by Alanea Alder
Keelan nodded. "Yes, I think that's right."
Ryuu placed his hand on Keelan's head and whispered low. The purple color drained out of Keelan like water through a sieve. Ryuu lifted his hand and with the other poured Keelan a glass of juice.
Keelan stared down at his normal flesh colored palms. "How'd you do that?" he asked, twisting to look up at Ryuu.
Ryuu smiled. "What spells did you use to try and remove the color?"
"Fire spells for purification," Keelan said.
Ryuu shook his head. "Lavender and Anise are affiliated with the Element of Air. I used an Air spell to counteract its effects. It was very cleverly done. Let me guess the harder you tried, the darker the stain became?"
Keelan nodded.
"Fire feeds on Air; you basically made the spell stronger." Ryuu walked around the table filling the glasses.
Keelan groaned. "I should have thought of that. Thank you, Ryuu!" Without the pending embarrassment the spell was sure to have caused impending his appetite, Keelan dug into his breakfast with gusto.
Ryuu smiled at Keelan. "As a squire, I couldn't very well allow someone in my house to remain so afflicted."
"Your house?" Aiden asked. Ryuu ignored him. His eyes narrowed at Meryn for a moment. He stared for a bit longer before he walked over and plucked her cappuccino cup from her hand. "I'll fix you something else." He glided away from the table and headed towards the kitchen.
The men watched as Meryn's eyes widened, her lower lip trembling.
Aiden jumped to his feet. "Well men, better get a jump on our day."
Keelan and Colton grabbed a piece of bread and stuffed bacon in it before downing their juice. Gavriel stood and kissed her on the cheek. "Have fun," he whispered.
Elizabeth eyed the ticking bomb that was Meryn and sighed. She shot back her double espresso and shuddered. She quickly picked up her cappuccino and began to drink. She needed something to chase away that bitter taste.
"I want my coffee Ryuu!" Meryn yelled.
"Bye," Gavriel said and followed the others out of the dining room.
Ryuu returned with a tall glass. "Here. It's mostly frothed milk with just a little bit of coffee. I'm afraid of what your body would do if we went cold turkey, so we'll be cutting you back in increments." He set the cup down in front of her.
Grumbling, she took a sip. "There's no coffee in here," she complained.
"Yes there is, just considerably less than you're used to. I'll order a decaf version of your espresso bean. You can have the same drinks you're used to, just with no caffeine." He reached over and put a bagel, apple wedges and cheese blocks on her plate. "You can't go to your office without clearing your plate," he said, his voice stern.
Meryn looked like she was about to argue for a moment before she slumped back. "I am, aren't I?" she asked.
He nodded. "I didn't think to check until you mentioned it yesterday, but your rhythms are different."
"Damn," she muttered.
Elizabeth put two and two together. "But this is happy news! You should tell Aiden right away." Even though she wasn't raised around shifters, she knew of the great importance they put on having children.
"No," Meryn said, biting into her bagel savagely.
"Why not?" she asked.
"Because if he finds out, I won't be able to torture him with the condoms anymore and he will be impossible to live with." Meryn stuffed the blocks of cheese in her mouth until her cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.
"So when will you tell him?"
"Soon, I promise," Meryn confirmed.
"Oh, Meryn." Elizabeth shook her head.
Meryn looked up. "Don't 'Oh Meryn' me. You don't have to live with him. He already treats me like a glass figurine. If I even so much as sneeze he's hauling me off to the clinic for Adam to check me over. I just want a little breathing room before I tell him. To process it for myself."
"Okay, your call." She stood and stretched. "You finish your breakfast, without choking. I'm going to go get started on the data entry for the unit members. The database you created is going to work perfectly."
"Cool. Be there soon." Meryn frowned down at her apple slices.
Elizabeth smiled. Life was about to get a lot more interesting in the next few months.
CHAPTER TEN
Meryn joined her half an hour later and they really began to make headway with the personnel files. The more she input the more concerned she became.
"Meryn, have you noticed anything strange about the files?" she asked.
