3013

by Kali Argent

  If anything, Garrik should have put the barrier around himself, because the massive cat continued to stalk toward him with low, rumbling growls.

  “Vasera, please.” Fawkes held tight to her elbow, gently but firmly trying to pull her back toward the exit.

  “Great galaxies and falling stars, just stop!” she yelled. “Fawkes, let me go!”

  Suddenly, Sion’s huge, furry head whipped toward her, his penetrating gaze locked on Fawkes, or more precisely, the hand he had wrapped around her arm.

  “Fawkes,” she whispered, not taking her eyes off her mate, “let go and back away. Slowly.”

  In his current form, Sion couldn’t speak, but he chuffed his approval. Some part of him recognized the attendant, but he couldn’t remember why he shouldn’t hurt the guy. The male stood too close, held too tightly to Rya. He wanted her to leave. He wanted to take her away from him, but Sion wouldn’t allow it.

  The farther he sank into his primal rage, the less aware he became of anything except his mate. Turning to go to her, he dropped his head and purred, communicating without words that she didn’t need to be afraid of him. He’d never hurt her. Never. The same couldn’t be said for the males in the room, however.

  “Fawkes,” Rya hissed insistently, jerking her arm out of his grasp. “Step. Back.”

  “Rya!” Garrik shouted. “Get out of here!”

  His upper lip curled over his fangs, and Sion whipped around with a warning snarl. He was still in mid-turn when the oxygen vanished from the air. Everything went black, and his stomach did a slow roll before jackknifing into his chest cavity. The porridge he’d had for breakfast threatened to make a reappearance, and a ringing started in his ears that drowned out all other sounds.

  Then, everything stopped.

  Sucking in deep breaths through his nose, he stretched experimentally, surprised to find that nothing hurt. His paws sank into the thick grass of a small, oval-shaped clearing. Sunlight illuminated the treetops, casting a blue hue over the forest, and birds chirped, hummed, and whistled merrily from the canopies.

  He’d walked the dirt trails with Rya, and he’d run the forest alone in the early mornings, but he’d never ventured so deep into the woods. Overwhelmed with scents, he couldn’t use his sense of smell to pinpoint his location, and every tree looked exactly like the last. When he made it back to the manor, he was going to kill Garrik.

  The pencil-thin rays of sun that filtered through the leaves slanted across the forest from the northwest, at least giving him some indication of which direction to start walking. So, that’s what he did. With his ears perked, he trotted toward the east, zigzagging in the direction of the manor through the thick trunks and gnarled brambles.

  A warm breeze tickled the tufts of fur on his tail and the points of his ears, bringing with it the foul stench of decay. Something had died nearby, not too recently, but within the past week. During his brief jaunts through the woods, he hadn’t encountered another predator, but then again, most living things steered clear of him.

  He sensed it now, something watching him from the shadows. The forest had fallen silent—no birds, no insects, nothing but the rustle of leaves and the muffled scrape of claws against the earth. The stink of rotting flesh smothered most other scents, but Sion closed his eyes and concentrated.

  Nearby...upwind...twenty, maybe thirty paces. Definitely a predator. Not as big as him, especially in this new super-sized form, but big enough to be lethal. He hadn’t encountered the scent before, yet it smelled familiar. He likened it to the hairless canines the crew of the Dreamweaver had studied on the small planetoid of Nexerion near the Phylon Asteroid Belt. Only this was stronger, wilder, and far more dangerous.

  The beast, whatever it was, watched him for a moment longer, then turned suddenly, disappearing back toward the clearing, its footfalls fading into the distance. Sion continued on in the opposite direction, thinking little of the animal, or anything except getting back to Rya.

  Maybe because he’d been thinking of her, or maybe because his hearing had been supercharged like his sense of smell, but Rya’s sweet, lilting voice carried to him through the trees. Faint, far away, but definitely his mate. She called his name as her feet crunched over the twigs and dried leaves that littered the forest floor.

