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-Corina-

I let out a yawn as I massaged my eye and leaned back in my chair.  I glanced out of the airplane's window, however, all I could see was pure darkness.

Well, we are flying at night. I wonder what time we'll be back home.

I slowly petted Opal who lay curled up in my lap. A content look on his face as he clutched a small envelope between his paws.

I wonder if I should knit him a small pouch, it must be tiring to carry things with such a small body and no pockets.

"You look so adorable when you look excited Mistress."

I jumped slightly then I looked behind me only to find Taiga there grinning at me.

"I need to put a bell on you, you're much too quiet," I sighed.

He chuckled. "Who else would it be, your brother is doing the two step tango with the stewardess. And the walking fur ball is asleep in your lap," he told me.

I felt my face heat up. "How in the world do you know that Matthew is doing that," I asked.

"Ears are a wonderful thing to have Corina. Well, while that may be a fact I'm hearing Matthew say things I never wanted to hear. Apparently, the woman likes it rough though so-"

"Please stop before I overheat," I said quickly. My face was more than likely redder than a tomato.

Taiga let out chuckle smirking as he sat next to me. "You're still wearing your eye patch," he pointed out.

I nodded slightly as I ran my fingers over the fabric. "I'm just used to it, plus while I can see out of this eye now there's still a scar. That ugly, ugly scar," I whispered.

"Let me see," he said.

I shook my head.

"You won't let me see it now even though I've seen it before?" He asked gently.

I nodded. "The eye looks strange now, I can still see out of it but it looks strange," I whispered.

He sighed. "If that's the case then you really have to let me see it," Taiga insisted.

"If my sister doesn't want to show you then leave her alone," Matthew told him.

Taiga sneered. "Why if it isn't the cheating ex-whore bastard, you finished boozing and whoring so you came to say welcome home, honey?"

"Excuse me?" Matthew hissed. "How dare you insult me like that!"

Taiga smirked. "Really? Well, how would you like to be insulted? I take request you know."

I winced clutching my eye as it began to throb as their argument escalated. "Will you two just fucking be quiet!" I snapped.

For a moment or two, my vision turned white, however as I rubbed my eyes and blinked a bit the interior of the plane came into focus. The first thing I noticed was a large, light blue, glass like wall that separated Taiga and Matthew from each other.

I glanced down at my hands to see that they glowed with the same light as the strange wall.

What is this? It feels so strange yet so comforting...

Taiga reached out and gently brush his hand across the wall, only to yank his hand back a moment later as though it had burned him.

"What is this?" Matthew whispered as he also reached out to touch it.

"Don't touch it. It's a type of defense shield used by witches and nymphs," Taiga warned him.

Then Taiga turned to me a small smile on his face. "Congratulations Mistress, you just made your first defensive barrier."

I let out a long deep breath and willed my body to relax. Slowly but surely the barrier began flickering as the glow slowly drained from around my body.

Opal made a small hissing sound as he glared at the barrier.

I carefully picked him up. "Don't worry Opal, I did that. It was an accident but I did it," I assured him as I stroked his fur.

Ever since the Elize incident, Opal was a tad unnerved by magic.

Opal let out a meow and pointed a paw at Taiga which made him glare.

"Listen to me Furball, I don't really care about decompression. Blame me for something again and I'll throw you out of here so fast you'll be an instant fur coat," Taiga threatened.

Matthew chuckled. "Doesn't feel so good to be insulted now does it?"

Taiga's face went blank then he turned to Matthew and spoke. "You know it's been a long good time since I made someone into a meat sled, their innards in my grasp as I grip them like reins and I sit upon their broken and twisted back while their eyes ask the same questions as the horrified children. Why."

Matthew's face drained of color, while I on the other hand just let out a sigh and shook my head.

"Fucking hell! What in the world is wrong with you?"

This is going to be a long trip home.

Once we finally landed back in America I couldn't be happier.

"Finally," I said as I stretched.

"The further we are away from Russia the safer I'll feel," Matthew sighed.

Taiga let out a snort. "You are Puppet Monster now. A being of supernatural origin and power and you're worried about humans."

Opal let out a meow which caused Taiga to roll his eyes.

"You show me a poster saying that the communist are fish thieves then maybe I'll be concerned about you," he mumbled.

I smiled. "You're getting better at understanding Opal. A lot better in fact," I pointed out.

Taiga's face twisted in disgust. "Don't remind me," he grumbled then shuddered.

A moment later he started picking at his stitches on his arm. "Corina, I know that you don't want to show me your eye but I really do need to see it to make sure you are adjusting to it," he told me slowly.

I let out a sigh and clutched Opal to my chest. "I'll show you at the house."

The moment we stepped outside I saw reporters, in my arms Opal went limp as he played the part of a stuffed animal.

I wonder who called the Tabloids.

I began walking but one of the reporter's questions instantly stopped me for a moment.

"Ms. Corina, what do you think of your mother's murder?"

So that's what this is...

I forced my face to remain blank even though I wanted to smirk.

No rest for the wicked. If it's not one thing it's another.

I was not surprised by the fact that when we got home there were a few police cars outside the mansion gates.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions, but in this case, I suppose you have to have some first," Taiga said.

I flinched slightly as I watched Matthew get out of the car and walk up to the officers.

"How come you didn't get out too?" Taiga asked me.

I frowned deeply and shrugged. "I'm a woman they wouldn't take what I said seriously."

He smirked slightly. "It's because they don't take you seriously that you can get them to lower their guard to the point of eavesdropping. To them, you'll just be some ditzy blonde woman with her head in the clouds. So they won't give you a second look like they will if Matthew or I try it," he explained.

My eyes widened. "I have the feeling that you think about this a lot."

He shrugged. "Only when necessary my brain operates differently than yours," he told me.

I glanced over to where Matthew was speaking with two detectives. "Okay, I'll try it."

I seriously hope that this works.