October 31, 2003 – 06:00“Why?” he said, frowning.Coralis sighted when she saw the confusion on his face. He looked disappointed.“I’m not saying I won’t complete it ever, but it’s just not the time, for more than one reason.”“I won’t change my mind about you if that’s what you’re worried about,” he said, remembering what Sebastian had told him.“I know, I’m not doubting you,” she said, putting on her underwear before going to the table to fill a cup with coffee. “I remember what you said on the field and afterwards.”“You want to be sure you won’t change your mind?”“It’s not that either. I can’t change my mind about you, we’re past that point,” she said softly, lifting her branded finger. “We’re in the middle of a witch hunt, where everyone everywhere is persecuting anyone they think is summoning demons and shit like that. You walking around with what looks like a tattoo representing our world and linking you to a witch isn’t safe.”“I didn’t think of that, but from my understandi
November 4, 2003 – 16:30Coralis and Sebastian were near Chongqing, in China, walking out of a meeting with their coach, and three team officials through holographic communication. They had warned them that they weren’t going to renew their contract at the end of this year. With the current political situation that was making them busier fighting off the radical groups, they had to retire from flyball and focus on keeping their mates safe.The team officials tried to convince them to renew for another 2 years, but they understood their situation. Both of them had recently taken a mate and were targeted in this witch hunt. Even if the war ended before the season ended, they would probably always have people after them, given their line of work outside the field. Their priorities had shifted.They still had some time before the game started, so they decided to join their teammates at a shifter restaurant nearby. Just before they pulled the front door open, Coralis’ phone rang. It was Fr
November 4, 2003 – 23:00“This is indeed an interesting idea you have. You know the UK also wants me 6 feet under, right?”“I am aware yes, but according to our records, you live in the UK, so I can reasonably assume you know your way around the city.”“I should not be admitting that to you. If dear Vladina is planning something against me, I do want to take her out myself before she comes for me, so what you’re suggesting is worth consideration. However, I will be out of the country until Thursday night. I can’t get caught or seen by your agents, and I don’t want to walk into a trap. You would need to follow my plan.”“Valid concerns. Blue, if you decide to do it, you can use me to transmit information to him. Agent DeMarco, if my girl does it and you’re not respecting the plan she gives you, deals are off.”“Understood,” said Dimitri.“Here is what I am going to do. For the next 2 days, I will be doing my research. In 48 hours, I will communicate the game plan to our contact. Get yo
November 7, 2003 – Noon“No! No, that’s not right, she didn’t do it,” said Frank, handing the letter to his mother.His hand was shaking as he handed her the letter. Molly was looking at him, worried. She grabbed the letter from his hand and frowned.“Son, what is it?” said Molly, flipping the letter from one side to the other. “There is nothing written on it. Why are you saying that she didn’t do it?”Frank looked at his mother, frowning too. He took the letter back, and this time, he saw words appearing.“This is odd. It’s like the letters Audrey received from her school. I’ll have to ask her about that.”Frank read the letter to his mother.“OH MY GOD!” said Molly, bringing her hand to her mouth.“This isn’t right. I’m sure there is stuff she didn’t tell me from when she went missing, but she wouldn’t do something like that, at least not without a reason.”“Perhaps she was framed. A lot of people are after her. Blue is seen as a dangerous threat by her people, but I know she is har
November 7, 2003 – 17:00Natacha and Rachel both stopped reading to stare at Frank in disbelief.“Are you serious?” said Rachel.“Stephanie just said that she wasn’t a witch, neither was Sebastian,” said Natacha.“Oh wait, you said they were something else, right?” said Rachel, looking at Stephanie. “That explains why Frank looks like he’s worried out of his mind.”“They’re mages, but it’s not the only reason I’m worried, something happened today,” he said while taking the letter he received earlier out of his back pocket and handed to his sister. “Can you read this?”“Other than what they have been up to today?” she glanced at him before returning her attention to the letter in her hands. “Uh, yeah, but it’s pale… DAMN! You don’t think she did this, right? Please tell me you don’t believe that crap.”“She told me she didn’t do it when I spoke to her earlier and I believe her.”The doorbell rang and Linda got up to answer it.“Why did you ask me if I could read it?” said Stephanie, st
November 7, 2003 – 21:00Frank jumped and went to the window facing the front yard.“Are you serious?”“Yeah, but I don’t think they’re looking for us. Looks like there was a shooting down the street or something like that, but there are a lot of people in the park watching what’s going on and we can’t find a safe spot to land. Too many police cars and people crawling on the street.”“Hmm maybe I can pick you up somewhere, but I drank quite a bit,” said Frank, repeating what she said to his family.“Can they land in the backyard? The backlight is on a motion sensor, but I can turn it off if needed,” said Louis, which Frank repeated to Coralis.“Let me check,” said Coralis, flying toward Louis’ house, Sebastian following her. “Yeah, it’ll be fine. We’ll knock on the patio door.”“Does he need to turn the light off?”“Yes, please.”“Wait, do they fly on a broom for real?” said Natacha when Frank ended the call.Coralis and Sebastian circled the backyard and landed next to the garden she
