Healing Cherri

by Jana Leigh

***

  “Fuck me sideways,” Kiki/Kristopher said when they walked into the place he used to work. Calli and the girls laughed as he walked around and looked at the place.

  It was still the same bright, loud, Drag Queen bar, right now there was a woman/man on the stage singing to an old song that her mother said was popular in the old days. People tended to listen to the oldies music since the new stuff was all about humans, love and peace. Stuff that was like mind washing bullshit that Calli never really got into. Not too many of the shifters or magical people got into being on stage with millions of people looking at them. That would be like putting a target on your ass and saying ‘me first’ to the humans. No, the shifters and magical people played it low key and they were happy to do it. The bar they were in was mostly shifters and magical people anyway, so they were pretty safe. The occasional human police officer may come in to check on things, but they left right away. As long as the shifters didn’t draw attention to themselves, they were safe.

  The music was actually one she knew and wanted to start singing, she saw that her friends were trying to stop from doing the same thing. Even Kiki had a slight twitch in her hips, and Cherri began to feel hopeful. The lights from the old-fashioned disco ball swam around the room to the beat, and Cherri grinned. She loved this fucking place.

  The man who ran the place waddled out, looked at Kiki/Kristopher and frowned. He was an overweight Cougar and Cherri frowned. She had never actually met the man, but Calli and Kade had talked about him. Hell, he was a walking disaster zone. His hair unkempt and clothes rumpled.

  “Kiki, gods damn it, thank goodness you're back. Business has been slacking since you left, I need you back. Anything you want, name it. I just need you back up on the stage,” the man grunted out.

  “Sir, I have no clue what you're talking about. I would appreciate if you didn’t sweat all over me,” Kiki/ Kristopher said.

  “Hey, I even fixed the doors out front and didn’t charge you for the damage. Come on. I can hire more security.” The man begged and looked around, caught sight of Calli and Kade and he paled. “Shit, why are you here?”

  “Is that anyway to talk to your best friend?” Kade said and grinned. “Just kidding, we need to know if there had been anyone in here asking about Kiki.”

  “Nah, just some old couple who stuck their noses in the air, came in and made me take the picture down I had of Kiki. They took all of her stuff, holding a napkin over their mouth the whole time, like I would give them a disease or something. I mean, duh, then they told me Kiki was dead and wouldn’t be back. See, I knew they were lying because I already had been by the hospital. I tried to tell them, but they insisted. I figured it had something to do with your whole investigation thing. But I need my star back, man. I swear, I have lost a lot of money.”

  Kiki/Kristopher looked around the place with a little interest but nothing seemed to register. Calli even suggested that they sit to have a drink with some of the people who were working.

  The man, who was dressed as one of the popular singers of the time, came walking up. He had broad shoulders and a little waist. His muscles were defined and less feminine than Kiki’s had been when she was in Drag. He reminded Cherri of a football player dressed up with a lot of fucking make-up on.

  “So Kiki, you're back. Good to see you, but I'm not going to give up my spot just cause you're coming back. You have to work for it,” the man/woman said and kinda flexed his muscles. It defeated the purpose a little.

  Kiki/Kristopher looked at the man with disinterest. “I don’t know what you are referring to, so whatever. By the way, your eyeliner is way too thick, and also you missed the notes, you should have hit in the first verse.”

  Cherri looked at Kiki surprised; there was a hint of her old friend. She hoped that maybe this meant he was starting to come out of it. The music in the background began to play a new song, one she hadn't heard in a long time.

  “The fuck you say?” the singer said, and began to sing the song that filled the room, even though there was another Dragster up there singing. Cherri wanted to giggle her nervousness; they were going to be in a throw down with the Drag Queens, she could feel it. Damn, another thing for her mom to be embarrassed about.

  It was something with a country beat. Cherri sat and listened trying to place the song, it was about burning pictures or something. It had a nice beat, but the other man had way too deep of a voice to sing it.

  Kiki stood up and began belting out the song, and twitching his hips. “Oh shit, Drag Queen duel!” Calli whispered.

