Supernatural Shadow: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Aisha Bone Book 1)

by Fatima Fayez

"You'll release me from the spell if I answer your question?" He sounded bored with the whole situation, but I still didn’t trust him. His furious eyes gave him away.

  Shifters were serious about their word. I knew I had to phrase my request carefully. "Tell me how you located me and found me at Miguel's, and in return I’ll let the spell go and you will agree to a truce. No attacking me once I remove the spell. Got it?"

  "Temporary truce," he said through gritted teeth. “I can’t let this transgression go unpunished.”

  I almost rolled my eyes. Shifters and their power plays. Despite my better judgement, the temptation was too strong. I was curious to see Diego's Enforcer in action and how my training stood against him. I had gotten the advantage over him because he had underestimated me. He knew better now. "Fine. Challenge in a month's time?"

  "Yes," he agreed.

  "Okay, answer my question. How did you find me?"

  "I tracked you. Your scent was all over him. I can smell it now — cloves and brimstone." He said the last with a snarl. Shifters hated the smell of brimstone.

  I looked down at my outfit. Noor must have borrowed my clothes, leaving them smelling of brimstone. I frowned. I had warned her not to do that. I’d have to remind her again. I only wanted my work clothes to confuse shifters. It appeared to have backfired this time.

  With a murmured incantation, I released the Enforcer.

  He stretched out his arms and fingers, but I could see him struggle against his instinct to attack me. "I'll get in touch with you in a month. I strongly recommend that you don't kill any more shifters until then, Shadow."

  My face must have conveyed the shock I felt at him knowing who I was, because he allowed himself a small smirk. My fists clenched by my sides.

  He reached his hand out, and I stared at his open palm in confusion. “My bracelets.”

  I raised my hand and dropped them into his palm. His hand closed over them in a fist, and without another word, he turned and walked away.

  I watched him leave, worry gnawing at me. How did he know who I was? What had I gotten myself into? I watched his retreating form grow smaller and smaller.

  Aside from my identity now being compromised, I was also wondering if that was the most reckless thing I had ever done. As far as I knew, no one had ever won a fight against the Enforcer, other than Diego himself. There was no way a half-witch like me could beat a dragon shifter and face no repercussions. I was screwed.

  Chapter Six

  I slid my daggers back into their sheaths and pulled my phone out of my pocket. I dialed Noor's number, and she picked up on the second ring. "You okay?"

  "That was Diego's Enforcer at Miguel's," I told her.

  "What?" she asked. I could hear customers on the other end.

  "Diego's Enforcer," I repeated.

  The noise of customers subsided as Noor moved to a quieter area. She let out a long whistle. "He was hot. I heard Diego was good looking, but if that's the Enforcer, then Diego must be scorching."

  "Are you making a dragon joke? Seriously?" Both Diego and his Enforcer were dragon shifters. Diego ruled over the other shifter packs, too, but it was common knowledge that Barcelona belonged to the dragons. Trust Noor to turn it into a guy situation. "Forget the attractiveness scale. Pay attention." I paused before continuing. "He saw us together at Miguel's. You're connected to me."

  "So?"

  "So you might be a target if they want to mess with me. He might already know that we live together." It was unlikely, given the precautions I took whenever I returned home, but then again, I wouldn't have predicted the Enforcer would track me from yesterday's job, either. “And you have to stop wearing my clothes. He smelled cloves and brimstone.”

  Noor laughed. "That hottie knows where I live? Well, he's welcome to come over any time he wants. I could use some warming up." She’d ignored my last comment.

  I closed my eyes and counted to five. When I spoke again, it was in a measured tone. "I'm being serious. Be more careful than usual over the next few days, weeks — months, even. Okay?" There was no telling when dragons would strike, but I knew that they could hold a grudge for a long time.

  "Alright, alright. I get that you're paranoid, but you do know that if the dragons decide to do anything, we won't be able to stop them, right?"

