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

by Lauren Jankowski

  Electra was dressed casually, in jeans and a nice purple blouse. She had a plain gray bag slung over her left shoulder. Her soft brown hair was pulled back, held in place by a sparkling green hair tie. She looked so much like her sister that it was almost painful.

  Jensen gave her a questioning look. “Does your mother know you’re here?”

  She shrugged. “Thought you could use some help.”

  “Well, I don’t,” Jensen replied flatly as he made his way to the driver’s side. Electra approached him, blocking the door with her slender body, pinning him with her bright green eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, closed it again, and looked down for a moment. Jensen waited for her to speak, though he was anxious to get moving.

  “Jensen, she was my sister, my twin. I had just found her,” Electra said, pausing. “Please. I can’t stay up in the Meadows doing nothing. I just . . . I can’t.”

  Jensen hesitated, studying her. She must have had to swallow an enormous amount of pride to approach him. He knew he wasn’t her favorite person. And she had just as much right to get answers as he did. Besides, knowing Electra, she would find some way to follow him. Based on what Jet and Lilly had told him, once the young guardian had set her mind on a task, it was nearly impossible to dissuade her from accomplishing it.

  “You do realize how much trouble you’re going to be in?” Jensen asked, leaning against the car next to her. “Electra, I’m going to be doing some dodgy things that aren’t exactly in the protector’s code. I’m going to be a thief on this search. You understand what that means?”

  Electra rolled her eyes, resting her hip against the Jaguar. “I am Passion’s daughter. I know a thing or two about bending rules … and outright breaking them if the situation calls for it.”

  Jensen stared at her for another moment, and then with a resigned sigh he grabbed her bag. He nearly stumbled from the weight. Guardians have mercy, what the hell is she packing? Bricks? Jensen couldn’t help but wonder as he shoved her bag next to his in the back seat of the Jaguar.

  “Hop in,” he muttered. “I’m driving.”

  Electra strode around the car and opened the passenger’s door, sinking into the dark interior of the car. She buckled her seatbelt and then stared ahead. Jensen did the same on the driver’s side. They were both silent as he drove out of the garage. It was one of the first times the silence was comfortable between the two. They were both lost in grief, but somehow being with someone who felt the same made it more bearable.

  The Jaguar drove quickly down the long, winding driveway until they reached the large gate at the end of the mansion’s property. Jensen briefly put the car in park and got out, his nice shoes crunching in the snow. He didn’t notice the frigid cold or the bitter winds on his trek to the security box. Opening the cover, Jensen placed his hand on the scanner and waited patiently as the light went from blue to green before the gate swung open. He returned to the car, sinking back in the driver’s seat and drove through the opened gate, glancing in the rearview mirror to make sure the gate swung shut and locked behind them.

  Jensen kept his eyes forward on the winding hidden path before them, forcing himself not to look back. The mansion had always felt like home to him and leaving it pained him. He pressed on the brakes when they were halfway through the hidden path. Electra glanced over at him, her expression reflecting puzzlement. Jensen tightly gripped the steering wheel, watching his breath fog in front of him. After a moment, his hands relaxed on the wheel and he turned his eyes to the young guardian.

  “Ready?” Jensen asked and Electra nodded. He shifted into drive and the Jaguar drove out of the hidden path and onto the street, disappearing around a corner.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Later that morning, Jet and Lilly entered the study. Jet rubbed the lingering sleep from his stinging eyes. He hadn’t been able to get much sleep and now he had a long day ahead of him, one he was not looking forward to. Thankfully, he had Lilly by his side to help share the heavy burden of leadership. Sly was also at the mansion working with them, which took some of the burden off their shoulders. She was still being a pain in the ass, insisting on doing things her way and critiquing everything they did or had done up to that point.

  “Jet.” Lilly picked up an envelope from his desk.

  “What’s that?” he asked, frowning as he sank into the chair behind the desk.

