Sere from the Green (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 1)

by Lauren Jankowski

  “Isis, please tell Electra that I will be out later to see how you are progressing,” Remington’s voice made her hesitate for a minute. When she was sure he wasn’t going to add anything more, Isis jogged up the stairs and out of the training room.

  *~*~*~*~*

  It was a picturesque summer afternoon. The mansion’s lands were bathed in the golden light of the sun. A cool breeze prevented the temperature from becoming stifling. The air was alive with the songs of various birds and the babbling brook complimented their symphony.

  Isis was soaking in the serenity of the lands as she meandered in the general direction of the Koi pond. In the kitchen, she had run into a man who introduced himself as Cassidy Monroe. The pleasant exchange had been a little uncomfortable due to the fact that Cassidy had been wearing nothing other than a pair of socks.

  She finally spotted the large Koi pond and her sister. Electra was perched atop one of the smooth red stones that surrounded the body of water. Her eyes were down as she gazed into the clean pool. Isis approached, leaning forward a little once she reached the pond, admiring the large colorful fish. Almost every color of the rainbow was captured in their beautiful scales. Her eyes were drawn to one in particular, though she wasn’t sure why. It was a solid-colored fish, an orange one. It didn’t move differently or look different from the other fish, but it stood out to her for some reason.

  “There are close to a hundred Koi in here,” Electra said as she shifted her weight so that she could dangle her bare feet just above the water. “Pick the shape shifter out.”

  “Huh?” Isis asked, frowning as she looked up to her sister. Electra turned her gaze up from the pond to Isis.

  “Pick the shape shifter,” she repeated in a patient tone. It was the first time since meeting Electra that Isis didn’t detect any anger or annoyance in her voice. Isis looked back into the Koi pond. She pointed to the orange fish.

  “That one would be my guess, but don’t ask me why,” Isis replied as she looked up to Electra again. She leaned back, putting her hands behind her to prop herself up.

  “Jay, you can come out now,” Electra called out, watching the pool. The orange Koi that Isis had pointed out swam away to the other end of the pool, jumped out of the water, and landed on the stones. Instead of flopping about like a fish normally would, the scales melted into clothing and flesh. The body expanded and formed appendages. The face rounded out, becoming human in form and soon, a dark-haired man sat on the stone in place of the fish. The entire transformation had taken less than a minute.

  Isis stared at him. “I’m never going to get used to that.”

  “Always trust your instincts,” Electra said, turning to the man who had been a fish a few seconds ago. “Thank you for your help, Jay.”

  Jay stood up and nodded to both women before turning and walking back the way Isis had come from, scrubbing a hand through his wet hair. Isis twisted to watch him go.

  “That’s Jet and Lilly’s adopted son. He doesn’t say much, which is why I decided to ask for his help,” Electra explained as she stood up. “I’m going to help you tap into your power, which will make your training progress quicker.”

  Isis was quiet, looking off toward the trees in the distance. “How long is this training going to take?”

  “Tapping into your abilities shouldn’t take more than a month or two,” Electra replied with a shrug. “As for the rest, you’ll be training throughout your life.”

  Isis stared at her, but Electra had already hopped off the stone and was walking toward a small grove of trees.

  “The rest of my life?” Isis asked. “You people do realize that I have a life outside of whatever kind of shenanigans you want to involve me in.”

  “Uh huh,” Electra replied, uninterested. “Are you going to listen or are you going to make this even more difficult by fighting me on everything?”

  Isis ran her hands over her face, aggravated by the way everyone seemed to be making her decisions for her. “Fine, teach away, oh wise demigod or whatever the hell you are.”

  Electra responded with one of the most impressive side eyed glares Isis had ever seen. For a moment, Isis thought the woman might punch her.

  “I’m not a demigod. Do I really have to reiterate that guardians aren’t gods?” Electra asked as she sat down in a lotus position on the ground, gesturing for Isis to do the same.

