Ben left at a godawful early hour so he could go home and get ready for work, but not until he’d persuaded me to unwrap myself from around him, and I figured out how to.

I spent the day in the kitchen, vaguely wishing for my robotic abilities, but I made use of some of what I’d prepared then to make sure we’d have a good meal for three that wasn’t pizza—although that did make a decent lunch for Tavi and I. It didn’t feel right. Wiring in my brain told me that others were supposed to do this kind of work and then bring me the finished result for my approval. It wasn’t all that hard to override it, but it did nag at me.

Tavi made a couple of efforts to volunteer her assistance, but gave up after I informed her that she was not going near sharp implements anytime soon and that it was not negotiable. She settled for catching up on email, typing one-handed, and a nap after lunch.

I opened my own email for the first time in days, sorting through spam, tagging a few to reply to later, and answering a couple of family emails with a brief note that I was currently very distracted and would do a proper response soon. My work manager had emailed to tell me that they were short-handed and asking me to please come back as soon as I could; I was tempted to send him a selfie and ask him if he still wanted me to come do a shift, but restrained myself to simply telling him that Tavi was still wrestling with her neoarcane syndrome and still needed me.

When my phone announced a text from Ben, I had finished my email and was idly goofing off with a puzzle game.

«Hey, sexy. Just finished with my last patient. Headed home. Anything I should stop to get? Should I be grabbing overnight stuff?»

I replied with, «Can’t wait, can’t think of anything, and yes you should, more than 1 night if you want.»

«LOL See you soon.»

Tavi came out of the bedroom, yawning, her yellow hair tousled and very bright over her neon-orange tanktop and short multicoloured skirt. “Something smells good. And I heard your phone.”

“Ben’s done work.”

“Cool. I wish I could stop sleeping so much. Um, by my math, we’re probably looking at a next change early tomorrow.”

“Sounds about right. You can keep it focused just on me, not Ben, right?”

“I don’t think he’s at any risk, but line of sight matters so if he’s behind me or in another room, he’s safe. But he’ll be here to see you change.”

“I know. I think it’ll be okay.” I shrugged. “He woke up this morning with me wrapped around him a tad more thoroughly than normal, and didn’t appear to mind. If we can get through this with Ben still wanting to be with me, that’s probably a really good sign for a stable long-term relationship.”

“I hope so. He makes you really happy. I like that.” Her forehead furrowed. “By my math, it’s possible that tomorrow will be the last time you have to adjust to an uncontrolled change. I mean, I’m going to be trying hard for control tomorrow, but I’m not feeling all that confident about it being very complete.”

My phone chimed: Ben, letting me know that he just needed to find a parking space.

I slithered over to the intercom to wait. “I’m not worried,” I told Tavi. “If it takes more changes for you to get it on a leash, that’s fine. I’ll still be around while you’re practising and mastering the whole thing even after you’re past the immediate crisis. I trust you.”

“I forgot about that bit. Crud.”

“Just chill. Everything’s okay.” The intercom buzzed, and once I established that it was Ben, I hit the button to unlock the outer door. I unlocked the apartment door, too, and opened it just a crack so I could listen for Ben.

What I heard was a startled, “Hey!” from Ben, and two sets of rapid footsteps on the stairs up. “You shouldn’t be pushing your way in like that!”

I missed about half of the snarled response, past Ben’s voice and the sounds of motion, but I was pretty sure I caught a rather nasty racial slur and something about replacement. More worryingly, I recognized the voice.

So did Tavi; I saw her go pale, then she flushed and yanked the door open before I could stop her. If I was going to. Was I going to? I wasn’t sure.

“Get lost, Tim,” she spat. “I don’t have any of your damned stuff. That includes me. I’m not your property and nothing you say or do is going to change that. It is over. I saw through your lies and your manipulative bullshit and your ownership delusion, and I am absolutely done with it. Get out. Stay out. Ben, c’mon in, Sky’s waiting for you.”

“You’re my girlfriend, Tavi,” Tim shouted. “And now you’re fucking some...”

“I think Tavi disagrees,” Ben said levelly, interrupting him. “Her life, her home, her body, not up to you. You need to leave.”

“Like hell! You’re mine!”

“Don’t touch me,” Tavi snapped.

Every circuit tripped in my head all at once. No, Ben and Tavi both belonged to me, not to that abusive bastard.

I moved around the door and into the hall, and only realized belatedly, when Ben seemed oddly short, that on some instinct I had pulled enough of my scaly coils under me to make myself taller.

“Not yours,” I hissed. “Neither of them. Both are mine. Touch either and I’ll tear your arm off, then rip your balls off and feed them to you.”

Tim froze, one fist drawn back; Ben, unfazed, finished the motion of stepping between him and Tavi. A grey duffel bag and Ben’s medical bag were on the floor, close to Tavi’s apartment door.

Tim’s gaze locked on me, and he went more pale than I have ever seen anyone turn in my entire life.

