The mood on Emilie’s yacht was muted as they made their way down the Suez Canal. The battle in the desert, and Chloé’s own actions, were still on all of their minds as the waves lapped against the hull. Chloé was below deck, sleeping in her cabin, and when they left the Red Sea they’d planned for her to swim alongside the ship, preserving her strength and allowing her to feed on sea life if need be.

But she can’t eat fish forever, Mika thought grimly, looking over the railing.

Behind him he heard someone coming up the wooden steps, and Oklahoma waved to him with a small smile as she joined him at the railing.

“We’re headed to Mumbai,” she announced.

“I thought the next temple was in Cambodia?” Mika asked with a frown.

“That’s what captain cat says,” Oklahoma said with a shrug, “but she wants to dock her yacht somewhere and take the rest of the journey by plane. We’ve got enough money that we should be able to get some kind of aircraft in a place like that, and I can fly anything short of a commercial aircraft, so long as you’re not hung up on licenses.”

“So, you can fly a private jet?” Mika asked, curious.

“Yeah, if Emilie wants to spend enough for us to have one,” Oklahoma replied, “I can even fly a helicopter, but I haven’t since being in the National Guard.”

“So why were you in Brazil in the first place?” Mika asked, “it seems like you could have stayed back in the States.”

Oklahoma shrugged, “home didn’t have much left for me, and after spending a couple of years working for Uncle Sam, I wanted a less rigid life. Brazil seemed interesting, it had people who paid cash and didn’t ask questions, and it wasn’t too hard to pick up Portuguese.” She chuckled as the yacht left the canal, entering the open sea, “plus, I want some excitement in my life…” She glanced at him, “now granted, this whole thing has turned out to be more excitement than I anticipated.

“I feel the same,” Mika said, smiling as the wind ripped through his hair. “I think I’ve seen more in the last few weeks than most archeologists will get to in their entire careers.” He thought a moment, “If I have to write a book on all of this, I don’t even know where I’d begin…”

“Chapter one,” Oklahoma said in a faux narrator’s voice, “A scrawny young lad asks for the services of the most beautiful, dashing, intelligent, and skilled pilot in all the world.”

In spite of himself, Mika burst into laughter.

…

“Hey, sir, Higgins, are you okay?” Richards asked, prodding Higgins’ shoulder.

“Hm?” he set his cocktail glass down, having held the whiskey for nearly a half hour without taking so much as a sip, simply contemplating the amber liquid and occasionally sloshing it back and forth. “Sorry, I’m just thinking about things.”

The small hotel in the Seychelles had been taken over by Yukia and her entourage, with the Nekos staying in the luxury suites on the second floor. Their orders had mostly been to secure the grounds and keep locals out, allowing the catgirls to roam them freely without disguises. The hotel’s staff had been paid generously to take two days off, leaving Higgins and his men the run of the place until their next orders came. He’d found himself joining Richards and a few of the other men he’d recruited at the hotel’s now vacant bar, and they’d quickly enjoyed the well stocked inventory meant for wealthy travelers.

Or the men had, Higgins hadn’t been in the mood.

Richards frowned a minute, glancing around, then whispered, “Is it something with Yukia? Is she in on things?”

Higgins considered what to say, he’d never been one for letting underlings have any more information than absolutely necessary, but this wasn’t a normal situation. Stranger still he wanted to talk to someone.

“No,” he growled slowly, “she’s not, I don’t know what her game is…”

“All of the cats are a little crazy,” Richards muttered under his breath, “It’s probably from living so long.”

Higgins nodded, “You’re probably right… I think I’m going to go lay down.”

Without waiting for another word, he stood up, leaving his glass on the bar as he headed out into the hotel’s main lobby. There were a few other guards present, and they nodded at him as he went past. His own men were nearly one third of the total present, and part of him knew that his conspiracy couldn’t possibly remain a secret for much longer… If Natasha was to die, he would need to move soon.

