careful. A mother's love is fierce, and can do amazing things, but it can also blind a woman to the risks of what she faces and the consequences of her actions. Just… promise me you won't do anything… dramatic."

"you know me. I'm a drama queen."

"You are, Dorothy. Well my lead went a whole lot of nowhere. She flew in, went straight for Maggie, and then got on a train. I don't know where she's headed."

"Nando got some information from the office. Hopefully, it'll give us where."

"She's still alive. Whoever took her, stole her for a reason. You might get a ransom note or a phone call soon. If you do, call me so I can trace it." She moved to the door. "Dorothy… keep me in on this. I want to be there for you."

"I was going to anyway. She's almost as much your baby as mine." I said, tearing up.

"Damn straight. We will get Maggie back!" she said just as protectively as if Maggie was her own. She made a far better godmother than mine. I tried to croak a thanks but it barely sounded like words. She nodded and left.

I sat in my favorite chair with Mister, my giant cat, who was likely confused from the lack of annoying attention stealers. His presence was apparently enough to lull me to sleep. When I woke up, Molly was letting herself in. I flinched out of the chair and put up my shield before understanding what was going on.

Molly and I were mistaken for sisters a lot. She and I are both tall; her being 6 feet tall, and me being 6 feet 2 inches. She and I are both busty, though she's rocking Ds wile I'm a C. but that's about where the similarities end. While our faces both adhere to the golden ratio, her nose is straight and mine is not only curved like a bird of prey, but also broken. Her hair is naturally light blond but dyed a different color every month or so, while mine is dark brown. Her eyes are blue while mine are brown, and she has a healthy layer of fat and muscle between her skin and bones, giving her that golden body ratio. I… not so much. I eat plenty and scoff at carbs, but nothing sticks. If it weren't for birthing Maggie, I wouldn't have enough hips to hold my pants up. Maggie helped me put on some weight too. Or at least I no longer qualify for heroin sheik.

Molly began to fix me an allegedly healthy breakfast while I explained what was going on. She and I argued about bringing her in on everything but in the end I dropped the conversation unresolved. "Have you asked the council for help yet?" Molly asked. I growled. "Dorothy, you need to ask. It's pertinent to the war if you think about it."

"You're right… I just… can't… stand those ass-hats!" I answered around a mouth full of turkey sausage and egg whites. After breakfast, we saddled up and headed to Edinburgh. Arianna happened to be there pretending to want peace and discussing terms. Ha. I rushed to the stage and kicked and screamed like a child as Ebenezer and some really big brown cloak I didn't know held me from tearing the vampire apart. "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY!"

"Give me back mine!" Arianna retorted. "I've come to speak peace. Let me keep the girl and I shall ask the red king to end the war."

"To Hell with that!" I hissed at her. "You'll kill her."

"Its only fair after you murdered mine."

"Bianca was hurting innocent mortals in front of me, Maggie is an innocent mortal; there's a difference…" I sagged against my grandfather. "Its me, your problems with. I'll go quietly. Let the child go."

"It may come as a surprise but not everything is about you Dresden." Arianna snarled. "That child was put on you by my husband. That child should be mine."

"That's absurd!"

"What more will you take of mine? You took my own daughter, my husband… give me this child to end the suffering of countless children. Please, she is all I have left of Paolo after you seduced him."

"He raped me! You and he should have no rights to her." Arianna looked to a wizard beside her on the stage and he lifted a wand and swished it at me. The next thing I knew I was waking up in what kind of resembled a bar.

"Forget what Dresden wants. Logically it is a fair trade." A squirrely sounding man defended.

"You clearly aren't a fan of William Congreve, are you Cristos? Dresden is powerful, intuitive, and uncommonly experienced for her young age. The things she has done in the past 10 years alone are more than most of the council elders in 100. It would be unwise to make an enemy of her." Luccio explained.

"You women are too emotional. This trade will end the war."

"Arianna does not have the power to end the war, and who's to say she wants to? When Bianca died, she could have asked for reparations. Instead she asked for war and the red king gladly gave it. Even if this conflict is ended by the trade, Dresden will personally storm the red court to get her child back, I can promise you that." Luccio countered. "You men can never see beyond what you wish to see." Luccio chased Cristos off then told me to get up. She, the Merlin Langtree, and I had an arduous conversation basically meaning let Arianna have the child even though no one really believes the vampires mean to keep the peace. Ugh. I stormed out like a brat.

