by Maria Dean
It was bold of Astrid to assume she could embark on a quest against the alchemists without running into complications. She was balancing a relationship with a stoic slayer, a quirky monster hunter, and a clan of dragons who were willing to tear her apart at any moment. The former two had no idea Astrid was consorting with the Russo family. She needed it to stay that way.
There were too many storylines for Astrid to wrap up in her free time. If she wasn't managing her relationships with Zion and X, she was either sorting out business at the office or making more calls to Beatrice and Nicole about the seal's progress. Sally and Winston insisted they could help her from work, though neither of them knew a thing about magic (outside of Sally's pop culture knowledge). Astrid had no intention of putting them anywhere near the action. Aside from the Russo cousins, Sally and Winston were Astrid's closest friends. She needed to have someone to come back to in case the plan went awry.
"Are you sure?" Sally begged over the phone. "I can pull some strings if you want. Make sure the entire cabal is gathered in one place at one time, before cutting lights and taking them all out once."
In the office's background chatter, Astrid could hear Winston ask Sally which movie she'd based that idea off.
"I'm fine," Astrid reassured her. "The only thing y'all can do to help is just make sure our case against VidaCo goes through."
Winston managed the case in Astrid's absence. They were at a standstill while VidaCo's remaining executives scrambled to find a defense attorney for their side. Apparently, receiving a federal shutdown for making fake drugs was enough to scare supporters away. While they searched for a poor soul to manage their case, the executives ran false articles against Lionheart in underground magazines. According to Winston, the fake news rushed everyone in the office into a public relations circus. Tom hadn't had a full night's sleep in weeks.
"He just enlisted Daniella from HR to manage this shit," Winston explained. "Took him long enough."
Thank god for Daniella from HR.
During her stay with Zion, Astrid converted the front porch into her personal office. All it took was a soft blanket to cover the wicker chair, and it began to feel like home. Her desk was a milk crate lined with newspapers, which she added for a little character. Micah, still following her around after school, set up his own milk crate on the floor next to hers. His attempts at doing homework outside were quashed by the crate's holey surface, leading to him sprawling out on the floor.
The morning after she and Lorenzo found the jade, Astrid set herself up on the front porch and began to sort through her emails from the office. She spoke to her coworkers, warning them against getting too involved with the magical side. With a young Micah laying nearby, Astrid chose her words carefully. 'Dragon' was a swear word, as was 'Russo' and 'Seal of Solomon'. The lawyer avoided saying them aloud. When she had to, she replaced them with things like 'Lizard' or 'Mistake'.
As Astrid finished her call with Sally, Nova strode out onto the front porch. Striking a pose, she asked, "Well, baby, what do you think?"
Astrid scanned her aunt's attire, unsure where she'd purchased a salmon pink pencil skirt and a matching blouse. "Where are you going?"
Nova sighed. "Is that important?" She struck another pose, jutting her hips out to the side.
"You look like you're going to a Sunday morning service at the Baptist church," Astrid replied.
"Well," Nova looked away, "Maybe I am." She scuffed her shoes on the porch, avoiding Astrid's eyes. "Micah sweetie, head inside. I think your daddy needs your help loading the car." He groaned, dropping his favorite gel pens on the floor as he scrambled to his feet. "Uh-uh," Nova scolded him. "What would Jesus say about you rolling your eyes at me?"
"He would say I need to respect my elders," Micah answered. "Sorry, Miss Nova."
The Gray women waited until he was inside. When they could hear him fussing with his father, Nova stepped closer to her niece. "You're growing up so fast, baby," she said, stroking Astrid's cheek. "I know you don't need me anymore. I'm just learning how to not need you."
Astrid watched Nova's smile twitch. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Her aunt bit her lip. Dropping her hand, Nova said, "When you finish this alchemist business, you're going to move on. You need a new house, after all. I'm sure your wealthy dragon friends can hook you up with that. But me? You're not going to need me around here no more."
"So you're going back to North Carolina. So what?"
Nova glanced away.
"You're not going back," Astrid surmised. "Are you?"
