Knight Shift

by Paulette Miller

  Penny stood motionless with the phone at her ear, not hearing anything. When several other workers joined her side, Taylor and Tadd walked into the store. Seeing the assembled crowd, Taylor’s voice called from behind, “Why weren’t we invited to the party?”

  Penny continued to stare at the screen and whispered, her voice shaking, “They’re all dead.” Her eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed, sending her phone skidding across the floor, stopping abruptly at Taylor’s feet.

  While everyone scrambled to Penny’s side, including Tadd, Taylor picked up the phone when he heard a voice calling out, “Miss Blanchard, are you there?”

  Taylor put the phone to his ear and asked, “Who is this?”

  “Where’s Penny Blanchard?” the voice asked.

  “She’s collapsed. What did you tell her?”

  “Are you a relative?”

  “Yes, I’m her family. What’s happened?”

  “I regret to inform you that her parents and two brothers were killed in the plane crash of flight 2117.”

  Taylor looked at his twin with an expression that Tadd had never seen before. Taylor said, “Stay with Penny.” Hearing the extremely serious tone, Tadd did what was asked without question. Taylor stepped away and talked for a long time to the man on the phone. They exchanged information and then he gave Taylor the number to call later to work out details. After he hung up, Mr. Thompson approached and, before he could ask, Taylor whispered to him while nodding toward the television screen, “Penny’s family’s flight was cancelled last night and they were bumped to this morning. They were on flight 2117 and her entire family was killed in the plane crash. They need her to come identify the bodies.” When he spoke his voice shook and his words were broken with emotion.

  Several overheard their discussion and the news spread instantly throughout the store. While Mr. Thompson raced to Penny’s side, Taylor called home. He woke up Sam and, after he told him what had happened, he asked, “What should I do?”

  Sam said, “She can’t be left alone. Bring her home and we’ll take care of her until we figure out what to do next.”

  Penny was in complete shock and wasn’t responding to anyone. Mr. Thompson was going to call an ambulance but, when Penny grabbed onto Tadd’s hand, the twins announced that they were going to take her to their home instead. At first Mr. Thompson was going to argue but, seeing the genuine concern and gentleness they had with Penny, he agreed.

  Tadd said, “We rode our motorcycles into town.” He turned to the manager and asked, “Could someone get Penny’s purse? We’ll take her car and drive her home.”

  Moments later, Quinn returned with Penny’s bag.

  The manager handed Taylor his business card and said, “My personal cell number is on the back. Please call me as soon as you work out all of the details. Tell Penny not to worry about the store. She’s on a leave of absence effective immediately.”

  Taylor uncharacteristically held out his hand to the manager. They shook and Taylor said, “Thank you. And don’t worry about Penny. We’ll take good care of her.”

  *~*~*~*

  Penny was locked in a daze and didn’t even notice that she had left the store and was now sitting on the couch with Susi’s arm protectively around her and Chad’s Great Dane head resting on her lap. They both tried to get Penny to respond to them, but with no success. Ben stepped forward to see what he could do. He mentally reached out to his friend, but even his skills were useless against the mental wall that she had erected to block out the pain.

  They all turned when the door swung open and Ice came racing into the room. In an instant, he spotted Penny and rushed to her side. Ben stood, allowing Ice to take his place. While Ice knelt in front of Penny, he asked the room, “How is she?”

  Taylor said, “She hasn’t said a word since she got the call at the store.”

  Ben added, “I’ve tried to connect to her, but she isn’t responding. All I can pick up from her mind is a constant buzz like a radio station that isn’t receiving a signal. She’s in shock. If we can’t get through to her soon, we’ll be forced to take her to a hospital.”

  Ice reached out and touched Penny’s cheek, calling sweetly “Penny, can you hear me?”

