by Susan Reid
I don’t know why I felt apprehension twisting in my gut again, everyone here was family to me.
“Oh God. You’re not dying are you?” Isis truly looked fearful and her bottom lip began to quiver.
I pursed my lips and chuckled when I looked at her.
“After that righteous ass kicking she delivered on that parasite down there, I doubt it.” Jax replied.
“Speaking of, we need to go head to head soon. I don’t remember you being that good but I can’t have my sister showing me up like that.” Cole challenged to bring light to the situation and ease my nerves.
I shook my head and smiled.
“Now that, I wanna see.” Phillip said.
“Me too.” Clee smiled.
“I’m not dying...at least I don’t think I am. Anyway, I know some of you might remember that I was bitten by a Nocturna about a week ago. For those that didn’t know, well, I was.” I began and then inhaled and exhaled deeply.
“It’s healed though, right? That’s what Erian said.” Isis replied.
“Yeah, it did but something else happened that I didn’t anticipate and I’m slowly trying to get used to it.”
My eyes found Cole’s for moral support, wishing Gage would get here already.
Marq watched me closely, even though he got a glimpse of what I was about to reveal earlier, he was still attentively awaiting my confession as was Syhenna.
“Something like what? What is it?” Jax asked with heightened curiosity.
I sighed, trying to search for the words.
“I’m —I’m not really sure but I’ve sort of become part Nocturna…” I paused on purpose.
You could have heard a pin drop and all I saw were wide, round eyes all focused on me.
“What?” Jax was the first to respond.
“What are you talking about? What does that mean?” Isis wanted to know in panic.
“Apparently, the Nocturna venom changed her and she craves Nocturna blood now, which means that she needs it for survival. She’s got fangs and all.” Cole came to my rescue and I was ever so thankful.
The room went completely silent again, leading me to believe that everyone was letting that sink in too—I hoped.
“Fangs? Now I’d pay to see that freaky shit!” Jax commented with a lewd waggle of his brows.
As usual, the guys chuckled and the girls tended to sigh with a roll of their eyes. That was Jax for you.
“Well, now that I know you have a fang fetish, the next time I feel the need to feed or gnaw on something, I’ll be sure to find you first, Jax.” I grinned devilishly at him.
A few ‘Ooh’s.’ and laughter erupted to instigate our playful banter.
“So, let us understand. You need Nocturna blood to survive, which means you need to feed from them, in turn, killing them?” Duncan interpreted.
“Yes.” I confirmed.
“I don’t see any problem then. Does anyone else?” Duncan shrugged his shoulders and glanced over at everyone else.
“Nope. Me either.” Riza and Isis agreed.
“It can be a potential problem if we don’t understand exactly what this could mean in the long run. Kai needs their blood to survive, which means if she doesn’t have it, she could die. That really bothers me a lot.” Cole said.
I shared his concern but there wasn’t much that could be said or done about it now.
“Wait, so was this discovery before or after I saw you cliff-diving and running all those laps so damned fast?” Pierce asked.
“During. I didn’t know what was happening to me yet.”
I was beginning to feel as if I were on some interview panel now but at least they weren’t repulsed by the news.
“It looks like you’ve become our deadliest weapon against them yet.” Phillip smiled with approval while rubbing his goatee.
“Does this mean that you can’t go out in sunlight?” Syhenna asked.
“No. I don’t know exactly all that I’m capable of but I don’t have those weaknesses apparently. If it weren’t for Gage, who you guys will meet really soon, then I’d be lost. He’s been like me a lot longer and he was a hunter before too.”
“Really? Where did you meet him?” Isis asked with intrigue.
“You already have. That night when I was bitten.”
Isis’ eyes grew wide. “Seriously? Him?”
I nodded.
“What will this ultimately mean for you? And are there others? Other hunters who have been affected?” Elvie asked.
“I don’t know any of that but Gage has been searching for them. Erian took a blood sample so he could find out but I haven’t heard back from him yet.”
“Probably because he’s stumped. Don’t worry, I’ll ask him about it when I get home.” Isis replied.
“Do you know how invincible we’d become against the Ascendants if we all get a little Nocturna venom in us and change?” Jax commented.
“I wouldn’t recommend it.” I cut him off shook my head vehemently.
“Why not?”
“There are some major drawbacks. If you don’t consume Nocturna blood when you need it, not only do you feel as if you’re starving to death but it makes you physically weak too. It turns out that I literally need it to live like Cole said, but there may be times that there aren’t any Nocturna conveniently around to hunt. I learned that first hand earlier. Gage brought me some and I got lucky with this sudden invasion.”
“Damn, you’re right. I guess that would really suck.” Jax frowned.
I would have mentioned the fact that the Ascendants are out to find and kill us off because of the threat we pose but I think this amount of shock and news was enough for one night. It was getting really late anyway.
Cole spoke, “Well, at least you got a little bit downstairs for now.” he thumbed towards the kitchen in the direction of the cellar.
I cringed at the thought. Not just for blood but because I don’t know if I could kill the girl, even if she was a live Nocturna. There was something about discovering the charms on her necklace that made me hesitate.
