Nine Tails Collection 1-3: Kitsune and Shaman novel

by J. L. Weil

  He didn’t disappoint me, his palm slammed onto the door just as my hand twisted the handle. I reacted, hating what I was about to do. The lessons I had with Devyn kicked in as I spun around, planting my foot into Jesse’s gut. He was athletic, and it was going to take more than one hit to bring him down. Throwing up the heel of my hand, I whacked him in the jaw, pain radiated on contact, causing a quick burst of tears to pool in my eyes.

  Without hesitating, I ripped open the door and ran. There was no moonlight to guide me, but I plunged heedlessly in the dark, taunting Jesse to make sure he followed. I flew around the corner of the building and into the attached parking lot. Over my own ragged breaths, I heard the sound of stampeding feet, followed by a shouted curse.

  He was gaining on me, and in my haste, I stumbled, but scrambled back to my feet with gravel embedded in my stinging palms and knees. I was doing a bang-up job of hurting myself. This would be so much easier if I shifted. It was dark. He wouldn’t see me.

  I glanced over my shoulder, trying to judge how close he was, and rammed into something solid. My fear was so heightened I hadn’t recognized the tingles shimmering through my body, and for a terrifying instant, there was only the sound of the wind whistling and my thundering heartbeat. Had Sura caught me?

  “Kitten,” a voice broke through the terror.

  My legs trembled, and a multitude of emotions tumbled within me. “Devyn?” I flattened my palms on his chest, needing to feel he was real.

  Devyn’s hands moved up and down my arms, bringing warmth back into them. “Someone is having a busy night.”

  My hands tightened on his shirt, and I exhaled. Everything would be okay now. “What the hell took you so long? Sura has Jesse under her control.”

  Jesse broke through the darkness on cue, with a leering grin on his lips I’d never seen before. It was terrifying.

  “I’m guessing killing him is out of the question,” Devyn mumbled, shielding me with his body.

  “Definitely, but killing her is not off the table. In fact, I insist.”

  The Shaman smirked. “As you wish, Kitten. I think it’s time you shift.”

  “But Jesse?” I reminded him. Devyn knew how important it was for me to keep those close to me from finding out the truth.

  He tilted his head just slightly in my direction while still keeping an eye on Jesse, understanding lining his expression. “I’ll distract him. If you’re in fox form, her powers won’t work on you.”

  Good to know. I nodded.

  Go Team Kitsune.

  That was so lame.

  The sparks of the shift started to radiate over my skin, and I welcomed the change until a sound distracted me.

  Thump.

  What was that? I spun back around to see Jesse planked on the ground and Devyn hovering over him. “Devyn,” I hissed. “I told you not to hurt him.”

  “You told me not to kill him. He’ll live and only have a minor headache when he wakes up. Now shift,” he ordered.

  I rolled my eyes, moving into my fox skin. At least unconscious, Jesse couldn’t be harmed. During my mad dash, I’d lost track of Sura. She could be anywhere, and that was a problem. It was so dark, but I could remedy that.

  My white puffy tails burst into flames, casting a glow over the parking lot. Devyn was beside me, Wrath and Fury wrapped around both his arms, the snake’s slanty eyes brightening under the firelight.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are. Don’t be shy now, Sura,” Devyn taunted, as was his usual way to deal with fae.

  Jesse made a moaning sound on the ground, and I thought for sure Devyn was going to kick him. As Devyn was glowering at him, I heard rustling and spun around. Scanning the parking lot, I didn’t see Sura, but she was close.

  “Karina, watch—!”

  Sura backhanded me, sending me rolling over the ground and forcing me to lose control of the fox. I tumbled into my human skin as I was still sliding over the dirt, pebbles cutting into my skin. Pushing through the pain, I sat up.

  “Pathetic,” Sura hissed.

  Devyn made his move, jaw set in a hard line of pure rage. “I’m killing you this time.”

  Sura threw her head back and laughed. “If you can get close enough.” She spewed a cloud of mist around her.

  That bitch.

