She looked up at Erasmus and Sunny and began to laugh. “To think three days ago, If I’d been nearly killed by my best friend. I don’t think a shower would have been the first thing on my mind—” The a realization hit the young woman. “Oh no, Lucas.”

“Lucas?” Both Osgood and Sunny asked as they looked at each other.

The teen reached up and grabbed her dark hair. “Yes, Lucas. My friend Caroline’s date for the formal… She had asked him on my birthday…” The realization hit Victoria then. “She asked him out before he could ask me out. That bitch. She also was Michael.” The then placed her other hand on her head melodramatically. “The eyes—”

“The eyes?” Sunny asked.

“Yes…” Osgood said musingly as if he were thinking it through. “It’s said they are the window to the soul.” The older man said thoughtfully.

“That's right,” Victoria said excitedly. “And you can’t hide your soul. She can’t change her eyes even if she changes her body.” She stated with a smile. “I can find her.” She said confidently. “We can start with Lucas.”

“How.” Sunny asked mystified by the mental workings of the teenager in front of her.

“So see Caroline always had a reason why we couldn’t meet at her house. Her parents didn’t want guests, friends visiting …always something. Even them I doubt the house I know of is her real house. But Lucas, he probably knows where she is. If not I bet he has some way of contacting her—” The excited girl said.

“Because it would just be weird of a boyfriend couldn’t call up his girlfriend?” The older woman asked questioningly.

“Yes!” Victoria said gleefully. Then a thought crossed her mind. “Wait you don’t?” Sunny once more eyed Osgood before answering.

“It's rare that two hunters that are having a relationship are allowed to work together.” The older woman started to say. “But, I’ve been known to drop out of sight for a few days. MY husband doesn’t usually worry…” She said looking at her boss in puzzlement.

“It’s a cultural thing.” The older man said giving them both an exaggerated shrug. ”How do we contact this young man?”

X X X

“I can’t believe you called his mother,” Sunny said looking askance at her young protege.

She shrugged. “Lucas was always complaining about her being a helicopter parent. I figured She would know where he was since he doesn’t have a cell phone.” They were standing outside the Cosmic Kitten Comic’s and Games. Sunny was staring at the sign, in horror.

“And I can’t believe this is a real thing.” She said in a mournful sigh.

“Believe it and believe you be the hottest woman any of the men or boys in there have ever seen,” Victoria said with a smirk.

“Oh, Library no,” Sunny said as she strode to the door and opened it. The scent of old paper and unwashed teenager wafted out to pollute the nearby air. “Where should we look for him.” The older woman asked.

“His mom said he was here for the tournament.” The teenager said as she pointed to the back of the store. They saw a seating area filled with old card tables.

“Are you sure they aren’t playing poker back there?”

“Nope, they are all WOTD players,” Victoria said quietly. The seated gamers were mostly young acne covered teens. There, of course, were far more boys than girls.

“WOTD?” Saundra asked.

“Wizards of the Dragoning.” The teen said with asperity in her voice. “One of the biggest new card games in the past five years.”

“And you would know this because why?”

At her question, Victoria blushed. “MY friend Lucas, and his friend Michael who compared to these boys look like a geek god.”

“I think you meant Greek god.” The older woman said.

“Oh, no. Most definitely a geek god. He scored fifteen-twenty on the SAT. Runs track and field along with baseball. His eyes are like caramel pools.” The teen said with a dreamy smile. “Currently he is suspended from school. I’m pretty sure Caroline had something to do with that too.”

“Oh, is he here?” Her mentor asked interested in seeing the young man her trainee seemed to have a thing for. She saw the young girl look around quickly then shake her head in the negative.

“But I think I see one of the boys from the gaming club.” She replied angling over to a short plump boy. Reaching out she put her hand on his shoulder. “Sorry to bother you but I think you are in my gaming club at school.”

The young man looked up at her and gave her a goofy grin. “Oh, yeah man. Sorry like, I didn’t introduce myself but everyone calls me Doc. You want to get in the tournament?”

She looked at Sunny and the older woman made a pushing motion with her hands. “Uhm. sorry no. I am trying to find Lucas though.”

“Oh, woah he left with that girlfriend of his Coraline, or something like that. He was really happy too.” The glassy-eyed young man replied.

“May I.” Saundra said abruptly leaning in to pick up a card from the boy's discard pile. She brought it up and examined it closely. “Astonishing.” She said placing it back then examining the other cards at play on the table. “Cartomancy?” She asked then shook her head. “Where did they go?”

“Well the chick said she was gonna go take him to a place of power. I figured she was going to some secret spot to make out with him.” Victoria rolled her eyes at the boy's unlikely dream.

“Do you know where she might be talking about?” Sunny asked the teenage girl.

“The only place of power I can think of is the ley-line nexus but that's guarded,” Victoria replied. Do you know of any others?”

“There are a couple of old graveyards. A church or two within city limits. The abandoned asylum, the stockyards, and the Japanese tea garden off the top of my head. The question is what does she want with him?”

“Heh,” Doc laughed.

“Do you know?” Victoria asked him crossly.

“You’re like so serious. I was just gonna say virgin sacrifice. Seriously tonights the lunar eclipse, but sheesh, you don’t seem the type to get the joke.” At the young man's words, Sunny’s eyes grew wide.

“Oh no. All the different plots going on.” She said.

“What?” Victoria asked in confusion. “All of what plots.”

“The potion, the guns the goblins and orcs. A lunar eclipse and the spawn of a fallen angel doing a virgin sacrifice at a place of power.” The older woman said in horror.

“The potion to get all the creatures stirred up and humans to unleash all their fear--” Victoria said as her mind flicked through the horrific possibilities. “But where do I fit into this crazy puzzle?”

“We need to talk to Erasmus,” Sunny said turning and walking quickly through the room. Victoria followed closely but she could hear doc in the background.

“Yeah, told you I had a girl.” Then a muffled titer. “Yeah she doesn’t get down here often she’s Canadian.”