by C. L. Bright
He shook his head. “I’m glad I can’t see it all the time. That would be even more distracting. We should have breakfast and then try to come up with a plan.”
“Can you get me a new bracelet?” I asked. “It’s the only way I can go home.”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “A handful of Azureans can perform the spell used on those bracelets, and I’m not on good terms with any of them.”
“They’re your enemies?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t exactly call them enemies. It’s not that they hate me or wish me ill so much as our families aren’t close. We’re very different. I had a friend from that family, but we had a falling out.”
“Maybe your old friend will still help you,” I suggested.
“It’s possible.” He didn’t sound convinced. “Today, he should be at the marketplace with his sister, so I’m hoping to run into him there. The outing will also help with our cover story.”
“Which part of our cover story?” I asked.
“I told my father you’d be staying here for a couple of weeks while I show you around Azuredale to try to convince you to move here. I’ve been removed from the hunting rotation for two weeks. That will give us time to find a solution to your problem.”
“Your father is okay with this?” I asked. “You can just take time off and have a strange witch stay with you?”
“Normally, he wouldn’t go for it,” Dante admitted as he walked across the room and dropped down onto one of the armchairs.
“Then why is he okay with it now?” I asked. “He’s never met me.”
“I told him our magic is surprisingly compatible, and I think you’d be a good match for me,” he replied.
“I suppose that’s a good lie,” I replied.
“It’s not a complete lie,” he argued. “That makes it easier to pull off this deception. Our magic is surprisingly compatible. You’d make a good familiar for me.”
He wasn’t looking at me, but when I said nothing, his gaze shifted my way.
I gave him credit for having the sense to look sheepish after making such an insensitive remark.
“I don’t need to tell you how messed up that was,” I stated.
“Sorry, but I’m not used to talking to shapeshifters,” he explained. “I’m trying to remember to call you a shapeshifter and be more sensitive. I’m not often around any of your kind in this form.”
“Since it’s easier to trap us if you believe we’re little more than animals.”
He sighed, his head dropped back, and his eyes closed. “Yes, it is easier.”
“That’s a messed-up thing to say,” I accused.
His eyes snapped open, and he glared at me. “What would you like me to say? Should I lie? The only shapeshifters I’ve had any experience with before you would have killed me if given a chance. Hunters don’t have familiars, and we’re not involved in trade with your kind.”
“And you’ve based all of your opinions of us on shapeshifters who are fighting for their freedom,” I pointed out. “Some are fighting for their lives. What would you do to avoid being enslaved?”
“They aren’t enslaved,” he argued as he got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. “You’re created from our magic.”
“So, we’re back to that?” I asked.
“Because it’s where it all began.”
“Fine, we were created by your magic, but that doesn’t mean you own us,” I snapped.
He blew out a frustrated breath. “I need to take a shower, and then we can discuss how you should act around others before we head to the marketplace.”
“Are you afraid I’ll start peeing on things to mark them?” I asked. “Or maybe you’re worried I’ll try stealing magic from you or one of your friends.”
“Are you trying to start a fight with me?” he asked.
“Me?” I demanded as I got to my feet. “I’m not the one who insulted your kind and said they were meant to be slaves. How am I trying to start a fight?” I blew out a frustrated breath of my own. “Never mind. I need you, so I’ll try to avoid antagonizing you about your horrible opinion of shapeshifters.”
Dante regarded me for several heartbeats before he moved closer. When he stood directly in front of me, he reached out and stroked my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I’m sorry that I can’t tell you all the things you want to hear.”
“What do I want to hear?” I asked.
“That meeting you completely changed me, and I would never consider hunting or killing another shapeshifter,” he replied softly. “You want me to tell you I don’t believe most are dangerous, but I’ve seen horrific things happen to people I care about.”
“I want you to be open to the idea,” I whispered, not pushing his hand away. “It’s stupid, and it shouldn’t matter.”
“How about if I promise to try to see things from your perspective?” he asked.
I nodded. “That’s more than I expected.”
“Me too,” he admitted. “You have a strange effect on me.”
“I guess that’s a good thing since it’s kept me alive this long,” I replied with a wry smile as I took a step back.
“I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, Juliet,” he promised. “Can I ask you to do something for me?”
I shrugged.
“Can you try to let go of your preconceived notions about spellcasters? It only seems fair if I’m going to try to do the same for you.”
I nodded. “You’re right. We both need to try.”
“Thank you.”
Before I could guess his intent, he brushed his lips against mine and then headed into the bathroom.
Chapter 10
After showering, Dante briefed me on what I needed to know about the Shadow Walker family and life as a spellcaster. As long as no one asked me too many questions, I’d be fine. There was too much for me to remember everything.
“Are you ready to head out?” Dante asked. “We may as well eat breakfast downstairs. Everyone else has probably already eaten, and most have left for the day.”
“All right,” I agreed. “It will look more suspicious if we avoid everyone.”
