Chapter 23- Unusual Motivation

Shortly after they settled down, she felt an itch under her skin—a rare motivation to separate from the group. Not for long, just long enough to get something useful done without the peanut gallery slowing her down. The twins had no sense of caution, and Lee, well… Lee had a way of getting her involved in his messes.

Erica moved through the village with practiced ease, weaving between market stalls as vendors hollered out deals. It was noisy, crowded—an easy place to disappear. She bought two things with Lee's mere pocket change he had left out: a taser and a Swiss army knife. They were the only weapons she had enough confidence to wield without looking like a complete idiot.

Now armed, Erica ventured toward the outskirts of the forest they had come from, scanning for anything that could be helpful. A landmark, a hint, a way back.

Back at the inn, Lee stretched his arms behind his head, lazily glancing around. It took him a moment to register the absence of their resident serial complainer.

"Huh," he mused. "Anyone seen Erica?"

Sydney, mid-bickering at Sid over something meaningless, barely spared him a glance.

Sid shrugged. "She'll be fine. She's not dumb enough to get herself into trouble."

Lee hummed in thought, masking the slight prickle of unease creeping in his gut. Erica was stubborn, but she wasn't reckless. Not usually. Still, he had spent enough time with her to recognize that when she got too quiet, it tended to lead to trouble.

Meanwhile, Erica was still scouring the area when the one person she really didn't want to deal with appeared.

Victor Victoria.

They leaned against a tree, a lazy smirk playing on their lips. "Out here all alone? Now that doesn't seem like you, Erica."

Erica sighed, already exhausted. "What do you want?"

Victor Victoria stepped closer, their sharp, androgynous features illuminated by the shifting light. "You know, you'd make an excellent ally. You've got that sharp mind, that cynical edge. And let's be real—you're not exactly thrilled about your current company, are you?"

Erica remained unimpressed. "Tempting offer. Really. But if I wanted to join a cult, I'd go for one with better branding."

Victor Victoria chuckled. "That sharp tongue of yours is delightful. But, fine, if flattery doesn't work, let's try another approach." Their gaze darkened ever so slightly. "I wonder how well your dear cousins would fare if I decided to… spice things up a little?"

Erica's fingers twitched.

She forced herself to breathe evenly, to keep her expression blank. Victor Victoria seemed like the type to feed on reactions, to push buttons just to see what happened.

So she exhaled and turned away. "I'm bored now," she said flatly. "I'm sure you'll come bother me later, so there's no point in saying goodbye."

Before she could take another step, a firm grip caught her wrist.

Wrong move.

In one fluid motion, Erica pulled out the taser and jammed it against their ribs. A sharp crackle filled the air, followed by Victor Victoria's sharp inhale as their body seized.

And right on cue—

"Well, damn," Lee's voice drawled.

Erica looked up to see her beloved trio of idiots standing a few feet away, all staring at Victor Victoria, who was doubled over in pain.

Sid smiled. "That was kind of awesome."

Sydney crossed her arms. "Are we sure she's the same Erica? What if she got replaced with a competent version?"

Lee, of course, couldn't let the moment pass without commentary. He clapped his hands together, eyes gleaming with amusement. "I'm so proud. Our little Erica's all grown up."

Erica groaned, rubbing her temples. "Can we just leave now?"

Before anyone could answer, a guttural snarl echoed from the shadows. A pair of glowing eyes emerged from the darkness, followed by the massive, hulking form of a beast.

Victor Victoria, still recovering, smirked through the pain. "Of course not."

Erica sighed. "Of course not," she muttered, mirroring them with an eye roll.

And just like that, the fight was on.