Fiona shivered within her little fake rock, peeking out at the bright, massive room beyond her glass prison. Giants moved beyond, their thunderous footsteps traveling through the wooden table and to the fish tank she was trapped in.

  Every muscle in her body sent a dull burn to her brain, her stomach snarling at her; they only gave her a tiny amount of sugar to sustain her life until they needed her. She tried to swallow, yet the lump in her throat wouldn’t go away, nor the scratching behind her tongue.

  How did it get like this? We only went out to get some doll clothes for me… Please, be okay, Erika.

  Her silver eyes lifted to the warped corner of the tank as the door opened for a new giant to enter; well, they were giants to her since she was less than 10 cm tall as a mythickin fairy. She’d been so caught up in her size that she hadn’t even been able to explore her abilities, and now she was just too weak. So far, her captors knew she could enchant people with elemental powers, and that was all they wanted her to do.

  To Fiona’s surprise, most of the gangsters around the room left, and the pretty white-haired woman who had just entered moved to her cage.

  “Aye, chica, you in there?”

  Curling tighter into a ball for a moment, a tear came to Fiona’s eye as she remembered what would happen if she didn’t come out. She tried not to whimper from the sandpaper-induced raw wounds on her arms and back on her way out.

  “W-What do you want from me now?” she cried. “I—ack…did everything you wanted me to—huh?”

  “Aye!” The woman took one look at her and shouted at Ben, the only other guard left in the room.

  Ben shifted his gun comfortably as he moved forward. “What, Maria? Look, I’m just doing—ugh!”

  Fiona couldn’t believe her eyes as the woman promptly marched over and started to beat the living snot out of the guy; his machine gun was yanked off, yet she seemed to prefer her fists because soon her fists were splattered with crimson.

  “S-Shit—stop, Maria, I…I didn’t do it…”

  “The hell you think you did to that lil’ ni?a, huh? Bastard! Lyin’ ta me?” she growled, clearly having some enhanced strength as she kicked him two meters into the wall. “Hehehe. Ya feel powerful now, right?”

  “P-Please…” he begged, nose broken, blood pooling down his front and face already begging to look more than a little ugly. “Orders…”

  “?Como dice?!” Maria huffed, picking the trembling man up by his shirt to throw him into a corner. “I don’t give a shit what some bitch told ya ta do! Get out of that corner, and I might just break every bone in your body, Ben. ?Comprende? Don’t tempt me, follador de burros!”

  “Got it…” he wept. “I got it…”

  Tears filled Fiona’s eyes as the woman’s face softened and moved closer. Compassion in her soft voice as a brilliant horn flared to life, all the pain washing away in a warm embrace.

  “Aye, you okay, lil ni?a? Hey, let me get ya out of this. You’re with me now. ‘ight? I won’t let these bastards hurt you anymore.”

  Fire shot up Fiona’s throat and nose, but this time, it wasn’t because of pain as she moved to collapse onto the angelic woman’s hand. “T-Thank you. I-I… My friend—I don’t know what to do…”

  “Shhh. It’s okay. I got you. Shit, they’re coming back,” she hissed. “Here, stay in here, and don’t make any noise. Understand?”

  Darkness took Fiona with a comforting warmth as the woman pulled up on her tank top and nestled her safely between her breasts. Her words vibrated Fiona’s body as she snarled at Ben.

  “You breathe a word; you ain’t ever forgettin’ my fists! You know who I run with, puta.”

  “I-I know! I won’t! I won’t!”

  The door opened, and muffled words followed. “Hey, where did the fairy go?”

  “S-She got away… I-I’m sorry!”

  “The hell, Ben?! Hey, where’s that damn ghost when you need him? Agh! Terrell’s gonna have my balls. Search the room. Let’s go!”

  Maria posted up by the wall beside Ben, probably to remind him of her presence, remaining silent as the men went crazy looking for her.

  “Maria, you seen anything?”

  Her hero just snorted, barely giving them a look.

  “C’mon, don’t just ignore me! Ugh… Never mind. Hey, go get Luis! We’re all dead if we can’t find her. Look, we don’t want beef with Miguel or TNS. Maria, please, just don’t go anywhere.”

  Fiona was speechless at how they were treating this woman. These guys were the cruelest people she’d ever met, but Maria made them quiver in their boots.

  “Get the hell outta my face then. You seen what happen to Ben, huh?”

  By the sounds of things, he held up his hands and backed away at the sight of the bloodied man, holding his ribs and unable to look at anyone.

