by Holly Evans
I composed myself and rubbed some paste behind my ears before I turned to Erin. She licked her lips, drawing my eyes to them. I pushed down the swell of desire that rose and reminded myself that she wasn’t interested. That didn’t stop me from taking a little too much care in spreading the paste over her lips. I remembered all too clearly how it felt to have them brush my skin. Shaking my head, I cleared my mind and focused on the job at hand.
“Dominic might know something about the tears. As a Garou, he’ll have connections to the moon goddess,” I said brightly.
Erin was blushing, but didn’t look away from me. Logan nipped the tip of my ear and smirked at me.
“Wispy, are you staying here?” I called over.
He spun around and purred in front of the air conditioning. I took that as a yes.
With that, we returned to the hotel lobby. Dominic had been standing much like a military magician, his back straight and shoulders square. As the night had taken hold, his eyes had become more amber and his ears took on a slight point. The full moon was only three days off. I wondered if he’d tell me a little bit about how the Garou worked.
I kissed Logan firmly before we parted ways. Dominic’s eyes had hardened at the display, but it seemed wise to make things very much clear. He gestured for me to step back out onto the street. I was glad of the fresh clothes. The heat was barely noticeable in proper attire. I was more able to enjoy the gentle buzz of the magic pressing against my skin as we walked down the colourful roads towards the restaurant.
Dominic didn’t feel the need to fill the time with small talk. After three blocks, I decided I had to at least try.
“I had heard that Garou don’t leave their monasteries, what brings you to Rio?”
His smirk revealed a long, sharp tooth. The shift was creeping over him, and it was fascinating to behold.
“Is it true that no two Garou have the same shifted form?” I asked, captivated by him.
He snorted and gestured to the restaurant to our left.
“It is true, but this is our destination.”
We were led to a small dark wood table on the balcony that overlooked the small rainforest in the heart of the city. The sound of the birds and such settling down for the night while the predators awoke was somehow incredibly soothing.
“Tell me, Kaitlyn.” As I turned to give him my full attention, his hand wrapped around mine, and I found I couldn’t look away from his golden eyes. “What brings you to Rio?”
“We’re hunting the celestial tears, we believe we have a lead.”
The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could try to change the subject.
16
I pulled out my silver stiletto and drove it down into the Garou’s hand, pinning it to the table.
“The special this evening is Carnival Octopus,” the waiter said cheerfully.
He had the good sense to slope away.
Dominic snarled at me. His hand fizzed and burnt around the silver. I held the dagger firm.
“You dared charm me,” I spat.
“You were so easy. So eager,” he sneered.
I twisted the knife.
“Stay away, little girl. The tears are not for your kind. Go home.”
“Causing trouble, Kit?” Logan asked.
The Garou tried to lean away when Logan stood at my shoulder. He was very intimidating when he chose to be. Erin had pulled her own silver stiletto and was idly throwing it up and catching it while she gave Dominic a vicious smile. The Garou was beginning to look a little pale.
I retrieved my knife and stood.
“He charmed me into telling him why we’re here.”
“If you step foot near my girlfriend again, I’ll make you beg for death,” Logan said icily.
The Garou stood up and looked down at Logan with a predatory smile.
“It will be you who begs.”
We moved as a group to corner Dominic. He bared his teeth, his eyes searching for exits.
“How did you know we’d be coming to Rio?” I demanded.
His ears became slightly more pointed as he shifted that little bit further.
“We have connections,” he growled.
“Not good enough. Who told you? Who are you working for?” I pushed.
His nostrils flared, and he shifted his weight away from me.
“I work for my pack.”
“How did you know we’d be at the teleporter?” Erin demanded.
The Garou rolled his jaw and watched Erin throwing her silver blade. She threw it at him, it sliced his cheek before thudding into the wall next to him.
“I asked you a simple question,” Erin said sweetly.
“People are easily bought. The captain was so excited to finally have someone trying it out, he told everyone who would listen that the great Fein’s treasure hunters were going to be using it,” the Garou sneered.
