by Maya Daniels
“Oh, shit.” Astara groans, and the human rasps at the same time.
At least that means the human can breathe.
I turn my head, wanting to see what got the Fae to use such inventive language, and my stomach drops to my feet. Fenrir’s eyes are glowing, his long blond hair dancing in an imaginary breeze around his head. Leo’s body is contorting, twisting at awkward angles as he shifts to his wolf form. Astara is crouched, facing something I can’t yet see. At least the humans that were staring at us seem to be ignoring our presence again. All but the one rubbing a hand over his neck, watching us with wide eyes.
“What’s going on?” My instincts take over, and I stand in front of Zoltan and the human, ready for an attack.
“Hunters,” Astara growls.
“I thought they couldn’t see us.” Frustrated, I scan the street where humans walk around without a care in the world.
“They broke through my illusion.” Fenrir spins in a slow circle, and the air around us shimmers again.
“That’s why the humans could see us.” I feel responsible if anyone gets hurt now. I should’ve said something when I noticed them staring. “Well, he can still see us.” Fenrir glares at the human I’m pointing at as if it’s his fault the hunters broke through his illusion. “Stay away from that human, Fae.”
Ignoring the daggers Zoltan is staring at my back, I roll my shoulders. Whatever the reason the human can see us, he is different, and I feel strangely protective of him. A tremor races up my spine when I see white-clad people from the corner of my eyes slinking through the streets. My face lifts, and I notice them on the roofs of the slightly lower buildings.
“We are being surrounded.” Glancing behind me at Zoltan, I point at the top of a building.
“No one fights.” Zoltan turns away from the human stepping next to me. “We get to the portal. There was enough fighting for one night.” We all watch him like he’s lost his mind. “We can fight another day; we need to get back now. Jack knows you saw his face. I have a feeling the Academy needs us more than we need to kill a few hunters.”
“Okay.”
Astara is first to agree, and I can’t help but wonder if getting hurt messed with her head. I’ve gotten myself in so many situations where my life was on the line that it would be shocking if this one in the human world screwed with my head. My friend is strong—the top of the food chain, if you will—and I have a feeling she doesn’t get hurt often.
“Run.” Zoltan snaps and, grabbing my hand, he bolts down the street.
I look over my shoulder at the human we are leaving behind, clutching his thighs and gasping for air. His eyes find mine, and I almost trip over my own feet from the speed of Zoltan’s run. We turn a corner, and I lose sight of him. Fear for his life makes me slower than I should be, and I know Zoltan is getting frustrated. Shaking off the worry, I push harder and it makes me faster as I release the vampire’s hand and follow the others.
The city blurs around us. My unbraided hair streams behind me like a flag, the long strands flapping and yanking on my skull. Not knowing where I need to go, I make sure I don’t lose sight of Astara or Fenrir. Leo is long way gone, the shifter bolting as soon as Zoltan says we won’t fight. Breathing through my mouth to avoid gagging from the stench of all the odors in the city, a smile stretches my lips. It’s exuberating to run for your life. Being reminded that death is at your heels even when you live for centuries is good for the soul. You appreciate life more. At least I do.
The surroundings become familiar, and I can feel the pull of the portal near. My heart speeds up knowing that safety, as fable as it is, is just a few moments away. Fenrir stops dead in his tracks, and I have to twirl to not topple over him, stopping only a breath away from Astara. Zoltan is next to me before I stop moving. Anger bubbles in my chest.
Two rows of white-clad hunters block our way to the passage home. There are about forty of them that I can count with a glance, and my heart pummels my ribs with abandon. Now that I’m closer to the Academy, even with a portal separating me from it, I feel the ancient magic stirring in my chest. I’m giddy to get home. You and me both, I tell the monstrosity that lives inside me. Just not yet.
“I guess we get one more fight out of it before we leave.” My attempt to lighten the situation falls on deaf ears. “Umm, where is Leo?”