Then he screamed, and bolted for the stairs. He tripped when he was a few steps above the landing, and fell, but scrambled back to his feet before Ben could take more than one step in his direction. He made it down the rest of the distance to the door without stumbling again, despite the speed. The outer door slammed open so hard it seemed like a miracle it didn’t shatter.

The fear reaction felt good, and I enjoyed watching the accident. I really wanted to follow him and see what other reactions I could get. He was a terrible person and he deserved to be on the receiving end of anger for a change. And I could make certain he never, ever came near Tavi again.

Ben caught my wrist before I reached the top of the stairs. “Stay with me,” he said softly. “Please.”

I hesitated. The anger was strong... but that wasn’t me, right? That was a manifestation of the powerful dominant impulses Tavi’s fantasy image had created, which apparently included a strongly protective component as well. Ben deserved my time more than Tim did.

And Tavi needed a hug but hadn’t realized it yet. I knew that body language, her shoulders starting to slump and all the fire fading rapidly.

“Thanks,” I told Ben. “I needed that.” Gently, I pulled my arm free, and headed for Tavi. When I wrapped both arms around her, she sagged against me, her face buried in my chest. “He’s gone. You’re okay.” I saw Ben go down the stairs.

The door across the hall opened, and a tall woman with dark skin and short-cropped hair, in a cool-looking summer dress that was all bright oranges and yellows, stepped into the hall, her phone in one hand. “What on earth...” She took in the situation, eyes wide, then gave Tavi a look that held a wealth of questions.

“I think it’s okay,” Tavi said, drawing back just enough that she could face her neighbour, but she groped for my hand. “Sorry about the noise. My asshole ex managed to sneak in. Uh... yeah. Turns out I’m a morph witch and I haven’t quite got it under control, but don’t worry, I’m not dangerous to be around or anything. Just trying to get a grip on things. These two are friends, they wouldn’t have let him hurt me.” She looked around. “Ben?”

“Just checking the door,” Ben called. “Looks secure.” He came back up the stairs.

“Okay then,” the neighbour said. “Aren’t you a little old for that?”

“Apparently not?” Tavi said.

“Right. I won’t ask anything else, that’s your business, as long as your ex isn’t a threat to you. Everyone makes the odd mistake, but that one’s a real winner.”

“Do you suppose the folks downstairs heard?”

“Eh, basement won’t have caught the argument before and will probably think one of us saw a mouse. Other two, one’s gone home for a couple of weeks.” She tilted her head to listen. Her eyes, I noticed, kept flickering towards me, then to Tavi who was standing in a circle of green-black coils and still clutching my hand, then away, over and over; her weight kept shifting side to side and her arms were drawn in close. “No music. Not home yet, I bet. Think you got lucky.”

“Oh, good.”

“It’s a relief that Tavi has neighbours looking out for her,” Ben said. “Sorry we pulled you away from your afternoon.”

“No worries. Better to make sure.” She turned around and went back into her own apartment.

“I think we should maybe just go back in my place,” Tavi said.

Ben scooped up his duffel bag and that just-in-case first aid kit, but stood back to let me go into the apartment first.

“What happened?” Tavi asked him, while she closed and locked the door.

Ben left both bags not far inside the door, and kicked off his shoes. “There was no one near me when I buzzed, at least that I saw. He just ran out of nowhere and kept the door from closing, and pushed past me on the stairs before I even realized what he was doing. Pushy ex, I take it.”

“Oh, yeah. It’s been, Idunno, coming up on a month? Get the hint, already.”

“I doubt he’s going to stop running for a week.” Ben came over to me, laying his hands on my hips; I draped my arms loosely over his shoulders. “Permission for a kiss, Goddess?”

“Wow, that looked really scary when you came out,” Tavi said. “You looked so angry that I wasn’t actually sure whether you were literally going to tear him apart right there.”

Ben nodded. “Genuinely heart-skipping-a-beat fear,” he agreed. “Not for long, but intense. Tavi, your mental image of an intimidating dom is right on the mark.”

I took a deep breath, then kissed Ben, letting it linger. That helped: I got grounded back in love and lust instead of protective rage.

“Thanks,” I told Ben. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure either what I was going to do, but no logic in the world could’ve kept me from doing something, between Tavi’s projections and him messing with my best friend. I just hope he doesn’t end up babbling something to a cop about death threats or something. We don’t need that kind of visit currently. Or ever, really.”

“Any kind of emergency response personnel,” Ben said, “have been trained in the existence of witches and will have at least some idea what neoarcane syndrome is. They will certainly have heard many, many stories about excessively-persistent exes and yours won’t stretch belief at all. Even if it happens, we can handle it. One more kiss, maybe? Then I want to check your hand, Tavi. And something smells really good.”

That easily, the unpleasant encounter dropped into the background, and Ben brought everything back into alignment the way it was supposed to be.

“I made supper,” I said. “No pizza tonight. Tavi’s hand first?”

“I’d prefer that.”

So I gave him another unhurried kiss, then I let my arms fall. “Go to it. I’ll be in the kitchen.”