Ravenous

by Sherri L. King

“I know, and you’re right. I’ll clean up and get dressed. I’m sure Tryton is wondering what’s keeping us.”

  While Cady went to the bathroom Obsidian donned his own clothing, wondering how best to prepare her for the meeting with Tryton.

  “The Elder probably already knows what’s been keeping us.”

  “What do you mean?” she called out.

  “He has ways of knowing things. Ways you or I will never understand. He’s not called The Elder merely because of his age, but also because of his Shikar skills. He’s earned much respect over the years, and is very wise. He’ll know what we’ve been doing here, doubt it not.”

  “Well I don’t care. What business is it of his anyway? Does he have a say about whom you have sex with?”

  “I’m sure you know he does not. I would hope you at least knew enough about me now to guess I would never allow such a thing,” he bit out.

  “Well at least I don’t have to worry that he commanded you to use yourself as bait to woo me into your little club.” Dressed now in the loose cotton trousers and shirt that Obsidian had brought her, she came into the bedroom trying to detangle her hair.

  “Do you have a brush or comb anywhere? My hair’s a mess.”

  Crossing to a dresser he picked up a strangely shaped comb. The teeth were crooked and widely spaced, and the handle was broad and curved. She accepted it with a soft thank you.

  Obsidian watched her brush her hair in silence, oddly seduced by the sure strokes of the comb through her dark mane. “There’s so much of your hair. I never would have thought so, the way you braid it so tightly.”

  “I haven’t ever cut it except to trim the ends. My Grandmother used to tell me it was my one true vanity. I think she was glad I had at least one.” She smiled at the memory, preparing to secure her hair in its customary braid.

  “You should leave it down. I like it swaying around your hips…I’d like to see it thusly when you’re riding me,” his voice had gone all sexy again, sending shivers down her spine.

  “I don’t think I want to have my first meeting with your Elder with my hair all over the place. I want to be comfortable and neat in front of him.” She deliberately avoided responding to his sexual innuendo.

  Her insides melted when she thought about riding him. She wondered if she’d ever let there be such an event between them. She’d enjoyed their sex. In fact she’d never had better. But Obsidian was dangerous. In her heart she knew that if she let him he’d invade her every waking thought. It would probably be wiser if she avoided any more encounters with him.

  Turning to face him, her face serene but for a determined look in her eye, she said simply, “I’m ready to meet him now.”

  Chapter Eight

  “You’re Tryton?” Cady’s words were more an accusation than a question.

  “Yes. And you are Cady Swann.” Tryton’s full lips tugged against a smile. He turned to Obsidian who was standing at her side. “You may leave us, Obsidian. Cady and I have much to discuss.”

  For a moment Cady thought he would protest. But after a lengthy silence, and one quelling glance in her direction, Obsidian quit the room. Immediately she turned to face Tryton.

  “I should have known it was you earlier tonight.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because Sid obeyed you when you told him to take me straight to my rooms. I doubt he obeys many people.”

  Tryton threw back his shining head and laughed. It was an honest and open laugh, but for some reason Cady didn’t think he laughed very often. After a few more guffaws, he quieted down, but a smile still played about his mouth.

  “You’re right. Our friend Obsidian is more used to being obeyed by others. But he defers to me out of mutual respect. Not rank or obligation.”

  “I see what you’re getting at. You don’t force obedience. You earn it.”

  Tryton motioned for her to sit in an oversized chair near the fire. “You and Obsidian have grown somewhat close in the last forty-eight hours.”

  “Is that a note of sarcasm I hear in your voice?” She fought to keep her voice neutral.

  “You must forgive me, but from the way Obsidian described your first meeting, I would never have expected this so soon.”

  “By this you mean…what exactly?”

  “Why, your mating, what else? Did you think I would not know?” His voice was chiding but his eyes were twinkling.