  “I don’t know. That’s Jensen’s handwriting, isn’t it?” Lilly replied, studying the envelope. Jet nodded, recognizing Jensen’s flawless handwriting across the front in neat script letters. Jensen had always had immaculate penmanship, likely taught to him by his late mother, who had been an accomplished author. Jet groaned as he thought of all the possible things that envelope could contain. Lilly lifted a letter opener from the desk and slid the sharp edge through the top.

  “What has that damn reckless Aldridge done now?” Jet grumbled, his mood sour from lack of sleep. Lilly raised an eyebrow at him, smiling and clicking her tongue in a playful manner, before turning her attention back to the envelope she held. Jet smiled despite himself, reaching out and running his hand over Lilly’s knee. Even in the most trying of times, the two leaders could always get a smile out of each other.

  “Oh dear,” Lilly said as her eyes traveled over the letter.

  “What?” Jet asked and Lilly handed him the letter, which he took and read.

  Dear Jet and Lilly,

  You and the Deverells are the closest people I have to family, so I felt I needed to inform you of my leaving. By the time you read this, I’ll be gone. I’ve gone off to get answers, which we all need. I will be using my own channels, which you won’t want to be a part of. Please tell the Deverells not to worry about me.

  I don’t know when, or if, I’ll be back. I’ll let you know if I find anything useful.

  Sincerely,

  Jensen

  Jet tossed the paper to the desk and rested his elbows on the surface, running his hands over his face. Lilly glanced at the paper before standing from where she sat on the desk and moving to sit on the arm of the chair. After a moment, she laid her head atop her husband’s.

  “I worry about him too, my darling. But he will return,” she reassured him. “Jensen is grieving now, as we all are, but eventually the grief will not be as great.”

  “The last Aldridge and the only shape shifter guardian hybrid on Earth,” Jet let out a soft laugh as he intertwined his fingers with his wife’s. “One of the stranger pairings we’ve seen.”

  They sat in silence, finding comfort in the nearness of one another. Jet stared at the bookshelves, becoming lost in thought. Well Jensen, I hope you find what you’re looking for. For all our sakes, Jet thought.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Alpha watched the doctor pack up the few belongings he had in his small living space. The temperature was still quite cold in the room, but they both ignored it. He secured the latch on his last bag and looked over at her.

  “It’s morning. No one will see you slip out,” Alpha answered the question she read in his eyes, dropping her hands so she could hook her thumbs in the pockets of her tight black jeans. “No one who doesn’t already know you’re here, anyway.”

  “Thank you,” the doctor said, retrieving his hat from the empty desk. He put it on his head and buttoned up his long coat. Alpha considered asking him where he was going, but decided against it. He wouldn’t tell her and she didn’t really care. She ran a hand through her messy black hair.

  “Jet will probably contact you about finding a rebel by the name of Ace. You should help him,” the doctor said.

  “I’ve met Ace before,” Alpha replied, nodding. She looked around the empty room. She didn’t know how he was able to stand being in such a dark cramped space. Alpha tended to prefer the night, but even she needed the natural light of the sun at times. There were no windows in the room and the doctor only used a single lamp for light. It gave the entire space a gloomy atmosphere, which seemed to suit him. The doctor was pulling on hi
s gloves, preparing to leave.

  “It’s all gone wrong, hasn’t it?” Alpha asked softly after a moment. The doctor sighed and nodded once.

  “Yes, I’m afraid it has,” he answered, pausing. “Alpha . . . I don’t think I can fix it this time. And if what’s coming is what I suspect, I fear for us all.”

  “So what should I do? What should the rebels do?”

  The doctor slung a bag over his left shoulder and lifted the two small suitcases that contained most of his worldly possessions.

  “If things get really bad, and you’ll know if they do, get out. You gather your people and get as far away from civilization and society as you can,” he answered without hesitation. Alpha stared at him, lifting her chin defiantly.

