by Rain Oxford
* * *
Maseré’s driver was waiting nervously next to Henry’s truck when we got there. The worry on his face when he spotted the alpha was only overshadowed by the greater worry when he spotted Darwin. He quickly pulled out a blanket from the back seat, met us halfway, and wrapped it around Darwin.
Henry growled when the stranger didn’t immediately step away. The shifter was no older than Darwin, with almost white-blond hair, huge green eyes, and black painted fingernails. Although he ducked his head submissively, he didn’t leave Darwin’s side, and instead used the blanket to help guide Darwin to the car.
“Are you also friends with Bill?” Maseré asked the driver, suspicious.
“No! Bill’s an asshole. What happened to you two? Did Bill attack?”
“Taorec betrayed the pack, possibly in support of Bill. I’m calling a pack hunt on them both, and anyone else involved.” The young shifter looked worried, but kept his mouth shut, so Maseré turned to his son. “I think you should stay with Devon for a while.”
I could practically see the arrow stabbing Darwin in the heart. “Okay,” Darwin said, his voice emotionless.
“Just until I get the pack sorted out. If I have to banish everyone in the pack and start over with just you and your mother, I will.”
Darwin didn’t say anything as the driver helped him into the back seat of Henry’s truck. Scott climbed into his car seat and buckled himself in without a word, obviously picking up the somber atmosphere.
“Tell him to call me when he feels up to it,” Maseré told me. I nodded and with a last glance at his son, Maseré got into his own car.
* * *
It was a quiet drive home. Fortunately, Henry had several sets of spare clothes in the truck, so there wasn’t a peepshow on the way up to the apartment.
Just before I opened the door, a heavy feeling filled my head. “Again?” I reached into my pocket for the small leather pouch, slipped the ring out, and put it on. A vision immediately came over me.
It was night and a woman was walking down a deserted street. Right behind her, a Dothra wizard appeared. “Hey,” he said casually. It was just a little too dark to see their expressions well.
The woman jumped and turned, then smiled when she saw him. “You scared me.”
“You look like you had a bad night.”
“Try terrible.”
“Come home with me.”
She didn’t hesitate for a second. “Okay.”
I gaped, but before I could do anything, my vision changed to a different woman who was sitting on the couch with two little kids. A few seconds later, a female shadow walker appeared right behind the couch. I started to slip the ring off my finger, but the scene changed again. This time, I saw a little boy standing in front of the closet at night. A very young woman appeared in a white wedding dress, with deep bruises all over her throat. She also had a very small baby bump.
“Who are you?” the boy asked.
“I’m your Great Aunt Mary. Your mom talks about me a lot.”
“But she said you died.”
“I didn’t die; I was murdered by my father. It’s okay, though, because a very powerful wizard avenged me. Now he wants to meet you.”
“Why does he want to meet me?”
“Because you’re a wizard like him, and he wants to help make you powerful.”
I forced myself out of the vision and tugged on the link between Rocky and me. “Take care of the two kids and the woman if you get a chance.” Without giving him a chance to respond, I focused on my symbol, then on the boy. I didn’t have a name or know what his mind felt like, so I just had to go on his appearance. Possibly for that reason, I felt like it took longer than usual in the shadow pass, even with my instincts leading the way.
When the darkness finally dispersed, I was standing right behind the boy. The woman was in the closet and reaching her hand out for him. Although her eyes widened with shock when she saw me, the boy didn’t notice me and reached out to take her hand. I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. He jerked in surprise, so I let him go. “Don’t listen to her. She’s a demon.”
The boy looked at me. “No, she’s not. She’s my great aunt.” He didn’t see the woman’s face twist into an angry sneer. He backed away from me, right into her range. She grabbed him and the shadows surrounded them both. My first instinct was to use the red lightning, but my aim wasn’t that good with magic, so instead, I pulled out my gun and shot her in the head.
She vanished and the boy screamed. Since I heard his parents rushing to the rescue, I returned to the shadow pass and then home. I appeared in my living room with Darwin asleep on the couch. Henry and Scott were out of sight, so I figured they were in their room.
Exhausted, I went to bed without even taking off my shoes. I felt the same presence over me that had kept me awake at Stephen’s coven, but I was far too tired to care. My last thought was that Krechea was really going after children. Although they weren’t even five yet, Jameson and Jason Vegas were John’s sons, so they were bound to be powerful, which meant that it was possible Krechea would target them.
Chapter 7
“Uncle Devon, there’s a line out here!” Scott yelled through the door. I groaned and turned the hot water up. After about five minutes, Scott yelled again. “Uncle Devon, Darwin said get your ass out here or he’s going to make the couch pink!”
I shut off the water, wrapped the towel around my waist, and slipped on a squeaky duck as soon as I stepped out. I managed to grab the towel bar, only to break it off. My knees hit the tile floor hard.
“Uncle Devon, are you okay?”
I climbed back to my feet and threw open the door. “Darwin, if you color my couch, I’ll paint it with your entrails!”
Scott darted under my arm and into the bathroom.
