“So?” I didn’t catch what he was rolling out, though it could have been the fatigue.
He leaned back in his chair. “What I saw at the courthouse finally showed me that times have changed. The heroes no longer can function in this world as they once did. They aren’t what we need. We need a monster to show us all that there should be no divide between humans and supernaturals.” He grinned. “And you are that monster.”
“Why are you telling me all this?”
Merlin grimaced, stood, and headed out of the room. Down the long hallway where I knew he kept his newly turned Super Dupers. My skin prickled as we traversed the narrow hall with the single chandelier hanging from the center and the pictures of old bearded men on the walls. I paused at one, thinking he had a familiar face, like I’d seen him before.
“Don’t dawdle, Alena.” Merlin opened the door at the far end. I walked toward him and stepped through.
A woman lay on the same cot I’d woken up on. Her chest rose and fell, her hair hung in myriad twists of patterned black and blond ringlets, as though she’d had some wild dye job. “You already turned her into a monster, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, she can come with us, then. She can . . .” I trailed off as Merlin put a hand on my arm.
“No, you don’t understand. Hera saw that Theseus was going down. She wanted me to create a monster that was bigger and even stronger than you. One she could control. A Hydra to be exact.”
“Why?”
“Because if a hero on his own can’t kill you and make an example of your death . . .” He stared hard at me, and the pit grew in the bottom of my belly like a burnt-out bread pan.
“Then maybe another monster could help the hero defeat me?” I whispered.
Merlin nodded. “Exactly.”
I stood in front of Judge Watts, my hands clutched behind me. I’d given him all the paperwork I had, and he’d silently gone over it. Roger stood ten feet to my right, a smug smile on his stupid face.
To my left, Yaya stood, also smiling.
“How can you possibly be happy about this?” I whispered.
“I have a good feeling,” she whispered back.
Judge Watts put the stack of papers down and removed his glasses. “I see everything is in order.”
Roger smirked again. “Wonderful, can we move on then?”
Judge Watts frowned. “I hereby award Mrs. Budrene half of the funds in the joint checking account, full ownership of the Kerry Park home, and full ownership of Vanilla and Honey.”
Holy crap, what just happened? A shiver of disbelief ran through me. “Your Honor?”
“I further state that Mrs. Budrene is a full citizen of the United States and will no longer be required to live behind the Wall.”
Roger flipped out, the crowd went a bit bonkers, and someone cried out from the back. I looked to see if I could identify the screamer. I wasn’t sure, but it could have been Barbie or maybe Colleen.
Roger, though, wasn’t going down without a fight. “No, no. She doesn’t exist! This is not fair! She died; I have her death certificate!”
Judge Watts stared hard at him from his perch. “If she didn’t exist, I would not have survived last night. Therefore, she exists, and I must make my decisions based on that simple fact.”
The next hour flew by as I signed papers and took my new papers saying I was Alena Budrene. I would change my last name back to my maiden name as soon as I could, but I’d take Budrene for now. I’d earned it. I stepped out of the courthouse, my head still whirling. There was a crowd waiting for me, microphones thrust my way for comments on my landmark case. The protestors from the Wall were there too, chanting my name. Some of them were crying, and they were hugging each other.
The woman I’d saved from the werewolf at the Wall ran up to me. She grabbed my face and kissed me on each cheek. “We are all the same. I knew you would be the one to show the world.”
She was pulled away by two police officers, one from the SDMP, one from the Seattle Police Department.
Around us, I could hear a mixture of reactions. The protestors cheered, but there were others that did anything but. I saw them circling around like vultures. Firstamentalists, there to assert their beliefs. They held signs up too. “Monsters Rot in Hell.” “The Soulless Shall Destroy the World.” “Kill Them All.” You know, the usual happy signs they carried. I sighed and turned away, feeling the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. My mom was going to kill me for this.
Ernie high-fived me, snapping me out of my musings, and my yaya kissed my cheek. Everyone was happy. But I could barely keep a smile on my face. I knew Hera wasn’t done with me—our battle was far from over. There was a Hydra out there somewhere, working with a new and even deadlier hero in an effort to finally take me down.
Instead of fear, though, determination filled me. I stood straight and stared into the cameras. Words rose up in me, words that felt right and true, even if they were not something I would have ever said before.
“My name is Alena Budrene, and I am a Drakaina. I will protect this city, my family, and my friends from all who would do them harm. Let them come.” I smiled and let my fangs slowly drop. “I will stop them.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No book is every complete without thanking those who helped bring it to life. Again I must thank my editorial team, Tegan Tigani, Sara Addicott, and Michelle Hope Anderson. You truly helped this manuscript shine far brighter than if I’d been left on my own polishing away. ☺ To my readers, thank you for continuing to trust me with your escapes from the real world. I love that you take the time to message me and leave reviews, and that you love my characters as much as I do.
Many thanks also to my family, most especially my husband and son. You two put up with my crazy schedule, the early mornings and long nights, the lack of sleep, and the times I daydreamed in the middle of family gatherings. Your love keeps me going.
Thank you.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2013 BR Photography
Shannon Mayer is the USA Today bestselling author of the Rylee Adamson Novels, the Elemental Series, the Nevermore Trilogy, A Celtic Legacy series, and several contemporary romances. She started writing when she realized she didn’t want to grow up not believing in magic. She lives in the southwestern tip of Canada with her husband, son, and numerous animals. To learn more about Shannon and her books, go to www.shannonmayer.com.
Sign up for Shannon Mayer’s newsletter:
http://www.shannonmayer.com/tut8.
Fangs and Fennel (The Venom Trilogy Book 2) Page 24
