---

Rachel rubbed between her eyes, Yseress hovering nearby; the nephilim showed far more enthusiasm than usual at the thought of genocide.  The lunar hare just hoped the Crystal event would be less controversial than the Montana one.

Nia exited soon after, engaging with her ‘big sister’ on the topic of Ai and China, but Yseress was far more interested in the Crystal; all of their minds were on entirely different topics, and Rachel was fine with them distracting themselves, and she told the bunny to inform the others about Anthony before they went to bed.

The dressed-up living denier’s smaller ears shot into the air, a mischievous grin telling Rachel she was going to spin some story.  She raced out of the room with a giggle, leaving Yseress to turn a knowing smirk in her direction.

“I can guess that you want to be alone, Mistress; bottling things up too much can, heh, be quite explosive and cause many more troubles.  Hmm-hmm.  I will find some enjoyment in waking my little succubus slave.”

“Haaa.  Must you torment Elinnila?”  Rachel muttered, knowing she was referring to Emotional Detachment and how pissed she’d be once dropping it.

Yseress’ wings fluttered with a sadistic gleam in her narrowed eyes.  “Torture is such a pretty poison…  I can’t resist the energy it brings; it’s so fun on the darker side, as you know well, Mistress.”

Rachel couldn’t deny that the fiendish woman had a point, but there had to be a line.  “You’ll have the opportunity to fill your appetite soon enough.  Don’t spoil your dinner with an appetizer… and don’t turn those black wings on Jeanne.”

“Well, that’s not fun,” Yseress mused, twisting her hand to study her dark fingernails without a hint of shame.  “The best spice comes from the duality between the light and dark.  Haaa.  I will temper my venomous thirst…  Hmm.  Melissa is coming to speak to you with Selvaria.  What entertainment lies ahead of us?  I can’t wait.  Hehehe.”

Leaving with a small, twinkling smile and wave, Yseress went to stir up trouble by stepping on her devilish plaything.  The leviathan and disguised cat sea monster poked their heads in.

“You done, Rach?”  Selvaria questioned, aquamarine irises wandering around the room before settling on her.  “Maria told us about Mel’s little sister and the pirate stuff.”

Remaining detached, Rachel forced a smile and motioned for them to come in; Melissa let the leviathan take the lead, likely intimidated by her, given her shifty eyes.

“I know you’re anxious, Melissa…  I really do know what it feels like to want to jump right in.  Unfortunately, we’re still missing a few pieces.”

The cat girl’s ears pulled back, her tail lowering a bit, but she still refused to make eye contact.  “No, I know.  Can I know what we’re going to do next?  Everyone just kept pointing me toward you…”

Rachel ran her fingers through her hair and sighed to show she also wanted to take direct action.  “Let me be candid…  I have a lot of people tugging on me for their attention.

“Charlemagne needs to debrief Jeanne and me on France’s next move after he finishes working with the country’s representatives.

“Empress Wu is attempting to snatch my attention… and succeeding far better than I would like by kidnapping my boyfriend and Mythic’s vice-captain.  Maria will need to take over command of the day team until he returns.  

“We have an unknown eldritch threat in France that Anthony discovered, a plot by anti-religious cultists we were swept into the middle of, random figures around France trying to get close to us for dubious reasons, a possible pirate war against France I need to prevent, and Earth’s first publicly released alien contact—at least, from our own dimension—whose blunder in technology almost destroyed the planet.

Rachel took a breath, seeing Melissa’s hands tightening around her belly and her heartbeat increasing as she continued to share exactly what she was being forced to handle.

“On top of that, Anthony saving Earth has likely caused… heh, unfortunate fame and scrutiny for Mythic as a group since the UN will share that it was us that took care of the abrupt crisis, further complicating things.”

Almost as an afterthought, she chimed, “Oh!  Also, Solomon, the premier Mythikin of the State of Israel, wants to have a meeting with me tonight, and I have this Crystal genocide thing.”

Selvaria nodded.  “So… a typical day for you?”

“Week, maybe,” she conceded, looking back.

“That’s… a lot,” Melissa mumbled, rubbing her left arm while staring at the floor.  “I guess my sister is kind of lower on that priority list.”

