Swan song!I realized, my jaw dropping to hear it for the first time. I’d asked Zane once how he knew his mother’s language when she hadn’t raised him.
“It’s not a language, sugar booger,” he’d explained. “It’s an ability you’re born with, like a cat’s purr or a dog’s bark. I like to think of it as my mythological vocal cord.”
Mythological or not, the creature hesitated and seemed confused. Casimir drove it backward with his sword as Koa activated the containment orb, which pulled the creature inside with a flash of blue-white light.
Ha! Look at my real-life Ghostbusters!I cheered silently.
“Got you, you moon-damned bitch,” Zane sneered.
“Target secured,” Casimir announced, calm as anything. “Mission clock stopped at 20:14. Seri?”
I realized I was clutching the edge of the hologram table, my knuckles white. I hadn’t made a sound during the whole capture, too mesmerized by their seamless teamwork. It had taken less than thirty seconds from start to finish.
“All green! I mean, the red blob went away. And that was amazing!” I burst out, unable to contain myself any longer. “You guys were like— And then it was— And Zoodle, swan song is so beautiful!”
“Easy there, honey butter biscuit.” Zane’s laugh came through the comm. “Don’t want you melting in your command center. Wait until I get home for that.”
“Sorry.” My face burned. “It’s just, that was my first ever monster hunt! Well, sort of. My first time seeing one captured, anyway.”
“You did great,” Koa assured me. “Saved us a lot of wasted time and energy.”
“Andgave me the idea to use the spectral lens instead of thermals,” Casimir added.
Pride bloomed warm in my chest. I had helped! Maybe I wasn’t in the field with them, but I’d contributed! I’d donesomething! Which was far better than doing nothing!
“What is that thing, anyway?” I asked as Koa stored the containment orb in a reinforced case in the back of the SUV.
“Not sure,” Casimir admitted, which surprised me. He usually had answers for everything. “Some kind of spectral anomaly.”
“AKA, a ghost,” Zane said around a yawn.
“We’ll need to research it when we get back,” Koa said.
“CanIhelp?” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “With the research, I mean.”
There was a moment of silence, and I worried I’d overstepped, but then Casimir’s voice came through, softer than usual.
“Of course, my love. You don’t even have to ask.”
I pumped my fist in triumph, careful not to jostle the holo table. Brumous lifted his head at my sudden movement, then laid it back down with a sigh.
“Heading home now, beloved,” Koa said. “ETA six hours.”
“I’ll be in bed by then.” Then, inspired by my triumph tonight, I added, “Oh, and my period’s over.”
I grinned at Zane’s choked sound, Koa’s silence, and Casimir’s sharp inhale. I was learning that directness could be its own kind of power.
“Drive safe,” I added sweetly and disconnected the call.
Removing the VR headset, I powered everything down as Brumous watched me with amusement.
“What? They’re my mates! I’mallowedto!”
He just blinked at me, but I could have sworn he looked impressed.
Leaning back in the comfy gaming chair, I took a long sip of hot chocolate that had cooled to the perfect temperature, a smile on my face.
Somewhere on the New Jersey Turnpike, my monsters were racing home.
