by K. N. Banet
I was surprised. I didn’t know if he was becoming desensitized, or if he was just going off the deep end, but it was certainly not the reaction I expected. Before I had the chance to ask him about it or if he was okay, he continued, not missing a beat.
“So, I’ve been thinking. What’s Levi’s game? You’re pretty certain he called in this storm. Why? What is he supposed to do after that?”
“I would think when the storm is at its worst, and the roads start closing, he’ll start hunting. He has the rain on us now, but when he makes his attacks, his tornados and storms will do a lot of damage to the area. When it was over, people would be missing or dead. This might not be big enough yet, which makes it all the more important to find him before he begins hunting.”
“Do you think he’ll see us coming?”
“No. He’s always been an overconfident son of a bitch. He wasn’t found by other witches originally. It was Stan, a Tribunal Investigator, werewolf. He’s good at sniffing out people.”
“Stan? A guy named Stan does the same job as Cassius?” Raphael started to laugh, and I didn’t really understand. I wondered what had snapped in my poor roommate as the laughter died off.
“Really, what is wrong with you right now?”
“Kaliya, Cassius, Sorcha, Sinclair, and now you’re telling me there’s a werewolf named Stan. It just seems so…normal.” He leaned back, shaking his head. I looked at his face for a moment, seeing the light in eyes, the humor. He was entertained by this.
“Yeah. He’s a white guy from Maryland. He’s like eighty years old, very intelligent, but a rogue wolf. Never really fit in with a pack, so they put his talents elsewhere as an Investigator. He’s a tough guy, but I’ve never heard about him getting into many fights, which I take as something that makes him suited for the work of a pack Enforcer.”
“Good to know,” Raphael said, waving his hands around like he didn’t know what to do with them.
“Okay…” I was still a little lost. I grew up hearing and seeing all sorts of things about the supernatural world, so it took me the next few minutes to really piece together what had just happened. Raphael was still learning, and so far, I’d dumped him in the deep end of the supernatural world.
I need to introduce him to more contemporary supernaturals, people he can relate to. It’s like socializing a puppy. I need to expose him to more than just what I deal with every day. I shouldn’t have kept him locked up in the condo for so long.
“What’s a pack Enforcer?” He was finally settled and realized I gave him a new fun tidbit to learn.
I was nothing if not a treasure trove of supernatural information, even defunct things many others didn’t know. I really enjoyed his curiosity. It had annoyed me when I first met him, but now, I appreciated it. He didn’t like not knowing, which was a positive in our world.
“It’s the title of the few wolves tough enough to beat the shit out of nearly any other wolf but don’t want to be Alphas. They’re not always called an enforcer because it puts a target on their back with the other wolves, but you know them when you see them. Sometimes, they’re the second in command, protecting the Alpha’s back. A lot of times, they work for people like the Tribunal werewolves or the werewolf councils, enforcing werewolf Law. I know you’ve heard of the councils. The biggest is here in North America and deals a lot with the human press and governments. They’re the public face of the supernatural world right now, while the Tribunal remains a more shadow entity in control. Well, a shadow entity to the humans.”
“There’s so much to remember,” he said, sighing. “Tribunal, werewolf councils, the fae clans, courts, and nobles. I’m amazed humanity hasn’t discovered all of you yet with the internet, pictures, and all the other modern technology.”
“That’s because we have our grubby hands in all the pots. Supernaturals work at human research facilities, making sure research never exposes us. We have a Tribunal-run organization that helps keep magical creatures out of sight since humanity tends to kill anything special or different. They’re always looking for people to help, though. We have breakouts, and new creatures pop up all the time.”
“And you didn’t take that job? It could have been a hell of a lot safer than the one you currently have.”
“Ha, that’s funny.” The magical creatures were not safer than supernatural people.
“Ah.”
