Marco would leave HQ feeling somewhat vindicated. She was indeed fibbing to Marcus, just to piss him off even more.

  As she was about to walk down the sidewalk, A black Tesla pulled up beside her. To Marco’s surprise, it was Dante, Jervis, Beta Crucis and Leiko to get out the car. They ran to her, as they embraced to see her alive and save. It was a happy reunion.

  They would have a chance to catch up while taking refuge at a nearby café.

  Marco was more candid about her experiences as she drank her iced coffee with their friends and colleagues.

  “The night they shot up my friend’s place, I really thought she was dead, but she survived. After they almost burned my hometown to the ground, they took me to their damn brothel. I have to say, it was like walking through hell. Then, I saw them. Charles Foster Drake, Ralphonse Garrison, Lorelei Kelly, and Kenneth Lee Boutonnière. Those boys were ready to fight over me. Luckily for me, Maria handed me to Garrison."

  “Shit…” Dante uttered.

  “Then, what happened?” Jervis asked.

  “The idiot took me to an aethereal hotspot in the middle nowhere in Suffolk.” She informed.

  Leiko threw her hands up, “he might as well, shot himself in the head. Or have you do it for him. What the hell was he thinking?”

  Marco giggled, “He was curious. B-T-Dubs, he was a wiccan himself.”

  “Because of course he was!” Leiko surrendered, shaking her head.

  “How did you manage to escape? With Bain and his elite watching over you?” Jervis wondered.

  Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

  “Because Bain is more of a poser than Ralphie.” Marco gloated. “My coven destroyed the ops, while having some fun along the way.”

  Jervis and Leiko laughed as the understood. But Dante, still innocent enough, blushed like a raspberry.

  “The word is out that Father Raphel is missing and Maria put a six-figure reward. She claims he is prisoner of the dark coven.” Leiko informed. “But…”

  “If they want to make sexual pets out of us, then expect a return seven times stronger.” Marco quasi-admitted.

  Jervis scoffed, “And then there was three. Yet Drake looks like he might heel over any day now and Kenny is Swiss cheese.”

  For Dante this was kind of an eye-opening moment for him. Marco literally turned a 180 when came to… everything about her. Maybe it was the trauma that she had to endure or was if her Daemonia Shift. It is common for those to have it at an older age to have immediate personality changes.

  He had read the reports of an abandoned military camp with all of the personnel vanished without a trace next to an abandoned plantation outside of Suffolk a couple of days ago. Not even a single drop of blood was found.

  But things would become more livelier with Beta Crucis came back to the table with a dozen of steaming hot apple fritters that her shaped like apples.

  Jervis was amazed by the craftsmanship, “good heavens! It looks like a Michelin star dessert.” He praised.

  “That’s because it is!” Beta Crucis happily said as she began to viciously scarf down the large apple shaped pastries one by one with a glass of perfectly chilled milk.

  Jervis a bit shocked and amazed watching the enthused tanuki girl speed eating her snack. He looked at smug Leiko as if she was proud of herself.

  “Leiko... you need to tell her to slow down...” Jervis warned.

  Leiko shrugged, “Don’t worry, man. This is a celebration. Everything is on me. Besides, I own the place.”

  “No, those things weight almost a kilo!” Dante warned.

  The three witnessed Beta Crucis eating her current and fifth apple fritter. Noticeably, she was struggling to chew now as she was going though sweetness brain fog.

  “As long she doesn’t bite off her tongue, she be fine.” Leiko blew off as she took a sip of her coffee.

  The mortified Jervis grimaced, “God help us all…” him finishing his coffee.

  And it was a little celebration to have. They were not far from done, but just get this far was a blessing. Unfortunately, and rightfully so, not everyone reaped such rewards.

  Linktree, where you can see all of my exclusive artwork, become a Patreon member, listen to my podcast, follow or subscribe to my twitch channel, and of course be part of a movement on Kickstarter.