Through Storm and Night (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 2)

by Lauren Jankowski

  They were supposed to have lunch with a couple of her friends over the weekend, but he couldn’t remember their names. They would definitely be in her phone. She wouldn’t mind if he just took a quick peek.

  Steve got out of bed and retrieved his boxers, pulling them on as he moved toward the dresser. He glanced over toward the washroom door, which was opened a crack. Soft light spilled just outside the door and wafts of steam curled out from the room. The shower was still going; she probably wouldn’t be out for a bit. Steve picked up the cell phone, shivering at the icy cold feel of it, and turned the device around a few times in his hand, his brown eyes studying it. He debated whether or not to open it. On the one hand, he didn’t want to betray his girlfriend’s trust. On the other hand, it was just to jog his memory and Tracy wouldn’t mind such a small thing. It was just an instinct, but Steve always listened to his instincts. He was similar to Isis in that way. Isis …

  *~*~*~*~*

  Shae sat in a dark blue car in front of the house where her cousin had met her untimely demise. She sipped her coffee as she studied the house. There were a number of things wrong with the scene before her. There was no police tape and the house still looked abandoned. It was as if nothing had happened there.

  Shae was startled by a knocking on the window. She groaned when the individual moved around the car, opened the passenger door, and sank into the seat.

  “Dammit, Jade,” Shae grumbled as she sipped her coffee again. Jade shut the door behind her and rubbed her hands together as she sat back in the seat, regarding Shae.

  “You want to tell me what the hell you’re doing out here?” she asked before blowing into her cold hands. Temperatures had been reaching record lows all week. It was predicted to continue on for a few days yet. Shape shifters had a higher cold tolerance than humans, but they still felt frigid temperatures.

  “None of your damn business, that’s what I’m doing,” Shae replied as she put her coffee in the cupholder. Jade grabbed her arm in an iron-tight grasp and jerked her around so that she was facing her. Jade’s dark brown eyes were blazing with fury and something else … grief?

  “You’re not the only one grieving, Shae,” Jade warned, her tone causing a shiver to go down Shae’s spine. She released the younger protector’s arm after a moment, her eyes going back to the house. An uncomfortable silence fell over them for a few moments.

  “If you start sneaking out, Jet and Lilly are going to be pissed,” Jade muttered. “And they won’t be the only ones.”

  “Uh huh, how did you convince Alex to cover your ass?” Shae inquired, already knowing their teammate would probably be the one offering their alibi. Poor girl. Shae reached toward the dashboard, cranking the heat up another few degrees. The frigid temperature was starting to seep into the car, even with the heat on.

  “I didn’t, she offered,” Jade responded, noticing Shae’s skeptical look. “We all grieve differently. Alex is keeping busy at the mansion and she didn’t feel like running out to retrieve you. She never did care for cooler climes. I believe you’re the only one who actually enjoys this sort of weather.”

  Shae looked back to the small suburban home outside her window. The cookie cutter houses and equally fake people who lived in them were just a bit too creepy for her tastes. It was all just neutral colors with the occasional bland child scribbling with equally bland chalk or making a snow fort. The streets were bare. A bad snowstorm had been forecast that day and everyone had locked themselves up in their warm and cozy homes. The wind was already starting to pick up and snow was beginning to fall. The windshield wipers would sweep across the glass in front of them every now and again.

  “Where’s the police tape?” Jade asked, squinting as she looked at the house.

  Shae shrugged and shook her head. “I was wondering the same when you came along. The longer I look at it the more I realize this scene doesn’t make any sense.”

  Shae suddenly got out of the car, followed closely by Jade. Their boots crunched in the snow. Judging from the thick layer of snow, the sidewalks hadn’t been shoveled yet. They started moving toward the house, stopped only by the sound of a door closing nearby. Shae’s hand drifted toward the Beretta she had brought with her. Jade smacked her arm and shook her head, a look of exasperation on her face. The last thing they needed was an accidental shooting of an unarmed civilian.

  An older man in a winter coat with matching hat and mittens started to make his way down the steps of his porch at the house next door. He noticed Shae and Jade standing in front of the neighboring house and waved at them.

  “Can I help you ladies?” he asked in a friendly voice.

  “Um, what happened to the people who lived here?” Jade asked as she approached the man. The man looked at her as if he didn’t understand her question.

  “Nobody’s lived in that old place for a good twenty years,” the man answered. “Of course, after what happened a few nights ago, I doubt anyone will live in it for another twenty.”

  “What happened?” Shae asked, curious about the man’s version. A frigid wind whipped up their hair and knifed through their coats and boots.

  “There was some kind of break in,” he responded, scratching his head. “Or at least, that’s what the police said happened, I think. It’s rather fuzzy.”

  “Who called the police?” Jade asked, as Shae looked back at the house.

  “Oh, um, nice girl who lives a couple blocks over. She heard something in the house while she was on her daily jog,” the man said, squinting slightly. “It was odd though. I live right next door and I didn’t hear a thing. The wife must be right. I’m going deaf as a post.”

  “Does this girl have a name?” Jade asked.