  When she remained unmoved, he decided to try calling on someone that he knew Penny held dear to her heart. Ice leaned toward her and, while tucking his hand behind her neck, he called on his stealth ability to make just his hand disappear. Although no one in the room saw what he had done because his hand was hidden under Penny’s long hair, he knew Penny felt Casper’s presence when her body involuntarily shivered. With the connection established he said in a low whisper into her ear so that only she could hear, “Penny, it’s Casper. Talk to me.”

  At first she didn’t respond, but when her mind finally recognized the familiar tingling sensation and heard a voice she trusted, her wall started to crumble.

  Ben sensed the change and announced, “I don’t know what Ice is doing, but he’s getting through.”

  As soon as Penny blinked her eyes, attempting to focus on the world around her, Ice dropped the partial cloak and returned his hand to its fully visible form. Although the others in the room wanted to ask him exactly what he had done to bring her back, they decided now was not the time for the discussion. They were grateful that Penny was starting to come around.

  Ice said, “Penny, talk to me.”

  She focused on his eyes and whispered, her voice breaking and hoarse, “My family…they’re all…”

  Ice interrupted her and said, “I know.”

  To everyone’s shock, she unexpectedly jumped to her feet, pushing Ice to the side and announcing, “I have to go.”

  Ice placed his arm in front of her to stop her and asked, “Go where?”

  With her words coming out in staggered chunks, she replied, “They… called me. Need me…identify…” After a long pause, she finished her thought, “…the bodies.” With her hands shaking, she fumbled through her pockets, trying to find her non-existent car keys.

  Ice took her hands in his and said, “You aren’t going anywhere right now.”

  With her mind unable to make coherent thoughts, she mumbled, “I have to go. They’re waiting for me.” Her whole body started to shake.

  Knowing that talking to her was useless right now, Ice turned to Sam and said, “Her mind must rest. Can you help her go to sleep?” Sam caught the meaning behind his words and nodded in agreement.

  Ice scooped Penny into his arms and carried her to a guest room with Sam following. After Sam sat on the side of the bed, Ice gently placed Penny in his arms. She was still mumbling incoherently and insisting that she had to leave. Since she wouldn’t sit still, Ice helped hold her while Sam penetrated her neck with his fangs and latched on.

  Moments later, Penny stopped moving and then went silent. As Sam continued to use his skills to force her into a deep sleep, her eyes flickered and then finally closed. Once Penny was finally out, Sam had to close his eyes and concentrate hard in an attempt to force his body to give up Penny and her blood. Ice ultimately had to step in and help Sam physically release the one locked in his arms.

  After Sam finally regained complete control on himself, he wiped his mouth and said, “I took what I needed in order to influence her mentally, but I had to take more than I would have liked. Her mind wouldn’t turn off and was fighting me, but I think she’ll be out for at least a few hours.” What he kept to himself was the rush of energy that was flowing to every cell of his body as her blood coursed through his veins.

  After Sam and Ice returned to the living room, Ice turned to the twins and asked, “Give me the whole story from the beginning.”

  Taylor provided the details he knew, but found it difficult to talk about Penny’s brothers. He said, “I’ve never had love for Humans but, like Penny, her brothers were different. Tadd and I both instantly felt like they were part of the family. We’ve spoken to them many times since their visit to plan another outing togethe
r and I honestly couldn’t wait to see them again.”

  Seeing the pain in the twins’ eyes, Ice announced, “Give me the contact numbers and I’ll make all of the necessary arrangements.” Given the look on his face, no one argued with him.

  Taylor handed him the store manager’s card and said, “This is the number for Penny’s boss. We need to call him and let him know what the plans are.” He then handed him Penny’s cell phone. “The number to call out east is on her phone. I told him we were Penny’s family and we’re supposed to call them back to work out the details.”

  Ice stepped into the moon room and made the calls. At the same time, Susi approached Sam while staring at his face inquisitively. She asked, “How are you feeling? I swear your cheeks are pink.”

  He decided to be honest and, in a low voice so only Susi could hear, he said, “I feel better than I have ever in my entire life.” He pressed Susi’s palm on his chest and asked at a whisper, “Do I feel warm to the touch? I swear warm blood is once again flowing through my veins. I haven’t felt that sensation since before I turned.”

