by Jacey Ward
“I love you, little one, get some rest and stay alert when you are with this hunter! I am absolutely certain he is fully prepared to do whatever he can to get what he wants!” Again her words seemed cryptic to Zahreena.
But before she could ask anything else, her aunt had gently blown some fairy dust into her face, effectively bringing her back to the edge of a deep sleep, much as she was when Lilithe had first appeared in her room.
Zahreena dreamed of huge winged beasts flying around campus, all with the handsome visages of Hunter and Gabe Kamberlin. Had she been awake, she would have seen her precious quilt nearly lighting the room, as the claws of a ‘Hunter’ beast came upon her, capturing her shoulders and flying off with her to a familiar yet frighteningly harsh land. He finally dropped her to the ground and flew away, leaving her there, shouting that she had done this to him and his brother and that she would pay dearly for it.
Chapter 8
Hunter waited for his unwanted ‘partner’ at the Campus Cafe. His mother had stopped by last night with a sealed portfolio – their apparent project.
She made it abundantly clear that she expected complete cooperation from him and let him know her expectations and those of the academy’s officials were being shared with each of the ten ‘volunteers’. He’d sneered at the use of the word. He’d sooner volunteer for picking up garbage then being forced to work alongside these creatures. He simply didn’t think any of them could be trusted.
“Please give this a chance, Hunter! You are well aware there will be many times in your career you will be forced to work with individuals you don’t like and yes, you will likely find yourself having to deal with less than savoury or trustworthy people. Treat this like a real case you would be responsible for in your job – with an open and objective mind. That’s the only way you can be sure of a fair outcome. You excel in your abilities, so I’ve no doubt you’ll make light work of this.
Zahreena seems agreeable enough – she’s had ample opportunity to join her friends in the stunts pulled on campus, and yet, not once have I had a complaint about her.”
Miss Daely seemed almost too agreeable, Hunter had thought. She certainly didn’t seem interested in defending herself. That was likely a ruse to get into Abigail’s good graces. He thought better of bringing up to his mother what he had seen happen at this very cafe with his brother. He had assumed it was Zahreena who had gone to his mother about his threatening her, but from what Abigail had said in her office, it had been one of the faeries’ friends who had accused him, not Zahreena at all. That news had confused the hell out of him.
He wasn’t sure what to think. She hadn’t denied causing Gabe to trip, but in his frame of mind yesterday, he wouldn’t have believed a word she would have said in her defense anyways. Gabe insisted whatever she had done after his fall had alleviated any pain there’d been, so no real harm was done.
Even though Hunter was still adamant that the presence of these faeries could only lead to chaos at the academy and he had spent the night trying to find a way to get out of this, he finally had to admit defeat. He’d worked too hard to get this far and he was not willing to jeopardize that work and his success for the likes of them.
He only had one year to deal with their antics.
This ludicrous project might make putting up with them more difficult overall, but he’d dealt with difficult before. If Zahreena Daely pushed her luck with him too far, Hunter had a few tricks of his own up his sleeve to put her back in her place.
He found himself cringing at that thought – his mother’s lecture coming back to haunt him.
On one hand Hunter had to admit his mother was right to call him out on thinking himself better than the younger students and especially these newbie faeries. What place did he actually think he would put her back to?
But on the other hand, he and his friends had earned the right to consider themselves on a higher level, hadn’t they? They’d put in their time and had collectively reached some of the highest GPAs in the history of the academy – that had to be worth some sort of status on campus. Those starting out in their programs would have just as much right to claim that status, once they had gone as far.
Where the hell was she, anyway? He was driving himself crazy second guessing his actions since he’d started the year and just wanted to get this project over with. Maybe then he could cast her out of his dreams, since she’d found residence there more often than he was comfortable with, literally. Cold showers were becoming the norm first thing in the morning, since she’d arrived.
His ears picked up on a soft fluttering sound behind where he sat on the outside patio, as though in answer to his question. Hunter couldn’t see anything or anyone when he looked around.
“Show yourself, faery! I won’t put up with your games ...” he felt foolish talking to the air around him, but he knew he was no longer alone, when he had been moments ago.
Before his eyes, he watched as particles swirled in a circular motion, coming together to reveal of all things, a glittering poncho first, followed by the rest of Zahreena’s curvaceous form. Last to show were her close set, almond shaped eyes.
Those eyes ... as much as they had always commanded his attention, this morning they appeared tired, in fact her entire presence seemed waning.
“Good morning, Miss Daely.” She was a client, whom he was working for, Hunter thought to himself, trying to keep his tone conciliatory.
Chapter 9
“Please call me Zahreena,” she replied on a sigh.
“Zahreena then ... Are you well?” Hunter questioned her and was surprised to see her frown slightly, as though startled he would even ask or care.
“Yes, of course ... A bit tired, I guess,” she responded.
“We can postpone this then if you’d like,” he suggested, sounding a little too hopeful, even to his ears.
“Thank you, but no. I think it’s best we see what our project is to be.” She gestured toward the envelope on the table.
