Claire sighed as she fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist. She frowned at her reflection. She normally didn't wear this much makeup… ever. The deep purple dress hugged her figure and Claire just… cringed. She didn't dress up. This was weird. And… uncomfortable.

The bathroom door opened, and Jim walked in. He stopped when he saw her, eyes wide. "Woah."

Claire sighed. "I know."

"You look so…"

"Weird?"

"Beautiful."

Claire blushed. "Well, don't get used to it. It's just for the mission."

Jim grinned and pulled her close. "We should have missions like this more often, then."

She laughed as Jim kissed her cheek. "Oh yeah, you'd definitely enjoy that."

"I would," he agreed, gently pressing a kiss to her neck before pulling away. "You're so pretty, Claire."

Claire blushed again, smile growing. "Thank you." She gently pat his chest. "Now go. I have to get into character."

"Oh, no." Jim laughed. "I want to see what posh Claire looks like."

She snorted. "Accent and all?"

He raised his brows. "Accent?"

"It's my making fun of Douxie accent."

Jim started laughing. "Do it. I want to hear it."

Claire grinned and cleared her throat. Then she said in the worst British accent ever, "I'm a very British person. I say bloody hell and fuzzbuckets because I can't be bothered to say fuck."

Jim burst into laughter. "Oh god that's amazing. Ten bucks if you say that to his face."

Claire chuckled. "Maybe after we're done saving the world again."

He grinned and nodded. "Fair enough. Although, I wouldn't actually use that accent if you want to fool anybody."

"I figured. It's just my way of making you laugh." She giggled.

"I enjoyed it." Jim smiled. "But we should get going. Krel made a lot of bombs. And you and Carter need to get a head start if you're going to make it to that party."

Claire nodded. "Yep."

"Ten bucks if you say it to Carter."

"Does Carter even have a sense of humor?" Claire crossed her arms with a sly smile. "He's the only twenty year old I've met who doesn't smile."

"Don't be mean." Jim chastised lightly, pushing her out the door. "He's got a lot going on. Besides, what kind of boyfriend would he be if he didn't make fun of Douxie every now and then?"

Claire chuckled as they walked down the hall. "And you're not worried about your girlfriend going to a fancy party dressed like this with a guy who's not you?"

Jim laughed. "You mean the obvious homosexual who's dating one of my best friends? Nah. Nope. Not worried." He shook his head with a smile. "Besides, Carter seems like the kind of person who stays laser focused on the mission."

"Douxie," Carter whispered between kisses, sighing into his boyfriend's mouth as Douxie pushed him against the bathroom sink. "Babe, we don't have time for this."

"Five more minutes." Douxie muttered, pressing kisses down Carter's neck. He pushed Carter's half-buttoned shirt over his shoulder, kissing there too. "I love you so much."

Carter gently squeezed his waist, subconsciously pulling him closer. "And you know I love doing this with you," he murmured, head tilting to the side as the kisses got a little deeper. "But I need to finish getting ready."

Douxie hummed against his neck, sucking on his pulse point. Carter gasped, fingers digging into his sides.

"Shit, not there!" He whisper-yelled, halfway between pleasure and panic. "That's above the neckline!"

Douxie sighed through his nose but stopped. He licked the spot to make a point and pulled back enough to meet Carter's gaze. "You're no fun."

Carter frowned, eyes still slightly glazed over with pleasure. "Do you really want Claire to see a hickey on my neck right before this highly dangerous mission?"

Douxie tilted his head to the side. "Since when do you care about stuff like that?" He asked, dipping his head down to kiss the tattoo on Carter's shoulder.

"Since right now," Carter hissed, nudging him away. "Come on, England. What's with you?"

Douxie frowned, gently cupping his cheek, thumb rubbing over his bottom lip as gazed at him longingly. "It's been a while, love. I've missed you."

Carter sighed, gently taking his hand, leaning into his touch. "I know. But I don't think now is the best time to have a makeout session." He kissed his fingertips, eyes flitting towards Douxie's. "Especially because I know we'd go too far and lose track of time." He smiled at Douxie's face, knowing the wizard knew he was right. "So just be patient. Wait until we've had a chance to breathe."

Douxie sighed. "With our luck that won't be until your dad is no longer a threat."