Got to make it there alive first, he thought, heading up the stairs to the second floor. He peered into the hallway where the suites were located, thankfully seeing none of the Nekos. He reached into his pocket, drawing out a simple pair of latex gloves that he never was without these days, and slowly slid them on. I need that supplier to hurry up and get me those tougher ones, he thought, annoyed. The blue medical gloves would do for now though, and he stopped outside of Yukia’s door, rapping it three times.

His body tensed as she opened the door, and her feline eyes went wide with surprise and delight as she saw him, “Higgins,” she cooed, waving him inside, “I was just thinking about you?”

He nervously went in, glancing around the room, half expecting some hidden booby trap. The suite was a wide open one, with a furnished sitting room separate from the bedroom, along with an airy balcony overlooking the sea. Yukia’s tail swished behind her as she strolled to the far side of the living room rug, then turned to face him, her ears twitching excitedly as she saw his blue gloves.

“Did you come to fight?” she asked almost eagerly.

“I came prepared,” he said, shifting his stance, “I just came to talk about what happened back in Egypt…”

Yukia giggled gleefully, “Okay, but we have to fight first!” She saw his look and rolled her eyes, “I haven’t fed on a human recently, I think you can keep up!” She purred under her breath, her ears flickering in excitement, “That’s part of why I’m enjoying you so much, it’s been a long time since I’ve met anyone, let alone a human, who can land a hit on me!”

Higgins ran forward, striking with his gloved fists and hitting only empty air as the catgirl gracefully flipped backwards, laughing madly. She steadied herself again, leaping effortlessly over the couch to flank him and spinning at him with a wide kick to his ribs.

Not today, His arm came down, catching her leg and swinging her around, releasing her and letting her stumble into an end table, knocking over a lamp. For a brief moment he almost reached for his pistol, but stopped himself halfway.

Yukia saw the motion too, and her grin broadened as she stood up straight again, “Good boy,” she purred, relaxing. Higgins tensed as she made her way towards him, but it didn’t seem like she was going to attack. “So,” she said, slowly walking her fingers up his sleeve, “I’ve been thinking… We should get a little closer.”

She surprised him by placing a hand on his cheek, and he cursed his stupidity as the world spun away, his clothes falling around him as he was reduced to the size of a mouse. He fought his way through the circus tent sized shirt, hoping to make a break for it, but a massive hand reached in through his now empty sleeve, effortlessly snatching him up and bringing him out into view of the now gigantic hotel room.

“Running away at that size is pretty pointless,” the giant catgirl grinned, lifting his body up to her billboard sized face, “I have very good reflexes, all of us Nekos can catch tiny things easily.”

This is it, Higgins thought, watching her mouth move, any minute now she’ll slip me past those lips, and then- He frowned, trying to make sense of what he was seeing as Yukia slowly undid the sash of the Japanese style robe she wore. It tumbled down to the floor, pooling at the Neko’s feet as she delicately walked towards the bedroom, her tail swaying behind her as he took in her tight undergarments.

“W-What’s happening?” Higgins managed.

Yukia paused, amused, “Isn’t this what you came here to do?”

Higgins had never had problems getting women for a night, it was the morning after when the fairer sex tended to sour on him, but being the size of a mouse and trapped in the grip of an amorous catgirl was beyond his experience or imagination. Still, one didn’t survive as long as he did without developing quick reflexes.

“Yes,” he said quickly, “I just didn’t think you’d make me…”

“I like humans small,” Yukia growled, licking her lips in a way that caused his heart to skip a beat… and that lit a fire in his loins at the same time.

She leapt onto her bed, rolling onto her back and letting him slip slightly, catching him only when he was dangling by one arm over her face. Her other hand snaked down into her black underwear, and she slowly began to rub herself as she looked up at the tiny human in her hand, her face going flush. Higgins tensed as the mouth stretched open wide, her tongue lolling out playfully.

“Yukia?” he gasped.

“I’m just playing,” she insisted, giggling.

Higgins heart pounded as she started lowering him closer to her open mouth, rubbing her wet womanhood all the while. Her hot breath billowed up to him, the humidity leaving his skin feeling almost damp as she exhaled slowly.

He shouted in surprise as her fingers released him, and a moment later he tumbled down onto her tongue as though it were a wet mattress, curling behind him and shoveling him inside. The light disappeared as she closed her mouth, and an earth shattering moan echoed out around him as she fingered herself to orgasm.

