A Crown of Blood and Bone: Paranormal Romance (The Shadow Walkers Saga Book 1)

by Sloane Murphy

  “Hey sweetheart.”

  “Hi Daddy,” I whisper and hug him tightly back before letting him get back to preparing the feast I know is coming.

  “How you doing, Remy?” Maddie asks me softly as the chatter starts up again, pulling me aside from them all.

  “I’m okay, it’s just hard. It’s always hard.” I sigh.

  “I know. It doesn’t get much easier like everyone always says, but this is not the end of her journey. She’ll be at peace. How are things with Jack after the other night?” Her face stays soft, but I can see the twitch of her eye. She’s not team Jack either.

  “It’s fine. We went away for a few nights to celebrate my birthday and stuff. It’s just hard when the people you love, don’t get along, ya know?” I smile at her and grab a drink from the refrigerator.

  “I can understand that. It’s not that we don’t necessarily like him, it’s just, we don’t feel he’s right for you. He’s so uptight and straight laced. He’s a white picket fence and two kids kinda guy, and you were always way more of a free spirit. It’s like he suffocates that part of you, and we don’t like to see the girl we love disappearing in front of us.”

  “I’m the same person I’ve always been, it’s just my priorities that have changed. And if you guys loved me as much as you say, you’d be happy that I’m happy. But enough, tonight isn’t about me. Let’s just help Dad lay the table. You know how flustered he gets.”

  “Okay, you know I love you like a daughter, right? I just want you to be truly happy, on your own path.”

  “I know. I love you too, Mads.”

  We head to the table and join the laughter from Colt’s stupid story about supposedly fighting some ninja while he was in Japan for a while. I roll my eyes and help my dad lay out the food. Such a weird choice to have been Mom’s favorite, but it always was. An English roast, with chicken and all the trimmings. So weird, but also so freaking yummy. Everyone takes their seats, slightly closer together tonight with the Winchesters here, but it still feels like family, even if I am still mad at Creek.

  “My Emily would have loved seeing all of you here, around this table, celebrating love and family. It’s been too long since she was taken from us, but I know she’s still out there, looking down on us, waiting for our next adventure together. She wouldn’t have wanted our sadness or tears, so tonight we remember her how she would have wanted us to. With love and laughter.” My dad’s voice croaks a little, it’s always so strange to see such a big man break, but no one pays heed to it, and we all dig in as he carves up the bird.

  Dinner was an event, more so than usual, full of laughter and stories about stupid stuff Mom did. New stories this year from Maddie, who grew up with Mom and Dad. Her and Nate, Creeks dad, grew up on the same street as them, it’s so weird that such a small place could create so much love and links, even my dad’s best friend, Wing, grew up right next door to him, in between him and Nate’s house. I can’t even imagine growing up like that, this house is out in the middle of nowhere, with a drive a mile long, and acres of land behind it, but it never felt lonely out here either.

  I finish washing the last dish and hand it to Nirvana to dry, before drying off my hands.

  “I’m heading out, I’ve got Mom’s car keys and I’m heading to Kayla’s. Creeks going to drive her home in his car later. I miss you, you should come see me more, especially if you’re moving away like Mom said,” she says softly.

  “I’m sorry, I’ve been a crappy friend lately. Is everything okay with you?” I ask her, realizing just how wrapped up in my own bubble I’ve been since Creek disappeared.

  “Yeah, I’m okay. I mean it sucked having Creek ghost me, and then you fell off the face of the earth too, but I get it. You guys have always been like two sides of the same coin. I was so shocked when he went and left you behind. I will never understand boys.”

  “Ditto. They don’t make any more sense, no matter how old you are.” I smile at her.

  “I guess it’s a good thing I like girls too then,” she says so quietly I almost think I don’t hear her, but I smile widely at her, because oh my god.

  “Nirvana, really? That’s so cool! I’m so proud of you, and honored you’d tell me. Do your mom and brother know?” I hug her tightly. I can’t imagine knowing myself so well at her age, hell I hardly know who I am now!

