Mad Queens and Dying Kings

By L. S. Fayne

Call the Raven

For personal, complex situations. Individual consulting. Fees negotiable. We are here. We will help. raveninvestigations.org

Disclosure:

Raven Investigations is a bonded Search and Reactive agency. We work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement and government agencies. There is no matter too small for us to give our complete attention and solutions to.

We have dedicated teams, trained for specific purposes and tasks. We have expertise in paranormal investigations. Our percent rate for finding missing persons is at 100%. We will find them! There is no group more focused, or talented, than the people we hire to meet your needs.

We use high-end, state of the art technology.

We are discreet.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L. S. Fayne
• Release date: Mar 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9781609030339

L. S. Fayne

I love to write. I love to entertain. I try to make people feel. I write fantasy adventures with a paranormal twist.Ha, in saying that... I'm at a stand still right now. Writer's block? Hell no! When a person writes, they feel... They Feel Everything. Sometimes, it can just get overwhelming. We laugh, we cry, we excite. It has to go deep to spring back up.The "O'Byrne" family is an idea of what it might be like if a Druid family was able to keep their ancestry alive. Their beliefs and their magic. This family has held tight through changes and generations. Truly, family comes first. Books are for teens through adult.The MONOP series are rather naughty. It is adult fiction. MONOP has their own ideas of how they want to protect those entrusted to them. There is a strong BDSM theme.About myself? Life can be stranger than fiction. Right now, it's baffling. I did just get a dog. Lol.

Book preview

Mad Queens and Dying Kings

Raven Investigations

L. S. Fayne

Copyright 2013 L. S. Fayne

Publication by Fayne Artists

ISBN-13: 978-1-60903-033-9

Revision B

Smashwords Edition

License Notes: This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of L. S. Fayne.

To gain permission of content use, contact…

Email: [e-mail]

Some historic events are written into a fantasy forum. The author reserves the right to Freedom of Speech to express her views on some historic events. Any resemblance to persons living is purely coincidental.

INTENDED AUDIENCE

L. S. Fayne writes for young adult and adult audiences.

Table of Contents

Call The Raven

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Characters

From the Author

Call the Raven

For personal, complex situations. Individual consulting. Fees negotiable. We are here. We will help. raveninvestigations.org

Disclosure:

Raven Investigations is a bonded Search and Reactive agency. We work hand-in-hand with local law enforcement and government agencies. There is no matter too small for us to give our complete attention and solutions to.

We have dedicated teams, trained for specific purposes and tasks. We have expertise in paranormal investigations. Our percent rate for finding missing persons is at 100%. We will find them! There is no group more focused, or talented, than the people we hire to meet your needs.

We use high-end, state of the art technology. All materials presented to our clients are time/stamp formatted, and ready to be used in a court of law.

We are discreet.

Prologue

Beatrice Broadwick’s mother had contracted with Raven Investigations just one week ago to retrieve her daughter. Broadwick’s husband had signed papers, without her daughter’s consent, to have her moved to a medical facility in Washington D.C. She feared that there were other things involved than just simple tests to figure out what was wrong with her. She was right!

Natilie O’Byrne was not only a boss at Raven Investigations. She was its top Psychic Seer. She was—The Raven. Her intuition helped her to know where to look. Her sight was strong enough to see anything she wished to observe—even if it was in one of the Faerie realms. It was future events which were closed to her sight. Of this, she was actually grateful. It was more than she wanted to deal with.

It hadn’t taken Natilie long to find Mrs. Broadwick. What she found had made her sick to the core of her being. They were experimenting on her. Something had gone horribly wrong within her DNA, and they were treating her with inhumane callous. She was in excruciating pain, but was not allowed to have any pain reducing medications. They continued to take sample after sample of her body tissues during each change they could perceive. The only time they actually assisted her medically, was to prolong her life, so they could do more testing. They wanted to see how much pain she suffered during the changes—before she died.

After Natilie found her, she immediately went to Randy to request help from the O’Byrne Mages. She knew her small group of investigators were no match against an agency such as that. They had five large buildings, and armed guards assigned to patrol every one of them.

