Defining Human (Only Human Book 4)

by Candace Blevins

  Also, the fact I fell right back to sleep speaks to how far beyond exhausted I was, even with the extra power boost from Tyson.

  I slept ten and a half hours and awoke with my head tucked beside Cora’s ribcage and my leg thrown over one of hers.

  Her hand caressed my back as I moved away from her, and I chuckled. “Too bad I’m not attracted to you. Life might be a lot simpler with a woman permanently in my bed.”

  “It’d be a lot more interesting for us if ya’ll were getting it on,” Kane said from the other room.

  I ignored everyone, went to the bathroom, and closed the door behind me. If I was starving, Cora was probably hurting from hunger. We needed to get food headed to the room before we started getting ready.

  Cora and I would be working from five in the evening until five in the morning once the convention started, which sounded good on paper since it’s actually nine in the morning until nine at night at home, but I’d just slept until nearly noon, and I had a feeling staying up all night wasn’t going to be as easy as I’d originally thought.

  Cora used someone else’s bathroom, and we met in the living area. She was faster than me, and was already looking at the room service menu when I got to her.

  “I want scrambled eggs with cheese,” I told the room in general, “some kind of fried potato, and I don’t know what else. Pancakes or waffles maybe. Please tell me they serve breakfast all day.”

  “They do,” said Ryan, and I shook my head when I realized I hadn’t seen him sitting seven feet from me on the stark-white sofa.

  “Good. Order me more food than you think I’ll want. If I don’t eat it, Cora will. I’m taking another shower.” I looked at Cora. “Unless you want to get in first.”

  “She can use our shower,” said Tyson. “Do you want coffee?”

  “Yes. No. Yes. No.” I shook my head. “No. I need to let my body figure out the time change without coffee. Some kind of juice, and I assume we have bottled water in the refrigerator?”

  “We do.”

  Chapter 12

  Ryan told us he hadn’t been able to find out where Griffin was staying, and had confirmed the vampire had brought a few of his people.

  The slayer looked to Tyson, who told me, “Griffin binds crocodiles to him the way Abbott binds wolves.”

  Beautiful.

  We went to a government building to get our weapons permits, returned to the venue, and Ryan walked us through the entire public conference areas first, and then did it again while including the employee sections. Next, we circled the outer perimeter and I listened as the group talked about how best to organize security for the outskirts.

  Hami, Ryan, and I went to the main conference room to meet with the others already in town who’d be working the inner rooms, and the predators went elsewhere for their own meeting. I was introduced to more people than I could possibly remember, but was pretty sure I had the names of the people Ryan seemed to treat with more deference.

  I didn’t learn anything new during the two-hour meeting, but it helped to see all the drawings and diagrams while seated in the middle after having just walked the area.

  Not everyone in the room was security — some were ticket takers and crowd management, but we all had to be on the same page. Ryan motioned for me to stay seated while the room emptied, and he closed the door behind the last person.

  “Why did you have Hami leave?” I asked.

  “He’s standing guard. He isn’t far. Tell me about the attack.”

  I told him the details and then pulled my shirt up to show him my ribcage under my bra. I was bruised, but hadn’t realized until my shower.

  “He wasn’t in the room. He did this with his energy?” I asked.

  Ryan crossed his arms and his expression shut down. “Griffin’s scary. Would you be opposed to paying me a dollar to kill him for you?”

  I shook my head. “I’m not paying you to assassinate someone.” I sighed. “Not yet, anyway. I need to know more about him.”

  “Okay, but Cora wasn’t wrong about the repercussions if you kill another old one. Slayers are made for killing vampires, it’s our purpose. Paying me to take one out is a different matter and won’t get you in trouble with the Concilio, since he attacked you in your sleep.”

  “I’m guessing you usually charge more than a dollar.”

  “I do.” He shrugged. “The world will be a better place without him. For our agreement, if I don’t kill him it won’t be a big deal — the dollar will only come into play if I get a chance to take him out. If anyone else paid me, not killing him would mean failure.”

  “How about I pay you a dollar for security services, in case you need to take someone out to save my life? That’ll take care of the legalities, right?” I remembered I wanted to talk to him about another job, so before he had a chance to answer, I blurted, “Do you ever take on jobs in Faerie?”

  He sighed. “Yes, but I’m not interested in stealing anything from the Siabhra.”

  “Is there anything you don’t know?”

  “Probably.”

  “Do you have any advice on how to get something from the Siabhra?”

  “You’re friends with the Swan Queen, which will give you access to the Winter and Summer Queens. If you can think of something they want badly enough to strike a deal with the Siabhra, that’d be ideal.” He shook his head. “I believe your only other option will be to bring your Demon into it.”

  I shook my head. “Josh can work out his own deal with Xaephan if it comes down to asking him for a favor.”

  “I’d like to see you with a healthy fear of Griffin. He’s formidable. I worry you aren’t taking the threat seriously.”

  I sighed. “The local crocodiles are going to try to hurt me, the tigers probably want me for their own political purposes, and now there’s a vampire I need to worry about — one strong enough to breach my shields. Your choices right now are for me to turn tail and run home, or to stand up and deal with whatever comes at me.”

