A tendril of shadowy energy headed toward the agent and he caught it with a hand, face tightening as he cast light over the darkness engulfing his extremity.
~It’s easy to command, you know. As long as your intentions are pure, it’s like a switch. Direct it through the shadow and notice what happens.~
His throat and chest tightened as he heard the familiar voice, coughing to hide his shock from Aviere. Once Travis processed Lyssa’s voice, he followed her instructions, longing for his inner killer to silence the phantasm.
~Keith, you walk a fine line. Either master it or be consumed. Do you want to become a thrall like the man before you?~
“Not really,” he answered, voice cracking. “Seems unpleasant, dear.”
“Travis?”
Aviere’s smart tone brought the agent back to their situation with a blush to his cheeks. “Sorry. Momentary distraction.”
He imagined the light penetrating through shadow and narrow spikes emerged where the darkness settled. It absorbed the shadow the longer Travis concentrated on the spell, but his eyes throbbed from the additional strain and concentration.
No wonder humans aren’t meant to wield such power. It’s frightening, yet beautiful to form such chaos.
As Travis retracted the spikes, Demetrius howled, withdrawing his magic as he floated backward. To his right, a bush rustled before its branches cracked. Shrubbery parted slowly as Aviere’s head popped through the makeshift opening.
Why did Mye hide? She claimed we could handle the demon.
“Tone down your power, man. I ordered replacement glasses, so I’m using enhanced vision here. Never mind that Demetrius smells like death warmed over. Christ, his body decomposed already.”
Demetrius died the moment he fused with your powers. To her, it’s a human being, but to you, it’s another tally mark. End this and collect on Donahue and Nichols.
“His mind’s diseased.” Travis suppressed the urge to broaden his lips as his curt tone almost matched Aviere’s. “He’s another bounty, but useless if I’m without my magic.”
“There’s a person inside there,” Aviere argued. “Once magic—”
“Mye, shadow magic consumes and destroys. There’s nothing left.” He steadied his hand and aimed his handgun at Demetrius’s floating form, breath quickening at his deadened expression. “Once they summon temporal portals, it’s over. It happens to most Society members, but there’s always a few exceptions.”
“Great, you’re one of them.”
“I meant Dalara,” Travis countered. “And Soulstealer. She’s unique. I swear, that woman can manipulate anything. I can’t see this Demetrius guy bouncing back, though. Still, not my problem.”
Airy laughter followed Travis’s statement, and he pivoted, moving two steps backward when he met Angelique’s mischievous eyes.
“You’re no match for Soulstealer and you’ve brought me a present. I’ve waited for years to confront Aviere Mye without her little cohorts. Two bounties for the price of one. Actually, more like three… when I’m done, anyway.”
Travis didn’t need magic to hear the deep-throated growl coming from Aviere, or how she destroyed the shrubbery with a few swipes of her shifted claws. The growl deepened, increasing to a roar after she recognized the redhead adorned in a crimson-colored dress that hugged her thighs, hips, and breasts.
“You.”
The ferocity of Aviere’s greeting chilled the agent. He paused, dumbfounded by the clumsy woman’s change in demeanor. Her narrowed eyes showed black slits against the sky-blue eyes, which dilated as she zoned in on Angelique. For a moment, Travis stared, knees trembling at the scene before him.
His eyes flashed to Demetrius, then to Angelique before settling on Aviere’s malicious smile and her crouched demeanor. Claws trailed where they sunk into the dirt. Her dark purple blouse ripped at the seams and Travis spotted fine black fur where cotton once covered flesh.
Holy shit. I’d rather deal with Taurus than Mye at this point. Wait—that’s fur. Oh God, I’m allergic to cat dander.
“Mye, what the—”
“It makes sense.” Her words hissed at the end of her sentence. “Every action Donahue and Chelsea did… it makes perfect sense.”
“Your brother made a lot of enemies. But you and I have always loathed one another.”
Okay, I’m not even questioning if Mye knows suspects anymore. Always assume the woman is hiding secrets, Keith. It’s safer and gives us more justification for Peters to hack into Mye’s dossier when she locks it.