  “Rebels never run,” she reminded him. An expression of sadness crossed his normally grim face and he nodded.

  “Then the only thing you or any of us can do is hope,” the doctor responded. “Hope for some kind of miracle, because barring that, I don’t see how we can possibly win this fight.”

  He gave her a thin smile and then strode to the door, opening it and disappearing down the hallway. Alpha turned her head slightly, listening to his footsteps fade as he got further down the hall. The rebel leader looked around the empty room once more before turning to leave. She reached out and switched the light off as she left.

  *~*~*~*~*

  “It took us a year to break 7-299. Strong-willed that one was, though women are usually harder to break. We don’t know exactly why.”

  Set stood in front of a large window, gazing down at five large human men. They held powerful looking semi-automatic weapons. They were surrounded on all sides by brush. They stood back-to-back in a tight circle, a decent strategy.

  “As you requested, we’ve kept her participation in simulations to a minimum. But I knew you wanted to check on her progress, so I had this arranged.”

  In the observation room above, a scientist in a white lab coat stood beside Set. The scientist was humanoid in appearance, except for his gray iridescent skin. Set was dressed in a tailored caramel-colored suit. He was wearing his more youthful appearance, with dark hair and darker eyes. Set was on the shorter side, which surprised the people he interacted with. Even when he had been a guardian, he had been one of the shortest people in the Meadows. He held one hand in a fist beneath his chin, occasionally moving his fingers in a methodical motion.

  “It’s going to take at least another year and a half to train her fully, preferably two if you want to unlock her full potential,” the scientist continued, noisily turning a page on his clipboard. A tree rustled in the pseudo-forest below them and one of the men responded with a barrage of bullets, causing Set to roll his eyes. Humans, so predictable, he thought with a shake of his head.

  There was a sudden blur of motion and blood splattered across the window. The scientist jumped back with a small yelp, but Set merely smiled. He was very pleased at what he saw. Very pleased indeed.

  “What is she using?” he asked, watching as the other men tried to tighten the circle. A few shots took out two more. She had grabbed the first victim’s weapon. A barrage of bullets hit the bushes where the shots had come from.

  “A bladed weapon,” the scientist answered. “A combat knife, I believe.”

  Set leaned forward, watching as she attacked the final two. They had unwisely used up their bullets shooting at shadows. A slender form jumped out of the bushes behind them, stabbing one in the back of the neck and severing his spinal cord. She then leapt at the other one, tackling him to the ground and stabbing him repeatedly.

  “When will we know which of the three is the Key?” Set asked softly. He was very quiet by nature, only speaking when absolutely necessary. Even when he did speak, it was rarely above a whisper. Yet he always spoke with conviction and confidence, which reminded the few individuals he spoke with of his power. He was always in control.

  “Ah, Carding has us working around the clock on that. It could be some time though, possibly four or five years if you want to be sure,” the scientist answered. Set clasped his hands behind his back, taking a step closer to the glass and peering down through the blood. There she stood. Even coated in blood, she was stunning. The perfect killing machine. She looked up at him, her green eyes unnaturally luminescent. She stood at attention, splattered with blood and viscera. Her dark hair was extremely short to ensure no enemy could grab it in battle. Her body was sleek for maximum speed and agility. None would expect the strength contained in that wiry frame. The guardians will never see her coming, Set thought, his smile growing.

  “I am patient. Take all the time you need,” he told the scientist. “Give me daily updates about her progress and the progress of the other two as well. And make sure she knows how to kill cleanly. Can’t have her going on a bloody rampage just yet.”

  “It’s always the women,” the scientist mentioned, shaking his head. “They’re so brutal and aggressive. I don’t know why.”

