by Shana Vernon
“Ms. Bishop!”
I turned around to find Master Locke hurrying over to me.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yes, yes,” she said, picking up a key that hung on the wall and holding it out for me to take. “I have urgent business to attend to. Would you mind finishing up with the last three patients and locking up behind you?”
“Oh. sure, no problem.” I said, slipping the key into my pocket.
“Wonderful. I have another key, so feel free to bring that one back on your next shift.”
I didn’t have a chance to respond before she exited the infirmary, closing the door behind her.
I healed the remaining three patients and was about to make my way out the door when it dawned on me that I should do some snooping. It seemed like most members spent time in the infirmary, and Master Abbott had mentioned that Master Locke and Papa were initiates together, so it would make sense for them to communicate. He might have even confided in her, or she could have been the one to abduct him.
The only private area in the infirmary was Master Locke’s office, so I ducked inside there first. Immaculate was the word that came to mind when looking around her personal space. There wasn't a speck of dust to be found on any surface in the tiny room. There were sets of filing cabinets lining the wall to my right, and a glass desk situated directly in the middle of the room. It had a black-colored map of the world covering the front of the desk and a computer sitting on top. The only chair in the room was behind the desk and I sank into it and lifted the laptop screen.
To my surprise, there was no password required to gain entrance and I clicked on the files folder. Most of the information I found was regarding healing and new techniques she was attempting to master. I had to hand it to her, Master Locke was nothing if not efficient. As I was scrolling through her files—which were alphabetically organized—I noticed one titled Bishop, Lenna.
What in the world?
I clicked on the file and saw each detail I had divulged regarding my abilities.
Bishop, Lenna
Abilities
Healing: Ms. Bishop is able to heal herself and others with minimal, if any, drain to her energy. This is the first documented case of a healing ability that manifested on such a level. More testing is advised.
Glowing of Extremities: Still undetermined. I would infer that it must be a powerful defensive gift. Advised Master Wilde and Master Abbott to put extreme pressure on her to bring out the gift. It could be volatile, so caution is recommended.
Summary: Ms. Bishop’s blood should be tested against all previous Guild members to check for possible relation.
Status: Initiate.
She knows.
I couldn't breathe. My lungs constricted inside my rib cage. It felt as if I were being strangled and I raised my hands to my throat, attempting to pry invisible cords from around my neck. I backed up until I hit the wall and slid down to the cold tile floor, my heart racing in my chest.
I waited frozen on the floor for at least fifteen minutes until I was finally able to force my muscles to push me up. My breathing returned to normal and I let out a gasp.
This is not the time to freak out, Lenna.
I needed to make a plan and I needed to do it immediately. I ran back to the screen and continued scrolling through her documents, looking for anything else that could be important. I scrolled all the way until I got to the Ts and saw his name in bold letters.
Turgenev, Alexei.
“Papa,” I breathed.
I clicked his folder and received another shock.
Turgenev, Alexei
Abilities
Shifting: Mr. Turgenev is the only known Hawk shifter in Guild history. His clothes are not able to pop in and out of existence with his shifting, so he must keep spare sets of clothing at different destinations, or carry them in his beak.
Invisibility: Mr. Turgenev is able to sustain full invisibility for roughly thirty minutes at a time before needing a break. If he consumes enough calories, he is able to use his gift multiple times per day. Mr. Turgenev is unable to make other things invisible if they are not on his person, even after years of practicing.
Summary: Mr. Turgenev has long surpassed the teaching of his superiors and remains the assassin with the highest results in the Guild. His strengths are in weapons and hand to hand combat, though he is extremely knowledgeable in the art of poisons as well.
Status: Missing.
Master Locke believed Papa was missing, not taken, which only made me realize that she wasn’t the confidant to Papa that Maximus was. That information was not what shocked me, however. I already knew that the Guild was aware of Papa’s abilities, what shocked me was the photo attached to the file. A much younger version of Papa had his arms circled around a younger Master Locke. Their embrace in the photo suggested a much closer relationship than Master Abbott assumed.
I looked closer at Master Locke, noticing for the first time a few resemblances between the two of us. We were both of average height and build with blonde hair. Where my blue and brown eyes came from my father, I couldn't ignore the similarities between my one blue eye and Master Locke’s blue eyes.
Oh. My. God.
Was it actually possible that Master Locke was my mother? Papa had always told me that my mother died during childbirth, but here he was with his arms around a woman who looked similar to me. Granted, those characteristics weren’t exactly unique. She could easily be Ryder’s mother and I would believe it. I needed to speak to the one person who might have the answers.
I printed the photo and folded it into my pocket. After I stripped and ran back into the empty infirmary to grab a bag, I slipped my clothes and the spare key inside and shifted into my hawk form in the blink of an eye. I snatched the bag off the floor in my beak and soared out the open window toward the center of Boston.