“To be honest, I have more fun controlling my other puppet. He fights so hard, but it’s futile, all the same.”
Travis risked facing Angelique after another roar escaped Aviere’s lips. “My husband wasn’t enough, was it, Angelique?”
“Mye, stop,” Travis warned. “Attacking senselessly won’t help.”
“I’ll sacrifice my favorite top in favor of ripping her throat out,” Aviere stated. “If I kill her, your problem goes away. Let her live and you’ll both suffer.”
“I thought I explained Demetrius—”
“You’re not the only victim, you fool.”
The anguish from Aviere’s guttural tone left Travis speechless as he blinked, shrinking backward at her agile movements. The demon disappeared into a temporal portal as Aviere launched herself at Angelique, snarling when the woman turned transparent before them. As Aviere sailed through the illusion, Travis cocked his gun, waiting for Angelique’s spell to end.
At some point, mage, your spell will dissipate. Then you’ll be another bounty for me to collect.
“You would resort to cheap tricks without your brother to defend you!” Aviere yelled. “You’re a mongrel! Use your goddamn shifter form for once, you self-absorbed harlot!”
“You’re just angry I made hubby dearest leave you,” Angelique accused, the flirtatious tone dropping as her voice spiked with hostility. “However, everything Dominic and I did started years ago… beginning with the night Dominic broke into your apartment.”
When the mage’s body reformed, Travis shot at the familiar redhead, fixating on her skull. When bullets passed through her body, he swore, rolling out of the way as she opened fire with black thunderbolts.
He missed several, but one fierce blow sent fragments of a shattered tree crashing into his back.
Panting from outmaneuvering the magic bolts, Travis yelled choice profanities as the trench coat sleeve ripped from underneath a tree branch where he fell. Warm blood stained another alabaster shirt. Peters’s sunglasses slipped from his nose, landing next to his thigh.
Black, Travis declared, scrambling for the Ray-Bans before being blinded by magical auras. From now on, I’m ordering black shirts, even if it pisses Sanderson off. He’s not the person shielding Mye every time she’s on field duty.
His fingers shook as he gripped the precious sunglasses and placed them over his pained squinting eyes, only opening them fully once the world returned to its darkened hue.
“Do you think I’d forgive a traitor like you? The Sect has decided. Your power will transfer to another worthy of our cause.”
Each step made Angelique’s curvy frame bigger, hiding the background behind her. As Travis aimed the Eagle at the necromancer, the Poisoner’s bellow echoed through the forest, rattling the trees and causing Travis’s ears to ring.
He pulled the trigger, but missed as a gigantic black panther shoved the redhead to the ground, sinking her teeth into the woman’s neck.
Travis’s mouth parted at the transformation before pressing back against the nearest tree.
Cat dander tickled his nose, but he kept blinking, trying to process the panther viciously attacking the shrieking necromancer on the ground. The agent held his breath as more dander filled the air, and sneezed when he couldn’t contain it anymore.
Mye, I’m going to shoot you! First you shift, then you set off my allergies!
Several sneezing fits continued before Travis got the attacks under co
ntrol. When he finally wiped his nose with a sleeve and coughed, he focused on Aviere’s panther form again. Saliva dried in his mouth while his heart went into overdrive, struggling to maintain a normal rhythm.
She’s… she’s exquisite. Majestic. Why can’t she be graceful while holding or shooting a gun?
Travis gaped at the woman-turned-feline as she raised her bloody mouth from the shrieking assailant’s body. Meanwhile, as Travis’s heart settled back into a normal sinus rhythm, he continued studying the panther’s subtle movements while meeting her sky-blue eyes, his eyes going wide when she exposed her large canines.
Oh god, Lyssa. Mye is coming after me, isn’t she? Please, God, please… no nuzzling, head-butts, or mauling. That’s all I ask.
A bright pink tongue lapped blood from Aviere’s muzzle as some dripped on her paralyzed victim. She huffed before shaking the offending substance off her dark fur.
“Mye, stop being feral!” Travis cried. “I don’t need to explain why I’m transporting exotic animals to the compound!”
