Today is important, Ariel thought over and over throughout the morning. All the work of preparing for today had been done at least a couple of days ago. Using the family desktop in the living room with the limited computer skills Lailah taught her, Ariel made flyers asking everyone to come to an important family meeting and had slipped them under everyone’s doors. She figured that, at the very least, Darius would be more likely to take her seriously if she did she paperwork. As for what to say, she honed the arguments Xenron had first helped her reason out, and had been practicing speaking on her daily walks for a week. But she hadn’t heard from anyone, so there was no guarantee there’d be a meeting to begin with.

  As Ariel sat in the Stalwart’s living room on a plush couch, practically holding her breath, people started to trickle in. Dave was the first, early as always and standing vigilant beside one of the rocking chairs. Ariel gave her secret master a nod of acknowledgment which he returned. Serina was next, setting down a tray on the coffee tale and then sitting across from where Dave stood.

  “I made mini-quiches,” she said, smoothing her apron. “I’m sorry your parents won’t be able to have any.”

  “It’s fine,” Ariel said, feeling suddenly shy. She hadn’t even thought about catering. “I’m sure they’ll be happy to get some next time.” It seemed that was the right answer, because Serina smiled.

  Lailah surprised Ariel again by following not long afterward, clutching a plush toy of a howler close to her chest. Ariel beamed at her, and Serina also wore a soft smile. Lailah wore a neutral expression, and simply plopped onto the couch next to Ariel, laying across two of the cushions in a ball with her head near Ariel.

  As Ariel wondered if she should get started, she heard the familiar sound of running water before Darius strode to the rocking chair Dave stood beside, wiping his hands on his pants.

  “Apologies, I was delayed by some logistics,” Darius said. “We can get started.”

  Ariel felt a pang of nostalgia, thinking of a family meeting that had started much the same two months ago. She missed her parents - and rather than being harsh this time, “it’s fine,” was all she said as Darius took a seat.

  Surprising her, Darius turned on his projector, and in moments, Ariel’s parents flickered into the room as holograms.

  “If there’s going to be a family meeting,” Darius explained, “I think they should be involved.”

  Ariel grinned broadly, chatting with her parents about little things for a few minutes. No one seemed to mind. While they talked, it was clear her Dad was watching her, sizing her up.

  “It’s like you’ve grown up a year,” her dad finally decided. Ariel wasn’t sure how to respond, and simply shrugged. Dad was good at flattering her, but it was time to get started. Sensing the mood change, her parents sat down in their own distant room, forming a crude circle with the Stalwart family.

  Ariel gestured for her parents to turn around as she turned on the television at the front of the room. She’d been nervous preparing for this meeting, so she’d turned to the foolproof tool of every serious professional person - the Slideshow. As Ariel started, it showed picture of an oversized black glove reaching towards the screen. As she started up the slideshow, even her thoughts became more serious. She would address everyone properly, be ready for every rebuttal, and bring everyone over to her side. This was the way she could fight.

  “I’ve gathered you here today to discuss the threat of the Black Hand and steps that we can take to oppose their goals. I know we didn’t all start off on the same page, but a lot has changed in the last couple of months. Mr. Stalwart, could you start by providing an update?”

  “Well,” Mr. Stalwart said, taking just a moment to adjust, “I’ve recently formed the Organized Terrorist Pursuit Unit, or colloquially just the ‘Oakheart Squad’. They’re all relatively young operatives, but they have good resumes in information gathering and many of them have powerful Tier III spellcasting. They will be dispatched in a week to begin preliminary investigations into kidnappings in fringe territories, starting with Oakheart.”

  Ariel’s chest swelled with pride as Mom covered her mouth and started to cry. Dad and Darius exchanged a long look, Dad smiling and Mr. Stalwart impassive. As if to say, of course I would do this.

  “Besides, that,” Ariel said, changing slides to show an adorable kitten, “Lailah realized that there’s whatever they’re trying to do probably involves kids with a talent for shifting.”