  “Mating? What an odd, archaic word for you to use. We had sex, and yes it was a sudden development but we’re both adults and of a legal age. I don’t see what it has to do with you.”

  “It has nothing to do with me, of course. But I am nosy in my old age—“

  “Old age? You don’t look a day over forty. Probably less actually, when you smile,” she said, a little confused.

  “I am older than you would think. I make it a point to keep my true age a secret. But I will tell you that when Christ walked the Earth I was already a man.”

  Cady sat, stunned. She couldn’t find a reply that wouldn’t make her sound like a witless idiot. He was old.

  “As I was saying, I am nosy and I make it a point to know when a relationship springs up between one of my fiercest warriors and a human woman. It’s not a common occurrence, I can assure you.”

  Brushing aside her amazement over his age, she suddenly scowled. “You know, I’m getting tired of hearing humans spoken of with the same distaste someone might show for a pile of dog shit. If your race is so advanced, so superior to mine, then why do you hide away from us? Why haven’t I met any of you before?” Her voice had risen over the last few words, and she paused to compose herself.

  “You’re angry. I meant no offense by my words, truly. I have respect for your race, despite their shortcomings. Were your rooms comfortable?” He changed the subject.

  “You know they were. Why am I here?”

  “You don’t mince words. Very well then, neither will I. We want you to join us in the fight against the Horde.”

  “Why me? Don’t you have enough recruits or whatever?

  “Because you are a puzzle, young Cady. A surprise. You belie every preconception we’ve ever held about humankind and it has intrigued us. You have psychic gifts, a thing almost unheard of among your people. You’re fearless and legendary in battle. For these reasons and more we want you to come and fight with us.”

  “But I’ve been doing this for fifteen years. Why contact me now?”

  “Believe it or not, we had no knowledge of this threat in the Territories until just a few short years ago. Since then I’ve learned much about you. You’re a very secretive woman. It was hard to learn any facts about you. ”

  “At least I have that reassurance.” Her voice fairly oozed sarcasm.

  “Your parents died when you were fourteen. In a tornado?”

  It was several moments before she answered. Tryton seemed content to wait her out. “No. But that’s what everyone believes.”

  “They died in a Daemon attack?”

  “If you already know the details why are you questioning me?” She was getting defensive. The memories were always painful, and Tryton seemed determined to dredge them up.

  “I want to hear it from your own lips. I have my reports on the incident, but they might be incomplete. How did they die?”

  “In an attack. Three of the monsters stormed into our house and killed my parents.” Images were flashing through her mind like snapshots from a crime scene. She tried to detach herself from the pain that always came when she spoke of her family.

  “You had a little brother.” It wasn’t a question. Tryton already knew the answer, having gained the information from his spies. But he wanted to hear it from her own lips.

  “I don’t want to talk about this.”

  “What happened to your little brother?” he pressed.

  “I don’t want to fucking talk about this!” she yelled. Her voice echoed off the great stone walls.

  “You came downstairs when you sensed them. You saw
them standing over the bodies of your parents, and you rushed them. They fled, taking your brother with them. He was still alive. You grabbed your father’s gun and pursued them into the woods outside your home. I have this much information—but I need to hear all the details.” His voice was hard as steel. “What happened to your brother?”

  Several minutes passed.

  “They took him.” Her voice was thick with suppressed tears. “They took him outside, into the trees. It was windy—a storm was coming. I could smell the ozone in the air. I was scared of the storm, but I ran out after them with my Daddy’s .22.”

  Silence. Then Tryton’s voice urged her to continue. “What happened then?” he asked.

  “I found them about a half-mile into the trees. The wind was roaring, but I could still hear them chewing…crunching away.” She choked on a sob, and a solitary tear escaped to trail down her cheek. Tryton’s heart wrenched in pity but he urged her to continue.

  He needed to know if all he’d been told was true.

  “They were eating my baby brother,” she cried. “He was so small. He didn’t have a chance in hell of fighting them off, and they killed him. Pulled him apart. Ate him all up…” she trailed off.