  “No one’s gonna touch ya, Queenie. I’ll, uh, get Eliza and Margaret to, eh, welcome you.”

  Fiona shivered at the names of the elf and panther woman; these guys were afraid of her unicorn savior, but those two definitely wouldn’t be. They were running on borrowed time.

  “Tch. Ah, no-no, Ben, ya ain’t goin’ anywhere,” she said with a vicious chuckle as the man tried to leave. “I ain’t done with you.”

  He whimpered, but the other men didn’t seem to want any trouble from the angelic woman as they looked around the floor and sent people into the hallway.

  “Dammit! Check the vents… Is that a crack in the back wall? Shit!”

  Fiona wanted to cry but held it in; she had thought she would die here.

  Thank you… But we need to find a way out of here before Margaret and Eliza show up.

  Fiona’s thumping heart began to settle as the agitated gangsters kept a distance from Maria. They took off vents, ripped out couches, and scanned every inch for where she might be. It was fairly obvious that they suspected the unicorn had set her free, but it said a lot that no one confronted her about it.

  One of the nervous men stayed with Maria since she wasn’t allowing Ben to get off the couch; she could practically see his bloodied face from the occasional sniffs and pained groans he gave. It served them right for the torment they’d inflicted on Erika and her.

  She expected the unicorn’s immunity to only last so long, yet no one so much as pointed the finger at her, and the warmth she radiated felt just like the comforting rays of a bright summer day. On the plus side, the woman’s bust was large enough to give her plenty of room to settle at the bottom of her bra band. She could even see in the dim space since the woman’s skin had a star-like shimmer to it.

  After a while, she realized the pulse of Maria’s heartbeat against her ear wasn’t like a normal one. It could have just been her tiny 7 cm size that gave her that impression, but the throbbing hum it radiated gave her a sense of relief.

  Despite the unicorn’s crass mouth and attitude, her presence alleviated the horror the last three days had been, settling her frantic emotions. Just thinking about the raw sensation of sandpaper against her tiny frame, the debased threats against Erika to keep her in line, and the experiments made her body shake every so often.

  Fire, tasers, the freezer, boiling water, and even blasting music seemed to have little to no effect on her, but her body was so delicate and weak that the slightest bump could bruise her. She rubbed her shoulders, trying to get the bitter memories out of her head.

  Never in her life could she believe people could be so cruel; it was as if they weren’t even human. Still, at least she’d saved Erika from the pain, and that was enough to get her through each punishment.

  Learning more about the woman protecting her helped to pull her thoughts away from a downward spiral; she couldn’t believe they would make it out of this alive, and she feared what they might do to Maria when she was finally discovered.

  However, Peter, this group’s supervisor, only seemed to make nervous small talk with the unicorn while waiting for his panther beastkin boss, Luis. Fiona trembled at the security gradually setting in. She didn’t want hope to be betrayed. Not again, not after one man tried to rescue her, only for her to be forced to watch them torture him to death. She couldn’t be weak.

  Maria’s strong voice helped as the vibrations transferred through her chest to Fiona’s tiny body, somehow quelling her own shakes whenever the unicorn responded. Most of it was centered around her treatment, making Fiona’s lower lip tremble. It was challenging to keep her thankful emotions in check because she really wanted to cry.

  Be strong! Don’t cry… Please, don’t make noise…

  Maria was certainly a prisoner, just like her, but she seemed to be the boss of another influential gang that acted as an intermediary for a few criminal organizations. They handled a lot of courier business and were highly respected due to their loyalty and efficiency.

  She was also affiliated with a much more influential organization called TNS that dealt with international criminal networks, as well. And it appeared a lot of these smaller gangs feared a conflict between Terrell’s cartel group and TNS.

  Her sharp ears picked up some mumbled conversations that indicated some members weren’t sure about their direction since someone named Relica showed up. Fiona didn’t want any part of this, though. If she could get some sugar to restore her power and her best friend, she’d be out of here in a second.

  Being careful with her hair and movements not to tickle or agitate Maria, Fiona got into a better position to release her tension and jitters. Her thoughts went back to how all of this happened, and she was debating if it had been a good idea to leave Ireland in the first place. She was falling into a darker place than she’d ever thought possible.

  She’d graduated high school three years ago and was fairly popular in her small ocean town. Throughout her life, Fiona had been surrounded by the boys in their community and praised for her voice. Sure, some salty girls had talked smack, but she never paid them much mind, and they had generally only liked to hang around her to be near the more popular boys.