The area where the portal sits unknown to humans is halfway up a hill. There is a tall metal tower just to the side of it with a couple of wooden benches placed in weird spots. A small forest surrounds the clearing, and two hiking paths branch off, going up and down the hill. If the trees were taller and thicker, it would look like a replica of the one that sits on the other side of the Academy. Not very inventive, are we?
Astara points at something interrupting my observation, and I follow the direction of her finger.
“He is insane.” My body stiffens when I catch a glimpse of fur waving through the trees close to the portal. “Is he trying to get killed, or worse?”
“He can get through if we give him an opening.” Zoltan’s words are just a whisper, and I realize I never ask if the hunters have our hearing. “He can bring help from the other side. We just need to keep them occupied until then.”
“Jack is not here.” Zoltan looks at me sharply from the disappointment in my voice, and I barely stop myself from flinching. “That fucker is mine.” Putting as much bravado as I can summon into my voice, I ignore his low growl. “I guess these idiots will do for now.”
“Don’t underestimate the hunters, Ms. Drake.” If possible, I think steam will shoot from my ears in this moment. He did not just call me Ms. Drake again.
“I never underestimate anyone, oh mighty Daystalker—I mean Daywalker.” Giving him the sweetest smile ever, I see him flinch. Good! “It’s usually everyone else underestimating little ol’ me.” My mind is already spinning with possibilities, and I can only think of one idea that might actually work as I’m eyeing the trees around us.
“Can they see as good as we can?” I turn to Fenrir, ignoring the bloodsucking jerk.
“Better than humans, but not as good as us. Why?” I don’t hear the rest of what he says, and I do my best to ignore his hiss as I swagger out of the cover of the trees and out into the open.
All eyes turn on me, including the three sets staring at my back.
“Hey, ugly fucks!” Spreading my arms wide like I want to give them all a hug, I grin crazily at the hunters. “Who’s up for a chase? Come get me if you can.”
18
More than half of the hunters peel off from the rest, giving chase. I’m sure if I give them time to think they will see how stupid of a plan it is, but I’m sure they expect us to be stealthy and try to surprise them with our attack. It’s something Zoltan and Fenrir would do. Assess your opponent, find weak spots, and pick them off.
My time in this world—as short as it is—and the attack I barely survived has taught me one thing: the hunters have learned the patterns, the way we fight, and how we think. Good thing they have me now with my act-and-then-think attitude.
And they say I’m crazy.
My wild laughter bounces off the tree trunks and echoes around the hill as I bolt for the tree line to my right. Leo is slinking on the left, so this should give him the opening Mr. jerk wants for him. Throwing a glance over my shoulder, a large chunk of my hair nearly blinding my left eye when it slaps me over it, I manage to see a tail near the swirling portal before ducking to avoid a dagger aimed at my head.
“That’s what you get, Franky, for being cocky.” Snorting at myself, I ignore the piece of hair that got sliced up, floating to the forest floor.
“I’d say the same thing.” Zoltan snarls from next to me.
I bare my teeth at him in the mockery of a smile. “You’re welcome.”
“This is not what I meant.” Grabbing my arm, he tugs me to the side, plastering both of our backs behind a good-sized tree trunk. “You need to stop acting out of control and listen for once.”
>
“Ms. Drake.” Blowing the hair out of my face, I inch closer to the edge, poking my head out to see if the hunters are near.
“What?”
“Stop growling.” Huffing, I snatch the elastic band from my wrist, tying up my hair. “You forgot to add Ms. Drake at the end.” Not so accidentally, I elbow him in the process just because.
“Is that what all this is about?”
“You don’t get to kiss the life out of someone, hump them like a horny dog twice, and call them Ms. Drake, Zoltan.” I thrust my head out again when a branch cracks nearby. “That’s not how shit works. I don’t do hot and cold well.”
“Meeting you was bad timing, that’s all.” His sigh makes me look at his face. “People are dying, and I’d rather you not be one of them if I can help it. We have time for everything after this is over.”