  “But Isaac didn’t have any talent for shapeshifting,” Mom pondered, and Ariel expressed her agreement by advancing the slideshow, revealing a question mark next to the cat.

  “It’s weird for sure,” Ariel said, “but at the very least the attack on the nearby farmhouse showed us that they’re interested in specific people. Does that sound right, Lailah?”

  The older girl’s eyes went wide, like she’d been called to the witness stand at a murder trial. After a moment, she settled down with a sigh. “That’s the best guess we have with the data.”

  “But if they’re looking for specific people to take alive, why would they have attacked you in Dave’s car with lethal force?” Mr. Stalwart asked. He seemed on edge, but didn’t outright object to the topic of the meeting. That was lucky. Ariel had insulted him in his own house last time and had been sent away - she knew she couldn’t afford to push too hard this time.

  Anyway, Ariel hadn’t thought about his question seriously. She’d vaguely thought that maybe they’d changed their minds and come back to kidnap Ariel as well, but Darius was right - if that first rocket had hit properly, she’d be dead.

  “It’s not like that,” Lailah grumbled. When her dad gestured with an open hand for her to continue, she groaned as if waking up from sleep but sat up, shyly looking around at the group’s attention. “You’re thinking of them like they’re one thing. They’re not. It’s a whole cluster… they recruit on the dark web as well as in person, so they’ve got a lot of guys ‘on their side’ who might not play by their rules, or even know what they’re trying to accomplish.” Lailah popped a mini-quiche in her mouth, then laid on her side.

  “That’s ridiculous,” Mrs. Stalwart said. “I mean, what even is ‘their side’? Just running amok however they want?”

  Lailah started to answer, but looked relieved when Dave spoke first. “If I may-” and Darius immediately nodded for the butler to continue. “As far as I understand from the young miss, they have a vague ideology about recreating ‘the ancestral glory of the Xexen empire’. Perhaps they are Darwinists, thinking they can make us stronger by culling the weak and gathering the strong. Or perhaps their aims are loftier still. It may be that they believe their work is to some benefit, but an extreme ideology like that will naturally attract anyone unhappy enough with the status quo and vile enough to destroy it at any cost. I’ve met countless such people.”

  Lailah nodded her thanks to the butler. Ariel was surprised at Dave’s frankness. It was obvious that Dave had a complicated past, but she hadn’t expected him to be so direct about it. Ariel grabbed a mini quiche and tossed it to Lailah as she thought. The older girl caught it with psychic power, levitating it to her mouth and then eating it whole.

  “So we’ve got crazies with a plan, and crazies with no plan. We can’t do anything about the second group besides treat them like normal criminals. The others, though…” Ariel thought of the woman who had taken her brother. Who had batted her aside without any effort, then left her alive but broken. She shuddered. “We need to fight them on our terms.”

  Mr. Stalwart’s eyes narrowed. It was a very adult I thought we were past this sort of face. He didn’t ask the question she wanted, but luckily, Dad did.

  “What are you thinking, Ari-girl?”

  Ariel smiled, then clicked to advance to the next slide. Instead, “please renew your subscription to StrongSlide Premium!” covered the screen. Ariel clicked off the screen, groaning her annoyance, then cleared her throat. Fancy professionals ran into stuff like this too, right?

  If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

  “We’re going to make me the bait.”

  The room erupted into sounds of protest. Dad, though, watched her with a raised eyebrow.

  “Ariel, you know I can’t put you in that kind of danger,” Mr. Stalwart grumbled.

  “I can’t do this on my own,” Ariel said, spreading her hands. “I’m not that stupid - not anymore. This whole plan hinges on the help of a guy a million times stronger and smarter than me. Mr. Stalwart, would you be confident in my safety if Dave came with me?”

  He considered a moment, then nodded. “You’d certainly be safer. But you still got injured the last time they attacked.”

  Lailah sat up and stretched. “You’ve already added some of your defense tech to the car. If I remember right, both of them were more hurt by the car flipping than by the grunts.”

  Ariel nodded. “And that was before I had any real training. These days, I can at least do a better job of getting out of Dave’s way so he doesn’t have to hold back.”

