Flames of Mars (Celestial Shifters Book 2)

by Tjalara Draper

  “Solace.”

  A heartbeat passed before Nathan said, “Wow.” That name, that word, was fundamentally what Violet wanted out of life: a place to call home, a family who loved her. Safety. Peace. Solace. “Unfortunately,” he continued, “because I haven’t met Solace, I haven’t got a stable impression of her soul-scent.”

  Sagan moved to his side, staring with him toward the forest where the van had disappeared. “So what do you suggest?”

  “Well, kidnapping aside, it’s the presence of Magneii that concerns me. Magneii don’t just randomly show up out of the blue and decide to kill and kidnap. They’re not warmongering or predatory—they’re mercenaries. Someone sent these shifters to kidnap Violet’s daughter. If we can find who’s been writing the checks, chances are we’ll also find Solace.”

  11

  “What the Hell” Keeps Coming to Mind

  Violet shook her stiff arms and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. It was great to get the blood flowing back into her limbs.

  “How are you feeling?” Dawn asked.

  “Physically? Not so bad. Mentally? The phrase ‘What the hell?’ keeps coming to mind. Emotionally? . . . Let’s not go there.”

  “As far as we can tell, you’re healthy.” Gus ripped the blood pressure cuff off her arm.

  Violet groaned and rubbed her eyes. “Then what’s wrong with me? How is it that I’m all of a sudden . . . fiery? And not in the metaphorical sense.”

  “You also grew crystal shards,” added Gus.

  “Yeah, I remember.” Violet winced and rubbed her elbows. “Those really hurt. But seriously, last I checked, I was just an average, non-superpower-wielding human. What’s the deal?”

  “I think it’s safe to say you’re definitely a shifter, but as to what kind . . .” Dawn’s lips pressed into a thin line.

  “Without a doubt it has something to do with that Magneii attacking you,” said Gus. “But that doesn’t explain why you’ve got Veniri attributes as well. From what the others have said, you’re really lucky to be alive. Humans normally die from a shifter bite. It’s really rare that one survives. But even if we set that mystery aside, we still don’t know why you’re a Magneii and a Veniri—and a female Veniri at that.”

  “What do you mean?” Violet asked.

  “Veniri females are extremely rare,” said Dawn. “Apparently only one in every hundred Veniri born is female. I don’t know if you noticed, but all the Veniri infants currently in the nursery are males.”

  Violet’s eyebrows shot up. “But what about Solace?”

  “Like I said, you’re really lucky,” said Gus.

  “But hang on. I wasn’t born Veniri, nor was I bitten, so . . .”

  Gus’s eyes suddenly grew as round as saucers.

  “What?” Violet asked.

  Gus didn’t say anything. Instead, his gaze fixed on a point far away.

  Dawn laid a hand on Gus’s cheek. “What’re you thinking?”

  Shaking his head to break the trance, Gus bolted out of the room. Before he disappeared into the hall, he called over his shoulder, “I have a theory, but I need to check the blood test results again, before I can confirm anything.”

  Violet turned back to Dawn, who gave her a reassuring smile.

  “Try not to worry yourself too much,” said Dawn. “With some further testing, observations, and precautions, we’ll soon find some answers—maybe even a cure.”

  “A cure?” Violet was surprised by how much that concept troubled her. Yes, okay, before the day started, she didn’t have flames burning from her eyes or shards of crystals sprouting over her body. Was that super freaky? Heck, yes! But for the first time in her life, she felt powerful. As if maybe, just maybe, she could take back control from all the things that had been making her life hell.

  So the idea of having her newfound abilities taken away . . .

  Thane’s face flashed in her mind.

  She couldn’t shake the discomfort of knowing Thane and Nathan were now close by. She was bound to run into one or both of them as soon as she left the infirmary. How long did they intend to stay? Hopefully not long at all.

  But what really gutted Violet was being taken off duty from helping out with the Veniri babies and their mothers.

  “It’s not because we don’t trust you,” explained Dawn. “It’s just that we don’t know yet the extent of your powers—let alone the extent of your control. And God forbid . . .”

