arboreal_priestess | The Ivy Hotel to Gingerbread Pudding, Sunday Evening, Baltimore

Yet another long day without a nap and Verity's wasn't over yet. She had a jar full of gold dust that needed ingesting, a whole load of information that needed processing, a phone full of strange runes that needed identifying--and Piyusha's body was still in the sewers, waiting to be brought home. Sunil and Rochak were still waiting at home, hoping to hear some word, hoping to discover their little sister was safe.

Of all the jobs that being a cryptozoologist entailed, breaking the hearts of friends and family members was the worst.

Verity just wanted to curl up somewhere, have a good cry, and dance until was too exhausted to care, but real life didn't work that way. The best she could do now was text Liam, asking him to meet her at the Ivy Hotel and hope that an hour or so of respite would be good enough.

Liam	Sometimes it was difficult to pick up on tone via text. And then sometimes it wasn't. Vague as it was, given everything that was going on, Verity's text had Liam across the causeway and to Sarah's hotel in record time. He knocked, mostly out of politeness than a need to actually let anyone know he'd arrived, since he figured Sarah was most likely already aware of that fact.
Sarah	"And it's the higher math brain," Sarah said, swinging the door open. "Come in. Verity's making gold dust milkshakes."
Liam	"I'm sorry, Verity's making what now?" Look. He knew Verity's idea of what passed for food was questionable at best. But this was on an entirely new level.
Sarah	"Gold dust milkshakes," Sarah repeated, stepping aside to let Liam in. "Two tablespoons of gold dust to two scoops of vanilla ice cream, a cup of vanilla soy milk, and either a sizable quantity of Hershey's Syrup or a quarter-cup of leftover chunky Prego with mushrooms. Which would you prefer?" Her deadpan delivery made it difficult to tell whether she was honestly unsure of his dietary preferences...or just fucking with him.
Liam	"I'm not terribly fond of mushrooms," Liam admitted. "The texture doesn't quite sit right with me. I'll take the Hershey's... as long as someone explains what the gold dust is doing in there."
Verity	"This is a Verity thing," Sarah said, grinning a bit even as she shrugged. "You'll have to take it up with her. I was hoping she was just expanding her monkey palate."
Verity	"I can hear you when you call me that, insect!" Verity called from the kitchen where she was whipping up two cups of gold-infused chocolate milkshakes. Growing up, they'd learned to always make Sarah's shakes last, because it always left the blender looking like the site of a particularly nasty massacre. This time was no different. She could probably have achieved a very similar effect by blending a human hand, provided it was wearing a watch or a wedding ring, or maybe just a lot of glitter. She looked up as Liam came into the kitchen, giving him a smile that was strained around the edges. "Thanks for coming."
Liam	"Of course," Liam said, walking over to stand beside Verity and put an arm around her shoulders. "So what's going on?"
Verity	She looked down again. "You remember Priyusha?" she asked softly. "The Madhura girl from the bakery?" Not likely he'd forget but, she meant it more as a segue than as an actual check.
Liam	"Yeah," Liam said, and you didn't have to be a Jedi to have a bad feeling about this. "What happened?"
Verity	"She's dead," Verity said quietly, hanging her head for a second. "Taken by the cult. I found her--and I had to leave her there."
Liam	And, yep, there was confirmation of that bad feeling. "Shit," he replied, pulling her in to a proper hug. "I'm so sorry. Are you okay?" he checked. "Physically, I mean."
Verity	"Yeah," she said. "Just some scrapes. Got surrounded by Sleestaks, but Candy came to my rescue before it could get bad. Turns out that, yup, we're dealing with a really-real dragon. She was able to talk to them in...I dunno. High Draconic?" Whatever the proper term for the dragons' native language was. And maybe trying to figure that out meant she wouldn't think about what had happened to Priyusha.
Liam	"And they listened to her," Liam said, absorbing that information. That was interesting, since the creatures hadn't been terribly interested in anything Verity or Liam had had to say. But maybe that was because they just weren't speaking the right language. "So, before I drink this," he added, eyeing that extremely sparkly chocolate concoction, "mind telling me why I'm drinking it?"
