She was aware of the warmth seconds before her eyes opened. Daniel’s hand rested comfortably on hers, his heat rising along her arm to her face. She flushed and quickly pulled her hand away. They had spent the night holding one another next to the fire.

Sneaking away, she crossed the hall to the kitchen. She grabbed her phone and then frowned at the blank screen. John hadn’t called all night. What the hell was going on? Did he really want her to marry him? Maybe he was seeing someone else.

“Hey you,” Celeste jumped at Daniel’s voice. “Hey,” she blurted out, feigning a smile. He stared across from her, his eyes searching hers. Her gaze dropped, and she felt her face grow hot.

“Everything okay?” He asked, stepping toward her. She nodded and took a step toward the hall. “There’s another bathroom down the hall. You’re more than welcome to it.” He smiled and nodded, “Yeah, I can definitely use a shower after last night.” She stood awkwardly for a few seconds and then stepped around him. “I’m going to grab a quick shower.” She hesitated, and then added, “You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.” She didn’t give him time to answer, and rushed back to her room, quickly closing the door.

What was that? What if John showed up and saw some other car here? She decided that she didn’t care. She felt lonely and afraid─ and right now, she really needed a friend. Celeste stripped down and walked over to the library behind the fireplace. She pulled at one of the books and a hidden door fell open. It was a bit dramatic, but it tickled her to death to have something so secretive built into her space. The enclosure had doubled as a safe room in case of a break in. The entire space looked like a natural hot spring. The floors and walls were made from stone. Usually, she preferred to sit in the shower and then soak in the tub. The tub was built lower than the floor so that she could just step down into it. It was controlled by a remote that was built into the wall next to the sink. Today, she just wanted to sit in the shower and let the multiple shower heads work their magic on her body.

She swept her hair up into a bun and then sat down. The pressure and heat was amazing. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was at times. Her father definitely loved her, and it showed in every way. Maybe she should just talk with him about John. Maybe he would actually offer advice this time instead of lecturing her. She needed it, and soon. She was quickly running out of ideas as to why she should stop seeing him and go for Daniel. She instantly felt guilty for thinking that. He was going through something, she was sure of it. If only he would just talk to her instead of ignore her for days on end.

She leaned back, and closed her eyes─ letting the warmth wash away her anxiety.

* * *

After getting dressed, she walked out to the living room. Daniel was wrapped in a towel sitting on the couch. He stood as soon as she walked out, looking extremely uncomfortable. “Hey,” he said, “sorry for the nudity, my clothes?” “Are probably filthy.” She finished for him. “No worries, I’ll take them to the washer. She walked back to the bathroom and grabbed his clothes from the floor. His cologne rushed up to her face. It was fresh, and earthy with the unmistakable muskiness that only men could manage. She shoved her perverted thoughts aside and quickly walked them to the laundry room. She removed his keys, wallet, and badge from his pants and then tossed them all in.

“I was just about to come and warn you about that.” Daniel said behind her. She jumped at his voice again and they both laughed. “Sorry,” he said after a minute, “I keep doing that to you.” She waved her hand and laughed, “It’s no problem. I’m just not used to having someone around very often.” He looked at her and frowned. “I thought you said that you have a boyfriend,” he said. Celeste turned red and looked away. “Yeah, his line of work keeps him really busy. I usually see him once every other week.” Daniel’s face darkened. “What did you say he does again?” “I hadn’t said,” she said defensively but then said, “He’s a sculptor and painter.” He nodded his head, “So─ an artist?” She nodded, feeling really uncomfortable in the small space. “I noticed the ring earlier, aren’t you guys living together?” Celeste shook her head, absently spinning the ring on her left hand. “John doesn’t like living with other people. He uses his space for working.” She didn’t like the look that Daniel gave her after she said that. She bristled, adding defensively, “I know what you’re thinking, but he gets in these moods and just needs some space when he works─ you know?” The last word came out far too quiet for her liking. Even she was beginning to see how weird all of it sounded.

He walked into the room, his eyes practically glowing. She knew that he had a dark side, even from the small amount of time they had spent together. But this was cop mode. So this is how he got when things were serious. Her body shivered. “So he’s an artist that lives alone, and tells you not to come over, but only sees you every other week?” She shook her head up and down lamely. “Surely, you can see where I am going with this, Celeste.” She looked at the wall, unable to meet his eyes. “You’re a smart woman, smarter than you let on.” Daniel’s hand nestled against her cheek, it felt cool and soft. She should have pulled away right then. She shouldn’t have looked up into his eyes.