“Why didn’t you tell us all of this before?” Isis asked.
I shrugged my shoulders, glancing down at the floor for a moment and ashamed for even thinking that they’d feel any different towards me.
“Whatever we can do to help you, then we will.” Clee offered with a matronly smile.
I couldn’t help but smile too. It was like a heavy burden lifted from my back and shoulders.
“So, you only crave Nocturna blood, right? I just want to understand that part.” Phillip held up his hands.
“Yes…for now.” I grinned wickedly on purpose to make him wonder.
The others laughed.
“So how do you want to handle your prisoner and what do you plan on feeding her?” Cole then asked me.
“I don’t know yet but feeding her isn’t on my list of priorities, especially if she doesn’t give me the answers that I want. The other Nocturna that were after her were clearly from the Palace of Night garde. We’re gonna have to figure how to get that Los Muertos port gateway closed quickly before things really get out of hand if it hasn’t already. Gage took care of the boat that they arrived in so it wouldn’t lead to the island here but if they managed to find the island in the first place, then it won’t be long before more come and end up finding us. I don’t know the extent of her powers. I think it’s odd that she was trying to get away from them and I want to know why.”
“I would love to know that myself too.” Cole nodded.
“But if we close it, then won’t it make it even more difficult for you to hunt the Nocturna?” Isis asked.
“Lives are at stake. That’s more important.” I replied.
“So is yours. You have to feed from them to live.” Cole reminded me.
I had no response to that because his concern was valid.
“There will always be Nocturna lurking around somewhere. They have their ways and means of entry into the human world. They’v
e been doing it for centuries.” Riza said.
Everyone nodded and agreed in silence.
“It would still make your efforts to find them harder though.” Clee added.
“Yeah, I know but I’ll manage somehow. There’s got to be a way to reverse this change, at least, that’s what Gage thinks and he’s been trying to find that possibility. Also, our weapons aren’t very effective either. Gage pointed that out. We need to come up with something else like the ones they used against us. Their darts delivered both shock and a much stronger paralyzing poison.” “You mean like you said she had the power to do to you?” Marq suddenly asked, breaking his silence.
“Exactly.”
“What kind of power?” Clee perked up.
“Electric shock.” I answered.
“I’ve never heard of a Nocturna with the power to electrocute before.” Riza commented.
“Me either.” Noemi and Elvie nearly said in unison.
“Hmm. I’m curious about that too. At any rate, closing a gateway that big and that well-placed is going to be tricky being that there’s a constant flow of humans in and out of that area.” Clee explained.
“I know.” I said.
“It can be done but we’ll have to be creative about it. It’s going to take a lot of energy and more than just a few of us.” Duncan replied.
“That’s true. Maybe we could arrange and do some sort of a magic show?” Elvie offered.
“Maybe, if it weren’t so busy around that area but we’ll need to do something to get rid of the people, not keep them around. We can’t risk possible witnesses or casualties.” Clee replied.
“Tell me about this Gage. You said he was a hunter too. What’s his class?” Jax asked.
“Phantom Jaguars is all I know.”
The eyes of the other hunters in the room immediately snapped to me with attention. We were all long-time friends who grew up together, with the exception of Maxwell and Stone, as Guardian Tigers. Maxwell and Stone were from the Tracker Wolf Knights.
“The Phantom Jaguars?” Jax said slowly in disbelief as if he hadn’t heard me right.
“Yeah. Why did you repeat it like that?”
“I don’t think I ever came across one but they have a very notorious reputation.” He said.
“I’ve heard the same thing.” Phillip added.
“Notorious? For what?”
“Arrogance, brutality, shifty…” Jax began.
“Don’t forget cold-hearted and invincible.” A voice came from one of the darker corners of the bar.
Everyone jumped to attention, and all of the guys drew their weapons and aimed it at the source.
I knew the voice already and my heart fluttered. I practically leapt off the stage and dove in front of him to keep them all from jumping, shooting at, and attacking him.
“Whoa, wait! This is Gage, everyone. He’s okay, he’s cool!” I quickly stated with my arms out to guard him protectively from any possible onslaught of magic and weapons.
“This is really sweet but not necessary.” He whispered close to my ear. I shivered slightly at the feel of his warm hands resting gently my hips. God, everything about him was so damned delicious. I fought hard to resist the urge to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him right in front of everyone, including Marq.
“I didn’t think you were coming back.” I whispered back.
“Given what you promised me, I’d be a fool not to.”
I turned and looked up at him over my shoulder, meeting his gorgeous face and sexy grin with a naughty grin of my own.
“How the hell did he get in here like that?” Cole inquired with furrowed brows and a serious expression.
“They don’t call them Phantoms for nothing.” Riza said coolly.
“That’s dangerous.” Phillip observed.
“You think? I told you guys.” Jax replied.
“He teleports. Guys, this is Gage.” I introduced him first and then proceeded to introduce everyone else to him.
I hadn’t even realized that Marq had left but Syhenna remained. He was clearly still hostile about Gage.
