“Oki! These uniforms are too short!” Sky lifted both sides of the one-piece mini skirt. “My ass is hanging out. I’m definitely wearing shorts. I can’t even bend over in this...” The two days came and went... The girls had their plan set. Tonight, would be Fredrick Windermere’s last house cleaning.

  “Sorry... you two are at least a foot taller than Lea and Breann. We just started wearing these stupid things.”

  Kahree twirled around in the mirror admiring the outfit. “I think they look nice. Look at my ass in this mini shirt. Perfection...” Sky gave her sister the side-eye.

  Oki tied up her short black hair into a small ponytail. She fastened her shoes tight then went over a few things in her head. “Ok, the Windermere’s are very particular to who they allow in their house. I’ve already made all the arrangements so the guards can let us through. Listen, they own this cleaning company and so they feel they’re allowed to do whatever whenever they want. They’ve hurt a lot of people I care about...” Sky and Kahree tried to sit still in the new stiff maid uniforms. Kahree almost fell off the corner of the small sofa. “Cleaning is one thing...” Oki huffed deeply. “Snooping and cleaning is another. Like I said, you have to watch out for Kendrick, he’s the weird watch dog. Cedric is the enforcer. The one who has assaulted so many...” Oki couldn’t finish her sentence. “I should have protected them. I didn’t know till it was too late. One time, I risked it all and transformed into a guard to save Lea. I wasn’t going to let that happen to her. Transforming into a guard is easy; it’s gaining access to the locked doors.”

  Instead of sitting, Kahree decided to stand. She walked over then placed her hand on Oki’s shoulder for reassurance. “Don’t worry, honey. Killing these types of fuckers is our specialty... Just stick to the plan and we’ll be fine.” She pulled out one of the cherry bombs Sky gave to each of them earlier from her pocket. She twirled it with her index finger and thumb. The cherry bomb glowed a light burnt orange, but it wasn’t hot to touch. Sky spent a lot of time designing the idea just for those purposes. She wanted to be able to start a fire without necessarily having to directly touch it or throw a fireball at it. The cherry bombs were the perfect idea for what they were trying to accomplish tonight. That’s when the idea came to Sky...

  “Since we don’t really know what to expect, if any of you are in trouble smash a cherry bomb. It will send a signal throughout the house. The cherry bombs are connected to me so I will feel it if one is crushed.” Sky explained.

  “Won’t they blow our cover?” Asked Kahree as she held one up to the light.

  Sky picked up a handful of her cherry bombs. “It might... it will cause a small explosion. So only smash it if it’s an emergency. Clapping my hands activates them all at once. After you start smelling the gas, it's time to make our leave.”

  After reviewing the layout one last time and where they were going to split up, the girls grabbed their bags and headed to their destination. Once they arrived, immediately they were stopped by a dozen of men that guarded the iron gates. Kahree and Sky covered their faces with face masks and a bandana covering their hair only showing their eyes. All of the guards were wearing emerald business suits, white button-down shirts, emerald color tie with black sunglasses. The guard responsible for checking guests in bend down and stuck his head inside of Oki’s cleaning wagon. “You’re late Oki... You know the boss doesn’t like tardiness. You don’t want him to punish you do you?” Asked the slender man. She could smell the hint of alcohol on his breath. He pushed up his sunglasses to cover his eyes even though it was nighttime. He looked at Sky and Kahree trying to figure out why he didn’t recognize them.

  Oki noticed the guard’s confusion and decided to speak up before he asked anymore questions. “They are subs... Lea and Breann are on another assignment. I got it approved yesterday.”

  Sky and Kahree continued to sit still saying nothing. They let Oki do all the talking until they arrived inside. With them wearing the white and blue sleeveless, mini-skirt one-piece uniforms; they looked more like exotic dancers than maids. Kahree noticed how closely the guards were watching them as they uploaded the cleaning materials. That’s when she decided to test the waters a little by seductively bending over into the van exposing her almost bare backside. The guards really found that amusing. One even whistled then shouted, “Hey Oki! These two can stay for now on! They’re much hotter than those other two!” I knew it, thought Kahree, just like blood in shark infested waters...

