I doubled back multiple times on the way to the hideout, alternated moving through both low and high population areas.

No sign of a tail. But I’d been wrong before.

Emulation hadn’t pinged once during the conversation with Gray-hair. He probably didn’t use a skill on me directly, but that didn’t mean someone hadn’t. Someone nearby, in one of the cars behind us. After returning to the hideout, I stripped off my armor and combed through it for a tracker, specifically focusing on the armor’s back, underarms, and legs. I checked the list to make sure Gray-hair hadn’t made subtle physical contact at any point. He hadn’t. Subsequently, I dumped the documents on a nearby table and tore open the manila envelope, searching for anything that resembled a tracker.

Nothing.

Still not satisfied, I changed into civilian clothes and sat down on a bench across from the hideout, Allfather’s mask tuned to provide maximum coverage.

I was looking for drive-bys. Anyone who slowed down a bit too much in proximity of the hideout. Problem was, this was a congested area. Cars slowed down all the time. Some man in a pickup rear-ended a Miata and got out, screaming at the driver, who cowered in her seat.

Annoyed, I used to convince him she had a gun on her lap. The screaming driver paled and immediately got back in his car, pickup chugging exhaust as it sped around the Miata and through a nearby stop sign, narrowly swerving around oncoming traffic.

“Considering the task he gave you, wouldn’t it make more sense if the Suit—“Talia started

”Call him Gray, for simplicity.” I said. It was overly terse, even for me.

”If Gray didn’t bother tracking you until you accomplished the task?” Talia said.

Azure’s bright and cheery voice chimed in, grating. ”Wolf-girl’s got a point. He knows where you’ll be. Not necessarily when you’ll be there, but it’s a lot easier to keep tabs on a house than a person—”

”What the fuck happened with the mind-reading?” I interjected. ”Can you do it or not?”

”I… I mean… the surface has a lot of interference.” Azure babbled. He sounded genuinely intimidated by the question. ”I’m sorry. I tried.”

Trying didn’t help me.

But I had enough self-awareness to know when I was displacing anger, and managed to avoid directing that thought at the lithid at the last moment. It wasn’t his fault. Not to mention with the way he revered me, it’d be disturbingly easy to use him as a punching bag, due to the high bond and the fact neither Talia nor I liked him much.

I needed to be especially careful to avoid that.

Even though Azure had put me through hell, all of my summons had a rocky start. Talia wanted to kill me for the death of her pups. Audrey had every intention to eat me alive.

Azure had done what he was effectively programed to do. Touch a nerve. More stomped than touched, but whatever. Punching down on him for acting according to his nature would be nothing more than bullying.

I rubbed my brow, suddenly tired.

”It’s okay. I appreciate the honesty. I’d much rather know you don’t have something than think you do and be wrong.”

Eventually, I gave up and returned to the hideout. I let all three summons out and sat squarely on the couch, lost in thought.

Azure invited Audrey onto his lap, and when the plant accepted, started feeding her meat from the cooler and petting the Flowerfang’s head. Out of the corner of my eye, Talia sniffed at the pink dog bed. She looked over at me and the lithid suspiciously. When neither of us paid her any mind, she rotated in a circle and laid down.

There was a new quest in my notification screen.

Quest: Blood and Intrigue

Primary Objective — Kill the target.

Secondary Objective — Avoid drawing attention, being tailed, and accomplishing the Primary Objective in any manner that might blow back on the quest giver.

Threat Level: (???)

EXP GAIN (???)

Time Limit: One Week.

Reward: Possible recruitment into ??? Guild

“Why even bother filling in the quest name?” I complained aloud. “Just put three fucking question marks in every field and call it a day.”

“Big meat bad.” Audrey scowled, and started to say something else before Azure shoved more ground hamburger in her mouth.

On one hand, I was relieved that the quest wasn’t part of a chain. On the other, it was entirely possible that it was a chain.

“Such a simple mind.” I heard Azure whisper. “So much potential for fun.”