Nando was waiting on my doorstep when we got back. After hugging me and pecking me on the lips I opened the door and he came in after Molly and me. I like the guy a lot but I make it a point not to purposely invite vampires into my home no matter how cool they seem. "I spoke to Arianna in Scotland this morning." I started dryly, grabbing Nando's hand while I went to the kitchen to grab a beer. I glanced at Molly and lifted a coke. She nodded, then I fetched Nando a beer too. I pulled him into the couch close to me and leaned on his shoulder while we all opened our beverages and clinked them before drinking in silence for a moment.

Nando snorted out of nowhere. "In Scotland… this morning. Its just… we take so much for granted. When I was human it took months to travel, now it takes you a mere hour to visit the UK."

"Magic." Molly answered.

"Take a man from my time to now and everything would be magic to him. Cell phones, sky scrapers, taxi cabs… all of it." He cleared his throat uncomfortably then put both of my hands in his. I eyed my beer longingly then gave him a look I hoped convey I really needed that beer. "Dory… they're taking Maggie to Chichen Itza. In the information I found, it was mostly detailing items to be shipped from New Mexico. I recognized the items from a ritual I had seen Dona Marina perform… it was explained to me that there is a sacrifice platform with a stone basin… the basin is filled with blood and whoever you wish to die will do so in terrible agony as their heart explodes from their chest. Depending on the intent of the sorcerer, and the sacrifice, the victim pool can be one person or an entire race of people."

I was stunned for a moment. Molly was smart; she figured it out before me. "She plans to kill all wizards by sacrificing Maggie?"

"I believe so…" Nando seemed like he wanted to supply another possibility but stopped himself and let my hands go. I sipped my beer again and formed a plan.

"Molly, could you go ask Father Forthill if any of his palls south of the border have noticed any vampire activity around Chichen Itza, please? I'll need to know what I'm up against."

"On it." Molly nodded then reluctantly went to the door. She didn't want to leave me alone with the vampire.

"Hey, kiddo." She sighed in relief and turned back to me. "There might be eyes on my apartment." She nodded and gave Nando another look before veiling herself and leaving, though the door looked like it was still closed as she left. I chugged my beer then put it down and grabbed Nando's hands.

"Spill. You wanted to say something but stopped."

"Arianna might not be after the wizards either. This may be personal."

"She already said it wasn't about me it's about Paolo and he's dead."

"No… he's not." Nando said as if he bit into a lemon.

"How do you know?"

"When I first met you, at Bianca's masquerade party, you were rough, brisk… but a diamond. In the midst of countless enemies you still saved all the mortals and your friends. You fought bitterly and only seemed to become stronger until you burned too bright and snuffed yourself out. As I became exposed to more of your soul, I fell deeper and deeper into love with you. I wanted you by my side. I wanted to bask in your righteousness." He said. I scoffed.

"I tried to romance you... it didn't seem to change your opinion of me. When it came time to fight you, I had one of my generals, whom I knew was sleeping with my wife, masquerade as me. He would be no match for you, and you would win the duel fairly and make Chicago neutral territory. But he cheated, as I understood he might… so I shot him. I joined my eldest son in the brotherhood of St. Giles and disguised myself so to watch over you and Maggie. When the black court tried to settle a scourge in Chicago, I found them and destroyed them, when you fought those movie monsters I helped there too. Got shot by the police in fact. I stopped the gruffs that were chasing you the following year, and helped fight those demons on your island last year."

"At last, our stars aligned, and you caught me at my regular job. I took it in hopes of being of better assistance to you. When I was able to make you see the real me inside… and grow to care for me…" Nando shook his head. "Arianna had mortal spies watching you. I know this now. And since I chose the visage of my mortal self, she recognized me and understood that I never died and chose to leave her for you. She might have taken Maggie, to get back at me."

"Hells Bells… Arianna is Dona Marina…" I surmised. "And you… are Duke Paolo Ortega!" Nando nodded to me. I took my hand away and stumbled away from him. "Get out." I seethed. "Get out of here right now!"

"I will leave, but I want you to understand; even if you never wish to see me again, Maggie is my daughter too. I will stop at nothing to see her back in your arms." Nando swore to me before letting himself out. I'm not sure how long I cried in my couch. I must have fallen asleep. When I woke up Murphy was letting herself in quickly and discretely. She saw me on the couch and rushed to sit with me, throwing an arm around me.

