by Leilani Love
Violca smiled at him. “I guess I should get out there and play with them.” She remarked, breaking the silence in the room. “Before I go though, I was curious how the search for that warlock friend of yours was going?
Viktor got up and walked over to one of the bookcases against the far wall. Grabbing a picture of his friend David, he showed it to her. “The last time I saw him, was back when we were still living in England. He’s one of the last of his kind.”
While Violca studied the picture, he noticed her biting on her lower lip. “His name is David. Finding him is going to take time, as he’s always been something of a chameleon, hiding in plain sight.”
Looking over the picture, Violca began to bite on her lower lip again. “He looks strangely familiar for some reason.”
Viktor frowned. “Familiar, as in someone you’ve seen recently?”
Violca continued to chew on her lower lip, and he knew she was thinking about where she might’ve seen him before. With a shake of her head, she handed the picture back to him. “No, I don’t think so. I just can’t put my finger on where I’ve seen him before.”
Viktor nodded in acknowledgement, as Violca smiled brightly at him. “As soon as I figure it out, I promise, I’ll let you know.” She then turned and began walking towards the door. She looked back over her shoulder before saying, “I’ll let you get back to work.”
Viktor watched her go, then looked at the picture of his friend again. It was the only one he had, and he had forgotten about it until Angyalka had brought it up. Hearing a mock growl, and the girls squealing, he glanced out the window and smiled when he saw Chase and the girls playing about. When Violca showed up outside, Chase tackled her to the ground. They both laughed as the two younger girls jumped on top of them. Walking back to his desk, Viktor tried to figure out his brother’s next plan of attack.
When Eryk came home, Eva smiled at him. As a roommate, he wasn’t terrible. She was used to sharing her space with several girls, so sharing an apartment with Eryk was a piece of cake. “Hey, how’s your brother doing?”
Eryk grinned at her. “He’s good. I helped him finish checking security at both of the schools the girls are going to be going to. He said to remind you that you have a self-defense class tomorrow morning.”
Groaning, she rubbed the back of her neck. “Ugh, your brother is so mean! You know that, right?”
Eryk laughed and headed into the kitchen to grab them some drinks. His green eyes sparkled, as he handed one to her. When he smiled like that, the dimple on his left cheek really stood out. “Yeah he is, but he’ll always have your back, and when he’s done, you’ll be able to kick major ass.”
Grinning at his words, she retorted with, “I just won’t be able to wear shorts. I have so many bruises on my legs and back, people will start to think you’re beating me!”
Eryk chuckled at that. “Yeah, that wouldn’t be good.” Taking a drink he looked at her. “How’s your head, by the way?”
Eva frowned. Her senior year of high school, she had started to hear voices. At first, she thought she was losing her mind, until she realized she was just hearing other people’s thoughts. She never told anyone. She just hung out more at home, since that was the only time everything was quiet. After Violca dug up the grimoire, it talked about how they had different abilities, one being the ability to read minds. She wasn’t able to read other people who had their own gifts, or were “supernatural.” There were a few normal people she couldn’t read either, but most days it sounded as if people were shouting their thoughts at her. “Not too bad. I went for a jog with my headphones on, and if I turn them up really loud, I don’t hear anyone else.”
Eryk nodded and the look of sympathy that crossed his face truly touched her. The other night, they had been at a party and he had taken her home early because of the voices. They had gotten so loud, she couldn’t even walk due to the physical pain they caused her. Violca had called Brandon when Eryk told her about it. Since Violca had learned he was also a telepath, she figured he might be able to help her. Brandon told Violca to have Eva practice putting up walls in her mind. He recommended she start with one person, and work on putting up a wall in her own mind to block out that person’s thoughts. As she got stronger, she would be able to increase the number of people. It would be a slow process, but she was willing to try anything.
Chapter 3
Aithne massaged the back of her neck. Her body was stiff from sitting at the computer trying to research the guy she was expected to kidnap. A dragon shifter to be exact. She wasn’t quite sure if she should be flattered, or mad that Lazzaro was under the impression she would be able to kidnap a dragon, of all things.
Dragon shifters are, for the most part, peaceful. At least, until Dmitri had decided he was not okay with just being the prince, but wanted to raise his station, hoping to rule the world. So far, all he’d caused was the many deaths and disappearances of his people, as well as a divide among other groups. She couldn’t figure out if Lazzaro was working on his own, or if he was perhaps working with the wayward prince. Lazzaro did not play well with others, so she was having a hard time figuring out his motives.
Dragon shifters were great at hiding their information. Running his face through some face recognition software however, she was able to find some pictures of Chase online. She found him in a few pictures with two teenage girls, an Eva and Kati Grey. After more research about them, she found their older sister, Violca.
One look at Violca’s picture, and she knew exactly who she was. Violca’s violet eyes were unmistakable. The earth witches were directly tied to her Celtic family. Going through the pictures she frowned. Earth witches always had one daughter, then all sons. It had always been that way. From the records she could find, these five sisters had the same mother and father. Seeing a picture of their mother Janina, there was no doubt. Twirling her red hair around her finger, she leaned back in her chair, trying to figure out what this might mean. It would make more sense for Lazzaro to want control of the witch sisters. Is that why he sent her after Chase?
