Feline Good

by Lana Kole

  Cracking his jaw in a yawn, he rubbed a hand through his long fringe, and she resisted the urge to sigh. Why she was blessed with the world’s finest eye candy, she might never know, but she wished she wasn’t too fucked up to do something about it.

  Actually, she did know why she’d been blessed this way. A thrill of excitement worked its way through her.

  “So, what did we learn?” Asher grumbled, his voice rocky from sleep.

  Maya shared a glance with August and Amir, who’d both been excellent study partners. They’d developed a comfortable routine. In turns between reading, they’d snuck away to the kitchen, only to come back with steaming cups of coffee to keep their bodies going, even if some of the information they read could make the Energizer Bunny snore.

  “Well, we learned plenty during your little catnap.” Maya smirked at her punny joke when Asher groaned.

  “Okay, fine, explain it to me.”

  Maya passed him her own cup of coffee as she started. “Bastet’s Head Priest was the original keeper of the amulet. In the beginning, the amulet itself controlled time. They quickly discovered that it held too much power for one man, even for someone in as powerful a position as his.”

  Maya grinned, swept away in the excitement of all they’d learned. “So, as the goddess of many things, including fertility and childbirth, Bastet blessed his family with two sons. One who would become the Keeper, and—”

  “One whose bloodline would become the Guardians... eventually,” August finished, and she turned a smile his way.

  Amir added, “Yeah, apparently, the Keepers of Time had originally been a Keeper of Time. Just one person was gifted with the power to protect it.”

  “But, like all power, someone else wanted a piece of it. Fast forward generations later, and Sekhmet, Bastet’s other half, got wind of the amulet and its power,” she explained further.

  August continued, “To provide further protection, Bastet blessed each generation with three boys, each one to control the Past, Present, and Future, and gave them the amulet.”

  “Unfortunately, one set of brothers fucked up. Enter Guardians. They needed someone to keep those assholes in line,” Maya inserted sarcastically. “The Guardians’ bloodline had mostly been watered down from the High Priest’s original family at this point, and the families had taken Neith as their patron goddess. Who, as you know, is the Goddess of—”

  “Weaving,” Asher finished with a smile, before nodding his head for her to continue.

  “Yes! We think that’s why I have powers. Since she was the female goddess that started it all, and if I’m the first female Guardian… I mean, it’s just a theory. Anyways, the Guardians would keep the amulet—never impressing their will upon it, leaving the Keepers to their own destinies—and time on its own forward path. Then, to hide in plain sight, the Keepers asked Bastet for shape shifting abilities.”

  Maya couldn’t put into words how relieved she felt to finally learn where her own ability came from. She’d never questioned why she could see snippets of the past and future, but now that she knew, she was enlightened all over again.

  “So, once they could shift into animals—” August continued.

  “Cats, of course, since that is her symbol.” Asher steepled his fingers, impressed with his knowledge.

  “Bingo. Now, generations later, the amulet is used to control the Keepers, in a sense. Whoever holds the amulet, whatever their intentions, the Keepers’ actions are reflections of them, of their morals.”

  Asher nodded, suddenly serious, and Maya noticed matching expressions on the others. “So, while it’s in your hands, since you ultimately are a good person, we hold our own destinies in our hands—we’re ourselves.”

  Silence was heavy for a moment as they considered the other side of that jagged-edged sword. If someone with bad intentions had the amulet in their possession, the guys would change, their personalities would shift, and they’d be unrecognizable from who they were now.

  Balance, Ma’at. There must always be a balance in order for the world to work.

  “But we still don’t know why those guys were after us,” Maya mused out loud. “Although, if thousands of years ago, Bastet’s other half—Sekhmet—was after the amulet, while Bastet aimed to protect it, and still does, wouldn’t it be safe to say Sekhmet might still be after it?”

  August nodded. “I think that makes the most sense, but we can’t assume anything. If we start assuming, we’ll miss things that could lead us to the big bad.”

  Maya vowed never to leave the TV on again, as silence again reigned for a moment.

  Oblivious to her silent amusement, August stretched, the motion tugging his shirt up to bare a landscape of beautifully carved abs and muscles.

  Maya frowned. “I’m supposed to be your protector, right? A Guardian?”

  They nodded in sync, sending questioning looks her way. She gave them a pointed look, eyeing their defined muscles and remembered their lithe forms when they’d fought in the bar.

  “Why do you even need me? You guys look capable of taking care of yourselves just fine. Why don’t we just find the amulet, and I give it to you guys?”

  As soon as she spoke them, Maya wished she could take the words back. Asher visibly flinched, while August’s shoulders tightened, and Amir scowled.

  Almost defensively, Amir answered, “It’s just how it’s always been. I don’t think we should question how the gods intended it to be.”

  Maya resisted the urge to sigh in relief and slumped back against the seat instead. A yawn cracking her jaw wide, she nudged August in the side at a job well done. She was seconds away from asking the guys if they could return to the bar, when she sat up quickly, an awful awareness shooting through her. Every tiny hair stood on edge, and goosebumps worked their way over her skin in waves. “Something’s wrong.”