Meryn nodded gravely. "There are so many that have died. We're adding them so we can track and archive their reports, but there are so many. It's like each unit loses a member at least once every other year." Meryn looked up at her fear in her eyes. "I had no idea they had lost so many." Her eyes filled. "I don't want to lose anyone."
Elizabeth felt her own tears threaten to spill over. Shaking her head she deepened her resolve. "We won't lose anyone. They have us now, Meryn, and their own mates are on the way. Already you've made changes that will help to keep them safe; just look at your trainee program. That triples the manpower available. We're here for a reason, don't forget that."
Meryn scrubbed at her eyes with the sleeve of her tee-shirt. Elizabeth actually looked forward to each morning to see what Meryn would wear. Today she had on a Ghostbusters tee-shirt. Meryn smiled at her. "Thanks, I needed that pep talk. I'll stay positive, it's just ... I've been targeted before. I still have nightmares; they're so hard to shake because it really happened. It's terrifying when you can't even see your enemy." Meryn wrapped her arms around her midsection as if trying to hold herself together.
Seconds later, Ryuu breezed through the door and was at her side. "What is the matter, denka? Your fear was strong enough that I could feel it in the kitchen." He knelt down in front of her and ran a thumb soothingly over a blue dragon tattoo around Meryn's wrist.
"Just remembering the attack. I was telling Bunny that what made it especially scary was the fact that we couldn't see them."
Elizabeth couldn't imagine fighting an unseen enemy. No wonder the men were doing 'Blind man's Bluff' drills. They were conditioning their bodies to move without the benefit of sight, honing their other senses. It must have been a blow to their pride that they couldn't defend Meryn.
"I will do whatever I can to help Keelan and the other witch Quinn to devise a spell to keep them away," Ryuu promised.
A thought struck Elizabeth. "Not to jinx us, but what has kept them from coming back? I mean if we can't see them why haven't they attacked before now?"
Ryuu stood, crossing his arms bringing one hand to his chin. He thought about it before answering. "For the first week after the attack I ordered my shikigami to guard the house. They are my spirit servants. I can control them, but it's draining and I can't maintain it. During that first week whenever they tried to get close to the house the spirits would make them visible. It was enough to keep them away. They are cautious. This is the factor that has the men confused. Normally ferals are all about their base desires. They are one step up from shambling zombies. They usually have just enough intelligence to lay basic traps or trick humans. But this new breed, they are patient. They think things through and are leery, this makes them much more of a threat. I have a feeling that the reason why they have stayed out of the house up until now is because of me. I am an unknown to them. I was able to make their assassin visible and we gained information from him, even in death. They may not want to tip their hand and that is what makes them more dangerous than the typical feral."
"I'm calling Adair. He emailed me yesterday to let me know the program had been approved and they were starting ranking trials. The sooner we can disperse the trainees the better I'll feel." Meryn reached for her cell.
"Ranking trials?" Elizabeth asked.
Meryn nodded. "Yeah, it's the method they came up with to decide who went to what unit. They were supposed to hold trials and each trainee should have received a score. The highes
t score got to pick first, then the second highest and so on. Sydney texted me last night, according to the rumor mill, all but one of the top five trainees wanted to be assigned to Alpha. He said the trainee with the second highest score chose to go to Gamma instead to train with Sascha. I didn't realize the amount of prestige that went along with the unit assignments." Meryn put the phone to her ear.
"Hey Adair, what's the news, bud?" she asked.
Elizabeth stepped closer so she could hear his response.
"Hey sweetie. We've completed the rankings and the guys are packing up today. They'll be heading your way tomorrow."
"Tomorrow!" Meryn exclaimed.
"Yeah, didn't I tell you in my email yesterday?" He asked, sounding confused.
"No! No, you didn't. The only thing you said was that you'd be holding trials," Meryn said through clenched teeth.
"Sorry hun, I didn't mean to put you in a bind. I thought you knew that it wouldn't take long to get them ranked. Can you see if Aiden will be ready for them?"