  Violet hung her head, not needing Dawn to finish her sentence.

  Once Dawn had rattled off a number of tests and an examination schedule, she deemed Violet fit enough to leave the infirmary.

  Violet stepped out into the fresh evening air. Evening? The day was over already? The moon shone bright in the navy sky above. The absence of city light pollution meant the Maple Shire heavens were vibrant with stars. The Milky Way—a mottled band of color—was a photographer’s dream. It had been ages since Violet used her camera; she’d left it behind when she fled Nathan’s. Any photo she’d taken of Solace had been on her phone. Maybe one day she’d invest in a new camera, but that was way, way down on the list of her current priorities.

  With a heavy sigh, Violet weaved through the orchard and past the beehives. The soft melody of an acoustic guitar, along with the scent of smoke, reached her just as she came across a few families roasting marshmallows over a campfire. Their invitation to join in was tempting. When was the last time she’d done something so relaxed and carefree? But she had other plans first. It was about time she became reacquainted with Autumn.

  Rounding the corner, she bumped into someone coming the other way.

  “Sorry,” said Violet and the other person simultaneously.

  She froze.

  Thane was looking down at her, wearing the same shocked expression she was.

  She couldn’t bring herself to do or say anything, considering the last time she was this close to him, she was raging on him with her fists. Not a bruise, cut, or any proof of her abuse was evident on his face, which surprised her—every ounce of her strength had driven those strikes. But then she remembered he was Veniri. Does that mean they don’t get hurt like humans?

  “Hey, Violet.” Thane wrapped a hand around the back of his neck.

  “Hey,” she mumbled.

  “How are you?”

  “Fine.”

  A muscle twitched in Thane’s jaw.

  The two stood stiffly, awkward tension rising as the silence dragged out.

  Thane opened his mouth, but whatever he was about to say was interrupted by a chorus of giggles from behind Violet. Two teenage girls paused in their laughter to openly ogle Thane. Only when they passed did they resume their giggling, flicking glances at him over their shoulders. All the while, Thane’s eyes never left Violet.

  She huffed. Hugging her arms around her torso, she stepped around him and continued down the path.

  “Violet?” he called after her.

  She glanced back, not sure what had compelled her to stop.

  “I just want you to know that I can explain . . . everything. But . . .” His mouth hung slightly open.

  A few seconds passed as Violet waited for him to collect his thoughts.

  “I’ll leave it up to you to figure out when—or even if—you’re ready to hear it.”

  Violet couldn’t bring herself to respond, not even with a nod or a shake of her head. Instead the smoldering inferno in her chest flared to life. She hugged herself tighter and turned her back to Thane.

  She needed to find Autumn.

  Thankfully, Thane didn’t follow her as she trudged up the path to Autumn’s little computer hut. When she reached the door, she gently peeked her head in, hoping to find any sign of her dreadlocked friend.

  “Whoa,” Violet said under her breath. Unlike the dark hacker labs Violet had seen in movies, this place was well-lit with white light. Several desks lined the large room’s perimeter, and computer screens of varying sizes were everywhere, mounted on the wall
s. A number of power cords led back to a massive black box in the corner of the room. The box was covered with red, green, and amber flashing lights. Violet could only guess it was a server of some kind.

  Sitting at one of the desks, surrounded by about seven screens, was Autumn. Her legs were folded up on the swivel chair she was on, and her cheek rested on top of her knee. Flickering images on the screens reflected garish colors onto her face. Other than the low hum of the electrical equipment, the familiar clack-clack Violet always associated with Autumn was the only sound in the room.

  Violet took another tentative step inside. She spotted a stretcher bed by Autumn’s desk and recognized the rumpled band shirt Autumn wore when she slept. No wonder Violet hadn’t seen much of her friend. When was the last time Autumn had even left this room?

  Dreadlocks spun as Autumn whipped her head to the doorway. Her eyes momentarily widened, then narrowed into a subtle frown.

  Violet couldn’t disguise her own shock at Autumn’s gaunt cheeks and dark-rimmed eyes. Hesitantly, she stepped forward and gave her friend an unsure smile. “Hi.”

