Hunted (Auralight Codex: Dakota Shepherd Book 2)

by Shei Darksbane

  “But you said that Melhir is especially talented at ending lives. Why so?” I prompted.

  “You will learn soon enough; every supernatural has some weakness, something you can use against them to end their life. With some of the ancient ones, it is not even possible to kill them without some such bane. All of those things, we distilled into Melhir when we made her. While she may not cut through the defenses of, say, a werewolf, as easily as a blade made purely of silver, she can still defeat them. Not just any old sword could say the same.”

  “What’s it mean?” I gazed at the sword as I tried to imagine Amorie, beautiful and soft, hammering a sword with the aid of the equally dainty woman from her photo.

  Amorie shook her head slightly. “No exact translation. And the true meaning is mine alone to know. But the word is related somewhat to menhir and—”

  “Men? Here?” I grinned cheesily.

  Amorie chuckled. “Dead men, perhaps.”

  I laughed with her then trailed it off into a nervous sound that made Amorie smile. I was so glad she “got” me and didn’t just think I was crazy. “I’ve never heard that word before.”

  “Menhirs are standing stones. It is an old French word.”

  “Why’d you name the sword after those?” I tilted my head sideways, trying to relate it to the shape of standing stones I’d seen on Wikipedia.

  “Because that was its name.”

  I nodded, having expected something like that. “You said a cross between that and something else?”

  “Many things. Older things.”

  “Secret things?” I grinned and waggled my eyebrows.

  Amorie’s eyes gleamed as she smiled at me. “Mysterious, secret, older things.”

  I leaned closer, grinning broadly. “Just like you?”

  “Just like me.” Amorie pulled me closer with one arm and kissed me gently as the sword vanished with a flourish of her hand.

  I all but melted into her arms and groaned out a happy little sound. My head swam with the wonderful feeling of being close with her. I would have simply melted on into her embrace, but for the burning question still rolling around in my head. I pulled back just in time to evade capture by her sultry smile. “Wait, so it’s just simple conjuration, as you say. So anyone could learn this? Vampires, werewolves, me?”

  Amorie smirked and nodded. “And humans, and Fae, and anything else that I am aware of.” I grinned excitedly, lifting my fists in front of my chest until Amorie tilted her head. “You are interested in learning magic, Dakota? I had not expected you to walk that path.”

  I grinned. “Are you kidding? Who wouldn’t want to learn magic if they could? I mean come on! That’s too awesome!”

  Amorie nodded, smiling. “But it is a craft like any other, an art that must be mastered through much work and years of practice. It would take away time from learning other things that you are perhaps better suited for.”

  I pouted. “Aww, so I can’t learn magic without giving up points in my werewolf talents?”

  Amorie shook her head, smiling amusedly. “You would have to put time and effort into learning magic. Time and effort you could put instead into mastering those abilities that come naturally to a werewolf.” Amorie looked me over consideringly. “However, most older creatures do learn at least rudimentary magic, so you could certainly do so eventually if you truly wish.”

  “But I want to learn magic noooow,” I whined playfully.

  Amorie grinned toothily. “Well, then learn a little magic, ma chérie. I am not trying to dissuade you, only warning you that there is work involved.” She laced her hand with mine and lifted our clasped hands, eying them speculatively. “It would potentially benefit you more than most young werewolves, to learn at least a little.”

  I nodded, leaning my head in against her shoulder. “I do already have lessons lined up for learning to control my Hellfire. Nita assures me that controlling Hellfire and magic is not so dissimilar.”

  “So it might not be a waste in your case to pick one school of magic and learn the basics.” She nodded to herself, as if deciding to agree with the idea.

  “Yay!” I mock-cheered. “I can learn to conjure my cellphone from my pocket!”

  Amorie grinned at me toothily. “I am sure you will think of cleverer uses for it than that, little wolf. You are so very clever, after all.”

  I returned her grin, and wrapped my arms around her. “Clever enough for you at least?”