  In unison, they were on alert, the screech of chairs slicing through the peaceful library as they stood. Maya stood with them, her gaze bouncing to each corner of the room and the windows between shelves. Remembering the hair-raising sensation she’d felt by the front door, she swallowed past the lump in her throat, her blood running cold.

  “I think someone followed us,” Maya whispered.

  “I think you’re right,” Amir growled, the sound closer to that of a jaguar than a human.

  A flash of black darted past a window, and she moved closer to August before she could stop herself. A protective instinct overwhelmed her, and she fought the urge to push him behind her. She leaned closer to draw his attention to that window, then stepped away to give him space.

  Maya might not have the amulet with her, or even know where it was at this point, but she’d be damned if these assholes would get the drop on her. Uncle Malak hadn’t trained her to fight from the age of eight for nothing. Another shadow passed over the winder to her right, and Maya’s eyes went wide. “This house is huge. There’s no way they surrounded it, right?”

  “I don’t think so. Maybe they want the book, same as they do the amulet, and pinpointed this as the library?” August guessed.

  “I thought you said this house was kept secret, that it was protected?” Maya argued.

  Amir shot her a glare. “I don’t think that applies if someone follows us here.”

  Rolling her eyes at the obvious, she focused on yet another shadow running past the window. “We need to protect the book. Any ideas?”

  Asher grinned over at her. “Don’t let them get it.”

  Even in such a tense situation, he brought a smile to her face, and she laughed—right before all hell broke loose. Three of the main windows in the room shattered, and men clad in all black with matching bandannas hiding their faces burst inside. They were trained, that much was obvious, when in one, smooth motion they rolled over the tinkling glass to their feet and darted forward.

  A single-minded determination washed over Maya, razor sharp in its intensity. Acting on instinct, she bounded forward to tackle the first intruder. Maya got just
a quick glimpse of his eyes widening before he went down, and with a speed that surprised even herself, she balled her fist and landed three punches in rapid succession to his face. When his head slumped, Maya frowned. She wasn’t that strong. At a mealy five-two, Maya couldn’t pack that hard of a punch. Not after being so rusty. Maybe these guys were just weak. Glancing over the man’s appearance, she noticed they’d brought batons instead of knives. Interesting.

  Maya had never liked violence, fighting, or anything related, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t willing to protect herself and that which was important to her. With that in mind, she tapped the ink scrawled on her forearm, her uncle Malak’s name, in thanks. Grabbing the baton from the one she’d knocked out, she turned to take on the next.

  Fighting wasn’t like in the movies. It wasn’t fluid and pretty, with dramatic background music tuned to the movements of the actors. No, in real life, it was quiet except for the loud breaths and grunts from those engaged. It was rough, gritty, and harsh as bodies fell and bones broke. In life or death scenarios like this, Maya would rise to the occasion every time.

  Maya turned to help the others, but quickly realized she probably wouldn’t be needed. For just a second, she was captivated by August’s methodical movements, watching as he timed his defensive stances and counterattacks in perfect succession. His shifter strength enabled him to take them down with just one hit. The exemplification of sheer power left Maya gaping in shock. Just when she thought a hit would land against him, he’d block it with a perfectly placed arm or leg, countering with another attack, throwing the baddies back in time to deflect the next strike.

  Risking a quick glance at the book, she was relieved to see it remained untouched, covered with papers August must have tossed on top to hide it. Maya moved in quietly, calling on years of practice to protect what was hers.

  She definitely meant the book. Sure.

  When the taller of the two men going at August raised his baton in the air to bring it down across his head, she beat him to the punch, using all her strength to whack him across the back of the head. The baton shattered, splinters flying through the air as Maya gasped in shock. A dull thud sounded as the baddie crashed to the floor, revealing August standing with a smirk on the other side of her.

  His voice was like music to her ears, over the grunts and groans around them. “And you thought we wouldn’t need you?”

  A slight smile curled her lips. It’s nice to feel needed.

  Maya, too, shook trying to process her seemingly impossible strength, and let August take care of the last guy while she turned to grab the book.

  Suddenly, a pair of arms grabbed her from behind, and Maya cursed. Using his momentum, she squared her feet up and braced her back as she bent forward, throwing the black-clad male over her shoulder into the nearest table. Ignoring the odd strength it’d taken to throw him, she braced herself in a defensive stance as he rolled to all fours and faced off with her. Oddly, he was near her size, but she wouldn’t underestimate him, like they so often did her.

  Maya watched for the telltale sign of his first movement, so when he rushed forward to throw a punch, she ducked under his arm and socked a fist into his gut. When he doubled over, she grabbed his head and brought it down over her knee, a gush of blood exploding on her ripped jeans from where the force of her hit broke his nose. She grimaced at the stain on her favorite pair of jeans before the calm descended over her again. Asher and Amir were solid, holding their own against the attackers. The two brothers fought back to back in the midst of the chaos—they moved in perfect sync, as if reading each other’s minds. It was beautiful to watch. Their growls slashed through the air, pronouncements of their victories and frustrations alike.

