by Susan Reid
“Yeah and sometimes the pros can outweigh the cons in the greater scheme of things. I don’t like the thought of you having to deal with this by yourself.”
“I’m not…at least, I won’t be with Gage around.”
“Uh-huh. And what makes you so sure he’ll stick around?”
I didn’t have an answer for that. More than likely, he wouldn’t especially since I turned him down sexually. That much I did know.
Cole sighed heavily and stepped closer to me. “Anyway, when he does show up, I want to talk to him one on one about it. I want to know, no…we all as hunters need to know everything about this. And for future reference, you know better. There’s nothing that you can tell me that will make me love or accept you any less. I just want to make sure that you’re careful and you stay safe. We’re the last ones left from our class. Regardless of your new found strength and appetite, things could get even more dangerous for you now.”
He had no idea how close he’d come with that statement.
Cole hugged me this time. First, it was a kiss on the forehead the other day and now it was a hug? He was going to make me cry.
I nodded.
“Same thing goes for you too.” I mumbled with my face buried in his chest.
He pulled back, looking down at me as a slow grin pulled at either side of his mouth. “Agreed. She’s gonna kick my ass for telling you first but Clee and I just found out that you’re going to be an aunt.”
An Aunt! I was thrilled and a wee bit jealous.
Even at twenty four, I felt like my biological clock was ticking. Most of the few female hunters that there were usually had their first children by the age of sixteen in our world. It wasn’t super important to me but it was definitely a goal at some point. Oh well, being an Aunt was just as good.
Marq was already at the bar by the time we headed back downstairs and beside him was a girl I’ve never seen at the bar before. Thank God they were both wearing clothes.
The morning crowd, along with their children, were filtering in for the magic show.
Erian was waving me over to his cluttered table, which was covered with a few open books and the remnants of his breakfast.
Erian wasn’t particularly the kind of guy I pictured Isis with, given her personality. They were definitely opposites but he treated her like a princess and that was the most important thing. He was the quiet bookworm on the outside but he was an extremely powerful Mage that you did not want to mess with in any way underneath. You’d never know it simply by looking at him though and that was his best defense.
“What’s up?” I asked, pulling out a chair and sitting down across from him.
Marq glanced over at me expectantly but I held up a finger up to signal that I’d be right over.
That girl was looking at me too. She was young and very pretty with a mass of golden, shiny tresses curling down her back. “Nothing new under the sun as they say, with the exception of all the buzz going around about you guys’ encounter in the last few days.” He said making sure not to mention the word Nocturna out loud.
“Yeah, I think we’ve got it under control so far. Isis said you wanted to talk to me?”
“I do. I was a little puzzled as to why the potion that I gave you didn’t seem to be taking effect, so I did some research on any potential reasons.” He began as he thumbed through one of his binders filled with his own notes.
“Actually, it’s healed completely already.”
He looked up at me and raised both brows in surprise. “It did? When?”
“Yesterday but it wasn’t because of the potion.”
He appeared confused. “No? So, natural healing ability, I see. I read up on that and the different types of Nocturna venom.” He pointed to one of the open books with lines of what looked like rune coding to me.
“Different types of Nocturna venom?”
“Yeah. There’s several actually. I think I just didn’t get the right one but I suppose that’s a good thing then if it’s already healed. There may be some side effects that could show up later though. I wanted to see if you wouldn’t mind giving me a blood sample so I could make sure none of them have or will affect you.”
Blood sample? Wait, maybe the Mages could work with Gage to try and come up with some sort of a reversal.
“Side effects? Like what?” I wanted to know if he was going to say what I already knew to be true.
He shrugged a shoulder. “I’m not sure. I’ll know when I look. Would you be willing?”
I thought about it for a moment. “Yeah, if you think it will help but I do have to tell you something. In fact, I have to tell all of you something but I’ll wait until tonight after the kids have left… and maybe after a few rounds of drinks too.” I joked.
He looked at me quizzically. “Oh, okay. Well, I’ll stick around for a little bit but I’ll be back later on tonight to get the sample.”
“Ok, cool. Thanks for all your help, Erian.” I smiled, getting up and heading over to the bar to help Riza.
“Good Morning.” I smiled at Marq and the mystery girl.
She smiled back at me, sipping on the orange juice spritzer sitting in front of her. She appeared to be close to my age and if I looked at these two from a strangers’ point of view, I’d say that they made a very good-looking couple.
“Morning.” Marq’s greeting sounded a little flat and he seemed upset.
Marq was always in a happy-go-lucky, flirty playboy mood and he literally lit up the room with his charm, looks, and personality alone.
“You didn’t want anything?” I asked, seeing that he had no drink in front of him.
He shook his head no.
“Are you two here together?” I had to ask.
The girl perked up and answered before Marq spoke.
“Yes and no.” She gestured with slender, well-manicured hands. “My name is Anya, and I’m…
Marq cut his eyes to her and rudely cut her off. “Just a minute.”