  “Not yet,” she shakes her head gently. “I’m going to tell Mom first, I’m not sure how Creek will take it. He’s always been so overbearing, but also so freaking cool. I still worry though. He’s been gone a while, and he seems different since he came back.” Worry clouds her eyes and my heart breaks for her.

  “Sweetheart, you have absolutely nothing to worry about. As far as your brother is concerned you hang the moon, you always have. But if he’s a dick about it, you tell me and I’ll kick his ass. Meathead or not.” I wink at her and she laughs, the worry gone from her face and it warms me.

  “I’m always here for you okay? Even if you just need to vent, or cry. You have my number.”

  “Thanks, Remy. I’ve got to go, I can feel my phone buzzing in my pocket and I just know its Kayla losing her shit. I love you.”

  “Love you too, Nirvana. Always.”

  “Always,” she says with a wave before grabbing her bag, hugging her Mom and Creek before running to the door. I get myself a drink and head back to the table, where now that Nirvana has left, everyone seems so serious.

  “Remy, you should sit. We need to… discuss some things with you,” my dad says, and I laugh at how serious he sounds, but everyone else at the table looks bleak. I turn to my brothers, Bauer’s just angry, and Colt uncomfortable. Creek won’t even look me in the eyes and Maddie offers me a sad smile.

  “What’s going on? You guys are weirding me out,” I say, taking my seat opposite my Dad.

  “Before I start, I want you to know that we never wanted to lie to you, but I need you to listen to everything I have to say, before you ask any questions, or lose your shit, okay?”

  “Way to keep me calm.” I roll my eyes and take a sip of the whiskey I poured, glad now I have it.

  “I’m serious Remington. I need you to listen,” my dad says and I nod. “Okay, right. You think after doing this a few times, I’d be more prepared to tell you, but you’re my little girl, and this shit is hard.” He swigs back the amber in his own glass, and I look to the others around the table, who all still seem just as uncomfortable.

  “Remy,” Maddie starts. “Our families are different. I know this is all going to sound more than a little unbelievable, and I really wish your mom was here to help tell you, because she always had such a way with words.”

  “Remy, you, we, all of us. We are what is known in our world, as Hunters. Hunters are an elite being, descendant from Angels. We are nephilim. We are faster, stronger, smarter than you could possibly imagine. Created to help keep the balance in the five factions of the world. The nephilim, the Dracul, the Lycans, the Witches, and the humans. The humans have no idea about any of this, and that is how it must always stay.”

  I burst out laughing, because I just can’t help it. What the actual fuck.

  “This is no laughing matter!” My father’s voice booms, so loud I flinch. My laughter dies away as I realize he’s deadly serious.

  “Hunters are the peacekeepers of the world. We hunt the Dracul and the Lycans, who feed on humans and kill indiscriminately. They are a drain on this earth and need to be wiped out for the good of everyone,” he says, before standing and pouring himself another drink.

  “Remy,” Maddie sighs. “I know this all sounds unbelievable, but what your father tells you is true. We couldn’t tell you before your twenty first birthday, because of the way Hunters evolve. We live as humans until our bodies are developed enough to survive the power that comes with being what we are. If you knew before hand, the memories that would swarm you could kill you.”

  “What do you mean memories?” I ask, confusion fully setting in.

  “What s
he means, is that unlike humans, nephilim do not know a true death. We are reborn. Always to the same parents, always as the same family. This is your twelfth life, but as always, you have a choice to make. You can accept who you are, the family legacy, and complete the ritual with the elders to have all of your memories return. Or you can choose to live this life as a human, without your memories. Though the burden of knowing what you know, and not fighting back, could be great.”

  “Denny, hush. You know you are not allowed to influence her decision,” Maddie scolds my father.

  “I mean… I have… You all chose?” My words come out in a garbled mess, as my world tilts on its axis.

  “Wait… Mom…” I ask and look at my father whose face is painted with guilt and sadness.

