Finally, a day off. No more POS systems, no more folding burritos and pulling mass amounts of deep-fried desserts out of overused and under-cleaned fryers. For anyone else, a day off would consist of soothing sore muscles and partaking in their drugs of choice, maybe even catching up with friends. Not for Ari.
Today was her chance to do some surveillance on the squeaky-voiced, takes-her-job-way-too-seriously bog witch. Kendra Fogarty, according to the files Ari snuck out, had an extensive criminal history involving cruelty to non-humanoid creatures (though this was broad and could have meant stealing fruit from Crump trees, as the botanical creatures did tend to migrate within the city limits), baneful magicks against humans, and run-of-the-mill disorderly charges.
After extensive research, Ari found there were few places in the city that Kendra wasn’t barred from, including some of the seedy bars Ari frequented during lulls in business. Checking the Network for the Moody’s tab, she found Kendra’s name on the schedule. In just a few hours, she would clock out and Ari would find out exactly what she was up to outside of work hours.
Today was just as sticky and damp as any other summer day in Idlewild, made worse by the massive population and factories being powered by who-knew-what kind of chemicals, which meant no hoodie for her to use. Another day of putting in elaborate effort in her appearance.
She looked through her collection of wigs with resentment and found one that was shoulder-length, black, and thick enough to hide her ears. She opted for a loose, charcoal grey tank top and black jean shorts.
After lacing up her boots, Ari inspected herself in the mirror, turning and shaking her head to make sure the wig was secure. She looked at herself in the mirror and sighed.
“Onward,” she told her reflection with pursed lips.
Camping out on the roof of the building across Moody’s, she lit up a cigarette and braced herself for the next hour of monotony. Her eyes flicked between the alleys and streets surrounding, but it appeared to be another dismal day in the city.
That was, until she noticed a familiar face below. On the corner across from Moody’s, Logan was stomping his go-go boots and waving his hands in front of a man dressed all in black with gentle curls flowing down his back. Even from where Ari stood, she could see the vein threaten to burst in Logan’s neck. She wondered if this was the boyfriend who left him for an ogre.
Ari lifted her wig just enough to hear better, but the distant alarms and crowd of obnoxious goblins outside of the storefront below her seemed to dull any chance of her hearing anything useful. All she caught was Logan cry out, “you swore to me, you made an oath!” while poking the man in the chest.
Immersed in the drama unfolding, even without completely understanding, she would have missed Kendra leaving the building. Luckily, Logan’s senses were much more in tune at the moment, as his face dropped. He whipped his head around and Ari followed his gaze. He was glaring at the bog witch. How did Logan know Kendra? Covens were forced to disband ages ago, and even if they were legal, Kendra didn't seem the type Logan would want to associate with.
“This isn’t over.” She heard Logan hiss before he turned on his heel, walking in the opposite direction as Kendra.
Showtime.
Ari put out her cigarette and ran to the fire escape, her eyes locked on Kendra. Once her feet hit the pavement she was off. She followed the bog witch, swerving through the streets until Kendra made her way directly into the city’s tunnels. That was one place Ari preferred to avoid. The risk of getting caught was far greater underground; every corner buzzed under fluorescent lights down there.
Luckily, most of the city was powered through electricity. Ari’s specialty.
Ari dipped into an alley that smelled like piss and ink and dropped into a squat, laying her palms flat on the ground. Through physical contact, she could see electrical lines and therefore the trains underground. By deducing the parts of the city Kendra had been barred from, Ari knew exactly which train she was about to board. It didn’t leave for another ten minutes, giving Ari a headstart.
Ari managed to run through financial district, the fish market, and finally made it to the outskirts where Crump trees liked to migrate to in the winter. The area was often avoided by humans, and even most Otherkind. The buildings were engulfed in vines and the concrete was split with the resilience of the forest just beyond the city’s limits.
She found a dark corner with a perfect view of the stairs leading down into the tunnels and waited. This was the most quiet part of the city she had ever been. No blaring sirens or shouting. There was the occasional cackle from gnomes, and groaning of the forest, but it was almost serene in this area.
A trickle of Otherkind descended while she waited until finally a large crowd made their way up the stairs. When Kendra appeared, she had her apron hanging over her shoulder and she was immersed in a conversation with another witch. She followed them several paces behind until Kendra waved goodbye in front of a wooden building that resembled an old tavern. Kendra pushed up the creaking door and disappeared inside.
Ari crept up to the window to see it was already crowded. Sun had barely set an hour ago and the bar was already crowded. She waited a moment before slipping inside. She nearly ran headfirst into an ogre clad in leather who smelled like he was already drunk. When she spotted Kendra with her eyes above the holographic image from her wrist, Ari caught the attention of the barkeep. He looked at her sideways, lip curled until she rubbed her fingers together and a spark ignited from the tips. His eyes grew wide and he poured her a drink “on th’ house”.
