Elfed In New York: Intern

By Erik Schubach

Copyright © 2021 by Erik Schubach

Self publishing

P.O. Box 523

Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Cover Art © 2021 Pavel Novikov / iStockPhotos.com license

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.  This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties.  Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited.  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, blog, or broadcast.

This is a work of fiction.  Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

FIRST EDITION

Chapter 1 – Day One

Running around my room, I grabbed my cell off the charger and my shoulder bag and slipped my LaunPad Tablet into it.  Dad called up from downstairs in his deep baritone, “Kia, come on, we have to get going if I'm going to get a good spot.”

“Coming dad!”  I darted out of my cluttered room, navigated the discarded clothing, from my earlier panic trying to decide what to wear for my first day, with practiced ease.  I slid to a stop as I passed through the doorway and took a step back in to check myself again in the full-length mirror beside the door that was partially obscured by all the sticky notes and articles from my research.

Checking out the loose white blouse and jeans again, I started to second-guess the casual look.  Should I be wearing a suit?  The studio didn't tell me if there was a dress code when they called late last night to tell me they wanted me to fill the open intern slot if I could make it in the next day at six in the morning.  Talk about short notice.

I babbled out thank you's and affirmations in an excited high pitched tone that may have reached supersonic, ended with a lame, “You won't regret this.”  Though I'm pretty sure they had already hung up by then, leaving me admonishing myself. “Dweeb out much Kia?”

This was the first step to me getting my dream job as a New York Channel 3 investigative reporter.  It's what I've been aspiring to the last six years to get my bachelor's degree as a broadcast journalism major at Havashire.  Yes, I said six years, not four.  Even though Havashire University is just a step above the community college I started in, we couldn't afford tuition at times so I had taken a year off a couple of times until my family was in better financial straits.

I looked back on the floor to the cheap navy blue pantsuit we picked up at Marsha's, the secondhand shop at the end of the block, but was startled by mom calling from their bedroom across the hall, “Killishia Abigail Renner, don't keep your father waiting.”

“Gah!”  I took one last look, ran a hand through the red hair I hated.  It was so... well so straight, bland, and flat to me, it wouldn't have killed the powers that be to have given me some body in it would it have?  “Going, mom.”

I waved through the open door opposite mine where mom was tucked in looking toasty and sleepy. “Bye mom, love you!”  She and the rest of the Jackson Heights here in Queens wouldn't be getting up for another few hours.  Such was the curse of dad's job.

Between dad's truck and mom's work as a seamstress down in the tailoring co-op in the warehouse just a few blocks away, we barely made ends meet.  I did all sorts of odd jobs and day work between classes to supplement our income and pay for my classes on a piecemeal basis.  So this position, a paid internship, was a godsend in many ways, not just furthering my career.

She called after me as I slid down the banister and leapt over the sleeping mass of fur at the base of the stairs, “Love you too, see you tonight sweetie.”

Barney lifted his head, smacking his jowls and yawning over the commotion.  Our big shaggy sheepdog, who I had found on the street five years ago, starving and with a broken leg was anything but active.  I smiled as he put his head down to go back to sleep.  If we had known how huge he was going to get, too huge for our tiny two-story shotgun house, we would have... ok, we still would have kept him.  He's family now.

I slipped under dad's arm where he was holding the front door open.  I pirouetted and weaved as I almost ran into Garcia and Teesha's bikes and toys they had left on our shared porch.  Then teetered on a toe at the edge of the steps as I noted there was a carpet roll laying diagonally across them.  The Lopez's had started the demolition of their living room when a safety inspector found rotted floorboards due to moisture they can't pinpoint the source of yet.

Spinning on my toe, and redirecting my momentum, I leapt over the carpet to land on the little concrete walk.  I've always been swift and nimble my whole life, it was the only thing that saved me in gym class.  You'd think a book nerd like me wouldn't have any physical prowess at all, but you'd be wrong.

Dad stepped out after me and cocked a brow, his piercing green eyes twinkling in amusement.  I got his eyes, but I would have killed to have mom's crystal blue eyes.  I mean, I loved Dad's eyes, they almost glowed, but how cliché was the red hair and green eyes I was saddled with?

He rumbled with a slight smirk, “Hyper much, Kia?”  Then he calmly stepped over the clutter on the porch and walked down the stairs by the railing to miss the carpet entirely.  Then he leaned down to lift it with one hand to the standing position it was probably in before the wind or something knocked it down.

I slugged his arm at the teasing.  Then I was rolling my eyes when I saw the curtains across the street move.  Seriously?  It's four-thirty in the morning, woman.  I waved with an overly large smile on my face just to vex her and let her know we saw her snooping.

Mrs. Clemens, the excessively nosy widow across the street always watched everyone on the street at all hours of the day or night, usually in suspicion.  I'm sure she suspected all her neighbors to be up to no good.  Except dad.  Like most of the women on the block, I'm pretty sure she had a thing for dad.  Eww.

Don't get me wrong, objectively, dad was a really good-looking man.  His dark hair coupled with his strong jaw and muscular build has set many a women's hearts atwitter.  It was just so wrong though, I mean, he's my dad and it was just wrong to see the flirty smiles even girls my age, in their early twenties, gave him.  Just eww.

He checked the EasyPass mounted in on the windshield we'd need for the Queensboro.  “Saddle up.  Let's get this show on the road, shall we?”  I shook my head at him, praying he didn't start up with the dad jokes he did just to embarrass me as we walked around the food truck to do a quick visual inspection.  Dad licked his thumb and wiped some road dust off of the tabs on the license plate.

For how old the truck was, it was in great shape and the paint was well maintained.  The better the truck looks, the more business.  That's why he got a local graffiti artist to paint it last year for him.  The Cyrus' Mediterranean Cuisine signage looked awesome as always.

He unlocked the back door and we headed inside.  I had promised to help him do his prep work in exchange for a ride into the city.  News 3 was just a few blocks from the strip he liked to try to get a parking spot in.  The prime spaces were all filled by around six AM.  As old Gertie rumbled to life, I held onto the galley rail in the back as I inventoried all the supplies and equipment, so we could be in and out when we reached the storage facility Dad kept the supplies at since we didn't have room in our tiny house or our tiny lot to store them.

I called things out and finished with, “And the secret spice shakers are all almost empty.”

He called back, “I keep meaning to refill them.  Good catch, Itty Bit.”

“Daaaaad.”

He smirked as I slid into the passenger seat and buckled in as he turned toward Sam's Storage.  “Oh forgive me, I forgot you wanted to sound grown-up.  Miss Renner.”

“Daaaaad.”

Ok, he was just messing with me and we both knew it.  It was just our normal... what the heck?  As we pulled into the driveway of the run-down storage company, with its four rows of various sizes of storage lockers.  A huge banner was hanging on the sagging fence which was topped in rusted barbed wire.

It depicted a multistory building with “Coming Soon, the Havashire Business Center, reserve your space today.”  Then it had a date a month from tomorrow as the groundbreaking.

I muttered, “Seriously?  The Havashires?  Don't the Elves own enough already?  Now they're moving into our neighborhood?”

Dad shot me a look, eyes looking conflicted as he said, “I'm sure Sam has reasons for selling.”

I snorted and said, trying not to sound bitter, “I'm sure he did, like maybe the obscene amount of money they probably offered him for the land, or they found some dirt on him to leverage to convince him that selling was in his best interest.  Wasn't he just railing a couple of months ago how he'd never sell out?”

He sighed at the old argument, then said patiently as only a father could, “They aren't that bad, your University is one of theirs.”

He knew the buttons to press to take the wind out of my sails.  “Fine.  I know they aren't all trying to buy up the world.  It's just that the ones who do, don't care about the people or communities their businesses disrupt who ruffle my feathers.”

He closed his eyes for a second like he was centering himself.  “Just... can you just promise me you'll keep an open mind about them?  They're simply people and families trying to survive like everyone else, and they come in all shapes, sizes, and temperaments like the rest of us.  They've always been here, working side by side with humans, hiding their nature because they feared what mankind would do if they realized that they weren't the only hominid race on Earth.  There's bound to be an adjustment period as our two peoples assimilate with each other now that Elves are out.”

I sighed and nodded. “Ok.  But so far, all I've seen is the entitled way they act.  And how the two families seem hellbent on dividing the world between them.”

He sighed and said what I already knew, “There's more than two families.  Being a budding journalist, shouldn't you know things like that?”

I smirked at his smirk.  “Whatever.  There are quite a few, though they won't confirm how many.  But only two seem to matter as they appear to hold some sort of sway over the smaller families.  They didn't have much information on their caste system in school.”

We got out at our unit and dad took a paper that was taped to the door, like on all the other doors as we drove past them.  He chuckled. “Eviction notice.”  I looked at it, and that's basically what it amounted to.  We had until the end of the month to clear out our locker or the contents would be forfeit, so the new owners could level the lot to prepare for the groundbreaking of the new business center.

The only other affordable storage that had any open units was over in Brooklyn.  We are always looking for more affordable spaces to save a few bucks.  And that meant paying double for the month while we transfer the supplies to the other unit.  We didn't have the funds for that.  I wonder if I could get an advance on my pay to cover it. Not something you want to broach with a new employer on day one.  At least I'm going to be making more than I was getting with temp work, so maybe we'll be ok.

With this hanging over us like a shadow, we didn't talk much until we crossed over the bridge into Manhattan.  We'd be ok, right?

Chapter 2 – The Reveal

The dark sky still refused to give way to the twilight of the approaching dawn as we jockeyed for a parking spot a block from Rockefeller Center.  And after squeezing in between Ken's Taco Express, and a newcomer I didn't know, whose truck simply had Burritos emblazoned on the side, we started prepping the food, and starting up the gas grills to start caramelizing twenty pounds or so of onions.

I glanced out the window and had to do a doubletake, and just moaned in resignation at the billboard on a nearby building.  Melanie Jericho, in all her glamorous glory with her sublime pointed ears and the same shockingly crystalline blue eyes all Elves had, was plastered there on an advertisement for the very LaunPad I owned.

Only I had known her when she had been just Melanie Tubberman, one of my best friends in high school before she got Elfed.  And the cute, sweet, and quiet cross country runner became a completely different person when everyone in class started treating her like some sort of A-List celebrity or royalty after she Elfed until the Jericho family claimed her and she was spirited away upstate to a special, astronomically expensive private school where they could teach her about all things Elf.  Now she was the spokesmodel for LaunCorp's consumer electronics division.

I guess I should start at the beginning, the day there is actually a holiday for now, Reveal Day.

It was nineteen years ago, I was just four at the time, but I remember the mix of excitement and fear from all the adults in the neighborhood, when Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire went on the air throughout the world on almost every news channel simultaneously, to reveal to the human race that Elves walked among us.

It is the most-watched historical event in modern times.  We had to study it in Social Studies in school.  I must have seen the clip which everyone at first thought was some sort of publicity stunt by the CEOs of the two most powerful corporations in the world when before our eyes, their ears lengthened to points and eyes deepened to that almost glowing blue right on the air.

There were varied reactions to this, most were skeptical and thought it was simply digital visual effects, but as some governments and militaries started to react and mobilize in ways that told the world it most certainly wasn't just a corporate stunt from the two companies that reviled each other.  And when more and more people stepped forward with those pointed ears and blue eyes, all mesmerizingly beautiful, the panic began.

The press releases that were circulating by Laun and Havashire explained that Elves and Homo-sapiens have lived side by side forever.  We were just different branches off the Homo-erectus tree, like the Homo-neanderthalensis, only the Homo-Aelftus continued to thrive after the decline of the Neanderthal.

That's when the genius of the way they chose to reveal themselves to the rest of us began to sink in.  By making themselves known to all, it was harder for the government to keep a lid on it as some people panicked while others celebrated the discovery.  And of course, there was the fact that the governments of the world made the realization that the companies that supplied over forty-five percent of all the arms and sixty percent of all consumer goods in the world were owned by the emerging Elvish families, which stopped any talks of rounding them up until the threat could be properly assessed.

It seems that not all the Elvish families wanted the Reveal, as the complex hierarchy of their sociopolitical society is still not entirely clear even after almost two decades.  Whether the outliers still wished to evade discovery from homo-sapiens – humans for lack of a better word, or from the influence of larger Elf families, they remained hidden after the Reveal.

They haven't revealed how they've eluded discovery all these thousands of years, when it was clear, with their pointed ears and unnaturally blue eyes that they weren't entirely like the majority of the population.  Hell, we still didn't know just how many of them there were in the world, but estimates put them at a population of around a hundred million, or roughly one percent of the world's population.

There's speculation that they somehow possessed some sort of magic to hide their obvious differences from the rest of the population, though scientists dispute that theory, saying there has to be an answer in science and biology.  Their genetic makeup is so close to ours that it is almost indistinguishable.  Closer even than modern human is to neanderthal.

Though we've learned over the years that the tiny shift in their genetic makeup gives Elves better strength, reflexes, and senses, especially hearing, than the rest of us, and because they have much denser telomeres they enjoy not only a lifespan of almost three times longer than non-elves but appear to be all prime physical specimens.

The children of the families that remained hidden after the Reveal have sometimes reached their physical maturity from between sixteen to twenty years old at inopportune times, causing their Elvish traits to manifest in public view instead of them being confined to Elvish campuses children had been confined to in the past before the Reveal.  And most never shared their heritage with their children, so it was a shock to even them.

Over the past nineteen years, seemingly random young women and men would spontaneously manifest elvish ears and eyes.  And with the now overwhelming popularity of Elves in our society, they are treated like celebrities or royalty.  It is viewed and celebrated almost like winning the lottery.  The term people have adopted for this public manifestation was called being Elfed.

A large number of young people prayed they'd be one of the lucky ones to be Elfed, and so many tried to emulate them, almost like some sort of warped worship, down to publicly wearing family sashes and pointed ear guards the Elves wore.  Some went as far as getting cosmetic surgery to make their ears pointed, though they wind up quite stubby compared to real elves.

And that was just the tip of the iceberg.  Whenever an Elfing occurs, the two largest families always clamor against each other to take the new Elves under their wing, and identify their family if their parents weren't forthcoming with their lineage.

The new Elves would be offered the world, and whisked away to private schools, or given jobs in the corporations to ensure they never want for anything.  The most stunning of them are always given public-facing positions to woo the public with their glamorous looks.  It sounds like a fairytale come true, but honestly, I was so relieved when I passed the maturity threshold to find I was just a normal human.  It was because I saw what Elfing did to people.

Two kids in my high school got Elfed. One was a junior, Ricky Thomson, a really studious academically focused kid.  He was always so nice to everyone and sort of a self-imposed introvert because he was always immersed in his studies.  But after his Elfing, his whole personality changed.

He turned into a smug, cocky, self-absorbed ass who all the girls who never gave him a second look before, were swooning over.  He was acting entitled and looked down upon us norms.  Then once the Phearson family claimed him, the Havashire family spirited him away.  They placed him as an executive in a Havashire pharmaceutical concern.

Then the one that convinced me that being Elfed was not the gift the rest of the public made it out to be is when that good friend of mine, Melanie Tubberman, got Elfed in the middle of volleyball practice in our senior year in high school.

She had staggered after spiking a ball over the net, and when she looked up, gasping, I could see her eyes take on a blue glow as she held the sides of her head and the points of her ears slid up in place above her hands.  The excited squealing of our classmates, as she was swarmed by excited girls congratulating her, was almost deafening.

At first, she was surprised and embarrassed by all the attention everyone was giving her after that.  But the Elvish families started courting her and filling her head with the notion she was too important to go to a mere public school because of her heritage, then one of the minor Elf families, the Jerichos, who were loyal to the Launs, verified her lineage and claimed her into their clan.

It turns out her parents were just picking their time to tell her and were going to move out at the end of the year until she could learn to suppress her elvish features once they manifested.  They didn't want the other families to know where they were as they didn't agree with the Reveal, thinking it was still too soon.

In a matter of days, she bought into everything the Jerichos and Launs were feeding her, and she started acting holier than thou to all her friends.  When I called her on it, telling her we wanted our friend back, she had shut me down, hissing out with venom that I was just jealous, and she never wanted to see me again.  The next day, she cut ties with her parents and the rest of her friends and was whisked away by the Jerichos.

I have to admit, it hurt.  She had been a really good friend.  And over the intervening years, while I've been studying to become a journalist, little inconsistencies in the stories we were presented by the Elves, brought up more questions.  And the more I looked into it, the more grey area there seemed to be in almost anything the Elves had their fingers in.

They seemed to have contacts and influence everywhere in their business dealings, and could get permits for construction pushed through without all the red tape others had to.  I admit they were adept at building their mega business empires with services or products which were superior to others, but it seemed that the bigger they got, the more questionable these dealings were looking, as a web of corruption seemed to be growing along with them.

And here I was in my last semester of college, starting a work-study as an intern at Channel 3.  A stepping stone to my dream job as an investigative reporter, where I could expose the under-the-table dealings of the Elves that seemed too good to be true.  I've already started making connections, starting with connecting online with some of the local families who kept their Elvish heritage hidden all these years after the Reveal.

After helping dad with his prep, he hugged me and held me at arm's length, smiling as he pinned me with his emerald gaze and told me, “I'm so proud of you Itty Bit, now go get 'em.”

I grinned at him and almost skipped out of the truck, whining out, “Daaaad.”  I'm not embarrassed to tell you I was swelled up with a pride of my own from his words.  Then I squeaked as I almost stepped right into a man on the sidewalk wearing a sandwich board sign... and I'm pretty sure nothing else.  I spun past him and almost directly into a newspaper stand, tiptoeing up a stack of newspapers that had been thrown to the curb for the owner like steps and teetered and turned to hop down on the curb between them and another food truck.  Then I finally stopped my momentum as I looked around, hoping nobody but the under-clothed guy sandwiched between cell phone advertisements had seen, my arms splayed wide, my chest an inch from a taco truck.

Luckily, it was just him... and the newspaper stand lady, and all the food truck people, and the two guys holding hands as they walked through the twilight of the morning with their gaggle of dogs on leashes, and... Dad called out from the back door of the truck, “Smooth, baby girl.”

I snorted, my cheeks burning, and I took a little bow even though I wanted to bury my head in the sand somewhere.  Then I did the one thing I could.  I dashed away, arms down at my sides, hands in little fists with my eyes squeezed shut.  “Oh my god, oh my god, just kill me now.”

A few minutes later, I was standing in front of the WTRL Channel 3 studios.  Even this early in the morning, the lobby was lit and quite a few people were moving around inside.  I stepped up to the heavy glass doors and just froze, bouncing on my toes, and swallowed.

Looking down, I quickly checked myself and tugged my blouse straight, took a deep breath, then looked up, steeling myself then exhaled and stepped through the doors into the next chapter of my life.

As I strode up to the front desk, I absently wondered what exciting jobs they'd have me doing.  Shadowing their journalists, or maybe fact-checking their stories, or even working in the morgue to look up prior stories and research to help the reporters as they crafted their stories.  Whatever it was, it was going to be...

Chapter 3 – Daily Grind

...awful!  This internship was awful.  It's been two years now and I'm still well...  “Ah, Kia, is that my coffee?”

“Yes Mr. Klien, double Ristretto, two pumps of raspberry.”  I took his cup from the cardboard carrier and gave him a strained smile as I moved along to the rest of the staff in the conference room, handing out their coffee-adjacent concoctions and then set the plate of muffins in the middle of the war room conference table.

I retrieved the glass pitcher of ice water from the sideboard and then glacked and spun away from the Sports anchor, Scott Jones, as he sort of just strode in without looking.  He was a retired football running back.  Yes, that Scott Jones, from the Chicago Wolves, all six foot four, muscled ebony perfection.  I finished my turn just to have one of our fact-checkers, Latisha, who was hustling up to the big man with doe eyes to hand him the changes to the formatting for today's morning broadcast, knock the pitcher from my hand.

I made a gleeping sound as I spun across her shoulders, her eyes wide, and caught the falling pitcher with my other hand, and finished the turn, placing the pitcher in the middle of the conference table without spilling a single drop.  I sighed in relief, exhaled, blowing a lock of hair out of my face, and looked around to a bunch of staring eyes.  Mr. Klien said blandly, “Kia?”

Right, I'm sure I'd be getting another talk about distracting people in the meeting, even though it had been Latisha who caused it.  You can't blame her for her distraction, Scott was hot.

I lowered my head, scurried to the corner of the room, pulled out my LaunPad, and got ready to take notes of the meeting, mumbling under my breath, “Just three more months, you can do it, Kia.”  Three months and I'd be up for consideration for a real position in the Pit, the research department where Latisha worked with the pool of researchers and fact-checkers, the next step up in the trenches toward my goal.

I'd be twenty-five next week, and still an intern.  At least I had my Bachelor's degree now.  My parents were giddy at my graduation.  How had mom smuggled in an air horn that was confiscated by security?  She almost made me trip when she set it off while I was walking across the stage when my name was called.

I dutifully took notes as story assignments were handed out and leads were discussed for possible new lines of investigation.  One had piqued my interest, when one of our two investigators on the city beat mentioned, “Metro police responding to a disturbance in Central Park chased two suspects from the body of an Elf they were wrapping up in plastic, but the corpse disappeared from the Coroner's office before an autopsy could be performed.  Government officials showed up to take over the case, just to find an empty drawer.”

Mr. Klien just harrumphed.  “Just another Elvish coverup.  Let's not waste resources on it, but do a follow-up in a day or two just in case anyone learns anything on the case besides the same old, “The Elf Council does not comment on Elvish affairs, bullshit.”

When they moved on to the upcoming Christmas coverage of the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center, I raised a hand, scrunching my head to my shoulders as I squinted an eye in mock pain. “Umm, sir?  Shouldn't we investigate more?  I mean, there hasn't been an Elf death in the city before.  Who was it?  And the body vanished, and what about the men the police pursued, were they human or Elf?  And...”

“Miss Renner, I don't tell you how to order coffee, how about you leave the allocation of our personnel on assignments to me?”

I tried to make myself smaller as I pulled up my tablet almost like a shield.  He nodded. “Grand.  Now, where were we?”

As he just picked up where he left off, I muttered under my breath, “But you do tell me how to order coffee.”

Scott snorted loudly and shot me a wink as the others turned to him.  He just shrugged, holding his palms up, and the meeting continued.  Oh lord, he had heard me, did anyone else?  Why wasn't I melting away through the vent where I could die of mortification?

At the end of the meeting, Walter Ling, our meteorologist, spoke out, “The model temp agency had a mixup in scheduling, they won't be sending the girls for the live weather broadcast at the tree lighting tonight.”

“Are they really necessary, Walter?  It's just...”

“It's not just the weather.  My job is just as important as any of the other reporters.  This is my highest rated forecast of the year besides New Year,  And I...”

“Fine, Walter, just zip it.  Hell, use Kia there and that skinny girl in the mailroom, what's her name?  Lisa?  They're cute enough.  Just have them wear the costumes.”

He pointed at me and warned, “No overtime, just take longer breaks for a week.”

I gaped at him.  What?  I didn't want to be one of the vapid Santa-Girls standing at the green screen making motions toward the weather patterns while Walter made really bad jokes as he did the forecast.  I had my integrity, there was only so much I would do to keep my job for the possibility of moving up in the food chain here at Channel 3.  There was a line I would not cross.  I had my dignity.

Chapter 4 – Son of a Bitch

I reached up and pulled the white trim of the Santa-Girl costume up from my shoulder and sniffed at it.  It smelled funny, like a reindeer and a peppermint snowman were rutting around in it, with heavy overtones of mothballs.  Apparently, I haven't found the line I wouldn't cross yet.  Just shoot me now.

Mom snickered and I whined out to her, “Not funny, mom.”

She winked and assured me as she straightened the puffy, wispy snowballs that fastened the front of the red and white cape.  “You look darling... darling.”  Humor danced in her blue eyes.

“I hate you.”

She chuckled and kissed my cheek as dad said with a crooked smile, “Just tell everyone you’re undercover for a story, Itty Bit.”

“Daaaaad.”

He winked, and I rolled my eyes then grinned.  Feeling completely ridiculous, then mom said, “At least you look cute.  And I bet Lisa looks cute in hers too.”

I had no doubt.  I know that's the reason it had been her and me.  We're not classically beautiful, but I suppose we're sorta cute-ish, maybe pretty in that girl next door way?  It felt almost perverse to me that we were chosen to be exploited as eye candy while Walter droned on about high-pressure fronts and the like.  I was supposed to be a journalist.  Maybe that line was closer than I thought.

I started to take the funky-smelling costume off but mom stopped me by placing her hands on mine, then she reached up and cupped my face, rubbing a thumb on my cheek.  “Kia, honey.  It's distasteful, but will it help you to get to where you want to be eventually?”

Exhaling, I reluctantly nodded. “Great,” she said, as she released me, and put the stupid Santa hat on me, and then ambushed me by holding her arm out with her cellphone as Mom leaned in to smile as she took a selfie with me.  “This is going in the picture album... and online...  and...”

“Moooom!”

She just said, “Now shoo, baby, don't you have to be at Rockefeller Center in an hour?”

I grumped, giving her the evil eye, trying not to smile as I stomped out the door, dad calling out, “I'll pick you up at ten-thirty on 7th, most people should have cleared out by then, but it'll be the closest I can get.”

“Yeah, yeah.”  Then I added, “Love you two,” before shutting the door and heading for the subway station the next block over, hearing them chime out through the door almost in harmony, “Love you.”

Ok, whatever, I have the most kickass parents ever.

I may have been too hasty when I had insisted that I'd take the train into the city, not wanting to inconvenience dad, since mom's beat-up little Volkswagen Beetle, not the modern one, but one of the old nineteen fifties air-cooled ones was broken down again.  And I didn't want dad to try to navigate a sixteen-foot food truck to one of the three busiest celebrations in Manhattan.  Though he did insist on picking me up when the live coverage ended at ten.

Almost every set of eyes at the subway station, which was packed with people heading into the city, likely for the celebration and parties afterward.  Most days inbound trains were almost empty after five.  I sighed heavily.  It was either get into this inane costume at home and head in, or change inside the news van with the broadcast support staff watching.

I waved to a five-year-old boy who was waving enthusiastically at me a few seats down.  Then my smile faded when the elderly woman beside me sniffed then backed away from me.  They really needed to get these outfits sent out to be cleaned, fumigated, or torched.

I pulled out my cell and called my cohort in crime, Lisa answered with, “Hey Kia.  You on your way?  I'm heading out now.”

“On the train now.”

She hesitated, then started, “Umm, does your costume, umm...”

“Yes, it reeks.  They've probably been using the same ones for a decade without cleaning.”

She chuckled in disgusted amusement. “Good, I just thought one of Santa's elves died in... oh god... is that a racist thing to say?  I mean, are Elves offended by that and my grandma's Elf on a Shelf?  I mean, I know nobody depicts Santa's workshop with elves anymore and... oh god, am I a terrible...”

I blurted out, to stop her from babbling and likely hyperventilating, “Lis, calm down.  There was a discussion about that, like the third year after the Reveal.  They said, for the most part, they've just had a good chuckle about it before the Reveal.  But now that they are out, most have been moving away from depicting elves as anything other than who they are.  But a good rule of thumb is that if you are questioning yourself about something, or thinking you'd feel offended if the table were turned, it's best not to do it.”

She sighed and said, “You're right.”  Then she snickered.

“What, wench?”

“Who would have thought you of all people would talk me down off the ledge on the subject?”

I furrowed my brow and looked at the people who were looking my way, listening in, then I cupped my hand over the receiver and whispered, “What do you mean?”

“Well, you're the most anti-Elf person I know.”

I gleeped out, “I'm not anti-Elf! I just think their business dealings, influence, and most of their general entitled attitude, all need to be addressed instead of borderline worshiped.  They have groupies for god's sake.”

“I rest my case.  But even you have to admit they are yummy.”

“Keep it in your pants, cowgirl.  See you at the van.”

“Taa.”

Remind me again why she's, as she calls herself, my work wife.  Oh yeah, because she was the first person at the station to actually be nice to me rather than treating me as a gopher or nuisance.  We got into a fair amount of mischief whenever they were short-handed in the mailroom and the station manager lent the interns to help them keep up.

She is the hub of Channel 3's gossip vine, and quite proud of the fact.  We got along famously, which most people find odd since she's a minor Elf groupie herself, and has memorized all the family names and the sparse history they have shared with us humans.  Whereas, I am always questioning motives or pointing out discrepancies in what they say and what Elves do.

Lisa thinks it's because my friend from high school went all dark side on me after she Elfed.  That I was psychologically hurt by what I may or may not perceive as a betrayal, and am projecting it on... whatever, she was a psych major before she ran out of money for tuition and got stuck in the part-time job in the mailroom at the station.

The only frustrating thing is that I frequently find myself questioning if she is right.  Though I'll never let her know, she probably is.  Her head would grow three times its current size.  My one consolation is that she has to wear one of these dumbass Santa-Girl costumes and be humiliated on air with me too.  Go me!

Before long, I headed up the steps to the sidewalk above at west 50th and directly into chaos.  So many people had already gathered before the celebration began at six-thirty.  Then my personal hell would last another three and a half hours.  But as Lisa pointed out to me, the one silver lining is that this would count for on-air time in any future resume.  Nothing said I had to describe what I was wearing.  My toes jingled as the little bells on the pointed red covers over my shoes made them look like holiday boots.

Why couldn't it be a Hanukkah or Kwanzaa or any other pseudo-religious celebration instead, then I wouldn't be stuck in a silly costume like this?

As I made my way through the crowd, taking in the soaring buildings around us which I so loved, I saw the plethora of news vans, all about the size of our food truck, all lined up and cordoned off, cables running from the vans to the cameras all set up with a partially unobstructed view of the stage and the tree.

“Killyashi!”  I turned to see a super grin on a dark-haired Latina Santa-Girl as she virtually ran over the people between us.  “I got it right that time, right?”

I snickered and accepted one of her prerequisite hugs.  “Closer, it's  Killishia, Lis.”

She made a grumpy face at me, and I noted in defeat that she actually pulled the costume off and looked pretty cute in it.  “Poo.  I'll get it one of these days, Kia.”

Then we got to the barriers and caution tape to the police officers spaced out around the barriers.  We both showed our lanyards.  I was pretty proud of my press pass, even if I used it just to bring coffee to the people in the vans on assignment from time to time in my two years on the job.

The officer cocked a brow at us, looking amused herself, then held up the tape for us to scurry under.  I noted she took more than a passing interest in Lisa's arse, her eyes lingering a second before returning her attention to the gathering crowd.

I nudged my chin back as we hustled to where we could see Walter setting up his little portable green screen with the tree in the background. “If you need someone to fix your speeding tickets, she was vibing on you.”

She looked back, cocked an appreciative brow. “I could go rainbow if she could really fix my tickets. But Tommy might not approve, no matter how hot she and others in uniform are.”  I glanced back, yeah, I guess she had a point, the men and women in blue back there did have a little extra zing in the hotness category.

I nodded, then asked, “Speaking of Tommy...”

“He's back home, didn't want to brave the crowd, but he's recording us. He's already telling people his girlfriend is going to be on TV.”

Walter saw us and waved us over.  “There you are.  Cutting it awfully close.  Where's your sense of professionalism?”

Before I could say anything, Lisa glared at him. “One more word and you'll be the one wearing this sexist outfit, weather-douche.”

“You just made a big...”

She cut him off. “I work in the mailroom genius, I see everything that comes in for everyone at the station.  You get too big for your britches, maybe word gets out about your...”

“Blackmail?”

“Now you're catching on, Sparky.”

“My name is Walter.”

She winked and patted him on the cheek.  I was just blinking and trying hard not to smile at how easily she went from semi-erratic, hyper explosion to cold and threatening.  I said, pretending I didn't witness anything, “Where would you like us, sir?”

He straightened up, looked away from Lis, and his cocky attitude returned, making me think, not for the first time that, he'd make a good Elf.  “Right, look at the prompter monitors below the camera to see the info graphics and just motion toward the areas I report on.  They'll cut to us live every thirty minutes for two minutes, don't screw up.  I have the highest numbers of any meteorologist in New York.”

Was that a brag?  Fail.

We all turned when we heard squealing of excitement across the space, to the area sectioned off for Elves only.  Why did they always get special treatment at all these events?  They're just people too, you know.  I saw what was going on, Evander Laun had just shown up and was shaking hands with other elves in the VIP area.

The man was, for lack of a better word, beautiful.  And for a forty-something, he had the swoon factor of a movie star, and the light frosting of silver starting to show in his hair coupled with his strong jawline and long pointed ears made him a favorite to most men and women alike... especially to the Elf groupies mobbing the barrier lined with police.

Then the squealing intensified when a younger Elf was escorted to a seat near the stage.  I exhaled, feeling the familiar pain of losing a friend when Melanie turned to the crowd to strike a supermodel pose, winking and blowing a kiss to them, looking glamorous as hell in a dress that likely cost more than my house.

Lisa said in excitement as she clasped her hands to her heart, “Melanie Jericho is here!  Dayum she looks gooood.  I wouldn't kick her out of bed if I swung that way, well even if I didn't, Tommy would understand.”

I shoved her shoulder and she defended, “What?  You've got eyes, girl.  And... oh damn, you know her, don't you?  Was she the one you... oh, sorry.”

Walter turned from the spectacle by the stage, then the scowl narrowed on his face as he regained his dry seriousness.  “We're not here to Elf-Stan.  We're on the air in five, just before the event starts.  This is important work to be the lead into such a prestigious celebration.”

Prestigious... was he serious?  Oh damn, he was.  And did he really just mention Elf-Stanning?  How did he even know the term teens and young adults were using for Elf fans?

Lisa actually saluted the man. “Yes sir!”  Then she thrust her hands out at right angles to the green screen with exaggerated enthusiasm.

He nodded in all seriousness. “Better.”  Oh god, I was going to die, holding in the snort that was fighting to get out.  Did the man not get sarcasm?

The Asian-American weatherman turned his gaze to me and I straightened up.  “Oh, yes, of course.”  I put on an exaggerated smile and copied Lisa on the other side of the green screen, nodding like a bobblehead to him, the bell in my stupid Santa hat tinkling.  He harrumphed in satisfaction then turned to talk to Kevin, the cameraman.

I looked over at Lisa and we simultaneously bull frogged at each other and stifled our laughter.  Then I shivered in the chill winter air and sighed, my breath fogging in front of me.  At least these abominable costumes were reasonably warm, they probably had to be since they were likely worn outside more often than not for the Christmas season.

Then it was time to get serious a couple of minutes later when Walter checked his notes again and the monitor under the camera lit up showing the three of us with the graphics overlay on the green screen.  He straightened his bow tie.  Yes, I said bow tie.  Then the cameraman counted down for us from five on his fingers.

I sighed then put on the most pleasant look I could, noting Lis looked like a natural, striking an almost sexy pose as she faux framed the display.  I probably looked awkwardly lame compared to her, but hey, it did count as air time.

Walter accepted the handoff from the prime time anchors back at the studio, then did the station identification and motioned toward the tree, telling of the event, and then got into the weather.  We made the obligatory arm movements to highlight on the map what he described.  He must have said “This fine holiday season” at least five times.  Then I exhaled in relief when he said, “Back to you, Wendy,” and the cameraman signaled us and said, “Clear.”

We only had to do this five more times and then help wrap up the gear from the shoot and get gone from here.  It was sort of exciting to be there to watch the festival.  My parents and I would watch the tree lighting every year on television, but I've never attended an actual event like this.  And we had great seats in the press area, isolated from the crowd.

Both Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire spoke after the mayor, managing to look like they weren't going to dive at each other's throats at any moment.  Actually, they looked quite cordial for two powerful feuding families. Then the Beacon High School marching band played and we did another weather report.  In all seriousness, how much can the weather change in the thirty minutes since the last report?

Then we were treated to a choir of middle school students that sounded so sweet and inspiring, and after that, I almost went deaf over the roar of the crowd when an Elvish acapella singing group, the Crescendos, who sang for kings and queens, and leaders of the world, were announced.

It was such a hauntingly beautiful harmony.  I wiped a tear away as the almost ethereal melody coming from the alluringly stunning Elves, tugged at my heart and the emotions in me.  I applauded with the crowd when they were done.  And I noted something I don't think I've ever seen from Elves, who are always so careful to only show their superiority to others.  Humility.

Most of the group looked genuinely humbled by the extended cheers.  One woman covered her mouth, eyes creasing in adoration as a little human girl at the base of the stage held out a flower.  She crouched, cupped the girl's cheek, then accepted the tulip.  She stood, a hand over her heart, and the crowd got even louder as the group took another bow and left the stage.

The rest of the celebration paled to that, except maybe when the little kid inside me had me clapping quickly in front of my chest in glee when the fifty-foot tree was lit, signifying the end of the celebration.

As the mayor said a few last words as the crowd started to disperse, we set up for the final weather report and signoff.  I shook my head, feeling a little woozy.  Had I locked my legs for too long or something?  My skin felt heated and a little tingly as I forced myself to focus as Walter started talking, I shook my head again as the world seemed to brighten and dim, then I had to cover my ears as the sounds of the crowd and city around me seemed to intensify to an almost painful level.

I tried to follow what Walter was saying but my pulse was pounding in my ears.  I tried to indicate the low-pressure system, uncovering an ear as the cameraman looked up from the camera at me in concern.  I almost fell forward staggering in front of the green screen and Lisa steadied me.

What was going on?  Was I having some sort of stroke or something?  I started panicking, my breath coming in short quick gasps.

Walter turned back to me, anger and confusion on his face. “What the heck is...”  He trailed off when I swear it felt like my skin rippled from my toes to my head to the... what?  No no no!  To the tips of my ears!

I covered them again and I could feel them moving higher and lengthening.  No, this was impossible!  The world got so much brighter and louder...  then it was over.  I looked up in horror at the monitor under the camera, to see my eyes almost glowing green and my long, pointed ears.

My heart was pounding in my throat as a detached part of me heard myself saying, “Son of a bitch, I've been Elfed!”

Chapter 5 – Upside Down

I was huddled in my room, my parents sitting on either side of my hands by my arms as I sat there, my arms pulling my legs to me as I rocked in shock and denial.  Hearing all the reporters, paparazzi, and Elf fans crowding our little street.  I could actually pick out individual conversations on the street through the wall, which had me rocking faster, my mind numb to the reality of what had just happened to me.

It was impossible.  I was too old.  My eyes weren't blue.  I must have been mumbling that out loud because mom was reassuring me and explaining, “It must be because you're only half-Elf, sweetie.  We didn't think you could manifest either, we prayed you didn't.”

Oh.

Then I made a realization as I stopped rocking.  If I were an Elf... half-Elf, then... my head shot up and I glared at my parents accusingly.  Half-Elf...  my parents were both pretty people, but dad... he had green eyes like me.  I accused him, “You did this to me?”

He chuckled.  “No Itty Bit, nothing was done to you.  You were just our miracle.  It isn't supposed to be possible for humans and Elves to have offspring.  It's only ever happened two other times in all of history.  We hoped, especially after you passed through maturity without it happening, that you'd never manifest.”

I looked at my whole life in a moment, looking for any clues.  How could they hide this from me?  I looked at dad again, the heartthrob of the neighborhood.  I accused again, “I should have known.  It was you.”

He and mom looked at each other and then broke out laughing.  I was having an existential identity crisis here and they were amused?  Then dad placed a hand on my shoulder and I pulled away as he said,  “Not me Kia.  One hundred percent, grade-A human here.”

I turned to mom and she shrugged in apology, she looked to strain, then get dizzy, then before my eyes, the woman who gave birth to me and nurtured me to be my own person my whole life, grew pointed ears and her blue eyes deepened and began to reflect light in that mesmerizing glow all elves had.  Well, all but me apparently.