Angelique’s form turned opaque before withdrawing and Aviere growled, prancing up to Travis’s stiffened body in retaliation.
He pressed against the tree again before crawling behind it, sneezing as she approached him. When she stopped, he raised an eyebrow, scoffing at the silver star earrings adorning each ear. The silver bracelet fit around one of her legs, stopping before it connected with her paw. Her necklace dangled around her neck, loose enough to maintain fluid movement.
The timer counted down, and Travis groaned at his predicament, sniffling as his reddened face started to itch.
“Mye… please. I realize you have no clothes, but keep your distance. I’m allergic to cats, for God’s sake. Sanderson knew this before pairing me with you, and I didn’t take any allergy shots.”
Aviere thumped her tail against the ground after Travis started coughing and scratching his neck, grunting when saliva landed on her pristine fur. A paw pointed behind him as she rolled her sky-blue eyes. After another sneeze, she scowled before growling at him.
“I swear you want to torture me, Aviere. Next time, I’ll take Peters up on the leash and shock collar.”
Throaty snickering came from behind him. “Wow, puta pissed, sí.”
“Rodriguez, I’m close to capping someone. My allergies aren’t amusing.”
“Says you. But wouldn’t bother. Aviere scratch you… maybe maul you. Both entertaining, either way.”
Travis gritted his teeth as Jemina drawled his name along in her clipped Latina accent.
“Without clothes, it pointless to shift back. Besides, nose help track—something you lack.”
“Keep Mye away from me, Rodriguez,” Travis urged, sniffing hard before snot dripped down. “Peters has Misha because of my cat allergy. How do I work with Mye when I’m sniffling every fifteen to twenty seconds?”
A sly grin stretched across her thick ruby-colored lips as her meaty fingers dug into Travis’s injured arm. “Not my problem. Entertaining though, sí.”
“Not funny.”
“Calm down. Mye’s brothers are almost here with a change of clothes.”
“Great, just what I needed… Dalara and his trippy demoness.”
“Come with me. There’s something we need to discuss.”
The panther stalked toward Jemina, but withdrew when the bruiser yanked a bush from the ground and waved it in front of Aviere.
“Rodriguez—”
“The longer puta stay a panther without medicine, the worse situation get. They are on their—look, they here. Imagine that.”
Travis scouted the road, then averted his gaze when Jemina pulled him further away from Aviere. Her French-manicured nails cut into his skin, adding to the stinging sensation along his forearm. When he glared at the twig poking through his skin, Travis grumbled, throwing the bloody object back into the forest.
He held a hand over his injuries, unaware of how his power mended his lacerated flesh together while he walked.
“Where are we going?”
“Shut up and follow me. I’ll be quick—take fifteen minutes of your time.”
Jemina’s hasty steps and the darkened energy wafting through Kilgore Falls sent chills through Travis’s spine as he followed the pudgy Latina’s lead. When the sneezing finally stopped, he scratched at his neck and he felt the familiar bumps underneath the irritated flesh.
This night can’t get any worse, Lyssa. The hives were why Peters took Misha.
He longed for the calico cat’s company over the Latina’s stormy stare, but followed Jemina, thankful she lured him away from the panther and his uncontrollable cat allergy.
Chapter Fourteen
Rodriguez, we’ve walked several miles. For all you know, Mye is following us, you mook.
Travis kept his head forward, remaining silent as he followed his colleague through the worn dirt trails within Kilgore Falls. His cowboy boots snapped the scattered twigs, matching the tempo of Jemina’s pumps while she walked. He snuck glances at the petite woman’s attire, lifting an eyebrow at her metallic PVC pants and wine-colored corset adorned with black lace trim. While Travis’s stomach didn’t churn around Jemina, the surrounding tension remained as he pushed down his sunglasses and examined her aura.
Gray. Only one color, thank God. Maybe I can pocket these while talking to Rodriguez.
The energy around the forest dissipated as Travis took off Peters’s sunglasses. His eyes adjusted to the lighter variant of darkness and the bright twinkling stars above them. He reached into his pocket for the short-circuited earpiece, grimacing when the device didn’t work.
