Forging Day (Crucible of Change Book 1) (14 page)

“If she gives me a choice.”

“There is that. I will talk to her. We’ll all put our heads together and figure something out.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead. “Night-night.”

* * * *

I woke up to a cat on my head and a small dog licking my foot, so life felt normal for a few sleepy minutes. I disentangled myself from animals and bedding. I desperately needed to use the facilities, and set a new sprinting record on the way to the toilet. I finally get a chance to look at my new self. I looked the way I’d always pictured a Dark Elf would look—obsidian skin, long white silky hair, pointy ears, and violet eyes. On the good side, my new complexion was flawless, at least as far as I could tell. I also seem to have gotten smaller and looked more delicate. “Great,” I grumbled to myself. “None of my clothes are going to fit.”

In spite of everything, we seem to have avoided a global apocalypse. How did I know this? We still had hot water. Yay! The warm water and soap felt glorious. I expected my new hair to be a tangled mess—instead, I only had to run the brush through it once and it was ready to braid.

Someone had been nice enough to put my phone on the charger. I really expected to see messages from Leo or Cordie, but nothing. I sent each of them a quick text.
We’re home. Call when you can. Love, Olivia.

I did some mental gymnastics, and decided it must be Sunday morning by now. I turned on the television to see if I could catch any news while making myself look presentable. I went to the headline news channel, figuring they’d be my best shot for information that didn’t necessarily involve tinfoil hats.

Some communities may have taken the Event in stride, but they weren’t getting the air time. You always hear,
if it bleeds, it leads
. Today was no different. The big-box stores appeared to be popular targets for opportunistic looters. Footage flipped between several cities, showing rioting people, overwhelmed police, and burning wreckage in the background.

A perky blonde tried to look somber while proclaiming, “Around the country, fearful citizens are rushing to stores to stockpile supplies. This tragedy” —she gestured at the screen beside her— “was started by a battle over a can of baby formula. At least three people are dead, and countless others have been taken to area hospitals.”

The next segment was hosted by a serious, dark haired woman. “It’s been nearly two days since the Event, and other than the president’s speech, we have not seen other political leaders on the air. The Speaker of the House recorded a statement, but with no visuals. The Senate Majority Leader did the same. There’s been of speculation that members of the House and Senate have also been affected by the Change and don’t want their constituents to know it.”

“An anonymous source within the White House estimates that approximately thirty percent of the population of the United States has experienced some manner of physical Change. The same source told me that number is much higher in the Capital. They declined to say how much higher. I leave it to your imagination. We will be following this story closely, and will have updates as they become available.” The background picture was the Capitol Building with a large red question mark above it.

My hair was finally tamed into a braid, though silky strands kept escaping and tickling my nose. My clothes were all too big. It wasn’t an issue with the T-shirts, but my jeans were dragging the ground. I finally found some drawstring yoga pants that I could get to stay up. I rolled up the cuffs so they weren’t dragging on the floor. I might end up wearing my Sylvan Faire garb around the house; at least those things seem to have fit better. I put on my sunglasses, grabbed my phone, and made my way downstairs.

Voices in the dining room drew me in that direction. I found lots of food and apparently a What Do We Do Now meeting. “Hi, all. How’s it going?”

“Olivia! You’re up!” Kat made a spot and proceeded to fuss over me. “You sit here and I’ll get you something to eat. You must be starving.” She kissed me and disappeared into the kitchen.

I took a seat between Kat and Berto. Ted seemed to be back to his usual chill self, but I noticed he was seated at the far end of the table from Tessa. She looked positively radiant.

She smiled at me and blew me a kiss. “I love your little park.”

Mikah’s face got that closed look. I’m pretty sure Tessa didn’t know him well enough to notice.

“I went out early to see if I could find those cute little Elf boys that were on guard duty. Alas, no luck. I did find some very naughty young men that were getting grabby with a pretty little Elf girl. They were sinners. I sent them to Confession.”

