“I think we’re forgetting what she did—”
“What’s this really about, Aneurin? This particular incident or how my family, not to mention Passion’s, doesn’t fit into your idea of an ideal world?” Jet demanded.
“Jet, that’s not fair,” Adonia attempted to interrupt the argument. Isis crossed her right leg over her left, waiting for Adonia and Lilly to break up the two men.
“I know this is hard for you to understand, but we have rules. You may not like all of them, but they keep things in order here,” Aneurin answered, ignoring Adonia. Isis let out a soft sigh and rubbed her eyes, irritated with the old argument.
One of the guardian’s sacred laws stated no shape shifter could have a romantic relationship with a guardian. The relationship between the two races was to be strictly platonic — a business association. They could have friendships, but that was incredibly rare because the shape shifters remained on Earth and the guardians in the Meadows. The consequences of a guardian pursuing a relationship with a shape shifter, or any other being besides a guardian, were that the guardian would be stripped of their title and banished from the Meadows. It was a law that had been strictly enforced for millennia, longer than most of the current guardians had been alive. According to her twin sister, Electra, three guardians had broken that sacred law but only two were stripped of their title. One of the two guardians happened to be Lilly, who was allowed to visit the Meadows because she was one of the leaders of the protectors.
The third guardian, Isis and Electra’s mother, Passion, was allowed to remain in the Meadows and keep her title. However, there had been consequences for her actions, one of which included giving up Isis to be raised as a human. Her right to marry was also stripped, as was her right to have more children. Isis and Electra were to be her only heirs and even though they were part guardian and part shape shifter, they were classified as guardians. Though Isis lived with protectors and was even part of the Four, she was still considered a guardian. This fact was beginning to grate on her nerves.
“No, no! This is completely ridiculous!” Jet’s angry voice interrupted Isis’ thoughts, bringing her back to the present. Isis had to do something. She slammed her hands flat on the table. The loud bang successfully drew the attention of the four people in front of her and she looked at them for a moment before speaking.
“Okay, now that I have your attention,” she began, “I think we are wasting too much time concerned about Coop. He seems to be unimportant compared to the Key. Yes, I realize he punched through unbreakable glass and yes, I know he healed at a rate that can only be described as unnaturally fast, but these seem to be trivial matters. Why don’t we try to focus on more pressing issues? If Coop is connected to the Key, which seems likely, then he’s bound to turn up in our investigation eventually.”
“You’re awfully quick to defend him,” Aneurin commented, casually. Isis narrowed her eyes at him.
“He didn’t try to kill me. Onyx, on the other hand, did. I choose to pick my battles,” she replied. “Now, can I please go and salvage whatever is left of my evening?”
Adonia glanced between Jet, Lilly, and Aneurin before turning back to Isis, nodding once. “You, Jet, and Lilly are dismissed. Furthermore, I’m closing this matter for the time being. We have reviewed the information enough and Isis is right. There are more pressing matters that we need to focus on.”
Isis nodded gratefully. She stood up and disappeared in a flash of brilliant silver light.
*~*~*~*~*
Isis opened her eyes when the familiar scent of Jet’s study filled her nose. She always closed her eyes when Appearing since the bright silver light was blinding.
It had been a little more than a year, to her estimate, since she had left behind her “normal” life to fulfill her destiny as part of the Four. Since then, Isis had become more adept at keeping her cool. Before, the meetings with Aneurin would likely have sent her into a fit of rage. Now, they were a mere annoyance that was quickly forgotten. Even though she was more levelheaded, her personality remained her own.
Aside from becoming more composed, Isis had also learned quite a few skills, including fighting. She was proficient in hand-to-hand combat and a skilled warrior, better than she could have ever imagined. She could even toss Jade around a bit, despite the centuries of experience the older shape shifter had on her. Remington, the Four’s trainer, was very pleased with her progress.