Travis’s eyes shot toward the trees, then further up the road as he heard voices.
He scratched his neck, cursing the hives and itching sensation from cat dander. Hazel eyes burned every time he blinked.
How else can I manage Mye? Five minutes alone brings trouble, and her natural form sets my allergies off. I liked not paying for weekly allergy shots, but…
“Relax, Travis. Mye be fine. Brothers will reason with her. Maurice level-headed enough.”
“It’s hard to loosen up when you’re partnered with a hellion,” he commented, voice scathing as he crossed his arms. “I warned her against shifting in front of mages. Shifters are more vulnerable to magic than humans, but my allergies are another issue.”
“No, they’re on the same par.” Jemina’s French tip dug into her lip. “Mye protected from magic, anyway. However, not why I wanted conversation.”
The mood changed after Jemina’s statement and she sagged against an aged oak tree, digging her heel into the dirt. Travis’s eyes stayed on her foot as her wiggling created a hole. He waited for blood as Jemina creased her forehead, furrowed her eyebrows, and sunk her nail deeper into her lower lip.
“You realize one of you will die when your assignment ends, right?”
Travis nodded, longing for his wide leather cowboy hat to conceal his morose expression. “I know. She’s not coping well, between Dalara and everything else. Dalara’s not helping by withholding the truth, though.”
“But, even you not piece together what Angelique spat at you. Limere cannot be saved, despite your faith and her conviction. His actions from past dictate his destiny.”
“I’m glad you dragged me away,” Travis said with sincerity while digging his nails into his cheek. “This wouldn’t be comfortable with Mye around.”
“I have nine siblings in Puerto Rico and watched my oldest son die. I care, no matter what others say.” A pensive look passed over the Black Widow’s face. “Nonetheless, Aviere coddled. It tough, because she know the truth, but run away. That, or hide behind something else, pretending it never exist. So, I ask simple favor.”
Travis sneered. “At what cost?”
“I let you live ’nother day.”
“Please don’t involve me in any more of their family drama,” he begged before sneezing one last time. “I’ve seen enough weird things tonight.”
“You already involved and have stupid Bluetooth. It best to let Aviere work out her bitterness.”
“Dalara—”
“Limere messed up, and I not fond of him,” Jemina agreed before her deep chocolate eyes turned from tumultuous to cold. “Got in with wrong crowd.”
He flinched when his coworker’s glare pierced through him.
“Most of his friends gone. I will never forgive him getting Reggie killed. However, Aviere and Celene… they deserve some closure, sí?”
I see her point, but it’ll backfire. If Mye transforms in a mindless rage when she’s angry, imagine the emotional onslaught once the inevitable happens, Lyssa. I remember the anguish and guilt when you died. She’s not prepared to confront anyone’s death in her present frame of mind.
Instead of her normal cerulean eyes, Travis reflected on the sky-blue ones Aviere displayed when her sight shifted. Power commanded through them instead of her calculative demeanor, or the ditzy behavior when she was safe in her own sanctuary. Travis tried tapping into his inner hate, warning himself that he hated cats, but recalled the majestic air she displayed when attacking Angelique and asserting her victory.
The mark of a killer… without remorse or hesitation. Why can’t she act graceful when firing a handgun?
“We’ve all killed,” Jemina pointed out. “Every one of us… we hired to perform. Aviere no different, except she’s better in shadows. She used to delegating men, not being a soldier. Without proper training, one cannot rebound from mission or death. It festers, sooner or later. You are aware of this, sí?”
Travis nodded. “Dalara’s running on borrowed time.”
“I know this. You know this. But does Aviere?”
“Whatever Angelique prattled on about caused Mye to transform afterward.”
“Then it’s denial. Closure important. Give her that, since the prick in a pod will goad stupid puta.”
“You could deal with this yourself, Rodriguez,” Travis suggested, scouting the quiet forest. “Instead of using me as an in-between, you could talk with Mye. It’d stop the hostility between you two.”
Drift: The Renegades Saga: Book Two Page 24
