[March 2023, Three Months Later]
"Sebastian…it feels like it's been ages." A woman said with one hand holding a fist full of curly black hair, while the other clutched the sheet of her bed. "Did you get a girlfriend or something?"
"As if!" Sebastian Conley couldn't help but laugh as he lifted his head up from in between the woman's legs. "What the hell do I look like being in a relationship?"
Now, it was the woman's turn to laugh. "Yeah, good point. Who in their right mind would date a piece of shit like you?"
The 'beast magic' user quickly adopted a look of fake shock on his face before propping himself up on his knees and looking his latest conquest in the eye. Don't get him wrong, Sebastian was all for the dirty talk and low-grade insults. It generally made the whole experience more fun in his eyes. But the woman could've at least tried not to sound so honest about it.
"Rude!"
"Oh, whatever…." The woman rolled her eyes. "Anyways, aren't you supposed to be at work, or something?"
"Nope!" The 'beast magic' user shook his head. "It's my off day. Besides, my partner's out doing bodyguard duty today anyway."
"Honestly, I still don't get how you guys can stomach doing all that work for the DPA. Cryptids scare the shit out of me. And I don't want to be anywhere near them."
"Hey, it's not all bad! Sure, it's dangerous, but our workload is pretty limited. So, we have a lot of free time to just chill and train."
The woman was quick to wave her hand. "Yeah…no thanks. I'm perfectly fine with just living a normal life. I'll leave all that crazy monster-hunter shit to you psychos. I've heard more than enough horror stories about it from my dad."
Sebastian gave the woman a quick chuckle before leaning over and planting a kiss on her lips. And in response to that, the woman wrapped her arms around the bearded man's neck as a series of sparkling lights began to appear all around them in several different colors.
"Alright, enough small talk! Let's get back to what I really brought you here for."
"Well…." Sebastian gave the woman an arrogant smirk. "I didn't know you valued my services so much."
The woman gave the bearded sorcerer a light tap on the cheek. "Calm down there, dog boy, I didn't say all that. Just be glad that the only good thing about you is that tongue of yours."
"Just my tongue?"
"Shut up." The woman told him before gently pushing Sebastian's head back down in between her legs, allowing the man to resume what he was doing prior to their brief conversation, as even more sparkling lights began to form all around them.
-(o)-
[Charlotte, North Carolina]
No matter how many times she does it, Maria Ortega will never get used to sitting in the middle of one of these fancy restaurants, surrounded by the smell of citrus aromatics and grilled bread. The kind of places that tried really hard to feel casual despite linen napkins and prices that nudged your conscience. Although the experience was nothing close to that time she and everyone else went to Aurum, the young 'beast magic' user still couldn't help but feel a bit out of place in a setting such as this one.
The restaurant itself buzzed with the soft chaos of the weekday lunch rush. Forks clinking against plates, chairs scraping the floor, and a low swell of conversation that never quite settled down. All while Maria sat at the edge of the table, her posture straight, and her hand folded loosely around a glass of water she still hadn't touched yet. She had positioned herself where she could see the door, the windows, and the mirrored wall behind the bar, just like she had been trained to do when out doing these "bodyguard" missions. But the fact that she was still here made her feel uncomfortable.
Across from the young 'beast magic' user sat Elizabeth, casually laughing in a way that made it very clear to her that she had practiced it numerous times before to sound perfectly elegant and posh.
It was strange to Maria how easily Elizabeth carried herself when out in public. Even though she was acting in a way that made it seem as though she was in a relaxed and unguarded state, she still made an effort to seem as well put-together as possible. No doubt a result of all that etiquette training she had gone through when she was younger. Which was apparently the norm for anyone whose last name came with a trademark attached to it.
'How much does something like that cost?' The young 'beast magic' user couldn't help but wonder as the conversation continued around her.
Right now, the two sorcerers were joined by Sophie and Priya, two of Elizabeth's friends from school. The duo was pretty normal as far as Maria could tell, especially since neither of them was a sorcerer. But they still carried themselves like a pair of airheads that were going to school on their parents' dime without having to worry about paying for tuition.
