Wolf's Grace

Chapter 216: Grace: Inside the Wash-N-Were

Inside the Wash-N-Were, several machines are in use, but no one’s inside.

A little strange, | suppose, but it isn’t uncommon for shifters to go for a little run while they wait for cycles to

finish.

Still, it’s creepy to be in an empty laundromat.

Thankfully, Andrew’s staying in the car, though the animals are determined to followinside.

Sadie prowls around, sniffing every inch of floor as her fluffy tail swishes back and forth.

The white cat—still nameless, despite the many suggestions ranging from "Snowball" to "Death Claw" —jumps

from machine to machine with effortless grace before settling on top of a washer mid-spin cycle. It curls into a

comfortable ball, eyes half-closed, clearly preparing to sleep.

Super fucking helpful. A part ofhad kind of assumed these two strange animals-but-clearly-more-than-just-

animal-beings would be a little more help with the way they tagged along against my will, but nope.

Just a mundane cat and a mundane dog, doing shit-fuck for my mission.

Ignoring them both, | take the tto do the most pressing assignment: shoving our disgusting laundry into

three separate machines. Thankfully, Wash-N-Were has detergent provided for those of us who forget to bring it

(or don’t know where Lyre has it stashed).

Coins clank as | feed them into the slots, and the washers rumble to life, blending into the sounds of already-

running machines.

I glance out the window. Andrew's still in his car, head down, probably scrolling through his phone.

His loyalty’s welcome, but confusing. He was Rafe’s shadow, his wingman, for years. I'm tentatively positive he’s

a safe ally, but it still just seems... strange.

Loyalties can’t change so easily, can they?

Or were they never as close as | thought they were?

Whatever. | don’t have the mental bandwidth to solve that puzzle right now. | have a quest, like I'm ssort of

video gcharacter, but with less clues.

My phone feels heavy in my pocket. | pull it out and open the Divinity App, hoping for... | dunno.

Something.

Anything.

A notification. A message. A hint.

But there's nothing, except a text about a 20% off sale for diabetic supplies. | don’t know a single person with

diabetes.

Deleting the spam text with fierce prejudice, | glance around the laundromat with a frown.

Investigate an artifact. Sounds easy, but... what the hell am I looking for? A magical sword hidden in a dryer? A

cursed amulet taped under a folding table? A haunted sock mathat gathers missing socks from every

washer and dryer in the land?

Who fucking knows.

The laundromat is bigger than it looks from the outside and incredibly clean, with signs on every machine

explaining how to use them. Rows of washers and dryers line both walls and a few folding tables stand in the

center.

At the back, there's a small alcove with vending machines and a bulletin board filled with self-printed business

cards.

If thewon't tellwhat I'm looking for, I'll have to search every inch of this place myself.

| start at the back, beside the vending machines. The bulletin board is a chaotic collage of cards—lawn care

services and babysitting offers being the most prevalent. For sreason, shifters hate taking care of their

lawns...

| run my fingers along the edges of the board, feeling for anything unusual.

Nothing.

| check behind the vending machines as best | can without moving them, but all | find are dust bunnies and a

single ancient peppermint candy still in its wrapper.

The bathroom door has an "Out of Order" sign hanging crookedly from a single piece of tape. | push it open

anyway. The lights flicker on automatically, revealing a single toilet, sink, and a small trash can. | check under

the sink, behind the toilet, even lift the lid off the tank.

Empty.

Back in the main room, Sadie has moved to the far corner, her nose pressed against the baseboards, tail straight

as an arrow. The cat hasn't moved, still perched on its washer, apparently asleep.

"Any hints?" | ask them both.

Sadie ignores me, intent on whatever she’s sniffing.

The cat's ear twitches.

| move methodically down the row of washers and dryers, opening doors and peering into empty drums. As

expected, there are no magic swords—or socks—to be found.

Not even a speck of lint.

I'm halfway through my inspection of the front counter when I notice something odd about the wall behind it.

There's a slight discoloration, a rectangular patch about the size of a sheet of paper that looks newer than the

surrounding paint.

| lean over the counter for a better look. It could be nothing—maybe they patched a hole, or hung something

there that was later removed. But in my new life of supernatural weirdness, coincidences are rare.

My fingers brush against the discolored patch. It feels slightly warmer than the rest of the wall. Interesting.

| press harder, and—nothing happens. It's just a wall.

A random dryer dings and | jump about ten feet in the air.

Whoever the clothes belong to still hasn't returned, though.

Giving up on the weird wall discoloration, | lean against one of the folding tables and stare at the ceiling.

Maybe | need to think more literally.

Artifact. What one gs aacifect?

i toriad] oc. ems of

significance, things people preserve...

Things people preserve.

My eyes dart over the wall with the

bulletin board. I'd glanced ves ig

rarousgrplafiae: Ga the wall,

detdiling oring things about the

business's first milestones. The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

And the laundromat’s first dollar earned.

| walk over and examine it more

closely. The fris nothing m

speciakephsap Black pasts. The

dbs inside looks ordinary too, if a

bit old, which is to be expected. The

content is on novelenglish.net! Read

the latest chapter there!

| lift the froff its nail. It’s lighter than | expected. Turning it over, | pop off the back panel.

The dollar slips out, along with a tiny, folded piece of yellowed paper.

My heart beats faster as | unfold it carefully, but it’s blank, except for what looks like a weird maroon smear.

Damn it. | thought | was onto something...

Then my phone buzzes.

[MISSION SUCCESS: Acquired ‘Blood of the Demi-Gods’. Submit sample for further testing.]