“Are you busy tonight? I thought maybe we could head into town and get some dinner and a show.”
I was a bit thrown. “Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.” He asked as if he were expecting me to say no.
“Oh. I can’t.”
I was going to Fin’s tonight.
His lips were pressed into a tight line and then he sighed and shook his head. “So when can you pencil me in?”
I know he wasn’t trying to get an attitude with me.
“Uh, I’ll just call you when I get back.”
The girl aggressively re-entered the conversation, much to Marq’s annoyance. “As I said, I’m Anya. We haven’t met before but Marquez has told me a lot about you, Kai. I know you two have been in a relationship for a while, so I came with him today to meet you and to let you know that even though I am pregnant with his child, there is nothing else between us that you should feel worried or threatened by. This is simply an arrangement and custom of our people because Marquez happens to be a very virile and eligible bachelor, nothing more.”
Awkward.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt more uncomfortable in any other situation than I did right now.
Was that why he brought her here?
I shifted my gaze to Marq who was scowling at her though she was smiling at me, nonplussed by his expression.
Then he turned to me. “Can I talk to you upstairs?”
I was momentarily still speechless. “Now?”
“Yes, now. I promise that I won’t take up too much of your valuable time.”
What the hell was his problem? I licked my lips and reluctantly waved Riza over to cover a little longer for me.
I tried to mentally prepare myself for this conversation once Marq closed the door behind him.
“Look, Marq, I know it seems like I’ve been avoiding you lately but I promise you, I’m not doing it on purpose.” I held my hands up.
“No? Then tell me what’s going on? You said there wasn’t another guy but Noemi said y
ou didn’t get back until early this morning.”
“First of all, it’s no one’s business where I go, when I get back, or who I’m with but for your piece of mind, there is no other guy. Why are we even having this conversation? Is that why you brought her here with you? You thought maybe the fact that you were going to be a father was making me avoid you?”
“Is it?” he asked, hands on his hips.
Yes, partly and the first part of what I said wasn’t necessarily true.
Even though there was nothing between me and Gage past mutual physical attraction, I didn’t want to completely rule him out.
I exhaled uncomfortably.
“Not really. There’s some things going on with me right now that I can’t explain to you just yet. I’m still trying to figure them out.”
His face softened and he moved over to me, pulling me in for a hug.
“Well that would explain why you look and smell slightly different to me. Is it a hunter thing?” He asked.
Was it that distinct? Well, as long as it wasn’t bad or offensive, it was going to be something that I’d have to learn to live with for now.
“Sort of.”
“Well, I’m here and I care, Kai. You can talk to me.”
“No, I really can’t. Not about this.” I shook my head and laughed a bit at the reality of how Marq would react if I just bared my fangs right now and pretended to want to bite him.
“I know in the beginning we both agreed to no attachments. But I’m sorry, I can’t keep it to myself anymore and I think you already know it too.”
He pulled back a bit so that he could look down at me, his sparkling, jade green eyes searching my face.
“I messed up and fell in love, which means that the thought of you being with anyone else, seeing all those guys constantly flirting with you, and knowing that we’re from two completely different worlds makes me feel threatened and possessive.” He went on to explain.
I gaped at him. “Coming from the guy who always manages to have all the females flirting and vying for his attention whenever he walks into any room.”
He smiled, flattered and knowing damn well that I was right.
“And there’s only one out of all of them that I want.”
His hands went to caress my cheeks, cupping my face and brushing back my hair and bangs.
“I love you, Kai.” He whispered in all serious sincerity.
I felt a rush of both panic and emotion pulling at my heart.
What should I say? I really do care about Marq but I don’t know if it was genuinely that kind of love for me. We don’t have a future as a couple for obvious reasons.
“It’s okay. I don’t expect you to say it back to me. I’m the one that broke our rule.” He said softly, leaning down and kissing me tenderly.
When we broke from the meaningful kiss, I caved.
“Saturday. How about dinner at your place?”
I had completely surprised him and he was beaming.
“If you’re serious, it sounds like a plan.”
“I wouldn’t have said it if I wasn’t.”
Marq was thrilled and I was excited too. I’ve always wanted to see where Marq lived and experience his undersea world.
Chapter 21
I still hadn’t heard from Gage by the time I rolled out to head to Fin’s house. Well, I suppose if I had slept with him then I may have, which disappointed me into thinking that had to be the reason.
What an asshole.
Fin lived in a large home with a fantastic view of the ocean. It was set about half a mile back behind the shop that she owned in a homey strip of various locally owned shops.
She got a lot of good business from locals, tourists, and even us non-humans.
I entered through the shop first just to peruse her latest trinkets and decorative items and the bell above the door jangled softly, announcing my arrival. The sign said closed at eight p.m. but there were still quite a few customers browsing.
