“Hey, there was somethin’ ah wanted to ask ya.”

  I look over my shoulder at Rey. We’re behind the estate, where there’s plenty of room and no inteferences. “Go ahead.”

  “Maxie said ya talk to monsters. Why ah wanted to meet ya.”

  Talk to…ah. “I don’t talk to monsters, though I can see how it’d be misunderstood.”

  “Maxie’s no liar.”

  I limit my opinions on the honesty of merchants to a soft scoff. “I’m a summoner. That means that I talk to beings from other realms and—”

  “How far is that?”

  “Far? I don’t—it’s not about how far. It’s another dimension. You can’t go there.”

  “Huh? That’s stupid. If ya can talk with monsters over there, why can’t ya visit ‘em?”

  “They come here. There are rules. And they’re not monsters.” I hold up a finger to forestall the rest of her ridiculous questions. “I’ll answer questions when I finish. Alright?”

  “But ah want to ask now.”

  “I could just go take a nap.”

  “Tch. Fine.”

  Reckless, pushy woman. “As I was saying, I don't talk to monsters. I talk to elementals. They’re creatures that live in different realms. And while sometimes they can resemble manabeasts, the vast majority of them are closer to people. They have intelligent minds, though they might work a little differently from ours, and they feel like us. They look different but they’re people like you and me.”

  I smile as she stares at me silently, heeding my warning from before. “So, while the beings I talk to might look monstrous in some cases, it is just like talking to people. I can’t talk to unintelligent beasts.” I wave at her, giving her permission to ask her questions.

  "Whatever. Point is, ya can talk to the beasties in me. Ask ‘em what they want. Why they chose me. How ta get rid of ‘em.”

  “I already offered to separate you.”

  “Not like that! Ya want to cut ‘em out or something. That’s dangerous. They’re petty bastards, ya know? They’d kill me on the way out, fer sure. Ah want ya to make a deal with ‘em, make ‘em leave on their own.”

  I don’t answer as we continue walking, moving far from the house. She made a point earlier, when she said this would be the perfect opportunity for her to escape, or so it would seem to most. I’m watching her closely but there’s no need. She doesn’t so much as look into the distance. And why should she? Everything she wants is right here, including the merchant that’s caught her eyes.

  “Look, Rey, I won’t lie to you. I have no idea what these things are or what they’re capable of. But if anyone can free you, it’s my clan. My wife is the most talented physical caster in the kingdom. She has a pure affinity. Do you know what that is?”

  “Ya calling me stupid, lady boss?”

  “No! Saints, really? I was just acknowledging that other places might not prioritize teaching their children certain things. Not like you need to know what a pure affinity is to get through life.”

  “True.”

  “...but you know what it is, right?”

  “‘Course ah do!”

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  “Well, the green woman walking around has one. She can simply wish away your problems and, unless these worms of yours are tiny pieces of a god, there’s not a damn thing they can do about it.” Kierra’s pure affinity doesn’t just mean that she can use her magic without understanding it. It also costs a lot less mana. Mana for mana, anything without a pure affinity can’t compete, giving her a major advantage.

  “The sea is bottomless an’ fathomless.”

  “Big words for a pirate.”

  “Fuck ya too, lady boss.”

  I laugh as I grab her shoulder. “This is far enough.”

  “Bit open fer murder.”

  “Do you think i’m going to kill you?!”

  “Yer not?”

  “Of course not!”

  “Heh. Cool.”

  I pinch my nose. It doesn't help my growing exasperation. “I brought you out here to show you what my clan can do. So you’ll trust me when I say we can help.”

  “Why do ya care? Do what ya want either way, not like ah can stop ya.”

  I grit my teeth, fighting against a welling frustration. “I know I can do what I want but I'd prefer it if you agreed.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do you ask so many questions? Keep it up and I might change my mind.”

  “Hah? What do ah care? This is yer idea, lady boss.”

  This woman. She’s got literal scheming worms inside her and I’m offering to save her from them. Is a little appreciation asking for too much? “I think you’re the stupidest person I’ve ever met.”

  “Then it’s a good thing ah ask questions, yeah? Take pity on me, lady boss.”

  Her request is delivered in such a bland tone, it can’t be mistaken for anything but mockery.

  “So, ya gonna answer the question?”

  “I don’t even remember it.”

  “Why do ya want me to agree when ya could make me do what ya want?”

  “I can’t believe that’s a real question. Well, Reynela—”

  “Saints' golden tits, don’t call me that. Only my mother calls me Reynela. It’s Rey. Or crazy bitch. Anything else.”

  “Fine.” Not like I don’t call her that in my head. “The answer is that forcing anyone to do anything feels disgusting and I’d rather avoid it if I can.”

  “But yer not going to let me refuse.”

  “No. I need to know what those things inside you are.”

  “Then what’s the point? Yer going to do what ya want anyway.”

  My lips twist into a sneer. “The point is that we at least have to try and be decent. All we have is the pretense of fairness and civility. If we can’t even maintain that, then this whole world might as well be chucked into the Abyss!"

  Blessedly, she doesn’t ask another question or make another snide comment. I give her a few moments to break her silence but the quiet endures. In the face of it, I sigh in relief. I really don’t want to “purple menace” her but this annoying woman isn’t making it easy.

  “Like I said, I brought you out here to show you what we can do. What I can do for you. You think those things inside you can’t be beat. While I don’t know what they are, my clan is nothing to turn your nose up at.”

  Why am I trying so hard to win her approval? I don’t know. I have no idea why I’m about to reveal a closely guarded secret to convince this ridiculous woman to give me permission to cut her open and make her whole.

  What I do know is that if I have to take her apart against her will, I’m going to feel like shit. I’m going to compare myself to the Grimoires and every other entitled asshole that made my life miserable. I can’t help but scoff at the idea of me harboring secret ambitions of heroism, but I don’t want to be like the trash I spent my whole life cursing. I think of myself as a decent person and decent people don’t mutilate innocent people without consent, even for their own good.

  “We’re masters of the body. Observe.”

  With Rey watching me intensely, I shift. A thought, a bit of direct focus on a selection on that mental list that’s always in the back of my mind, and I’m suddenly on four feet. Rey takes a cautious step backwards and I prance around as a green wolf, playfully snapping at her.

  Then I leap and transform again, beating my wings as a dusk hawk to rise further. I circle around her once, relishing her wide-eyed stare, before transforming again. I land with a heavy thump, towering over the pirate as I straighten up as a wine-red troll.

  “I’m a shapeshifter. I won’t tell you how I can do what I do. I’m showing you this to show you that I know what it means to be in a body that doesn’t fully feel like your own. I know what it means to be…flawed.”

  With a thought, I transform into Lourianne Tome. The original, plain version of myself that died under the knife of Crowley Cain and was reborn. “This is what I used to be.”

  And then I'm in my prime form. I can’t help sighing in relief. “This is what I became with the help of my clan. Faster than you can imagine. Stronger than you can imagine. So beautiful I don’t have a doubt that you’re kidding when you say I’m not your type.” I wink at her, grinning broadly. “This is what I’m offering you, Rey. It sounds to me like life screwed you over. That screw-up might be useful to me so I’m offering to compensate you for that suffering. You have a chance that everyone dreams of, to be whatever you’ve always wanted to be. Tall, short, curvy, thin, strong, delicate, pretty, handsome. Nothing’s off the table. I’ll take away the voices. I’ll make you into anything you can imagine. And I can do it, Rey. My clan can do things no one else in this world save the saints and the dragons could ever aspire to. Now, do you still want to refuse?”