Chapter 51

They were airborne.

Hayden didn't know exactly how high at that point—high enough that her home was a distant flicker far below, without even the smallest suggestion of the visiting ships. Still they ascended, through air that whipped at her dress and chilled against bare skin underneath. In the presence of Fae, the cold never became anything more than uncomfortable. Yet he didn't channel any of those powers of heat to warm her, either.

It was probably her imagination, but Hayden thought she could still smell the smoke from beneath, the smoke of a burning clothing shop. None came from her, though the daemons circling around them were close to fighting.

This was the far more acceptable form of what the victini had done to her family. You didn't attack people, but daemons fighting was a basic part of human interaction. Where strong personalities clashed, one had to rise as the dominant force while another bowed. Unless she was with Cody, Julian, or any of the other people she actually liked.

The same was not true of Fae. Their daemons circled around the two of them in a complex, furious dance. His seemed to take the whole encounter slowly, without giving it much attention. By contrast, Liz radiated furious energy, fighting harder than she had against Mrs. Boylston. Energy cracked through the air around them, breaking the air with an occasional crash of impact. 

Hayden barely even felt it, other than to offer Liz as much of her strength as possible.

"I do apologize our first meeting had to be so… dramatic." He waved one hand through the air, as though describing a glass of spilled tea. With the other, he kept a tight grip around her wrist, holding her restrained. His power held her in the air, but not with any of the politeness that Gail or her husband sometimes did. This was little different from Corrin's hand pinning Eleanor's shoulder to the wall.

Except for the most important part: Hayden didn't know how to get free, no matter how much she wanted to. "But I knew our first encounter had to be appropriately striking. I hope I left an impression."

She glowered at him. But her ability to make witty retorts was somewhat diminished by all the concentration she lent to Liz, keeping desperately ahead of their opponent. "I'll never forget this," she whispered, with no hint of insecurity. "I promise."

"Good, good. And I admit, I had hoped this would be more… efficient. I sense you aren't yet fertile. A few more years?"

She yanked her arm free, indignant. That little burst of strength wasn't enough to free herself from his psychic power. "I am not going to answer that. But as you might know—I couldn't do that no matter what you threatened me with. I'm betrothed to Julian of Mew House."

Their ascent stopped. The sun was only just beginning to set, reflecting off the waves far below with a vibrant orange. The same as the flashes of flame that appeared behind them briefly, only to vanish just as quickly. With every one, Liz dodged the flame only narrowly, emerging slightly scorched. 

It's not a fight at all. He's doing this on purpose. Toying with us. 

"Yes yes. Contracts and heirs and all of that. Except, read that contract kitten. Read it closer." His hand caught her by the wrist again, pulling her up against the metal links of his cloak. "Your firstborn mew is his, that's the rule. But total loyalty… no one could expect that. I thought you were supposed to like changing."

She squirmed away from him, but this time he was ready. She pulled them through the air, and couldn't get out of his grip. He squeezed hard, pressing fingers into her skin. It wasn't just the pressure that made her whimper and struggle—there was heat there too. "S-stop. You're… it burns…"

"Yeah?" He tilted his head to one side, eyes hardening. "Interesting. What is the kitten supposed to do about it? Watching helpless, slowly crisping up. Heard you can be shaymin already, I'd maybe recommend something else. Maybe you'll figure it out."

She gritted her teeth, whole body shaking with pain. but there was no escaping now, no matter how hard she pulled away. "Maybe I… could… if your daemon wasn't trying to roast mine."

He chuckled, releasing his grip on her arm. Deep red marks remained, like sunburns wherever his fingers had touched. "If you think that will help, by all means." He nodded, and the little orange and yellow rabbit abruptly retreated from her advance. She fluttered behind him, hovering just over his shoulder. "But let's keep this interesting. Do it right, or I'll ignite the gas-line under that little corner of the town. Should leave a nice big crater where that shop was standing. Assuming it isn't ash by now already. Can you do it in three?"

Liz landed against her chest, nestling in the relative safety of her gown. Hayden covered her with one hand, glaring at her attacker. "You came here to try and… get me to marry you? And this is how you do it? Attack my family, attack me? This isn't how you find a girlfriend."

