Once Glade knows that Rachel is sleeping he contacts Raine. He thinks of an old friend's home from a day they needed to hide quickly. I am worried about Rachel. She does not feel safe anywhere other than my home.' Raine remembers their shared territory so they can walk along the edge of a field instead. “If she wants to change, tell her to wait a while yet. She might feel better in a while.”
“I know. I have taught her some of what she would need to know.”
“She'd need to know a bit more if that's what she wants.” She remembers a different place, a hotel they stayed in for a few days. “I would teach her now if I thought that it was a good idea.”
“Why wouldn't it be?”
“I think she only wishes to change to be strong like me.” He changes the colour of the bed sheets to the ones they had in their first home and she lays down on it. “There's probably other reasons. Maybe she would talk to someone else.”
“Rachel had asked to watch me hunt. If I allowed her to watch me hunt with Fulmine she may feel that she could talk to her about it.”
“But would you have the right to ask Fulmine what she said?”
“No. If she would not wish to talk to me, then I have no right to ask another to tell me her thoughts.”
“Exactly. The weather is supposed to get too cold for trains to run so she shouldn't come to me. That would mean she'd be talking to both of us.”
“That would still betray her trust. She would wish her words to be hidden from me.”
“Maybe we're thinking about this the wrong way round. Maybe she just needs to talk to someone to help her figure it out, not to help us figure it out.”
“Then Fulmine would be perfect. Rachel has met Fulmine, had stayed in her home when I was with you.”
“Then ask Fulmine to join you in a hunt with Rachel watching. If she'd asked before then it could be a perfect opportunity for her to talk with someone like us and talk about why.”
“Thank you. You were always the more wise of us.”
“You're the artist, I'm the talker, between us we have everything covered.” He sits on the side of the bed and kisses her.
That night he calls Fulmine before Rachel wakes up and she agrees. “If talking helps, and it stops her choosing wrong, it's worth a try.”
“Thank you Fulmine.”
“Yeah I'll see you later.”
Rachel hears Glade knock on the door just after sunset but tells him to stay out for now. “I thought you might like to come with Fulmine and I tonight.”
“To watch you hunt?”
“Yes.”
“Yes please. When were you thinking of going out?”
“As soon as you are ready.”
“I won't be long.”
“How's she going to know when we're there if you didn't know what time you'd be going out?”
“We know when another crosses into our territory.” He slows and stops half way along the street, then walks across the path in front of her, then he sits on the wall next to them and just waits for Fulmine. It doesn't take long for her to arrive, she was nearby anyway, waiting for him. “Hi Rachel. Ready?”
“Hi, I think I am, I'm not sure, I only saw Glade hunt once and that didn't really count.” She smiles and looks over to Glade. He stands before he speaks so that they're at the same level, as equal as possible. “May I?”
“Of course.” Now he walks forward, and Rachel follows. Fulmine walks with Rachel and Glade lets them go ahead. Fulmine sees Rachels' confusion so explains. “It's a territory thing.”
“Looked more like dogs. Sorry.”
“You're right. Here he submits to me, even though he's older and stronger.” Rachel smiles and looks back at him. He nods and just keeps following. “Don't worry, he'll perk up once we start hunting, we'll be there in a minute.”
“If you say so. Uh, so, how do you hunt? I mean Glade said about abilities and making people forget, but how does that work?”
“We're not sure, but as I understand it humans barely know how their bodies work either. We think it's pheromones and a better sense of how body language works. Once we get close enough we get the pheromones working and create whatever state we like.”
“How is there more than one effect?”
“How to wasps know to fly to attack rather than go to their queen?”
”Different pheromones for different things. Then how varied is the effect?”
“Fear, hate, repulsion, attraction, indifference, loads, including...” She uses her favourite and Rachel feels it within a couple of seconds. Her heart racing, breathing faster, and shaking. Fulmine hears Glade growl quietly and she stops before turning to him. ”I'm not hurting her.”
“I know.” She growls back at him, eyes glowing, and he backs off. She knows the man on the door and he asks if Glade is bothering her. “No, he's fine, just said something, you know how we can be when we're visiting.” Rachel is surprised at that answer, but then decides it can't be that uncommon for them to let people know what they are. “What time do you finish tonight?”
