Running for Home

by Zenina Masters

  She talked about being shown off as the freak that he had made her and her refusal to speak. That had infuriated him. He had counted on showing off more than a dumb animal with human attributes.

  The story took a very long time to tell, and she worked at the tray as much as she could. When her stomach felt tight, she stopped.

  She went over the routine of being primped by other shifters for the events, and finally, she said, “And that takes me to the night that Derix showed up.”

  He nodded. “I was glad to be there.”

  Her grandmother was sitting perfectly still, as if moving would shatter her into a thousand pieces.

  Apollo had come and gone five times during her narrative. Each time he came back, his knuckles were redder. He had to be punching trees again.

  Juno poured the last of the lemonade into her glass. “So, then, they healed me, Derix got the belt off and I was out the window and heading for the woods. I made a den and dug in, staying there until I felt safe. Derix would come by now and then and play, so I would creep out to listen.”

  Finally, she asked the question that had been flitting about in her mind. “How long have I been in the woods?”

  Apollo was staring at his partner. “You have been there for six weeks. You didn’t tell me you were coming here.”

  Derix shrugged. “We don’t discuss our off time. This seemed like a good use of my weekends.”

  Juno smiled. “It was appreciated. Apollo, stop scowling. I am sure that he was just here to help out your sister.”

  Derix smiled slowly. “Yeah, Apollo. Show some appreciation.”

  Apollo looked at Juno. “If he wanted to help you out, he would have told me he was visiting. He didn’t. This was all about him.”

  Juno smiled. “Well, I am glad he took the time. The music was beautiful.”

  Her grandmother reached out and took her hand. “What are you going to do next, child?”

  She squeezed her grandmother’s hand. “I am going to start recovering. I have rested; now, I need to recover. It is a different thing.”

  Her grandmother nodded. “I am still going to bypass you in the will.”

  Juno smiled. “Thank you. I am not cut out for that life.”

  Her grandma stroked her cheek. “I am finally understanding it. Having you recover and forcing you into that mold is not something I wish to do. I just got you back; I don’t want to break you.”

  Juno hugged her grandma, and Apollo completed the circle from behind her. It was nice to be wrapped in the familiar scents of family.

  The mages and shifters who ran the recovery centre were organized and had an itinerary for her. She could attend group sessions or make one-on-one meetings with a councillor, but she had to speak to someone every day.

  Time moved quickly, and her family visited regularly. She was offered a position at the Shifter Council Headquarters, but it wasn’t really for her. The things that others took for granted no longer came easily for her.

  Life in society had always been hard for her. It had never been something she enjoyed, and now, it was impossible. She found herself analyzing every move that those around her made. It wasn’t a great way to live.

  Her councillor smiled when she came in for her session. “I have a placement for you. A job, I mean.”

  Juno smiled and raised her brows. “What is it?” She took her seat and smiled politely.

  “There is a new project at the Crossroads, and they need a new... hostess, if that is the word. You would show guests around and get them settled. That is the end of it. You would only need to be there as a guide for orientation.”

  “So, I have to be friendly and polite, but that is it?”

  “You would need to know the territory, but once that is accomplished, you would be able to live a life with anonymity and self-sufficiency.”

  “I accept.” She smiled. “It sounds like something I would enjoy.”

  “Excellent. I will draw up the paperwork and contact the transporters. You can be there in a few hours.”

  “Just like that?”

  “We have been working toward this for weeks. You need a placement outside the human world. It isn’t good for you anymore. There are too many memories haunting the basic day-to-day of your life. You will feel the pain of them every day if you try to return to a standard office.”

  She nodded. “Right. We have covered that.”

  “Correct. Pack what you want to take with you, and you will be on your way to the Crossroads by the end of the day.”

  “I have time to call my family?”

  Frieda smiled. “You do.”

  Juno got to her feet. “Send someone to my room when the time is up.”

  Frieda nodded, and Juno left the room. Her next stop was the Crossroads.

  Chapter Three

  Her grandmother had been delighted, and her brother had not been answering his phone. She left a message, and in two hours, she had said her goodbyes to everyone at the recovery centre and stepped into the transport portal to the Crossroads.

  Juno made friends easily with Teal and Tony. Teal took her around to meet the inhabitants, but instead of her going to housing, she was shown to the Axion.

  Drak was elegant, definitely fey, and charming. “So, you will be my permanent guest.”

  She extended her hand to his, and he clasped her fingers. Their magics sparked against their skins, and when he withdrew his hand, he raised his brows. “You are not surprised.”

  “You are not the first fey I have met.” She smiled. “So, please, show me to my little cubby hole, and I will get out of your way.”

  He grinned and led her further into the castle.

  “So, this is actually a castle?”

  “It is. My first guest told me that I really needed to let the fey part of the equation shine out, so I followed up with a transformation that makes us stand out a little.”

  She laughed. “Just a little.”

  The therapy had done her good. She was able to follow him into the heights of the castle and to her new room. “This can’t be right.”