Rachel sighed and walked over to hug her.  “We can handle multiple things at the same time.  Just give me a bit to catch my breath and figure things out, okay?”

The girl’s chest fluttered against her own as she tried to hold back her tears.  “Ack-ahem…  Yeah.  Sorry for taking your time, umm…  Is there anything I can do?  I just… I feel useless.”

Knowing the girl didn’t want to hear that she should just relax, Rachel pulled away, mind swiftly running through various tasks that did need to be addressed.

“If you want to help me… Selvaria and you can find Alexa and get in contact with Tom.  You have his number, Selv?”

“Mhm.  My phone wasn’t fried like everyone else’s.  Can I ask him about getting the aliens to help with making a sea and moon base for us?  Our new Artificer can use their technology to make all my plans come true.”

Rachel resisted drawing in her lips and brow at the request; it was a typical Selvaria thing to ask, and she should have seen it coming.  “Umm.  Sure.  I don’t see why not, but before that, make sure he gives you the location of the marine ship he wants us to head to in order for Alexa to transfer her Seed.  He should be flying in soon, so tell Cahira I’ll need her in a bit.”

Selvaria’s eyes dulled more than normal.  “Can we go without the horny pirate?  I’ll just take us, and Cahira’s tired after all the, eh… activities she did today with Ward and his monkeys; I didn’t ask and don’t want to know.”

Not quite sure what she was getting at or hoping she wasn’t, Rachel shrugged.  “That’s fine.  I still need to talk to her about the Pirate’s Conference.  Let the others know I’ll be briefing them after I meet with Charlemagne on our next move; I’m just waiting for him to set the time.”

Hand rising into a salute, Selvaria’s tail wagged, clearly happy at being able to talk about her dream bases.  “Aye, aye, Captain Rachel.”

Melissa cleared her throat, still fighting down her emotions.  “Thank you, Rachel…  Also, Selv, aren’t you tired?  You haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours.”

“Tip-top, skipper,” she returned with a comforting smile and in her typical monotone voice.  “I’m full of energy.  Let’s go commission a lunar base…  Oh, and do the other things.”

Rachel waved the two off and giggled at their tails, weaving in sync.  “I’m counting on you.”

Once alone, she shut the door and went to the window to stare out at the dark heavens as wet snow began to fall over Paris—it turned to rain upon entering Zippy’s moderated thermal dome.  Breathing in, she released it, along with Emotional Detachment, the pressure in her jaw increasing as her nose twitched with anger.

Anthony should have consulted with me before making that deal…  No, it was the right choice, but… Wu.  Her comments are living in my head on repeat!  What an infuriating woman, and she knows what she’s doing.

Her bitter gaze fell to her phone as she received a text…  Empress Wu.

 

7:45 p.m - Empress Wu - Anthony has been so cute with his comments about you; a woman can’t help but envy what she cannot have, hehe, much less an Empress that gets everything she wants.  Anthony and Jaenona are such a delight to have around.

Anthony will be retiring to his room soon… unfortunately, without me.  Joking!  Which part?  Hehe.  ;)  His resistance is adorable beyond words.

Why don’t we talk fifteen minutes before Charlemagne’s little meeting?  I’m sure you have quite a few choice words for me, and I cannot wait!  I expect we will grow to be the best of friends, and I desperately want you here.  As they say, “The lovers are finally together, all shall be well.”

Kisses from China - Empress Wu.

 

It wasn’t a suggestion, and Rachel couldn’t deny that she may have met her match in the devilish woman.  What Wu was doing was obvious, and she could sense it in the threads bending toward their discussion; the Empress wanted to tie their destinies together to shield herself with misfortune.

Rachel couldn’t remember the last time anxiety filled her breast in this way; she wasn’t sure she’d come out on top when entering the ring with Wu, and, in a way, the woman brought her mind back to the controlled, wicked smile of Izanami—someone with a will to endure anything for her dream.

She didn’t fear much after her transformation, yet Wu was rising levels on her caution list.  Wu was not someone who gave in—which was why her eye on Anthony made Rachel’s fingernails dig into her palm—they were more alike than she cared to admit.

If this was the game, Rachel could learn to play—she wouldn’t be beaten—and the infuriating part was that Wu made it painfully obvious that she was trying to coach and entice her through these playful comments.

