“Do you love me?”

The question had been haunting Alena all day. She’d come home late again the night before and, once again, Lukas had been waiting with dinner. Her girlfriend had been fidgety all throughout the meal, saying nothing until blurting out the question.

She had answered affirmatively. Of course she had. Alena did love Lukas. But it was like Lukas had peered into her very soul to drag up Alena’s biggest anxiety. How long could this keep up?

“Alena?” Zensi asked, snapping her back to attention.

“Sorry,” Alena mumbled, “What do you need me to do?”

The three sisters were in Alena’s office, working on finalizing the details of a large project the family was working on. If this went through, it would make up a bulk of the business’ income for the rest of the year. Alena needed to focus.

“Just fill out this form,” Zensi told her, tapping on the paper in question. “What’s on your mind?”

“Just relationship stuff.” Zensi and Edith exchanged a glance. “What?”

“It’s nothing,” Zensi insisted. “How has your quest to find… allies… been going?”

Edith blinked and asked, “Allies in what?”

“Just a side project I’m working on,” Alena replied, then answered Zensi, “It’s going well, actually. I’ve spent quite a bit of time working with some people I found. We’re making progress.”

“That’s good to know. Maybe not enough progress fast enough.”

“I’m sure if you’d like to help, they’d allow you.”

Zensi paused for a moment before answering, “I think Mother and Father would get suspicious if I were leaving the house frequently, and I doubt there’s anything I can do here that would be safe from our parents’ prying eyes.” She sighed. “You’re so fortunate that you don’t live here anymore.”

“Freedom is nice,” Alena admitted, “but it comes at a cost. I don’t get to see either of you nearly as often as I would like to. I miss living together. Edith, how have things been going for you?”

Edith shrugged, continuing to fold documents to stuff in envelopes.

Alena asked, “What about that friend of yours you were talking about? You were going to spend the night at her house. Did that ever happen?”

Edith nodded, her cheeks flushing.

“I really like Liesa,” she said, biting her lip. “She makes me feel all warm inside. I just wish that I knew how she felt about me.”

“I’m sure she likes you a lot if she wanted to spend the night with you,” Alena assured her.

“You think so?”

Alena nodded, but Zensi cleared her throat and said, “Let’s not rush to conclusions just yet. The relationship between two girls is a tricky one, especially when those kind of feelings are involved.” She was giving Alena a pointed look. “Maybe Edith should wait a little while before confessing her feelings, just to be safe.”

For a moment, Alena stared at Zensi while the gears turned in her head. When she finally caught on, Alena sprang from her chair in surprise.

“You mean she—?!”

Zensi pounced, covering Alena’s mouth and glaring at the door.

“Not where someone might hear!” she hissed.

Alena sat back down and turned to look at Edith. Her younger sister was looking at the floor. Before anyone could say something more, Edith stood up and collected a few sealed envelopes.

“I’d better put these in the mail bag,” she said quietly, walking away.

Once the door had closed behind Edith, Zensi sighed.

“I’m very worried for her,” she admitted. “This town isn’t kind to queer folk, queer women especially. And it’s only a matter of time before Torben doubles down on his father’s attitudes toward them.”

“What… what’s Edith going to do?”

“For now, she’s going to keep it a secret, until we know for sure how Mother and Father will react. And then, if all goes well, I give her my savings when she comes of age and she leaves town for something better.”

“That poor girl.”

Zensi nodded, then picked up a stack of documents.

“I need to take these to Mother,” she said. “Please be kind to Edith. Neither you nor I understand the difficulty she’s facing.”

Alena nodded, only half-paying attention. When Zensi had gone, Alena leaned back in her chair and started running her hands through her hair. Her younger sister liked other girls. And now Alena was in a relationship with another woman. Were they the same? Was the reason Alena hadn’t lost her feelings for Lukas that she felt attraction to both men and women?

The thought chewed at her for a few days. It would certainly make everything a lot easier. But wouldn’t Alena have already known, the way that Edith knew? Or did her attraction to women only extend as far as her girlfriend and no further?

On Alena’s day off, Lukas joined her on her trip to Resistance HQ. Her boss had apparently given her some time off to put things in order. Alena was glad to have Lukas come, despite her complicated feelings. The two didn’t get to spend enough time together anymore.

“I really don’t know what I’m doing,” Lukas whispered to Alena, flipping through several sheets of papers. “What language is this?”

They were currently in a small room, standing over a table filled with secret documents that needed to be transported across town.

“It’s in code, that’s all,” Alena said, taking the papers from her.

“What am I supposed to do?” Lukas asked, a soft whine escaping her throat.

“Just organize the sheets into piles, that’s all, dear,” Alena replied, giving Lukas a soft kiss on the cheek.

They worked in silence for a bit. Lukas got the hang of it before too long with only minimal help from Alena. When they had finally finished organizing everything, the papers started going into envelopes.