  Devyn sprung forward, slicing through the air with his blades, and Wrath and Fury gobbled up the pink mist like it was their favorite flavor of bubblegum. Anger twisted his features a second before he thrust a blade at Sura. She spun to the side, narrowly avoiding being gutted. Devyn swung his other sword, and she dipped, then he charged at her, driving them both to the ground like a linebacker.

  Holy crap.

  Devyn titled his head, clucking his tongue as he stared down at Sura. “You’ve been a naughty girl. Your time here has come to an end.” He raised his sword, straddling her.

  Sura laughed. “Not before I finish what I came here to do.” She pressed both hands to the side of his face.

  I pushed myself up, prepared to shift again and throw some fire and storm at her, but I saw what was about to happen, and my heart stopped. “Devyn!” My voice was raspy, fear knotting in my throat, and I shook my head. No. No. No! This couldn’t be happening. He was too close.

  Grinning, Sura pressed her hot pink lips to Devyn’s and spears of jealousy and alarm ripped through me. She had her lips on my Shaman. Hell. To. The. No. Pink particles of dust blew from her mouth into Devyn’s soul, taking full possession of my fiercest weapon.

  Damn-the-damitty-damn.

  This was turning out to be the worst night of my life.

  Sura licked the corner of her lip as she rose to her feet, victory glimmering in her eyes. I wanted to tear her into her limb by limb, but it would have to wait just a little bit more. “Kill her,” Sura said.

  Devyn glared at me with murder in his eyes as he cracked his neck. I knew that move. He was about to kick my ass.

  The air in my lungs stalled, seeing the blank stare in those emerald eyes I loved so much. Tension poured into my muscles as I backed up, unsure what my game plan was here. How did I stop Devyn? He was a mother-freaking warrior. I wasn’t trained for this shit.

  “Devyn. Hey. It’s me.” I fixated on the guy who had been my savior, but the sound of my voice didn’t seem to be helping.

  He pressed his lips together, not responding.

  “You can’t hurt me, remember? We’re born the same day, you’re sworn to protect me, any of this ringing a bell?” I felt silly trying to convince Devyn not to kill me.

  He swung at me, and it pushed me into motion. I ducked and scrambled backward, putting more space between us. With both hands, he reached behind his back, pulling out the two blades all while he stalked toward me. My eyes widened seeing Wrath and Fury, and a deep burn flowered in my chest.

  Shit. Devyn is going to kill me.

  Panic exploded, making my vision fuzzy.

  What should I do? Shift? Run?

  Screw that. I couldn’t leave him like this, plus Jesse was still sprawled out on the pavement. “You can’t kill me! We’re going to save Katsura, but we can only do that together. You and me.”

  Devyn’s chest rose, and for a second, there was a glimmer of hope.

  Sura cackled, and I was really beginning to hate the sound of her voice.

  I didn’t dare take my eyes off Devyn, but the Camirra was still here, enjoying the puppet show.

  The next time Devyn lunged at me, I was ready. Palm open, I slapped him across the face. Holy crap that stung, and from the look on Devyn’s face, it only managed to piss him off.

  He swung his blade straight at me, and my life flashed before my eyes. Without thinking, I threw out my hand, fire leaping in the center of my irises and grabbed ahold of the hilt. On contact, a charge of power trembled into my fingers, flowing down my arm. Wrath hissed, slithering around my wrist so Devyn and mine were joined.

  “Devyn, you don’t want to do this. You would never hurt me. This isn’t you,” m
y voice cracked with raw emotion.

  I didn’t see how I had a choice. Every fiber in my body was against harming Devyn, but I had to find a way to break the hold Sura had on him, and our connection seemed the only viable key. Accessing my powers while I was in human form wasn’t my specialty. I was still working out the details, but with Wrath binding our wrists together, I took it as a sign.

  The magical snake wanted Devyn back as much as I did.

  Okay, okay, okay. All is not lost. You can do this. Just need to break through to Devyn. I am a freaking straight-A student. Come on, you stubborn, thickheaded Shaman. Snap out of it. Look at me.

  With all the nonsense babble going on in my head, I tapped into the fox, halting the shift midway, so I was somewhere in between human and animal. There were these energies bouncing inside me—the fox, magnetic, and now fire. Distinguishing them from the other wasn’t as easy as one would think, but they had unique properties. I wanted heat, and locked onto the energy exceeding warmth. It bounced a little quicker than the others.