November 7, 2003 – 22:30“There is a lot of truth in what Sebastian just said and it’s probably exactly what happened. Gods from above know how many traitors want Blue and me out of their way. Blue, I heard about the summon and I urge you, do NOT surrender, not yet at least,” said Andrew.“You know they will send the entire cavalry if I don’t and Frank would probably be the one who ends up paying the price. I can’t do that to him.”“We’ll find a way, we know you didn’t do it,” said Stephanie.“I see you’ve got company.”“I’m with Frank’s family for his aunt’s birthday.”“I’ll be brief then. I was with you at the warehouse that night, I know you didn’t do it. When Blum called me, I remember seeing cameras outside of it. Even if these cameras have been tampered with, we should be able to prove it and argue that it was a setup. We will then need to make sure that ALL five elders are present so that Alfredino and Phraton can’t have a majority.“That way you can appeal for time to clear yo
November 14, 2003Before she could leave the meeting room, a furnace appeared behind the elders. Rolland stood and grabbed the casting iron lying on top of it. Its tip was shaped like a small straight line. With his other hand, he took the can of silver that was next to it and sprayed silver on the casting iron tip.Watching Rolland make the preparations to bar her EBEE tattoo, she felt relieved. She would no longer be attached to the EBEE. She would be free.“It has been brought to our attention that you recently took a mate. Do you understand that mates are a distraction in our line of work and a potential weapon to be used against us?” said Rolland as he approached her with the casting iron.“I understand,” she said, looking at him as she wondered if he meant it as a threat.Rolland pressed the casting iron three times on Coralis’ skin, where her EBEE tattoo was. The three burned lines formed what looked like a triangle. Lines all intersected with each other, except that a line wou
December 23, 2003 – 22:15“LIEUTENANT YOUMIS?” said Sebastian, looking at him. “Wasn’t he supposed to replace High Fay Zaaro?”“Yes. These abominations reek of his essence.”A few minutes later, Coralis got back on her feet and stepped out of the circle.“Lieutenant Youmis is exhausted. I don’t think he will regain control anytime soon,” said Coralis.“And you said vampire essence was in the mix?” said Eva.“The second time was already worse than the first time. And now this? Why here? Why our pack?” said Emma, as Emery walked back through the portal, followed by High Fay Ellya.“I don’t know why, but we will find out. That’s also why I didn’t want to kill the wolves. We know we can reverse it. Once the connection to their human counterpart is restored, we can question them,” said Coralis, looking at the time on her phone. “I should call my mate before he gets home and worries if I’m not there.”“Ellya, we need to send a unit to capture Lieutenant Youmis. Blue Thunder said he was exha
December 23, 2003 – 21:00 The Northerners were playing at home that night. When the game was over and she and Sebastian were about to take off to go home, Coralis received a call from Emma. She signalled Sebastian to wait and put the call on speakerphone. Emma was in a panic.“BLUE, can you come RIGHT NOW?”Sebastian suddenly got worried.“Where? What’s going on?”“Is Stephanie okay?”“Here at Red Crescent pack. Yes, Stephanie is fine. She left Healing Moon at 9 to go home. She’s not here.”Sebastian was relieved to hear that and swore that if Stephanie still wanted it, he’d complete their bond when he got home, even if he knew Coralis was probably right: the mark was a seal.“I’ll be on my way. I’m close by,” said Coralis, ending the call, and took off, Sebastian following her.“What do you think happens this time?” said Sebastian, as he was trying to keep up with her.“I don’t know, but I’m guessing she couldn’t reach out to anyone at the CMMA. Remember the last time they got a hol
December 20, 2003 – 00:15 (Scotland Time)Coralis closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She wanted to rip their eyes out and strangle them, but she knew these girls were humans, most likely heading to the same destination as she. She believed Frank when he said nothing ever happened with that actress, but she didn’t like these girls talking that way about her man.She was thankful to have her wrist binds so she wouldn’t break storefront windows by accident. Her eyeglasses only prevented her from using her eyes to direct her elemental energy and to camouflage their elemental colour but without her wrist binds, her elemental energy still leaked through her pores and she could still use her hands to direct it. She walked away and headed to the bar before she did anything to these girls and ended up in jail.Her flight landed in Montreal early morning. She had a game in Mexico in the evening but decided to skip practice time just so she could spend more time with Frank before she had to
