The Ranger

  Myla smiled when she heard Kasia grumbling about the beer, it was cheap stuff after all. She would need to stop by the Fox Tale if she wanted anything better. That was a thought for later though, the others were asking a million questions already and Myla held up her hands, “Stop stop! Not everyone at once damn it. Look, short version is that she's a lost tourist from Europe. She didn't say if she actually was a witch but she said the spell she was casting was supposed to help her find a way back to civilization I guess.”

  She glanced at the look on Kasia's face as she took a second drink, “And she doesn't like our beer, which I second. We need to get a proper lager for the party one of these days. Or maybe a good stout.” That got a few chuckles. Damien frowned, “That's cool and all, but did she say what she is?” Myla blinked, “I said she was a tourist.” He shook his head, “I meant she doesn't smell human.” Myla glanced at her and then frowned at Damien, “She looks human to me, so you're gonna need to explain that.”

  He looked sheepish before explaining, “I guess I shouldn't say she doesn't smell human at all, she just doesn't smell completely human. More like us but not? I don't know how to describe it really.” Myla looked at the curious expression of Kasia and then frowned at the others, “Does it matter?” Damien blinked, “What?” She shrugged, “Well it's kinda rude to ask that right? I mean it always pisses me off when some idiot tourist asks me what I am like I'm some kinda zoo exhibit.”

  She glanced around the crowd, “I'm not gonna treat her like that too.” The others murmured in disappointment but no one asked that again. One of the guys suddenly grinned, “Does she wanna party with us? We can give her a real drink, pick some favorites on the song list, and end the night on a high note!” Myla looked over at Kasia thoughtfully, the girl was studying a graphic shirt like it was alien to her.

  Finally she swapped back to German, “Well you're gonna have to talk to the sheriff in town, but it's basically already early morning so I figure it can wait till we all get some sleep. But before that, you wanna have a drink that doesn't taste like cheap piss and join us for the end of the party?” She looked surprised, “Oh! I thought… well it sounded like you guys were gonna ask me questions all night.” The music changed to something with real energy and a red plastic cup was offered to the short woman by one of the others.

  She slowly accepted it as Myla grinned, “I think they wanted to, but the last question kinda killed things. It was kinda rude, and I think they realized a lot of things they were gonna ask was too.” Kasia cocked her head curiously and cautiously sipped her drink. The gesture was odd, like a curious cat more than a person's gesture. Maybe she was a were creature? She watched Kasia drink with more enthusiasm when it turned out not to be as bad as the beer, “Oh? And what did they ask?” Myla waved it off, “Nothing they need to know or you need to tell us.”

  When she smiled her long and sharp looking canines flashed in the firelight, “Oh come on, you can't say something like that and not let me turn it down at least.” The changeling hesitated then shrugged and just said, “You don't smell entirely human.” The stranger froze with a blank look on her face before sighing and taking a deeper drink, “Should have known a bunch of half fae could smell me as well as I can smell them huh. Glad you at least know to mind your manners there.”

  Myla laughed, “Mind my manners? You sound like my grandfather.” Kasia frowned into her drink, “Yeah well Shizun Luo drilled it into my head, he must have rubbed off on me.” Myla blinked, “Shizun Luo?” Kasia blinked and then blushed, “One beer and I'm already saying more than I wanted to. I'm usually better at this.” Myla laughed again, “Then say less and dance.” Kasia laughed too and left to put down her backpack before following the tall woman to where everyone was dancing.

  This was probably the longest that Myla had ever stayed at one of these parties, but it wasn't every day a German girl wandered in from the dark. Was she German? Or was that just the only language they had in common? Why was she here? She might not have understood the languages but Kasia had a natural rhythm to her, and Myla found herself as much watching her as dancing. That wasn't human grace at all, she was abandoning pretense since they knew anyway it seemed.

  So what was she? If she was a tourist then she should have had a phone with a translator app. Myla had one on her phone, she occasionally needed it for work. They were common. The music went on and Kasia started to dance in close with Lucas. Myla frowned, why did people seem to like him? Maybe she did because she couldn't understand him when he talked. A glance at Alice saw her dancing alone while trying to discreetly watch the other two, an odd look in her eyes. Jealousy? If she had seen someone dancing like that with her partner she would have been too.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Kasia seemed to see it too and locked eyes with Alice. She shifted position, placing her hand on the center of Lucas’s chest before shoving him back. She strutted over to Alice and started dancing with her like she had been dancing with Lucas. Myla looked away, suddenly soured to the night again. Always someone else. She made her way over to the drinks and grabbed another beer. She wanted something stronger but she had to drive home. She thought of that and started to set the beer down, maybe that was the plan instead. Maybe she just left and hit the hay.

  A hand gently touched her arm, she turned to find herself looking down into gleaming evergreen eyes, “You stopped dancing.” Myla blinked, she was paying attention to her? Then she realized why, no one else could understand German. A sliver of guilt wormed into her gut, if she left now the poor girl wouldn't be able to talk to anyone. She fidgeted with her bottle, “Yeah. It's less fun when you aren't dancing with anyone.” Kasia cocked her head, it seemed like an unconscious gesture. It was cute. Did she realize she was doing it?

