Revelations: The Shifter Series: Volume Three

by Cari Schaeffer

  She chewed her roll and looked at their surroundings. “This is a beautiful courtyard, but the prison walls are so high.”

  Boris scanned the stone walls that surrounded the lush and spacious courtyard. “We like our privacy.” His gaze returned to Kat. “It allows for a certain measure of freedom one cannot otherwise enjoy or appreciate.”

  She frowned and speared some roasted carrots. “How can you talk of freedom to me? I was kidnapped and brought here. Today is the first day in a very long time I have felt sunshine on my face. I have been losing my mind and you talk of freedom?”

  Boris looked remorseful. He reached for both her hands and held them in his. “Ah, sweet Kat. I am so sorry about that. Truly sorry. I pleaded your case to my uncle personally and that is why you are here now. You are too beautiful and special a bird to be placed in a cage, even a gilded one.” He looked around and drew in a deep breath. “You are as free as I could convince my uncle to let you be for now. I hope to enjoy more time with you here.” His eyes grew warm. “I have watched you, Kat.” He leaned in conspiratorially. “I’m sure you know that you are always being watched.”

  Her jaw tightened. “I thought so. I hope that I at least have the dignity of the bathroom to myself.”

  Boris registered shock. “Of course! Of course.” He pressed his palm to his chest. “We would never dishonor you like that, sweet Kat. You are far too precious.”

  “Well, thank you for that.” She took a sip of iced tea.

  Boris moved his chair slightly closer to hers and captured her gaze.

  Kat’s breath caught. He so reminded her of Christopher.

  “I have grown rather fond of you, sweet Kat. I hope that you’ll spend more time out here with me. It would be my highest honor.” His eyes were wide and hopeful.

  “I’m a prisoner. What choices do I have?”

  He sat back in his chair with a wounded look. “I would not force you to spend time with me. I am afraid that my uncle won’t allow you to come out here unescorted, however. If you’d rather someone else accompany you...” He let the sentence hang in the air.

  “No. I don’t want to spend more time with Mikhail or Andrei.”

  Boris’ face lit up and his smile widened to fill his entire face. His resemblance to Christopher was striking. Kat ignored the flutter in her stomach. The Barotkoffs were cold-blooded killers. She glanced at the table. Cold-blooded killers that masqueraded as civilized human beings. And that served delicious food.

  Kat allowed a small smile to spread across her face. She attempted to flirt with her companion by batting her eyelashes once, twice.

  His smile faded, and his lips parted as he gazed at her.

  Maybe it worked? Kat thought.

  “I like your company better.” She looked away.

  He let out a slow breath. “I am glad.” He reached for her hand and carefully placed it between his palms. “You and I would be very good company together, Kat. What a glorious addition you are.”

  Kat’s heart hammered. She never thought flirting would work and didn’t know how to proceed. She was woefully inadequate at this sort of thing. Kat wished she could talk to Anastasia about this. Her heart ached for her family.

  Boris tilted his head to the side. “Are you all right? You look as though you’re about to cry. Please don’t cry.” Without thinking, he reached over and caressed her cheek, then quickly withdrew his hand.

  Kat swallowed the sorrow and forced herself to look him in the eye and hold his gaze. “I’m all right. With you.”

  Boris drew in a ragged breath and cleared his throat. “I will speak to my uncle. We will spend more time together.” His eyes smoldered and wandered over her face, landing on her mouth.

  Kat held very still and prayed he wouldn’t try to kiss her. The tension was so thick it was hard to breathe. She coughed and withdrew her hand slowly, as if she didn’t want to, and hoped he would take it as such.

  “I’m full. Lunch was delicious. Thank you.” She placed her napkin on the table and pushed her chair back. “I would like to walk around the courtyard, if you don’t mind.”

  Boris hurried around to pull her chair out for her. He found it very difficult to keep his hands to himself. He wasn’t used to restraint, but he must tread carefully. She was far too important.

  “I believe that can be arranged.” He smiled and offered her his arm.

