by Maya Daniels
“Don’t sugarcoat things on my behalf when you tell me how much you find me lacking.” Obviously, the insanity from the last four days is still riding my ass because even when he scowls at me, I keep yapping like an idiot. “Point out all my flaws while you try to convince me to actually go along with this crazy idea.”
“Convince you?” It’s comical seeing amusement and anger war for supremacy on Andrius’s face. “Is that what is happening here?”
“Listen.” Rubbing a hand over my face, I slump in the chair. “Even if I wasn’t a hybrid, which I would like to remind everyone in this room that I am, we both know that there is no way I’ll be able to get in.” Locking my gaze with Andrius, I chew on my lower lip for a moment. “No way I’ll be able to get in.” I’m not sure if I’m trying to convince him, Aiden, or myself when I repeat it.
“If anyone can do it, it’s you, Drake.” Andrius does not look very happy about saying those words. He actually looks constipated.
I want to laugh.
Not because I find any of this funny. I find it absolutely insane and suicidal. There’s a manic, crazy laugh bubbling in my chest right now. Aiden mutters something angrily from behind me, but I can’t even get into a pissing contest with him at the moment. It takes all my will power not to let my crazy out and laugh like some psychopath.
“You are reckless and have no instinct for self-preservation.” A line forms between Andrius’s eyebrows, as if he can’t believe he is saying this. Neither can I if I’m being honest. “If anyone can get in, it’ll be you.”
“We are talking about the Daywalker academy here.” Watching the smoke snake up from the forgotten cigar, I get mesmerized by the twisting and looping line reaching towards the ceiling. “They’ll probably kill me before I reach their gates.”
Hearing Roberti tell me that his informants have all pointed at the academy when it comes to the killings and disappearances in the last month was like a sucker punch to my chest. As soon as I passed the threshold of his office, he rapid fired the details of his mad plan at me, and my mind is still spinning from it. This damn academy is part of my town, but it isn’t. It’s like a realm all on its own; ominously staring down at us from its perch on top of the hill. No one goes near it if they value their lives. We know those that stupidly try to get in so they can become a Daywalker. Not many come out alive like Aiden obviously managed to do. Even less graduate their stupid trials and training. None of those that work in it have ever come outside the gates.
And Roberti wants me to go there.
“I have someone on the inside that will help you.” Andrius sounds reluctant to divulge this info to me, but my ears perk up at that.
“Help me how?” Nerves are causing bile to raise in my throat. “With the trials, so I can get in?”
“You are worth more to me alive, Drake. I’m not sending you to your death.” When I just stare at him, he frowns. “If I want you dead, I’ll kill you myself. It’ll be more satisfying with all the problems you’ve caused me.”
“I feel the love, boss.” Drawling, I ignore the gleeful chuckle from Aiden.
“We know that someone has been visiting the town from the academy.” Picking up his forgotten cigar, he relights it, leaning back in his chair. “I have it on good authority that all the comings and goings are monitored very closely there. They keep records of it.” His eyes narrow, but I’m not sure if he is judging my reaction or if it’s because of the smoke surrounding his head like a cloud and stinging his eyes. Mine are watering from the stench of it. “All I need you to do is get in, find those records, copy them, and get out. You’ll have help on the inside, and I’ll personally be there when you exit those gates.”
“Who’s my inside help?” I can’t believe I’m asking this question like I’ve decided to sign my death warrant. “It’s not a janitor or something, right? It’s someone that can help me get access to what we need?”
“You are really sending her there? I want no part of this!” Aiden snarls and stomps out of the office, slamming the door.
Wincing, I roll my shoulders to get rid of the tension. “He really needs to get laid and get off my ass.”
“You did hurt his pride, Drake.” Smirking, Andrius leans his forearms on the desk. “Even I know that.”
“What? No other female has said no to the mighty Aiden when he asked for a fuck? Seriously?” Biting my tongue as soon as the words are out, my eyes close in hopes that this entire day will just disappear from my memory.