Isis glanced over her shoulder when she spotted light out of the corner of her eye. Jet and Lilly soon appeared in a flash of blue light. Oh goody, here it comes, she thought as she put her hands on her hips, awaiting the inevitable scolding. Jet, however, simply stepped around her and exited the study. Isis frowned and glanced at Lilly, who shrugged her shoulders in response. Isis rubbed the side of her nose, knowing both protector leaders were upset with her — Jet in particular. She followed him out into the hall. The mansion was silent around them. It was still early in the evening and the other shape shifters were out enjoying life or sleeping.
“Jet?” Isis called when he didn’t acknowledge her presence.
“I’m not going to talk about this anymore, Isis,” was his reply. He didn’t even glance over his shoulder at her. Isis continued to follow him, recognizing the disappointment in his tone.
“Look, I really believe Coop is on our side. He said there were others who needed his help,” Isis insisted. Jet snorted humorlessly as he continued on his way to the kitchen.
“Of course, because our enemies would never think to lie. That would just be crazy,” Jet said as he entered the large kitchen. It was dark, most of the staff having retired for the evening. A quiet hum suggested a couple dishwashers were still on. Jet reached over to the wall, switching on the lights over the counters.
“Fair enough, but what if he was telling the truth, Jet?” Isis responded as she leaned her weight against the counter. “What if there are a lot of people or shape shifters who do need his help and you kept him in the dungeons?”
Jet gave her a skeptical look, to which she shrugged and spread her hands. She watched as he opened the stainless steel fridge and grabbed a large red and gold apple. He pulled a knife from the large block on the counter near the fridge and sliced into the apple.
“If that’s the case, hopefully Sly can find him and we can offer our assistance,” he responded, focusing on slicing the apple. Isis bit her lower lip, unsure of how to feel about that.
“Are you still mad at me?” she asked, changing the subject.
“I’m always mad at you, but why should you start caring now?” Jet asked with a small half-smile. Isis grinned and shook her head as she turned and left the kitchen. Things were okay with Jet, and that was enough for now.
She left the kitchen and made her way down the long hall to the stairs, jogging up to the second floor. The art on the walls became a blur as she made her way to her room.
When she reached her door, Isis pushed down on the gold handle and opened it. She closed it behind her and locked it; crossing the room to her nightstand and switching on the lamp. Isis made her way over to the bed and reached in between the mattress and the box-spring. Her fingers closed around a thin spiral, which she pulled out from its hiding place. Flipping it open, Isis glanced at the scribbled notes she had written. It chronicled everything she knew about Coop and some theories she had drawn from her few encounters with him.
Isis turned to a clean page and sketched the symbol she had seen on the wall of the warehouse the night she had photographed the murder scene. The one that had disappeared. She carefully drew the long backwards “P” and the odd crossed patterns that Steve told her resembled cuneiform. A strange assortment of stripes and arrows was on the right. The left side consisted of simpler lines with ninety-degree angles. It was a symbol she would never forget; one that was forever burned in her memory. Isis chewed on the end of the pen, looking at the page. That had been before she had found out about shape shifters and guardians, which seemed like a lifetime
ago.
Isis rubbed her forehead, thinking about the mysterious Coop. Even though she believed the protectors truly wanted to help him, Isis didn’t think they could. Jet and Lilly, though more flexible than the guardians, were still in a position of authority. Being leaders of the protectors meant they had a responsibility to follow rules and uphold their laws. If they captured Coop, he would undoubtedly spend some time in the dungeons. Even if he didn’t, Jet and Lilly would still need to ask him a number of questions and then figure out the best strategy. There was no telling how much time they would waste doing that. If there were shape shifters in danger, time seemed to be of the essence. Coop didn’t strike Isis as someone who had a lot of time to waste, especially considering how quickly he disappeared after the fight at the Obsidian Manor.
