My Anti-hero Fairy System-Chapter 89. Celine’s Cottage

"That’s exactly what I’ve been saying all morning! Like—how is this possible? How the hell is she doing that?" Etienne’s voice crackled through the speaker, his tone filled with the same disbelief Kyle felt.

Kyle barely heard him. He gestured sharply at the two maids, who were now half-naked, to get out. They scrambled away without a word.

Eyes locked on the screen, he demanded, "Are you sure someone didn’t tamper with your camera? Some glitch? Some trick?"

"No, sir. That’s impossible. You know me—I take my job seriously. The camera was well hidden, undetectable. That’s real, boss. No edits, no illusions."

Kyle exhaled sharply, shaking his head as the footage continued. Cara incinerated her opponent, the vampire reduced to nothing but ashes.

"She literally turned that monstrous thing to dust," Kyle said, voice tight. "I’ve never seen anything like it."

"Me either. And I’ve been doing this job for a long time. This is some next-level shit." Etienne hesitated before adding, "My guess? She died, and when she resurrected, God gave her the power to kill vampires."

Kyle scoffed. "Possible. God sure works in mysterious ways." His eyes narrowed as he noticed something, or someone, on the ground. "Wait a damn minute... Is that Jackie Hoyt? That dog just became Jackie Hoyt."

"Yes, sir. She is definitely a shapeshifter."

Kyle let out a low laugh. "I knew there was something off about that girl. Always felt it. But damn, she’s got a gorgeous body, it would be a shame to kill her."

"Sir, do you want me to take care of her?" Etienne asked.

Kyle didn’t hesitate. "Yes. Would that be a problem?"

"No, sir, not at all. But I thought we only went after threats? Ms. Hoyt doesn’t seem like one."

Kyle’s jaw clenched. "She’s a shapeshifter, Etienne. That makes her a threat by default. All supernaturals are a danger to us. They want to replace us."

"Understood, sir. I’ll handle it."

A pause. Then Etienne asked the question Kyle had been avoiding.

"And what about your fiancée? She’s supernatural too, after all."

Kyle’s fingers drummed against his phone as he mulled it over. Finally, he spoke, his voice measured.

"For now, Cara isn’t a threat. I’ll do some digging, figure out exactly what she is. If she’s dangerous, we’ll deal with her."

"Got it, sir. I’ll proceed as instructed."

Kyle ended the call without another word, eyes still locked on the video as it replayed.

—---

—----

Reginald had just driven past the Chesney mansion when Cara suddenly yelled, "Please! Pull over!"

Startled, Reginald immediately slammed on the brakes. "Ma’am, what’s wrong? Did I do something?"

Cara didn’t answer. Instead, she pushed open the door, stumbled out of the car, and doubled over, vomiting onto the pavement. Dry heaving followed, her body shuddering from the force. After a moment, she pulled a tissue from her purse and wiped her mouth.

Reginald, still seated behind the wheel, turned slightly. "Are you okay, ma’am?" His voice held genuine concern.

Cara slid back into the car, exhaling heavily. "I’m fine. Something just didn’t sit right with me, but I’ll be okay."

Reginald hesitated, watching her through the rearview mirror before nodding. "Alright, ma’am. Where are we headed?"

Cara sighed and shot him a look. "Could you not call me ’ma’am’? It makes me feel old."

Reginald blinked. "Okay, ma’am—uh, I mean, what should I call you?"

"Ms. Bolton. That’s better. And I’m going to a friend’s house. I’ll guide you there."

"Understood, ma’—" Reginald stopped himself mid-word.

Cara arched her brow. "You almost called me ’ma’am’ again."

"Sorry, Ms. Bolton. Won’t happen again." He gripped the steering wheel a little tighter, visibly making an effort.

Cara smirked. "No problem. Just learn from it."

Her phone rang, cutting through the moment. She reached into her purse and glanced at the screen. Arlene’s name and picture lit up the display.

Cara muttered, "What does she want now?" before answering.

Arlene’s voice came through, cheerful as ever. "Hey, honey! You left early this morning. I wanted to tell you—we’re hosting a gala at the mansion tonight. A lot of high-profile people will be there. Including your ex."

Cara’s stomach tightened. "You mean Kyle?"

"Yes, honey. He’ll be attending. I hope that’s not going to be a problem?"

Cara hesitated for only a second before responding. "No, it’s not a problem. Kyle and I are back together."

There was a beat of silence, and then Arlene squealed. "Really, honey?!"

"Yes, Mom. We got back together this morning. I’m actually just leaving his house right now."