The conversation died off as he realized there were magical creatures out there a lot more dangerous than anything we were dealing with. It was interesting to think about. Out in the desert, there were a few interesting creatures that showed up, ones that successfully evaded most of humanity for centuries. Many magical creatures were so rare, young supernaturals never encountered one, and most never saw fit to bring them up because they weren’t much of a threat to someone in the modern world. Animal attacks were rarer than murders. They happened, but most people didn’t worry, and that was the way everyone liked it.
But if someone was stupid enough to go looking for them…well, that ended up being bad news for most parties involved.
“Have you ever seen any?”
The conversation has been dead for ten minutes, Raph. How long have you been thinking about asking that?
I glanced at him and opened my mouth to answer him when a loud buzz distracted both of us. He grabbed my cellphone and told me what it was before I could ask.
“It’s coordinates. Hasan says good luck.”
“Punch them in,” I ordered. A minute later, the screen on my dash had the route I needed to get to Levi.
19
Chapter Nineteen
It was pushing mid-day when I parked the car three blocks from where the witches tracked Levi to. I didn’t know exactly where he was hiding yet, but from the look of the area, it was probably a warehouse or office building—hopefully abandoned. The last thing I needed was to have to call in cleanup for a bunch of dead humans. We were near the airport, which was already a bit of a hotbed for activity. If my recent luck had any say, it would already be ugly when I found Levi.
“Why are we stopping here?”
“Look how bad the storm is. There’s rain, hail, strong winds—”
“And you want us to walk through it,” Raphael said, leaning to look out of the front windshield. “Really?”
“If we drive right up, he’s going to see us coming. Look how many cars are on the road, Raphael. There’s not a lot of traffic. Now, look at my car. We stand out like a sore thumb. We need to sneak up on him. We can’t park at the door and not expect trouble.”
“I’m not saying you’re wrong, I’m just bitching,” he said. “I mean, I heal. The hail isn’t going to do a damn thing to me, but you? Have you looked in a mirror since we got back to your condo? You’ve been hurt since then, too. I thought you healed faster or something. I know you get sluggish in the cold, but does it mess with your healing too?”
“On a hot day, resting in the sun, sure, I heal a little faster than humans, but I’m not like you or most other supernaturals. I’m fragile, but I’ll be fine. I know how to work through the pain, and nothing is fatal or permanent.” And I’ll pretend like I’m not insulted or touched by your concern. Prick. “This is a bad day for me, but it’s not something I can’t handle.”
I cut the engine and jumped out, leaving him there. I didn’t realize he had paid that much attention, but it wasn’t surprising anymore.
I hated the weather the moment I was exposed to it. I had kept the BMW warm to stay awake and active, especially since I was injured, but it was blisteringly cold outside for me, and it probably wasn’t even under thirty. The rain was a bit icy, a serious problem for me. The hail was huge, near golf ball size in some cases. The winds were too strong, threatening to move me.
This is bad.
Levi had had several hours to ramp up this storm for whatever purpose. Being so close to the origin meant we were in the worst of it, and it was ugly.
“Kaliya, I’m serious. We can park a little closer, so this doesn’
t beat you up!” he called over the car. Starting to walk away, I didn’t respond. Before I made it ten steps, he was beside me and grabbed my shoulders from behind. He moved around me and walked in front, which was nice since we were walking into the wind. The hail had been hitting me in the face.
If he had been Cassius, I would have called out the chivalrous behavior, but he was Raphael, and I was beginning to realize Raphael wasn’t the same type of good guy. I liked Cassius, but he was good because he felt it was his duty to help those in need. He truly believed that, but sometimes, it felt false. He also held a lot of himself back when I knew there was something ruthless inside him, something he tried to crush. Something that drew him to dangerous women like me and apparently, Sorcha.
Raphael was different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on how, but I appreciated the difference.
As we walked that first block, trying to keep the hail from hitting us in vulnerable places, Raphael reached out and pulled me closer by the bottom of my shirt until I was against his back. He grabbed one of my hands and wrapped it around his core—all without a word.
He’s not false.