“Agreed, the sooner we get started, the sooner we can finish,” Hunter replied, resuming his seat at the table.
He watched as Zahreena sat in a chair next to him, irritated somewhat by her hesitation.
“Professor Kamberlin dropped this at my residence last night, as promised,” he commented, using his mother’s title and then making a show of breaking the seal of the manila envelope. He didn’t want her saying he’d opened it on his own, although he had been very tempted to do so. He could have gotten a jump on this blasted ‘investigation,’ hand her his findings and be done with it – and with her.
Then he could continue to investigate the reason for their attendance here in the first place.
“I appreciate your waiting to open this with me,” Zahreena offered, looking him tentatively in the eye.
“Don’t tell me ... you read minds, too?” He asked her abruptly, wondering how else she could have known that was basically what he’d been thinking.
“As a matter of fact, yes I can, on occasion. But it doesn’t take a mind reader to see that you are going out of your way to prove to me that the seal wasn’t tampered with,” she stated, matching his impatient tone with one of her own. “And, contrary to your opinion of me, I do respect the privacy of one’s own thoughts. I do not make a habit of traipsing around in the often frightening quagmire of peoples’ personal thoughts – and definitely not yours.”
Hunter raised one brow at her response.
Hmm, she does have some grit.
He hadn’t seen that the few times they’d encountered one another.
“Touché, faery,” he made his tone teasing and smiled at her and was not surprised to see her raise her own brows in reaction to that. Perhaps civility is the way to deal with her.
“So ... where is it we are to start?” She questioned him with a timid smile of her own, revealing of all things, a set of dimples that on anyone but her, he might have found endearing. If he were being completely honest with himself, they were rather cute on
her as well.
“We are to teleport to an ancient, as yet unresolved, crime scene. I am to investigate to the best of my ability, given that the case will be cold, and provide you with my findings. Hopefully whatever I discover can support your efforts to either defend or prosecute the perpetrator in the culmination of this project ... a mock trial.” Hunter divulged, scanning the summarizing notes contained in the file.
“Oh ...” Hunter heard her respond with uncertainty.
“What’s the issue?” The fact that the last thing he wanted to deal with was an issue before they’d even started, was clearly apparent in his tone.
“I haven’t decided where I want to specialize in law, as of yet ... I certainly don’t know that I’ll be prepared for a criminal trial. I have only a few general courses even pertaining to law this year.” She replied, looking at him questioningly.
“It’s a mock trial, Zahreena,” he stated with forced patience. “It’s not like you are responsible for sending someone to his death or letting a crazed killer out to kill again.” As he spoke, his tone became more derogatory.
“Look Hunter, you may think this project is trivial, and a mere nuisance in the grand scheme of your life. I have little doubt, since you’ll be embarking on your own successful career at the end of this academic year, it likely isn’t of any import to you ... but it is to me. I did not choose this career lightly and I have zero intention of treating this task lightly either, since it seems it could make or break my species’ chances of continuing to study at this institute! I have goals of my own. I, too, would like the opportunity to end with a successful career!” Zahreena had stood up by this point, frustration evident in her stance.
“Woah, relax, faery ...” he softened his tone, taking her hand and nudging her back to her seat. A few other patrons had arrived at the cafe and were casting glances their way at her outburst.
“If it helps, Zahreena ... the professor, my mother, has made it crystal clear that the success or failure of this project could directly impact me as well, so yes, I do have a vested interest in doing the best job I can to help you win your case.” He pitched his voice low and soothing, sending strange tingles through her body.
What the hell, girl? Zahreena sternly lectured his southerly regions. Remember he’s pretty much your enemy at this point. Keep your guard up and your libido down!
“Let’s break this thing down, a bit, shall we?” He tried again, using a more agreeable tone with her. “We don’t know anything at all right now – with the exception that this is a cold case. The file states the crime scene is ancient, so we know the transgression was most certainly not recent. Why don’t we take today to teleport to the coordinates of the scene detailed in the file and see what we’re up against?”
She stared at him for a few moments, an inner battle seeming to be occurring within her mind. Finally, she nodded her head in agreement.
Chapter 10
Since materializing and dematerializing was a skill Zahreena excelled at, she entwined her arm around his, feeling Hunter’s muscles clench at her touch.
Good grief, he can’t even bear to have me touch him – how can we possibly work together on this, without driving each other crazy?
Focusing on the coordinates provided in the dossier, she teleported them to the location in question.
She gasped as she realized she was eerily familiar with the land they’d transported to. Her current home was but minutes away from the barren land she now stood on. The same barren land she had been unceremoniously dropped on, in her nightmare the night before.
“What exactly are you in our paranormal world?” Zahreena demanded of Hunter, poking her tiny finger into his chest, accusingly.
“What is your problem, faery?” He asked her, looking down at her finger and then at her like she’d grown two heads.
“What can I expect you to become when I least expect it?” She asked again, fairly confident of the answer she would get.