  “You seem to think very highly of my abilities. I’m just a humble butler,” Dave said.

  Everyone gave him a flat look, except Mom, who coughed into her hands and wouldn’t meet his eyes. Dave pretended not to notice.

  “If he leaves,” Mom asked, “is the Stalwart household going to be safe? Under the circumstances, the ‘Oakheart Squad’ looking about will put a target on their backs.”

  And the Stalwart house has already been attacked before. That was left unsaid, but Ariel was sure it was on everyone’s mind. The wounds were obvious - that attack had strained the marriage and stopped this couple from having any more kids, and probably played into Lailah’s nervous personality.

  “Well,” Ariel started, “they’re not defenseless. Dave’s gate stone will let him return to the estate at any time if there is danger.” Mom blinked in surprise. “And we’re not just dangling me out in the woods to bait enemies in. Lailah found some threads on the dark web - the Black Hand is hinting that they have a young champion who’s going to start showing up in tournaments.” Ariel gave that a moment to sink in. Her parents’ eyes narrowed in derision, Darius clenched a fist, and even Dave seemed disturbed. “The disturbing implications for some kid’s childhood aside, who better to beat them than someone who stopped Black Hand attacks - twice?”

  “You had a lot of help both times,” Mr. Stalwart said mildly.

  “The audience doesn’t know that,” Ariel said with a grin, arms crossed. “And neither do the organizers.”

  Dave replied after a moment. “You’re trying to make yourself a symbol. That’s a lot of weight on you.”

  “Nothing so dramatic,” Ariel said with a shrug. “They like to pretend they’re unbeatable. Look at the wording of any of their recruitment posts. I just want to show people that’s a lie.”

  “This all relies on the idea that they’re putting a champion in the tournament,” Lailah said. “Their posts are vague. For all we know, maybe they just plan to hack to broadcast or something.”

  “And what if Dave is forced to use his gate stone?” Mrs. Stalwart asked skeptically. “What will you do if you’re suddenly left alone, Ariel?”

  Those… were a good questions. She set aside Lailah’s for now. “I’ll, umm, I’ll manage,” Ariel said. Her mother’s scowl forced her to continue. “I’ll get to the nearest inn and lay low until he can come back for me.” She left unsaid what would happen if something happened to him after he used the gate stone. The worst case scenario was always going to be bad. Ignoring that the best she could, Ariel turned to Dave.

  “Teacher,” Ariel said, because it was the most formal way she could address him. She didn’t even know his family name. She bowed her head and continued. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but there’s no one else who can help me like this.”

  Dave looked at her for a long time, seeming to weigh her, while Ariel tried not to shuffle.

  “I did not expect my troublesome student to act so formally.”

  “You taught me to do things properly, even if it’s not the way I’m used to doing them. I can be formal.” Ariel said. “At least, I can try.” Dave grinned for a moment before it vanished.

  “When would you depart?” Dave asked.

  “Two days. There’s a tournament in Starlight Falls next week. We drive during the day to limit the risk, use the rest of that day to scope out things in town, then register the next day.”

  Dave nodded slowly, turning the plan over.

  "Your plan is only half thought-through," Dave said, impassive. "How can you be sure the Black Hand's champion will appear at this tournament? If he doesn't, you seem to think that we might instead catch a Black Hand member trying to attack you - but that's a dubious thread as well. Even if we put aside the danger, the members most likely to attack you are the ones least likely to have useful information - outsiders looking for blood, with no information. Based on your recounting of your brother's abduction, the strange woman had no interest in capturing you. How do you plan to handle such concerns?”

  Ariel stood for a long moment, staring, almost glaring at Dave who met her gaze without expression. Then, she broke into a frown and her shoulders slumped.

  "Fuck." Ariel groaned.

  "Ariel." Mom warned, but Dad put his hand over hers and nodded to Dave who watched impassively. For several moments more, they waited. Ariel wanted to snap at Dave, to say she had to do something. But…

  “You're right, of course. I'm sorry, Teacher. I'll come up with something. We'll have to delay a couple days, at least. Lailah, you’re right that we don't know enough. I know you were looking into the backgrounds of those guys that attacked Dave’s car - maybe the ‘outsiders’ aren’t so useless as we assume. Any leads?"

