Shadow of the Gods (Dragon Core, Book 2)

By Elizabeth Maxim

Independent ≠ Loner

Be Careful What You Wish For. Having learned shape shifters are real, Mica Gilotti is eager to know more, never dreaming that to become a part of their world means leaving the one she’s a part of. Forever.

To End is To Begin. Cayden Vale considers himself an authority on transformation. After all, he’s a shape shifter. But all is not what it seems and the seven-hundred-year-old raven is about to learn the ultimate lesson in transformation. To live you have to die.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elizabeth Maxim
• Release date: Jul 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463194232

Elizabeth Maxim

If Elizabeth were to map her life’s journey, it would resemble the chaos of a Pac-Man game but out of this chaos came the foundation for her stories. She draws from knowledge, personal experience, and imagination in creating strong independent characters who steer their own destiny... often with a little help from love.Elizabeth studied alternative medicine with an MD for several years before earning a doctorate of philosophy in that field. She also holds a bachelor's degree in holistic childcare. Currently living in the Pacific Northwest, she is the author of multiple books, fiction and nonfiction, as well as two blog sites.You can follow Elizabeth at elizabethmaxim.com.

Book preview

CHAPTER ONE

CVale Farm and Feed, CT

Friday - Current Day

Raven shifter Cayden Vale knew he was playing with fire, but he just didn’t trust the drones to tell him what was going on in the remote field; a field that currently lay fallow. Unlike those who thought technology could trump Mother Nature, Cayden wasn’t afraid to take a financial hit in the name of what was good for the land, allowing it to rest.

It wasn’t that other farmers didn’t designate sections of farmland to remain unseeded, but too often they went about it the wrong way and often for the wrong reasons.

They did it to avoid price fluctuations associated with overproduction. Or because they were paid to, and not because it was good practice and would avoid stripping the soil of nutrients. Many used technology or chemicals to shorten the periods in which their fields lay fallow. Such short-term gains always came with long-term repercussions. You could never cheat Mother Nature. Ever. Perhaps it was having lived centuries that allowed him to see the infinite wisdom in Mother Nature's plans if not Her rhythm.

It was too soon to consider planting but that wasn’t what drove him to consider doing a flyover of the remote section of property. It was the proximity of the field’s edge to the river. He was worried about soil erosion. Had crops been well-established he wouldn’t have been as concerned but because the field was resting there was a possibility the edge would be eroded by a river that, thanks to a wetter-than-average winter and spring, was threatening to overflow, taking edges of farm rich soil and flushing it at high speeds downstream.

The drones were good, but they were older models, the resolution not as good as his eyes. Trouble was, the sun was setting which meant owls and other predators would be hunting. A lone raven flying into their territory would definitely draw attention, and attack.

Damn it, he growled pacing back and forth in the small yet cozy apartment over the feed store where he worked. He stared out at the horizon. He needed to know.

* * *

Flying at sunset meant his entire system was on alert. A number of predators were nocturnal and though they wouldn’t necessarily go after a raven for culinary purposes they would attack if only to keep him out of their territory. That he was alone only increased the risk; a risk he hoped was offset by the fact he could shift to his human form in the blink of an eye if it became necessary. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t sustain serious injury if he happened upon a foe at an inopportune moment, but such a possibility only made him more cautious.

A cursory flyover told him his worry was just that, worry. Though the water was rushing faster than typical for this time of year, the level higher, it was far from a threat to the precious soil that benefitted so richly from proximity to the riparian feature. He was about to turn for home when Murphy put in an undesired though not unanticipated appearance.

Damn it, he groused as he eyed the Strigidae and prepared for a rapid descent after which he would remain low to the ground. Barred owls were good, but they didn’t know the terrain as he did. Yes, they were one with nature but so was he and he had information they didn’t. He'd walked every inch of the farm that was home in his human form, for just such a purpose. As the smallest of the shape-shifting species that inhabited the planet he called home - Earth - he was vulnerable to a host of threats, manmade and otherwise. To rely on his human half to bolster his defenses was more than good sense, it was critical if he was to avoid injury – or death.

