I suddenly realized two things. One: I had never expected to be doing this again. And two: I had missed it. Inexplicably happy, I settled back and stared out the window at my beloved Seattle. So much had changed since the dragons destroyed part of it, but the city was recovering, and I thought it might be even better than before.
The morning was busy, as usual, with gridlock everywhere you looked. We avoided the freeway, which was packed, and stopped in at a drive-thru stand run by Sarina, a were-puma. She did a double-take when she leaned out the window and saw us.
“You’re back!” Sarina looked delighted. While we weren’t buddies, every time I had stopped in we had managed a quick, friendly chat.
“We’re back, and probably for a long while,” I said. “Four sausage-cheese muffins, please, and I want an iced double-shot vanilla latte. Kipa, what do you want?”
Kipa gave Sarina a little wave. “Double mocha, please. How’s business?”
“It’s going,” she said, shrugging. “The economy is so rough right now that I cut the menu by a third and I’m focusing on the most affordable foods. I had to raise prices anyway, but at least I think it’s still manageable.”
“Add a couple dozen assorted doughnuts to the order, please,” I asked.
“You don’t have to do that, Raven—” Sarina started to say, but I waved away her protest.
“We’re headed to a meeting and I want to take something since it’s our first time back in a long while,” I said.
We paid for our order and I added a generous tip. While Kipa didn’t worry about money—and while we were together, neither did I—times were rough for too many people, and I tried to show what support I could.
As we reached the new building, the temperature climbed. August was the hottest month of the year, and we were looking at a few days in the nineties.
I gazed up at the new Wild Hunt Agency. Herne had rebuilt it after the old building took heavy damage during the dragon attacks. Not only had he bought the land, but the entire building—two stories now instead of five—belonged to the agency. He had added underground parking to protect visitors and staff from the weather. He had eliminated any traces of asbestos, and the elevator actually worked, but I hadn’t been back to visit since it had been rebuilt.
“Well, here we are. Again. How do you feel about this?” I asked.
“Herne needs us. We’re here,” Kipa said. “At first, I balked at working with him, especially since the incident between us when we were younger. But he’s gotten over it. He knows I’m sorry about what happened. He knows I’m not out to steal his wife, and we’re good now.”
We hustled out of the car and into the building.
The inside of the new Wild Hunt Agency was bright and shiny, as opposed to the rickety feel of the original building. The lobby was just that—a lobby with no way to access the upper floor without keys to the stairwell. The windows that looked into the main reception area started at the ceiling and extended down to a short wall three feet from the floor. One look at the glass told me it was bulletproof. Inside, Talia was at her desk, looking no different than she had a couple of years ago. A harpy who had long ago been stripped of her powers, Talia looked like a woman in her mid-to-late sixties; well-groomed, stylish, and still vibrant. Truth was, she had known Herne for centuries.
The rest of the office looked quiet, but everyone was probably gathered in the breakroom, waiting for us to get there. I pushed through the door with Kipa following me as he carried the doughnuts.
Talia glanced up, her eyes brightening as she saw us. “Raven! Kipa! Welcome back. It’s so good to see you.” She jumped up from her chair and circled around the desk to give me a hug. “Come on. Herne’s in a state and they’re waiting for you.”
She hustled us down the hall, past a staircase leading upstairs.
“Wow, you really have upgraded,” I said.
“Oh, we’re fancy now,” she said, laughing. “We even have a gym, a locker room, and a laundry room. Those are upstairs, along with the storage room and the armory. The offices are all downstairs, along with the breakroom. Speaking of which, here we are.” She pointed to an open door on the right.
Kipa and I followed her in.
The breakroom was larger than before, with a full kitchenette, a large free-standing whiteboard, a projector and screen, and a huge built-in wall of shelves and drawers. The table in the middle of the room was round, and there, waiting, were Herne, Ember, and Yutani. Ember swept me into a hug, while Kipa and Herne did the manly clasp of hands, shoulder-hug thing guys tended to do.
“I’m so glad you’re back,” Ember said. “Not only because we need you, but…I’ve missed you.”
Ember and I had grown close over the years. I glanced around. “Is Angel here?”
“Actually, no,” Ember said, sighing. “But she moved back when we did. Sejun came with her. Did you know that she’s pregnant?”
I blinked. “What? They’re going to be parents?”
She nodded. “She went through the Gadawnoin late last year, shortly before Yule. She came through with flying colors. Now, she’s four months pregnant.”
I settled into a chair, trying to take in the news. It fit, though, with Angel’s personality. She had always been more connected to family than Ember. I could see her as a mother.
“I’m glad she has DJ with her. I know she constantly worried about him.”