You had to trust her, you fucking idiot! Higgins cursed himself, closing his eyes and bracing for the inevitable *gulp* that would signal his end, as it had for so many others.

*pfft*

He hit the bed’s mattress with a grunt, looking up at the gigantic form of the catgirl in confusion. She had a goofy grin on her face, one that hinted that she was just as surprised as he was. She stared at him a moment, the silence between them growing until he awkwardly cleared his throat.

“Uh, you didn’t-“

“Of course I didn’t!” she giggled, “I mean…” She chewed her lip, “there was a moment where I thought about it…” Her finger reached down to him, making contact with his stomach. A split second later he was at his full size, next to her in the bed, still naked.

It’s odd how small she looks now, he thought, at first glance nobody would expect that the petite black haired catgirl next to the muscular man was actually the more dangerous of the two.

“I was just having some fun,” she insisted.

Her tone is off… like she’s trying to convince herself as much as me? He scowled, trying to summon some of his usual cold indifference, “I didn’t like it.”

Yukia snorted, grinding herself against his throbbing erection and causing him to wince in pleasure, if not for the panties she was still wearing he’d have slid right into her, as it was he could feel their dampness, inviting him to the treasure inside.

“ Really? ” Yukia asked, flittering her feline ears, “I think some part of you might have liked it.” She extended on of her catlike claws from under her fingernail, slowly tracing it down his chest, not hard enough to draw blood, but firm enough to leave a thin white line on his skin. “Then again, I’ve been bad, maybe you need to punish me?” She looked up at him eagerly, and with a growl he gripped her, rolling her onto her back.

“You’d better not even think of shrinking me while we do this,” he growled.

“Oh, believe me, I wouldn’t dream of it!” Yukia grinned eagerly, “unless you leave me unsatisfied that is?”

In the end, Higgins didn’t have to worry about that at least.

…

Chloé looked up in awe at the skyscrapers of Mumbai’s harbor as the yacht drifted beneath the grand bridge spanning both sides. The towering steel spires were bigger than any in the cities she’d seen so far, and idly she imagined herself scaling them in her Naga form, with a start she realized that even in her true form those buildings would tower over her.

“We’re staying at a luxury hotel called The Palace tonight,” Emilie said, coming up on deck. “We’ll acquire an aircraft tomorrow, then continue on to Cambodia.”

Mika was following with her, and Chloé left the railing, instinctively moving to his side. She saddened for a moment as he seemed to hesitate, but with a small smile he took her hand. For the millionth time she wished she could be a human girl for him, that they could live a normal life in some faraway place and leave the danger and responsibility of the quest behind them.

But you’re not a human girl, she thought, glancing down at her legs, it’s just a disguise…

“You okay?” Mika asked, glancing at her.

“Yeah,” she said, forcing a smile. “I’m just excited to be back on land!”

…

The Palace hotel was an old establishment, dating back to British rule of the subcontinent. While much of the English taste in architecture and layout remained, the locals had taken the rest as their own, and time had done the rest, leaving Emilie looking around the lobby in confusion as families of tourists from the world over traipsed past her, most wearing shorts and t-shirts.

“I don’t understand,” Emilie muttered, “this is supposed to be the most exclusive and high class establishment in the city!” She nearly lost the wig covering her feline ears as she jumped out of the way of a pair of children, chasing each other towards the pool and laughing.

“When were you last here?” Oklahoma asked.

Emilie’s brow furrowed, “About a century or so? Give or take a decade or two.”

“I’d say they’re under new management,” Mika chuckled.

“Welcome to the palace,” the concierge smiled as they approached the counter, “Do you have a reservation?”

“What do you think?” Mika asked Emilie, “do you still want to stay here?”

“If you’re trying to decide on an establishment, we have three swimming pools, a grand ballroom with dancing every evening, and a world-renowned cocktail bar which doesn’t have last call until three AM!” the concierge beamed.

Oklahoma piqued up at the last item mentioned, “Hey Emilie, let’s give it a shot.”

