Published by arrangement with the Delta Green Partnership. The intellectual property known as Delta Green is a trademark and copyright owned by the Delta Green Partnership, who has licensed its use here. The contents of this document are © Augustine Stuart, excepting those elements that are components of the Delta Green intellectual property.

A few days later, I was surprised by a knock on my door.

Clara and I were eating breakfast. I’d finally run out to the store to purchase milk, so it was almost pleasant.

She’d warmed to me since I’d brought her the contraceptives. Well— she’d stopped scowling at me. And that was what I considered to be warmth. She must not have realized how treasonous my purchase was.

I stood, putting my spoon in my bowl. Akeley wouldn’t have bothered to knock. If he needed me, he would have texted.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. There was no one in Innsmouth who would knock except for me.

I glanced at Clara. She watched me attentively, waiting to see what I would do next.

I went into the kitchen and opened a drawer, pulling out my pistol. Then I went and answered the door.

Standing on my doorstep was a young man dressed in a black t-shirt. He had a spiked collar, a nose stud, and two ear piercings. Full sleeve tattoos of occult symbols ran down his arms.

If this was Clara’s family, then they sure didn’t look how I had expected them to.

“Excuse me?” he asked in a friendly voice. I startled a little at how high pitched it was. From his appearance, I would have expected a gravelly base. “I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but I’ve driven all over this town and yours is the only house that actually looks— um— well, occupied.”

“Right,” I said slowly, keeping the gun hidden. “And… what do you need?”

“I’m looking for my sister? I think she came here about two weeks ago?”

“Casper?” I heard the sound of fast, limping footsteps, and Clara came hobbling down the hall.

The man’s eyes widened.

“That’s her—”

I pulled out my gun and shot him in the head.

At least— that was my intention. As soon as my hand started moving, though, the young man threw up his hands, spreading them wide in front of his face. Between them, a shimmering plane of force appeared.

My bullet slammed into the plane, causing it to waver but not break.

Oh shit. He was a mage.

He dropped the plane of force.

“Clara! Get out of the way!” he yelled.

From behind me, I heard a scrambling in the hallway— then a massive wave of force hit me full on in the face, sending me backwards to the floor. The mage rushed in, spreading his hands wide to create yet another plane to pin me to the floorboards.

I struggled, but his magic held. I had my own magic— but everything I knew was ritual based. This man, on the other hand, had spells that worked as quick as thought. I’d never seen anything like it.

“Clara!” He rushed to her side, still keeping me pinned. He helped her to her feet. “Clara— are you all right?”

“Yeah,” she said shakily. “Casper— God, Casper, I’m so glad to see you—”

She started crying on his shoulder, her sobs shaking her entire body. Casper held her close with one arm, the other still outstretched, controlling the plane that kept me on the ground.

“Let’s get you out of here,” he murmured. He started to lead her towards the door.

“Wait.” Clara turned and looked down at me. I stared back up at her, helpless under Casper’s magic.

She could easily kill me now, I realized. Or order this Casper— who, from their similar, heart-shaped faces and dark, wavy hair, I suspected was her brother— to kill me for her.

But instead, she smiled.

And that smile terrified me.

“We’re taking her with us.”