There were five sisters, getting close to one of them would be a good way to get close to her target. She needed to get close to them, without them getting suspicious. The two younger girls wouldn’t give her much of an opening. Violca was not listed as having a job, and Kati would be starting her senior year. Eva was going to be starting college. Would she get farther as a teacher, or as a student in college?
Going back to college would be more fun than trying to teach a bunch of high school kids. Plus, school didn’t start for a few weeks and she wanted to capture him, and rescue her sister, as fast as possible. As was her habit, she began to twirl her hair around her finger, she figured she could decide when she got there. Perhaps an attempt to stage a chance meeting with them would give her a better idea of which one would get her the closest to her goal.
Viktor ran his fingers through his thick, dark hair. The house was quiet because all of the girls were down at the gym in town. The younger girls would be starting school soon, Violca had told him when, but he couldn’t remember the exact date. Viktor had worked out a training schedule with the girls that included taking self-defense classes at the local gym. They seemed to enjoy taking the boxing and the kick-boxing classes that taught them the basics. When they weren’t at the local gym, he worked with Scott on their more intense training. The girls need to prepare and train for how to defend themselves against a supernatural.
The first time Viktor pinned Violca to the mat, Chase had attacked him. Due to this, Chase was no longer allowed in the practice room. Chase taught Violca how to shoot guns and how to throw knives, but other than that, he was forbidden to be anywhere near her training.
At the sound of heels clicking on the floor, Viktor looked up to find Kassandra standing in his doorway. Kassandra, in most ways, was very much his opposite when it came to looks. Viktor had dark blue eyes, and thick dark hair that he kept short on his neck. His skin was an olive tone and his smile
made two perfect dimples appear on his face. Kassandra on the other hand, had long blonde hair, green cat like eyes and her skin was a creamy white that looked like it had never seen the light of day. “Hey Kat, what’s going on?”
Kassandra walked in and sat down in the chair in front of him. As she crossed her long legs, she expressed her concerns. “I’ve been trying to figure out what your brother is up to, but things have been quieter than normal. This definitely makes me think he has something up his sleeve.”
Viktor smiled sadly. He loved his brother, but he had a bad feeling this was not going to end well. “Well, out of the two of us, mom always said she could almost guarantee he was up to something when he was quiet.” Kassandra nodded and he raised an eyebrow. “Why do I think you have more on your mind than just my brother?”
Smiling a little too brightly, her green eyes met his. “Your people are talking. Everyone is curious about Chase and Violca. Both sides are wondering if finding these witches is restoring balance to our people. They are wondering if that means the rest of us are going to be able to…”
“…Find your mates.” Viktor finished for her. Kat nodded, as he shrugged. “I don’t know. The witches have their own mating ceremony, which also includes the exchanging of blood. The connection goes both ways, it’s not one sided. Guess we’ll just need to wait and see.”
Kassandra sighed. “Your brother is saying that if you release the witches from ‘your care’ the rest of us will have a better chance.”
Viktor snorted at that, shaking his head. Viktor wasn’t holding the witches captive, but he did keep guards with them at all times. To leave them unprotected would put them in too much danger. More than just his brother would try to get their hands on them.
“I know you aren’t into parties like your mother was, but maybe we could throw something in honor of Chase and Violca.” she suggested with a shrug.
Viktor sighed. It was a good idea, but he hated parties. “Talk to Violca and Chase. If they agree, then okay, but keep it small and make sure there are plenty of people to cover security.”
Kassandra smiled, her eyes lighting up. “Good. It’s been a long time since we had a celebration, and I for one, sure could use one.”
Viktor shook his head. He remembered his mother having a few parties a year. Sometimes, for those newly mated or during a holiday. She told him it would help bring his people together and boost their spirits. Since his parent’s deaths, he’d forgotten about that. But all the tension had started to wear on his people. A party to boost their spirits would do them all good.
Kassandra stood up with a wink. “I’ll see you later with a date and time for the party. As well as times for when you’ll need to be scarce, so we can set up.” With that she turned, heading out the door, leaving Viktor to wonder what he had just agreed to.
Chapter 4
Aithne put her long red hair in a ponytail, in order to keep it out of the way. Then she donned a baseball hat, pulling her hair through the back, and attempting to make sure she didn’t stand out too much. Sitting outside a small coffee house, she sipped her latte and watched the girls as they hit the shops on the main strip. Unable to help herself, she smiled as she watched the guards follow Eva and Kati. They followed a few steps behind, in an attempt to give the girls the appearance of privacy. But the way they would eye every guy who passed by, left no doubts as to exactly who they were guarding. Eva and Kati were both buying new clothes.