She smiled sheepishly and made jazz hands, saying, “Ummm... surprise?”  And that's when I realized after all these years, why mom dressed so frumpy all the time and insisted on those hideous mom haircuts, she was one of the elves who were hiding from the Council?  I blinked, really taking her in.  She really was much prettier than she liked to show the world.

Then I asked the only thing I could bring to mind in this state of perpetual shock I found myself in,  “Why?”

She looked almost brokenhearted as she shook her head slowly. “We had to.  Had to stay hidden.  Had to hide you from the Council.”

Again, someone who sounded a lot like me asked in a smaller voice, “Why?”

Dad answered for her. “Two reasons really, but the predominant one was our fear that the Elves would have... killed you.  That's the fate of the other two halflings over the centuries.”

Was mom crying?  That broke me more than finding out I wasn't who or what I thought I was my whole life, and I pulled her to me and held her as she shuddered and cried.  “Shhhhh, mom.  Shhh...”

I took a deep breath trying to center myself as dad engulfed both of us protectively in his big arms.  The night so far after, well, after I Elfed, came crashing in on me.

Blinking as mom calmed, I whispered in horror, “Did I... did I manifest on the air?”

Dad snorted as I looked up at him, his eyes twinkling in humor.  “Complete with son of a bitch live on the air.  I was watching on my LaunPad in the truck as I waited for you to finish up with the broadcast.”

This got mom giggling as she carefully wiped the tears away from her eyes.  “I almost fell off my chair here at home.”  Then she sat up straighter, a look of defiance painting her face in determination as she turned to dad in realization, “Millions of people saw her manifest on the air, they can't disappear her now.”

I blinked in shock, though logically I already knew. “Millions?  Oh just shoot me now.”

We all turned to the relentless knocking on the front door downstairs, and the doorbell ringing.  We had all turned off our cells as they had been ringing off the hook after I ran from the weathercast.  Dad looked at me, making sure to make eye contact as I experimentally poked at the tip of my left ear.  “You good for now?”

I nodded and he stood, giving off a distinctive Wrath of Kahn vibe and... yes, it was a Star Trek reference, deal with it... he marched downstairs with purpose, ready to unleash the Renner Rage on the people invading our privacy during a stressful family moment.

My life as I knew it was over, wasn't it?  It was just turned upside down. And I'm sure I didn't have my internship anymore after that.  The FCC would penalize the station with fines for my profanity on the air, or even threaten to revoke their license.

As my shock slowly ebbed as we listened to dad read the riot act to everyone crowding our little yard, the events after I manifested and how I got back home came back to me.

I was just staring at the monitor in shock, trying to make sense of what had happened to me.  I heard myself whispering, “But... I'm too old.  No no no no...”

Then I was aware of Elf-stanners calling out and surging at the barricade as the police held them off.  “She Elfed!”

“Oh my god!  Her eyes!”

And in a daze, I looked up as Walter was practically screaming at the cameraman, “Did you get that on camera?  Tell me you got it on camera!  Peabody Prize, here I come!  Don't point the camera at me, get her!”

Lisa was suddenly between us, her arms wide while I just stood, my feet stuck to the ground as I tried to get a hold of myself.  “My god man, can't you see she's panicking?  Get the damn camera out of her face.”

What?  I saw our Channel 3 camera pointed directly at me and I looked around as the chaos kept growing as the other news crews realized what was happening by us and all the cameras were pointing my way as the reporters started yelling out questions my way as my heart was roaring in my ears.  Everything was roaring in my ears.  The sound around me was threatening to crush me and I put my hands over my ears and pressed then yelped.  They were so sensitive now and it hurt like hell when I did that.

I swear my right ear actually swiveled a little when I heard over all the din, someone by the VIP area conveying, “Someone over there manifested.”  Then Evander's unmistakable voice growled out, “Well get them the hell out of there before they're overrun by those crazy-ass humans.”

There were police radios in nearby cars squawking out about disturbances, a clock somewhere was ticking, the sound of my breathing and my heart pounding.  I squeezed my eyes shut trying to block out the world.

It was Lisa's voice urging me on that broke through my panic. “Get out of here.  Find your dad, I got this here.”

Then I was running between two news vans and leaping off an aluminum equipment case to run along the tops of the barricade as hundreds of camera flashes burned into my retinas.  The light all around me in the night hurt my eyes and stabbed into my brain like needles.  I stopped at a break in the barrier where the officers were stopping people who surged through, and I pirouetted on a toe.  Then ran, and spun, and danced across the shoulders of the surging people and leapt onto a police cruiser.

I glanced back as I hopped down on the opposite side and just ran.  I heard so many people calling after me, flashes going off, the police calling out for crowd control backup on their radios.  My head snapped over, and the sound of Gertie's engine revved, echoing off all the buildings in the glass and concrete jungle of Manhattan. I spun past some people as the news reporters sounded like they were gaining as they shot questions my way.  Then I ran to the only safety on instinct.  I ran for Dad.

I lost everyone when I cut through an alley, but I only ran faster, knowing it was my fight or flight instinct magnified and stuck in the shock and panic-induced flight mode.  Once I turned out of the alley, I swear I could smell our food truck nearby, and I started to turn toward it when a man and woman ran right up to me virtually silently.  Elves, wearing their family sashes at their waists and men in black suits, complete with dark sunglasses hiding their blue eyes.

The man reached for me as he said, “Come with us miss, we'll...”

I started to pull back but the Elf's hand stopped halfway to me, a big hand grasping his wrist.  I turned and relief like I'd never known before washed through me.  I whispered, my voice cracking, “Daddy?”

“Don't touch my daughter!”

The man looked from my dad to his hand on his arm, then strained against his grip and it didn't budge.  He looked shocked that a human could match the strength of an Elf.  And then dad shot a hand behind him pointing a finger at the female Elf who looked ready to grab him for touching her partner.  Without taking his eyes off the male, dad growled in a menacing tone, “I wouldn't.”

Then he shoved the man's arm away and pulled me to him, an arm around my shoulder as we turned to stalk toward the woman to Gertie parked just a few yards away.  “I suggest you don't get in my way.”  The woman's ears paled below the silver ear shields with their signature delicate silver chains looping down, and she took a step aside as we passed by.

Dad lifted me by my waist up into the passenger seat and closed the door.  Then he paused as lights and the sounds of running feet turning the corner, some excited teen yelling, “There she is!  Look, more elves!”

He glared at the elves who were talking into their wrists as they stood in front of our truck, reading out the license plate number to someone, and dad ran around past them to the driver's side and as he was getting in, the woman called out, “At least tell us your family.”

He chuckled cruelly and said, “Renner.”

The man replied, “No, your clan name.”

Dad smirked as Gertie rumbled to life, and he said in a normal tone, knowing they could hear as he put the truck in gear, “The move your asses or become roadkill clan.”  And they dove aside as Gert spun her tires for a moment before lurching off down the road.

I just stared at myself in the mirror on the back of the sun visor, still in denial.  I caught the elves relaying something about me having a defect, my eyes, as we sped down the road, dad turning every few blocks heading away from home.

I looked at him with pleading eyes, and he sighed heavily and asked with a sad smirk, “Eventful night?”

I just nodded and he said, “Just stay with me Itty Bit, we'll get you home after I make sure none of the news vans are following.”

I nodded and just stared into the night, trying to make sense of the world again, trying to make sense of my own life, and how it seems I wasn't who I knew myself to be my whole life.  My and dad's cells buzzed non-stop.

After almost a half-hour of driving around, Dad finally turned us toward home, and we found out that it hadn't mattered at all, since everyone knew who I was when we finally turned onto our street to find it full of news vans, police, and people all crowding the road and our little yard as the police were forming up to push everyone back.

Dad started honking the horn loudly, too loudly, painfully loud.  I had to cover my ears and I whimpered as he kept honking and driving slower than a walk, people parting the way.  Then he drove right up onto the little patch of lawn we shared with our neighbors and parked.

Police were there right away, holding people back as blinding camera flashes started up again and people started yelling out questions.  The part of my brain that was still semi-functional knew why there was such an uproar.  People Elfed all the time, less and less every day, true, but mine was the only Elfing on the air since the day of the Reveal.

He repeated something to me.  “Killishia?  Are you with me?”  I turned to him, and he looked more concerned than I've ever seen him.  I nodded dumbly and he gave me a reassuring smile and reached out to squeeze my hand.  “I was saying you need to stay in the truck until I get to your side.”  I stared at him and he prompted, “Alright?”  Oh... I nodded and he winked then was gone out his door.

A couple of seconds later he was on my side, pulling the door open and then scooping me up in his strong, safe arms and I curled up against him like his strength was my shelter.  He carried me as easily as he had when I had been just a little girl.  And he ducked down a bit to shield me from the flashing cameras and nodded at some police officers that surrounded us and pushed through the growing crowd to our front door.

One officer went in with us when mom swung the door open for dad to carry me in.  He handed me off to mom, and it didn't even register to me that mom carried me just as easily as dad had up the stairs to my room.

I heard dad thanking the officer as the man said they would clear out everyone they could, but they couldn't do anything about the reporters.  The officer said in a decidedly Brooklyn accent, “Here's my card, it has my cell on the bottom there, and the emergency dispatch line highlighted in yellow there.  Call if anything happens while I'm out there cleaning up this goddamn clusterfuck.”

“Thank you, Officer Alverez.”

“Forgetaboutit.  Just take care of your girl there.”

Then the door opened and closed, leaving me sitting there with my parents when dad joined us, which brings us up to now.  “Why didn't you tell me?”

Mom leaned in a bit to meet my eyes.  “Our family is a small one, your great grandparents decided that once the new world was settled, and the world seemed to be getting much smaller even as it expanded, that it was inevitable that Elves would be found out within a few short lifetimes.  And they left on a pilgrimage to this newly discovered land to break ties with the Council and life under the thumb of the two most powerful families and doing their bidding no matter how distasteful.”

Then she shrugged. “We've avoided them ever since.”  Wait, the new world?  That was hundreds of... oh yeah, Elves could live around three hundred years so it would have been in my great grandparents' time since I'm Elf... half-Elf.

“You were our miracle.  Normally Elves and Sapiens can't procreate.  It happened more often with Neanderthals and Sapiens, and it has only happened with Elves twice before in our history.  The Council deemed them a threat to the safety of all elves if our existence was discovered, so – they had them killed.”

She shuddered and closed her eyes as if fighting off a bad memory.  Dad laid a hand on her knee and continued for her.  “You were born before the Reveal, so we had more reasons than ever to hide from the Council and all other Elves.  You already stole our hearts and we'd do anything to keep you alive, especially after how hard you fought just to survive.”

I had completely forgotten about my prolonged panic attack as curiosity took over.  “Fought to survive?”  They had never told me much about the day I was born.  I always believed it was because there had been some sort of complications that left mom in the hospital for the first month of my life, and they didn't want to relive the memory.

Mom smiled at me the loving way she always did as he shared, “Your mother went into preterm labor at twenty-three weeks.  She was rushed to the hospital and they tried to inhibit the labor since there is only a ten to fifteen percent chance of survival for a baby that early in the pregnancy cycle.”

Mom hugged me to her and kissed the top of my head as he went on, “It was too late, you were in too much of a hurry to experience the world.  When the doctor handed you to me as he cut the cord, you were so small that you fit in one of my hands.”  He spread one of his large hands wide.

He chuckled, “It's why I call you Itty Bit, you know?  I couldn't believe just how tiny and fragile, at one pound two ounces.  And you weren't breathing.  And I felt so helpless as they took you from me to put you in the ICU Incubator and started trying to get you to breathe.  I had never known debilitating fear in my life until that moment.”

He paused and took a deep breath.  “And that's when your mother went into cardiac arrest.  There were massive complications from the birth and her body was giving out.  All I could do was stand there in horror and shock as my wife and daughter were dying in front of my eyes.  It didn't matter how big or strong I was, I was completely useless and powerless to do anything as the nurses virtually dragged me out of the delivery room as emergency personnel came running in with all sorts of medical equipment.”

I was staring, wide-eyed, my own heart rending as he relayed the story, looking so stricken, “It was almost thirty minutes later when the doctor came out removing his latex gloves, that my heart remembered how to beat again when he said simply, 'It was touch and go there for a bit with both of them, but they're both stabilized. Would you like to meet your daughter?' I must have cried tears of relief and joy for ten minutes straight as I stood beside your mother's bed, your incubator beside us, so many tubes and a ventilator hooked up to you.”

Mom smiled and grabbed his hand as she shared, “We hadn't talked names yet, we wanted to be surprised so never asked your gender.  But I told your father just then as I looked at our baby, our miracle, that I wanted to name you Killi'shia, or Improbable One in Elvish.  He agreed.  And you fought to be, to live, to thrive.  There were so many close calls until you were strong enough to get off the ventilator.  And after that, there was no stopping you.”

She cocked her head and listened to something, I did the same but all the voices outside beyond the walls were almost overwhelming.  She whispered to dad, “One of the officers out there said the Chief of Police has called the Elf Council.  We don't have much time to decide what we're going to do.”

I blurted, “Decide what?”

She continued quickly, “When the Reveal happened, it was like we could breathe again, you were an audacious and headstrong little girl then, and with the urgency of keeping the secret of the existence of Elves no longer a concern, we didn't fear them finding out about your existence as a death sentence anymore.  But we still hid our family from them, because we don't want to be subjugated by the Launs or Havashires any more than your great grandparents did.”

Dad added, “Besides, no halfling children have ever been allowed to reach maturity, and we weren't even sure if you would manifest.  And when you passed twenty then twenty-one and more and you didn't, we felt you didn't need to know about your mother then, my human or Sapien DNA as your mother says, won out.”

He smirked with a wry humor-tainted apology, “Until I was watching you on my LaunPad in the truck, waiting for the broadcast to be over so I could drive you home, and... well, umm, surprise?”

I was just blinking at them.  I said in a distant voice, “I need to know more about...” But mom cocked her head and placed a hand over my mouth.

She whispered, “They just said some Elves were pulling up outside.  They'll be able to hear us.”  Then she concentrated, looking almost constipated, then before my eyes, her ears seemed to relax, and rounded themselves as the unnatural brightness of her blue eyes dimmed to simply brilliant instead of borderline glowing.

I whispered, my eyes wide, “Magic?”

She shook her head as dad turned on the radio beside my bed and turned it up, causing me to shy away from it as my ears seemed to pull back, cocking away from the sound.  He whispered, “Not magic, simple biology.  We'll explain later when there aren't so many ears listening.”

He prompted with his eyes, I exhaled, centered myself, then nodded and he switched the radio back off.  Mom and I stood and followed him to my bedroom window, and we peeked out to see that there were only two police cruisers now and six news vans.  The police had dispersed the rest of the crowd.

We all pulled back just a little when the two Elves that wanted to take me in the city, stepped out of a black Mercedes which likely cost the gross national product of some small countries.  Their suits were immaculate and sunglasses looked out of place in the night under the streetlamp. They just stood there, hands clasped in front of them like they were on guard until the woman raised a hand and spoke into her cuff.  I blinked in shock when I realized I heard her. “Street, secure.  Send in the Eagle.”

I noted the male Elf tilted his head ever so slightly, and I swear I could see his ears cock our way too. While the reporters started realizing Elves had arrived and started to pull some of the cameras around.  I almost jumped when mom placed some earmuffs on me, I looked over to see her with a pair on too, and she had another one of those airhorns.  Where did she even hide those things?  My mom was so weird.

The two elves below seemed to stagger as they slapped their hands over their ears when she let out a long blast.  It still hurt like hell, but mom giggling so hard, holding her belly, and laughing as she fell back on my bed was priceless.  Dad wiggled his eyebrows at me and winged a thumb back at mom, “That's my wife there.”  Then he told her, “Wicked, love, wicked.”

I rolled my eyes as I took the earmuffs off and shoved his shoulder.  They were both as bad as a couple of kids.  But – I glanced out the window as the Elves were shaking their heads as if to clear them – they were funny as hell, and I loved them even if they kept this huge secret and have been lying to me my whole life.

The police were talking to the Elves and I tried not to listen in.  I felt my ears folding in again.  Holy crap, these things are directional.  Then a limo pulled up, and four more security personnel poured out, then after looking around, dad and I backed completely away from the window.  Holy crap, it was Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire... here... at our house.

After they spoke with the officers, the leaders of the two most powerful Elf families walked up the porch and we all just froze as there was a light knock at the door.  Dad just said in a normal tone. “Go away.”

Then he looked at me when Evander called out, “We need to speak with you and your daughter.  We can offer assistance and protection while we sort things out.”

Dad moved to the top of the stairs and mom and I huddled behind his massive frame. “My daughter isn't speaking to anyone tonight.  It has been traumatic for her.  When things calm down it will be her choice if she speaks with you.”

Natalia called out, and I wondered why they were being so vocal instead of speaking normally since they believed we were all Elves in here, “That isn't an option, your family owes allegiance to one of us as do all lesser houses.”

“We owe allegiance to no one.”  We followed him down to the front door, staying behind him as he peeked through the peephole.

They must have seen the flicker in the peephole or heard our steps through the door, because Evander whispered, dad, straining to hear, “We saw her defect in the newscast.  We know what she is.  And we...”

Dad swung the door open enough to stand toe to toe with the richest man in the world, the most powerful man in the world.  “You'll nothing.  Now leave us alone while we help our daughter through this.  You are not welcome here tonight.” My father made an imposing figure at six foot three, standing two inches taller than Evander as Natalia had backed off quickly three steps when dad had stepped out looking like wrath itself, her security stopping her from backing off the steps.

Mr. Laun held a stopping hand up when his security on either side of the door started to move toward dad.  I could hear our neighbors on the other side of the wall listening and whispering to each other about Elves at the door.

Evander looked nonplussed at the intimidating shadow dad cast.  He said in a low tone, eyes flicking quickly to where the reporters were trying to get closer but the police and Elf guards kept them at the curb, “My you are a big one aren't you?”  He gave a huff of derision as he looked at dad's ears, “And still hiding your heritage in this trash heap.  Everyone will know after tonight, can you keep her safe here? What are you?  With that build, I'd wager either the Korsivair or Petrov families?”

Dad smiled cruelly at him, speaking through his teeth, “Renner.”

The man looked moments from exploding in exasperation as he whispered, “We need your family name and affiliation.  There are procedures.  You know that.”

Dad said in a normal tone that carried to the cameras on us, “We're with the Get the hell off my property before I throw you off clan.  Buy a clue or a vowel man, you aren't speaking with my daughter tonight.”  He leaned in and Evander... flinched.

Then the man stood taller regaining his air of superiority and whispered, “Don't dig a hole you can't get yourself out of.”  Then he said to me in a normal tone, like he wasn't in a glaring contest with my father.  “Young lady, at your convenience, please submit yourself to a member of the Council.  I'll leave my card here for you to contact me directly.”

Natalia had recovered and stepped up, calling through the door around dad and... good god, did she just check dad out?  “And I as well.  I look forward to speaking with you.”

She placed a card on the porch railing when dad didn't move when she offered it.  Evander just stood there, a card held out, eyes not moving from dad.  Finally, dad gave a cruel smile and took it without looking.  Laun chuckled and said, “You know, I think I might like you, Elf, but don't push it.”  Then he turned and just marched away, Natalia taking his arm as they headed back to the Limo.

Mom said to me, “Cover your ears dear,” I did as she said as she stepped past me and out on the porch, airhorn raised high, and she let out a long, loud, painful blast that had all the guards and Laun and Havashire all clasping their ears, faces and eyes taut with pain.  Then mom yelled out like a grumpy old man, “Get off my lawn,” and broke into a hysterical giggle fit as my dad just grinned at her, pried the horn from her hands, and ushered her back inside, and closed the door.

We were silent for a long moment before I squeaked out, “They weren't on the lawn, mom.  And why does this costume reek even worse now?”  And we all cracked up in nervous, cathartic laughter.  God, I loved my parents.

Chapter 6 – Memes

It took most of the night for me to get to sleep.  We couldn't talk anymore because we knew that ears were likely somewhere nearby, listening.  So mom and dad convinced me that sleep was the best thing to recover from the shock and panic I had endured.  And when I did sleep it was fitful and restless, with me waking every half hour or so at every little sound in the neighborhood which I had never been able to hear until now.

I awoke to the sound of dad in the kitchen, the clinking of a whisk on a glass bowl.  The sounds of the neighborhood all around us.  It was bright out, what was dad doing still home this late in the morning?  I looked over at my alarm clock, it was four-thirty in the morning.  That's what got through my sleep-deprived, foggy head, and the memory and reality as to what had happened last night.

Reaching up, I timidly touched long, tapered, sensitive ears which were so very foreign to me.  They didn't belong on me.  I sighed and slipped out of bed and padded to my dresser and looked into the mirror on top of it.  Leaning in, I looked at my eyes, which seemed to be picking up the light of my nightlight and the light from the hall coming in from the half-cracked open door.  That light all seemed to reflect in my irises, casting the illusion of them almost glowing.

Gathering my long red locks back in one hand behind my head I turned my head side to side, looking at the ears that looked so alien, and out of place on my face.  I couldn't get a good look at them as they seemed to swivel as I turned my head.  I realized I was still listening to dad making french toast, and tried to ignore the familiar sounds.  My ears swiveled back almost hesitantly like they were as unsure as I was as to how they worked.

I took a good look and realized that for Elf ears, they were a little short and slightly blunted compared to most of the Elves I've seen.  Was that my human half, or did their ears... I swallowed and revised it to our ears vary from Elf to Elf.  God damn it, I'd Elfed.  For the past few years, I believed I was safe since nobody had manifested this late in their life.

Turning my head side to side I froze, realizing I had known what dad was making.  I sniffed the air tentatively and almost gagged at the assault of scents.  My dirty clothes pile in my messy room, the smell of foot sweat in my shoes by the closet door.  Various chemical smells and even the residual stink of the Santa-Girl costume mom had taken down to wash so we could get it back to the station.

Oh god.  The station.  I knew any chance I ever had at keeping my job there, let alone becoming an investigative journalist had been dashed upon the streets of New York as the reality of it all knocked me down and rifled through my pockets, taking everything before just leaving me there with no hope.

I moved to the window, finding it kind of amazing I saw so well in the dark now.  My other senses were distracting, overwhelming, and inducing the mother of all headaches.  I pulled the curtain aside slightly, to peek out onto the street.  There was a lone police cruiser, and a News 8 van at the end of the block, a camera pointed toward the house and the crew sitting in lawn chairs beside it.  There was a halo around the streetlight that looked far too bright.

Stepping away, I closed my hands, rubbing my fingers against my palms, satisfied that at least one sense wasn't in overdrive.  Besides my hands feeling softer than normal, I didn't seem to have any hypersensitivity in my sense of touch.

Looking at my hand and furrowing my brow, I returned to the mirror to look more closely.  My skin looked much... smoother?  Giving off a healthy glow, having an almost porcelain quality that was indicative of Elves, but... not quite.  I... actually liked it.  To me, it retained some of my – humanity – or sapienity since dad had been using the term last night.

That got me thinking.  Ever since the reveal, we've thought in terms of Elf and Human.  But, Elves were Human too, just a different branch of evolution from our ancestors.  Was it... was it racist to exclude them from humanity?  Was that why dad was using Sapien and Elf instead?  Damn it... who could I talk to about that?  Have I, out of my ignorance, been part of some sort of racist and bigoted attitude?

Just what I needed heaped onto me, not only did I have the mother of all identity crises crushing the air from my lungs, but now I was heaping an existential crisis on for good measure.  Way to go, Kia, you don't do things in halves, do you?

Well, I was up now and there was no getting back to sleep, so I may as well start small, with the things I have control of.  So I took a quick shower and got dressed before dad drove the food truck into the city.  He was already running a little late.  I had to bite back a shocked scream when the hot water first hit my ears.  I learned fast that the stupid things were already the most inconvenient thing about being Elfed.  Not only were they too sensitive to sound, but to every other thing in the world too.  How do the Elves put up with them?

I glanced over at my cell on my nightstand, hooked to its charger.  I had turned it off in Gertie last night when it and dad's were ringing off the hook.  I had to face it sometime.  I brought it with me as I headed down to the almost orgasmic smell of fresh coffee that overwhelmed almost every other scent in the house by then.

Mom was up and they were waiting for me when I stepped in.  Dad just slid a plate in front of my spot on our little kitchen table and said, “Eat.  You've been through a stressful time and your body needs fuel to help you recover, both physically and emotionally.”

Mom was sipping coffee and she just grinned and pushed another mug toward me with her finger. I groaned, “It smells even better than normal.”

Dad nodded as he joined us, setting a plate in front of mom, giving her a peck on the lips, then sitting and placing the last plate in front of him.  He slid the syrup over to me.  “Fresh coffee aroma and the smell of a good meal help to chase away the unpleasant smells of everyday life for Elves.”  Mom was nodding.

I opened my mouth to ask him how he knew that, and why he was letting everyone think he was an Elf instead of mom, but he held a finger to his lips, and mom lifted a hand to an ear to mime listening.  I sighed heavily.  Only an Elf could hear us through the walls, did they believe that one was out there listening?

After sighing, with a little nod, I just took a sip.  Scintillating flavor exploded in my mouth, playing over my tongue, and before I knew it, I was snarfing down the meal just to experience the enhanced flavors of it all.  And dad was right, I was ravenous.  I only slowed when I realized they hadn't said a word and were just watching me.  Were they amused?

I shot them a look, then I remembered my cell and fished it out of my pocket.  Squinting in pain I asked, “Should I see how bad things are?  I'm sure I have to go collect my things at the station after my ill-chosen words on live television.  The FCC is going to levy fines or worse.  Jerry Turner, the last reporter to slip on the air was booted to the curb so fast there was a sonic boom.”

Mom reached a hand over to squeeze my free one as I powered my cell up.  “Don't worry, Kia, you'll find something else.  Any station would be lucky to have you.”

I finished the last sip of my coffee, dad automatically pouring more into my mug as my LaunPhone booted.  Glancing up at him, I queried, “Aren't you going to be late?  You won't get a good parking spot if you don't...”

“I'm not driving the truck in today, Itty Bit.  I think helping you adjust is a little more important just now.”

I glanced over at the stack of past-due notices in the little basket by the fridge, he followed my gaze and mom said, “That's not important right now, Kia.”

My phone was ringing as soon as it was up.  I sent it to voicemail, then balked.  “Holy tangerines!  Sixty-three missed calls?  Eighty-one texts.  My email box is full.”

Scrolling through it was pretty much as I expected.  Just about every news station and even some entertainment networks had all somehow found my number.  All wanting interviews.  And work left some themselves.  Representatives from the Elf Council, and one each from Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire.  Then someplace called the Repository.   And I hesitated on the only ones that mattered, five voicemails from Lisa.

I scrolled through the texts next.  And right away, like a minute after I ran, Lisa had sent a text asking if I was ok.  That she tried to delay all the news crews.  Another few asked if I were ok.  Then one stated that the police wouldn't let her come to the house.  They had blocked the road at the intersection and turned her away.  The last one was about ten minutes ago.  “Well, anyway, I hope you're ok. The station manager is hounding me to have you contact them immediately.”

Exhaling, I squinted an eye as I tapped her contact info and forgot as I held the phone to my ear and a piercing pain lanced straight through my head when she answered on the first ring.  “Oh my god, Kia.  You freaked out last night.  I can't believe you Elfed.  That is so frigging cool!  Umm, unless it's not.  I mean I know how you... never mind.  Are you ok?  That was like a mob chasing after you.”

I had been holding the phone at arm's length, lowering the volume until it didn't hurt anymore.  Then held it back to my ear, hitting the tips and wincing in pain.  I mean, it's ridiculous, the damn things got in the way of everything.

“Hey Lis.  Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner.  I mean, I was sort of in shock.  I might still be in a little shock now, feeling a little numb like it isn't real.  I want to just hide my head in the sand until it all blows over.  I mean, people Elf all the time.”

“Oh, it's real, girl.  And I don't think you'll be able to escape it anytime soon.  I mean, this is sort of a historic event on broadcast TV.  The only time the world witnessed an Elfing was twenty-one years ago... the Reveal.  The stanners are all atwitter about your eyes.  Nobody has ever seen an Elf with green eyes.”

“I'm not an Elf.”  That was absurd since obviously, I was, whether I wanted to be one or not.  “Well I am, but...  I just want to go on with my life as nothing happened.”

I could almost see her squinting an eye. “Just don't look online or any TV channel then.  You're already famous.”

I groaned. “Do I want to know?”

“They're already meme-ing you.”

“Just shoot me now.”

She sounded almost afraid to ask, “So can we talk about this at lunch?”

I snorted. “I'm not going in.  You know what happened to Jerry Turner for profanity on the air.  Too many infractions can put the broadcast license in jeopardy.  I'm not going to give them the satisfaction.  I'll just work the food truck with dad while I look for something new.”

The line was silent for a moment.  I almost thought we lost the connection, and I held the phone out toward my parents, who had been leaning in to listen like I was showing them the silence on the line before Lisa said slowly in a tone conveying incredulity, “Umm... they wouldn't fire you for all the gold in Fort Knox, Renner.  Since you manifested on-air, viewership numbers have gone off the charts.  They're going to bend over backward to try to exploit you and get you back on-air as quickly as they can.  Before the Council gets a hold of you.  They somehow got my number and were asking all sorts of questions about your family, and what clan you hail from.  They didn't believe when I told them I didn't know shit.  They were kind of rude about it.”

They were hounding my friends now?  They didn't do that with Melanie.  Was it because we refused to tell them what they wanted to know last night?  Why was what our clan name was so important to them?  Well, scratch that, it was obviously so they knew which of the two controlling families could lay claim to us.  Hell, I couldn't tell them even if I wanted to, which I don't, since I don't have a clue.

I really needed to have a long, private conversation with my parents.  I had so many questions, and I felt what little I have learned so far just raised a million more questions.

Was Lisa right?  I shivered involuntarily.  Would the station really exploit me... for ratings?  I was a human being, not some sort of promotional gimmick.  They had better morals than that, didn't they?

She prompted, “Turn on your TV to Channel 3 now... hell, any channel.  But brace yourself, it is sort of startling.  I've never witnessed an Elfing before as you have.  But girl, you were hawt.”

I looked up and dad moved out to the living room and we followed.  He switched on the TV, already on Channel 3.  And instead of the early morning infomercials and the like which ran at this ungodly hour for normal people, were our late-night anchors in the middle of a story.

Nick was saying, “And here's the footage of WTRL Channel 3's very own Killishia Renner, manifesting as she Elfed at the Tree Lighting Ceremony just hours ago.”  And I watched the weather broadcast in horror as I saw myself behind Walter looking dizzy and disconcerted.  My eyes seemed to almost glow emerald as the points of my new ears slid up in place.

They froze the screen then enlarged my slack face that was pale in shock.  It was grainy, but there I was in that damn costume, eyes blazing and Elf ears on display.  Then I was running.  I had always been sort of freakishly nimble, klutzy but nimble.  But I was almost a blur on the screen as the cameraman tried to follow my flight.

Then I was running and twirling across the shoulders of the people in the crowd as if I were dancing on solid ground.  It looked effortless.  Then I was gone.  I took the remote from dad and changed the channel, and every station was reporting the same thing.  Had they submitted the footage to the AP?  I switched it off.  Silent.

Then blinked when Lisa spoke again.  I had forgotten she was still on the line.  “So, can I come over to make sure you're ok, Elf-ette?  Or will the police turn me away again?”

What?  Oh... “Yeah, come on over.  I don't know if... wait, don't ever say Elf-ette again, I'll staple your tongue to the teleprompter if you do.”

“Yeah, it sounded better in my head.  I'll be there in a jiff, I'm just a couple blocks away at the gas station, I sort of slept in my car.  I didn't want to go back home in the city until I saw you were alright.”

“So sayeth the work wife.”

“As it should be, it shall be written.”

I realized I was smiling.  Ok, she succeeded in cheering me up, she was well on her way from work wife to best friend status now.  Not that there was any competition since my life was so busy between work and helping dad out with the truck whenever I could.

Dad smiled as we hung up and said, “I'll let the officer outside know.”

I nodded and then sat on the couch, exhaling, wondering just how much my life was about to change.  A text from Lisa consisted of a smiley face emoji and a link to a clip on LaunCorp's Jitter social media platform.

I tapped it and wished I hadn't as I covered my eyes with a hand even though I peeked between my fingers at the trainwreck I witnessed on the screen.  Someone had posted a video meme of my Elfing, putting it to music, running it backward and forward on repeat with my voice being modulated with autotune saying, “Son of a, son of a, son of a bi-bi-bi-bitch.  I've been-been-been-been Elfed.  Son of a son of a son of a bitch.”  Then there were animated rainbow unicorns dancing to the clip.

I groaned as I stopped it when it started looping, mom was snickering.  I pointed her way. “This isn't funny, mom.”

She cocked a brow and said, “Son of a son of a...”

“Abigail, leave the poor girl alone.”  Then dad broke, not able to keep a straight face as he pointed at the phone.  “Though it was funny, Kia.”

I growled at them but broke into a smile.  I mean, hey, if you can't laugh at yourself, you're taking life too seriously.  At least that's what mom is always saying to dad and me.

Chapter 7 – Channel 3

It wasn't two hours later I found myself in Lisa's little hybrid car, against my parent's advice, heading across the bridge back into the city.  Of course, Mrs. Clemens was peeking out her window watching us, writing something on a pad of paper when Lisa and I had emerged from the house.

I kept my eyes down and dashed past the news crew who hounded us to the car.  The cameraman was holding the camera lens almost against the passenger side window as the reporter called out questions.  I held a hand beside my face shielding myself.  The brisk winter air was chilling my ears and I wished I had put on a hoodie instead of my usual faded jean jacket.

The police officer drove away from the house once we pulled out into the street.  My family was on our own now.  The news van packed up to follow us.  I was momentarily blinded at the street corner where a couple of teens were pointing our way and a flash from a camera went off.  They were wearing  Melanie Jericho fan club hoodies.

When I finally relaxed when her heater kicked in, warming my ears, I asked, “Tell me again how you talked me into coming into the station just to get my pink slip?”  Mom and dad had cautioned me not to go in until they were able to talk to me in private where outside ears couldn't listen in.  But the station was calling, texting, and emailing incessantly.  I figured I could at least gather my things from my shared cubicle in the bullpen if they were going to sack me after two years of grueling grunt work I endured while trying to make it up the food chain there.  I was going to make them say it to me in person.

She shrugged her shoulders, a smirk on her lips.  “It's a mystery.  My super-heroine name should be the Convincer.  I mean, just ask Tommy.  And... what's with your skin?  It looks amazing.  Is that an Elf thing?  I mean they all, or rather you all, have that porcelain skin but yours looks, I don't know, different.  Good but different.  Is it... umm... everywhere?  God, I can't get used to this.  Why aren't your eyes blue?”

I shrugged back, eyes wide. “Slow down, both loquaciously and speed-wise, lead foot, Louise.  How am I supposed to know?  This only happened to me a few hours ago.”  I bit my lower lip, eyes narrowing in embarrassment as I added, “Yes, everywhere, it's so weird. Can we change the topic?”

She sighed then her brow furrowed as she got calmly earnest, a mode she rarely ever dropped into.  “Sure... but seriously though, what's it like?  I mean... do you feel any different?”

Not really wanting to answer, I still thought about it for about the ten millionth time in the last hour.  I was afraid I was changed so much I was going to lose my identity.  I already felt like an impostor in my own life.  Taking a slow, centering breath I contemplated it again, then I shared as I really thought about the minutia of it all, “Not really.  I mean, my senses are dialed up to eleven, but I'm still me.  Gah, this sounds stupid.”  I almost whispered, “I'm scared to hell that it changed me more than physically, but, well, I mean... I still think I'm me.”

The serious, contemplative look on her face made me put on a cheerful attitude as I pointed at one of my ears that were swiveling toward the sound of a garbage truck in an alley we passed. “But these damn things seem to have a mind of their own.”

She smirked.  “They're kinda cute though.  Though I've never seen an Elf without those silver caps, those ear shields they all wear, so what do I know.”  I almost countered that I wasn't an Elf, but that wouldn't be true, now would it? Gaahhhhhh!

So I countered with a well-articulated, “Shut up.”

“Is that the vocabulary they teach you in journalism school?  No wonder you're still the coffee girl.” I snorted and shoved her shoulder.

She grinned in triumph and said, “Hey now, no accosting the driver if you wish to arrive in one piece.”

We drove past the station but didn't pull into the underground parking area because there, in front of the station were dozens of Elf-stanners dressed like Elves and holding signs with my name on them and big hearts, a grainy picture of my face from last night printed on the signs.  Building security was out there blocking them from the building entrance.

Lisa snorted. “Oh my god.  Besides not having a life, how the hell did they get signs already printed up?  Sooooo... loading dock?”

I sighed, covering my eyes when some girl squealed, “There she is!  Kilaya we love you!”  “It's Killishia, Einstein.”

Lisa adjusted her rearview mirror, “Are they really chasing the car?  Yer famous, girl.”

“I don't want to be famous.  How long is this going to go on?”

“Until something shiny catches their attention.  You're just the current shiny bobble.”

I looked over at her as we went around the block, leaving our pursuers behind, before zipping into the alley to head to the loading docks.  “Even before this, I didn't understand the obsession.  Am I missing something?  I mean, Elves are intriguing and all, but they're just people.  People who eat up that adoration for the most part.”

She cocked a brow as she parked.  “Seriously?  It is something new and alien in a dull humdrum world.  If Elves are possible, then what other wonders are out there we haven't found yet?  It's an escape for some people, to get lost in imagination around these beautiful people who are so different than us yet still so similar.”

It was my turn to cock a brow at her, and she held up a hand in defense. “I may or may not have imagined how glamorous it would be to live in their world when I was young.  Your world now...”

I exhaled loudly then we slipped outside and my ears cooled quickly, feeling the bite of winter.

We scurried up the ramp to the entry door located near the three huge rollup doors while I asked, my brow furrowing, “How does everyone know everything about me?  I mean, all the news stations are filling up my voicemail, the Elf Council too.  Everyone who crowded my street last night, and now they're here at work.”

She shook her head as she fished out her lanyard with her electronic ID.  “Well from the news reports it would be easy to find your house since they were all reporting from it.  But how they found it, well, reporters have resources as you know.  Same with your number.  And everyone in the civilized world knows where you work since our station is virtually bragging about it every few minutes on the air.”

I bit my lower lip in worry and she hesitated with her ID halfway to the scanner.  “Hey now, it will all settle down.  It's just been a few hours and it is fresh and new right now.”

“It feels like an eternity.”  Then I nodded once to her, she nodded back and buzzed us in.  “I may as well clean out my desk while I can.”

We moved past the carts of mail and packages that were ready to be brought down to her stomping ground in the mailroom.  The few staff who were in early like us were just watching us go, and I strained not to hear their whispers of, “There she is,” or, “She really is an Elf,” even one, “Fuckin' Elves.”

When we moved into the viewing theater of the newsroom, looking into the morning Anchors doing their thing.  The sound pressure that I realized had been pushing in on me eased in the sound isolated space.  I relaxed, realizing all my muscles had been tensed this whole time.  Then out into the halls, we went, heading up to the bullpen on the second floor where it was as busy as midday, and the sound pressure returned in spades.  My ears were swiveling every which way trying to isolate all the sounds and voices.

Lisa reached over to squeeze my arm. “Relax, Kia, you don't have to do this.  I'm sure they're not going to shitcan you... especially not now.”

Then we both froze when someone noticed us and they whispered to another person and it rippled through the bullpen and silence descended.  My cheeks heated and my ears burned, so I waved from my hip.  “Umm... hi.  Just cleaning out my desk.”  Nobody moved as they just watched me.  I saw the various monitors high on the walls displaying last night's fiasco on our network and all of our competing stations.