“Don’t mistake this for what it’s not. After this is over, I’ll be gone, and you, pure blood, need to find your mate.” A lump forms in my throat, but I push it down forcefully. “I have other shit to do … half blood stuff, you know.”
“Francesca …”
The air changes density so suddenly I throw both of us to the side, avoiding the shuriken that sticks almost all the way in the tree. There is a strange lurch inside me, making my breath stick in my chest. I feel like I’m going to puke. Everything around me spins for a split second when Zoltan yanks me to my feet, and then the early night and the forest come to life in brilliant, bright colors. A calm settles on my shoulders, and it’s very different than the one that pulls me into the trance-like state when my heartbeat slows down.
Zoltan sucks in a sharp breath through his teeth.
“My eyes changed, didn’t they?” He nods once, watching me with worry he shouldn’t feel right now. I tell him as much. “Just make sure you don’t get hurt. I’ll be back.”
I’m grateful he doesn’t try to stop me. The colors swirl, dancing happily around me like they are excited I can finally see them. Everything has a different note to it, even the dirt under my feet pulses with a light of its own. Dark blotches through the bright green of the trees point at the hunters gliding through the forest towards the place where Zoltan is. I can see five of them close by, with a handful getting closer but still further back.
Grabbing a low branch, I pull myself up the tree. My feet barely make a sound as I run over the thicker ones, jumping from one tree to the other, and as if I weight nothing, not a leaf rustles from my movements. Stopping above the first dark shape, my fangs drop from my gums. Reaching down, I yank the hunter up, ripping his throat out as soon as we are face to face.
I leave him hanging like a wet towel on the branch, his blood dripping and soaking up the dry dirt at the gnarled roots. That thing in my chest vibrates, not with excitement, but with something that I can’t name. Excitement is definitely not what I feel right now. More like collecting old debts … a sacrifice long overdue. I keep moving like a ghost through the forest, leaving hunters decorating the trees like ornaments swaying on the branches. The light of the forest floor gets more vibrant, the lifeblood feeding the hunger it feels. It must’ve been parched, I think dispassionately.
One by one, the dark blotches disappear, leaving the life of everything around me swirling in harmony once again. I see I’ve circled back to where I started, and I crouch on my perch in the tree, watching Zoltan from above. His chest is rising and falling with even breaths, and every muscle on his body is corded, coiled up for an attack. The stark beauty of his face in this new world of swirling lights makes him look angelic.
A devil in disguise, if you will.
He will make a perfect mate for some lucky female—a fact I try to ignore because he awakens everything female inside of me. It is nice when I let myself believe he can be mine, but for some reason reality—the bitch she is—slaps me in the face tonight. Go figure. The thought squeezes my chest in a vice, and my heart does a painful thump against my ribs. The colors disappear, leaving me in total darkness. Blinking rapidly, I finally see the light gray shapes from my normal vision.
The branch cracks slightly under my weight.
Zoltan’s head snaps up, his gaze locking on mine, and I smile at the frown on his face. Wrapping both hands on the rough bark of the tree, I swing myself down, dangling for a second before dropping on the ground.
“All clear.” Dusting off my hands on my pants, I blow a breath through pursed lips. “You think Leo had time to go through?” He keeps staring at me, so it’s my turn to frown. “What?”
Without saying a word, he steps in front of me, cupping my face. My heart stops beating as I watch him, my eyes widening. The harsh, cutting lines on his face soften, and pulling his shirt out of his waistband, he lifts it to my face. My eyes focus on the ridges of his abs and firm pecks. His torso looks like the skin is stretched over granite, emphasizing every muscle under it. Who knew there were so many of them in the upper body? I follow the bumps and dips hungrily while he gently wipes the blood off my face. I must be a mess, so it is no wonder he gives me that strange expression.
“We should go find Astara and Fenrir.” I have the strangest urge to place the palm of my hand on his chest and feel his deep voice vibrating under my skin.
I clench my fists.
“Lead the way.” Taking a step back, I’m relieved and upset with myself. I should not feel like this. I’m going to force myself to stop, I decide.