Normally he wouldn’t be concerned the owl wanted him for an early evening snack, but it was nesting season and he’d been close to the edge of the forest. He had to assume the owl wanted him out of the picture for good. As such his strategy was to draw it as low to the ground as possible then fly horizontally for as long as it took to determine whether or not it was up for a prolonged pursuit. If that was the case, he would shift and roll knowing the owl would back off. If the owl decided he was more trouble than he was worth and broke off pursuit? He could fly the rest of the way home. Just as he was ready to shift a flash of red drew his attention and in that flash, the owl was gone.

Hitting the breaks while flying that fast was something he rarely did for risk of injury was significant. However, as it was a maneuver that may just save his life someday, taking the opportunity to do a dry run was more of that good sense instilled long ago in a land far away; good sense that'd kept him alive for centuries. With the danger past he was able to fly at a leisurely pace, leading the lupine presence loping along behind him to a secluded location where they could shift.

* * *

Lucas Drake, he said with a lazy grin.

Cayden Vale, the wolf shifter replied, one brow arched. It was probably as close as the detective got to showing emotion for the Dragon Core warrior’s control was legendary. It was one of the reasons he’d been chosen to infiltrate the Templars centuries earlier.

Thanks for the rescue. Appearing from nowhere, the wolf snatched the owl in its jaws just as the predatory bird was about to attack. I noticed you let it go.

No need to kill it when you had everything under control.

Angling his head to acknowledge the compliment he led the West Coast detective up the stairs to his apartment.

Hungry? Cayden asked as he pulled two beers from the fridge.

As a matter of fact, yes. The stuff on the plane wasn’t too satisfying.

You should’ve eaten the owl, he drawled, pulling vegetables from the fridge.

Ha.

Want to chop or grill? He pointed to a steak. Steak salad. All but the lettuce is from the farm.

I’ll chop, Lucas replied taking the knife held out. Why isn’t the lettuce from the farm?

Too temperamental. I swap with a neighbor for edible flowers I grow in the greenhouse.

Cayden waited til the Dragon Core lieutenant had eaten enough to take the edge off before speaking. To what do I owe the pleasure?

Got a message for you, he replied taking a sip of farmhouse ale. This is good. Rise Above, he murmured, studying the can.

Local stuff. They do a lot of interesting brews. He sipped. From who?

Jake.

How’s he doing?

As you might expect.

Cayden snorted, took a long swallow. Busted out of the healing complex did he? It was no secret raven shifters hated confinement though Jakob McLachlan’s hate bordered on phobia in its manifestation. I’m surprised he lasted this long.

Only because I was there.

So what’s the message?

He needs a favor.

Wait. He stood. Let me get these taken care of.

Cayden made quick work of the dishes. If McLachlan sent the wolf shifter across the country to ask a favor rather than picking up the phone and asking himself, it must be important. The least he could do was give the West Coast detective his undivided attention. Want another?

I’ll get it, Lucas replied setting his dishes on the counter. Need help?

I got it. Go sit down. He glanced over his shoulder. I take it you’re staying the night?

If you don’t mind.

The couch is yours. Folds out to a bed or not. Either way it’s comfortable. He’d had more than one wolf shifter spend the night while passing through. Every one of them made a point of telling him how comfy the large sofa bed was. Ironically, a number of those comments came from those who spent the night sleeping in their wolf form on the sofa, not the bed.

Okay, he said dropping into a chair and staring into pale grey eyes. What’s the favor?

You heard what happened, right?

Some, he replied. He was a shifter and word got around, but he was living on a small farm in a small town on the other side of the country. Word didn’t travel that far that fast.

Tell me what you’ve heard.

Caz took a swipe at McAskell, kidnapping a couple of his friends in an attempt to draw him out. You and Jake were there, Jake got hurt bad enough he had to go to Askellia.

The healing complex that catered to shape shifters was highly secure making it an ideal place for treatment and recovery. If the raven shifter was taken there it meant his injuries were significant, possibly life-threatening. I don’t know the nature of the injury, he finished then held up the empty can. When the lieutenant nodded, he went to grab two more from the fridge.

An advantage of being a shape shifter was a faster than average metabolism. It meant they could enjoy more alcohol with fewer repercussions though they were always careful and not just because it was the responsible thing to do. Trained warriors they would be fools to allow their senses to become dulled.

Those friends, Lucas replied taking a long swallow. One is Clair Edwards.

Sigeric? Cayden said, aware the woman the Black Dragon loved and lost centuries ago – Clair Sigeric – had been reborn some thirty years earlier as Clare Edwards. That bit of gossip had spread across the country like dragon fire.