  I harnessed that warmth, letting it consume me, and sent the burning force straight to my fingers. The color in Wrath’s eyes suddenly changed, turning into liquid gold, and the blade in our hands erupted into flames, causing Wrath to shriek in rage. The snake wanted to kill. I could sense its hunger.

  I angled my head to the side, intrigue lighting my eyes. “Well, that’s interesting.”

  “Kitten?” Devyn blinked.

  “Yes, yes, it’s me,” I gasped, a feeling of relief I couldn’t describe streamed inside me.

  His eyes roamed over our joined hands, at the fires that licked up the blade, before moving back to my face. “What happened?”

  “That bitch put her lips on you.” I was going to kill her for that, trying to turn my Shaman against me, using my best friend as a tool of manipulation. She wouldn’t get away with it. I’d show her how pathetic I could be when pushed.

  Devyn paled. “I’m about to lose my man card and puke.”

  “I don’t know. You kind of seemed to enjoy it.”

  His eyes bore into mine. “Not possible. I only like sucking face with one girl, and she has three tails.”

  My lips twitched. “Charming.”

  Grim determination set into his features. “Let’s finish this.”

  He took the words from my mouth. “It’s about time.” We turned together, our hands still interlocked on the blade.

  I’d had enough of this pink-haired Camirra turning people against me.

  Jesse was standing behind Devyn, staring at me with shock and horror in his expression. “K? What is going on? Why are your hands on fire?”

  “I’ll explain. After we take care of her.” All eyes were pinned on Sura.

  Sura flipped the white hood of her cloak up over her head, pink locks cascading out the sides. Her gaze bounced from Devyn to me, a glower marring her face. “It looks as if I’ve overstayed my welcome.” She meant to bolt—I recognized the glint in her expression—and a low growl formed in my throat.

  Devyn wasn’t about to let her escape. Before Sura could make her sly exit, Devyn had grabbed the tails of her cloak and gave a quick yank. She stumbled backward, and he made his move, not wasting a second of opportunity. Slamming her up against the side of the café’s exterior brick wall, Devyn shoved a fistful of Sura’s cloak into her mouth. “Try and glitch me now,” he snarled, pressing the long part of his arm into her throat.

  Sura’s eyes darkened.

  Just as Devyn reached for a blade at his back, the other still keeping Sura pinned, I scrambled behind him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Wait, don’t kill her yet.”

  Devyn rolled his eyes. “Kitten, make up your mind. Am I, or am I not, ending this Camirra’s existence?”

  “She voodooed Jesse. He’s seen too much,” I whispered.

  Devyn lifted a dark brow. “What do you want to do about it?”

  He was leaving it up to me, putting the fate of Sura’s life in my hands. My impulsive, vengeful side wanted her to suffer, but I had Jesse to think about. I shifted my gaze to Sura. “Make him forget this ever happened or Devyn kills you, but make up your mind quick.”

  Her eyes flared, and she looked as if she had plenty to say. Too bad Devyn had her gagged.

  “The fun is over, Sura,” Devyn said in a low voice that made me shiver. “Give me a quick nod that you will do as Karina asked, or say goodbye.”

  It was another moment or two before Sura nodded. Nothing about her body language said she was happy about having to do me a favor, but the skank owed me. Were we doing this? Letting her go to save my secret?

  Devyn loosened his chokehold, easing her slowly off the wall while keeping a firm grip on her arms. He shoved her in front of him, securing her arms behind her back. “I never want to see your face here on Earth again. Is that clear?” he seethed, walking her toward Jesse, who was watching us with wary glances.

  “Jesse,” I called his name, bringing those stormy eyes to my face. “Everything is going to be okay. Just relax.”

  He ran a shaky hand through his tousled sandy hair. “K, this is some seriously messed up sci-fi larping you’ve got yourself mixed up in. Next time, give me a heads-up before things get Twilight up in here.”

  “I’m sorry. It will all be over in a minute.” I didn’t want to give Jesse a chance to object to what was about to happen. I spun around and faced the Camirra. “Do it,” I ordered Sura.