  “You’re important to the good side. I’d hate to see you killed, enslaved, or worse — turned into a monster. I need you to stick to the plan and stay safe.”

  “Are you so sure I’m human?”

  “I’m a monster slayer, and you feel human — most of the time.”

  “You trust Hami?”

  “He isn’t a monster. Birds of prey don’t have to fight their natures to keep from killing humans.”

  “So, what you’re saying is that I’m not a monster by your definition, right? Some would say Hami is one, since he isn’t human.”

  He considered his words carefully. “Hami isn’t a monster, but he isn’t human. Gazelles aren’t monsters by nature, though they aren’t human, either. You come off as human, and even when you hit my radar as something else, it isn’t monster.”

  “And you only take on assassin jobs against monsters?”

  “In most cases. There are human monsters, too, but I usually leave those to the human assassins. I’m a lot more expensive than them.”

  “And if someone wanted to pay you to kill me?”

  He sat back and crossed his arms. “I think I’d need to hear their reasons.”

  “You think?”

  He shook his head and walked to the door. “Hami asked for some time with you. I’ll stand guard.”

  They changed places, and as soon as the door closed, Hami said, “You have the Sig and your throwing knives now, and you’re wearing them concealed. I can smell the gun and sense the silver.”

  I nodded. Ryan had quietly handed them off to Cora and me when we returned with our licenses, but I assumed the shapeshifters would know what I had.

  “You and I are a team. Partners. I need to know what you can do. Ryan has told me, and the lions assured me they’d feel comfortable with you at their back, but I’d like to see how you move before we’re face to face with a vampire or crocodile.”

  “You can’t spar with me like a shapeshifter. I don’t have a way to magically heal.�
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  “I know this.”

  “Okay then, I’m up for a sparring session so we can learn a little more about each other.”

  He shook his head. “I need to see your light weapons.”

  I held my hands out, created a quarterstaff, and cured it so it’d stay as I imagined it. “It’s part of my aura. I can add knives to the end for effect, or when fighting particularly thick-skinned monsters. Usually, the light melts through whatever it touches no matter the shape. I can make knives and swords, but I’m most comfortable using this when fighting. If you see me forming a sword, it usually means I’m hoping to bluff my way out of having to fight, since it looks scarier than the quarterstaff.”

  I absorbed it back into myself and tried my best not to show the pain. I wasn’t sure I managed successfully, so I levitated to draw attention away from how badly my arm hurt. “I can evade fights this way, also.”

  I floated back to the floor and he asked, “It hurts, to make the weapons of light?”

  “No. It sometimes hurts to dissolve them back into me, but not always. It’s just pain, though. There’s no injury.”

  He shook his head. “There’s damage to your aura for a few seconds. Maybe ten or twenty. Light has polarity. Try to make sure you’re aligned with it.”

  I couldn’t deal with it now, but he was the first person who seemed to understand why it hurt, so I made a note to return to it should we have time.

  “What about you? What are your skills?”

  “In a minute. I have more questions. You have killed before?”

  “I have. I don’t like doing it, but if it’s a question of someone I care about dying versus the bad guy? I won’t hesitate to save the people on my team.”

  His fist came at my face and I dodged, blocked, grabbed, and slammed him to the floor without thinking.

  He stood as gracefully as a bird takes flight, and nodded. “I will answer your questions, now.”

  “Can you tell if someone’s lying?”

  “Yes, though I do it visually and not by scent. I can sometimes smell a lie, but I rely on my sight.”

  “I assume you’re good with weapons and fighting, or Ryan wouldn’t put you with me, yes?”

  “I am. You should know he has a backup person, in case I told him I wasn’t comfortable with you. I’m not for hire in the way he is. I have to approve of each client, and he felt certain I’d want to work with you, but I insisted on the alternate, so he couldn’t guilt me into being your partner.” He shrugged. “Ryan and I don’t always see eye-to-eye.”

  “I haven’t known him long, but something tells me we’ll have similar issues, should we spend much time around each other.”

  “For the purposes of this job, we’re on the same page. Now, tell me about the Strigorii who has you under his protection.”

  “The Abbott.”

  “I’ve heard of him, and know of him, but I do not make it to America often.”

  “He’s mostly one of the good guys. He says he doesn’t allow slavery in his territory, though I’m aware of a few exceptions.” I shrugged. “I have a hard time being angry at him for the exceptions, once I understood the reasons.”

  “You broke up with him?”

  “He agreed he wouldn’t claim me, and then he did, behind my back. His duplicity got me kidnapped to the Hell realm, and nearly got me turned into a Celrau. Yeah, I broke up with him, but I was smart enough not to make an enemy of him in the process.”

  “And what is your relationship with the Amakhosi?”

  I looked at him a second, debating how much he deserved to know. Having to talk about my personal life bugged me, but I also understood people were trying to figure out why I was under the protection of so many heavy-hitters.

  “Nathan owns part of Drake Security, and we work together on missions. We’re partners. He’s long-lived and doesn’t get close to humans, so he was an asshole to me for a long time. Eventually, he decided being an asshole wasn’t keeping me from becoming important, so now we’re friends. He’ll never forgive me if I get myself killed, because he considers me a close friend.”