  She was right. When it came down to it, the dragon shifters had the advantage of numbers and strength, but that didn't mean we had to be complacent. Strategy was key to defeating the odds, as I had just proven with that dispeller move against Enrique. I was pretty sure the Enforcer would purchase a new dispeller made of metal after I’d so easily cut away the threads of the old one.

  "We may not be able to stop them, but maybe we can gain the upper hand." It would take some extra work, but that was one definite advantage I had over the dragons: I was more open to risks.

  "How?" Noor didn't sound convinced.

  "Well, here's the thing..." I told her about my challenge with Enrique in a month's time.

  "You're crazy!" she sputtered. "You can't challenge the Enforcer. Do you have a death wish?"

  "Technically, I did. And I appreciate your faith in my skills," I said sarcastically.

  "I'm not doubting your skills — I just know the scope of his. I mean, he can turn into a dragon."

  "He can't do magic. I can.”

  She paused. "Can I come to the match?"

  "It's not a match. It's a challenge." I could hear my own teeth grinding in frustration. "You just want to see him again, don't you?"

  "Of course. I'd get to admire his nice muscles and everything. It won't be fun seeing you get your ass beaten, but you got yourself into this mess." Noor paused for a few seconds. "You know what? Since you're going to die or be crippled in a month, I'm going to set up a date. We're going to go out and have a fun night. We'll go dancing. You can dance, right?"

  “Do I have to?”

  “Yes. If you can challenge a dragon, you can dance.”

  I sighed.

  She took my reluctant sigh as permission. "Great, I'll set up something."

  "Noor.”

  "Yes?"

  "Be careful. Keep an eye out for anything unusual." I had a feeling I would be seeing the dragon shifter again before the month was up.

  "Sure. But until then, you need to lighten up. We have a month until you get yourself killed, and you might as well have fun in the meantime."

  A smile came to my lips at how quickly she had come to terms with my eventual death and turned it to her advantage. "You know what happened the last time I dated someone."

  "Yes, yes, it didn’t end well." That was an understatement. Noor continued, "You can't give up on dating just because of your vampire ex. How about I stay away from vampires?”

  “Why do I get the feeling you’ll bring a troll along?”

  Noor laughed. “It’ll be someone that can hold a conversation.”

  “Fire and brimstone,” I muttered.

  “I'll find someone interesting. And you never know, you might even enjoy yourself. It's a stretch, I know, but as a half-angel I do believe in miracles."

  "What about your half-demon side?"

  "It thinks you need to get some, too. Or I'm going to just get you a cat and be done with it."

  "A cat?"

  "So you can be the crazy cat lady," Noor said patiently. "If you're going to keep turning down dates and swearing off relationships, then you might as well get a pet."

  "I don't like cats."

  "Fine, I'll get you a dog.”

  "I don't like taking care of creatures." It was true. The thought of being responsible for something's life terrified me.

  "I'm not getting you an owl or a toad. You don't want to be that witch. Cats are regular familiars, so no one will give it a second thought. Plus, cats take care of themselves. Dogs are more high maintenance."

  "Don't get me a pet unless you want to take care of it," I warned her. I had a sinking feeling that I was going to show up at the apartment one day and
find a bunch of cats waiting for me.

  "How about we make a deal? Go out on a double date with me, and I won't get you a pet. What do you think? Short-term commitment versus long-term. What's your choice?"

  I let out a loud sigh.

  "Double date it is," Noor squealed on the other end. "I can't wait!"

  Without another word, the sly half-demon hung up the phone, and I spent the next minute staring at mine and wondering what I had gotten myself into.

  Chapter Seven

  Before I could fully wrap my mind around how Noor had conned me into going on a blind double date, my phone beeped; I had a new email. I opened my inbox and found that Ibrahim had sent me a file. I wondered for the thousandth time who sent his emails for him.

  I opened the attachment and found a list of various business and communication transactions by my target. To track interaction with family and friends, I checked phone records. For activities and possible locations, I went through financial records.

