They Call Me Death

by Missy Jane

  “What the—?” I started to shout as a huge figure grabbed me.

  I tried to raise my other arm, but he pinned it to my side faster than I could track. All I saw was hair and flannel as he moved quickly to subdue me. His auburn hair was nearly as long as Andor’s and fell in unruly waves around his shoulders and in his face. With a jerk of his head he sent it over to one side and I finally got to see him. He was mesmerizing, and terrifying at the same time. I found myself face to face with the first bear shifter I’d ever seen…and he looked pissed.

  My instincts told me to fight. Everything in me rebelled against going down quietly. But he was a fucking bear. Even in his mostly human form, muscles rippled beneath the sleeves of his flannel shirt, and his strength held me as if I was a child. I heard a rumble of sounds emanating from his chest as he bared his teeth at me in a savage grin. A lesser girl would have pissed her pants right then, hell even a lesser guy, but I was too damn stubborn to give in to my fear.

  “W-who are y-you?” I asked, as he began to shake me.

  He growled louder this time, and threw me to the ground. I landed hard on my back and the wind was knocked out of me. I quickly rolled onto my side, gasping for air. Curling into a ball and pleading for my life were next on the agenda when I heard the flutter of wings. I looked up and Andor was standing over me, human except for the huge wings covering me protectively.

  “Bjorn! What is the meaning of this?” Andor asked in a low growl.

  The bear-man took a step back, glaring at Andor as if he didn’t recognize him. I had a moment of panic where I thought he was about to charge us, but his face began to calm and the tension left his shoulders. He visibly relaxed and suddenly I was looking at just a man, no longer the angry bear.

  “Andor, what are you doing here?” Bjorn asked through gritted teeth.

  His demeanor had calmed, but his voice still sounded angry. I began to slide my hand closer to my gun as slowly as possible.

  “Be still, Alexia. I won’t allow him to hurt you, but if you draw your weapon blood will spill,” Andor said.

  I wanted to point out that spilling blood was the idea, but kept my mouth and thoughts quiet.

  “This is again my property, Bjorn. What are you doing here?” Andor asked.

  “I’ve been the caretaker in your absence. Why did you not send me word?”

  “You? I left it in the care of Mr. Wales.”

  “He lost the ability to care for even himself long before he died. I took over. You told no one of your return. How am I to know this is indeed yours again?”

  Andor was quiet for a moment, and I tried not to squirm on the dry, itchy leaves.

  “There was a time when my word was enough for you, Bjorn,” he said finally.

  Bjorn snorted and gave a tense, humorless laugh.

  “Yes, perhaps there was. But if you recall, Andor, that was before the war. Before betrayal and lies became commonplace among brothers. Before I knew the feeling of a knife in my back and the look of a mask on my kin.”

  Andor took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I held mine.

  “Bjorn Berendsen, my friend, my brother among the many who roam this world, I ask a boon of you, a favor of redemption against past grievances, and I pray you hear me in your head and in your heart, for these are times of war and strife, times of anger and aggression and without your friendship and forgiveness I stand as a man defeated.”

  I looked at Andor as he spoke the words of a ritual of which I had no knowledge or understanding. He looked regal, like a prince among his people with the dying light of the setting sun glowing around his golden wings. He took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes that I didn’t understand. I shifted my gaze to Bjorn, who now looked taller, calmer and more thoughtful than before. He appeared to be considering Andor’s words, which I took to be a good sign.

  “Andor Olavson, my friend, my brother among the many who roam this world, my teacher, my mentor, kin of my ancestors, I will allow a boon and offer redemption of past grievances. We are indeed at war with our enemies as well as brothers, and I will stand beside you on this path to find peace. But hear me in your head and in your heart when I say you are as one alone. Until honor can be restored between us, we shall be as strangers.”