Arlene practically beamed through the phone. "Wow! I knew you two would find your way back to each other. You’re meant to be! I’ll make sure you’re seated next to each other at the gala."

Cara forced a smile, though it felt hollow. "Great. That’s just great."

Arlene’s tone softened. "Please, honey, I really want you to come tonight. I know you and Rudy don’t always see eye to eye, but I want you to support him. He’s not your father, I know, but he’s a good man."

Cara’s jaw clenched at those words. Heat flared in her chest, and before she could stop herself, she snapped, "Rudy is not a good man, Mom. He’s the lowest of the low. And the fact that an intelligent woman like you can’t see that? It makes me angry. How can you be so blind?"

A heavy silence settled between them. When Arlene finally spoke, her voice was quieter. "If that’s how you feel about my husband, then maybe you shouldn’t come to the gala."

Cara’s grip on the phone tightened. "You really can’t see him for what he is, can you? He cheats on you constantly. He was screwing around with Lucrecia and Jackie Hoyt. And Jackie—he tricked her into believing her father never paid off his debt before he died. He stole her diner from her, Mom! And as of right now, your sleazy husband doesn’t own a single diner in this town."

Arlene’s voice wavered. "You don’t have to come if you don’t want to."

Then, without another word, she hung up.

Cara exhaled sharply, staring at her phone screen.

[Damn. You really ripped the bandaid off her blissful little life.]

’I just couldn’t take it anymore.’ Cara leaned back against the seat, her head pounding.

’But how can someone as smart as Arlene not see Rudy for what he is?’

[I can’t give you a solid explanation, but humans have blind spots. Especially when they want to believe in someone.]

Cara sighed. ’That actually makes sense.’

With Cara’s guidance, Reginald pulled up in front of Farrah’s house. She quickly texted her friend: "Hey, gurl, I’m outside."

A moment later, her phone pinged with a reply. "I’m coming out now."

Less than a minute later, Farrah stepped outside, dressed in a red top and blue denim pants. Her eyes scanned the street, searching for Cara. When she finally spotted her sitting inside a sleek Rolls-Royce, her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Cara rolled down the window. "Hey, come on, we don’t have all day!"

Farrah approached the car, still eyeing it in disbelief. "Girl, did you win the lottery last night and decide to splurge on a Rolls-Royce?"

Cara laughed. "No, Kyle gave me this—and the chauffeur—to drive me anywhere I want."

Farrah’s eyes widened. "Wait... did you guys get back together?"

"Just hop in first, and I’ll tell you everything on the way."

Farrah slid into the car, barely shutting the door before the questions started flying. As the car pulled away from the curb, Cara answered each one, trying to keep her responses vague.

Farrah narrowed her eyes. "I thought you would never get back with him after all his philandering?"

Wait a minute was Kyle unfaithful to Cara before died? Cara thought.

Instead of answering out loud—aware that Reginald was within earshot—Cara discreetly texted her response.

"I’m back with him because all my investigations point to him being the big bad."

Farrah’s phone vibrated. She read the message, then quickly typed back: "Okay, now I get it."

Ten minutes later, the car slowed to a stop at the edge of a secluded road leading into the woods—the path to Celine’s coven.

As Cara and Farrah stepped out, Reginald leaned out of the driver’s seat, concern evident in his voice. "Ms. Bolton, this place doesn’t look safe. Should I escort you?"

Cara shook her head. "No, Reginald. Stay here. We’ll be back soon. My friend and I just need to take care of something private. We’ll be fine."

Reginald hesitated. "Ms. Bolton, are you sure?"

Cara shot him a pointed look. "Yes, I’m sure. Promise me you’ll stay right here."

Reginald exhaled but nodded. "Okay, Ms."

With that settled, Cara and Farrah turned toward the narrow dirt path that wound through the trees. Using the shortcut Cara had memorized on her last visit, they navigated the woods with ease, eventually emerging in front of Celine’s cottage.

Celine was already waiting for them outside. The three women exchanged brief greetings before she ushered them into her home.

Once inside, Cara reached into her purse, pulling out a small ziplock bag filled with Mr Bailey’s hair. She handed it to Celine. "I hope this will be enough for the ritual?"

Celine took the bag, inspecting the contents carefully. After a moment, she nodded. "Yes, this will do. Thank you, Cara." But then, her expression darkened. "However, we have another problem."

Farrah frowned. "Grandma, what other problem?"

Celine looked at them gravely. "Athena, your father is the problem. If we don’t find a way to perform the ritual for him as well, there is bound to be a fiery disaster."