The same, the wolf shifter confirmed.

Cayden stared past Lucas out the window. The men who made up Dragon Core, including the wolf shifter drinking beer in his living room, were intensely private when it came to their personal lives. The only reason he knew as much as he did about the woman who belonged to Lage McAskell was because Jakob McLachlan had taken him into confidence centuries earlier.

"I expect you to keep this to yourself."

"You didn’t have to ask but I’ll answer. No shit."

The other one? he asked after a moment of meaningful silence during which the wolf shifter was probably trying to ascertain whether he knew the full story, that Clair Sigeric had been forced to marry the wolf shifter instead of the man she loved, dragon shifter Lage McAskell.

The Black Dragon was the highest-ranking shape shifter in the Earth realm and the leader of Dragon Core, an elite force of shape shifters.

Clare’s niece, Mica Gilotti, Lucas replied, drawing him from his reverie.

Okay, he said shortly setting the empty can on the floor.

The favor has to do with the niece.

I’m listening.

You know Jake came up with the plan, right? To turn the situation against Caz, draw him out?

Heard something like that, he acknowledged. He wasn’t surprised. When it came to military strategy, the Dragon Core raven shifter was the best in the Earth realm which was no doubt why he’d been recruited for Dragon Core at a young age. Well, that and the connections he would bring with his influential family. The McLachlans were a powerful shifter clan, well connected in multiple dimensions. To have one serving the Black Dragon had been a coup for the McAskell Clan.

What did you hear, exactly?

Cayden grinned. The wolf shifter wanted to know just how much he knew about his relationship with the Black Dragon’s woman. That Jake reached out to his Scathe contacts, who then infiltrated the Destroyer’s ranks making it a certainty the battle would be short and victorious. And most importantly given the victims’ identities, with few casualties. I also heard he spent time with one of the victims while you kept a protective eye on the other. His grin faded. Time to let the wolf shifter in on just how much of the truth he knew, that Clair Sigeric, having been forced to marry the wolf shifter instead of the Black Dragon, had born him a son. Word on the street was the wolf shifter had been unaware of that little tidbit until very recently which told Cayden he likely found out while sharing captivity with her current incarnation. You were protecting Clare Edwards.

Right.

What’s the favor? Yes, the wolf shifter was now aware he knew the truth. There was no need to rub salt in a wound. Wolf shifters were fiercely passionate. Lucas wouldn’t have walked away from even a forced marriage without good reason and no small bit of suffering. That he hadn’t been aware he’d fathered a child? There was a story there but that wasn’t the story he needed. The favor? he prompted.

Jake got hurt. Bad. Mica saved his life.

Yeah? What, she a doctor or something?

She’s a seventeen-year-old high school senior.

Eyebrows up, Cayden did the math. She’d been a junior at the time of the kidnapping. I think you better tell me.

First, let me tell you the favor, he countered then proceeded to do so.

* * *

Pushing back against the chair, Cayden blew out a long slow breath. He was definitely going to follow up with the raven shifter personally. None of this made sense. Yes, Jake was recovering but unless there was a real need for secrecy, sending the wolf shifter to talk with him was overkill. And why him?

Let me get this straight. He wants me to shadow the girl to make sure she’s doing okay after being kidnapped? How the hell am I supposed to determine that? Shifters weren’t mind readers.

He wants you to introduce yourself. As a shifter, he added after a moment.

McLachlan’s lost his fucking mind, he mused, taking a minute to arch his back. That stunt with the owl had tweaked something.

He seemed in possession of all his faculties when I last saw him, the wolf shifter replied.

This isn’t my area of expertise, Drake, and you know it. Why the fuck didn’t you try to talk him out of it, tell him to get someone else to do babysitting duty?

First of all, this isn’t babysitting duty, it’s an honor. Jake McLachlan asks you a favor and you’re bitching about it because it doesn’t fit on your resume?

You know goddamn well it’s more than that, he snapped. He was Shadow for god’s sake! A spy! He didn’t exist! And McLachlan wanted him to make himself known? To a teenager?

It wasn’t about being exposed. He had a number of exit strategies available if necessary. It came down to personality. While his was an asset for his line of work it wouldn’t do jack shit when it came to being a shrink to a traumatized teenager. Shiny happy people he wasn’t. I’ll only end up scaring the kid.

