Time Shift

by J. L. Weil

  “That may be, Sin Eater, but times are changing.”

  The other dragon in the sky let out another shriek, but there was something alarming about it—an urgency. Irim’s head snapped upward, and the Shaman tightened his fingers on his blades, prepared to unleash hell.

  A duo of Silvermyst fell from the sky.

  Are you freaking kidding me?

  How many more unexpected guests were we going to have?

  I didn’t think. I just acted. Hitting the unlock button on my door, I lifted the handle and let myself out. As soon as my feet hit the ground, I shifted, giving the fox what she desired—a chance to use her powers.

  “I told you to stay in the car,” Devyn hissed.

  We’ve already concluded I don’t follow directions well.

  Devyn wanted to argue, but we didn’t have time. The two Silvermyst were advancing. Irim and the Shaman both stepped forward together, going into a battle stance. “You take the left; I’ll take the right,” Devyn instructed him.

  I was more than a little shocked Irim was willing to work with us instead of against us. But he could still change his mind. “Are we going to fight, or do you intend to bore me to death by talking about it?” Irim asked, cracking his neck.

  Devyn scowled, looking as if he might happily put a blade in Irim. The dragon shifter smirked, and with a tilt of his head, he transformed, taking to the sky. My mouth hung down to the ground. That had been the single coolest thing I’d seen. Holy dragon balls.

  But the wow factor quickly faded when I realized he wasn’t coming back. The jerk just left us. So much for hoping he would stand beside us, but he had warned Devyn this wasn’t his fight. I shouldn’t have been surprised.

  With his attention on the two fae, Devyn took slow steps, leading them away from me. “I guess I’m just going to have to kill you both myself.”

  I frowned. What am I? Chump change?

  “You can run, Sin Eater, but you can’t hide,” one of the pale-skinned fae said.

  Do these guys ever get out in the sun?

  The corner of Devyn’s lips twitched.

  “You won’t be smirking for long, Shaman,” the fae rasped, throwing a dagger I hadn’t even seen until it left his fingertips.

  I swallowed a scream as the blade lodged itself into Devyn’s shoulder. He stumbled and a growl of anger and pain exploded from deep inside him. Gritting his teeth, Devyn wrapped his fingers around the hilt and ripped it from his arm. Blood flowed freely, and the sight of the red, thick substance hitting the stark white ground sent me into a tizzy of rage.

  “Karina, no!” Devyn yelled, but it was too late. I was already charging, energy sparking off my fur in waves.

  The Silvermyst closest to me sprang forward, his razor teeth bared. I didn’t hesitate. Twitching my tail, I released a burst of power. My eyes sharpened as a jolt of lightning streaked through the air, striking the Silvermyst in between the shoulders.

  “You little cur,” the fae hissed, clearly not expecting my attack. He lifted his hand, the blade clutched in his fingers catching the sunlight. “You’re going to pay for that.” Arching his arm, the tip of his dagger nicked the side of my muzzle.

  Jackass.

  That hurt.

  Karina! Devyn’s voice cried in my thoughts.

  I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. I prepared to strike again—ignoring the heat of pain slicing into my face—only to be interrupted by a dragon. Irim swooped down from above, zooming toward the Silvermyst. The force of his wings beating in the air blew back my hair.

  He was magnificent.

  Opening his massive jaws, he clamped down when he neared the fae and ripped his head off.

  Okay, that was the single grossest thing I’d seen.

  My eyes met Irim’s dragon ones, and I gave him a short nod of thanks. Then I spun, frantically looking for Devyn and the other fae. The shimmer of a blade slicing through the air alerted me to their whereabouts. Devyn was obviously the superior fighter. Not only did he have the size advantage over the Silvermyst, but also his power spilled into the air with enough force to make my fur stand up. The tails of both Wrath and Fury twined around his wrists as he swung with an innate precision. In one clean slice, Devyn cut off the fae’s hand, disarming him right before he went in for the deathblow to the heart.

