I, often, run myself ragged.


    I filled my time with business and meetings, constantly trying to look out for the Order''s best interests. I filled my life with seven young adults, looking to find their place and make their way.


    It felt good to have my best friend back. I don''t know if Chase would still consider us as such, but I still thought very highly of the man. We had spent the better part of our youth and young adulthood together, and although sometimes we were at odds, I respected him more than anyone else in the Order of Vigilance.


    As the team was getting ready for their mission, I left Chase in charge of seeing them off and took some much needed ''me time''.


    Most people don''t know this, but deep in the forests, if you wander far enough away from the paths, you''ll find a very special place. It is heavily protected by magic, and has many guardians. It''s a place where people who are different from the other mortals of the world go to hide. They can learn and grow here, safe and unhunted from those who would look to hurt them. Like the Order.


    I stepped through the magical forcefield that kept the Manor cloaked from the rest of the world. Once I crosses through the border of trees and into the magical barrier, the landscape turned to a huge courtyard full of gardens and play areas. A large pool with colorful lights lapped back and forth quietly. The massive ancient building was made of a very bright red brick, and all the metal fixtures were made of alternatives for iron and steel, so as not to hurt any of its Fae residents.


    The Manor was a haven for young monsters. For those who were different and hunted for it. Contrary to the universal belief that all monsters were evil, I had found it was more of a nature versus nurture situation.


    Now sure, some big scary beasts that have been around since the Old World still held grudges and would kill humans and especially Order members given the chance. But not so much here. I opened the front door quietly, hoping not to be disruptive.


    I immediately stood face to face with a very tall man with no face, wearing a nice suit, quite like my own. Staring at him too long caused my vision to go blurry.


    "Oh, hello. I like your suit." I told the creature. I tried to move passed him, but he took a step with his long, stilt-like legs and got in front of me again.


    "You misunderstand my friend, I''m here on business. I assume your Mistress knows I''m here already." I told him, trying not to sound testy. He suddenly leaned in very close, bending right over at the middle. He put his featureless face close to mine and I could feel the eldritch aura around him make me nauseous.


    Then he pulled out a stain cleaner pen and fixed some dirty spots on my tie and blazer. Then he started to walk away.


    "Oh. Thank you!" I called out to him, but he seemed not to care as he ducked low to disappear into doorway.


    The foyer was massive, with doors running the main floor on either side, leading off into different rooms. A massive staircase, ten feet wide, ran up to the second floor that contained even more rooms and stairs. Looking straight up, it felt like the Manor always had as much space as it needed. I looked back down, and the Mistress of the place was staring back at me from the bottom of the stares.


    "Pendragon." She said my name distastefully. Her bushy blonde hair hung over her shoulders and well passed the small of her back. Her piercing blue eyes held golden rings that sparkled with energy. I quite admired her sense of style, with her white blouse tucked into a black pencil skirt. Her massive black pumps gave her several inches to her height, bringing her to eye level with me as she approached.


    "Mistress Lilith." I bowed deeply and she scoffed at me.


    "Why are you here?" She asked, glaring at me.


    The First Woman was not the forgiving type and she certainly didn''t like men. But she had a heart full of compassion for those who were tossed aside and forgotten by the rest of the world. Thus, the Manor had become the home for wayward monsters.


    "Is Sera in?" I asked politely, ignoring her blatant hatred.


    "She''s busy." Lilith said, crossing her arms.


    I could feel my forced smile start to waver and I took a deep breath through my nose.


    "I can wait." I told her. She rolled her eyes at me.


    "We''ve been investigating the appearance of the Queen Anne''s Revenge carting Artifacts from here to Greece. You wouldn''t happen to have any eyes out that way that could be helpful to our missions, would you?" I asked.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    "Why would any of us help you?" Lilith practically spat the words. I smiled and nodded my head.


    "Chase seems to think there might be something more at play. It might spill into your world and sphere of influence." I told her calmly. She looked at me like I had threatened her.


    A classroom let out behind her and a bunch of children ran from the room and into the hallway, scattering through out the various other doors and stairs. Little girls with bat-like wings, children who looked like they were part fish, one kid was a little furrier than normal. I smiled at them as they ran passed. Some waved, others moved away from me in fear.


    Humans had been hunting and killing those we deemed monsters for centuries. As far back as our earliest recorded histories and myths, we had been at odds. It was hard for humans to accept differences among ourselves, nevermind whole other species of creatures. And we spend those centuries telling stories of great heroes who sought out and killed them. To some of these children, I was the terrifying monster. As the children filtered away from the foyer, Lilith moved closer to me.


    "What exactly does Chase think is going to spill into our world. The only threat to us, is You." She sneered. I tried not to take it personally, as she had been referring to the Order as a whole and not just me.