“Lukas?” Alena began. “Okay, first off, have you picked a new name yet or are you still unsure?”

“I really don’t know,” Lukas replied, frowning. “Nothing feels right. I’ve been called Lukas for so long that it really feels like my name. Nothing else has that same feel.”

“Maybe you just need to pick something and stick with it.”

“Maybe, but I want my new name to have some kind of significance.”

“That’s fair. So… um… you’re still attracted to women, right?”

Lukas blinked.

“Of course,” she replied.

Alena leaned up against the table, asking, “So that makes you… queer, right? You’re a lesbian now?”

“I guess I am,” Lukas replied with a shrug.

“So you don’t like men at all? Or was that just something else you were afraid to talk about?”

Lukas didn’t reply right away.

“Why are we talking about this?” she asked, glancing away. “It’s not like anything has changed between us.”

She seemed to be trying to convince herself. Alena raised her hand, intending to place it on Lukas’ shoulder, but hesitated for too long and changed her mind. As she opened her mouth to say something reassuring, the door behind them opened and Fadia, Torben’s assistant, walked in.

“There you are,” she said, walking up to Alena. “I have a report on Torben’s upcoming plans. Therese said you had volunteered to handle that?”

“I did,” Alena admitted, taking the documents from her and setting them to the side. “Thank you, Fadia. By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask: why are you risking yourself like this? There’s a high risk you’ll be caught, and if Torben is replaced there’s no guarantee you’ll still have your job.”

“I have more to gain than to lose,” Fadia insisted. “But my reasons are my own. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get back to the Prefecture Estate before I’m missed.”

Once she was gone, Lukas groaned.

“What’s going to happen to us?” she asked. “Torben hates us, and if he discovers we’re actually working against him… especially now that we’re in a gay relationship.”

“Yeah, that’s… difficult,” Alena admitted.

Her mind was on her sister, though. What would happen if she was caught in a relationship with another girl? Any relationship of hers would be considered a crime in this town. She was in danger.

Alena remembered what Ursel had said a few days prior. Maybe Alena did have more than her grudge against Torben to motivate her. There were people in her life that needed protecting.

As it got late into the evening, Alena and Lukas said goodbye to their conspirators and slipped out a back door of the home. They wouldn’t have time for a full meal when they got home. The two bounced a few ideas of what they’d eat off of each other as they walked. Lukas was still wearing her heavy cloak, but had started leaving the hood down.

“I think I’m going to go out into the market tomorrow and spend a little extra on food. Since I’ve got the time off, I’d like to make a special meal for us. It’s been too long since we’ve indulged ourselves, and we don’t need to save up money anymore.”

“Hmm, just don’t indulge too much in spending. I want to have an emergency fund set up just in case things take a turn for the worse.”

“I understand.” Suddenly, Lukas tensed up, but didn’t stop walking. “Zisald says that someone is following us.”

Alena had to resist the urge to turn around and look, asking, “Any details?”

“Town guard.”

Alena cursed under her breath.

“We should run,” she said at the same time Lukas told her, “We should attack.”

Lukas explained, “We just need to lure him out of sight. I can use my magic to get advantage of the situation. If we run, we won’t get any answers.”

Alena nodded solemnly.

***

As they walked, the two hashed out a quick plan. Lukas was nervous, but… also kind of excited? Her blood was pounding in her ears. She had to fight to suppress a grin.

“Are you ready?” Alena asked.

“I am,” Lukas replied, before taking off running.

She ducked down a nearby alley before coming to a screeching halt and turning around. Lukas peaked her head out of the alleyway just in time to see Alena turn down another, with their pursuer running after her. Letting the magic run through her, Lukas summoned up some cheetah features and started running toward the alleyway they had ducked into.

When she reached the alleyway, the two were gone, but Lukas had their scent and could hear their footsteps. She pursued, licking her lips. Turning a corner, the guard had almost caught up to Alena and was shouting something.

Lukas pounced, landing on the man’s back and sending them both toppling. There was a scuffle, but before long Lukas was pinning the guard down. He was a tall man with a stubby nose.

“Wait, I know you,” Lukas said, pressing down harder and making him grunt. “You were one of the guards who attacked our home.”

“I didn’t—! Look, I’m sorry about that. Can you let me up so we can talk?”

“No,” Alena said, folding her arms. “Why are you following us? What did Torben instruct you to do? Answer honestly, or my… or Lukas will introduce your face to her claws.”

To emphasize her point, Lukas dug her claws into Claus’ shoulder, causing him to wince.

“I’m not following you because I’m a spy,” Claus insisted. “Rumor is that you two are part of the resistance against Torben. I’m trying to get in contact with them.”

“Of course you are, so you can arrest them,” Alena scoffed.

“Let me explain,” Claus pleaded. “I want to help. My sister, she’s… not like us. The doctor said it’s some kind of behavior and communication disorder; she becomes really withdrawn and silent and sometimes aggressive, and she’s got these compulsive, ritualistic behaviors.”

