by Cali Mann
“They did?” His brow furrowed.
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Adrian’s mom insisted of course, but they really believed it might be Terrin.”
“Because he’s killed.” Sciro sighed. “Why don’t you just come forward and save them all this trouble?”
“I thought about it.”
“Well?”
I stared at this Sciro that my mind had conjured. He talked like the real damn thing.
“I want to say that I haven’t come forward because of the guys—because of Adrian, Terrin, and Brenton. And that’s part of it.” I huffed. “But I also don’t want to die.”
He snarled. “Selfish fucking bitch.”
It hurt to hear it, but he was right. I was greedy. I had just found this life where I was loved and almost happy, and I didn’t want to give it up. But if his life was in danger . . . if they convicted him . . .
“I will come forward if we can’t get you off these charges. I don’t want you to die either.”
“Get out, Hailey,” he muttered. “Get the fuck out.”
“It’s my dream,” I said. “You don’t get to kick me out.”
He swiped a hand across the air, aiming for the space where he thought I was. I shivered as it passed through my translucent self. It didn’t hurt exactly, but it felt weird.
“Don’t do that.” But if this was a dream, how could I even feel it?
“Go.” He pushed at me with his energy.
I didn’t know how else to describe it, but I was shoved back by a wind, knocking me across the space. Must be some weird dream effect. Stumbling back through the wall, I slipped up to my room.
Hours later, I woke for real. Sitting up in bed, I rubbed my head. The whole visit with Sciro had seemed so real. Dream Sciro said the same things that I expected the real him to say. I guess that was the point. He said what I expected him to say. The ‘real’ feeling must have been the dream, because Monica had said the walls were protected from spirit shifters. I couldn’t have just wandered down there.
I tested it on the walls of my room, and, as Monica had said there was no way through.
Having conversations with Sciro, even angry ones, was better than tossing and turning all night. I’d take it.
17
Adrian
Flying on a dragon was more incredible than I ever imagined. The moon rode high in the sky, but we clung to the clouds, disguising our shape. I hoped we didn’t encounter any human airplanes as they were sure to be surprised.
“Fuck, yeah!” Terrin cried, and I whooped.
“It is amazing,” Aileen said primly. She perched side-saddle on the black scales, her hand gripping the ridge of Brenton’s spine. But, despite her appearance, her hands must have been rocks to maintain that hold. Brenton’s mother was tougher than she looked.
The buildings below us looked like pinpricks. It was an entirely different world up here to the one on the ground. My merman rumbled with jealousy. We hadn’t had a chance to swim in the ocean yet, but I was sure it would be just as amazing. And all the water we were flying over made me even more impatient. I couldn’t wait.
We traveled for days, mostly at night, up the coast. The farther we went, the cooler the air became. Our breath came out in puffs of frosty air.
“Head down here, Brenton,” Aileen shouted, and the dragon dropped toward the earth.
Forests had replaced the lights of the towns we’d passed over, but we weren’t so far from civilization that the terrain below wasn’t drive-able. The area was isolated but not invisible. Kaiden would appreciate that, especially with his connection to human law enforcement.
Brenton landed in a large clearing, the ground covered in heavy snow. We’d prepared, wearing our winter gear and carrying snowshoes. Climbing down, I rubbed my hands together. It was cold, despite my thick gloves.
“How far is it?” Terrin asked.
“Still a mile or two through the woods,” Aileen said. “We shouldn’t be spotted from there.”
“Mom said that Kaiden was to the south, harrying stragglers still,” I said.
“He will have left it heavily guarded,” Terrin said, nostrils flaring.
Brenton reformed into his human shape behind us. He huffed in the cold as he dressed. We didn’t dare start any kind of fire as we’d be sure to be caught. Once we had donned our snowshoes, we started our hike through the thick forest.
“What is this place?” I asked. “A house? A military installation?”
“Kind of a mix of both,” Aileen said, her eyes on the snow at her feet. “Kaiden’s entertained William and I there from time to time. I can’t believe Abigail was right under our feet.”
Brenton hugged her awkwardly. “Don’t think about that now. What do we need to know?”
“The main house is extensive and spread out. There are several other buildings: a stable, a separate servants’ quarters, and guard barracks. The perimeter is fenced in, but there’s no electricity on the barrier, just patrols and dogs.”
As we listened, I wondered how we had any chance of getting inside at all.
“The servants and guards live on site and rotate seasonally,” she continued. “They’re extremely loyal to Kaiden and his money.”
“Does anyone else live there?” Terrin asked, obviously thinking of casualties. We didn’t intend to hurt anyone, just get in, get Abigail, and get out.
“Ski season is wrapping up, so most of his guests are heading home.”
“Is this his primary home?” I asked.
“He has several throughout the world, and my sources say that he’s been moving his mates around to be closest to wherever he’s working.”
“This is closest to Thornbriar?” Brenton asked.
She nodded.
“It’s good to know he doesn’t have any nearby fortresses.”
“No fortresses, but there are many in the shifter community who are loyal to him.”
Terrin frowned. “Really?”
“The Council has been killing babies for a very long time. People are bitter and angry,” Aileen stated.