  Bjorn’s words echoed through the trees as I looked back at Andor. For a moment, he looked stricken before quickly hiding the emotion from his face. I knew something serious had happened between them and it had killed a deep friendship in the process. I was almost curious enough to bombard him with questions right then, but self-preservation took over and I remained silent. Andor bowed his head to Bjorn, who returned the gesture before his gaze fell on me.

  “And this?” he asked with a flick of his hand in my direction.

  I raised an eyebrow at the offending tone, but said nothing.

  “This is Alexia, she is my guest,” Andor replied.

  “Alexia Williams? You bring Death into our lands, Andor? You have become a changed man indeed.”

  “How do you know who I am?” I asked from my prestigious perch, flat on my back on the ground.

  It was damn near impossible to sound aggressive from my position, so I opted for aggravated instead.

  “All shifters know of Death in these uncertain times, and Alexia is not a common name.”

  “Not yet. Give it a generation or two,” I said with a smirk.

  Andor raised a brow, but said nothing.

  “And why is Death here in our midst? To what do we owe this…honor?”

  “I’m on vacation. Nothing like seeing the animals in their natural habitat.”

  He growled and Andor shifted to cover me again. I sat up and pushed at the wing closest to me. Then his hands were beneath my arms, lifting me to my feet. Andor kept his hands on my waist, pinning me to his side with his wing folded neatly around me. It obstructed my view of Bjorn, but I felt safer.

  “Why are you protecting her, Andor?” Bjorn asked angrily.

  “She has done nothing to warrant your treatment of her, Bjorn. In fact, if you look at her history, every shifter death has been in self-defense.”

  “Self-defense? She is Death incarnate. How can that be self-defense?”

  “She is a member of the human military, however she has never been sent out as an aggressor. Every mission she has been a part of has been as a defense to attacking shifters, Bjorn. Trust me, I have checked thoroughly.”

  His declaration surprised me. I didn’t know if I should feel pleased or offended by his research into my past.

  “Checked? Yeah, I am certain you checked her out quite thoroughly,” Bjorn replied.

  I heard the sneer in his voice and had a sudden urge to kick him. Andor’s grip on my waist tightened.

  “Bjorn, we will be staying here a few days more, but we will remain within. What reassurance do you seek?”

  Andor sounded tired, and I wondered how stressful it was for him to face an old friend as a new enemy.

  “Very, Alexia. Very stressful and painful indeed,” he replied in my mind.

  I placed my hands on top of his where they rested at my waist, and gave him a reassuring squeeze.

  “Nothing, Andor. Your word is still on shaky ground with me, therefore I’ll take no reassurance. Just know I guard these grounds by order of the alpha. He has taken an interest in this property in your absence. I will allow you to remain inside since he never forbade your return,” Bjorn replied.

  I heard the sound of crackling leaves and felt Andor tense beside me. My hand immediately went to my holster.

  “It’s all right. He is leaving.”

  I let out a tired breath and sagged against Andor. He remained completely still for a few more minutes, before his wing unfolded and he released me. I slammed the door on my thoughts as I felt regret at the loss of his touch. He didn’t turn to look at me. He kept his eyes trained on the woods and Bjorn’s quickly receding back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  The next day we discussed Theodore
Castor again and I realized Andor knew a lot more about him than I did. Andor had seen him a few times in discussions with the governing body of FNT, but they’d never met. I didn’t even know what the man looked like.

  “You probably passed him on the street in Georgetown and never knew it,” Andor said with a smile. “He looks like an average human male.”

  I laughed.

  “I guess to you all human men look average.”

  He grinned, but didn’t reply.

  I opened my mouth to ask a question when he froze in the act of walking to the kitchen. I watched with apprehension as he faced the doorway to the stairs and tilted his head as if listening. I wanted to ask what he’d heard, but decided not to break his concentration and went for my gun instead.

  “Alexia, are you afraid of reptiles?”

  I wondered why he spoke in my head rather than aloud but answered in kind without hesitation.

  “Not usually, no.”