  "The leader of the duo was Reinex Levven, an arborist who left his job six years ago and had nonexistent public presence until recently. The other guy, Norman Brown, was a petty thug as far back as I can find. No good links from either - I think they were just sympathizers." Lailah said, and Ariel gritted her teeth and nodded. "I can try again, but..." Dave held up his hand to forestall Lailah, and she relaxed back into the couch. Then, he turned to Stalwart couple. It was humiliating, to have jumped the gun in front of them like this. Again.

  "Mr. and Mrs. Stalwart, I think we've heard all we need to," Dave said.

  "I agree," Mrs. Stalwart said with a grin, though her husband hesitated. That was odd. Belatedly, Mr. Stalwart spoke up.

  "You're sure you wish to aid in this ill-conceived plan?" he asked. Ariel was sure she'd heard wrong.

  "Yes," Dave said simply. “I will take responsibility for getting it into usable shape and seeing it through.”

  "Then you have my reluctant blessing. Keep her and yourself safe," Mr. Stalwart said.

  "What’s going on?” Ariel asked. Dave turned to her with a wry grin.

  “Didn’t your lawyer uncle teach you to ‘shut up when you’re winning?’”

  She swallowed, nodding.

  “They decided ahead of time,” Lailah said around a mouth of quiche.

  Mrs. Stalwart laughed lightly. “Those men are stubborn as boys. They wanted to be sure to present ‘united front’, so we discussed how we might respond last night. Dave decided to test you.”

  Showing a rare grin, Dave turned to Mom and Dad, speaking straightforwardly.

  “Your daughter proposes a perilous endeavor. I would aid her in it. Do you permit this?”

  “Why would you go so far for her?” Mom asked, seeming stunned.

  "Your daughter wishes to reach the people who broke your family,” Dave replied. “I am sure she wishes vengeance. Still, that is not all of it. She wants her brother back. That, I cannot rightly deny her - she is strong enough to have a slim chance instead of none. Specifically, her chances of rescuing her brother alone are almost nil, but her odds of beating most conventional enemies are acceptable. Xexens as young as 10 fought for their families when the Promethean invaders threatened extinction - grave though it is, that is our heritage. But that is still not everything. Have you ever seen her speak like she did today?"

  "Never," Mom admitted.

  "You've taught her well," Dad said.

  "I taught her to hurt people,” Dave said, almost angry, then his face softened. “What she demonstrated today, I think, is something very different. I would fill the holes in her schemes, and clear the path before her feet, that I might see where she walks. Would you permit me this honor?"

  The two gave each other a long look. Ariel didn't think her parents were telepathic, but suddenly Dad smiled and mom cupped his cheek before turning to her.

  "Are you sure this is what you want, Ariel?" her mom asked.

  "I made a promise," Ariel said, and Mom nodded.

  "Keep her safe?" She asked. It was a plea. No one could guarantee Ariel's safety, though. Not even...

  "I will return her to you, safe," Dave promised. "No matter what."

  The rest of the day moved in a blur of preparation, with Ariel lingering on that singular promise. How could Dave pretend to be an ordinary man? No one could guarantee someone else’s safety in a world like this - not even Dave, she thought. Hours later, as she saw how far the sun had fallen, Ariel was embarrassed when she remembered something crucial she'd missed.

  Finding Dave in the living room, she brought him a sannhet juice and sat down with him. She listened to him ramble about a crime show she hardly understood. As she rose to leave a short while later, she took his empty glass and bowed low.

  “Thank you, Teacher. I won’t forget what you did for me today.”

  He waved his hand absently. “See if you can still thank me after you see your training from this point. Our work has only begun.” He grinned, looking younger than when she’d met him. Ariel struggled to imagine what kind of brutal regimen he had in mind, but forced herself to match his smile. Before she knew it, the real work would begin. I’m coming, Isaac.