And with the longer lifespan of shifters, grudges could last forever. I’d seen it often enough over the years in the Council itself. Not everyone agreed with the way things were done, but agitators were quickly silenced and resentment brewed underneath.
The conversation stalled after that, and we continued to tromp through the woods. The trees were bare still, just beginning to bud, and the frozen ground creaked under us, even though we all wore our snowshoes. Spring had well and truly come to Thornbriar, but this frozen northern land wasn’t quite ready to give up the fight.
“What’s the plan?” I said, stepping over some fallen branches.
“Kaiden would never build a fortress without an emergency escape route,” Terrin said. “No criminal would.”
“Yes,” Aileen said, pulling a map from her pocket.
“Where’d you get that?” Brenton asked.
She lifted her chin. “I stole it from your father.”
Brenton gave a hushed laugh. “Good for you, Mom.”
“Shh,” she said, but she grinned.
We went over the map as we walked. By the time we’d come to the property, we had a semblance of a plan. Maybe we should have discussed this back at Thornbriar, but we didn’t have much time. I checked my cell, and the reception was gone. Hailey wouldn’t be able to reach us out here. Damn.
The houselights twinkled through the branches. We slowed and clustered together near a huge old oak, leaning into its rough bark.
Gesturing to the west side of the house, Aileen said, “The tunnels come out over there.”
We skirted around, careful to stay out of range of the security cameras. The tunnel entrance was guarded by a lone man. We couldn’t be that lucky, could we?
Terrin darted up behind him, knocking him over the head. The guard slumped to the ground. We lifted the grate and climbed inside what looked like a huge drainage pipe, only there wasn’t
any water. As silently as we could, we crept along through the tunnel. The slightest sound echoed, ringing in our ears.
We kept walking until we came to a metal door. It was rusted and looked barely usable. We all tried our strength on the latch, but it wouldn’t budge.
“Someone’s coming,” Terrin hissed, and we turned back toward the tunnel. There wasn’t anywhere to hide. We turned, dropping our gear and loosening our coats.
Two guards ran up the tunnel, guns out. We darted forward, slamming into them before they knew what hit them. Human guards? Kaiden was foolish. We disarmed and knocked them out easily.
Then we turned back to the door, old and rusted closed. Not the best way to maintain your escape route. I stared at it trying to understand. Unless it wasn’t his escape route. Maybe there was another door. I glanced around. Or maybe Kaiden didn’t trust William McKinnon with his true escape route. Shit.
“It’s a trap,” I blurted. “We need to go.”
No one argued. We took off for the entrance and ran into a large contingent of guards. All their guns were trained on us, and we couldn’t risk fighting back without someone getting hurt.
“Come on,” muttered the leader, jerking his gun for us to move.
They marched us out of the tunnel, and through the gate into the grounds. It was where we wanted to be but hardly how we wanted to get there. They took us to a low building off behind the main house. It was lined with cages. They separated us, taking our gear and our phones, and putting each of us in our own cage.
When I was a kid, I had seen shifters as invincible, but the truth was: we really weren’t. I glanced over at Brenton and he raised an eyebrow at me. I shook my head. Even with his size and ability to breathe fire, a bullet could kill a dragon as easily as a human, if it hit the right spot. We needed to wait for the perfect opportunity to get out of here.
18
Sciro
Hailey visited me three more times, and each time she came it was as if she thought she had never come before. She believed she was dreaming, and with her eerie voice coming out of thin air, sometimes I thought I was too. Her grip on reality was slipping, and I was starting to worry for the rest of the school.
“Where are Adrian, Terrin, and Brenton?” I asked, staring at the wall. It gave me a headache when I tried to make her shape out. I could feel her energy in the air, if that makes any sense, but I couldn’t see her in spirit form.
“Gone to save my mother.”
“Your mother?” I asked, pressing my fingers against my temples.
“She’s alive. When my father found out about the power of the mate bond, he took his lovers hostage. He keeps them in a cellar like this one.”
The scuff of her feet against the dirt floor made me look up, but she was still invisible.
“My mother is an air shifter, and she’s spent the last eighteen years underground.”
I pressed my lips together. Her mother must be mad. I wondered how she’d bound herself to a spirit shifter in the first place. “Did she know he was a spirit shifter when they mated?”
Hailey sighed. “I think so.”
“So, your father has all four mates?”
“He does.”
“But he’s still crazy?” I didn’t need to see her to know she winced. Her footsteps stopped.
“Yes, but not in the way that the books talk about spirit shifter madness. He’s not wild or crazed. He’s intentional.”
“The mates give you control. Balance.”
“I believe so.” She settled down on the floor next to me. “I believe he was always evil. That the bonding didn’t change his basic nature.”
“Your basic nature isn’t evil.” I regretted the words as they left my lips. I didn’t want to feel sympathy for her, but it was true. Even when she was furious and punching Monica, Hailey hadn’t been malicious.
“I appreciate that,” she said, squeezing my arm.
I flinched then. “That doesn’t mean I don’t think you should be executed,” I muttered. “For the greater good.”