Nova motioned to the window where they could see Zion lugging boxes back and forth inside the house. "Being around Zion and Micah reminded me what I've been missing out on. When I was young, I told myself your mom was going to be the homemaker. I let her run off and get married, while I buried myself in parties and magic. But then she left you at my doorstep. I never knew I wanted to be a mother until I held you in my arms for the first time."
Nova wasn't a great parent, but Astrid's actual parents hadn't been either. She at least raised Astrid with an inquisitive eye. Nova supported her when Astrid needed it, even if that support meant some lackluster advice.
A second chance to raise a child could be just what Nova needed to get things right.
"So, you and Zion..." Astrid trailed off. She'd spent so much time ignoring everyone's texts she'd ignored something right in front of her too. "Wow."
Shrugging, her aunt said, "He's seen a lot of hardship in his life. With Rhea gone, it's been difficult to manage his son, his job, and the slayers all at once."
"But you could help take care of Micah," Astrid finished. "He likes you. When he's not bothering me about answering the phone and following God's will, he's making crafts for you and his dad." The craft stack was growing. Astrid and Nova started the pile on the guest bedroom's dresser. It had grown into two separate stacks, one of which frequently spilled onto the carpet when Nova opened the drawers.
"I've found love here," Nova said. "And I don't want to let go of it any time soon."
Outside, leaves crunched under the weight of a car. Down the block, someone's alarm rattled so hard a second car's started to go off. Astrid opened her mouth to break the silence but stopped when she saw the look of panic in Nova's eyes. Last time they'd had a serious talk, it ended in Astrid hurting her aunt. Now, Astrid didn't know what to say.
"If you stay, it means you'll be around more often."
Slowly, Nova grinned. "I can help you decorate your new house. I know some protective spells that can keep you safe for at least a year, maybe more if you use the right wards. And you can't forget the importance of burning incense..."
"I'm going to stop you on that one," Astrid cut her aunt off. "Thank you for telling me now. I'd rather find out now than later, when I'm neck deep in alchemic chaos and can't take another massive change to my life."
A sleek red sports car rolled up in front of Zion's house. "Astrid?" Its driver called out.
Both women snuck over to the porch's shuttered window. Peeking out, Nova sputtered, "That a Ferrari? What kind of idiot brings something like that out here?"
"Christian Russo," Astrid sighed. "We can talk later. I need to go handle the rest of this Seal of Solomon business."
Nova clicked her tongue. "And mend that boy's broken heart. I can feel it already. He's an abandoned puppy, alone and confused why you chose his twin over him." Then, the witch turned back to her niece. "Hold up. You chose that one? Weren't you running from him when you portalled back to my house?"
"Yes, well," Astrid began to inch toward the door, "that's not anything we need to worry about right now."
"Astrid!" Her aunt shouted over the sound of the front door slamming. "Come back here!"
Christian straightened up when Astrid left the house. "Hey!" He greeted her, pulling the passenger door open. "I was starting to think I showed up at the wrong place." Christian glanced around Zion's neighborhood and frowned. "This isn't what I expected w
hen you told me it was in north Minneapolis."
"You're probably thinking of the arts district," Astrid said as she slid into the car. "It's just across the river, but a totally different neighborhood." Strapping herself into the car, she added, "No thanks to redlining and years of segregation."
He jumped into the driver's side and started up the car again. "You're going to need to explain what that means some day," he noted. "I'm starting to think there's a lot I'm not going to understand about your life, Astrid."
What do you know? He's learning. Astrid reclined in her car seat. If they were going to try to broach the topic, now would be the time. He was already starting to put things together. "This probably isn't what you want to hear," Astrid started, "but you have no idea how right you are about that."
Her companion turned the radio on, dialing the volume down so they could still talk. "What, we live in two different worlds?" Christian gripped the wheel a little tighter as he pulled onto the interstate. "I'm a lot of things, Astrid, but stupid is not one of them."
Astrid withheld a snarky comment. "I never said you were."