"And then…" Sophie said while wiping her eyes. The bland-looking blonde was in the middle of telling the group a story. Something about a disastrous group presentation that involved a frozen PowerPoint slide and a professor who had fallen asleep standing up. "He woke up and asked us to repeat the entire thing!"
Elizabeth looked shocked after hearing that. "No!"
"Yes!" Priya said, grinning. "Like, I swear, I wanted to throw my laptop across the room when that happened!"
Maria barely paid attention to what was being said. Instead, she simply decided to do her best to nod and pretend that she was actually listening. She was still technically on the job right now, so she couldn't allow herself to get distracted.
Elizabeth leaned forward in her seat, elbows on the table. "Okay, but at least you survived. Remember the econ midterm from hell?"
Sophie rolled her eyes. "Oh, God…don't remind me."
The conversation flowed easily after that. Nothing but the sounds of overlapping voices and half-finished sentences, along with the comfortable rhythm of people who'd spent late nights together arguing over nothing of any real importance. Maria tracked hands, exits, and reflections. No threats. Just laughter and the clink of fine cutlery.
At some point, Sophie directed everyone's attention toward the 'earth magic' user, studying Elizabeth with a thoughtful smile before opening her mouth. "Okay, but like, seriously…how come you never invite us over to your place when we hang out? We've known each other for like a year, and we've still never been to your house."
The question landed lightly, tossed like a paper airplane into the breeze. Elizabeth didn't flinch, at least not outwardly, but Maria felt the change right away. A subtle tightening, and the briefest pause before the dark-skinned woman rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Oh…" Elizabeth said with a wave of her hand. "It's nothing against you guys, honestly. My brother just gets super annoyed when people come over. Especially if I don't tell him about it beforehand. And I'd rather not hear him complain all night. It's just too exhausting to think about."
Priya snorted. "I thought you said your brother was cool?"
"Trust me." Elizabeth replied, shaking her head. "It's just not worth the headache."
Maria's eyes flicked to Elizabeth for a second as she thought about the 'earth magic' user's answer. That didn't seem like a genuine response in her opinion, especially since she and the rest of their group had hung out at the twins' house numerous times over the last few months. Hell, they were all over there just two weeks ago to watch a movie that still hadn't come out in theaters yet.
The 'beast magic' user assumed that there was a reason why the woman apparently didn't allow her college friends to come over to her house. But she decided to just mind her own business and not worry about it.
Unbeknownst to Maria, the real reason why the 'earth magic' user didn't want her friends coming over to her place was because she didn't want either of them to try to make a move on her brother while they were there. It was already hard enough for Elizabeth to deal with people trying to get her attention based solely off of who her sister was. And the fact that she had already experienced someone trying to be her friend just to get close to her brother a few times in the past left a sour taste in her mouth. One that she didn't feel like dealing with again anytime soon.
Saying that Evan didn't like having company over, which was a total lie, was just a convenient excuse that wouldn't warrant any further questions.
The conversation drifted on pretty normally from there. Plans were made for the weekend, complaints about professors, and a few stale stories that ended in loud laughter. Maria stayed quiet for the most part, only really talking when someone addressed her directly. But even so, she still had a rather pleasant time. Even if it was mostly spent just awkwardly hovering off to the side while everyone else enjoyed themselves.
By the time the plates were cleared and checks paid, the afternoon light had shifted, casting long stripes across the restaurant's wooden floor.
Sophie hugged Elizabeth goodbye as they all exited the building. And Priya promised to text later that night after she finished one of her assignments.
"Next time." Priya said pointedly. "At your place."
Elizabeth laughed again. "We'll see."
Just like that, the two students had left, leaving Maria and Elizabeth to steadily make their way toward the 'beast magic' user's car as they did their best to keep the sun out of their eyes. Spring was right around the corner, and local weather was starting to show it.
Once they were a fair bit of distance away from the restaurant, Elizabeth exhaled and ran a hand through her perfectly twisted dreadlocks.
"Alright." The 'earth magic' user said, glancing sideways at Maria. "One more stop, and we're done for the day. Sorry to drag you along like this, but you know how my parents get whenever I go even a few miles out of town."
Maria shrugged in response. "It's cool. It's not like we have anything going on at the station anyway."