Randy, who could see the kaleidoscope of future events, knew she would be asking. He had already put together plans and scenarios. The timing had to be exact, or some of their own people would die, and Broadwick would still be their subject. Those who would assist were called in. Some of them went through actual drills until Randy was satisfied that things would go off with the best possible future. It had been an agonizing week as Natilie continued to watch them torture Broadwick.

Finally, the night for action had arrived. Tonight was that night! They were as prepared as they could be. Natilie was triple checking what she needed for the raid when Randy stepped out from one of his portal windows. Natilie jumped.

Goddess! Natilie swore. She didn’t bother yelling at him. It wouldn’t do any good. It never had.

I have these for You, Emily, and Jeri, Randy held out the boxes to Natilie.

Natilie nodded and accepted them. She opened hers. Inside were ten metallic claws. They were black and sharp. Natilie looked at Randy with alarm. She recognized the signature of the artist. It was Thymane! Thymane was a Daemon, in particular, a Succubus, and very dangerous.

You are intact, her eyes narrowed as she studied him.

I am, he grinned at her.

She tried them on as she watched him. Randy was in his forties. He was tall and strong. He had the most vivid blue eyes Natilie had ever seen. His hair was raven black, without either gray or white. He was the leader of the Mages. He was also autistic. He had not even been a mage when he was selected as their leader. It was an interesting moment when the Mages realized that of all of them, and the people they knew, it was Randy who always received immediate obedience with any direction that he gave them. Even Jeri instantly obeyed him.

Their immediate obedience had saved lives. Randy was clairvoyant. His mind was always in part of the future. Communication was very difficult for him, and he did not use an excess of words. Every word had purpose. He never, never gave out directives for frivolous, or selfish reasons. Everything he had ever told them to do had dire consequences if not followed exactly as he described. They all knew this and trusted him. With all the powerful, ego driven personalities, he had been the only force capable of drawing them together to work as a team.

What did you barter? Natilie asked him curiously.

He laughed, The secret of the metal.

His eyes darkened, his face grew very serious. He looked around with concern. His eyes lingered on Natilie’s head chainmail. His head tilted, and he smiled.

Please let Karissa wear that, he asked, took a step and disappeared.

Natilie was surprised by his request. The chainmail stopped her from astral projecting from out the top of her head. She never left home without it. She had been wearing it for the last thirty years. She was going to feel naked not to be wearing it. Jeri, who tended to overprotect her, was going to throw a fit.

Natilie pushed her fingers into the claws. They were a perfect fit. She had not expected anything less. She shook her hands as hard as she could. They didn’t even wiggle. They were exquisite. She would have liked to have had time to try them out, but there wasn’t any. Emily and Jeri would be arriving soon. Natilie took off the nails, and finished getting ready.

She wore the outfit gifted to her by Vevila a long time ago; dark brown pants, a camouflage shirt, and boots. They in turn, had been gifted to Alana by Druantia during the 1800’s. They were indestructible, or at least no one had found a way to damage them in all that time. Last, she put on her metallic gear, the moon metal. She had rings, bands, and the chainmail. She left the head gear sitting on the dresser, but pulled on the chest-piece. Thymane had made the gear to protect her from the chaos of her own gift. It had not been out of kindness. They had bartered. She removed most of the joy bubble Druantia had placed him in, carving away each area for an object made with the precious metal. The task had taken her years.

Jeri viewed the room before popping in. She watched as Natilie got ready. Unlike the rest of them, Natilie didn’t age. She looked like she had at the age of twenty-eight. No wrinkles, or creases. Her hair was still dark brown and curly. Her eyes, the bright purple they had always been. She was thin. She would always be thin. Her metabolism ran too hot to be anything else.

She knocked and landed just beside the bed. Emily landed a minute later. They all studied each other. It had been a very long time since they had worked together in this way. It seemed like a lifetime ago. They were all in their forties.

Emily was married with grandchildren. Her soft brown hair was liberally filled in with gray. Her eyes had softened to lavender. She still had a good figure. She was an active member of the Mages.