"You haven't, but my brothers have," he grumbled. "Am I idealistic? Sure. Optimistic? Definitely. And yeah, maybe sometimes that means I'm not the brightest in the room." Christian merged into the passing lane. "Sometimes I don't realize I'm wearing two different socks. Sometimes, if I'm not paying attention, I get robbed walking to work."
"I'm sorry, what?"
"None of that is to say I'm dumb. I just need time. And it has taken me long enough to realize as long as I'm not sure what a punch card is, then I'm not the man for you. I think I'm okay with that." Finished with his rant, Christian sat back and continued cruising.
"Wow," Astrid said. "When d'you come up with that?"
"This morning," he explained, "in the shower."
There were worse places to practice emotional speeches. "I'm glad you came to this conclusion on your own," Astrid said. "I wasn't sure how to tell you that otherwise."
Everything was fine before Christian continued, "What I don't understand is why you had to choose Gio over Lorenzo. I'm okay with you picking 'Enzo. He's got a promising career, a good head on his shoulders, a deep smoldering look in his eyes..." Christian scoffed. "But Gio's the bad twin! He lets mobsters pay him off!"
"He's never treated me like a child," Astrid broke in. "Which is more than I can say for you and Lorenzo."
Christian pouted. "I don't think you're a child."
"Then you shouldn't worry about my safety every other minute." A zippy green Mini Cooper cut them off in the front, forcing Christian to swerve. Astrid clutched the door handle and sucked in a breath. "Never mind. Worry about my safety when I'm in the same car as you."
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm just... I don't know. This is a lot. My twin and I have never seen eye to eye, especially as we've got older. Maybe I would take this easier if it was Lorenzo. Or Matilde." Veering to the right, they took the exit closest to Christian's house out in Woodbury. Christian hugged the side of the road and checked the other side twice before turning left. "Is this safer?" He asked as an afterthought.
"It's fine," Astrid grumbled.
The closer they got to Christian's house, the more Astrid shrunk into her seat. Her memories of the house were of an abduction and hot, heavy sex. She was thankful they ripped off the 'I'm not into you' bandage before they got to his house.
"Do you remember where the portal was in your alley?" Astrid asked, trying to get her mind off the past.
The Dragon-shifter parked the car outside his house. "It's somewhere in the back," he replied. "There was a metal marker there, yeah? It reacted to your presence and let you in. If we walk long enough, we can find it."
And if they weren't careful, they'd walk around in circles until day bled into night. "Remember. This is a matter of stealth. We're not going in to get their attention, just the Seal of Solomon and... shit." They still needed wax to meld the seal to the jade. "New plan," Astrid narrated as they trampled through the alley. "When we get in, I need you to search for the Seal on your own."
"What are you going to do?"
Astrid ran her hand on the brick wall, searching for the metal pin that marked the entrance. "We're using jade as a substitute. It'll work, but I have to find alchemic wax to mold them together." A cool, thin object pierced the edge of her skin. Astrid hissed and pulled back, biting on her palm to block the bleeding. "Found it," she muttered through gritted teeth.
The brick wall quaked, shaking apart until the door opened up. "Let's get this over with," she said, waving Christian through.
Now that she'd had her powers for a few months, Alicing through the shimmer felt like a second nature. The change in environment didn't register the way it used to. The tingles that used to overflow her nerves disappeared, leaving her with a rush of adrenaline.
The harsh winter of the alchemic realm shook her out of her head. Astrid tugged at her thin hoodie, pulling the sleeves to cover her hands. "This better be the last time I have to come out here," she whispered to Christian. "I've never liked this place."
"I don't understand how any of them would. It's too cold." Christian's arms shivered. Even the ever-burning Dragon-shifter ran into trouble in the weather. "It's worse since last time."
They padded down the corridor, stopping just outside the lab Christian had been kept in. Astrid stood flush against the wall and poked her head out. "All clear," she said.
Astrid had no qualms with scurrying down the staircase to investigate the laboratory. Christian held his breath as she tore open crates and discarded boxes. "Shouldn't we be more careful?" He asked when she nearly shattered a jar of mayonnaise against the wall. "They're going to know someone went through their stuff."
