If you accept what you are, everything changes. I told you that I believed in you and that you had power. All you have to do is surrender to it and that power will transform your life.
Yes. It was true. She let her head tilt back and offered herself up to it. Surrendered to it. She could feel her clothes breaking at the seams, and she longed to toss them aside, freeing herself. She no longer needed them. She gazed down at her arm and could see the feathers sprouting so quickly it was like a virus spreading through her blood.
It was coming. The bird of prey that was as much a part of her as breathing. Her last thought before her human mind switched off entirely was how she could have denied this part of her for so long.
It was beautiful. It was liberating. It was complete.
She rose into the air, and she was upon him.
***
Captain Kolisnyk stirred restlessly in the upper room, frowning. How much longer was Jack Fitzpatrick going to be? The man was already beginning to delay his schedule with his odd demand to say goodbye to the prisoners.
He stood up, staring at his watch. Should he go below and check what was happening?
But then he sat back down again. Fitzpatrick was the boss of this operation, and Captain Kolisnyk was being paid extremely well for transporting these women. So well, in fact, that he had decided to retire after this trip. He had enough money tucked away now that he could lead a splashy life on the Mediterranean coast pretending he was a playboy. He smiled. No, Jack Fitzpatrick could take just as long as he pleased.
The captain closed his eyes, picturing himself sailing through the Mediterranean waters in his own private yacht sipping champagne. Maybe he would treat himself to one of the women who he was transporting. A permanent companion. He had liked the look of the one with the long, silky brown hair.
A blood-curdling scream jolted his eyes open, and he jumped to his feet, his heart pounding wildly.
Chapter Twenty
Captain Kolisnyk rushed out into the corridor. He could hear screaming all around now. Heart pounding, he gazed to the right.
Two of his crew were lying on the ground. Blood was everywhere. He rushed to them, staring down fearfully. Dear God, they looked like they had been mauled by some animal. Their faces were cut to ribbons. What on earth was happening?
He stumbled over the dead men, their eyes staring up at the ceiling like balls of glass. He couldn’t help them anymore. He had to find out what the threat was and deal with it. How many more of his men had been attacked? He was certain that it was an animal. No man could cause this. But how had a wild animal gotten into the ship? None of it made any sense.
He rushed down another corridor, towards his private cabin, which held his gun. The screaming intensified. Whatever was attacking it hadn’t left. He hauled open the door, shakily pulling at the drawer that held the weapon. It took him three tries to load it and make sure that it was ready to fire. He turned and sped out of the room, gun raised.
He almost dropped it when he saw what was before him. More of his men, lying on the ground, covered in blood. One of them groaned as he approached, reaching out a hand towards him. The captain stared down, appalled. It was too late for the man. He watched the hand hover slightly in the air before it fell by his side. He was gone.
And that was when he heard it. Snarling. Low and deep and guttural. His skin prickled on his neck, sending chills all the way down his back. He raised his gun higher, trying to control his shaking hand. The last thing that he needed was to drop it.
The growling grew louder. A single bead of sweat ran down the captain’s back. Whatever it was, it was close. He turned around.
He was face to face with a wolf. A huge creature that was crouching as it stared at him with vicious brown eyes. His eyes travelled over it, still not believing that it was real. How and why was a wild wolf on his ship? And why was it killing everybody?
The creature crouched lower, ready to pounce. The captain raised his gun in the air. At the moment that the shot rang out, the animal leapt in the air towards him. The captain saw its flight as if time had somehow warped, slowing down infinitesimally. It was arching in the air, twisting and turning. He could see every strand of black fur on its coat as if he was memorising it.
It was on him. He gazed up into its dark eyes, knowing instinctually that his time had come. His life on the Mediterranean coast dissolved into nothing. There would be no happy retirement for him.
His eyes widened as he saw the bird hovering over him, just above the wolf. A huge eagle, with brown and gold wings that stretched almost the entire length of the corridor. It looked like it was watching. It flapped its mighty wings to maintain flight, slicing through the air silently. He saw its brown eyes blink twice as it gazed down at him.
And then he saw the women, running past him. The prisoners. They were free. Was this what it was about? Had the wolf and the eagle teamed up somehow to liberate the women? None of it made any sense. How was it possible? His mind drifted to dark fairy tales he had heard as a child at his nurse’s knee, about magical animals that lived in the forest. He had never believed them.
But it seemed that they were indeed true.
He closed his eyes, knowing that it was time, and that the retribution for what he had done in this life had finally arrived. The wolf opened its jaws and grabbed his throat, shaking him like a rag doll until all thought ceased.
***
Sienna opened her eyes. Everything hurt. She felt like a freight train had roared over her, battering her to the ground.
Where was she? It was dark. She could see the moon in the sky. And she was on the ground. She stood up, shakily, gazing around. Huge shipping containers surrounded her. She was on the docks.
She gasped, memory flooding through her. The ship. The room. Fitzpatrick.
Was he dead? She knew that she had transformed into the eagle. Her last memory as herself had been seeing his nervous face. He had realised in that moment what was happening. But how? How had he known that she was about to change into the eagle?