  Kade and the guys seemed uncomfortable looking around at the scene they were creating. The Queen who was dressed up, began circling the table they were sitting at, singing, while Kiki seemed to be drawn in and circled also. Singing to each other across the table, while stalking each other at the same time. It was starting to get frightening. Cherri was getting whiplash watching them.

  “What they fuck do we do?” Kade said desperately.

  Calli laughed and said, “Watch the train wreck, baby.”

  Kade shook his head and made sure he was watching everyone that was in the place. They were drawing too much attention to the group. Just what they had wanted to avoid, and if the assholes got a hold of this, it would be fuel for the fire, even if they were trying to get Kiki to remember.

  She was the only one who could identify Mr. Twisted and they were going to need to come up with something big if they wanted to even attempt to win the vote. The humans knew about the man, although they used a different name for him. Something about being a John Doe criminal. But if they captured him, it would be a feather in their cap; maybe they could get control of this.

  By the second verse, the music had been turned off and everyone was watching their table. Kiki had begun snapping her fingers in the air while swinging her arm. It was getting a little out of hand. The Queen that was in full drag began getting angry; you could tell from the tones she/he was singing.

  Rissa was clapping her hands to the tune and cheering for Kiki, and Calli slapped her on the back of the head. “What? Kiki's back.”

  Cherri shook her head no, he wasn’t, he was just touching on his memories, but she was happy to see it. She turned to the bar ready to call for the tab when she saw the owner on the phone whispering and looking around.

  “Shit,” Cherri said and pointed Calli in that direction.

  Kiki had caught up with the large Drag Queen and was standing before him dancing and moving her body in a much more seductive fashion than the clumsy man had been doing. The Queen yelled in frustration and held up her hand and snapped. Suddenly they were surrounded by Queens and Kiki was laughing manically.

  Calli and the girls jumped up and stood in back of Kiki. The Football Queen made the first move and it was on. Each of them taking a Queen and pushing them back into the back room. All except for Kiki, who was ripping off the wig and dress of the Football Queen, yelling that being a gay man didn’t make him a Queen.

  “Time to go,” Calli called and stood up breaking the scene that was being played out around them. The Queen was not backing down and began to chase after Kiki while Thomas dragged him back. Kiki was laughing, and then all of a sudden snapped out of it, and looked around a little worried.

  “How did I know that?” he cried.

  “Cause we told you, you're a flaming Drag Queen. Damn, if you would have just listened to us all this shit would have been taken care of,” Calli called as Kade pushed them to the back door. The tunnel was out back and they could disappear fairly quickly.

  Cherri laughed and shook her head. “Very scientific.”

  “Sometimes the Queen just needs a kick in the ass to make her the Queen again,” Calli yelled and Kiki began to argue, claiming they were planting things in his mind.

  Calli looked at Kade and shook her head. “We need another plan.”

  The group left the way they came, down the back corridor and went to the Drekinn Agency to talk and plan something else for Kiki. But the
y also had to find out what was going on with Mr. Twisted, because his silence made Kade nervous. He was sure the owner was calling him in their presence again.

  Chapter 13

  Kiki/Kristopher was shuttled back to the apartments for more tests. Kade and Calli ordered that their findings be kept under wraps. Until the vote was settled, they would be separating from Drekinn. A lot of their computers and equipment were being shipped out and sorted until they knew what was going on. The technology they had gathered and kept under wraps would not go to the lowest bidder, it was theirs. Cherri was arranging for one of her trusted assistants to go to the building and gather the data, and samples. Cherri was determined to figure this out.

  Kade and the guys weren't happy about returning to the Agency; however, that's where they needed to be in order to get the up-to-date information and also talk to Ms. Praton about what she had found out.

  Calli and Kade knew that Ms. Praton was actually Pillar, the dragon who belonged to their Pack, but no one had been introduced to her yet; they needed to keep her concealed for a while. With her announcement at the meeting, the secret would come out soon.