  “No,” Isis grumbled as she sat on the ground, folding her legs under her. Contrary to her manner, Isis found she was curious about what Electra would teach her.

  “There are a number of guardian powers that you are capable of and an equal amount of shape shifter abilities,” she began. “The main ability of shape shifters is, of course, to change form.”

  “Can I change into people?” Isis asked, not believing what she was asking. Electra shook her head.

  “No, the only human form you possess is that which you are in now. Before you ask, no, you can’t shift into inanimate objects either. You’re also unable to shift into extinct creatures,” she explained. A rabbit hopped away nearby, rustling the grass as he bounded out of sight. Electra glanced over her shoulder.

  “The guardian abilities are a bit trickier due to their complex nature,” Electra continued, looking back to Isis. “Every guardian has different abilities, though we do share many. Since we’re of the royal line, we really only have the basics.”

  “Such as?” Isis asked, folding a knee up so that she could wrap her arm around it.

  “Appearing, communing with nature, telekinesis,” Electra listed. “Those are probably the most difficult. Most of the others are just minor abilities that will gradually become apparent in time. They can’t really be taught.”

  “Quick question: these guardian abilities, do they include dreams?” Isis asked. Electra stared at her, puzzled.

  “Dreams?” she asked, waiting for some kind of clarification.

  “Yeah, like any kind of,” Isis rotated her wrist a few times, “premonitory dreams or anything like that?”

  “No,” Electra replied, her face scrunching up a little as if she didn’t understand the point of the question. “Those don’t run in our family. Why?”

  “Just curious,” Isis said with a casual shrug. “How do we go about unlocking these abilities?”

  “There is no we in this process,” Electra stated. “I can only guide you. You’re the one who has to do all the real work.”

  “Is this the part where you tell me to clear my mind?” Isis asked, her snarky tendencies returning. Electra rubbed her eyes in frustration, mumbling something about the family stubborn streak.

  “Let’s start with telekinesis, since that’s one of the more important ones. And we’ll see how far we get,” she finally said, looking up again and blinking a few times. Isis could tell she had already annoyed her twin.

  “What about shape shifting? Why aren’t we starting with that?” Isis asked. If she really could change into an animal, she definitely wanted to try that out.

  “Because you’re not ready,” Electra answered in a tone that said the matter wasn’t up for discussion. She reached behind her head and removed one of the fiery red glass sticks from the neat bun she had tied her hair in. She held it just over her other outstretched palm. Isis leaned forward, intrigued, watching in amazement as Electra carefully opened her thumb and index finger. The stick remained hovering vertically above her palm. Isis’ mouth dropped partly open in awe. Electra removed her other hand, staring at the hovering stick. After a moment, it began to spin.

  “And you think I can do that?” Isis asked, waving her hand over and around the stick, searching for any hidden wires. When she could find none, she sat back and looked around for any other kind of trick that might explain the hovering stick.

  “No, I know you can do that,” Electra replied as she plucked the decorative stick out of midair. She turned her bright eyes, now blue, to her sister.

  “Do you know how to center yourself?” she asked.

  Isi
s shrugged. “I’ve meditated before, if that’s what you mean.”

  “It’s a start,” Electra said, biting her lip as she tapped the stick against her palm. “You have to be completely still and fully open your mind. And don’t close your eyes.”

  “Why not?”

  “Just don’t,” Electra ordered. Isis looked at her and then turned her attention to the hair stick. The grass was soft against her hands and the wind was cool on her exposed skin. She stared at some distant point over Electra’s shoulder, allowing the scenery and sounds to wash over her. Gradually, Isis began to feel the world expand around her until she was nothing more than an insignificant dot in a gigantic planet. There were so many sounds that the sheer amount threatened to overwhelm her. The birds alone were like a hundred orchestras. Electra watched her for a few minutes, though it could have been hours for all Isis knew. She held the hair stick out again, right in between the two of them.