She chuckled. “You’re probably right, and the way things are looking, you’ll likely get your wish.”
“I don’t wish to see you hurt, Hailey, but I don’t see any other way. You’re a danger to yourself and others.”
“For the greater good,” she echoed, a thoughtful note in her voice. “I hope it really is better for everyone if I’m dead.”
An image rose in my mind’s eye. My adopted father on the porch of our home, waving his cross at me. Mom behind him, tears rolling down her face. The only parents I’d ever known. Begone evil thing! Undead creature! they shouted. Why was I remembering this now?
“Sciro?” Hailey asked. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said, pushing myself to my feet and pacing across the small space.
“You must be hungry.”
I ran a hand through my hair, knowing it was dirty and unkempt. I looked more the monster than she did, I expected. “They’ve been better about feeding me since they confirmed I’m not a spirit shifter.”
“If they find you guilty, what will be the punishment?”
“Death.” My mouth twisted wryly. “Violent shifters are too dangerous to let live.”
“We’ll figure something out before then.”
“You can’t even take care of yourself, and you’re going to save me?” I laughed.
“I won’t let you die for a crime you didn’t commit.”
“You’ve said as much every time you’ve visited, but I haven’t heard any actual plan.” I couldn’t help the bitterness that coated my voice. “Just turn yourself in.”
“I can’t,” she said, her tone soft. “I can’t hurt the guys.”
“Well, then, you’re no use to me. Go away, Hailey.”
“But Sciro, don’t you want the company?” she asked. “We used to be friends.”
“Were we, though?” I asked. “Friends don’t lie to one another.”
“I haven’t lied to you.”
“You’ve been here three times in the last week,” I said, staring at the space I knew she was in.
“No. I just came today. I’m not quite sure how.”
“Hailey, you’re losing it. You need to turn yourself in,” I pleaded. “For the safety of the rest of the school.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I’m just waiting for the guys to get back with my mother. They should be here any day now.”
“You need your mates around you to be stable. They’re too far away.”
“No. We’re bonded. It should be fine. My father travels far from his mates all the time.”
“But he has four,” I said softly. “And he’s already mad.”
“I need to find my fourth mate. That’s what the nurse said.”
“What nurse, Hailey?” I could feel the energy of the room shift as she paced across it. Each time she passed; waves of agitation rolled over me.
She muttered to herself, and I didn’t understand what she was saying.
If this kept up, there wouldn’t be much of Hailey for the guys to come home to. I forced myself to walk forward into her path. When she ran into me, I grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into my arms. Stroking her hair, I whispered, “Shh.”
Hailey melted against me, and I could feel all of her luscious curves. I had thought spirit form was insubstantial. After all, it let her walk through walls. How could I feel her? I ran my fingers over her skin, and she sighed. How long had I been locked in here? I hadn’t touched another human being, even in passing. That must have been where the hunger was coming from.
The smell of her swept over me, lavender and blood, as it always had. My fangs elongated in my mouth. “Are you bleeding?” I whispered against her hair.
“No,” she said softly. “I cut my finger earlier, but it’s healed now.”
It didn’t matter that there was no active wound. She still smelled like a feast. I tried to shake myself out of it, but before I could focus, the words tum
bled out, “Can I taste you?”
Her lips met mine. The kiss drowned me where I stood. It hadn’t been the kind of taste I meant, but it would do. I yanked her tighter against me, exploring her with my hands. Everywhere I touched she turned solid.
Forcing myself to break the kiss, I stepped back and stared at her. Clad only in her nightshirt, she shivered in the cool cellar. Her black hair was mussed like she’d just gotten out of bed. She was gorgeous and sexy and deadly. What was wrong with me? I hated this woman, but with her body pressed against mine, all I could think of was how I wanted to rip her clothes off and eat her alive.
“Hailey,” I whispered, kissing along her neck and feeling the thrum of her artery beneath my lips. Her thin nightshirt did little to disguise her breasts, and the nipples pebbled against my hand. She moaned as I kneaded them.
She slid her hand between my legs, stroking my cock through my pants. I groaned. It’d been too long since I’d been with a chick, I told myself, that was all. It wasn’t about Hailey.
But I was lying to myself. The heady scent of her, had me kissing into her cleavage and nibbling at her peaked nipples. She scraped her nails along my back.
Lifting her easily in my arms, I carried her to the low cot. I ripped the nightshirt from her body and pulled off my own shirt. Skin to skin, she was like a flame against my cool form. I wanted to claim every inch of her. I stroked and kissed down her body and between her legs, I bit into the flesh of her thigh. She held back a cry, more mindful than me of the guards outside my cell.
When her blood hit my tongue, I groaned. Her hands curled in my hair, yanking on it, but I didn’t care. I wanted to consume her. I stroked her sex as I gorged myself on her blood. She groaned and pressed herself against me. The taste of lavender filled her blood, like a perfect accent. I slid my fingers into her softness, finding the perfect rhythm, and wishing my cock was there instead.
I forced myself to stop drinking and seal the wound. My other hand stroked myself as I watched her crest the cliff of orgasm, gasping and moaning. A deep sense of satisfaction rolled through me.