“Kai! Hey, give me a second. You can go on and head to the house. I’ll have one of the clerks relieve me and I’ll be there in a minute.” Fin waved at me from the register.
I met her, waiting for her to take care of the customer who had made a large purchase before speaking.
“You’re right, business is booming. I’ll give you more, I love those crystal lotuses over there.” I smiled and nodded to the set of three that were displayed on fake lily pads in the front window.
“They’re yours. I’ll wrap and have them ready before you leave.” She smiled.
Fin was in her thirties in human time years. If she didn’t really dress the soccer mom part, she could pass for being around my age. But I suppose with a successful business, a complete family with a husband and three little ones all under the ages of ten, she probably didn’t have much time to devote to being glamorous. “Thanks, Fin. I’ll wait for you though. Need any help?”
“Nah, I won’t be long.”
Fin had prepared a lentil soup, fruit, and several different types of vegan style sandwiches for dinner.
I was far from being a vegan, especially now, but the entire meal was really tasty. However, my hunger was far from satisfied and I knew why. Panic began to set in. What was I going to do? How and where was I going to find a Nocturna without staking some place out by myself for hours or pointlessly? I supposed that I could just follow any large crowd of people anywhere near the port.
After dinner, coloring with the girls, and serving as a model for various hairstyles involving beaded clips and ribbons, Fin and I finally settled in her den. She had already acquired quite of bit of books and newspaper clippings from the realm of our universes, and had them scattered about the wide coffee table.
I wondered where she had managed to get a hold of so many things so quickly but that was a secret. Fin had her ways and it was what she did best.
“You know I was really curious about your sudden interest in Aldeur.” Fin began as she sat down with a platter of herbal tea for us.
“Why’s that?”
“I mean, it’s a really well-to-do city, sort of a paradise or Utopia if you will, and they seem to think that they’re better than everyone else. Their population is exclusive and you have to pass a health and background screening just to be able to visit if at all. They really don’t put much out there about their business and city history.”
“I guess that’s understandable considering how many of the Ascendants are covertly running around waiting to find a weak link somewhere. I guess that’s why they were never overrun or invaded.”
Fin shrugged and sat down. She reached for a really old newspaper and glanced at it for a moment before handing it over to me.
“I wasn’t able to gather much, at least not on short notice anyway. I’ve never been interested in the history myself at all until you mentioned it.”
“Well, I was actually more interested in the Shields of the Citadel. A hunter by the name of Gage, possibly.” I clarified.
“Gage? Does he have a last name?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know it.”
She nodded. “Hmm. Shields of the Citadel. Very elusive but from what I do remember hearing about them in close circles, they are a very elite and highly-trained group of hunters and they’re also very private and close-knit. I think there’s a bit of Mage blood in their breeding background too. I’ve got a little bit of information on that here.” She leaned forward and began to leaf through a stack of papers.
A little bit of Mage blood? Well, that makes sense then. I knew there was something else to him.
She found one with an illustration of a coat of arms that bore a crawling black Jaguar, prowling and roaring with glowing white eyes, and revolvers crossed in the background with a staff in the middle of them.
Revolvers. Like the ones that were strapped to his body underneath his duster that night.
So far, all that he told me he turned out to be true.
Fin jumped up and raised a finger as i
f she had forgotten something when she saw me examine the photo closely.
“I managed to get a hold of this several years back. This one is just a replica and I thought about remaking others like it and selling them but I changed my mind. I didn’t want to treat a crest like that, real or not.” Fin picked up a decorated flat box and carefully opened it.
Curious, I waited for her to reveal what she was talking about —and when she did, I gasped in awe.
The mysterious crest of the Phantom Jaguars live and in person. It was beautiful; about the diameter of my palm, encrusted with black gems and two glowing white stones for the eyes. Its jaw hung open menacingly with fangs exposed.
She handed it to me and I took it carefully, marveling over it.
“Well, who recreated this one?” I asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. It was a trade from a trade from a trade. I never know the sources sometimes.”
“Is it an authentic copy?” I asked as I turned it in my fingers and admired the stones and hand carved silver.
“As I know, cosmetically anyway.” She smiled, “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it? Even though they were private, the Shields of the Citadel were very well-known, which made many very curious. Ironically, it’s their constant elusiveness that actually makes them so popular, especially the Phantom Jaguars. The Citadel is where their hunters are trained following their rites of passage after their 12th birthdays. At any rate, you can have that one if you want it. What’s the story with this Gage anyway? Who is he and where did you meet him?”
“It’s a long story.” I sighed.
She grinned. “I see.”
I could already tell what she was thinking.
“Thanks, Fin. I really appreciate all of this.” I smiled, excited at having this piece in my possession. I tucked it safely away in the hidden pocket of my weapons belt.
“No problem, you’re welcome. I’m sorry I couldn’t find out much more but I will.” She said writing down something in a planner, “I look forward to finding out more myself. I know they’ve been virtually undefeatable.”
