~Hidden Realms~ AGENT SALEM

Chapter 4: What Are You

I was sitting at lunch listening to Lo-Fi music on my phone and reading a book when I felt someone sit next to me. I took out my headphones and turned to see Mika next to me, at this point I had known her for about a month and I could tell that I was developing a serious crush on her. "...hi?"

"Hey, so I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner tonight? It'll just be the guys and I, along with our Aunt Frankie and she's... something. But a good something!" Mika said nervously. I thought about it for a second and realized that my parents wouldn't mind, they had met Connor, Ace, and Mika before.

"Um... sure!" I said, hoping I didn't sound too desperate. Mika just smiled and walked away and I just went back to reading my book.

---

I knocked on the door and looked down at what I was wearing. I may or may not have stopped by Willow to get some fashion advice from Calypso before heading to the house. I was wearing a light purple jumpsuit, but it had shorts instead of full pant legs and maybe some gold bracelets and necklace. Okay, and possibly I had stolen some of Cal's perfume... and nail polish.

Look, I'm a teenager going over to my crushes house, of course I stole some of my friend's girly things!

I looked back at the door and it was opened to reveal Ace wearing something slightly nicer than his usual hoodie and jeans. "Hey, come on in." He then moved to let me in.

Now I finally understand what Mika meant when she said that there Aunt Frankie was... something.

Plants, everywhere. Dreamcatchers, everywhere. Fabric tapestries on the wall, check. Surfboard screwed on the wall, the smell of incense coming from the living room, check and check. Cat sitting on the counter, final check mark.

There Aunt Frankie was either very boho, a witch (like me), or a hippie. Honestly at this point she could be all three. "Oh, you must be Stell!" A blonde woman said, walking in from the kitchen and all of my theories were confirmed. She was wearing a white dress, a macrame shawl, and had a necklace with the trinity knot.

Hippie, check. Witch, check. Boho, check.  To be honest she kind of reminds me of Percy. 

Frankie then walked over and gave me one of those awkward hugs you usually only get around Christmas. "Dinner's all ready and done, I hope you like Thai food!"

I just followed her to the small dining nook and sat next to Mika, "Hey glad you could make it." She said to me. I just smiled and looked at the massive amount of food on the table.

Good thing I was hungry.

---

We just finished eating and I was helping Mika with the dishes. Ace was doing something at another counter though he walked over to the two of us and said something in Mika's ear that I didn't catch. She just turned to me and smiled, "I need to go and do something real fast, could you wait here?"

"Yeah sure Mika." I said and continued to scrub a plate. They both walked up the small staircase to what I assume to be their rooms, so I was left alone in the kitchen, Frankie was in her own room and... now that I think about it I haven't seen Connor a lot.

I decided to investigate, I put the plate I washed onto the drying rack and started to walk around the apartment, I passed Frankie's room and went further behind the staircase. There I found another room, I put my ear to the door and heard someone on the other side, I then heard a crash followed by a string of curses.

I decided to walk in because someone could be hurt. "Connor?" I ask as I walk into the small room, it's dark though the street lights coming from the window was enough. I saw him standing in the corner holding the sides of his head. "Connor? Are you okay?"

I reached out and touched his shoulder. He quickly turned to face me and I could barely see from the dim light, though the face staring back at me wasn't Connor.

The face staring back at me had blonde hair, blue eyes, and elf ears. It wasn't Connor though I knew exactly who he was.

"Baldur."