I didn’t have the time to dress fancy and pretend to be interested in gambling, so I circled the casino looking for an opening. I spotted one in the back, the window just open enough for my tiny form to fit through. I swooped down, flew through the opening, and landed on Maximus’ desk.
A slightly uncomfortable sight met my eyes as I took in my surroundings and saw Maximus’ mouth attached to the neck of a curvaceous brunette. His hands were roaming over her body as she writhed beneath his touch. I waited as long as I could before finally letting out a little squawk which caused the brunette to jump backward with a scream.
I giggled internally and peered at a red-faced Maximus who had recognized me immediately.
He cleared his throat and motioned toward the brunette. “Why don’t you head back upstairs and let me deal with the pigeon.”
Did he just call me a pigeon?
I waited until she left the room and shifted back to human, landing on the floor with a plunk. “You arrogant little bast—”
Maximus rushed to me and clamped a hand over my mouth to silence me.
I glared up at him which caused him to chuckle and he leaned into my ear.
“She hasn’t reached the elevator yet; I don’t want her to hear you and come back.”
I removed his hand from my mouth and grabbed my clothing off the floor, noticing Maximus’ eyes roam over my body before he realized what he was doing and turned around to give me privacy.
“So, how was your… uh… dinner?” I asked, zipping up my jumpsuit and placing my shoes back on my feet.
Maximus faced me again and sighed. “I apologize for you seeing me like that, Solynshka. If I had known you were coming I would have eaten earlier.”
I waved my hand at him. “No need to hide your eating habits from me. Also, I didn’t know I was coming here until a few minutes ago.” I took the photo out of my pocket and straightened it out. “Did you know about this, Maximus?”
He took the photo from me and gazed at it in silence for a few moments. “Is this one of the Guild members?”
“Yes, that’s Master Locke.”
“Your father migh
t not have felt comfortable introducing you to any of the women he dated, but he wasn’t exactly celibate.”
“So, you don’t know if this woman is my mother?” I asked, sinking down into an empty chair.
A look of understanding passed over his features. “I see, you’re looking for your mother.”
“I’m not looking for her, but I found this photo and I couldn’t help but wonder.” I met his cerulean gaze. “Do you know if Papa was telling the truth about my mother dying during childbirth?”
Maximus sighed and shook his head. “Your father never gave me any details about your mother, so it is possible, but with modern medicine, it seems unlikely for that to have really happened.”
A mother.
It was possible I had more family out there, but I put the thought to the back of my mind until I could ask Papa when I found him.
“Solnyshka,” Maximus drew my attention back to him, “have you found out anything about your father’s whereabouts?”
“Not yet, this was the first bit of information I recovered since I arrived. I did overhear Master Abbott and a government worker discussing a captive they had and assumed they meant Papa, but they didn’t discuss any more details than that.” I cleared my throat. “What about you?”
“I have been looking into disappearances that have been going on for a long time and heard an insane rumor. I’m honestly not even sure it is possible since I haven’t found proof of it.”
I leaned forward in my seat. “Well, what is it?”
“There have been vampire women going missing over the years, nothing more unusual than when it happens to humans, so I never looked too closely. However, one of my employees went missing after she let it slip she was pregnant.”
“Okay, vamps get pregnant all the time. What’s so special about that?” I asked, my brows furrowed in confusion.
“The friend who divulged this information was under the impression that my employee was pregnant by a human male.”
If there was any liquid in my mouth I would have spat it out all over the room. “W… what?” I spluttered. “Pregnant by a human? How is that possible?”
“I’m not saying it is possible. All I'm saying is that this woman swears her friend was impregnated by a human and the next thing we know, she was abducted.”
Was this really possible? A hybrid species?
If that were truly possible, I had so many questions. I stood up.
“You keep looking into this potential hybrid business and I will continue trying to find where they have Papa.” I peered out the small opening of the window and whistled.
A few moments later, a red-tailed hawk swooped in and landed on Maximus’ desk. Communicating with the hawks was a difficult skill that took me years to hone. They didn’t have linguistic intelligence, but I could express my requests by sending mental images and feelings. I told the hawk to stay with Maximus in case he needed to send me any messages.
“If you have any updates, write them down and my friend, Joe, will bring them to me. He knows to be discreet and not approach me in front of others.”
Maximus looked impressed. “I didn’t know you and your father could do that.”
I grinned at him. “Papa can’t do that. He can get certain information from them, but he could never get them to listen to his demands. Hawks aren’t docile creatures; they don’t like to listen to others.”
“And yet, you are able to command them,” Maximus replied.
“I’m special like that.” I looked around his impressive office space. “Well, I better get back to the Guild before they notice me gone.” I started to take off my shoes, but Maximus’ hand stopped me.
“I want to return your memories before you leave.” He pulled me close and put his hands on either side of my face as he peered into my eyes. It felt as if he was looking directly into my soul. Maybe he was. I watched as his pupils dilated and a moment later, a rush of memories slammed into my mind.
I stumbled a few steps backward, falling out of his hold as dizziness overtook me.