  The men all laughed together until another spoke up. This guy didn’t shout his comment but made sure it was still in ear shot. “Yea, maybe this time Cedric will leave some for us after he’s done with them...” That sadist, disgusting comment made Oki stop in her tracks for she knew what they were talking about. Hearing the laugh pierced her train of thought. She looked down lost in anger then bald up her fist.

  Sky quickly noticed Oki’s behavior change. She could feel her energy building up. She placed her hand gently on Oki’s arm then whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry. Tonight is their last night... Try to stay focused.”

  When entering the mansion, the girls quickly noticed why no one would stay employed as an inside maid. The place was completely destroyed... it resembled a pig’s bin. There was trash everywhere, dishes on every surface and leftover food in places it shouldn’t be. Sky and Kahree were appalled by what they saw. “You fucking clean this shit, Oki? Just the three of you, how?” Kahree asked while stepping over dirty plates on the floor.

  “It usually takes us all day... in between trying to find out information about my brother and help my team clean, everything feels impossible.” Said Oki as she pointed towards the kitchen. “Down the hall and turn right is your spot Sky. Kahree, the stairs to the second floor is through the living room to the left. You’ll see the main hall leads to the bedrooms and I will be roaming the halls cleaning the floors. I’ll do my best to keep an eye on Fredrick. Like I said, he usually stays in his room.”

  The girls nodded to one another then parted ways. Kahree was no stranger to a trashy place, especially after the parties she would throw. But this shit, she thought to herself, is pure and utter filth. There was a huge black dirt stain in the middle of the tan carpeted stairs. There were dishes on every stair all the way to the second floor and down the hallway. She passed by at least six rooms before reaching a turn at the end of the hall; that’s when she ran into Kendrick Windermere. The poorly lit hallway made it hard to see anything, which was scary since he was half the size of his father. Kendrick towered over Kahree looking down at her without blinking. “Who are you?” He asked in a low rumble. “You aren’t Lea or Breann.”

  “I’m her sub, Ree. You must be one of Mr. Windermere’s sons. Lea and Breann will return for the next cleaning.” Kahree flashed a smile the best she could through the face mask then brushed passed the weird young man. He followed her with his eyes as she walked past. Kahree noticed that and pretended to dust and wipe down the hallway decor. Once she turned around again to see if the watch dog was still prying... he wasn’t. Kendrick disappeared to the shadows like he was never there. That gave Kahree a huge relief for she could get back to snooping around. Honestly, she didn’t know what she’ll find within the trash can of a mansion. Since they didn’t believe in properly disposing their trash, it became someone’s treasure.

  When Sky entered the kitchen, she immediately stopped in her tracks for it looked like a tornado ransacked the whole room. The kitchen was enormous, and every inch was covered in something. She stepped over used plates, cups, empty food containers and whatever animal that decided to find food that day but there was one appliance that wasn’t touched... The stove. There was trash around it and on top of it but spanking brand-new on the inside. It looked like it had never been used... What a perfect place to stash these little babies, thought Sky. Before emptying her pockets of the cherry bombs into the stove she took a quick glance to make sure no one was watching. That’s when she saw a door on the side of the kitchen. When she first entered, the door was visible but from the oven, Sky could tell the door was made that way... hidden.

  She closed the oven door quietly but didn’t turn on the pilot just yet. Turning on the pilot too soon would cause everyone in the house to smell the gas. That was the girls signal to get out... Sky wasn’t ready for that just yet. Not when she just stumbled upon this lead. As she got closer to the door, she could hear some mumbling then a roaring laugh. Fredrick is down here, not in his room. Thought Sky as she tried to turn the door handle, but it was locked. Checking her surroundings once more, Sky lit up her index finger bright red then jammed her finger through the keyhole. Without making too much noise, Sky slowly but quickly opened the hidden door to find a staircase leading down into a dark room. There was a light orange glow at the foot of the stairs. Lights flickered and flashed as Sky approached the bottom. Lurking in the shadows, Sky could see Fredrick sitting in front of a large screen talking to someone. “Without us Fuego, the LaGons wouldn’t have nothing. Ro needs our resources to keep this up. How can we trust that one queen bitch?”