Darwin stuck his head out of the kitchen. “I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m fighting with Henry over breakfast.”
At that point, using my distraction to his advantage, Scott pushed me with all of his strength and slammed the door shut as soon as I was out of the way. “Did you just lie to me to get me out of the bathroom?” I called through the door.
“Sorry, Uncle, but you were taking too long!”
I groaned and banged my head against the door.
“Go away! It’s my turn!” he yelled.
“I need to get my own place. Oh, yeah, this is my place.” I got dressed quickly and when I walked into the kitchen, Henry and Darwin were arguing in Portuguese. Since they were in between me and the coffee maker, I sat down at the table.
Darwin sat next to me with two overfull plates of bacon, ham, sausage, eggs, pancakes, toast, and hash browns. Then he got up and poured himself a glass of orange juice and a glass of milk before returning to the table and stuffing his face. He was slim before he was captured, and now he was definitely too thin. There were dark circles under his eyes as well as scratches and bruises all over his hands. He was wearing his favorite hoodie, so I couldn’t see what other damage he was hiding.
“Did they not feed you at the zoo?” I asked. He rolled his eyes, not bothering to make enough room in his mouth to respond.
“So, what is on the schedule for today?” Henry asked as he set a mug of coffee and a plate of bacon, eggs, and hash browns in front of me.
“I need to finish Julia’s case and then we need to send someone to protect Jameson and Jason Vegas, just in case Krechea decides to recruit them. If they’re anything like John, they’ll jump at the opportunity.”
“Where did you go last night?” Darwin asked, stuffing his face a little less frantically.
I explained the three visions and how I had to choose which two of the shadow walkers’ victims to help.
“Couldn’t you have gone after the woman after you saved the boy?” Henry asked.
“Probably.”
“No,” Darwin said. He shrugged when we looked at him. “It’s like with shifting. Magic takes energy just like shifting does, an
d when you’re out, you’re out. You can’t pull magic when your well is up; your body needs that energy to keep breathing and keep your heart beating. In fact, I’m surprised your gargoyle hasn’t popped in to stop you from doing magic. How much sleep and food have you gotten in the last week?”
I sighed. “Has it only been a week since Quintessence let out? I feel better than I probably have any right feeling.”
“I bet that’s because of your gargoyle. From your description, the woman asked for trouble going home with a stranger like that. Don’t sweat it. Move on so you can help people who don’t throw themselves under the bus.”
We finished eating while Scott ate cereal at the coffee table. Like his father, he didn’t eat much for breakfast. When I was done, I grabbed my wallet and phone out of my room and returned to the living room to find Henry packing a bag with snacks and toys. “I’m taking Scott to the park to get some exercise.”
“Great. Can you take Darwin?” Darwin was so engrossed in my laptop that he didn’t even acknowledge me.
“Not a chance. Where are your shoes, Kitten?” he asked as Scott walked in barefoot.
Scott shrugged. “I don’t need them.”
“Yes, you do. Where are they?”
“I don’t know.”
“Where were they last?”
“On my feet.”
Laughing at my friend’s frustration, I went outside to call the number Mr. Emerson had given me. “Hello?” a woman’s voice answered.
“Hello, this is Devon Sanders. Can I speak to Elena Dosil please?”
“That’s me.”
“I am a private investigator and I am trying to find out what happened to Julia Emerson.” Silence. “Are you still there?”
“She was in a car accident. I didn’t know there was anything to investigate. And why now, after two years?”
“Some evidence has come up that this wasn’t an accident.” Silence again. “Did you visit Mrs. Emerson in the hospital?”
“Of course I did. She was my friend.”
“Was Mr. Emerson with you?”
“No, I went alone. And Julia wasn’t ‘Mrs. Emerson’ anymore. Julia and Chester got divorced. Chester decided to leave Julia and marry me.”
I was pretty sure that wasn’t the case, just as I was pretty sure they should have been in a soap opera. “He didn’t indicate that they were having any problems before the incident.”
“Of course there was. He loved me.”
“Do you know if anyone wanted to hurt Julia?” I asked.
“No! Everyone loved her, except for Chester. He loved me.”
“Elena, did you know that hospital records, including how bad her injuries were and who the other drivers were, were erased?” Silence again. “Thank you, that’s all I needed,” I said before she could think of something to say. I hung up. It wasn’t actually all I needed; the case was far from closed, but I was letting my instincts guide me.
I started to turn to go in, but a black SUV pulled up right in front of me. The back door opened, and a familiar voice ordered, “Get in.” I couldn’t see anything or anyone inside, but I knew who it was because this was the second time this happened to me.
I pulled my gun out of its harness, got in, and closed the door. “You’re a little far from your club, aren’t you?” I asked.
Internal blue lights switched on, revealing that the inside of the truck had two back seats facing each other like in a limo. Drake sat across from me with his Komodo dragon shifter bodyguard to his right. “Are we going to have to do this every time? Put the gun away, Devon,” he said.