  Drak chuckled; his metallic colouration caused him to glitter and gleam in the lights of the floating candles.

  “There is no reason to be uncomfortable simply because you live here. I pride myself on providing comfortable accommodations. You will be called at odd hours of the day and night to do the tours, so I arranged a slide from your chamber down to a spot near the Meditation Centre.”

  “A slide?”

  “It was that or a fire pole.”

  She chuckled. “Thanks for that.”

  Drak grinned. “Happy to help. You have a certain ease with the fey. Have you met one of us before?”

  She stared at him. “Just so we understand where we stand, I was one of the recovered pets that they took out of Lord Falkir’s home. Yes. I have met a fey before, so it is up to you to change my previous experiences. So far, you are doing a good job.”

  He was taken aback. “I am shocked that they would put you here.”

  “I think it might be a lesson for both of us.”

  He extended his hand to her. “Well, I hope that this education will be mutually beneficial.”

  She grinned and shook his hand. The crackle of energy rippled between them.

  “Can I refer to you as my housekeeper?”

  He laughed. “Yes, you can.”

  Juno walked into her room and saw the slide chute on the exterior wall. “Where does it drop me?”

  “It uses a bit of local magic; you have a small exit next to the Meditation Centre.”

  She nodded. “Right. First thing is a change of clothes. While your supervision is an option, I would prefer to forgo that and simply see you for a tour when I am done.”

  He inclined his head and left her room, closing the door behind him.

  She looked around at the understated elegance that had a layer of magic on everything she touched. It would definitely get her used to fey magic in a casual way that would
desensitise her to memories. It wasn’t a bad idea.

  The wristband that she wore was thick, copper and would buzz when she was needed to do a tour.

  The slide was tempting, but she put her clothes away and got dressed in jeans and a pretty shirt with a curled fox on it. Everything she wore had a fox on it somewhere.

  She slipped on some flats and looked at the slide. It was far too tempting.

  With a grin, she ran to the opening, grabbed the bar above the hole and she propelled herself into the polished stone pathway that pulled her downward at a dramatic rate. She breathed a little easier when the angle lifted and she slowed down. When she reached the end of the slide, she exited carefully. Drak was right. She was next to the Meditation Centre.

  She rubbed her hands together and continued the exploration of her new home with all the curiosity her beast could manage.

  * * * *

  Derix staggered through the portal with Apollo on his shoulder. “Medics!”

  The healers came running and took charge of his partner.

  The mage who grabbed Apollo looked to Derix and asked, “What happened?”

  “After we caught the croc shifter, Apollo decided to enjoy Mardi Gras. That was weeks ago. Tell him. He has been like this since he met with his sister.”

  The mage pushed the gurney to the clinic where they were going to pump Apollo’s stomach. It was the third time in two months.

  A phone started to blare, and Derix grabbed it. It was on the floor where the gurney had been. “Hello, Apollo’s phone.”

  “Is this that nice man I met at the recovery centre?”

  The phone id said Grandma. “Yes, ma’am. Derix, ma’am.”

  “Where is Apollo?”

  “He is seeing a doctor. He consumed something that doesn’t agree with him.”

  “Oh dear. Well, I was just calling to tell him that his sister has found a job. She said he hadn’t returned her call.”

  “I will let him know.”

  “Yes, she is at the Crossroads now. I hope she finds a nice young man and gets over that whole horrible business.”

  “That would be good, ma’am.”

  “Well, let him know. I get the feeling he isn’t checking his messages.”

  “I will, ma’am. Have a nice day.”

  He was left staring at the screen.

  “Well, fuck.”

  He headed to the clinic to watch the medics finish getting Apollo into a sitting position, semi-sober.

  Apollo was looking sheepish. “Sorry about that.”

  Derix walked over to him and put the phone in his hand. “Your grandmother called. Apparently, you haven’t been listening to your messages.”

  Apollo looked at his phone. “I can’t. I can’t listen to her voice. I failed her.”

  “Juno has a job at the Crossroads. She has been there for a few weeks.”

  Apollo looked up. “What?”

  “She isn’t in the human world anymore. She has been offered and has accepted a position at the Crossroads. Check your fucking messages.”

  Apollo’s pale cheeks coloured, and he listened to the phone on speaker.

  “Hey, bro. I just wanted to let you know that I am getting on with things, and I have been offered a job at the Crossroads as a guide. I am going to take it. I get to tell folks where to go, all day long. Right up my alley. Take care, love you.”

  Derix relaxed inwardly. She wasn’t on an active hunt for a mate. He still had time.

  Apollo was staring at him. “What is that look on your face?”

  “What look?”

  “The same look I was giving to the sign that said one-dollar shooters. Longing, desire and frustration.”

  Derix shrugged. “I have no idea what you mean.”

  “Yes, you do. You get that face every time I mention Juno. What is going on with you two?”

  Derix shrugged. “She likes my music.”

  “God damn it! You want her.” He clutched his stomach and groaned.