"What the hell happened? Your face is all blotchy." Murph wiped my face and kissed my eyes. I told her everything I knew, including Nando's true identities. She swore and held me close. Murph is good people. "oh damn, I came here for a reason. Rudolf called in the FBI, fingering you as a suspect. They'll be here any minute."

"damn."

"you gotta get scarce… and get some stuff in your lab scarce too." There was a knock on the door.

"Damn again." I exclaimed. I rushed into my lab, bringing Murph after me. This was her first time in my lab. We both started grabbing stuff off the shelves and stuffing them into a duffel bag, asking bob where certain items were. Then we put bob in the bag too. Next I opened a portal into the nevernever and Murph took the bag with her through it. I closed it behind her and rushed to open the door. "Sorry! I was down stairs and didn't realize until now. What's up?"

"Dorothy Dresden, we have a warrant to search your property for evidence of explosives. While we search, we would like to bring you in for questioning. I'm agent Tilly, and this is officer-"

"Rudolph the brown nose dumb cop." I interrupted the skinny FBI agent.

"Why did you do it Dresden?" Rudolf assaulted me with an accusation. "Why did you blow up the building?" my god I never laughed so hard. I laughed all the way to the FBI building. In the back of my mind I worried about Murphy in the nevernever but Bob would guide her. We had explored the ways around my place the day we moved in so I was confident she would be okay provided she didn't run into any fairies.

Tilly interviewed me; they found nothing in my apartment and let me go. While Molly was picking me up, someone tried to shoot me, then I rushed home to find a very disheveled Murphy in a semi translucent cocoon stuck to the ceiling while my godmother sat in my easy chair stroking my cat. After convincing my fairy godmother to let my friend free, I got a cool trinket from her; a ruby that contained a magic map of the nevernever but not before a tiresome word game and reminiscing about when I saw her in Arctis Tor, frozen into an ice sculpture.

Lea left Murphy to me and my landlady stopped by to complain, I sent Molly on an errand, mostly just to keep her out of my problems. She would want to help and I couldn't let her get into something that was turning out to be so dangerous. I checked the mail of all things, just a force of habit while I thought what to do, and I was glad I did. I found a note from Luccio about the white council. It essentially said the council wouldn't help me but in a lot of words from two separate authors. Gee thanks. I phoned my grandpa, got a maybe as far as the gray council's help, then asked a bunch of spirits for a glimpse of Maggie to make sure she was safe. She was safe, Mouse made sure of that. She was in a boxcar cuddling with him sleeping from the looks of her while he gallantly kept watch. Good boy.

Next I met with Marcone who sent me to talk to Odin then I desperately needed food and loathed to cook for myself so I took the grogy Murph to Mac's to eat and talk. "I know you don't want to hear this but you should call Nando." Murph said after I explained what she missed and we talked about Rudolph's obvious involvement with Maggie's kidnapping and the attept on my life.

"He hurt me in a way… and deceived me…" I was too angry to form coherent sentences.

"I understand, and I'm angry about that too but he has spent years not being able to be a father to his own child, watching her grow from a distance and now when she needs her daddy the most, he's been flicked off the game board. And he's usefull; he's a vampire more powerful than most, with influence and resources. You don't have to get back together (no matter how much happier he's made you this past year) but admit to yourself that you can use him." Murph explained.

"Call him and my brother, and have them meet me at Rudolph's." I said exasperated.

"I'll talk to him at the precinct." Murph said satisfied that she won the argument about Rudolph and the one about Nando- Ortega.

I greeted my brother warmly but was cold to Nando when he sulked out of the shadows. We snooped a bit but the party was broken up by the Eebs (as Nando called them.) Aparently they were a top team of lunatic vampires, and Nando figured they were in charge of the explosion and the shooting. They brought an Ik'k'uox, a vampire/bull kind of thing... "Ugh, why cant the loud rumbling sounds ever mean candy?" I said when I heard it charge us. We scared it off, had a chat with the Eebs; they were creepy, then the Eebs slammed my car upside down onto my brother's car, breaking my staff, my car… his car… so we had to ride with Nando in his van.

I was messed up pretty bad in the fight against the ik… icky… the ick so Thomas carried me. After leaving him at his apartment I sat silently in the back of the van while Nando took me to my apartment. "You got a van… I should have known from the van."

"what?" he asked confused."

"look, built in booster seat and everything. You were prepared for Maggie before we started dating." I said, flipping the folding seat back up.