Meryn looked at her watch and chewed on her bottom lip. "They're training now, I'll call you back when they go to their first break."
"Sounds good. Sorry again, kiddo," Adair apologized.
"No worries, I'll figure this out," Meryn said and ended the call.
When she looked up there was panic on her face. "Well fuckity fuck!"
Elizabeth laughed. "Your word choices are descriptive and surprsingly accurate."
Meryn blinked. "Was that a compliment?"
"Yes, hun."
"Well, I guess we have a couple hours before their first break. Let's get the rest of the personnel files done. I have a feeling the rest of the day will be getting the house ready for the trainees." She looked at Ryuu. "Can you start getting the linens and towels done? I would start emptying the guest rooms but I don't know which ones Aiden has designated for them."
Ryuu bowed. "Of course, denka. This program is important to you; I'll do whatever I can to ensure its success. I'll take an inventory immediately." He left closing the door behind him.
Meryn beamed. "He is so cool!"
Elizabeth had a feeling that Meryn had no idea exactly how 'cool' Sei Ryuu could be. But if the man himself hadn't said anything she wouldn't either. "I bet we can clear this stack and be done before they go on break," she said reaching for the next file.
"I bet we can, too. I can't wait to get rid of these musty old things." Meryn wiggled her nose.
Elizabeth laughed then looked down at her grimy hands. She couldn't wait either.
*****
"Denka, it's time for tea. Did you need to go speak with Aiden about the trainees?" Ryuu asked from the doorway.
Elizabeth looked at her watch. The hours had flown by. She looked over to the empty space on the floor where the files had been. Meryn was inputting the last one now.
"Ryuu, could you please dispose of these files in a secure fashion?" she asked, pointing to the neat stacks by the door.
"Of course." He easily lifted three of the stacks and walked away.
Meryn looked at her and she could tell that her friend was just as impressed as she was. Those stacks were heavy!
Meryn stood and stretched. "Okay let's go crash their training, they should be on break by now."
Elizabeth stood and followed her out to the training grounds. Meryn rubbed her hands over her arms. Neither of them had been smart enough to grab a coat.
"Burr! Damn, it's cold!" Meryn hurried to where the men stood panting, bent over and trying to catch their breath.
"Meryn! Where is your coat, baby?" Aiden pulled his mate close in an effort to keep her warm.
"Inside, I forgot it. But listen, I called Adair to check up on the rankings and he said that the trainees will be here tomorrow!"
Aiden blinked. "Tomorrow? As in tomorrow, tomorrow?" he asked.
She nodded. "Yup! He said they are packing today and our five will be here tomorrow. I have Ryuu getting the linens and towels together but I didn't know which of the guest rooms you wanted to designate to the trainees."
"I'll cut training short today so that we can help you get the house ready. That way the other units have time to prepare as well. We'll be in around lunchtime to get started. Thank you for waiting for our break time to tell me."
Elizabeth looked around and didn't see her mate. "Where is Gavriel?"
Aiden's face became grim. "He had a near miss. He's with Colton and Keelan on the back porch getting treated."
Elizabeth's heart picked up. "What do you mean 'near miss'? Treated for what?"
"Colton swung and Gavriel was just a shade too slow. He got clipped by the bokuto across the forehead. Keelan is tending to the injury" he explained.
Elizabeth didn't answer she just started walking towards the back. When she got to the corner of the house she stopped, she heard the men's voices.
"Thank the Gods you're almost back to normal. If you had been any slower this could have been bad," she heard Keelan say.
"I'm so sorry." Colton's voice sounded contrite.
"It wasn't your fault Colton. I think the increase in blood has helped. I can't wait to get back to normal," Gavriel said, sounding slightly bitter.
"Think of it this way, when you're done, you'll be this new, even more badass version of the Gavriel that everyone already fears," Keelan said, sounding amused.
"It can't happen soon enough. I don't like feeling out of control," she heard her mate confess.
