Camila's skin was deepest ruby red and black and shimmered even in the dim light of the courtyard. Stunningly beautiful with voluptuous curves, her sensuality pulled at Stanley's body but the fear in her eyes as she watched the crone on the steps dampened his lust.
Sigrid hadn't changed but he could see her wings were pinned to her back and glowed dimly. She definitely looked uncomfortable.
The change for Mr. Duncan was the most dramatic. Standing upright on wide paws with obsidian claws, his hugely muscled body was covered with blood red fur. His head was that of a huge wolf complete with a muzzle full of deadly teeth. His tongue was lolling in fear and his teeth gleamed.
"Baba?" Stanley turned back to his grandma.
"What is it boy?" she said with a frustrated tone.
"Please, these are my friends. They saved me tonight!" he said.
Her eyes snapped to his and he felt the impact of her stare. She was looking for truth. He'd suffered this from her before so he relaxed. He knew he was speaking the truth.
"Ms. Villamor gave me a most wonderful job at her company. Doing what I love! Earlier tonight a man, a strangely handsome man, attacked me and tried to put a... a demon inside me. There was an explosion instead. Ms. Gunderan arrived to fight and kill the demon. She saved me. I was unconscious and they took me someplace safe but I changed into... this."
"What about this beast? What value could he have to you?" the old woman clearly looking for someone to punish, growled while pointing a crooked finger at the werewolf. It began to whine.
"Mr. Duncan... he saved me from hurting someone... someone I like very much. Please Baba, I don't understand what's happening but do they have to fear you? Do I need to fear you?" he said quietly.
Old eyes held his and she growled. She swatted his cheek but he recognized the hit as her way of telling him he'd won the point. The others suddenly sagged and gasped for breath.
"You know who it was that attacked the boy?" Baba asked Camila.
The woman nodded. "I- I believe I may know. An old business and ex-life partner. Most likely attempting to get inside information from my company."
"BAH! Such bothersome trivia. A plan long enacted has taken an unexpected turn. There is nothing for it but to allow it to follow its new course." She looked at Stanley contemplatively. "Your true destiny may yet come to pass."
The ancient woman turned and made for the stairs. She stopped on the second one up and turned back to Stanley. "You begin a new life today. This is goodbye. You will not return. I will offer you just one favor."
"Goodbye? But... you're my only family-" he gasped, stepping closer to her.
"One. Favor," the crone growled.
Stanley swallowed and nodded. "Could- could you make me human again?"
Her eyes trapped his again and he fought back the tears that threatened to get free.
"Know that this is your true self. I can give you back the false reality you believed was who you were but it cannot be permanent. Each day you must revert to this form for an extended period of time. While you lived with me I ensured you did this while you slept."
He nodded as what else could he do. She gestured for him to get closer and once he did she ran her thumbs over his eyelids then lifted his right hand. He could suddenly see he was wearing a ring made of some kind of black stone on his ring finger. He jerked in surprise seeing it there for the first time. She swatted his cheek to get his attention. He looked into her eyes again.
She spoke quietly so the others could not hear nor could they see what they were doing. "Don't play with this ring. Turn it only for the purpose of changing. Turn it completely around in one continuous motion then reverse it all the way back, again in one motion. This will initiate the change." She looked into his eyes until he nodded to acknowledge the instructions. She stopped whispering as she continued. "Remember, you must return to your true self for an extended period of hours. This allows it to recharge. More importantly if you don't then your body will forget its original shape and you will not survive the switch when the ring discharges. This is all I can give you," she said gruffly.
"Thank you, Baba. For everything," he said.
"Go," she snapped.
He nodded and pulled the hood back up. Not to hide his horns but his tears.
The group made their way back to the limo, slipping behind their glamor disguises once more. Once inside the vehicle, the driver got them moving back to the city. Stanley leaned against the door, turning his face away from the others.
Sitting next to the young man, Mr. Duncan leaned forward to whisper to Camila. "Baba Yaga?!? Seriously?" He spoke softly but his tone was incredulous and fearful.