  “Yes, that’s true.” Fuego was an older man with a full head of salt and pepper hair. His full beard covered his brown face on the screen. “We must stay steadfast with the plan Windermere. This is the closest we’ve ever been to getting what we want. With Queen Nira and her son on our side could only mean one thing... the Star Counsel is weak and broken. Without their sisterhood and the power of the Star Lord to keep them in check, they can be penetrated.”

  “What was her son’s rebel clan name? They looked like a bunch of fruit cakes to me!” Windermere roared again in laughter.

  “The Red Banner Clan... Again Windermere, you need to keep your shit together. I hear Queen Nira’s son also has something or should I say someone special up his sleeve. The boy is secretly courting one of the Angels of Death. I hear it’s the Child of Chaos... With that kind of power on our side, taking over Stella will be a breeze. The first attack on them was a success, taking them over after we kill that ancient thing will be the end of the Star Counsel.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  Sky crouched down in the shadows trying her best to not to make a sound. He was talking about Luna... she’s on their side now? Can’t be... All Sky could do at the moment was listen. The conversation seemed to be wrapping up, and she didn’t want to get caught especially down there. She figured she would make her exit soon as she felt like it was safe enough.

  Back upstairs, Kahree tried to grab Oki’s arm as she shoved a handful of cherry bombs into Cedric’s mouth. “That’s too much! This wasn’t a part of the plan!”

  “It was a part of their plan! I followed Kendrick after he ran into you, and he went straight to Cedric. He called you a ‘new piece of meat’ Kahree! Fuck him!” The girls tussled for a while trying not to trip over Kendrick’s dead body. Earlier, Oki had shape-shifted into a large, super muscular man who stood six and half feet tall. She was dressed just like one of the guards when she quietly crept into the room where the twins were planning their assault. Kendrick stood by the door with his back turned as he watched Cedric slowly try to corner Kahree. The Child of Dreams was expecting it though, attacking first by grabbing his arm. She tried to put him under her control with her quickest technique, skin to skin contact. However, it didn’t work. Cedric looked down with his big blue eyes and smiled a sinister grin.. Kendrick and Cedric may have been twins but they weren’t identical.

  Cedric looked identical to his father with thick curly reddish yellow hair and brown freckles that covered his body. He picked up Kahree easily by the throat and threw her on to the bed. Something’s wrong! Screamed Kahree in her head as she began to fight the giant off of her. Moments later, two hands grabbed Kendrick’s head and twisted in opposite directions. His body made a loud thump when his twisted head hit the corner of the bed. Cedric looked up in disbelief when he saw one of his men standing behind him. “What in the hell are you...”

  Kahree kicked Cedric under his chin making him fly backwards. Oki grabbed Cedric and got on top of him. She punched him in the face several times almost making him lose consciousness. Then she reached in her pocket and shoved the cherry bombs into his mouth. Kahree tried to make her plea, but it was no good. She ran to the bedroom’s bathroom that was nearby as she watched Oki pulled her large muscular arm back and hit Cedric in the mouth. His head exploded causing blood, guts and brain matter to splatter all over the wall. The shockwave went through the whole house. The rumbled from the second floor was heard all down the basement.