I almost jumped when Lisa broke the silence. “What are you all looking at?  Haven't you ever seen an Elf before?”  She shot them a Death Glare 3000 and I was impressed when they all slowly started getting back to whatever they were doing, one eye on me.

Just as I reached my desk, the elevator dinged and the station manager came marching out with purpose, one of his assistants almost scurrying along beside him in her professional, tight, calf-length skirt.

I grabbed an empty printer paper box from the copy machine outside of my cubicle, and started to gather my things on my desk, placing them in the box, then was wincing in pain when he snapped out, “Renner!”  Squinting in mock and real pain, I turned slowly to him as he stopped in front of us.  He looked first down at the box with my platypus bobblehead and the Collegiate Journalism award I won in my senior year, for a story I wrote about the sometimes shady politics involved in the food truck business, and then over to Lisa, who was sitting on my desk, legs kicking idly.

To her, he asked, “Shouldn't you be somewhere, Miss Rodriguez?

“Nope, my shift doesn't start for another half hour.”

“Let me rephrase myself.  If you still want to work here to make your shift, you'll find yourself somewhere else, Miss Rodriguez.”

She hopped off the desk and said to me, “I did all I could here, you're on your own, Renner.”  Then she was miming holding up a phone to her ear and mouthed, call me.  I rolled my eyes at her, always so dramatic, and funny.  Though I don't think her humor was winning her any points here, or her association with me.

I muttered as I put some notepads, with some of my research into real estate dealings with the Elves in Queens, in the box, “I'll be out of your hair in a few minutes, sir.  I'm just grabbing my personal items.”

He muttered, “Fuck, the damn Council got to you first?  They're whisking you away already?  They work fast. I don't suppose we could get Mary to do an interview with you before you leave?”

My head was spinning as I tried to catch up on this new tangent. “Huh?”  Articulate as always, Kia.  I shook my head as I caught up with what he was saying. “I was just being proactive since I know you were about to lower the boom on me for my on-air FCC violations last night.”

It was his turn to blink dumbly, shaking his head. “What?”  Then he prompted, “The Council hasn't lured you away with promises of fame and riches yet?”  Then before I could answer he smirked a little. “Why would you think we were letting you go for something so...”  He searched for a word. “...minor, Miss Renner... Kia, may I call you Kia?”

“Umm... yeah, seeing as how you have for two years now.  And, because you actually have an oversize custom inspirational poster above your desk that says, “Downsized: the result if the FCC calls about you.”

“Oh, that?  That's just a joke poster the Board of Directors made up for me.”

I muttered under my breath, “Tell that to Jerry.”

Of course, he caught it and narrowed his eyes, then waved a hand dismissively.  “So I take it you're staying if you still have a job then?”

Holding a pair of gloves and a knit cap I pulled from my bottom drawer, my heart beating faster as hope started to ignite deep in the pit of my stomach. “You mean I'm not fired?”

I looked up at him and his eyes flicked quickly away from focusing on my ears to my face. “Of course not, you're one of our most valuable employees in the...”

I sighed in resignation. “I'm one of the interns, sir.  Have been for two years.  I'm up for consideration for a permanent position soon.”

“Ah, that's right.  All those anti-Elf story submissions.  Consider it done, we need to find an on-air slot for you to cover the local events or something more high profile.  I'll expect you to do an interview with Mary in...”

I interrupted, “They aren't anti-Elf stories, they're highlighting corruption and entitlement which permeates the...”  I trailed off, the second half of what he said sinking in.  They were going to... my eyes narrowed to slits as I felt my blood heating, my fists clenching.  “You're not going to put me in front of a camera just because I Elfed!  Exploiting me by giving me something I didn't earn?  I'm working my way up from the trenches, and if I'm going to make it, it will be on my merits as a journalist, not because of these.”  I pointed at my ears, teeth clenched.

The only network in the world which had any Elf reporters was the cable channel ENN, Elven Network News.  He wanted me to be in front of the cameras for ratings, claiming the only local network with an on-air Elf personality.

He looked around the bullpen which was completely silent, a couple of workers had their cellphones out recording us, and I realized I had almost been yelling... at my boss.  He said in a lower tone, “Please, Kia, let's go to my office where we can discuss this.”

Fut the wuck, was Tobias Klien backing down?  The man has two Peabodies under his belt for his no holds barred, take no prisoners exposes he did on the White House a decade back, that's how he landed the station manager position here.

I looked around at all the eyes on us, on me, and I nodded then winced when he snapped out loudly, “Get back to work, all of you, the news doesn't write itself!”

He gave a practiced smile then made an ushering motion with a sweep of his arm, then he was leading me to the elevator, the cap and gloves still in my hands, the pencil skirt mincing behind us.  I got my wits about me and cocked a brow at her.  Really? Was she just trying to be as cliché as possible in that thing, or what?  She saw my attention on her and she looked away, a slight blush in her cheeks.  Please tell me she wasn't an Elf groupie.  It occurred to me when the elevator pinged on the tenth floor, that she hadn't yet uttered a single syllable.

The next two hours were the most surreal experience of my life, I reached up to touch an ear gingerly and revised that to the second most surreal experience.  I had negotiated a compromise with Mr. Klien, after refusing virtually everything he wanted of me.  I would not, in a million years, consent to an interview with anyone.  Not Channel 3, and not any other station that might approach me for my 'story'.  I was adamant that I wouldn't be their token pet elf for them to show off for ratings, I would work my way up from the bottom like any other reporter until I reached my goal of becoming an investigative journalist one day.  I wouldn't take anything I didn't earn.

We were getting nowhere until in frustration, I said, “Maybe I should talk to my dad or a lawyer, or even the station's lawyers to see if they can arbitrate or work something out.  This yes, no, yes, no whirlpool is getting us nowhere.”

It was almost like getting whiplash how quickly we came to a compromise neither of us was happy with.  Mom always says, “The hallmark of a good compromise is when everyone walks away with a black eye.”  My mom might be a little weird... but she isn't wrong.

Mr. Klien agreed to not pressure me anymore about doing an interview, exclusive or otherwise, with WTRL.  Though I lost my demand to be objectively evaluated for my upcoming review for the permanent position when my internship was over.  He was putting me on the payroll immediately after the army of lawyers could draw up our agreement to the terms of our messy, bloody compromise.

We came up with a compromise about putting me on the air.  After I calmed down and heard him out, he did have some valid points that went beyond the unprecedented bragging rights for the station having an on-air Elf reporter.

He mentioned, “You're going through and experiencing something that millions, if not billions of people around the globe couldn't even imagine.  As much as Elves have shared with the rest of us, they are still the biggest and most exciting mystery of our time.  And from what tiny bit you've shared, you never knew your heritage, so you lived life with the same expectations of the everyday men and women like the rest of us.”

The man cocked his head at me, really looking at me, then my ears and eyes, and sounded genuine for the first time since I'd met the man. “Your experience, your journey of discovery you're embarking on to learn of yourself and your heritage is valuable information.  Insights that can help people more understand the differences between the alien and alluring culture of Elves, and the day-to-day lives of humans... excuse me, Sapiens as you say.  See?  Right there, that's good information to make people reflect upon.  I'd never thought anything of excluding Elves whenever I said Humans, and it is true that we are all human, just different branches.  And I'm sure you'll be able to make others think by sharing your personal views on things as I'm sure the Council will be wanting to absorb you as they do after every Elfing.  And you could put people's minds at ease, sharing the things you can, and how you feel about them without disclosing anything the Elves wish to remain private of course.”

I nodded, he had made a lot of sense.  I know if someone else had gone through this all and shared it with the world, I wouldn't feel the gnawing uncertainty, panic, and swimming in a sea of my identity crisis right now.  And I wouldn't sit across from someone, asking questions, prying into my life, my psyche.  I know that's the job of reporters, but it was still my life.

I shared that by waving my arm, with a succinct, “I underst...”  My hand hit the coffee, which I hadn't had to get for once, which I had sitting on the little table beside the chair I was in, I hopped to my feet quickly, my leg shooting out to catch the mug on my outstretched foot with a little clink, only a little coffee sloshing out, but I had overextended and started to tip forward, so I turned it into a spin, snagging the mug from my foot to end in a crouch with my back to them as I carefully placed the mug back on the table, then held both my hands out toward it as if telling it to stay.

Looking back, I had to double-take at Mr. Klien and his assistants, their eyes all wide at the display.  He asked in a hushed tone, “Did your...”  He half raised a hand and aborted before he pointed at my ears, “...umm, Elfing increase your reflexes?  That was...”

Shaking my head I blurted, “No!” then I forced myself to calm and restated in a more normal tone, “I've always had good reflexes and agility, and thank the heavens, because...”  I squinted an eye in mock pain. “...well because I've always been a bit of a klutz.”

Pencil Skirt spoke for the first time in a low alto, which I chastised myself for expecting a squeaky soprano, “It's true.  She did something similar at the staff meeting yesterday when she handed out the coffee.”  She glanced from him toward me, a slight blush on her cheeks before she stood straighter and started her shorthand dictation of our meeting again.

To get the attention off my blunder, I continued on the original tack as I sat sheepishly back in my seat. “As I was saying, I understand and agree with your points, I mean, I wish there had been someone to alleviate my fears and answer questions when this happened to me, but I don't want someone asking me prying or personal questions which I may not be ready to answer.  I still haven't had time to talk about it with my parents yet, we need a safe...”  I trailed off, though I'm quite sure he realized the implication that my family may be being watched.  The Elf Council is many things, but subtle isn't one of them.

He pursed his lips, his eyes pinched in thought.  At least he was considering my wishes.  This was a hell of a lot better than where I pictured myself this morning, out of a job, and not knowing who I was.  Then he pointed a finger in my general direction, shaking it in the air as he proposed in a thoughtful tone. “What if we give you your own segment...”  He held up a halting hand before I could rail against preferential treatment just because I look a little different now.

The man defended, “Hear me out.  Just you, a couple of days a week, prime time...”  Again he held up his hand. “No anchors, no reporters, no questions.  Just a five-minute segment of you sharing your thoughts and experiences of being a young woman who was unexpectedly Elfed, and how it is affecting you.  Like an introspective.  Of course, we'd make it a WTRL podcast too, I'm double-dealing here because as much as I feel you have a unique experience to share with the public, ratings, and advertising revenue are the only things the board of directors cares about – and you're a goldmine, Miss Renner.”

Then he held his hands at eye level spreading his fingers wide and acted out reading a marquee, “Imagine Killishia's Musings.  Then you can share as little or as much as what makes you comfortable.  It's a good compromise, wouldn't you say?  I mean, neither of us get exactly what we want, so it must be good, right?”

I almost told my boss he sounded like my mom.  I nodded slowly as I contemplated it.  It still felt a little bit like entitlement, but he had made a convincing point of it, that it was an opportunity to share with others, and maybe make someone else out there feel that they aren't alone.

“Can I think about this?  I mean, I'm not thinking straight yet, after all that's happened...”  I added in a haunted murmur, “Am I even thinking like myself at all?”  I shivered at that, second-guessing everything I've done since last night.

He nodded slowly, the forced smile he wore everywhere not there, just a truly contemplative one.  Maybe he wasn't the elitist I saw him as at times.  “Tell you what.  It'll take a day or two for our lawyer mill to churn out a contract to reflect all of this, and then to get it approved by the board.  Why don't you take the time to get yourself situated with your new... well your new self, and talk with your parents.  Then if you're agreeable, I'm sure your lawyer will want to go over the papers before you sign.  So let's say this time Monday we can meet again and finalize it one way or another.”

He stood, walked around his walnut, steel, and glass monstrosity of a desk, offered his hand.  Why did he have to be so... reasonable about it all?  I wasn't completely happy, but I knew he wasn't either.  I stood, inhaled, centered myself, then shook his hand.

The man nudged his chin to the door. “Then get back to work, Miss Renner.”  I nodded, grabbed the hat and gloves from the table, and scurried to the door.  Pausing and wincing in a little pain but smiling to myself without looking back when he bellowed out when I opened the door, “Kia!  Where's my coffee?”

“On it, sir.”

Chapter 8 – Mr. Galen

I felt as if I had just endured an interrogation during lunch with Lisa after Tommy showed up to take us out to eat.  Uncharacteristic of him, as he was usually busy during the day selling factory second tees in Times Square at his curbside table with all the other merchants.  He was always wheeling and dealing, scoring great deals on merchandise and turning out a respectable profit.

He showed up in the lobby at noon and had Lisa and me paged, offering lunch, as long as it wasn't more than thirty-two dollars since that was his morning profit so far.  After more than a spoonful of whining for me to go, Lisa wore me down and I had agreed.

Not wanting to be out in the public with so many Elf-stanners watching the place, the knit cap which I had unearthed when I was cleaning out my stuff, conveniently hid my ears as well as protecting them from the cold air outside.  Lisa had produced some honest-to-goodness rose-colored Lennon glasses from somewhere to help hide my eyes.  I tucked my distinctive red locks up in the cap and we were off.

To be honest, it was sort of a relief to be out of the station, as everyone seemed to be staring at me everywhere I went, and the whispers were even worse since I could hear everyone on the floor and what they were saying about me.  There were so many theories, and not one of them held a grain of truth.  How did Elves do this all the time?  How did they ignore all the sensory input and not eavesdrop on private conversations, especially the ones about themselves?

I returned the thirty-seven bajillion texts my parents had sent so far, asking if I was ok.

Then it turned out my relief was to be short-lived, as Lisa's emo boyfriend had ulterior motives in asking us to lunch.  After they successfully smuggled me out of the building in a group of others heading out to lunch and then grabbing some loaded dogs in the Park, Tommy had interrupted the endless stream of questions about the meeting with the station manager, Lisa was bombarding me with.

It started with him pitching to me, my face on t-shirts, hopping up from the bench we sat on near the Balto dog statue and the huge Reveal statue of  Evander Laun and Natalia Havashire, standing regally and looking to the sky.  He had waved an arm wide as if revealing glowing letters as he said, “We'd have the exclusive and we'd make a mint.  Of course, you'd get thirty percent, it being your image and all.  I mean, you're an internet sensation already.  There's already fan groups dedicated to the green-eyed Elf on FaycePing and Jitter.”  What?

I shook the shock of the fan groups away, concentrating instead on his off-the-wall offer.  Was he insane?  Before I could even shake my head, Lisa was up poking his chest with a blood-red painted fingernail, “Oh hell no, Tom-boy, are you nuts?  You just heard her spilling about how she didn't want to be exploited.”  Then she hesitated, “And rewind your crime, what do you mean thirty percent?  It's her face, Skellington man.”

He defended as I smirked at how random tracks my fiery friend's mind worked on, “It was my idea and the shirts have to be printed and...”

I shook my head and said, “No.  Sorry Tommy, but no. Nobody is going to use my face for anything.  I just want to keep my head down and live my life.”

He looked between me and Lisa and said, “Sorry, my bad.  I was just thinking we could score a little scratch out of it all.”

Lisa and I exchanged a look then when we sat back down, I found it odd that Tommy sat between us.  And as we slipped back into our back and forth, Lisa prompted, “No way,” or “He didn't,” from time to time.  Tommy had shifted slowly until his leg was touching mine, I moved my leg away to find it wasn't an accident when he reached down for his messenger bag to adjust it between his feet, his leg meeting mine again.

As I slid away, it hadn't escaped Lisa's notice as my  Latina friend stood, “Oh hell no!”  She snapped in his face causing him to jerk back, “What the hell is wrong with you, perv?  She's my friend, and right in front of me?  You thought that just because she's an Elf, she's lost all sense in her head so you'd have a chance?  When I get home tonight, I better not see you or your things in my place, or they're going out the window.  Kapish?”

“Lis, come on, it was an...”

“Get out of my sight.”  She wasn't having any of it as she pointed away from us looking away from him.

I was feeling that panic which hasn't quite left me since I Elfed rising again as I started wringing my fingers as he spat out, “Fine!  I don't know what I saw in you, to begin with,” and he scooped up his bag and stomped off.  Leaving a parting, “Call me if you change your mind about making a buck or two, Kia,”

Lisa turned to me, a pained look on her face and I grabbed her hands, “I'm so sorry, you didn't have to...”

“Oh yes, I did.  There's no call for him to be pulling that shit on you.  We weren't long for the world anyway, he's been saying I'm too aggressive and there's only one man in our relationship.”

Ok, I snorted at the wild eyes she shot me, biting her tongue as she grinned, though a little part of me saw her bravado for what it was.  A defensive mechanism.  The stupid boy had hurt my friend, and I feel at least partially responsible.

She looked at her cell and exhaled, saying, “Well, now that lunch is ruined, we should scoot.”  She showed me the time and we gathered the remains of our lunch, tossed everything into the trashcan at the end of the bench, and headed back to the station.

We were quiet the rest of the way back, but not uncomfortably so.  She didn't want to talk about it yet, the sting from pulling the bandage off was too fresh, and I could respect that.  I had thought she had a good one in him until he just pulled that crap.

Then as we approached the station, I dragged her to a halt thirty yards from the small group from the morning, holding up signs by the doors, my blood running cold as I beheld my biggest nightmare, even bigger than the one with crushed glass, sandpaper, and salt.  You know the one, we all have it right?  No?  Well whatever, it was a nightmare of Lovecraftian proportions.

Lisa spoke my mind, “Dafauq?”

I took the glasses off to behold the thirty-foot wide screen above the main entrance that usually displayed the call letters and the current newscast in one corner.  Instead, it was replaying the scene from the Tree Lighting, freezing on my face in all its half-Elf glory.  With my name and “Channel 3 Exclusive” emblazoned below it.

My friend just nodded slowly, her mouth agape, then said offhandedly, “Well, that just happened.”

Before I could say anything, someone squealed out, “It's her!  It's Killishia.”  My eyes snapped to a teen girl who was pointing.  Some flashes went off from paparazzi, then some of the Stanners started jogging our way, some calling out, “We love you!”

A moment later, I was being dragged off by my elbow, Lisa saying, “Loading dock!” My shock receded, bringing feeling back to my extremities, and we ran.  I was pulling her along until she started stumbling, “Slow your roll, Elfy!  Some of us aren't Elf fast.”

I slowed and growled at her, “I know, again, sounded better in my head.  I gotta come up with a catchy nickname.”

“No... you don't.”

We darted past her car and up the ramp and badged in.  Shutting the door as the pack reached it.  We looked over to the monitor for the dock cameras to see a portion of the mob just outside, looking disappointed.

We made our way through the building, which was busier than normal, people stopped to look at us and make room for me to pass by.  It was unnerving.  Then we finally split ways, as she headed down the stairs, saying, “See ya in the bullpen after my shift, I don't think you want to be riding the subway home.”

I nodded, waving her off as I started up the stairs, calling after her, “Thanks, Lis, and... I'm sorry about Tommy.”

I snickered when she cut herself off in the middle of saying, “Ain't no thing but a chicken wing,” realizing that one was lame.  She was so full of weird sayings, and that's what made her tops in my book.  She and mom could write a book of odd things to say with no filter.  Then I snickered louder when she said in a normal tone, knowing I'd hear even with three floors between us in the stairwell at the time as I jogged upwards, “Oh shut it, woman.”

I exhaled as I stepped into the bullpen.  When I got to my desk I was going to find out who was responsible for the screen up front and... oh balls, could this day not get any more stressful?  Coming off the elevator was Mr. Klien, looking to be gnashing his teeth as he gave the man beside him, and two bodyguards with one of our security personnel trailing behind a reproachful look.

Why couldn't the world just leave me alone?  Everyone had stopped what they were doing to watch our boss lead three Elves to my desk.  I didn't recognize them, and I sighed exhaustively as they stopped in front of me.  He was an older Elf, with silvering hair, and brilliant blue eyes like all the others, the two bulkier, muscular Elves with him looked almost like they were made by the same cookie-cutter, they could almost be twins, their blonde hair so light I would almost believe they were albino brothers.

The ears on all three easily twice the length of mine, the silver shields with the delicate curtain of fine silver threads hanging from them, indicative of all elves, gleamed in the overhead lights.  And their sashes on their waists displayed their family colors, though I couldn't identify any colors but the two major families if you paid me.

I already knew what was happening, especially judging by the aggravation rolling off of Mr. Klien like a wave as he spoke, “Miss Renner, these are representatives from...”

The elder man cut him off. “The Elf Council has sent me to retrieve you and your... father.  It is procedure for unregistered Elves to be put into the system and lineage be read, allegiances affirmed.”

He had almost ground out the word 'father' when I could tell he was going to say parents and seemed annoyed about it... or maybe worse as he eyed me as if I were defective, his eyes lingering on my eyes.  I eyed him up and down in a similar manner.

Klien said to me, eyes surprisingly conveying that he had my back as he said almost tonelessly, “The Council has requested we excuse you to accompany Mr. Galen here today.  Unless you'd rather not.  Station lawyers and security can make sure you aren't bothered if you prefer not to.”

The man, almost expecting this, pulled papers from a breast pocket in his multi-thousand dollar suit coat and just held them out loosely to Klein.  He took them and looked through them as this Mr. Galen explained to him without taking his eyes off of me.  “In accordance with the Reveal Accords, Sapien institutions cannot interfere with the inner workings of our Council or culture, pursuant to the Constitutional Amendment declaring us a landless sovereign entity.  I'm sure Judge Mendez would be happy to explain it to you.”

It hadn't slipped my notice that the Cookie Twins had moved ever so slightly to bracket our security guard without him noticing.  Just what I needed was for the station to get in hot water for breaking tenets of the Accord, but Mr. Klien didn't look to be intimidated in the least.  I asked, noting a waver in my voice that I hated hearing when I wanted to sound strong, “And what if I don't go?”

He shrugged pulling what looked like calfskin gloves off his hands and putting them in his pocket. “Then it would seem your father will have to speak on your family's behalf alone,” he checked the data screen on his LaunWatch, “As he's just been retrieved from your residence to meet you at the Elf Council chambers.”

They had dad?  Evander had said last night he knew what I was, so they still thought dad was where I got my Elf heritage.  If mom and dad were hiding her still for some reason, I wasn't going to tip their hand.  Damn, we really needed to go somewhere to talk in private so I could find out what the hell was going on.

Exhaling I shot my boss an apologetic look. “I'll go with you if only to make sure dad is ok.”

“Why would he not be ok?  Elves look out for their own.”  His tone implied Sapiens didn't.  Then he looked genuinely confused as his brow creased when he added, “I don't understand your reticence, you should be celebrating.  We only wish to embrace you into our community, there are so very few hidden Elves left, detached from our great culture.  Your life is about to become richer, expanded beyond your dreams.”

I told Mr. Klien, laying a hand on his arm, “Sorry.  I'll get back as soon as I can.”

He nodded and said, “Don't be silly.  He's your dad, take all the time you need.”  That was surprisingly reasonable.  Then he slapped the papers in his hand. “In the meantime, I'll get these to our legal team.”  I winced in pain from the loud sound, but noted none of the other Elves winced, had they developed a tolerance for sound over time?

Mr. Galen stepped aside and made an ushering motion as his bodyguards split to allow us through.  I glanced back at my boss with an apologetic look as I went with them, feeling oddly like a prisoner even though none of them touched me.  I noted that they didn't even get too close to me, what, did I have halfling cooties or something?

The station manager must have signaled our security guard since he trailed behind to the elevators, and wordlessly rode down into the underground parking garage with us.  Just outside the elevators, blocking most of the aisle, was a Mercedes limousine.

A tall, skinny Elf with an honest-to-goodness chauffeur's cap opened the back door for us, I looked around then slipped in, followed by Mr. Galen, then the bodyguards slid in on the bench seat across from us and the door was closed.  It wasn't lost on me that the doors locked right after.  I prompted, “Why didn't we just walk?  It's less than three blocks away.”

The international headquarters for the Elf Council was in Laun Tower, across the street from the equally impressive Havashire Spire. Both buildings are oddly the exact same height as each other, at ten feet taller than the Freedom Tower at One World Trade Center.  Yet were of wildly differing architecture, the Laun Tower was gleaming glass and steel, while Havashire Spire was designed to resemble the architecture of a bygone era, like the Empire State building.

The man didn't answer, giving me an appalled look, like walking was beneath him.  He was doing a good job of cementing my opinion of the elitism and entitlement I viewed the Elves having before I found I was one of them.

I looked over to the Cookie Twins. “What's your names?”

They looked from me to their charge, and the man said, “It isn't becoming to speak with the help.”

Challenge accepted.  I thrust my hand forward. “Killishia, Kia.  Pleased to meet you.”

The one on the right looked from my hand to me, then to Galen, then reached out a hand as large as my dad's to shake tentatively. “Ivan."  Then he nudged his chin to the other man. “Pietor.”

Russian names and accents... I took a chance from what I overheard Evander saying last night, “Korsivair or Petrov I presume?”

He looked down at his sash as if I should know the colors. “Korsivair.”  I nodded, giving him an apologetic look for being ignorant of their culture.

Then we just all sat in super awkward silence for the very short drive to the Tower.

Chapter 9 – Tana Laun

We didn't head down into the massive underground garage, which even had a subway platform installed, since this was one of the most visited buildings in Manhattan since the Elf Council Chambers were in it.  The Council themselves paid for it when the City Council said they couldn't free up the funds to do so.  It was two years after the Reveal and the Elves weren't as popular back then, else the City Council, who I believe is in the back pocket of the Havashires and Launs now, would have approved the platform with alacrity.

Instead, when we arrived, the limo pulled into the porte-cochère, at the main doors, it was even grander than most of the hotels on the island.  Our junior high civics class went on a field trip here once, and it had been magical before I started to see there were two sets of rules in life, the ones the Elves followed and the ones the rest of us had to.

I was on the cusp of being one of the girls having posters of the more famous Elves on my bedroom wall, but it was what happened after to the two people I knew had Elfed, that I started to question things.  The more I dug, the more imbalanced everything seemed, from business dealings, permitting, or even social values, that I started to get another picture than the one projected to the rest of the world.

In college, one of my classmates said it was just sour grapes.  And I have to admit, I've second and third guessed my thoughts on the subject ever since.  Am I just looking for connections that might not be there, or am I seeing what I think I am?  Just the reaction to the missing Elf body that our station didn't assign a reporter to, tells me I'm not alone.  Mr. Klein had indicated they'd just be stonewalled by another cover-up if they looked into it.

Looking around as the car stopped, I noted that there weren't crowds of people milling about trying to catch a glimpse of all the influential Elves and other movers and shakers who came to meet with members of the Council or other high ranking Elves.  I would assume it was their massive security force in the building that was larger than some town's police forces, and the presence of a small NYPD substation down in the subway station below the street.

The door opened to the actual red carpet they had out for all the world dignitaries who frequented from the nearby United Nations, and the tall chauffeur offered a hand to me.  I wasn't used to things like that, and my cheeks warmed a little as I accepted his help even though I didn't need it.

I said, being my awkward self, “Umm, thanks...”

“Clifford, miss.”

I shot him a grin. “Thanks, Clifford, I'm Kia.”  He smiled back, almost sheepishly.  Then I was eeping when big hands gripped my waist, surprisingly gently, from behind, and lifted me off the ground slightly to move me aside.  I looked back at Ivan, my eyes wide as he finished unfolding from the limo.  Oh!  I had been in the way... just kill me now.  Pietor followed and his eyes swept the area before he moved from the limo door opening for Mr. Galen to step out.  Wow, they took their jobs seriously.

I squinted an eye up at the stone-faced Russian, and I could see he wasn't as composed as he projected, as the corner of his mouth was twitching in a repressed, amused smile.  Ok, maybe all Elves don't have the huge stick up their butts that Galen did.  I moved the Cookie Twins, and Clifford, into the 'They're ok' list in my head.

Then the elder Elf stepped right past me, walking briskly and saying, “This way, Miss Renner.  An ambassador will be assigned to you to assist in your orientation process.  The Council is assembling now in Chambers and you and your father will be called when they are ready to receive you.”

I felt almost like I was scurrying after, and slowed myself.  The man wasn't my boss, so why was he acting as I should just obey him?  The only reason I was here was to not cause a scene between the station and the Elves, and the fact they said dad was coming.  He glanced back to see I wasn't moving to catch up.  Schooling the annoyance on his face, he waited until I was beside him and then led the way.

Chewing on my lower lip as the female doorman, her ears standing high opened the door, and we stepped through into the cavernous lobby, that looked the same as I remembered.  And just as busy.  There had to be hundreds of people moving about around and above us in the open, three-level space.

We bypassed the front desk security and instead went behind it to where three security guards stood by an elevator emblazoned with “Private elevator, authorized persons only.” on the doors.

We stepped in, only Ivan joining us, and Galen slid a card in the panel at the door that had no other buttons.  I noted Ivan, standing non-obtrusively behind us, kept a portion of his bulk between me and his charge.  Was I a threat to a man who, while likely twice my age, still out-massed me almost two to one?  And I was quite certain, with his precise movements, he likely didn't require guards at all.

I moved slightly and almost casually, Ivan matched me.  I moved back and he resettled to his original place.  I grinned to myself and caught the big man, eyes forward, grin too.  Heh.  I blinked and turned when Mr. Galen cleared his throat. “If you two are done.”  The elevator dinged, and I was glad I was still wearing my knit cap as it not only protected my new ears from the cold outside but muffled the sharp chime from being painful.

I blinked at the white number that seemed to glow in the polished steel of the elevator wall itself.  We had already reached the ninetieth floor?  I hadn't felt much acceleration at all, it was bordering on opulent technology, being so smooth.

We were just a floor below the three-story penthouse the head of the Laun family lived in, which was said to have the most spectacular view of Central Park on the pool deck on the roof.

I felt, with the uniformly spaced doors, carpeted hall broken up by ferns in ceramic vases and occasional small tables with flower arrangements, along with the brushed steel walls, like I were in a hotel corridor.  I glanced in one that had a door half open and a maid vacuuming, and I revised my observation as it looked like some high-end living space, like in a mansion.  It wasn't lost on me that the scent of flowers was not as overpowering as the flowers from a florist cart I passed at lunch that were so pungent.

Getting myself back on track, I prompted, “Do people besides the Laun's live here?”

He turned to me as we stopped at a room with a purple door, and as he opened the door for me, he said, “At times.  These spaces are reserved for guests of the Council.  I suggest you take the time to freshen up, and maybe dress more appropriately until your ambassador arrives.  There's a lot of etiquettes they will need to impart to you for the meeting.”

My mouth was gaping like a fish out of water, not knowing how to respond to the slight in his words, when he smiled with what was likely decades of practice, almost looking sincere as he told me, “Let me be the first to say, welcome home Miss Renner, your life is about to get so very much better.”

My brain finally caught up with my ire and I opened my mouth to say... well ok, maybe I didn't know what I was going to say, but I didn't get the chance anyway as he just stepped back out the door and closed it behind him.

Hmm...   I stared at the door then tentatively reached out, afraid it would be locked, then opened it.  Ok, too many horror movies in my diet.  I opened it more and peeked around the door to an empty corridor.  Ok, neat trick, where had he gone?  I quickly pulled up my cell to look at the time but the screen was blank.  There we go, that's not creepy at all.

Then I turned around and gasped.  It was a bedroom like no other, and I could see at least three attached rooms through open arches in the space.  This was some Cinderella crap, and I narrowed my eyes, realizing that that was exactly it.  This was part of their “Look at the fantastical world you are part of now” shtick.

I stepped deeper into the room, which in itself was at least the square footage of my entire house.  I looked into each of the other rooms.  It was like a self-contained apartment on steroids.  The walk-in closet was the size of my bedroom and I hesitated, looking at all the designer clothing on five rails, and three rows of gorgeous shoes of all types.

It had me feeling very self-conscious as I looked down at what I was wearing, then closed one eye as I raised my arm and discreetly sniffed, lowering my arm quickly as if someone could see.  That had me narrowing my eyes and I looked to the ceiling.  Then went out into the sitting room and found two cameras.  After going through the entire space, I found the only private areas were the closet and the huge bathroom.

I noted a landline phone in the sitting area, and moved over to sit in a chair beside it, sniffed myself again, ok maybe I was a little rank, but just because my senses were dialed up so high now.  I grabbed the phone handset and realized there was no way to dial it.  I held the receiver to my ear and someone said, “Guest services, how may we help you?”

I looked around and up to a camera. “Umm... is there any way to get an outside line here?”

“Of course, miss, what number please?”  So any calls would be monitored since my LaunPhone was conveniently disabled in the building.  Or was I being paranoid?

I gave her my mom's number and then the line was ringing.  I hung up, realizing I shouldn't speak with her from here with ears listening in until I knew what was going on with my family.  It was all absurd, I exhaled, shaking my head.  It isn't like some sort of spy novel, Kia.  It isn't like everyone is crowded around a screen somewhere, seeing how I'm reacting to all this.  They're just a corporation, a huge one granted, but not some sort of secret society.

Chuckling I stood to pace, then someone knocked at the door.  It seemed like time had been going slowly as I waited and explored, but it was probably only a couple of minutes I had been alone in the room.

Before I could get to the door, it opened and I found myself blinking as the stunning young woman, about my age, strode in like she owned the place.  She was an Elf like no other.  Nothing like the perfect, polished, and proper Elves who dressed in unimaginably expensive designer clothing.

She strode right up to me, offered a hand. “Let's get this crap over with.  Dad assigned me to be your ambassador.  His lame attempt to try to get me to get more involved in the tedious political games he wants me to get involved in before they force me to take over when he retires.”

I stared at her hand, then her as she finished, “Tana.”  I was still blinking like an idiot as I took in her unorthodox looks, not much of what she said registering until she chuckled. “We were all gathered around the monitors to see what you'd do.”  Then she added almost thoughtfully, “You're the first one to not start squealing and start jumping on the bed and shit.  You're Killy?”

My cheeks were on fire as were the tips of my ears and I didn't know why as I took her in.

She seemed to be about my age with jet black hair which hung down in a plume over her left eye, with undercut shaved sides, its layers allowing blood-red locks to peek out from underneath.  She had over a half dozen silver piercings in her brows, lips, and an adorable little silver ring in her nose.  Her almost understated black eyeliner made her big crystalline blue eyes appear larger than they were, almost like in an anime.  Thin, gossamer-like silver chains led up to silver pointed caps of her ear shields, some Elvish runes adorned each in delicate carvings.

Tana wore stylish torn black jeans that looked almost painted on, and ironically a black Hello Kitty tee topped with a studded black satin belly length jacket.  To finish her look, she wore black combat boots with what looked like more elvish runes painted on them in silver.  I'd never seen an Elf like... well... like her before.

I swallowed, my pulse beating in my ears like I was running an impromptu marathon.  I was feeling flush as I shifted from foot to foot, warm in all the right... oh dear lord, was I aroused?  I was just staring at her, abort Kia abort!

She snapped me out of it when her eyes went wide in surprise as she said, “Holy shit, they are green.”  Then she got a sly smirk on her glistening lips as she added, “They're gorgeous for a defect.”

Ok, all the pleasant feelings my body had just been experiencing vanished at that.  “My eyes are not a defect!  And never call me Killy, it's Kia or Killishia.”  I looked down from her face as I huffed, my eyes landing on her sash.  Then a mini panic exerted itself in my head as I froze when I realized it was one of the few color patterns I knew.  My mouth was blurting before I could stop it, “You're Tana Laun?  Daughter of Evander and Marcillia Laun?”

There was a huge portrait of the leaders of the Laun family in the lobby.   Evander and Marcillia, their firstborn, Tanaliashia, heir apparent, and her five younger siblings, Marcillia holding a baby on her hip.  Only, in the painting, the glamorous punk rock Elf princess in front of me had looked so prim and proper in her dress and dark hair that matched her parents, almost Stepford daughter-like, basically the polar opposite of who stood in front of me, insulting me.

She chuckled, causing a pit of anger to start to kindle in my gut, and she defended, “Whoa there, how can you support the weight of that chip on your shoulder?  It wasn't an insult.  Sure the others say you're defective, what with those amazing eyes and those adorably stubby ears, but I say screw them.  Different is good, and who are they to decide who's defective?  Maybe we're the defective ones, always fronting and shit.  So I see it as sort of a badge of honor.”

Adorably...

Then she gritted her teeth as I digested what she was saying, “And yes, I'm that Tana.  Now let's get to work, I'd never hear the end of dad's incessant accusations and recriminations if I didn't get you downstairs.”

I raised my eyes, she sounded mad about her own identity.  She didn't seem to be pleased with the fact she was heir to one of the two biggest, private corporate empires in history, worth trillions.  I took a moment to take her in again.  She was rebelling, expressing some individuality in an otherwise homogeneous Elvish community.  She didn't seem thrilled about her dad, so maybe there was hope for this confusing woman.

I pouted. “I'm not a defect.”  Lame, Kia, just... just shush.

She made finger guns and winked. “Gotcha, agreed.  Now I have to get you to the sublevel medical before you can enter the Council Chamber.”  Then she cocked her head slightly, smirked, her eyes twinkling in humor as she added, “You might think about a quick shower, you stink.”

My eyes widened. “I do not... well I guess I do a little, but only because of my heightened sense of smell.  Everything stinks.”

“Do I stink?”  It was almost a challenge.  But I had been trying to ignore the scent of Elf, musk, and some sort of flowery oil coming from her.

“Just messin' with ya Killy.  It's hard for the newly manifested.  But your parents should have told you this stuff.”

Was she picking at that sore spot in my psyche on purpose or... she blurted, “Oh my god, you didn't have a clue, did you?  What, were your parents in denial or something, thinking you'd never manifest or something?”

I stiffened. “Holy shit, that's it, isn't it?  Well hot damn, a virgin.  This doesn't happen often.”

It was all I could do to stop my mouth from blurting out that I wasn't a virgin.  That's not what she was saying, but it hit a little close to home since, well, I wasn't very active in the dating department.  I mean, mornings helping dad with the truck, then school, and working odd jobs after school left no time for stuff like that.  And now I had my internship.  So I've never... why was she looking at... oh she was expecting me to follow her.

I stepped quickly past her, fisting my hands as I chewed on my lower lip.  Just as I reached the door she said, “Is that what you're going to wear to the Council?  Nice.  But you might want to lose the cap, it's not...”

She was so frustrating.  Why was she teasing me so much about, well, everything?  I wasn't from her world and didn't have all this etiquette and procedure hammered into me like a good little Elf drone.  I yanked the knit cap off in frustration, then fell to my knees feeling white-hot pain lancing through me when the sensation of the rough knit pattern dragging across my ears felt like I was tearing them to shreds with a meat grinder.

I whimpered, not able to scream like I wanted to as my hands shot up to the sides of my head, just to be stopped by someone else's hands.  “Dear Lord, woman!  That was stupid.”  Then the pain was replaced by an overly pleasant warmth rushing through me from where her heated, soft fingers delicately rubbed my ears soothingly.  A shudder of pleasure rippled down my spine as I gasped softly, frozen in the feeling of her gently massaging my ears.  It felt almost erotic to me, washing away all the pain I had inflicted upon myself with my brash unthinking act.

I looked up and her eyes widened and she inhaled sharply, quickly released my ears, and stood, looking away and speaking rapidly, “Umm... your ears are many times more sensitive after manifestation.  Your parents should have...  that's right, you never knew.  Well, just don't be so stupid in the future and... just protect them.”

Standing, she didn't look at me as she dug in the pocket of her jacket, she turned and passed something to me, not making eye contact.  “Here.  These are my spares, they were the first ones I wore after I manifested.”

I swallowed as her hands touched mine to press warm metal into my palm, she looked up and met my gaze again.  She shook her head and tilted it a little to the left, saying almost to herself, “Are they green because you manifested so late?”

