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Dante drifted back down to Felicia's room. She had stopped dancing at this point and sat at her desk, tinkering with a thick metal bracelet. Her brow furrowed in concentration as she adjusted tiny screws, fine-tuning the mechanism.
He reached out and brushed his astral hand through her fluffy platinum hair. No contact or feeling. Astral projection only allowed interaction through spells. He barely knew any spells aside from basic whips and shields.
Felicia suddenly glanced up, eyes scanning the room. She looked directly at his astral form as if she could feel him. Then she looked at his physical body, her eyes widening with curiosity. The sparkly golden and bronze seals fascinated her. She jumped toward him, reaching out to touch—
The protective wards crackled and repelled her with a spark of energy.
"This is… magic!"
He shook his head and returned to his body. The transition felt like falling into warm water. The first thing he did was dissolve the mystical seals.
Felicia held her chin. The inquisitiveness hadn't faded from her eyes, no, it had only grown. "You accomplished something."
"How do you know?"
"You don't look depressed as if your favorite cat passed away."
She put a knee on the bed, crawling toward him one seductive step at a time before settling onto his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck before she pressed herself against him. The warmth of her body against his, the scent of her perfume mixed with her shampoo, and the softness of her breasts against him—it was intentional seduction, and her mischievous eyes knew it.
"Darling, what were those chains? Aren't you going to educate your secret lover?"
He really wanted to roll his eyes at the way she wielded her femininity like a weapon. He grabbed her butt, fingers sinking into supple flesh. She released an exaggerated, seductive moan, which turned into a yelp when he put her on the bed.
She blinked innocently. "Are you secretly gay?"
He clenched his fist, which silenced her. The seductress knew a punch from him would put her in a world of hurt.
"Listen, cross your legs and close your eyes like you're meditating."
"You're going to teach me?" She gasped and held his hands, her excitement palpable. "I knew you had a shred of kindness in your heart somewhere!"
"I'll show you something cool. Just follow my instructions."
Felicia arranged herself cross-legged with a straight spine. "I took a Yoga class once. The instructor was terrible. She was more interested in talking chakras than actually teaching something."
"It's gonna be like that at first." He fixed her posture by pressing against her shoulders and pushing her back, whispering softly, "Breathe in through your nose. Count to four. Hold it. Count to four. Release through your mouth."
Felicia's eyes fluttered closed. "Is this what seduction sounds like, darling? Because I'm feeling properly seduced."
He knew she was teasing him deliberately, using playfulness as a shield to stop herself from feeling vulnerable in this position. If she truly started meditating, he would only need a pencil to end her life. Felicia Hardy never liked being powerless.
"Are you sure you're not using magic already?" she continued, peeking one eye open. "Because I feel like I'm under a spell, and I'm not even mad about it."
He sat opposite her and placed two fingers just above her sternum, not touching, simply feeling the pulse of her aura. "You don't have to fake anything. Relax... Don't you want to learn sorcery?"
She gave him a look of wonder before closing her eyes properly. Her breathing deepened, falling in a rhythm. This time, she was properly focused on meditation.
He explained the three components of being and Astral Projection properly.
"Then I'll become something like a ghost." Her eyes widened. "You want to scout the research site with this Astral Projection!"
"Smart."
She laughed cheerfully. "It's not bad to be complimented once in a while."
"The process can be dangerous."
"I love dangerous things." She threw him a provocative glance. "If I didn't, would I be flirting with the only loved one of Death?"
He was speechless. Her logic wasn't wrong. She had tried to seduce him despite knowing his closeness with Death and Silver Sable, both women capable of killing her easily.
Felicia Hardy truly knew no fear.
"By the way, Sweetheart, does Silver Sable know your relationship with Death?"
The question reminded him of the biggest concern of having multiple lovers. He took pride in his honesty, but had to hide such a crucial fact from Silvija.
"My, my. Is that why you looked depressed all this time?"
"I had a fight with Silvija's sister. I might've been too harsh with her."
His fingers traced patterns in the air. Golden runes materialized where he gestured, hanging in the space around her. The mystical energy responded to his intent and materialized as protective symbols.
"First one goes here," he said, pressing his palm against her shoulder. The rune sank into her skin without breaking it, becoming part of her. "The second here…"
Felicia turned her head slightly at his gesture, letting him place another rune on her face. "Want to talk about it?"