  “Good. We’re about to have a visit from an old friend. Don’t worry. He knows who you are but doesn’t share Bjorn’s prejudice.”

  “Uh, good.”

  I shrugged into my shoulder holster and slipped my gun inside, then stood waiting close enough to aid Andor if he needed me. The seconds ticked by and I was close to tapping my foot when I heard the sound of something sliding down the steps. It’s a good thing Andor warned me, and remained perfectly calm, or the sight of a twenty-foot python slithering into the room might’ve been a problem. I took a step back.

  “Alexia, may I present a good friend of mine. This is Toril, a Burmese Python, as you can see.”

  I nodded mutely when the python raised its head and stared at me for a moment. It carried a scroll that Andor plucked nonchalantly from its jaws while I stared at its enormous fangs. In my next breath, I was looking at a young Indian man with short dark hair and amber eyes. He stared at me with no discernable expression on his face while I tried to ignore his nudity. It wasn’t hard to do in comparison to when Andor had stood naked. Not that Toril didn’t have a nice form. He just wasn’t as well built as Andor. His tall, lanky body had muscles and no obvious fat, but he looked more like a teenage boy than a man. I prayed my mental shields were holding and tried not to scrutinize him too closely.

  “Alexia Williams, it’s an honor.”

  He held out his hand and I stepped closer to shake it, keeping my eyes on his face.

  “Thank you, Toril. Nice to meet you,” I replied.

  I looked over to see Andor grin before he turned away and went to his dresser. He pulled out a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt and tossed them to Toril. The python caught them without looking, keeping his unnerving stare on me.

  “Now that you’ve met, perhaps you could clothe yourself, Toril. I’ll pour the wine.”

  The amusement faded from Andor’s voice. Toril still looked at me as he nodded, then turned and walked to the bathroom. I shivered and rubbed my hands up and down my arms. Andor walked over and pulled me into his embrace and I rested my head on his chest.

  “He has information he feels we need.”

  “About Castor?”

  “Yes, as well as the missing. Does it bother you having him here?”

  I thought about Toril’s entrance and suppressed a shiver.

  “No. He’s a bit intimidating in snake form.”

  I heard a chuckle behind me and whipped around, stepping out of Andor’s arms and placing myself in front of him as I rested my hand on my gun. Andor placed his hand on mine gently and I relaxed. Toril sat on one of the sofas watching us. I knew Andor had seen his approach, but I still felt annoyed at the intrusion. I walked over to the other sofa and sat facing our guest. Andor went into the kitchen to pour the wine.

  “Alexia, have you enjoyed your visit into shifter lands?” Toril asked.

  “Well, I haven’t seen much. We’ve stayed indoors since we arrived.”

  He raised a brow, but didn’t comment.

  “He knows of our activities since we arrived, don’t you, Toril?”

  I watched Andor bring the wine into the sitting area and hand Toril a glass. The man was still watching me and it was starting to get on my nerves. I accepted my glass from Andor with a smile and took a sip, trying to ignore Toril’s watchful gaze.

  “I have been watching this house since your arrival,” he admitted.

  I looked back at him and found his eyes on Andor. It made me breathe easier.

  “Anything of importance to note?” Andor asked casually.

  “No. Other than your encounter with Bjorn, there has been nothing. However, your wife was here two months ago.”

  I didn’t like the stress he placed on the word “wife” one bit.

  “She is my ex-wife. What did she do here?”

  I did like the stress Andor placed on “ex”.

  “She removed the remaining furniture and spoke with the alpha, but he never entered the house. She remained for less than a day.”

  Andor sipped his wine and seemed to be pondering the information. I fought the urge to lean against him, but did shift so our thighs were touching. He reached over and placed a hand on my leg. I surprised myself by not only allowing it, but welcoming the warm touch.

  “What other information can you give us?” he asked.

  Toril finished his wine and set his glass on the table between us, then went back to staring at me.