The woman presented this mask to hide the web and strings she plucked throughout the world, and Rachel already knew they would reflect each other when they crossed—scorched earth—binding her silk around her and Anthony was to enact that very action.

Letting her pounding heart calm while observing the falling rain that wet the green grass upon Zippy, Rachel gripped her hands behind her back, putting pressure on her tail.  Each of Wu’s moves was masterful; she had to wait for Charlemagne to make the next move since the Empress had tied their call to his meeting.

After thirty minutes, Cahira knocked on the door, tentatively opening it as she told her to come in.

“Everythin’ on the up, Rach?  Heh.  Selv told me ya needed a word, but nothin’ escapes your ears, so…”

Rachel retained a light, amiable expression as she masked the uncertainty swirling inside.  “Our next lead for Melissa’s sister involves crashing this pirate gathering.  I expect you and Jack have the location and time?”

“Two days, and it lasts a full day…  We learned the rumor about the attack in three days was a ruse to make France lower its guard,” she replied, focus darting to Rachel’s ear twitch.  “Everythin’ good?”

Her voice remained steady as her heated eyes moved to the fireplace.  “Two days gives us enough time to get there, the third day for the meeting, preparations day four, and the fifth… the assault on France… just within the time frame Anthony is forced to be in China.”

“Yeah…”  Cahira hissed, scratching her temple.  “It’s definitely not a coincidence; Wu would know the schedule since she has one of the Goddesses of the Sea in her employ.”

Rachel turned a soft smile in the woman’s direction.  “Well, it’s a good thing we have our own.”

Cahira’s hesitation vanished at the compliment, and she summoned a bottle of rum, likely from her private store.  “Thanks.  I get the feelin’ ya be needin’ this; a little underage drinkin’ ta dull the feels?  Works for me.”

“Hehe.  I won’t turn you down on the offer, and the law isn’t the same here in France,” Rachel laughed, catching the tossed bottle as the redhead gave her a casual salute.

“Happy ta help, Boss!”  Cahira revealed another from flames and popped it open to take a swing.  “Hmm…  Here’s just my thoughts, Rach, but we’re gonna be opposin’ the Lioness of Britany, and more than likely, the Cult of Reason will make a move during the chaos… possibly with several other factions.  What if Wu plays a stronger hand, and we have to abandon the whole thing?”

Rachel’s gaze was on the fire, yet she could see the nervous taps Cahira made against her side.  “If you’re worried for Zippy’s sake and us getting into a firefight with Zheng Yi Sao, you needn’t concern yourself.  Wu doesn’t want me as an enemy…”

“No?”  Cahira’s smile became strained.  “What else would a woman be sayin’ when plunderin’ another lass’ lover?  It be feelin’ like we be on path ta war against bloody China.”

“Huu-haaa.”  Rachel rubbed the back of her neck as it itched.  “Because… the annoying Empress is trying to groom me into being one of her generals, and she’s clever enough to maneuver herself into a position where I can’t keep her out of my head…”

A shiver ran down the Pirate Queen’s frame.  “Chills.  There’s a counterplay, right?”

Rachel’s mouth drew in as she got a message from Charlemagne, and she put her phone on the table beside the window; the meeting was set for midnight, giving her enough time to relieve her sister-in-law of her Seed before it killed her—Wolfgang’s insurance policy—and she needed to spread it twice, which Tom had set up for them.

“I don’t know, Cahira…”  she whispered, taking her first sip of the magic-enhanced alcohol; it burned in her throat, making her cough, unlike the stuff Maria made them drink when with the FBI.  “Ack…  I don’t know.”

“Yikes…  Heh, well, I know you’ll figure it out; I’m just happy ta be on this wild adventure that never ends.  Ups and downs, count on me ta get ya where ya need ta be, love!”

“I appreciate it.”  She lightly swirled around the liquid in the bottle, her mind somehow always returning to every action the Empress had made, unable to follow her own advice; she couldn’t get over Anthony’s absence, which likely had something to do with her mother’s disappearance.  “Right now, we should focus on what we can control.”

“Yeah!  That’s the Boss Girl energy we need,” Cahira grinned, holding up her drink.