  Amorie nodded, pressing her lips against mine once more. “I suppose you will do.” I laughed against her mouth as she kissed me, rolling against me until I lay beneath her. Amorie settled her light form above me, her hair dripping down slowly, like wax on a candle, until it spread around my head. I smiled up at her happy expression, her shining, loving eyes, and I wished she could stay here with me forever. I must have let the disappointment that crept into me show in my eyes because her expression faltered. “What is wrong, ma chérie?”

  I pressed my lips up into a smile. “I just wish Nashville wasn’t so far away.”

  Amorie smiled, seeming relieved. “Is that all?” I nodded. Amorie seemed to consider then leaned down to kiss me again. “I will see what I can do.”

  I laughed, but her kisses stole my breath, and then I was too distracted to wonder about her mysterious proclamation any more. It was for the best, really. I didn’t dare hope that she would move on account of me. Not with knowing how important her business and affairs were to her, and she’d said she needed to live in Nashville for that.

  Still, some little part of me hoped it meant something good would happen for us soon. Anything brought us together more would be more than welcome to me.

  22

  Changes

  Amorie returned to Nashville with hours to spare. Despite the fact that I’d provided her with a safe and comfortable haven for the day, I could tell the scare had affected her. It was obvious in her eagerness to get home well before the dawn. I didn’t blame her, even if I’d have preferred to spend more time with her. She left me at the airport with a tight embrace, and a loving kiss. I watched her climb into her private jet and disappear into the midnight sky. She’d promised to improve her availability and to do something about the constant interruptions. For now, that would have to do.

  Besides, I had work to do as well. SII had officially accepted me into their ranks as a trainee, and I had to get situated with the local office. Adrien called me on Monday morning to invite me back to the Nashville office to complete some paperwork, then called me back to apologize, saying I could get the forms from the Knoxville office and fax it over instead. I had to suppress a chuckle at Adrien’s old-fashioned habits; best not to tease my boss too much right off the bat.

  Nita called me Monday afternoon and informed me she was in town with my paperwork. I caught a ride to Knoxville with Andrei who was heading into town anyway to pick up some parts to finish fixing his truck. I paid for the repairs out of my savings. It was the least I could do after leading a ravenous werewolf through the door, and bleeding all over his upholstery.

  Andrei laughed it all off and reassured me that he wasn’t upset about the truck. He even offered me driving lessons that didn’t involve running for my life. I figured learning to drive was a bit overdue, and now that I had no real reason to avoid it, I accepted his offer.

  We met Nita at a little hometown barbecue restaurant. It was only mid-afternoon, so it wasn’t too crowded, being a bit late for the lunch crowd and early for the dinner rush. We settled into a booth with barbecue pulled pork sandwiches, and a barbecue pork salad in Nita’s case, and proceeded to discuss the merits of white barbecue sauce versus traditional varieties. We ate, and filled out my paperwork as a team effort which was mostly Nita writing, Andrei offering humorous responses, and me telling her the actual answers.

  Nita said she’d fax my paperwork in; she was heading to the Knoxville office anyway to finalize her transfer so we parted ways. I accompanied Andrei to the auto-parts store, then we pic
ked up some milkshakes and headed home. We spent the drive playing a long game of “Hot or Not” which was pretty fun since we both liked girls.

  Raelya drove me out to Knoxville the next day so I could settle my lease and move remainder of my belongings from the apartment. She bought me lunch in town and I bought her a milkshake for the drive home. She helped me carry my things inside, then spent the afternoon helping me settle into my new room in the pack house. We hung posters on the wall, and replaced the curtains with my galaxy-print blackout curtains. The blackout curtains were important to someone who worked night shift, but now they had itsy-tiny holes all around the edges from when I’d stapled them to the wall in the name of love. It actually made them look even more awesome since the tiny, back-lit pinpricks looked like stars on the galaxy print. It was almost cool enough to seem intentional.

