Shifting Shadows

by Barb Shuler

  “Jasmine!” I growl out her name and pull her face to mine. She’s babbling nonsense now. Her body is shaking in fear and an unspoken torment. I pull her closer and kiss her softly. It takes a moment, but it’s as if something clicks inside her. She kisses me back, her body relaxing as she melts into me. I pull back slightly and meet her glowing eyes. Holy Shit!

  “Ty…” she falls slack in my arms and I scoop her up as I turn to face the yard.

  “KELANIE!” What in the fuck is happening here? The air shifts around us and Kelanie stands before us with Hadley.

  “Jasmine,” Hadley says as she rushes to her daughter’s side. I move to lay her on the soft grass.

  “What happened?” Kelanie asks as she runs a hand above Jasmine’s body, a frown pulling her brows together. There’s a thunderous pounding on the ground and I stand, ready to shift to protect my mate but stop when Micah and two other Guardian’s burst through the woods. Micah shifts mid run and falls to his knees at his daughter’s side.

  “What happened? I heard her call to me. I felt her pull.”

  “I don’t know. We were eating breakfast. She was fine then all of a sudden it’s like she spaced out. She was gasping for air, shaking with fear and now… this. What in the hell is wrong with her?” I ask Kelanie as I meet her eyes.

  “She’s seen something. Her mind is blocking me and I don’t think she knows she is doing it.” Her eyes move back down to Jasmine.

  “Her powers are growing, quickly, judging by the fact that she could call to me the way she did.” I growl at Micah’s words and run a hand through my hair.

  “Ty…” I hear Jasmine whisper my name and I’m instantly down on my knees, pulling her to me as she opens her eyes. They were back to her normal color but there was still a hint of gold ringing them.

  I kiss her nose and speak softly, “Baby, are you okay? Can you tell me what happened?”

  “He’s coming for me. He wants Daddy. I saw it in his mind. Oh, God. He’s going to kill him…” She dissolves into tears. I wrap my arms around her tighter.

  “Shhh, baby. You’re safe. Your dad is too. He’s too big and stubborn to be hurt by anyone.” I meet Micah’s gaze and then look around to Hadley, Kelanie, Amandrell and lastly Zyla. She’s still holding the book in her hand. She opens it to the page it had been on.

  “This is what she was looking at when her inner Fae decided to make itself known. I felt the power and fear rolling off of her. This is bad. Whatever she saw scared her to the bone.” There’s a chorus of curses followed by her words.

  “He’s dead,” Hadley says, standing with a quickness I hadn’t seen from her. “He cannot be doing this!”

  Zyla looks away from her, then to her warriors and then back to us all. With a sound befitting of a dragon she let out a snarl. “He is not dead. He was exiled. Locked in the inbetween. He could not be killed!”

  The air around us shifts, the oxygen seeming to be sucked away for a moment before it returns. A group of men, all tall, blonde and brandishing swords come forward from the treeline. The Guardians of Angelicus…

  Micah and Kelanie move to stand before us. Zyla stands at their side. Her sword is out and the tip resting on the top of her boot. That was her fighting stance. I raise a brow. Something didn’t feel right here. I shift Jasmine behind me. Amandrell moves to flank my side, and I nod to her in thanks. If I had to move she would make sure Jasmine was taken care of. Hadley has her eyes locked on the men, even though she has to lean around Micah to see them.

  “Xayon,” Zyla says with a growl in her tone. “To what do we owe this displeasure?”

  “As always, you are such a bright spot in my day,” he says back to her. He’s glaring daggers in her direction. “We are here now.. because someone pulled us here with dark magic.” He scans the yard as he looks around. Was he high? I feel it the moment his eyes lock on Jasmine. Her body stiffens. “There is no dark magic here.”

  “Seems you have someone in your group who can channel it, then.” His eyes never leave Jasmine’s. I move to block her from him. He curls a lip up at me while his hand shifts slightly on the hilt of his sword. I feel my bear surge forward before I can stop it. I fall to the ground on four paws, a snarl leaving me. Micah’s wolf has also seen the unspoken threat and he stands, his lips pulled back over his teeth, snarling at the man before us.