Part of me was hoping she meant the police, but I couldn’t erase my memories of Lyons. She doesn’t send people to confess to anyone local, and she looked awfully well fed.

Just then, Kat came back with my food. “Thanks, Kat.” I forced a smile for Tessa and focused on my meal. Right now I couldn’t deal with the Tessa situation. For now, I’d be practicing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.

Memos and News

Memo: CDC Atlanta

All content is confidential and not to be disseminated outside of meeting participants.

All regions are tasked with the orderly collection of blood samples and cheek swabs of affected individuals. Each office will structure the procedure as appropriate to their area. Suggest this is a public safety issue to protect against unknown disease outbreaks. Samples are to be delivered weekly. Contact information for your area is below.

Local News – Colorado

Several bodies and abandoned vehicles were found just outside of Lyons. Their wounds appear to be consistent with the attack of wild animals. Residents are urged to exercise caution.

Memo: Lyons Sheriff Office

To: Sheriff Kxxxx

From: Mayor Nxxxx

What kind of horseshit news story was that? Wild animals? Animals took down eight heavily armed men? Since when do animals drag bodies off the road, line them up neatly, and not eat them? And which animal was it that moved a truck? If you can’t do better than that, stick with “no comment”, you idiot.

Finding the New Normal

The dining room television was turned on, but no one appeared to be watching it. The crawl at the bottom of the screen read that the news was coming up next. Mikah and Korembi had a map of downtown spread out on the table. They were marking something and making notes. We finally hit the top of the hour and the news logo came on-screen, splashed with a new Special Report banner.

I recognized one of the anchors, but the other was unfamiliar. I wondered if the usual co-anchor had some cosmetic issues of the non-Human sort.

“Welcome back. We’re continuing our coverage of the worldwide phenomenon most folks are calling the Event. Gas stations and grocery stores continue to experience shortages. While the ramifications of this event are still unknown, citizens are urged to remain calm.”

The graphic changed to a shot of airliners on the tarmac at Denver International Airport. “Flight restrictions continue to be in place. Only certain essential flights are allowed at this time. The airlines are working as quickly as they can to get stranded passengers accommodations and food vouchers until they can be routed to their destinations.” The live shot changed to a list of web addresses and 800-numbers. “Here is the contact information for the local airlines. Please be patient. We’re told that hold times are currently long, but every call will be answered.”

The next segment was the obligatory interviews with harried travelers at the airport. I’m really glad we were close enough to drive home. I wouldn’t want to be in that crowd. Those people all looked angry and afraid.

Something bugged me about the background, and it took a second to put my finger on it. I grabbed the remote and ran the broadcast back a few seconds. “Guys, look at this.”

Mikah and Korembi looked up from their notes. I said, “Look at all the people in the background. Do you see even one person that doesn’t look Human?”

Now everyone was staring at the screen. Mikah said, “No I don’t,” and his tone was grim. He looked over at Kat. “When are you due back at the bakery?”

“Fred said to come in Monday if I got home and was up to it, but otherwise Tuesday was okay. Just let him know.”

“I think you should call in and tell Fred you won’t be able to come in. It might not be safe right now.”

Her ears flicked forward and she looked angry. “I’ve worked there for years. Fred and I get along great. There are still decent people out there. They aren’t going to all be like that militia group.”

“I’m sure your boss is a great guy, Kat, but I wanted to say something because I see some potential issues.”

“Like what? I’m the best decorator he has.”

“Okay, fine. You don’t know how he’ll react to your new appearance. You don’t know how his customers will react to your new appearance—”

“I can stay in back,” she said.

“And,” he continued, “There may well be health department regulations.”

Now she looked outraged. “Health department?”

“I’m not trying to impugn you or your boss, but you are a Human-sized cat. They’re not going to have a hairnet that will work for you. Most places that serve food have restrictions against animals unless they’re registered service animals.”

She hissed, and stood up so fast her chair flipped backward. “Animals? I’m not a fucking animal!”