  What people don't realize is that we’re all predictable. No matter how unique and different someone believes they are, the truth is that behavior doesn't change. Everyone falls into a rut of repeated patterns and behaviors. Even when someone is on the run, they tend to fall back on familiar things.

  That's what I kept an eye open for as I analyzed the demon's financial records. There were always little things in life that people couldn't give up, no matter the circumstances. Gym. Coffee place. Favorite restaurant.

  I checked out the gym my target went to or if he attended movies, and if so, which movie theater he frequented. Some people had hobbies, and they would return to the same stores to purchase what they needed for those hobbies.

  It took some time, but I found his weak spot. This demon spent a lot of money on Chinese takeout. It appeared that he ordered it for dinner almost every night.

  I called a contact of mine, Hubert.

  He picked up on the second ring. "Hey, Aisha. It's been a while. Haven't you had any challenges recently?"

  "No, I'm just that good." Most of the time I had enough information from Ibrahim and Mateu that I didn't need to get in touch with Hubert. "I need you to track down a restaurant for me. I have the name and timings of payments, but I need to know the restaurant's address and the specific orders."

  "Sure, want me to email you the list when I have it?"

  "Yes, it's time-sensitive, so I'd appreciate it if you can get it to me soon."

  "It will cost you," he warned.

  "It always costs me." Hubert enjoyed acting like his fees were outrageous, but they were reasonable, considering his skills.

  He managed to hack into the restaurant's system and get my requested information within the hour. The demon ordered the same thing every time: shrimp on toast, Kindo beef, and vegetable noodles.

  It was time to get to work. I made my way to the Chinese restaurant and waited. I used surveillance equipment to tap into their phone lines. I could have used magic, but I wanted to conserve my energy. Also, sometimes the Alliance had people scouring the streets who were looking for a constant thrum of magic, and I didn't want to get caught up in a sweep.

  Everyone glamorized bounty hunting, but no one really thought about the boring bits. A large part of bounty hunting was just waiting around. The job required patience, and I didn't mind it…much. I staked out part of the alley and took a seat to wait it out. I didn't know how long this was going to take. I cast a low-level invisibility spell that wouldn't consume too much of my energy. I was almost invisible, but anyone who knew I was there would be able to see me. Thankfully, no one knew I was there. It helped that it was nighttime; the cover of darkness didn't hurt.

  Eventually the order came through. It was the same one that the demon ordered all the time. It could be a different person this time, but I had to take the risk and see for myself.

  I wrote down the address. It was easy to get to, and not far by car. I discarded my invisibility spell, walked over to where I had parked, and started driving.

  It didn't take long to get to the location. I managed to find a parking spot on the same street. I chose to interpret it as a good omen. By my estimate of how long it would take for the restaurant to prepare the order and send out the driver, I knew there was enough time to check out the apartment building.

  My plan was easy: intercept the delivery and take it to the target.

  It wasn't a complicated plan because I didn't need a complicated plan. Complicated plans had more opportunities for something to go wrong. More often than not, the simplest plans were best.

  I checked the front door, and thankfully there was no doorman. There was only a buzzer. I looked for my target's apartment number. I could probably get someone to buzz me in if I couldn't pick the lock and enter that way. I sat on the steps and waited. Soon enough, a motorcycle pulled up to the curb and a young man hopped off. He grabbed the order from the back of the motorcycle.

  I slowly got to my feet and smiled at the deliveryman. "Hi. I'm glad you got here in time. I'm taking it to my friend's place, apartment 5A. Shrimp on toast, Kindo beef, and vegetable noodles, right? What is it I owe you?"

  He rattled off the charge. I had given him enough details for him not to question me, not that he looked to be the inquisitive type. One thing I’d learned during my time as a bounty hunter was that people rarely grew suspicious or were nosy enough to interrupt my work. I handed the cash to the delivery kid and waited until he returned to his motorcycle and drove away. Then I walked up the stoop and pressed the button for apartment 5A.