  Susi felt his pulse. Although their kind had a heartbeat, it was typically very slow and hard to pick up. With a shocked expression, she announced, “Your pulse is strong and you do feel warm. But how?”

  Sam looked toward the bedroom and whispered, “It’s Penny’s blood. The sensation is intoxicating.” He flexed his muscles and chuckled. Realizing that his excitement wasn’t appropriate for the situation at hand, he apologized and said, “We can talk more about this later.” When he saw Ice return he asked loud enough for everyone to hear, “What did you find out?”

  Ice replied, “Taylor was right. They need Penny to identify the bodies.”

  Susi exclaimed, “She can’t do that! It would kill her.”

  Ice said, “I agree, but they say that she’s the only living relative and, once she’s in her right mind, she’ll insist on going.”

  Sam said, “If she has to go, we can’t let her go alone. Maybe someone could fly with her.”

  Susi said, “Her family just died in a plane crash. I guarantee she won’t step one foot on a plane.”

  Taylor announced, “Then Tadd and I will take her. M&M were our friends and we want to go say good-bye.”

  Sam replied, “I understand but you, Tadd, and Chad can’t go. Although you handle yourself well around Penny, you would be forced to spend time with many other Humans that don’t have Penny’s open heart. You would never be able to hide your Changeling side and imagine the potential results.” He looked at Susi and said, “You and I would go, but we can’t be out in the sunlight.” He looked over at the youngest of the group and said, “Ben can’t go either. He’s still learning to control his skills and he would never be able to handle feeling all of those emotions at once.” He turned to Ice and said, “You’ll need to take her.”

  Taylor sprang to his feet and exclaimed, “No way! He can’t go. She’s Human. He would rather kill her than comfort her.”

  Susi shook her head and said, “She would be perfectly safe with Ice at her side. Although he may be a little intimidating to look at, he’s the only one that could handle being around Humans for extended periods of time without exposing his secret.”

  Ice started to pace. “The twins may be right—not about me wanting to kill her. I would never hurt her. But I’m not great around people and I definitely wouldn’t know the first thing about trying to offer comfort.”

  Sam walked over to Ice and said, “You can do this. We’re now the only ones she has.”

  Taylor wanted to continue to argue, but he knew that Sam was right. In his frustration, he walked over to the window and threw back the curtain so that he could stare outside at bright afternoon sun.

  When the light streamed into the room, Susi shrieked and jumped back, avoiding the bright beam. Sam, who had his back to the window, didn’t move or react. Seeing Sam standing in the light, Susi yelled, “Close the curtain!”

  Sam spun and the light hit his face for a second before Taylor blocked the window again. Feeling no burn Sam yelled, “Wait! Open the curtain again.”

  Taylor looked around the room for guidance and, when Ice nodded, he did as asked.

  When Sam stepped into the beam, he closed his eyes and said, “Ahhh.”

  Susi whispered in disbelief, “This can’t be.” Not understanding exactly what she was seeing, she stepped forward and stuck a finger in the light, instantly feeling heat building and pulled her hand back. “How are you doing this?” she asked in amazement.

  “I have no idea,” Sam replied in wonder as he walked closer to the window. Although he had to squint at the brightness, he let the heat of the sun caress his entire body.

  Susi looked up at the door to the bedroom holding Penny and asked in disbelief, “Is it possible Penny’s blood did this?”

  Sam twirled his hand in a sunbeam and said, “It must be. The sensation I felt when I drank her blood was unlike any other.”

  Tadd asked, “I wonder how long it’ll last?”

  Sam replied, “I don’t know, but this is the first time in my adult life that I’ve been able to stand in the sun and I’m going to enjoy every second.”

