12
Vulpes
I hesitated outside the familiar red door of Isabella"s studio, unsure what I would find within. Our last conversation over the phone earlier had ended abruptly, her refusal to help leaving me confused and hurt. Looking down, I noticed a new panel, a biometric lock. That hadn’t been there before. Why would Isabella change her locks? And to something so secure?
Taking a deep breath, I knocked. Whatever hold he had over Isabella, it was enough to make her refuse my pleas for help. I needed to understand why. "Isabella, it"s Fennec." Silence greeted me, punctuated only by distant street noise from below. Finally, hesitant footsteps approached before the door creaked open, the chain stopping it short.
Isabella"s face appeared, her eyes rimmed with red. My heart ached at her obvi