Rachel sent her off to rest and prepare things, losing herself in the bottle over the next thirty minutes as Fiona, Selvaria, Alexa, Scarlet, Nia, Jeanne, and the two fiends got ready for the day.  She’d only splashed her face with cold water as the others showered and ate; Rachel didn’t have an appetite.

Selvaria waved Melissa off, warning Cahira and Ward not to do anything funny to her little sister as her little seal floated out from the mansion to join them with a nightcap still on.  The anxious cat girl wanted to get all the details regarding the meeting since her sister would likely be a topic.

Scarlet and her angelic sister-in-law were the first to join her at the open gates, watching the soft fall of the snow hit the calm sea.  Her vampiric sister was the first to catch sight of the nearly empty bottle in her hand.

“Drinking… at the start of the night, Rachel; is… everything really okay with Anthony?”

Alexa forced a smile.  “Yeah, and aren’t you supposed to be underage?”

“Not in France,” Rachel snickered, feeling lightly buzzed from the strong, burning liquid in her belly; it was helping to take the edge off, which might not be the best decision, but there were always trade-offs.  “Ready to get rid of that ax over your neck, Sis?”

“Uh, Sis?  Sure,” Alexa mumbled, turning a concerned look at Scarlet, who mirrored the expression.  “Is there anything I can do to help…  I know I’m kind of a burden right now.”

“Bah,” Rachel waved her hand dismissively, giggling at their gaze that asked if she was drunk.  “You’ll have your time to shine, Lexy; we have a war on the horizon.  Anyway, we should get going before you pop like a balloon or whatever Wolfgang’s sick mind came up with.”

“Lexy?”  the angel whispered.  “You’ve never called me Lexy…  She’s totally drunk, Scarlet; are we sure this is a good idea?”

“I don’t know,” Scarlet hissed, making Rachel laugh.  “I’ve never seen her like this…”

“I’m fine,” Rachel grunted, not a worry on her chest.  “It passes quickly due to my Passives if you’re that worried, and it’s only a slight buzz.  Cahira’s collection is just a bit stronger than the normal stuff.  Alexa…”

The teenager’s wings shifted a little.  “Mhm?”

“We’ll test some of your abilities on the Crystal France is giving us later tonight.  Don’t feel rushed or stressed,” she added at the woman’s tightening lips.  “We’ll be here for you.  Oh, looks like Fiona’s ready…”

“Rachel!”  the fairy chimed, floating over with her streaming setup.  “I was talking to Erica, and…  Hey!  No!  No!”

“What?”  Rachel asked, furrowed brow shifting to Scarlet as she pointed at the bottle in her hand.

Fangs showing, the girl chuckled.  “Family-friendly…  No alcohol streams.”

“Really…  The Crystal isn’t going to be family-friendly, Fi.”

Fiona looked at the angel and vampire.  “Is she buzzed?”

They both gave serious nods as if this was a real problem.

“What happened?”

Rachel sighed, fingers running through her hair and scratching her hot scalp as Nia and Selvaria joined them.  “Fine.  Here, take it.”

“I got it,” Selvaria offered, and everyone stared at her as she promptly downed it before chewing on the bottle like a carrot.  “Glass can taste good at times.”

“Uh-huh.”  Rachel found the bizarre behavior on-point for the leviathan, chuckling a little and motioning for them to go.  “Well, let’s meet up with Tom and get this over with.”

Jumping onto the leviathan as she transformed, the Kaiju-Class Mythickin took them away from the police barricade—preventing the public from approaching—outside of Zippy to the marine boat hovering just outside of France’s waters.

Unfortunately, her buzz began to wear off in just the short twenty minutes it took to reach the vessel; at least the agitation had lessened a tad.  The others understandably kept a close eye on her since it was the first time they’d seen her affected by alcohol, even if just slightly.

Fiona’s stream cut out when they lost connection to the radio towers, frustrating her a bit, but Rachel noted she shouldn’t be recording the classified location of a military vessel, which appeared to ease their concerns about her being buzzed.

Greeting General Dallas on the deck, who had taken a helicopter to the large military ship, she learned that the President had authorized military support for France under NATO laws in preparing for an attack.