  “You will mind yourself, Xayon,” Kelanie snaps. “You may be a Guardian of Angelicus, and you may be on the side of good, but I will dissolve you into a pile of feathers faster than your sword can hit the ground if you think of touching my granddaughter. Or do I need to call Raphael down?” That got his attention. He took a step back, his head bowing slightly.

  “Forgive me, I meant no harm. I was just testing for dark magic.”

  “Yeah and I’m the Queen of Egypt. Watch yourself! You are not above the laws you so diligently protect,” Kelani snaps. It takes a lot to rile her up to where her eyes glow blue. Her fae magic makes her hair lightly blow in a breeze no one else could see or feel. I feel Jasmine run a hand up along my left shoulder. I relax slightly as I move to sit on my haunches. My gaze never leaves the blonde devils before us.

  Thirty-Two

  Horacio

  Just when I think things are going good, the proverbial shit hits the fan. I got a 9-1-1 text from Alec - of all people - and hauled ass back to the cabin. If he was messaging me, something bad was about to go down. With so many people under one protective barrier I had just been waiting for it to happen. But what I found when I got there was a wild sight.

  I step across the boundaries - the ones that no one is supposed to be able to just cross - and halt for a moment. It looks like the Guardians, Drakes and Fae are having a face off with none other than The Guardians of Angelicus. Angels, that, though some of them were only half angel - were really devils. At least that what we called them. Not all of them were assholes, just ninety percent of them. The half breeds were a little more compassionate, but even they were like robots. They were sent to do a job, they did it swiftly, and then disappeared. Creepy!

  I make my way to where Ty is sitting with Jasmine laying against him, stroking his big bear head. He isn’t snarling, so maybe it’s just a precaution that he’s in his Guardian form. Micah who’s still on all fours, was silently snarling at the Angels. I shake my head and move to stand before him. My eyes met Xayon’s.

  “Guardian,” he greeted.

  “Angel,” I respond, crossing my arms over my chest. I feel a cold nose nudge against my elbow and I let my arms fall, my hand landing on the back of Ty’s neck. I tighten my fingers in the scruff there. He looks calm, but I can now feel he is anything but. “Would someone, anyone, care to enlighten me on why we are having a standoff between the ‘good guys’?” I say using air quotes with my free hand for the good guys part. I look around and no one says a word, they just glare at each other.

  “They’re having a pissing contest,” Jasmine says as she comes over to stand in front of me. I wrinkle my nose and move to push her behind me but she’s gone. Ty roars as he lunges. Micah does the same as I swing around to grab the sword Zyla is spinning in her hand. If she swings that she could hit Jasmine. I know Micah and Ty will not hurt her but this sword has a mind of its own.

  “STOP!” A voice fills the air and that shakes the ground below us. Everyone stands frozen. Ty and Micah are flung from the Angels and the Angels, those devils with the white wings, all fall to their knees. Well, all but Xayon. He has his hand around Jasmine’s neck, and her eyes are wide with fear, yet anger fills them. As I watch, her eyes begin to glow, like Kelanie’s do when she’s pissed.

  “You will be the downfall of us all,” Xayon sneers. I move a step closer to them. Ty, who is now on two legs again, moves up behind me. I hold up my hand. I don’t want him to react. Not yet.

  “Let. Me. Go!” Jasmine snarls. Xayon’s fingers pinch into her skin tighter.

  “Sir, we are not to harm her.” one of the Angels said. I have no idea who was who down
there. Not that it really mattered.

  “She is the reason the Reapers are coming. If I kill her now, then they will stop their invasion,” Xayon says. Jasmine’s snarl as she flings her head back would do my Jaguar proud.

  “Everyone stay back. She has to finish this,” Kelanie says, her hand waving in the air. I feel a barrier go up before anyone can protest. Ty and I are saved from it but I have a feeling that was only so we can help calm our mate.