December 19, 2003 – noon“There is still a hold on your name, right?” said Erik.“In Scotland? Why not in London?” said Henry.“Yes, but considering Blue Thunder is technically a citizen of England, she doesn’t have jurisdiction over me. I could still be walking into a trap, however, so I still made sure of that. Not sure why she wants to meet there, but I think it’s better there than in London. Even with a hold on my name, I’m not too keen on walking around the SIS headquarters. Taking my flight from Scotland instead sounds like a better idea anyway.”She tried to call Frank on her way to Scotland but got no response. She hoped he was still asleep and tried not to overthink it, but she was worried. As she was hovering above the meeting spot, Frank called her back.“That was you trying to call, right?” said Frank as soon as she answered.“Yeah, everything okay?”“Yes. I was in the shower. Wanted to take my phone in the bathroom just in case you’d call, but my scattered brain forgot it
December 19, 2003 – 09:00Coralis and Andrew entered the meeting room, dragging a restrained Xanita with them.“What is this?” said Alfredino.“Xanita Aza is the one who killed Minister Luke Massina and we sent a copy of our evidence to British authorities,” said Andrew as he played the video timeline assembled by Erik and Henry. “Do you want to handle her yourself, or shall I hand her to the authorities?”“It seems we owe you an apology, Blue Thunder,” said Rolland, watching the video.“The warehouse we searched never had any cursed weapons. It was merely a ruse Xanita used to get Blue and me away from the hotel. Want to tell me again how in gods worlds Massina’s murder got pinned on my apprentice when we were nowhere near the vicinity of his hotel?”Phraton tried to say something but Alfredino quieted him, using magic to shut him up.“JORGIE! Jorgie Fluk gave me that tip about that warehouse!” said Xanita, panicked.“Oh, we know about that, don’t you worry. Unlike you, he’s been mak
December 11, 2003“WHAT?”“I still need to find evidence to prove it or force her to confess, but I was right. Blum was protecting someone. Xanita never received a tip about that damn warehouse.”“That explains why Gus could never find anything relevant or suspicious about it, besides someone tampering with their security cameras.”“Basic human material wasn’t difficult to tamper with. We probably were the only two elementals to have ever set foot in there. Do you know if Sebastian is available tomorrow?”“I don’t know. We don’t have a game tomorrow, but lately, I talk to him only when I’m in my London flat. Only place I can talk safely.”“I’ll check with him then. Remember when Xanita said she had a call to take and came back with that so-called tip?”“Yeah, and thinking of it, she was also the one who sent us to that warehouse.”“She had been talking to Jorgie. Erik and Henry are on their way back to where you guys live, they’ve been a great help.”“Jorgie? The same Jorgie who’s bee
December 9, 2003Early in the morning, while Frank was busy preparing coffee, the doorbell rang. He stopped what he was doing and frowned, wondering who could it be.The bell rang again and again. Coralis came to his mind and he dropped the spoon of coffee grind that he was holding to rush to the buzzer. He pressed to unlock the door below and opened his entry door to find out who it was. Down the stairs, he saw Samantha, panting. She looked up toward him.“Hey, M. Blue! Sorry to show up at this time; I didn’t know where else to go.”“Uh, it’s fine. Come in,” he said as he let her in. “What happened?”“My mom just found out about me. She wasn’t supposed to be home, or I would have gone to Tom’s aunt probably, I don’t know. During the full moon, I can’t control my shift, but I can usually shift back just before dawn.”Samantha paused. She stood, her legs slightly apart and leaning over, her hand resting on her knees.“Your mother came back while you were still in panther form?” said Fr
November 23, 2003“If you must know,” she said, forcing herself to speak sweetly, “he does not reside in London. He is busy with work and I am obviously occupied away from him.”Behind her calm demeanour, she was raging. She knew that Rolland had something up his sleeves by letting her stay at her London flat instead of locking her up in a cell. She wanted to kill the guard and fly to Frank, but she knew doing that would make it worse for them. She had to let them think she was playing their hand, no matter how hard it was. She missed him.He let go of her cloak and she jumped down on her back porch. Once back inside, she activated a custom mute-ball before calling Frank. Her pager went off as soon as she put her hand on her phone. It was her contact from MI6.“Blue Thunder on the line.”“It’s been a while since we talked, you and I.”“Given the recent events, can’t say I missed you, no offence.”“Can’t say I blame you. A report recently came to us from Clear Valley, which contradicts
November 14, 2003Before she could leave the meeting room, a furnace appeared behind the elders. Rolland stood and grabbed the casting iron lying on top of it. Its tip was shaped like a small straight line. With his other hand, he took the can of silver that was next to it and sprayed silver on the casting iron tip.Watching Rolland make the preparations to bar her EBEE tattoo, she felt relieved. She would no longer be attached to the EBEE. She would be free.“It has been brought to our attention that you recently took a mate. Do you understand that mates are a distraction in our line of work and a potential weapon to be used against us?” said Rolland as he approached her with the casting iron.“I understand,” she said, looking at him as she wondered if he meant it as a threat.Rolland pressed the casting iron three times on Coralis’ skin, where her EBEE tattoo was. The three burned lines formed what looked like a triangle. Lines all intersected with each other, except that a line wou