"I did what I did because I thought we would die the next day. Had I thought things would unfold as they had, I would have wanted to be with you the right way. There is no excuse, no forgiving, but the sooner you accept it the sooner you can achieve happiness."

"What you did to my body wasn't terrible." I said after a pause. He glanced back at me through the mirror. "It was the fact that with al my magic, my size, strength, and skills, I was still a victim. And here we are again. Even with the school security, mouse… this was still able to happen." I began to cry. "I don't like feeling helpless." Nando pulled over and crawled into the back with me. He sat beside the bench until I threw my arms over him and cried into his neck.

I woke up to being slapped with something wet and heavy, then jerked out of my own bed and carried into my living room, only something was off about it… it was on fire! I was semi-swaddled in a sopping wet towel and carried up my blazing stairway at dizzying speed. "My neighbors. They're elderly, they can't get out!" I said to Nando as he put me down. my leg was broken by the Ick, my ribs felt like a sharp vice, and my head was pounding. Nando sat me down and rushed in, carrying a kicking and screaming Mrs S out first. Next he went up for the Willoughby's but a collapse blocked the normal way out. Sanya, in a rental van, pulled up and dashed around the building. I hobbled around to find him placing a ladder and helping Nando guide the elderly couple onto the ladder. Nando came out normal on the ladder after the old folks, though he cold have clawed down the side of the building or dashed through the fire if he wanted the attention.

Sanya led the way to St. Mary of the Angels. Nando couldn't enter holy ground so he offered to rally me some soldiers. This also necessitated, against my wishes, Butters to come patch me up. It was awkward. I sat in my leg splint bruised and beaten, thinking about my options and what advice Odin gave me. At last I came to a conclusion… I called Mab.

Suddenly I was at the stone table with Mab and Maeve, both black haired and black eyed, in dresses that seemed more fit for a funeral than anything. They both wore veils, though Maeve's hair was still in dreads dyed every color of winter, and her veil had crocheted skulls all across it. On the table was the winter knight, Lloyd Slate. Don't get me started on that sleaze ball. Last I'd seen him, he was crucified and carved with runes, even on his teeth. Now he was wasting away, bound to the stone table with rope.

Mab used Maeve as a puppet to talk to me since she was still pissed about something, hell if I know what. They had me explain what happened to Maggie and made me ask nicely for Mab to give me power.

"So we agree? I get the winter mantle in exchange for the time off to rescue my daughter, and then you have me for life." I said. Maeve and Mab nodded once in unison.

"To complete the bargain, I ask you one thing first." Maeve said for Mab, passing me a dagger as she moved to the head of the table and Mab moved closer to me. "Kill Maeve." Mab whispered into my ear. I looked at her, then across the table at the eager Maeve, stroking Slate's face unaware of her mother's words.

"What? You can't be serious."

"She has been tainted and refuses treatment. You have already slain one lady, now you must slay the other and take responsibility."

"You're going to punish me for doing what you told me to do?" I blinked at Mab. She laughed then circled the table to Slate's feet. Screw it. If what I had to do to get my child back was kill Maeve, then be tormented for who knows how long as Slate had, so be it. Nando had been a great father to Maggie this past year. Maeve was rotten to the core, an evil bitch who already deserved a good spanking without being corrupted. If whatever convinced Aurora that she could unmake existence and rebuild it with more rainbows and glitter had also gotten to Maeve, I would have to do it eventually. I moved to Slates head and looked at his face; the pain and emotional torment, his broken soul… then held the dagger up above him, and drove it into Maeve's chest.

She looked at it for a moment. She cocked her head to the side then looked to her mother. Tears welled in my eyes as I gently guided Maeve to the ground and twisted the blade before pulling it out. I wasn't sorry that I did it, I was sorry that I had to. I shouldn't have shown such weakness.

Maeve blasted me off of her with a frigid torrent of rage, and then weakly clamored to her feet. I shivered on the ground, bruised and stunned, not to mention impossibly cold. Maeve collected the blade then came after me, slashing wildly, screaming in rage. I dodged her, called wind to push against her in her weak advances until she fell to her hands and knees. Once the wind was gone she bolted after me again, this time, I was ready. I caught the bladed hand, twisted her wrist, grabbed her shoulder and spun her to the ground. I followed her down, taking the dagger, and then once she was flat on the ground, I pulled her head up by the hair and opened her throat. She clawed the air above her head for a moment then went limp.

