"I think I need a private moment with Erzulie," Tori said nervously.
"Sure," Renata shrugged, playing with her bushy tail. "Feel free to talk in my bathroom."
Tori took Erzulie's mocha-colored hand and led her into the small bathroom adjoining Renata's bedroom and locked the door behind them. "She's completely in over her head," she whispered to Erzulie.
"It's honestly not the worst idea ever," said Erzulie. "Werefoxes need to change, after all. Living as the pariahs of the magical world isn't sustainable."
"Yeah, but Renata's just a kid," Tori countered, "even if she disagrees. She's always cared more about a good time than responsibility. I really can't see her being the right person to reform werehyena culture. And if she fucks this up, then we have another skulk full of troublemakers and terminal disturbers of the peace who won't mind their manners to keep tabs on and chase out of towns."
"What are you suggesting?" Erzulie asked.
"We need to find that belt and do something to neutralize its magic," said Tori, "at least until we can do some more research into the feasibility of Renata's scheme. I'll need to know more about the Inhibitor Potion, for one thing. I've heard of it, but I've never really encountered it in the wild."
"Same," said Erzulie. "So, should I scout out that belt?"
"Please," said Tori.
Erzulie took out a candle, and she engraved the words "Renata Hamilton's fox-skin belt" into the wax with a magnifying glass. She placed the candle onto the sink (which would serve as an acceptable makeshift altar), and lit it. Erzulie sat a statuette of the loa Legba next to the candle and began to call upon him. She closed her eyes and began to visualize Renata's bedroom with the guidance of Legba. She suddenly felt her attention drawn to the hiding place.
"It's in her sock drawer," Erzulie said as she opened her eyes. "Second drawer from the top left."
"Tell her you need to borrow a handkerchief," Tori instructed. "I'll divert her attention while you cast the spell."
Tori emerged from the bathroom, with Tori following behind her. "I'm glad we got that settled," she said, playing things casual.
Erzulie turned to Renata. "Hey, could I borrow a handkerchief? My allergies are acting up today. Typical March crap; you know how springtime is."
"They're in my dresser," Renata answered, forgetting about the belt. "Second drawer from the top left, right next to the socks."
As Erzulie headed for the sock drawer, Tori launched into calculated conversation with her teenage cousin. "So, have you found any recruits for your new skulk?"
"Errm... a few?" Renata mumbled, not sure how much she should tell her monster hunter cousin. Tori didn't seem to have a lot of confidence in her ability to chart a new way of life for werefoxes. Renata felt her vulpine ears twitching nervously as she fought to put together an acceptable answer. "There's nine of us if you count me and Ruby. Only Ruby and I are actual werefoxes at the moment. We're transforming the others in about two hours. I'm pretty excited."
"I take it these seven recruits of yours are the kind of upstanding, moral people who would mind their manners like you want your skulk to?" Tori asked pointedly.
"Uhhhhhhhhhh... yeeeeaaaah...?" Renata answered, sweating and smiling awkwardly the way she always did whenever her parents caught her out in a lie. When she thought about it, her new skulk consisted of a slut (her), a total wild child (Ruby), a graffiti-happy anarchist (Spike), a hippie stoner (Flora), a pranking class clown (Lucas), a class-cutting slacker (Chanice), a pair of con artists with a love for using fake ID to bluff their way into bars and clubs (Lainey and Logan), and a compulsive shoplifter who spent Tenth Grade in juvie (Paige). Renata hated to admit it, but they sounded like a bunch of stereotypical, lawless werefoxes. Renata knew there was so much more to them, but she figured that Tori should be eased into their identities gently.
"Care to give me their names?" Tori asked.
"I'd actually like you to respect their privacy," Renata responded, trying to sound firm.
"That's fair," Tori shrugged. She could worry about that later. She'd already gotten what she really wanted: time for Erzulie to work some Voodoo on the fox-skin belt.
While Renata talked with Tori, Erzulie had opened the sock drawer and found the magic belt lying between the handkerchiefs and the socks. She'd snipped a few follicles of fur from the belt and slid them inside a doll depicting the loa Damballa. She muttered incantations over both the doll and the belt, calling on Damballa to lock away the belt's magic where Renata and her would-be skulk would not be able to access it. Renata wouldn't be making any more werefoxes with that thing until Erzulie decided she could. She then stashed the Damballa doll in her purse and grabbed a handkerchief, even blowing her nose to look innocent. "Sweet relief!" she said out to the room.
"Well, we'd better be going," said Tori. "I still need to talk to the von Karnsteins about Beck." She looked Renata in the eye. "Stay safe. For your sake, let's hope Ruby isn't just playing games with you."
"Trust me, cuz," Renata said as Tori and Erzulie left, "this is love."