  Laughing internally, he swung around, following her irritated calls. He could just picture her stomping through the underbrush in her shiny dress and ridiculous sandals. By now, her long curls had likely been caught in low-hanging branches more than once, and she’d be cursing like the commander of a cargo freighter.

  The initial pleasure her presence had given him evaporated at once when he remembered something in the forest—something dark and dangerous—stalked through the trees. Rya continued to shout his name, her voice a muffled echo, broadcasting her location to more than just him. He wanted to call out to her, to tell her to leave, to go back to the manor, but he couldn’t risk the time and energy it would take to shift.

  Lengthening his stride, he backtracked through the sprawling woodland, dodging twisted trunks and leaping over fallen logs. Lost in thought, he hadn’t realized how far he’d traveled away from the clearing, and he damned the distance that now separated him from his mate. When he reached a spot where the trees began to thin, opening up a wider path, he turned on a burst of speed, pushing his new body to its untested limits.

  Ahead, the sky lightened, throwing sharp relief to the shadows. The clearing, with its lush grass and blooming wildflowers, came into view, and he could just make out Rya’s small frame in the center of it. She had her back to him, her ebony hair shining vibrantly in the sunlight. She sidestepped twice to the right, then to the left, and once again back to the right. He couldn’t figure out what the hell she was doing until she stumbled backward and let loose a harrowing scream that made his ears ring.

  Across the clearing, a beast not much smaller than himself emerged from the tree line, its head low and its hackles raised. The muscles in its shoulders and back flexed, bunched, prepared to pounce, and its black lips pulled back into a snarl, revealing rows of pointed, yellowed teeth. Canine in appearance, it resembled Earth wolves, but bigger, much bigger, with sleek, coal-black fur, an overextended snout, and six legs instead of four.

  Run!

  The single worded pounded through his head, and Sion didn’t know if he meant it for Rya or himself. Maybe both.

  As if she’d heard him, Rya spun on her toes, lifted the hem of her dress, and sprinted across the clearing toward him, but she was no match for the beast stalking her. Sion’s heart seized in his chest when the creature sprang up from the ground, leaping through the air in a direct trajectory with Rya’s back.

  Using every ounce of his bigger, stronger body, he propelled himself forward, lunging into the clearing with a cat-like screech. Whether she’d seen him coming or she’d reacted purely on instinct, Rya dropped to the ground and rolled to the side at the same moment he hurdled over her, colliding with the monster midair.

  Jagged claws sliced across his chest and flank, and dripping fangs snapped at his face. Twisting his body atop the animal, Sion latched on to its throat and jerked his head to the side, effectively snapping the creature’s neck. The fight had lasted a mere heartbeat, and the thing’s death marked the end of its importance. Turning his back, Sion stalked away in search of his mate, but he didn’t have to look far.

  Rya crouched low near a young sapling at the edge of the clearing, unharmed but clearly shaken. When he chuffed and lowered his head, she jumped to her feet and ran toward him, stretching up on her toes to throw her arms around his thick neck.

  “Are you okay?” Her fingers stroked the fur on his face, his neck, and down his shoulder. “You’re bleeding. We need to find a medic.” Then she reared back suddenly and smacked him right on the end of his nose. “Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

  The transformation back to a form that could speak happened faster than he could ever remember, but it also produced a hell of
a lot more pain that usual. Stark naked, he knelt in the grass, panting from his wounds and the exertion of his shift, but he couldn’t stop smiling.

  “I scared you, huh, princess? How do you think I felt? That thing was about two seconds away from making you puppy chow.” Falling back on his ass, he grabbed Rya by the wrist and tumbled her into his lap, chuckling when she yelped. “What the hell is that anyway?”

  “An ocelas. They live up in the mountains, but they sometimes come down into the valleys to hunt.” Arching her neck, she peered over his shoulder at the unmoving beast and shuddered. “They never come this far south, though.”

  Animals ventured from their preferred habitat to either find food or because they were forced to leave. There had been plenty of food sources between the mountains and Cairbora, leaving Sion to conclude the beast had been desperate to escape something. The big question was what.