She glanced over at Stanley but he made no indication that he'd heard. She looked back at her security officer and saw his hands were shaking, badly. Then she noticed hers were too. She looked at Sigrid but the woman was watching Stanley intently.
The large blond woman gestured for the security chief to swap places with her and she moved to sit next to Stanley. She touched the young man's shoulder and when he turned to face her she pulled him into a hug. He froze for just a moment then he was hugging her in return and the tears started to flow. He cried silently against her shoulder as she held him, his body shaking with the intensity of his grief.
The others watched with guilty looks. They'd forgotten what it meant to Stanley to lose his only family. For him, he'd known her only as Baba, the grandmother who raised him. He had no knowledge of her position as one of the most powerful and terrifying witches of the old ones.
And now he was homeless, without even the clothes on his back.
When his tears finally ran dry he pulled back from the woman and she smiled in his face. "For tonight, you will sleep on my couch. Tomorrow we will find you a place of your own."
He nodded then looked into her eyes. "Thank you." She nodded.
Camila spoke with the driver and the limo eventually stopped before a brownstone on a quiet street.
"We'll see you in the morning, alright?" Camila said as Stanley prepared to follow Sigrid from the car. He looked at her, nodded then exited the vehicle. He stood on the street and watched the long car drive away.
"Stanley, come inside. You've had a long day." Sigrid said gently and he carefully lifted the hem on his robe to climb the steps up to the door. They went inside and she locked up behind them. She guided them into her living room and came to a halt so suddenly he bumped into her back.
"What-"
"Quiet. Someone's been in my home," she growled quietly.
Stanley peered around her and saw two cardboard boxes on the coffee table. On top of one of the boxes was a painted stone. His breath caught in his throat. He stepped around the woman.
"Stanley, no!"
He looked back with a sad smile. "It was Baba. These are my things. I don't know how but she left me my things." A tear rolled down his cheek as he picked up the heavy fist sized stone. It was a meteorite actually. He'd found it on one of his walks in the forest with Baba when he was very young. He used it to keep his bedroom door open in the summer to get a breeze in his room. She'd insisted he paint it with a thick coat of black paint so it wouldn't get rust on her floor. He smiled at the memory.
He set the chunk of cold iron down on the table and opened the first box. His books were inside and the charging cable for his phone. Baba's home had no electricity so he charged the phone when he was in his classes at school. He pulled it out now to charge the phone overnight. He took the phone from his pocket and plugged it in by the couch.
The second box contained his clothes. He sighed as they were just jammed into the box. He began pulling the items out and refolded them as he went. He found his toiletry kit at the bottom of the box and sighed with relief. He stacked the clothes neatly back in the box once he was done.
Sigrid arrived with bedsheets for the couch and made up a bed for him.
"Would you like something to eat?" she asked but he just shook his head. "Try to get some sleep and I'll see you for breakfast. There's a washroom in the hallway."
"Good night and thank you, Ms. Gunderan."
"Sigrid, please," she said with a smile.
He returned the smile. "Thank you, Sigrid."
She nodded and left the room to climb up the stairs to her bedroom on the second story.
Carrying his toiletry kit, he found the washroom and brushed his teeth, scowling at the stranger in the mirror.
Then he went back to the living room and turned the lights off. He took off his robe and slipped under the sheet on the couch. It was pretty comfortable but the events of the day were stirring his mind up.
First major event, he had a really great job! He was so looking forward to getting back to it!
His Executive Assistant was beautiful and she'd had sex with him! Granted she was a Succubus... and having sex was how they ate... so... that diminished his special moment somewhat.
He'd discovered mythical creatures exist and that he himself was one. He thought about that revelation and it didn't feel too positive to him. He would have preferred to remain in the dark about that.
But the worst thing to happen today was the loss of his Baba. He knew that one day he would have moved out and only seen her on visits and he was mentally preparing himself for that day but it had come too soon and she was clear that he wasn't allowed to visit. She was out of his life and there was a terrible void in it now. He felt the tears welling up once more.
He yawned hugely and suddenly found himself slipping under.
"Good night Baba," he whispered automatically to the empty room.
His gentle exhalations began as his day finally ended.
"Good night boy," the room whispered back.