“Very well,” Emilie sighed, defeated.

…

The sounds of partying tourists echoed up from the lower levels of the hotel as the sun began to set. The party had rented two rooms, one for Emilie and Oklahoma, and one for Mika and Chloé. Mika was sitting on his bed now, scowling as he watched the news reports playing clips of the battle in Istanbul, Chloé’s massive tail sliding through the streets as people screamed.

“Recently released footage of the Istanbul incident raises more questions than answers,” the news reporter said, “Our station has also obtained an exclusive interview with the journalist who claims to have photos of the creature pre-dating it’s sighting in Istanbul.”

Gloria Chesterfield’s beaming face filled the screen, her nose ring bobbing excitedly as she waved at the news team through the video link.

“Hi everyone!” she said, “Gloria Chesterfield, Weekly World News! Now as those of you who have been following my blog know, the Snake Woman is either working for or against the army of Catgirls that secretly controls vast swathes of the economy.”

“Miss Chesterfield,” the reporter cut in, “Perhaps we could focus on the Istanbul incident-“

“I’ll get to it,” Gloria said dismissively, “I was first tipped off to the existence of the Catgirls during my first interview with Bat-Boy several years ago, he’s doing great by the way.” She slowly panned the webcam to a massive poster on her wall, covered in newspaper clippings and with strings connecting the articles. The news reporter looked physically pained as Gloria began to elaborate on more of her theories, “Now, did the Snake Woman build Stonehenge? I think we need to start asking the real questions,” Gloria continued.

“I’ve seen enough,” Mika said, grabbing the television remote and clicking it off.

“Who’s Bat Boy?” Chloé asked with a frown.

“He’s fake,” Mika said.

“Fake like snake women and cat girls?” Chloé asked with a smirk.

Mika sighed, “No he’s definitely fake, seriously Chloé not everything is real!”

Chloé giggled, enjoying the way he got flustered, “What about Mickey Mouse? Is he real?” She sat on the bed next to him, stroking his arm a moment. He glared at her, then softened as he saw her face, then laughed with her.

“You had me going there for a moment,” he sighed.

“Do you want to go find Emilie and Oklahoma?” Chloé asked, “I think they were going to go have some fun, this might be the last chance we get for a while.”

“You go ahead,” Mika nodded, “I’ll catch up.” He reached for his backpack, sliding his father’s worn journal out of it. “I’m going to do a bit of reading,” he explained, “see if there’s anything I missed that might be useful.”

For a moment Chloé wanted to hug him tight and refuse to leave, but instead she forced herself to get up. She shot one last look back at him as he pored over the journal, then slipped out the door.

…

“At least this room is the same,” Emilie muttered, looking around the wood paneling and leather seating of the hotel’s bar and lounge.

“So this place was some kind of gathering place for the elite back in the day?” Oklahoma asked.

“Sultans, sugar barons, foreign dignitaries,” Emilie sighed, gesturing around with her glass of wine, “They all met here, I suppose the human world is always changing though.” She stared into her cup for a moment, “I can’t remember his name, but there was a pirate I met off the coast of West Africa once, he boarded the ship I was traveling on…”

“Don’t tell me you met Blackbeard too?” Oklahoma asked excitedly.

“No, never,” Emilie chuckled, “The pirate I met was… refined, a strange sort who served and drank tea with me while his men took the valuables from the ship, he even spoke Latin.”

“Well, I’ve never met any pirates, so you’ve got all my stories beat,” Oklahoma chuckled, “did he say arr?”

“No, he said he’d have a short life, but a merry one,” Emilie mused, “it’s very much the opposite of how my people have always approached things.”

“Hey,” Chloé said, sighing as she slid into their booth.

“What’s got you down kid?” Oklahoma asked, sipping her own drink, an expertly mixed Old Fashioned.

“It’s just… Mika seems a little standoffish since we completed the last temple,” Chloé explained. “I’m worried he’s thinking about me differently.”

Oklahoma and Emilie glanced at one another, “He loves you to death Chloé,” Oklahoma said finally.

“He might simply be getting used to your… role, as it were,” Emilie said. “I’m confident the awkwardness will fade.”