Carter chuckled. "Yeah, probably." His smile turned wicked. "More of a reason to celebrate."

Douxie rolled his eyes, still smiling. "Cheeky." He kissed his forehead. "But alright. I suppose you do need to get going."

Carter nodded, beginning to fix his shirt. "Yep. Wish me luck?"

Douxie huffed a laugh. "Always." He pressed a kiss to his cheek before pulling away, stepping out of the bathroom. "I still want you to be careful."

Carter smirked. "Never."

Douxie rolled his eyes, leaning against the door frame of the bathroom. He was quiet for a moment, picking at the sleeve of his hoodie. He let out an anxious breath, closing his eyes. "I love you, Carter."

Carter was silent for a moment before he quietly said, "I love you too, Douxie."

"Stay here, with Blinky." Carter said as he loaded a handgun. "You'll be safe."

Marcy pursed her lips. "What if it doesn't work?"

Carter gave her a smile. "It'll work. Besides, I've got a kick ass shadowmancer coming with me. I'll be fine."

"Speaking of which," Douxie nudged Carter and pointed down the hall. Claire and Jim were walking towards them. Claire looked extremely uncomfortable, and Jim was whispering something to her as he slung Excalibur over his back.

"Wow," Carter crossed his arms, giving her an appreciative nod. "You clean up nice."

Claire chuckled nervously, and gestured to him. "So do you. You're actually pretty cute when you're not covered in dirt and blood."

Carter cracked a smile, a small snicker passing through his lips. "Hilarious. Come on. Our ride is waiting."

Claire gave Douxie a wide-eyed look before jogging to catch up with Carter. "Ride?"

"Pulled in a favor from an old friend." He explained. "If we want to play the part, we have to look the part. Car and all."

Claire opened a portal, dropping them delicately onto the asphalt road outside. "Should I be worried."

"Eh," he shrugged. "Nah. Not unless you're scared of reckless drivers."

"Everyone should be scared of reckless drivers."

"True. That's why I don't let Douxie drive." He steered her onto the curb. "Watch out."

"Watch out for what—"

Something large and fast tore down the street in front of them, knocking over a few trash cans before coming to a screeching halt. It was a long black limo that was dripping with seawater. It backed up before stopping in front of them. Barnacles lined the undercarriage of the car, a few pieces of seaweed stuck in crevices between the doors and hood.

The window rolled down and the person in the driver's seat stuck his head out the window. He was an old man with a wild beard and wilder eyes. He had a cap on his head that was also encrusted with barnacles. He grinned at them, eyes sparkling with crazy. "Lad and lassie!" He saluted them. "Look at the two of 'ya, all trussed up and pretty."

Claire grabbed Carter's wrist, squeezing it. "Nope. Bad idea. Crazy driver."

Carter shrugged her off quickly, pulling his hand away from her. "Captain." He greeted the old man, ignoring Claire's wide-eyed look. "You're looking well."

"Never been better, my boy!" Captain gestured for them to get in, the door of the limo swinging open. "A little fishy told me you needed a ride."

"That we do." Carter said before pushing Claire towards the car. "Get in."

"Carter, this is bad."

"He's harmless, Claire." Carter assured. "Mostly, at least. Look, this guy has a few screws loose, but he won't hurt us. He's just a ferryman."

"This isn't a boat." She hissed.

"It is, actually!" Captain said. "Just in a different form. Now, we going or not?"

"Yes, Captain." Carter gave Claire a look.

She sighed but climbed in, Carter following closely. The door slammed shut and the old man who was beginning to uncomfortably remind her of Merlin, fixed the rear view mirror before he slammed on the gas pedal and they shot forward.

Claire lurched back in her seat, so terrified that she couldn't even scream. Captain cackled like a madman, shouting something to Carter that Claire couldn't decipher over the blood rushing in her ears. She glanced at Carter through her terror, unsurprised to find him just as horrified as she felt.

Carter yelled something to the old man and they slowed down, albeit with a look of annoyance on Captain's face. Claire's heart was beating so fast, she was sure it would leap right out of her chest. It was now she noticed Carter's white-knuckled grip on the leather seat and his heavy breathing.

"You okay?" She whispered.

