บท 136: Junior Sorceress Melisa Blackflame, Part Twenty-Two*

Melisa's tail swished nervously as she and Raven made their way down the busy street. Eyes followed her, some curious, others hostile.

One man walked up, dressed in a collared shirt like he was on his way to an office on Earth. He wasn't even a guard or anything, just a regular guy. 

"Uh, ma'am, I'm not sure you're allowed to-" 

Raven pulled out a scrap of paper. 

"Melisa Blackflame is exempt from the quarantine rules," Raven said, interrupting the man who was so helpfully trying to let Melisa know she'd accidentally walked out of her house. "Take it up with the king." 

"I..." 

They kept going. 

Melisa sighed, annoyed. 

[Focus, Mel,] she thought, squaring her shoulders. [You're here to save lives, not win a popularity contest. Fuck 'em!]

"The house should be nearby," Melisa murmured, leaning close to Raven. "On... Thornberry Lane."

Raven nodded, her grey eyes scanning their surroundings.