by K. N. Banet
If he had been Cassius, I would have called out the chivalrous behavior, but he was Raphael, and I was beginning to realize Raphael wasn’t the same type of good guy. I liked Cassius, but he was good because he felt it was his duty to help those in need. He truly believed that, but sometimes, it felt false. He also held a lot of himself back when I knew there was something ruthless inside him, something he tried to crush. Something that drew him to dangerous women like me and apparently, Sorcha.
Raphael was different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on how, but I appreciated the difference.
As we walked that first block, trying to keep the hail from hitting us in vulnerable places, Raphael reached out and pulled me closer by the bottom of my shirt until I was against his back. He grabbed one of my hands and wrapped it around his core—all without a word.
He’s not false.
It was an ‘ah-ha!’ moment. Raphael was anything but false. He was quiet but honest. He was conflicted, but it was written all over his face. He was good because he could be and was raised to be, but he made no false pretenses about it.
He was real, and I could feel his blazing heat through his shirt. As I felt a shiver run through him, I wished I had grabbed him a jacket, so he wasn’t so exposed.
“It’s fucking cold out here,” he said loudly, mirroring my thoughts. “What do you think the temperature is?”
“Probably thirty to thirty-five Fahrenheit. Colder than normal. It’s because of the storm.” I gave in and wrapped my arms around him. “Luckily, you’re a furnace, or it would be way too cold for me.”
“Oh, I know,” he said, still loud enough to get over the wind. “Since winter rolled in, I’ve caught you asleep on the balcony more times than I can count. You keep the inside hot as the summer desert and your room freezing like the Arctic. Two plus two equals four.”
I chuckled into his back, trying to cover up some existential fear about having someone this close, even if there was nothing going on. Shit, he’d watched and figured me out. Something about that was cool with a dose of terrifying. For months of not talking, he was learning about me, paying attention. Here I thought I was just someone he had to deal with. He certainly never spoke to me about anything he had noticed or was thinking about.
“How much further?” he asked after a short silence.
“It’s that one,” I said, leaning around him to point at the one from the GPS satellite image texted to us before we parked. It was one of the tallest buildings around, about five stories tall, much taller than the warehouses surrounding it. Seeing it, I felt a sudden wave of repulsion, like I needed to look away, go back to my car, and pretend I was never there. Recognizing the spell, I tapped Raphael on his stomach.
“Just keep walking to it. Don’t stop looking at it, and the feeling will pass. It’s a standard repelling defense that keeps parties from being interested in an object or location. Since Levi is strong, he’s done it to the entire building. It won’t hurt us. We just need to work past it.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but yes ma’am,” he said, his pace not faltering.
“You don’t feel it?”
“Nope, but if you say there’s magic, then there’s magic.”
We jogged across the last street, and I was immensely grateful not to have seen Levi yet. Hopefully, he was at the top, distracted by his storm. I wanted to dry off for just a minute.
“Let’s get in and get warm,” Raphael said, yanking the door open. I knew it wasn’t unlocked by the sound it made when he pulled. He broke the lock, and when he let go of the door, it looked like it was having a hard time staying on its hinges.
I walked in behind him, glaring.
“Good job,” I whispered. “If anyone is here, they’ll have heard that.”
“Sorry. I just figured it was easier than trying to fit my big ass through a window.” He shrugged innocently.
“I could have turned into a snake and come to unlock the door,” I snapped. “Do you know what an Executioner is? An assassin. I’m an assassin. I don’t normally make big loud noises when I enter a building.”
“Good point. Sorry.” He lifted his hands in defeat, but I didn’t see a lot of guilt.
Walking past him, I started opening doors quietly and peeking inside—no humans, which was a damn good thing. Cubicles and offices were deserted. Tomorrow, all the humans who worked here would be very confused why they didn’t get into work and do their jobs. I had a suspicion their bosses would be wondering the same thing. A day off from the rat race humans ran was a day wasted in their minds.
Sad way to live. Everyone needs a couple of years off every now and then. Shit, I’m due for a fucking vacation. I might put in for it once this is done.
“Like I would let you go into the building alone,” I heard him mutter.
“You don’t need to worry about my safety,” I said softly, turning back to him. “This is not new to me.”
“Someone needs to. Even the best can get beaten.” He walked past, looking into the next office. “Might as well be me. It’s not a problem. And before you ask, no, it’s not because you’re a pretty woman or the last nagini or whatever else, so let’s not have that argument. You’ve been through hell since last night, and I’m not sure how you’re still on your feet. If you weren’t beaten up so badly, I’d be less worried. I’ve seen you kick ass, so it’s not like I can really doubt your skill.”
I turned away and smiled as I looked into the next office. Why was I smiling? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I never liked people to hover, from my brothers and dad to Adhar to Cassius. Even Hisao had hovered a little. Some people tried to treat me like I was made of glass.
But Raphael was watching my back, and damn, for some reason, that made me happy.
We finished the first floor, and I was pleasantly surprised to have found no one. I knew Levi was going to be on the roof, so not finding him inside wasn’t surprising.
“Do we need to clear every floor?” Raphael asked as we went up the stairs. I stopped at the second-floor door and considered it.