“Fine ... if you must know, I am a shapeshifter —“ he replied after a heavy sigh.
“And what exactly does your ‘shape’ shift into?” She interrupted him, looking pointedly at him and again poking him.
“I certainly hope this isn’t the type of interrogation you plan to deliver in the courtroom!” He spat. “The opposition would be objecting left, right and centre to you badgering the witnesses.”
“Answer the question!” She retorted.
“I come from a long line of dragons,” Hunter answered her with a certain amount of pride in his tone.
“Flying monsters?” She demanded.
“No, flying dragons, is there any other type of dragon worth mentioning?” He muttered arrogantly. “Look, what is wrong with you?”
“This,” Zahreena indicated the charred and blackened expanse of land around them, “is what I believe to be my ancestral home! In my current world, my home resides due north of here. And this also happens to be where I was dropped from a monster’s claws and abandoned in a dream I had last night!” She divulged to him, before realizing how foolish she must sound, right now.
“Hmph ... a dream you say? Sounds like more of a nightmare.” Hunter replied placatingly. “What exactly does this revelation have to do with me and why the hell are you poking at me??” He used one finger to push hers away from him.
“Your face was plastered on the monster who left me here!” she cried out. “What is it I’ve done to you that causes you to continue to threaten me?”
“Alright, calm down,” he tried to touch her shoulder. “Unless your dreams are typically prophetic, the one you had last night could simply be chalked up to stress. Believe me I’ve had a lot of weird dreams lately,” he paused, looking at her oddly. “You knew we were going to be stuck together on this blasted project and I’ve been less than warm and fuzzy with you since you arrived – does it not make more sense to believe that your subconscious would cast me as some sort of monster trying to get you out of my school?”
“And how will you explain away that the ‘mock’ crime scene we are sent to investigate, just happens to also appear in my dream AND, in fact, is nearly the exact location of my home?” she demanded.
“Okay, well that one might not be so easy to explain ...” he began. “Zahreena, let’s just do what we came here to do – investigate. Maybe we can find some answers to help us figure this out. You’re the one who got us here, so it’s hardly feasible that I could abandon you. I should be concerned that you have the ability to abandon me in this God forsaken place.”
“You probably don’t want to give me any ideas right now, dragon,” she smirked, her mouth upturned slightly, before walking around him to explore the ragged ground before her.
“If this is supposed to be the crime scene,” Hunter called out, “it would seem the crime was arson —”
“Really?” Zahreena replied, sarcasm dripping out of the exasperation she felt with the situation. “That must have taken a lot of investigative skills to deduce.”
“And possibly murder,” he finished his observation quietly, choosing not to rise to the bait.
Zahreena glanced back at him, before a movement in a cluster of burned out trees caught her eye.
“Hunter ... over there.”
She pointed to a group of winged and earth-bound creatures emerging from trees not completely destroyed. They were there and yet transparent, and while their gazes were trained in the direction of Zahreena and Hunter, the group didn’t seem to see them.
“Is this one of your tricks, Zahreena?” Hunter asked, not believing his eyes.
“No, it most certainly is not! This is your academy’s project, remember? I might ask you the same question,” she whispered.
“Why the hell are you whispering? They clearly don’t see us here,” Hunter asked aloud, as if to prove his point.
“Wait, what are they doing?” Zahreena ignored him, moving closer to the illusory group.
“Oh! That looks just like Aunt Lilithe, but older.” Alth
ough she was sure her voice carried back to Hunter, she was speaking more to herself - uncertain of what to make of this and what it could all mean.
All of the creatures before her seemed to have familiar features to her own. Some of them, uncannily so, like the one who so closely resembled Lilithe. No matter who Zahreena looked at, she recognized a feature or manner as similar to those living in the Faery Realm with her, now.
As she made her way closer to the incinerated trees, she stumbled backward when she saw several bodies partially covered in the brush and ash from whatever had happened here. She thought she had recognized one of them from pictures she had seen on the shelves of her aunt’s hut.
“Zahreena, what is it?” Hunter questioned her, as she stumbled back against him in shock. She turned into him, trying to block what she saw from her memory.
“Not what, Hunter, who. That one, lying on the ground, she looks like pictures I’ve seen of my mother.” She was taken aback when Hunter gently laid his hands on either side of her face, pulling her away from his shoulder to look into her eyes.
“That’s not possible, Zahreena.” His voice was surprisingly as gentle as his touch. “This catastrophe was supposed to have occurred centuries ago — even dragons don’t have that kind of longevity. I doubt that faeries do, either.”
“We don’t ... but Hunter, each of these creatures are familiar to me. Look at that one, she could be a child version of myself. If this is the land we’ve lived in for all of these years, these creatures must somehow be related to me, my ancestors? Perhaps ... oh I don’t know, maybe she’s my great, great grandmother ... but she is the very picture of what my mother looked like.”
“Looked like?” Hunter asked, his hands having moved to lay lightly on her shoulders, keeping her from staring back at the grizzly vision before them.