Rachel wanted to get the whole event over with and went below deck with the others.  They were taken to a room where the transformation would be recorded, and they stood back as the male and female marine that had been selected for the task stepped forward.

Both were members of the United States Marine Forces Special Operations Command and saluted them, saying it was an honor to meet the heroes of the Cuba Crisis.

The thing that most caught Rachel’s envious gaze was the female MARSOC Raider’s muscular physique which was everything she’d worked for before The Oscillation had stolen it from her for this lean, speedster frame.

It wasn’t like the man fell behind, displaying a sculpted physique that made Rachel’s tail twitch as it pulled her slightly dreamy mind back to how it felt to have Anthony’s muscular body lying atop her; just like that, she was cursing Wu again and faking a smile.

Wu…  Heh, she internally snapped, recalling the woman’s fingernail-scratching words.  I hope it’s okay to steal your body pillow for the week… my body pillow…  Damn you!  Why did you have to make that move?!  I want to kiss Anthony.  I want to tease him.  I want to be the one to see him wake up!  Dammit!  Dammit!

“Rachel?”  Scarlet tentatively asked, studying her stiff smile but likely able to feel her seething emotions.

“Something wrong?”  she innocently asked, keeping her voice steady but unable to stop her left ear from twitching.  “I’m ready whenever they are.  Ah, we should probably hurry things along, though, General Dallas.  Our meeting will be starting in two hours.”

“Right, Captain Ronald Coleman, First Lieutenant Zara Butler, are you prepared?  There’s no telling what will happen.”

Ronald nodded as what Rachel assumed was the rest of his unit saluting them beside the wall.  “We’ve been briefed, sir.”

“It’s an honor to serve my country, sir,” Zara stated.

Rachel could smell the nervousness in the sweat that gathered in their armpits, but they didn’t hesitate as Alexa stepped forward; Yseress stood back with Jeanne and the disguised succubus child, who drew many stares from those around them.

“Just… so you know,” Alexa whispered, taking a deep breath and motioning at herself.  “This Seed caused a lot of trouble in my marriage… as you might be able to tell why.  It didn’t hurt; in fact, it felt amazing, but… I just wanted to let you know that it’s not an anime…  You can’t go back.”

Ronald stepped forward.  “I’ll go first, Lieutenant.”

Zara frowned.  “I would prefer to be the first to test it if it does go sideways, sir, and I’m sure the boys would agree—we need our captain—I can be replaced.”

“Hehe,” Ronald smiled and nodded.  “I’m sure that vote would be heavily split, Lieutenant.  I’ll go first.”

“Understood…”

Alexa walked forward at Tom’s nod; both soldiers’ muscles were tight as she reached out to touch the man’s shirtless chest, causing a radiance to follow, and Rachel felt the same strange resonance reverberate within her as it was passed on.

When the brilliance left, everyone’s mouths dropped open, and Alexa fell to her knees in disbelief.  “No…  Why?  Rachel, why?!”

Ronald held up a staff, examining his thin, 12-year-old body, making Rachel internally cry as all that muscle mass evaporated in an instant.  “Huh…  I’m a Mystickin Magical Boy,” he muttered, voice rising quite a few octaves from his former tone as he floated into the air with a sapphire aura.

“How was the test?”  Tom asked, mouth tightening as his gaze shifted to Alexa before returning to the teenage boy.  “Report.”

“Uh…  Yes, sir.”  Returning to the steel floor, he saluted the general.  “I was not picturing… this, which, as was theorized from the other experiments, the first change is related to the originator without personal input.  I am a Mystickin, though, unlike those changed from the other Seeds.”

“Captain…  Why didn’t you let me go first,” Zara sighed, looking down at the former specimen of a man.

One of the soldiers chuckled.  “Sir, we’re going to have to re-evaluate child military service, huh?”

“Haha.  Maybe I can beat you lifting now, cap.”

“Fat chance,” Ronald grinned, pointing his staff at a crate nearby; a cobalt hue encircled it as it rose into the air.  “I can negate weight through magic, create an anti-projectile kinetic shield, and fire three successive magical bolts.  Not a bad start.”

He turned to the woman as Alexa processed what she’d just heard while Rachel ran through possibilities.  “Well, Lieutenant Zara Butler—Codename Wolf—heh, I wonder what you’ll transform into, ya bleeding furry.”