  "Yes?" a male voice answered.

  "Your food delivery's here," I said.

  He buzzed me in.

  Once inside the building, I made my way to the elevator and pressed the button to the fifth floor. It was an old building that was kept in good shape. I listened for sounds of neighbors as I strolled through the hallway on the fifth floor, but if there were people, they were quiet. I knocked twice on the door of apartment 5A. I reached for my magic. The door swung open, and I had only seconds to determine if this was my target.

  I shoved the Chinese takeout toward him to keep his hands occupied and I forced my way past him into the apartment.

  Disoriented, my target stumbled backwards but still clung to the takeaway bag. "Hey!" the demon exclaimed in surprise.

  "Hi, Donnie. I'm afraid I'm going to have to take you in."

  Panic crossed his face. "Wait, no!"

  Before he could say another word, I murmured a spell and he slumped to the floor. My arm swung out and caught the takeaway bag before it could hit the ground and burst open.

  I looked at the bag in my hand and the demon on the ground. I shrugged to myself and made my way over to his dining room table, took out the food, and started eating. I couldn't let good food go to waste. And after all, I had paid for it.

  Using the wooden chopsticks provided, I stabbed a shrimp on toast, took a big bite, and chewed. Despite my success in capturing the demon, my thoughts kept turning to my challenge to Enrique in a month. I had to start planning my strategy if I wanted to emerge from that fight alive.

  Chapter Eight

  Getting Donnie the demon to the drop-off location was easy. I had carried the demon to my car and placed him in the passenger seat. I didn't need a spell to lift his heavy weight.

  I unlocked my phone to pull up the coordinates of the drop-off location. The car radio was playing songs from the eighties, and I found myself humming along to the familiar tunes. I glanced at the unconscious demon beside me, proud that I had perfected the knockout spell after a few failed attempts at drugging demons in the past. Normally it was tricky to drug a demon because they had such sharp senses. I had discovered just how tricky it was when I accidentally drugged myself one time. Casting a quick knockout spell, however, alleviated the trouble of listening to bounties plead for mercy and attempt to bribe me with a higher payout. In situations where demons wore magic dispellers, I just used physical force to knock them out.

 
; I arrived at the warehouse drop-off location within fifteen minutes. I parked the car, stepped out, and walked to the other side to unbuckle Donnie. Before I could take the unconscious demon out of the car, three men emerged from the warehouse. I instantly identified them for what they were.

  Vampires.

  I stepped away from the target's limp form. "The bounty's in the car."

  Two of them moved forward, and I raised a hand. They stopped in their tracks.

  I shook my head. "Payment first." I put my hand in my pocket, and they tensed. They visibly relaxed when they saw me pull my phone out.

  The third vampire studied me. "We could kill you."

  I guess he meant it as a threat, but it was more of a statement. Everyone knew that shifters and vampires were capable of easily killing anyone.

  "You could try, but that will result in a negative review on your profile," I told them.

  Any time someone set up a bounty, a record was created. Using this record, bounty hunters could review client history and decide whether to take a bounty or not. Usually it was Javier who filtered those records, but I glanced at them from time to time. The records rated information quality, speed of payment, bounty completion status, and other characteristics that would help a bounty hunter make their decision. In return, the client reviewed our service speed and target results. Death of a bounty hunter while on the job always left a negative review for the client, regardless of the circumstances of death. Once a client received a certain number of negative reviews, they were barred from adding bounties. That's why some bounties were only open to hunters of a certain skill level; clients didn't want to risk an unexperienced bounty hunter getting killed on a job that was too difficult for them.

  "We'll open a new one," one of the two vampires in front of me said.

  "You'll lose your history." I had taken a look at theirs. They had a high rating. It would be a shame to lose it.

  The two vampires exchanged glances, then looked back at the one who appeared to be their leader.