  Although their home offices would have information, Rissa said she needed to talk to her geeks to find out what they learned. Nik ordered Cherri to go directly to the locked conference room with the others while he went to talk to more of the Enforcers and find out if they found out any more from the wreckage. Cherri had just snorted and nodded. He may be in charge in the bedroom, but when they were at work, she totally out ranked him. That would be a conversation for later. Declan asserted his agreement and tapped her ass as he said he was going to the lab and get his things prepared to ship to their apartment.

  Sabrina had taken the puppies back with her to the apartment and promised to make sure they were watered and fed. All of the girls hated to see their new babies go, but they knew that puppies at the Agency would create a distraction. Rissa feared that the geeks would be jealous and try to steal them. So with kisses and promises of treats later, the pups were gone and the girls ended up in the conference room alone with Ms. Praton, as the men had all found manly things to do.

  “Really, the nerve. I really thought we had talked about this. I will not be pushed into a room like a good little woman and do what he wants just cause he's like all Alpha, and stuff,” Calli yelled into the air.

  The girls nodded and let her rant. Ms. Praton decided it was a good time to tell the girls about herself and scared the shit out of Cherri and Rissa when she suddenly changed into Pillar with a shimmer.

  Cherri stood with her mouth open and looked at the beautiful, long, dark haired woman who stood before them. Rissa rubbed her eyes, and then whispered to Cherri, “Did we get shot with an hallucinogen at the bar? Cause our old lady boss just turned into like a freaking goddess.”

  Calli was still yelling at the ceiling, “Muther fucking testosterone filled asshole, who thinks he can have all the fun. Oh, like I haven’t survived for the last hundred and twenty-six years without him. Like I stand in the fucking corner and cry if a spider runs out.” Calli paused and then looked at Cherri and Rissa, “Okay I do that, but not the rest. What the hell is wrong with you two?”

  Cherri lifted her hand and pointed to Pillar who was standing calmly waiting for Calli to stop. “Oh shit, really? Now?”

  Pillar, or Ms. Praton, nodded and looked at the girls. “I had to, we have to talk and they need to know.”

  “Know what?" Cherri said guardedly and then turned to her best friend. “And you knew, this whole week and never told us, bitch? We don’t keep secrets, blood oaths remember?”

  “She's a fucking dragon who could probably like, fry my ass; I chose to keep the secret for my safety,” Calli argued.

  “Huh, dragon?” Rissa giggled. “Like a real dragon? Like the books? I have never seen a dragon, can you shift?”

  Pillar looked at Calli helplessly and finally, Calli rolled her eyes. “No, she can’t shift, too small a space. She's part of the Pack. When she looks like this, we call her Pillar, when she's the old lady, she's our boss. She had ancestors, the Chosen who had the dragon, I forget his name, it was weird. Anyway, she's like a freak of nature, and I think she knows a lot more than she's telling us. So don’t get all chummy with her just yet. Okay, now everyone is up to date. Why the hell are you revealing yourself to them?”

  Pillar sighed. “Well first of all, they are my Betas, as you are my Alpha. Although I run Drekinn, I do fall under you in the Pack. Girls, my gift of being a dragon has also given me an advantage. I have yet to talk to Kade and Calli about this, but as I said, we have all been brought together because of our ancestors. The members of the Pack will all become a real functioning Pack, with some of us having certain, shall we say, powers. I have found over the last few weeks that I have been developing visions. I believe that I may be your Seer.”

  Calli frowned and then thought about what they had discussed. “Wait, you would have had to come into contact with at least one of your mates. Who is it?"

  “That, I can’t tell you. I have shielded myself from the mating call. I will not be able to tell until I actually allow myself to unshield that portion of my animal. I really don’t think this is the time; dragons can be very excitable when they find their mates. I think possibly I may have encountered both, because if I follow suit, there will be two. That would have triggered the powers. They are still very weak.”

  “Hey, NO, NOT YOU TOO? YOU HAVE TO WAIT; I HAVE SIX DAYS TO MEET MY MATES, AND DAMMIT, I'M NEXT. STUFF THAT DRAGON MOJO BACK DOWN UNTIL MY MATES COME TO ME!” Rissa yelled and they all jumped. Rissa then calmed down and looked at her nails and frowned. “Go on.”