I don't know how long I sat there atop Maeve. Mab stepped up to me and took the knife, and then whispered again. "Now… take responsibility." Maeve began to glow with blue fire. It erupted from her body, blasting me backwards to hover in the air. I couldn't adequately express how intense the power that filled me was. Imagine a moment of awe, when your chest is fit to burst from excitement; every cell in my being felt like this. I was on fire and freezing at the same time, I felt massive and yet I became suddenly aware of how massive the world- the universe really was.

I crumpled to the ground. Mab strolled over to me, no longer black haired or black eyed, but her dress remained that of mourning. "I will wait for you to save your child, but you will come back to me immediately after. There is much I must teach you. Many responsibilities you must learn I you are to succeed as Maeve." She smiled solemnly.

"Again!" Butters called. Cold metal touched my chest and Butters called "Clear!" before electricity filled my body.

"Hexus!" I exclaimed when I had control of my voice again. The paddles sparked and the defribulator flatlined.

"Did we lose her?" Father Forthill asked.

"Oh God, Dorothy." Molly whispered tearfully.

"I'm alive." I said. "No thanks to Doctor Frankenstein."

"Your heart stopped, you weren't breathing." Butters replied defensively. "Oh, it was a joke. I forgot your ability to joke no matter what. Your welcome." He added. I was tied to the cot for some reason so I unstrapped myself and got up. "Whoa there tiger, I may have zapped you, but you're still injured."

"No I'm not." I interrupted him, undoing all the dressings he had put on me earlier, and showing that I was healed like none of it ever happened. Everyone fell eerily silent and stared at me. It took me a second to understand. I looked in the next nearest reflective surface and gaped. My eyes had changed to a pale crystal green like looking at an emerald inside a cloudy ice cube. My hair was so pale of blond that from behind one could mistake me for 80 years old. Indeed much of my hair was salted with pure white. My lips were frosted mulberries, and my skin was pale as fresh snow. My blemishes, laugh lines, moles, all of it- gone! I nearly radiated beauty! "Oh, yeah… that. I believe I've become the new Winter Lady."

Butters' cell phone rang not ten feet from me and didn't explode. I eyed it cautiously. He answered cautiously. "Murphy?" he listened for a moment then looked to me. "Karen said shes at the FBI building. Nando was brought in about the bombing."

"Crap." I grabbed the phone and brought it to my slightly tapered ear. "Murph, I'm on my way."

"uh, how are you talking on a cell phone."

"I want it to be a surprise." I said before hanging up. When I got to the FBI building, Murphy had to double-take at me. Rudolph accused me of disguising myself to evade capture, but I loudly replied I changed appearance to evade the people he sent to kill me. He didn't have to deny it, no one thought it was true but he still stammered through a denial all the same. I found Tilly, the guy totally has a thing for blonds, and convinced him to ask Nando specific questions. I watched him go back in with Nando.

"I heard you're Batman." Tilly said, standing by the door.

"Who says that?" Nando asked, the first thing Tilly had gotten him to say since he was put in the room. Tilly sat in his seat across Nando.

"your baby mama." Tilly said. "Was that some kind of code?" Tilly asked.

Nando shook his head slowly. "I am a bat-man."

"What's that mean what does it have to do with the bombing? Why were you seen there minutes before it blew?" Tilly asked.

"I was there to get valuable information about my child who was recently kidnapped."

"Uh…" Tilly looked into his notes. "Margaret Zelina Dresden?" he asked, looking at the mirror, and then back at Nando. Nando nodded.

"The owners of the building-"

"Nuevo Verita."

"the owner of Nuevo Verita is… well my wife. Needless to say she isn't happy with me or Miss Dresden at the present." Nando explained. Tilly whistled. "she bought Dorothy's office building, laced it with explosives, then when we broke in to find out where she took our daughter, she pulled the trigger."

"And Batman factors in where, exactly?" without warning, Nando changed to his bat form, breaking out of his cuffs and away from the table. Tilly flung himself out of his chair and to the other end of the room faster than a mortal should have been capable. After going back to normal, Nando fixed the table and chairs and sat primly back into his seat and laced his fingers on the table. Murph and I entered the room, Murph consoled Tilly, though he needed as little as Murph did her first true glimpse of the horrible up close, and I went to hug Nando. "You aren't… one of those too are you?"

"oh, I'm something far more terrible." I mused. Nando stroked my new salty locks behind my freshly tapered ear and frowned at me. Then the sun began to set and all hell broke loose. Vampires attacked the FBI. Thankfully, Murph is old hat at fighting red court at this point and she helped Tilly and Rudolf with a few straglers get to safety while Nando and I led the attacking vamps and their Ick to the nevernever… into the dining hall of the goblin king.