“Do you think he’d be happier if he was in love with someone normal?” Chloé asked, “A human?”

Oklahoma snorted, then burst into laughter, aided slightly by the drinks she’d consumed, “No Chloé, I don’t for a minute think that,” she sighed finally.

Chloé frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Mika seems… predisposed to liking your naga form,” Emilie said delicately.

“He likes that you’re this big powerful… goddess thing,” Oklahoma said, gesturing with her hand as she searched for the words. “If you’re really worried about it, go to him, hell grab a bottle of champaign from the barkeep and go pour your heart out, then rock his world!”

“Rock his world?” Chloé asked, frowning.

“You know,” Oklahoma chuckled. She made a lewd gesture, sliding her finger into her palm repeatedly.

“Oh!” Chloé said, smiling, “we haven’t done that in human form yet… does it all work mostly the same?”

Emilie blushed, “This conversation has taken a turn for the risqué.”

Oklahoma glanced around, making sure nobody was listening in on them, then she leaned close, “Yeah Chloé, it mostly works the same… I think, I mean you’ve got a hole, fill it, you know? Human girls have to be aggressive to get the males doing what we want though, so just go a little wild, okay?”

“Dim the lighting when you go in,” Emilie offered, “humans love that, it’s sensuous!”

“Now Chloé,” Oklahoma said, her voice going low, “let’s talk handcuffs, and safe words-“

“She won’t be needing any of that!” Emilie hissed.

“And how would you know?” Oklahoma laughed.

“I went to enough of the Marquis De Sade’s dinner parties to know!” Emilie snapped.

“I don’t know who Marky De Sade is,” Oklahoma said, “but there’s nothing wrong with a little-“

“I think I’ll just go talk to him,” Chloé said firmly. She smiled at the two of them, “thanks, I do feel better.”

The pair watched her go, then Emilie scowled at Oklahoma, “if she handcuffs Mika to the bed or some nonsense-“ She huffed, “what if she loses her concentration and reverts to her Naga form? Up there? In the hotel room?”

Oklahoma shrugged, “I’m sure she’ll be fine, she’s stayed human through more stressful stuff than a night with her boyfriend. And if not?” Oklahoma downed the rest of her drink with a grin, “A short life, but a merry one? That’s what your pirate said, right?”

…

Mika looked up as the door to the room opened, “Chloé?”

“Hi Mika,” she said softly, reaching out for the light switch to dim the overhead lamp as she walked in.

Mika frowned, setting the journal aside as she moved to sit on the bed next to him, “Is something wrong?”

“Do you ever wish I was just a normal human girl?” she burst out, fighting to keep her voice steady.

Mika blinked in surprise, “No,” he said without hesitation, “Never!”

“Everything I am is causing you so much trouble though,” she said, blinking a tear out of her eye, “and I’m… I’m always going to be a Naga, I’ll have to eat like a Naga.”

Mika swept her into a hug that silenced her, squeezing her hard, “Hey,” he said softly, “yes, you are a Naga, you’re unbelievably powerful, and me, Emilie, Oklahoma, all these other people, you could crush us like bugs… but you don’t, you protect people Chloé. You do everything you can to save lives. Yes, you are what you are, but the goddess is right. Someone needs to do the things you do,” he parted from her a moment, meeting her eyes, “I understand that now… If I’d known, I never would have tried to force you to be anything else.”

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she squeaked in surprise as he kissed her, embracing as they fell upon the bed together. Their hands fumbled at one another’s clothing, blindly pulling the garments off one by one, tossing them to the floor of the hotel room. Soon they were naked, and, using all of the strength she had, Chloé forced Mika onto his back, climbing on top of him with a grin.

“It’s so much different,” she mused, “with you being the bigger one.”

“Not by much,” he laughed, “or as much anyways.”

“Lay back,” she ordered, putting her palm on his chest and forcing him down, “I’m taking you!”

Taking me? he frowned, Chloé was usually the dominant force in their lovemaking by virtue of her sheer size, but he hadn’t expected her to be this aggressive.