  “There’s more.”

  “Yes, but I’m giving you more of my personal life than I’d give most people. It feels like you’re trying to understand the political climate you’re stepping into, and not just being nosy.”

  “This is, in fact, why I’m asking questions. Is there anything else I should know?”

  “I’m good friends with the Dragon King and Swan Queen. I’m a Friend of the Pack to the Chattanooga Pack. You already know about The Abbott and Amakhosi.”

  “You’re also friends with Bran Petrescu and Mordecai.”

  “I am.”

  “And Adonis?”

  “Yes.”

  “Xaephan?”

  “Friends is pushing it. Friendly. Cordial. I don’t trust him.”

  Chapter 13

  We were up until the early morning hours, and I was glad the workout room was open round-the-clock because somewhere around midnight I needed to expend some energy. I was a little nervous about going to sleep, but I’d only have a few hours until the vampire died for the day and couldn’t fuck with me. Cora and I slept with our auras joined again, and as far as I knew, we were left alone.

  The next day we were due to travel into the national park, and I looked forward to seeing not just the wildlife, but the trees, grasses, and sky. The park is only a few miles from the city, but the pictures and videos I’d seen made it appear as if it were a world away.

  Our safari guide picked us up from the hotel, and Cora, Tyson, Kane, Hami, and I climbed into the four-wheel drive vehicle. It looked a lot like an older Jeep, but it wasn’t.

  We saw some zebras within a few miles of entering the park, and during the three hours we were there, we saw baboons, rhinos, gazelles, impala, giraffes, and ostriches. I’d known our odds of seeing lions weren’t great, but I’d hoped to see cheetahs or leopards.

  We got out and walked a few times so I could commune with nature, and I felt like a new person when we returned to the hotel. Our guide wouldn’t let us wander far from the vehicles, but it worked out okay and the energy of the park was fantastic. The conference started the next day, and I was ready to get to work.

  Our group walked to a restaurant with a live show, and we ate and enjoyed the local flavor. We couldn’t let our guards down to be total tourists, but it was a nice evening. However, when I suggested we walk around town a little when we left the restaurant, Hami said, “The sun has long since set, and it would be wise for us to return to the hotel.”

  We only had a few blocks to walk, but the night was nearly as energizing as the day had been.

  I’m pretty sure I sensed danger within microseconds of the shapeshifters. Whether I picked up on it because they went on alert, or because a vampire was about to swoop in and carry me away, I have no way of knowing.

  However, one minute we were stopped at a corner, waiting for the light to change so we could cross the road, and the next, I was in the air, held tightly to someone’s side, flying over the city.

  He tried to keep me from screaming, but I don’t do roller coasters because I can’t handle them. I wasn’t screaming because a vampire was absconding with me, but because I couldn’t handle the flying sensations with nothing under me. We went up fast, and it felt as if my stomach stayed on the ground while the world whooshed all around me and then below.

  It took effort to stop screaming, but I needed to talk.

  I didn’t see any landmarks to help me find my way back, so I squeezed my eyes closed and asked, “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill you right now?”

  “You’ll plummet to your death.”

  I wouldn’t, actually, but this told me whoever had me didn’t know I could levitate.

  “Who are you?”

  “I am known as Griffin.”

  “What do you want with me?”

  We were away from the city center, but I could still see roads and houses below us.

/>   “I imagine you’ll be a tasty morsel. Abbott only picks the best.”

  He was testing my mental shields as we flew, and I did my best to hold them firm. My arms were pinned to my sides, and he probably thought this kept him safe from my weapons. Or, perhaps he assumed I’d wait until we were on solid ground to make an attempt on his life.

  Did I want to kill him? I could blow his head up, but as Cora had pointed out, I wanted to avoid killing another old one. However, we had two people escorting us through the sky now, and I had a feeling there’d be more people wherever we landed.

  And some of those people might be crocodile shifters.

  Instead of focusing heat in his head, I focused it in his balls and dick. Vampires can recover from losing most anything except their head or heart, and I’d come up with this idea a few weeks before — a way to hurt someone without killing them.

  It worked, and he bellowed in pain and turned loose of me within seconds. I reached for the ground with my senses, and let myself down as fast as I dared without the danger of a crash landing. Another vampire headed towards me and I was certain he intended to grab me, so I shot my laser at him until he stopped chasing me.

  We’d been flying over a residential area, and I landed on a wooded lot in hopes no one would notice. My phone was in my pocket, but I didn’t want to pull it out until I was in an area of town with other pedestrians. I was the only person walking along this road, and I was certain to draw attention. I’d walked perhaps three minutes when a large bird came out of the sky and landed just off the road, a few feet in front of me.

  He made a growly, cackly noise, and I said, “Hami?”

  The wings opened and closed, and the head bobbed once.

  I looked around to see if there was a place he could change, but this road was all houses.

  “My plan is to walk until I come to a populated area, and then use my phone. Is that a good plan?”

  The bird shook its head, and I pulled my phone from my pocket and made a call.

  “We’re ten minutes from you,” said Ryan. “You okay?”