She closed her eyes, straining to remember anything else. But nothing appeared in her mind. It was as if she had been under anaesthesia. One minute she had been in that room on the ship, and the next she was here.
Where were the others? Had they escaped?
She realised suddenly that she was freezing. She gazed down at herself slowly. She was completely naked. Her clothes had been ripped off when her wings had finally emerged. What was she going to do?
She cast her eyes around. There was an old coat lying on the ground across from her, probably left there by some hobo sleeping rough behind the containers. Glancing around furtively, she sprinted across to it, picking it up and putting it on. It was cold and dirty, and it smelt like whiskey, but it was better than nothing.
And that was when she saw the flashing lights in the distance.
She walked slowly towards them, making sure she stayed in the shadows. Police cars, everywhere. They were parked near the ship. She could see its name emblazoned on the side of it.
The Manta. It was crawling with police, rushing into it. She saw people carrying stretchers with figures draped in white sheets down the gangplank.
It was over. Whatever had happened in there, it was done.
She waited for relief to wash over her. She was free. She was finally free. Fitzpatrick was gone. The men who had worked for him on that evil ship were gone. They had all been dealt with once and for all. She should be feeling euphoric.
But all she felt, as she crouched in the shadows watching the flashing lights, was grief. Zach should be here to see this. He was the one who had instigated it all. Without him, none of this would have been possible. She would have remained trapped in her self-loathing and fear, unable to help herself or anyone around her. He had been the one who had set her and the others free.
Tears ran down her cheeks. He had sacrificed himself for her. She remembered her vision, of the demons mauling him as the wolf. He was gone. And
she had to somehow live her life without him.
She took a deep breath. At least the other women were free. She hoped that they were anyway. She had no memory of where they had gone. Hopefully they had run as fast as they could away from here.
She was alone.
Suddenly, she saw a figure walking towards her. A dark figure, clothed in a long coat. A man. He was limping slightly. She frowned, staring at him. She should run back in the other direction before he saw her. She didn’t want to draw attention to herself. She was only wearing a dirty coat, and God only knew what she looked like.
But there was something in the way he moved. Her heart suddenly recognised him. No, it wasn’t possible.
And yet, it was.
She stepped out of the shadows towards him, slowly, barely able to breathe. He stopped, staring at her. She saw his face fill with joy, and then they were running towards each other. Sprinting as if they were desperately trying to pass the finish line at a race.
And then, they were in each other’s arms. He picked her up, twirling her around. They were both laughing breathlessly. He put her down slowly, staring at her as if he was seeing a ghost.
“It is you,” he whispered, over and over.
“I thought you were dead,” she whispered back.
He took her face in his hands, his dark eyes shining. He bent down and kissed her. For several moments they stayed that way, lost in the embrace. The flashing lights danced around the docks, but they saw nothing but each other.
***
Zach opened the door of the bookshop, hearing the familiar bell tinkle above it. As always, the smell of mildew and dust assaulted him. He took a deep breath, drawing it into his lungs. This smell was more beautiful to him than anything. Well, almost anything.
He stepped carefully around the pile of books on the floor, smiling. Some things never changed. He knew she was working hard to clear the backlog, but it was a big job. She had told him that there were over five thousand books in here, a fact that never ceased to amaze him.
He kept walking through the narrow path. Where was she? Usually she was ready to serve as soon as the bell sounded.
Suddenly, he saw her. She was bent down behind the counter, cataloguing. Absorbed in her task. He gazed at her as she worked. It didn’t seem to matter how many times he saw her, it was still like the first time. His heart would always leap in the same way. And even more now, seeing the peace and contentment in her face.
He cleared his throat. She glanced up, frowning slightly. And then her face cleared like the sun chasing away clouds on an overcast day. She put down the books and stood up.
“You’re early,” she said, smiling. “I’m not quite done for the day.”
“You work too hard,” he said, coming behind the counter and reaching for her.
Her smile broadened. “Well, I am a small business owner now. You have to work hard.”
He smiled, too, leaning down to nuzzle her neck. He growled slightly. She pushed him away, laughing.
“Later,” she said, breathlessly, her eyes shining. “All in good time.”
He pretended to sulk a little, staring at her. God, she was beautiful. Every time he touched her he could feel his blood rising. It was all he could do to watch her leave in the morning to go to work. He wanted to keep her wrapped up with him in bed like they were inside a little cocoon where no one could touch them.
“Can you put the kettle on?” she said, smiling. “Let’s have a pot of tea. I’ll be finished in five minutes.”
He sighed, but left her to it, walking out the back. He flicked the kettle on and prepared the pot, grabbing two china tea cups from the shelf. This was a ritual that she had kept going since Shelby had left, handing her the keys to his bookstore. They always shared a pot at the end of the day, and he looked forward to it almost as much as he looked forward to seeing her again.
His eyes flickered to the postcard stuck onto the fridge in the corner. He grabbed it, smiling as he stared down at it. It was a picture of an idyllic English fishing village. He turned it over, struggling to read the scrawled handwriting on the back. Shelby obviously hadn’t been wearing his glasses when he wrote it.