  The attention was nice, although she never quite felt like she belonged. Everyone was so superficial; it was like they only wanted to get to know her to say they knew her. She was the star of her little town, yet Fiona couldn’t feel comfortable around them.

  So, she did the minimum, was nice to people, and mainly focused on her Gaelic studies and online courses. Everyone said she was so mature and ahead of the curve, but they weren’t really seeing her; they all had this ethereal picture they plastered over her face. It didn’t take Fiona long to realize she wouldn’t be satisfied with the few opportunities and limited circles of people there.

  That being said, it wasn’t the thing that tugged on her mind. Sure, all of that was meh, and she didn’t like it; still, there was something just not right about how she was living, but she could never place a finger on exactly what that was. So, she left as soon as she could to discover what it was she was missing.

  Now, she wondered if she’d made a terrible mistake in her life choices. Had her life felt off? Yes. But at least she had her family, her sister, who looked up to her—the last thing she wanted was to disappoint her. Had she by leaving? She’d gone home ten days ago for the first time in two years, and a lot had changed. Maybe she didn’t have enough time to process it, though.

  Due to some channel problems involving unjustified copyright strikes from her bitter online rival and another Gaelic instructing influencer channel, she’d had to cut her first home visit in nearly three years short; her income was at risk. Not ten minutes after returning to her small condo, she’d shrunk to the size of an egg. She wanted to break down at the thought.

  An egg… I can fit in an egg; I’m smaller than a chick! My life sucks…

  In a way, maybe this was her punishment for leaving her little sister when she was struggling a bit to keep friends. Something was up with Nora; they’d been so close growing up, and she didn’t know how much she missed her little sister until she went home for a few days.

  Nora didn’t show it, but Fiona knew something was wrong, and her little sister had grown up so much in just three years. She’d been so focused on her own grind that the photos and videos she sent were all a blur. Her little sister was even the one who pushed her to try V-tubing during her junior year since she’d been watching a few influencers online.

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  Fiona started her channel in middle school and already had 35,000 subscribers by high school for her Gaelic language lessons and singing covers in their native and dying language. It was her first language, and she’d become passionate about trying to revive interest in it. So, being a V-tuber sounded like a good opportunity to break into a new audience.

  Nora was the expert, so they worked together to make this fairy avatar since Fiona already had a bright and cheery persona that would fit the image. If that wasn’t enough, her sister had got her in contact with someone to make it become a reality by asking for advice from an upcoming V-tuber in the industry she admired.

  Their parents supported the project and helped to buy some basic equipment, and six months into her junior year, her channel blew up to 450,000 subscribers with 5,000 average stream viewers. Money started rolling in with sponsorship opportunities.

  She was a family-friendly educational streamer, pulling in a young audience that kept growing by the month. Her demographic was mostly teens, but that soon mixed with parents wanting their kids to hear her mix of language lessons with gaming, pop culture, and popular song covers.

  During her senior year, unsure how to process her growing fame, she reached out to an old neighbor of theirs who had gone to TC University for law and business. Since that time, Erika had become one of her closest friends. She’d prevented a lot of Ireland and UK labels from taking advantage of her in their predatory contracts.

  Acting as her agent, Erika had taken on a more prominent role and taught her how to run a business. A few months out of high school, she had enough saved up to move out of her small town and get into the bigger world. She’d put up a poll to her community on which general country she should go to, and the United States won out—her audience was big there.

  Miami became her choice since she wanted to be close enough to fly back to Ireland, be somewhere hot, unlike her hometown, and be near the ocean. A new condo in her price range opened up at the perfect time in the prime location of Miami Beach. It was a dream come true, and citizenship wasn’t that difficult, given her age and Erika’s help with the legal stuff.

  Now, all she wanted was to make sure Erika and her family were okay. She needed to get back to Ireland. Fiona didn’t know if that was possible since the two female assassins were on their way.

  She wanted to bite her nails; oddly, it seemed to be taking forever for the two women and the panther man to come. Attempting to put her negative emotions behind her with Maria’s helpful aura, Fiona internally hyped herself up. It wasn’t like everything was terrible.

  Okay! Gotta keep moving forward. Keep on track, Fiona! Live with no regrets; that’s the motto! Be grateful. You’re not alone anymore. Maria healed you. You’re not in pain anymore. If you’re enough lucky to be Irish, you’re lucky enough, as Dad says! Ugh… My stomach, though…

  She rubbed her very thin belly as it rumbled.

