Entering a hotel room that was designed with luxury in mind, Lana, Sil and the others immediately saw all the others the Cursed Faction had at the school. Fex's jaw dropped when he saw Lana.
Lana giggled, "do you want to touch them?"
Fex slowly moved closer observing each and every change with her.
"What happened, Lana? Your ability, the plants?"
Lana wrapped herself in her stage 1 armor then stage 2 to show him she still had it.
"It turns out, I was never human. I'm a fairy. The plants are just a thing I can do. When Kattie taught me a few things about communicating with beasts so I could take care of Caser, she inadvertently taught me her ability. I can't put the wings away or change my skin color back to looking human. This is how I look now and forever."
Fex looked over, "and now you have a second one?"
"Caser chose a mate and they had kittens. Their species is… not very common from what I can tell. Quite frankly, they are amazing."
Very quietly, "and here I just have Ham."
Lana laughed, "he could be friends with Max…"
Lana noticed a few others in the room. Doctor Hayley, General Nathan who was now wearing a sergeant's uniform and Sergeant Fay. Fay was the one Peter went and got when Vorden was attacked at the assembly so she played a pivotal role.
In the new structure, each of the generals had six Earthborn soldiers attached to them to help with administrative and student duties. Those she knew from her own time were invited to this get together.
Quinn was standing at the head of the table with Helen close by. She had wanted to go to Lana the minute she saw her but Quinn held her arm and whispered, "if you don't let her in the room she'll never be able to sit!"
Lana had chuckled inwardly but had to stifle it outwardly because she was talking to Fex when it happened.
Lana noticed Hayley and had to go get a hug before taking a seat. She shook hands with Fay and Nathan. Fay was more instrumental in helping with Vorden than her own issues when they were students. Fay was also one of the sergeants who rescued Vorden and Quinn from the red portal planet when Peter pushed Quinn through the teleporter. Her life would have turned out so different without this sergeant's assistance. She also gave Helen a hug before having Sil sit at the other side of Quinn and she took the one next to him.
Everyone was quickly seated. Helen was the first to say something, "did I hear you say you were a fairy?"
The food was already on the table covered by warmers and there were name cards for people to know where to sit. Fiza was placed next to Lana. She dropped her lid as she was removing it from her plate.
"I'd appreciate that not be publicized, thank you."
Helen nodded, "it's just… we've only heard of tales! I promise I would never do anything to harm you. You are amazing."
"Were you a fairy when you were in school?" Hayley asked.
Lana removed her lid and took a steamed broccoli off her plate, blew on it and handed to Owen then did the same for Olivia while she chuckled at Hayley's question. "Of course I was. I just looked human. Apparently, there are… catalysts which cause us to change our form."
"Are there more of you?"
"I don't know. I know very little about the past. I'm on a quest to find out the answers to so many questions."
Hayley nodded, "it's really good to see you again and know you are doing so well." She nodded to the baby in her lap, "who's this?"
"Olivia. This one is Owen. The two cats there, the black one is Caser, the other is Griddlebone. We haven't named the kittens yet. My male friend here is Shalt."
"Do you work for the Cursed Faction?"
Lana thought for a bit how to answer that. "I am an original family who has aligned itself with the Cursed Faction. You may have failed to realize but all those who were failed by the military and the other big families flocked to the Cursed. They are welcome. Permitted to be themselves. Permitted to grow into something that doesn't fit in the narrow box the other factions covet."
Fiza chimed in, "it's not those in the Cursed who speak ill of our faction or our leader. We love our leader and are grateful he provided a place, an environment, we could all be ourselves in and call home. It's those who make assumptions based on a few video clips who spread lies. Since joining the Plantwell Family, I have been a bit removed from the media. My ears and eyes have been spared the propaganda."
The conversation switched to less serious topics. Once the meal was complete, the sergeants departed, thanking the Cursed for inviting them. The rest of the evening was spent catching up. Sil and Chucky stayed there with Lana for the night while the girls went back to their dorm room. Chucky could hear what sounded like an argument from their room.
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"Sil, you are supposed to be undercover as a student. Why are you wearing your wedding ring?"
"Because no one would have a reason to look there."
Lana laughed, "really?"
"Lana, this ring is a piece of you. I don't want to take it off."
Lana took off her locket. They had been going back and forth for a bit now and not gotten anywhere. "Put your ring on this and wear this."
"But that was your mother's."
"Return it when you're done here."
Sil finally relented. She put it around his neck and kissed him.
Lana knew one reason Quinn wanted to have him here was to help him open up and become more secure. It had only been two days but she wasn't sure it was going to work based on his performance at the table this evening. He was still keeping his head down and barely saying a word. She had noticed no improvement in him while he was around others. She was, frankly, getting worried that the only catalyst to break him out of this might actually be getting Vorden and Raten back.
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