It was an ‘ah-ha!’ moment. Raphael was anything but false. He was quiet but honest. He was conflicted, but it was written all over his face. He was good because he could be and was raised to be, but he made no false pretenses about it.
He was real, and I could feel his blazing heat through his shirt. As I felt a shiver run through him, I wished I had grabbed him a jacket, so he wasn’t so exposed.
“It’s fucking cold out here,” he said loudly, mirroring my thoughts. “What do you think the temperature is?”
“Probably thirty to thirty-five Fahrenheit. Colder than normal. It’s because of the storm.” I gave in and wrapped my arms around him. “Luckily, you’re a furnace, or it would be way too cold for me.”
“Oh, I know,” he said, still loud enough to get over the wind. “Since winter rolled in, I’ve caught you asleep on the balcony more times than I can count. You keep the inside hot as the summer desert and your room freezing like the Arctic. Two plus two equals four.”
I chuckled into his back, trying to cover up some existential fear about having someone this close, even if there was nothing going on. Shit, he’d watched and figured me out. Something about that was cool with a dose of terrifying. For months of not talking, he was learning about me, paying attention. Here I thought I was just someone he had to deal with. He certainly never spoke to me about anything he had noticed or was thinking about.
“How much further?” he asked after a short silence.
“It’s that one,” I said, leaning around him to point at the one from the GPS satellite image texted to us before we parked. It was one of the tallest buildings around, about five stories tall, much taller than the warehouses surrounding it. Seeing it, I felt a sudden wave of repulsion, like I needed to look away, go back to my car, and pretend I was never there. Recognizing the spell, I tapped Raphael on his stomach.
“Just keep walking to it. Don’t stop looking at it, and the feeling will pass. It’s a standard repelling defense that keeps parties from being interested in an object or location. Since Levi is strong, he’s done it to the entire building. It won’t hurt us. We just need to work past it.”
“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, but yes ma’am,” he said, his pace not faltering.
“You don’t feel it?”
“Nope, but if you say there’s magic, then there’s magic.”
We jogged across the last street, and I was immensely grateful not to have seen Levi yet. Hopefully, he was at the top, distracted by his storm. I wanted to dry off for just a minute.
“Let’s get in and get warm,” Raphael said, yanking the door open. I knew it wasn’t unlocked by the sound it made when he pulled. He broke the lock, and when he let go of the door, it looked like it was having a hard time staying on its hinges.
I walked in behind him, glaring.
“Good job,” I whispered. “If anyone is here, they’ll have heard that.”
“Sorry. I just figured it was easier than trying to fit my big ass through a window.” He shrugged innocently.
“I could have turned into a snake and come to unlock the door,” I snapped. “Do you know what an Executioner is? An assassin. I’m an assassin. I don’t normally make big loud noises when I enter a building.”
“Good point. Sorry.” He lifted his hands in defeat, but I didn’t see a lot of guilt.
Walking past him, I started opening doors quietly and peeking inside—no humans, which was a damn good thing. Cubicles and offices were deserted. Tomorrow, all the humans who worked here would be very confused why they didn’t get into work and do their jobs. I had a suspicion their bosses would be wondering the same thing. A day off from the rat race humans ran was a day wasted in their minds.
Sad way to live. Everyone needs a couple of years off every now and then. Shit, I’m due for a fucking vacation. I might put in for it once this is done.
“Like I would let you go into the building alone,” I heard him mutter.
“You don’t need to worry about my safety,” I said softly, turning back to him. “This is not new to me.”
“Someone needs to. Even the best can get beaten.” He walked past, looking into the next office. “Might as well be me. It’s not a problem. And before you ask, no, it’s not because you’re a pretty woman or the last nagini or whatever else, so let’s not have that argument. You’ve been through hell since last night, and I’m not sure how you’re still on your feet. If you weren’t beaten up so badly, I’d be less worried. I’ve seen you kick ass, so it’s not like I can really doubt your skill.”