I didn't know what to say, her dad seemed to know I was a halfling, but she didn't?  Should I tell her?  Or was it more prudent not to talk before I saw dad?  I glanced down into my hands and blinked at what I saw.  Oh.  Gleaming silver met my gaze.  There was a set of well-worn, polished ear shields that looked like a simpler set than she wore now, but just as stunning nonetheless.

I looked from them to her, and she looked to be trying to act aloof.  I picked one up and examined it, surprised to see what looked like downy fur on the inside of it.  I lifted it halfway to my ear, the gossamer chains swishing.  She gave an expectant half nod, and I shuddered slightly as it tickled the sensitive skin.  To my surprise, the fur seemed to trap the heat radiating from my ears and it felt comfortable.

The one surprise when I looked to her to see if I did it right, was I could tell the sound around me was muted some in that ear.  My eyes widened as I put the other one on and it was such a relief, not only did it slightly mute the sound around me, I noted the swishing and tinkling of the tiny chains as I looked at her, a small smile of surprise on my lips, had drowned out a lot of the voices I could hear from the floor below that I had been trying to block out.  The shields were like tiny white noise generators.

Her brow was furrowed momentarily, then I saw realization spread.  “You are new aren't you?  Damn, I'm actually going to have to do the work, aren't I?”

I muttered to her as she held the door open for me and we headed out into the corridor beyond, “I don't know why you Elves just don't use whatever magic it is to suppress your physiology instead of wearing these things everywhere.  It was so much easier before whatever was done to me as a kid wore off, none of my senses hurt me then.”

She cocked a brow as we moved past the room being cleaned. “You Elves?  You're one of us too.  And there's no such thing as magic.”  She led me to a different set of elevators around the corner, then did a retina scan to enter it.  It had all the missing buttons from the other elevator, and then some.  There were more floors listed than the structure held.  She smirked as she saw me making the realization before she picked up the thread.

“It's a biological defense mechanism elves developed thousands of years back when Homo-sapiens were becoming the dominant race.  It's an enzyme Protoelastin, similar to Tropoelastin that dampens our senses, and relaxes the aural muscles while tightening the skin of the auricle... outer ear so that they resemble Sapien's ears.  It also dilates the vascular tissue in our eyes, muting the crystalline look.”

I have to admit that I found that more fascinating than the remote possibility it was some actual ancient magic, but other organisms in nature adapted physical survival traits like mimicry.

She finished, “We're born with huge amounts of the enzyme in our systems, and more is naturally produced and stored in our system, and when it is burned off by puberty, where our systems are going crazy, then we manifest our dampened traits.”

“In the past, Elf parents taught their children how to trigger Protoelastin dumps to hide their heritage after that.  Each dump can last about a month, while more enzyme is built up.”  She shrugged. “But after the Reveal, it isn't necessary anymore.  I was never taught how, nor were my siblings. Dad showed us once.  It wiped him out for a week, and he looked funny as hell as a Roundie.  It took four weeks before he burned off the enzyme.”

That caught my attention. “He didn't just change right back?”  Then my brow furrowed, as I realized we were going below the lowest sublevel of the building that I knew of.  The five-level parking garage... “Roundie?”

Her cheeks reddened a little, making her look amazing as she rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. “Yeah, I guess I shouldn't use that term.  It's sort of a derogatory term for Sapiens.  You know, round ears and all.  I mean, all Elves start that way until they manifest, so it and limp ears are pretty much the worst insults you can throw at an Elf.”

Then she added as the elevator chimed, the lights glowing inside the steel wall read, SL-7 Medical, “Of course he didn't.  Nobody can, you just have to ride out the enzyme dump.  That's why we wear ear shields since nobody wants to walk around looking Sapien for weeks just to save some ear discomfort.”

But hadn't mom just... “Nobody?”

She shook her head as we stepped out into a surprisingly busy sublevel, and I could hear a train two levels above going through the station.  “Well, a long time ago, there was one minor clan who could regulate how much of the enzyme ran through their bodies, but they vanished centuries ago.  I guess there was a big to-do about it back then.”

I nodded, and pointed at my ears, feeling sheepish, “So, ear shields.”

“Ear shields.”

Was mom... well and I guess I, part of that missing family?  Could I change back?  This excited me more than it should have, but being half-Elf still seemed so alien to me.

Then I stutter-stepped to a halt.  I had been so wrapped up in what she was sharing, that it just dawned on me where we were.  I looked around quickly, it looked like some sort of advanced hospital.  And there were patients in some of the rooms near us.  What?  I was torn in my reaction, but the first thing was, “The patients are Elves.  Was there an accident or something?”

She shook her head. “Some, others are just sick.”

“Elves don't get sick.”

She chuckled. “Propaganda everyone seems to eat up.  It's true that we are pretty much immune to most Sapien ailments, and our immune systems are more efficient, but there are still many species-specific ailments, and even some Sapien diseases that jump the species barrier, our physiology being virtually identical.”

She shook her head as if it were distasteful. “But the image dad and Natalia Havashire have crafted, that we're so superior physically is so much bullshit.  I mean, yes, we are a little, but not to the extent they want the world to see.”

Then she exhaled.  “You know, I've probably already said too much.  I'm not supposed to air our dirty laundry like this.  Let's get you checked in and I'll hang in the waiting area while they examine you.”  I just blinked, still stunned at the revelation that Elves could get sick.

I took one step back.  “Why do I need to be examined?  I'm supposed to meet my father here, it's the only reason I agreed to come.  He's...”

She held up her hands in surrender, interrupting, “He's already here, somewhere.  This is just standard procedure for fledglings, though you're older than anyone I've ever heard of manifesting.  They want to make sure you suffered no detrimental complications from your change.  It happens from time to time and it's best to detect it early.”

Then she stepped in close, my body buzzing as she cocked her head to look into my eyes, then she stepped slowly around me, making me feel both excited and self-conscious as I tucked some hair behind my ear as my cheeks heated under her scrutiny. “But it's never resulted in such stunning eyes before.”

I squeaked out as my body heated, “Oh... ok,” then she stepped back a step with a confident smirk.  Come on, breathe Kia.

She pointed behind me as I shivered away the beginnings of arousal, and I turned to see we were at a nurse's station.  She said with amusement coloring her tone, “Come find me when you're done, Killy.”

Grr... “Stop calling me that.”

I looked at the Elvish nurse, who was looking amused too, I shared, “Is she always this aggravating?”

She tittered and said, “I've never met the Aryon before, but I hear she frustrates the Minya.”  then she whispered too low for me to have heard before I manifested, “Did you see how long her ears are? Mmmm.”

Ok, so it wasn't just me.  Did she have this... oddly enticing effect on everyone?  Even though she was so frustrating?  And Aryon and Minya?  They sounded like titles.  Maybe I could ask Tana later.

I looked at the nurse's name tag. “Hi, umm... Julie, I'm supposed to...”

“Oh yes, everyone knows who you are, Miss Renner.”  She was looking at my eyes. “Wow, it's true.”  Then she exhaled, turned to her pad, and tapped something in.  “Please follow me, you're checked in and Doctor Himoto will be with you as soon as she finishes up in Exam 3.”

She kept glancing at me, and I realized what she was doing.  Was I some sort of curiosity to everyone?  Or just some freak show?  She didn't seem to be judging me like most, so I sighed heavily and removed one of the ear shields.

She squeaked, “Oh, they're adorable.”

My cheeks heated as I started to put the shield back on but hesitated when I overheard, “...some sort of neurotoxin targeting our Elf chromosomes.  This is the seventh one that...” as we passed a set of double doors marked, Medical Examiner.  I glanced through the window on the doors to see an Elf on an autopsy table with two doctors standing above him, his chest cracked wide open.

I almost threw up but was just able to stop myself as I slid the ear shield back on.  Some kind of neurotoxin that targeted Elves had killed the man?  Was he the Elf who was spirited away from the city morgue?

The burgeoning reporter in me wanted to go back and ask questions, but Julie said, “Here we are,” as she held an exam room door open.  “Remove your clothing, and slip into the hospital gown on the exam table there and the doc will be with you soon.”

Chapter 10 – Exam

It was possibly the most thorough exam I've had in my life.  I felt exposed in more ways than one after having virtually every square inch of myself poked, prodded, and every possible bodily fluid taken for testing.

I certainly wasn't a fan of Doctor Himoto.  She stepped in looking at a chart and turned a page over the front of the clipboard, then looked over it with what I could only describe as cold, clinical eyes that squinted at me as she muttered almost accusingly, “Those aren't any defect.  I know what you are, the Minya was right.”  She turned to a pad on the wall and touched one of the icons. “I'm going to need a geneticist in Exam 7, send Doctor Ahmed, we have an aberration.”

Through gritted teeth, I said to her, “I'm not defective, nor an aberration, and I'd appreciate if you dropped the attitude.  I'm only doing this to make sure my father is ok.”

She exhaled, eyeing me up and down.  “Sit up on the exam table, please.  Your father is fine, we look out for our own, though he didn't if he polluted our genetic pool with a Sapien like this.  I just completed his exam as well, he's fine, if completely uncooperative, retarding his Elven traits like that.  It'll be weeks before they reassert and we can do a proper workup on him.”

Oh dear lord, it was all I could do to stop from snorting at that moment.  His Elven traits?  They didn't know he wasn't one of them, err, us.  But if he was going through all this effort to make them think that, I sure as hell wasn't going to out him, knowing he was likely protecting mom from something.  Now that wasn't ominous at all, was it?

She added as if it were an afterthought, “There's never been an aberration who survived past its first year.”  I didn't point out that it was because they terminated the halfling babies to keep their people hidden. “We don't know if you'll have any negative health effects from species interbreeding.  We look out for all Elves, even ones with diluted blood, so we're going to have to do a full workup on you, and get ahead of anything that may be detrimental to your long-term survival.”

Oblivious to the glare I was shooting at her as I got up on the exam table, trying to burn a hole through her with my building anger alone.  And wasn't her assertion that they looked out for all Elves belied by the fact they had killed two children, halflings like me in the past?  Hypocritical much?

Doctor Ahmed showed up just as she was pulling up the stethoscope which was hanging around her neck.  He was panting as if he had run the whole way to have shown up so fast, his crystalline blue eyes blazed in contrast to his reddish olive complexion.  He looked over at me in wonder, eyes wide, as he moved up in front of me, cutting off Himoto from me.

His smile bloomed as he stood on his tiptoes to change the angle he was looking at my eyes with, that excitement radiating from him, and it burned away my anger and I tried not to smile back as he tilted his head while he ducked down a bit, like he was trying to see under the ear shields.  He reached forward tentatively then pulled back, “May I?”

As unsure as I felt about the whole situation, the man looked... well... he looked genuine.  Does that make sense?  So I just nodded and he carefully almost gingerly lifted the shields from my ears.  Then his smile doubled and he almost vibrated in place, my mind picturing him running around super fast in tiny circles.

“It's true!  You're a wonder!”  He ducked as if to look into my ears and he asked, “Are they functional?  I never thought I'd get to see a living hybridization. We've only ancient texts describing them.  Marvelous, you're simply marvelous young lady.”

He was hyper and random and I... well I think I liked him.  So I offered lamely, “Umm, yes?  I can hear.”

“Full articulated mobility?  Enhanced auditory perception and aural faculty?”

I brought my hands halfway to my ears. “They have a mind of their own, always turning toward the noise.  And they're too sensitive, lots of noises hurt.”

“Wonderful, wonderful. Oh!”  He offered the shields back to me. “These will help with that.”

Doctor Himoto cleared her throat. “Doctor Ahmed, I called you for a consult, not to monopolize the exam. The Council is waiting on her.”

“Oh yes.  I apologize, Beverly, this is just so exciting.  Isn't it amazing what nature and evolution can accomplish though?  Just look at her.”

I mumbled, “I have a name.”  Ok, it sounded almost whiny and petulant to me too.  I sighed at myself.

He nodded. “Of course.  Everyone knows who Killishia Renner is.  It is all any Elf has been talking about since your rather, public shall we say, manifestation.”  Then he sounded as giddy as a child on Christmas morning. “Green eyes!”

That got Himoto going back to the first page. “Speaking of.  We don't have your family name here.”

On reflex, I said, “Renner.”

She exhaled loudly. “Your clan name, not the Sapien name your family has been hiding under.”

Again I said, “Renner.”  Dad had too, and I didn't know anything other than that anyway.

She muttered, wrote something down, and asked some sort of diety for help with stubborn people. She looked up to me, “Your father won't say either.  I don't understand what that accomplishes.  We'll know anyway as soon as your bloodwork is run, and the Council is going to require you to reveal it.”

I felt I needed to defend myself. “I didn't even know I was Elf until yesterday, how should I be able to provide what you're asking?”

Then she was all business, poking and prodding everything as Ahmed, Baahir, asked a million questions that I couldn't answer, and he took some skin cells and tissue samples with my permission.  He was giddy. Like a child in a candy store.

By the time they were done with me an hour later, Himoto looked over the chart and her notes. “Besides your reflexes, sight, hearing, and smell being on the base end of the curve, you appear to be perfectly healthy.  We'll know more when the lab gets the results back on the bloodwork and x-rays.  We need to schedule an MRI and CT scan after you stand before the Council.  By Council order, you're not to reveal your particular disposition to anyone until they determine how best not to cause a panic.”

Why would me being a halfling cause a panic?

Then she closed the chart and handed it to one of the plethoras of nurses and medical technicians who had been streaming in and out of the room.  “Get dressed and one of the nurses will see you to your ambassador.”

Baahir shook my hand enthusiastically. “I'd love to sit down with you at another time to speak more, if it wouldn't be too much of an inconvenience, Kia.  There's so much we don't know about hybridization.  Geneticists like me still don't know what makes it possible as we've never had a living example.  Your so very...”  He smirked to himself and then said my name slowly as if he were realizing something, “Hmm... Killishia.  Improbable.  How fitting.”

Then he brightened. “I'll wait outside if you don't mind, I can see you to your ambassador, Kia.  Your life is about to change.”  He paused and chuckled. “Well, more than it already has, that is.”

I nodded and as they were leaving the exam room I called out, “Baahir, that elf in autopsy.  Is he the one who was taken from the city morgue?  Was he... the neurotoxin...”

He looked stricken, nodding he opened his mouth to speak but Doctor Himoto interjected, “How do you know about that?  For your sake and others, you best forget about that.  Baseless rumors like that could cause more of a panic than the existence of someone like you.  Do you understand?”

I hesitated, then nodded slowly.  Something was going on even worse than the missing body, the medical examiners had been saying this was the seventh one.  Was someone targeting Elves with a bio-weapon?  With that, she whirled on a heel and the two stepped out as she furiously typed something on her LaunPad.

Getting dressed again, I took off one of the ear shields and strained to hear anything in the medical examiner's office, there were lots of sounds and shuffling, someone urging others to hurry up.  But besides that, they weren't saying anything in there, unlike the rooms all around us.  I had to put the shield back on, and it made all the other input bearable, even though my hearing was still much more amplified than when I grew up.

When I slipped out the door, Baahir was there, animatedly typing stuff into his pad.  “Ah, Kia, ready to join your ambassador?”

I nodded at him and smiled at how enthusiastic he seemed about everything.  As we passed the double doors leading into the medical examiner's I noted there was paper taped over the windows now.  Was it me they were hiding it from?  I prompted, “Seven deaths?”

He nodded. “Yes, simply terrible and senseless, but you shouldn't be asking these questions.  And I've just said too much.  They're keeping a tight lid on it, all hush-hush you know,  Not wanting to cause a panic.”

He looked at me expectantly and I nodded once back.  He hurried us along and said to Julie when she stood up, holding some medical charts in her hands.  “Miss Renner is done with her exam, please check her out.  She needs to get to the Council ASAP.”

She nodded, beaming a smile at me.  “Of course, Doctor.  Bye Kia, it was such a pleasure to meet you.”

“It was good to meet you too, Julie.”  She beamed at me.  I was rapidly coming to the determination that the attitude Laun and Havashire projected to the world wasn't universal among the Elves.  I found I was already grouping them into two extremes in my head, the Elves I liked and the Elves I could do without.  Which was a surprise to me, but that says more about me than them, and I wasn't sure if that realization sat well with me.

When we reached the waiting room, Baahir almost tripped over his own feet he stopped so fast, causing me to have to avoid running into him.  I altered my momentum causing me to pivot smoothly on one toe, curling past him with my eyes wide as I stopped facing him.  His eyes were wide, looking over the top of my head as he said, standing tall, almost at attention, “Aryon.  You're her ambassador?”

As I turned toward her, Tana stood from her seat and smoothed down her shirt, grinning like a loon at the man. “Hello, Doctor Ahmed.  Yes, dad is punishing me for my lack of fervor for proprieties and dedication to the institution, or some other such nonsense.  So today, I babysit.”

I blurted, “I don't need a babysitter, I'm a grown-ass woman.”

She bit her tongue... which I noted had a piercing, that was... I gulped.  And I realized when she said, wiggling her brows, “You most certainly are,” that she was just baiting me, and I was biting.  Grrr.

She rolled her eyes.  “Lighten up, Killy or the Council is going to eat you alive.”

Before I could again tell the frustrating woman not to call me that, Doc Ahmed said to me, “I leave you in the Aryon's good hands, Kia.  It was a true pleasure.  Here's my card, please call as I'd love to speak with you more about your disposition.”

I made a show of turning my back on her.  Did she snicker?  Then told the man as I accepted the card, sliding it into my jacket pocket, “Thank you Baahir, you made being in there with Doctor Tedious bearable.”

He inclined his head to me then did the same to Tana, only lower before turning on his heel and heading back down the corridor.  I grinned as he murmured to himself, “A living hybrid, amazing.”

The man had his head in the clouds.  I turned to a smug-looking Elf maiden and before she could make a quip to me, I fired a pre-emptive strike, “What does Aryon mean?  I bet it's like a princess or something.”

This took the wind out of her sails as she visibly deflated, the smirk on her face replaced with annoyance.  “Shut up.”

“Oh my god, it does, doesn't it?”

She muttered as she just grabbed my elbow, more gently than her annoyance might indicate, “It doesn't mean princess.  Just something akin to heir apparent.”

I pulled my arm from her grip as we walked to the elevator again as I digested what she said.  “Now that I'm done being a pincushion, where's my dad?”

She sighed. “They took him up to the receiving room by the Chamber.  Walked him right past me while you were in there.”  Then she almost accused, “Your dad is one handsome Elf.  He's got green eyes too.  Are there more like you two?  Is it a family trait?”

Was she fishing for info or was she just curious? Well, two could play at that game.  “Are all Elves' eyes blue or are there other colors?”

She pressed her lips into a thin line and looked to be thinking. “I've never heard of any variances.  But that means next to nothing since I'm no expert on such things.  And here you are, so there has to be, right?  I mean, if it was a one-off defect... sorry, trait, then your father dispels that notion.”

I blinked, realizing that she... didn't know.  Her father seemed to know I was a halfling, and so did the docs.  Were they keeping it from everyone, including family?  Should I tell her if her father hadn't?  And they indicated they didn't want it getting out.

Then the elevator dinged and the doors opened on the eighty-third floor.  Without speaking she led me down an overly opulent hall that led up to a set of simply huge doors that towered over the Elf security guards at it, dwarfing them.  The intricate guided lines inset into finely polished granite floors gleamed.  If their intent was to impress, then mission accomplished.

I slowed a bit, suddenly more unsure of myself than ever.  This was the seat of power for all the Elves across the globe, and they were waiting to speak with me.  A nobody compared to them and their importance to their people.

Tana turned to face me, stopping me.  She looked torn, then exhaled in some sort of surrender as she closed her eyes.  When she reopened them she said, “Just breathe,  It's nothing. They're all on a Great and Powerful Oz trip.  It's just the procedure for fledglings.  You'll be in and out and placed where they think you'll do the most good for the community.”

I blinked at that. “You mean, like a job?  I already have a job.”

She sighed then said as she started walking again, “Just... your father is in here.  I'll be over there by Bruce, your dad's ambassador.  They'll call when they're ready for you.”

Bruce was a huge mountain of an Elf, and the tell-tale bulge under his jacket told me he was well-armed.  What kind of ambassador was... then I suppressed a laugh, a squeak escaping my lips.  They were afraid of dad, so they got Mr. Mountain there to be his 'ambassador'.  Go, dad!

Her dour look broke and she grinned, cocking her head in question at me over that squeak and the big grin I had just then.  I shrugged and said, “Thanks, Tana.”

She looked pleased for an instant then acted detached and ambivalent as she offered offhandedly, “Whatever, it isn't like I had any choice.”  Then belying that she added, “Don't let them railroad you nor gaslight you.  Always remember, you always have a choice.  I shouldn't coach you like this, but it'll piss dad off and that's a win for both of us.”

That wasn't the first time she had me wondering why she seemed to be rebelling against her parents.  I stepped into a room that had a gold plaque on it labeled, “Receiving,” and the electronic wall panel beside the door read, “Privacy Engaged,” with a blinking blue indicator.  I could hear the white noise generators buzzing, blanketing whatever was beyond in a wall of silence.

There standing at a window, looking across the city skyline, was an unmistakable figure. “Dad!”

He turned, a look of relief on his face. “Itty Bit,”  He hugged me tight when I rushed to him and glommed onto him like a lifeline.  He chuckled and said, “You're probably beyond frazzled by now.”

I looked up at him as he released me.  “Understatement.  And...”  I bit my lower lip, not knowing what I could or should say there.

He nudged his chin to the big blue indicator glowing over the door on this side, “Privacy is engaged.  We can speak freely here.  But now that you're here they'll call us in soon.”

I double then triple-checked the indicator, then, keeping an eye on it, I shared, “They think you're an Elf.”

Looking sure of himself he said offhandedly, “Good since I kinda sorta am in all but blood.”

What?  I screwed up my face in confusion and he explained, “Your Grams and Gramps adopted me from the foster system and raised me as their own.”

I knew that already, so why was... my eyes flew wide in shock, “Grams and Gramps Renner are Elves?”

He nodded, wiggling his brows, explaining, “Mom and Dad taught me everything about the Elf culture and hierarchy they are hiding from.”

Then he took both my hands in his, looking more earnest than I've ever seen him as he said carefully like he wanted me to take in every syllable.  “Follow my lead in there.  They can't ever find out about your mother, understand? They have to believe she's the Sapien in our coupling.”

“No, I don't, but I trust you.  I mean, you're my dad and all that stuff.”

He kept glancing at the blue light over the door, then his eyes stopped on me, curiosity painting his features as his eyes widened almost imperceptibly.  Reaching up to cup my cheek and let the gossamer silver threads from one of the ear shields pool over his fingers, he asked, “Where did these come from?”

I shrugged as my cheeks heated, I tucked some hair behind my ears as I thought of the contrary woman who gave them to me. “My umm, ambassador gave me a set to protect my ears, she said they were just some old spares she carried.  Tana Laun.”

His eyebrows were swallowed in his hairline they went so high, his eyes wide in surprise.  “You mean...”

I nodded. “Evander's kid.”

He examined the shield closer, then whistled low. “These are some of the finest shields I've ever laid my eyes on and...”  He stopped and we both looked at the door when three chirps sounded and the blue light went out and the electronic pad next to the door blinked on.

A woman's warm and welcoming voice sounded out, “Cyrus and Killishia Renner, the International Elf Council will now see you in the Chamber.  And may all your dreams come true.”

Dad stood tall, hands on my shoulders as he smiled at me, then we turned and headed out to see the great and powerful wizard of Oz.

Chapter 11 – International Elf Council

As we approached the huge doors, the security guards stood aside and the big doors started to swing out almost soundlessly, 'as if by magic'.  They went all out trying to impress people who came to meet the Council, didn't they?

Tana slipped up beside me and Muscle Mountain lumbered up beside dad, who just ignored the big Elf.  Seriously, where did they dig that guy up?  He was positively huge.  I glanced at the heir to the Laun empire, her hair hanging to one side now, a serious look on her face tinged with something else... worry?  But not for us.

Then I got it, her father was in there, he and her mother were co-chairs of the Council with the Havashires on the other side of the aisle.  At least I knew that much about the Elf Council from my field trip.

We stepped inside and all the low voices hushed.  It was a divided chamber.  Risers with representatives of all the twenty most influential Elf families lining either side with Evander and Marcillia Laun in the middle in slightly higher seats than the others on one side, and Natalia and Dimitri Havashire in the middle on the other side.

What had my eyebrows rising, was that behind a carved wood railing at the far end of the chamber, between the two seats of power, was a set of stadium-like seats constructed of that same dark carved wood as the rails?  Filled with a hundred or so Elves.  Spectators?  Were they just average Elves who came to watch this... whatever it was?

Tana must have seen what drew my attention and whispered so low I wouldn't have been able to have heard before I manifested, “Representatives of the minor, non-voting houses.  They bear witness.”

Non-voting?  The little we knew about Elves, was that they were governed by a democratic system, and every house was supposed to have a vote.  Gah!  More questions.

A simple oak lectern stood in the middle of the space, looking oddly small and detached from the regal majesty of it all.  We stopped at it.  Tana stepped forward and spoke in the microphone, “Tanaliashia Laun, Ráquen of  Killishia – to be named.”

She stepped back and Bruce lumbered forward, bent down, holding the microphone daintily in his big bear paw of a hand between two fingers, “Bruce Petrov,  Ráquen of...”

Dad spoke clearly, “I stand for myself.”

The big man glared back at dad, but with the barest flick of  Natalia Havashire's fingers, he stepped back behind us.  Marcillia Laun asked, “Who speaks for your clan?”

Dad didn't bother stepping to the lectern as he just said, “I do. Cyrus Renner.”

Evander looked over to the Havashires, and Dimitri just turned a hand out to him, as if ceding him the honor.  “As we all know, we are welcoming part of our flock back home today.  A simple procedure we perform in this chamber for full transparency to all families and clans. You'll all be able to return to your days in a minute after the naming, and placement of the fledgling, Killishia, and welcoming her into her new and prosperous life.”

I started to bristle but was surprised by who's hand rested on my shoulder from behind to help calm me.  It was Tana, not dad.  He glanced over, his hand halfway to do the same, and he cocked a single brow.  We turned when Evander prompted, his voice carrying to all corners of the space, “Cyrus, please provide your family name and affiliation.”

He turned from the two chairs of the divided Council to look at the bleachers of non-voting Elf families. “Renner.  And we claim no affiliation nor allegiance to the majority shareholders.”

There was a collective gasp as Dad turned from the bleachers to face Evander, then looked back toward the Havashires.  I noticed the old, grey, and grizzled Elf by the doors we passed through for the first time, when papers wrinkling caught my attention.  He sat at a simply ancient secretary desk, shuffling papers, and squinting through glasses that had to be a half-inch thick, mumbling about Renner not being in the rolls.

Evander exhaled, reining in the frustration from last night.  “Whatever reasons your clan stepped away from Elf society to hide among the Sapiens are irrelevant now.  You are sworn and contracted by one of the major houses.  We only wish to embrace you back into your birthright, and your share of the Arwë so you will want for nothing when you and your children retire and collect your apportionments.”

Natalia said from the other side, “Yes, please now, can we dispense with the games?  We only wish to make sure you live the best and happiest lives possible instead of in the dregs of the Sapien culture.”

Dimitri prompted, “Agreed.  Your family name and affiliation.”

“Renner.  And we claim no affiliation nor allegiance to the majority shareholders.”

The crowd burst into questions and accusations until Marcillia pounded a gavel loudly, causing me to wince even with the ear shields as she shouted, “Order!”  And the space quieted startlingly fast.

She said to all, “We're getting nowhere with you being so stubborn, sir.  Killishia, please step forward.”

I looked from her to dad, who shrugged.  He looked as if he was having the time of his life with the big goofy grin he shot me.  Ok... what was I supposed to do?  I stepped up to the podium and reached up to bend the articulating microphone down.  It rewarded me with feedback that had the entire gallery cringing and the microphone fell out of the bracket.  I fumbled with it causing more feedback and tried to place it back in the bracket but couldn't figure it out so I placed it on the top of the lectern with a pop of sound.

Bending over to talk into it, as my cheeks heated, I said, “Sorry.”  Just kill me now, could I get any more awkward?  I glanced back to Tana, and the woman was covering her mouth to try to hide an amused smile, but she wouldn't meet my glare.

Evander was just looking at me dubiously, then asked, “Are you done?”

I bent to say, “Yes sir.”

“Then please, as a newly manifested fledgling, can you please state your family name and affiliation so that we can best determine where you can do the most good for the Elven community?”

“I already have a job, I don't...”

Natalia offered, “No dear, you don't understand.  We're offering you the world, your dream job, a lifestyle that is far elevated from your current status in Sapien culture.”

There they went again, not listening to me, and offering me the sky.  Even without Tana's warning to not let them gaslight me, I saw how Melanie and others could be seduced by the promises.  I already had my dream job, well I would, and I was going to earn it myself, not have it handed to me like I was entitled to it.

I kept going back to the fact, nobody seemed to care what I really wanted, so I leaned in, then pulled back a little at the feedback and said, “Renner.  No affiliations.”

The room erupted into shouts and confusion, then someone called out, “Why are her eyes green?  Is it a defect?”

Grabbing the microphone in a fist I scanned the crowd who were ignoring the gavel, and my ears swiveled as I looked that way to see the man who shouted it.  “I'm no defect.  I'm a...”

We all covered our ears as Evander's voice boomed out over the loudspeakers as he snapped out into a microphone, “Everyone, give us the room.  Now!”  Then when the larger houses started to ask questions, but he repeated, “Everyone!”  Then in a gentler tone, he looked our way and added, “Ráquens too, please.”

I tried to suppress a smile at the death glare Tana was giving her father which he seemed oblivious to.  Then she leaned in whispering in the chaos of over a hundred upset elves heading out the huge doors. “Remember, you always have a choice.”  She emphasized 'always', then stalked off, her crystalline eyes boring a hole through her parents as she went.

When she looked back, caught me watching her, causing me to look down at my feet, stopping myself from tucking my hair behind my ear.  She didn't look happy.

Once the doors shut behind the last of them, leaving us with only the leaders of the two presiding Elf houses, that old man stood from his desk, his back creaking as loud as the old rickety chair he sat in.  He shuffled to the doors a hand on his back as he forced himself to stand straighter, popping sounds accompanying the action.

I started to move toward him to help him but he reached the door as Evander prompted, “Claude?”

The man leaned in to look at the glowing panel beside the doors, pulling his glasses further up his nose as he squinted.  Then he tapped the screen.  Sounds of electronic bolts moving into place with accompanying thuds were replaced with a curtain of white noise that was twice as aggressive as the one in the receiving room descending.  Sound pressure seemed to flow away, leaving us in a bubble of privacy the military would be envious of.

The man squinted up to see a decorative ribbon of blue illumination above the door, nodded once to himself, then turned around, showing a gnarled and arthritic thumbs up.  Then started to shuffle back to his chair.

We all watched the man in silence as his legs creaked like worn leather as he deposited himself unceremoniously to decompress into it with a sigh of relief.  Then he grabbed a pen and notepad, looking back up at all of us.  He shot a toothy grin and nodded once.  “Minyas.”

Evander stood from his seat, looking first to his wife then the Havashires, each of who inclined their heads as if ceding the floor to him.  He looked down at dad, eyes pinched, appearing annoyed, then to me.  He stepped down and made his way to the railing, and pushed a wooden swinging section out to step down onto the marble floors.

He shook a finger Dad's way then shook his head, almost dismissing him as he stepped right up to me.  His sharp eyes seemed to be studying every square inch of me.  The silence had me shifting from foot to foot. Wasn't he going to speak?

I started to open my mouth but then pulled back slightly as he raised a hand to the side of my head but stopped at his confused look, brows furrowed as his fingers gently touched the silver chains hanging from the ear shields.  Recognition sparked in his expression, then he looked back toward the door.  I was blurting, “I didn't have any.  My ears were hurting so Tana lent me a pair.”

He nodded at that and glanced back up at his wife. “No doubt to vex us.”

Oh, was she in trouble for doing it?  My fingers fumbled as I took the shields off quickly, my ears cooling as I held them out to him.  “I'm sorry.”

The man I saw as implacable, blinked in surprise then looked from my eyes to my hand, then curled my hand closed over the shields.  “No, dear girl.  You need them to protect your ears.  They're especially tender as a fledgling, just after a manifestation.”  Then he released my hands and bent over slightly to my level as he looked at my right ear, shaking his head as he whispered to himself, “They're so small.”

Easy for him to say, I felt like I had a couple of satellite dishes glued to the sides of my head.  Then he said, “You know, my dear.  You're supposed to be impossible.  Our historic texts speak of aberrations, offspring of a mating between the Aelftus and our Sapien cousins.  Most over time were stillborn or died in the womb.  But two... two survived full term and were born into a world so full of paralyzing fear, a terror that Elves would be discovered by our more violent and xenophobic siblings, and hunted out of existence.”

He looked up to the others, then continued as he took in dad and me.  “That fear had our ancestors doing the unthinkable for the greater good of Elfkind and terminated the most vulnerable of us, and their parents so that no future aberrations could follow.  Two dark blemishes on our history.”

“We hoped to finally alleviate those kinds of fears from our brethren with the Reveal.  And here you stand before us.  Something... someone who should never have been in those days.  I find you fascinating, proof that our two species can co-exist.  What better proof is there than the love between two people creating a life?  Creating you.”

Then he deflated, actual remorse in his eyes as he stepped back, addressing both of us, “But the Reveal is still young to a long-lived race, and some still harbor the fear that one day, the government will come for us.  Either gathering us in internment camps or 'eliminating' a perceived threat to them.”

Natalia spoke from her seat above us, “And that is why nobody, Elf or Sapien can know what you truly are.  A hybrid, a halfling for want of a better term.  People filled with fear on either side may perceive a threat in what you represent, a merging of our species, and that would put you and the security of the Council itself in the cross-hairs.”

Dimitri grunted agreement. “So it as far as the rest of the world is concerned outside of those of us in this chamber, and the medical staff, your... differences, as interesting as they are, are nothing but defects incurred by a difficult birth.”

I glanced at dad, their cover story hitting a little too close to home, and he inclined his head ever so slightly as Marcillia prompted, “Are we all in agreement on this?”  As surreal as this all was, my rational mind was finding it fascinating how the four of them seemed to work as a seamless ruling body of one mind, even though I knew they were famous for not agreeing on anything except the Reveal.

I noted they were all looking at me.  Oh, umm, “Ok.”

That was dad's cue, as he watched me carefully, and he turned to Evander who was still studying my face and ears. “Agreed.”

The rest all said agreed.  Then someone made an energetic scribbling flourish ending in a stab of pen on paper to punctuate.  We all looked top the little desk by the door and the old man looked up, adjusted his glasses, squinting at us, then his eyes widened. “Oh, yes yes, agreed.”

Then Marcillia said in a fond voice, “Thank you, Claude.  Please be a dear and let the rest of the Council back in?”

The old Elf beamed and with a grunt and creak, pushed himself to his feet again, “Of course, Minya.”

I looked from the shuffling man to Mr. Laun and whispered, a stupid thing since the man was old, but still had Elf hearing.  “How old is Claude?”

The man stood tall in pride as he conveyed, with a touch of wonder in his eyes, “He is the eldest Elf in the western hemisphere. Claude just celebrated his three hundred and first just last month.  Older than the United States herself.  He is our recorder, our historian.”

I knew Elves were long-lived because of that one particular quirk of their genetic makeup, but I don't think I've ever really grasped the full implications of that.  But watching a man who has seen so much through history, the good and evil mankind is capable of... the wars, the reconciliations, the rise of a nation with a checkered past, I was sort of in awe of the man as he deactivated all the privacy and security systems before shuffling back to his desk as the people started to flow back in, voices murmuring.

Glancing at the secretary desk he sat at, reevaluating the simplistic yet elegant construction, I wondered to myself if it was as aged as him.  It looked out of place at first to me, but now it was the entire Council Chamber that looked out of place around it.

Evander touched my arm and I returned my attention to him.  He just looked down at my hand then my ears, and I understood and slipped the ear shields back on.  He inclined his head then retook his seat as the others headed to theirs.

I suppressed a smile when a concerned and perturbed-looking Tana strode in to make a beeline toward us, schooling her face into a bored expression instead.  Moving into my personal space, she walked around me, igniting every cell in my body in a buzz, a little smirk on her glistening lips when I looked down and tucked a lock of my annoying red hair behind my ear as the musclebound Bruce rejoined dad, “You seem to be unscathed, Killy.”

I muttered at her bemusement, “Gee, thanks for your concern.  And stop calling me that.”

Evander was pounding his gavel. “Come to order please.”

It quieted down, and he stated as if it were what we had discussed, “There will be no further talk of  Killishia's defects, as it brings her and her family embarrassment.”  I opened my mouth to tell the man what embarrassment was, just to find both dad and Tana's hands over it.  I glared at them and they dropped their hands.  Fine, I'd behave and let him craft his charade.

Then Natalia addressed us. “Cyrus and Killishia, do you still refuse to provide your clan's name?”

We chimed out together, “We do.”

She said, “The Council will give you one week to come to your senses and reconsider.  If you do not, then you will leave us no choice but to assign you one at the Council's discretion.  At which time, the dispositions of your family and assessment of the best placements for you will be addressed.  A joining alliance will be arranged for Killishia at that time.”

A joining alliance?  What was that?  I needed Cliff's Notes of Elvish terms as none of this was covered in our civics or social studies classes.

Before I could ask anything, Dimitri pounded his gavel.  “We are adjourned, and will reconvene a week from today.”  Then almost every Elf in the chamber stood and closed in around us, all calling out questions to dad and me.

All my senses were getting overwhelmed quickly and I was feeling as if I were stunned, but someone looped an arm in mine and started dragging me through the crowd through the path Dad and Bruce made with nothing but their sheer size causing people to back away.

I looked up to the determined look on Tana's face as she guided me to the elevators.  Once we were in, security prevented anyone else from joining us.  I sighed in relief when the doors closed out the shouted questions.

To my surprise, she hit the penthouse level on the pad, and the panel scanned her palm before she spoke.  “Things are going to be crazy down there for a while, we can hide in our apartments until then.”

Dad shook his head though he did sound gracious when he told her, “Thank you, but I need to get back home to my wife.  Reporters, paparazzi, Elf fans, and even a few Elves are roaming the neighborhood again, and I don't want her left alone.  She can be a little...”

I offered brightly, “Impulsive?”

He chuckled out in good humor, “I was going to say erratic, but impulsive works.”

Nodding I said, “And I have to get back to work.”

“I can give you a ride, Itty Bit.”

The alluring Elf with all the gleaming hardware in her delicate features said to my father, “I can get her back to the station.”  Then she seemed to reconsider. “By the time the lobby is cleared, your shift would be over.” Then she told him, “I'll get her home safe.”

Then to me, before I could protest, “There's something I want you to see before you go.”

“Oh... ok.”  For fucks sake, did I just squeak?

“It's settled.”

The doors opened and she dragged me out, I turned to dad who stayed in the elevator.  He looked at Tana, “You can keep this one too, he's not needed.”

Bruce growled and dad growled right back, glaring at the bigger man, not breaking eye contact.  With an almost goofy look on her face and a crooked smile as she appraised dad again, she just said, “Sit Bruce, stay.”

He growled at her. “Hey!”

She smirked.  “Just see him to the lobby and go about your day, you big baby.  I'm sure he doesn't need anyone holding his hand.  Just look at him.”  She grabbed my hand and held it up as if to demonstrate, and I simply stopped breathing, feeling the intense warmth spreading through me from our contact. What the hell was wrong with me?

The doors closed with her standing on her tiptoes as she looked through the closing opening until the doors closed, “Yum.  You just know his ears are long and tapered nicely.”

“Eww!  That's my dad!”  I shoved her shoulder and she dropped my hand as she chuckled at my sour expression.

