It’s probably better not to call, I thought. I didn’t know if the Resistance had a way of monitoring my phone calls, but considering their resources were growing, I couldn’t discount the possibility. No, it was better for me to go in person.
But just as I was reaching for my jacket, someone started pounding at my door.
“Sunaya!” A familiar voice shrieked, and I froze – it was my cousin Melantha, Mafiela’s oldest and most favored child. “Sunaya Baine, open this door right now!”
Annoyed and alarmed all at once, I strode over to the door and glared through the peephole. Sure enough, Melantha stood there, dressed in a dark blouse and a pair of jeans, her blonde hair perfectly curled around the diamond-shaped face that was so very much like her mother’s. And like her mother, we hated each other passionately, something that distance and time clearly hadn’t lessened, as her yellow eyes were burning with rage.
“What the fuck do you want?” I snarled as I yanked the door open.
“You bitch!” Melantha shrieked, launching herself at me with her claws outstretched. I was so surprised that I didn’t move out of the way fast enough, and she knocked me to the ground. I yowled as her claws raked across my face, leaving a burning trail of fire and blood. “You’re going to pay for this!”
“What are you talking about?” I shouted, raising my arms to block the blows. Blood streamed down my forearms as she shredded my skin with her claws, and I hissed at the pain from the deep gashes. Pissed, I bucked my hips hard and twisted my body, flipping us over and pinning her to the ground. “Pay for what?”
“My daughter is gone!” Melantha howled, tears streaming from her blazing eyes. “They’ve taken Mika, and it’s all your fault!”
“What?” I recoiled, completely dumbstruck. That couldn’t be right. The mysterious man, whoever he was, had only called yesterday. They couldn’t have followed through on their threat so soon!
“She’s been gone since this afternoon, and I know it’s your fault!” Melantha snarled, and then she kicked me in the chest, sending me flying back several feet. One of my ribs crunched, and I cried out in pain.
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I growled, struggling to my feet. Normally Melantha wouldn’t have been able to wipe the floor with me like this, but her announcement about Mika had shocked the shit out of me, giving her the upper hand. “She hasn’t been gone for twenty-four hours yet and you’re already calling her missing? How do you know she didn’t just go out with some friends?”
“Because she told me she was going out to the backyard to work on her homework, and the next thing I knew she was gone!” Melantha jumped to her feet, claws extended as she bared her fangs at me. “Mother told me that you came to our house with a warning this morning. I should have known you were too selfish to do as the man asked and stop meddling in whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into!” She rushed me again.
“THAT’S ENOUGH!” I shouted, flinging an arm out. Blue-green flames ignited around my fist, and Melantha skidded to a halt, fear flashing in her yellow eyes. She hissed at the sight of the flame in my hand, but shrank back – like all shifters, she was afraid of magic, and unlike me she didn’t have mage blood running through her veins to help counteract the instinct to run away.
“You’re an abomination,” she spat at me. “Your life should have been terminated while you were still in the womb!”
“Shut the fuck up before I burn you to a crisp,” I snapped, my body trembling with rage and pain. “I’m sorry about your daughter, Melantha, and I’ll do my best to find her. But if you don’t get out of my apartment right now, I’m going to kill you.”
“May Magorah curse you and all your progeny!” she snarled, and then slammed the door behind her as she left.
I shook my head as I slumped to the ground. With the way my life was going right now, I wasn’t going to have any progeny to curse.
I shifted into beast form to heal my wounds, then tried to get some shuteye, but I was too distressed to sleep. So instead, I left my apartment, still in panther form, and trotted down to Lakin’s house in Shiftertown. I was too hungry and tired to shift back, but I needed to know what he was doing to find my cousin’s daughter.
By the time I reached Lakin’s house, my tail was dragging from exhaustion, but I managed to reach up on my hind legs and press the doorbell with my paw. I dropped back down onto all fours, then sat on his front step as I wearily waited for him to answer.
“Who is it?” he called through the door, sounding tired. “This isn’t exactly the best time.”
“It’s me,” I said, using mindspeech to communicate. “Please, Boon, let me in.”
“Naya?” There was a click, and then Lakin opened the door, shock on his lean face that quickly melted into sympathy. “Are you here about Mika?”
“Yes,” I said, and he stepped aside so I could come in. “Melantha just came by my house for a visit.”
“Shit,” Lakin muttered as he shut the door behind me. “I hope she didn’t trash your apartment. I know all about how crazy mothers can get when their young are in danger.”
“The apartment’s fine, thanks.” I hopped up onto the stuffed green couch – a new addition – and curled up, resting my chin on top of my paws.
Lakin paused at the annoyance in my words. “I didn’t mean to imply I wasn't concerned for your own well-being,” he said gently, coming to sit next to me on the couch. He stroked a hand hesitantly over my fur, reminding me of how Iannis had done the same back on the bridge. “You seem exhausted. I’m guessing you had to heal yourself?”