by Bailey, G.
"Shit!" I hear Landon say. And a steadying hand touches the small of my back. "Everyone okay?"
"The amulet," Silas yells, and a flash of fire and the flapping of wings next to me alerts me to his presence, speeding past with enough force to ruffle my tangled chestnut hair.
"Shade," I cry, throwing my hands out in front of me, "Hunter-"
"He's getting away!" Shade exclaims, charging past me in a blur of fur as his superior sense of smell guides him through Nathan's obfuscation.
Thinking fast, I shift into my vampire form, using my now superior speed to keep up with Shade's enhanced agility as he bolts through the mist. It's thicker than butter, but in this form I can sense every vibration of the air and water vapor around me, giving me a handy idea of which direction the wolf shifter is going.
I can smell human blood, too, and the source is moving rapidly away from us. He was trying to screw us over, I think as I continue my mad dash, just not in the way we thought. This prompts a fresh flood of anger and frustration, which propels me forward with a newfound enthusiasm. Hunter is somewhere to my right, keeping up with me, and a splash below tells me Landon has jumped into the river where he'll benefit most from his impressive swimming ability.
A column of flame briefly descends on us from above—Silas' doing, no doubt—and illuminates the space: we're headed for the green patch the river passes through, and I'm able to briefly make out the form of Nathan, running at a speed that should be impossible for a normal human. Although he's only barely outpacing us, it's clear that whatever charm or enchanted artifact he's using isn't something to be sneezed at. Even as the mist breaks for a moment, he turns around and throws something into the air—it looks like a stone, similar to the one used on us in the Boston Academy dorm. As soon as it makes impact with the ground, a pulsing wave of magical energy expands around him. I'm barely out of range, and can feel the force of the spell against my face, but Shade, just in front of me, isn't as lucky. He freezes in place, stalk-still, like a statue of a wolf in motion.
"Shade!" I yell, immediately dropping my pursuit of the items dealer to attend to my boyfriend. Thinking fast, I shift into my witch form, surprising myself again with just how easily I'm able to do so, and place my hands on his stiff fur. I remember learning about spells like this at the Academy, but I never learned how to undo them—one of the downsides to finding out your college is actually an authoritarian regime .
Hunter immediately comes to a stop next to me. "Boots—"
"Go!" I yell. "Stay after him! Silas will need your help!"
Hunter pauses, looking at me reluctantly for a moment before nodding once and taking off into the mist. Alone again, the sounds of the chase receding in front of me, I close my eyes, wrecking my brain for something to undo Shade's paralysis, but nothing comes to me. I'm barely able to stave off the panic long enough to allow my magic to the forefront, and do the only thing I can think of, something Shade himself taught me to do a long time ago. Taking a deep breath, I concentrate on my magic and visualize him moving again before sending a controlled wave of energy into his stiff body.
For a moment, it seems like nothing will happen, but then the wolf shifter springs back to life suddenly, his muscles vibrating with unreleased tension. He turns and stares at me with his golden eyes. "You didn't need to do that," he tells me.
I stare right back at him. "Yes, I did," I state. Shade looks at me with the closest thing to a smile that a wolf can manage before resuming his hunt, seemingly unfazed by his momentary crippling. Falling in beside him once more, I shift into my siren form, which slows me considerably, but I'm starting to think this will only end one way.
The fog thins as we give chase, and as we reach the edge of the enchantment's area of effect, I can make out the forms of Silas and Nathan in an empty clearing. They're staring each other down from opposite sides of the field, apparently at an impasse, with Hunter watching them. Silas' enormous dragon form dwarfs the squat man, but Nathan looks surprisingly confident as he glares defiantly up at him. I make a move to help, but the vampire shifter seizes my hand in an iron grip. "Wait!" he hisses.
"What-" I begin, but then Shade, seemingly noticing the problem, points at Nathan with his snout. He has the amulet in one hand, and in his other is what looks like a small wooden box.