When the wind shifted carrying her scent towards the men she stepped around the side of the house smiling. "There you are! I was looking for you. What happened to your head?" she asked trying to sound nonchalant. She needed to figure out a way to get Gavriel to feed from her again. It wasn't the amount of blood he was taking in that was keeping him safe, it was her blood. If he needed to feed from her three times a day so that he could defend himself then she would force him if she had to.
Gavriel turned to her face neutral. "Just a miscalculation on my part, that and I think Colton was trying to get even with me from this morning."
Colton winced. "I said I was sorry."
Keelan clapped Colton on the back. "Come on, I bet Aiden has figured out some wonderful way to pay you back for nearly taking out his second in command." He steered Colton back towards the training grounds.
"I said I was sorry!" Colton complained loudly.
Gavriel grinned then winced. He brought a hand up and gingerly touched his wound.
She stepped closer and lowered her voice. "Are you sure you're okay?"
He pulled her close and began rubbing her arms. "Yes I'm fine, just a nick. It should be healed by dinner. Why are you outside?" he asked.
She rested her head on his shoulder enjoying his simple touch. "Meryn called Adair about the trainees. They will be arriving tomorrow."
"Ah. I bet neither Meryn nor Aiden knew that," he guessed.
"You got it. Aiden said all of you would be helping to clear out rooms after lunch."
"Then let's head back, you need to go inside and I need to help Aiden with drills. I may not be able to spar but I can help correct others." He stood and kept one arm wrapped around her.
When they reached the training grounds Aiden was trying to get one of the wooden swords away from Meryn who held it up at eye level in what looked to be a samurai stance.
"Okay baby, time to go in now, see here's Elizabeth." Aiden, despite the cold had sweat beaded across his forehead.
"Size matters not. Look at me. Judge me by my size, do you?" Meryn quipped and brought the sword down making what Elizabeth guessed by the quote, were lightsaber noises.
Aiden looked heavenward. "I still don't understand you!"
Meryn swung the sword around in a mock battle against her invisible opponent. The other men cheered her on. Elizabeth took pity on Aiden. She kissed Gavriel on the cheek. "Be careful." He nodded. She stepped up to the training area. "Much to learn you still have, my old padawan."
Meryn froze mid-swing. "I
guess you're right." She handed the sword off to Colton. "Try not to kill any of our warriors," she teased. Colton groaned.
Meryn jogged over to her. "Let's go in! I'm freezing my balls off!" Behind her the men erupted in chuckles.
Aiden looked over at the grinning fools. "Ten laps starting now!" he barked. The men jumped to and began jogging.
She and Meryn went inside and to their delight Ryuu had stoked the fire in the family room and prepared hot cocoa and oatmeal cookies. When they sat down Ryuu bundled Meryn up in a blanket.
"He said they'll be in for lunch and after that they'll help us with the rooms," Meryn told Ryuu.
He nodded. "Good. I'll check on lunch now, we're having a thick beef stew with biscuits. Marius sent over the recipe when it began to get colder last month; he said it was a good meal on a cold day." Ryuu bowed and left for the kitchen.
Meryn turned to her, adjusting her hands on her mug. "After our break can we input the files I have for the missing persons? I was only able to input the basics to run my programs. I want to make sure we capture everything."
"Of course. Even in Noctem Falls we heard of the murders. I'll do anything I can to help." Elizabeth took a bite of her cookie.
"Thanks. Aiden and the guys do what they can of course, but women think differently than men, we may catch something they have missed."
"I'll do what I can," Elizabeth promised.
After their break they went back to the office and Meryn showed her the missing person's files.
Elizabeth was shocked at the number. "We can't be missing so many people!" she exclaimed.
Meryn nodded sadly. "Some weren't reported to the council and others were attributed to 'hiking accidents' or 'animal attacks'. But when I started correlating the data more and more people started popping up."
"Are they all concentrated around Lycaonia? Because we haven't had any missing persons around Noctem Falls," Elizabeth asked.
"I ran as far west as St.Louis, but you're right, they are close to Lycaonia." Meryn pointed to a piece of paper that was a map of the US with little red dots clustered around Lycaonia.