“We should avoid them without making it seem like we’re avoiding them,” he stated. “Besides, I’m sure Serena will hunt you down again if you don’t make an appearance. Don’t be surprised if she’s waiting in the dining room when we get down there.”
He was right about Serena being in the dining room.
“Juliet!” Serena called out when she saw us. “I’m so glad you decided to leave Dante’s room.” Her knife sat close to her right hand on the dining room table. “We can hang out while Dante is working today.”
“I’m going to show Juliet around Azuredale,” Dante replied for me.
“What about hunting?” she asked.
“I have two weeks to spend convincing my witch she should stay here with me,” he explained. “You’ll have to find another way to entertain yourself today.”
“But I’m so bored in this wretched house!” Serena complained.
“This might be a good incentive for you to stay out of trouble,” he scolded.
“Don’t talk to her like she’s a child,” I warned. “It’s so annoying.”
“And it’s why I act like a child so often,” she pointed out. “Did Dante tell you that I’m the only female child in my generation?”
“In the last three generations,” Dante added. “That’s not a bad thing, considering all the problems we have with female offspring.”
Serena rolled her eyes. “There are times when I’m tempted to stab you.”
Dante chuckled. “You know you’re my favorite cousin, right?”
“That says very little, considering how awful the others are,” she stated.
“Neither of you is making staying with your family sound very appealing,” I pointed out.
“It’s not that bad,” Dante insisted.
“It is,” Serena argued in a haunted voice. She took a deep br
eath and forced a smile. “You should still stay. It will be better with you here.”
“I’m going to grab us some food from the kitchen,” Dante announced, probably to change the subject. “Have you eaten, Serena?”
She shook her head. “I was waiting to see if Juliet would come down and trying to decide if I should bring food up to her.”
“I’ll grab something for you as well,” Dante told her on his way out of the room.
I took a seat a few chairs away from Serena.
“Where is Dante taking you today?” she asked. “There’s no way he can show you all of Azuredale in one day.”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “He just said he wanted to show me around.”
She nodded. “Make sure he takes you to the food market. They have some amazing vendors. You have to try the spicy roast boar. It’s one of the things I miss about going outside.”
“There you are!”
I turned toward the warlock who’d spoken before looking over at Serena. Her face paled, and she gripped the knife handle tightly.
“Nicolas,” Serena whispered.
He frowned as he approached. His voice sounded gentle, but it came across as fake, “Are you okay, Rini?”
Ambrose and Dante looked strikingly similar, but there were more differences between Dante and Nicolas. Nicolas was slightly taller with a leaner build. While he had the same silvery-blue eyes and olive complexion as his brothers, his hair was a dark shade of blond. His face was softer and less angular, and his lips were thin.
“She’s hungry,” I answered for Serena. “Dante went to grab food for us. He’ll be back in a minute.”
“Then I have you all to myself for a little while,” Nicolas practically purred as he moved closer to me. “I’ve been dying to meet the witch who has my brother behaving so out of character.”
Despite the many empty chairs around the table, Nicolas sat right beside me. He didn’t move to touch me, but his presence still felt like an invasion of personal space.
“You’re Dante’s older brother, right?” I asked with a forced smile.
“One of them,” Nicolas agreed. “And you’re his witch?” When I didn’t respond, he continued. “No one had heard anything about you before yesterday.”
“She’s a Shadow Walker,” Serena announced. “Dante probably didn’t mention her before because he didn’t want either of our families to intervene.”
Nicolas studied me before continuing. “That makes sense. You don’t look all that much like the Shadow Walkers I’ve met, except for the eyes.”
“Could you stop staring at me?” I asked.
“Why? Is it making you uncomfortable?”
I met his gaze. “It’s rude.”
Nicolas chuckled but didn’t look away. “You’re an unusual witch.”
“You don’t know me well enough to say that,” I pointed out.
“Your actions speak for themselves,” he stated. “You went to meet my brother alone. Perhaps you’re good with defensive spells, but many younger witches aren’t good enough to take on an enraged familiar. As for other means of defending yourself, Ambrose says you had no weapons. You’re too small to be very good in a fight.”
“As I told Ambrose, it’s a mistake to judge someone by their size,” I told him. “What I might lack in brute strength, I make up for in speed and skill.”
I also made up for my lack of size with attitude. Speed and skill would only get me so far when fighting against someone bigger and stronger. It might not do me as much good fighting a spellcaster since they could also use spells.
The only magic I possessed was the ability to change between two forms. My animal form could be useful in escaping, but a small cat wouldn’t do me as much good in a fight.
Nicolas regarded me like a snake with its prey, causing unease to move up my spine. I wondered if this was how Serena felt. His presence bothered her, but I had no way of knowing if it was only Nicolas who caused that reaction in her. She didn’t act skittish or frightened around Dante, but he was the only other person I’d seen around her.
Sparing a glance her way so as not to take my eyes off Nicolas too long, I saw that Serena’s knuckles were white as she gripped the knife.
“An unusual witch indeed,” he murmured.