Maximus approached and gently guided me back to the chair. “It can be a bit jarring, especially since I returned quite a few memories.”
It was as if I was watching my entire childhood in my head. Birthdays I had thought were spent with just Papa and myself. Training sessions that included Maximus’ patient instruction. Bonding sessions that were one on one between the two of us.
At the end of each meeting, he would remove himself from my memory and return it at the start of the next time. It seemed like Maximus had played a much larger role in my upbringing than I’d originally assumed. A tear slid down my cheek at all the beautiful moments I re-experienced in my mind.
Maximus was family. In some moments over the years, he was more than just a friend to me. That was certainly confusing now.
Maximus opened his arms and I ran into them, crushing myself to his chest. “Thank you for giving those back to me.”
He leaned back and wiped the tear from my cheek, his finger lingering longer than necessary.
“I know that this might be confusing for you right now, so please know that I don’t have any expectations from you. It looks like you’re a bit surprised by what you remember; did you not look over the photos I gave you?
I thought back to before I entered the guild. “I left them in the safe in my house without looking through them. At the time, it didn’t seem important when I was focused on Papa.”
“Not to worry, they are photos from your childhood. The photos are you, your father, and myself over the years. We couldn’t risk leaving you with the photos if we expected you not to remember.”
“Why did you take my memories?” As soon as the question left my lips, countless memories of me asking the same question resurfaced. All with the same answer – it was too dangerous for anyone to make the connection between Papa and Maximus.
“Nevermind, I remember now.” I detangled myself from his arms and stood back. “You aren’t going to take them away again are you?”
“There is no need for that now. You have assumed a permanent identity that is separate from your father. If people see us together, they will likely assume you are one of my donors.”
Another memory hit me of a few times where I had let Maximus drink from me and a warm blush rose to my cheeks. He had done more than simply drink from me.
Maximus winked, clearly understanding the reason behind my rosy cheeks. “Don’t worry, Solnyshka, your secret is safe with me.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
My dreams were full of warm caresses and passionate kisses. The face of the man in them shifted from the ivory-toned, bow-lipped Maximus, to the strong-jawed, grey eyes of Cade, and I awoke more confused than ever.
“Well, isn’t this a wonderful surprise. Lenna is gracing us with her presence this fine morning.” Sofia said from the cot beside me and I rolled over to witness her sarcastic expression.
Ekon’s rumbling chuckle came from my other side. “Hey, Lenna. Listen to this one. You're pretty and I'm cute. Together we would be pretty cute.”
I grunted in response and swung my feet to the floor and into my slippers.
The grin slipped from his face. “What’s wrong?”
Sofia sat up in bed and gave me a curious glance.
“Nothing specific, just weird dreams.”
Sofia shuddered and snapped her wrist band. “I get nightmares sometimes. Always my brother’s murderers. You know what I do to them in my dreams?”
She waited for my response, so I shook my head, not sure if I really wanted to know.
“I kill those fuckers. Slowly, with a serrated knife.” Her face cleared and she smiled. “Then, I feel much better when I wake up!”
Ekon’s eyes widened and it seemed like he finally understood just how crazy the girl he was hooking up with was. I didn’t care though, her brand of crazy didn’t bother me. Sofia wasn’t evil, she was just a little damaged and unwaveringly fierce about protecting those she loved. How
could I judge that?
We were led into the room where I had my testing done with Quinn and Cade to find Master Abbott and Master Wilde waiting near the mats.
Without waiting for us all to reach him, Master Wilde began, “Today, we are going to do something a bit different.” He gestured for us to get on the mats.” You will be paired up for hand to hand combat, with only one of you permitted to use your abilities. This will help you learn to fight in unexpected situations, where resources are limited.”
I watched as Master Abbott went off to the side and settled down in a chair, his focus remaining on us.
Master Wilde continued, “Imagine if your contract ended up noticing you before you were able to carry out your assassination and seized your weapon, or had an unexpected weapon himself. You need to learn how to adapt to any situation and make snap decisions on the fly.”
The door swung open to reveal Cade and Master Locke.
“Ahh, wonderful. Master Locke will be here to monitor the usage of your gifts. It is important to see your limitations and exactly what you can do. Some gifts manifest in their complete forms, but others are able to be honed and expanded on. She will be observing your limitations during this session, so be sure to give it your all.
“Because the amount of initiates this season is not even, Bishop, Anders, and Sutton will team up together. Ms. Bishop, this is a perfect opportunity for you to learn to defend against multiple assailants. You will fight without your abilities for the first bout, then you will switch it up.”
Just perfect.
Master Wilde paired up the rest of the teams and sidled up to me while I was putting my hair into a French braid to keep it out of my face.
“I’m going to show you a few basic maneuvers that should help you defend against multiple attackers.” He raised his voice and addressed the other initiates. “This is relevant for all of you, so pay attention. There are two important things to remember when you find yourself up against more than one aggressor. I say when and not if, because in our line of work, this is inevitable.”