Hello to you both! The weather here is miserable as always, but the village is just as I always remembered. Sienna, I hope you are managing to make the store your own. You deserve it. I am so proud of you! Make sure you remember to save me a seat at the wedding. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.
Zach smiled, putting the postcard back on the fridge. Dear Shelby. He knew that despite his gripes about the weather he was loving his return to his homeland. Sienna had even said to him that the old man had mentioned a special lady that he had met at the local pub. Zach’s smile widened. Perhaps they would have to add an extra seat at the wedding.
He poured the tea into the cups, after making sure he had turned the tea pot three times. He was just placing the cups on the table when she walked in and sat down.
“This is wonderful,” she breathed, taking her first sip. “You never told me how you learned to make such a good brew.”
He smiled, picking up his own cup. “I have to have some secrets, don’t I?”
She laughed. “I’ll let you have that one.” She gazed at him, her eyes shining. “Not long now. Are you ready for the big day? Or getting cold feet?”
He laughed, too, staring at her. “It will be the happiest day of my life when I finally slip that ring on your finger, Sienna Carter. My feet are as warm as toast.”
She put down the cup. “I still can’t believe it,” she said. “That we are getting married. And that I own this bookstore, now. I am so blessed.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I love you so much, Zach Byrnes.”
He swallowed his tea, feeling it burn his throat slightly. He didn’t know what lucky star he had been born under to deserve all this. He was just so grateful that it had all turned out as it had.
“Not as much as I love you,” he said slowly. Then he paused, gazing at her. “They finally had the state service for the bastard. It was in the newspapers this morning. The grieving widow and children were pictured in their expensive black outfits, weeping.”
She sighed, picking up her tea cup. “It’s alright, Zach. I can handle it. We always knew it was going to play out this way.” She paused. “To the world Jack Fitzpatrick is still a great guy. He will probably be remembered forever as a great guy.”
Zach’s hand tightened on his cup. “We should have exposed him,” he said in a low voice. “Sent an anonymous letter or two to the papers.” He was still bitterly disappointed that he hadn’t had the satisfaction of killing the son of a bitch himself. He had been so looking forward to it. But then, it was apt that Sienna had done it. She was the one who had put up with the bastard all those years.
Sienna shrugged. “What difference does it make now? He’s gone. And we still don’t know the extent of how much he was controlled by the demons. We don’t want to draw any more attention to ourselves than necessary.”
Zach frowned, but he didn’t contradict her. He had defeated the demons that ruled Fitzpatrick’s life, but he still couldn’t help thinking that one might have escaped. He remembered now that there had been five hunting him in the desert, and yet he had seen only four piles of ash where they had been. It troubled him in a little. But there hadn’t been any sign of demon activity on that score since Fitzpatrick and the Manta’s crew had been dealt with once and for all.
He had informed Thad when he had finally got back to the warehouse, but the alpha leader thought that the threat was gone, too. Especially when Julia had decided to pack up and flee the city, scared of what the ramifications of her treachery might be. She didn’t have Fitzpatrick around to protect her anymore.
“How is Lola doing?” he asked now.
Sienna smiled. “She’s great. She dropped in at lunchtime to see me.” Her smile widened. “I think she still can’t believe her luck. It was a stroke of genius that she thought to blackmail Julia into signing over the de
eds to her business before she fled the city. Lola is quite the businesswoman around town now.”
Zach laughed. “I can just see her strutting her stuff! She’s a born leader. Has she implemented the changes she wants yet?”
Sienna nodded. “It’s a burlesque club now. Lola said that she can earn more money running a burlesque show than doing the other stuff, and it’s more her scene anyway.” She paused. “I have to remember to call her Jenny again. She’s decided to go back to her real name, at long last. Said that she’s happy to embrace that girl again.”
Zach’s eyes were shining. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you,” he said. “I’m sorry I tried to persuade you to not search for her. It was wrong. If you hadn’t been so stubborn, they would all have sailed on that ship and be living a life of hell now.”
Sienna stared at him. “You were just trying to get me out of that place, Zach. I understand. But I had to at least try to save her.” She took a deep, shuddering breath. “And then being with the other women made me realise that I had done the right thing. They all deserved to be saved too.”
Zach whistled. “They are a strong bunch,” he said, thinking of the women. He had met all of them by now. They had all come out of hiding once they realised that Fitzpatrick’s tentacles were finally gone. Just last week the women had gotten together for a reunion at a bar. Sienna had said that it had been the best girl’s night out ever. He knew that they shared a special bond now that could never be broken. They would probably catch up for a regular girl’s night out for the rest of their lives.
He stared at Sienna, still sipping her tea. She was dressed in casual jeans and top that looked more beautiful on her than a thousand of the fancy designer dresses she had been forced to wear when she had been living with Fitzpatrick. Clothes that suited her new life, running a bookshop.
She was controlling her own life for the first time. She had accepted that she was a seer and a shapeshifter, and he had even had the pleasure of watching her shift once. It had been powerful and amazing, and even though he had barely thought it possible, he had loved her more for having witnessed it.
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