  No! Always shoot your shot! Bright side of the rainbow, Fiona! I have an excuse to be a sugar addict now, and I can practically live in a gingerbread house. Hehe. I just need to survive this. Think! Positives and negatives. Let’s see…

  She scanned her thin and small frame; she and Erika had managed to get some Barbie clothes that mostly fit her.

  Pros:

  I’m elegant and pretty. That’s a blessing not to take for granted.

  It’s cool that my hair, fingernails, and eyes change color with whatever enchantment I use. No need to dye my hair. Chat was going crazy about that… Oh-no. My face reveal seriously happened when I transformed into a real fairy. Hehe. Well, that’s unique, I guess. I don’t need the avatar anymore. That’s a plus.

  I can hum and grant people elemental powers, which is…something.

  If I’m not sugar-drained, I can fly… That’s fun.

  Huh. Is that the end of my awesomeness? I suppose you gotta take the small potato with the big potato.

  Cons:

  I’m bleeding 7 centimeters tall.

  I can’t bench-press marshmallows on a toothpick, for darn sake! And I can’t believe Erika would laugh at me struggling, at that… No, she would. She’s a fox beastkin, for St. Patrick’s sake. Crafty vixen… Please, be okay.

  Oh, bugs… Flip-smackin’ bugs. How can I forget that I almost died to a spider just after changing? Can’t forget that traumatic experience—

  She stiffened and looked up as she was jostled a little bit, seeing Maria’s index finger tug on her top a bit.

  Sorry! Sorry! I’ll stop fidgeting.

  Cons…cons… I can’t enchant myself. I’m practically a buff-bot.

  I’ll probably die if I don’t get enough sugar… But I am rather fond of my sweets, so is that a con?

  Fiona’s scratchy throat constricted as two female voices came from down the hall; they’d finally arrived.

  “Ugh… Can you please not spread those pheromones everywhere, Margaret? It stinks like bad BO.”

  “Aww, are you jealous Luis is paying more attention to me instead of you, Lizzy?” the panther beastkin purred. “Maybe if you wore less clothes, then you’d draw some eyes.”

  “Pfft. Babe. Can you really call yourself a nudist if you’re covered in fur? And I’m not into excessive hair. So, you can keep Luis. What you must smell like in the shower. Yikes. You literally clear halls with that musk, though. Ugh! I’ve had to take two showers today just being near you!”

  “Hater. No, racist? Hehe. I mean, it fits the white elf stereotype.”

  “Shut up. It’s always race with you. He doesn’t like black chicks. She hates me because my hair’s nappy. Why’s he with that fat brown cow when I’ve got these thick thighs? I’ve got a fatter ass than her; why does she get the attention? He’s racist. He’s probably gay. Hoe, get over yourself!”

  “Bitch, please. You had the flattest ass before getting that fat injected into that butt three days ago. Quit acting like you’re hot shit because you’ve got pointed ears and an okay face. I bet your powdered milk bush is still dry as rice. Get your white ass outta here.”

  “Why’s it always Asian and Latino hate from you?”

  “Huh? Says the person who hears rice and instantly goes to Asian. Pfft. You got issues, Babe. Aye, where’s Maria? Damn, y’all are beta bitches. Did she cut your balls—yo, the hell?!” She burst into laughter as the door slammed open. “Haha! Ain’t no way that’s you, Queenie! I-I can’t—Lizzy, hold me—I’m gonna fall!”

  Fiona locked up as they caught sight of her savior. She’d heard girls roasting each other and been on the receiving end in Ireland, but nothing like this! Of course, she was in a small town and was the type of girl who didn’t like swearing in general, which didn’t do her any favors when she helped out at her uncle’s bar when in middle school.

  Maria met their energy without blinking an eye.

  “Aye, you talkin’ shit with that nose, apestar pinche puto. What, you tryin’ ta be a goth furry mixed with a clown, huh? I guess it works for that mashed face.”

  “Damn!” Eliza snickered. “Hey, that’s definitely Maria.”

  A low growl came from Margaret. “Bitch always talks shit. Y’all Mexicans and Cubans be racist as hell. Talkin’ ‘bout my nose like that, I should rip your throat out, chica.”

  “Try it, puss,” Maria snarled back, a swift shift in moment forcing Fiona against the woman’s chest as she pushed off the wall. “Last time you were in my hood, I gave you that nose job, gata.”

  What are you doing?! Fiona cried, trying to stabilize herself between her breasts as the unicorn marched up to the woman without hesitation. They’ll kill you! They’re flippin’ assassins!

