Slumber Nine

Getting ahold of Bijou's Aunts wasn't as hard as he thought. Telling them everything that happened on the other hand proved to be. Noctifer's connection wasn't as strong as he hoped. And his magic was barely keeping the line open. As they stood around his telecom screen. It flickered now and then as he restarted the link. Once Afua's face filled the screen again, Noctifer gave a sigh of relief. In a relieved tone, he said,"My apologies, Afua. Our signal isn't the best out here. I'm sorry that keeps happening."

"It's fine, Noctifer. Is Bijou alright?",Afua asked. Worry choking her voice. She seemed to be gripping her telecom tightly. He faintly heard the other women talking somewhere in the background. Sethunya seemed to be talking to someone who wasn't Afua or Zina. Zina on the other hand seemed to be asking Afua about Bijou. Her voice sounded really concerned as well. He nodded his head as he answered,"She's fine. Sleeping in the guest room upstairs with Onyx watching over her. I think the rush here has her pretty tired."

"That's good to know.",Afua said in a soft voice. Her expression seeming calmer than before. It wasn't entirely relaxed but enough for him to not worry. Noctifer continued,"I tried to discover her stalker's identity, but she's been difficult to locate. I felt I was very close with a lead that I was following until...until the creature came."

"And you're sure it was a Limarus from Europa?",she asked in a skeptical voice. He understood her skepticism. Getting a creature like this from Europa wasn't easy. There were regulations in place to keep people off Europa. Despite how many laws that were in place, people still managed to poach animals from there. Such as Limari. Noctifer answered,"I'm very sure. What I'm not sure of is who sent it after me. But I get the feeling that the woman sent it."

"After all, it's pretty convenient that it came after I started my investigation.",he pointed out. Afua nodded along as he spoke. He could hear Zina asking questions in the background. Which appeared to be getting on Afua's nerves. Her smile fell as she turned the telecom to the other woman. Zina was seated on a chair near her. The woman was holding several little jars in her hands. Each a vibrant shade of green and red. She gave a little annoyed frown as she stared at him. Zina asked,"You couldn't have been more discreet in disposing of the creature? Was magic too hard for you to use?"

"I didn't have enough time to use my magic. The Limarus was too quick for me to come up with a spell.",he answered in a soft voice. It was partially true. The Limarus was quicker than most creatures on Earth. But he was more frightened than he was out of time. Zina narrowed her eyes at him. Then she said,"The school contacted us. They think she's been kidnapped or worse. You're supposed to be a professional, Noctifer. That's why we asked you to do this."

"I know, bu-""No buts! You should've been more careful!",Zina snapped. Her hands on her hips as she glared at him. Afua gently patted her upper shoulder from offscreen. This action seemed to help her calm down somewhat. Softening her look at Noctifer, she gave a gentle sigh. Then she said,"I'm sorry I yelled at you, Noctifer. But they were talking about calling the cops. Sethunya barely got them convinced not to. It's going to take a fortune to pay for the damages."

"I promise I'll pay you back after everything is over.",he insisted. It was the least he could do to help them. As well as make sure that things went more smoothly. Keep them from trying anything rash before they were ready. He toyed with his pendant as he stared at her. Her expression was thoughtful as she looked to Afua. Whose expression he couldn't see. Sweat began rolling down his back as he watched her carefully. The long silent pause starting to make him nervous. He gave her a small smile when she glanced back at him. In a gentle voice, she answered,"That won't be necessary, Noctifer. But thank you for the offer. It's very sweet of you. Please tell Bijou that we love her. Goodbye."

And with that, she turned off the telecom screen. Noctifer stared at the black screen in his hands for a moment. A frown on his face as he set it down gently on his kitchen table. Sighing, he scolded himself for not being more careful. It wasn't like he had worked under worse pressure than that before. Several battles before he even became a part-time bodyguard for anyone. All those times he had been face to face with death. One time he almost came close to dying himself. Yet this monster was the thing that messed with his mind. A Limarus of all things! As he rested against the counter, he gave a soft groan of frustration. He muttered,"Even when I do the right thing, I mess things up. When will I stop being such a screw up?"

He sat down on the chair near the table. Setting his elbows on the surface as he thought of what to do next. In the back of his mind, he knew the right thing would be to pay for the damages. Since he was the one who made them in the first place. But he knew better than to argue with them over it. It would be like arguing with a brick wall. Putting the whole business to the back of his mind, he tried to think of other things instead. Such as sparring with Bijou and testing how good her skills were. See if there was anything she needed to improve on. Though he had his doubts that she needed to. Sethunya was a very good teacher. As he thought of a training program for her, his telecom lit up. A ringtone that he hadn't heard in a while sounded. And a cold wave of fear washed over him. Picking up his telecom, he pressed the green button gently. In a low voice, he asked,"Hello, this is Mr Waker. How may I help you?"

"I shouldn't be surprised how well you've screwed things up.",the voice snapped. Not a hello just snark. His teeth chewed into his bottom lip as he stared at the darkened screen in his hands. He knew that this conversation was coming. But he had hoped that it would have come a lot later than sooner. Gripping his telecom tightly, he said,"I'm sorry. I was trying my hardest to protect Bijou. The creature just took me by surprise is all. I didn't mean to make such a mess."

"I sent it to attack her to make you a hero. Not for you to make such a fuss.",the person snapped. Anger dripping from their tone. Wincing at this he apologized again. Trying to explain that the Limarus had been stronger than he anticipated. And that his magic didn't work inside the school. Each time that he tried, he had felt disgusted. In a low voice, he said,"I can't even make fire, Mistress. This might not be easy to do. I'm not sure if I'll be able to bring her to you. They're watching me so closely."

"Keep trying. We've gone too far to stop now. I need her to win this fight, and I can't have you failing me.",she hissed. Noctifer set the screen down on the table. He bit his lip again as she continued,"I need that little brat here. She's the final piece to winning this war. If you don't bring her to me, I'll destroy you."

"Understood, Mistress.",he muttered. With that the screen turned off and he was alone with his thoughts. This wasn't going to be easy. He almost felt guilty for what he was going to be doing to Bijou. But it was for the good of his Mistress as well as his family. It wasn't going to be easy, but it had to be done. Hopefully without him having to hurt her or her droid.