Logan texted someone. I assumed it was Fein to update him on the situation.
“Who are you working with?” I asked.
“My pack,” he growled.
Fantastic, so there were likely quite a few of them going after the tears.
“Why?” Erin demanded.
“They belong to our goddess. They are ours,” Dominic snarled as he stepped forward.
I stepped forward into his space.
“What do you know about their whereabouts?” I asked.
He snapped his teeth on the air in front of my face. I raised an eyebrow, entirely unimpressed by the display. With that, he left.
Logan ran his fingers along my jaw and looked into my eyes with a frown. I leaned into his touch and closed my eyes, using the contact with him to smooth away the sharp edges the adrenaline had given me. My heart rate was easing, and my muscles began to relax. I knew I could take the Garou if I needed to, but that hadn’t made the confrontation any more pleasant. The simple fact was that we’d been betrayed by one or more people, and we had an entire pack of Garou competing with us for the tears.
“Are you ok, Kit?”
I sighed. “Yea, just pissed off.”
He brushed his thumb over my lips, his frown easing.
“Girlfriend, huh?” I said with a smile, happy to change the topic to something more pleasant.
He laughed and kissed my temple.
“We’ve been doing this,” he gestured between us, “for almost five years, do you not think that’s long enough to transition from lover to girlfriend?”
I had to admit, it did have a nice ring to it. The idea of losing him didn’t appeal to me. He was an important part of my life, my happiness. I leaned into him and gently grazed my teeth over his bottom lip.
“How did the lunar temple go?”
"Well, Erin had an admirer," Logan said with a sly smile on his face.
Erin blushed and glanced away.
"The temple was very nice. It was different to what I expected. The priestesses weren't very forthcoming, though. They were acting as though something had spooked them." She frowned and bit her bottom lip.
"They were uptight and unhappy to see us, despite my being careful to obey all of their etiquette and rules. They got rid of us as quickly as they could with a line about the tears being just a story. There was too much fear in their eyes for that to be true," Logan said.
I looked in the direction Dominic had left in.
"How much would you bet that the Garou are responsible?" I asked.
Logan rolled his jaw.
"Let's get some food, and we can rethink our plan. Didn't you say that cult was in the forest here, Kit?"
I took a seat at the next table over. The knife hole and pool of blood put me off the one we had been at.
"I think so. I haven't been able to pinpoint an exact location, but maybe some of the locals will tell us about it," I said.
"There's a university nearby, maybe there's a religion department. They could have some insight into the whole thing," Erin said.
I grinned at her.
"Fantastic
plan!"
She grinned back at me.
The waiter returned with a hopeful look on his face and a trio of menus in his arms. He carefully ignored the small patch of blood drying on the table behind us.
"The Carnival Octopus is our special for the evening. Can I interest you in some drinks?" he asked.
"Three margaritas," I said.
Logan raised his eyebrow at me.
"Two margaritas and your favourite rum," he said.
The waiter tilted his chin in acknowledgement and handed us the menus. I couldn't say that the octopus appealed, but there was a range of wonderful-sounding foods, and I realised that I was absolutely ravenous. We ordered a starter and main course each, much to the waiter's relief. I allowed the feeling of the night air to wash over me as I considered what we needed to do next. The cult seemed like a good bet to me, and Erin was right about the college. The Garou could be a problem, but I had faith that we could face down a group of monks. Dominic hadn’t done anything more than posture, after all.
A slender woman with silver-white hair and matching silver eyes slipped into the seat behind Erin, where she proceeded to watch Erin's back with a look of mild awe. I nudged Logan.
"I take it that was Erin's admirer?" I asked.
He frowned.
"No... her admirer was older and dark haired."
Erin hunched her shoulders a little and took a big gulp of her drink. I reached across the table and squeezed her hand.
"You're rather striking, and I'm sure they won't hurt you," I said in what I hoped was a reassuring way.
