by Paige Orr
We still have to go back to the house and hope that Annika is able to perform a spell to locate these fuckers, so wasting time hovering around me like a mother hen, isn’t helping anyone. I look around the room for Zaphyr, finding him just past Cailean and Elias, and he gives me a soft smile. I’m glad to see that he’s fully healed, I was so worried when I heard his grunt of pain.
I swing my legs around, so that I’m sitting at the edge of the couch, and the others back up to give me room. Finding Annika, I can’t help but notice how tired she looks, and I feel fucking horrible that I’m about to ask her to do even more. At this point, I’m better off splitting my earnings with her at this rate, she’s done just as much work, if not more, than I have.
“Did Zaphyr fill you guys in about the other house?”
They all nod their heads, and I give Annika an apologetic smile. Here’s hoping that whatever spell she needs won’t be too taxing on her.
“Nika, do you think you're up for a tracking spell? I don’t want you to push yourself too hard.”
“Of course I’m up for it, chicka. Never mind me pushing myself too far though, that’s twice in less than twenty-four hours you have been out cold. I know you want to solve this shit, but don’t destroy yourself to do so.”
“Girl, you know me. Once I finish this case, I’ll sleep for a week. We’re so close right now though, that I don't think I could sleep unless someone knocked me out again.”
The others laugh at my remark, and some of the tension drains from the room. If I manage to find these fuckers sooner rather than later, then it means that they won’t be able to perform their fucked up ritual. Which also means that the others get to relax a bit, instead of scouring through books trying to figure out who could be next. I know that I’m pushing myself, but I can’t in good conscience sit here and relax while people are in danger.
“Let me get myself cleaned up, and we’ll head over and meet Morpheus. The sooner we find these sickos, the better it will be for those who’ve been taken. Fuck knows what condition they are going to be in already.”
The others agree, and I shakily get to my feet, heading into my bedroom for a shower. I can’t believe my good leather pants are ruined. They were my favourite ass kicking pants. I strip out of the ruined clothes, throwing them into a bag to be binned later, and head into the bathroom.
While I wait for the water to heat, I study my leg where the bullet entered me, and take in the small pink scar left behind. Whatever magic those bullets were loaded with, must have been stronger than I originally thought, since usually magical healing doesn’t leave any traces behind.obviously I have a lot more work to do before I can rely on my sight in a fight against magic, but I should be happy with how quickly my sight seems to be developing.
It’s strange to think that I’ve always had the ability, but just didn’t know. I can’t help thinking that if I understood more about myself, then maybe I could have protected my mother better. All these years I’ve been judging myself just as harshly as those who found out that I could speak to the dead, but no more.
From now on I’m going to work on improving my ability, so that no one else I care about ends up dead. I step under the spray of water, watching as my blood tints the water pink, and slowly twirls down the drain. Anika had a point earlier, it’s almost hard to believe how much shit has gone down in less than twenty-four hours, but my gut tells me that we’re really fucking close to catching up to the cult.
I’m startled out of my musing when I hear a squeak behind me and turn just in time to find Grey covering his eyes. If a ghost could blush, then the fucker's face would be radioactive.
“What the fuck Grey, haven’t we already spoke about this shit?”
“Shit, I’m so sorry Mel. I was going to tell you that I was keeping an eye on that gorgeous Fae you have watching the house. One of my ghostly friends said that there is a creepy group of dudes heading his way. You still have time to get over there and for your Witchy friend to do her magic.”
That thought alone gives me the boost of energy that I needed, and I speed through the motions of getting myself washed. I’m shutting off the water just as quickly as it was turned on and throwing on fresh blood proof clothes. I don’t even take the time to dry my hair before I’m speeding back into my living room, hopping on one foot as I try to get my shoes on.
Annika notices the bedraggled mess that I am, and with a wave of her fingers, my hair is dry and I finally get my shoe on. I don’t want to worry them, but I know I can’t do this shit on my own. So I fill the others in on what Grey has told me, not wanting to leave Morpheus to face the danger alone.
“We need to head over to Morpheus. Grey has been keeping an eye on him with some other ghosts, and they think that there is a group of cult members heading his way.”
I barely reach the end of my sentence before everyone is leaping to their feet, and we are out of the house and loaded into the cars in the space of a couple of minutes. Here’s hoping we do have enough time to get shit done. I’m tired of these bastards always being a step ahead of us.
We pull up in front of the house, and I’m out of the car and rushing up to the front door before the otters even have a chance to move. Crashing through the front door, I come to a halt when I see Morpheus sitting in an armchair, shock written across his face. Finally, I can feel the strain that’s filled me since Grey told me that he was in danger, ease from my muscles.
I know that I can’t fully relax yet, but seeing that we’ve made it in time gives me hope. The others file into the room, finally catching up to me, and I can see my relief mirrored on their faces. Morpheus, obviously noticing the hurry we were in, gets to his feet and approaches us like he would a group of skittish animals.
“I hate to be an ass guys, but why have you all just burst in here like the hounds of hell are on your heels.”