Nando and I dueled the Eebs and their Ick and won, then I made nice with the goblin king, and we came out the Nevernever in a tent in the mall. Weird. Leaving the sporting goods shop at the mall, covered in ick and gore, we got to the parking lot where a 1959 Barnett Cadillac Hearse was pulled into our path. The paint was black with chrome filigree, the sheen shifted through all the cold light spectrum colors like oil on water, and it had the tail fins that almost looked like the bat wings on the bat mobile. A handsome sidhe driver got out, rounded the front end and held the door for me. "my Lady." He bowed.

I thanked him, got in, and scooted over for Nando to get in before noticing my fairy godmother. After a conversation and a couple stops, we arrived at the church. "all hail the 'Za-Lady!" my hundreds of glittering pixies cheered from the small garden behind the church. I dropped the stack of pizza on the ground and began setting them out and opening them.

"How did you know I needed your help?"

"We felt it my lady." Toot said with a bow and flourish. I had to smile about that no more traps and bribes?

"Very well, my faithful soldiers. Please stand by for further orders."

"we can not fly?" "stand by what?" I heard some ask.

"do as you like but remain near until I advise you what to do next." I explained. They zipped around cheerfully. Nando checked his phone and smiled then nodded to me, and I went inside to gather the troops; Murphy, Sanya, Thomas, and Molly. Butters began strapping into gear but I stopped him. "No offense, but you aren't really a fight for your life kind of guy."

"oh no, I'm quite relieved you think so." Butters sighed. I went over the plan and figured aside from the pixies and dew drops we were alone. Everyone was surprisingly chill about that. When we got outside there was about 13 Conquistadores in full beautifully embellished armor wearing golden faces to protect their own. They stood at attention like marines, stomping loudly as one, then the leader, Nando, removed his golden faceplate and bowed to me. Everyone had their own little swear.

"Darling, you can't go to the ball dressed in those rags. Lea advised me as the crew piled into the hearse like a reverse of clowns spilling out of a tiny beetle. The entire army fit in too, followed by my fairies. Meanwhile Lea changed my clothes into all manors of outfits and armors until she settled on something that looked like a Rio De Janero carnival outfit.

My hair was pulled into an elaborate braided style in the back, leaving just enough free to cover my breasts and a little to trail down my back. I was thankful for the hair over my chest considering there were only a couple necklaces there to do the job otherwise. Feathers, all the colors of a bruise, made a sort of tiara pattern against the back of my head, and bands of black blue and purple feathers adorned my arms. My waist was covered with crossed bands of silver that held up a black loincloth, then black was smudged on my legs and oblique's in a vague tribal pattern. Ankle jewelry replaced my boots, and many bracelets adorned my wrists but despite that, I made no telltale jingles when I moved.

"Godmother, this is sexy and all, but I'm fighting vampires, the less skin would probably be the better."

"Pish posh, dear child. This fight is against a woman who's been passed over. The more you remind her what she could never be, the less balanced and thoughtful she will be. Besides." Lea snapped and the chauffer shot me in the face… the bullet crumpled a fraction of an inch from my skin. She laughed and clapped, jumping in a circle like a hyper child. Magic and metals will roll right off of you.

"Oh I like that."

"And as a sidhe noble, you have the proficiency in glamour and veils that you had previously lacked."

"Thank you godmother." I exclaimed aghast. She giggled more and climbed into the vehicle. "Oh the stash I-" before I could elaborate, the duffel bag Murph and I filled to stash in the nevernever was thrust into my arms by the driver. I climbed in last and rolled my eyes at the commentary about my revealing costume.

We traveled through a few cool sights to get to Chichen Itza in time to crash their party. They gave us a virgin as a party favor. Some hosts give swag bags but whatever, I chilled with Arianna for a bit, then shattered her, and then we went to the altar to fight the red king. The grey council showed after all, along with Odin and a small detail of white court vampires and mercenaries. I had Molly take Maggie to a chopper that Thomas had Lara deliver, and Nando made our swag virgin into a vampire and she kind of ate a couple other virgins. We sacrificed her, then Nando died along with the other vampires. I realized at the latest second that I loved him; the Nando I'd known the past year any way. Who knows if it was real or not. After overseeing the evacuation, I spoke to Karen about my wishes and returned to my new mother as promised.