She reached down between his legs, guiding him to her entrance, then slowly sliding down his length with a high gasp. Her hands came down onto his chest, her warm palms gripping his skin slightly as she began to rock her body against his.

She’s amazing, Mika thought, smiling and closing his eyes as she rode him, her soft moans filling his ears and drowning out the muted noise from the parties going on below.

For Chloé it was a novel experience, being able to see the way her lover’s face contorted with each downward thrust of her hips. Mika found himself staring at her face too, loving the way her face scrunched up, fighting shivers of pleasure as they embraced.

“I’m going faster,” Chloé warned, increasing her tempo.

Mika groaned, gripping her hips and using his own strength to help her along. Soon they both had a slight sheen of sweat as they fought their way closer to climax. They reached it together, their cries filling one another’s ears as they shared the blissful moment.

Chloé never wanted it to end, but as the fuzzy feeling wave of pleasure subsided, she sighed, falling back to his side on the bed. They lay there in each other’s arms, not saying anything.

…

Yukia walked her fingers along the sleeping Higgin’s side, debating whether she wanted to shrink the exhausted human to tiny size, then dispose of him in her favorite way. She frowned as she realized that, like before, she truly didn’t want to.

“What the hell is wrong with me?” she wondered, flicking her ear in annoyance.

Deciding that Higgins was safe for now, and annoyed with herself for it, she sighed angrily and slid out of the bed, grabbing her robe from the floor and tying it back on as she walked to the living room. She stared up at the night sky, trying to rationalize her own behavior.

I love shrinking and eating humans, the way they squirm on the way down… the rush of power that comes after! She glanced back at the bedroom, you though… you’re more fun like this, you’re good in bed, and you can even keep up with me. She crossed her arms with a smirk, fun, yes, that’s the only reason I’m keeping you! You’re more fun than most humans! She chuckled to herself, glad she’d solved the inner conflict.

With an evil grin on her face, she walked back to the bed, sliding into it to return to sleep. She frowned a moment, then pulled the blanket up over Higgins, making sure he was covered before turning over to doze off.

…

Chloé and Mika hadn’t been tired enough for sleep yet, and after a quick shared shower, the two were dressed and headed down to find their friends. The hotel’s ballroom was alive with activity, and the pair found both Oklahoma and Emilie clapping along with the rest of the crowd as the DJ played a fast paced pop song.

“Look at those two,” Oklahoma chuckled, nudging Emilie as the young lovers approached, “They’re practically glowing!”

“I hope she’s feeling better about things,” Emilie said softly.

“This looks like a good time!” Mika said, grinning as they made their way through the crowd of cheering tourists.

“You missed the macarena,” Oklahoma laughed.

“It was an interesting experience,” Emilie said, her brow furrowed, “I hadn’t learned any new dances since the Charleston.”

Chloé glanced down at her own legs, shifting uneasily, “I don’t know how to do any dances,” she said with a weak smile.

“Look, it’s easy,” Oklahoma said, “C’mere!”

Chloé squeaked as the pilot hooked her arm around Chloé’s, dragging her towards the front of the dance floor. Mika watched, amused, as Oklahoma drunkenly waved for the DJ, getting the man’s attention as the previous song ended.

We could almost be four normal friends on vacation, Mika thought.

“What is she doing?” Emilie asked, stunned.

“I think she’s requesting a song,” Mika frowned.

“Okay, a request from the United States,” the DJ’s voice boomed, “Everyone get ready for Cotton Eye Joe!”

“Oh god,” Mika groaned.

“Is this a popular song in your country?” Emilie asked curiously.

Chloé watched eagerly as Oklahoma showed her the footsteps, “And then you mimic using a lasso, like this!” she said, grinning as she spun her hand over her head. Chloé giggled, following along to the footsteps. She wasn’t the only one in the crowd watching Oklahoma, and before long the international mix of tourists were performing the line dance in time, cheering together as the song ended.

“I’ll be damned,” Mika chuckled, “I guess it is popular.”

The night went on, and as the crowd thinned the DJ switched up from fast paced pop and club music to slower songs.