Every part of her knew that she should stop letting him get so close. Whether it was the lack of sleep or loneliness, she didn’t know why, but at that moment her lips found his. She explored him tentatively at first, and then melted into him as he pressed against her. All she could feel was his mouth on hers, soft and insistent. His hands slid from her face down to her waist and he moaned softly, pulling her in. Nothing felt more right than this moment. Her hands found the back of Daniel’s head and she pulled his mouth down to her neck. She tilted back and sighed as his mouth found the dip between her neck and shoulders.

John’s face flashed in an instant and she ripped herself from Daniel. It wasn’t right, and she knew it. She needed to tell John how she felt, and give him a chance to explain. Maybe this all wasn’t as cut and dry as it seemed. She couldn’t just throw away what they had built over the last two years. Things felt nice with Daniel now, but she hardly knew him. It was all so damn confusing. Why did it feel like her and Daniel belonged together? This wasn’t her. She was the good girl, the one that had her life together and knew what she wanted. She needed time to think, and more importantly, to talk with John.

“I can’t.” The words fell heavy from her lips. She wanted to continue kissing him, wanted it so bad that it hurt. But Celeste knew it wasn’t fair to either John or Daniel. It was just her being selfish and lonely. His voice came out raw and barely above a whisper, “I know.”

They stood frozen, neither wanting to move. Finally, Celeste turned to him and smiled. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that. It’s not fair to you, or John. Just─” she paused, searching for the right words, “Give me some time to talk to him, and think,” she said. Daniel nodded across from her and left the room.

* * *

They silently ate breakfast as she let the mystery series, The Killing play in the background. She had watched it through several times, and decided that it was best that they have something on. The buzzer went off to the dryer and she got up, thankful to be able and leave the room. When she turned around, he was standing behind her again. She smiled, and handed him his clothes. The towel fell from around his waist and he stood in front of her, unabashed. He cracked a half smile and started putting on his pants. She had to hand it to him, he definitely was persistent. And he certainly had nothing to be ashamed over. Was it getting harder to breathe in here? She sucked in a few breaths, staring at his washboard abs. Damn him. After he was done, he shoved everything back into his pockets and leaned in for a hug. She quickly obliged, letting the hug linger longer than it should.

He was out the front door before she realized something. Racing down the hall and then downstairs, she jetted outside to his car. Daniel rolled down his window, smiling. “Wow that was fast. Was it my boyish charm?” She chuckled, unable to hide her grin.

“Nope, it’s your butt.” She wiggled her eyebrows and winked. They shared a laugh before finally she leaned down and cleared her throat. “I know of only one other place Lain might be. Can you meet me back here tonight?” Her breath caught in her throat at his emerald gaze. “Sure, sounds good,” Daniel murmured. Part of her knew it was an excuse to see him again, the other part desperately wanted to find Lain. She waved from the sidewalk as he pulled away, her eyes following the black Escalade all the way to the end of the street.

* * *

The ever-present blank screen greeted Celeste as she stared down at her phone. John hadn’t called back all day. It was nearly noon, where was he? She had picked up lunch after Daniel left, and swung by John’s loft to try and smooth things over. She wanted desperately to just talk with him, and to hold him. Truthfully, she wanted to prove to herself that all of her emotions were a product of loneliness. Normally, he left a message that he was going to have a busy day. Especially considering Sunday was usually their day. He worked hard on Saturday nights at the art gallery trying to push sales.

Maybe John was still upset. She wasn’t sure what she had done wrong. All that came to mind was that she hadn’t told John about the search for Lain. He had been under pressure lately, even more so once her father had found out about their engagement. Daddy was not pleased to put it mildly. John had never stayed angry for long─ this behavior was bizarre, even for him. She knocked on the door and frowned. No one answered─ she was at a complete loss. She walked over and scanned the parking lot. His car was still in its spot, it hadn’t moved since last week. She again called his phone, only to have it go straight to voicemail. If she didn’t hear from him in the next few hours, she was going to start calling local hospitals. How many people in her life would disappear? This had to be the curse returning. She knew that it was only a matter of time. Maybe now he would understand.

She paced back and forth in front of his loft, and then stopped at the mat in front. Hello, you weren’t here last week, she thought. Celeste glanced around to see if anyone was passing by, then dropped down and lifted the mat. She sighed in frustration, nothing was there. Well, there went that theory. She tossed the mat to the side and leaned against the door. Where was he? Damn it, John. Her fist found the door and she jumped at the loud noise as it echoed down the hall. She gaped at her fist and then at the large dent that framed her hand. A gleam of silver caught her eye at the top of the doorframe, and she looked up. It couldn’t be, she thought, quickly standing. It was. She stood on her toes and jumped a few times until her fingers brushed across the metal. It fell to the ground with a loud clink and she snatched it.