  “What did you do?” Tryton was relentless.

  “I was so mad I forgot to be scared. I fired the gun and caught one of the bastards in the back of the head. He fell over. The other two rushed me and I killed them too. I burned their bodies, and by that time the tornado had struck.

  “It leveled my house and saved me the trouble of having to explain everyone’s deaths to the police. Everyone assumed my parents were killed when the house caved in, and that my brother, Armand, had been carried away by the force of the storm. Armand was on a missing persons list for a little while, but a lot of people died in that storm. Everyone figured he had too.”

  “How did you kill the Daemons, Cady? A .22 rifle will not kill a Daemon. We both know this.”

  “I’m through talking to you.” Her voice was pure ice.

  “How?”

  Long minutes passed. “I incinerated the motherfuckers. Just like Cinder does.”

  I knew it, Tryton thought. Aloud he said, “I’m sorry I had to make you relive those memories. You’ve never told anyone.” It wasn’t a question.

  Cady answered anyway. “No. I let everyone think what they wanted. It was enough that I knew the truth.”

  “You went to live with your grandparents after that. Almost immediately you started hunting the Daemons, but your grandparents never suspected?”

  “No. I snuck out of my window at night, when I knew a monster was near. If I got bruised up really bad or bloodied, I just let my grandparents think I was getting into fights after school. I didn’t want to shock them with the truth. I learned by trial and error how best to kill the monsters, and as my skills improved I had fewer wounds to hide.”

  “Yet tonight, when you fought, my men didn’t see you use your Incinerator abilities.”

  “I haven’t been able to since that first time. I don’t even know how it happened. One minute I was so mad I saw red—the next flames were shooting out of me. It was like I was a human torch or something.”

  “I’m not surprised. It takes a lot of power and control to summon fire. What about your other skills?”

  Cady smiled and pushed away her pain with effort. “You mean my ‘spooky talents’?” She laughed. “I can move faster and quieter than most people. I’m quite strong. I can see really well in the dark, and I can…feel when the Daemons are near.”

  “I was surprised to hear you have that ability. Few of our warriors have multiple Caste traits.”

  “How do you mean?” she couldn’t help asking.

  “You’re obviously an Incinerator. And you can sense the Daemons. You can track them. These are traits of the Hunter Caste.”

  “But I’m a human, not a Shikar.”

  “Your psychic skills are what make you like us. Very few humans are gifted in such ways, but you are obviously one of them.”

  “What can I say? I’m a complex kinda girl,” she quipped.

  “I suspect this is why the Daemons fed on your brother. They thrive on victims with psychic gifts. I wager your sibling had his own Shikar abilities, and was therefore a lure to the beasts.” Tryton fell silent. Then met her eyes with his amber glowing ones. “I am sorry for your loss. More than I can say.”

  “Why do you need me?” she repeated her earlier question. “You’ve obviously got things covered here.”

  “The lands outside of the Gates—your lands—are called Territories. It’s only been in recent years that Daemons have leaked out into your world. For eons we’ve been fighting them at the Gates between our three worlds, keeping them from escaping their boundaries.”

  “Well obviously somebody’s sleeping on the job.”

  “But you see, they’re not escaping through the Gates. They’ve found other ways out. That’s why you’ve been seeing more and more of them. They are finding their way out through this…back door, so to speak.”

  “That still doesn’t answer my question. Why would you want me to join your army? Don’t you need me up there on Earth where I can fight these things?”

  “You will still be up there. I am putting together a team of my best warriors. This team will be reassigned to patrol the Territories. We’ve never paid much attention to your lands before now, but I am seeking to rectify that. We need you on the team as an area expert.”

  “Ok. So if I volunteer, who else will be on the team?” She knew the answer before he gave it.

