by Dannika Dark
“You need to stand up and circulate your blood.”
I staggered to my feet, my body shivering uncontrollably in a feeble attempt to stay warm. The wind made it unbearable, so I folded my arms tightly around myself and walked in place.
He raked back his wet hair. “Once you learn you’re not going to die from a thing, it’s easier to get off your arse.”
“Says the man impervious to cold.”
A familiar cry sounded overhead, and a falcon swooped into sight, landing on the rocks. In a movement of magic, it shifted into a beautiful woman. Blue’s long brown hair shielded her breasts, and she panted heavily from exhaustion.
Viktor knelt beside her.
“I’m all right,” she said, still on her knees. “Their plane landed a mile from here. I perched nearby to listen in, and they’re taking a car to a private shipyard. I don’t know if the ship’s there or when it leaves, so you don’t have much time.”
He warmed her shoulders with his hands. “Which way?”
She pointed up the beach. “East. You shouldn’t have problems finding it as long as there aren’t any obstacles. But it’s a Breed shipyard, and I don’t know anything about who runs it or how far it is. We have to be careful.”
“Nyet,” he said. “You stay here and rest. It was a long flight, and you have done your duty. You’re no good to me when you’re weak. Come find us once you have rested up.”
“I need to fly around and find fresh water,” she said, licking her dry lips.
When she raised her arms, Viktor backed away to make room for her flight into the trees.
“How the hell did she keep up?” I wondered aloud.
Viktor rubbed his bare chest as if the friction might spark a fire. “Falcons are renowned for their speed. She can increase altitude and perform a stoop that exceeds two hundred miles per hour. Easy to do when the plane was flying low and slow. We can’t waste time talking.”
Christian tossed me my sweater and coat, which felt a little drier. Either that, or I’d gone completely numb.
He reached down and untied his laces. “Everyone shake the water out of your shoes and squeeze out your socks.”
“We don’t have time for dry feet,” I argued.
Viktor gave him a curt look that declared he was taking my side.
Christian shook the water from his boot. “If they have Vampires working the shipyard, they’ll hear you squishing around in those shoes a mile away. No one in their right mind is walking around in wet shoes, so let’s not give them reason to find us sooner.”
Viktor suddenly shifted to wolf form and took off.
As I watched him disappear into the shadows, my eyes drifted up to a greenish hue on the horizon. “Is that a city?”
Christian followed the direction of my gaze. “No, lass. That’s the aurora borealis.”
I took a step forward and marveled at the shifting colors. It looked like a shower of light rising up to the heavens. The colors were strangely beautiful and ominous, especially given our perilous journey ahead. I reached inside my coat and then ran my hand around my belt, making sure my weapons were still there. I’d lost a dagger, but that was all. After I’d squeezed out my socks, we made haste and took off up the shoreline.
Snow covered the ground. The rocks were too slippery to tread across, so Christian led the way up a steep incline until we reached flatland. The moon and northern lights reflected off the snow, providing enough light for me to flash without falling on my face. My bones were like ice, but the fire in my heart kept me warm. When Christian reached the tree line and began shadow walking, I lost sight of him. I found myself alone, running across an unforgiving terrain in search of prey.
No matter how much I tried to deny it, the one thing that quelled the rage burning within me was death.
Houdini had one thing right about me—I needed to hunt.
I needed to kill.
Chapter 30
Niko’s eyes remained closed even though he wasn’t tired. Sometimes when Wyatt was working without sleep, his energy gave Niko a headache.
Wyatt crunched on another potato chip. “I wonder if they made it there.”
“Did you try calling?”
“No answer. I found satellite imagery of the landscape, but it’s not detailed enough to see things like private airports or roads. Maybe they’re circling in search of a place to land. I don’t know much about that terrain.” Wyatt groaned, and it sounded as if he might be rubbing his face. “They should have put a tracking device on their own plane.”
Niko recognized Shepherd’s heavy gait as he entered the room. The strong smell of cigarette smoke wafted behind him.