Jeri’s hair was still fiery red. Her eyes intensely purple. Her body was toned and strong. A scar, long time healed, ran along the side of her right ear. She was not married, did not have children. She was mates with Joshua, another Mage. He was an assassin, as was she. They put on the white lab coats. Jeri twisted her hair into a net and pulled on a dull blond wig.

Are we ready for this? Emily asked them.

I am, Natilie nodded firmly. I’ve been watching and waiting! Watching has been agonizing!

Me, too, Emily’s lips were pressed tight.

I have two targets, Jeri pulled out the drawings.

Natilie recognized the artist of the drawings. It was Randy. The first was the doctor, Dr. Lenard Hemming, who had ordered Broadwick taken. He was the one who had re-opened the genetic experiments, and ordered the autopsies of the others. He was a monster. She nodded knowingly. She had been watching him since they had taken this case.

The other drawing surprised her. It was of a female. She knew that this person was an O’Byrne. She looked at Jeri with surprise.

The Mages were ordered in because the family has been compromised, Jeri stated, not because of Broadwick. This woman is Marianne Liz O’Byrne. She stole files from the O’Byrne counsel, and sold our secrets. We retrieved all the files except what she has hidden away. She has quarters within the complex.

Druantia? Natilie asked.

She shrugged, Emily answered, "said there was nothing she would do when one of hers chose to turn away. She said that we must deal with it."

Natilie nodded, feeling resigned. Randy had ordered the hit. He did not order hits on past events. He must have seen something in the future. This woman would do dire things if she was allowed to continue living.

These are for both of you, Natilie handed them the boxes.

Natilie could see the resistance forming in the line of Jeri’s mouth as she examined the contents. She had informed Natilie a long time ago that she would not accept anymore metal bits made from that monster.

Randy handed them to me a few minutes ago, Natilie assured her. I did not barter for them. Randy, like always, did not explain them.

They look awkward, Emily frowned.

The fit is exact, Natilie shrugged. Just don’t get an itch in your ear or somewhere.

Jeri snorted as she looked at the long claws.

There was a knock at the door. Natilie reached over to let Erran and Karissa into the room. Obviously, she would not have wanted a child involved in such a dangerous situation, but her task was crucial. Karissa had a gift with computers. She could enter their stream and work miracles. She was almost nine. She was a delicate child, small for her age, with curly blond hair and solemn blue eyes. Erran was her mentor and confident. He was slight of build, was clean shaved, had brown scruffy hair, and brown eyes. He wore jeans and a t-shirt. He had a very thick Irish accent.

Erran and Karissa were to extract data from the servers, and send it to the servers at the Mage headquarters. The scientists were using independent servers. They were not connected by internet, direct wiring, or even modem to any other system. Karissa had to physically touch the servers to retrieve the data.

Come here, sweetie, Natilie called over to Karissa. I don’t know how this is going to work, but a friend of mine told me to have you wear it.

Natilie frowned in warning at Jeri as she picked up the head piece. Jeri’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t say anything. Karissa came over, and stared up at her with complete trust. Natilie slid the metal chain over her head. It was so big that it covered her head and face. It was extremely light. It had not been made from any metals in their world. Once settled, it disappeared. Thymane had put Daemon magic into it.

Can you see? Natilie asked. How does that feel?

Like a little net, Karissa answered curiously. She touched her head and smiled. She could feel the links. It’s magic isn’t it?

Yes, Natilie smiled, it’s magic.

Erran looked at Natilie’s bare head with raised eyebrows. She shrugged.

Tawny, Natilie’s daughter entered the room. Her long golden hair was pulled up into tight braids. It covered the tips of her ears—her pointed, Elfin ears. Her eyes were the color of a Lion’s. They sparkled with excited anticipation. She loved to fight! She had often battled with the Elfin Knights. She was wearing a white lab coat over the top of her t-shirt and jeans. For once, she was not carrying her Daemon made sword into a skirmish. She and Randy had actually fought over that. Natilie wasn’t sure how he had convinced her.

Ready? Jeri asked Tawny.

Of course! Tawny answered.

Tawny and Jeri disappeared. Natilie watched as they reappeared inside the secured labs beneath the complex. Jeri popped back into the room.