  When all was done, I laid on my bed next to Raelya who had brought a book to read while I read up on my training materials. Technically, these were just the basics of the Supernatural world and something any newly Awakened would be given for elementary education, but I liked to think of it as pre-training. It motivated me to get through it all despite my slow reading pace. Raelya kept me company and brought us lunch and drinks. I loved having her close to me, and it was wonderful feeling like I would never be alone again now that I was here with my pack, but my feelings for her were still confusing.

  Amorie had told me it was all right for us to be close, and I had agreed that it was all right for her to be close to Miralina, but despite all the logic and reasoning, I still wasn’t sure how I felt about all of that. I tried to tell myself it was okay. We were both adults; we had agreed that what we truly wanted from each other was romantic exclusivity and that sexual monogamy was not required. We’d made rules and set boundaries, and in the end, we were both satisfied with the plan. That didn’t mean it wasn’t somewhat awkward to me, and maybe even to her. It was the first time I’d been in any kind of polyamorous relationship. I doubted that was true for Amorie.

  I ended up having to go to Nashville anyway. Adrien apologized for the inconvenience, but said that his father had insisted on meeting me in person before finalizing the hire. There seemed to be some underlying disagreement inherent in his tone, but it was really none of my business so I just agreed and asked Raelya for a ride; she was happy to drive me.

  We drove to Nashville Wednesday morning. A new secretary greeted me and directed me to Adrien’s office. Adrien shook my hand with a polite greeting and handed me a flash drive. “Mr. Simms took the liberty of converting the last of our training materials into digital form so as to avoid any difficulties with our printed reading material.”

  “Wow. That was quick.” I accepted the flash drive and dropped it into a pocket.

  Adrien gave me a smile. “Mr. Simms is rather talented, as you know. I’ve seen him ‘typing’ without using hands, so I’m pretty sure it takes him less time and effort than most.”

  I grinned at that. “Tell Sky I said thanks for prioritizing it. I read easier in larger print, so this will make my initial training so much smoother.”

  At the end of our meeting, Adrien informed me that his father, Mr. Michaelangelo Senior would see me momentarily. He looked apologetic.

  Mr. Michaelangelo’s office was a little larger than Adrien’s, nicer and more richly furnished. The decor was well-designed, but lacked the warmth and personality of Adrien’s office. The man behind the large black desk explained everything. Jared Michaelangelo looked younger than I’d expected; he looked barely older than Adrien, and in fact, bore little resemblance to him, which made me think they probably weren’t related by blood.

  He had medium-length blond hair, stylishly cut, and a neatly trimmed goatee. His features were sharp and clever, and his posture screamed of control. His suit was immaculate, tailored and suitably styled to accent his build which was slender yet strong, powerful without being bulky. At a glance, he seemed elegant and stern, the picture of a perfect leader.

  Then he opened his mouth and shot my first impression out the window. “Don’t stand there gawking like an idiot. Close the door and sit down.”

  Well, okay then. I closed the door and took a seat. “So, nice to meet you Mr.—”

  “Sign here.” He slid a paper across the desk and went back to scribbling on a notepad without looking up.

  “Okay.” I noticed a pen standing on my edge of the desk and imagined it was there for people like me, but his attitude had tickled the annoying brat in me the wrong way for playing nice. I spotted a couple of nicer looking pens in a cup on one side of the desk and pretended not to see the obvious community pen at all. I snatched one of the nicer pens and bent over the paper to sign it. The sound of his writing stopped abruptly and it was all I could do to keep a straight face. He said nothing for a few seconds, then put his pen down rather heavily.

  “You have been briefed on the training?” His voice was tight with aggravation.

  I looked up and smiled as sweetly as I could manage. “Yessir. Your son walked me through it all.” I lifted the paperwork and offered it to him instead of just leaving it on the desk.