  Devyn released her gag.

  Chapter Fifteen

  With my heart pounding like a herd of wild buffalo, Sura puckered her lips, blowing a cloud of pink dust into Jesse’s face for a second time. If she didn’t keep her end of the bargain, Devyn would kill her. Point blank. No questions asked, and I would have to clean up this mess on my own.

  I stood, waiting on edge as Jesse blinked. “Jesse,” I said softly. He didn’t move a muscle.

  Then shit hit the fan.

  Devyn made what could have been a fatal mistake—relaxing his guard, even for two seconds. In a move that defied gravity, Sura flipped her leg in the air, catching Devyn in the center of his chest. When the hell had she become an acrobat?

  Sura made it two steps, and Devyn was swinging his sword. The blade whizzed through, slicing her head clean off, and I gasped, watching her shocked expression roll over the ground.

  “Devyn!”

  Fury hissed, lapping up the remains of the Camirra. “I had no choice. She never would have stopped hunting you.”

  I looked at him incredulously, words failing me. The image of Sura headless would forever be burned in my brain. If I could ever choose to unsee an event in my life, this would have been top of the list.

  “K?”

  The sound of Jesse’s voice broke me out of my stunned shock. I whirled in his direction, my hands flying to my mouth as I stared at him, waiting for him to freak out. Nothing happened, and I realized Devyn must have turned on the glamour, disguising his movements. Slowly, I took a step forward. “How do you feel? Are you okay?”

  He blinked, a confounded expression glinting in his eyes, and I wasn’t sure he had heard me. “I-I don’t know,” he stammered. “Why are we outside?”

  I exhaled. Jesse didn’t remember anything, but the struggle to fill the black hole caused a mountain of guilt. His memories had been erased because of me. I hated knowing a fae had messed around with his head, all to protect my secret. He was better off not knowing, I kept telling myself, but I really wasn’t sure if that was true.

  Too late now. Sura was gone. And Jesse and I were both going to have to live with the consequences.

  “You should go back to Hannah’s,” I said to Jesse. “Devyn can take me home. It’s been a long day.”

  For once, he didn’t argue, and I knew he wasn’t himself. Jesse needed to sleep it off, or so I hoped. He shook his head as if to clear a tangle of cobwebs and dragged himself across the parking lot to his truck parked out front. I wanted him to go, the dread of what was to come growing deep w
ithin me.

  My eyes shifted to the ground, eyeballing the spot Sura’s head had fallen. Pink glitter shimmered in the weeds. A shadow appeared behind me, and I leaned into Devyn, resting the back of my head on his chest. “They’re never going to stop hunting me.”

  Strong fingers rested at my waist and gently turned me around. I looked up into his bright green eyes and shivered, the heat gone from my body. “I will keep fighting for you,” Devyn said in a low voice, intensity pouring off him. “As long as I live, I will be by your side. Whether it takes months or a hundred years, I will always protect you.”

  I stared into his eyes and felt that he meant every word. Devyn slid his hands down my arms, pulling me close. I sank into his embrace, burying my face in his chest, glad to let him become my strength and shield against the disappointment and grief.

  There was no other choice. My biggest fear had come true. The fae hunting me had gone after someone I cared about. Jesse could have been seriously hurt, or worse, killed. I shuddered.

  If anything had happened to him—

  No.

  I refused to let my brain wander there.

  Devyn and I had stopped her. Today, my friends were safe. The same couldn’t be said for me. And the only way to keep them out of danger was for me to be as far from Seaside Heights as I could possible get.

  Devyn was right.

  This was the only way.

  I lifted my head, his glowing eyes lighting up the darkened alley. My hands clenched against his shirt. “I’m ready. We’re leaving tonight.”

  His eyes studied my face intently as his brows inched up. Devyn knew how hard it was for me to make this decision. “Are you sure? Whatever you decide, I will be here.”

  I wasn’t ready. Not yet. But I would get stronger, more powerful. I had to learn to control my abilities and acquire all nine. For that I needed more time, and it was the one thing I was short of. “If I don’t, I will regret it for the rest of my life, especially if they are hurt because of me.”

  Devyn must have sensed my resolve. “If you’re sure?”