In link, they watched silently as Tawny went to work. She calmly moved from one tool to the next. Her job was to transform all that expensive equipment into hunks of useless junk. Some of those tools were priced at over one hundred thousand dollars each.

Tawny had inherited three magical arts from Faerie. One was glamour. In this instance, people assumed she was just another lab technician. They ignored her as she made her way around the room. The second was the ability to transform objects. As she touched each piece of equipment, she transformed its interior to a solid mass of sugar. Sugar was the easiest of materials for her to transform things into. Probably, because as a child, it was the first thing she had wished to have. Sugar worked. There was no reason to transform the tools into something more complex.

The third thing she had inherited was the ability to create fire. As a child they had played, puff games. It was the only way they could teach her to control the fires without scaring her.

She’s walking out of the lab, Emily nodded.

She still has three more labs to do, Natilie stated tensely.

She’s good, Jeri’s smile was respectful, no one even sees her.

The last lab, she is to pull the alarm, and then set it on fire, Natilie reminded them. That’s when it gets complicated.

I’ll go move Stone to the computer room, Jeri popped out of the room.

The technicians in the room, hit the floor, right before Jeri and Stone appeared. Jeri disappeared. Stone secured the door. He stood exactly as Karissa and he had practiced. Karissa nodded. She wasn’t afraid of him. He was her giant. He was there to protect her.

She’s making her way to the last lab, Natilie told Emily.

I’m ready, Emily nodded. As soon as she hits the alarm, we’re gone. After that, Jeri and I will be moving people into the complex. When Randy gives the word, we all have to perform exactly to the plan he gave each of us. This is very complex. There are a lot of variables where things can go wrong. No matter what you see or think, stick to the plan!

Do exactly as we practiced, Natilie told Erran and Karissa. They nodded.

Emily frowned as she looked at them. Natilie shrugged.

Tawny pulled the evacuation alarm.

Emily landed with them inside the room with the computer servers. Stone was waiting for them. He nodded at Karissa. The attendant was on the floor. Karissa walked around him heading straight to the interfacing computer. They had practiced this right down to the dummy on the floor for her to walk around. Erran nodded for her to begin. She placed her hands on the keyboard and waited. It wasn’t long before they found her, the Avatars of the system. She smiled. In minutes, she was escorting them to the servers at the other end. They were ready to move. They didn’t like it in non-connected spaces. They liked the other place, and were soon running the data to its new home. When she was finished, not one Nano of data remained.

I’m finished, Karissa announced.

:It’s time,: Randy sent to them.

They could hear shouts and explosions down the hall.

Stone nodded and lifted her into his arms. It was his job to get her to the room where Jeri would pick them up. They had to get to the room where the captive was being held. Jeri and Emily had a lot of people to get out of there. That room gave them the best probability of success.

Erran was to run interference. He pulled out a gun and nodded. He might be a geek, but he was also a crack shot! He placed the explosives on the server, and set the timer. The servers were now bare, but the enemy didn’t need to know that right away. They stepped from the room. Madness greeted them in the corridor. Fire had broke out at the far end. People in white lab coats were running in a panic. Some, knocking others over in their rush to get out. Security personnel had guns out, and were running towards the back hallway. More explosions rocked the floor.

There was no hiding someone as big as Stone. He was over eight feet tall and stocky, weighing in at 420 lbs. He ran for the designated room, crushing anyone who got in his way. A security guard took aim at him, but Erran shot him before he could squeeze the trigger. Karissa whimpered in fear. The explosion from the computer room blasted out. People screamed in pain and fear. Smoke started filling the corridor. Erran pulled on his mask. He watched proudly as Karissa carefully pulled up the mask which was tied around Stone’s neck. She then pulled up her own. Randy had stressed how important it was for her to assist Stone.

Erran grinned as he spotted the demon up on the wall. Tawny’s work. She had transformed the whole wall into a giant demon type figure. It leered down on people with malicious glee. Its eyes tracked them as they passed. There was more than a few, who tripped and fell at the sight of it. People scrambled in terror trying to get out from under its glare.

Screaming and yelling grew louder as they waded into the middle of the chaos. Security guards were liberally mixed with the lab workers. The guards though were hampered by panicked people running in front of them. Stone ran on. At one point in the hall, the guards managed to positioned themselves across, blocking their way. Erran shot some, Stone ran right through the rest.