  Fredrick and everyone else all stopped and looked in the direction of the loud bang. Sky’s eyes widened when she heard the emergency signal. Not knowing there wasn’t an actual emergency Sky had to react quickly. Fredrick’s chair made a loud squeak when he reached for his desk phone. “Jonathan! What the hell was that? Go find out what them boys are doing!” He slammed the phone down then proceed to get up. Fredrick wobbled his way to a bookshelf against the wall then pulled down a blue book. The bookshelf slid to one side exposing a hidden elevator. Within seconds, Fredrick was gone and out of the picture. Before Sky made her exit, she dashed around the corner and quickly looked around for anything she could take with her but had no luck. Instead, she saw a door labeled boiler room and that gave her another good idea. Sky without hesitation melted the doorknob off and opened the room to the furnace. She quickly opened a bag of the cherry bombs and spread them throughout the room as much as possible.

  Upstairs, Sky could hear multiple footsteps running through the kitchen area. When she reached back upstairs, she took out the two guards that were investigating the noise. After dragging their bodies out of sight, Sky filled the oven with her newest power technique then turned on the gas. “Get them! Don’t let them escape!" Sky heard guards yelling from the other room. To give herself more time, she took the rest of the cherry bombs she had and scattered them all over the dining room floor.

  At least a dozen guards filled the room with Fredrick standing behind them. “What in the hell is that on the floor?” The men hesitated to step any closer to the glowing balls and the girls noticed. They quickly went around down another hallway before being stopped by another group of guards. A few of the cherry bombs went off as the guards tried to pass through them.

  “The gas! I turned on all the pilots in the kitchen. If they keep popping the cherry bombs the kitchen will...” As soon as Sky tried finishing her sentence, the kitchen stove exploded. The blast blew Windermere and his men into the next room killing most of them. Fredrick was badly injured with blood and soot covering his face, arms and legs. While trying to gain his composure, Fredrick looked up and saw an enormous tiger eating the face of one of the guards. He wiped away the blood from his eyes as he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. That didn’t stop him though... Furious with pure rage, Fredrick stood up and charged the girls. He grabbed Oki by the nape then flung her against the wall knocking her unconscious. The impact made her transform back to her original body.

  Small explosions continued to occur as the girls fought to get out of the mansion. Kahree ran over to help Oki back to her feet Sky made a path out. For a moment, the fire was assisting in taking out the guards. Large pieces of ceiling and wall crumbled under the intense heat from the fire. Windermere saw the girls trying escape and again he intervened. The girls did everything left in their power to avoid Windermere’s attacks as he smashed into walls, furniture and dead guards.

  Sky knew they were going to need a better distraction if they had any hope of escaping. She decided it had to be her since she’s the only one who could withstand the fire. Watching Windermere lose his mind in complete rage, she knew he was bound to make a mistake. Sky just needed time to allow Kahree and Oki to escape. Time... Running through the hallways trying to avoid burning beams from falling on them, the girls decided their best option was the jump out of a back window. As they got closer to their exit, Windermere got closer to his prey. Sky knew then for sure someone was going to have to make sure he stayed in the house. She turned around and screamed, “Run!”

  Present Day.

  Sky sat up to remove the bandages that wrapped around her torso. Within a day and half, her wounds were already beginning to heal. Oki was stunned to see Sky up on her feet walking around after having two broken ribs. Sky and Kahree explained since they shared the power of the Star Lord, they healed a lot faster than normal. “Hence which is why we still look so young...” Stated Kahree.

  “Two hundred and twenty-five years to be exact.” Moaned Sky as she sat back down after grabbing a glass of water.

  “Don’t remind me! Snapped Kahree as Oki walked over to Sky to check on the Vix Glass tattoo.

  “It’s taking very well to your body, Sky. I think Kahree should be good to go also.” Oki stated as a matter of fact. She ran her fingers across Sky’s arm tracing over her artwork. “Does it itch or anything?

  “Now that you’re saying that it does. I think I know what’s missing.” Sky warmed up her right hand to a bright orange glow. She placed her heated hand over the tattoo giving it the final touches. She managed to fuse the ink and the Vix Glass together in her arm. “There... now I think anything that would cause a reaction is burned away.” Sky turned to her sister and said, “Your turn. Afterwards I’ll do the same to you, Kahree.”