“Any news?” he asked.
Wyatt tapped a few keys. “Nada. Radio silence for the past hour.”
Niko rolled his leather chair away from the desk. “Do either of you have any contacts up there who might be able to help us out?”
No one replied.
Light footsteps entered the room, the aroma of coffee drifting in on a current of air. Niko didn’t have to open his eyes to recognize Kira’s soft shoes.
“You’re a lifesaver,” Wyatt said.
Kira left the room humming “If I Only Had a Brain.”
Wyatt laughed. “She’s singing your song, Shep.” A sharp noise slid across the desk toward Niko. “There’s coffee to your right.”
Niko opened his eyes and reached for the cup. He preferred tea, but his body needed more caffeine.
Despite this important case, Niko couldn’t stop thinking about Gem’s situation. Had Hooper kept his word and discontinued spiking her drinks? Had he done it every single time they were together? That deception, no matter how harmless, undermined their relationship. Niko thought back to a few weeks ago when he’d followed them on a private date. Gem had offered Niko a ride into the city, but they soon parted ways. At night, it was easy for him to stay concealed. His dark clothing and hood made him difficult to notice, especially when he was on rooftops. While walking across one of them, he spotted the couple going into what he guessed was a café based on the smells and sounds. He wasn’t sure why he’d gone to such lengths to follow since he couldn’t actually see what they were doing, and afterward, he vowed never to invade her privacy again.
Niko slurped on his coffee before setting the mug back down. Kira always filled his drinks halfway, and he appreciated her thoughtfulness even though it wasn’t necessary. Niko never burned himself or spilled his drink—not unless someone bumped into him. After all, he’d only had over a thousand years of experience eating and drinking.
“This is a clusterfuck,” Shepherd muttered, the leather stool rolling out from beneath the desk. “Send them another text message. Maybe they can receive but they can’t send.”
“And what do you want me to say? Shep says hello?”
“You said the trafficker’s plane hasn’t changed locations, so they’re obviously grounded. Give ’em their coordinates and the weather forecast. Maybe that’s all they need to know.”
Niko tried to recall the size of Newfoundland. “Christian said they were flying small planes. If they’re shipping these women to Europe, why fly to Newfoundland in a small aircraft that would never make it over the ocean? Are there any shipyards nearby?”
Shepherd’s stool rolled closer. “Pull up a map.” After a few keystrokes, they were both quiet. “I bet they’re taking a ship to Greenland. A single-engine plane probably couldn’t make it that far. Especially in shitty weather.”
“Why Greenland?” Niko asked.
“I’ve heard stories about some trading that goes on up there. Lots of rich Vampires settled in Greenland.”
Wyatt cleared his throat. “Either that, or they’re shipping her all the way to Europe. It’s easier to transport illegal goods on a boat than a plane. Greenland has one major Breed airport that I know about, but you’d have to be an idiot to think you could slip past their security. Hold on… Okay. We’ve got two main Breed shipyards here and here. There are…
one, two, three—it looks like four along the upper east coast. Most of those are Europe bound. You’re right, Niko. That’s a red flag.”
Shepherd’s light pulsed. “Run a check with the Vampire elders in Greenland. See if they have anyone on record named Temple.”
Niko set down his cup. “Did we already search the records in Canada?”
“Mostly,” Wyatt said. “They have a lot of provinces, and not everyone is cooperative up there.”
Niko tensed when someone patted his knee.
“Good call,” Shepherd said. “Print out the list of numbers. Niko and I will make the calls. Gives me something to do so I’m not sitting here twiddling my thumbs.”
“You’re leaving someone out of that scenario,” Claude said from the far side of the room.
Wyatt’s voice changed direction. “Thought you were sleeping, Snow White.”
“I’m just resting my eyes.”
“Why don’t you go wake up Gem? We might need her help if some of our contacts don’t speak any English. Unless you know how to speak Greenlandic.”