One guard, who got pushed aside, managed to raise his gun and fire. Stone grimaced when he felt Karissa lurch to the side. There was no time to stop and check on her. Determinedly, he picked up his pace. He ran harder and faster to get her to a place of safety.

Erran’s heart stopped when he saw Karissa’s head jerk. He couldn’t see her! He could not see how badly she had been hit! He fired on the guard. He wasn’t sure how many times he fired. They finally reached the room. The door slammed shut behind them. They could hear screams down the hallway, and then another explosion.

Stone carefully set Karissa down. Erran ran to her. Her eyes were big and startled, but she was okay. She did not appear to have been hit. He could feel the chain mail beneath his fingers. It was only then that he remembered Natilie carefully placing it over her head.

What is that smell? Karissa complained as she pulled away.

Erran realized that his eyes were burning, watering. He looked around. Even through the mask, he could smell the scent of rotting flesh.

Jeri was suddenly in the room with two healers from Dara’s group.

Stand back, Jeri told them. I’m going to have to remove most of this room, and send it to the hospital.

The figure on the bed opened its eyes, its big yellow-green eyes. Its black pupils were constricted to narrow slits. It whimpered in fear and pain. It was swaddled down onto the bed. There were gross wounds where its jaw had been wired shut. Tubes were liberally entering and exiting its body. Erran turned Karissa away from it. He could feel the bile rising up in his throat. There were jars on the table against the wall holding various samples. One jar was full of what looked like scales.

Jeri popped Karissa and Erran straight into the bathing house and popped out again. A ten foot circular pool with fragranced and steaming water was just in front of them. The stench was embedded on their clothing, their skin, and in their hair. There was no shyness as they peeled off their clothes, and quickly got into the bath.

What was that? Karissa whispered.

I don’t know, Erran answered, feeling sick. He wasn’t positive, but he suspected it was Beatrice Broadwick.

Jeri returned to the site. She and Emily moved the victim and doctors to the room prepared for them at the hospital. Everything from the room was moved. They needed it all to figure out what had to be done to save their patient.

After that, Emily was to collect their people, and get them home. Jeri went hunting. Joshua was also on the hunt. She knew that Joshua would have already gotten the scent of where they were. The plan was that he would go for the doctor—she the O’Byrne. She glanced his way, and saw that he was indeed following the doctor. She snorted. The doctor was scrambling down the hallway with the rest of the throng, totally unaware that he had a killer on his trail.

Jeri let her mind float as she searched out the signature of her own blood. Jeri could see that she was in her own room in one of the other buildings. She was unaware of the attack. A technician happened to look up as Jeri passed. The expression on her face struck fear into his heart. He hurried to the evacuation route. He was just glad she hadn’t looked upon him with that purple gaze. He’d only seen that eye color on one other person, and she filled him with dread. He made a sudden decision. When he left today—he was not coming back!

Jeri had reviewed the data collected on the targets very carefully.

Marianne’s main gift was that of telepathy with a minor in empathy. It was amazing to Jeri that someone with any kind of empathy at all, could tolerate the suffering she had witnessed with Broadwick. That usually meant one thing. The person felt the suffering—and liked the feel of it! That was probably why Randy had decided that this person must die.

Randy almost never explained himself. One time, he pulled her into link with him to show her what he was trying to say. He was twelve at the time. She never wanted to experience that again. She saw chaos, and a pandemonium of pathways with possibilities. She actually threw up after he released her. She still remembered the sorrow in his eyes. He had not been able to find an answer. He could see death, and did not know how to delay it.

As she neared her target, she tightened the shield around her thoughts. As much as this woman angered and disgusted her, she did not want complications. She wanted a clean kill. Randy told her, she must secure the room. There were things in the room which she had to find and remove.

Jeri popped into the room. Purple eyes met purple eyes. The woman was wearing a sardonic expression. She had no idea what she was facing. Jeri was surprised when she was hit with a rush of fear which was supposed to internalize. The fear might have been debilitating to another person, but Jeri just ignored it, and secured the room. No one would be able to enter. No one would be able to hear them.