"Peachy," he muttered, face white. He let out a heavy breath and turned to the window. "You know, there are rules about driving that fast, Captain."

The old man laughed good-naturedly. "My boy, what kind of life would you have if you never took risks?"

"A long one." Carter grumbled.

Captain Crazy was evidently not as deaf as Carter because he chuckled and shook his head. "You've been alive a hundred years, lad. And yet, you are not one for playing it safe." He turned to glance at him. "Between you and your boyfriend, you two have taken more risks than I've ever seen. And yet you're still alive." He grinned at him. "A life of almost is a life of never, my lad."

"Great. Thanks for the speech." Carter nodded with a grim look. "Watch the road."

Captain sighed and shook his head. "Just wait 'til you're my age. You'll stop caring so much."

"What? About life?" Carter rolled his eyes. "Not just your own but the people around you—put your blinker on—Cap, there's a lot more to me caring about my safety than me just not wanting to die, okay? It's about—"

"Douxie?" Captain guessed.

Carter's mouth snapped shut and he averted his gaze, looking out the window.

Claire pursed her lips. "Carter?"

Carter cleared his throat, not meeting anyone's eyes. "So what if it is? What if he's the only person… the only reason that I care I stay alive?"

Claire's heart beat a little louder. She opened and closed her mouth, trying to think of something to say, but Captain beat her to it.

"You shouldn't spend your life being careful just to please one person."

"It's not to please him." Carter hissed. "It's because I care if he's left in this godforsaken hellhole without me. It's because I know how painful it is to have your other half ripped away from you. To be left alone, abandoned in an uncaring world, mourning the one person who makes all of this worth it. It's because I know what it's like to lose your soulmate, however brief that had been. I know."

"Hm," Captain nodded slowly and turned his full attention back to the road. "Alright then."

Claire stared at Carter, eyes wide and tears threatening to spill. "I didn't… realize you knew about that?" She said quietly.

"About what?" Carter asked sharply. "That he actually died?" He laughed dryly. "Yeah, that's the part they don't tell you about being soulmates. You feel it when they die…" he pursed his lips, brows furrowing as if he was reliving a painful memory. "It's like having half of your own soul gouged out of your chest and torn apart and all you can do is watch."

Claire slowly, hesitantly, reached out and gently put her hand over his. She gave him a firm look when his eyes snapped up to meet hers. "It's okay," she said softly. "I'm listening."

Carter huffed a laugh and pulled his hand away, hastily wiping the tears that had begun to form in the corners of his eyes. "I suppose he got me back." He ran a hand over his face, swallowing his tears. "I died on him once too. We're even now."

Claire sighed. "Carter—"

"Don't. It's okay." He took in a shaky breath. "I'm fine." He stared out the window, watching the road pass quickly underneath them.

"You're not."

"Well, sorry to point out the obvious Claire, but we're not friends." He bit out. "I'm not going to cry my heart out to you every time I get upset."

"You just did." She said, a bit snarkily.

Carter sighed heavily, not looking at her still. He squeezed his arm tightly, jaw tightening. "I'm not doing this to make friends." He said quietly.

Claire pursed her lips. "Carter, you can't expect to do all of this and not make friends. Look at me," she nudged his leg with her foot, waiting for him to look at her. He did, slowly, something tired and heavy in his eyes. "Why do you do that?"

"Do what?" He asked, even though she was pretty sure he knew what she meant.

"Whenever you start to get comfortable around someone, it's like you realize it and you tense up again. It's like you're afraid of being vulnerable." She noticed the way he stiffened. Bingo. "You know you can trust me, right?"

"I don't know that, actually." Carter said, looking away again. "I know… you saved my life. And you helped when the bull attacked." His eyes hardened and he glared out the window. "But you did all of that for Douxie."

"Carter, I would have helped you regardless of whether or not Douxie asked me to." She shook her head. "You're so hard to figure out, you know that right?"

He chuckled humorlessly. "I get that a lot."

"You could try accepting the fact that I want to be your friend." She gestured to him vaguely. "Instead of doing whatever the hell this is."

Carter rolled his eyes. "Well, at least I know why Douxie talks about you so much. You're like a mini-version of him."

"You say that like it's a bad thing."