Eva came out of a store with two big bags and a huge smile on her face. She looked down at her bags, then back at the guards who were watching her wearily. Aithne fought the urge to grin, when she saw Eva’s smile grow wider as she strutted up to the guards, and handed both bags to one of the guards. The look on his face was priceless. Eva winked at him before grabbing her sister by the hand and pulling her along to the next store. Kati looked back at the man apologetically, before letting her sister pull her away.
The two girls were undeniably sisters. Physically, they looked similar, but personality wise they couldn’t have been more different. In the few pictures Aithne had found of Kati, she was almost never smiling. Whereas Eva, almost always had a smile playing on her lips. Kati, she noticed, definitely smiled more in person, but looked to be still coming out of her shell. Eva was sure of herself, and her confidence showed.
The girls checked out a few more stores, and they bought a few more items, before walking back to their car. Aithne found that following them around in this small town was pretty easy, and drove past them just as they parked at a local gym. Driving a little further down the street, she parked around the corner. On the window of the gym, there was a list that boasted several self-defense classes, as well as its own personal juice bar. She took her ball cap and jacket off, putting them on the seat next to her. By changing her appearance slightly, she hoped the guards wouldn’t recognize her from when she was at the coffee shop earlier.
Walking into the gym, she looked around. Not seeing the girls at first, she walked toward the juice bar located on the far wall. She began to glance over the menu and smiled at the young man working behind the bar. His brown eyes slowly gazed at her in appreciation, and she could tell he was interested in her. “What can I get for you?”
She smiled, tilting her head slightly. Despite her age she knew she could pass as someone in their mid-twenties. Her body was in peak physical condition. “How about a strawberry protein smoothie, with non-fat milk.”
The guy smiled politely. “Sure thing.”
Aithne grinned at him, and then turned to get a good look around the gym. She could see the women’s and men’s locker room in the back. The gym had a few machines lining the wall, but for the most part, everything was set up for boxing and kickboxing classes. She continued looking around, and noticed a few people stretching, and getting ready to start the next boxing class.
The guy behind the bar placed her drink down in front of her and handed her a straw. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. Are you looking to join the gym?”
“Yeah. I’m new in town and thinking of taking a class. Who could I talk to about joining?”
He smiled brightly at her again. “Well, my dad owns the place. But if you like, I can give you the grand tour.” He called out to one of the other employees to take his place. Gesturing for her to walk with him, he pointed at the mats. Aithne carried the protein drink he made her as they walked around. “We have several boxing and kickboxing classes, plus a few self-defense classes just for women. Besides the classes, we do have some aerobic equipment and offer personal training.”
“How big are the classes?” Stopping when they got to the back of the gym, she saw the sisters coming out of the women’s locker room. She also noticed that the older sister, Violca was with them.
“We offer classes throughout the day so the class sizes vary. I think our largest class has about twenty-five, while the smallest one has about ten.”
Looking up at him, she could see his interest in her gaining, so she took a step closer. “Do you teach any of the classes?”
He chuckled, licking his lips. “No, but I am one of the personal trainers. If you’re looking for some one-on-one training, I’m your man.”
Aithne raised an eyebrow, smiling at him. “I might have to think about that. Can I get a copy of the rates and class schedules for now?” He walked her to the front of the gym. She continued to sip on her drink, her eyes going to the class and to the sisters. If the girls took classes here, this might give her a way to get to know them.
The guy scribbled something on the pamphlet and handed her his card. “I would love to offer you a free two week trial, along with a few free personal training sessions with me.”
She looked down, and when she saw that he had written his name and cell number on the bottom of the pamphlet, she said, “Thanks, Nathan. I think I’ll take you up on that.” When he grinned, she smiled right back at him. “My name’s Amy. I’ll definitely be calling you later.”
With that, she
turned and walked out the door throwing the drink away in the trash on her way to the car. Getting in her car, she hoped the girls went to the same class every week. Tapping her chin, she wondered if the gym kept track of when their members signed in. As she hunkered down in the driver’s seat of her car, she positioned herself so she could watch the gym from where she had parked. All that was left now, was to wait and see when they left.
When the girls left, she saw Eva kiss Violca and Kati on the cheek, then give the two younger girls a quick hug before heading to her car. The guards split up, two of them following in their own car behind Eva, the other two with Violca and Kati. Deciding to go back to her own hotel for the night, Aithne started her own vehicle and drove off.
Aithne had picked a hotel on the edge of town. From what she had seen so far, there was a larger than normal supernatural population here. The town was built on the edge of a mountain ridge and a state park. She could see why a shifter would choose to live somewhere like this. With all the woods and sparse population, even a dragon could shift here and spread its wings.
Picking up her laptop, she pulled up the gym’s website. The website was meager and simple. The design made her think that most likely, their security would be pretty basic as well. Twirling her finger in her hair, as was her thing when working, she tried to figure out how much of their records she would be able to access online.
Chapter 5
The sound of the girls coming home echoed through the halls. It caused Viktor to get up and head toward the front of the house. He saw Violca and Kati laughing hysterically, as Angyalka and Sari tried to show off the new moves they had learned in class.
