“Everyone it's now time to test your shield spell,” Mage Malacoda said.

We'd spent most of magic class learning the finer details of shielding, which according to our instructor was one of the most important spells we could know. Something I wholeheartedly agreed with. I'd written down everything he'd said, double checked it with Calci and Garth, asked questions to make sure I knew all the little details, and watched Calci and Garth cast their own shields.

Sam looks up at the pink tinted machinery hovering from an extendable arm two foot above his face. He could clearly see the permanent makeup tattoo brushes and eyelash extensions poised to descend and change him forever probably into a girl with light makeup, long lashes, and rouge lips. He was semi relieved that he could not see the tell-tale injectors to plump his lips as well, but he supposed they could be there.

QUICK NOTE: Shoutout to Uhuru N/Uru for commenting on the last chapter with a tip on how to fix this serial's prelude so it came first in the Organizer page. Thanks so much for helping me out.

***

After getting their blood drawn, Bailey and Rachel were both taken back to the padded room where Rachel had been held before. Circe locked them in the room before going back to start working on their blood samples.

"I can't believe they just did that," said Rachel.

"I know," said Bailey, "But they won't get what they need."

"What?"

So the last chapter hasn't even cracked 200 reads at this time. Wow. I really jinxed things with that comment at the end, didn't I? Anyway, back to the story.

***

Olivia froze with fear when she saw Josie approaching her and her friends' table. "Your boss?" she asked. "Who'd send you out here?"

"Only the greatest witch to have ever lived," Josie answered. "And she has a bounty on you and your friends."

"What does she want us for?" Saige asked.

"Well, she only told me to take one of you," Josie answered. "My colleagues have already gotten another young woman like you."

"What are you talking about?" Olivia asked. "What do you mean, another young woman like us?"

"Conner, I need you to drive me to Mississippi."

"What?"

"Jackson, Mississippi," Lanie repeated. She was standing on Conner's front porch, having gone straight to him after leaving Genetics Engineering. "That's where they took Rachel."

"How do you know?" Conner asked.

"I just went to Genetics Engineering and asked a few questions," Lanie answered. "It looks like they might've taken Rachel to their lab in Jackson, Mississippi."

Conner's eyebrows knit together. "You didn't find out why they took her, did you?" he asked.

Josie gripped her car's steering wheel, driving down the highway and following the gray Honda Civic. Josie had stalked the young blonde-haired woman since yesterday and watched as she got together with her other friends today. Now she was following them, albeit discreetly, down the highway to Kentucky.

As she drove, Josie heard her phone ringing. She wasn't going to answer it, but then she saw that the call was from Circe Reyna. So she reluctantly tapped the green button and put it on Speaker. "Hello, my lady."

Chapter Two – Julie and Julian

Julie Clifford continues to work as a prostitute to earn enough money to save her bookshop whilst Donald Cooper continues to pursue meaningless relationships to replace his his lost wife. An impoverished transvestite bookseller and a well-to-do heterosexual barrister live in separate universes but something keeps bringing them together.

Author's note: This chapter will not be Lilith-centric like the previous chapters. It will cover the aftermath of the events in chapter 16. It will be mostly US-based due to my knowledge being more about US culture and political climate. Just a heads up for any readers from outside the US who might be wondering why I don't include a more global view. I have chosen to use two news agencies that have made the most news for themselves and I think you will be able to guess them.

***

Aftermath

RNN (Rathford News Network):

“Uh huh,” Dr. Singh said, his voice indicating deep skepticism. “Officer Wolf also wrote that you claimed to be a missing professor of something or other.”

“That’s ‘Distinguished Professor of Something-or-Other’ to you,” I said indignantly.

Leaving magic class, I was grateful that none of my classmates followed me to subterfuge. Having to face anyone who'd seen me naked so soon after it happened, would have been unbearable. There was one teeny tiny problem however, I had to walk the hallways by myself, and who knew what Micheal or his friend Victor would do.

Sara and I made our way out to the center of the school garden. I found a good place for us to sit and try and commune with the Goddess. "Are you sure you want me here while you do this?" Sara asked me extremely nervously.

"Sara, I don't want you alone with that crazed boy after you."
I say with the utmost seriousness and love. I am not going to let anything happen to her, so I will stay by her side till this whole incident is resolved.

Slowly, Tiberius is getting the hang of things.
One year ago he joined the adventurers Conway, Debtar, and Sinea as a freshly baked mage.
His new friends had been generous with their advice and friendship.
But when the topic of Shroom Dungeon is brought up, they are unusually mum about any details.
They agree on one thing quickly. It was time for Tiberius to delve into Shroom Dungeon.
A dungeon yet undefeated. A place to lose yourself.

Kim To Kimberly is the serialized story of an effeminate young man trapped into a reluctant transition by his older sister and her alpha male ex-boyfriend. Chapter 3: Years after the blind date at the drive-in where he was forced to give a BJ to an older male, Kim is now grown-up but out of work, so moves in with his sister Karen. To cheer him up, she suggests he dress as Kimberly again and go out in public. She's amazed at how quickly and deeply he gets into being Kimberly with each outing and pushes him farther - finally taking him to clubs to meet men.

The next morning, I was once again forced to sit still as my friends taught me how to put on makeup. “Why do I need to do this again? I don't look that bad,” I said.

I really did look good. I'd gotten a good nights sleep, and I was learning how to comb my hair so it wasn't tangled, or looked like I'd slept in it. And with my new, unwanted, assets, most people wouldn't be looking at my face.

On a late Wednesday afternoon, the police arrested my brother because he was an idiot who got caught doing something stupid: he tried to buy a car with stolen money.

I pulled the front door open with a jerk, surprising an imposing man with a completely bald head just as he was about to hit the door again. “If you say anything about knockers, you’re a dead man!” I growled.