“Nicolas,” Dante said in a clipped tone as he entered the room with a tray loaded with a variety of foods that smelled amazing.
Nicolas turned toward him with a smirk. “You’re a servant to the witches now?”
Rather than looking annoyed or offended, Dante quirked an eyebrow, and one corner of his lips lifted. “Since when does bringing breakfast to a guest count as acting as a servant?”
“You know what I meant,” Nicolas snapped. “It’s not like you to cater to the witches you bring home.”
I had to resist the temptation to rub my arms when I felt Dante’s magic swirl around the room. It felt familiar and enticing, even with its sharp edge of anger.
“I’d ask what’s wrong with you, but I don’t think you have any better guess than the rest of us,” Dante snarled at Nicolas. “Juliet already knows I don’t bring witches here often, so if you’re trying to make her feel jealous or insecure, you’re wasting your time. I’m sure you have work, so you should probably get to it.”
Nicolas looked furious as he got to his feet. “Yes, I do have work. We can’t all take time off to play around with some witch.” His gaze moved to Serena. “You can come help me before I head out today.”
I tensed and glanced at Dante, hoping he wouldn’t let his brother torment Serena.
“She already has work assigned to her,” Dante replied in a bored tone.
“And I can change her assignment,” Nicolas began as he stood and dusted a piece of lint off his shoulder. “I’m the oldest.”
Dante shrugged. “You can take it up with Laranissa. She told me she needs Serena’s help as soon as she’s done eating.”
Based on Nicolas’s expression, taking it up with Laranissa wouldn’t yield him the results he wanted.
“One more thing,” Dante stated.
“What’s that?” Nicolas asked.
“Stay away from Juliet,” Dante warned. “She’s mine, and I won’t let you mess with her.”
“You don’t give me orders,” Nicolas snarled before looking at me. “Enjoy your outing, Juliet. I’m sure we’ll get to talk more later.”
“Does Laranissa really need my help today?” Serena asked quietly after Nicolas stormed out of the room. “Or did you make that up to get him to leave me alone? You know he’ll find out if you lied.”
Dante flashed her a reassuring smile. “I saw Laranissa in the kitchen, and she mentioned needing some help. I said I’d ask you to find her after you eat.”
Serena nodded.
Dante let out a tired sigh. “We’d all better eat before Nicolas finds an excuse to mess with my plans for the day.”
Chapter 11
Dante drove a short distance from his home and parked. From there, we went up to a platform and stepped onto one of the trains I’d seen zipping around Azuredale.
Every few minutes, the train stopped so passengers could exit or enter the train. After several stops, we exited the train and headed down to the main street.
“No one drives their cars in this part of Azuredale?” I asked once we were a little away from the crowd.
Dante shook his head. “We try to walk or use other forms of transportation, like trains and shuttles. Azureans used to drive more, but that all changed over a hundred years ago when we significantly reduced factory production.” He flashed me a sheepish smile. “Sorry. I was about to start telling you our history. As I mentioned before, the topic intrigues me, so I tend to talk about it too much. I’ve been told it’s an irritating habit.”
I shook my head. “It’s not irritating. I’ve always found history fascinating, and it seems we each learned different versions of the same history. I’d like to hear more about what you’ve been taught. Feel
free to discuss the subject as much as you like.”
He grinned and caught my hand.
“You may regret that offer. Much to the dismay of my family, I’d have preferred becoming a local historian and teacher.”
I nodded. “When I was a young girl, I used to argue that we should all get to decide what we want to do when we grow up. It seemed like a perfectly reasonable thing to expect.”
“It no longer seems reasonable to you?” he asked.
“It still makes sense to me,” I replied with a sad smile. “I’ve come to realize that our society doesn’t want that for any of us. How can we be free to choose our destiny when each family has its role to fill? Our future is decided before we’re born, and there aren’t many pushing to change that.”
“True,” Dante agreed as he looked around. “According to the history books, the non-magical humans who lived here before us decided what they wanted to do with their lives.”
“All non-magical humans lived that way?”
“Good question. I often wonder if they were all as free as I’ve heard. Information about them is more focused on the damage they did to the environment. When the magical beings of the world took over, it was almost too late for any of us. The resources that fueled our power were dwindling. Some magical species were lost.”
“It was careless to risk irrevocably damaging the environment, considering nonmagical humans could have died out as well,” I mused. “Have you ever seen any of the other species? You’ve obviously seen shapeshifters, but what about the others?”
“They try to stay hidden from us,” he replied. “There are rumors that the rogue shapeshifters may get help from pixies or nymphs, but I’ve never seen either.”
“I’ve also heard rumors of other species helping rogue shapeshifters, but it seems unlikely,” I replied thoughtfully. “Why would they help shapeshifters?”
He shrugged. “Who knows? It would explain how familiars stole pieces of our power when they broke free. That’s a popular theory, though some think it’s rogue spellcasters who helped the first rebels.”
“It could have been a natural occurrence.” I continued when he cast me a doubtful stare. “You know how nature reacts to a perceived imbalance.”