The building groaned as the creatures within it moaned over their own laborious days. There was not a single selkie, siren, fairy, nor goblin within the four walls. It was strange to see so many Otherkind had been pushed this far for, what Ari assumed, not looking human enough. Kendra being here almost made sense. She was an outcast, even with her human-like features.
She sat at a table in the darkest corner near the door- in case she needed a quick escape- with a perfect view of Kendra’s seat at the bar. She looked to be surfing the Network, no longer in conversation.
“Fancy seeing you here.” A familiar voice penetrated her ears. Cillian slid into the seat next to her. Bold of him to be here, she mused. He was strangely courageous for a human. Socializing in a predominantly Otherkind pub, diving into mermaid infested waters, now on the outskirts.
“Go away.” She hissed. “And how did you even know-”
“I’d recognize those eyes from a mile off.” He gave her a toothy grin before leaning back with his drink on the table. He fingered the barely washed lip of it before looking at her again. Ari narrowed those eyes at him.
“I don’t have time for distractions, hu- Cillian.” His eyes glowed like honey as she spoke his name for the first time, and he stifled his smile.
“I’m not here to mess with that, but if you’re doing a little recon, you need to blend in.” He put an arm around her shoulder and she could feel her skin prickle at the contact. Logically, she knew he had a point. She looked too clean for a place like this, even in the darkest corner of the room. Without a disguise, she could get away with being in such places in her natural pixie state. Without a disguise, Kendra would notice her instantly.
“Stop making sense.” She leaned into him begrudgingly and almost melted at the heat radiating off of his core. She couldn’t remember the last time she had this type of physical contact with a human before.
“The moon is made of cheese.” He looked down at her with a smirk.
“That’s better.” Ari muttered.
She gazed across the bar where Kendra was still sitting with her murky drink, tapping her thumb against the handle. When the door beside Ari and Cillian opened, Kendra’s bug-eyes looked up. Ari hid her face in the crook of Cillian’s neck, watching the door behind him. As she watched a line of rancid smelling witches walk through the door, she was grateful for the sweet scent emanating off of Cillian’s skin. It reminded her of pastries and cakes from an old bakery she used to frequent closer to her apartment.
“Your target is on the move, Ari.” Cillian spoke in a low voice, his warm breath caressing her cheeks. She willed herself away from him and peered across the bar to catch Kendra slipping a note to the barkeep. He nodded at her and waved her off. A tight smile spread across Kendra’s thin lips- something that must have been unnatural for her unless truly pleased- before beckoning her malodorous group to follow her.
As they disappeared one by one behind a rickety door in the back, Ari grabbed her untouched drink and followed. Glancing over her shoulder, Cillian was still seated. She widened her eyes at him expectantly and he jumped to his feet, following her lead. It was, after all, his idea for them to blend in and as far as Ari could tell, not a single creature gave him a second glance.
They slipped through the crowd until they made it near the door. It was barely hanging on rusted hinges, ready to collapse at any moment. Perfect for a bit of eavesdropping.
“Where’s the grog?” One of the witches complained. There were scattered voices as though each of them were having their own conversation when Kendra's voice peeped above the rest. Ari’s ears twitched at the irritating sound.
“Take your seats, take your seats.” She paused. Ari and Cillian could hear the scraping of chairs across the floor before relative silence fell, other than the hum of conversations in the bar. “We all know why we’re here. The humans see us as the bottom of the Otherkind barrel. We are the disease they try to eradicate, the invasive weed they try to rip out of the ground.” There were scattered cheers of agreement. “We’ve been playing by their rules too long. It’s time to fight back. Against the humans, and against the Otherkind.”
“But how? We’ve been under their boots for eons.” a smoky voice called out.
“Aren’t you tired of that? They’ve dulled our abilities by their very presence. Why do you think it’s so hard to cast, even when the moon is at its brightest?”
Ari and Cillian locked eyes as they listened intently. Mr. M might have been right to hire her after all. She shifted closer to the door when one of the drunk minotaurs at the table closest to them stood up, flipping his table and grunting at the others nearest him. The bar quickly transformed from a low buzz of activity to an electrical current of mayhem. Usually Ari could take credit for such things. Now was not such a time.
“We gotta get out of here.” Cillian whispered, grabbing Ari by the hand and slipping through the fists, claws, and elbows to get to the door. As he led her out, Ari protested, looking over her shoulder at the building shaking from violence within.
“She was just about to-”
“You don’t want to get caught there. Any moment she would have ran right into you.” Cillian replied without glancing back at her.
She really hated when he was right.