"Easy, now," the human says, casting a nervous glance our way. "One more step and your charm is gone."
"He's bluffing," Silas growls, but I can see the uncertainty in his jewel-like eyes.
"Want to find out?" Nathan demands, his smirk only growing wider. "The second I put it in this box, it's over. Deactivated. Just a useless piece of wire on a string." Turning to me, he laughs a disgusting little laugh. "You know, for beings with powers we mortals could only dream of," he says, "you sure are willing to put your trust in us lowly humans."
"We paid for it," Hunter snarls. "You cheated us."
"I think we can consider this a learning experience, no?" Nathan taunts. "Always get your deals in writing. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be taking my leave. Give Lyle my regards. Or not." He winks at me.
"Don't move," I command, my siren song coming more clearly and musically than it ever has before. "Stay right there, Nathan."
I can see the dawning realization on the man's face, followed by a combination of abject terror and frustration. Slowly, I make my way towards him, my scales glistening in the now bright sunshine. I can see him struggling against my commands, but it's no use: I have him completely ensnared. "Hand it over, Nathan," I instruct him, my voice sounding musical to my own ears, "and we'll let you go."
To my astonishment, Nathan smiles in return. "Poor choice of words, Missy," he says. Before I can stop him, he turns around and hurls the amulet over his shoulder. I see it fly through the air and land directly in the river where it's immediately swept up by the current.
"No!" yells Silas, but I'm two steps ahead of him.
Not bothering to maintain my sway over Nathan, I swan dive straight into the river where a flash of familiar green scales alerts me to Landon's presence. I drop under the water, adjusting quickly to the feeling of using my gills, and yell to the other shifter underwater. "He chucked the amulet!"
"On it," Landon replies, and the two of us speed through the water with the speed and precision of a pair of mermaids or swordfish. My vision is completely clear, even in the muddy river; in fact, it's even sharper down here than it is normally. Together, we fly with the current in the direction the charm went, keeping our aquatic eyes peeled for any signs of gleaming metal.
I spot something shimmering against the riverbed and dive for it, but when I examine it, I see to my dismay that it's a rusted gold bracelet, probably lost in the river years ago. Letting out a cry of rage, I toss it to the side as I realize just how many discarded metal items litter the riverbed. We might as well be looking for a needle in a haystack. My shoulders slump, but the feeling of Landon's hand on my shoulder gives me pause. I turn to him and see the medallion dangling from his fingers. "Problem solved," he says.
Overjoyed, I throw my arms around him and pull him into a kiss under the water. Landon freezes in surprise, before embracing me back, his hands sliding into my hair as relief courses through both of us. When we finally break apart, the grinning shifter surfaces, and I follow suit. Together we make our way onto the riverbank: we've traveled a long way downstream, and I can just barely make out the figures of Hunter, Silas, and Shade rushing to meet us, all back in their human forms.
I stumble onto dry land, shifting back as I go, with Landon's arm wrapped tightly around my waist.
"Tell me you have it," Hunter says, panting from the exertion of the chase.
Grinning, Landon brandishes the amulet. "Never underestimate the power of underwater vision," he proclaims.
Silas laughs, relieved, and Shade runs his hand through his hair, his shoulders finally relaxing. Hunter claps Landon heartily on the back, and I'm barely back on the pathway when Shade presses his lips to my neck. "T
hank you," he murmurs against my skin before pulling away.
No longer insulated by my aquatic form, I begin to shiver from the adrenaline and the frigid water. Hunter wraps his arms around my body, casting a wary glance down at me. "You all right, Millie?" he asks.
I nod. "Now let's get back inside somewhere. I'm covered in river water."
As much as Landon and I need a shower, our first order of business is to bring the amulet to Theo. He's not in the restaurant today; rather, he's seated regally on one of the plush couches facing the grand fireplace on the ground floor. He turns to us at the sound of our approach, and his eyes light up when they land on me… only to grow worried. "What happened to you, Millie?" he demands, his unwavering voice belying his concern.