  Xayon grabs for her again. Jasmine spins, her hands rising as she speaks a silent word. As I have seen it before, a blue haze covers the Angel. Kelanie is the only one I have ever seen doing this type of magic. There are others that can, but they are elusive. Rare, even. Xayon screams as he hits the ground, writhing in pain. Battle magic! This means Jasmine is part battle Fae. Holy hell! Battle magic is as rare as a Guardian tattoo is. It chooses the wielder, not the other way around.

  “That is enough, granddaughter. Release him. He will be called back,” Kelanie says looking bored.

  Jasmine just stands there, her hands out before her. I can see that they are shaking. Ty and I move towards her, slowly. Ty moves in behind her and wraps his big arms around her. I move to face her, my face coming down to herher level. My eyes bore into hers as I hold her arms, slowly pulling them to my chest. A zing of magic runs through me, but I bite back the pain. It doesn’t matter. She slowly starts to relax, her eyes dimming back to their normal color. Her body slumps, but Ty has her up in his arms in one swift move.

  “Jasmine!” Hadley says, moving forward. IShe runs a hand over Jasmine and nods. Relief is written on her face. “She’s just drained. Take her to lay down.”

  “RAPHAEL!” Kelanie’s voice rolls out across the yard. I shiver at the anger in that one name. The Archangel is in for it. Damn Fae. They didn’t care who they pissed off. I chuckle as we walk into the house. I lock the door behind us. We need some alone time with our girl. She has been through so much. Hell, we all have.

  •••

  I stretch and feel a few of my bones and joints pop. Something’s woken me up. I sit up and roll my neck. The bed’s empty, and the house is quiet. I pull myself from the bed and move through the house. I find Ty and Jasmine on the back porch, both looking up at the night- sky. It’s dead quiet out here. I move to sit beside Ty on the stairs. Jasmine leans back, presses a kiss to my lips and shifts to my lap. I grin and wrap my arms around her.

  “Why didn’t you wake me?” I ask, looking over at Ty. He leans over and kisses me, his tongue claiming my mouth. I groan when he pulls back. Damn tease.

  “You were sleeping too good. I wasn’t waking you. You’ve been patrolling doubles as it is. Rest while you can.”

  “Where is everyone?” I ask. Jasmine stiffens slightly and my brow goes up. Ty looks out over the yard and sighs.

  “They went to get shit ready. The Reapers are coming. Something lit a fire under their asses and the spells weaved in to keep them from this plain… they failed. You and I are going to meet the Fae in the clearing in a few hours. Jasmine is going with Alec and Hadley to a safe place.”

  “The hell I am! I already told you I can take care of my damn self!” she snarls.

  “You are pregnant!” Ty roars back as he stands up. Jasmine tries to get up on her own but I have to help. I move down to the last step and shake my head.

  “Jassy, baby, I’m with Ty this time, you need to keep yourself and the baby safe. I know you can take care of yourself, so does Ty, we saw it, but you have to think of the baby, love. Please?” I move to her, my hand sliding over her belly as I press a kiss to her temple.

  “I don’t want to be left behind.”

  “We’ll be back. We aren’t leaving you, but what’s coming is bad. We can’t focus on fighting if we know you are in danger.” I pull her closer to me and sigh.

  “Horacio can stay with you, baby,” Ty spits out. I turn to face him. The fucking asshole! What. The. Fuck?

  “What?” I ask. He ignores me and starts walking off.

  “Good, glad that is settled.”

  “Tiberius!” I growl out. He crosses the barrier and is gone.

  Mother! Fucking! Asshole! Bear!

  Thirty-Three

  Tiberius

  I had to walk away, leave them there. Jasmine and the baby would be safe this way. Right? I’m doing the right thing. I know I am. At least, I hope I am, anyway. Horacio can cut my balls off later, after all of this is over. Fuck! This is the only way I know to keep them both safe. What’s coming is bad. I can’t have either of them in the middle of this. The Guardians of Angelicus and the Reapers are all in the same basket, if you ask me. The Reapers are psychotic, mindless killers and the Angels are pissy and hate anyone that seems to have more power or influence than they have. I let out a frustrated growl as I step out into the clearing.