  “Obsidian, Cinder, Edge, and the Traveler.” Tryton smiled when she slumped in her seat. She looked more than a little disappointed in her prospective teammates. He wondered if Obsidian knew what he was getting into with this feisty human. It would be fun to watch the prideful warrior find out.

  “I take it Sid will be the leader, or whatever,” she bit out.

  “Yes. He’s an able warrior. One of my best. He’s an excellent leader—born and bred for the duty.”

  “And what’s with this Traveler thing—is that really his name?”

  “He keeps to himself. He’ll give you his name when he is ready,” Tryton said in way of an answer.

  “Antisocial is he?”

  “Sarcastic aren’t you?” he shot back.

  Cady couldn’t help grinning. He was a sharp devil, this Tryton. “Where are your women?” she asked as the thought occurred. She hadn’t seen hide nor hair of a female since entering this place.

  “They reside in a different part of the city. Our unattached warriors live here, that’s why you haven’t seen any women so far.”

  “Your warriors are all men?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why? Are women forbidden from fighting or something?” She started to feel insulted on their behalf.

  “No, of course not. Before now we’ve never encountered a woman, human or Shikar, who had fighting skills. You are the first.” He smiled again, seeing her agitation.

  “Well whoop-de-do for me. If I agree to fight with you, what will change for me? I mean besides the whole working with a group thing.”

  “You’ll live down here with us during the day. During the night you’ll join your teammates and hunt the Territories.”

  “I have a job during the day.”

  “You’ll have to leave that behind.” His voice was firm.

  “Well no dice then, Mr. Elder. I have to have a normal life, if only for a few hours each day. It’s kept me going this long, I’m not about to give it up.”

  “Our people cannot tolerate the sunlight. We do not go into the Territories during the day.”

  Cady growled. “I am not a Shikar so that hardly matters, does it?”

  They both fell into silence for several moments. Tryton’s amber eyes regarded her thoughtfully. She couldn’t help but wonder what secrets he was keeping from her. She’d have to be an idiot to think he was telling her everything.

  She was d
efinitely not an idiot.

  “Very well, Cady. I concede to you in this matter. You may live your human life by day, but by night you are a member of the Shikar Alliance. You will be a Protectorate of the Territories. Until such a time as you decide to change your lifestyle, of course.”

  “Yeah,” she scoffed. “That’ll be the day.”

  Chapter Nine

  “It’s dawn on your world. I don’t suppose you can stay here for the day?” Tryton asked.

  “No, I’ve got to feed my cat and go to work. By noon,” she added.

  “Don’t you need to sleep? To rest?”

  “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” she joked. “Really, I’ll be fine. I don’t need much sleep. I’ll grab a couple hours’ worth before work.”

  “Very well then. Some of us can tolerate the early morning sun. Obsidian is one, but I think he’s far too tired to attempt Traveling again. He’s only good for two or three trips per night. I’ll send the Traveler to take you home.” He walked to the mantle of the fireplace and reached his hand into a small cloth bag that rested there. When his hand withdrew there was glittery sand in his pinched fingers. He threw it into the fire. The flames grew brighter, and Tryton muttered words in a language Cady didn’t understand.

  A second later, the Traveler appeared at her elbow.

  “Whoa,” she exclaimed and jumped from her chair. The suddenness of his arrival had surprised her—again. “Give me some warning next time, jeez.” Her heart was thudding in her chest.

  “Take my hand.” His voice was as dark as before.

  “I haven’t gathered my guns or clothes or anything,” she protested, looking to Tryton.

  “I’ll have Obsidian bring them to you tonight. He’ll meet you at your house, promptly at sundown,” Tryton said with a small smile.

  Cady’s eyes shot up to the hooded darkness of the Traveler’s face. He looked like the Grim Reaper standing so still and tall. Except he was much more muscular than she imagined death could ever be. He seemed really…dangerous.

  “Take my hand.” He commanded again, reaching out to her. Cady squared her shoulders and laid her hand in his much larger one. She closed her eyes.