  “Yes, your mom was one of us too. She died doing what she loved doing. Hunting,” Maddie says softly. “I was with her and I should have protected her, but…”

  “It was not your fault, Maddie,” my father says, patting her hand.

  “This is all way too much. Is this why you disappeared?” I look to Colt and Creek, and I can feel the anger inside of me rising. “This is such bullshit. All of you lied to me, my entire fucking life. My family. Whole lot that means apparently. Lied about who I am, who we are. About Mom. Lied so much that you fucking pair up and left without a god damn word. Fuck this.” I stand, and swallow down the rest of my glass, thankful for the burn.

  “Remington, sit down,” my dad says, and I can hear how tired he is.

  “No. I will not sit back down and listen to you try to explain how each and every one of you betrayed me. How you lied to me for my own good. Do you have any idea how much guilt I’ve felt about Mom dying? Thinking she was going out shopping for shit for my stupid birthday, to find out that’s not how she died at all! To find out my entire life has essentially been a lie. I don’t want this. Any of it.” I grab my keys from the counter as I leave the house, and everyone

  I thought I knew better than anything else, so I could try to process what the fuck I’ve just been told.

  The city is unusually quiet tonight as I patrol, the full moon lights the streets casting an eerie glow. It feels like the calm before a storm. Too still. Too quiet. Even Kain’s footsteps are silent and swift as my own. Unsurprising, considering.

  “Stop it,” he says with a smile. “You keep thinking things are too quiet, and we’ll end up covered in more blood and gore than a little.”

  I laugh at him. “Someone feeling a little superstitious?

  Even after all this time?”

  “Some things are better kept as they always have been. You might call it superstitious, I call it knowing fate’s a bitch. You don’t live as long as we have without knowing better about these things.” The playful smile on his face is one I know that few see, and I consider myself lucky enough to be one of those few.

  “I still say you control your own fate.” This is a conversation we’ve had more times than I care to count, but it’s our way. It has been since our first meeting.

  “How can you say that? Especially considering what we are.” He frowns, never, even after all this time, being able to wrap his head around my way of thinking.

  “Because I get a choice. Each life. I get to choose which path to take. That’s not predestined. It’s not fated. It’s mine, and I own it.” I shrug as we hit the next street.

  “These new and modern ways of thinking, I fear I will never change to accept them fully. Don’t get me wrong, the luxury of these times is something I’d never give up again, but sometimes I wish for the simplicity of all those years ago. Things today are so complicated. Watching what you say, fear of offending people. Humans are so… touchy.”

  “I’ll give you that. Got to love this new age, seventies shit.” I start when I hear it. The sound of breaking glass ahead of us. We take off at a sprint, careful not to move too swift in case any humans are able to spot us. The smell of blood reaches me before my eyes take in the scene before us.

  “Fucking infantile Lycans,” Kain growls. He pulls his guns from their holsters and aims them at the two Lycans in the alley. They’re cornered, and Lycans hate being cornered. The high wall behind them, means past us is their only way out. Unfortunately for them, the human they ripped the throat from is still bleeding out at their feet. Rule number two. Don’t kill humans.

  “We don’t bow to your rule, Hunter,” one of them says as I step forward, and he eyes my sword in its scabbard on my back. If only this idiot knew how many different ways I have to kill him available to me right now. My sword isn’t what he should be afraid of.

  “Well, that makes you a little stupid. I wonder what Roman would say about that,” I tilt my head as my words hit their mark.

  “You’re… You’re Remy Bennett?” The quieter Lycan asks, his voice husky from the partial change of his form. The two look at each other before dropping the human.

  “How old are you?” Kain asks from my right flank. “This is our first moon,” the first says, his anger is palpable and filters through his words, and I swear. Why the fuck doesn’t Roman have these guys locked up? First fucking moon.

  “You know I can’t just let you walk away from this. You killed a human,” I tell them, and I see fear flicker in their eyes.

  “You won’t kill us,” the first says cockily. “You couldn’t, look at you. You’re tiny. Even with him backing you up.”