“Hey.” Talia barked, fur on the back of her neck standing straight up.

“Fun?” I asked dangerously.

The lithid wilted. “I mean, you told me not to read you or the dog’s minds. You didn’t say anything about this one.”

Fair enough. He’d gotten both my and Talia’s hackles up, but pointed out an oversight in the process.

I leaned my face on my hand, staring at the new summon. “Do not mind-read any of my summons, friends, or family except for Ellison. Do not attempt to harm any of my summons, friends, or family. Do not manipulate them. Do not feed on them.”

Azure deflated. “What if they’re already suffering, and I just take a nibble?”

I spoke slowly. “Do not, nibble, on my summons, friends, or family.”

“But… why? That’s so wasteful.” The lithid sounded genuinely distraught.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Do you know what a conflict of interest is?”

“Yes.” Azure sighed heavily.

“Then you get it. I don’t give two shits about our opposition, but I want to avoid putting you in a position where you’re incentivized if the people around me are hurting.”

“So… you’re looking out for me?” Azure asked brightly, bumping his shoulder into mine.

“Obviously, you’re my highest priority.” I rolled my eyes. “Now scoot over? It’s a big couch.” The lithid did as I asked with no complaint, seeming in oddly high spirits after our talk. After a few minutes, I understood why. There was a bright light as Azure changed forms into a flowerfang, with red coloring instead of Audrey’s purple.

I opened my mouth, then hesitated. Audrey seemed delighted with the development. She interwove a vine with Azure’s, and they gallivanted around the room as a pair, doing an excellent impression of the grouped up flowerflangs from the second floor.

“Azure? This should have gone without saying, but—“

Azure popped back into his human form, sulking. “I promise not to imitate you or your summons, friends, or family.” Audrey looked equally disappointed.

I considered the implications, if there was anything I was missing. “The rest, yes. Unless I tell you otherwise. But—“ I turned my attention to Audrey. “You know Azure isn’t a real Flowerfang, right?”

Audrey tilted her head, deep in thought. “Yes. Yet, it’s… nice. To see another.”

Maybe Audrey was lonely. I sighed, hoping I didn’t regret this decision. “You can imitate Audrey.”

Azure let out a whoop and shifted to flowerfang form.

“Azure is welcome to a wolf form as well.” Talia said. I twisted in my seat to look at her, shocked. “What? If we ever go scouting together, it will be more helpful to have two mobile sets of eyes.”

That was shockingly pragmatic, considering what Azure had done to Talia. “Fine. But no social use of Talia’s form. Don’t use her form to talk to anyone besides us.”

“Thank you!” Azure sounded delighted, but his interpretation of a flowerfang’s smile looked downright sinister.

”Is there a reason you didn’t use him to follow Gray?” Talia asked. “Azure could have easily slipped into his shadow.”

”Gray’s high up. And if my read is correct, he’s mired in some sort of power struggle. He’ll be taking additional precautions.” I glanced at Azure, spinning his newly minted vines in something that resembled a dance. ”And even with the bond, I’m not certain how much we can trust him yet.”

”So he’s probationary.”

”For the moment.”

“Do you intend to carry out Gray’s assignment?” Talia asked aloud. Azure parted from Audrey, wandering over to hear the answer.

I began to leaf through the dossier. “I’m not going to kill someone just because some asshole snaps his fingers.”

“But it’d be so satisfying if you did.” Azure commented.

I put the documents down, studying Talia. “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Due diligence is the name of the game here. As tempting as it is to take Buzzcut out, it’s entirely possible that might be the worst option. Especially if Gray is planning to tie up loose ends after we do the dirty work for him.”

Talia pointed her nose away, with an oddly displeased expression. “Then what do we do?”

I returned to the first page of the dossier.

Buzzcut’s real name was Cameron Reed. He was thirty-four. Graduate with honors with a major in economics. But the minor was more interesting.

Criminal Justice

That combination screamed one of two things. Forward-thinking criminal, or law enforcement.

“Research.” I answered.