  “Yes, ma’am. Her name is Tracy Reynolds. We saw her when we came out on the porch, after hearing the sirens. She was the one who told us about the break in,” the man answered. Shae whipped around, her mouth dropping open. She pulled her phone out of her pocket and began scrolling through it. Jade glanced over at her, giving her a questioning look that Shae ignored. She had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Please don’t let me be right, she thought as she frantically moved her fingers.

  “She’s moving out, going back to live with her folks I think. At least, that’s what she told us that night.”

  Shae clicked on a photo to enlarge it and thrust her phone at the man.

  “Just out of curiosity, is that Tracy Reynolds?” Shae asked. Jade stared at her, obviously confused. The man removed thick glasses from his pocket and placed them on his nose, holding the phone further from his face. After a moment, the man nodded.

  “Yeah,” he confirmed, which made Shae’s blood run cold. “Yeah, that’s her. Pretty little thing, isn’t she? Face of an angel, that one.”

  *~*~*~*~*

  Steve opened Tracy’s phone, glancing once more at the shower. The screen showed her contacts. He noticed Isis’ number and swallowed the lump in his throat, running a hand through his hair. Steve could already feel tears burning his eyes and he blinked rapidly, swiping at his eyes with his free hand. His thumb slipped on the phone and he hit the text message symbol. Before he had a chance to close it, he noticed a text from Blackjack: It’s done.

  “What the fuck?” Steve whispered to himself.

  “Ahem,” a soft feminine voice came from the doorway. Steve jerked around, stunned to see a fully clothed and dry Tracy standing in the doorway. She had a powerful-looking pistol trained on him, complete with a specially made silencer. The blonde woman clicked her tongue and shook her head.

  “Steven, darling, didn’t mommy ever tell you that it’s incredibly impolite to snoop through a lady’s things?” she asked, a strange lilt to her words. “This makes me question whether I can trust you at all. I think we need to seriously consider counseling.”

  *~*~*~*~*

  Jade thanked the old man and then chased after Shae, who dove back into the car. After the man had identified the woman on Shae’s phone as Tracy Reynolds, Shae had m
ade a beeline for the car, muttering every swear word there was.

  “Shae, what’s going on?” Jade asked as she got into the passenger seat. She barely had time to close the door before Shae floored the accelerator, spinning the car out of the parking spot. She tore down the street and Jade chose not to look at the speedometer.

  “Tracy Reynolds — it’s Steve’s girlfriend,” Shae explained, flipping on the turn signal.

  “What? How did you come to that conclusion? Why did you even suspect that?”

  “I remember she said she lived in this area, so I had a hunch,” Shae answered, swerving around a turn. Shae could only pray they would get to Steve’s place in time. She couldn’t lose another friend.

  *~*~*~*~*

  “You killed her, didn’t you?” Steve demanded, fury burning beneath his skin. Tracy smirked and shook her head once.

  “Steven, what do you take me for? A common assassin? No, nothing so crude. I merely arranged the pieces,” Tracy replied. “Your little friend got herself killed.”

  “You won’t get away with this,” Steve warned, trying his best to sound threatening. It was difficult since he was unarmed and wearing nothing but his boxers. Tracy smiled even wider.

  “Oh love, I already have,” she stated with sympathy. Steve glanced toward the nightstand where he kept a knife. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

  “Don’t even think about it!” Tracy warned sharply, causing Steve to jolt. “Keep your hands where I can see them and move into the bathroom.”

  Steve raised his hands. Getting himself killed wouldn’t help matters. He had to tell Jet and Lilly about this woman, whoever or whatever she was.

  Tracy laughed, a delicate tinkling sound. “By the time you tell the Monroes anything, I will be long gone. They will never be able to find me.”

  Steve’s eyes widened. “You’re a telepath.”

  Tracy nodded, running her tongue over her teeth. “That’s just one of my abilities, love. One of the lesser ones, at that.”

  Suddenly, she ripped out another pistol from her other shoulder holster. The gun was identical to the one she already had on Steve.

  “One more step and I color the wall with his brains!” she snapped. Steve knew she could easily do it. Probably didn’t even have to look, judging by how steadily she held the gun. Steve watched her taut form, still not quite comprehending how he could’ve been so deceived. She kept looking out of the room, but the gun pointed at him never wavered. Steve found himself wondering if perhaps he could grab it …

  “Acting rashly would be unwise, Steven. I’d be forced to kill our unexpected guest and then you,” she growled at him, without looking in his direction. Dammit, Steve thought. She was a very skilled mind-reader from what he had witnessed so far. Telepathy was a gift usually only the guardians possessed, and not even many of them had it. Steve wasn’t even sure if any of the current guardians possessed it.

  “Come in here, very slowly, and keep your hands where I can see them,” Tracy commanded, moving further into Steve’s bedroom. “When you get into the room, put your hands against the wall. Try anything and I will kill him. Same goes for you, Steven.”

  Tracy backed further into the room, one gun still on Steve while the other pointed at the doorway. Soon, Shae stepped into the bedroom with her hands held up. She looked at Steve and closed her eyes for a moment, shaking her head.

  “Goddammit, Steve,” she mumbled. Steve spread his hands helplessly.