  She slid her hand through his arm. “Such a gentleman.”

  He patted her hand and led the way. They strolled through the courtyard, Kat’s eyes darting all the time trying to gather as much information as she could. She worked to keep a smile on her face as though she wanted to be nowhere else with anybody else, while her heart sank. The security was thorough; she saw no fewer than five cameras and the mesh covered everywhere she looked. The stone walls were high enough that she couldn’t see over them. Kat itched to shift and climb those walls for a good look.

  Later, after Boris had escorted her back to her room – alone – he had kissed her knuckles while staring into her eyes and she had maintained a smile. He promised to be back, and she believed him. When he left, she controlled her reaction until she closed the bathroom door behind her.

  She showered to remove all traces of him from her skin and mind. Her inexperience in the realm of seduction left her bewildered. Kat curled into a ball on the floor of the tub and muffled her sobs with a fluffy towel.

  She wanted to go home.

  WHEN BORIS CAME TO collect Kat for lunch in the courtyard – it had become a daily thing – Kat wore comfortable and loose clothing.

  Boris looked her up and down and frowned. “You are dressed for...what?”

  “If you guys have a gym, I’d like to work-out.” She gestured to herself. “I am getting too soft and out of shape.”

  Boris mouth twitched up at the corners. “Women are supposed to be soft, sweet Kat.” He moved closer to her, but kept his hands to himself, as he had done all along. The only parts of her he had touched were her face and her hands. “I like softness. Very much.” His clenched hands itched.

  Kat thrust her chin out. “Be that as it may, I don’t like being unhealthy. Do you have a gym or not?”

  He smiled. “Of course. But not today. I will talk with my uncle.”

  Kat swallowed and gathered her courage. She took a step toward Boris and gave him what she hoped was a flirtatious look. “I’m sure he wouldn’t mind, would he?” She brushed her fingertips down his chest. “You could work out with me, if you want.”

  His jaw worked, and his eyes darkened. She had no idea the effect she had on him. But, he knew how he had to answer her. “No. I must talk with my uncle first.” He turned and offered her his arm. “Lunch awaits.”

  Kat sighed and slid her hand through his proffered arm. Lunch was delicious, as always, but Kat barely tasted it and had difficulty keeping up the façade of interest.

  Boris wiped his mouth with his napkin. “You are very sullen, sweet Kat. I will talk with my uncle today. If it were up to me, I would deny you nothing.”

  Kat brought her gaze up to meet his. “I believe you.”

  He took her hand and kissed each fingertip. “You are the only woman I’ve ever met who is my equal. That is very...intoxicating.”

  Kat sucked her lips in. She didn’t know how to answer.

  Boris looked like he wanted to say more but thought better of it. Abruptly, he stood up. “I must escort you to your room now. I will find my uncle.”

  Back in her room, Kat paced until she grew tired. She peered around the room in search of the cameras she knew were there. Her visual search came up empty, so she ran her hands along the walls. When that revealed nothing, she examined all the furniture, scrutinizing every square inch – what else did she have to do? Watch another movie or soap opera? Finally, when she brushed her fingertips along the edge of a drawer pull, she stopped.

  It was not the same as the others. There was an almost imperceptible knot in the center. She bent down and peered at
it. It was a perfect sphere and the center resembled the pupil of a human eye.

  “Aha! Cowards!” she said triumphantly. She made an obscene gesture at the camera and stuck her tongue out, too. She yanked the drawer open and looked at the backside of the drawer; it was nothing but wood. Very clever. She pulled a sock out of the drawer and tied it around the pull to block the camera, then continued her search.

  In all, she discovered two more cameras. One embedded in the upholstery of the arm of the chair, while the third lurked on her headboard. The cameras had all been strategically placed to give a full view of her room.

  When the third camera had been blocked, she sat cross-legged and rigid in the center of her bed and waited. She knew they would not let her get away with it and she relished the thought of her minor rebellion.

  Five minutes later, the door flew open and there stood Mikhail and Andrei.