  “Okay then, anyway, I wanted to talk about something I have repeatedly seen. I called the watchers of the vids and they have confirmed a meeting today with Mr. Twisted and his hit man. We need to get a look at them so we can put a real name to the faces. It's the only way we can stop them. But I have seen you three alone. I think this is the only way we will be able to catch him unaware. So, I propose that you three arm yourselves with vids and go and get a picture of this Mr. Twisted, so we can actually put a name to the man. We would also like to get a firm reason for all the activity that has been going on. I think maybe there could be a shipment of some kind coming in. Maybe the drug we're looking for. They're killing too many Breyting right now, they are getting desperate.”

  Calli looked at her friends and grinned. Just what they needed, a little recognizance with the girls. No one was better. They had it down to a science. Since Cherri had changed her hair, she would be in disguise if they toned her clothes down a bit. And Rissa blended into the background amazingly well. It was Calli they always had to worry about, she exuded power. Most people were drawn to her. Plus, her body was smoking hot and firm. Cherri looked down at her more voluptuous frame and grimaced. Sometimes she wished she could be the kick ass girl, instead of the pretty sidekick.

  Shrugging, they made a plan and then Ms. Praton helped them with their supplies and clothes she had brought in earlier and stashed. Rissa put on her boring, human clothes that made her look like a secretary. She put her hair up in a bun and put on the glasses that had the small camera in them.

  Then Calli toned it down a little and Ms. Praton had picked out a workers uniform. It was a nice black dress with a white bowtie; she looked like the old Playthingy’s. Cherri was the most changed, since her hair needed a spa treatment, they sprayed a fake color in her hair and then braided it, and they added a wrap to tone down the boobs. She laughed when the girls saw her mating marks and clapped. She was also in a boring and stupid pantsuit that made her look like Ms. Praton.

  “Why am I dressed like an old lady?" Cherri said in a panicked voice. “I mean, I look like my fucking mom. I never ever wanted to look like my mom when I got older and now you all have me dressed like her. I swear, if we don’t find what we're looking for, you are all dead meat. I'm taking one for the team ‘cause I know how important this is, but this is al
most above and beyond. Just saying.”

  Rissa laughed. “Seriously, one for the team. You look better than both of us do and we're practically like, normal.”

  “I know, see what I mean? This won’t work!” Cherri cried and groaned when Pillar handed her the old lady glasses to wear. “This sucks. And I don’t like the fact that you're like a dragon lady and never told us. I'm putting my formal protest in for keeping secrets out there. Is there anything else that anyone in the room can say that's gonna make us like have a fuckin’ heart attack again?”

  The three other women looked at one another and then shook their heads. Cherri sighed and held out her hand. “Come on, pact time, ‘cause no one, and I mean no one, is to know about this, I have an image to protect.”

  Calli rolled her eyes and put her hand on top of Cherri’s and the other two women did the same. “Repeat. I do solemnly swear I will never speak of this incident to anyone, the punishment will be you have to wear the old lady costume for three days around the office.”

  “Really?” Pillar said.

  “Okay, fine, then if you break the oath, you have to dye your hair blue and wear an outfit of my choice,” Cherri said.

  All of the women groaned and then agreed. “At least she didn’t have a freaking scalpel with her; we would have had to cut ourselves. You know when we were young she was the one who was bloodthirsty. Making us become blood sisters and all.” Calli laughed and Pillar frowned.

  “What was that?” Pillar said in her Ms. Praton voice.

  “Yeah, when we were like ten she made us take this three page oath about being together forever and stuff. I still have it. And then she made us cut our palms and become blood sisters. That was when our moms made that stupid club; you know the one about the white wedding thing. Drove us nuts, so we decided that we were going to have our own family when we grew up. Hurt like a bitch too, she cut deep.” Rissa laughed and showed the younger looking Ms. Praton the scar on her hand.