"We went for a little swim," Landon replies. "About par for the course, I'd say. But we got the amulet." Reaching into my soaked pocket, I withdraw the shimmering charm, which seems to pulsate with power as I extend my hand to Theo.
A perplexed look crosses the hybrid leader's face, but then he shakes his head. Reaching out, he takes the charm from me, but his hand freezes for the barest of moments when his skin brushes against mine. For a split second, his composure seems shaken, but he recovers admirably and clears his throat. "Excellent," he says. "Tonight, we can discuss how to best implement the charm. For now, though…" The subtlest of smiles appears on his face. "I suggest the five of you go take a rest. It looks like you've had a long morning."
Chapter 92
To say that I’m tired wouldn’t be a hundred percent accurate; by all accounts, I should be, and I think, on some level, I am, but it’s not in a physical way. On the contrary, my body feels almost startlingly okay after this morning’s events, a sensation that is as off-putting as it is comforting. I’m under no illusions about my own mortality. I can still get hurt, I’m sure, or even killed, but every physical symptom is more along the lines of “having taken a long walk” than “took part in a high-speed chase that also landed me in the freezing waters of a Scottish river.” What, then, will it take to warn me when I’m overdoing it? It’s as if that mental barrier has been brought down, and I’m now able to tap into reserves of strength the likes of which were never accessible to me before.
No, what I’m feeling now is more of a deep, profound mental exhaustion that has nothing to do with the fight or our pursuit of Nathan. Part of me can’t help but wonder if this is how soldiers or international spies feel when they’ve put all of themselves into a fight to protect someone else, someone far away. I’m feeling burned out in the worst way, like I’ve been fighting this battle for decades, rather than months.
I feel old, and that scares me more than any surge in power levels possibly could.
It must show on my face, too, because as soon as we reach the floor for our landing, Hunter says, “You look run-down, Boots.”
“I am,” I admit after a moment of hemming and hawing. “I don’t know if I over-exerted myself or…” But my voice trails off as I see I’m not the only one: Hunter’s pale skin makes the dark circles under his eyes prominent, while Shade still seems to be shaking off the residual effects of the paralysis charm. Silas, in spite of our victory, is looking melancholy, and with good reason: we haven’t even addressed the fact that his father made another attempt on our lives, seemingly without connection to Nathan. That means one of two things: either he’s been following us on orders of one of the higher-up humans, or his consuming hatred of his own son has driven him here on its own. Frankly, I don’t know which is worse.
Landon is the only one who doesn’t seem at all fazed by what happened, but that doesn’t stop him from turning a concerned gaze on me when he hears Hunter’s remark. “It’s not the new powers, is it?”
“I don’t think so,” I reply honestly. “I think, after everything we’ve been through, I’m just ready to breathe again. Like, without worrying Academy agents are going to storm the building or something.”
“You and me both, Boots,” Shade says, rubbing a hand on the back of his stiff neck. “I’m going to go lie down. That charm did a real number on me—I think it’s given me a migraine.”
“I’m sorry—” I begin, but Shade silences me with a kiss on the top of my head.
“Don’t be,” he says as he pulls away. “If it weren’t for you, I would still be frozen in that damned field.” Turning to go, he raises his hand to us. “See you guys at our next meeting with you-know-who.” I don’t fail to notice his eyes roll as he talks about Theo.
“Silas?” Landon asks, turning to the dragon shifter. “I don’t know if I told you guys, but my suite has a hot tub.”
My eyes go wide. “You’re kidding.” Landon gives me a bold smile, and I shake my head in disbelief. “No fair.”
“Why do you think I brought it up?” Landon says, reaching out to run a hand through my wet hair. “You look like you could stand to warm up.”
“I think I’ll pass, actually,” Silas says. “I’ve… got a lot on my mind.”
“Understandable,” says Hunter. “If you need anything, let us know.”
“I will,” the dragon shifter replies, before turning to me. “Thank you again, Boots,” he says, the uncertainty in his eyes giving way to affection. “I mean it.”