“Yes,” I finally answered. “Who knows if a human got into the building and might be a hostage. We could find them hiding inside or dead, in which case, I’ll need someone to come out and clean up. They’ll probably burn the building down, but we do what we’ve got to do.”
He followed me dutifully as we cleared the next three floors. It took a good thirty minutes to make it to the fifth floor, but I didn’t consider it time wasted.
“Last floor, then we head up, yeah?” Raphael looked up the stairs at the roof door. It was rattling, thanks to the strong winds outside. That was why I wasn’t worried about Levi hearing us. The storm was getting so loud as we climbed the building, there was no way anyone outside could hear us.
“Yup. Let me take point when we get up there. Distract him or just hold on. I’m going in for the kill, but I need to not be worrying about you.”
“Kaliya.”
“Raphael.” I met his warm chocolate eyes. He looked so severe as we stared each other down. He was so worried about me, and I didn’t know how to stop that. “Trust me. Have I failed yet?”
“You had a hard time with the inmate. You didn’t even think to turn into a snake.”
“I know,” I mumbled, looking away. “He got the jump on me, and I was worried he would crush me if I shifted. I’d rather be choked out than die the way Tarak did. Even if I got a bite off, he could have killed me. It wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.” I rubbed my ribs. They didn’t hurt until I touched them. The ointment had done its job, numbing the pain for most of the bruising and muscles. I was still sore and aching and looked like hell, but I didn’t feel it so much. It was going to catch up to me, though. I put the ointment on several hours ago, and it was going to wear off soon, the way any painkiller did.
I walked out of the stairwell onto the fifth floor, aimlessly licking my lips and catching scents on the air. I wasn’t expecting anything, having caught no
thing on any of the previous floors. A lot of humans, some magic, probably from Levi’s spell just like all the previous floors…and something else.
I stopped, frowning as I turned back to Raphael.
“Be careful, there's the scent of a werewolf. Hopefully, it was just some guy who worked here and isn’t around, but let’s not count on that.”
“Think it might be a prisoner?”
“There were only two werewolves in the northern cell block. Twins. I killed one right after the bomb went off.” I started opening doors and checking on the right side while Raphael went to the left.
“What did they do, and why were they kept alive?”
“Do you really want to know?” I sighed, wondering if he really wanted to keep torturing himself with this sort of stuff.
“Helps me not feel bad.”
“They used to work for the Tribunal, and they were in the prison because Hasan wants them there. They’re older than dirt. They worked for the Tribunal for a short time after it formed until it was discovered they were actively trying to destroy it before it gained too much power.”
“Hasan the werecat? The one who helped us out, and we’ve been talking to since this all started?”
“Yup. There’s no other supernatural Hasan I’ve ever heard of. After that, I have no idea, actually. I killed one fairly easily, so there must be something the old werecat and the werewolves want from them. I wish I knew what that one smelled like. His twin would be similar.” I was only mildly upset. I didn’t know scents that well.
I wasn’t a scent-driven creature in my human form because my sense of smell was pitifully weak compared to other supernaturals. What I did have that no one could claim was the ability to read thermal information, thanks to the special pit organs hidden in my sinuses. The problem with that was insulation in the walls. As humanity grew more advanced, their insulation in buildings was better, which was good and bad. Good for anyone looking to save on their energy bill. Bad for me because I couldn’t see hotspots on the other side of walls until I got to the doors, and sometimes those were a pain too.
“I don’t have a special sense of smell,” Raphael said with almost a touch of bitterness.
“Tell me how you really feel,” I said, looking into the next office.
“I mean…I’m really powerful, but I get weird with the black eyes and shit just to flip cars. All the trouble of being something no one has ever seen before, only for a somewhat mediocre ability.” He gave me a half-smile and shrugged. “Think about it. You have all sorts of cool shit going on. I’m just a strong guy.”
“You’re a very strong guy, though.” I patted his thick arm teasingly. I could see his point, but there was something he was missing. “You’ve never pushed yourself all the way, I bet. What if there are more powers?”
“But at what cost?” he countered, pointing at me. “What would I have to pay to be more powerful? I don’t even know if I want the power I have now, God forbid more. Not knowing the cost…”
“I get it.”
He’s still afraid of himself, of what he might be and what it could mean. It must be hard, not knowing. I’ve never had to deal with it. I was born a naga, and I’ll die a naga. He’s in uncharted waters in a little lifeboat with only three people helping him stay afloat.
I wasn’t one for sympathy, but for a minute, it pained me. I really wished I could help him more. That sympathy turned to anger as I considered what we were doing in the building.
I would still be helping him if it weren’t for some fucking assholes, trying to kill me and cause general mayhem and disorder in my fucking city.
I shoved the next door open, letting it bang against a wall. The room was clear. Raphael gave me a strange look when I continued walking.
Once the fifth floor was done, we went back to the stairwell, and I tasted the air again. Werewolf?
No.
Werewolves.