  “She is a lovely woman and strong. She was on the edge, but she has fought her way back from despair. The job at the Crossroads will be good for her.”

  “Don’t you think she has had enough fey in her life?”

  Derix patted his partner’s leg. “There is always room for the right one.”

  “I am formally filing my objection to you as my brother-in-law.”

  Derix crossed his arms. “Why?”

  Apollo floundered for a moment before he came up with, “You are too damned pretty.”

  Derix nodded. “I will take that under advisement. This is up to her though, so if she wants me, I am going to do everything I can to keep her approval.”

  He left his partner with his mouth open and shock in his expression. Derix felt rather good about the declaration. It felt right.

  Lord Tibor sat at the table while Derix stood for his debriefing.

  “We have noticed that for the last eight weeks your partner has become unstable.”

  The shifter and mage representative nodded.

  “There has been tension in his life. He has not come to grips with being unable to locate his sister on his own after she disappeared.”

  “Well, he is going to have to do that soul searching on his own. It is too dangerous to have you with a partner who has lost his focus.”

  Derix couldn’t argue, but he tried. “It isn’t dangerous. It is a minor annoyance.”

  Tibor shook his head. “It is unacceptable. You are on leave for the next few weeks until we can find someone to partner with you.”

  Derix nodded. “I understand. Are there any restrictions on me?”

  “No. Do as you will.”

  Derix inclined his head and bowed to the council. He was dismissed.

  He walked through the halls and looked for the communications office. He had an application to put in.

  * * * *

  Juno was having a lot of fun. She got her clients, Teal and Tony whisked the luggage to their home away from home, and she took them on a tour.

  Two weeks in, she had the feeling that she was finally where she belonged. She had set off-duty hours. She had the occasional evening off, and the occupants of the Crossroads had accepted her as one of their own.

  It was fun to have a place to belong, and the amount of fey who came to her for advice on how to date the shifters was extremely amusing. She had no clue, but she enjoyed trying to give them different techniques to sneak up on their romantic prey.

  The difference of what was happening in contrast to her own situation was night and day. Drak was the perfect example of why not to tar all fey with Falkir’s brush.

  He was kind, helpful and generous with his time and with the history of his people. The fact that his brother had found his mate at the Crossroads recently was making him eager to help others find the same happiness.

  The Axion contained more fey occupants than shifters, but the balance was fluid, and Drak was looking forward to twenty-five percent capacity.

  After a lot of trial and error, Juno had found a way to wear a sundress and low heels while on her slide. The perennial warm weather made dressing comfortably an imperative.

  She was at the General Store trying to convince Andy that chocolate was far more than a simple snack when her wristlet buzzed.

  With a swing in her step, she pranced over to the Meditation Centre, and when she saw the man speaking to the guardians, she paused. “Oh. Hello.”

  Derix turned and smiled as he was fit with a copper band. “Hello, Juno.”

  Tony looked at her then at Derix and back again. “You two know each other?”

  They smiled and said at the same time, “We do.”

  Teal looked at them and whistled. “Okay. Fair enough.”

  “Where is he staying?” Juno asked the guardians while Derix continued to smile.

  “He is staying at the Axion. Derix is the new bouncer for the Crossed Star. With all the fey mingling with the shifters, we need a little more crowd control.�
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  “Oh. Okay. What happened to Apollo?” Her scowl was immediate. “Is he all right?”

  “He is back home with your grandmother getting his butt kicked on a daily basis.”

  She chuckled. “He probably needs it if he has gotten to the point where the council has kicked him out.”

  He frowned. “Who told you?”

  She gave him a grim smile. “You just did.”

  He winced.

  She extended her hand. “If you are all checked in, come on.”

  He grabbed her hand, and she hauled him along, showing him the wonders of the Crossroads.

  Chapter Four

  “You are looking better.” Derix smiled as they left the café after the round of introductions to the staff.

  “Thank you. I feel better. I gained most of my weight back at the recovery centre, and here, all I do is eat and go for walks, so it has been great for my rehabilitation.”

  “I never imagined you in a skirt.”

  She laughed. “Well, since you know I am Apollo’s sister and most think we look similar, if you can’t imagine him in a skirt, you can’t imagine me in a skirt.”

  He clapped his free hand over his eyes. “Now, I have to get that image out of my mind. Apollo in a skirt is not a great idea.”

  “I would say I am sorry, but I’m not. Well, here is your new place of business.” She grinned. “Spike and Chuck are in charge. They can usually handle themselves, but Spike is also the medic, so if she is needed elsewhere, it might leave the bar unattended. You would have to keep the folks under control if that happened.”

  “Easy.”

  “How many horny female shifters have you and my brother confined and controlled?” Juno was grinning.

  “Um, none?”

  “There is going to be a rather steep learning curve. The ladies get a little agitated when there is so much competition for the men, and the men do the same.”

  “What about the fey?”

  “They tend to step on shifter tradition and get their asses handed to them. They are harder to fix, so Spike would appreciate not having to fix them. That is where you come in.”