  Everyone watched silently as he soaked up the rays. After slightly over an hour, he announced, “Alas, it’s starting to wear off. I can feel the heat starting to build.” He turned to his family and said, “When Penny wakes, let’s keep this to ourselves. She has enough on her mind to deal with right now. She doesn’t need to know that her blood is some kind of miracle drug.”

  Susi added, “We also must keep it a secret from any non-Human creature as well. If they were to find out, Penny would be hunted like no other.”

  “That won’t happen,” Ice decreed with a protective growl, but he knew that there was one Changeling that had already sensed the draw from Penny’s blood—Logan.

  A few hours later, Penny woke and she was helped back into the living room. Although still very shaken, she was now able to focus her thoughts. As predicted, she insisted on driving herself across the country. When the room argued with her, she replied, “I can’t ask any of you to do this with me.”

  Sam replied, “You aren’t asking, we’re insisting. In your current mental state, you can’t even drive safely. We won’t risk losing you.”

  The idea of making this trip alone made her body shudder. She scanned those around her and asked, “Then who is the unlucky one that has to go with me?”

  When she stared at the twins, Taylor said, “We wanted to go, but they won’t let us. They’re afraid we’ll lose control and terrorize the Humans.”

  As Penny continued to scan those assembled, she heard a voice from behind her say, “I’ll be your escort.”

  She turned and asked Ice, “You?”

  Sam stepped forward and explained. “Susi and I can’t handle the sun. Ben is too unstable, and the twins are… well, the twins. Chad is willing to try to remain Human, but it would be extremely difficult for him. Ice is the logical choice. He has spent more time around Humans than all of us combined and has the best ability to control himself.”

  Penny said, “But he hates being around Humans. He would be stuck with me twenty-four hours a day for weeks.”

  Ben put his hand on Penny’s arm and said, “But he can protect you like no other.”

  Taylor stared at Ice and added in a warning tone, “And he’ll bring you back unharmed.”

  Ben shook his head and said, “You don’t have to worry. He won’t harm her.” He tapped his temple to show that he confirmed his theory from Ice’s mind.

  Ice looked down at Penny. “I may not be the best traveling companion, but I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”

  Seeing the honesty in his words, Penny reluctantly agreed with the plan. While checking her pockets, she said, “I need my phone. I think I need to call someone.”

  Ice handed her phone back and said, “Already done. I talked to your boss earlier and he said to take as much time as you
need. I also called out east and told them we would be driving across country. They aren’t expecting us until the end of the week.”

  Penny was touched that he had done that for her. She asked, “When do you want to leave?”

  “You need more rest. How about we leave first thing in the morning?” Ice looked over at Susi and said, “The sun is now down. Could you go over to Penny’s house and help her pack?”

  Susi nodded. “Of course. I’ll drive her over. I don’t want her alone tonight so I’ll bring her back here when we’re done.”

  With a plan set, Susi took Penny home to prepare for her trip.

  Part 2 - Unexpected Journey

  Chapter 22 - Trip Begins

  Later that night, Penny and Susi returned with luggage in hand. As Penny headed to the guest room, the twins approached Susi and asked, “How is she doing?”

  “Not well. She still hasn’t cried and is holding in all of her pain.” She turned to Ice and said, “Be gentle with her on your trip. Sooner or later her emotions are going to have to come out.”

  A crying Penny wasn’t something Ice was prepared to handle. He said, “But I wouldn’t know how to handle that. I shouldn’t be going. I’ll just make this worse.”

  Susi put her hand on Ice’s back and said, “Don’t worry. You’ll do what’s needed when the time comes and you can call me anytime. I’ll help you through this.”

  Ice still thought that the trip was a very bad idea, but he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to watch Penny drive away with anyone else. He had to be the one watching over her—a role that had become a major part of his life and he wasn’t about to give it up now.

  That night everyone took turns staying with Penny so that she was never left alone.

  During a breakfast that Penny picked at, Ice loaded the car. After many long hugs from each member of the family, the twins walked the travelers to the Range Rover and watched as Ice drove out of sight with their friend at his side.