Page 2 of Fog of War (Over the Moon)

I glanced at the carriage house and spied my marigold curtains aglow with a soft light from the kitchen. Comfortably eerie with a tasteful porcelain jack-o-lantern peering out at the street.

The exterior, however, was draped in spiderwebs and witch butts. Foam tombstones lined the walkway, and a vomiting pumpkin sat by the first stair up to my door. As per usual, my landladies were taking Halloween as far as it could go.

Juanita sat outside in her rocker with a tall glass of beer in a Seahawks cozy and waved when we opened the gate.

"Boo, bitches!" she called with elderly gravel, sipping the foam off the top between lips grooved like a loess plateau.

Her grey-blonde hair was long and coarse, hanging about her shoulders like she hadn't brushed it in days (she hadn't).

"Boo!" Leopha called, showing off her fangs and talons. The old bat waved her off, unimpressed, even if she grinned.

"Don't give her ideas," I begged, not sure which one I was addressing.

Bonafide pressed the screen door open with her rounded back, carrying a tray laden with tea for herself, another beer for her wife, and a spread of pickles, nuts, and deli meat rolled around thin slices of cheese.

Her long dreadlocks hung down to her butt, thinning around the roots from where she'd maintained them for who knows how long.

Maybe as far back as when the pair had met in the early two thousand twenties.

You could see the passage of time in them, and it was beautiful.

She smiled at us and I immediately felt like I'd come home.

"Hi, sweet pea. Want some dinner? I got more salami rolls for Lolo up in the kitchen."

"Bonnie, don't smother 'em."

But Leopha hummed with excitement, accepting the offer before I had the chance to politely decline.

I often sat with my landladies in the early evening.

When they were young, I imagine they were a lot like Leopha and me: Juanita, the agent of chaos, and Bonafide, the succor of calm.

Except Leopha and I didn't have a whirlwind romance in our futures.

One of her bucket list items? Bang a human guy.

Though I didn't put it in those terms, the same item was on my bucket list too.

Sharing my little haven, anyway. I wasn't in a hurry to cross it off, but more and more I got the itch to introduce a boyfriend to Juanita and Bonafide.

I craved the embarrassment and fizzy excitement.

My life had been so even keel for so long. .. Maybe Leopha was rubbing off on me.

I smiled, pushing my glasses up as she dove into the salami rolls and pickles. Juanita patted the bench swing next to her and I sat down, enjoying the familiar creak of the chains.

"So, Lolo, you gon' be our main attraction this year or what?

" Juanita squeezed a slice of lemon in Bonafide's tea for her while she ducked away for those extra salami rolls, then plopped the peel into her beer.

"I'm thinking devil. Red shiny cape, long johns, a twirly mustache and tail. Hocus Pocus style."

"As much as I revel in scaring the pants off human children, no can do," she said with a chitter. Now that it was dark, her gold eyes were shining a little brighter against her grey cheeks, like a cat on the prowl.

"Oh come on. We won't scare ‘em that bad. Imagine wearing a headband with squishy red horns. It'd be hilarious trying to get that to work with your spires."

I saw the grin in Leopha's eyes before the smile hit her mouth. Venandi smiles were generally terrifying, and Leopha never hid that she was a predatory species. She preened, her white teeth catching the light. "That does sound like my kinda fun, but me and Gabbie got plans."

Bonafide, now pushing through the screen door with an extra serving plate, and Juanita, her beer halfway to her mouth, both paused and looked at me. The amber porchlight felt as strong as a spotlight and I squirmed.

"No shit?" Bonafide said in her sweet, deep lilt. She smiled and let the screen door bang shut as she sat in the other rocker. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. Even if Juanita sulks."

"I'm not sulking."

She was definitely sulking.

Bonafide took a sip of her tea instead of commenting and redirected the subject. "So what plans do you have?"

"We're going to a venandi festival," I said with excitement, grinning from ear to ear. "It's kind of similar, apparently."

At that, both older ladies perked up.

"In Oregon? Hot damn! We should go too, babe. Venandi are fine." Juanita shuffled in her rocker with a saucy grin and grabbed Bonafide's hand as she laughed.

"Yeah, I'm pretty hot," Leopha sighed, flexing her impressive guns.

She was the only venandi either of them had met.

"But I only have enough cabin-space for one guest. Maybe next orbit, though?

I can put in a request with my magistratus for whatever clans participate next.

Venandi do love a good elder, so they'll see hosting you as an honor. "

Wait.

My brow creased, heart thudding deep and fast with a sudden realization.

"I-it's not here? In Oregon?"

Leopha polished off the ends of her salami rolls and got to her feet, brushing off her palms. "Nope!" Then she grinned at me. A deeply evil, conniving grin. "It's on Aescipoli, of course. Oh, did I forget to mention that?"

A flustered blush blasted up my face like I'd stepped into a furnace. "No, you did not mention that!"

"Ah," Leopha said with infuriating calm. "Whelp..." She shrugged with big innocent eyes. "Oops?"

"Oh my god!" I barked at her with indignation. She’d definitely let it slip her mind on purpose.

Leopha bent down so that her face was inches from mine, a victorious hum in her mouth parts.

She brushed off my shoulder, taking her time to detangle a few stray curls like a lion might groom a deer it planned to eat for dinner.

"Don't sweat it, bestie. It's gonna be fun, and the Satoris clan will take good care of you.

You've shown me a ton of your life. Now let me share some of mine, huh? "

"Halloween's only a week away! What about work? How long will we be gone?"

"'Bout a week. Takes two days for the chain-skip, both ways." She pressed a talon into my mouth as I inhaled to speak. "Don't worry about work. I already forged your request for time off."

"Lyomphuh," I said against the press of her finger. She moved it with a sheepish grin. "I have rent to pay. I can't just take a whole week off."

"Sure you can," Bonafide interjected. "We'll waive it."

"If you bring us a toy!" Juanita added in a snap. She winked. "A venandi toy."

Leopha snapped her mandibles in agreement and latched onto their words. "Easy! Festival of Souls sells them–"

"Sells toys?!" I squeaked. "You do know what kind of toy they're–"

Leopha waved me off with a chuckle. "You want one that works with a strap-on harness? Double-headed? Vibrating?"

I buried my cheeks in my palms. "Oh my god."

Bonafide took a calm sip of tea. "Dealer's choice, I'd say."

Was this real life?

Leopha claps her palms together. "Look at that, all squared away!

Leave request approved, rent waived. Thank you, ladies, for the snack.

" She gave us all hugs, then stepped off the porch, backing up towards the open gate, pointing at me like an athlete on the field.

"And you better wear your adventure pants. "