“With respect, shut the hell up, Captain Puberty,” the woman huffed, glaring at the smirking teen as the others of their unit snickered and cheered at the name.  “You share your love for watching wolf documentaries once and get labeled a furry for life.”

“Shall we make a bet?”

The woman’s mouth tightened, making him laugh.

“Thought not.  General, are we to proceed?”  he asked, seriousness returning as they stood at attention.

“Huu-haaa.  Heh.  Jokes aside,” Tom muttered, “we do need answers as to why this branch turns into Mystickin and the others can only produce Champion, Beastkin, Faekin, and Abarrantkin.”

“Me,” Rachel responded, drawing their questioning gaze.  “More specifically… us,” she stated, motioning to those around her.  “We all feel a strange resonance, so… either it’s related to something within our group or Mythic and Legendkin Greater Seeds compared to the Lesser Ones.”

“Interesting theory,” Tom hummed, eyeing Zara and Alexa.  “Are you willing to proceed, Lieutenant?”

“Yes, sir!”

Tom nodded, a curious gleam in his eyes.  “Good.  I want you to think of something you love; Alexa, can you think of diamonds?”

“Umm…  Sure,” the angel whispered, holding out her hand for the marine woman to take.  “We’re testing to see if it has to do with what’s on our minds at the time?”

Rachel cleared her throat before the woman accepted it, making her pause and all focus center on her.  “Also, imagine yourself not losing your excellent physique… if you care about your muscles, that is.  Just saying.”

Alexa snorted, knowing how obsessed she’d been with her body before The Oscillation; no one else would really understand since they didn’t know her before the change.  “You really are a meathead.”

“Just someone who appreciates a nice figure and hates to see all that effort—and it is effort—gone in the blink of an eye,” Rachel grinned with a thumbs up in Zara’s direction.

Zara and her team laughed, and the woman nodded.  “I’ll keep it in mind, and yeah, I’m a dead killer in the gym—someone’s gotta light the torch—am I right, boys?”

She clasped Alexa’s outstretched hand, creating another bright pulse of hues; when it faded, a delightfully muscular female werewolf had taken Zara’s place, long diamond-furred tail digging into the ship as she chuckled.

“Wooh!  What a rush!  I feel like I could go for an ultramarathon!  Mystickin Diamond Prowler, General, reporting for duty.”

“A combination,” Tom mumbled with a smile.  “So…  Yseress must have thought about her angelic side as Alexa wanted her magical girl dream.  Interesting.”

Rachel was just glad the woman had been able to retain her physique; she even had the ability to revert back to a human—mostly human—retaining a few features of her crystalline transformed state to ribbing comments from her disgruntled captain.

Unfortunately, her sports bra and military bottoms didn’t take kindly to the diamond fur, leaving quite a few holes and rips in the fabric, yet she was far from embarrassed about her body, which Rachel respected.

There were a few more things they were going to test with the rest of their squad, and Fiona offered to stay behind to act as the resonance point since she could fly back and wanted to see the changes.  Rachel was anxious to return to Zippy and get ready for the conversation with Wu.  Tom would take a helicopter to the Dragon Turtle when all was said and done.

She was silent on the journey back as the others theorized on everything they’d discovered, sitting on the rough-plated back of Selvaria; the leviathan could tell where Zippy was like any apex predator that needed to find large prey—of course, she’d never—with Galatea playing around in the water beside her master.

The flurry of snow created a veil in front of them that drew Rachel into herself—she really did want Anthony returned.  The pain in her chest at the prospect of him being trapped in China, even for a week, was a little frightening; she’d grown dependent on him after triggering the event that unraveled her mother from Existence, forcing her back to her real body—trapped in The Beast.

A chill passed through her marrow at the thought, but it was enough to sober her heated mind; she’d had time to relax, and now it was time to be an adult.

Leaving the others to laugh and have fun with their jokes, Rachel carried her burden to the same comfortable meeting room.  It was hard to breathe as she stood by the window and waited for her phone to buzz; this would set the future into motion, and Wu knew this moment would be pulling her into a spiral.