  Autumn swiveled back to face the screens. “What are you doing here?”

  Another flicker of heat added to the fire in Violet’s chest. “Seriously? We haven’t seen each other in what feels like forever, and after everything that’s happened, the first thing you say to me is ‘What are you doing here?’”

  Autumn dropped her feet to the ground and pinched the bridge of her nose. “Don’t be so dramatic. It’s only been two days. Besides, I’ve been a little busy, okay?”

  “Busy? Too busy to even come and see if I’d woken up from my coma?” She gestured to the stretcher bed. “Have you even bothered to leave this room?”

  “Geez, Violet.” Autumn smacked a hand down on the desk, hard. “Not everything is about you, you know?”

  “What do you mean by that?” Her hands balled into fists, and the molten anger inside her began to surge.

  “I mean, ever since I met you, everything’s been about you.” Autumn stabbed a finger at her.

  Violet floundered for a response. “I . . . I don’t understand. How has it been all about me?”

  Autumn put on a dramatic pout and said in an overemphasized whine, “Poor Violet doesn’t know who her parents are. Poor Violet gets knocked up, then finds out her boyfriend is a kidnapping maniac. Poor Violet has daddy issues with the only guy who ever gave a damn about her. Poor Violet failed in protecting her own daughter—”

  Violet darted forward.

  Crack!

  Autumn’s head snapped to the side before Violet even registered she’d backhanded her friend. Mouth gaping in horror, she curled her stinging hand against her chest. What did I just do?

  Autumn covered her cheek with her fingers, her face hidden by dreadlocks.

  Seconds dragged by.

  Violet bunched her hands into fists, the molten anger within her demanding to ignite. It took all her effort to fight it back. To distract herself from the rage, she scanned Autumn’s screens. Two flickered through surveillance footage of various locations within Maple Shire. Another displayed online news articles with random mugshots and images of people Violet didn’t recognize. But the big screen in the middle captured her full attention.

  A wave of shame and understanding slammed into Violet’s center. She placed her hands on her burning cheeks. “Oh, Autumn . . .”

  The screen displayed several stills of CCTV footage from the inside of Autumn’s house, capturing the macabre images of Skye and Cruz only seconds after their deaths. Violet spotted herself in one of the screenshots, as well as Sagan—paused in mid-fight with the male intruder in the black suit. Another capture showed the woman entering Solace’s room. The zoomed-in images of the man and woman had been cleaned up and enlarged, their blurry faces looking out at Violet from yet another computer monitor.

  Violet dropped her hands to her sides, and her shoulders drooped. “Oh, Autumn. I’m so sorry.” Submerged in her own grief over the loss of her child, she hadn’t seen that Autumn had been drowning. Shame knotted her insides. Of all people, she should’ve recognized Autumn’s anger and harsh words as the result of deep anguish. She knew what it was like to lose someone forever. To never be able to see a loved one again.

  “It’s taken me ages,” said Autumn in a soft voice, “but I’ve finally found the people who killed my parents.” She looked Violet square in the eye. “And I think I know where they’ve taken Solace.”

  12

  Helix Hoax

  Nathan towel dried his hair. After almost a year in Tempecrest, even the small freedom of showering and putting on fresh clothes felt like a luxury.

  He wrapped the towel around his waist, then wiped down the condensation on one of the mirrors in the men’s communal bathroom. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d looked in the mirror. Tilting his head from left to right, he examined the subtle changes: a little more gray in his dark hair, new hollowness to his cheeks, a scruffy salt-and-pepper goatee along his jaw—he’d tried his best to keep his beard trim in Tempecrest, but Diamantium blades weren’t the best tools for the job. The most alarming change was his eyes. There was something more wizened behind his tawny eyes—maybe even wild—about them. Was it because he’d spent so long fighting for his life? Or was this just a part of getting old?

  He unboxed the brand-new safety razor Lazareth had kindly donated to him and inserted a new double-edged blade. Then he sprayed a puffy mound of shaving cream onto his fingertips and smeared it over his chin. A flash of reflected light caught his eye.

  Realization sent an icy chill shivering through his body.