  I shifted as Wrath and Fury had their dinner, munching on the sins of the Silvermyst. Devyn stood in front of me seconds later, his finger at my chin as he tilted my face to the side. His green eyes flared an eerie emerald, and I was hard-pressed to notice whether or not he was pissed at me. “You’re hurt,” he said in a dark voice.

  “It’s nothing,” I insisted. “You’re the one who got stabbed.” I pressed my hand softly to his chest.

  A flicker of surprise crossed his expression as if he had forgotten he’d been injured. “I’ll heal.”

  My lips tipped into a ghost of a smile. “So will I.”

  “Let’s get out of sight before reinforcements decide to show up.”

  He would get no argument from me. I’d had enough adventure in one day to last me a lifetime.

  I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My face looked halfway decent, except for the small scratch on the cusp of my jaw. It would have been worse if I had been hit in my human skin. Kitsune powers did wonders for injuries. “Take off your shirt,” I ordered Devyn from the bathroom as I searched for a first aid kit. Yes, he healed, but it wasn’t instantaneous, and for the next several hours, he would feel the pain.

  “Now might not be the time to seduce me,” he said, when I emerged into the den with a clear plastic container, filled with medical supplies.

  I rolled my eyes. “Do it. I want to see how deep the wound is.”

  His lips tried hard not to smirk but failed. “I like it when you get bossy.”

  Moving into the center of the room, I placed the kit on the coffee table. “Then you’ve just solidified what I’ve always thought about you,” I said, throwing my hair up into a messy bun. If I was going to perform any type of first aid, I needed my long hair out of my face.

  “And what is that?” Devyn asked. The side of his shirt was stained with blood, and he just stood there like it was no big deal.

  “That you’re a weirdo.” His lips quirked, but he got rid of the dirty shirt, and I hissed. “How are you not in agonizing pain?”

  “High tolerance,” he replied, standing shirtless in front of the fireplace as flames cast shadows of light over his golden skin.

  My mouth suddenly went dry, and I shook my head. Fool. “Sit down so I can clean this and slap a bandage on it.” God, I needed a glass of water—something to quench this thirst and keep my mouth off his.

  He did as I instructed, sitting on the couch. “Has anyone told you that your bedside manner sucks?”

  I grinned, sitting on the low table in between his legs. “No. I’ve never had to treat a stab wound before.” Opening the box, I dug around until I found what I was looking for. “How did they find us so fast?” I asked, dabbing a cotton swab over the raw cut.

  The only sound Devyn made was a barely audible wince. Tough guy. “I could think of a few people who might rat us out,” he mumbled, eyes glaring around the room.

  “You’re thinking of Reilly,” I said, picking up a clean cotton ball and patting the area dry.

  “He would seem to be the likely culprit, but my instincts say he’s not. I trust him. Or I used to trust him.” The doubt and possible betrayal stung. I could see it in his eyes.

  “What about Irim and the other dragon shifters?” I asked.

  “I don’t know, but I certainly don’t trust Irim.”

  I took a deep breath. “Me neither.”

  “Most of the dragon shifters live in the outskirts of Orangeoland and don’t involve themselves with the inner workings of the Second Moon hierarchy. If I had to place a bet, my money wouldn’t be on them, but if there is one thing I’ve learned since meeting you, is that nothing is as it seems. Everything is always cha
nging.”

  I unwrapped a wad of gauze and began twining it around his arm. “It’s my fault.”

  His gaze slammed into mine, a layer of intense heat shimmering in the depths of his eyes. “No, Kitten. It isn’t.” Gently, he grazed my cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Things in Katsura were already beginning to break down—rebellions against your grandfather, demands for change, etc. The uprising started way before you—the queen.”

  Holy crap. It was the first time he had called me that out loud. I didn’t like it—too regal. “If it wasn’t Reilly or the dragons, then who else could it have been?” But I was afraid I knew.

  A heartbeat passed. “I don’t know, but I’m going to find out. You can count on it.”

  I cleared my throat, my fingers fumbling with the soul star around my neck. Shit. I needed to tell him about the pixie.