  “It’s because they’re constantly underestimated. Makes people assume they can be taken advantage of,” Set responded before turning and making his way out of the viewing deck. He made his way down the long flight of metal stairs to the main hall. A woman in a red dress and heels waited for him at the bottom of the stairs. She had curly blonde hair and light brown eyes. Her nails and lips were painted the same shade of fiery red as her dress. A ball of golden flame floated just above her hand. When she saw him coming, she clenched her hand in a fist and the flame extinguished with just a trace of smoke.

  “Pyra, my love, you missed quite a show,” Set mentioned.

  “It went well then?” she asked, following him as he made his way down the hall.

  “Oh yes. She’s a perfect killing machine. Perhaps our best weapon to date.”

  “Is she the Key?”

  “Possibly.”

  “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s take the Meadows and be done with it.”

  “Patience, my darling. She’s not fully trained yet and neither is 7-295,” Set responded firmly. “And I suspect that 7-082 is sneaking out again. I still need to make contact with the wereanimals and there are a few demon clans that have yet to respond to my calls.”

  “We have thousands—”

  “Hundreds, dear. Please don’t be overdramatic.”

  “Fine. We have hundreds of perfect weapons at our disposal, we’ll definitely surpass a thousand by year’s end. We should strike now while the protectors are still grieving. They’re vulnerable.”

  “I don’t care whether or not they’re vulnerable. I want them to see how futile it is to fight against me. I want them to feel every last moment of slaughter when it finally comes. I want to see the fear in their eyes as their blood is spilled,” Set stated, chuckling at the thought. “I want to have fun. And that’s exactly what this is going to be.”

  “You’ll never win when they’re at full strength.”

  “Have you forgotten the prophecy? The one who wields the Key shall destroy all who stand against him. They will scream in anguish as they are cut down and strewn at his feet. To wield the Key is to be invincible. The guardians and their protectors have already lost the war. They just don’t realize it yet.”

  “So what are we supposed to do in the meantime?” the woman asked, creating another fireball over her hand.

  “We keep growing our army, keep them fighting fit. Send them out regularly to hone their skills, allowing them to do what they do best: kill. We will use them to start picking off the shape shifters. Not enough to raise attention, just enough to start a few rumors. We’re also going to start targeting the other supernatural races who might ally with the protectors and guardians,” he said, turning to look through another window. “Any demon that doesn’t bend a knee, we’re going to wipe out.”

  Pyra also turned to look through the window, clenching her fist and extinguishing the golden ball of flame. She watched as 7-299 was brought into the shower room and sprayed down. The woman didn’t
even flinch when hit with a powerful jet of water, tan uniform and all. Blood colored the water that rolled off her. The fire guardian smiled. The 7-series did look promising, the perfect monster.

  “Once we have confirmed which one is the Key, then we take our legions and we wipe out the protectors first. After we have conquered the Earth, the Meadows will easily fall. I will take the Key, destroy the guardians, and then I shall reign with you as my queen. Our thrones shall be made from the bones of our enemies and we shall drink their blood with our victory feast.”

  The woman shivered in pleasure, smiling as she looked over at Set. A smile grew on his face and he offered his elbow.

  “Now, let’s get out of this dreary place. It’s time to make a little chaos.”

  She wrapped her arm around his elbow and they strode out of the sterile white halls.

  To be continued in

  From the Ashes

  Book Three of The Shape Shifter Chronicles

  available now from Snowy Wings Publishing!

  There is a race that lives among humans, unbeknownst to them, called shape shifters, those that can shift from human to animal at will. Many protect the innocent on Earth and act as the eyes and ears of the guardians, divine beings similar to gods in ancient myths.

  BOOK ONE: SERE FROM THE GREEN

  An ordinary woman stumbles across a murder, and her investigation uncovers answers about her own past and sets her on a journey that will change her life forever.

  Available now

  BOOK THREE: FROM THE ASHES

  The protectors find themselves on a collision course with a mysterious woman, known only as Blitz. Hers is a tale of revenge and death, of blood and violence — and she holds the answer to the mystery of the glowing-eyes.