I suggest you not think of her as a kid.

High school?

Going to college in the fall? Lucas countered.

Where?

NYU. Full academic scholarship.

Lovely, Cayden thought sourly, a geek. Like he’d know what to do with that. For what? Future MBA? Christ, he hissed. What the fuck was that raven thinking? he continued under his breath.

She’s going to be a vet.

He rolled his eyes. Of course she is. What, she fall in love with him or something? When the detective didn’t answer he narrowed his eyes. "He fell in love with her? Then why the hell isn’t he – wait. Where does she live?"

About thirty-five miles southwest of here.

Cayden dragged a hand down his face. Let me guess. Perfect two-story on a perfect street in the middle of a perfect sub. Two SUVs in the driveway. No. Three. The high school senior needed to drive after all.

Lucas smirked. I only wish I could be there when you see just how far you’ve shoved that raven’s claw of yours into your mouth.

CHAPTER TWO

The New England raven shifter continued to pace the small bedroom. Though the wolf shifter’s body was on West Coast time suggesting he could stay up later, he needed to get an early start to catch a flight, so he’d gone to bed not long after dropping the favor bomb in Cayden’s lap.

"I’m heading to Nepal, to meet with Jacques."

"Ah."

Not one to insert himself where not invited he hadn’t asked any questions about the wolf shifter’s son, simply wished him luck and gone to his room, presumably to sleep. Stopping in midstep, he turned to gaze out at the night sky. Thanks to cloud cover, few stars were visible, and the moon was all but absent; the perfect opportunity to do a little early favor reconnaissance. Dark plumage combined with his unique abilities meant he was unlikely to run into trouble if he flew to the Gilotti residence. Not if he kept to well-lit and populated areas which was a little trickier where he lived but worth the risk. A strange pickup truck in what was no doubt a wealthy enclave would definitely draw notice. A raven? Who was going to see a raven at night?

* * *

Gilotti Residence, CT

Friday Night

High school senior Mica Gilotti continued to pace the small space that somehow seemed to grow smaller the closer it got to graduation. Unable to stand the claustrophobic feeling a minute longer she stalked over and opened her bedroom window. It wasn’t exactly balmy as Connecticut winters bled into spring, but the night air smelled crisp and sharp, soothing her soul. Closing her eyes, she put her hands on the ledge, leaned out and drew in several breaths. The sound of wings had her searching. Though a number of birds had begun their northern migration she had yet to see one past sundown. Not in the housing development at the far edge of town at any rate.

Hmph. She would have continued a visual search -nothing better to do on a Friday night - but someone was knocking on the door. Come in, she called ducking back into the room. Oh, hey dad.

Hey yourself. Got a minute?

Yeah, sure. When he sat on the edge of her bed she did likewise, tucking a leg beneath her thigh.

* * *

Denny Gilotti studied his oldest, noted the hollow look in her eyes, a look that had been there more often than he was happy with. What’s going on, Mica?

What do you mean? Nothing’s going on.

Don’t lie to your old man.

I’m not lying, she responded calmly.

Ever since you got back from visiting your Aunt Clare you’ve been distracted. You aren’t sleeping. When she looked as if she would protest, he held up a hand. I’m not the only one who’s noticed. I told your mom I would talk to you so here I am. Talk to me. What happened last summer?

Noth -. She stopped. Okay, look. I met some amazing people who changed the way I look at the world, okay?

A boy amazing people?

Men, women, even a bird.

A bird, he said dubiously.

Yeah.

He scratched his head. You know, I don’t appreciate -. Okay, I give up. Tell me about the bird. He’d been expecting his eldest daughter to tell him about some guy she met and fell in love with, how now she wanted to go to some West Coast college instead of New York which he was thrilled about since it was close and they had plenty of family there, including his brother who was a New York homicide detective.

Mica smiled at her father’s exasperation. He probably expected her to tell him she’d fallen in love with some hippie and was going to go sit on a sidewalk in Berkeley, California while the guy played guitar or something. The smile faded. She wished he trusted her more. So, you know that Lage took us to a resort, right?