“I think he really cares.” My eyes snap open, my jaw hitting the floor at the comment. This is so not happening, the whole “me getting a bit of guy advice from Roberti” thing. It can’t be.
“I’m a hybrid, and he is a pure blood. He needs a mate, and I’m doomed from birth to spend my very long existence alone. It’s how shit works in our world. Can we change the subject now? You didn’t answer my question.”
“It’s one of the professors in the academy.” Reaching to his left, he pulls open a drawer. When his hand comes out of it, there is a thick envelope between his long, calloused fingers. “You need to go to the gate, hand over this envelope, and pass the trial. When they let you in, he will meet you on the other side.”
“Who is it?” Fear, excitement, and dread are having a party inside my body right now. I didn’t live this long because I’m not afraid. It’s because of it that I survived. “What is he?”
“I don’t know,” he says, so nonchalantly that I stare stupidly at him for several long moments.
“Excuse you?” Blurting it out, I can’t even flinch when he glares at me, his power blasting me like a tornado. I guess he reached his limit for dealing with my attitude for the day.
Too fucking bad for him.
“We’ve had correspondence for decades. I did push at the beginning to know his identity, but I was told if I’m not satisfied with simply being informed that channel would close.” Scratching his chin, for the first time since I’ve known him, Andrius looks uncertain. “I stopped pressing. The information that I’m receiving is too valuable to pass up.”
“Does this person know that I’m going there?” If I keep chewing on my lip, I might end up biting it off. My fingers tingle from the energy that comes and goes at awkward times.
“He does.” Roberti is daring me to say some smartass comment. I can see it in the glint shining from his gaze.
“This screams like a set up to me.” Everything in me rebels at the idea of entering the den of death. “How do you know this is not the person that killed my father? What if it’s a set up so they can get their hands on me somewhere you can’t do anything to protect me?”
I sound like a scared little girl, and it frustrates me that I have to admit out loud how much his protection means to me. Andrius searches my face for a few moments before his eyes soften, the dark pools of power turning chocolate brown. Pushing off of his chair, he rounds the desk and doesn’t stop until his legs hit my knees. Crouching, his large hand slowly and purposely moves towards my arm, giving me time to move away if I don’t want contact. I appreciate that he respects my boundaries, so I keep my gaze locked on his.
“If I thought that you were in danger and were out of reach of my protection, there would be no way I’d send you in.” His deep voice is soothing, and I remember the times when I was much younger, when he did this often to stop my tantrums. When I was angry at life, at my parents, at everything in general. I’ve accepted my fate now, but it’s still calming to see this side of Andrius again. “I can’t give you much more than this, Franky. Just trust that I know what I’m doing and if shit happens that you can’t handle, this guy, name or no name, will get you out. That much I can promise you.”
“Okay.” Taking a deep breath, I blow it out slowly through pursed lips.
“All you need to do is”—Still holding his fingers wrapped around my forearm, Andrius squeezes reassuringly—“get the records and get out. The guy will help with your exit. As soon as you have what you are after, I ne
ed you outside those gates. Do you understand?”
“Yes.” Cracking my neck, I push out another lungful of air. “I have no desire to be anywhere near those motherfuckers, trust me. I’ll be out of there so fast their heads will be spinning.”
“Good.” Petting my arm, he stands up and moves behind his desk again. “They’ll expect you at the gates in twenty minutes, so I suggest you leave now.”
“What? Twenty minutes? Are you fucking kidding me?” Jumping off the chair, I’m already grabbing the duffel I dropped on the floor when I got here. “You’re not even going to tell me what the damn trials are about?”
“You work best when you are clueless and under pressure.” Chuckling, his eyes are glittering with laughter. I want to punch his handsome face. “Now, get lost.” Throwing the envelope at me, I scramble to catch it without dropping my bag. “And Drake.” When I’m hugging the letter to my chest, glaring at him, he gives me a stern look. “You better get your ass out of there alive, and as fast as you can. You really don’t want me coming in there after you.”