Niko chuckled. “I think you mean Danish.”
“I thought Danes spoke Danish? Aren’t they from Denmark? Canadians speak English, so we’re good there.”
“Not all,” Claude said as he moved toward the door. “Some speak French. And not everyone in Greenland speaks Danish.”
Shepherd groaned. “I’m gonna need more coffee. Be right back.”
“Don’t scare the help!” Wyatt shouted. “I can’t read the new girl. She doesn’t seem to like anyone in particular, but ever notice how she avoids Shepherd? His dickish personality doesn’t help either.”
Niko had observed a peculiar flare in her light, the colors indicative of fear or protectiveness. It was hard to read her completely since it took time to learn the nuances of a person’s light. She was acclimating well to her new surroundings and would eventually learn that she was safe here. Niko considered what her life must have been like, secluded with her father in rural Bulgaria. Something significant must have happened to have made her father, a Packmaster, live a life of isolation. If she’d never been around people, then it looked unlikely she’d ever form a relationship with anyone in Keystone, especially with her inability or unwillingness to learn English.
Despite her reticence, Kira was picking up basic words. When the others asked for coffee or a second helping of food, she understood. Maybe there were hand gestures that went along with those things, but Niko suspected otherwise.
Wyatt sipped his coffee. “It’s so nice to finally be alone with you.”
Niko furrowed his brow. “What do you mean? We were alone for two hours this evening.”
Wyatt’s light sparkled. “That’s not exactly true. Look, I wasn’t going to say anything since he was leaving me alone, but you’ve got a freshy following you around.”
Niko’s hair stood on end. “What makes you say that?”
“As long as he leaves me alone, I don’t care. The last tenants used to mess with me because they wanted attention, but not this guy. He just follows you around like a little shadow.”
A sinking feeling came over Niko. “What does he look like?”
Wyatt’s mug tapped against the desk. “Same guy who came running inside, looking for a Gravewalker on the night we found you fighting in the alley outside Flavors. Remember? I figured you two probably go way back. Is he from your village or something? You don’t look alike, but he’s got that Asian flavor.”
It could only be Plato. Niko turned his chair around so Wyatt couldn’t read his expression. Plato was the one presumed dead that night based on everyone’s descriptions. He was every bit as nasty and devious as Cyrus, and the fact he was following Niko in the afterlife made him even more dangerous. It meant he’d chosen not to move on so he could serve Cyrus. What secrets had he uncovered by now?
Niko steadied his voice. “He doesn’t speak to you?”
“Ghosties are unpredictable. It creeps me out, though. He’s always lurking—standing in doorways and watching. Not now. I guess he got lost in the mansion. It happens sometimes. Were you flashing earlier?”
“Briefly. Is it possible to lose him in a public place?”
Wyatt chuckled. “Most definitely. That’s why I could never get the specters out of the house. They were too scared that if they left, they wouldn’t find their way back to me, and I was their only connection to the living world. It’s not easy for them to spot Gravewalkers. They didn’t like tagging along during outings because the ones who went with me never came home. They get distracted by the living. They don’t seem to have a real sense of time, and if they lose you, they rarely ever find their way back. It’s easy for them to forget details. Some are sharp as a tack though, so you never can tell. You want to try to shake him off?”
Wyatt often mentioned how ghosts would forget their life as time went by, but the new ones were still caught up in it. If Plato discovered Niko’s secrets, all he would need to do was find another Gravewalker willing to listen. Not all would, but if he pointed them toward Cyrus to pay their fee, the consequences could be catastrophic.
“Something wrong, buddy?”
Niko reclined his head against the back of the chair. “There’s nothing we can do about his presence. Even if I lose him in public, he’ll find me again.”
“It’s your call. Some get confused about their death right after, but a lot of them are all wrapped up in unfinished business. Strong emotions like anger or love keep them lucid, especially if they have a goal. Maybe he just wants to hear you say you’re sorry for killing him, or maybe he wants to stick around and wait for your death. They’re morbid little boogers.”