I turned away and smiled as I looked into the next office. Why was I smiling? I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. I never liked people to hover, from my brothers and dad to Adhar to Cassius. Even Hisao had hovered a little. Some people tried to treat me like I was made of glass.
But Raphael was watching my back, and damn, for some reason, that made me happy.
We finished the first floor, and I was pleasantly surprised to have found no one. I knew Levi was going to be on the roof, so not finding him inside wasn’t surprising.
“Do we need to clear every floor?” Raphael asked as we went up the stairs. I stopped at the second-floor door and considered it.
“Yes,” I finally answered. “Who knows if a human got into the building and might be a hostage. We could find them hiding inside or dead, in which case, I’ll need someone to come out and clean up. They’ll probably burn the building down, but we do what we’ve got to do.”
He followed me dutifully as we cleared the next three floors. It took a good thirty minutes to make it to the fifth floor, but I didn’t consider it time wasted.
“Last floor, then we head up, yeah?” Raphael looked up the stairs at the roof door. It was rattling, thanks to the strong winds outside. That was why I wasn’t worried about Levi hearing us. The storm was getting so loud as we climbed the building, there was no way anyone outside could hear us.
“Yup. Let me take point when we get up there. Distract him or just hold on. I’m going in for the kill, but I need to not be worrying about you.”
“Kaliya.”
“Raphael.” I met his warm chocolate eyes. He looked so severe as we stared each other down. He was so worried about me, and I didn’t know how to stop that. “Trust me. Have I failed yet?”
“You had a hard time with the inmate. You didn’t even think to turn into a snake.”
“I know,” I mumbled, looking away. “He got the jump on me, and I was worried he would crush me if I shifted. I’d rather be choked out than die the way Tarak did. Even if I got a bite off, he could have killed me. It wasn’t a risk I was willing to take.” I rubbed my ribs. They didn’t hurt until I touched them. The ointment had done its job, numbing the pain for most of the bruising and muscles. I was still sore and aching and looked like hell, but I didn’t feel it so much. It was going to cat
ch up to me, though. I put the ointment on several hours ago, and it was going to wear off soon, the way any painkiller did.
I walked out of the stairwell onto the fifth floor, aimlessly licking my lips and catching scents on the air. I wasn’t expecting anything, having caught nothing on any of the previous floors. A lot of humans, some magic, probably from Levi’s spell just like all the previous floors…and something else.
I stopped, frowning as I turned back to Raphael.
“Be careful, there's the scent of a werewolf. Hopefully, it was just some guy who worked here and isn’t around, but let’s not count on that.”
“Think it might be a prisoner?”
“There were only two werewolves in the northern cell block. Twins. I killed one right after the bomb went off.” I started opening doors and checking on the right side while Raphael went to the left.
“What did they do, and why were they kept alive?”
“Do you really want to know?” I sighed, wondering if he really wanted to keep torturing himself with this sort of stuff.
“Helps me not feel bad.”
“They used to work for the Tribunal, and they were in the prison because Hasan wants them there. They’re older than dirt. They worked for the Tribunal for a short time after it formed until it was discovered they were actively trying to destroy it before it gained too much power.”
“Hasan the werecat? The one who helped us out, and we’ve been talking to since this all started?”
“Yup. There’s no other supernatural Hasan I’ve ever heard of. After that, I have no idea, actually. I killed one fairly easily, so there must be something the old werecat and the werewolves want from them. I wish I knew what that one smelled like. His twin would be similar.” I was only mildly upset. I didn’t know scents that well.
I wasn’t a scent-driven creature in my human form because my sense of smell was pitifully weak compared to other supernaturals. What I did have that no one could claim was the ability to read thermal information, thanks to the special pit organs hidden in my sinuses. The problem with that was insulation in the walls. As humanity grew more advanced, their insulation in buildings was better, which was good and bad. Good for anyone looking to save on their energy bill. Bad for me because I couldn’t see hotspots on the other side of walls until I got to the doors, and sometimes those were a pain too.
