From The Desk of Madam Odette I

My name is Odette Marie Desrosiers, my current age is 26 year old but my birthday is coming up in a month or so. Recently there's been a major change in my life. There's this fox named Red, who, because of my family's relation with his over the past six or seven generations, has been living on my property for the last couple months. He's been working hard for me to get his body ready for the physical intensity that will follow the magic training he is now receiving. A lot of what he's been doing recently is bookwork, theory, and minor application. I want to make sure that he understands it before he uses it.

He's a strange one too. He can adapt quickly to his surroundings but needs a push first. He's insanely smart. He was able to do intense calculations in his head during the poker games. He always walks away with more money than he started with. Magic wise, he still has the mental block that magic is just fantasy, that it's not a real thing. He can do theory, he excels at reading and understanding the parts and fine points but he is holding his own body back.

On a personal level, I can see why my father warned me when I was 13 about the responsibility of our family. I'm even happier that he was able to tell me before he and my mother passed away later that year. I spent my life after that point working towards power and money to sustain myself and this kid is more powerful than I can imagine. I may need to train him but at a point he's going to surpass me and I will have nothing left for him. I don't know what to do when that point comes.

I do wonder what he thinks of our relationship. Does he see me as his teacher? His mentor? Maybe his lover? We've been physical with each other multiple times but I wonder what will come of it. I know my interest in him comes from the power he can present. I may be sick for this but I have a hard time keeping my paws off of him. He has a good head on him too. The first night from the poker game he explained he can't take advantage of a woman in my state. So I waited till I sobered up and tried again. Since then, he and I have been known to spend some of our spare time with one another but how long will that stay?

With him focusing on his magical studies I've forced myself to take on more of a teacher role so the physical relationship has been put on hold. It's hard but I know he's been getting by. Marie and Veronica have been "checking on his progress" in my absence. I don't know why but it kind of hurts. I've been having his internal fight for a while and it's never easy.

Today I have Red hidden away at his place to read up on a different subject of Summoning and Elemental Sprites to see if that will help him understand the world around him better. I'm pretty sure it will be an all-day task as long as Mary doesn't interfere with his reading again. As for me, my day is going to be spent in my office. I'm expecting today to be quiet with Red reading all day. Everyone else is off doing their chores for the day. Danny, my personal butler, is standing by the door to prevent me from being disturbed.

Unlucky for me, today has different plans. I'm sitting at my desk when I hear a knock. I know it's Danny but what could he want? "Yes Danny."

"A Marcus Vassal…"

Another voice comes from behind the door, "Duke!"

Danny continues, "Duke Marcus Vassal for Madam Odette."

Against my own best interest I respond, "Let him in." The 4' 10" skunk comes waddling into my office with his nose up in the air. His style hasn't changed at all. He still wears those half sleeve dress shirts with khaki shorts. For whatever reason he always wears this soccer jacket with the Norwegian flag on it. He is one of the most pretentious animals I have ever met and one of the most persistent ones who ever chased after my hand. The first time I met him he spent the first hour correcting me to call him "Duke" like he does to everyone. His family is an estranged line from a ruler of somewhere in England from 500+ years ago. His entire family acts like him with the stuck up attitude.

His voice constantly seeps with a condescending tone, "Lady Odette, it is wonderful to see you again. I came to check on you and see if you have considered my offer." The offer he is referring to is about five years ago when I really began to hit my stride and make my money he found out about me. He walked up to me with an insane offer of marriage where he would absorb my assets to manage them for me where I can lay back and be treated like a queen. The problem with that is that he would own everything I worked for. "Oh Marcus, you come by every quarter and ask me the same thing and I tell you every time, no."

"But you don't see what I could do for you! I can use my influence to expand what you have beyond your imagination."

I have to keep my head on my work to stop from punching him, "And I've told you that you can't fathom my plan. I will not marry you Marcus."

"Is it because of another man?"

I can't hold my sigh, "No, it never is, it never will be. You know as well as everyone else that I'm married to my work."

"You say this but I hear that you have a new resident on your grounds that has been spurring all kinds of stories."

"My new resident is a student of mine."

"Mm? What are you teaching him?"

I have to remember that Marcus isn't part of the magical world, "Business, strategy, and a little physical work here and there to earn it."

"Lady Odette, I implore you to not associate yourself with the low life that he is. It's a waste of your talent to try and teach someone just for them to fail and shame you."

"You say that but you haven't seen what he is capable of. In the short time he has managed to impress me in many ways."

He shoots me a dirty look, "It's comments like that which made people talk about you in a different manner."

"Different manner?"

His voice sinks with a scowl on his face, "People have been talking Odette, about you and this new man in your life."

"He's a student Marcus."

"And you've been teaching him with a few extracurricular activities that aren't typically related with common business practices."

"What are you talking about Marcus?"

He's really getting on my nerves. I can't tell if he's fishing for something or if someone has been talking. I keep my private life very private so I'm having a hard time believing his ears heard something. I walk around my desk leaning up against it so if he angers me again I'll have the option to smack him. Any little excuse will do. "Odette, are you sleeping with him? Intimately?" I knew it. He's just a prick. "Marcus, my private life is just that, mine and private. I am teaching him what he needs to know about surviving in the world around him."