    "We don''t really know yet. We''ve sent a team out to collect some information and get rid of some Golem." I told her. Lilith glared at me.


    "The art of creating Golem was lost centuries ago." She said, her eyes skeptical.


    "Rabbi Elijah of Chelm''s zombie would beg to differ." I told her with a smirk. Her eyes flashed wide for a split second, before she gained her composure.


    "Someone brought him back from the dead to use him to create the Golem. Must have been some powerful necromancy." She said, putting things together.


    "See? Now you understand why I''m concerned." I said cheerfully, but it just came off as sarcasm and she continued to glare a hole into my face. It has been said many times before, if looks could kill, I would be a dead man. Many times over, it would seem.


    "Anders." I hear the voice from the stairs and I step passed Lilith, causing her to growl at me.


    "Seraphina." I said smiling. The woman on the stairs was as beautiful as the day I met her. She literally had not aged a day. However, she didn''t return the smile.


    "What are you doing here?" She asked, coming down the stairs, her long braid of brown hair bouncing behind her.


    "I wanted to come visit. There has been a lot going on lately and I just needed to see you guys." I told her.


    "You can''t just show up here whenever you want." Lilith said, seething. I tried to ignore her as I waited for Sera at the bottom of the stairs. She never came all the way down. She stood far enough back to make me stare up at her. I knew she wouldn''t get any closer. The distance between us was filled with history and emotion and most of it hurt.


    "You know you aren''t welcome here." Seraphina told me. The words stung, and I could feel the deeper meaning in them, tearing at my heart.


    "I just wanted to..." I started.


    "Daddy!" I heard the happy little voice call with excitement. She ran down the stairs, as best she could, holding the railing. Her brown hair was in a braid much like her mother''s, but her grey eyes were all mine. She had her mother''s angular features, but still much of her baby fat. I picked the little girl up in my arms and swung her around. I ignored Lilith kissing her teeth behind me. Sera even managed a smile.


    "What are you doing at my house?" Auria, my daugther, asked.


    "I just missed you so much, I couldn''t wait to see you." I kissed her forehead and she giggled.


    "I missed you too Daddy." She told me, and her bright smile tugged fiercely on my heart.


    Lilith walked back up the stairs and put a protective hand on Sera''s hip, staring at me the whole while.


    "Five minutes." She whispered in Sera''s ear, but loud enough for me to hear. Lilith made a display of gently nibbling Sera''s ear before she turned to walk away. I turned back to my daughter in my arms.


    "Mommy, Daddy came to visit! Isn''t that nice?" She said and Seraphina finished descending the stairs. Her approach was slow, but the intent was clear. I hugged Auria tightly.


    As Sera reached me, she reached out to collect our child from my arms. When she stepped back, it felt like she had taken my heart from my chest.


    "Daddy has to go home now. He''s very busy with work." Sera told Auria. The little girl pouted and I smiled at her.


    "Don''t worry, you''ll see me again soon." I understood that I had overstayed my welcome.


    "Anders, this isn''t part of our agreement. You can''t just show up and do this to her." Seraphina said in my mind. The synaptic tingle of our minds touching made me dizzy.


    "I needed to see her. I''ve been going through a lot lately with work. And Chase and I talked about Kalysta. It made me think about..." I didn''t need to telepathically say anymore. She was already in my head.


    "When did Chase return?" She asked out loud, and it startled me.


    "The Order requested that I bring him back on board a bit ago. He''s been training the new team since he got there. He''s been a big help." I told her.


    "I''m sure he''s thrilled about that." She chuckled.


    "There was a bit of a scuffle dragging him back in. But he''s fitting right back in." I said. Sera gave me a knowing look of concern.


    "It''s under control." I told her. I felt her probing around in my head, and I convinced myself that I wasn''t lying.


    Having Chase around was like waiting for a time bomb to go off. Especially with Kalysta being there.


    "I told Lilith..." I tried to change the subject.


    "I know." She said knowingly. "I''ll keep my ears open for any information that could be helpful. The winds are changing for us too."


    "Say goodbye to Daddy. He''s gotta go back to work now." Sera kissed Auria''s head. The little girl spun in her mother''s arms and waved.


    "Bye kiddo. I''ll see you soon." I told her, booping her on the nose. She giggled and my heart repaired a bit.


    "Bye Daddy!" She called as her and Seraphina ascended the stairs. I watched them go all the way back up.


    I''ve learned many things from being in the Order of Vigilance. Important things like realizing that nothing is what it seems and that there was magic in even the smallest things. But the most important lesson that I learned from trial by fire, was that if you loved something, you locked it away, deep in the woods, where no one else would ever find it.