  Mikhail’s expression was black. “Come with us.” He didn’t give her the chance to respond. Instead, he advanced two steps toward her and yanked her off the bed by her arm and pushed her into the hallway.

  “Hey! Don’t manhandle me, buddy!” Kat glared at him.

  He sneered at her and didn’t respond. “Move.” He shoved her again.

  Kat almost tripped, but caught herself and stood straight, chin out. She was ready for whatever awaited her. It would be better than wasting away in her cell, however luxurious.

  Andrei moved past Kat and grinned at her. His eyes remained impassive. “This way.”

  Kat followed Andrei with her spine stiff and her shoulders back. They took the elevator again, but this time instead of the second elevator, they turned down another hallway and descended some concrete stairs.

  “You want to work out, do you?” Mikhail growled in her ear. “Let’s work you out.”

  Kat bit back a retort and ignored him.

  Andrei opened a set of double doors and turned to Kat with the same smile and emotionless eyes. “Here we are.”

  Kat walked in and looked around. It was a full gymnasium, just like the one she had in high school complete with basketball courts. There were no bleachers against the wall, however. Instead, along one wall there was a solid wall on the bottom and Plexiglas on the top half. Through the Plexiglas Kat saw a well-equipped room with Nautilus equipment and weights of all kinds. The other wall was partially open to the outside, but Kat saw a rack in the corner that held weapons. Some of them she’d only seen in medieval movies. She wondered what those were for.

  She turned toward her escorts. “What’s this...?” The next thing she knew, she felt a sharp crack across her face, saw the ceiling, and crashed into the wooden floor. Her scream reverberated against the walls. There was a stinging sensation in her shoulder where she landed, and the metallic taste of blood in her mouth.

  Mikhail grabbed her by the arm and jerked her to her feet. His face was murderous.

  Before Kat had recovered from the shock of what had just happened, he slapped her hard across her other cheek. Her head snapped back and a spray of blood shot from her mouth that reminded her of when she and her brother would spit water as children in a contest to see who could spit farther. Kat usually won.

  “I’ll work you out!” Mikhail growled and raised his fist again.

  Kat saw it out of the corner of her eye and on instinct, called forth the ice and shifted. She wasn’t sure into what, but she knew she was big. Bigger than Mikhail.

  She roared and bit his hand. He screamed, and something slammed hard into her back. Kat felt vibrations in her chest. She whirled to face Andrei who held one of the medieval weapons and his eyes glowed. Wind and moisture whipped around her.

  Kat roared at Andrei and swung her large furry paw at him. He responded with a nimble sidestep and swung his weapon at her again. It brushed her thigh just enough to scratch the surface and make her take notice. Whatever that weapon was, it packed a wallop.

  Kat felt another blow from Mikhail and shifted forms again as she twisted to face him. Her form had a large tail that she swung like a baton and felt the satisfying crunch of contact with Andrei as she faced Mikhail. She lunged for him with the intention of tearing his head off, but he deftly moved fast enough for her to miss, but only barely.

  The trio danced this way – dodging, lunging, swinging, Kat shifting multiple times – until they had made the rounds of the gym and moved outside. She barely had time to notice that she was still in an enclosed space with netting above before the wind became stronger and the moisture turned to a downpour through Kat’s myriad of shifting.

  Their onslaught was relentless. Kat shimmered, shifted, maneuvered, and battled for what felt like an eternity. At her core, she refused to go down without taking them with her, whatever the cost.

  The atmosphere surrounding them changed at a dizzying speed. It was freezing cold, then blazing hot with wind like an oven hitting her from all sides. She was drenched, then scorched, frozen, then drenched again. In the fury of it all, she blocked out everything but her desire to kill her opponents.

  Suddenly, a loud booming voice reverberated.

  “ENOUGH!”

  Andrei and Mikhail immediately darted to opposite corners of the gymnasium, far from Kat’s reach. Somehow, they had ended up back inside the structure.