  “Just picture it floating in the air,” Electra instructed, her soft voice sounding far away. “It is an inanimate object. You have complete control over it. It will do whatever you want.”

  Isis stared at it, her surroundings dissolving into nothingness. She and the stick were all that remained. She stared at it, imagining it floating in midair. Her eyes slowly slipped shut of their own volition.

  “Isis!”

  The shout drew her out of the empty space and her eyes snapped open. Isis lunged backward with a cry when she saw the pointed end of the hair stick inches away from her left eye. She glanced up again, noticing Electra was leaning forward and grasping the stick. Her twin looked exasperated.

  “You’re lucky I have quick reflexes,” Electra chastised as she sat back, twirling the hair stick between her fingers. “That’s why you never close your eyes. Try it again.”

  Isis looked around at their peaceful surroundings before turning her eyes back to Electra. “Uh, no. I don’t think so.”

  “You have to learn this, Isis,” Electra replied, tension creeping into her tone.

  “No, I need to keep both my eyes,” Isis protested, straightening up again. “Look, you’ve got the wrong person. There’s nothing special about me. I don’t have any superpowers, or whatever the hell this is. Sorry.”

  Electra glared at her, her nostrils flaring and her fists clenching.

  “Even you don’t believe that. Look at us, Isis, we’re very obviously twins. I have powers, which means you do as well. It’s in your blood. Like it or not, this is your life now. I’m not always going to be around to save you and neither is Jade. If you follow my instructions and Remington’s, you will be able to defend yourself and do some good in the world. However, if you keep being a stubborn ass and let fear control your actions and decisions, you won’t last a day. Now get up and try again.”

  Isis scowled, but did as her sister said. As she cleared her mind, she tried something different. She focused on her surroundings and on her anger at the ridiculous situation she found herself in. A strange tingling raced through her veins and Isis could feel her temperature go up a couple degrees. Still, she kept her eyes on the stick that Electra held in front of her.

  Electra couldn’t suppress the jolt of surprise that went through her when the stick was yanked from her grasp. It sped toward Isis again, only this time she caught it. For a moment, she looked stunned as she stared at the thin glass stick in her hand. Isis swallowed, studying the stick as though it were an alien object. Electra leaned forward and took it from Isis’ grasp.

  “Better,” she said, clearing her throat. “We’ll make a shape shifter guardian hybrid out of you yet. Now, try holding it in the air, no movement.”

  Electra held the stick out again, though her mind was elsewhere. Telekinesis should have taken at least a couple days for Isis to tap into, more likely a week. Electra remembered that she herself had tapped into her abilities much quicker than the other guardians. As she watched her sister, she couldn’t help but wonder about their father. All that she really knew about him were the numerous stories painting him as the most ruthless of assassins, a monster who hid in the shadows and pounced on unfortunate victims who crossed his path. She knew his brothers much better, having seen them often throughout her childhood. Nothing had been overly extraordinary about them, at least nothing she knew of.

  Electra slowly drew her hand away from the stick. It remained hovering in place, just like she had demonstrated.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  A peaceful night fell on the mansion. The sky was a soft midnight blue with thousands of silver stars twinkling in the darkness and a crescent moon shining down on the land below. It was a warm night so most of the windows were open, allowing in the occasional breeze. Almost everyone was either asleep or out for the night, leaving the large home quiet.

  Jet and Remington were in the library. Remington was sitting in a large ornate chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him. He was the very picture of relaxed in his reclined position. Jet stood near one of the windows, gazing out at the night. He had asked Remington to meet him in the library to discuss the Four’s progress. The library was Jet’s favorite place in the whole mansion. The architecture of the enormous space was beautiful and the large shelves housed at least a thousand books, probably more. It was the books that had always drawn Jet to the room. He loved the smell of books, a comforting scent he could recall all the way back to his childhood. When he was younger, he spent many hours in the library, reading with his sisters and brothers.