Drake was a human who ran a club near Stephen’s coven. While it entertained vampires, shifters, and fae, they had to be cautious because there were also quite a few humans there. With his massive bodyguard and his usual swagger, he always seemed shadier than I knew he was. I figured it was mostly a front to deal with the paranormals. Of course, I was one of those paranormals.
“If I put my gun away, you wouldn’t know I was taking you seriously.” I gave Kevin a friendly smile that made him sit back. It was almost amusing watching such a huge shifter try to disappear into the leather seat.
Drake gave his bodyguard a disapproving glare. “I had hoped we could do this civilly.”
“You want to break my thumbs and put me in cement shoes civilly?”
He smirked. “I don’t care what your fetishes are. I want to offer you a job.”
“No thanks.”
“Hear me out. I know you can control minds. After everything that’s been going on with the humans and the wizard council’s collapse, I need someone who can keep those people out. I don’t want my customers in danger. You can detect it ahead of time and make them leave peacefully.”
“I’m not going to work for you.”
“I can pay you very well.”
“It wouldn’t cover the gas to drive to your club and back here every night.”
“There’s a nice little apartment complex right down the street that has some available units. Take your pick.”
“I already have a job.” I also had to start my last semester at Quintessence in three months.
Kevin growled at me until I looked at him. Then he snapped his mouth shut. “I’m offering you a much easier and safer job,” Drake insisted.
“I don’t want an easier or safer job. I’ll give you my friend’s phone number, because I keep having to change mine. If you need me, call him.”
He obviously wasn’t satisfied, and I’m sure he wasn’t used to being turned down. “Consider it,” he said, pulling a business card out of his pocket. I took it without looking at it. Kevin handed me a small notepad and a pen to write the number down. After I gave him Henry’s number, I got out.
The presence was suddenly back, stronger than any of the previous times it plagued me. I paused before shutting the door. “Kevin, do your shifter senses pick up anything odd?” I asked.
The massive man stepped out and sniffed the air. After a moment, he shook his head. “Everything seems fine. Why?”
I reached out with my power, trying to find whatever was causing the sensation. It wasn’t like I was being watched and my instincts weren’t warning me that I was about to be attacked. Kevin shuddered, so I let my magic settle. “It’s nothing, I guess. See you around.” I waited for him to get back into the car and take off before I turned back to my building. Something was definitely near me.
Movement made me turn, but there was no one and nothing there.
I considered driving back to Mr. Emerson’s office to ask some more questions, and then I saw movement again, right down the street. I stood there in a stunned stupor for probably a minute before heading to where I was absolutely certain I had seen John on the street corner. When I reached the corner, there were a few people in the diner, but the street was mostly deserted. I didn’t see John anywhere.
“Of course I didn’t see him; he’s dead,” I said to myself out loud. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, it suddenly started raining.
* * *
I returned to my apartment, reminiscing about the good old days when I checked contracts and caught cheating spouses. Darwin didn’t even notice when I entered the living room. I went to my room and stripped off my soaked clothes. I really should have sensed the presence of the shadow walker. Maybe I missed it because I was tired or just too far in my own thoughts, but when I turned, I saw her and froze. “Shit. Not you again.”
Felicity, who was lying on my bed with her head propped up on her elbow, just grinned. “Were you hoping for someone else in your bed?” She glanced down at my body and pursed her lips. “Maybe expecting is more accurate. If you already have plans, I don’t mind joining in.”
“You’re not my type.” I opened my dresser, pulled out a blue sweatshirt and jeans, and dressed quickly. “Why are you here?”
“Because the soul guards are losing and you need to fight your battle.”
“I’m sure as hell not helping shadow walkers.”
>
She stood, dropping her sultry act. “You are a racist bastard.”
“You are a demon!”
“So is Astrid. We’re not all the same. Many of us want to escape Dothra and Earth is our only chance. If the Shadow Master makes Earth like Dothra, everyone loses. You realize what has been going on, right?” I opened my mouth to answer, but she held out her hands frantically. “Don’t say his name!”
I rolled my eyes. “The Shadow Master is trying to get all the powerful wizards on his side or kill them if they can’t be swayed.”
She sighed. “It’s not that simple. All shadow walkers are forced to obey the Shadow Master because it is our oath. He has five elite members who would never betray him. He sent these five to spy on you and Logan Hunt, because he views you both as his strongest opponents with Keigan Langril out of the picture.”
Well, that explained why Marcus thought someone was following me.
“Hunt is the most powerful and you’re the most indestructible, so he’s looking for your weaknesses and strengths. One of the five is missing; I have no idea where he is. That’s a problem.”
“Because it’s something really important and you don’t know what.”
“Right. There’s also a number of other shadow walkers who came through with the Shadow Master. They don’t all want to side with him, but they have to. He ordered them to kill or convert wizards. Then, there are the shadow walkers who are soul guards. A dozen of us were already here in the middle of a contract for a human, and we were overlooked when the orders were being dealt. There are even more soul guards who completed their contracts.”
“So as long as you stay under his radar, you don’t have to take part in it?”
“Yes. We are the last ones who want the Shadow Master to win. The soul guards have been trying to stop the shadow walkers, but we’re not enough.”