"Look, I love the guy but he can be kind of preachy about friendship and all that shit."

Claire stifled a laugh. "Is he wrong?"

"I don't know." Carter shrugged helplessly. "I'm not good at making friends, Claire. I was kind of a loner up until I met Douxie."

"And is he the only person you actually talk to on a regular basis?"

Carter's silence was deafening. He sighed again and leaned his head back on the seat, staring at the ceiling. "He's the only person I've needed."

"Okay, yeah that's not—" Claire sucked in a breath. "You need friends."

"Archie, Fenris." Carter listed them on his fingers.

"Human friends." Claire shook her head. "Do you realize how unhealthy it is for the only people you talk to to be a dog, a cat, and the person you're basically married to?"

Carter glanced at her, brows furrowing. "I sincerely hope you're not saying our relationship is toxic."

"I'm not, I promise." She shook her head again. "It's just that… Douxie has more friends than just you. And if he's pushing for you to make friends too, then maybe you should listen to him. He cares about you. That extends to your mental health."

Carter took in a long breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "People tend to find me offensive."

"Because… you're gay?"

He snorted. "No. It's because I'm rude, apparently."

"I don't think you're necessarily rude." Claire said. "Abrasive and straight to the point? Sure. But not outright rude." She shrugged. "But I refuse to believe you're like that all the time. I just think you're stressed out because of your dad."

"Wow. You're trying really hard to be my friend, aren't you?"

Claire smirked. "Get used to it. I'm gonna be your best friend by the time this is over."

He looked at her for a while, a sort of resolve forming in his eyes. "I think I get why Douxie talks about you so much." He nodded to himself, glancing away again. "I think I get it."

Claire was about to ask him what he meant by that when the car came to a sudden stop. "Gah!" She nearly fell forward, but Carter caught her arm.

"Here's the stop!" Captain announced. He turned to them, a wild glint in his eye. "Give 'em hell, Carter my lad."

Carter smirked. "Aye, aye Captain." He climbed out of the limo, Claire following. He helped her out, pulling her away from the limo as it shot forward, dissolving into sea mist. "He's a much better driver on land." Carter commented.

"I don't even want to know what the bad type of driving is." Claire muttered, nausea creeping in. "That was horrible."

"Yep," Carter offered his arm for her to take. "Get into character. Happy faces."

Claire took in a deep breath and plastered a wide smile on her face, wrapping her hand around his arm. "How are we going to convince them to let us in?" She asked through her teeth as they walked towards the line of fancy people waiting to get into the party.

"I've got it, don't worry." Carter assured, patting her hand.

Claire wasn't sure what he meant by that, but decided not to question it. As they approached the entrance of the building, the security guard kept glancing at them weirdly. He knew they didn't belong here. Claire was about to say they should probably find another way in when a second security guard came up beside them, glaring.

"Names?" He asked gruffly.

Carter smiled at him in a sort of smug way that it made it look like he definitely belonged here. "Claire and Carter Howard. We're on the list."

The man grunted, thick arms crossing. He frowned. "Billy!" He shouted to his co-worker. "Are they on the list?"

Billy, the security guard a few feet from them, flipped through the list for a moment before shaking his head. "Nope. No Howard on here."

Carter frowned, very convincingly looking confused. "Check again." He said.

Claire felt a shift in the atmosphere, like an electric storm about to hit. The air fizzled and popped and she nearly jumped, but the guards and the other party-goers didn't pay any attention to it.

"Oh, wait. Here it is." Billy said, his voice suddenly monotone and his eyes glazed over. "My apologies."

"Thank you." Carter pulled Claire along, not sparing them a second glance. "We appreciate it."

As soon as they were inside, Carter tugged her down a separate hallway, away from the crowd. Claire was still confused about what had just happened. They'd been about to arrest them, and then they just let them go?

"Carter, how did you do that?" She asked.

"Just a little trick. Mortals see what they want to see, and given the right influence," he looked at her with a wicked smirk. "I can make them think we're supposed to be here."

Claire stared at him. "But… What did you do? I didn't see you cast a spell or anything like that. And I mean… his eyes went all weird." She dropped her hand from his arm, still walking alongside him. "I don't even think Douxie can do that."