“I didn’t kill him. Can nothing be done?”
“I’ll keep ignoring him. Maybe he’ll get bored and take a hike. If you ever want to give him the slip when we’re out somewhere and he’s tagging along, just let me know.”
“I’m more concerned about what he’ll see and learn from us.”
“You can’t keep secrets from the dead.”
How much Plato had already seen or overheard, Niko could only guess. The one thing Plato didn’t know was where to find the book—the one Niko had stolen from Cyrus centuries ago. The one hidden within the walls of Keystone.
Niko wrinkled his nose. “Did you just take off your boots?”
“My feet need to breathe.”
“Your feet need a mint.”
Wyatt’s voice grew sullen. “What if something happened to them? Viktor’s our leader. What happens to us then?”
Niko sighed, no words of wisdom to offer. “It will be the end of Keystone.”
Chapter 31
The water in my hair turned to ice, my skin frozen from the wind blasting against it as I ran across the uneven terrain. Flashing kept me warm, but it also depleted my energy, so I only did it intermittently. We’d passed Viktor’s wolf, but it wouldn’t take him too long to catch up. Christian shadowed up a steep hill ahead of me, and I slowed down for the arduous climb. When I reached the top, twinkling lights came into view below.
Christian crouched down. “Stay quiet while I listen.”
I turned around and shielded my breath inside my coat to muffle the sound and bring heat to my body. As much as I wanted to collapse from exhaustion, I’d never be able to get back up, so I remained standing. The temperatures were unbelievably cold, and it was a wonder I hadn’t died in the water. My core energy continued burning within me, a reminder of my immortality.
“They’ve already loaded her on,” Christian said softly. “The ship’s destined for Greenland.”
I crouched next to him, keeping my voice as quiet as possible. “Temple?”
“Aye, he’s down there, from the chatter I’ve heard. I can only hear the ones who are yelling, so they can’t hear our whispers. Especially with the wind blowing in our favor. No talking when we go down. Stay alongshore—the tide will drown out our footsteps.”
I looked to my right at the black o
cean that went on forever. If they took off before we could stop them, this would be the end of the line. “What’s the plan when we get down there?”
He rose to his feet, black coat flapping in the wind. “I don’t get the sense the men running the ship work for him. He probably pads their wallets to haul his special cargo. Right now they’re waiting on a truck delivery with a final load before heading out.” Christian turned to face me, ice coating his short beard. “You find the girl. I’ll take care of Temple.”
“That hardly sounds like fun.”
“I’ll come up on the main road and pretend I have business. Whatever you do, don’t let that ship leave the dock with the girl aboard.”
My gaze swung down to the large boats. Two were small and looked like trawlers, while the other was a cargo ship docked near a long pier. Rectangular boxes were stacked up, but it wasn’t one of those massive ships I’d seen in photographs.
Christian brushed the ice from his beard and hair, and I did the same with my own hair. “Everything that happens tonight goes in a report, you hear? Don’t take any civilian lives unless your own life is in danger.”
I was shivering all over but managed to nod.
He shook his head. “I wish there was something I could do to make you warm.” Without another word, Christian sprinted to the left and out of sight.
He left me with mixed emotions about his comment. It seemed genuine and left me wondering about the things that he’d said about us.
“Focus, Raven,” I whispered, descending the snowy hill toward the shore.
Instead of flashing, I walked at a casual pace. If Temple heard any frantic running, he was likely to get spooked and do something crazy. Four men were quietly walking down the wide concrete pier. I wondered if they were the operators of the large cranes used to load the ships. Up a ways to the left was a well-lit building, probably where workers sat down to warm up with a cup of coffee.
I did my best to fix my hair and brush the ice off my coat and pants. When I stepped onto the pier, two men drove by me in a small vehicle. I waved at them and then put my hands back in my pockets. Neither looked like Chitahs. The last thing I needed was someone smelling my emotions.