  “Do you remember the boy you saved last year, Alexia? The human, Jack, had him. You interfered and he was returned to Circe with no more than a fractured arm.”

  I thought back and realized I did remember. He was one of the few I got to before Jack had time to inflict serious damage. I was grateful the boy was well enough to walk away without help.

  “Yes. He was reptilian,” I replied.

  “He is my brother. For your interference I am helping you today, do you understand? Andor and I have known each other for many years, but this issue with the missing is closing many doors and turning friends into enemies quickly. I am risking much in being here, but you bought this information with my brother’s life.”

  I didn’t know what to say, so I simply nodded and sipped my wine. Toril bowed his head as if we’d reached an agreement and turned his attention back to Andor.

  “You know the alpha’s been restless? He’s been hunting rebels himself lately rather than allowing his men to do so, and there are rumors among his trusted. We don’t know what the problem is, but there is dissention and it leads back to the humans. This Castor calls on the alpha as if he has power. Sandulf allows it but no one knows why. Emily was not the first to disappear as you thought, and Sandulf is aware of her absence, but he drags his feet for unknown reasons and they lay inside the lab.”

  “Who was the first? We have files on eighteen, is that all of them?” I asked.

  “You know Emily is within those walls?” Andor interrupted.

  Toril kept his eyes on Andor while answering my question.

  “There are twenty confirmed in the last twenty months, one a month like clockwork but never the same day or place. Circe is not the only city they use to crossover, though it holds the lab.”

  “And we know they’re going to the lab?” I stressed.

  I almost wished I hadn’t when those amber eyes came back to me.

  “Yes. We have a man on the inside who has confirmed this. He’s seen them for himself, but only after they are through…using them.”

  I felt Andor tense beside me, and knew he was thinking of Emily.

  “Using them?” I asked.

  Toril looked at Andor.

  “They are doing something to them in the lab, but what we cannot say.”

  “Do you think Sandulf is allowing this?” Andor asked, and I heard anger and disbelief in his voice.

  Toril shook his head, but his expression remained neutral.

  “The alpha has no reason to allow the humans to harm his pack. I’ve known him as long as you have. What does your heart tell you, Andor?”

&
nbsp; Andor sighed and ran a hand over his face.

  “Right now it’s saying I need to find my daughter at any cost.”

  Toril nodded and rose to his feet.

  “I agree. You have the blueprints and that is all I can give you for now. There will be a convention at the laboratory in a few days. That will be the easiest way to gain entry. I must go and if I learn more before you leave I will return.”

  Andor rose but I didn’t. I knew Toril was about to go legless again and decided I didn’t want to watch this time.

  “Thank you for your visit, old friend. We shall see each other again,” Andor said.

  Toril bowed his head to both of us and walked toward the door, pulling Andor’s shirt off. I concentrated on finishing my wine when I heard him slithering up the stairs.

  “Well, that was interesting,” I said. I placed my empty glass on the coffee table.

  “Indeed. We need to leave soon,” Andor replied.

  I knew he was right, but somehow returning to Georgetown didn’t sound as appealing as it would’ve two weeks ago.

  ***

  Two days later we had a plan and a timeline. It would be our final night within his former home, and possibly the only real semblance of safety I’d felt in a long time. Andor was cooking dinner, steaks again, while I went over the blueprints of Castor Laboratories. I’d already marked our route in, as well as several routes out again, but I was still trying to memorize every detail. My eyes began to lose focus, telling me I’d stared at the damn thing for much longer than was safe. I folded it with a sigh and slid it into my backpack.

  “Tired?” Andor asked from the kitchen.

  “A little. I think I began to grow complacent in this cozy den of yours,” I replied with a grin.

  He smiled and shook his head. “That’s not good. Perhaps I should’ve had you in the woods running drills every day.”

  “Ugh. Don’t remind me of home. I don’t miss the obstacle course one bit, or all the physical activity it entailed.”