Page 15

FIFTEEN

The sun was out and the park was full of people on a day trip out. Parents with strollers, loud teens who took up the whole path, a handful of elders out for a nice walk, and of course, the dreaded influencers.

I didn't know if it was my imagination or if there were more people with cameras than usual, but I was avoiding them like the plague.

I did not want to go viral again, especially because that one video of me had become a staple in compilations.

There were even a few remixes with funny music and parodies out there.

How embarrassing.

I reached the old phoenix habitat and made my way in, pleased to see that significant changes had been made so far.

Some of the trees and bushes had been removed and replaced with big boulders and rocky terrain which was supposed to mimic the hellhound's volcanic and barren habitat.

The fence had been reinforced and was now suitable for a large mammal which was the most important change.

We couldn't have Obie escaping and running around the Sanctuary while on fire.

That would be a disaster worth going viral.

The workmen nodded when they saw me and continued on with their backbreaking job.

"How long before the enclosure is ready?" I asked the person closest to me.

"We're finishing up by the end of the week," he responded as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead. "We've got more boulders and gravel to bring in. And we still need to dig up those trees over there."

"They can't stay?"

He set his hands on his hips. "Gwen said to get rid of most of the vegetation. Just following instructions."

"Oh, I'm not trying to critique. I was just curious. It looks great, I think Obie is going to be very happy here."

The workman grunted and went off to continue his job, leaving me just admiring the new habitat.

I knew they said this was a temporary solution while we figured out if there was a pack for Obie to join but I quietly hoped he would stay with us for a good while.

I'd gotten quite attached to the hellhound and would love to keep growing that bond.

If the habitat would be ready by the end of the week, that meant I had a few more days to get Obie used to his transportation crate.

I had no illusions that the experience would still be stressful.

There was almost zero chance that he wouldn't combust but we could complete the actual move once he was all burned out.

But if I could make some parts of it easier, like getting him to enter the crate willingly instead of having to chase him into it, that would be something at least.

I looked at the Phoenix House one more time, smiling when I thought of my time with Apollo and Erinna, of Fakenix, and of waiting days to watch the little phoenix chick hatch.

It felt like so long ago and I'd been so green behind my ears, not knowing what or how to handle the fiery birds.

I never could've imagined that I'd have worked with so many different animals by now, and strangely, I had the private collection to thank for that experience.

Not that I was actually grateful to them.

I would happily trade everything I learned and the animals I met if it meant the private collection never existed.

But since that wasn't possible, it was better to find the positives in what had happened.

I'd learned a lot, a bunch of animals were being treated and given the care they deserved, and punishment would soon rain down on the owners.

That would be a good day.

I left the Phoenix House and almost ran into Jacob. He was on the phone and gestured for me to wait for a moment, which I did. I didn't know who he was talking to but he looked stressed and that was never a good sign

He hummed a few times and nodded. "I can tomorrow. Noon? No problem. Yeah, okay, see you then. Yeah, bye, bye."

I waited until his call was definitely over before I spoke. "Everything alright?"

"Lawyers from IREMA. They want me to be an expert witness for the private collection case so I'm meeting with them tomorrow."

"When's the court hearing?" I asked, pleased to hear progress was finally being made.

"The date is still up in the air. I can't pretend to understand how it all works but with a case this big, it can apparently take a long time to create the case and even longer before a verdict is reached."

"Because it's such a big crime?"

"The jury will have to go through a lot of evidence to determine just how much damage they inflicted and how much they should be fined." He scratched the back of his head. "It could take months if not years."

"That's ridiculous. Can't they just seize all their assets, put them in jail and throw away the key, and call it done?" I blurted out.

He chuckled. "As appealing as that sounds, it's not that easy. But don't worry, they'll get what they deserve. I'll make sure of it."

"I wish I could help too. Do they need more people to testify or something?"

"I don't believe so. The best thing you can do to help is look after the animals. That's where your talents lie. How are things with Obie?"

"He's making progress. He's no longer as skittish or easily scared. I've found something he likes to eat and he's not setting the fire alarm off daily anymore. That being said, I think it'll be really good to move him into a bigger enclosure. I think he could use the freedom and stimulation."

Jacob looked impressed. "That's good to hear." He checked his phone and hummed. "I've got to run, I've got a meeting with the directors and the board. It was good to check in!"

I waved as he ran off. At least none of my mentors and bosses were slacking off when I was putting in those long, long hours. That would be unbearable and unmotivating. I wouldn't do it if they weren't working so hard.

Maybe I would, if it was for the animal's benefit. But I wouldn't like it this much.