"Let them." Astrid tossed a crate at Christian. "Who cares if they know we're coming for them? This is the end of the line. It's us against them."
It didn't matter if her father knew she was preparing to take him down. This was the most father-daughter bonding they would do for a long time.
Giving in, Christian focused on a metal box near the entrance. The hefty case was sealed with three metal locks, each more complicated than the first. Christian analyzed the first one and, after taking a deep breath, melted the chains with a burst of fire. The next two fell in the same way, clattering on the ice cold ground. The echoes reverberated throughout the chamber.
"Careful," Astrid warned. "We want them to know we were here, not are. There's a difference." She ripped another crate open and paused. "I wish I knew what alchemic wax looked like," Astrid said.
A singular set of footsteps rang out in the outer hall. Christian tensed, bouncing into a defensive position in front of Astrid. "I know you can protect yourself," he said quickly, "but this is the kind of thing where you just need to trust me."
Astrid wasn't complaining.
"Hello?" A man called out, knocking on the lower entrance to the lab. "I heard some noise in here. I sure hope there's no one trying to break into this abandoned lab."
The terror in Astrid's veins evaporated. "I have this," she said to Christian. Then, to the alchemist at the door, she shouted, "Come out, Dad."
Aaron Pfeiffer shimmied up to the doorframe, crossing his arms and examining Astrid. "Aren't you a lawyer, kiddo? You should know better than to break into someone else's property."
Astrid pushed Christian the side. "I'm not going to beat around the bush. I need alchemic wax from you."
He squinted and tilted his head to the side. "And why should I give you that?"
"Because I deserve a fair fight," she replied. "You have the key now. You have the win in the bag. But it's no fun to just beat me when I'm down."
Aaron looked from her to Christian. "You had to bring that one?"
"Not too happy about it either," Astrid muttered. "But since you've mentioned the dragon, how about this? Give me the alchemic wax and he won't roast you alive. Hmm?"
Her father stepped forward. "You wouldn't actually threat
en to kill your father," Aaron said, "would you? That would make you as bad as me, Astrid. We'd both be killers. You'd never get to wash that off your skin."
Narrowing her eyes, Astrid said, "I'm willing to make a sacrifice."
Aaron's teasing grin wavered, replaced by a flat grimace. "You are your father's daughter," he muttered. "It's what we do best. Sacrifice the ones we love to better our own lives."
"That's what you do, dad. Hell, mom too. But that's not who I want to be." Astrid stepped closer to her dad, her gaze fixed on his. "I would never risk the life of someone I love for my own benefit."
"So, what, you don't love your old man anymore?"
"Exactly."
Aaron flinched. "I guess this is that rebellious teenager phase I missed out on. Now I know why all my friends hated it." Sighing, he nodded toward a shelf of red jars. "The alchemic bonding wax is over there. If you want a fair fight, so be it. You're still my kid. I'm not so ready to give up on you." He turned, only stopping at the entrance. "Next time, you're not going to be this lucky."
Astrid planted feet on the ground, rooting herself to the spot. "Grab a jar," she directed Christian. "I'm not taking any more chances."
"What about the seal?"
She nodded back at the metal crate. "I think you were on the right track. Bring me the jar and return to the case."
He saluted her. "Aye-aye, captain."
At least his positivity was coming back.
Astrid watched the exit for alchemists, tensing her muscles every time she thought she heard footsteps in the hallway. Her father let her off easy. The next one to find them would not be as kind.
Christian shoved a wax jar into her hands. "What should the Seal of Solomon look like?"
"Good question." Astrid set the jar on her hip, supporting it with her left hand, while she searched for her phone with her right. Fishing it out of her back pocket, she searched her photo gallery for the seal diagram. "It looks like the Star of David," she explained. "A circle with the star in the center, surrounded by six dots."
The Dragonshifter lifted a heavy plate out from the box. "Like this?" He asked, turning the face so Astrid could see. It was small, roughly the size of a dessert plate. Worn from years of storage, its lines slightly faded and rusted over. A tiny fissure cracked the left side, damaging the perfect star. It wasn't what Astrid had been hoping for, but it would work.