And with that, the two quickly made their way over to the next stop of their journey.
-(o)-
[Rock Hill, South Carolina]
The last place that Maria expected to find herself in today would've been a witch's den of all places….
Okay, so "witch's den" wasn't exactly the right thing to call the place. Technically, it was an apothecary shop. But for all intents and purposes, they were the same thing.
To the general public, places like these were mostly known for selling herbal medicines and exotic home remedies. But, more often than not, their highest-selling products were usually fancy teas, special oils, and various custom-blend wellness products like energy drinks and dietary tonics. However, there was one more aspect to these places that most people didn't know about.
As far as sorcerers were concerned, apothecary shops like this were the go-to places to get magic-focused elixirs, plants, cryptid bait, and any other products that normal humans wouldn't be able to use to their full potential. Along with specially made items that one wouldn't be able to find on any online shopping app or local department store.
"Welcome to Hailey's World of Wonders! How may I help- oh, Elizabeth, is that you?" The person behind the counter said as soon as Maria and Elizabeth walked through the door.
The person was a woman with caramel skin, a voluptuous physique, deep brown eyes, and a thick, poofy afro with streaks of grey, who appeared to be in her mid-to-late forties. She was dressed in a simple white dress with a black cardigan thrown over top of it, and had several peculiar ornaments hanging from her neck.
"Hello, Miss Hailey!" Elizabeth said to the woman with a warm and polite smile. "I'm sorry for dropping in unexpectedly like this, but I came to wish you a happy birthday!"
"Oh, is that right?" The older woman laughed. "Well, isn't that sweet?"
Elizabeth then walked forward and placed the large box that she was carrying down on the counter. One that was twice the size of her head and wrapped in elegant, expensive-looking paper with a silver ribbon tied over it.
"This is from me and my brother. I hope you like it!"
"Oh, well, thank you, sweetie! Knowing you two, I'm sure it's something good." The woman replied a moment before directing her attention toward Maria. "And who's your friend here?"
Elizabeth motioned her hand over to Maria, who was still standing near the doorway. "This is Maria, she's a friend who works for the DPA."
Hailey proceeded to take a moment to size up the young 'beast magic' user before extending her hand out toward her. "Nice to meet you! I'm Hailey Freeman."
"Maria Ortega." The young agent replied politely while shaking the woman's hand.
"Well, aren't you quite the interesting little thing? I haven't met a lot of 'beast magic' users before. But judging by all of the mana signatures in your body, you seem to be a pretty good one."
"Thank you."
Elizabeth then decided to add a bit more to the conversation. "Miss Hailey is the owner of this place, and she's one of the best witches in the business when it comes to making top-shelf cryptid bait and repellent. She's been friends with my parents for years…and she's also the woman who gave birth to me."
"What?" Maria tilted her head in confusion after hearing that last part.
The older woman couldn't help but laugh at the expression that suddenly appeared on the 'beast magic' user's face. But after a few seconds of fun, she decided to clarify exactly what Elizabeth meant.
"I used to work as a surrogate for the Nine Families before I finally retired and opened up my shop. I'm the one who gave birth to Evan and Elizabeth, back in the day. Along with a few other kids from the Owens and Chapman families that you may have heard about."
"I see." Maria simply nodded her head.
Of course, this wasn't exactly a foreign concept to Maria. The young woman knew enough about sorcerer society to know that such a thing was actually rather common, especially among the Nine Families.
Pretty much all of the big families had a list of men and women that they kept on retainer to have their children for them whenever someone wanted a new one. It was a way for people to become parents without having to go through the trouble of dealing with a long pregnancy.
To be honest, the whole concept never really sat right with Maria, mainly because of how morally questionable it was.
The idea that people could simply hire another person to have their children for them was just plain weird in her opinion. But even so, that was only a part of it. In reality, the whole concept was skirting the line of what could and couldn't be considered a form of functional eugenics.
More often than not, big sorcerer families would simply create new children based on how much potential they could have when the parents' abilities were taken into account. Things like magical attributes, magical power, certain physical traits, and athletic potential were always factors at play in these kinds of things. Hell, even petty things like physical appearance were considered when selecting the parents. And half of the time, the children weren't directly related to their parents anyway. They were basically just the products of selective genetic breeding.