A storm was brewing, misfortune circling overhead, and it was up to her to take control to navigate it for her team—for Anthony—Empress Wu came up on the screen.

She pressed the button to be met by the soft, drawing voice of the Empress of China.  “Rachel, how was your day?  Mine was divine.  Hmm-hmm.”

Refusing to activate Emotional Detachment—to admit she wasn’t in control—Rachel forced herself to smile, yet she couldn’t help her squirming stomach.

“You’ve planned this out rather well for being surprised by Anthony and Charlemagne’s visit, Empress Wu.  How is Anthony?”

“Sleeping.  Ah, might you hold for a short minute?  Bao is on the line and needs your cooperation,” the woman swiftly redirected, making Rachel’s hands ball into fists.  “Oh, you may introduce yourself, dear, and, heh, no need to be concerned about your warm body pillow—he is out like a light with his lovely terror.”

A girl with a thick Chinese accent spoke up, making Rachel shift to lean against the window and glare at her phone.  “I have been dubbed the Cyber Princess by my Empress—a Mystickin in the service of my country, Lady Rachel.  I have found delving into your past quite enlightening.”

“Mystickin?”  Rachel growled.  “How is it possible that you’ve already received one of the Seeds from Cuba, Wu?”

“Oh,” Bao chuckled, “it’s just me right now.  I’m getting things ready for my Empress, and I have been instructed to inform you that I am not in the sacred grounds that your boyfriend currently resides in—the Empress was adamant that I tell you that.”

“I’m sure she was,” Rachel mumbled, rolling her eyes and finding it hard to keep her voice under control; the only answer about the Mystic Seed came to her in an instant—Wolfgang was in China.  “What are you doing, Bao?”

“Could you place your phone on the floor opposite an empty place?”  she answered.  “I am using my ability to allow my Empress to project her presence so that you may speak to one another in an adequate fashion.”

Rachel felt like she’d swallowed sour candy—Wu wasn’t going to give her a break—not only did she need to control her voice, but they’d now be in the same room to observe one another’s reactions.

Attempting to keep her ears in check, she moved one of the armchairs to the wall, putting her phone in its place and taking the opposite seat beside the fire.

A sharp green illumination flashed from her device, revealing the radiant empress, wearing a rather extravagant lilac-themed nightgown; already, Rachel was finding it challenging to keep her ears from stiffening.

She doesn’t miss.

“Did you tell Anthony that we’d be meeting?”  Rachel asked, showing an amenable smile she didn’t feel.

Wu giggled, bright caramel irises carefully wandering the space before settling on the veiled heavens beyond Zippy’s protective dome.  “What a charming place… and snow to set the mood?  Well, sort of.  Hmm-Hmm.  What a wonderful setting.  Why don’t we enjoy ourselves a little, Rachel?”

Her eyes narrowed with delight, tongue sampling her own poisonous cherry lips.  “After all… this is how villains are made, so I would strap on that metal, Rachel.  Whose side am I on?”

Rachel leaned back, settling into her chair and mirroring the dangerous Legendkin as she crossed her exposed legs; the laughter and sounds around the mansion faded as the enigmatic woman stole her attention entirely.

“Whose side am I on?”  Rachel pointedly repeated, letting the statement hang as the fire crackled between them, and she took in the proud, confident face of China; this was not like any battlefield she’d engaged in, and it would change the course of more than just their stories.

Wu’s hand folded over her knee after meticulously scanning every centimeter of her casual outfit, yet her focus landed on her grandmother’s emerald pendant.  “How does it feel having everyone calling your name?”

Rachel returned the masked smile at the tempo the ruler set.  “I was hoping only one man would be calling my name when I awoke…  Someone rudely ruined that dream.”

“Hmm-hmm.  Oh, how easily we are persuaded into the most unpredictable ways…  I pity the man who disappoints a woman.  It’s criminal, really…  A woman can lose her sanity without the warmth of a pillow to rest her head.”

She lifted her hands and clapped her hands.  “So!  Why don’t we fix that and cut through the ribbons that inhibit our joyful reunion next week?  After all, your boyfriend left without a ride back to your side; hehe, such terrible forethought!”

Rachel’s ears tilted to the left as Wu reached to the side to produce a steaming cup of tea; it was her move.  “We can cut past the formalities; you’ve already told me where you see this path ending…  In Shanghai.

