Neris' POV
"So that's all you got?" I asked, frowning.
"Yes, that's all, moonmother," Taigen replied flatly.
"Just her name, where she works, and where she stays? That's it?" I pressed.
"Plus her sick mum," he added, making me give him a death stare.
"I feel like a lot is missing."
"I feel that way too, but that's the best we could find about her."
"Well, you didn't do today's research very well."
"... "
"And I'm going to know the rest of it all by myself," I deadpanned.
"I'm sorry, moonmother. One more thing—Rose told me that Kya knows something about spells."
"I see," I replied, dismissing him.
I probably had somewhere to go tonight, because ever since I heard Kya's name, I hadn't been at ease at all. I really wanted to find out why my gut was acting that way.
Damn… what should I put on for the night? Agrrrhh, fuck this.
I dropped back onto my bed, staring at the ceiling as my thoughts spiraled. Something about her didn't add up, and the more I tried to ignore it, the stronger the pull became. Tonight, I wasn't going to get any peace until I followed it.
---
"I always tell y'all to be careful with the woods, and now look at these wounds," Linda quarrelled as she cleaned up one of the puppies. Diego and the others had been permitted to play a bit in the woods, but of course, they ended up with scrapes here and there. Now it was Linda's job to heal them. And treatment from Linda always came with nagging—though everyone knew she was the best at it regardless.
"But we were careful, Linda," Diego pouted.
"I can see, you were," she replied flatly, applying ointment to the wound on his knee she had just cleaned.
"Okay, sorry… and the others?"
The rest of the puppies chorused, "We are sorry, Linda," with those big puppy eyes she could never fully resist.
"It's okay, it's alright. But wait a minute—y'all ain't getting away with it just like that." Linda smirked, crossing her arms over her chest.
"What do you mean, Linda?" Diego asked.
"What I mean is… y'all are going to pay for your little sins," she said with a small chuckle at the way their faces dropped.
"Damn."
"Language, Diego. Language."
"I'm sorry."
"My proposal is so big," Linda teased, dragging it out.
"Oh my goodness," Kiki, one of the girls, exclaimed.
"Nah, nah, girl, you ain't escaping this one," Linda shot her a look.
"What is it that you want?" Diego asked nervously.
"Uhm… I want a sweet from each one of you," she finally declared after a minute of silence.
"But Linda, sweets are for kids!" Kiki argued.
"Oh my goodness, who said so, you shameless puppy?" Linda narrowed her eyes at her, making Kiki giggle and look away.
"Okay, deal," Linda grinned.
"Dealllllll!" all the kids shouted together.
"Alright, I'm done with y'all. Off you go," Linda said, pecking each one of them goodbye on the cheek.
Damn, I love kids… ahhhhh.
...
Kya's POV
The bar was busy as always, and orders were flying in from every corner. Everyone was moving up and down, and damnnnnnn—if you're a business person, you know how much we love busy places. Hahaha. Well, unless you're not a worker like me but the owner of the business.
I kept taking orders as usual, flashing our customers the best smile I could pull off. I was dressed in my usual black shorts—when I say short, I really mean short—and a corset-like top showing just the right amount of cleavage. A good perfume wrapped around me; well, a girl needs to smell good always. My makeup was simple, a little gloss and eye liner just enough to look appealing because good looks brought tips and of course tips brought money. My hair was tied into a neat bun, a few strands falling onto my face honestly I liked it that way a little polished and a little messy.
"Zack, pass me a cocktail, please," I called over the counter.
"Damn busy day," he muttered, preparing it swiftly.
"Yeah, but it's for the best, right?" I grinned.
"Yeah, it is. Here you go." He slid the drink toward me.
"Thank you." I winked at him and walked away.
After setting it on a table, I noticed someone calling for a waitress in the corner. I hurried over, and when I reached the table, my steps faltered. It was a woman. Not just any woman—her looks were out of this world. Damn. Are people even this gorgeous?
Her hair was a beautiful mess, the kind of messy that looks too good. Was it maroon? Ginger red? I couldn't tell properly under the club lights. She wore all black—damnnnn, that color will be the end of me. A black shirt, not fully buttoned, teasing me with glimpses of what was inside. And those tight pants? They hugged every curve perfectly. From where she sat, I was already taking it all in, shamelessly.
i didn't even realize I was staring until I heard "Hey, hey," snapping me back. Oh fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Hiii, may I have your order, please?" I stammered.
"Uhmm, get me something strong," she replied coolly. God, those eyes. I swear they were boring holes straight into me.
"Ohk, just a minute." I turned quickly, almost bumping into some drunk guy stumbling toward the toilets.
Uhhhhhh. I reached the counter, fanning myself vigorously. Damn, I think I'm on heat. I didn't know a woman looking at me like that could make me this hot. Shit, I need a smoke.
"Zack, get me uhmm a…" I trailed off, still fanning myself.
"A what, Kya?" His voice broke my daze. Had I zoned out for a whole minute?
"Damn, fuck—please get me something strong," I finally managed.
"You good?" he asked, watching me closely.
"Never been better." I gave him a weird smile.
"If you say so," he muttered, turning back to prepare the drink.
"Zack," I called again.
"Yes?" he asked, still mixing.
"Uhmm… never mind," I said awkwardly.
"Hmmm, weird," he commented, handing me the drink.
"Thank you." I inhaled deeply, then exhaled before moving slowly back toward her table. Fuck no, I didn't know this side of me. I swear I had never seen a woman as good as this.
She was seated right there in front of me, that cute smirk tugging at her lips. Fuck. Since when is a smirk supposed to be cute? Damn, I'm dead.
"Here's your drink," I said, setting it down carefully in front of her. My hands were shaking.
"Strong?" she asked, raising a brow.
"The strongest," I replied with one of my best smiles. It just came out naturally.
She took a sip, then shook her head lightly. "Yeah, it's strong." She smiled.
Damn. I swear my knees almost gave way.
Was I—? Am I—? No. No, no, no. I can't be into women… can I? Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
"Ohk, in case of anything, please call me," I managed.
"I don't have your number," she said flatly.
You gotta be kidding me. Is she serious right now?
"Ahhh, no, I mean you can call for a waitress or something," I clarified quickly.
"It's ohk. I will," she said, still smirking.
Uhhhhh. That almost got me right there. I turned and headed back to the counter