"Including continuing his family line?"

I try to bite my tongue but he was on my nerves when he first walked in. "Odette! I want to know why you would pick that scrub over me! What can he do for you that I can't?"

"He can actually care, Marcus!"

His face changed, "What was that?"

I hit me what I had just said. Inside I realize it but I keep the stern face on him. He stands up from his chair adjusting his jacket. I wasn't able to react quickly enough. He grabs my muzzle with a tight grip where it almost feels like he's going to break my nose. With his other hand he pushes me back onto the desk slamming my head against the wood. His face right in front of mine and he has this disgusting grin. I try to fight but with his grip I can't move much without him breaking me. I feel his hand grab my leg moving it. He moves forward putting his hips in between my thighs. Before I can take a swing he slams his arm on mine, "You move and I will break your pretty face."

I hear him undoing his belt before his hand comes back to hold me down. "How about this then Odette. Since you'll settle for that little vermin but not take me, then I will make you mine by force." I feel helpless now. He has me pinned against my own desk. He licks his lips with that stupid grin again but now I can feel him. He pushes his hips against me and I can feel him rubbing himself against my underwear. In one last ditch effort I look to the door letting out a muffled yelp for help.

My eyes close as I feel tears beginning to form. Can no one hear me? Can anyone help me? Red! Please! I need you! My eyes open and I see the door is open. Standing there is the one I asked for in a plain white shirt and jeans holding one of his books. My eyes catch his as I let out as much of a scream as I can.

I watch him as his face changes. He goes from confused to concern to a face that I have never seen anyone have. Since he came here I've seen him smile, laugh, concentrate and focus, and even cry, but now. Now he is brimming with a fiery rage. With two steps he took that thick textbook slamming it broadside into Marcus' face. Before Marcus even knows what hit him Red grabs him; shoulder throwing Marcus out of my office into the main hallway where everyone stopped. I go to follow quickly stopping as I see burn marks on the red carpet.

Looking back out to the hallway Marcus is trying to recover by scooting on the floor while pulling his pants up but Red is half a step away from him. Marcus goes to get up but Red brings a low swinging kick into his face skidding him across the floor towards the main door. With the distance between them Marcus is able to get up finally, "How dare you! I am…"

Red's voice seemed to change, "A dead man!" It boomed through the hallway catching everyone's attention.

"Ha! You think you can say that to me? I will end you, you little…"

Before Marcus could finish his sentence there was a bright flash of what looked like a small flying end of a fire whip. It snapped itself on Marcus' face knocking him back once again. He stayed down trying to scoot back again, "What, what are you?! A demon?!"

"You will wish that's what I am. Hell cannot compare to the rage I am about to unleash if you don't leave."

Red stood there in a straight-up stance, his left hand engulfed in a blue flame sparking with solid magical power. The little bit of flame was enough to make the air denser. Without another word Marcus took Red's warning quickly scurrying out the front door. Red's flame dimmed to a warm orange releasing the grasp on the air. He still looked determined but not angry. "Madam Odette." I actually jump when he addresses me. "Madam Odette, are you ok? Are you hurt?" He's still staring at the door with his hand at his waist, fire burning. "Y-yes, I'm ok." He turns his head to me with tears forming in his eyes, "Are you scared of me?"

One tear manages to run down his face before I'm able to grasp him in my arms. He's shaking violently. His adrenaline is starting to wear off so his body is reacting to it. He's able to hold me with both arms. His fire is still going but it's a soothing warmth. The moment of peace is interrupted by two loud pops from outside. The main door opens up slamming into the wall. Marcus bursts into the main hallway with a revolver in his hand yelling to Red, "You think this is over?!"

Red immediately pushes me away from him onto the floor. There is a loud bang that echoes through the hallway. I see Red step back as part of his shirt is shredded from behind. There are three more that knock Red to the floor followed by the sound of rapid clicking. Marcus fired four shots, everyone landing into Red. I begin to look over to see four stains beginning to show on the white shirt. Marcus begins to cackle, "You see? You were no match for me! No one treats me like that!"

My anger begins to surface. I feel my face turn warm as my body begins to pulse with my heartbeat. But I'm stopped. The air in the room gets hot. Against everything that makes sense Red stands putting one foot in front of the other. Both his hands are burning a bright blue. His ears are up, his body is moving unaffected by the bullets, but one thing happens that I cannot explain. His tail. His tail split into two matching his colors.

Marcus is frozen in the fear that Red's shadow casts. Standing only a few feet away I see Red exhale a small bit of fire from the sides of his mouth as he mutters one word. "Die." A ring of fire surrounds Marcus quickly growing trapping him in his place. Red holds up his hand slowly gripping it into a fist. As he closes his hand the fire gets closer and closer to the center of the circle. The entire time I hear Marcus screaming louder and louder until he tapers off into nothing. The vortex focuses into a funnel and then dissipates into the air leaving only a scorch mark on the marble of where it had burnt into the floor.

I watched as Red fell to all fours. His back was arched and his breathing was broken between small gasps. He finally gets a deep breath in for one heavy cough. My panic begins to set in at the sight of him coughing up a glob of blood. He's trying all he can to hold himself up but it's obvious he's dying. "Red! Red! Someone! Call for a medevac!"