"Oh, he can." Carter said. "It just doesn't come as easily to him. And the guard will be fine, by the way. He'll just be a little confused for a few hours. More than enough time for us to kidnap some kids."

Claire stifled a smile. "You didn't answer my question. How did you do it?"

Carter stopped, peering around a wall. "Do you know what the Vela is?"

Claire blinked. "Um…"

"I'll take that as a no." Carter started walking again. "The Vela is the magical fog that obscures mortals from seeing things as they really are. And with some practice, I learned to use it like that." He glanced at her over his shoulder. "Most of the time, when mortals are looking at a monster, they don't realize that it's a monster at all. They might see a large dog, or maybe an ugly guy with a bowler hat."

Claire snickered. "A bowler hat?"

"Long story. The point is, it lets mortals see what their brains can comprehend." He explained, creeping along the wall. "Sometimes, even half-bloods are tricked by it. Not wizards, though. They can naturally see beyond it like it's not even there."

"Huh," Claire nodded slowly. "Okay, wait. But everyone in Arcadia could see the trolls no problem. They even accepted them as part of society."

"Superstitious people and those who've been over-exposed to magic tend to be able to see beyond the Vela too." Carter turned to her. "It was probably the Heartstone. It weakened the Vela's hold around Arcadia. Made it thin and easy to see through. Easier for normal people to accept the impossible." He glanced over her shoulder, then crouched by the wall, drawing a thin metal disk from his pocket. "It was long dead by the time I got there, and I could still feel the Heartstone's magic lingering around the town."

"Interesting." Claire said, watching him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Seeing around the corner," he said, voice in a whisper. He carefully held the metal disk at an angle, watching its reflective surface. "Okay," he pocketed it again and looked up at her. "There's a guard around the corner. That means we've got to be getting close."

"Close to where?" Claire asked. "Wouldn't your pals be where the party is?"

"Not right this second." Carter stood again, grabbing something from his pocket. "Jamie and Aanya should be in a separate room with her dad. If we move fast, we can grab them and go before they get to the party. If they make it into the crowd," he sighed. "Let's just say we don't want that to happen."

"So we're going to kill an innocent man?"

"Doll, listen." Carter said, a bit of an accent slipping through as he drew a handgun from a concealed holster on his hip that Claire only just now noticed. "The odds of any of these guards being anywhere close to the word innocent are slim to none. Secondly, I've come to learn that it's kill or be killed in this line of work."

"But—"

"Did you spare Morgana? Gunmar?"

"Those were completely different!"

"Trust me, it's not. And," he leaned in close, brown eyes darkening. "I'm willing to bet more than half of those guards aren't even human. Monsters like to disguise themselves. And Aanya's dad deals with shady shit."

"Carter," Claire breathed out, hand hovering over his arm, eyes wide and scared. "I've never…" she swallowed thickly, averting her gaze. "We can just knock him out."

Carter sighed but nodded. "Alright, fine." He peered around the corner again, tensing. "Stay right behind me."

Claire nodded, letting her magic pool into her hands. She waited for him to go first, following closely when he turned the corner and started creeping down the hall, getting closer to the guard.

Carter quietly holstered his weapon, pressing his back to the wall, right where the guard was around the corner. He gave her a nod and Claire stretched her palm to the floor, closing her eyes. The shadows on the walls began to slowly morph into the vague shape of a person, getting the guard's attention. He startled at first, but then turned the corner to follow the shadow—

—only to get Carter's elbow in his face.

The guard crumpled to the ground with a sickening crack. His nose was crooked and bleeding, eyes rolled into the back of his head as he lay prone on the floor.

"Oh god!" Claire exclaimed, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Carter!"

"What? He's not dead."

"God shit, how strong are you!?" She whisper-yelled. "His face isn't supposed to look like that!"

"He'll live." Carter said, pulling her along. "Come on."

Claire glanced behind her at the guy, eyes blowing wide when she saw his body twisting horrifically. Bones cracked and snapped, an animalistic howl splitting the air. "Run!"

Carter looked behind them, eyes widening with horror. "Fuck shit!" He shouted and started sprinting, dragging Claire behind him.

They darted down the hall, the sound of something large and fast chasing after them. Claws scraped the wood floor, a ragged growl coming from close behind made the hairs on the back of their necks stand on end.