“Got it.” With a sharp nod, I square my shoulders and leave his office.
I can do this.
Chapter 6
“This is an idiotic idea.” Jumping off my bike, I grab the duffel, yanking the zipper open and muttering under my breath. “You’ve done a lot of dumb shit in your life, Franky, but this right here tops the cake.”
I stop at the bottom of the hill that will lead me to my doom no doubt, so I can strap on some of my weapons. After leaving Roberti’s office, I am so hyped up and freaked out that I don’t think of arming myself. Maybe Andrius has a point when he says I have a death wish. I react first and think later. It’s quite useful in a life or death situation, but not very smart when you know you’re headed into danger but you forget to bring a weapon. To my own embarrassment, I’ve actually done that quite a few times. Yet another thing to prove my boss knows me better than I know myself.
The new energy streams through my body, causing my hands to tingle, and I almost lose a toe when static electricity makes me drop one of my knives. Jumping back, I save my toe but lose some of my dignity. I’m acting like a child instead of a grown-ass female with years as an agent under her belt. There is a strong desire to blame it on these new powers that are messing me up, but if I’m to survive what’s coming, I have to be honest with myself. It’s those damn shadows. No matter what I do, I can’t stop thinking about it. That and the guy that saved my life.
Who was he?
That’s another thing. Every time I think about him, there is this unidentifiable feeling that it’s imperative for me to know his identity. He didn’t just save my life that night. He also healed me and got rid of the shadows somehow. All that before Aiden found me passed out on the street. A flutter in my belly stills my hands where I’m pushing a dagger inside my boot.
Shaking my head, I push all those thoughts away and straighten up. Looking high up the hill, I can make out the tall towers from the academy sticking out like gnarled fingers pointed at the sky. My breath makes small clouds around my face, the temperature rapidly dropping the later in the night it gets. Rubbing my hands together to bring some warmth to them, I take a deep breath.
“Snap out of the funk, girl.” Shoving my braid back inside the leather jacket, I zip it up all the way to my chin. “Get this done and you’re golden. No need to worry about being kicked out of the agency.”
The pep talk helps, my heart slowing down the galloping that it has been doing for the last few days. By some miracle, the crazy energy pulls back, staying just at a distant hum in my chest, and that helps my mind to clear. Straddling the bike, I give the spiked tall towers one last look before placing the helmet over my head. Not wanting to be late, I let the Ducati purr for just a second before taking the road up the hill.
The trees are just a blur around me, getting denser as the road narrows the higher up I get. The winding path for the last mile or so snakes around in sharp twists and turns, forcing me to slow my bike down. Sooner than I would’ve liked, I can see the massive iron gates of Daywalker Academy standing like the gates of Hell, abandoned and gloomy, surrounded by high walls and ancient trees.
When I stop, then turn off the bike, I realize that not a sound can be heard here. At the bottom of the hill, the crickets were loud, an occasional hoot of an owl or the chirp of a night bird giving it somewhat of a natural feel. This right here is what I would expect if a predator is stalking the forest around me. Maybe a predator is stalking the forest. My mind finds it essential to point out, and goosebumps that have nothing to do with the chill in the air cover my skin.
The way I’m stopped in the middle of the path leading to the academy, it almost looks like I’m having a standoff with the black iron gates, facing them but not getting any closer. My head moves slowly left to right as I scan my surroundings. I’m hoping the night hides me since I’m dressed all in black leather, with a black full-faced helmet covering my head and a black bike, helping me blend in with the darkness. Not a leaf moves up here. Lifting my visor is the smartest decision I made all night. As soon as the cold night air hits my cheeks, I duck, pushing the bike on one side and rolling off it on the other.
The sound of metal hitting metal is like a gong going off in the silence. Crouched on the ground, my eyes dart around, looking for the owner of the dagger the size of my forearm that got stuck in the dirt almost to the hilt after bouncing off the gate. Opening the visor is the only reason I even heard it sailing through the air in the first place. Luckily, I did, though. Otherwise the dark steel would’ve been buried to the hilt in my neck, or maybe even my back.