"Your death has been ordered by my hand, Jeri told her bluntly. I have also to retrieve the files you stole from the council."

Her eyes shifted to a closet. She blasted Jeri with sorrow and feelings of depression. Jeri had enough. The women hit the floor dead.

Okay, Jeri muttered, not really by hand.

Jeri removed the files from the closet. She did a fine search of the room, finding more disks and drives. She popped them to headquarters. She exited the locked room, and went to assist Emily with the exodus of their people. They were making a royal mess of the complex! It would be a while before anyone thought to check on the woman. When they did, they would find a clean locked room, and a woman without a mark—missing her heart. A warning to those who knew of the O’Byrne. The O’Byrne were not to be trifled with.

Joshua had tracked down the doctor. The doctor was cowering underneath a table. Joshua looked at him with disgust. He had fouled himself. Joshua had been an assassin long before he had met Jeri, long before he knew of the O’Byrne. Removing the heart had been his signature. His way of getting paid by a secret benefactor. Before the O’Byrne, he had been paid to go after the mad dogs who had escaped justice. The High Drop Killer was his target when he met Jeri. The HDK had in fact been his last paid target. He was to make sure the killer did not escape justice. He had not!

He didn’t have the same abilities as the O’Byrne. Jeri could pop out the heart from a distance. Joshua had to touch his target. He reached forward, and grabbed the doctor’s shoulder. He ignored the crying and babbling as he used the spell which would dissolved the man’s beating heart.

Without a backward glance, he walked from the room. As expected, Jeri popped up beside him, and popped them out. He was the last of the exodus. The complex was in shambles.

Toc

Chapter One

Erran died yesterday. There, it was said. Ava had been with the healers for over a year, and had not met anyone who had died. This was Ava’s third month being here, and Erran, the first casualty. Natilie had warned her that it sometimes got intense. She had stressed that although everyone on her team was gifted. They were still human—or mostly. People got hurt. Their clients were usually liars. Victim’s sometimes died despite their best, strived efforts. Bad things happened to good people. Basically, she informed Ava that no one here was a hero. They just did a job of which no one else was capable, or willing to do.

The O’Byrne Mages handled the family matters, or problems too big for Natilie’s group. Natilie’s group, the Ravens, handled small matters, personal matters. Sometimes their jobs were boring and mundane. At other times it was complicated and extremely dangerous.

It had not taken Ava anytime at all to discover Natilie’s passion to find the lost children. It didn’t matter who the child was. She was zealous in her pursuit to find the missing child. She had been doing it since her gift of sight had first blossomed. Some say, that her passion was the reason why her O’Byrne gift had sprung up early, and took the direction it had. She became the Raven working for the F.B.I. at the age of twelve. Natilie was an amazing Seer. She could see everything—find anything!

Yesterday, Erran went out to collect the baby. It was a pretty typical case. A fourteen year old mother-to-be had high-tailed it out of her home. She went missing, and her Uncle had contracted with Raven Investigations to find her. It hadn’t been difficult. She was hiding in a friend’s house. It had been Erran who had convinced her to check out the home for unwed mothers. It was she, who had decided to have her baby adopted out when it was born. Her Uncle was not a problem. He was eighty. He just wanted the girl to be found and brought home.

Everything was set for the adoption. A wonderful couple had been found who desperately wanted a baby. They had consented to the mother being involved in the child’s life. That was her stipulation upon the adoption. It was even in writing. The father didn’t give a rat’s ass about any of that, so did not pose a problem. It was a simple errand. Nothing in the least bit shaky, nothing sinister.

So what happens? Car accident. One of life’s most irksome incidents. A lady, late for work, blew right through a red light. Bang—all gone—Erran, baby, and one heedless woman.

With all the gifted around, no one even saw it coming. No one was looking. A blatant reminder of the their limitations. No one can really defeat death, if it is meant to happen. At least Ava figured that was probably right. It also seemed that if it wasn’t that person’s time to die, even though tragedy had hit them, death did not find them. In fact, she included herself in that philosophy.