Isis sighed and glanced towards the window, studying the dark sky. Her night was definitely unsalvageable. Even if it wasn’t, Isis was no longer in the mood to go out. She put the spiral in the nightstand drawer and moved over to the wardrobe, pulling out her nightclothes. After she had changed, Isis pulled back the covers on the bed, climbing underneath before reaching up and switching off the lamp.
CHAPTER TWO
Phil finished closing up Dionysia, the arrival of dawn signaling business was done until the next evening. He enjoyed his job; bartending came naturally to him. Sure, the music was awful and the occasional rowdy drunk was a bother, but it paid well.
He flipped the last switch and grabbed his coat from where it rested on the back of one of the chairs. It had been a slow night, typical for winter. The club filled late and emptied early. The crowd was noticeably thin due to people going home for the holidays. Christmas just wasn’t the season for club goers. He bundled up and made his way to the front door, stepping out into the frigid day and shutting the door behind him. Twisting the key and sliding the deadbolt into place, Phil turned to face the icy winter morning.
“Yah!” he let out a startled yell at the sight of a woman standing to his left. He hadn’t heard her approach. She was wearing a long charcoal-gray coat and her hands were hidden in the deep pockets. Sunglasses with clear lavender lenses covered her eyes. She was wearing black boots with a small heel.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you,” the woman said with an apologetic smile.
“You didn’t,” Phil replied, a little defensively. She raised an eyebrow, obviously not buying his response. She could at least pretend and let me salvage what remaining dignity I have left, Phil thought as he moved away from the door.
“Club’s closed,” he said. She was quick to follow him toward the employee parking lot around back.
“That’s all right. I actually came to ask you a few questions, if you wouldn’t mind,” she replied. Phil turned to look at her, frowning.
“Questions? You a cop?”
“Fuck no!” She laughed with a shake of her head. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”
“Uh, lady, I see a lot of people. Not a lot of them stand out,” Phil replied. “Should I recognize you?”
“Probably not. I came to the club a long while back,” she said. “I was with three of my friends, one of whom knew you, which I’m sure a lot of women do.”
“Thank you,” Phil interrupted, enjoying the ego stroke. The woman studied him for a moment, squinting a little, before shaking her head.
“Anyway, my name is Isis. I’m Shae Miller’s cousin,” she continued, her breath fogging in front of her when she spoke. “I’m looking for someone I met that night.”
“I see. Does this mystery person have a name?” Phil asked, walking into the cold parking garage. At dawn, it looked a lot grungier and the graffiti was more noticeable.
“I came to the club last night to ask about him. No one seems to have heard of him or remembered anyone fitting his description. I figured that I might have a better chance asking the bartender, since I know you saw him when I came here the first time. He said his name was Mark Cooper, but he went by Coop,” Isis replied, matching Phil’s long pace as they continued down the rows of cars.
Phil frowned, vaguely recalling Coop. The man had stood out, though he seemed to be trying to do the opposite. He never drank, but spent most nights at the bar, like he was waiting for someone. The odd man always had a haunted look in his eyes, which was apparent the few times he had taken off his dark-tinted sunglasses. That was probably the one of the more unusual things about him: he usually wore sunglasses that concealed his eyes, even in the dark club. Phil had tried to ask him about it a few times, but Coop wasn’t much of a conversationalist. The way he moved was eerie, with an ease and grace Phil had never seen before. It was as though the man had no bones. Coop was like a flesh and blood ghost, appearing and disappearing into thin air. Phil glanced at Isis again, vaguely remembering her coming into the club with her cousin and two other women. Come to think of it, that was the last time I saw Coop, he thought, remembering the way Coop had perked up when he spotted Isis. It was the first time Phil had seen him display anything remotely resembling emotion.
“Clean shaven guy, brown hair, about so high?” Phil asked as he gestured with his hand. “Always wearing sunglasses?”
“That’s him,” Isis confirmed, nodding. “And there was another man, black hair and a tan baseball cap. He spilled his drink all over Coop when we first met. He had a very similar manner.”