He thought for a second before nodding. Getting the matter off his chest wouldn't be bad before the big operation. Besides, Felicia would be meeting everyone in Wild Pack soon, because she'd have to work with Silvija.
"Well, she tried to kill me during our spar."
She didn't break eye contact even as he placed runes on forehead and face. "She must be pretty strong to give that a try. I can't imagine the limits of your power as Death's only beloved."
"I'm pretty weak." He drew another rune across her collarbone. "Silvija's sister, Ava, has a mystical object that lets borrow the power of the mythical Tiger God. Let's just say she can punch through walls and outrun a cheetah."
"Baihu, the Guardian of the West in Chinese mythology?" Her lips parted with surprise when he nodded. "A cosmic being, a magician, Mutants, mind control freaks, and now people with mythology power… I thought I was special until I met you…."
He chuckled. "You're still special in my heart."
"Awww, I feel so much better." She rolled her eyes. "Anyway, what's the deal with Ava? Why did she try to kill you?"
"She lost control. All that rage and pain she's been carrying—it just exploded today."
"But why did she go that far? You must've done something to make her mad."
"Silvija is the only family Ava has left. She probably thinks I'm stealing Silvija from her." He sat down and rubbed the back of his head. "Ava was fifteen years old when she had to watch her entire family die. Silvija adopted her after that."
He told her about how Ava trained severely all these years to prove her worth to Silvija, but never got the adult treatment because of their closeness.
"So, now a random guy shows up and seduces Silvija," he whispered. "Silvija gives him the Vice-Commander seat, which is only second to her in command. Ava never got anywhere close to it."
"Jesus…" She looked apologetic, despite not being anywhere near Ava. "She thinks you're stealing everything from her. You're the villain in her story."
"Pretty much." He sighed at the tragedy because he felt no guilt about anything nor should he. Silvija brought him into the Wild Pack as Vice Commander. "She probably wanted to prove that her hard work still made her stronger than me. So when she was close to losing…"
"She couldn't accept it and went berserk." Felicia finished with narrowed eyes. "This is just… I don't know what to say. Neither of you are in fault. Blame's on Silver Sable. She shouldn't have trained a child to be a soldier."
"Silvija started training at an even younger age. I'm sure Ava asked for it to honor her brother's legacy as White Tiger."
It was pleasant, taking the load off his chest. Sharing things with someone who listened intently and offered advice.
Felicia looked speechless from the information that Silvija somehow had an even harder childhood than Ava. Her usual playfulness faded as she assumed a thoughtful expression. "I get what Ava feels. Honoring a legacy can make you obsessed like nothing else. My father has a great legacy too."
"I might actually be able to cure your father. No promises though."
The Resonance Link with Death might allow him to push Walter's death date by a year or two. Healing was part of life's domain, and Death governed all transitions of life. He wasn't only doing it for her. The old man knew things about the previous Dante. Better to learn his background once and for all than to let it distract him every now and then.
"Thanks... just those words make me want to kiss you, touch you in ways Death and Silvija could never."
Her seductive words and dreamy expression made him gulp. It was hard to decide when Felicia was serious and when she was being her flirty self. Perhaps, the mask and the person beneath it existed simultaneously, neither more real than the other.
"Anyway, let's get back to business."
"Noooo. Darling, why don't you lend me a mystical artifact like Ava's? I also want to be strong so I can repay your generous favors~."
He flicked her forehead gently, a gesture more affectionate than painful. "They don't grow on trees."
"Awww… I wish they did."
"Shhh. Go back to meditating."
Once she was relaxed, he pressed a gentle palm against her chest and poured mystical energy with a controlled force.
Felicia's astral form separated with a long, shuddering gasp. She looked disoriented, swaying in the air, refusing to respond to any of his words.
'Shit. Was it too much for her?'
He didn't want to accidentally kill her. Not after she'd become something like a friend.
She recovered after a moment, blinking rapidly. She looked at her physical body still seated on the bed, then examined her astral hands in detail.
"Hey, can you see me?"
"I separated you in the first place, idiot." He gestured around the room. "Get used to this form. And don't even think about leaving to see your father."