  Maya gaped, shock freezing her in place as she witnessed Amir kick a man’s legs out from underneath him, grip his head, and twist until a sickening crunch broke through the air. The thump of the body hitting the floor sounded dull in comparison. She pushed down the nausea brewing in her gut and turned for the book, prepared to grab it and run while the rest of the baddies were distracted.

  At least, that was the plan before even more of the assailants burst through the windows, glass crunching under their feet as the next wave slid through the panes like smoke. A frustrated curse left Maya as she saw the direction this would head in. Even as shifters, and with her newfound strength, the guys were still adjusting to their human forms and weren’t operating at their best. She couldn’t risk losing them.

  With a deep breath, she turned away from the book and faced off against one of the new arrivals. She couldn’t tell the bastards apart, matching in their monochrome clothes like they were. Her muscles were already sore, her body aching with a fierce vengeance. It had been a while since she’d had to put her training to use, and her body rebelled against the activity, despite the new electricity that seemed to flush her veins. Tending bar didn’t quite require the same skillset.

  A deep, calming breath allowed her to collect herself, and she pulled her emotions in tight, tossing the chaos around her to the background so she could focus. The attacker lunged forward, reaching for her and trying to throw a fist past her defenses. To avoid the hit, she leaned her upper body back, threw her hips forward, and used the momentum of her body to carry her knee upwards. With a corkscrew twist, she was able to hit his midsection with the hardest part of her knee, knocking the wind out of the attacker and forcing him away from her. As she released him to stumble away, she grabbed his dropped baton and whacked it across the back of his head. This time, she held her strength back a bit and the baton remained intact, but the guy hit the floor hard with a brutal thump.

  Wasting no time, she darted for the book and grabbed the precious item. Holding it as carefully as possible, she sprinted for the door, the smooth marble under her feet making her steps slip in her haste. She reached it in enough time to turn around and catch a glimpse of the guys. Teeth bared like the predators they were, their fury was evident in their faces. Muscles bunched and flexed in deadly accuracy as they landed hits and dodged others. She whistled, and at once, they jerked their heads toward her as she held the keys up for the car. Tilting her head for them to follow, they finished the last of the attackers off, settling for knockouts instead of death blows.

  Maya took off at another dead run, the agile steps of their feet sounding softly behind her, whereas she slapped and pounded down corridor after corridor in the mansion. Finally, she entered the foyer, the light beaming in through the frosted glass like a halo around their escape. Throwing open the door, the midday light almost blinded her, but she jumped off the brick step with a giant leap. The gravel crunched under her feet as she sprinted toward the car. With a smooth movement, she slid across the hood of her old car with the book held tight to her chest, safe in her possession. She grinned in triumph when she gripped the door, throwing it wide and hopping in. Her breath came heavy and labored as she fell into her seat. The car rocked as the others slid inside, slamming the doors as, with a turn of the key in the ignition, they sped off.

  It wasn’t until her breathing had calmed down that Maya realized she still clutched the book to her chest and had been driving with one hand the whole time. Holding the wheel tight, she eased her grip on the leather and handed it to August, who sat in the front seat with her. She sighed, leaning her head back as she drove them home.

  Home would be fucking nice right about now.

  Chapter Six

  When they pulled into the back of the bar, her adrenaline had subsided, her muscles protested from overuse and her nerves had gotten the best of her. It took Maya three times to open the car door, and Asher had to take the key from her to open the backdoor of the bar. Her hands still shook from the fight and the crash she was now suffering. She ushered them down the hallway quickly, trying to avoid the cook and Theo as she led them upstairs. When she glanced down, she found Theo’s eyes wide, a questioning look on his face as he took in their ragged appearances. Shaking her head, she slammed the door and
locked it before staggering over and slumping down on the couch.

  “So, what the fuck was that?” The question exploded from her once they were settled, Maya unable to keep her cool anymore.

  “What do you mean? We got attacked again. Did you miss that part?” Amir sank into the decorative chair, a heavy sigh broadcasting his own aches and pains.

  Maya threw her hands up. “Uh, hello? I threw a guy into a table! You don’t think that’s worth discussing?”

  Asher joined her on the couch, but she stood and began to pace, one arm crossed and the other resting on top as she held her fist to her mouth.

  Asher, of course, had a response. “It means you’re packing some muscle in that tiny little frame of yours.”

  Sending him a glare at the word tiny, she dismissed his statement with a shake of her head.

  Finally, August showed some sense. “Guys, quit playing with her.” He came up behind her to rest his hands on her shoulders, kneading his thumbs in a soothing motion until she relaxed. Then he said, “We all saw it, you had shifter strength for whatever reason. I have to say, Maya, you’re raising a lot of questions, which is saying a lot considering we’re all in the dark here.”

  Maya tried not to let her unease show when she twisted her head back to smile at August. “It’s a good thing I have you then, right? The genius?”

  A half grin curled his lips as he tilted his head at her. “Genius?”

  “Yeah, you know, the super smarts you showed off at the library.”

  Maya referred to the speed with which he read, retained the information, and connected dots faster than Sherlock Holmes.