“Well, they just might be. Grey kept an eye on you and one of his friends warned him that possible cult members when en route”
Annika brushes past me, ignoring everyone while she sets up what she needs to perform her spell. We just have to hope that she can get it finished before trouble arrives, otherwise who knows what will happen. I'm pretty sure that a load of fighting going on around her is not the best environment to concentrate while performing magic.
I leave her to do her thing, making my way over to the window peering through a gap in the blinds.my nerves are shot with this shit, but it will all be worth it as long as everyone gets out of here safely with more answers than when we got here. Morpheus comes up beside me, silently standing guard probably just to put my mind at rest.
"Don't worry too much, kitten. We all have plenty of experience fighting off the cult, we can make sure that nothing too bad happens."
"I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt. They already ambushed me and Zaphyr when we followed that fucker from here who knows what they plan to do to us next."
Shock flickers in his eyes, reminding me that we hadn't filled him in about the ambush yet and I feel like shit for not mentioning it. He is Zaphyr's right hand man after all. His whole job is to protect him, and yet he got hurt on my watch, it was a dick move not to mention it sooner. There has just been one thing after the other with this case, it’s difficult to keep track of it all. How any of us are supposed to deal with this shit is beyond me.
“You guys weren’t hurt, were you?”
“We were both hit with magic infused bullets. It done more damage to me than Zaphyr though, thankfully.”
“Please, don't act like you aren’t important too. We want you to be safe just as much as him. Seeing you after the Harpy attack killed us.”
“You guys don’t even know me though, why would you care that much? It’s not like it was your fault, so there is nothing to feel guilty about.”
He looks at me incredulously, something I’ve said has obviously got to him, I just don’t know what. I was trying to put his mind at rest, not make him feel worse. This is why I try to avoid
people unless it's necessary, I never say the right thing and then I just have a load of people pissed off at me. I thought I was doing well this time, but apparently I was wrong.
“Sure, we felt guilty, but that isn’t why we were so upset seeing you that way. If you truly think that, then you’re wrong.”
“We all care about you, more than is probably right for only just meeting you. How have you not noticed?”
Confusion fills me, not understanding how what he says could be true. I’m nothing special, sure I can do things that others can, but that usually pushes people away, not bring them closer. I haven’t even done anything worth caring about. I know they struggled with this case, but that’s only because they investigate things differently, relying on their magic.
“I just thought that was how you guys are.”
“Are you kidding, Zaphyr is a moody fucker, he tries not to care about anyone. Cailean and Elias are usually self centred assholes, and I’m a bloody incorrigible flirt. You just bring out the best in us”
Surprised is an understatement of how I’m feeling right now, and I don’t really know what to say to him. Luckily, I don’t need to say anything as Nika shouts in victory behind us.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Morpheus
Melissa rushes over to Annika, leaving me standing at the window, completely dumbfounded by her reaction. I really thought she had noticed how we react to her, but it would seem that we need to make it even more obvious. I can’t imagine the things that she’s been through to make her so distrusting of people, but I’m going to do everything that I can to show her that we truly do care about her.
Whatever has caused her to be so blind to how amazing she truly is, I need to find a way to rectify it. If I could meet the people that have caused her to have such a low self esteem, I would rip them to fucking peices. I watch Melissa closely as she discusses whatever Annika has found until suddenly she whips around with eyes wide.
“Guys, we need to go, now! Annika got the location, but the cult members will be here any minute.”
Everyone races to do as Melissa has asked, Annika gathering her supplies quicker than I thought possible. We rush outside, piling back into the cars, and just as we begin to drive away, two SUVs come barreling around the corner, quicker than anyone has the right to drive. The fuckers notice us and begin to give chase. Any other time I would find this sort of situation fun, but I can feel Melissa’s tension permeating the air.
I try my best to hide the smile that’s creeping it’s way on to my face, not wanting her to think I’m crazy, and pull a move that belongs on the set of Fast & Furious, drifting around the corner at crazy speed. Melissa lets out a high pitched squeal, gripping the oh shit handle like her life depends on it, and I can’t hold back my laughter anymore.
She gives me a scathing look, flipping me off with a huff, causing my grin to spread impossibly wider. I really don’t get to enjoy myself like this very often anymore, so you can bet your ass that I’m going to make the most of it.The SUV seems to be keeping up with us well enough, so I begin to weave myself between the minimal traffic on the stretch of road in front of us.
As we get closer to the more congested part of town, I know that I can’t afford to keep our tail on us anymore, so at the last second I pull down a side street, trying to take as many turns as possible. Thankfully, the cult members don’t seem to be very bright, and the maneuvering has done the job to put distance between us.
Melissa pulls out her phone, calling one of the others, who have been lucky enough to get away from their tail and are going to meet us back at Melissa’s apartment. Not wanting to be outdone, I step up my game, putting on a burst of speed. Luckily enough, my reflexes are better than humans, and I just manage to avoid a crash as I speed around the next corner.
The sounds of car horns blaring, and car wheels screeching reaching my ears, and I look up to find the SUV that had been following us, closed off by traffic. Melissa lets out a sigh of relief as I begin to slow the car down once we have put more distance between us and our tail.