  Kat’s chest heaved, and she glared balefully at her opponents, her large head swinging back and forth between them, begging them to re-engage. Neither of the heaving, bloodied men made a move.

  Fine, Kat thought. I’ll take you out anyway, cowards!

  Kat growled and leaned back on her haunches to launch herself at Mikhail, when she heard a sigh and felt an exquisitely mind-numbing jolt of energy fill her entire being.

  Everything went black.

  KAT GROANED AND TRIED to open her eyes. Everything hurt, but parts of her hurt more than others. Her face, shoulders, ribs, and thighs felt like they had been put through a meat grinder.

  Had they?

  The pain in her body forced her to move very slowly. She compelled her eyes to open and squinted at her surroundings. She was back in her luxurious prison cell. Confusion reigned for the span of a breath before all that had occurred returned to her. Despite her pain, she coughed out a laugh that she had inflicted harm to her opponents and hoped they got at least as bad as she received, and there was only one of her. The laugh came at a price – pain shot through her entire torso.

  She grimaced and tried to take stock of her condition. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then moved her eyebrows up and down, followed by swiveling her neck back and forth. As she worked her way down her body, she noted that she could very well have a few cracked ribs – there was a tight bandage around her torso – and that everything else, though painful, seemed to be in working order.

  Her fingers moved gingerly over her body and there was a bandage on her right temple as well as her left thigh. She winced remembering the weapon Andrei had hit her with.

  With great inner, and very little outer, strength, she hoisted herself to a sitting position. Rather than cry out with the effort, she bit her lip until she almost broke the skin. Nothing in her room had changed. She carefully turned toward the dresser drawer and noted the sock she had tied around the camera had been removed. She gave the camera a one-fingered salute and didn’t bother looking at the other two cameras. She was sure they were uncovered and in good working order.

  On the nightstand next to her bed, there was a glass of water and two white pills with a note next to them. She read it and snorted a laugh, then winced in pain.

  “I’m not taking any pain pills you give me,” she said to the empty room. “You can forget that crap.”

  Kat picked up the note and crumpled it, then tossed it onto the floor. She snatched up the pills and lurched to a standing position and made her way to the bathroom where she dumped them in the toilet and flushed it. When she returned, Boris stood in her room with the same young woman carrying a tray of food behind him.

  “Kat! I am so sorr
y about what happened. They were out of line and never should have done that.” He hurried to Kat’s side and went to put his arm around her waist, but she jerked away from him.

  “Don’t touch me.” She limped to the bed and sat down.

  Boris opened and closed his hands. “Please. Don’t blame me for my cousin’s unruly behavior. My uncle is the one who stopped it. We brought you food.” He snapped his fingers at the young woman, who hurried to put the tray on the dresser with her eyes on the floor. Boris said something to her in Russian and she scurried from the room only to return moments later with a silver tray covered with a white linen cloth.

  “She will tend to your dressings. I know you’re in pain. Please, let her look at them.” He snapped his fingers again and the young woman placed the tray on the bed next to Kat and moved toward the bandage on Kat’s temple.

  Kat waved her away. “I’m fine.”

  The young woman hesitated and turned her face toward Boris but did not look him in the eye.

  He spoke to her urgently in Russian. She nodded and reached for the bandage again. Kat turned her head. The woman was not to be deterred. She delicately removed the tape and the dressing to examine whatever was under it.

  Kat stole a glance at the woman and almost gasped. She was a dead ringer for Anna. This had to be her sister, as sure as Boris was Christopher’s brother. Kat kept her face neutral.

  “Does she speak at all or what?”

  “She has nothing to say,” Boris replied.

  Kat looked at Boris. “How would you know? Is one of your abilities mind-reading?”

  His eyes twinkled. “You really are my equal, aren’t you? So defiant, even after your experience. I like your fire.”

  Kat winced and sucked air in through her teeth. Whatever the woman was using to clean the wound stung. The woman shot a quick glance at Kat and winked. Kat did not react to it. The woman returned her attention to the wound and expertly ministered to it as well as the bandage on her thigh.