Then I just wanted to bury my head in the sand somewhere when she asked, “Itty Bit?”

“Shut up.”

Chapter 12 – Rooftop

Tana nudged her head, her plume of hair swishing, revealing the striking red layer below the ebony. I followed her gaze and just about tripped over my own feet as she lead me into... well into a dream, or was this Oz?  This first floor of the penthouse suites of the Laun family was incredible.  No, incredible would be an insult to the Brobdingnagian, palatial, interior designer's wonderland.

The reception area of the entry would have the grandest mansions or hotels going to therapy for feelings of inadequacy.  Polished stone tiles that looked to be inlaid with actual gold had what looked to be hand-woven Persian rugs and runners in all the high traffic areas.  Grand sweeping arc staircases headed up to viewing balconies and halls to the rooms beyond.  I could see through two open doors at the far end of a corridor, some sort of ballroom.

Artwork of all types adorned the walls, tables, and nooks, and crannies all around.  What looked to be priceless paintings, sculptures and tapestries added another layer that screamed old money to me.  A low hum told me the upper levels had white noise generators to ensure the privacy of the private rooms above.

She waved off a woman in a maid's uniform who was motoring toward us, and the Elf peeled off through one of the side corridors.  She brought me to the stairs, and then paused, calling out softly, “Yasmine?  Could you please prepare a light snack and something to drink?  Killishia just manifested and needs fuel for her recovery.”

A “Yes Miss Laun,” came from somewhere deep in the first level from the direction the maid had retreated to.

I was about to argue that I wasn't hungry, but my stomach gurgled loudly in protest to my planned protest.  She snorted and I instead prompted, “You don't need to feed me.”

She shrugged. “You're going to be wiped out for the next few days.  It took me a week before I didn't sleep twelve hours a night.  You need lots of calories to replace all you burned and to help all your tissues to recover.”

I furrowed my brow, but she answered my question by acting aloof, waving a hand airily, “I'm your  Ráquen until you're processing is finished next week and then I have to make myself available until you've fully assimilated into society since most of the children of hidden Elf families don't have the benefit of being raised in Elven culture.”

Oh, so it was just her duty, not her being nice.  Why was that disappointing to me?  She chuckled, “Just messin' with you, Killy.  We've got a half-hour before sunset.  I have something to show you, so what better way to burn some time?”

She led me through a maze of halls on the next floor, a young man, maybe twenty or so stepped out of a room, he was tall and skinny as a rail, looking like a young Evander.  I didn't need her introduction to know he was family.  “Kent, this is Killishia.  Dad's making me Ráquen for her.”

He chuckled as his eyes perused me. “Sucks to be you, sis.”

“Killy, this is Kent, one of my little brothers.”

I held out a hand to shake, and he started to raise my hand to his lips instead, but Tana slapped his hand away from mine, “Dude, eww, you're like ten.  Don't perv out on the fledgling.”

It took all my willpower to stop from smiling like a loon as the kid whined out, “Tanny, I'm twenty... I'll be twenty-one in February.”

Without letting humor into my tone, which I'm proud of – go me – I offered, “Pleased to meet you Kent.”

He held a hand out to block Tana's face in a decided sibling manner.  “Same.  Miss rebellion here is more apt to dissuade you from embracing your new Elfhood.  If you ever want...”

She slapped down the hand in her face and just pointed down the hall.  He sighed and then just said, “Congratulations on your manifest, Killishia,” before exhaling and jogging down the hall to his original destination.

She rolled her eyes at me. “Sorry about that.  My brothers are all idiots.  Well except William.”

I knew who William was.  The second-born of the Launs.  Second in line of succession for their clan behind Tana.  The pretty-boy elf, a year younger than Tana, grew into one of the most coveted eligible bachelors in New York.  He was one of the few Elves from the two ruling families who didn't mind being seen mingling with the people of Manhattan.

“How many siblings do you have?”  I tried to remember the paintings of the Launs from the field trip.  I know they had a big family.

“Seven brothers, two haven't manifested yet, and my twelve-year-old little sis, Sonia.  How about you?”

I shook my head. “It's just me and my parents. Though I've always wondered what it would be like to have brothers or sisters.”

“You dodged a bullet.  It's pretty much a pain in the ass,”  Then she sighed and admitted, “Fine, it's pretty great at times too, when they don't make me want to see if they can fly from up here.”  Her grin told me she loved her family even though she teased.

I looked back to her from where Kent had gone, then smirked as I asked, “Tanny?”

All the humor washed from her expression as she narrowed her eyes. “Don't call me that... Killy.”

“Touche.  Fine.”  Then I furrowed my brow, looking down as if I could see through all the floors to and into the Council chamber.  “What's a joining alliance?”

She lifted one shoulder squinting her eyes in mock pain as we entered into a large open space that could have swallowed my entire house.  I looked around, thinking it felt like a large, informal family room.  A simply huge television dominated one corner with more... I don't know, normal furniture.  Some areas seemed devoted to a lot of other things, like the pool table, and a recessed seating area around a fire pit, or some honest-to-goodness arcade games in a recessed hollow.

“Just a strategic marriage to keep the balance between the families and diversity of bloodlines.  I guess inbreeding was getting bad for a while, causing more... umm... defects?”

Her inadvertent slight about defects just didn't register as I blurted, “An arranged marriage?  I'm not marrying anyone!  Especially not to...”  I trailed off before I could finish.

She cocked an eyebrow in challenge.  “Not to what?  You can say it.  An Elf.  Everyone already knows you have a problem with Elves.  Ironic since you're one too.”  All her frustrating humor seemed a thing of the past as her eyes burned into me.

I held up my hands, palm out to slow her roll.  “What?  No!  I was going to say...”  Well crap, in for a penny, in for a pound.  I closed my eyes and finished, “A boy.”  Then I glared right back at her as her eyes went wide, brows arching high.  “And I don't have a problem with Elves.  I have a problem with the toxic entitlement and favoritism I have witnessed.  I've seen friendships torn apart when one has Elfed, then looked down upon their friends afterward, cutting off all contact once the Elves whisked them away to a better life.  And how is it that Elf companies get special treatment by building commissions and city contracts over Sapien companies who have to jump through so many hoops and red tape just to compete?”

Her eyes were still wide as she twirled a finger. “Rewind?  No boys?”

That took the wind out of my proverbial sails as I looked quickly down to my hands, wringing my fingers, almost whispering, “That's what you took away from my rant?”

She said off offhandedly, her wry and annoying humor back, “Oh, that other crap was reassuring, you're only biased not bigoted... and probably rightfully so.  But that other thing just makes you that much more...” she stepped in close and breathed out, “...interesting.”

I looked up quickly to find her smirking face right in front of me as she seemed to be perusing me, my cheeks heated and butterflies in my belly spread through my body.  Damn it, was I crushing on her?

The maid from earlier saved me by walking in with a tray of food, causing Tana to take a half step back from me.  Yasmine moved to the television seating and placed the tray on one of the three coffee tables in front of the three couches, reminding me how large her family was.  Then the woman curtsied us and scurried out the way she had come from.

Then Tana looked at me seriously and repeated her earlier words, “Remember, you always have a choice.”

I nodded slowly chewing on my lower lip, then exhaled, “Damn straight I do.  The Council can't make me marry anyone, especially not someone I've never met before.”  Then I took in her satisfied look as she bit the inside of her cheek, making it dimple slightly, and smirked as I said, “And there's the matter of my wife anyway.”

Not being able to hold it back when her eyes almost bulged out of her head I guffawed when she repeated, “Your wife?”

I shot her a smug, toothy grin as it was my turn to shrug, then shared, “Well, she calls herself my work wife.  Lisa Rodriguez, from the mailroom at the station, pretty much my best friend.”  I realized that was true.  I was a little too driven to become a reporter, to have much time for fraternization.  Lisa was putting in more effort than I was, and I'd have to let her know how much I appreciated her.  I promised myself that I'd do better to be a friend.

She put herself back together from her surprise, looking away.  “I just thought.  I mean you just alluded to the fact you prefer the fairer sex.”  The blush on her cheeks was... come on Kia, think of boring things to tamp down my attraction... quadratic equations, unified string theory, gah!  Those subjects were sexy as hell too.

I prompted as she motioned toward the food, “What about you?  Secret work spouses or anything?”

She squinted an eye and said, looking guilty as hell, “Well, Geoff Havashire has been hanging around a lot lately.  We've dated a couple of times, much to the chagrin of our parents of course.”

Then almost as if mentioning the number two most eligible Elf bachelor in the city, an intercom sounded from somewhere, a man's voice prompted, “Miss Tanaliashia.  Geoff Havashire is in the entry to see you.”

“Thank you, Francis.”

She sighed heavily, then gave me a sheepish smile and prompted, “I'll be right back, I'll send him away.”  Then she leaned in as she moved past me, her hot breath heating the ear shields and their lining as she whispered, “Go ahead and start without me, Killy.”

And she was gone as I stood there in an inappropriately aroused state, squeaking to an empty room, “Oh... ok.”  then I stiffened.  Damn it!  She was messing with me!  It was all I could do to stop myself from watching her almost saunter down the hall, putting on a show to tease me.  I muttered, “I should have never told her.”

Then my stomach gurgled, and I redirected my frustration to the beckoning food on the tray.  I stepped up to the tray and my eyes widened a bit at the large selection of food on the tray including a carafe of divine smelling coffee that was almost as arousing as Tana's display.  I was thinking my enhanced sense of smell was the worst thing about my Elfing, since everything was so pungent now, especially the unsavory things, and it was like everything had chemical scents now that were unsettling at times.  But the smell of that hot coffee?  I wanted to have its babies.

I poured some into one of the mugs and then just held it in my hands, feeling the warmth of the ceramic mug seep into my hands as I inhaled again before sipping.  Oh yeah, this was one of the first perks of being an Elf.

Then I looked at all the fruit choices that ringed all the fixings for building sandwiches.  Was it a light snack?  I sat on the couch in front of the tray, popped a grape in my mouth, and savored the juices as I chewed it while I assembled a large, ham, turkey, and provolone sandwich with all the fixings.  I was ravenous.  Hadn't the punk princess said something about needing more fuel for a while?

After drizzling some yellow mustard, yes, I'm a basic girl who doesn't partake in the gourmet mustard propaganda. Dad and my motto are that it's yellow or it's gone. I opened wide and took a huge bite, then squeaked and almost fell over the back of the couch when a quiet, almost monotone voice with a slight nasal tinge to it said from beside me, “I like roast beef on mine.”

It took a moment for my heart to stop racing as I choked on my bite of sandwich and then swallowed it down as I looked at the girl who sat down next to me, eyes on the tray.  She was probably twelve or thirteen, her facial muscles relaxed, the outer corners of the eyes pointed slightly upward.  Her blonde hair hung down to her slightly hunched shoulders around her short neck.  A lopsided smile on her face as she cocked her head at me.

I blinked as my mind caught up to me and I realized I was crouched on the couch my feet on the cushion like I was about to throw myself backward when I had been startled.  I squinted an eye in embarrassment as I climbed down from my perch and sat.  “Sorry, you surprised me.  I'm Kia, who might you be?”

She was watching me the whole time, then her deep blue eyes turned to the tray then me again, was she Elf?  She presented as if she were afflicted with something similar to Down Syndrome, I thought Elves didn't get Sapien diseases or genetic disorders in this case. Was this something that only affected Elves?  Then again, Tana shared some did jump the species barrier. “I'm Sonia Laun.  I'm not supposed to talk to strangers.  I smelled the food, I like roast beef.”

Smiling at her as I set my sandwich down on one of the little plates stacked on the tray.  “How can we be strangers when we're about to be sandwich buddies?  Please join us, Tana is downstairs, she'll be back up in a jiff.  You want me to make you a roast beef sandwich or did you want to do it?”

She looked around, gave me that lopsided smile then went about meticulously assembling a roast beef sandwich,  making sure everything on it was precise.  Then when it met her exacting specifications, looking like it was ready for a photoshoot in some culinary magazine, she sat back and just looked at it.  She said, “I like it cut in half.  Mom and dad don't let me use knives.  Tanny will cut it for me.  She always cuts them for me.”

I shrugged and supplied, “Parents are always overprotective, don't you think?”  Then I winked at her and she nodded slowly.  “I can cut it for you if you want.”

“Tanny always cuts them for me.  But you can cut it for me Kia.”  She smiled when she said my name, which made me smile right back, then I cut her sandwich diagonally and handed her the plate.

She took a bite right away then as she chewed, I prompted, “Coffee?  Grape juice?”

Sonia said through a second bite, “I'm not allowed to have caffeine.  I'll have pointed ears like yours and Tanny's when I'm older.”

I grinned at that and proclaimed, “Juice it is.”  I poured her a cup and handed it to her, then held my coffee mug up to her.  She looked from my cup to hers then clinked the glasses together and we both took a sip.

I relaxed back to eat when she did then I asked, “So what's it like having a big family like this? And what's it like having Tana as a big sister?”

It was fascinating speaking with her over the next few minutes, she seemed sharp-minded on some subjects but fuzzy on others.  But she had a passion for the sometimes random things she chose to speak about.  Then she dropped her plate which now contained only red fruits, because red was her favorite color, onto the ground when Tana snapped out in concern from the corridor as she re-entered the room,  “Sonia!  You know you're not supposed to be out here around strangers.”

I quickly crouched to start cleaning up as Sonia stood, saying, “Kia's not a stranger, we're sandwich buddies.  The food smelled good, so I came out.  There's roast beef.  I can make you a roast beef sandwich, Tanny.”

The young girl was up and moving toward one of the rooms off this larger space as she spoke.  Tana reached her and placed her hands on her shoulders and she leaned in and the sisters put their foreheads together as Tana said in a tone full of worry, “You're not in trouble, sis.  But you know mom and dad's rules.”

“I'm sorry.”

“You're not in trouble.   Why don't you go to your rooms and pick out a movie for us to watch after dinner tonight?  I'll tell you all about today after I show Kia here something at sunset in a few minutes.”

Sonia nodded at her big sister who asked, “Who loves you?”

“Sis loves me.”

“Damn straight.  Now scoot, I'll see you in a few.”

Sonia looked my way. “Goodbye Kia, I have to go to my room.  I broke the rules.”

I waved and let her know, “It's good to break the rules from time to time.  Bye Sonia, it was fun getting to know you.”

She gave that lopsided smile of hers and jogged off.

After she entered a room on the far wall and shut the door, Tana turned to me.  Silent.  She studied me, making me feel self-conscious.  I wound up babbling out as I set the errant fruit plate back on the coffee table, “Sonia and I were just eating sandwiches.  She wants to be a writer when she grows up, urban fantasy.  I told her I'd messenger over some of the writing workbooks I started with when I decided I wanted to be a journalist.”

This unstuck her feet from where she was planted.  She approached slowly, studying me as she asked, “A writer?  Really?  She's never told me that.”

She joined me, still, side-eyeing me as she poured herself some coffee then started to assemble a sandwich of her own as I shared, “Yeah, she wants to write stories like the Back Alley Conjurings.  She says they're your favorites.”  Then I added, “She idolizes you.”

Tana smirked at that. “Well, you can't fault her for good taste.”

There she is, back in full force.  I shoved her shoulder then popped a grape into my mouth and then asked carefully, “Down Syndrome?”

She spread yellow mustard on her sandwich without looking, crystalline eyes trained on me like lasers.  “No, but it is similar in a lot of ways, Kerricyn Syndrome, only affects Elves.  You tell nobody.  Clear?”

“One, why would I?  And two, what's with Elves pretending they never get sick?  You yourself told me they do.”

She took a big bite of her sandwich, speaking as she chewed, indecision on her face making me feel like she was deciding whether to bury me in a hole somewhere or not. “I couldn't care less if the Council's little charades are exposed, I only care about protecting Sonia from prying eyes and judging people who will use her for political advantage.”

I smirked. “Good answer.  She's pretty cool.”

“Damn straight she is.”  She was brimming with sisterly pride just then, and that was the most attractive look I've seen on her yet.  My core warmed as I pushed away some impure thoughts.

I changed the topic. “So, what did your boyfriend need?”

Her snort was loud.  “He wishes.  He's cute and all, and there's chemistry, but I'm still deciding if it's more than just a screw you to our parents.  And dat arse?  Dayum.”

My cheeks heated, but not for the reason I would have imagined.  Was I jealous?  I pushed away those thoughts and grinned back at her as she made a tapping sound on her teeth with her tongue piercing in good humor.  I caught myself wondering how many other hidden piercings she had on various parts of her body.  Gah!

“I'm going to have to officially call a flag on the play.  Even you can't get away with 'dat arse', lady.  It dials your cool factor back to an eight.”

Her eyes hooded and she almost purred, “An eight huh, Renner?”

I swallowed trying to remember how to speak, then the seductive smoldering look transformed into a big grin as I fought hard not to tuck my hair again.  “Just messin' with ya, Killy.”

Grrrrraaaaa.  I could just end her here and hide the body in one of the arcade games, right?  Like Mrs. PacMan.  Nobody would blame me.  And, oh god, she was moaning as she took another bite.  I'm going to need a cold shower when I get home.

She bumped my shoulder and I ate yet another sandwich.  Where the heck was I putting all this food?

Then she looked at her LaunWatch and stood, wiping her mouth with a linen napkin from the tray.  She grabbed my hand and pulled me up, dragging me toward the end of a hall that had a red exit sign glowing above a door as I stuffed the last bite in my mouth, my cheeks puffing as she said, “Come on, it's time.  We can't be late.”

I grinned at her holding my hand as we went out the door into a stairwell that had me back to the wall when I looked down over the railing to what seemed like a bottomless pit, stairs as far down as I could see, even with my enhanced sight, reminding me just how high up we were.  And we climbed higher, me dragging behind her on an invisible string as she clasped my hand.

We burst through a door at the top with a sign which read 'Rooftop'.  And out to a terraced patio with two swimming pools and a hot tub.  She dragged me to a glass railing, and I swear I could see forever from that vantage point.  My fear of our elevation bled away into amazement as I looked around.

She almost whispered in reverence as she shared, “You're newly manifested so you've never been able to witness this before.  It's my favorite thing in the whole world.  My dad brought me out here the first day I manifested.”

I looked from her to the view, the sun low on the horizon.  She pointed. “Here it comes.”  The sun dipped into the horizon, painting the sky in fire.  Someone was whispering, “My God,” in my voice as I took in the sky aflame in the most awe-inspiring waves of color and majesty.  How had I never seen the sunset like this before, it was so vivid and all-encompassing, it was so... “Beautiful.”

She whispered, her voice dripping in the same awe and reverence, “Welcome to Elfhood, Killy.”  All I could do was just nod dumbly, my eyes glued to the emotion-evoking display above us as she gave my hand a squeeze when a tear rolled down my cheek.

Chapter 13 – Aggravation

The next week flew by in a flash.  The endless overtures from multiple Elf clans promising me the world if I claimed I was one of them were almost maddening.  The first one, from the Jericho family, was the most shameless of all of them and reinforced my opinion of the way Elves did things.

Imagine my surprise when Lisa insisted on taking me home once I returned to the station when I found multiple texts from her when I discovered my phone was operational on the roof after we were done watching the sky dance in that almost ethereal dance of color.  I'd have thought she'd gone home when her shift ended, but she said she was worried when I wasn't responding since, “Those crazies are still up front, we'll have to get to my car on the loading dock when we leave.  I've got your back, girl.”

The Cookie Twins dropped me off at the station, and other elves had shown up to form a corridor for me.  I thanked Cliff and the boys and was glurking as Lisa snagged me the moment I stepped through the doors.  Dragging me to my desk as she asked a thousand questions the predominate one, “How much Elf candy was there to look at?”

“You're so bad.  You really...”

I trailed off when a familiar voice called out enthusiastically, “Kia Renner, you haven't changed one bit.”

We stopped and looked at my desk, where Mr. Klien was talking with none other than Melanie Jericho, in ungodly expensive-looking casual wear and what looked to be Balenciaga pumps, those shoes alone must have set her back thousands.  She looked so elegantly graceful just half sitting on the edge of my desk.

Lisa was just blinking at the glamorous Elf, opened her mouth then snapped it shut when Klien glared at her.  She patted my arm. “Looks like you're on your own.  Is your safeword still platypus?”

“My safe what?”

“She's going to eat you alive, and... wait... where did you get ear shields?”

“It took you this long to notice?  What kind of cut-rate friend are you?”  I grinned and she snapped her teeth at me then smiled back.

She held up her cell and wiggled it side to side, indicating I should text her when I was done with whatever this was.

I took a deep breath, steeling myself as I looked around at all the prime-time workers whose heads were above their cubicle walls like lemmings, just staring between me and the promotional face of Laun Corp.  They all went into motion, returning to work when I glared.  I so didn't need this right now.

Moving up to my desk, not acknowledging either of them as she slipped off the desk to stand tall, straightening the hem of her shirt.  As I shut off my little desk lamp and closed my laptop for the night, I said without looking, “What do you want Mel?”

She played her part well as she almost sounded genuinely hurt as she said, “I was just passing by the station, and thought I'd drop in to see an old friend.  Tobias was sweet enough to show me to your desk and has kept me company as we waited for you.”

I hoisted my shoulder bag and said, looking up at her finally, “Well, it was great catching up with you.  We'll have to do this again sometime.”

She almost blurted, “Is there someplace we can talk?”  She played the innocent well, and she twirled the tips of her hair as she asked.

I sighed, halfway out of my cubicle.  “Fine, but my friend is waiting on me so you have to make it quick.”

Mr. Klein's brows were furrowed, confused with my thinly veiled aggravation with one of the most famous Elves in town.  He stood tall then said, “Yes, the conference room is free, ladies.  And Miss Jericho, please stop by before you leave, I'd like to discuss a possible interview if we could.”

She offered her hand, palm down, he took it and brought it halfway to his lips in a faux hand kiss.  “Of course, Tobias, though I'll have to check in with legal to make sure I'm not stepping on any toes.  Can't be too careful these days.”  That was a long-winded 'no'.  It reminded me of the Swahili mpaka milele, to consider it until eternity.  What?  I'm a word nerd, it's sort of a requirement for journalists.

He repeated, “Of course.”

Then he gave me a pointed look and left us.  I made an ushering motion, and then led her to the conference room, shutting the door behind us.

“Kia, it's so good to see you again, I've missed you.”

“Not enough to return a single call or email.  So why are you really here, Mel?”  I felt like I was back in high school, still feeling the sting of her personality shift and her abandonment of all her friends.

She sighed and said without the forced cheerfulness as she half sat on the corner of the conference table, “I really did miss you, and your directness, you know.”

I cocked a brow, just feeling exhausted and wanting to go home to bed, she made a frustrated sound then shared, “The Jericho family wants you to claim them next week.  It would strengthen their standings in the Council, and they are prepared to offer you substantial incentives to.  You could get your family out of that rundown neighborhood and into a condo on the upper east side.  You'd want for nothing, and we know of your desire to be an on-air personality.  With the Launs as our allies, we could get you placed on ENN.”

This was the same fairy-tale crap they fed her, and it had changed her, treating her friends as disposable as she took what she thought she was owed.  Someone once told me that fame and fortune don't change a person, they just magnify what was already there.  And as much as it pained us all, Melanie was a diva deep down inside and that was what was magnified in her.  It was odd when I had an epiphany, looking at her, expecting me to just say yes like it was a done deal, that any anger I had fostered in the past, was replaced with a sad sense of pity.

I sighed and told her, “It's truly been nice to see you again, Mel.  I've only just Elfed and everything has been just one confusing whirlwind.  I haven't had a chance to speak with my parents about this.  And I'm not about to just jump into something else life-changing at the drop of a hat.  Especially not until I can even wrap my head around what's happened to me.”

Shrugging with a sad smile, she said, “I told them dangling shiny baubles in front of you wouldn't work.  Even back in school, you were a thinker, always having a plan and never doing anything on impulse.  That's why I missed you, as you were the only one at school who wasn't clamoring to be around me only because of my manifestation.  You were always real.  That's why I went away with my newfound clan, so I could start over where people weren't trying to be my friend just because I was an Elf.”

That took me by surprise, and not because it seemed to be the first real thing she said to me, but that she was feeling that way about all the attention she was getting from the kids who hadn't given her a second look before her Elfing.  And that she didn't think I was that superficial back then, even though the two of us were Elf-stanners back then.

She handed me a card.  “Just think about it.  We just wanted to get to you before the bigger families started pitching you.  They told me to get down here right after the Council retired when your dad and you snubbed them.”

Then she chuckled. “I don't know how I didn't see it back then, your dad always was too hot to be a Roundie, of course, he was an Elf.  Your mom being Elf though was a surprise, she always wore those frumpy clothes almost like she was trying too hard not to be noticed.  But I guess they were in hiding and all, like my parents.”

After a beat, she  added, “It was really good to see you again.”

I studied her as she cocked her head, widened her eyes slightly in question, and opened her arms, her entire body looked like she was shrugging.  Damn it.  I sighed in exasperation at myself as I grudgingly hugged her, “Surprisingly, it was nice to see you again too.  I'm glad you landed on your feet running.”

She released me and just nodded once and moved to the door, looking back at me. “Your eyes are even more stunning than they looked on the television.”  My cheeks heated and she slipped out the door, her heels clacking on the stone floors.

She wasn't the first, and sure as heck wasn't the last Elf family to track me down over the next few days to offer ever-escalating incentives to claim them.  I've taken to screening my calls, wondering how everyone seemed to be privy to my cell number somehow, though that didn't stop them from just showing up at the station.

The most intriguing offer was Natalia Havershire herself showing up on my next work day.  Once we were in a private room in the station, she had just looked at me, choosing her words, then smirked, shrugging, “Well Miss Renner, we got the DNA results back from the lab, and do you know what we found?”

My blood ran cold and my pulse roared in my ears until she shared with the wry amusement of a child trying to figure out what was in the presents under the Christmas tree.  I opened my mouth, not knowing what to say as I wondered if I had to call my parents to warn them they found out mom's secret.  “There's no DNA match in our current rolls of clans.  You, my dear, don't exist according to that particular branch of modern science.”

She waved off any excuse I was formulating and instead said, “You fascinate me, Killishia.  From all accounts coming in from our sources, you don't seem to be interested in all the riches and status that various clans have offered.  That alone piqued my curiosity.  Word on the wind is that you're more interested in making your way as a journalist than having things handed to you.  Just because of that, I know there's nothing we could offer you that would make any difference.”

Again, before I could say anything, she held a hand up to stop me.  “Just because you interest me though, and I'm curious to see what you can do with it, I'd like to offer you a no-strings-attached scholarship to the masters of journalism program at Havashire's top university.  What you do with it and how you further your career is all on you, no influence from the Council.”

Then she smirked and called back as she just strode out the door and toward the elevators, flanked by four dangerous-looking security guards, “And if it happens to encourage you to name the Havashires or one of the families under us, it would just be a bonus to me just to see the look on Evander's smug face.”

When the elevator doors closed, I squeaked out, “Uh... nice to meet you?”

I can't tell you how tempting it was to accept it, being no strings attached, furthering my education and my chosen craft. I liked the idea, but in the end, as generous as her offer was, everything mom and dad shared with me at my grandparents' house later the night after appearing in front of the Elf Council, had me being more reticent than I already was.

Lisa got me home without us being followed, maybe, I swear I saw the Cookie Twins shadowing us from one block over in a black SUV out of the corner of my eye, but every time I looked, the car wasn't there.

Mom and dad were waiting at the door, serious looks on their faces.  I turned to Lisa and she visibly deflated.  I realized that this was unfair to her, she had just dumped her opportunistic boyfriend, and it was my fault.  We haven't had time to drown the sorrow I knew she was hiding behind her bravado, with ice cream.

I told her, “Tomorrow night, you, me, a gallon of ice cream, and a Tommy voodoo doll.  I still haven't been able to talk with my parents about...”  I motioned to my ears.

She sighed and nodded. “I know... but yes to the ice cream and no to the voodoo doll.  You don't mess with voodoo, girl.”  She made a cross over her chest.

I cocked a brow. “You're not religious, Lis.”

“So?  You still don't mess with voodoo.  I have a cousin whose friend...”

I slipped out of her car, interrupting, “Bye Lisa.”

She gave me a silly look and asked, “Pick you up again in the morning?”  The girl was already lonely and I just ditched her, so maybe two gallons tomorrow?

I waved as I darted across our tiny lawn, looking at the news van down the street and some teens I didn't recognize, watching intently from the street corner.  She drove off, music blaring... well maybe not blaring, but I still heard it like I was in the car.  I chuckled.

Before I could get up the steps, mom and dad slipped out the door, locking it behind them, and before I could even say hi or ask what was going on, they looped an arm each, picking me up and headed down the stairs to Gertie.

Dad said as I felt like a cartoon, my legs churning in mid-air.  “Come on, Itty, we don't want to be late to the dinner we promised your gran and gramps we'd attend last week.”

Huh?  Oh, doh!  I swear I'm usually much more mentally nimble than this, but my mind was still overloaded with everything that's happened to me since... dear lord, it hasn't even been twenty-four hours since I Elfed.  How can that be true?

Hyper aware now that there may be ears listening in, I sputtered, “Oh, yes, sorry I'm late.”  A performance worthy of an Oscar, not.

A minute later we were rumbling down the street in Gertie.  I told mom, as we drove the short distance to my grandparents' place, “My first paycheck if I'm made a full-fledged employee of the station, we're getting your car fixed mom.”

She reached back to cup my cheek from the passenger side as I stood in the kitchen area, bracing myself on both of their seats.  “Baby, you don't need to worry yourself about taking care of us, live a little.  Your father and I have survived this long, we'll weather any hardships together.”

Then she looked into her shoulder bag, apparently organizing the contents.  I pointed at another one of those air horns in it, did she have stock in the company or something? “Mom, really?”

She gave me a shit-eating grin.  “Sound is a better deterrent from nosy Elves than anything else.  A non-lethal weapon, like a taser.”

Her smile bloomed at that, her eyes widening as she turned to dad, who stopped her before she could say whatever random idea she had, “No, Abigail, we're not getting you a taser.  Do we want a repeat of the cattle prod incident?”

She mock pouted at him, then beamed her signature mischievous grin. “It didn't do any lasting damage, you big baby, how was I supposed to know it was on?  And it looks like a cute little birthmark on your...”

“Eww!  Mom, Dad, stop already!”  Then I furrowed my brow and prompted, “Wait, a cattle prod?”

“A girl has to be prepared to defend herself, sweetie.”  My mom was certifiable, and I thought it was awesome as hell, does that say something about me?  Nah.

Dad muttered through a sly smirk, “My mouth still tastes like pennies during thunderstorms.”

Mom gave him a compassionate look. “Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?”

“Gah!  Mom, stop.  Dad, stop encouraging her.  I have to go wash my brain out with soap now.”

Then she stated, “Cy, they're still there.”

He nodded. “The Council is just looking out for her until the local attention wanes a bit.  Besides, they won't hear a thing at mom and dad's, you know that.”

We stopped in front of the familiar two-story house that had an actual yard and fence around it, blending in with the low rent area, nothing about it ever stood out to me, except the back yard that reminded me of some sort of exotic botanical garden in the warmer months.  Gran had a green thumb.  Now it made sense to me why she didn't spruce up the front yard too if they've been hiding from the Council like mom too.

Gramps was, as always, standing at the screen door, waiting for us.  He always had a knack for knowing when we'd be coming over.  Their place was like a second home to me and I knew it like the back of my hand.

We headed through the gate and up the walk, dad glancing down the street, and I finally saw the dark SUV, the pale skin of the Cookie Twins almost glowing in the streetlights through the windshield.  Their headlights turned off and they just watched from there.  Were they there to protect me, or were they doing double duty and spying on us with their enhanced senses too?

I squeed and ran into Gramps' arms when he stepped onto the porch. “Gramps!”

He kissed the top of my head then held me at arm's length to look me over, “Baby girl.  Your manifest went well, you're a beauty to behold, like your mother.”  He leaned past me to kiss mom's cheek, then slap dad's shoulder.

Then he glanced at the SUV then motioned us in quickly, a couple of seconds after he closed the door, while my head was swiveling around, looking for Grams, I found out just how much I was wrong about knowing their house.

Chapter 14 – Records Archive

When my grandfather reached out to press the corner of the wainscoting below the stairs in the hall that went all the way to the back of the house, clicked before he pulled it open, revealing a little room under the stairs, which contained another set of stairs going down, I found myself wondering if I were in some sort of book of intrigue and mystery.  Did I know them at all?

He led the way, down the unlit cellar-style stairs, and we followed as I just stared dumbly.  When we reached a metal door that looked quite modern, with a sturdy metal frame mortared into the concrete foundation.  My day kept pushing me farther and farther into shock and confusion.

He placed his hand on a scanner and then with mechanical motors whirring and heavy metal bolts retracting from the top and bottom of the doorway, it swung into a well-lit place.  And I stepped into Wonderland.  Well, not really wonderland, but a replica of the kitchen, dining room, and living room above.  It even smelled well lived in with my grandparents' scent everywhere.

Once the door closed behind us and the locks re-engaged, a heavy wall of white noise engulfed us, blotting out the sounds of the city outside.  Grams stepped out of the kitchen with a roast that was causing my bottomless pit of a stomach to gurgle loudly.

She smiled like we weren't in an episode of the Twilight Zone, and said, “Kia, dear girl, sit, sit, you must be ravenous.”  She was shaking her head in wonder as she looked at me.

With mom and dad holding me steady, a hand on each shoulder as I wavered, I heard myself half accusing, “Grams, gramps, you're Elves?”

As my grandmother set the roast in the middle of the doppelganger dining room table, she chuckled out, “So are you, dear,” cocking a brow daring me to say otherwise.

Wait!  I sputtered, “Don't turn this back on me.”

Grandpa said as he went to stand by his wife, “It's true, you are, sweetie."

“That's not what I mean.”

They were grinning like the cat who swallowed the canary and my traitorous mom chuckled.  Why was my mouth starting to rebel and start ticking in a suppressed smile?  “You're all mean.”  I gave them my best pouty look, lower lip all puffed up.

Gran just said in her matter-of-fact tone, “Don't pout dear, your face may stick like that.”

My eyes widened as I stopped and blurted, “Oh god, is that an Elf thing?”

She looked past me.  “Really Cy, are you sure she's not adopted?  She seems too gullible to be our granddaughter."

Gasp!  I pointed in vindication, “See?  Mean!”

Undeterred by my ironclad logic, Gran asked as she headed back to Kitchen v2.0, “Freshly baked bread, dear?”

Oh, that's what that heavenly smell was?  My stomach gurgled loudly in response, and that's how I found myself eating yet another large meal today as they explained how this was a safe room that they used to run meetings of various Elves who were hiding from their clans or the Council itself.  But it was virtually unused since the Reveal.

Grandma explained how, “We fostered Elf children from the Sapien system, finding them homes with caring Elf families before they could reach the age they'd manifest.  And one day, before the Reveal, we ran across a darling young boy in the system, who was bigger than the other kids his age, clever, and was so very pretty, we knew he was an abandoned Elf, how could he not be?  He was smart and charming, and we fell for him hard.  We'd been alone for over a hundred years in the city, and he brought us a joy we never imagined as we hid away from the prying eyes of the Council.”

Gramps chuckled and added, “We adopted the rascal, and imagine our surprise when an Elf doctor who was compassionate to our cause, ran some blood tests to determine his lineage.  Color us shocked when Doctor Ahmed shared with us that the results were conclusive, that our little Cy... was Sapien.  And look at the man our little boy has grown up to be.”

Wait, Doctor Baahir Ahmed?  He knew dad?  He helped my grandparents?

Grams shot such a loving look at dad, then revealed what proved to be the source of another gajillion questions to add to the ones already swimming in my brain when she shared, “We found a family looking for sanctuary, their story heartbreaking.  And they had the most lovely fledgling with them.”

“It would be a disservice to say that Cy and Abby had an instant attraction.  You could have lit a match just holding it between them.”

Dad shared, “When word of Special Elf Ops getting close to her family, her parents made what appeared to be the most heart-rending decision of their lives.  They left Abigail, and fled the city, luring the squads away from their daughter.”

Mom bubbled out, “Cy helped me nurse my broken heart, so I married his fine ass... and the rest of him.”  She turned to me. “How the hell was I supposed to know I'd be shooting out the most perfect little Elfling a year later?”

“Moooom!”

Dad came to my rescue. “Abigail, let her catch her breath.”  Then to me, he prompted as we ate, “So... it is safe here, go ahead and ask your questions.”  And I couldn't have stopped the flood of questions that burst forth if I tried.

There were still some topics they were reluctant to cover, saying it was safer if I didn't know why her family was being hunted.  And they reluctantly withheld the name of our clan.  Dad sharing, “You just knowing that could be dangerous for your mom.  But hey, you're a Renner.”

He held out a fist across the table and I sighed in resignation and fist-bumped him as we said in unison, “Renners.”

I did overhear mom telling him in the kitchen, I mean I tried not to listen in, “Maybe it's time to come out into the open?  With the Reveal, they have no need for our family any more, they can't treat us like their servants now.”

I dutifully ate apple cobbler with my grandfather, as we watched an old SciFi show on their television in the faux living room.  I looked around, realizing what they had done here was akin to a church granting sanctuary, or similar to the Underground Railroad, getting escaping Elves to safety.  That moment gave me clarity, my grandparents, they were heroes of the Elf Underground.  Badass.

A little voice inside my head was asking, “But safety from what?”  They intoned that there was just far too much to share in one night, but promised there would be more conversations like this soon.

Chapter 15 – Investigation

It was Monday that I made a decision.  I marched into Mr. Klien's office a few minutes after the morning briefing and assignments were handed out.  It was brought up by Wendy, who handles the tip line, that there was a report of another Elf found dead last night.  The person who called it in sounded pretty drunk, talking about guys in black body armor and badass paintball guns swarming the Ramble in Central Park, and they'd said, “They're like, taking blood from one of those Elf dudes, I think he's dead, man.”

He said that he tried 911 first, but they didn't believe him, warning him that 911 was for emergency calls only.  When the armored men saw him by a tree on the phone, they paused in indecision then bugged out.  Wendy shared that the police won't confirm if they checked on the report or not.

Klien had a more thoughtful look on his face this time.  Not suggesting an Elf cover-up, like the prior one.  “I'll reach out to my contacts at the Medical Examiner's.  There might be something here.”

I looked at the card Baahir had given me, then went to the stairwell to call him.  He answered on the second ring, “Doctor Ahmed.”

“Hi, Baahir, it's me, Killishia Renner.”

“To what do I owe the unexpected pleasure of this call?”

I looked around, glancing up and down the stairs, speaking low.  “I was wondering if another Elf body was brought in last night, same as the last.”

He whispered warily, “How do you know about that?  We're not supposed to be talking about this, it could cause a panic.”

“Was it some sort of neurotoxin again?  And why would whoever did it be taking blood samples from the body?”

“I can't talk.  It is best you leave this alone.”  And he hung up, leaving me blinking.

So they did have the body the drunk man saw.  Did they steal it from the Medical Examiner's again, or the park before the police got more calls about the body?

I tapped my chin with my cell as I thought.  Exhaling, I made a decision and spun on a heel to speak with Mr. Klien.  He looked up from his computer as I stepped in, knocking on the door.  A big smile on his face as he said, “Kia!  Just the person I need to see.”  He tapped a manila folder on his desk and slid it my way with one finger.

“This is the contract legal drew up for us.  Feel free to discuss it with your counsel, or we can have someone from legal explain it to you.  Take all the time you need.”

I put a finger on it and slid it right back at him. “I know we spoke of a compromise, but there's something else I insist on.  I want to be able to dedicate part of my time investigating those reports of Elf bodies that are cropping up.  Add that to the contract, and I'll sign now.  Something is going on, and I have inside information on the story already.”