  “Penny for your thoughts?” Remington called over his shoulder. Jet twisted to look at the chair where the trainer was sitting. He turned around and approached the fireplace Remington sat in front of. In colder months, there was usually a decent-sized fire going. Jet sat in the lounge near the chair, resting an elbow on the armrest. He supported his head with his thumb and index finger. In front of them was a sturdy wooden table, upon which rested a serving tray. There was a large glass decanter in the center of the silver tray and two tulip-shaped glasses sat in front of it. The decanter was filled with a fine tawny port, aged to perfection. Remington had already poured a glass for himself and now sat back, holding the glass between his middle and ring finger, twisting it methodically.

  “How are they doing?” Jet asked, not needing to clarify whom he was speaking about. Remington ran the glass under his nose, closing his eyes as he took in the aroma of the port.

  “Ahead of schedule. Hardly surprising,” he finally answered, offering Jet a small smile.

  “And how is she?” Jet asked, again feeling no need to specify whom he was speaking about. Remington chuckled, shaking his head once.

  “She is her mother’s daughter,” he responded, a hint of mirth in his voice. He sipped the port, his brows knitting as he lowered the glass again.

  “There is something,” he paused for a moment, thinking of the right word, “unusual about how quickly she learns.”

  “How so?” Jet asked.

  “Well,” Remington leaned forward to place his glass on the table. “It’s been a few months now and already she is at Alex’s level as far as fighting ability, not to mention she has already tapped into almost all her abilities, both guardian and shape shifter.”

  “Oh.” It was Jet’s turn to frown. “Could it possibly be because of her guardian blood?”

  “It could be,” Remington responded with a half nod. “Although . . .”

  “Yes?”

  “I was just thinking. Electra was also more advanced than other guardians her age, wasn’t she? If I recall correctly, she had fully tapped into all of her abilities a year before any of the other guardians her age,” Remington replied, drumming his thumb on the armrest.

  Jet thought for a moment. “You know, I think you’re right. Could it just be a coincidence?”

  Remington shrugged and took another sip of his port. Jet steepled his hands in front of his mouth and stared at the empty fireplace. He dropped his hands after a moment so that they pointed straight ahead.

  �
��The Deverells have always been known for their intelligence and their loyalty — as well as their ability to get into and out of sticky situations — but I don’t recall anything particularly extraordinary in the bloodline. Do you?” he asked, glancing over at his former mentor.

  Remington was quiet as he thought. “There were plenty of stories of guardians taking early Deverells as lovers, but the same is said about many of the noble protector families. The only more recent thing that comes to mind was Roan’s hunting ability. Some shape shifters used to refer to him as the lion. It wasn’t so much his cold-bloodedness that frightened shape shifters as his ability to zero in on his . . . prey, for lack of a better term.”

  Jet let out a bitter laugh. “He certainly had a killer’s instincts, nobody would argue that.”

  Remington shook his head. “It was more than that, Jet. It would be foolish to just think of him as a monster. Roan was a very complicated shape shifter. Very complicated and very smart; two qualities that make for a dangerous adversary.”

  “Well, thankfully we no longer have to worry about him,” Jet replied, turning his eyes to Remington again. “Aside from training, how is Isis adjusting?”

  Remington shrugged. “As well as can be expected in the circumstances. She has her good and bad days. She is letting go of the ‘normal world’ that she was accustomed to, which is a good thing.”

  “No more escape attempts?” Jet asked, only half-joking.

  Remington chuckled again and gave a small shake of his head. “No, no. I believe she is done with that. Though, with a daughter of Passion, you can never be sure I suppose. She is not the most trusting protector I’ve ever trained, but that’s to be expected.”

  “Of course,” Jet responded, letting out a quiet laugh. “Can you even imagine being raised by humans?”

  “Odd, how we’re so close and yet so removed,” Remington observed with a contemplative smile. It was strange, living among those who had no idea they even existed. They encountered each other every day, worked alongside each other, and a few even settled down and started families together.