  “Oh boys, you have no idea,” I say, before throwing the obsidian dagger from my hip into his shoulder before drawing my gun on the second. Dead shot. He falls to the ground as his brains paint the alley walls.

  The first simpers, the coating on my dagger poisoning his blood.

  “We never meant to...” he cries. “It was our first moon, and we avoided round up. Please don’t. I won’t tell.”

  “Roman probably isn’t going to be happy about this,” Kain reminds me, covering the street for us, knowing that two Lycans is nothing that I can’t handle alone.

  “Well then his alpha’s should have a better handle of their wolves. The Alpha of alphas can come and see me if he has a problem with how I handle things.” I kneel down and pull my dagger from the remaining Lycan, his breathing staggered as the obsidian does its job. Blood spurts from the wound, and I know I nicked an artery.

  “You have two choices,” I tell him. I can let you die somewhat slowly, in agony, the same way I’m sure you did to that human, or I can put a bullet through your skull.”

  “Fuck you,” he stutters, and his breath becomes shallow. “Have it your way,” I say and stand, putting a bullet through his thigh, this time I know I got the artery. The shot won’t kill him, but my bullets are obsidian. Lycans can heal from most wounds, but not those from obsidian. He’ll bleed out here, and I’ll send a clean-up crew to come and get them.

  I holster my gun and wipe down my dagger before sheathing it back at my hip.

  “The young ones never get any less cocky.” Kain grins, the death no longer affecting either of us really. When you’ve done what we do for as long as we have, it becomes almost a part of everyday life. Literally.

  I notice the blood on my top and sigh, as Kain wipes some from my cheek.

  “Want to head back and clean up? I’ll call my eyes to deal with this,” he offers and it warms me. No matter how much people would hate what I have with him, I love him.

  “Sure,” I smile up at him, and he grins back.

  “Want a lift?” he laughs and I nod. He lifts me into his arms and I wrap my own arms around his neck, holding tightly as he runs faster than the wind. No human would see or hear us, it’s what makes him so dangerous.

  “We’re here, milady,” he chuckles as he puts me back on my feet, opening the door to his one story. It’s smaller than you’d expect considering his status, but I know that no one apart from us knows about his place. Well, other than Luc.

  “The shower is all yours if you want it first?” he offers coyly, shutting the door behind me.

  “Thanks. Want
to join me?” I take his hand and lead him down the hall to the bathroom. He takes me by the waist and lifts me onto the counter, my head level with his.

  “I have no idea how I’m meant to live without you,” he says softly before capturing my lips with his, hard and full of passion, he devours me until I’m breathless.

  Six

  It’s been two weeks since dinner at my dad’s, and I’m still angry. I’ve ignored every call, every knock at my door, every attempt of contact. I’ve even shut out Jack. I can’t deal with any of this, but I know it’s true. I’d noticed changes before they told me. Just stupid little things that I thought nothing of. Like catching something I’d have never been able to catch before. Being able to run further, dance harder. Things seemed easier. I thought I was just in better shape.

  But it was all a lie.

  Am I overreacting about the lying? Maybe a little but give a girl a break. What even is this life? A life of monsters, of all the things that go bump in the night being real. Dracul and Lycans they said. Nephilim. Thanks to Google, I got way more information than I ever thought I cared for. Vampires and Werewolves. The children of Angels. It’s all more than a little unbelievable.

  I don’t want any of this. I am not strong enough to deal with this life. No matter what they say. Twelfth life. Are they insane? And yet, I can feel the truth of it deep down inside of me, no matter how much I want to cart them all off to an asylum.

  But Dad did say I have a choice. I don’t have to be who they all, so obviously, want me to be. I can choose the life I have. The path I’ve always wanted. To be a doctor. To marry Jack. To be a mom.

  Because I’d be giving all of that up. And I can’t give up Jack. Can I?

  I love him.

  So, what if I am plagued by dreams. Dreams, which I’m guessing are probably some weird form of memories, of loving others. Of fighting for more, being more. I am not that person. Not now. I want too many different things.

  I feel my breath speed up, as if I’m panting. The indecision of it all ripping through me.