  “Pfft-haha!”

  “You’re such a bitch, Maria! Haha. I love you, you Catholic hoe. How’s Little Havana?” Eliza asked. “Damn, last time I saw you, you were seventeen, poppin’ off on the block. Hey, you remember how she looked after beating the snot out of those two punks that jumped her?”

  “Yo, I always said she had balls, slut. She’s not stupid, though. You think she’d hide that fairy? That’s cap. Set her free? Probably.”

  Eliza hummed. “Hehe. What’d you do to this pop-bitch next to ya, Queenie? Damn, he’s all sorts of ground beef. Ya didn’t put a cap in him, though? Tch. Girl, don’t tell me your horse ass be soft like that?”

  Huh? Fiona’s racing heart and mind swirled as things took a complete 180. What’s going on? Is she buying time for us and redirecting them, or is she just in some weird roast session pre-match?

  “Says the prep ass elf bitch? Aye, get into the corner, puta. Shit, what I wouldn’t give for a liga right now, ya know; this hair is annoying as hell.”

  “Aye, she got a point as sharp as those ears, Lizzy! Hehe.”

  Ben scrambled off the couch with a pained grunt as gravity shifted for Fiona, becoming momentarily pressed against the top of Maria’s bra as she dropped into the cushion. The men were mumbling to one another, but the three loud women were in a world of their own.

  “Knock the ears all you want, but you know I be baggin’ dick with them. And annoying ass hair? I get that,” Eliza laughed, leaning against the table to face her at how close they sounded. “Not that this short-ass butch knows the feeling.”

  “Hoe, please,” Margaret sniffed. “I bet those ears do be baggin’ dicks. Am I right, fat ass? Hehe.”

  “Shut your hairy mustache up.”

  “What, ya hatin’ the cut when ya ain’t got no claw to scratch that sandy crab? Luis likes the smooth panther fur. Maybe you should chop off those bangs, forehead-lookin’ ass. We all know why you grew that shit out.”

  Maria snorted. “Aye, the gata’s got a point, blondie. You could fire an arrow off that bow.”

  “Damn!” Margaret snickered. “She’s roasting your ass!”

  Fiona was completely thrown off by how natural Maria was in this environment. Most of the men here were terrified of this elf and panther woman, but she didn’t show an ounce of fear.

  “Hah. Jokes on you two,” Eliza laughed. “Take a good look. This change has me lookin’ like a fantasy dream model, sluts. While you got what, coconut, a tail, and pubic hair all over your body. And you became the poster bitch for horny choir kids with mamma issues?”

  Margaret choked. “Haha! Yo, ya nailed Maria, Lizzy! The Catholic busty nun outfit—we gotta get her one—teachin’ Sunday class to mamma boys, trippin’ over themselves! Haha! Attendance goes through the roof with those backroom lessons. Ya know what I mean?”

  Fiona’s gut squirmed at the crude gestures the woman was likely using. This was not her scene, but Maria adapted without batting an eye while protecting her when she didn’t have to. She’d put herself in danger for her, and Fiona didn’t want to see her get hurt. The unicorn kept matching their energy, though.

  “Tch… Puta sucio. Y’all can’t leave my faith outta shit. Congrats on the gonorrhea cure, by the way, puss. At least ya got one blessing goin’ for that itchy ass, but I don’t envy the lifted tail every time ya gotta shit.”

  “Wow! I know, we’re going to hell, but that was good,” Margaret laughed, seemingly in tears. “Damn, I forgot how fun you could be! So, how’s the spot?”

  “You know what it is,” Maria grunted. “Guagua be runnin’ all day, pero like, business be business. Chonga postin’ up, dominoes all day e’ry day, cafeterias on every corner, and Miami’s most festive spot, no cap. Is what it is. Roll down the hood; I got ya.”

  Eliza sighed. “Damn, I do love rollin’ through Calle Ocho. Drugs and tattoos, never likin’ the rules… That neighborhood music always playin’. Shit, Marg! I want some of that Latin food now.”

  “Peque?a Habana,” Maria stated, stretching out a bit and squeezing Fiona; she tried not to squeak. “That’s home. Barbecues, cookouts, old cars, and love for the fam. Better than whatever shit storm ya got goin’ on here. Aye. Ya got a kitchen and a 12-pack of frias; I would whip us up some homemade tortillas, ya feel?”

  The door opened again, a rush of mumbles from the men outside coming into focus as a deep-voiced man walked through; Luis had arrived.