"Two," he said. "And I never suggested anything of the sort. You imply equality between us—there is none. You're a genetic fluke, an accident of happenstance. But your offspring could be kept from that influence, and raised the same as any other victini. You could serve some use, an infusion of vitality where before there was stagnation."

"Mew House doesn't see me that way," she snapped. "I'm supposed to be Julian's companion for a lifetime. They think the years I'll spend with them will soon outnumber any I lived as a common pokémon. I like Julian. You're a dick."

"And you're trying my patience," he said, stretching both arms into a yawn. "Either I see what you can do, or you see fireworks. Don't keep me waiting. Valiant is good at many things, but patience was never one of them. She's always been a little too eager to burn things."

"Otherwise, why would they burn?" the daemon whispered. Despite that tiny voice, she sounded almost as insane as her human. Or rather—she sounded exactly as insane as he was.

"Fine!" she shouted, floating back from him. Whether she had finally yanked free of his psychic powers, or just caught him off-guard enough that he let go, the result was the same. She got space, and a few seconds to think clearly. 

The wild shaymin were like this, in their own way. Less violent, but no less insistent. Everyone wanted her to look like them. She would have to thank them for the crash course in high-pressure transformation, assuming she lived long enough to see them again.

Her view of Fae was hardly a flattering one to base her impression of a species. It didn't matter how attractive he was if everything he did was either a threat or some kind of abuse. But if she couldn't change now, many of the most important people in her life would all die at once. A few minutes up into the air wasn't long enough for them to evacuate!

What were victini like? Lean, athletic, powerful. Bright orange hair, some of the biggest ears she'd ever had. She couldn't imagine herself as small and weak, or else leave Fae with an opportunity. But if she got too old, he might see that as a totally different, equally dark path.

So she imagined what his little sister might be like—shorter, but not by much. She would be tense, defensive and ready for a fight. She would have to be, if she wanted to survive around someone like Fae. Her dress would be different—metal like his, with an opening big enough for that huge tail. But she wouldn't have a chest or any curves. A tough, defiant girl, one who wouldn't get burned or bullied.

"This what you wanted?" She bobbed up and down, taking a second to catch herself. Her psychic powers were still basically the same, except slightly muted. With them was a new energy, heat pressing her towards constant motion. She had to be somewhere, had to do things, and knew she would find victory waiting for her when she did. "How is this a big deal again? You have a thing for the ears?" She stretched in the air, running one mocking hand up one to the tip. "Could've asked for lopunny if that's what you wanted."

Fae flicked his wrist towards her. Though the gesture was small, a wave of light and heat followed, rolling through the air towards her with incredible speed. Hayden could never dodge past it. She shielded herself with both arms, but those would do little good. The heat was so intense it would probably liquify metal beams, or leave flesh as nothing but ash.

At least she assumed it should do all those things. Heat washed over her in a flash, the same as the warm breeze from inland when she stood on the big hill near her town. Warm, comfortable, pleasant. "That's all? Do you want me to scream in agony too? I'm in so much pain, just look at me… burning away…"

Actually something was smoking, though she couldn't say exactly what. She didn't feel like she was on fire. But she smelled it, and saw it in occasional flickers of smoke rising past her body. Not flesh, more like… fabric?

"It's true what they say. An accident like yours—really can serve a useful purpose. A perfect likeness." His daemon caught Liz out of the air from the side, dragging her until she was between them. But for all the anger and brutality from this creature, even he didn't dare break that taboo. He remained entirely out of reach of any accidental contact. "You will not understand. But it is not required for you to understand. You're an opportunity."

Hayden glared at him, unmoved. Strong or not, all the fear he had inspired in her during their initial confrontation now felt distant. Her arm still had red marks from his fingers, but that was all. Let him try to burn them this time!

"The blood of ancient gods attenuates over time. Though our generations are few, time still erodes. Yet you—your accident shares no lineage. Your strength is undiminished. Your offspring will be powerful."

"Not today they won't," she said. "I know what I signed. Julian gets my first… kid. When I'm even old enough for that."