"What is that!?" Claire screamed, stumbling behind Carter in her stupid heels.

"Shadowhound!" He sharply turned a corner, holding onto her arm a little tighter. "They're like hellhounds but bigger and meaner and uglier!"

"I think we need a Monsterology 101 class." Claire gasped, ribs aching already.

"Okay!" Carter pushed her down another hall of this seemingly endless maze of doors and hallways. "First lesson, don't let it bite you."

Claire nodded, finally able to take a breath as Carter pushed her behind him, making sure her back was to the wall. "How do we kill it?"

"Usually with fire." Carter whispered, drawing his gun again as he crouched down, peering around the corner. "Creatures from the shadow realm are usually vulnerable to fire."

"Like shadow mephits?"

"Bingo." He quickly pressed his back to the wall again, grip tightening on his gun. "Shit, it's right there."

Claire could hear the monster snuffling and growling. Little clicking whirs drifted through the air, almost a decipherable language. Most of it was just, Demigod. Kill. Eat. "Well, neither of us are good at fire magic. So, what now?"

Carter took a deep breath. "Good question."

Claire steeled her nerves, letting her magic flow back into her hands. "We could just charge and hope for the best."

Carter seemed surprised. "Seriously?"

"Do you have any better ideas?"

He sighed. "No."

They both flinched when the shadowhound howled loudly.

"Ready?" She whispered. Carter nodded and got ready to jump. "Go!"

They both leapt out of their hiding place. Claire sent a bolt of magic straight at the monster's face. It yowled and let out an ear piercing screech. To her left, she saw Carter stumble against the wall, clutching his ear, face scrunched with pain. For a moment, she was worried he'd been hit, but then she saw him tear his hearing aids out of his ears.

Claire focused her attention back on the beast. It was definitely ugly. It looked like a slimy, emaciated snake-dragon. Its twisted and deformed skin hugged its muscles weirdly, clawed limbs scraping the floor leaving huge dents. It snarled at her, long snout curling upwards to show off long, jagged teeth that could tear the flesh from her bones in an instant. Smoke curled from its nostrils, and black venom dripped from its pointed teeth, dripping onto the floor with a nauseating sizzling sound.

It hissed at her, crouching low to the ground, muscles taut as it prepared to pounce. Claire made a shield just as it leapt at her, claws glancing off the magic shield, creating sparks in the air. It screeched again when a gun went off.

Claire jumped at the sound, looking to see Carter had moved behind it and had fired a point-blank shot into its rib cage, right where its heart should be. The shadowhound turned to him, hissing. It leapt towards him, but Carter was faster than he looked. He dodged to the right, rolling forward and springing to his feet. He spun around quickly and fired again, hitting the beast right between the eyes.

It screamed, clawing at the new wound, black blood dripping and bubbling down its forehead. The wound steamed and festered, and even for a magical creature, Claire was pretty sure that wasn't normal.

The shadowhound let out a sound that was a mixture between a scream and a howl. Claire covered her ears, backing away. But Carter was unfazed by it. He aimed the gun again and fired a shot right into its open mouth.

It let out a gurgled roar and scrambled away from him, bleeding from the bullet wounds all of them festering and smoking. It didn't completely run away, though. It just hunkered down further down the hall, glaring at them.

Claire stretched her hand out, magic curling off her fingers. She focused, letting her magic became a precise thin line and it shot forward, digging into the shadowhound's wounds.

It screeched again and dove into the shadows on the walls. Claire spun around, worried it would leap out at them again. But it didn't.

"Well, we didn't kill it." Carter said, breathing hard as he holstered his gun. "But we did manage to wound it. And severely traumatize it."

Claire cracked a smile. "You're a good shot."

Carter wasn't looking at her, staring down the hall. "We should go. They probably heard that."

It took Claire a second to remember he couldn't hear her. She shook out her hands and jogged after him when he took off down the hall. They turned down a few hallways until they came to a set of doors. She could hear hushed arguing coming from behind it.

She turned to glance at him, waiting as he put his hearing aids back in and adjusted the dials. He gave her a thumbs up.

Claire held her hand out towards the door to unlock it, when it blew open, blasting them back with a loud crash. They went right through the wall.