Celeste backed away from the door and stared openly at the giant dent. Her awe turned to fascination and she looked, almost comically, from her hand to the door. Either this place had the cheapest doors ever, or she became giant and green when she got angry. At this point, John’s safety worried her more. She would deal with this later, if it was in fact real. And what about the ground near the creek─ was that an illusion too? She was starting to feel uncomfortable in her own skin. Maybe she was right, maybe it wasn’t just the supernatural that caused all of this. Maybe it was her. Celeste’s hands shook as she shoved the key in the door. She barreled through, and her feet connected with something. Unable to react fast enough, she tripped and the floor rose up to meet with her chest.

* * *

The collision took her breath away and Celeste laid for several seconds fighting to catch her breath. The door slammed behind her and the lights came on. She rolled to her back and jumped to her feet. She tensed, bringing her arms up in a defensive position. She stared intently around the room and then her hands dropped to the side and she relaxed. That’s right, John had automatic lights. Nothing appeared to be out of place. His recent works were stacked in the living room and wrapped in cellophane. More than likely, he was getting them ready to be shipped overseas. He was extremely popular in Europe.

Her eyes wandered to the front door and saw what she tripped on. It was a fox-like stone creature crouched in a playful position. Its paw was extended in front cushioned by a pillow of clouds. The clouds wrapped around its body. From the clouds nine long, and full tails fanned out. The swirling clouds covered most of it, revealing only its ears and a sly smile. On the side of its face was a human shaped mask, smooth and lifeless. Where had she seen this before?

Celeste thought for a moment and then it clicked. That’s right, she had remembered seeing one of these creatures, many years ago─ a Kitsune. A Kitsune could have up to nine tails, so this one was very old and very wise. Irony at its finest, of course she would stumble on a trickster spirit. It grinned at her from the floor. She leaned down and got a closer look. This was not just a fox spirit─ it was a Nogitsune, a malevolent shape-shifter spirit that liked to cause havoc and refused to serve Inari O-kami, the deity of prosperity and good fortune. Both fox spirits were shape-shifters, but the difference was the intent of each deity. John had never created anything like this before. Most of his sculptures were of people or scenes from heaven described in scrolls or bibles. He was obsessed with heavenly beings, as were most of his clients. That was why they celebrated anytime John sold one, his last piece sold for two hundred and fifty thousand. They should have sold for more in all honesty.

It was never about money for him. His passion was sharing with others. That’s what she loved most about him. She smiled, thinking about his movements and how caught up he became when working on his art. It was trance-like and magnificent. And all of it meant nothing if he was lost to her. She burned with shame thinking about how weak she had been lately. She would never forgive herself if John disappeared before she could express her feelings to him. She decided to tell him the truth about what had happened. It was the right thing to do. She walked past the main living room area and then over to the narrow spiral staircase. Celeste had to make sure he wasn’t here.

John sometimes took medication that knocked him out for an entire day. He had been on seizure medication for as long as she knew him, but his migraines were another issue. He would take hydrocodone and be out for hours. She took off her shoes and made the ascent to the second floor. She smiled when she heard someone move around upstairs. Thank goodness, she had been really worried. Celeste couldn’t wait to wrap him up in a tight hug and tell him everything that had happened. She needed to hear him telling her to calm down and take her MEDs. Even Dr. Heisman sounded welcoming at this point. She practically skipped up the last steps as his bed came into view. He was bundled underneath them and cocooned. She giggled as she crossed the floor and hopped into bed. He turned under the sheets and the blankets fell partly down. Celeste paused and then stared at the blonde waves as they cascaded around the slender body. She walked from the stairs and around the bed to get a look at the dozing woman. She had soft, and innocent features. The blonde was dazzling against creamy skin, and perfect pink lips. She was so incredibly beautiful─ and completely devoid of clothing. Celeste took a step back and looked around, there were clothes everywhere.

The woman murmured in her sleep and then turned toward the wall. John’s wall. John’s room. Celeste felt sick. The room tilted as she stumbled down the stairs. She stepped over the fox demon and threw the key on the floor. She was at break-neck speed, only pausing to unlock the car door. She slid into the car and thrust her key in the ignition. Her hand felt hot, it burned─ burned with the promise of love and happiness. Burned with the promise of years that would be spent together and holding each other’s hand decade after decade until they became old and wrinkly. The ring on her finger boiled and blistered from all the love. Unable to stand it, she tore it from her hand and then threw it out the window.

* * *