She hadn’t told her father the truth - that she and her mother’s sister Clare had been kidnapped and held in filthy rooms at an abandoned industrial complex. Given the nature of the situation - that it involved shape shifters and some evil entity known as the Destroyer of Peace - the police hadn’t been involved. That she not tell her parents was a given even if it introduced more than a few challenges.

For one she never lied to her parents so keeping the truth from them – especially her dad – bothered her. Secondly, the only people she could talk to about the situation lived some three thousand miles away. And other than her aunt, they were all shape shifters.

I remember, he said, referring to emails sent by her aunt’s fiancé who was - unbeknownst to her dad - a dragon shifter. Lage had sent them to explain why they were out of touch for a few days. If her dad only knew.

The spa was close to this other area, she explained. An industrial area. I was out walking one day and saw a raven on the ground near where the properties bordered each other.

Doesn’t sound too glamorous.

Definitely not, she agreed. The complex was fenced in and there was razor wire at the top of that fence.

Why -?

I understand the place is going to be developed. Multi-use and all that bullshit marketing lingo.

Okay. So, the bird -.

She had to admit she was impressed. Her father hadn’t cautioned her not to swear, a hypocritical bit if ever there was one. Raven, she clarified. It’d been hurt somehow. Oh, she knew how but to explain that would necessitate she explain more than she could, so she kept to the high-level she’d mentally rehearsed over the past several months. So, I saw it was still alive -.

How? And why would you bother?

She shot her dad a look of disgust. She’d been nursing wounded animals since she was six and brought a robin’s egg that had fallen from a nest inside. Not bothering to comment, she continued her tale. At first I just crouched and watched. I wasn’t sure if he was alive. A truth. I stretched out a hand and spoke to it, reassured it I was going to try to help. I was able to lightly run a finger over his body. Dad, he shuddered.

The raven had been punished for trying to help her escape. She’d watched in horror as – after the corvid viciously clawed one of her captors – it had been slammed off a wall of the room she was being held in.

"Please don’t die. Not because of me."

Is that important?

If you’d only seen, she started then stopped lest she give too much away. He – that he shuddered told me he was accepting my help. That he desperately needed her.

Hm, Denny Gilotti replied noncommittally.

I sat down, kept talking to it. When I figured it wasn’t going to die from fright, I stretched out my legs and scooped him into my lap. Do you know he looked up at me? As if trying to figure out if I was friend or foe.

So naturally you told him you were friend.

‘Well yah! I also explained I’d done Healing Touch training with animals and a bird so he could trust me not to hurt him."

All the people on the planet and I have a daughter who talks to birds.

Mica grinned. It was her dad’s way of letting her know he thought her amazing. So, long story short, Lage has this friend, Lucas Drake.

The detective?

Yeah. He knew a place where they could help the raven.

A raven? You said bird.

She’d said raven. A raven is a bird, she pointed out. A corvid, to be exact.

Of course. Now, why was this detective at the spa?

He’s a close friend of Aunt Clare, she replied. The point is he knew where to take the raven, where they could help it.

Was this raven by chance a boy raven?

Well, yeah, but what does that matter?

I wish you were more attracted to boy humans, Mica.

I’m not a lesbo if that’s what you’re worried about.

Of course not!

Yeah, right. Not subtle dad. Is that why mom sent you up here? To see if I was gay? That would make her standing in the community drop a few points, wouldn’t it?

You’re lucky I don’t -.

Don’t what? Mica demanded jumping to her feet. Don’t tell me you -.

Pause and reflect Mary Angelica.

Why the hell did you let her give me that name?

My mother gave you that name.

Mom must have been looped out on birth drugs then. Thanks, dad. She has an excuse. You don’t.

Mary Angelica is a beautiful name.

Yeah, if you’re a rosary toting Catholic, she snapped then looked at the window. She could swear she heard a snort. Which I’m not, she finished. Such an old-fashioned name, she muttered frowning at the open window.

I got the point, her father grumbled drawing her attention back.

Look, I don’t have time to date, okay?

You -.

Have two AP classes, one of them Chem.

Is that what’s bothering you?

Damn right that’s what’s bothering me! she yelled, irritated more than she wanted to admit that her parents were worried she was a lesbian simply because she didn’t waste time with the guys at school. Yes, her studies kept her busy but that wasn’t the reason she didn’t waste time with them. After what happened the previous summer, learning that shape shifters were real, seeing how powerful they are? How could she ever look at those dorky guys the same again? Yeah, some of the jocks were cool but seriously. Would they have fought for her the way Jake did?

