Her apartment was dim, lit only by the multi-colored lights decorating the tree and her cell phone screen. In one hand she held a glass of umeshu, the ice cubes clinking gently together over the sound of Christmas music playing faintly in the background. She glanced at her phone for the thousandth time. She had texted “Merry Christmas” to Levi hours ago, receiving nothing in reply. Staring at the tree, the alcohol had weakened her spirit instead of lifting it. Perhaps the umeshu wasn’t the best choice, but it reminded her of him. And if he couldn’t, wouldn’t, be here, this was the next closest thing. Staring at the lights on the tree, they began to twinkle more than usual as tears started to blur her vision.

Suddenly there was a heavy knocking at her front door.

As still as the crescent moon that hung in the night sky, Madeline paused to wait out the unplanned audio interruption. Ever cautious, she replayed the past ten minutes in her mind as if she was rewinding an old movie. She'd stuck to the shadows and hadn't been seen. She'd watched her footing around the poorly laid tripwire. The nearby cicadas hadn't ceased their chirping until now, which meant she hadn't been heard either, and she had studied the compound for months before taking on this mission. In fact, she had been so careful that she was expecting to catch a flight out of Guadalajara before the sun began saturating the horizon with its life-giving color and warmth. 

Walking gingerly into the same coffee shop she delivered Cole's package to, Madeline felt like she was re-winding her life. The same soothing scent of roasted coffee beans. The same cozy atmosphere of bookshelves and easy chairs. For a moment she wondered that if she could go back in time, would she have made the same choices?

Yes. Yes, she would.

Madeline said nothing, struggling to stand and grab her clothes. She remembered her pain training and how Levi taught her how to push through it. She wasn’t sure how she managed to get dressed, but she left her jeans and panties behind. It was too painful to put anything near the wound. Walking alternated between a sting and a lightning of pain, and her long, button-up sweater covered down to her knees. Her eyes were open, but her concentration was on an intangible point somewhere about five feet in front of her. A pin-point she pushed forward to with every step. And when she mentally reached it, she would start again. Another point, and another step, until she was nearly out the door.

Levi had confirmed with her that there were no security devices in the museum itself, but she was going to take things slow nonetheless. She slipped her body through the skylight opening and strained against connection before putting her bodyweight entirely in the hands of the rope, rod, and camming device. The last thing Madeline needed was a gear malfunction leaving her stranded inside. After she was satisfied with its security and tension, she began to lower herself down into the room stopping just short of the floor. Glancing at her ELFLX again, she picked up no electric fields whatsoever on the ground.

With a short hop, she stood in the center of the museum and observed her surroundings.

The moonlight from the skylight provided little illumination, so Madeline took out a small flashlight for a better look into shadows. There were Asian collectibles everywhere, but what astonished her the most was the number of sword displays. 

They were everywhere.

She was not expecting the warm smile that greeted her when she looked at the client again. His brown eyes appreciated her mischievously as he lowered his hood, revealing that his silvery-white hair had grown a bit longer since the last time she’d seen him. His face was still the same as she remembered, only now he had a tiny diamond nose piercing that complimented his features.

“Scott?” Madeline questioned, returning his smile. 

With an outstretched hand, he invited her to take a seat in the empty chair next to him.

“Long time, no see,” he grinned, voice frosted with a slight English accent Madeline didn’t remember him having at last year’s Halloween party. “You’re looking as beautiful as ever. How’ve you been?”

Shaking the haze from her head, she became aware of red ringlets bouncing against her cheeks. Shiny and curly against the side of her face, they had been pristinely styled and almost looked too glossy to be real. And she was no longer wearing her comfortable sundress, but rather a baby-blue and white lolita dress. The short sleeves were large and puffy, with uncomfortable elastic clinging to her upper arms. Quaint white satin bows circled the hem of the bell-shaped skirt, which rested atop a pair of matching thigh-high cotton stockings, and a snowy ribbon laced delicately up from her waist to her neckline. She felt like a red-headed Alice who had been kidnapped from Wonderland and was now the prisoner of a monster that existed in the real world.

“You up for it?” Levi asked Madeline, still leaning back casually in his executive chair. “If you’re out, I need to know right now so I can find a replacement.”

“You can count on me,” Madeline confirmed, trying to hide her excitement. She’d been doing nothing but training, studying, and insignificant jobs. It would be a relief to actually begin to be an asset, to start paying Levi back for taking her in, and now was the time to show him that he had made a good choice. And her first real job in the field revolved around a necklace; the coincidence was not lost on her.

“This party is invitation only, and it’s going to have prominent members of our community in attendance. If you see other medallions with different crests on them, they mean the same thing yours does - they’re being sponsored to be there. They will be on their best behavior, just like I expect you to be. You’ll likely be the only human there, so be prepared for some curious and disapproving stares, but that doesn’t give you the excuse to be rude in return. There are going to be lots of visual distractions, so be prepared for that, and just so we get this out of the way now...”

The hair on the top of his head began to distort and rise in only two areas as if affected by static electricity. As the change became more pronounced, Madeline’s eyes grew wide and star-struck, causing Levi to give his typical amused smirk. In a matter of seconds, a pair of pointed animal ears covered in short black fur rose up out of the silky black hair at the top of this head. 

“We’ll tailor your training around your speed, and indirectly, around dodging. And we’ll begin by defending against felinae. As I said yesterday, your goal is going to be to incapacitate them so you can get away. It isn’t likely you’ll be knocking them out, but more like slowing them down.”

Levi walked over to a steel steamer trunk sitting against one of the walls, knelt down, and pressed his index finger to the biometric reader. With a barely audible click, the lock detached and Levi flipped the lid open, revealing an assortment of small weapons and other gear, neatly organized and in pristine condition. As he took inventory of the equipment, he thought about what was going to be the easiest for her carry and conceal, and what would be the least dangerous should she be overtaken.