“Ah, Dane,” Phil said with a smile that was more like a grimace. He knew that guy a little better, which wasn’t saying much. He was almost as mysterious as Coop, but he blended in a little better. Dane could often seamlessly blend into a group of people. Phil suspected him of being a pickpocket, but he never caught Dane in the act, so there was nothing he could do about it. Dane was charismatic with a capital “C.” Phil always thought the man would make a great politician due to his silver tongue. It was impossible not to find the man appealing. There was just something about him that drew people in and captivated them.
“Dane?”
“Yeah, he occasionally comes into the club. I haven’t seen Coop in a long while. I just assumed he moved or something,” Phil answered as he came to his dark blue sedan.
Isis thought for a moment. “Have you seen Dane recently?”
Phil shrugged, pulling his keys out of his pocket and unlocking his door. “He might have been in here a few nights back, but I can’t be sure. I caught a glimpse of someone who looked a lot like him, but their back was to me, so I can’t be sure.”
“Is he a regular?”
Phil shook his head. “Nah, he’s pretty sporadic. If there’s a pattern to his comings and goings, I haven’t noticed it.”
“Do you have any way to reach him? An address or a phone number?” Isis asked hopefully.
Phil laughed. “Yeah, I have addresses for all the patrons of the club.”
Isis shrugged. “You seem to have a rapport with him. I just assumed you two were friends.”
“I don’t think anyone is friends with Dane. He always leaves alone, despite the fact that most of the patrons are usually fawning all over him. The guy’s alluring, probably because no one knows anything about him,” Phil replied. Isis nodded, looking a little troubled.
“Ever seen any other patrons like them?” Isis asked.
Phil shook his head. “Can’t say that I have. Those two were both one of a kind, which is really the only reason I remember them. I’ve really got to be getting home, so if you don’t mind . . . ?”
“Thank you for your time,” Isis said as she turned to leave.
“No problem. Give your cousin my best,” he said as he dropped into the driver’s seat of his car. He started the engine and glanced up at the rearview mirror, watching as Isis disappeared around a corner. He found himself wondering about the two mysterious men as he pulled out of the parking space. However, once he was on the road, he had forgotten about them and instead thought about what he would do over the holidays.
*~*~*~*~*
Sly had never been patient by nature. Standing
in a large, quiet library, she was reminded of that fact while she waited for some high school jock in a letterman jacket to check out a book he’d never understand for a class he’d probably skip or sleep through anyway. It was night and Sly had hoped that would be enough to keep the slackers at bay. Sadly, it had not been the case, judging by the idiot in front of her. Sly glanced up at the clock behind her. The library was going to close in another hour.
“So the cliff notes are like in the book?” the jock asked the ancient librarian.
“Guardians have mercy,” Sly muttered under her breath, pinching the bridge of her nose. Jet, if you think I’m going to let this one slide, think again, she thought. Jet and Lilly had requested her help in locating Coop while the Four looked for the Key. Sly had agreed, only because it was in her own best interest to figure out what the hell was going on. In her experience, unanswered questions led to unpleasantness. Unpleasantness was something she didn’t like and wanted to avoid. Sly could take care of herself. She had never declared her loyalty to any particular group of shape shifters, preferring to borrow from each group, while also not needing to bow to any leader. Sly was ruthless when she needed to be and never hesitated to use lethal force if a situation warranted it. Not many shape shifters would even think to mess with her. Even assassins and separatists left her alone based on her reputation, and Sly wanted to keep it that way.
“So like the notes are printed right in?”
“Hey, librarian,” Sly spoke loudly from behind the guy, causing them both to look at her. “Since you’re busy with the Rhodes Scholar here, can you just point me in the general direction of where I’d find your old newspapers?”
“Right down that way,” the ancient librarian said, pointing a gnarled finger down one of the silent halls.
Through Storm and Night (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 2) Page 2