I tried to stroke her arm to calm her down, but her eyes had that look Doctor Evil would give me just before he’d bite. For the first time, it occurred to me that she might well have claws to go with her new fangs.

“I never said you were an animal, Kat. I’m saying that your employer may have concerns while the law catches up with the new reality. Please. I’m just trying to help. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Too late,” she snarled, and stalked out of the room.

“Way to sugarcoat it there, Mikah.”

“I don’t sugarcoat things, Olivia. I’m an attorney. And as long as I’m making everyone mad at me, I spoke with your sister. She asked that you not leave the house, other than to go in the garden, until she gets back in town. She wants to talk to you and said the phone isn’t appropriate right now.”

“You talked to my sister? Am I under house arrest?”

“Oh for God’s sake.” Mikah threw up his hands. “I’m just trying to keep everyone alive right now. I’ll be in my office.” He left, not looking at anyone, and I heard him going up the stairs.

Korembi shook his head. “Things be a little on edge right now, Olivia. Mikah, he just trying to look out for his family, and he see you all as family.”

“I know. He always wants to take care of everyone. But I hate it when he talks to my sister. I know she’s paying my rent, but I want to at least pretend I’m supporting myself.”

When I turned back to the news, they were already onto sports. Great. “Korembi, did you guys hear what the governor or the president said yesterday? I missed it.”

“Your governor was off-screen when he made his statement. He say to stay home, don’t be fightin’ with your neighbors, and trust the government.” He looked to Razaini. “Did I miss anything?”

“No. Basically he knew nothing, and I’d bet my next fossil find that he’s not Human anymore.”

“You know no one be takin’ that bet, Raz.”

Razaini said, “The president was on Air Force One and he was Human. He assured us it wasn’t a terrorist plot. He said it happened worldwide. ‘The source of this phenomenon is being investigated by top scientists. We will keep you informed. Rest assured we are taking every measure necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the American people.’ Then he talked about good will and compassion. Basically he said, ‘don’ be a dick while we figure this out’.”

“He’s lying,” said Tessa.

I looked over at Tessa. “Of course he’s probably lying. He’s a politician and this is a crisis, but do you know more than that?”

Tessa said, “I saw the live broadcast, the day we got back—while you were out. I can tell when people sin, if I focus. I could feel the lies. He kind of lied about not knowing the source. He really doesn’t know how or why. He wasn’t lying when he said it wasn’t terrorists, but he lied about not considering it an act of terror. He was completely sincere about wanting the best for the American people. He may have talked about good will and compassion, but he doesn’t really expect it to happen, at least not everywhere. Just based on what he didn’t say, I’d guess the government has no idea what to do next. I wouldn’t expect any help from that direction.”

Everyone was quiet while that sank in. I hadn’t been doing an awesome job at being an adult Human, but at least I knew what was expected from me. What was a presumably adult Dark Elf supposed to be when she grew up?

“I think I’m going to do some archery practice. If anyone asks, I had to get something in the shed and I’ll be right back.” I put my plate in the dishwasher and got an empty two liter bottle from the pantry. I put on my gardening hat and made sure my sunglasses were on tight, and headed out back.

The sun was still painfully bright. I squinted against the glare and hustled to the shed Thanks to Berto always being so organized, the sand was right where I’d last seen it, along with a coil of nylon rope. I filled my bottle with sand, sealed it, and went back inside with my loot.

Razaini was waiting in the kitchen. “Just curious—but where are you going to do archery?”

“There’s a range up on the third floor. The house was built with a wrap-around balcony. Mikah had the length running the back of the house enclosed, and installed a movable archery butt. We practice there when we can’t get to the range. He keeps weird hours when he’s involved in a case, and archery helps him relax.”

“You mind if I come with you?”

“No problem. There’s extra gear, if you want to play too.” I gestured at the bottle. “I’m going to try and hang this from a beam. I want some practice against a moving target.” I smiled and got a magic marker from the junk drawer, quickly drawing a little face with pointed ears and fangs on the bottle. Virtual payback on that wolf thing that tried to kill me.