He blinked. “What kind of information?”

I cocked a brow, and he studied me, then shared, “You do know that even if I agree to that, it doesn't guarantee we'll use the story.  Only verifiable sources backed by research of the facts.”

I nodded and he tilted his head, brow creasing, “The stories you've been submitting have held a distinctly negative view of Elvish activities, they lacked neutral objectivity.  They were actually well written but we couldn't use them because of that lack.  We report the news and provable facts, not color things with our own personal views.  This is a complete departure from that, and we don't even know if it will lead to anything.  So if we do this, keep all of this in mind.”

Nodding, I chewed on my lower lip.  It felt like I was leveraging his need to showcase an Elvish on-air personality.  Was I doing the very thing that rubbed me the wrong way with other Elves?  Damn it, I was so conflicted.

He tapped the folder and said, “I'll have legal add your stipulation and get you the new contract within the hour.  In the meantime, report to fact-checking in the morgue.  It is where you were going to be placed anyway before you Elfed, working your way through the trenches.  And if you're going to be working a story and doing your on-air segment, it is a good place for you to gain more insight in the entire journalistic process.”

I exhaled and said, “Thank you, sir, you won't regret it.”

With humor, he said, “Oh, I'm already regretting it.”  Then he pointed at the door. “Get to work, Kia.”

“Yes sir!”  I spun and promptly tripped over one of the chairs, spinning away from the coat rack by the door, and ended up inches from the door frame.  Gah!  I looked down and scurried away my cheeks heating.  Could I be any more of a klutz?

Once I gathered my things from my old desk into a box, I almost skipped to the records room archive in the sub-level by the mail-room, 'the Morgue', of hundreds of thousands of stories for research and fact-checking the current stories the reporters were working on.  I slipped inside and looked at the rows upon rows of printed materials and boxes of documents as well as the row of computers to do more traditional research, two of the three were manned by frazzled looking young men, Azu and Renny.  The poor boys were overworked and looked almost like zombies, bags under their eyes.

They looked up, then back to their monitors, then their eyes widened simultaneously when I registered with them.  They almost bounced out of their chairs, one tipping back over onto the ground with a loud clatter as Azu started tucking in his shirt while Renny was quickly running his fingers through his hair trying to tame the frazzled mess that actually looked cute on him.

Azu was blurting, “It's you.  You Elfed.  You're... they're... I...”

Renny, who headed up the fact-checking pool, looked seconds from bowing or maybe running away or passing out, each was equally likely.  He got his wits about him. “What can we do for you?  Ummm... Kia. Ummm, miss?  Umm...”

I chuckled at how adorably awkward they were, making me glad I wasn't the most awkward person in the station.  “I'm still me, boys, just with some new accessories.”  I pointed at an ear.

They tried to look casual, Azu crossing his arms across his chest in an attempt to look aloof as Renny leaned on his desk, attempting the same.  I rolled my eyes.  Boys.  Then told Renny, “Mr. Klein assigned me here now that my internship is over.  So, would you like to show me the ropes, Obi-wan?”

They both laughed nervously, Azu whispering eyes wide, “She knows Star Wars.”

The two of them hovered over my shoulder then, showing me their system and how to go about looking up the highlighted facts in each story.

At one point, Azu asked, looking unsure of himself, “So what's it like?”

“What?”

“Now that you're, you know...”  He pointed at his ears.  “... an Elf?”

I considered if I would answer or not, but decided on, “Apparently I've always been Elf.  I just didn't know.  And some things are weird, like the ears and heightened senses.  I'm still having an identity crisis, but when it comes down to it, I'm still just me.  So I'll get back to you on it once I figure it out myself.”

My ears swiveled when Renny said, “Sounds confusing.”

Azu was squeaking and pointing at me, “They move!  Do all Elf ears move?”

I sighed and told him, “Let's get back to work, boys.”

When it was lunchtime, Lisa poked her head into the Morgue. “Knock knock.”  She wiggled her brows at us as we all looked over the monitors.  She pushed her mail cart into angle around to me, waggling a legal size brown interoffice pack. “Rumor has it that some little Elfy is a full salaried employee of WTRL now, working in the Archives.  And once she signs these papers, and brings them up to legal, she's treating her work wife to a gourmet lunch somewhere to celebrate.”

I looked at the packet in her hands, eyes wide as the boys took the magazines, newspapers, and other mail she held out to them, both boys staring at her like she was a rockstar. Renny tried to sound casual as his voice cracked, “Thanks, Lisa.”

“De nada”

Azu added belatedly, “Hi Lisa,”  testing leaning on first the water cooler by the desks, then one of the records racks.

She winked at the poor boy, just great, he might just pass out now.  Then she turned to me. “Well, aren't you going to open it?”

I looked from the packet to her as I turned it over in my hands, cocking a brow at her as I gave her a sardonic look. “You mean the already opened packet?”  I brushed the loose red string that had already been uncoiled from the cardboard toggles on the front of the reusable pouch which had almost all of the spaces to write in destination floor numbers and recipients filled out.  This particular packet was close to seeing its last delivery with only two lines left open on it.  Sublevel 1: Archives: Killishia Renner was at the bottom of the list.

I squished my lips to one side, giving her faux innocent look the side-eye as I grabbed a pen and initialed it in the receipt column.  “So it was your extraordinary mental powers that divined the contents was it?”

“Well it may have accidentally slipped out during the trip down here from upstairs, and I may have accidentally read part of it... just the first twenty pages and appendices.”

I flipped to the end.  “There are only nineteen pages.”

She flipped the contract back to the first page and tapped on the top with an overacted, dramatic  grin nodding as she offered, “Cover page.”

I sighed and just flipped to the end of the contract proper after reading the section headers to be sure my requests were included.

She asked as I signed and dated then handed her the pen and pointed at the witness line, “Um, aren't you at least going to read it?  I mean, it is twenty pages of legalese.  They could have you signing your soul away to the Great Spaghetti Monster in the Sky or something, and maybe your first born to a traveling clown troupe.”

“And did they?  You read it... accidentally of course.”

She chuckled. “Well forgive me for taking an interest in my bestie's life since I'd be the one left raising our child if you're simmering in a marinara pot in the sky with our lord of noodly goodness. R-amen.”

“Wouldn't Junior be with a traveling clown troupe though?”

We looked at Renny and Azu, who was just staring at us, gape-jawed.  I thought we broke them until Azu whispered so quietly in Ren's ear that I doubt Lisa could hear, but I didn't have that problem anymore, “They know about the Church of the GSM.”  Ren waved him off.

I snorted and turned away from my best friend to look at the two who quickly sat, pretending to work diligently.  “Really?  That's the big takeaway here?  We were just messing with you.  Boys don't have the market cornered on geekdom.”  I grinned and said behind my hand in a stage whisper, “Ren, you're using the wrong mouse.”

He looked down quickly to see he had his left hand on my mouse and right hand on his keyboard that he was pretending to type on.  He quickly readjusted to use his mouse.  I placed a hand on his shoulder to give it a little squeeze as I grinned at the two of them.

Then I turned to Lisa and nudged my chin at the contract.  She waffled her hand. “Only part of your soul, but it's pretty much equally soul-sucking for both sides.”  She looked at me suspiciously.

I held my hand out in a stopping motion. “Not looking for any special treatment, that's why I'm down here, to work my way up.  I'm sure Renny and Azu are going to be up in the bullpen any day soon.  Right guys?”

Azu said, scratching his head, “I've been here since my junior year in High School five years ago.  Ren's been here six, that's why he's in charge.”

“Oh,” I winced and turned back to her, “Oh.  Then, maybe?  I mean I leveraged a little but I have leads on this story of Elf bodies vanishing... and...”

I cupped her ear and whispered, “I saw one of the bodies at Laun Tower.”  Her eyes widened a bit and I bent and signed the contract.

Then I slid them back in the packet, and she said, “Right then, let's get you to the shysters upstairs.  I'm starved.  What exotic fare are you treating me to?”

Rolling my eyes I said, “Well I do have a discount coupon for Cy's in my moth-ridden pocketbook.”

She didn't miss a beat.  “Your dad charges you at the family truck?  That's scandalous.”  Then she turned to the two other occupants of the Morgue. “We'll bring you some doggy bags.  You're in for a treat, her dad's shawarma is to die for, almost as sinfully delicious as he is.”

I slapped her shoulder lightly. “Eww.  That's my dad.”  Then to them, I said, “I'll be out the rest of the day once we drop off lunch to you.”  I shook the paperwork in triumph. “I've got some leads to follow.  And you guys have been awesome today, I'm learning a lot about the system and procedures down here.”

They stood and waved at us as we headed to the doors, Lisa pushing her cart.  I waved back as they said, “Bye Kia, bye Lisa.”

We shared a grin when the doors closed behind us, and I admitted, “They're cute.  And they really do know their stuff.  There's a lot more to fact-checking than I imagined.  Did you know that each fact once verified, is flagged one way, then they find another source to corroborate the first, and then it is marked another way.  A weighted system for a percentage of accuracy.”

She nodded. “Yes, and that is why you don't want to be too good at it yourself.  There's a reason the Ghouls haven't made it upstairs yet.  They're the best fact-checkers in New York.”

“Ghouls?”

“A play on the fact they occupy the Morgue.  And that makes you a Ghoulette.”

Sighing as she just opened the mail room door and shoved her half-full cart through and looped her arm in mine to drag me to the elevators.  “A female ghoul is also a ghoul, Einstein.  Though I do believe that in Arabic folklore they did have male and female versions of the word, but still grouped them under the umbrella of ghul or something like that.”

She said, “You are such a geek.  And I stand by Ghoulette until the fact-checkers get back to me.”

I sighed but smiled internally, knowing what she was doing.  She was being extra silly to keep my mind off of my upcoming return to face the Elf Council.

I dropped the packet off to one of the assistants up in legal while Lisa waited in the corridor.  Geraldine Onai herself, our chief counsel came out to shake my hand. “Welcome aboard, Miss Renner.  I'll have copies made and inform Human Resources of your new status.”  Then she covered her mouth her exquisite manicure creamy against her ebony skin.  “Oh, I'm so sorry, to Personnel.  I'm not used to...”

Placing a hand on her arm, I reassured her, “Elves are human too, Mrs. Onai.  I'm still trying to get a handle on things too.”  Then I offered, “Aelftus and Sapien are what I gather.  Damn, I wish they taught this stuff better in school.  I'm Elf and am finding I'm guilty of all sorts of Implicit Bias snafus so far.”

She nodded slowly, the razor-sharp intelligence in her eyes appearing to weigh my words.  Then her eyes widened slightly as she looked at the papers in her hands and smiled a little.  “Ah, thus the prime time segment laid out in the contract.  Inspired, sharing your experience as you're one of the very few who have been on both sides of the Elf equation.”

I blushed. “I wish it had been my idea.  Mr. Klien came up with it as a compromise since I wouldn't agree to an interview.”

She pointed at me, creases appearing at the corners of her eyes as she grinned. “Keeping control of what and how much to share of your experience.  Very shrewd, I think I like you, Miss Renner.”

“Kia. Please.”

She inclined her head then furrowed her brow, looking past me.  I glanced back then rolled my eyes at Lisa walking past the windows on either side of the door, looking at an imaginary watch.  “I'm sorry, my lunch date is a little impatient.”

The woman chuckled. “Oh yes, we're quite familiar with Miss Rodriguez in legal here. It was a pleasure to meet with you in person.”

I gave a single, awkward wave from my hip as I turned back to the door. “Likewise.  Have a great afternoon.”

When I stepped out, Lisa and I just looked at each other for a second before uttering restrained squeals, vibrating in restrained celebration for just a moment before dashing to the elevators.  We were halfway through the front lobby when she snagged my arm to slow me down.  “Whoa, wait.  We didn't think this through too well.  Is this such a wise idea to be on the streets?  I mean, you're the hottest thing since sliced bread right now.  And those Elf-Stanners are a little crazy.”

I cocked an amused brow even though I had already been thinking the same thing, as I had been tensing up more and more as we approached the door.  “You're sort of a Stanner yourself, woman.”

She nodded. “And you already know how crazy I am.  They're a whole new level of obsessive.”

Nodding and hugging her arm tight as I started forward again, I shared, “I have to come out of hiding sometime.  And the sooner I do, the sooner the hype will wane until the next shiny thing takes the spotlight and I'll be free to live my life again without hiding away from everyone.”

She was fluttering the fingers of her free hand on her hip like she was psyching herself up and then just nodded once in determination.  Security, who has been stationed at the front doors since I Elfed, saw us coming, and with unsure hesitation, opened the doors for us.  A big burly guy saying, “Miss Renner.”

The dude was huge, even bigger than dad, and his smoothly shaved head made you want to rub your hand over it.  My cheeks heated and we stepped out into the small clear roped-off space that more security was keeping back a few Stanners, reporters, and to my surprise, a couple of elves who happened to be surrounded by the Stanners.

“There she is!”  “Killishia we love you!”  I stutter-stepped when I realized a couple of the girls had red dye jobs and what had obviously had to be green contacts along with the reproduction pointed ear shields most hardcore Elf followers wore.

I closed my eyes partially to center myself and partially because the flashes from the paparazzi stung my eyes.  Then whispered, “Ok, let's do this.”

She nodded beside me and we headed to the line.  Security opened the rope for us as a couple pushed people back.  I glanced back at them as I braved stepping through as questions were shouted my way.  Then as I turned around, I promptly walked into a wall of muscle that smelled like clean linen and coffee. “Gleep!”

I looked up sheepishly to an amused-looking Ivan then over to Pietor, who was looking down at a grinning and overly interested-looking Latina who was poking experimentally at his big pectorals.  She mouthed to me, “Holy shit.”

I sighed and said, “Lis, these are Ivan and Pietor Korsivair the bodyguards the Elf Council has had following me.”

Pietor said from the corner of his mouth as he turned to the Stanners who were starting to swarm, until they saw the imposing man and the fierce look on his face and held back, “Protecting, not following.”

My sigh was resigned now. “Boys, Lisa Rodriguez.”

Ivan spoke up, “We are aware.”

Lisa looked like she was perusing a selection of goodies at the supermarket as she asked Pietor absently as she poked one of his biceps as he held his arms wide to keep people back.  “So is this like... everywhere?”

The big man just cocked a brow at her and she held her palms out in surrender. “Sorry there, big guy.  Just admiring the hardware.”

Then I prompted as Ivan took a similar position, flanking us. “What are you two doing here?”

Ivan shrugged. “We were told you were heading to the lobby.  Not the most advisable course of action at this time, Miss Kia.”

I huffed then shared as I just started walking, causing them to hustle to keep up, “We're going to get lunch.  I'm not going to hide away from the world just because my ears gained a bit of pointitude.”

Lisa snorted.  “Pointitude?  That is so going on my Jitter feed.”  Then she reached her hand in front of us as we walked holding her cell out to take a selfie with me.  “I'm gonna need an Elf Gold page for these gems.”

“I hate you.”  My cheeks burned as I gnawed on my lower lip.

“Too bad, you're stuck with me until Junior goes away to college, a custody battle would stunt his emotional growth.”

Ivan sputtered. “There's a child?” Then he quickly raised his hand and started to speak into his cuff, “We need a priority security detail for...”

I stopped him, trying so very hard not to laugh as I shared, “No, sorry.  Junior is just our imaginary love child.  Lisa's a little...”  I whirled a finger beside my head.

“Thank you.”

“Wasn't a compliment.”

Ivan huffed and then returned to scanning the small procession we had behind us that seemed to be growing as we moved along.  Then I almost peed myself when someone landed beside me, dropping in on us from Cthulhu knows where.  The Russians not even reacting as Tana Laun said as she eyeballed Lisa critically, “So where are we going, Killy?”

Lis squeaked out as her thumbs started madly flying across her cell, “Killy?  Oh, this is so being posted.”  Then she froze, finger-pointing at the newcomer as I spluttered, mouth working like a fish out of water, “She's Tana Laun!  Oh my god!”

I found my voice and tried to sound like the start she gave my heart was now competing with the attention the rest of me was giving her close proximity.  Damn, why did she have to be so... so. Tana?  “What are you doing here?”

“I heard you were about to do something monumentally stupid, so I thought if I was stuck being your Ráquen, I should advise you against this until we know we can keep you safe.  So, there you are.”

“Wait, the Cookie Twins said the same thing.  Do you have an inside man at the station?”

“Duh.  Keep up, woman.”  I blinked then realized that it explained how the Russians got here so quickly, them watching me from the street, but how did she get here so fast?  And just where had she dropped in on us from?  I looked back and saw only a streetlamp and a newspaper box near where we had been.

Ivan asked, “Cookie Twins?”

I gave him a patient look, come on, they had to know how similar they were to each other.  Then the big guy sighed and shrugged, nodding in resignation.

She grinned at him with an odd look.  My curiosity got the better of me and I prompted, “What?”

She said, shooting an apologetic look to the Elf mountains, “Up until now, I seriously thought they were mute.”  Then Tana asked, “How come you never say anything around the Council Chambers?”

Pietor shrugged his big shoulders. “Nobody has asked us anything before Miss Kia.  We're supposed to protect our charge, not converse.”

She nodded, looking mad for some reason, then said, “Now I feel like an asshole, you've been with the Council two years and I never bothered.”

“You're...”

“Yeah, a Laun.  Damn it, I'll do better.”  She promised and did look genuine.

Then she turned to me with a question in her expression. I exhaled and said, “We're just going to grab lunch, then I've got some work to do.”

“Oh great, where are we heading?  Ramanos?  La Rue Fontaine?”

I almost choked at the names of two of the most exclusive Elf Restaurants on 5th Avenue.  Lisa opened her mouth almost as wide as her eyes and I beat her to it before she agreed.  The waiting list was over six months at both, and just the appetizers were probably my family's food budget for a month.  “Someplace even better.”

I shared a smug look with Lisa when it was Tana's turn to look wide-eyed as she asked, “The Top of the World?  You have that kind of clout already?  It was hard for even my dad to get a reserved table there.”  She was looking impressed.

Shaking my head I said with pride,  “Even better still. I have a coupon.”

Looking between Lisa and me in confusion, she cocked a brow and I looked down, biting my lip as I tucked a wild strand of red behind my ear.  Lisa chuckled and then looped my arm and Tana's and dragged us along, “Come along Elfy ladies, or you'll melt a hole in the sidewalk with your combined hotness.  I'm hungry.”

Chapter 16 – Warnings

That was the most satisfying, and slightly arousing lunch I've ever had, sequestered inside of Gertie as dad served us and the long line of customers lined up along the sidewalk with about fifty or so others who had been following us mobbed the truck once dad waved us into the back when he saw us coming. The moans coming from Tana as she ate were almost sexual in nature.

It was almost too distracting for me to concentrate on eating.  Someone recognized dad from the uncomfortable coverage my family had had since my Elfing.  “Oh my god!  It's her dad!  He's an elf too!”

“His ears are normal.”

“He's hotter than Geoff!”

The last one had Tana stopping for a moment and quirking an eyebrow, but then she looked at dad and then shrugged, looking to agree.  Dad opened the back door once to hand out a couple of shawarmas to Ivan and Pietor who tried to refuse them but gave in when dad wouldn't stop holding them out to them.

Then he scanned the crowd as I helped him at the back grill as he seemed to have three times the orders of our best day.  He called to Tana over people shouting orders, “Where's your detail, I can't spot them?”  He nudged his chin to two other meals he had prepared.

She shrugged. “I think maybe in Brooklyn?  I spoofed my phone's GPS to peg me somewhere around six or seven miles from Killy's station before I gave them the slip.”

Wait, she could do that?  I almost face palmed at my question.  Of course, she can, Kia.  Her family engineered the phones and I'm sure they're full of back doors. I absently patted mine in my back pocket.  Is that how all the clans seem to know my phone number?

Dad studied her a moment, then chuckled and started slinging orders with me again.  He said to me as the girls finished their food, “We may make decent bank today.  Maybe catch up on some bills.”

A thunking up front had Tana start, looking to move into a defensive position.  I held out a calming hand and said to her as dad saluted with a spatula through the front window as a police officer wandered on to the next truck, “Nothing to worry about, just the daily Vendor-Tax.”

She squinted her eyes in confusion, “What's that, I haven't heard of that one.”

Dad chuckled and shared, “Just the daily parking ticket from our friendly neighborhood parking enforcement officer.  The city refuses to give us food truck vendors any permits to park at meters, nor a dedicated place to park our rigs for customers to come to.  So we're forced to park over the legal limit and they ticket us each day as we try to scrape out a living.”

I added, “We call it Vendor-Tax or Parking-Tax.  We're a revenue generator for New York City.  Between parking fines and the ludicrously priced street vendor and food vendor permits, they take almost twenty-five percent of our profits.”

I smirked and told her, “In our accounting software we have that line item as extortion and miscellaneous.  We change it to fees and permits on our taxes, of course, they wouldn't get the humor of it.”

She didn't chuckle as Lisa did, instead, her brow was furrowed as she looked from me to dad then the grills.  “How many trucks do you own, how many employees and overhead?”

Dad and I leaned in together goofy grins on our faces as we bumped heads.  He winked. “You're looking at us.  And we can generally make enough to make ends meet, winters like this are usually hard.  Less foot traffic and we depend on holiday events and such to turn things around.”

I winged a thumb at dad as we went back to getting orders out. “Dad's got the best Mediterranean food truck on the island.”

She nodded slowly, eyes still pinched. “I agree, this is five-star food.  Better than a lot of the fine dining experiences in town.  But it seems a lot of work for little return.  Have you thought of diversifying and...”

My eyes went wide as I tried to wave her off.  Dad looked at her patiently and shared as he put another order out the window, “I've supported my family with it since the day Kia was born.  Good times or bad don't matter because we have each other and we pitch in...” he motioned to me manning the back grill, “...wherever and whenever it is needed.”

“And we're all the happier for it.  That is my measuring stick of success.  Those guys running restaurant chains living or dying for profit and nothing else have more complicated lives than us and less fulfilling lives, so I'd put that as a win for team Renner.”

He put a fist blindly back to me and I bumped it as we said, “Renners.”

Lisa chirped out, “They're so odd, but they can get away with it being so hot and all.”

I sighed and said before the punk Elf queen in the truck could put her two cents worth in, “And with that, we need to get a couple of consolatory shawarma to the boys back at the station, then I have to get down to the garment district.”

Tana cocked a brow, all her attention on me at that, I felt self-conscious and looked down as I moved to take the meals dad made for Tana's detail.  “I, sort of... I have a story I'm working on.”

Dad turned back at that. “A story?  You got the job?  Why didn't you say, Itty Bit?  Congratulations, I knew you could...”

“Daaaad.  I was going to tell you and mom together when I got home.  If I do well, it might jump-start my advance to an investigative journalist.”

Tana had a smug look on her face as she said, “Congrats... Itty Bit.”

“Grah!  I think I prefer you calling me Killy... Tanny.”

She growled.

Lisa was looking between Tana and me for some reason as she took the sack of food. “Umm... why don't I take these back to the Ghouls, and you two can just go do whatever it is you need to do, together?”

Dad made an odd aborted snort sound.  What?

She saluted us with the bag and said to dad almost dreamily, “Thank you, Mr. Renner.” Then to us, as she slipped out the door, “Rodriguez out.”

Before I could ask what just happened, we heard her saying, “You could guard my body anytime, muscles.”

I pounded the back door. “Lis!”

Her chuckle receded.  I turned to Tana, winging a thumb. “Work wives, am I right?”

She eyeballed me and I broke under her scrutiny so I spun to dad. “Thanks, Dad, love you, see you at home.”  I kissed his cheek then looked at the door as the other Elf in the truck stood next to me.  I hesitated, “Umm, she was kidding.  I'm sure you got like a megazillion other things to do today.”

“Nope, slate is clear.  Sounds interesting, the boys will have a car circling somewhere.”  She thumped the door twice and Ivan looked in as Pietor was talking into his cuff.  The big man nodded and she offered an arm to me. “Shall we?”  Then to dad, she said, “It was a pleasure seeing you again, Mr. Renner.”

He saluted with his spatula and then I gleeped when she dragged me out to behind the Cookie Twins.  As people started pointing and moving our way, a black SUV pulled up beside the truck.  Tana just calmly stepped toward it as Ivan opened the back door.  Holy crap that was fast.

I slipped in, chewing my lower lip when she made an ushering motion to me, waggling her brows.  She hesitated when her cell buzzed and she looked at it then exhaled in frustration.  “Sorry, Killy looks like you're on your own.  Dad wants me in his office.” She made finger quotes, “yesterday.  My detail must have called in.  Raincheck though.  I'm genuinely interested in learning about your investigation.”

Was I actually disappointed?  “Oh, ok.”

She winked then affected a good approximation of Lisa's voice as she said, “Laun out,” as she turned and walked right into the Elf adoring crowd, looking as badass as she wanted people to think she was.  And that confidence worked as they parted like she was a force of nature.  I jumped when the door closed, and I realized my head was cocked, my eyes watching her hips sway as she stalked off. Dayum.

Ivan joined me on the other side of the back seat, Pietor in the front.  I blinked, realizing I recognized the driver.  “Hi, Cliff.”

“Hello, Kia, where to?”

I thought on that, realizing I could do more than I had intended today if I had access to a vehicle like this.  “How about the Medical Examiner's office in the Garment District?”

“Yes ma'am, right away.  Please fasten your seat belt.”

I looked at the musclebound duo and cocked a brow as I complied. “Boys?”  They looked right back at me impassively, then exhaled in unison in surrender and fastened their belts.  I reached beside me to pat Ivan's chest. “Better.”  Then my cheeks heated when I felt just how rock-hard his muscles were.

I sat on my hands on the short drive, then got excited when I realized that I was far away from the Elf-crazy crowd.  Sweet!  We pulled up to the Medical Examiner's office, and Cliff ran around to open my door before I gathered my things.  I gave him a really look and he got a cheesy look on his face as he said, “It's all part of the service, Kia.”

I squished my lips to one side. “Then thank you, Cliff.  What plans do your family have for the holi... and where do you think you two are going?”  The Russians came out to flank us.

I glanced around to the light foot traffic on this block, the nondescript building wasn't really a popular destination in the city.  Ivan gave me his I'm ignoring you as I do my job attitude as he scanned the area. I said, “Can't you just go back to your, let's keep tabs on her from afar and she'll never know we're here, mode?  I don't need babysitters everywhere I go.  Tana does fine without hers.”

Pietor said with humor coloring his tone, “The Aryon has years of Mahta-cambë training and isn't exactly unarmed if confronted.”  Then he added as he too scanned the area, “Kia.”

“Don't get all smug.  I'll have you know I have one of the finest run-away defenses available on the market today.”

Cliff had my back. “It's true, and everyone in Manhattan witnessed that when you manifested.”

“Yeah, wait, hey now!”

He chuckled then answered my half-asked question from earlier, “I have a weekend off during Hanukkah to spend with my family.”

“That sounds awesome, my family will be celebrating Christmas at my grandparents.”

“Your family is Christian?”

“Not really, but it's just fun to do the whole Santa and tree thing.  Just family time.”  He nodded, and I prompted, “And you boys?”

Ivan said, looking to be biting the inside of his cheek to stop from smiling, “We'll likely be at your grandparents' too if you defy the Council again and refuse to name your house or accept one assigned you in its stead.  The Council protects all Elves until they are placed.”

I cocked a brow at his humor, and let him know. “Hardy har, Mr. Funnyman, the joke is on you, I'll send out slices of pie to your car since the last time I checked, I dictated my own life.”

I prompted Cliff, “Umm... I don't suppose could I talk you into hanging around and impose upon you for a ride to a couple of other places after this?”

He inclined his head. “Of course, I've also been assigned to be at your convenience until your house is named.”

Oh.  That was... wait.  I looked at the three men as someone passed by taking a selfie in front of us before hurrying along, which had me realizing we were starting to gather attention, four Elves on the street like we were, “Umm... I hear that all the minor families give some sort of allegiance to either the Launs or Havashires.  Which house do you three follow.”

Clifford answered for them all, taking his chauffeur's cap off to run his fingers through his silky-looking hair before replacing it, “Neither.  We answer only to the Council.  All the workers at the Elf Council answer to any council member.  This way neither the Lahúnëas nor Havreesarië conclaves are shown preference.”

That... was interesting. “Sweet gig.” Yet another thing not taught at school.  Elves are so secretive about all their inner workings it seems.

As some people started to slow, some stopping to take video, I figured that was my cue to get inside before someone posted it online and more people showed up.  I had so many more questions about it all. “Ok, I better get inside.”

He nodded and started back to the driver's side to get moving before a cruiser ticketed them for double parking.  I called out, “How do I contact you?”

Cliff just said as he slipped into the SUV, “Number's already on your phone.”  What?  Oh, the Council what, hacked my contact list?  That's not creepy nor big brother-y at all, was it?

Then I turned and almost slammed into Pietor's back, and I pivoted past on a toe and had to twist back to avoid the Lamborghini parked at the curb, before coming to a stop now facing the big guy.  I felt my cheeks and ears heating and I turned and scurried toward the entrance.

I hustled past a couple holding some shopping bags from the district who were watching us intently and to the doors.  When I reached forward, I was intimately aware of the looming shadows over me.  I looked back, put out a hand, and said, “Stay!”  Then stuck my tongue out and backed through the door, pulling it shut between us.

The buttheads had the audacity to look amused as they took positions on either side of the door with their backs to it.  Shaking my head and trying not to smile, I turned toward the little window in a positively ancient-looking lobby or waiting room or whatever the front room of a Medical Examiner's office is called.  Oh hey, my first fact to look up in the Archives at work.

I pulled my lanyard with my press ID; hmm, I'll have to get a new picture now that my look has changed a bit; out from under my shirt and looked at the little service bell sitting on the small counter that extended through the window.  A little faded, peeling, laminated sign that had seen better days or years by the look of it read Ring for service.

Service?  Were grieving family members of the deceased customers or something?  I tapped the plunger a couple of times.  Then almost fell onto my ass when the crisp, pure tone just about split my eardrums in half, sending lancing pain through my head even with the ear shields.

I blinked and shook my head trying to figure out if the loud dings were really hanging in the air or just in my head with the new headache.

A woman in a smock and a head covering of the same material and a disposable mask stepped into the office beyond after two minutes.  I was psyching myself up to ring the evil atomic ear buster again, so I exhaled in profound relief when she stepped in.

She was looking over a chart as she walked up to the counter, as she absently asked as if she were four seconds from dropping dead of boredom, “Yes?  What can I do for...”  She trailed off and then covered her mouth with a latex-gloved hand when she saw me.  “Oh.  I'm sorry!  I didn't, you're, an Elf.  I mean you know you're an Elf, because, well, being Elf and all.  And I'm just babbling about things you already know.  We just don't get many, or any Elves in here or in there,” She winged a thumb back the way she said, “Until the last few days, that is, but then you'd know that since you're here and oh god are you going to speak before I make too much of a fool of myself?”

Had she even taken a breath as all of that spilled out of her?  Impressive.  “Umm, hi?  I'm...”

“Killishia Renner.  I saw you on the news.  Your eyes are amazing.”

I looked down, chewing my lip.  “Yes.”  I glanced at her ID card clipped to her smock. “Doctor Elliger.  I'm working on a story for Channel 3 and I was wondering if I could speak with a medical examiner about a body that came through here and the possibility of another last night.”

She cocked her head.  “What bodies are those?  We're not allowed to disclose any information about the...”

I cut her off. “Elf bodies.”

Her eyes widened.  “Oh that.  Didn't your Medical Examiner share this already?  We complied with their demands already.  The Chief came down on us for this already.”

“I wasn't aware of that.  I still have a few questions.”

She said as she put a clipboard upon the counter with a pen for me to sign, “I'll bring you back to Doctor Laurel, but he can be a little terse, and is still ranting about your people taking the bodies before proper autopsies could be performed.  Come through the doors just over there and I'll walk you back.”

I nodded as I set the pen down and watched her head back out into the corridor beyond to meet me.  I hesitated as I looked down at the visitor's log then looked around, not seeing any lobby cameras, and quickly brought my cell up to snap a picture before hustling to the doors.  It might come in handy later, depending on what I can dig up here.

I stepped through the swinging doors and stared at a row of rolling gurneys along one wall, all empty thank goodness.  Well duh, Kia, they wouldn't just keep them out in the halls.  I was noting that where the entry didn't have security cameras, just this corridor alone had three cameras I could see, as she rounded the corner.

I was covering my mouth as I swallowed, trying hard to ignore the wall of unpleasant smells that were assaulting me back there.  Lots of cleaning chemicals, along with various other smells underneath them I didn't want to think about.  There was a loud humming of air in the ductwork behind the grilles in the ceiling, indicating they must be moving a lot more air than a normal building through them for more air changes in the pseudo-medical space.

I've tried to quantify the difference between my senses before and after my Elfing.  The best I could figure, they weren't as amplified as it seemed to me, well except my hearing of course that was off the charts, but any increase in sensitivity in my other senses was possibly doubled from before.  It felt like ten times more but objectively, doubling is a huge amount when you are used to less input your entire life.

Doctor Elliger saw my reaction as I was looking from grille to grille, trying to breathe through the urge to vomit from the smell.  “Oh, sorry, I should have warned you. The other Elves had a similar reaction.”  She stopped at a cart along the way that looked like a supply cart in any hospital and opened a drawer and handed me a few items.  “You'll have to wear these, Doctor Laurel is in autopsy five.”  Then she added, “The mask might help some?”

I looked down and accepted the bundle.  Then went about donning the disposable purple lab coat made of what felt like Mylar or flexible paper.  I put on the paper mask, and inhaled experimentally, only to find it didn't do much to alleviate the smell.  Then I put on the matching purple cap and booties over my shoes.

Looking up, widening my eyes in question, she brought a hand halfway to me in indecision.  “You've some.” She pulled back a little and hesitated.  “Just there.”  She cupped her hand and patted the air near her ear.

I reached up and tucked some errant locks of my unruly hair up into the cap.  Then cocked my head at her.  She looked undecided and pointed at the back of her head.  I experimentally tucked up the hair in the back.  The woman's eyes creased when I splayed my fingers wide in jazz hands at my waist, inviting comment.

She started to reach forward again. “May I?”  I nodded and she went about attacking all the loose hair flopping out everywhere.  I probably looked like a clown.  She stepped back. “Better.  You've got a lot of hair, and that color is natural?  It's so consistent, is it... umm, you know, Elf?”  She squinted an eye in mock pain.  I knew how she felt since I felt the same way with the septillion questions I had about Elves that made me feel foolish.

Shaking my head I grinned behind my mask. “Nope, just plain old me from before I Elfed.  I swear it has a mind of its own.”

She nodded then exhaled and said, “This way please.”  Then I was led past a few rooms.  I tried to ignore the metal drawers inset in the walls of each, knowing their contents.  Maybe this wasn't such a good idea?  I could just call, but resigned myself to the fact that you get so much more interviewing in person, with the added benefit it is much harder for them to hang up on you.

We stopped at another cart where she took off her gloves then pulled two pairs from a tissues-style box and handed me a pair.  I prompted, feeling ill-educated, “Why so much protection?  It isn't like a person can get deader.  Or is it for us, can we get sick from the bodies?”

She chuckled at me her eyes glittering, telling me I was way off base on all accounts. “In many cases, it is to preserve evidence and prevent contaminating it when someone died under suspicious circumstances.  You wouldn't want loose hair or skin particles getting on the deceased.”  Oh.  That made sense.

She backed through some double swinging doors with Autopsy 5 on a plaque by them, air whooshed out, carrying a plethora of unpleasant smells.  The room must be kept at positive pressure like some of the clean rooms and labs back in school.  So another layer to make sure no outside contamination gets in.  She instructed, “Don't touch anything while in here, and if you need to, did you see the sink in the hall beside the door?”

I looked back, why did she point out the sink?  I looked past her as I nodded then dry heaved a little as I saw a man in the middle of the space, placing some sort of organ on a scale as he stood by a body on a table that was opened up, blood and guts visible.

I swallowed down the salty pre-vomit taste and nodded my understanding.  A detached part of my brain wondered if the sink was placed there just for people to vomit, or if it served another use and was just convenient for weak-stomached people like me.

She led me to about ten feet from the exam table and said, “Doctor, a representative of the Elf Council would like a word.”

I opened my mouth to correct her, but the tall, spindly man just looked up from where he was manipulating another organ.  “They sent another to fuck with us did they?”  His eyes narrowed as recognition bloomed. “And this time they send their most junior member?  I don't have time for your bullshit, lady, we're short-staffed and have a backlog of autopsies to perform.  Besides, there aren't any Elf bodies, you've stolen them all.”  He hesitated, then narrowed his eyes. “Another one is on the way, isn't it?  You can't even wait until it is received in house before you bully us out of it can you?”

I held my hands up. “No, no no.  I think there's been a misunderstanding, Doctor.  I sure hope there isn't another body coming.  I'm not with the Council.  Hell, I still don't know how to be an Elf.”

“Then what the hell are you doing here interrupting my autopsy?”

I held up a pad and pen I took from my bag. “I'm with Channel 3 news, and just had some questions about the Elf bodies that came through here.  I think something is going on and everyone is being so secretive about it.  I'm trying to uncover what it might be.”

“A cover-up?  Well of course it's a cover-up.  You damn Elves try to hide everything.  There's a proper procedure to follow in these things, but you think you can circumvent the rules and are above the law.”

I winced then shared, “I'm sort of looking into that too.  It's actually why I got into journalism.”

He hesitated. “But you're an Elf.”

“I didn't know that, and it doesn't change anything now that I've learned the truth about myself.”

He studied me for a moment, looking me up and down as if he were assessing me. “Huh.  Well, that'll be a first then.  Just like the three Elf bodies have been.  What did you need to know?  Can't you just ask the bastards who confiscated the bodies?  The fucking NYPD wouldn't do anything about it.”

He stripped off a glove and turned off a voice recorder then tapped a few things on a monitor and I saw six camera feeds of the table and its contents pause.

Doing everything I could to not to look at the body of the woman there, I looked back at the door, “Can we umm...”

He shook his head, looking smug somehow even with a mask covering most of his face, “You got questions, I got work to do.  Ask now or get the hell out.”

I looked between him and Doctor Ellinger, who was now stocking supplies by the wall of refrigerated metal drawers.  Then prompted, “Wait, you said three?  I know of the last two, including the one last night, there was a third?”

“What are you talking about, last night, we didn't get an Elf in here.  No, I'm talking about last week, and the prior week, then the one just before you took over the news on every channel.”

My eyes widened.  This has been going on for weeks?  And apparently, not all of them were making it to the Medical Examiner's office.  Then again, I did overhear there were like six more while I was at Laun Tower.  “Who, exactly, took the bodies?”

“You sanctimonious Elves.  Why don't you ask your buddies?”

I snorted. “Like they'd tell me anything.  I was told not to ask questions.  And you know what?  That makes me want to ask questions. So here I am, wanting to get to the bottom of what is happening.  Did they all die the same way?  Were you able to determine anything before the bodies were taken?”

He looked surprised, brows raised. “Sounds as if you don't have much love for your people.”

I cocked a brow and matched his terseness. “Again, just found out I'm Elf recently.  And we're all one people, Sapien, and Elf.  No matter how hard the Council is trying to make it not so.”

He shrugged and said, “I was only able to see one when I was on duty, but the staff said the others were the same.  No signs of external trauma except a couple of welts and bruising from something small striking their body, but not breaking the skin.  And they presented like respiratory arrest except for the miosis.  We never had a chance to start the autopsies before the Elf Council had brutes down here with paperwork signed by the Governor.  Stealing the bodies out from under us.”

Knowing respiratory arrest was like suffocating, I asked, “Miosis?”