  That’s when the memory hit her. Kahree sat down next to Oki and Sky still dazed from her daydream. “You guys, I just remembered something about the Windermere's. Before Cedric managed to grab me, I tried to use my powers on him. I grabbed his arm first to put him under my control, but it didn’t work. If Oki hadn’t followed Kendrick, I probably wouldn't have been able to fight him myself even with extra strength. He had a huge blue tattoo on his arm and when I touched him it stung a little. Could it be possible that they developed a way to tattoo the essence stones in their bodies?”

  Oki stood up and started walking around while thinking. “You know Ree, I think you’re on to something. Every member of the LaGon family has a special blue tattoo just like the one Cedric had. His looked a little different though... The LaGons it looks like a family crest. I wouldn’t be surprised every member of the Founding Five has one. Kahree you’re a fucking genius. That’s how they’re able to find us so quickly without openly carrying around the essence stones. The damn stones are embedded in them like the Vix Glass is in us!”

  Kahree turned to Sky which she hadn’t caught on to her gaze just yet. “With Jordy liking Sky in all, maybe we can find out more about these special blue tattoos.” She winked at her sister indicating this is an add-on duty on top of everything else.

  Sky shifted in her seat and replied, “That means we need to get the formula of the Vix Glass correct and sent to the Junith people right away. They need to know how the rebels are going it now as well as prepare our counter. I can try to send the information to my father, Esio this afternoon. For now, I need to share with you two what I overheard in Fredrick’s basement...”

  *

  Rogelio in a rage fit threw everything off his desk on to the floor. He screamed as loud as he could then punched the walls and kicked the chairs. Ishmael, Jordy and Alex all sat around patiently waiting for Rogelio to stop throwing his tantrum. “And then, there were four...” Alex said under his breath but loud enough to be heard.

  That made Ro quickly turn around and storm in his nephew’s direction. He picked up Alex by the collar of his shirt and yelled, “What did you just say, you little prick?”

  Alex then pushed his uncle off and replied, “Oh, come on Unc! You know Windermere and his freaky weird boys were no bodies... It may not be such a bad thing to have a new member leading this generation. Windermere was a pig, backstabbing bastard who always undermined your authority. I say, good ridden.” Rogelio’s nephew wiped his hands like he was washing away the past to accept the new. “Besides, we should fill the seat with one of our own. Like more cousins or something.”

  “The point of the Knights is diversity. After taking down the Star Counsel we will be in control. You don’t want to have to marry one of your cousins now? The families chosen are picked for a reason and I tend to keep it that way. Now, I want a full investigation done on Windermere’s house. I want to see some answers by tomorrow morning. Send word right now...”

  Alex pushed himself off the wall and huffed as he walked towards the door. “I don't see why Uncle Ro. The guards said they smelled gas coming from the house before it exploded. Only like two survived... It sounds like a gas leak is all.”

  Rogelio got up and walked towards his complaining nephew and pulled a gold-chained necklace with a black jewel hanging from the bottom. “Oh yea? What’s this than? I doubt Windermere or his boys wore anything like this. Plus, look at it. The damn thing doesn’t have a scratch on it. After you get the investigation going, I want to call a meeting. I need everyone on board with this...”

  Jordy and Ishmael both sat there bored and annoyed. When Jordy saw the necklace however his interest perked. “I’ve seen that necklace before. I think my new bartender, Sky had something like that one. I can ask her...”

  “No!” Rogelio walked over to Jordy with his hands pressed together. The necklace dangled from his hands as he stopped right in front of Jordy. “I want you to get to know her better. Her and her cousin... It’s true ever since they have come to town things have gone south. Not just her but anyone she might associate with or come to know.”

  Jordy rolled his eyes, “Great, I’m being used again but fine I’ll see what I can find out.” Deep down, he preferred that way anyway. He did have feelings for Sky... feelings he’d plan on never sharing with anyone. At least this way, he didn’t have to watch her fall victim to one of his family’s ruses. At least now, he had a ‘reason’ to get closer to her...