“I wasn’t about to hurt your father,” I reply quietly. Silas takes a step closer to me, touches my cheek for a moment, and then pulls away before wordlessly turning and heading around the corner to his room.
Landon, Hunter, and I are left to size one another up. “I hope that offer is good for all of us,” the vampire shifter says, crossing his arms, “because I’m completely wrung out.”
“Atta boy,” jokes the siren shifter. “Boots?”
For a moment I’m on the verge of declining, but all propriety seems to have gone out the window. “Why not?” I ask, throwing my arms out to my sides.
“Yes!” Landon exclaims. “Now all we need is some champagne, and we can make this a party.”
“I hear ‘party’ from you, Landon…” Hunter says.
The siren shifter elbows him. “Don’t make me rescind the offer.”
Hunter grins, and their lighthearted bickering lifts my spirits long enough for me to grab a change of clothes from my suite before following them to Landon’s room. As soon as the lights are on I suck in a breath: the room was either meant for royalty or newlyweds—I’m not totally sure which—and it’s dominated by a large, marble jacuzzi in the middle of the floor. I raise my eyebrows at Landon, who shoots me a grin—all the permission I need. For lack of a bathing suit, I strip down to my bra and underwear and clamber into the hot tub, not even bothering with a shower beforehand. Almost immediately I begin to relax as I slide into the steaming water, and a sound to my right tells me the others have followed my lead.
Hunter sighs in contentment as he gets in beside me, sliding his arm around my shoulders and leaning back against the wall. “You’ve been holding out on us, Landon,” he mutters.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” The siren shifter wraps his arm around my waist from the other side. “You can send me a gift basket or something.”
After nearly nodding off in the warm water, I reluctantly drag myself out to take a real shower and rid myself of the remains of my dip in the river. Landon does the same, leaving Hunter to continue to bask in the hot tub. It’s only after I’m clean, changed into dry clothes, and sitting on the couch, that I’m feeling better than I have all day.
“You had us worried back there, Boots,” Landon informs me, coming to stand behind me. “This is really taking it out of you, isn’t it?”
“I’m fine,” I say. It’s almost a reflex at this point.
“Boots.” Landon tips my chin up so he can look at me, his hands dropping to my shoulders. “You don’t have to pretend with me. With any of us.”
“I…” My throat feels thick. “Thank you. I’m sorry. I forget sometimes.”
“Shh, it’s okay,” the siren shifter says, his hand running through the hair at the base of
my neck. “You can relax now.” And slowly he begins to rub my shoulders, massaging away tension I didn’t even know I was carrying.
“Mm…” I hum. “Shouldn’t be letting my guard down.”
“I’d say you’ve earned it,” Hunter says from across the room, where he’s pulling his shirt back over his head.
“Damn right, she has,” Landon agrees, his hands caressing my neck and shoulders in slow, soothing movements that send butterflies flying through my stomach. I close my eyes, and when the siren shifter leans down to kiss me, I reciprocate with passion.
It’s only when I open my eyes and see Hunter watching us pointedly from the other side of the room that I blush. This polyamory thing is new to all of us, something that’s easy to forget when I’m being kissed by a gorgeous shifter. “Sorry,” I hasten to say. “It’s probably a little awkward for you to watch this.”
Hunter shares a look with Landon, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk that, while out of place on the vampire shifter, he wears pretty damn well. “Who said anything about watching?” he asks, and crosses the room to where we are.
By now, the adrenaline in my stomach is giving way to excitement of the best kind, and I can feel my heart hammering in my chest as Hunter drops to his knees in front of me, pulling me in for a kiss of his own while Landon’s hands continue to explore my upper body. My head is practically spinning by the time he breaks the kiss, leaving me searching for more, and the vampire shifter gives a low chuckle before sliding down my body, undoing the button of my jeans as he goes. A little maneuvering is all it takes before he has my bottoms off, drinking in the sight of my naked body like a starving man.