“Anthony is helping you refine your relationship with Ai, and you’re expecting to lose a war against the other three Emperors; you need my misfortune manipulation to redirect whatever fate you’ve seen.  Therefore, what are you going to give me to consider a second meeting in this budding relationship?”

Sipping at her tea, Wu’s smile curved as the cup lowered.  “What wonderful symbolism; I expect our next meeting to be in April…  The blooming yinghua tree.  You will be approached by the other contenders for the throne of China…  One will tell you the truth, the other lie, and another seeks to put a blade to your throat.”

“And you have Anthony…”  Rachel returned, vision narrowing.  “As you said… this is how villains are made.”

She placed the cup on an invisible table beside her, whispering, “Hmm-hmm.  Indeed, it is…  No one ever starts that way, but the flames of war come to all, eroding the weak and tempering the strong.  Who will you betray?”

Rachel didn’t respond, leaving the thoughtful woman to stew in silence as she got to the root of this meeting.  “Twilight is quite infatuated with you, and I can see why.  Huu-haaa.  Fighting can be so tiring… and heart-breaking.  So we must rise to the top to crush those that would threaten that which we love… which is not easy as a woman.

“The Myth of Jiāngshī is in France; she is a Captain of the North, typically based in the Hebei Province, and under the stewardship of Gao Changgong, who rules the territory.

“Her name is Ying Yue Jiang… a truly beautiful name for a rather ugly woman, and a monster you should be cautious of… even if only of the Captain Class because… she controls the corpse of Yang Guifei…  Shanghai’s former province ruler.”

Rachel tried not to suck in her cheeks at the name of the mythical Chinese hopping vampire, controlling a female hero of China’s corpse.  “I suppose you want me to return Yang Guifei to you?”

Wu giggled, yet her shining eyes were cold steel.  “It would be appreciated, but I did not tell you that expecting anything but good faith.  Her target threatens us all… Lifen, the Myth of the Húli Jīng you met in Cuba, and Northern China wants her for some reason; I’d rather that not happen as the very idea means they have access to Revilla’s prison, and who knows what Qin Shi Huang would do with that creature?  I’d rather not find out.

“Understandable,” Rachel mumbled, mind reflecting on the 8th-dimensional entity they’d sealed, but the topic allowed her to ask her next question, studying every action the empress made.  “Twilight had a direct hand in Cuba’s fall with many others she’s gathered… including you.  Am I right?”

“Without fault!”  Wu smiled, her head held high.  “I will not apologize for my part… tragic, but necessary when dealing with entities, heh, not even our gods could contend with.  I wear a noose with pride, and eventually, I will die alone for my actions… but I will never be sorry for the decisions I make for my people.”

Goosebumps tickled Rachel’s arms as something budded within her she hadn’t expected—respect—she saw the rebel fighter that died dozens of times in her tortured life reflected within the empress’ unapologetic stare, saying her methods were brutal and rough, but she’d shine like a diamond nonetheless.

Accepting that her theories involving Twilight were correct, she released the stress held within her lungs in a slow stream.  “Haaa.  Someone else must be working with Ying Yue; who is her contact in France?”

Wu’s head lowered as she snickered, rising to her feet with an expression that said she thoroughly enjoyed their conversation.  “How sad that we are running short on time; I hope you realize I won’t do anything to jeopardize Anthony’s agency.  He really is a kind man… and I honestly can’t help but be jealous.  What a shame…

“Anyway!  I must prepare for our next gathering, but if you are looking for answers in that regard… look to Solomon.  I can’t wait for our first real conversation under the yinghua; stay safe, Rachel…”

The hologram vanished, leaving Rachel to ponder the Empress’ words as Tom’s helicopter touched down; Wu would be in Charlemagne’s meeting to discuss what steps France would take moving forward, given the threats unfolding within and without its borders.

She knew about Solomon talking to her and his presence in France, further spiking Rachel’s intrigue.  Their first ‘real’ conversation was a hint that Wu knew something Rachel needed, and she wouldn’t divulge it until they met in person.

So, Empress Wu…  Consider me intrigued, she internally whispered, looking through the window at the thickening snow in the heavens.

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