She looked at her image reflected in the large window in front of her. She should have been dead. Yellow lizard eyes stared back. Natilie said it wasn’t so bad—the eyes. She looked human enough—mostly. People mostly didn’t pay much attention to her eyes. They assumed she wore contact lenses deliberately created to freak people out. They didn’t see the mobile bones. They didn’t know or care that she was most comfortable, curled up, sunning on a rock.

Ava was in fact, curled up on a huge flat rock at that moment. The rock was resting in a very large room full of loose sand. She was naked, sunning in the rays from the big window. She could smell the scent of vegetation on tables along the walls. The room used to be the rooftop greenhouse. The other side still was. The two areas were separated by a large, running pool. She also had a work room which was off limits to everyone else. Also, created and organized by those in the organization.

Her hair was long, black, and sleek. The hair on her head was the only hair which had transcended the transition. Naked, she felt terribly exposed. Even here, within these walls where the crazy O’Byrne liked to run around without clothing, and thought nothing of her nudity. Natilie had commented once that many Asian people were bare of body hair. That had not helped Ava’s feelings of shyness.

Ava’s skin glistened as if oiled with one of the exotic rainbow oils a person can purchase at the specialized adult shops. Her breasts had shrunk and had pulled up tighter to her chest. She was lean. Leaner than she had ever been in her whole life. There was no cellulite on her butt, or fat of any kind—anywhere. She was actually a little taller than before, if she could have managed to stand up straight.

Her muscles had elongated. Her face was mostly the same. Her lips looked a little fuller as they pulled over the fanged teeth. She now had an overbite. All those years in braces, which she had paid for herself, and here she was with the old overbite. At least her lips could cover it. They had before.

When Ava finally understood the direction her mutating was heading, she had been terrified that she would end up with a monster’s face and a lizard’s body. That was—if she didn’t die. With clothing, she knew she didn’t appear all that much different from the billions of other women walking this earth. Dr. Edith O’Byrne, one of the healers at the hospital, had assured her that she would even be able to walk properly again. Her bones were all different. Instead of long leg bones, she now had more short type bones. The first time she watched her leg bend towards the front of her thigh, she’d fainted.

Instead of going through menopause, like most women her age, she had mutated. At fifty-three, her body just seemed to snap. The first thing to change was that she always felt cold. Her body would not turn on its heater system. The next was the continued all over body aches, soreness, and great fatigue. Then the bones started changing. While the bones changed, muscles pulled and ripped, skin blistered and fell away. All that while her hormones raged. Through it all—pain—excruciating, mind screaming pain.

It hadn’t happened overnight. The change had taken a couple of years. The mutating would stop, and she would just start learning how to function, and then it would start all over again. Soon, she couldn’t manage to do anything for herself. She could not even walk across the room to visit the bathroom.

It was a fact that she still hadn’t figured out how to walk properly. She was still working on everything. She was still changing. Just not as dramatically. She frowned as she caught of glimpse of something different in the reflection. Turning her head, she could see blue running down her back. Great! Now, she was growing stripes! Ava sighed feeling resigned. At least this change wasn’t causing pain.

After the first symptom, the cold, she started experiencing strange occurrences of pain. She started making lists of the bizarre health issues for the doctors. They at first labeled her as mental. One doctor actually wrote down that she was experiencing female hysteria. At least Chet had believed her. When the buzz of Fibromyalgia started circulating into the public, the doctors latched onto that and bucketed her.

A government group started analyzing data from Fibro patients, and started separating the patients into different categories of Fibromyalgia. One day, Ava went in to her appointment only to find she had acquired a new doctor. He arranged a hospital stay for some new tests. Ava thought finally, they were taking her seriously, and were going to find out what was really wrong with her—and fix it. That didn’t happen.

As she suffered the pain, they kept sticking more needles into her, taking more samples, more tests. They didn’t allow any pain relief medicines, afraid it would skew the data. At one point, finally having suffering enough from it all, Ava tried to leave, and found a guard posted outside her door—for her protection.

The next thing she knew, she was incompetent of making her own decisions. Her husband was granted a court assigned Power of Attorney, and was signing papers, on her behave. The doctors had convinced him to sign the papers to have her