  “We need to go.”

  “Yes,” Rya agreed. “We need to get you to a medic.”

  The scratches were shallow and looked a lot worse than they felt, but he’d see one of the medics if it would put her at ease. “Fine, but I need to talk to Garrik first.”

  Gaining her feet, Rya held a hand out to help him up, but frowned. “No more fighting.”

  “I don’t want to fight with him, princess.” Oh, he still owed the captain an ass kicking, but that would have to wait. “I want him to send sentries out here.”

  “To dispose of the remains.” Her gaze slid to the ocelas, and her nose wrinkled as she nodded. “Yes, of course.”

  “Yes.” He didn’t know how to tell her what he knew without scaring her, but there was no way to be delicate about it. “That one, also.”

  “Also?” Even if she didn’t know what to fear, anxiety bled into her tone. “I don’t understand.”

  At the time, he hadn’t been able to place the scent, probably because he hadn’t been expecting it. Now, there could be no mistaking the distinct stench of decaying flesh, and with his heightened senses, he knew more than he wanted to know.

  “The body of a young female is about two hundred paces that way.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  As Rya had feared, the sentries had identified the body as that of Glenda Rivers, the young female who had gone missing while gathering hollygrass by the stream. Scores of claw and bite marks marred her skin, the manor’s senior medic, Jae Brambles, refused to list a cause of death until he had conducted a thorough examination.

  “He thinks the bites are post-mortem,” Sion whispered. “After she died,” he elaborated.

  They stood beneath a towering tree, holding hands in the cool shade while Rya oversaw the scene. Of course, Sion hadn’t wanted her to venture back into the Forgotten Wood, and honestly, it had been the last place she’d wanted to go. One of her people had died, and her sister had come to Rya for help, help she hadn’t been able to give in time. She saw it not only as her duty to be there, but she needed to know all the facts as they happened, not secondhand from her brother.

  “I’ll have to meet with her sister.”

  “I think one of the sentries can do that, princess.”

  “No.” She shook her head adamantly. “It’s my responsibility.”

  Sion cocked his head, and a strange expression tugged at his handsome face. “Rya, you know this isn’t your fault. That poor girl was dead before you even knew she was missing.”

  “Maybe.” No one could be sure exactly when she died, and for all Rya knew, Glenda Rivers had wandered the forest, tired and alone for hours or maybe days before her demise. “Do you think she knew? Do you think she was afraid?”

  “Yes, I think she knew she was going to die, and I’m sure she was terrified.” His arm came around her shoulders, and he kissed the top of head. “I’m sorry, but I won’t lie to you.”

  Her heart ached, but she didn’t want to be coddled. “Thank you.”

  They stood silently for a few minutes more until Garrik stomped over to them, his boots sending up plumes of dust behind him.

  “Rya, you should go. We’re preparing to move her body back to the medical wing of the manor. There’s nothing left for you to do here.”

  “Has anyone contacted her sister to set up a meeting?” She’d need to bathe and change clothes before then.

  “Who?”

  Rya frowned. “Her sister. The female who reported her missing.”

  “Do you know her name?”

  She shook her head. “I told her to leave it with one the attendants, and that a sentry would be in contact.” The order had been given, and surely none of her staff would have forgotten something so important.

  “Hold on.” Pressing the button on the side of his transponder, Garrik pulled up a holographic screen half and arm’s length from his face and began scrolling through the information. “Glenda Rivers is listed as having an older sister by the name of Sanya, but there’s no record of her being at the manor.”

  “Well, I spoke with her. I know she was there. What about the parents?” They would need to be contacted as well.

  “Deceased.” Garrik winced. “Their shuttle malfunctioned and crashed into the side of a mountain.”

  “Poor Sanya.” First her parents, now her only sibling. “Check again, because I know she spoke with an attendant, and I personally asked Sentry Allbright to look into it.”

  Her brother huffed. “Rya, I know how to perform my duties. I’m telling you there is no record of her speaking with anyone at the manor.”