A sudden, sharp and shrill scream, though muffled, broke through the conversation — coming from the cellar.
Chapter 29
“Lookslike someone tried to escape.” Clee commented.
“I’ve got this.” I said as I quickly rushed towards the swinging kitchen doors but stopping in front of Cole first.
“Be nice.” I whispered through clenched teeth.
I knew he was waiting to speak to Gage, in fact, all the guys were watching him suspiciously.
“I’m always nice.” He winked.
I scowled at him.
“Want us to come with you?” Isis asked, already behind me.
“Um…” I was about to decline but Riza, Clee, Noemi, Sage, and Elvie were already in line right behind her with expectant expressions that wouldn’t take no for an answer.
I suppose it might be a good idea. The intimidation might be a good convincing factor, seeing several elementals standing together as a solid front.
“Alright, you guys come but I would rather you stayed here, Clee. Anything could happen and in your condition I don’t want you to be around any possible physical confrontation.”
“I’ll be fine. She’s just a young girl and she’s secured.” Clee assured.
I moved in closer to her. “I kind of wanted you to keep an eye on Cole, you know, to make sure he remains polite towards Gage too…if you don’t mind?”
She smiled and nodded. “I see. Alright then, don’t hesitate to come get me though if you need me.”
“Done.” I sighed with relief, hoping she wouldn’t take offense. It was true though. She was pregnant with my niece or nephew and I didn’t want her in any kind of possible danger whatsoever— not that I thought that little pip-squeak of a Nocturna would be able to touch her but you never know.
Another scream pierced the air just as we all paraded down the small stone steps into the cellar.
She was sweating, and heaving with determination. Her pale skin was a blotchy and her eyes were bloodshot, circles darkening beneath them. She was like a wild, chained up dog who had just been put in her place with that last shock.
“A taste of your own medicine is pretty damned nasty isn’t it?” I commented.
Her head snapped over to us and her eyes rounded when she saw all of us standing in front of the make-shift cell.
She was crouched low, panting as she narrowed her eyes at me. Her hands were curled around the chains binding her legs, ready to tug at them again.
“She’s feisty alright.” Isis whispered.
“Why bother locking me up? You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” She shot at me.
“That all depends.”
“On what? You said I wasn’t leaving this island!”
I kneeled down in front of the cage, maintaining eye contact to stare her down on purpose.
“Do you have a name?”
“What the hell difference will that make?” She angrily retorted.
“It may make your stay a little humane, you little…”
“Isis.” I cut her off before she could say it.
Isis wasn’t known for her patience and she could be a bit blood thirsty at times.
The young Nocturna began to study each one of us in wonder. I think I knew what she might have been thinking and that had been the goal.
“What’s your name?” I asked her again.
She didn’t answer.
“How did you end up here in the first place?” I then asked, seeing as she was going to be stubborn about it.
Still, she remained silent.
Elvie squatted down in front of the cell and tried a different approach.
“Where did you get those charms on your necklace?” She asked. That would have been my next question but she beat me to the punch.
A brief flash of acquiescence passed in her eyes but it still wasn’t enough to get her talking.
“Maybe she’s hungry.” Riza whispered.
“I doubt she wants a cheeseburger.” I replied under my breath.
“Where are you going to get what she probably does want?” Noemi asked.
“I’m not donating.” Isis said firmly while eyeing the Nocturna up and down in disgust.
“I’m not hungry and I wouldn’t eat anything you guys gave me anyway!”
“You’re not in the best of positions right now, so if I were you I’d tone down that mouth of yours and the attitude. Torture is still very much an option.” Isis warned.
I was beginning to think that all of this wasn’t such a good idea after all. She was hostile, defensive, and probably scared, which meant that we weren’t going to get much out of her.
Noemi knelt down beside me first, and then Isis and Riza followed suit. She leaned over to whisper after observing her for a moment. “Judging by the color of her eyes, she’s royalty. Most of the lower Nocturna possess green eyes. Her eyes are magenta. It’s a start in finding out who she is or what family she may be linked to so I’ll start doing some checking.”
That was interesting.
“That’d be great but keep all of this to yourself. I don’t want anyone past us to know that she’s here.”
With that, Noemi nodded and then stood up again, retreating back up the cellar stairs.
“I can seriously hear you guys whispering. Damn, you’re all lame. I can tell you’ve never had a prisoner before.” She suddenly said with a wry expression and a sarcastic chuckle.
“Let me teach her a quick lesson, Kai.” Isis glared at her, wind gently beginning to pick up and swirl across the floor.
The girl looked at Isis with round eyes, wondering what she meant by that.
“The lullaby dove and cross, do you know what it symbolizes?” Elvie suddenly asked.
Her slanted, magenta eyes cut to her, “Of course I know what they mean.”
“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Who knows, I may decide to let you go after all but I don’t take too well to hostile bitchiness. You’re more of a burden right now than anything because we don’t keep human blood on the menu, so it would be nothing to me to completely dispose of you in a heartbeat.” I warned her.
