Young Writers Society

Kayden perked up at the suggestion.

"I'd be down for that," she agreed. She turned to Noah. "What about you? Do you have any abominations in your world?"

"I..." Noah thought for a moment. "I drink blood. Like a lot of blood. Does that count?" Vampires were definitely called and thought of as abominations, though he didn't know if that was what Kay was asking,

"Oh no, vampires are something different. I don't actually think I've ever met a vampire before," Harper chirped happily.

"We're pretty common where I'm from," Noah said "Maybe bout a tenth of people are vampires? I don't actually know the statistics off the top of my head."

"Oh, well vampires are pretty rare where I'm from. Usually, they die before they transform fully, and there's a pretty high suicide rate for young magicians who get turned. I hear they're more common in other countries, though!"

"They die when they transform? I mean sure, it can hurt a bit but I've never heard of anyone dying directly from the transformation."

"Well some people reject the change, especially if their body isn't accustomed to magic. Magicians, ironically, basically always survive just to end up dead in someone's fireplace. Tragic really. Wait, you're not going to turn me, are you? If you even try I'll have you dismembered and set ablaze. I'm not playing." She unconsciously backed up a few steps.

Kayden glanced between the two as they spoke. She had been talking about abominations like the ones that Harper had described—a combination of human wills and souls and all that jazz. She hadn't meant it in the derogatory way. But Noah, apparently, had taken it as a chance to be self-deprecating.

Harper, apparently, had missed that hint of self-loathing. In retrospect, Kayden should have been subtle about her observation, but Kayden wasn't all that good at subtlety.

"Hey," she said, interrupting by taking a step in between the two of them. She shot Harper a look. "You do realize how rude it is to ask someone supernatural a question like that out of nowhere, right?"

Harper shugged, unbothered. "It's a valid question."

Noah narrowed his eyes at Harper. An ice cold spreads through his veins, and he allows a startled huff to escape his lips. He'd never taken kindly to those kinds of accusations. "Where in any sort of fresh hell did you get that idea?" He asks, tilting his head in mock curiosity.

Then Kay steps in between them. A good idea on her part. Noah looks away from Harper. "Thank you, Kay." He says, half-heartedly searching the faces in the crowd for anything or anyone interesting and wilfully ignoring Harper's assertion.

Harper rolled her eyes. "I'm off to accept that job offer," she threw her words flippantly over her should as she was swallowed by the crowd.

It didn't take long for her to find Abigor. He was surrounded by creatures of mostly vaguely human proportion, all inquiring politely about the job. Harper waited her turn and stepped up, extending a hand. "Hello, I'm Harper, I'd like to accept that job offer of yours."

Abigor looked even less human up close. Harper couldn't quite place what was off about him, but something had him placed securely in the uncanny valley. He took her hand and shook it firmly, "It's a please to meet you properly. It is my understanding that you specialize in demolitions?"

"They usually call it arson where I'm from." Harper shrugged.

Abigor laughed, "Well, here we have a better appreciation for the destructive. I am delighted that you have chosen to accept my offer." He snapped, and Harper turned to the faint click she heard behind her. Her door had become bright red, embellished in gold. "Head right that way please and we will get the paperwork started momentarily."

And so, Harper skipped happily through the door.

"You're welcome," Kayden said. Before Kayden could berate Harper anymore, the girl was gone—leaving Kayden with Noah.

"That was rude," she said, looking at the part of the crowd that Harper had disappeared into. "For someone who acted like she knew things about supernatural people, she sure was oblivious."

"If it had been warranted in any way I may have given her a pass. But it came out of nowhere."

"It did," Kayden agreed. "Some people really don't have filters."

(Kayden, who didn't quite have one of her own, failed to see the irony of the statement.)

"It's almost like the abomination question," Kayden mused after a moment, "but at least that one was based on demons over in her reality. Still was rude, though."

"Incredibly so." Noah answers, looking towards Abigor. "Youre accepting the job offer, right? Maybe we should go do that. Or we might loose track of time and not be able to accept it."