“Eleven, same as usual. Sorry miss I still need to see ID.” She digs out her ID, and sees Glade do he same. The man looks at it, then asks his name anyway. “I don't think they'd let you get ID with your proper name on it.” Glade smiles and they all go in together. Fulmine goes straight to a table and pushes a drunk man away from Rachel on the way. Glade follows but dis
appears into the crowd once Fulmine and Rachel sit down. “Do you think he'd hear us from here?”
“Not over the crowd and the music.”
“Good. Do you mind if I ask about your change? Glade didn't want to talk about it.”
“I don't mind, what do you want to know?”
“Does it hurt?”
“Only if you were born with a hole in your heart, or anywhere else I guess, and it never healed. Then the healing bit at the start can't decide whether it should be closing it or not and it attacks the nerves.”
“Oh, ok, I don't think I have a hole in my heart or anywhere else. What does it feel like?”
“It's different for everyone. For me it was quick, one minute I was curled up next to Brock on the sofa, the next I woke up on the bed with him holding my hand. Not much of a story really.”
“It's a good story. Is he your mate? Like Glade and Raine.”
“No, I don't have a mate.” Fulmine looks over to the crowd.
“You could find someone.”
“Sorry, it's not that, Glade found a drink.”
“Can you smell it?”
“I don't know how we know, maybe it's a warning or an invitation to each other.”
“Why did you change?”
“I had cancer.”
“Oh. I was thinking of asking Glade if he would change me.”
“Why?”
“I never really fit in anywhere. I never really had friends, I always felt like the odd one out, even at work, I never had a successful relationship, now I have friends, a chance to fit in, find love and actually recognise it when it's biting my butt.” Fulmine smiles. “Don't ask. Do you need to hunt?”
“Yeah, I do.” Rachel blushes and Fulmine understands. “No I don't think so.”
“Not even a little bit?”
“Just a little bit.” She moves closer and Fulmine gently takes her hand, and blocks the small pain of the nip on her wrist. She pulls when Fulmine does so it stops, and Fulmine seals it. ”Sorry.”
“It's ok. Most people don't realise what they missed the first time. Still want to watch?”
“Yeah.”
“Sit a little way away then or you'll get the effect too.”
“Ok.” She disappears and comes back a few minutes later with someone, a man about Rachel's age. He seems to not be able to see what's going on, and keeps kissing Fulmine. She looks over to Rachel before she drinks, and kisses the man before she nips his shoulder and makes him almost asleep. Rachel moves closer slowly till she feels the effect which is keeping the man still. Fulmine looks up and growls faintly, but it's not because of Rachel. There's a woman with glowing eyes standing at the edge of the crowd. Glade appears behind her and catches the back of her neck. She tries to twist away but he holds one arm behind her back and holds his arm around her neck. He brings her over to their table and Fulmine releases the man she had and pulls Rachel close to her side. “How old are you and where have you been staying?” Glade stands close to them ready in case she runs.
“Thirty four, and north east of here for about three nights. I just wanted to meet someone like me.”
“So why didn't you just let me know you were here?”
“I didn't know if you were friendly.”
“You can hunt here tonight if you need to, away from us, then leave. So far we're the only ones in this city so find a patch away from the centre.” She nods, and Glade moves aside. “Go.” She hurries away from them and Glade sits down to calm himself. “Are you ok Rachel?”
“Yeah. I'm fine. Are you?”
“We're fine. She was just lonely, maybe I should have let her stay longer. I'll go look for her in a while.” Rachel stays close and Glade sees the hint and disappears again. “Want to try again?”
“Yeah. Maybe you could get me to like it like the first time?”
“Glade's the dreamweaver, not me.”
“The what?”
“Dreamweaver, he can control dreams, I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Or I could just make you high.”
“That sounds good.” Fulmine starts making her relaxed, and when she can feel that Rachel is relaxed enough she holds her and drinks gently. Part way through Rachel whispers to Fulmine. “I'd be your aunt.” She hears a faint laugh and smiles, rightly assuming that it's a blessing on her choice. When they're done Rachel falls asleep curled up next to Fulmine, making her wonder if she ever would find a mate and if it would be acceptable if it were Rachel changed by Glade, seeing as Rachel would be her aunt. Fulmine wakes her gently when they decide to go home. “I wanna go with Fulmine.”
“That's ok, you can go with me.” Glade nods and walks backwards for a few steps while Fulmine growls quietly at him, then they both smile and he walks off. “What was that?”
“It's a traditional thing, I'll tell you later.” She helps Rachel up and they walk home. The men who bothered Rachel before see them but all Fulmine needs to do is let her eyes glow.
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