  Devyn leaned forward, his eyes sharpening. “Kitten, what is going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

  I sighed. Sometimes this link really sucked. “There might be someone else who knows we’re here.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You can’t get mad at me.”

  “Karina,” he growled.

  Geez. That wasn’t reassuring at all. I stood up, I needed to walk, and a little space from Devyn would be good. “The night we arrived, I met another fae.” There I said it.

  Tension lined his body as he worked his neck from side to side. I’d seen Devyn mad, but never at me. “Why didn’t you think it would be important to tell me there was another fae?”

  When he put it like that …

  “She seemed so harmless,” I defended myself. “Besides, she said she couldn’t go back to the Second Moon and hadn’t seen another fae in the area for months. It didn’t seem like a big deal.”

  “Who was she?” he demanded roughly.

  I crossed my arms. “I don’t know her name,” I replied, feeling my cheeks grow warm. “She said she was a pixie.”

  “You’re sure?” he asked, and I didn’t like the darkness that had seeped into his eyes.

  “With you glowering at me, I’m not sure of anything,” I snapped.

  He didn’t even flinch. “I’m being serious.”

  Shit. So was I. “Yes. She said she was a pixie.”

  “Damn.”

  “Why is that a bad thing?”

  “As cute and harmless as a pixie might seem, they’re known to be tricksters—slippery with words and often misleading. Many have the ability to see the future, but they aren’t forthcoming with the knowledge. Actually, just the opposite. They will tease you, taunt you, and generally make a pest of themselves and never reveal any solid information.”

  I tried to recall if she had mentioned anything about my future, but nothing came to mind.

  “If you see her again, I want to know immediately. Catch her, if you can.”

  My eyes bugged. “You want me to catch the pixie?”

  “Yes. I want to know what she is really doing here and what she knows.”

  “Why do I feel like I messed up?” I asked, lowering my eyes. I didn’t want to see his disappointment.

  Devyn’s fingers were quick, slipping under my chin and forcing me to look up at him. “This isn’t your fault. If anyone is to blame, it’s me. This is my job. It’s the reason I was born—to protect you. I should have been able to sense the fae, but pixies are so small. They can often sneak under my radar.”

  I frowned, refusing to let him take all the responsibility. “Please. I won’t let you blame yourself if I’m not allowed to shoulder any blame as well. I don’t know how you so easily accept your fate. You never question your loyalty to me. You never act like there might be another life you would love to live. You never disappoint me, and I can’t help but feel as if I might let you down in the future.”

  His fingers spread over my cheek as he leaned his forehead against mine. “That could never happen. Besides, this is bigger than just you and me. We have an entire world depending on us to succeed.”

  No pressure. “Wouldn’t it be easier to just let either Ryker or Talin have the throne? Would it be that bad?”

  His body stiffened, brows furrowing. “Other than the fact you would be dead, and I wouldn’t allow it,” he said with fervor. “The Second Moon would crumble under their rule. Neither of your great uncles have what it takes to bring peace between regions.”

  And I did?

  The girl who knew next to nothing about ruling?

  Who barely knew anything about the Second Moon?

  Could barely control her powers?

  Yeah. I was totally qualified.

  Through our freaking link, he sensed the skepticism tumbling inside my head. “Don’t doubt yourself. It takes more than just nine tails to keep the land on the Second Moon thriving. I know what is inside you—the good you possess. You have a pure heart, and no one but me knows that better. I can feel it. Your powers aren’t the only thing that gives nurture to the land, but your soul as well.”

  I blinked. “You know that I pretty much don’t understand anything you just said.”

  A grin slowly stretched across his lips. “You will. When the time is right, you’ll know exactly what to do.”

  If he said so. Trusting Devyn was something I was good at doing, so why was it so hard to trust him about this? One of my biggest fears was getting to Katsura and having everyone hate me.

  Chapter Seven

  I stepped outside, scrolling through my messages with a sense of guilt and dread. Devyn was in the shower, and our conversation from earlier flipped through my mind. The pixie had shown herself to me when I had been alone. She might do so again. Although if Devyn knew what I was up to, he’d probably put me over his knee and spank me, which might not actually be much of a punishment.