  “Don’t blame the poor boy,” Tracy chimed in. “I’m irresistible, especially when I choose to be. Believe me, he didn’t stand a chance.”

  Shae looked at Tracy, confused by the cryptic statement. Tracy gestured with her gun for Shae to turn around and put her hands on the wall, which she did. Steve let out a breath of relief. He had already lost one friend and couldn’t handle losing another one so soon.

  “She’s a telepath, Shae,” Steve muttered, rubbing his eyes.

  “Great,” Shae commented dryly, unable to keep the concern out of her green eyes as she looked over at Steve.

  Tracy quickly but cautiously approached Shae. She put one of her firearms in its holster and frisked the protector, removing a gun and a throwing knife. She buried the throwing knife up to the hilt in the wall right next to Shae’s face, causing the other woman to flinch. Tracy smiled again and stepped back.

  “Honestly, you really are quite a pathetic species. How natural selection hasn’t caught up with the lot of you, I will never know,” Tracy commented. “Both of you, in the bathroom, now.”

  Steve entered the small washroom first, followed closely by Shae. They both noticed what looked like a small version of a caulking gun on the sink. They exchanged a look as Tracy reached into the room and retrieved it.

  “Luckily for the two of you, I’m under strict orders not to kill either one of you unless absolutely necessary,” she commented almost to herself. “But I cannot risk you following me.”

  She sprayed a translucent pink gel around the door frame, starting up at the top and going around the entire door. The gel stayed in place as if it were part of the door. Tracy put the small caulking gun in a holster at her waist. She smiled at them one last time and nodded once.

  “Well kiddies, I’m afraid the time has come for me to bid you adieu. Don’t worry. We’ll meet again.”

  She closed the door. There was a strange foaming sound and suddenly, the door melted into the wall. Steve couldn’t believe his eyes as he opened his mouth to say something but closed it again.

  “What the fuck?” Shae shouted, slamming her hand against the wall where the door had been. “Are you kidding me!?”

  She began to punch the wall, while Steve shut off the shower. The noise had been driving him crazy. The steam from the shower added humidity to the room that made it difficult to breathe. Sweat had already begun to bead on the two shape shifters trapped inside. Steve figured the situation didn’t need to be any more unpleasant than it already was. Turning his attention back to where Shae was still beating the hell out of the door, Steve carefully reached out and gently grabbed her wrists.

  “Hey, Shae. What good is breaking every bone in your hand going to do?” he asked, noticing that her knuckles had already split wide open.

  “Don’t even try that goddamn bullshit on me, Steve!” Shae snapped, turning back to the door. She punched the wall one last time, swearing at the pain it caused her split knuckles. Smears of blood decorated the wall as she withdrew her fist.

  “The next time you decide to get laid when Justin is away, do me a gigantic favor and make sure he or she isn’t a psycho,” Shae snapped at her friend. Steve swallowed and looked at his feet for a moment. He knew she wasn’t really angry at him, but he was the closest one to her. Shae needed to vent and he was willing to let her. Steve looked up at her, guilt swimming in the depths of his dark brown eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered. Shae scrubbed her hands over her face, glancing back at the wall and letting out a long breath.

  “What the hell did she use?” Shae asked, examining where the door frame had once been. “What the hell even was she?”

  “I don’t know,” Steve replied. “And . . . I don’t know.”

  He approached the wall and ran his hand over it, not finding any trace of a door. Glancing to the side when Shae slumped against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor, Steve ran his hand over the smooth wall one last time. He moved to sit next to his friend, draping an arm around her shoulders. Shae leaned against him.

  “Jade came with me,” she mentioned and Steve nodded. At least that was something. They just had to wait for a bit.

  “Steve?” Shae’s voice trembled a little. Steve turned his attention back to her and Shae crossed her arms tightly over her chest, curling into a ball against her friend.

  “I really miss her,” Shae whispered, swiping at the tears that had begun to roll down her cheeks. Steve was quiet for a moment, sniffling a little.

  “Me too,”
he agreed, feeling the ache deep in his chest.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Jade circled Steve’s apartment building, looking for a sign from Shae. She closed her eyes when another gust of wind blew snow into her face. The protector was hoping there wasn’t going to be a whiteout. The storm had grown steadily worse since they arrived at Steve’s place and Jade wasn’t a huge fan of driving in blizzards.

  Jade was patrolling the outside of the building to ensure Tracy wouldn’t be able to escape. Shae had insisted on this particular course of action. If that bitch gets past me, kill her, she had ordered Jade before going into the apartment. Jade glanced at her watch, the wind howling in her ears. The five minutes she had allowed Shae had just run out. That was it, something was wrong and it was time to go in.

  Jade moved back to the front of the building just as an older, hunched over woman was exiting. She had a colorful floral scarf wrapped about her head, which fluttered wildly in the violent winds. Jade smiled politely and held the door open for the woman, then entered through the front door. She reached behind her back where a Beretta was tucked into her pants. As she made her way to the stairs, Jade scrubbed the snow out of her dark hair. She jogged up the stairs to the second floor, where Steve’s apartment was. Hurrying down the hall, Jade pulled out the gun as she got close to his door.