The saying ‘as Human as the rest of us’ didn’t exactly apply here – it only described Zoey out of the three of them. So Selena doubted Morgana had forgotten to lock the front door. The suspicion crystallized into certainty after seeing a pair of tomes sitting on the boutique’s counter. A mature aroma of mold and dust pricked her nostrils as she approached.
Feeling a mixture of annoyance and guilty trepidation, Selena peeled away the stick-it note addressed to Lisel’s replacement couriers with instructions to give the books underneath to Tatiana. Whatever her best friend had been up too, these two volumes were part of it. No title or anything on the smaller leather-bound book, but the second had both an author and a title. “Hermina von Vordenburg. Zur Tierverwandlung von Blutsaugerin.” Each of the German syllables felt rough on her tongue.
A far more modern bookmark stuck out from between the pages. Selena hesitated for a seconds from cracking open the book. Although knowing the justification was razor thin, argued with herself that she didn’t even understand the language. But the series of anatomical images depicting a female vampire with their chained limbs splayed like Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man successively transforming into bat said enough. An inscription at the top of the page told Selena the vampire’s name had been Lilita von Wisborg.
Zoey had fewer issues deciphering the booklet. Her cadance began haltingly but growing more confident as she found the flow in the old Spanish before she translated it for Selena’s benefit. “13th of May, 1510. May God’s grace still reach this fallen conquistador. The Aztec Vampire who saved my life at the cost of my soul is set on teaching how to transform into one of the black-furred Jaguars. Our encounters with the usually shy felines makes much more sense now.”
This already was too much of an invasion of Tats privacy. “Please, stop.” Saying it as much to halt her own thoughts from putting her pieces together as pleading to Zoey. Yet as they did complete the puzzle Selena had a wide cheshire grin taking up half her face. “Tats. You’re an idiot.”
“Mind letting me in?”
Selena agreed on the condition that Zoey told her how she could translate the text. Apparently she was a social media influencer and picked up the Spanish from her Latin supporters. She gave her second summary of the day, filling in Zoey on the last hour before her shift into a Weretiger. But that was not what either of them wanted to talk about and after not exactly giving either herself, Stella, or Zoey the chance to breathe before hurrying here or to her teacher for Stella. “How do you feel about the non-binary thing?” Ugh, she winced.
“Handling it better than you, I think. Me and Ashlee was Stella’s ballplank she could bounce her thoughts off. Having her reasoning to fall back on while I decide what I want for myself is a god...ess send. This bitch queen act is a facade so don’t be afraid to talk with her. You know, she is thinking of going by Skyler.” Selena considered it, trying to match the name to the face. In fact, she had been thinking of changing her surname already. A second Clan Lyall would be too confusing. “My turn. Your entire family are wolves, so why pick a tiger?”
“Compared to being my clan’s shaman, I’ll take bitch queen any day. But I will. A first I would’ve become a Werewolf and ittook standing in the middle of a Zoo to realize I had options.” Zoey sniggered. “Decided on the animal yet?” Selena crooned like a pleased cat. That shut her up.
“... Maybe. I am not even sure they can be brushed.” Oh, Moon. Before Zoey could turn away, Selena pressed her lips against the Cheerleader. Zoey was too sweet and Selena had pushed the issue to score a cheap point. She softened her touch, letting her become comfortable before opening her mouth to let her tongue out. A part of her wanted this connection for selfish reason, to set aside all the bubbling emotions and questions. “Aren’t you and Jezebel dating?”
“She’s a Succubus. What about you and Ashlee?”
“Open relationship, but I miss not having her there.”
“Makes two of us.”