Verity	Verity took a long, shuddering breath and shoved all of her emotions into a small ball to be ignored into later. There was stuff to do and they were the only ones qualified to do it. Straightening her shoulders, she took a step back from Liam and picked the jar of gold dust up off the counter to show him, giving it a little shake to make the powder swirl like the world's most expensive snow globe. "The dragon princesses said that eating gold will keep us from being mutated. Which is important because that's how the Sleestaks are getting made. Normal humans getting exposed to the mutagenic factor apparently present in dragon blood." She gave him jazzhands. "Surprise."
Liam	"I'd say that's weird, but you did also wake me up from a coma that one time by pouring coffee down my throat, so," Liam shrugged. "Whatever works, I suppose. So we're playing it safe and assuming all of us might be affected the same way," he guessed.
Sarah	Sarah patted him reassuringly on the arm. "Welcome to life with Verity. Just wait. Soon she'll have you thinking that three-inch heels are suitable for combat situations."
Liam	Liam let out a little huff of laughter. "You know that friend of mine who recommended this hotel?" he asked Sarah. "She's been making that same argument for as long as I've known her, too. Let's just say the chances of me strapping on heels is highly unlikely."
Verity	"Pity," Verity declared, handing over the shakes and rinsing out the blender so she could add more gold, ice cream, and also a cup or so of ketchup. "You have the legs to pull it off. Not many men do. Anyway, Liam, I figure you're planning to go down there again since I am, and Sarah, I'm hitting the point of 'better safe than sorry,' so everybody's getting a gold dust milkshake. Now drink your gold before somebody comes along and mutates you into a twisted parody of humanity."
Sarah	"Speak for yourself, monkey," Sarah said, passing over a jar of chunky spaghetti sauce for Verity to add to the blender. "The mutagen travels through the bloodstream, right? I wonder if it would affect me." She glanced at Liam. "Cuckoos don't have hearts," she explained. "And our blood...isn't like your blood. We're pretty sure cuckoos evolved from some sort of really big bug."
Verity	"Thanksgiving dinner with my family is awesome," Verity deadpanned, blending the ungodly combination of flavors that Sarah liked and pouring her a glass, too. "We're not taking any chances. Grandma will murder me if you get turned into a lizard-person and that's nothing on what Artie would do." Her own milkshake tasted basically normal, if she was willing to ignore the gritty residue it left at the back of her throat. And, oddly enough, she was willing to ignore a lot in the interest of avoiding mutation.
Liam	"Trust me, it's hard to forget how different your blood is," Liam said drily to Sarah. Considering it had sent him on the Kimera equivalent of a trip on shrooms... He took a long gulp, making a face as he swallowed. "You're sure this'll do the trick?" he asked Verity.
Verity	Verity did her best to keep a straight face for that, but...sorry, Liam, that entire episode had been a delight. "Nope. But the dragon princesses said it would, and I don’t have a good reason to think they're lying. Besides, they gave me the gold. Getting them to part with gold is sort of like getting Rosa to part with a weapon." In that it would take a bigger person than Verity to make them do it if they didn't want to. "And after this is when the real work begins." Her eyes were shadowed by sorrow, but her expression remained resolved. "We're meeting up with Dominic outside of Gingerbread Pudding and breaking the news to Piyusha's brothers." She sighed. "I suppose I should made a milkshake for him, too."
Liam	"If only because I'd really prefer to not square off against one of those things that's had significant combat training, rather than out of any actual fondness for him," Liam concurred.
Verity	Verity turned to give him a slightly gritty kiss on the cheek. "Much better way of thinking about it," she declared. "Let's grab some gold for the road. I have a feeling tonight is going to be pretty busy."