  The glimmering light had come from him. The crystal patch on the back of his shoulder had grown; it was now spreading down along his bicep. Light gleamed off the polished facets when he rotated his shoulder. He tapped at the area with his fingernail, and it made a melodic ting-ting-ting.

  What is going on?

  It wasn’t the first time he’d asked himself that question, but it was clear he could no longer pretend he didn’t want to know the answer.

  He reached down to check his leg, and his heart sank. What had started as a small patch on the back of his calf had expanded over his shin and down to his ankle. He straightened and spun to check the other side of his body but, in doing so, knocked the can of shaving cream off the sink.

  With lightning speed, Nathan reached out and caught the can. It burst with a bang and a pfffssshhhh!

  “Damn it!” White foam leaked out in fat dollops, expanding like something from a demonic horror movie. The mess all over the sink and floor was unbelievable. He glanced down at the mutilated hunk of metal in his hand. He didn’t even think he’d squeezed it that hard.

  A few minutes and about five extra towels later, he finally had the shaving foam explosion under control.

  “So, this is where you’ve been hiding.”

  Nathan looked up as Tio leaned on the sink next to his. The teenager raised an eyebrow at the small mountain of towels.

  “Uh, there was a malfunction with the shaving cream.” Nathan nodded toward the twisted metal in the sink, then, with a jolt of panic, realized he hadn’t put a shirt on yet. He snatched his button-up and shoved his arms through the sleeves, glad Tio was standing on the other side of his crystallized shoulder.

  “Right . . . malfunction, huh?” Tio sounded dubious as he picked up the can between his thumb and index finger. He dropped it back in the sink with a clatter and leaned against the wall. “So, where have you been all day?”

  “Here and there.” Nathan finished buttoning his shirt. “I’ve been trying to make sense of why a small group of Magneii would attack a place like Maple Shire.”

  Tio grimaced. “Those shifters are messed up. They’d sell their own mother for the right price.”

  “No kidding. So, what about you? What have you been up to?”

  “I met this chick named Autumn. She has a sick computer den, by the way. And get this—it turns ou
t she’s the legendary Helix Hoax, one of my hacker buddies from way back.”

  “Oh, really?” Nathan almost chuckled—what did “way back” mean for a sixteen-year-old? He remembered meeting Autumn, Gus’s dreadlocked cousin, and seeing her computer tech all over the room when he’d moved Violet into her dorm, so it didn’t surprise him much to hear about the girl’s “legendary” status. He had been a little surprised, however, to find out Maple Shire was Autumn and Gus’s hometown. It was good to know Violet had found a home with friends after she’d fled Brookhaven.

  “Yeah, anyway,” continued Tio, “I put two and two together when I remembered I once supplied her and her buddies with some fake IDs. I knew I’d seen that Gus guy before. And come to think of it, the same goes for that hybrid-shifter girl. Can you believe it? I’ve met Helix Hoax in the flesh. Who knew she was a dreadlocked hippie chick out in the middle of hicksville? Who knew she was a chick? You know, I’m pretty good behind the keyboard, if I do say so myself, but Helix Hoax—she’s a beast! There ain’t a hacking forum out there that isn’t talking about her. And what’s more, she’s set me up with my own tech. Geez, it’s good to be back in front of a screen.”

  “And keeping out of trouble, I hope,” said Nathan.

  “Trouble? Me?” Tio sniggered. “Aw, it hurts that you don’t know me at all.”

  Nathan grinned and shook his head. “Just don’t get caught, kid.”

  Tio scoffed. “I never do.”

  “Never, huh?”

  “Er, I mean, I never get caught online.”

  Nathan barked a laugh and mussed Tio’s hair. “Yeah, yeah, you’re a real angel in disguise.”

  “Hey!” Tio swiped at his hand. “Watch it! Touch the hair again, old man, and I’ll take you on. Your ‘Dog Shredder’ rep doesn’t scare me.”

  “You had to bring that up.” Nathan groaned. “I’m trying to put Tempecrest behind me.”

  Tio quirked an eyebrow. “Good luck with that. I’ll probably still have nightmares about it well into my twenties.”