  Maybe not, she had almost a mystified tone, “Then why don't you dance with someone? Or…” Her eyes went to where Alice and Lucas were dancing, “Maybe who you wanted to dance with was already taken.” She gave Myla an apologetic look, “I didn't mean to grab Alice away if you had planned to dance with her, I do apologize. She's with Lucas, but I can lure him away if you want an opening. Men are easy to distract.”

  Myla laughed softly, “If I dance with Alice I… well she won't want to dance with me again if I do.” Kasia studied her with such focus that it started to make Myla uncomfortable. Her eyes were too large, and it was like she was peering past her skin and into her mind. She muttered something to herself, Myla had good hearing but that was the same language from before. Well, if not now then when? “What language is that?”

  The Vampire

  She almost lied, but Kasia caught herself. Why did it matter? “It's Polish. I was born there. Poland I mean. I haven't been back in… a long time though.” Myla glanced away, probably at that girl and her boyfriend. Kasia had noticed her watching those two, jealousy at its finest. She didn't know the three of them yet, but they weren't very good at hiding their expressions and she was a veteran at these things. She had to be. Myla frowned, “Is there no one waiting back there for you? No family, friends?”

  Dangerous questions. The kind that saw women disappearing into the night without a trace. If that was the game though, then they would find they caught a vampire by the fang. Was that a saying? Probably not. She needed to answer so she shook her head, “No. If I went back, it would just be me.” Myla glanced away, “I… see.” Kasia followed the look to where the others were dancing. Picking up these modern dances was easy, they weren't different from those in the American inspired dance halls. It was more like trying to have sex with your clothes on really, she didn't hate it but she had complicated matters by accident not knowing how close people danced now.

  She was almost hyper aware of the gun every time it pressed into her skin, it had taken some quick sleight of hand to keep it hidden and out of the way. Myla blew out a breath and muttered something in English. Kasia smiled, she thought she knew what she was thinking, “Ah so I'm not the only one who talks to themselves here. That's a relief.” The taller woman laughed softly, “Yeah, guess not. Are… are you alright? Do you… need help?” Kasia hesitated and studied Myla's face before answering. She lacked any obvious features of it, but she wasn't entirely human either.

  Forest spirits and fae weren't well known for their generosity, and this one she knew the scent of. Or at least the smell of her blood. The Leshy. He was a trickster and casually cruel, always wanting more than she got in every deal struck. How much of that nature was that in the blood? How much was just the man? Did it matter? If she's trapped for a hundred years, a thousand, would it make a difference now? The only way to get back what she lost was to turn back time, a power she lacked, and building something new would take time too. Time, allies, and risk. So what risks would she take?

  The next song started and she shivered as familiar guitar tones began to play. She always did enjoy Spanish music. She looked up into eyes full of concern for her safety. Not yet. But it didn't hurt to take the first step, “Will you dance with me?” Myla hesitated, processing the nonanswer, then slowly started to nod. She hadn't finished the gesture before Kasia took her by the hand and gently pulled her further from the fire light. She let go once the taller woman was following and started swaying in time with the music. She closed her eyes, letting the rhythm take her along with it.

  She wished she wasn't wearing pants, in her mind a dress spun and danced with her, flaring out and contracting as she kept time. She didn't know the song but some things were eternal. Then a hand caught hers, Myla sliding in to join her with more clumsy motions. Kasia smiled when she started to try and lead her inexpertly in the motions, trying to find a rhythm she clearly had no ear for. So she helped Myla find it, guiding her through the ebb and flow rather than trying to drag her along. They found her steps together and soon she found herself pulled in close.

  Close enough that she felt the hitch in her steps when the hard shape of her gun pressed between them. She looked up into eyes filled with suspicion and surprise. Interesting, was she that familiar with guns? Or was it that obvious? Or did she just wonder what it was? She stayed close anyway, swaying with the music. She felt hesitant hands find her hips. She felt them teasing at the edge of her shirt. That meant Myla wasn't certain then and wanted to know. But she seemed conscious of where her hands were going too, dance or not.

  Kasia turned in her arms to face her and looked up at her again. Those hesitant hands paused and Kasia spoke softly, “You want to know don't you?” They had stopped dancing and Myla looked nervous at the question. So Kasia gently took one of those hands and slowly, gently, slid it up under the shirt so she touched the bare skin above her waist. She shivered at the warm touch and Myla finally spoke, “You're cold.” Kasia flashed her a smile, “Just to the touch. You already know I'm not human.”

  She leaned in, she was too short for an easy move to whisper in her ear. But she could lean up, her own hand finding the small of her back and she spoke with sultry eyes fixed on the tall woman, “So? Will those hands wander? Or will you just wonder?” Myla found her confidence and slowly slid her hand along bare skin, seeking out the small of Kasia's back. Kasia took a slow breath in at the intimate touch, it had been too long since someone touched her like this. Who was the last? Ah right, the virgin boy with the reds, towards the end of the war and before the occupation began. He had been nervous too, she remembered, but for far different reasons.