So, she continued, determined to keep her cool, Lage took me to visit the raven.

Why Lage?

He and Lucas are tight. They were in the same military unit or something. Same with Jake.

Who’s Jake?

The cook.

"The cook?"

Well, technically he’s a cook - Aesop’s Cove, she elaborated referring to the bar owned by her aunt’s shape shifter fiancé Lage McAskell, but he’s more like Steven Segal in that navy movie. Bad ass.

Bad ass, huh?

Mica wanted to smile. If her father’s grin was any indication, he’d joined the ranks of those who thought she’d fallen in love with the raven shifter – not that her dad knew that’s what the cook was – though she could say with a fair amount of certainty her dad’s reasons were entirely different. The thought made her giggle which made her dad smile - likely because of his assumption she was in love with the cook – which made her laugh harder.

How’d things turn out for the raven?

Her father’s question cut through the humor. They had to do four surgeries to get him fixed up.

Wow. Must be tough operating on those tiny bones.

No, she thought philosophically, it was the need to operate while he shifted back and forth so they could operate on both bone structures. While I was there Kate told me -.

Kate?

Dr. Forrester, she explained. I could see for myself the bird was in pain and I asked her why she wasn’t doing something about it. She told me the pain medication screwed with the bird’s metabolism, so they had to be very careful when using it, which I figured meant they weren’t giving the poor bird much if they were giving it anything. It had been terrible watching her friend suffer.

So, she continued, I decided that rather than becoming a veterinary surgeon, I would do research. So I can work on finding new medications.

That why you’re taking AP Chem instead of biology? Why you switched to a chem major?

Yep. Both can get me into veterinary school, but I want to get a head start on the chem part since I’m going to need so much of it.

And all this because of a bird, he muttered. He turned to the window. Did you hear that?

Hear what? she asked, following him to the window. Something was definitely out there.

I thought I heard -. Forget it. I’m getting old.

Say it isn’t so, she quipped.

You have a smart mouth, her father said, ruffling her short dark hair.

Ah, the Gilotti genes run true, she replied. You can rest easy at night, as Uncle Mike likes to say.

I -.

Mica loved it when her father got caught in his own family’s trap. Deciding it was best to take pity on him she threw her arms around his expanding girth, dropped her head to his chest. I love you, dad.

Denny Gilotti kissed his eldest daughter’s head, held her close. His gaze slid to the night sky. Something was out there, he’d swear it. I love you, too, Mary Angelica. Be proud of your name, okay?

I – I’ll think about it, okay?

* * *

"Dad, he shuddered."

Cayden didn’t know what to make of the fact that upon hearing the statement his body had done likewise. Was it that like Jakob McLachlan, he was a raven shifter and understood on a primal level the depth of despair that would drive such action? Or was it the follow-on knowledge, that such action happened when relief was so primal – so needed – it meant the teen was capable of giving him - .

Shutting the thought down he positioned himself to better see the teen in question. He rolled his eyes. Of course her father was in the way. While he waited for the man to move, he scoped out the room.

A twin bed with two pillows was to the left of the door. To the left of that, shoved into a corner was a desk that looked as if a school bag had exploded on it. Other than that bit of chaos the room was spotless, right down to the walls. A cream color, they were absent any adornment whatsoever. No pennants, no posters, nothing. Not even a calendar.

To his consternation the dad continued to block his view. Exasperated he flew upward and got his first real view of Mary Angelica Gilotti. She was taller than average. In jeans and a sweatshirt, it was all but impossible to determine whether she was thin and wiry or curvy. Her dark hair was short, the style more like what he would see on a Southern California beach. Definitely low maintenance then. His day was looking up. Finally, the dad left. He was about to shift and make his presence known when the door was thrown open.

Hey!

I knew it!

Cayden watched as a pretty blonde – sixteen if he was reading it right – stormed over to the open window. It’s freezing! He barely got his talons out of the way before it was slammed shut though it was immediately opened again.

Excuse me? Is this your room?

I’m freezing! Close the damn window!

Get a coat on! Mica snapped at her younger sister. The senior pointed. You can escort yourself out or I can help you. Your choice but I suggest you go of your own volition. If you leave it to me? I promise you won’t be happy.

"My