She gave me a small smile and scooted her chair closer to me, away from her admirer. I hoped it was nothing more than someone full of bought passion admiring a beautiful woman. Logan and I wouldn’t allow anything to happen to her.
The food was absolutely exquisite. The seafood was wonderfully fresh, and the fruit was rich and sweet. I made a mental note to return to Rio for a pleasure visit. We tipped the waiter generously and headed back out into the city. To my dismay, Erin’s admirer followed us and gained a friend. Each of them had the pale silver eyes associated with the moon goddess. I hoped she wasn’t trying to scare us from our path.
17
Erin's admirers stopped following us two blocks from the hotel. We'd taken a long and convoluted path back there through the beautifully painted streets with their friendly people. Erin remained close to us and kept reaching down to run her fingers over her knife, not that I blamed her. There was something unsettling and eerie about her followers. She visibly relaxed when they walked away, and I was able to turn my mind back to the larger problem at hand.
I needed to get a map of the jungle and an idea of where, exactly, that cult was. The internet hadn't been very forthcoming on that front. It was hardly surprising, but still slowed things down somewhat. Erin's idea seemed the most logical progression, although I planned on approaching some of the jungle tour guides, too, to cover our bases. I was completely exhausted by the time we walked into the hotel lobby.
Preparing for bed wasn't as awkward as I had anticipated. Erin and I had taken turns changing in the bathroom, while Logan just stripped down to his underwear. Wispy had fallen asleep on the desk, but managed to shuffle over to his bowl of food when I placed it down for him. He returned to sleep in the middle of the bowl. It seemed the journey had tired us both out.
Sleeping in Logan's arms had become the norm, and I settled into the familiar position with his arm around me and my head on his chest with a smile. “Girlfriend” really did have a nice ring to it. Maybe we were getting closer to settling down. The idea wasn't as awful or terrifying as it had been a year or two ago. I fell asleep with the contented thoughts of spending many years with Logan.
I woke with a start when I heard a soft clicking near the windowsill. We'd left the windows closed to make sure we got the most from the air conditioning. I propped myself up on my elbow to try and see what was causing the noise. There was no foliage near the window. Logan was straining to hear as well, his body tight and tense against my own. Erin slipped out of bed and retrieved her knife, her focus entirely on the door to the hallway.
Logan and I decided that she must be onto something, and I quickly put my belt (complete with my alchemical defences) around my hips and picked up my kris. The door slowly opened, a small crack at first, before it burst open and a group of Garou streamed in. The window smashed behind me and the thick heavy scent of canine filled the room.
"Leave while you still can," the tall dark-haired Garou said.
"That's the best you've got?" Erin said to him.
He bared his sharp teeth and lunged at her with his long black claws aiming for her throat. She spun away at the last second and slashed his lower abdomen. I took a shadow plate capsule and grinned as I felt the familiar cool sensation of the shadow armour running over my entire body. Logan had made me promise to stop using the dragon capsules, as the comedown was too harsh, so I’d made the shadow armour. I didn’t have Logan’s size or strength, but the armour allowed me to make the most of my speed and determination. Logan was trading punches with a red-headed Garou near the window. I took the rangy blond that was trying to circle me.
Predictably, he tried to take my legs out from under me. Canines all fight the same. They all begin by focusing on removing or at least reducing the ability to move. That meant I knew to protect my shins and knees, as he’d be aiming for those first. Once they’ve slowed their opponent down, they go for the stomach and organs. I grinned at him as I jumped over his sweeping kick, pushed off from the end of the bed, and drove my kris into the base of his neck. This wasn’t my first fight with a canine. I wasn’t going to be taken down that easily.