He searches my face, dropping his shirt and leaving it sticking above his waist, showing just a bit too much skin for my sanity. Gingerly, with only two fingers, as if I’m touching a poisonous snake, I pull it over his abs, petting it a couple of times for good measure. Not that I want to touch him. No. Not at all. I just need to make sure it stays down.
Right, I almost convince myself, too.
Spinning on my heel, I head in a random direction. The stronger the pull from the portal gets, the more I know I’m going to the right place. I can feel Zoltan’s eyes on my back the whole time, making me stumble a few times. Instead of watching where I’m going, I’m too busy paying attention to him. The tops of my boots bump and snag on quite a few rocks and dips on the ground.
“Very graceful, Franky. You’re so stupid,” murmuring under my breath, I start stomping forward.
“What’s stupid?” the distraction from behind me asks.
“Nothing, never mind.” I flinch internally when I snap at him. It’s not his fault I have no control over my ovaries.
“Francesca …” I hate it, absolutely hate it when he says my name with the hint of that damn accent.
“Are we going to confront Cassius’s daughter as soon as we get back?” Silence follows my question, and I ignore the stabbing I feel from his gaze between my shoulder blades.
“We need to be careful about how we approach this,” he says after an eternity of only hearing the sound of our feet on the forest floor.
“I say we watch her every move for a day or two. See what she’s up to, you know.” A sigh passes my lips when he goes along with the change of subject. “You’ll be surprised what people do when they think no one is watching.”
“Yes, you would be surprised.” There is something in the way he says the words that makes me look at him over my shoulder.
“It’s creepy to stalk people, you know that right?” The smirk is back on his face, and it sends a zing through my stomach. “You are a fucking creep.”
“Says the one that wants to stalk students at the Academy.”
“Hunters don’t look like me, asshole. So, don’t spin it to suit you.” Scowling at him, I barely sidestep a hole in the forest floor that would’ve sent me face first on the ground.
It pisses me off more.
“No, you just came to the Academy under false pretenses in hopes to spy for an organization we later discovered works against all of us.”
Well, when he puts it like that …
“I had nothing to do with it and was manipulated as much as everyone else. You know that, so
don’t give me that bullshit.”
“I didn’t accuse you of anything. I’m just stating the facts that made watching you a priority.” The amusement in his voice grates on my nerves. “Or stalked, as you like to call it.”
“Whatever.” My feet speed up. I want to get as far away from him as possible right now.
I see Astara first. Her head pokes out from behind a tree, her gaze locking on ours. The harsh look on her face is replaced with a smile when she comes out, followed by a very put-out Fenrir. I almost laugh at the expression on his face. Until he rushes, yanking my feet off the ground. I dangle in his hands, staring down at him.
“You are a reckless, insufferable female, Francesca Drake,” Fenrir hisses, giving me a hard shake for emphasis.
“That’s old news, you’ll have to come up with something new if you want me to act surprised.” Grinning at him, I shake my head. “Now put me down or I’ll kick you in your teeth. No one likes a pretty boy with no front teeth, trust me.”
Astara chortles, and Zoltan even chuckles, seeming surprised that I made him laugh. Only the Fae doesn’t crack a smile, but I know he is laughing inside. No way am I not funny. He is just a killjoy like Azgor. My feet are finally lowered on the forest floor.
“Did Leo go through?” Turning from Astara to Fenrir, I roll my shoulders, which are cramped from when the damn Fae tried to act like a gorilla. Males!
“Did he ever,” Astara says excitedly, grabbing my arm and pulling me with her to the end of the tree line.
“You did awesome, Franky!” She claps her hands in glee.
Dead hunters litter the ground around the portal. Wolves the size of a horse stand over them like hounds from hell protecting their prey. I see Leo’s wolf poised at the center of the swirling lights, his upper lip lifted over deadly jaws in a snarl. Those intelligent green eyes find me, scanning me up and down through his animal face. The shifters didn’t do anything I didn’t, yet seeing all the death in front of me makes me sick.