“Very brave while hiding from sight.” There is no need to raise my voice. I know whoever it is they can hear me perfectly. “Some may call you a coward, but I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.”
A dark chuckle meant to scare me but only managing to piss me off bounces off the wide tree trunks. I don’t get the time to stew in it for long because I hear the second blade coming at me from my back. Dropping flat on the dirt, I wince when I hear it hit my bike. The fucker would’ve been better off stabbing me with it than messing with my ride. Pushing off the ground, my boots barely graze the path before I flip around and send one of my own daggers in the direction of the coward.
My lips stretch out so hard my cheeks hurt from the smile when I hear the pained grunt. Not giving him enough time to pull my weapon out and recover, I send three more much smaller knives his way in rapid succession. I hear each one of them hit its mark, followed by more grunts of pain. It’s unfair that the guy is not vocal, I wouldn’t mind hearing him scream. I know it’s a guy because, once again, he underestimated me. A female would’ve been smarter, and probably a vain creature that would like me to see her face before she kills me. It’s what I would do. This idiot, though, instead of killing me, thought he was going to play with me for a while.
The joke is on him.
“Halt!”
I freeze in a half-crouch where I am reaching for the dagger in my boot. The deep raspy voice booms from just inside the gates, and my head snaps in that direction, searching the darkness. The moon is not full yet, and there isn’t enough of a silvery glow to allow me to penetrate the night. When a branch cracks under a foot from inside the forest, my dagger is in my hand, and I turn sideways just enough so I can have both of them in my sight when they emerge.
“What business do you have here?” the one from inside the gates calls out, his body becoming visible in the moonlight while his raspy voice trails off around us. “Uninvited guests are killed on principle alone.”
He is easily six-foot-five, maybe six-foot-six from what I can see. His bald head shines like an ornament in the light of the moon. I can’t distinguish his features, but when his head turns to look for his buddy, the coward, I see his long hawk-like nose sticking out. My hand clenches at my side with the need to break it for him.
“Maybe you should check for invitations first, huh?” My word
s are muffled from my helmet, but there is no way I’m taking it off with these jerks around. “Or do you get off on patting down bodies to check if they were invited?” Tilting my head, I wait until his face is turned my way again. “You do look like a creep who would enjoy something like that.”
His hands ball up into fists, and his shoulders bunch up. I can see that if the gate didn’t stand between us, he would be on me before I can blink. That same deep chuckle from earlier comes from just inside the trees, raising goosebumps on my arms. What little light reaches that area outlines a muscular body with the gait of a predator, just as I assumed. The yellow glow of his eyes marks him as a wolf shifter, although the way he walks is a dead giveaway of what he is. They don’t walk the earth, they prowl.
“Were you?” His tenor sends a shiver of apprehension through me.
“Huh?” Catching a movement from the corner of my eye, I send the dagger I am clutching in my hand flying through the air, sinking right at the feet of the bold one at the gate. “Don’t move buddy. The next one will be between your eyes.”
“Invited.” The wolf growls, sounding like he is trying not to laugh at his friend.
When I blink at him, my mind draws a blank, and he laughs out loud. I can see my weapons held in one of his plate-sized hands when he stops a few feet away from me, the injuries I inflicted already closing up through his ripped clothing. Now I can see his roguish face, with scruff that’s a few days old. Full lips are stretched into a friendly smile, but the glint in his glowing eyes says a different story. He will slit my throat while keeping that disarming smile planted on his stupidly handsome face. The black, long-sleeve t-shirt and pants mold to his body like they are painted over his bulky frame.
“Are you invited or an uninvited guest?” he repeats his question, and I finally snap out of the confusion.
“Invited.” Reaching for my jacket, I see the wolf tense up, and I freeze. “Take it easy buddy, I’m just reaching for the letter. It’s in the inside pocket of my jacket.”