Verity and Liam met up with Dominic a few blocks from Gingerbread Pudding, ducking into a Starbucks to get him some hideous pastel drink to mix the gold dust with. Dominic's face was priceless as he forced himself to drink the sugary concoction down and Verity took a spiteful bit of amusement from the entire affair. She filled both men in with the information she'd gotten from the dragon princesses on the way, but was still left feeling like they had far too many questions that remained unanswered.

Gingerbread Pudding was still closed when they arrived. That made sense. If it was a family-owned business, they weren't going to open the doors until they knew what had happened to Piyusha. The researcher in Verity wanted to ask what their funereal observances were like, and whether they'd be willing to let her attend. The part of her that actually cared about being a decent person promptly punched her inner researcher in the jaw and stuffed her in a closet at the back of her head, to be retrieved later.

Dominic	Dominic looked at the darkened storefront, frowning. "Are you sure they'll be here?"
Verity	"If you'd just sent a total stranger into the sewers to find your missing sister, would you run off before she came back with news?" Verity asked, knocking on the window next to the door, peering into the gloom. She didn't see any movement. That didn't necessarily mean anything.
Dominic	"No," he admitted. "But I also wouldn't send a stranger into the sewers to find my sister alone, if I had any siblings to begin with."
Verity	"Only child then?" she asked, knocking again. "That must have been nice. Nobody stealing your stuff while you slept, or setting snares on your bedroom floor, or digging pit traps in the front yard."
Liam	"Her sister's a real peach," Liam said drily. Not that they'd ever met, but it wasn't like Dominic needed to know that. "I don't like this," he added, squinting into the dark shop windows. "Like you said, they should be here."
Dominic	"Perhaps you could leave them a note?" Dominic winced at the glare Verity leveled at him. "Perhaps not. I'm really not sure of the etiquette here."
Verity	"Do you know what the etiquette would be if they were human?" she asked, rolling her eyes. At Dominic's nod, she added, "Well, assume that when Ms. Manners says 'human,' she really means 'sapient,' and run from there. It translates pretty well to everything but dining, dating, and divorce."
Dominic	Dominic eyed her oddly. He didn't want to ask, but couldn't help himself. "Divorce?"
Verity	"Oh, yeah. Like when nue split up, the male generally gets sacrificed by the female and fed to the relatives to avoid creating bad blood between the two sides of the family." Verity shrugged, knocking for a third time. "People are weird." What was weird was that there was still no answer. "I'm getting a little worried. The snake cult's only been taking girls before this, but if the dragon isn't waking up, they may have decided to mix it up a little. See if maybe the problem is that they're offering him the wrong kind of snack food."
Dominic	"Maybe we should break in?" Dominic suggested.
Liam	"Maybe," Liam conceded, hand going to the lockpick in his pocket. "Or- maybe not," he said, as he caught sight of movement within the shop. "Be nice," he added pointedly to Dominic.
Rochak	"I shall do my best," Dominic scowled. "However, should they--" He was interrupted by the sound of footsteps from inside. The deadbolt disengaged and the door opened, revealing Rochak peeking through. He looked worse for wear. "You came back." It was almost an accusation.
Verity	"I told you I would." Verity gestured to the guys. "This is Sheriff Liam Kincaid and Dominic De Luca, a member of the Covenant. They were with me when I met your sister." She didn't offer Rochak's name. If he wanted to identify himself to a member of the Covenant, that was his choice, not Verity's.
Rochak	At the moment, he didn't seem to be leaning in that particular direction. He stared at Verity like she'd just announced that she was standing on his doorstep with Jack the Ripper in tow, and demanded, in a low hiss, "And you brought him back? Are you trying to get us killed?"
Dominic	"If I may," interjected Dominic, "I already know the location of your business, having been here once before, and I accompanied Miss Price with no intention of either harming you or notifying my associates of your presence. You have my word that I intend you no harm."
Liam	It had been a year, and yet hearing "Sheriff" instead of "Major" or "Companion Agent" was still... jarring. But that part of his life was over now. "So may we please come in?" Liam asked Rochak. "Verity and I will both guarantee his good behavior."
Verity	Verity nodded. "It's true. I'll shoot him if he misbehaves." Beat. "With pleasure."
Rochak	"I wouldn't want to miss that," said Rochak, and stepped backward. "Please, come inside. Sunil is upstairs." Even with the lights off and the customers gone, Gingerbread Pudding smelled of sugar and honey and the sharp sweetness of candied ginger. Rochak didn't speak as he led them through the kitchen and past the employee break room to a set of stairs behind a door. His silence wasn't a surprise. He knew what it meant to have Verity show up without Piyusha. He just wanted to wait to hear for sure until he was with his brother.
Dominic	The stairs ended in an airy, well-lit hallway. Jars of honey sat on low shelves with candles burning beneath them, covered by mesh lids to keep out any errant flies. The heat was enough to spread the sugary sweetness through the air like incense, until the whole place smelled like the home of Willy Wonka's trendy older sister. The décor was a blend of traditional Indian and modern American, and the walls were covered with photographs of people who were clearly family. Pots of honeysuckle and live sugarcane lined the windowsills, all clearly thriving. Dominic's expression grew deeply uncomfortable as he looked around the upstairs hall. His training had probably prepared him for caves, dank lairs, and horror movie kitchens with bloodstains on the walls. It certainly hadn't prepared him for polished hardwood floors and lumpy modeling clay 'vases' of the type Verity recognized from Antimony’s kindergarten year. He opened his mouth several times to speak, but subsided each time, clearly uncertain about what to say.