Doctor  Ellinger shared as she rejoined us, “Intense constriction of the pupils.”

I asked, “What can cause that?  Poison?”  I remembered what I heard in the meeting this morning and added, “And could the welts be from something like paintballs?”

The man hmmed and said, “Paintballs, yes, they are similar to the bruising I've seen from people who recently played and got hit at close range.  But as for cause, that's what an autopsy can determine, there are too many possibilities that fit the cursory observations, I wouldn't even want to hazard a guess.”

I asked, “But poison is one of those possibilities?”

He stripped the other glove off, furrowing his brow. “Why?  Do you know something we don't?”  After tapping a few things on the screen, he pulled up pictures of an Elf on a table like the one beside us, there were two welts on the man, one on his upper chest and one on his forearm.  A picture of his eyes showed his pupils almost nonexistent they were so small.

Then he pulled up similar pictures of the other two.  They were the same.  He pointed at the first one, wiggling his finger between the welts. “I've seen similar with gunshot wounds.” He held his arm up as if to shield his face.  “It's a defensive thing.  And you think they had something to do with the death of these men?”  I could visualize it but shrugged even though it was exactly what I was thinking.

Then he added as he shook his head.  “I really couldn't say, some of the indicators of some sort of poison or toxin are there, but without a proper autopsy, it would just be conjecture on my part.”

With that, his patience with my interruption of his work had reached its end, as he restarted his recording, and began to glove up again, turning from me to look at the body he was currently working on.  “If there isn't anything else.  I've got work to do.”

Alrighty then.  I told him as I hugged my notepad to me, “Thank you for your time, Doctor.”

He just waved me off as he started dictating, “Enlarged liver indicates...”

Doctor Ellinger said, “I'll show you out, Miss Renner.”  It was just so unsettling to me that so many people knew my name just because of my more than public Elfing.  I nodded my thanks and followed her out.  “I'm sorry about Gerald, he's not a people person.”

I shook my head as I started to peel out of all the gear. “No, he's right to be upset.  Elves shouldn't have the right to ignore the rules everyone else has to follow.  And he was extremely helpful.”

“He was?”

I nodded. “Every little fact helps to build a picture of what shapes an event.  More pieces of information from various sources help to solidify what happened.  And my visit here verified some information, letting me know I'm on the right track.”

She nodded thoughtfully as she pressed a foot pedal on a stainless steel garbage can and I placed my gear into it.  I pulled up my phone as she led me back to the front.  I found a contact, shook my head, and hit it. When he answered I said, “Cliff?  I'm done here if you could... what?  A crowd is gathered?  Oh ok, do the boys... yes.  Ok bye.”

I stopped at the swinging doors and prompted the Doc, “I'm sorry, my driver says there's a crowd gathering outside, they saw me coming in. I can't wait until I'm no longer the new shiny thing for them to obsess over.  He's heading to the back alley, can I go out there?”

She nodded. “Of course.”  Then she looked at the elevator. “I have a sheaf of paperwork I have to get back to.  It's at the end of the corridor just there and to the left.”

I nodded my thanks, smiling.  “Thank you so much for your help today, Doctor, and thank Doctor Laurel for me?” She nodded and I hurried down the corridor, glancing back when I heard her getting on the elevator.  She was a nice lady, and believe it or not, I liked Doc Laurel too, no bullshit with that guy.

Turning the corner, I glanced at my cell when it buzzed, to see a text from Cliff saying he was arriving now, telling me he had been circling the block waiting for my call.  Then I pulled up short, gleeping.  I smelled him before I saw the figure leaning against the wall close to the door marked Exit, one foot back against the wall.  He smelled like man and musk and gun oil.

He was dressed like a police officer from a SWAT team, in black body armor and all the gear, short-sleeved black shirt with his bulky muscled arms crossed over his chest.  There were no identifying badges or logos on any of his gear.  His head was tilted back to rest against the wall too, his black hair, just a bit too long to call a buzz cut, flat against it.

I slowly moved forward, and he didn't look my way, though it felt as if his full attention was on me as I stepped past.  The uneasy feeling pitting my gut flashed through me when he spoke before I could reach for the door,  “Word of advice, Miss Renner.”  I froze, my fight-or-flight instinct telling me to run away screaming.

Swallowing I looked back at him, he hadn't moved a muscle, still staring at a point off in space, which made him even more imposing and menacing to me as he continued in an almost disinterested and bored tone, “I'd suggest you drop this line of investigation and run along to your little Elf nest and stop sticking your little Elf nose into things that don't concern you.  It could be... hazardous to your health.”

“Who are you?”

The pounding on the door at my back startled me, things had been so tense I almost peed a little at the sound of Ivan's voice, “Kia, are you ok?  Who is that in there with you?”  Relief flooded me as I spun and opened the door, “Ivan, thank god, this man...”  I trailed off when I looked back to where I was pointing just to see an empty corridor.  Ok, I had a serious case of cloak and dagger heebie-jeebies just then.

The big man put an arm over my shoulder, interposing his bulk protectively between me and the corridor as he rushed me out to the waiting SUV at a small loading dock.  Pietor was on high guard as we loaded up then joined us, saying Go, the moment his door closed.  We accelerated quickly as I looked back at the door, to see Captain Creepy step out to watch us go.

I whispered, “Should we call the police?”  It was a vague threat but isn't that sort of intimidation illegal too?

Ivan shook his head. “No.  We've resources they don't have.”  Oh.  Ok.

Then Cliff chirped out cheerfully.  “Buckle up please.”

I exhaled, letting go of the adrenaline, feeling the dread I had felt bleed away, then went about putting my seatbelt on, prompting, “Boys?”  They sighed and put theirs on too.

I instructed Cliff, “Remind me to never go into creepy places again?”

I chuckled when he said, “Kia, don't ever go into creepy places again.”  I was starting to like these three smartasses.

“Where to now?”

I thought about it and decided, “Central Park please.” And we were off.

Chapter 17 – Paintballs

That's how I found myself walking through Central Park, on the phone and getting all the information about the report from the tip line from last night.  I had Cliff drop me off at 79th transverse in the park.

I had to tell the boys to please keep their distance if they insisted on following me, since the caller, Yusuf Ekmekci, was described as fidgety and flighty by the station's call center.  He had only shared what he saw because of the money offered if a tip pans out and a story is pursued.  He had said, “I don't want to get involved, but I was thinking, he was one of those Elf dudes, so maybe there's a story there and I could get a bottle from it.”  He had used a payphone at one of the bodegas by the park, and didn't leave any contact information, and just slurred out something about a cave before hanging up, or maybe passing out.

So I was playing a hunch here.  We headed up the little stairs cut into the retaining wall up to Belvedere Castle in the park.  I looked to the Ramble and took a deep breath of the crisp air and was surprised by the scents that hit me.  Whoa, I've never experienced the park like this before.  I could even smell the zoo from here.  Then my nose wrinkled at the smell of horse manure, telling me the mounted police had been through recently.

I shot a look to the Russians who exhaled in frustration and stayed as I headed into the Ramble.  The twisting and winding paths of the artificial forest, that could make you feel you aren't in the middle of one of the largest concrete jungles in the world.  Even in the winter with snow on the way in the next couple of days, it was quite a beautifully stunning piece of nature.

A little girl came running from nowhere, she was no more than three or four, dressed in warm winter gear with a cute pink unicorn on the puffy pink coat.  She was adorable with red hair, and I blinked when I realized she was wearing little, silver plastic, pointed ear shields.  She just stopped in front of me holding her arms out as she stared at me with wide brown eyes.

I crouched, as I heard her mother rushing over, “Madylyn Marie Tillson, what do you think you're doing running up to strangers?!”  I glanced at the mother holding a baby on her hip, who gasped when she saw my face, then put her one free hand over her mouth in shock. “Oh my, it's you.”

I told the girl, “You should listen to your mommy, sweetie.  It isn't safe to go running off without her.”

The girl just kept holding her arms wide.  I caved, shooting a look to her mother, who just nodded, her hand still covering her mouth.  I opened my arms and the girl dove on me and hugged me, whispering in awe.  “I gots wed hawir just like you.  I'm a ewlfie.”  I stood, putting her on my hip as I took a step up to her mom.

Before I could say anything, the woman blurted as her daughter started playing with my left ear shield, tracing it with one of her little fingers, “I'm so sorry.  Maddie loves elves... she never takes the ears from her Halloween costume off.  And when she saw you on TV she, well she adores you because she has red hair too.”

“Well, she's adorable.”  I looked down and said, “You've got pretty hair, Maddie, mine is always being unruly and doing its own thing.” She smiled and my heart melted.

I was about to hand her over to her mom when the woman asked hesitantly, “I, I don't want to impose...”  She held up her cell and wiggled it, looking sheepish. “It would mean the world to her.”  I smiled and nodded, and we posed, showing our ear shields, Maddy giggling.  The mother thanked me profusely as I transferred her cute cargo to her free hip, her saying, “Thank you so much.  Again, I'm so sorry.”

Waving her off, I shared, “Not a problem at all.  To tell you the truth, this is the first picture since I Elfed that I'm happy to be in.”  Then I waved, wiggling fingers to the little one. “Bye Maddie.”

She bounced on her mom's hip. “Bye ewlfie wady!”  Her mom mouthed, “Thank you.”

With a grin I inclined my head, putting my hands together in front of me as I mouthed, “You're welcome.”  Then I was back on the hunt, following my hunch.

It didn't take long to find what I was looking for as I navigated the trails toward the Ramble Cave.  When I reached the overgrown stone stairs that were blocked off now, which led down the steep slope to the sealed-up cave below, I looked around. Seeing the boys following from a discreet distance, but standing out with their unique looks.

Then I froze when I thought I saw a man in black tactical gear in the opposite direction on a rise, in the trees.  But when I looked back, he wasn't there.  “Get a grip, Kia, Captain Creepy freaked you out and you're paranoid now.”

Ivan noted my distress and he just nudged his chin in the direction I had been looking, and Pietor moved off quickly in that direction, moving like a panther.  It surprised me how nimble the big guy was.

I nodded to him and held a stopping hand out as he started to get closer.  He shot me a look, I shot it right back at him.  Grr.  Just great, now he looked amused.  I shook my head then glanced around to the various people walking around, then finally found a use for the nimbleness I've had since I was a kid and leapt down a few stairs to quickly get out of view of anyone around.

I danced and twisted down the steps to absorb my momentum until I came to a rest at the brick and cemented entrance to the cave.  Unfortunately, people over the years had used it for shady purposes so it was sealed in the 1930s.

Looking around, seeing the waters of the Lake a few feet away, I reached up and lifted my left ear shield.  I immediately shivered as my ear chilled immediately, but the amplified sounds around me amplified again as my ear twitched like a runaway radio tuner trying to find a station.  Stupid thing.  I concentrated on hearing in one direction and somehow, I could finally focus on the area I wanted.  That confirmed what my nose already told me, and I replaced the shield, relieved when my ear started to heat in the fur lining.

I could smell unwashed people and alcohol already but could hear someone breathing in the bushes on the backside of the base of the cave.  I walked around on a tight trail and stopped near the bushes and then called out, “Umm...  Yusuf?  Yusuf Ekmekci?”

The breathing was erratic and shallow, and I could hear it now that I was so close.  “Umm, hi, I'm from Channel 3, you called in a tip?”  The breathing continued but stuttered.  “I'm coming in.”

I took a careful step between the rock wall and the bushes to emerge in a little space surrounded by the bushes, in an obvious homeless camp judging by all the debris, tarps, and blankets.  And there in the middle of it, by three empty bottles of whiskey, was a heavily tanned man with sun-damaged, weathered skin.  He wore multiple layers of threadbare clothing and an old, ratty army jacket.

I ran to him and pulled his face out of his vomit.  That close I could hear his lungs rattling, straining, and heart laboring.  Oh god.  “Yusuf?”  I called out, “Ivan!”  Then I was dialing 911.  I looked at the whiskey bottles, sitting on a clean-looking paper bag and a receipt which I was surprised I could read from my position, with today's date on it.  It was paid by debit card... but he was homeless.

With a thud, Ivan landed beside me.  Had he just jumped down from the top of the cave?  He saw the man whose head I had in my lap and cursed in Russian.  He crouched to put his fingers on the man's neck. Then pulled back an eyelid.  “Alcohol poisoning.”

We could hear the sirens approaching as Ivan started sending reports and requesting manpower and the like.  He glanced at the bottles and receipt too.  Then he took a picture of the receipt, shaking his head.  “I have to say, being assigned to you had been the most unpredictable task I've had.”

I chuckled nervously, as I looked at the man I had come to talk to.  I asked Ivan as we heard men scrambling down the steps, “Will he be ok?”

The man's silence told me how bad this potentially was.  And Mr. Ekmekci didn't look to be in the best of health, to begin with.  The EMTs told us to move up to the path above the cave while they worked as the police arrived.

Then when an officer started to ask me questions, a fit black man in an immaculate, multi-thousand dollar suit with what looked like alligator skin shoes, and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache called out as he approached, “I'm sorry, but my client isn't answering any questions at this time.  If you have any questions, you can contact my office or the Elf Council to set up a time to interview Miss Renner.  She found a person in need and called for help, that is the extent of her involvement here.”

The Elf stopped next to me and the Cookie Twins.  I blinked.  What the heck just happened?  I had no problem answering questions... for... them?  Ivan looked down to the grass to see what had just distracted my thoughts then pulled his cell out of his pocket, a handkerchief accidentally falling out to the ground.  He bent to pick it up and put it back in his pocket, and the paintball shell I saw next to the path wasn't there anymore.

I was torn.  Shouldn't we tell the police?  It could be proof that Mr. Ekmekci had been telling the truth.  But they, like everyone else, had discounted it as drunken ramblings.  My eyes shot to where I had seen the man in black earlier.  Was... was some sort of paramilitary group trying to silence a witness here?  Nobody would think twice about a homeless man dying of alcohol poisoning.

I was hurried off through Central Park to my apparent new lawyer's waiting limousine.  He held his hand out, “Aldrich, house Ingels, with the International Elf Council legal pool.”

Squinting an eye in mock pain, I replied with a lame, “Umm, Kia Renner.  I didn't hire you and don't have the funds to pay such a high-class lawyer unless you take discount coupons to Cy's, or a copious amount of pocket lint.”

He chuckled, crystalline blue eyes glittering with humor. “Elves take care of their own Miss Renner.  You are under the care of the Council until your processing is completed.  I assure you there is no cost to your family for the services of the legal pool.”

“Oh.  Thanks, but why can't I talk to the police?”

The Elf was all smiles, showing some startlingly white teeth, “Miss Renner, rule of thumb, never speak with the police on their terms or without counsel.  And the rumor on the wind is you're stubbornly investigating Elf business, and we prefer to keep our business away from prying Sapien eyes.”

Was I stubborn?  I stubbornly pointed out, “The law applies to all people the same, Elf or Sapien, doesn't it?”

He nodded, cocking his head at me like he was trying to figure me out. “Yes, and the law states that you have a right to counsel during any contact with law enforcement.”

“Touche. Mr. Ingels.”  I looked to be entertaining the man.  So I said, “I've been told multiple times not to ask questions or pursue this story, but I've been told I can be a little contrary at times.”  I turned from him to Ivan and asked with one eye on Ingels, daring him to comment, “Did you get it?”

“Da.”  He patted his pocket.

I warned, “Be careful with it.  You may want to burn your pants later.  If my hunch is right, that paintball contained a neurotoxin targeting Elves.”

He looked a little concerned. Glancing at his pocket, and the lawyer in our midst looked panicked and backed up on his seat to create more distance between him and the big Russian.  Ivan nodded then pursed his lips then spoke into his cuff. “Look into paint-balls as possible Reaper delivery mechanism.”  Then he nodded to himself at the response.

I narrowed my eyes in condemnation. “Reaper?  You know what's going on here?”

He looked from me to Ingels, then pointed at the man in warning, who held a stopping hand up, eyes still wide, staring at Ivan's pocket.  “Security and special ops have been briefed on a rash of escalating attacks over the last few months.  Random Elves in the city are being targeted by some sort of toxin that seems to be getting more effective with each attack.  And attacks are occurring on an accelerated curve.  We've all been ordered to keep a lid on it until it can be analyzed and an antidote synthesized to combat it.”

“Who's doing this?  It sounds like they are testing and improving the toxin.”  Aren't chemical and biological weapons banned by international law?

“That's the theory.  Special Ops are trying to figure out if it is some sort of Elf hate group or...”

I nodded grimly. “Or the government making itself a weapon against Homo-Aelftus.”  I shared my thoughts. “My gut is telling me it is the latter, which makes no sense.  Why make a weapon against citizens of the United States?  Elves are no threat.”

“The gear Captain Creepy... the man who tried intimidating me... well, fine, he intimidated me, but he also just pissed me the hell off, looked too much like a uniform with military-style gear than some homegrown hate group.”

Pietor smirked, cocking a brow. “Captain Creepy?”

I shrugged, squinting an eye. “It's a working name for now.  But one of his buddies was in the park, watching us, the one you followed?  I think they were eliminating a witness, Mr. Ekmekci.  How does a homeless man wind up with the money for enough alcohol to get a fraternity shitfaced, and pay for it with a debit card?  If this is about killing Elves, then they crossed the line to try to kill innocent Sapiens too.”

Ivan was nodding slowly then studied me. “You're a thinker.  That makes you dangerous little Elf.”  He held up his cell with a grin.

“You were thinking the same thing.”  I had hoped that was why he took a picture of the receipt.

“Da.” Then he scrolled through some messages, and the pale man got even paler as he uttered a venomous Russian curse.  “It seems the debit card is tied to a shell company in Cancun that is rumored to be used by US black ops.”

I blinked for multiple reasons, he had just tied the government to this, and, “How did you get that information?”

“Our operatives are not without considerable resources.  This was one of the worst-case scenarios we have been planning for since the Reveal.”

Ingels looked around then whispered, “The Council knew about this?”

Pietor warned, “No, and neither do you because something like this could cause a panic in the Elf community which can endanger everyone.”

The man exhaled and nodded once. “Of course.”

That's when we arrived at Laun Tower which fortuitously had been my final destination for today anyway.  Time for a little Renner Rage to make some waves.

Chapter 18 – Medical

I was psyching myself up to go in asking questions and not allow any stonewalling.  When the driver opened the door for me at the tower entrance, I took a deep breath, steeling my resolve and I stepped out and gleeped, stopping with my eyes a fraction of an inch from a chin.  A chin with smiling and inviting lips above it.  A chin attached to a divine smelling Elf who had a sudden warmth spreading from my belly to all the best parts of my body.

I looked up, feeling Tana's breath hot on my face.  I started chewing on my lower lip. “Um, hi, uh, Tana.”

She didn't back up, as I stood way too far in her personal space as I heard the boys getting out the other side of the limo since I just stood there like a deer caught in headlights. Not knowing what to do, I absently tucked my rebellious hair behind my ear.

Cocking her head and looking me up and down, she leaned in to inhale deep at my neck, causing an anticipatory shiver to go down my spine as she wrinkled her nose. “I hear you had a little excitement, and.. you stink of vomit and alcohol.”

Swallowing, I looked at my feet, still intensely aware of the heat coming off of her in our proximity.  “Yes, I did.  And it isn't mine.”

She looked almost to be weighing the validity of my words, then she nodded once and I was squeaking as she looped an arm in mine, dragging me toward the doors. “Just messin' with you Killy.  Let's get you inside and cleaned up.”

I nodded but then hauled her to a stop. “I have a stop...”  I looked at Ivan who kept glancing at his pocket, “We have a stop to make first.”

“Lead on.”

Just before we entered, I noted an Elf at the entrance looking across the street and talking into his cuff.  I looked back to see Captain Creepy standing next to a hotdog stand paying the vendor.  Two men came out the doors and headed that way but stopped to wait for a bus to pass, and when it was gone, the mercenary-looking man was nowhere to be seen.

Cloak and dagger I tell you!  Was he following me?

We went to the medical floor, and Julie was there, popping up from her chair at the nurse's station, eyes wide, smile big. “Kia!”

“Hi, Julie.  We need to see Ahmed.”

“Oh, sorry, he's consulting with...”

“Tell him it's about the toxin and he'll see me.”

She hesitated, looked at my entourage, then got on the phone.  I glanced over to Tana who had an amused look on her face.  “What?”

She shrugged, looking amused. “Well that's the first time someone else was greeted before me... well she didn't greet me at all, did she?”  Her eyes twinkled in mirth.

I scrunched my head to my shoulders. “Sorry.”

She snorted.

An almost panicked-looking Baahir popped out into a corridor labeled Labs and Research, he looked around and stepped quickly up to us, acknowledging,  “Kia, Aryon.”  Then he whispered, “What are you doing, you can't be just talking about... it, out in the open like this.  I thought I...”

I glared at the man.  I liked him, but people were dying because of a secret they were keeping.  If everyone knew, then maybe they wouldn't be alone in the park at night, making themselves a target of opportunity.  “Then where can we talk?  We may have some of... it... with us now.”

His eyes went so wide, I was a little afraid they'd just fall right out and I'd have some macabre blue crystal marbles.  He said to Julie, “Get Himoto, Kerns, and Domingo to meet us in the medical examiner's suite, right away.”

“Yes, doctor.”

He started leading me, and I glanced at Tana, who hadn't released my arm yet.  She dared me with her eyes to exclude her so I looked down then called out, “This way Tiny.”

Ivan made a guttural sound as he left Pietor behind.  I squinted an eye and crinkled my nose at him to show him who was boss.  The man rolled his eyes and followed.  Well fine, I wasn't boss, but it did get the man shadowing us to the room I had seen that first Elf body in.

I saw a box of surgical gloves on a cart and took one and handed it to Ivan as I said, “We think they're using paintballs to deliver the neurotoxin.  We found a spent one in Central Park in the vicinity of the last attack.”

His eyes widened as Ivan pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket with a gloved hand.  Baahir looked at him wide-eyed and then grabbed a plastic bag like the ones I saw them putting organs in at the city medical examiner's.

He held it out and when Ivan dropped the shell and handkerchief in the bag, he quickly sealed it and exhaled.  “Get out of your pants, place them in a bio-hazard bag there, then get to the back for a decontamination shower.  Whatever agent they are using is absorbed through the skin and is quite deadly and fast-acting.”

My sudden fear for the big guy negated any fun I would have derived from watching him strip down to dispose of his pants and... ooo, boxers, not briefs.  I turned to give him his dignity.  The Doc pointed out, “There are sterile scrubs at the shower.  Let it cycle the full ten minutes.”

I asked in concern, “Are trace amounts that deadly?  Will he be ok?”

He shook his head. “We don't know.  We can't isolate the compound in the bodies, it breaks down within minutes in the deceased.  It is the perfect Elf killing compound, untraceable.  But it presents with classic neurotoxin markers.  If this paintball still contains some of the toxins, it could be invaluable to determining how to counteract it.”

The other doctors filed in and then it was time for show and tell.  Doctor Domingo was excited and had run the bag with the paintball shell off to the biohazard lab.  They all looked extremely nervous, always watching Tana as they spoke.  And she was just a steady, silent presence behind me the whole time.

Kerns had mentioned, “Paintballs?  That would be consistent with the bruising on the victim's bodies.”

I prompted as I nodded, “That's what Doctor Laurel at the City Medical Examiner's said.”

Doctor Kerns blurted out, eyes wide in shock, “You spoke to the Round Ears about this?”

I started to growl until Tana placed a hand on my arm.  So I said in frustration, “Sapiens, not Round Ears.  And yes I did, it is my job to investigate.  And Sapiens aren't as clueless as you'd like to believe.  The man is good at his job, and already had thoughts just from a visual inspection of the bodies before you spirited them away.  Don't discount them.”

He deflated and said, though I could tell he thought less of them, “Sapiens.  Why are you investigating the deaths?  Our Special Ops are hunting now.  You haven't even been assigned a position, nor claimed a family.”

Tana cleared her throat, speaking slowly for the first time, enunciating each word, “Stay on topic, Doctor.”  He looked at her and inclined his head.  Did the punk rock princess with all the gleaming piercings hold that much sway?

Renner Rage was brimming as I told her, placing a hand on her arm before pulling back quickly, “I already have a job, fact-checker, and investigative journalist for Channel 3.  If the government is targeting American citizens, both Elf and Sapien now, then it has to be brought to light.”

The doctors, except Doctor Ahmed, looked almost horrified at my words.  The almost amused look on Baahir's face won points back from the ones he lost by withholding from me.  And if he looked amused, the grin on Tana's face was something to behold.  Dammit, crush in full force.

Himoto had a look of consternation as she said, “If people find out...”

I cut her off. “If they don't, and it gets swept under the rug without them even aware, then this will happen again and again until it ends up in a war or worse.  And hasn't the world seen too much war and conflict?  I know I have in just my short lifetime, and I'm a girl of two worlds.”

She actually seemed to consider my words, then she said more to herself than us like a freshly showered Ivan stepped out in medical scrubs, the smock stretched tight over his massive chest, “The Minya needs to be informed.”  Without preamble, she pulled a syringe from her lab coat and stuck it in Ivan's arm, drawing some blood, the big man didn't even blink.  She needed to grow something that even remotely resembled a bedside manner.

Just then, Baahir's cell buzzed and his eyes widened in excitement. “Charles says there's viable toxin traces.  This is exciting.”  Then he stepped to me and shook my hand with both of his. “Yes yes, this is what we need.  Again, it is such a pleasure, Kia.  I look forward to our talks.”  He was saying in wonder to himself as he rushed off, “Amazing.  Green eyes.”

Beverly looked at Tana, then me. “Council Security is going to need to debrief you and we need to get back to the work you interrupted, Miss Renner.”

I shook my head, tired of people telling me what I had to do.  “First they have to catch me, and I'm not speaking with anyone until I get home and cleaned up.  I have a dying man's vomit on me.”

She huffed and I headed toward the door.  She looked at Ivan expectantly, but the squeaky clean man just followed me and Tana into the corridor.  Then she told Ivan.  “Go get dressed, I got the rank one here.  She can clean up in the penthouse and I have a change of clothes for her.  Then I can get her home.”

“Yes, Aryon.”

The man lumbered off, leaving me at the mercy of a sinfully radiant Elf, who prompted with a laugh in her tone, “Let's go for an elevator ride, Killy.”  Then she added as the doors opened, “Sonia will be over the moon to see you.  The writing workbooks you messengered over made her day.”

That's how I found myself up in her rooms, dressed in clothes that held her scent after a long, hot shower.

Chapter 19 – Source

Before I knew it, Thursday had rolled around, between all my research into the killings, toxin, and mystery soldiers, and the worry of what was going to happen when I defied the Elf Council the next day, I was a wreck.

I looked back to that afternoon in Tana's family penthouse.  After getting cleaned up and dressed, I was happy to see Sonia had come to the family room to watch the newest episode of Jessica Moon, that supernatural detective series with Eva Ray playing the Elf lead.  But... it wasn't supposed to air for two more days.  It was one of my mom's favorite shows.  Then again, the studio was owned by a subsidiary of Laun Corp.

We joined her because, duh, it's a pretty awesome show.  Lisa was going to freak that I watched the newest episode already.  Sonia was pointing out each character to me to tell me their names and who they were and what episode they first appeared in.  Tana kept throwing pieces of popcorn at her when she did, saying, “Sis, shh, you're missing the dialogue.”

“Sorry, Tanny,” she'd always say, with her lopsided smile, and turn her attention back to the show as I threw popcorn pieces at Tana.

I thought it was awesome how invested her sister was in the show.  Just as the credits were rolling and I gleeped as I almost dove off the couch we were on at a voice behind us.  “Sonia.  You know the rules about being out around strangers.”

As Tana and I turned as I stepped down to put my feet back on the floor, Sonia was standing and looking like a little kid who got caught with her hand on the cookie jar.  She was wringing her hands and saying, “But Kia isn't a stranger.  We're sandwich buddies.”

I nodded at one of the two most powerful women in the world as Marcillia Laun was staring intently at us as she approached.  She said almost dryly with an undertone of accusation while meeting my eyes, “Yes, the same girl who told you that sometimes you had to break the rules?”

“I'm sorry, mom.”  She started to her room, I reached a hand out to her as she scooted past.

She stopped, looked down at my hand in indecision, Tana started to share, “Sonia doesn't like to touch...”

She trailed off when Sonia let me squeeze her hand, then she dashed off to her room.  “Bye Sonia.”

“Bye Kia.”

Mrs. Laun stopped in front of us then cocked an eyebrow at what probably looked like popcornageddon strewn about the sitting area while Tana called after her sister, “Love you sis.  I'll be in in a bit to tell you about my day.”

Marcillia surprised me by addressing me, “I owe you thanks.  Sonia's tutors say they've never seen her so focused on anything as she's been with some writing books you sent over.  They said they thought they were above her level until she started to consume them.”

I shrugged and swallowed as she appeared to be looking me up and down, evaluating me as I shared, “She seemed enthusiastic about wanting to be a writer when I first spoke with her.”

She said the same thing Tana had, an odd reflective note to her voice as she shared, “We hadn't known that until now.”  She seemed a little upset at the admission.  Was it self-recrimination I was reading in the crease between her eyes?  Then she put herself back together and seemed to be the commanding presence she has always seemed whenever she was featured in news broadcasts, or speaking before Congress. “Try not to offer up any more encouragement in areas that may be beyond...”

“Mom, Sonia's more capable than you give her credit for.”

I had to blink, feeling out of place like a proverbial third wheel as I looked down at my feet as I chewed on my lower lip, wondering if there was some sort of emergency exit from there as the two women glared at each other.  I felt like I was being roasted alive between them.

To my surprise, Marcillia blinked first.  “I know, I just worry about her.  She's my baby.”

Tana nodded.  “And your baby is just a few years from manifesting.  She's already growing into her own woman, and I for one, can't wait to see who she becomes.  You and dad can't keep making decisions for us.”

The elder Laun exhaled in defeat. “Is that what all this is about then?”  She waved a hand up and down in front of her daughter as I looked for some sort of escape hatch, not wanting to be present for another family drama.  I had enough of my own, and I felt awkward as hell just then.  “Because we want what's best for...”

“How can you know what's best for me when I don't even know who I am yet?  And this...”  She imitated her mother, waving her hand up and down along herself, “Is me trying to find that person inside of me.  And if it gets in the way of Dad's grand plans, grooming me to take over the clan, then so much the better.”

I whispered as I tried to sneak past the two, “I'll just let myself out, I'm sure you two have...”

In unison and almost identical voices they snapped, “No.”  I froze.

Then Mrs. Laun closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and appeared to recenter herself.  “I'm sorry Miss Renner, we shouldn't air our dirty laundry in front of you.  I hope we can rely upon your discretion in the matter?”

I just nodded, afraid to move more than that.  Then I said, “But I really should be going.  My ride is at the station.”

She studied me again and then nodded.  Tana pointed out, “I thought I was your ride, I don't go back on my word.”

“But Lisa.”

“We'll swing by to grab her on the way.”

I opened my mouth to argue but was being dragged past her mother. “It's settled then, Killy, let's get rolling.”

I called back, “Goodbye, ma'am.”

The woman was just watching us go, brow furrowed as she said, “Goodbye, Miss Renner.  We'll see you Friday.”

As we passed an open door in the corridor, Evander Laun's distinctive voice called out, “Miss Renner?”

We stopped as he stepped up to the door, and said as I gaped past him into a den that looked to have more books than a public library on what appeared to be carved walnut bookcases, “I've been informed of your... extracurricular activities.  It would behoove you to refrain from insinuating yourself in such a delicate situation.  I'd advise you to find another story to pursue.”

I shocked myself when my immediate response, before I realized I was speaking was, “I don't take advice well, Mr. Laun.”

He looked nonplussed as he nodded to himself and simply said, “I've noticed that about you.  Good night, Miss Renner.”

“Umm.. good night sir.”

Once we were in the elevator heading down, Tana finally spoke, being out of hearing range of her father, her eyes wide and almost twinkling, “I think you just became my favorite person ever, Killy.  Nobody has ever defied my dad like that.”  I was fighting down the burning blush on my face as I tucked some hair behind my ear, not knowing how to respond to that.

Needless to say, Cliff wound up driving us and picking up Lisa, who had started to argue that her car was there, right up until her head was swiveling as we watched an Elf in a Men in Black suit driving her car past us.  She uttered, “What the Elfin' hell?”  And when we arrived at my house that night, her car was parked in front of it.

Mom was reticent at first when Tana came in, but by the end of the night, after she ate with us, mom seemed to have loosened up and was being her weird, erratic self.  I think it was the fact that Tana wasn't asking any questions about our family or the upcoming Council meeting and was instead begging along with Lisa for dad and her to tell them about the most embarrassing Killishia growing up stories.

I was a little surprised when Tana asked for a ride back into town when Lisa called it a night.  The punk princess keeps surprising me like that, not feeling awkward not calling for a car, and just riding in with one of my friends.  I keep rethinking the Elf privilege stance I have had since high school around her.

Tana kept popping up here and there when I was following leads, during the week.  First at the police station, then when I was scouring the two known sites Elf bodies had been found.  Men in that same black body armor seemed to be watching from everywhere and always faded back when the Cookie Twins called in others to intercept.  I was more than a little rattled and had to admit I was happy I had a security detail assigned to me.

The pressure from all the Elf families and their continuous overtures was getting old, and making me aware of just how many families there were.  And with a little tutoring from Tana, I was learning that the hundred and seventy-two families represented by the Council, were only the Elf families that had a voting share in something they called the Mírë, which was sort of a collective wealth or treasury of the Aelftus.  But there were thousands of other minor non-voting families under them across the world.

The Mírë is like a retirement plan of riches for elder Elves when they reach a certain age.  It sounds like some sort of ancient pension plan or social security set up thousands of years back to me.

The voting shares had originally been distributed evenly across all of the Elvish families, but over the centuries, voting shares of the Mírë have been bought up by more powerful families, with a promise to still allocate funds to the clans they purchased them from if they pledge their family's allegiance to the buyers.

In more modern times the most powerful families, the Launs and Havashires, leveraged even more control of the Mírë by creating contracts with a hundred and fifty of the families that wouldn't sell.  The two major families are assigned as voting proxies in the contracts in exchange for a tiny percentage of the Laun or Havashire wealth as Elves of the clans retire.  But of course, along with giving away their votes by proxy, they also had to swear allegiance to the clan who secured the contracts.

There are only twenty holdouts, and they make up the Conclave of the International Elf Council, being the only voting members besides the controlling dual majority.  Half are loyal to the Launs and half the Havashires.

The voting shares were originally to dictate the best ways in which to grow the wealth of the Elf community and keep it hidden from the Sapiens and their governments.  But it has morphed into their ruling body.

Tana says the system works well for votes pertaining to keeping the Elvish community safe.  But the untended power struggle between her family and the Havashires is that once all the shares were bought up, they each control exactly fifty percent of the accounted for shares.  And since the two families are diametrically opposed, they are stalemated on any other votes or special interests of either side.  And in fact, in the past three hundred years, they have only agreed upon a single thing, and that was the Reveal.

The one thing she shared about the whole thing that chilled me to the bone, was that she was afraid an Elvish civil war was looming.  There was a single family with outstanding voting shares, the Riicathi.  The most minor of all the original families, servants to the Elvish cause, who held two one-thousandths of one percent of the Mírë.  They went missing two hundred and ninety-two years ago, fleeing to the New World to be free of the control of the other families, fleeing to freedom.

There is a safeguard built into voting shares, created when the world was violent and turbulent, and the survival of the Aelftus was not certain.  That if any clan was thought wiped out, that after three hundred years, their shares would revert back to the control of the Conclave.  So in eight years, the first open shares in three centuries will be available.

Her words had made a pit of fear of the future take root in my gut. “I fear that when that happens, that my family or the Havashires won't be content with just splitting those shares in half to maintain the status quo, keeping the perpetual stalemate.  I can't believe that our two clans have funded so many weapons manufacturing plants to aid this country and defend ourselves if the governments of the world come for us.  I think the buildup over the last couple of centuries is a preamble for arming for an Elvish civil war.”

I whispered at her, my eyes wide in fear at the thought that war might be less than a decade away, “But... if Elves start warring, Sapiens will fear it will overflow upon them and will see it as a threat to their security.  Elves... you, we, would be wiped out.”

She nodded and almost spat out, “Securing power for power's sake always ends in bloodshed.  And we as a people would defy our number one rule of securing the safety and prosperity of all elves, just for enough power to tip the scales in the Council.”

That's when I got it, when I got... her.  I looked at the rebellious woman who seemed to view being the Heir to her family's empire as distasteful.  Since by the time she became the leader of the Laun clan, she would inherit a war between Elves from her father and mother.  A war that could likely spell the end of the Aelftus.

Ever since that talk, that has been on my mind, simmering.  I shared it with my parents, and they already knew all of it.  Well of course they did, mom was Elf and dad may as well be, being raised by Gran and Gramps.  I was the only one new to it all and I wondered if it terrified them as much as it did me.

After scouring the location of the prior attack, I found absolutely nothing, like I expected, indicating whoever was killing Elves, perfecting their toxin, cleaned up any trace evidence.  Both locations were the same.  The one paintball shell we found was a fluke because it was thirty yards from the place the body was found.

It must have missed its intended target and flew to land above the Ramble Cave.  A lucky fluke as the medical unit had isolated the various components of the toxin and were trying to develop an anti-toxin for it.  The bad news was that it could take months if not a year or two to develop.

I visited a few paintball supply houses on the island, to find that you could purchase empty shells and inject your custom paint or dye into them with a syringe.  So I shared that with Ivan who forwarded it to the Elvish investigators and special ops.  He says it could take days to see if they could track down anyone who may have purchased a supply of empty shells in the area.

That left me one last lead, feeling like I was just running in place.  Azu and Renny helped me research military units without knowing what my story was about as I kept it close to the vest.  They were amazing, and it got a meeting set up for me next week with the assistant secretary of Homeland Security.  I knew I'd just get stonewalled, but a reporter pursued every avenue available to them and the hope of a little luck never hurt anything.

So there I was at the station, calling Cliff for a ride to the hospital.  I was informed that morning that Yusuf Ekmekci had regained consciousness, and without insurance, once he was stabilized, they were planning on releasing him in the afternoon.

As soon as I hung up my office phone, my cell was ringing.  I shook my head.  Another family trying to get me to claim them no doubt.  I had taken to assigning a different ringtone to the people I actually wanted to talk to so I'd know when to answer.  I glanced at the screen, my finger poised to decline the call and let it go to voicemail with the four or five dozen others.

I muttered, “Blocked?”

The boys looked over and I shrugged at them then accepted it.  I could always hang up on the caller if it were another unsolicited offer from another clan.  I've had official complaints texted to me from the Council from heads of families I on with hung up.  I'd just shrug and delete the texts.

“Hello?”

A low male voice, speaking just above a whisper like they didn't want to be overheard from their location or maybe mine, prompted, “Is this the lady who's offering a reward for information about those military dudes running around with paintball guns at night?”

I sat up bolt upright.  “Yes, this is Kia Renner.  Who is this?  And do you know these people?”

“I'd rather not say.  The posting said I could stay anonymous, and you paid cash?”

He sounded a little desperate. “You can, but I didn't say anything about cash.  I can have the station make out a cashier's check you can cash though.”

“No no no.  Maybe this was a bad idea. I need the cash, man.”  He was sounding like a junky looking for his next hit and that warred with my conscience.  I knew where any money I gave him would likely go.

I sighed, remembering all the station rules I read about paying sources.  If I want to be reimbursed, it has to go through our disbursement department.  They can either cut a check to a source or have the bank cut a cashier's check to cash if we need to protect the identity of an informant.  If we do anything outside the proper channels, we can't be reimbursed. Well crap.