His fist collided with my ribs as I was landing. He was hemorrhaging blood from the large wound in his neck, but that barely did anything. I’d been hoping it would give me some breathing room, but he didn’t seem to notice the thick blood streaming down his chest and pooling in the hollow of his collarbone. His blows came fast and hard. He punished my abdomen, apparently having chosen to move to stage two of his attack while I slashed at his joints and tendons. I kept moving and refused to allow him to corner me. If he backed me into a corner, then the armour wouldn’t be enough. He had size and strength on me - there was only so much I could take, armour or not. A glance around the room told me that Logan and Erin were holding their own, but neither had succeeded in taking down their attacker.
“I thought Garou were supposed to be peaceful monks,” I said as I slashed his cheek open.
He was beginning to shift. His jaw partially elongated and tore at the cheek, increasing the bloody mess. Long teeth sprouted between his usual human teeth, giving him a misfit look. The hole in his neck was beginning to heal over, and I was tiring. They made it look so easy in the movies, but even after years of training I couldn’t keep up this intensity of fighting for more than fifteen minutes. Not without alchemical aids, that is.
I spun away from a sweeping kick and a wide right hook and ran my hands over my belt, searching for something I could use. My thumb slid over the wisp fire capsule.
“Wispy!” I shouted.
The wisp was busily flying around Erin’s Garou and throwing sparks in the Garou’s eyes. He flew to me and chattered at the rangy Garou as I took a blow to the stomach. I slashed open the Garou’s wrist and tossed the capsule up into Wispy. It took effect immediately. My wisp turned a deep sunset orange and grew some fifty percent in size. He dove at the Garou’s head and shot sparks at him. This time, rather than merely irritating the Garou, the sparks sank deep into his hair and caught fire. The fire dripped down his face and neck, making him claw at himself, which only spread the fire. I made the most of his distraction and lunged at the Garou. I drove my kris into the centre of his stomach and quickly dragged it up before I slit his throat. He died with a gurgle.
18
Wispy faded quickly. He didn’t make it over to Logan’s Garou. He slowly sank down onto the desk and turned a p
ale silver colour. I’d been reluctant to give him the capsule, but we were all tiring. We needed to end the fight and get out of there. The room was in absolute chaos. The smaller bed was shattered with the bedding crumpled on the floor, bloodstained and torn. I was quite surprised to see that Erin had restrained herself from using the chair leg as a weapon. She hadn’t lived that down.
I leapt over the corner of the larger bed, my feet slipping on the sheet pooled on the floor at my landing. My focus was entirely on Erin. I shifted my weight and kept moving forward to help her. Her eyes were darker, her face twisted into a grimace of fury and pain. I covered the short distance between us as quickly as I could. Her Garou had his back to me. I dropped down into a crouch and tried cut open the back of his knees as Erin stabbed him just below the collar bone. His muscle and tendons were too thick, and my blade didn’t sink deep enough. It felt like I was trying to slice open stone.
The Garou grunted and swiped at my head with long sharp claws. His focus remained entirely on Erin. I was nothing more than a minor annoyance. I bounced away from him and cut his wrist open, removing his ability to form a fist. That got his attention.
Erin’s breath was becoming ragged. My muscles were beginning to slow down. We needed to end this fight while we still could. The Garou spun around to snarl at me, his jaw partially elongated. His lips were pulled back to reveal a horrifying mix of wolf and human teeth. He tried to rake his claws down my abdomen. I was too slow, but thankfully the shadow armour was too strong and slippery. He couldn’t get purchase.
My heart was in my throat when Erin leapt on his back. He tensed and went to reach around and grab her, but I lunged forward and hacked at his stomach, trying to gut him. A deep snarl rumbled in his throat. It soon turned to a whining whimper where Erin stabbed him in the neck until he dropped. We turned to see Logan throw his Garou out the window.
It was over. We’d done it. I turned the lights on and tried to catch my breath. The shadow armour faded away, leaving me exhausted and heavily bruised. Logan and Erin were both coated in blood, some of it their own. Erin had her teeth slightly bared, and her eyes were hard and predatory as she surveyed the room. I gently placed my hands on either side of her face and circled my thumbs over her cheekbones with a tender smile.