20
Chapter Twenty
“We’ve got a problem. There might be more than one werewolf. You ready for that?” I asked Raphael, listening to the wind howl on the other side. My paranoia was skyrocketing at the scent of now two wolves. I didn’t know who they were or if they were just innocent bystanders who had been in the building before Code Black was called.
“Tell me when,” he replied, his hand on the door handle. He was going through first, the best bet for neither of us getting killed the moment it opened.
“Go.”
He had to push hard to get the door open, his scent changing from human to other in a second. Pressed against his back, it was hard to miss. I stayed right behind him as he stepped out.
Once we were out, the wind caught the door and slammed it shut. Ice hit my face and arms, and rain quickly soaked me to the bone with a chill I would need to fight through.
“Look who’s here!” someone called out, the voice seeming to travel on the winds. “I was wondering when you would finally take the bait! Boys, kill her!”
I looked around Raphael to see Levi through the rain, and ice. His arms were outstretched, and visible magic made them glow. He was channeling the power up into the storm. My best guess was whatever incantation of spell he used was already complete. He was just feeding it raw power now for shits and giggles.
Now I knew why the storm was so cold. I was frozen as another trap closed in on Raphael and me. The prison, the inmate, this. Just trying to do my job was getting me into more trouble than I really considered, and that wasn’t good. An Executioner was never supposed to be the target. We were the hand of death. People were supposed to be scared of us, running for their lives. For the decades I’d had the job, that had always been the case.
Now, I was the prey, and something about that was throwing me off my game.
“Kaliya, get inside!” Raphael roared.
That shook me out of my paralyzed state, but I didn’t move in time. I was knocked aside by Raphael, who met an enemy head-on. One snarled, one roared. Fur flew.
I lifted my sword and turned, looking for another attacker. Levi had said boys. I could hear the witch’s laughter on the winds, blending with the storm.
When there was no evidence of anyone around me, I looked up to see a werewolf sitting on top of the roof access. With a toothy grin, the partially changed wolf jumped. I rolled out of the way, my eyes wide when I stopped in a defensive crouch to see my attacker. This wasn’t Wesley, who was in his Last Change. This wolf was purposefully partially changed. It looked painful to me, but it didn’t slow the werewolf. His body was covered in fur, his muzzle and ears were halfway formed, and long fangs hung down. This wasn’t the perfect blend of monster and man the Last Change created, often referenced in the movies. This was grotesque. This was unnatural.
And there were two of them.
No. I killed one of the twins. There’s no fucking way.
“You seemed surprised to see me,” the wolf growled, drool falling from his mouth as he spoke. The words weren’t clear, slurred and stunted by the wrong set of teeth. Unlike Wesley, this guy didn’t talk much with an inhuman mouth and wasn’t used to it.
“I…”
“Killed me?” he asked. He didn’t walk on his hind legs, bending over and walking unnaturally on the weird hand-paws he had on his arm-legs. “You wish.”
I readied my sword, holding it in front of my body.
I will not be prey.
“I don’t wish. I’ll just try harder this time.”
He pounced, and I jumped back, bringing my talwar down to cut his shoulder before he darted away.
“I like games with small animals,” he taunted, the wolf grin reinforcing his words.
“I like games, too. One could say I’m a big game hunter.”
We circled. His strange gait was interesting. He moved fluidly, practiced. He knew what he was doing in this fucked up half-Change. He was not wolf or man or even their final form when they lost control.
Is this why Hasan had you kept in the prison? Or is it something
else? Like how you’re still alive when I watched you die.
“Why are you trying to kill me?” I asked loudly, hoping to learn anything while he toyed with me. “You know if you succeed, others will hunt you down like the fucking rabid dogs you are.”
“A new lease on life after over eight hundred years for my brother and me is more important than your pathetic life.” He lunged, and I jumped back.
“Move!” Raphael yelled. I ducked and rolled, letting the second wolf fly by and land on the concrete. He was up on his feet in the blink of an eye. Raphael ran by next, leaping for it. They collided like two trains, bones crunching and fur flying. Blood splattered on the roof, mixing with water and ice, hitting the wall of the rooftop access.
My werewolf jumped for me during the commotion, and I moved again, knowing I couldn’t let him get his hands on me, but I was slow. The storm was cold, making me sluggish and fogging my mind. My injuries, while not painful, made my muscles even stiffer.
A strange hand grabbed me and tossed me toward the concrete wall that already had a beautiful display of blood splatter on it. This time, when my head hit, I heard a crack. Dizziness washed over me as my own blood began to fall down over my face. My sword was gone, and I didn’t get much time to try to find it.
Claws raked into my hair, and I bit back a scream as I was pulled to my feet.
“If this is what the Tribunal hires as their killers, they’ll be easy to overthrow one day. Then I’m going to wipe out the werecats and every other pathetic, weak species that dares think they’re my fucking equal,” the wolf snarled. He wrapped his second hand around my neck. I saw the sadistic pleasure in his eyes as he squeezed, giving me a slow, painful death. I clawed at his arms.
I reached for a sidearm and pulled a gun, glad I was armed to the teeth. I fired two rounds into the werewolf’s stomach, and he snarled, slamming me back into the wall by my neck. I continued to fire, aiming further up with my last two.