Emilie piped up excitedly as a waltz began, causing the remaining dancers to couple up, “Oh, I haven’t heard this in ages!” she shouted, “Mika, waltz with me!”  

“I don’t really know how,” he said with an embarrassed smile.

Emilie huffed, then turned to Oklahoma, “Sorry,” the other woman shrugged, “the only other dance I know is the Boot Scoot Boogie.”

“I’ll do it!” Chloé said, holding her hand out.

Emilie grinned, pulling Chloé to her as they entered the dance floor. Emilie took the lead, and Chloé laughed as she was spun outward at the end of the song, leaning back as Emilie grunted with the effort of moving her around the ballroom.

“Whew,” the Neko chuckled when they were done, “sorry, I usually don’t lead!”

Soon the lights dimmed, and the dance floor was nearly empty save for the four of them and a handful of other couples. The music slowed, and the DJ announced the final song of the night.

Mika sighed, turning to Chloé, “Can I have this dance?” he asked, listening to the first few notes.

“Is this one hard?” she asked nervously.

“No,” he said, “but you’re supposed to do slow dances with someone special.”

She nodded, grinning as he took her hand and they slowly danced together to the slow piano notes and the crooning voice of a lounge singer neither of them recognized. Chloé looked to Oklahoma, to Emilie, then finally to Mika himself, feeling a sense of kinship with all of them that nearly brought tears to her eyes.

“Thanks,” she croaked finally, “thanks for dancing with me.”

Mika pulled her into a kiss as the song ended.

…

Yukia sighed, watching the men load the private jets for travel. Emilie’s yacht had been spotted in India, so that was where they would pick up the trail. She watched Higgins directing the men, her eyes lingering on him for a moment before she turned back to the hotel.

A new guest had taken up residence in it as they were moving out, and instead of human servants a pair of alert looking Neko guards, each carrying long elegant katana and small silver handguns, were posted at each door. They glanced at her as she approached, some smirking.

I guess the word got around about what I got up to last night, she thought, shooting a defiant grin back to them. There isn’t one of you that hasn’t had fun with a human before… If they’d hoped to intimidate her it wouldn’t work, she’d learned swordplay on the battlefields of Japan over several centuries, with a few excursions to mainland China to boot. I wish I was on the field with Takeda Shingen again, she thought wistfully. She stopped, frowning, Was I fighting for him, or against him? She couldn’t quite remember, and in the end, it didn’t matter.

She walked past the guards, her tail swishing behind her as she went to the hotel’s lounge. Natasha was there, sipping a blue colored tropical drink with a small umbrella in the cup. She set it down when she saw Yukia approach.

“You lost one of our people,” Natasha said coldly.

“The Naga had recently fed, we were under the impression she was avoiding human meals,” Yukia said defensively. “She was stronger and faster than we anticipated.”

“Mika and Emilie escaped too,” Natasha snapped, “this is completely unacceptable! We are not like the humans Yukia! Every one of us that is killed cannot be replaced!” She groaned angrily, rubbing her forehead, “First Charboneau, now this… Emilie, you exact a heavy toll from me!”

Yukia licked her lips, “Natasha, I was wondering, could I hear more about the final plan?”

Natasha looked up, her eyes narrowing, “It will assure our victory, why do you ask?”

Yukia suddenly felt nervous, unlike the guards she was not certain about her chances against Natasha in a fight. The Princesse had spent almost as much time on human battlefields as Yukia herself, having taken up hiding among a tribe of humans called the Franks, and their successors.

“All of the humans are going to be nothing more than one long meal for us,” Natasha continued, “and then that will be the end of it.”

“But we’ll keep a few, right?” Yukia asked, “the exceptional ones, like Charboneau?”

The dark cloud that passed over Natasha’s face told Yukia that her attempt to appeal to the Princesse’s emotions had failed.

“No,” Natasha said quietly, “with him gone… No, there are no more exceptions. We’re getting our revenge, in total.”

Yukia nodded, forcing a wicked grin she didn’t quite feel, “Understood, I’m looking forward to it! I love the way they squeal when they slide down my throat!”

“Good,” Natasha nodded, “it will be a feast!” She waved, “now go, and don’t fail me again!”