  “Might take you up on that, Maria, but first, we gotta deal with this business with the lost fairy. Damn, who be smelling fine? I caught that shit down the hall.”

  “Bae!” Margaret chimed, moving to probably lay her paws all over him. “I guess Relica did with whatever shit her kinky ass is into right now. You saw Adele off? I wanna split. Something creepy’s got my fur stiff…”

  “That would be me.” Fiona’s thighs tightened as a whisper seemed to slide down her spine and whisper in her ear. “It’s taken me some time to fully bring the building under control, but we’re set. Also…we have an intruder, and she—shit, it’s Adele’s brat. I thought she was off the grid?”

  “Tch. Damn,” Eliza hissed. “Akio’s creepy ass is here with Adele’s brat, and right after she split—the hell kind of luck is that? Can MI6 get her back because we ain’t supposed to do shit to her, right?.”

  Akio’s tone became agitated. “Unfortunately, they’re all gone… Hold up, she’s able to teleport via shadows. Relica should be back soon, but not soon enough. Shit. She skipped the whole spiral staircase from hell… The brat’s not affected by my mist? How the—”

  Maria’s chest tightened for the first time as silence came across the room, and a nervous girl’s voice popped up nearby.

  “Uh…hi, terrorists, umm… I’m just here for Maria and Fiona—t-that’s your name, right? Crazy hiding spot, by the way. What’s up with the warping walls and spooky mist everywhere? Hey! Hey!”

  “Who the hell are you?” Maria snarled. “The shit does everyone want from me? Son of a—aye, chill! I’m cool.”

  Fiona couldn’t help but pull herself up to peek out from behind Maria’s tank top at the room, eyes widening in terror at the sight that met her.

  Blood circled a frightened-looking black-haired vampire goth girl. Maria was standing on the couch, ready to dive anyway, and the gangsters, even the ethereal ghost man, had retreated to the doorway. Ruby crystal spears were forming within the liquid.

  Luis and Margaret had their long claws out, feral eyes wide and on the girl; darkness frothed off the man’s frame as he prepared to leap through the shadows to strike from a blind spot—she’d seen him play with his prey before as a lesson to do as they said. All of these gangsters, terrorists, and assassins were practically petrified at the sight of the teenage girl.

  Eliza had a bright alabaster bow in her hand, a white arrow of energy nocked and ready to be fired as a dozen men in the hallway trained their scary military weapons on her. Yet, the most terrifying part was the girl’s desperate pleas.

  “Please! Please! No, no, no! Don’t make me kill you! Astra? No! Why did you cut out on me? Stupid ghost interference. Uh-uh… Wait! Wait! I…I don’t want to kill anyone—Maria, please, j-just—we’ll go, and no one has to die.”

  The elf groaned, sharp eyes spotting her peeking out. “Dammit, Maria… Luis, I’m getting chills, man. My hands are shaking…”

  “Point the weapon away, Eliza! We need to figure this out. Akio, you know what to do.”

  Margaret and her man’s neck fur were bristling as she agreed with Eliza; the blood was inching closer to them as the vampire begged them to go.

  “The hair on the back of my neck… My heart’s beating right out of my chest! Something’s wrong, Luis. How the hell does this bitch make me want to piss myself?! Aye, Akio—”

  “I got it!”

  “Huh?!” The room tilted upside down, making Fiona’s stomach do a somersault; her hair flipped up with the vampire’s and Maria’s, yet they stayed rooted on the ceiling—but only for a second.

  Blood lashed out in a hail of spikes, but the room spun sideways, throwing the gangsters out of the opening before the forming paper doors slammed shut. The liquid split, circled Maria, and pulled her into the air as a crimson disk lifted the vampire off the ground.

  Walls, ceiling, and floor twisted like a Rubik’s Cube and sent the furniture tumbling everywhere; the vampire’s crystalizing blood cut everything into ribbons that came near them. As if illusions, the walls melted away to show an old Japanese room with two paper doors on every side. The ghost dispersed into the mist, sinking into the floor with laughter.

  “We can’t kill you without Relica’s permission, but now that you’re this deep…just try to escape the Paper Maze!”

  Maria seemed as stiff as Fiona at the abrupt change of hands; they went from prisoners of gangsters to a vampire.

  “What is going on?!” Fiona cried, unable to hold back her tears now. “I just want to go!”

  “Aye, la fairy. She with you?”

  Fiona choked. “No! I thought she was with you!”

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