  Mr. Michaelangelo snatched the papers from my hand and flicked them once, causing a crisp snap as the paper straightened itself before he dropped it into the little in-box tray on his desk. I imagined the display was meant to show me what I should have done instead. “Then good day.”

  I smiled obliviously. “So, that’s all you needed me for?”

  He tilted his head slowly, pressing his lips into a line. “Yes. You may go.” He pointedly picked up his pen and went back to his notebook.

  I stood up and stretched then stuck my hand across the desk just obtrusively enough that he couldn’t ignore it. “Well, sir, it was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for seeing me. I really appreciate you hiring me and all. It’s been a lifelong dream of mine to work in a field where I could help people, serve and protect, you know? Thanks for giving me the chance to be one of the good guys.”

  Mr. Michaelangelo tried three times to interrupt me before giving up. He sat back, crossed his arms and glared at me, refusing the handshake. I finally glanced at my hand then back up at him curiously. “That will be all, Miss Shepherd. Good day.” He enunciated his words as sharply as possible.

  I smiled warmly. “And good day to you too!” I dropped my hand to my side and crossed to the door. As I opened it, I glanced back. “Oh and Mr. Michaelangelo, sir?”

  He lifted his head slowly, turning a glare on me that surprised me by being actually kinda scary. His voice dripped with tension. “Yes?”

  “It was a pleasure to meet you.” I waved cheerily and stepped out into the hall, closing the door behind me. As soon as I did, I leaned against the opposite wall and shuddered as the raw power of Michaelangelo’s presence finally released me.

  I had never been in a room with someone that powerful before, and now I knew it. I figured I’d made a poor impression from his reactions, but his presence had made me downright nervous, and when I was nervous, I generally couldn’t resist trying to make the other guy more uncomfortable than I was.

  With Michaelangelo, the plan had failed. But at least being an obnoxious brat had given me some way to justify to myself that I’d at least fought back against his infuriatingly sour attitude. No wonder Adrien did his best to shield people from him. “Not a people-person” didn’t begin to describe it.

  I stood there until I felt I could breathe normally again then straightened myself up and walked back down stairs. I had settled down by the time I made it back to the cafeteria where Raelya and Nita engaged in a lively discussion about immigrant rights and American privilege. I grabbed a plate from the buffet and settled in next to Raelya and started eating as I listened to the exuberant cadence of Nita’s colorful opinion on the subject.

  “So how did it go?” Nita asked me suddenly.

  I smiled. “Uh, great. I mean, I just had to sign a paper. And I did that.”

  Nita smirked wickedl
y. “That bad huh?”

  I sighed. “How does anyone stomach that man’s presence for more than a minute?”

  Raelya frowned concernedly. “You should have heard Ralof ranting about him after he came home from your first trip.”

  Nita shrugged. “I don’t see what everyone’s problem is. He keeps it brief and doesn’t like to be disturbed.”

  “I’ve known plenty of people who didn’t like to be disturbed.” I shuddered mildly in memory. “None who disturbed me so greatly for disturbing them.”

  Nita shrugged again. “Men are pigs. What difference does it make if he’s a bit worse than most?”

  I laughed and shook my head. “Date went that badly?”

  Nita narrowed her eyes at me briefly then sighed and stabbed the chicken on her plate rather viciously. “Yeah, well, we’re not going to talk about that.”

  I grinned and pushed my luck. “Weren’t you complaining about a bad date the last time I saw you too?”

  To my surprise, Nita slumped mildly. “It’s enough to make me want to swear off men altogether.”

  I softened my tone and gave her a thumbs up. “I could approve of that.”

  Nita rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. “I thought you said you were taken.”

  “Well I am, but there’s plenty of wolves in the sea.” I waggled my eyebrows.

  Nita laughed and shook her head. “Right.”

  We chatted for a while longer as we ate, then Nita had to run off for a meeting of her own. “Call me okay?” she said as she rose with her tray. “I’m taking you up on the offer to help me find a place in Knoxville.”

  We said goodbye and excused ourselves as well.