“What’s your point?” Lukas asked.

“I’ve heard the way that Torben and his colleagues have been talking about people like her, about how they plan to ‘deal with’ people who can’t contribute to society like the rest of us. My sister is in danger as long as Torben holds the Prefecture. I thought, when I joined the guard, that I was doing something that would help my community. But after the way I’ve been used to hurt people, people like you, and the talk of what’s going to happen to people like my sister, I’ve realized that I’m on the wrong side.”

“Then quit,” Alena said.

“I can’t,” Claus whined. “I need this income. My sister can’t work; I have to take care of her. And when a guard leaves because of their conscience, it leads to them being harassed by the others. I can’t put my sister at risk of having to deal with that.”

“…Let him up, Lukas.”

Lukas got off of Claus, letting him to his feet. He stared at Lukas, though, taking in the bright eye and cat ears. Alena stood nearby, clearly doing calculations in her head.

Slowly, she said, “If I decide I can use you, I’ll send a courier with a note containing instructions. Don’t contact either of us again directly. Understand?”

“I understand,” Claus said, nodding. “Thank you so much.”

He scurried off and Lukas and Alena began walking again.

“Do you think you can trust him?” Lukas asked.

“I’ll need to talk to Ursel,” Alena replied. “She’ll know how to handle this safely.”

“Good idea.”

***

In the early hours of the morning, Torben Siegert rose from a four poster bed and stretched. He wasted no time getting dressed; Torben had an early appointment today. There would be no time for breakfast. At lunch, he would treat himself to an extra serving to make up for it.

His office was empty when Torben arrived. The centerpiece was a nice, sleek desk of dark wood imported from across the sea. Three portraits hung on the wall: one of Torben, of his father, and of his grandfather. On the other wall were two maps: one of Marusta and one of the surrounding region. A gold chandelier hung from the ceiling, illuminating the room with soft blue light from glowing stones. A large window overlooked the gardens of the Prefecture Estate.

The prefect sat down and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes. This was a comfortable chair, but it could be more comfortable. If his plan to cut support for jobless citizens went through, he could probably afford a nicer one.

A knock interrupted Torben’s dozing. He wiped a bead of drool off with his sleeve and instructed the visitor to come in. A guard with short black hair and gray eyes entered. He locked the door and stood at attention.

“What do you have for me, Manfred?” Torben asked, deliberately not offering him a seat.

“The targets are unaware that me and my men have been watching them,” Manfred said. “We aren’t able to track all of their movements; they’ve managed to disappear for sometimes hours at a time without any hint of their whereabouts. But they are both regularly attending their professions and returning home at the end of each day.”

“Get to the point,” Torben snapped.

“Alena Kappel in particular has been acting suspicious. She’s ceased her attempts to find public allies in her opposition toward you. It is my belief that she has made contact with the Resistance, based on her erratic movements through town most days. I’ve requested permission to have her apprehended and brought in for questioning, but it was denied.”

“I don’t want anyone to touch her,” Torben said. “I will make my move when the time comes. What about the other one?”

“Lukas Trittan has… been displaying unusual behaviors.”

After a moment of silence, Torben commanded, “Elaborate.”

“My men think that he’s acquired magic power of some kind.” Torben raised an eyebrow, and Manfred continued, “His form seems to be changing, and some of my men swear that they’ve seen him at night with animal features. They think he’s some kind of witch or demon.”

“…What do you think?”

Manfred chewed his tongue for a moment before answering, “The only way he could have assumed any kind of magical abilities is through contacting the Resistance. I can think of no other way that he could have come in contact with magic at all, given his position in life and the speed at which he’s developed these abilities.”

“If you’re correct, then that makes the Resistance more dangerous than I had assumed,” Torben replied. “Very well, you may go.”

Manfred departed and, for a while, Torben was alone. He began working on a letter he needed to write. Before he could finish, the door opened and his assistant Fadia entered.

“Good, you’re here,” Torben said without looking up. “I need you to send this message to Gunter for me.”

“Yes, sir,” Fadia replied, bowing slightly.

The day proceeded normally for a while. Torben had to conference with some of his friends on the council to discuss their plans for the near future, but otherwise he was allowed to work mostly in silence. After lunch, he returned to his office to wait for Gunter. The wizard arrived shortly after.

“Sir,” Gunter said, bowing his head, “you summoned me?”

“A citizen of Marusta named Lukas Trittan has been displaying what some guards think is magical power,” Torben said. “Particularly, his form has been changing. I want to know if you know anything about this.”

There it was: the slightest, almost imperceptible shift in Gunter’s expression. He recognized what was going on with Lukas. From the shock in his eyes, though, he hadn’t been aware of it until just now.

“I don’t know, sir,” Gunter replied. “I’ll begin investigating right away.”

“Actually,” Torben said, holding up his hand, “I’ve been working all morning on a plan that I’d like your help with."