  Jesse and Hannah had both sent me a string of texts over the last few days.

  The most recent being: Where the hell are you?

  Are you ignoring me?

  If you ran off with that douchebag, I’ll never forgive you. This is so not cool, k? Let me know you’re alive.

  A brisk breeze that carried the scent of pine and crisp, clean laundry blew over my face and tousled my hair. My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I bit my lower lip. You should cut off all contact, the scared Karina thought. You should at least tell them you’re not lying in a ditch somewhere. the guilty Karina added.

  Before I changed my mind, I sent a quick group text telling them I was sorry and safe, but I had to leave unexpectedly to help my mom. It was the closest I could get to the truth and not leave them wondering.

  As I inhaled deep gulps of the aromatic mountain air surrounding me, my ears picked up a tiny fluttering and perked up like a born hunter. The hair on my neck spiked. “Tink,” I called. “Is that you?” My sharpened eyes scanned the yard as I shoved my phone into my back pocket, leaving both my hands free. There was nothing but darkness, but she couldn’t fool me. I sensed her. The trace of fae was tiny, like her, but she was definitely out there, so why was she suddenly being shy?

  In the distance, a mist glowed like the pixie, an unearthly light dancing. What if I was wrong? What if it wasn’t her I sensed but something else entirely, and I was out in the open, easy for the picking.

  My paranoia set in, and I summoned the fox, letting her partially become part of me without fully changing. No surprises—my new life motto. Here’s to hoping it’s something I can live by. I kept my focus in front of me as I waited in the eerie silence of night.

  “Hey,” a voice whispered in my ear from behind me.

  I jumped, sending a spark of fire shooting out in front of me. The orange glimmer landed in the snow and fizzled out. “I could have set the entire forest on fire!” I snapped, my heart rate gradually returning to normal.

  The pixie landed on the porch banister, laughing as she fell on her back.

  “You scared the shit out of me.” I frowned, watching her hysterically giggle at my expense, and I contemplated flickin
g her off the railing with my fingers.

  “Ah, the look on your face. That was the best thing I’ve seen in months.” She pushed herself upright and slipped on a patch of frozen water, tumbling over the side of the rail.

  It was my turn to laugh, and again I was struck by confusion over this pixie. How could she be dangerous? Or threatening? She was clumsy in an endearing way, and the idea of the power she could wield was mind-blowing.

  Seeing the future?

  Her wings beat frantically as she caught herself before tumbling into the snow and pulled herself back up into the air.

  “I guess we’re even, Tink,” I said, smiling when she flew level to my nose.

  “Belle.”

  My face distorted. “What?”

  “My name is Belle, not Tink as you insist on calling me,” she huffed, her fairy wings ruffled.

  Was she shitting me?

  Tinker Bell?

  What were the freaking chances?

  I tried not to snicker, assuming she wouldn’t understand what I found so humorous. “Where have you been?” I asked, fishing for information.

  “Around. I saw you went into town with the Shaman today.”

  My gaze narrowed, and I suddenly no longer thought she was as innocent as she portrayed herself. “You’ve been spying on me?”

  “I wouldn’t call it spying,” she replied, a pout appearing on her glittery lips.

  I angled my head to the side. “What would you call it then?”

  “A coincidence,” Belle supplied, her feet dangling in the air.

  Coincidence my left butt cheek. “If that’s true, why didn’t you show yourself instead of hiding in the shadows?”

  “Because you hadn’t yet told the Shaman I was here,” she pointed out blithely.

  My lips pressed together. This was weird. I didn’t like that she knew things about me—personal things. It was even more intrusive than the Shaman dreaming about my life. None of my secrets were safe, not that I really had any to protect besides my location. Since she knew that, then maybe she had told the Silvermyst where I was. Okay. That was it. I’d heard enough. “You told the Silvermyst I was here,” I accused her, tired of the chitchat. I wanted answers. I wanted the truth.