I quickly pulled up my banking app and sighed at the tiny balance.  Payday was still four days off.  “I can pay fifty dollars cash if you have good information on the paramilitary people.”

There was a pause, then he countered, “A hundred.”

Channeling mom, I countered, “Forty.”

“Ninety.”

“Thirty.”

He sputtered, “You're going down!”

Chuckling I shared, “I don't like being jerked around.  I have fifty dollars of my own money I can give you, not a penny more.  And only if it is good information.”

There was silence for so long I thought he might have hung up, but then he exhaled loudly and snapped, “Ok, fifty.  But I want to see the green before I spill.  I mean, these dudes look like guys I don't wanna cross, you know?”

Nodding to myself I said, “Deal.  Let's meet at Rockefeller Center by the tree.  I'll be the Elf with green eyes.”

“You're that chick who Elfed on TV?”

Sighing I said, “That would be me in all my panicked glory.”

“You're famous.  But I don't wanna be seen pointing any fingers.  These guys look like serious business.  There's a warehouse abandoned during renovation in Hell's Kitchen.  I'll wait for you in the back, there's a broken padlock on a door at the loading dock.  I'll be there for a half-hour if you're serious, and come alone or I ghost.”

Pursing my lips, I weighed the story, and all the Elvish lives at stake against meeting a stranger in an abandoned building.  Then I smirked at myself, sounds like I was lucky to have the Cookie Twins after all.  They'd be shadowing me the whole time.

“Ok, give me the address.”  I quickly wrote it down and he hung up.  I held the piece of paper in my hand, contemplating Cliff.  But showing up with a driver might spook the guy, he was sounding flighty already, and if he really had information, it would be the first break I got on the story.

I texted Cliff, canceling my earlier request for pickup.  Then I grinned to myself and told Azu and Ren, “I have my first source, a confidential informant.”

“Cooool.”

“That's awesome, Kia!”

I crinkled my nose in apology. “Sorry to ditch you guys to work alone again.  I'll make it up to you, I promise.  Pizza is on me Monday.”

This I have found, is the way to every man's heart, their stomach.  Their eyes lit up at my words and I got two fist bumps on my way out.

I hit the ATM in the cafeteria and withdrew fifty, sighing at the twelve dollars and thirteen cents remaining balance on the receipt.  Joy.  Look at me, the richest Elf in New York, not.  I snorted at myself, then covered my mouth quickly and scurried out the back.  The group following me around has been falling off exponentially each day, but there were still a couple of die-hards that almost camped in front of the station.

But as the shiny newness of a green-eyed Elf was becoming old news, I was so relieved that I was starting to be able to move around the city as well as the few other elves that braved walking around in public.

I was aware of my pale shadows lumbering after me on the four and a half block walk to my destination.  It eased the tension and anxiety of going alone to a clandestine meeting, but I still smiled that I was starting to feel like an investigative journalist.  It was all I could do to stop myself from skipping along.

Once I reached the alley behind an all too familiar scene in Manhattan, a building abandoned in mid-renovation when the owner runs out of funds or can't get the proper permits.  As I started down the alley, I heard a scraping sound across the street, my ears swiveling to pick it up.  I glanced up toward it to see a man in black body armor appear on a roof holding what looked like a parabolic microphone pointed my way.

I growled at the creepy-ass man, wondering just how many stalkers they had around the city spying on me and others like this.  And I wasn't the only one to take notice.  Ivan and Pietor were on the run across the street.  The man took notice and took off running away from the roof edge.  I sighed.  They always had escape routes, so I knew the boys would come up empty.  Assign men to scour the area and return their attention to me.

Then I moved down the alley.  Abandoned scaffolding wrapped the entire three-story structure.  It looked as if they were in the middle of converting it to ground-level retail spaces and likely condos or apartments on the upper floors.

I reached the bay doors and saw a plywood man door off to the side.  When I reached it, stepping over old, dusty construction demolition debris at the base of the scaffolding, I saw the padlock looked to be busted and lying on the ground.  This was the spot.

Taking a deep breath, I pushed away the odd combination of anxiety and excitement as I tugged on the plywood, it made a creaking and cracking sound like the old, greyed wood splintered at the bottom a little, making me lift it a bit so it didn't drag.

I stepped inside, it was dark, dingy, dusty, and rank like old water and mold.  Broken glass from a window in a receiving office next to the door crunched under my feet.  I pulled out my cell and almost turned on the flashlight, then sighed as I mentally kicked myself, forgetting how much better my eyesight was now.

I looked around, surprised how well I could see in the dim light streaming in from cracks in the plywood blocking all the high windows in the space.  Though all the colors were muted and grey in that dim illumination.

I called out, “Hello?  It's me.  Kia Renner.”

I could hear movement farther in, my ears picking up all the noises in the building.  There was a lot of it, and I saw a rat skitter across the debris-strewn floor to behind some old warped trusses and huge empty wood spools.  Ok, that accounted for all the sound.  I shuddered.  Rats.

Swallowing, I moved farther into where I could see flickering light coming from under a door, a candle.  And I called out again when I was halfway to it.  “Hello?”

I jumped, spinning back to the door I came in when it slammed shut a familiar ass-face standing in front of it.  He started stepping toward me, raising a hand and pointing a paintball gun my way as he advanced while I backed up. “Miss Renner.  It's quite unfortunate that you chose not to heed my warning.  You're making quite a mess for us out there and it's time for us to clean it up.”

My fingers tightened around my cell as I realized what had happened.  I had walked into an obvious trap like a fool.  And more than anything, that paintball gun scared me the most.  I silently prayed that the boys would find me before it was too late.  My finger twitched on the buttons on my cell as I tried to remember how to activate the distress feature that sent out a 911 to the authorities and to select people on your contact list along with my GPS location.

“Who are you, and why are you killing Elves?”

He made a hand motion and three other men dressed in the same gear as him, with paintball rifles moved out of hiding, the last one coming out of the room with the candle.  The bait in the trap to get me to move further in.  How was I so stupid?  They were all moving in, circling me as Captain Creepy said as he thrust the weapon toward me.  “Ut ut uh, Miss Renner.  Drop the phone, now!”

On reflex, I dropped it as I put my hands up.  I heard the glass crack when it hit the ground then skittered away, hitting a piece of dust-covered wood a couple of feet away.

I was hyperventilating as I realized this was the last mistake I was ever going to make.

Chapter 20 – Renner Rage

The man who was going to end my life swirled his weapon as my heart thumped in my throat, adrenaline urging me to run.  I was the most pathetic Elf ever, about to be brought down by a glorified toy.

He said offhandedly with an almost happy sneer, “We're what stands between humans and you pointy-eared freaks.  You act all innocent and puke up platitudes like working for the common good, but it's only a matter of time before you show your true agenda.  Then guess what, good old Uncle Sam is going to knock you flukes of nature back to the stone age.  You won't catch us unprepared.”

One of the others touched his ear then said, “The two big ones have cleared the roof and are on their way back down now.”  My heart sped up a little. Ivan and Pietor were on their way, Cthulhu only knows if they'll get here on time.  But then I swallowed hard, my eyes darting from one paintball gun to the others.  Shit shit shit, they'd be just as vulnerable.

It was all I could do to hold still, I wanted to yell out for them to stay away, so I opened my mouth but before I could utter a peep, Captain Creepy shoved his weapon toward me, “I wouldn't.”  Then he chuckled as he stepped up to me, putting the barrel of the paintball gun under my chin. “Then again, we all know how well you listen to warnings.”

Damn it, I wouldn't give the man the satisfaction of letting a sob out.  I've never been so afraid in my entire life, and this wasn't how I imagined my death.  Maybe from my klutziness, but not by a toy.  I heard myself asking in a far too calm tone, as all my muscles tensed up, “So you are with the government then.  Homeland security?”

“They wish their clearance was high enough to know about us.”

“So a black ops division?”

He cocked his head, looking down at me, making me want to shrink away into nothing as I was intimately aware of the disparity in our size as he loomed, and I saw real hatred in his eyes for what I was.  I wasn't the biggest fan of Elves, but I had never harbored hate, let alone the disdain he so blatantly displayed.  “You sure are full of questions for someone who is about to pay the ultimate price for sticking her nose in where it doesn't belong.”

“Elves may have high opinions of themselves, but they don't have any nefarious agenda, they just want to live alongside Sapiens.  They... we, are just people like everyone else.”

The man, called out, “Simmons, they've reached the street...”  There was a pause then, “Lieutenant?  Orders.”

He said to me, a satisfied smile on his face, “You're not people, sweetheart.”  Then to them, lowering his weapon slightly away from my chin, he said, “We'll need to take the body with us this time, the eggheads want more cadavers to examine.  She's as good as any of the freaks.  Get ready to bug out.”

My entire body was vibrating, half terror, half need to act.  I took a shuddering breath, my muscles aching as my hands curled into fists, “Hey Simmons.” His attention returned to me as I spat out with all the venom I could muster, “I ain't your sweetheart.”  And I swung with all my might and Elf speed reflexes.  My fist connected with his jaw, and a searing pain enveloped my hand and wrist as it just bounced off his granite chin, his head barely moving back from my best shot.

Oh shit.  I yelped in pain cradling my left hand that felt broken in a dozen places.  The man laughed, looking around to his buddies who chuckled with him, right up until I kicked up with everything I had left, my knee connecting solidly with his groin in a satisfying thud.  He doubled over, staggering back from me, firing wildly as he shouted out, “Kill her, kill the bitch now!”

And I was running.  The thwap thwap thwap of the CO2 cartridges sending paintballs my way as fast as my heart was beating, kept me spinning and diving and rolling.  Scrambling behind the wooden spools.  Paintballs burst all around me, missing me by fractions of an inch.

I never thought my agility would ever come in handy.  I looked back at the exit, it was my only hope.  I was screaming, “Ivan,  Pietor, stay back, they've got the Reaper toxin!”  Knowing they could hear me.

I heard boots thudding, closing in and then I leapt up onto a spool, twisted, seeing three paintballs slash through the space I had been a moment before as I cartwheeled up the stack to the next spool.  Then I dove off onto a duct covered sawhorse, upending it and riding it down to the floor to spin off of it and dance across the floor as I ran, the constant thwap thwap thwap helping me to push my body beyond my limit.

And I heard it coming as I slid to a stop when an imposing form stepped into my path, and Simmons pulled the trigger.  It was point-blank and I never had a chance to spin away.  And my world became searing agony as all my muscles started seizing up as I fell to the ground.  My vision dimmed as I felt as if my lungs were on fire and being compressed by an elephant.

As I gasped for air I couldn't pull into my lungs, a deep roaring outside became almost unbearable to my ears as I felt liquid rolling down my face from them, as I tried to scream the scream that embodied the fire that burned through me.  A horrendous crashing sounded as a loading bay door was virtually shredded and torn off its tracks as Gertie thundered through and into the warehouse, striking one of the black ops soldiers and sending him flying.

I watched helplessly, not even able to turn my head as dad dove out of the truck, bellowing, “Killishia!”

Simmons was roaring out, “It's the father!  Take that Elf shithole down!”

And dad charged the remaining men.  Dozens of paintballs struck his chest as he demonstrated Renner Rage as his fist took the first man off his feet with a crack of bone and spray of blood from the soldier's nose.

As they fired again, and again, someone yelled, “He's not going down!”  The idiots.  I smiled knowing that at least I had the satisfaction of knowing dad was going to tear these body armored butt-nuggets some new assholes.

I hadn't realized I was slowly turning my head to watch as he disassembled trained killers with almost Elf swift strikes, nor the fact I was smiling.  When dad picked up one man from a weapon's harness and his crotch, after bending his arm so far back I heard it pop out of its socket and he threw it into a third, Simmons muttered, “Shit,” dropping his paintball gun and pulling a huge, wicked-looking military knife from his boot to face my father.

My pulse pounded, my heart speeding up as I gulped in air, filling my lungs.  I realized I was breathing, flexing my right hand as I forced myself to a sitting position.  The two muscled men circled each other, dad stomping on an old board that was on some bricks and grabbing it when it levered up to him.

I rasped out as I reached to grab the paintball gun, my legs useless and burning still along with most of my being.  And then I proceeded to empty the godforsaken thing at Simmons' head as sirens converged on the warehouse.  I swayed and smiled with morbid satisfaction when the man had covered his face, the distraction costing him as the board impacted his jaw with a satisfying snapping of bone, teeth flying.

I started to fall back as darkness started to claim me, faraway voices calling out, “NYPD, drop the board!”  And Ivan's voice, “I've got you, Kia,” as the sensation of flying up and being carried away was the last thing I was aware of.

Epilogue

I sat in the receiving room outside the Elf Council a week later than I was supposed to have met with them.  But they gave an extension seeing as how I was recovering from a near-death experience.  I was still a little shaky on my feet, but the doctors on the medical floor had cleared me for release yesterday.

Tana was almost glued to my side through my recovery.  She looked genuinely worried the first few days.  At one point, I woke to find her sitting next to me, making a fist experimentally, then looking at the cast on my hand.  I had broken my thumb and wrist in my attempt to channel my dad.

Then she squished her lips to one side and I rasped out, “What?”

She looked at her hand then moved her thumb from the outside of her fist to curl her fingers over it.  “I don't think you're making a fist right, Killy.”

“Shut up.”

She had hesitantly reached out to cup my cheek, then when I sighed involuntarily into it, she teased, “By all accounts, you were pretty badass in there, running away like a graceful Sir Robin.”

She winked at me, causing my cheeks to burn and I dipped my head, lifting my hand to tuck some wild locks behind my ear, only to hit the side of my head with my cast. “Ow.”

She almost leapt out of her chair, concern on her face then shared a chuckle over my klutziness as she rubbed my temple for me,  Then she said, “But seriously, I hear you handled yourself well, and your father took out the whole squad of black ops asswipes.  Ivan says he was using an old brute force form called, Mahta-quárë, nobody practices it anymore.”

I nodded as she studied me. “They say it's a miracle you survived your contact with the Reaper.  And your father wasn't affected at all.”  There was almost accusation in her tone.  I felt guilty keeping the secret of my, not quite Elfness like the Council demanded, from her.  And I knew she felt guilty as hell for some reason, that she hadn't been there to protect me since she was my Ráquen.

I took a deep, painful breath, my lungs still hurting, and decided, to hell with the Council.  I closed my eyes and gathered my resolve, then locked eyes with her.  “There's sort of a, you know, umm... reason the Reaper didn't kill me, and why I have all these defects as they say.”

I blinked when her eyes pinched in anger at the word defects, but hadn't she said they were just that when we met?  “I'm not supposed to share this, your dad and the others told me it would cause a panic, but, well, I don't want to keep it from you.  Only the senior Council and the doctors know...”

“Know what, Killy?”

I deflated, knowing I'd never win with her about calling me that, but I sort of liked it now when she teased. “Well, I'm not exactly fully, you know, Elf and stuff.”

She looked so confused, not quite getting where I was heading.  Making me wonder how much her parents haven't shared about Elvish history, even though she would lead one day.  They had recognized what I was right away, why haven't all the others?  “What's that supposed to mean?”

I just dropped the bomb, “I'm only half-Elf.”

Her face and eyes cycled through emotions, shock, and confusion.  “How does that even work?”

I was feeling full of mischief as I said, “When a mommy and a daddy really love each other, they...”

This snapped her out of her shock as she grinned and slapped my arm lightly, “Smartass.”

Feeling the burn of the remains of the toxin in my muscles where she hit, my eyes widened as I squeaked out, “Ow.”

She looked panicked as she held both hands a hair's breadth from my arm. “Oh god, I'm sorry Killy!”  Then she got a devilish look on her face as she leaned in to whisper in my unshielded ear, causing the heat of her breath on it to wake up all my favorite parts of my anatomy, “Want me to kiss it and make it better?”

It was all I could do to stop myself from squeaking out, “Yes please.”  Well, at least I knew that part of me still worked.  Her proximity was clouding my mind.

Then she sat back, chuckling. “Just messin' with ya, Killy.”  I nodded, chewing on my lower lip.  Damn, I needed a cold shower.

When I got my inappropriate thoughts under control I said, “Only one of my parents is Elf.  The docs say that's why I survived the Reaper toxin.”

She was silent, seeming to be digesting what I had just shared.  Then she nodded slowly, her eyes pinched in thought, “I thought that was impossible... though, I think it happened before, centuries ago, and they...”

When she trailed off I nodded, finishing for her, “They killed the children and the parents so it wouldn't happen again.”  She looked positively ill at that.  Then I shrugged. “That's one of the reasons my family has stayed hidden, they didn't even know if I'd manifest and thought I wouldn't after I passed the normal window.  But...”  I made one jazz hand because my casted one wouldn't move too well, “...taa daa.”

“I never knew until I Elfed in front of the Great Spaghetti Monster In the Sky and a million or so viewers while live on the air.”

She opened her mouth but then swung her head back to the door of my recovery room, blurting, “Your dad!  That's why the Reaper toxin didn't affect him.  A shame, he'd make one tasty elf.”

“Eww, eww, eww.”

“Face it, princess, your dad is fine.  He even looks like an elf, moves like one, and fights like one.”

I smirked internally and shared just to mess with the dad-coveting punk princess, “That's because his parents are Elf.”

“What?  How does that even...”

“When a mommy and daddy really love...”

“Zip it woman.  You're not as cute as you think you are.  Well fine, maybe you are with those green eyes and adorable little ears, but your humor needs some work.”

Ok, is it possible to blush yourself into the next dimension?  “Shut up.”

She held up a finger. “So it's your mom.  What's her family name?”

“Renner.”

“Fine, keep your secrets, Elfikins.”

I dared her to say I wasn't being truthful as I shared, “I really don't know, and frankly, don't care.  We're Renners through and through.”

She didn't argue.  Instead, she just sat beside me, holding my hand as she had Sonia on her cell, reading the newest Back Alley Conjurings book to us.  And I felt... happy just then, and realized I hadn't been truly happy since she had shared the sunset with me.

That day, the docs let my family and friends sneak in for a little impromptu birthday party for me.  Was I really twenty-five now?  I still felt like an awkward teen pretending to be an adult.  I'm just glad I've outgrown that awkward phase.  And no, I didn't knock my plate with a piece of cake on it off the little table over the hospital bed, then smack it solidly to the ground forgetting I had a cast on when I tried to catch it – twice.  That would just be awkward.  Groan.

Evander visited once, to share with me that the soldiers had all been arrested, though they were transferred to military holding within an hour of being booked for multiple Elf murders and attempted murder.  He said in a thoughtful tone, “The fiasco at the warehouse was too public for them to cover up, what with the police involved.  It tipped their hand and caused Congress to quickly convene and move to cover their asses by publicly denouncing the rogue black ops research and launching a congressional investigation into it and how millions of dollars of funding made it into the program.”

I nodded and he smirked. “You are full of surprises, Miss Renner.  And a certain video has been circulating on the Internet, of a Sapien woman singing your praises about how charming and friendly you were with her little daughter in Central Park.  The picture of you with them is the best positive press we Elves have had in a long time.  You're publicity gold.”

The best news of all was when Beverly came in to take like the gajillianth vial of blood from me, sharing that my blood was the key for them to crack the code for an anti-toxin for the Reaper.  And they'll have synthesized it in just a matter of weeks now.

Everything was... my thought trailed off when I saw on the muted television over Evander's shoulder, a beat reporter covering a traffic accident, and a bus drove past with my face plastered on it advertising WTRL Channel 3.  I dragged my hand down my face as he looked back to see.  Just kill me now, I'll never live this down.

At least Tobias said my story about the Reaper and government conspiracy had promise, a little rough around the edges, but they ran it after he heavily edited it and handed it off to our prime-time anchors.  My first story, and it only almost cost my life.

Now here I stood, waiting to be called into the Council chamber, Dad at my side and Tana on my other, with Bruce glaring at dad from where he stood beside the door.

My dad handed me a little box he had been carrying, and he said, keeping an eye on both Tanny and Bruce, “Your mother and I had a talk with your grandparents.  We think it is time for us to come out of hiding.  It is a different world now after the Reveal.  And we don't want the others to force us into another family by refusing to disclose your mother's clan.”

He took the lid off the box in my hands and exhaled long and loud before lifting the edge of an Aelftus family sash, the only colors were a combination of black and charcoal grey.  “Abigail believes that in this new world with its quickly changing landscape, that she shouldn't stand as head of the clan, and has ceded it to you.  The two of you being the last.”

He held up a chunky ancient ring that looked to be made of iron, and a symbol on the flat, circular face.  It was similar to the rings I saw on all the Council members.  It was almost like it was made to press into wax seals.  My eyes widened knowing that's what it was.

He lifted my hand and smiled at me as I tried to process what he was saying.  I was the last of mom's family line?  And she was making me head of it?  I spread my fingers and he slipped the ring onto my index finger and I just blinked at it.

Then he took the sash out of the box, and Tana got a good look at it and she gasped, taking a step back, covering her mouth in shock.  That shock bled away to a wicked smile as she muttered to herself, “Of course.”

I looked at her as I raised my arms as dad tied the sash around my waist to rest on my hips.  “What?”

She chuckled. “Nothing, Killy, this is going to be legendary.”  Her smile was contagious and I was smiling with her as my eyes were trained on her lips.  Hell, I didn't even know why we were smiling.  I looked past her to Bruce who looked a little confused at her reaction and I realized she recognized the sash even if he didn't.

She shared with dad, “Your family is my absolute favorite.  Never a dull moment.”  Then dad winked at her.  What the fuzzy loving heck was going on?

I asked as the blue privacy light went off over the door and the white noise curtains fell, “What is mom's family name?”

He smirked at me. “You'll see. You won't have to announce it, Itty Bit.”

I exhaled in exasperation as that woman's warm and welcoming voice sounded out, “Cyrus and Killishia Renner, the International Elf Council will now see you in the Chamber.”

Dad didn't move when I started for the door, Tanny at my side.  I looked a question back at him and he said, “You go, Bruce and I will be along in a minute or two.”  And Tana snorted, a sly grin on her face.

As we approached the huge Council chamber doors again, and the security guards stood aside when the hidden electric motors started swinging those big doors out.  Tana stopped just one step inside and I looked back at her, she just shooed me like a child and my crinkle nose glared, causing her to silently chuckle.

I'm glad I amused the Elfy wench.  Why did this feel as if I were marching to my doom?

There was a collective gasp as I walked between the two raised platforms as I moved toward the podium.  My steps faltered as I spun around, looking at all the now frantic Council members as the place erupted into shouts and shocked exclamations.

Dimitri Havashire's voice carried above the others, just a single spoken word... “Riicathi.”

Son of a, son of a, son of a bi-bi-bi-bitch.

The End

Killishia's Musings WTRL Channel 3

Hello, hi... umm... some of you may recognize me from the Tree Lighting at the Rockefeller Center this year.  I'm Killishia Renner, and I learned recently with many of you on the air when I Elfed, that I wasn't who I had thought I had been my entire life.

I'll be doing this segment twice a week, to share my thoughts and experiences with you, our viewers, to take you along with me as I navigate this strange new world as, well as an Elf.  It's all just so surreal to me.

I've already found in the short time since my Elfing, that I had so many preconceptions and even some misconceptions about Elves, and even Sapiens, which have proved mostly to be false.  But the one thing I've found, is that people are just people for the most part.  That Sapiens have more in common with the Aelftus than differences, well besides these damn ears that seem to have a mind of their own.

The first lesson I've learned is a simple one.  One I was guilty of even after I Elfed, until it was pointed out to me.  The learned prejudice of implicit bias.  I had always thought of people as one of two things, either Human or Elf.  That excludes Elves from the Human experience, labeling them as outsiders when they are just as human as the rest of the people they share the planet with since mankind first started walking the Earth.  Sapiens and Aelftus are just two branches of humanity.

It is little things like this that I stumble upon in my journey to figure out just who I am, and navigate the world of Elves that I hope to share with you.

I hope to see you on Thursday for the next Killishia's Musings here on WTRL News 3.

Killishia out.

Novels by Erik Schubach

Books in the Worldship Files series...

Leviathan

Firewyrm

Cityships

Morrigan

Changeling

Mutiny (coming  soon)

Books in the Techromancy Scrolls series...

Adept

Soras

Masquerade

Westlands

Avalon

New Cali

Colossus

Books in the Sparo Rising series...

Blade of Wexbury

Mason of York

Hammers of Flatlash (coming  soon)

Books in the Urban Fairytales series...

Red Hood: The Hunt

Snow: The White Crow

Ella: Cinders and Ash

Rose: Briar's Thorn

Let Down Your Hair

Hair of Gold: Just Right

The Hood of Locksley

Beauty In the Beast

No Place Like Home

Shadow Of The Hook

Armageddon

Books in the New Sentinels series...

Djinn: Cursed

Raven Maid: Out of the Darkness

Fate: No Strings Attached

Open Seas: Just Add Water

Ghost-ish: Lazarus

Anubis: Death's Mistress

Shaytan: The Final Wish

Books in the April series...

Facets of April

Shadows of April (coming  soon)

Books in the Drakon series...

Awakening

Dragonfall

Books in the Valkyrie Chronicles series...

Return of the Asgard

Bloodlines

Folkvangr

Seventy Two Hours

Titans

Books in the Tales From Olympus series...

Gods Reunited

Alfheim

Odyssey

Books in the Bridge series...

Trolls

Traitor

Unbroken

Krynn

Books in the Elfed In New York series...

Intern

Books in the Fracture series...

Divergence

Novellas by Erik Schubach

The Hollow

Novellas in the Paranormals series...

Fleas

This Sucks

Jinx (2021)

Novellas in the Fixit Adventures...

Fixit

Glitch

Vashon

Descent

Sedition

Novellas in the Emily Monroe Is Not The Chosen One series...

Night Shift

Unchosen

Rechosen

Novellas in the Shadow of the Scrolls series...

Hell's Gate

Arcadia

Short Stories by Erik Schubach

(These short stories span many different genres)

A Little Favor

Lost in the Woods

MUB

Mirror Mirror On The Wall

Oops!

Rift Jumpers: Faster Than Light

Scythe

Snack Run

Something Pretty

Romance Novels by Erik Schubach

Books in the Music of the Soul universe...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Music of the Soul

A Deafening Whisper

Dating Game

Karaoke Queen

Silent Bob

Five Feet or Less

Broken Song

Syncopated Rhythm

Progeny

Girl Next Door

Lightning Strikes Twice

June

Dead Shot

Music of the Soul Shorts...

(All short stories are standalone and can be read in any order)

Misadventures of Victoria Davenport: Operation Matchmaker

Wallflower

Accidental Date

Holiday Morsels

What Happened In Vegas?

Books in the London Harmony series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Water Gypsy

Feel the Beat

Roctoberfest

Small Fry

Doghouse

Minuette

Squid Hugs

The Pike

Flotilla

Books in the Pike series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Ships In The Night

Right To Remain Silent

Evermore

New Beginnings

Books in the Loft series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Settling In

Books in the Flotilla series...

(All books are standalone and can be read in any order)

Making Waves

Keeping Time

The Temp

Paying the Toll

Books in the Unleashed series...

Case of the Collie Flour

Case of the Hot Dog

Case of the Gold Retriever

Case of the Great Danish

Case of the Yorkshire Pudding

Case of the Poodle Doodle

Case of the Hound About Town

Case of the Shepherd's Pie

Case of the Bull Doggish

Case of the Dalmatian Salvation

Case of the Irish Sitter

Case of the Pom Poms

Sample chapter of my cyberpunk dystopia adventure Facets of April...

Chapter 1 - Clarke Tech

“April, come on mini-mite, you're going to be late for your first day,” my dad called from downstairs.

I tapped the air in front of the bathroom smartglass, it turned off the virtual mirror and various news streams and advertisements migrating along the bottom of it. I flexed my hand and rolled my wrist, working out the phantom pain I've had in my extremities since my recovery from the accident that left me in a coma for six months after I graduated from high school.

A street maintenance skimmer had a cascade failure of its main processing unit that took down its primary and secondary avoidance systems and the massive automaton had impacted our family AV, autonomous vehicle.

I still have no memory of that day.  I wonder if I knew what was happening when we were dragged along for half a block before slamming into an Underground entrance bollard.  If I hadn't lost the most important person in my life just then, it may as well have happened to someone else.

It frustrated me to no end that, no matter how much I tried, or wanted it to be so, that I couldn't dredge up the memories to make sense of my mother's death.  At first, I thought it was all some sort of joke when I finally woke in the Medi-Pod in my room and the display in front of my face was showing it was six months after my last memory.

I remember vibrating with excitement because I would be graduating the next day.  Dad had been tinkering with his robotics and cybernetics experiments in the basement.  He was always developing some sort of gadget or programming innovative solutions to synaptic tactile feedback for VR environments.

Not to sound too much like a proud daughter, but my dad is pretty much the shit when it came to cutting edge tech.  His position with Enerdyne, the top tech firm in the world, as one of their chief researchers, said it all.

We had just been hiding from mom who was on one of her international meetings in the Frame, negotiating a buyout of some food synthesis supplier, to a global consortium.  Ok, my mom was the shit too.  But as cutthroat as she was in a boardroom, she was cutely clumsy, sarcastic, and a loving mom at home.

And talk about a Luddite, she despised all the tech she needed to use to do her job.  She preferred to meet people face to face so you could get a true feel for them, and she felt we lost a bit of our humanity the more we depended on technology to do the things mankind had once done by hand.

I think that's why she had me work in the little garden we had in a little plot of honest to goodness dirt behind our home.  It was exceedingly rare for anyone to have anything that resembled a yard in Greater York.  The biggest and most technologically advanced city on the east coast, built over the sunken remains of New York City, from before the Thaw, when the polar ice caps melted due to global warming we are just now starting to reverse after almost two hundred years of climate engineering.

When I woke, that prior day was the last clear memory I had, me and dad downstairs, him hooking me up to his synaptic mapper once again to test the virtual feedback.  It was incredible.  Without synth gloves, I could grasp virtual objects and it actually felt as if I were grasping physical objects.  A big improvement over the full-body synth suits and gloves.

The biggest leap this made was being able to feel objects on your face.  Sure there were synth masks for fully immersive experiences, but you always felt the VR goggles needed to get visual feedback.  My dad's latest coding made them unnecessary.  Instead, I just wore a headset that stimulated different portions of my brain to simulate sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.

He was going to revolutionize the Frame, the global virtual staging world.  He kept insisting that one day, his innovations would meld the real world and virtual world seamlessly, without the need for the clunky synth-tech.

When dad came running up when a chime went off in my Medi-Pod, he had opened it and pulled me to him in a hug, crying, I knew that something really bad had happened.  I had croaked out, my throat feeling raw and dry, “Something's wrong with the date display... dad... why was I in the Medi-Pod?  Did something happen?  Will I be able to graduate with my class tomorrow?”

That's when he shared what had happened on that fateful day six months prior.  And I cried, my body ached both on the outside and the inside when I realized the woman who had been my best friend, my confidante, and sometimes my partner in mischievous pranks on dad... was gone.  It took a while to comprehend that.  For me it had just been yesterday I saw her smile, and the pride in her eyes when I showed off my graduation gown.

I had barely survived, and after a month in a private clinic, they had finally stabilized me enough for our Medi-Pod to finish my healing until I was strong enough to come out of the medically induced coma.

It had taken over a month before I could stand on my own.  My muscles had atrophied even with the electro-induced stimulation after so long.  And every joint ached so much, all the time that even now, nine months after waking, I still remember it and have a bad habit of flexing and rolling my wrists to work out the ache I don't have anymore.

Dad took me to the Wall, where the ashes of the deceased of Greater York were interred.  As I said, land was at a premium, so on the coast, we didn't have the expansive cemeteries of pre-Thaw.  Some of the countries that didn't lose much landmass to the rising water still have cemeteries.  Mom's drawer was adorned with a carved stone plaque with angel wings, and a diminutive brass tapered cone where I left a single daisy... mom's favorite flower.

I had talked to her for hours that day, apologizing for not coming sooner, my voice hoarse and raw both from the emotion that was sitting on my chest like a ten-ton weight, making it hard for me to breathe, and from my convalescence.

Even now, I find that I miss her every single day, and feel sort of lost.  Besides my best friend, Jen, she was the only person I could share all my secrets with.

“April!”

“Coming dad!”  I smoothed down my plain white tee... I know, not the hippest thing to wear to my first day of college.  Especially since Arthur C. Clarke Tech was kind enough to hold my scholarship for me until I had recovered, and now I'm starting a year later than anticipated.  I still can't believe I got in.  It wasn't like I had the GPA that most of their students had.  It is an elite technical institute after all.

It was my aptitude for VR and robotics that got me in, where I tested off the charts thanks to literally growing up immersed in those fields, my dad being who he is.  My sponsoring professor there is the leading researcher and innovator in programming for the Frame, Doctor Konda.  They were pretty young for the position, but not if you took into account that they had their first doctorate at thirteen if you can believe that.

I grabbed my oversize shoulder bag which mom had always complained about, but I liked utility over fashion.  I never was one into fashion and trends.  The only real concession was that I liked to paint my nails in creative ways.  Single uniform colors were so lame.  I glanced at my nails as I dashed down the hall to the stairs.  Today was white with black polka-dots.

When I heard voices downstairs, I paused at the glass railing that lined the hall and looked over to the entryway.  Dad was arguing with two men in Japanese.  He was telling them, “For the last time.  I don't know what you're talking about.  Kashima security has already cleared me.”

What did these steroid beefed, men with their high end augmented reality glasses want?  Kashima Corp and the United States Conglomerate military service have been harassing father ever since I woke.

I called down from the balcony in Japanese, “Dad?  What's going on?”  The men took a step back in a far too synchronized manner and I groaned as that had me take a closer look at them.  They were Chromes, basically robotic avatars the men were using through a Frame interface.  They didn't even have the nerve to come to harass us face to face anymore.

They looked up in unison and I could see identical expressionless faces, though I could see these were extremely high end, state of the art Chromes as they almost looked convincingly human.  I flipped them off, so the person looking through their eyes from Japan knew my opinion of them ruining my morning.

Dad snapped, “April!”

I sighed.  I know.  Modern Japanese culture took affront to disrespectful displays like that.  Mom taught me better than that.  She was from a decent family there, and when this seemingly absent-minded, and somewhat silly American showed up there to work on the Frame infrastructure improvements, she was assigned to be his translator because for some reason he said he preferred not to have a Frame relay as a go-between.

It wasn't until he had somehow wormed his way into her heart over the next few weeks that she learned that Dad was fluent in Japanese as well as Chinese and German.  All the new century technology languages.

I always smiled when she shared how embarrassed she was when he told her... in perfect Japanese.  And she remembered all the conversations she had about him with others while he was there.  She would always cover her face with both hands to hide her embarrassed blush when she told the tale.

They were wed a month later and moved to the United States Conglomerate.  A year later, in April... they had a little girl.  Tongue in cheek, mom suggested they call me April, and dad agreed readily.  He swears to this day that he hadn't caught on that mom was joking because I had been born in April.  But I'm good with it, I like my name, and the fact that I look a lot like mom, event though I got dad's height.  He's six foot even and I'm five foot ten.  Mom... well she said she was five foot even.  Yeah right, she lied.

I'm not the best judge of my own looks, but I'd like to think I am a little above average.  Certainly, not the beauty mom was, but my biracial heritage looked pretty ok on me.  I love that I got mom's thick dark hair that is straight as an arrow.  Then there was the matter of dad's long-legged lope that I got from him.  Gee, thanks, dad.  Ok fine, I admit, if it walks like a geek, and talks like a geek, odds are it's likely a geek.

I geeked down the stairs quickly, and tapped on the head of one of the avatars as I stepped up beside dad, asking in English, “Are these mark fours?  Skin barely felt rubbery.”

Dad started to answer. “Actually, mark fives, see the AR glasses are integral at the temples and... April!  Don't distract me.”

I huffed and slumped my shoulders, then turned to the Chromes and bowed slightly and said in Japanese, “I apologize.  No disrespect was intended.”  Lies lies, all lies.

They inclined their heads ever so slightly in synchronized response, making me realize that they likely had the same driver.  It takes some skill to drive two Chromes simultaneously through the Frame.  “It is I who must apologize for the intrusion so early into your home, I understand it is a most prestigious day for you.  Clarke Tech is a most respectable placement for a young woman such as yourself, Miss Yale.”

How did they know... Dad rushed me out, “April... you have to get going.  I'll meet up with you at lunch to see how you are settling in.  Your things should have arrived at your dorm already.”

I bowed to the mysterious driver of the robots from thousands of miles away, then kissed my father's cheek.  My heart was heavy that he wouldn't be able to walk with me on campus to the dorms.  This was going to be the first time I lived away from home.  I could easily have commuted across the city every day, but I really wanted the entire college experience.

“Ok, it's a date.”  Then I headed to the Underground Tube station just down the block.  I needed my own AV, public transit was so not cool.

I dashed, something I was good at with my long legs and avoided the lift walks, opting for the stairs as I took them three at a time down to the suspended platforms under the city.  You could see the bones of the old buildings in the ocean below the platforms up to the big clear tubes that the vacuum shuttles ran in all over the city.

I marveled at the engineering feat that Greater York and other coastal cities were, with those impossibly huge columns that supported the metropolis which sank down over a half-mile below the seabed.  The underside of the city went on seemingly forever with thousands of columns just like the one beside the station.

I could see the shipping barges which crossed the oceans daily, bringing cargo to and from so many fascinating destinations.  Their stacks of shipping containers almost touching the undersides of the station as they passed underneath to the waterside piers to transfer their cargo.  I liked to see how many countries the vessels were flagged with.  One day I'd like to travel.  My first destination?  Japan.  I'm so predictable, but I'd love to see where mom grew up.

A few seconds later a shuttle pulled up with the hissing of the compressed air in the tube section equalizing.  Two people stepped off, and I followed an elderly couple on to the shuttle, and someone moved for them to sit as I grabbed one of the leather handles hanging from the ceiling as I stood while we zipped off across the city.

One platform transfer and seventeen minutes later... see?  I told you it was slow going only ninety-three miles in that time when I stepped off on the platform under Clarke Tech.  I felt as If I were vibrating with excitement and I had a definite spring in my step.

I took the stairs up to the ground level and sighed.  There was an actual lawn in front of the school.  And not just a little patch of it.  I mean almost a couple acres of it sprawled out like a carpet of welcome, and it was full of students milling about.  I could feel my smile aching my cheeks, and chastised myself, “Come on April, don't geek out here.  You've got to make a good first... ACK!”  I tripped over something and face planted in the grass.  “Shit.”

I quickly stood and looked over to the boy of Hispanic heritage, who had been tying his shoe when I had made my grand entrance, which had the students who I saw, chuckling at my grace.  “I'm so sorry, I didn't see you there.”

He stood up and kept standing... and standing... until he reached a staggering height of around six foot six or seven.  He was a little heavyset with some baby fat that never left his face, giving him a giant cherub sort of look about him, especially with his sheepish smile.  He was dressed pretty much like me.  A pair of jeans and a tee, though he proudly displayed that new super-heroine everyone was wild about, VR Maiden.

The only thing he was missing, advertising his status in the world of geekdom I resided in, was some glasses to push up his nose, as he looked at me while hugging an old backpack like you'd use in junior high, tightly to his chest.  “No, no.  It was my fault.  I'm always crouching at random just to test to see if the laws of improbability are still a constant around me.”

He was blushing just then as he realized he was babbling and he trailed off. “Which... they... appear...”  He stood up straighter and offered a hand. “Carter.  Carter Gomez.  I'm a freshman here.  Bio-cybernetics.”

I found myself grinning.  This awkward lad was a kindred spirit.  “April.  April of the 'If I'm late to class on my first day in college, my dad will never let me live it down' club.”

And that was my graceful entrance to Clarke Tech.  Fuck my life.