The raven-haired teen's mind then thought about Cyrus and what he had gone through only a few months ago….
They still had no clue as to what ever happened to all of the sperm that was stolen from him by Hannah back when she was holding him hostage. After all, there was no sign of any of it in any of the locations that they raided during their big operation. Their best guess is that all of it was already sold off to the highest bidder long before they took down the Iznana cell. Meaning that there was a non-zero chance that a 'plant magic' user with the ability to absorb mana might suddenly pop up somewhere in the world in the near future.
'Man…that's just depressing to think about.' Maria thought to herself before focusing her attention back on the conversation.
"Anyways, you actually came here at the perfect time. There's something that I've been meaning to give you." Hailey suddenly said before walking behind her counter and retrieving a long box from underneath it.
"What is it?" Elizabeth questioned.
"Your birthday present!" The woman replied as she opened the box to reveal a roll of shiny, maroon colored fabric. "I was able to get my hands on this a couple of months ago through a friend, but I never really had much use for it. And since you're now making clothes full-time, I thought you might like to have it. This is a full roll of genuine unicorn fur!"
Elizabeth's eyes practically lit up upon hearing those words, as did Maria's. Unicorn fur was crazy expensive. So much so that it was worth more than its weight in gold. And judging by the fact that there was an entire roll of it, the 'beast magic' user could safely assume that Hailey was holding a few hundred thousand dollars' worth of it in her hands.
"A-are you sure?" The 'earth magic' user stuttered as she greedily eyed the fabric. Her mind was already beginning to race with ideas pertaining to how she was going to put the stuff to use.
"Of course! You'd get better use out of it than I could."
"Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"Don't mention it!"
Maria found it crazy how the woman was just willing to give away something so valuable without a care in the world. That roll alone was enough to buy a nice house practically anywhere in the country.
'The rich just keep getting richer, huh?' She thought to herself as she watched Elizabeth inspect each and every thread of the fabric with laser focus. Stuff like this only happened to people who could already afford it to begin with. After all, it wasn't like the 'earth magic' user needed the stuff for her work.
Eventually, after a bit more conversation and some tea, the two young sorcerers left the witch to get back to tending to her shop. And before they knew it, they were on their way back home just as the afternoon sun began to make its descent over the horizon.
"Man, I can't wait to make something with this stuff!" Elizabeth beamed as she held the roll of fabric in her hand.
"I bet." Maria replied in her trademark stoic tone of voice.
Elizabeth then looked at the raven-haired teen for a moment before telling her something that caught Maria completely off guard. "Hey, why don't I make you something with this?"
"What?" Maria glanced at the young woman.
"There's more than enough here for me to make some nice designs, and I have a few ideas that I would love to try out. I already know that my sister's going to want me to make something for her big concert in a couple of months, but I'm pretty sure that I can whip up something nice for you with the rest of it. Plus, this stuff's way stronger and more durable than what you agents usually wear on a daily basis. I bet I could make you an entire suit without too much hassle."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah!" Elizabeth smiled. "Besides, I owe you for tagging along with me today when you didn't really need to. The least I could do is make you something nice to make up for it. Plus, it just gives me an excuse to mess around with this stuff for a bit."
Maria paused for a moment as she thought about what to say. Although she felt a bit weird about receiving something so expensive for basically doing nothing, she wasn't really in a position to say no either. Her mother always told her that it was bad manners to turn down people's generosity when you didn't need to.
"Sure…if you want to."
"Awesome!" Elizabeth practically cheered with stars in her eyes.
From there, the two just engaged in some relatively normal conversation before Maria finally dropped Elizabeth off at her house and returned her vehicle to the station before making her way back home. All in all, it was a pretty successful day. Granted, Maria would've rather spent her time sitting at home and playing video games all day. But she couldn't really complain about how things had turned out, especially since she ended up getting something good out of it without really having to do anything in return.
'Back to normal tomorrow, though.' The young 'beast magic' thought as she dropped herself down onto her bed and let herself relax. 'Another day, another dollar.'