The victini waved her off. As he did, the grip on Liz abruptly vanished, and her daemon could rush over to Hayden's shoulder. She perched there, where she could brush soft feathers against Hayden's cheek. "Today, no. I see what I should have realized earlier. Your mew self made you seem… closer to fertility. But you are still a child. No use to me today."

It took all the emotional discipline of six months to keep the relief from reaching her outer thoughts. She fought the sensation back, amplifying her anger and frustration in its place. He could not know her satisfaction, or her night might get much worse. "So how about you leave then," she snapped. "Go back where you came from. This isn't how you make someone like you. You could've taken me to dinner, maybe. Down to the volcano, cook some fish over the falls. Watch the moon come up to some pyroclastic flows. Maybe a deserted island out in the ocean somewhere, that no human eyes have ever seen. Bet it would be cool to see one form."

Given her experiences that night, Hayden expected another attack, maybe a fresh threat. But instead of attacking her, Fae only floated closer. Whatever disdain he felt for her changed now to curiosity. "The heir of Mew House treated you that way? Acted as though you were…"

"Real?" She couldn't reply with the same kind of attacks he used. Hayden's training covered many grass moves, with a smattering of psychic and whatever else she picked up from the household's many members. But fire was not among her powers. Granted, if Fae kept throwing it at her, she would probably figure it out through osmosis alone. "Please. That’s the whole point of keeping me around, isn't it? Adaptability. My sister's the ditto, not me. Liz and I don't pretend."

He reached for her, but this time Hayden was ready for him. She dodged backward, keeping just out of reach. He chased, and she dodged further, never letting him touch her. Let him try and catch her now! "You think that's all it takes? A little heat, right sized ears, and you're one of us? You have no idea what world you've flown into, Hayden. The only safety waiting for you up here is obedience. Otherwise…"

"Yeah?" He was fast—but his way of thinking about flight was so—simple. Always arcs, bigger or smaller, towards her or away. But mew didn't see it that way. Instead of trying to get directly away, Hayden could do other things—dodge behind him, or drop straight down, soaring backwards and sideways. "Probably. Sure you're right about that. Beg, plead, look down. That's what I'm supposed to do. Maybe it would work."

She caught his shoulder, seizing the metal cloth there. It was so hot to the touch that her usual self would've burned on contact. It didn't hurt now, only prod her to further action. She leaned up behind him, whispering into one of those big ears. This kid didn't even have a tail. "What kind of myth would I be if I knew how to bow? I know you're stuck as just one thing, but I can share this part. Liz and I use your insides. Your… genes. How you work. Turns out you don't know how to be submissive. If that's what you want from me—should've stuck with the kitten." 

She shoved him back, hard enough that Fae spun through the air once, before catching himself beside a cloud. He wiped a little blood from his nose. Far from furious, the victini no longer even looked away from her. "It is true what they say. You are a completely different person. It's your soul itself that changes, not just your genetics."

She shrugged. "Guess the gurus might say something like that. Camael was all about that. Look into your heart—and 'sister, we were once the protectors of'—mystical stuff. He seemed right about a lot of stuff, so sure. My soul changes. Right now my soul is pretty pissed you blew up stuff I liked. How about don't do that if you want anything from me."

"I could kill them," he said. "And you. If you think you know enough to stop me, you're wrong. It would not be a fight."

She shrugged. "Guess so, yeah. Wonder how long you'll have to wait for that new blood you were so excited about. Another century? Two?" She folded her arms, defiant. "Just do it quick, please. Liz and I don't want to float around here bored all night. Either get your sociopathic tendencies out on us, or get out of Sinnoh. You're wrong if you think my family won't notice. I dunno how many victini there are, but there are a lot of shaymin here. I can smell them coming already."

He spun around, eyeing the growing darkness. But despite what she said, there was no visual sign that they weren't alone. Fae's smile widened. "Very well, Hayden. I see why Mew House took interest in you. I look forward to seeing whether that confidence is skin deep."

He vanished in a loud implosion of air, with far less grace than Ilene's teleports. Just like that, Hayden and Liz were alone.