  Sion hadn’t said anything since Garrik had approached him, but he eyed the other sentries milling about the area with open suspicion. “What about the sentry’s report?”

  Instead of arguing, Garrik stood motionless, his eyes narrowed as he searched the shifter’s face. “There isn’t one, but you already knew that.”

  “Not here.”

  In the next blink, the forest disappeared, replaced by the inviting familiarity of the manor’s formal sitting room.

  “Okay.” Nostrils flared and teeth gritted, Garrik nodded. “Speak.”

  “We need to find the attendant Sanya spoke with that day.” He turned to Rya. “Do you remember who was on duty?”

  Rya didn’t need to think. “Grace. It’s always Grace.”

  Garrik’s eyes narrowed into slits, and a red hue stained his cheeks. “We have a traitor.”

  “Grace would never—”

  “Not the attendant,” Sion said, interrupting her. “Sentry Allbright.”

  Rya placed a hand over her mouth to cover her gasp. “No.” She shook her head without any real conviction. “Why would he kill Glenda Rivers?”

  “I don’t know.” The muscle in Sion’s jaw ticked, and his entire body vibrated with tension. “I think it won’t be long before find Sanya Rivers’ body as well.”

  Garrik looked as if he’d expected the information. Of course he had. He wasn’t stupid. He’d likely been thinking the same thing as Sion from the beginning, but as always, he hadn’t wanted to alarm her. Always the protector.

  It was happening again. Just like when her parents had been murdered, she hadn’t seen this coming, hadn’t expected her own guards to turn against her. The guilt nearly crumpled her, but by sheer will, she remained upright. She was Vasera, and she couldn’t fall apart when everyone needed her to be strong.

  “Garrik, speak with Grace. Confirm that she entered a report of Sanya visiting the manor.” Taking a deep breath, she pulled her shoulders back and straightened her spine. “Contact Tira. The report should have been logged in the ICA database. Even if someone removed it from our system, she may still have a record of it.”

  “Ica?” Sion arched an eyebrow at her.

  “Interisland Communication Agreement,” Garrik explained. “Each island keeps their own records, but reports are automatically filed with the ICA database that can only be accessed with authorization from Captain Meadowlark.”

  “In case someone tampers with the records,” Sion surmised. “Like now.”

&nb
sp; Garrik nodded. “Like now.”

  “Sion, I need you to find Sentry Allbright.”

  “No.” He folded his arms across his chest and stared back at her stubbornly. “If Garrik is going to be otherwise occupied, there is no fucking way I’m going to leave you by yourself.”

  “Don’t argue,” Garrik warned her. “For once, we agree. You are not to go anywhere alone, and right now, I don’t trust anyone except myself and Sion to escort you.”

  Well, at least they were finally getting along.

  “Fine, but someone still has to find Sentry Allbright.” She hoped there would be a logical explanation that didn’t involve the murder of an innocent female—possibly two—but intuition told her not to hold out for miracles. “How do you suggest we do that?”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Garrik was already angling toward the doorway. “Right now, I think it’s best to pretend that everything is normal. At least until I get some answers.” His gaze slid to Sion. “Do not leave her side.”

  Then he marched out of the room, leaving Rya staring after him. “Do you think he’ll be okay?”

  “He’s not the one I’m worried about.” Grasping her hand, Sion practically dragged her from the sitting room and down the hallway toward the south wing of the manor.

  “Sion, stop it. Let go of me.” Her demand came out breathless as she jogged to keep up with his demanding pace. “Where are you taking me?”

  In answer, he swung right down an adjoining corridor and hurried them to her suite at the end. Once inside, he closed and locked the double doors behind him, then moved agitatedly around the room, checking that all of the windows were secured.

  “Can you ward this room?”

  “I can. Sion—”

  “Do it.”

  “I will not.” She refused to sit in her chambers and cower. “Garrik said to act normal. This isn’t normal.”

  “I don’t give two fucks what Garrik said!” Sion roared at her. “Ward the damn room, or I swear to everything celestial, I will put you on a ship and send your ass to the nearest Alliance station.”