She pursed her lips at his threatening tone. "Why not? I'll just see if he's doing alright."
He pointed to the silver cord trailing from her astral chest. She tugged at it before giving it a lick.
"Salty… Darling, will it break if I go too far?"
He nodded seriously. "You can forget about returning to your physical body without it. You'll be a wandering ghost. Able to see the physical world but never touch it again. Never sleep. Never eat. Never feel anything but loneliness and regret."
Her eyes widened in genuine shock. The playfulness drained completely. "Oh. That's actually dangerous." Then, after a pause, she asked, "You must have some spell to teleport my father out of prison."
"I can, but won't you feel more rewarded if you do it with your own hands?"
"Yeah, you're right." She nodded, then started flying around the room, giggling like a child. The astral form followed its own physics. She could move at any angle without effort. She could accelerate and decelerate instantly. She could hover.
Her curiosity only lasted a few minutes before she was back to her mischievous self. She tried to move into him from behind, only to be pushed back by an ancient seal.
"I knew a pervert like you wouldn't be able to resist, so I protected myself with a ward."
She crossed her astral arms with a pouty glare. "You aren't a girl. What are you even worried about?"
Ignoring her pouty question, he sat on her desk and picked up the metal bracelet she'd been working on earlier. "Is this a grappling hook?"
"Yup." She floated beside him in the air, sitting cross-legged in meditation pose. "Got the prototype from a friend. I've been tweaking it for my work. Spring-loaded mechanism here, tensile cord made from synthetic polymer they use in climbing equipment."
"So smart."
Felicia pursed her lips. "Technology is for the weak. God-like beings like you can just say abracadabra to do anything."
There was real dissatisfaction in her voice. She had to work years to get to her current skill, but two mutants had completely crushed her. She had no fighting chance.
He revealed a faint smile. "I'll give you some gifts later. You might need them for the heist."
She looked surprised but also thrilled. "As long as it's fun, I'm down."
***
Around 7:30 PM, when Dante was enjoying some pepperoni pizza and crime thriller, his phone rang in his pocket. Of course, it was Silvija. She would have called him hours earlier if Ava's fight didn't make her ashamed.
Felicia flew over and snuck a peek at his screen. "Your girlfriend."
He warned her with a glare not to try anything stupid and took the call. "Hey."
"Dante…" Silvija sounded less energetic than usual, her concern bleeding through the phone. "Are you alright? Where are you now?"
"At a friend's house."
"Is that the friend you... had business with last time?"
Silvija still sounded suspicious over the perfume, which made him sigh.
"Come to the research site. I'm bringing this dumbass friend over. You can meet her face to face."
Felicia threw her fist up in victory. "I'm going to meet Silver Sable!"
Silvija's voice brightened immediately. "I'm already here. I had to brief Amy Chen and Crippler about the second site. They'll have to be there today since Ava's suspended."
"Umm, is Ava doing alright?"
Silvija giggled softly. "You're too nice, worrying about Ava after what she did to you."
He shrugged even though she couldn't see it. "I can't help it. Her life's been tragic."
"I know… She's alright." She said with a sigh. "She just needs some rest since she overdrew power from her amulet."
"That's good. I'll see you soon."
As he ended the call, Felicia gave him a teasing smirk. "I so wanted to mess with you by making moaning sounds."
"Thank you, madame, for not ruining the only source of happiness in my life."
"I'm hurt. Aren't I also here for you?"
He shook his head and put her back in her body. The return process was gentler than the separation. She gasped, eyes snapping open in her physical form. Her body convulsed slightly as consciousness settled back into flesh.
"That was amazing," she whispered, moving her fingers as if everything was new. "Shall we go see your girlfriend?"
They left for the site fifteen minutes later. He finally got to drive a vehicle in this world. Thankfully, he had experience with bikes. Otherwise, he'd have embarrassed himself thoroughly with Felicia's sleek Ducati model.
Felicia found a way to embarrass him in a different way by clinging to him like her life depended on it. She did it all silently without her flirtatious act, making him feel all awkward.
"Hey, Felicia," he called out as soon as he stopped at the red light. "Feeling sleepy?"
"Yeah," she whispered, pressing her head deeper against his back. "Why are you so warm? It's unfair Silver Sable gets to have you as her personal heater, and I don't."
"..."
***
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