As exciting as our little chase was, I wish that I had got to at least fight the fuckers and get some of my annoyance out. We have gone from knowing jack shit about the disappearance, to knowing exactly who is behind it and why, and it’s driving me crazy that I still can’t do anything.
I’ve always been an impatient man, but this shit is taking the biscuit. I’m more highly strung than a fucking bow string. One wrong move and I’ll probably snap. I have to find some way to get these frustrations out, because I don’t want to reach my breaking point and lash out at those around me. I’m not the only one struggling with the situation, I can tell that this shit is taking its toll on the others just as much as it is me.
Once the anticipation wears off, the car falls into silence, everyone lost in their own thoughts. The drive seems to fly by, and it doesn’t take long until we get to Melissa’s, finding the other care already there, and the others waiting for Melissa to let them in. Everyone gets out of the car, leaving me sitting behind the wheel. Melissa looks in at me worriedly but I fob her off with a reassuring smile.
She gives me one last look, before letting out a sigh, and heading up to the front door to let everyone inside. I watch as they all file into the apartment, all except Zaphyr. He looks me over, seeing that I need to do anything to get rid of my unspent energy, and gives me a nod before heading inside and closing the door behind him.
It’s good to have someone who understands me as well as he does, and I know that he will deal with any questions about where I am from the others. I don’t need long, but if I don’t expend this shit, then I won’t be of any use to anyone.
I drive away, making my way towards my favourite bar not far from here. Having a quick drink is about the only sensible way to blow steam off right now. This way, I’m still close to the house for when everyone's heading out. The bar is only open for another hour anyway, it might only be eleven o’clock at night, but it feels like today started a long time ago.
So much shit has gone down that the day has dragged on, and we aren’t even done yet. I can tell that Melissa is one of those people who doesn’t stop working until they drop, especially knowing how close we are to busting these fuckers.
I pull into the parking lot behind the bar, turning the engine off and just sitting there for a minute to catch my bearings. Being a Skinwalker, when things get to be too much for me, I lose all control of myself. The last thing we all need is me shifting while having a drink surrounded by humans.
Once I’m calm enough, I make my way inside, and straight up to the bar. Luckily for me, the bartender knows me well, and he doesn’t even need to ask what I’m wanting. As he’s pouring me a few shots of sambuca and a whiskey chaser, a tall brunette beauty slides up beside me, basically throwing herself at me. Any other time, I would thrive on the attention, but tonight I just want to enjoy a drink on my own.
I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass when I say that I’m used to the female attention, I’m just being honest. Most humans are attracted to supernaturals, but especially Fae and Vampires. We give off a certain allure that draws them in without them even realizing it. I thrive on attention generally, but all I can picture now is Melissa’s face.
"Hello handsome, how about we have some fun?"
"Not tonight sweetheart, as lovely as you are, that's not the type of fun that I'm looking for tonight."
"Aww, don't be that way sugar, I could help cheer you up. Come on, you know you want me."
I can't stop the growl from rising up in me, causing the poor woman to scuttle away from me. Sure, I feel bad about scaring her, but I tried to be polite, and that didn't work. You can only be so nice when someone is being so pushy, and if it was a guy pressuring a woman like that, then I would rip his throat out.
The woman hurries away, going back over to her friends and no doubt telling them how big of an asshole I am, but I don’t even have it in me to care. I take my shots as soon as the bart
ender puts them in front of me and begin to nurse my whiskey afterwards. I don’t know how long that I sit there, lost in my own thoughts, and tried to relax a bit.
Every loud noise and every time someone gets too close to me, I feel my fingers twitching, ready to lash out. I keep looking at my phone, waiting for the call to come in to say that we’re finally going after the cult, and half an hour later, it finally rings.
“Hello, Zaph. is it time?”
“Yeah, Annika finally narrowed it down to the exact house.”
“Alright, give me ten, I’ll meet you out front.”
We hang up, and I quickly pay my tab, racing outside. Finally, I’m going to get the chance to tear these fuckers limb from fucking limb. A cruel smile stretches across my face, as I jump in the car, speed out of the parking lot. It’s about fucking time.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Melissa
The excitement builds all around me as Annika at long last manages to find an exact address. Finally, we know exactly where all those bastards are hiding, and no doubt where they have been keeping all the Fae that they have abducted. I can feel the exhaustion filing my limbs, but I can’t leave this shit another day, not when lives are hanging in the balance.
The others seem just as delighted as I do, and exhilaration fills the air around me. This shit is almost as good as a double shot of espresso, filling me with the energy that I’m going to need for what’s ahead of us. I can’t even explain how happy I am to be able to save Cailean and Zaphyr’s people. The stress they’ve been under can’t have been easy.
As much as I try to act the hard-ass, I’m still all about those happy endings. That doesn't stop me from going over every little thing that could go wrong though and let's be honest with my luck that's a shit load. We are so fucking close now that I can taste the cults demise on the tip of my tongue. I wouldn’t say that I’m a bloodthirtsy person, not that Annika would agree with that, but after all the shit these fuckers have done, they’re going to fucking pay.