Sunil	The room at the end of the hall seemed designed to serve as a combination kitchen and dining area. Sunil was at the stove, sautéing something in what smelled like more honey. He looked up when they entered. Seeing the look on Rochak's face, his own face fell, expression fading by inches from mere worry into something utterly empty of emotion. "Piyusha's dead, isn't she?" he asked, not even looking at Verity to see her nod. "What happened? Where is she?" His voice was even blanker than his expression, as flat as day-old soda.
Verity	"She's still underground where I found her," Verity said, once she could force myself to speak. It was hard to make herself look at him, rather than staring off at some point in the distance--some point that wouldn't look at her with accusing eyes. "I found her shortly after I went down. I'm...I'm sorry."
Rochak	"You just left her there?" asked Rochak incredulously. "You found our sister, and then you just left her? What kind of a monster are you?!" Sunil murmured something about being nice, but his brother just shrugged him off. "Why? So they won't kill us, too?" Rochak glared, hands balling into fists as he looked from Verity to Dominic to Liam and back. "How dare you leave her behind?"
Verity	"I left her behind because I thought you'd like to know what happened to her, instead of sitting here forever wondering if she was going to come home." Verity shook her head. "The people that took your sister, they're... they're not good people, and she wasn't the first."
Rochak	"We knew that," snapped Rochak.
Verity	"Well, they apparently knew that somebody might come looking for her, because they left guards with her body." The two Madhura were silent. "Have either of you ever heard the dragon princesses mention something called a 'servitor'?"
Sunil	"I...I don't believe so," said Sunil, a note of caution creeping into the emptiness of his voice. Rochak glanced at him with clear alarm. Sunil didn't acknowledge the look as he continued, slowly, "The term isn't familiar."
Liam	"Are you sure about that?" Liam said, tone gentle but with an underlying note of 'don't bullshit us'. "Your brother looks like he recognizes it."
Rochak	"Nothing! I--nothing." Rochak looked away. "It's not right to leave her down there. We need to recover her. See that she has a proper burial."
Verity	"Which will be easier if we know what's going to try to eat us when we go down to bring her back for you," Verity said. She felt bad for the brothers and guilty for not being able to save Piyusha or even bring her back, but not bad enough to let them wiggle out of telling her tactically-important information. "What do you know?"
Sunil	"I--" "It wasn't the dragon princesses," said Sunil. Everyone turned in his direction, Rochak looking relieved by his brother's decision to speak up. "There were some men here about a week ago. Human men. Piyusha waited on their table; she said they were very dismissive of her service, called her a 'servitor.' At the time, we thought it was just general unpleasantness. I told her to pay it no heed. People have been casually nasty ever since we moved here."
Dominic	"From India?" asked Dominic.
Sunil	Sunil looked at him like he was an idiot. "From San Jose. Do we sound like we're from India?"
Dominic	Dominic glanced in Verity's direction, clearly startled. Apparently, the idea of cryptids being natural-born citizens of a country their species didn't originate in had never crossed his mind. But he simply nodded and subsided once again.
Liam	Liam rubbed absently at one palm with the thumb of his other hand as he studied the brothers. "What did they look like?" he pressed. "You said they were human; is that normally a cause for concern?" he doubted it, given that they ran a business that depended on a steady stream of customers, many of whom, statistically speaking, would be human.
Sunil	"Like businessmen. They were middle-aged, they wore suits. They ordered gingerbread, but didn't eat it. As for my concern..." Sunil paused, looking haunted. "They were here. They knew to come here, and we had no idea that we should be stopping them." He frowned slowly. "They were servitors?"
Verity	"No. But I think they may be controlling the servitors." If the men knew enough about cryptids to be trying to wake a dragon, they'd probably know how to identify the more common humanoid species. You can tell a Madhura by the sweet smell they use to mark their territory...or, if they’re confusing their territory markers by working in a dessert café, by the taste of their baking. Relief washed over her. "They didn't come for her just because they saw her talking to a member of the Covenant--" she absently nodded towards Dominic "--or a Price."
Sunil & Rochak	"Wait." Sunil raised a hand. "This is the man from the Covenant?" "She brought him with her, and vouched for his behavior," said Rochak.
Dominic	"No harm will come from my hand to anyone in this house." Dominic's statement was as abrupt as it was unexpected. Verity jerked her head around, openly gaping at him. He met her eyes without flinching. "I have made no reports of your existence to the Covenant, and no such reports will be made. I am truly, deeply sorry for your loss. Your sister was a lovely woman. She deserved better."
Liam	Well, would you look at that. Personal growth. Liam shot Dominic a brief, but genuine, smile before turning back to the brothers. "We'll go back down there to try and recover Piyusha's body," Liam told them. "Just please don't try and go on your own, it's far too dangerous."
Dominic	Just when Verity thought Dominic couldn't surprise her further, he managed it. "I'll bring her back here," he said. Now all everyone was staring at him. Looking faintly abashed, he said, "It is the least I can do for all the trouble that we have caused you."
Sunil	Sunil was the first to recover. "That's very kind," he said. "Please don't feel the need to put yourself out on our account. Your offer is very generous, but my family’s means are small. We can't afford to pay our debt to you."
Dominic	"You misunderstand," said Dominic gravely. "This is my attempt to begin paying the Covenant's debt to you."