  I get a few looks from the gathering forces, but that’s not what’s bothering me. Something feels, off. I can’t quite put my finger on it though. One of the Drake’s - I’m not sure which one, because in their big lizard form they all look the same - lands about ten feet from where I’m standing. I watch as it morphs from a giant beast to a seriously giant man. Ah, Horkan. What’s he doing here? He’s one of the Originals. I bow my head slightly - out of respect to his age - as he approaches the spot where I’m standing.

  “Horkan, to what do we owe this visit?”

  “You did not think I would allow my clan to fight while I sit on the wayside, did you?” He asks, his brow pulled into a scowl. I chuckle and shake my head.

  “No, that’s not what I meant. I just wasn’t expecting you to be here, now.” I glance towards the trees and a funny sensation runs through me. My eyes scan the area once again. What in the hell is that? I turn and scan the air.

  “What is it, Guardian?” I look back at Horkan. My brows creased as a sharp pain replaces the tingling.

  “Something- something’s not right,” I say walking away from him.

  There’s shouting from the east side of the clearing. I turn, growling me at the sight before us. Reapers! There are about sixty of them, but that was plenty. The battle starts quickly. No hesitation from either side. Reapers are like rabid dogs. They run towards us and our forces push closer to them. Angels against Demons at its best. Shifters and Fae join in, careful to not become infected by the Reaper’s blood. No one has time to deal with that right now.

  Pain rips through me as I tear the head from a Reaper, but I can’t see an injury. I shake it off and shift back to my two-legged form. My gaze roams over the bodies filling the clearing. Something’s pulling me away from here. What is that feeling? A pain stabs through my chest and I drop to one knee.

  “Tiberius?” Horkan calls my name from behind me. I can’t focus on anything except the pain. It feels like I’m being ripped apart. Like it had when… when our bonds were stripped from the clans.

  “NO!” I roar and jump to my feet. Shifting mid-stride back to my bear form, I take off towards the cabin. Something is wrong, terribly wrong. I can hear the shouting behind me, but I can’t look back. I have to get back to my mates. Their pain is filling me like a fire burning me from the inside.

  My body slams through the barriers keeping our cabin safe. Both Horacio and Jasmine are there, bloody, and both of them are barely on their feet before they are attacked again. Jasmine’s fingers are glowing blue as a Reaper lunges for her. He doesn’t make it far before she fries his ass. I move in, ripping, clawing and biting into anyone that dares to stand between me and my mates. The wards on the cabin are supposed to keep anyone not welcome out, but obviously they have failed. These motherfuckers are most definitely not welcome here.

  I snarl and barrel into two more Reapers, pushing them away from Jasmine. Horacio is holding his own pretty well against another Reaper. Jasmine cries out in anger as I go down. I feel the pain ripping through me as the Reaper’s blade slices into me. Motherfucking cocksuckers! I remove his head with one swipe of my claw. A breath rushes from my lungs as I crash to th
e ground. I shift and lay on the ground in my human form, cursing like a sailor.

  “Son of a fucking whore!” I say, grinding my teeth together. Thankfully, I don’t feel the burn of Reaper blood coursing through me this time. It’s just the pain of being filleted like this week's kill on a butcher’s block.

  “Ty!” Jasmine drops to my side, running her hand over my body. The shock of electricity that zings through me from her touch makes me groan. Despite the pain, I can feel my body jerk. The skin’s knitting together and let me tell you, that fucking hurts. Horacio moves to my other side and jerks me up by my shirt.

  “What was that? You asshole!” he growls just before his lips crash into mine. I wrap a hand around his neck and pull him closer to me. When he pulls back Jasmine punches me in my still healing side. I suck in a deep breath between clenched teeth.

  “Ow!” I growl out, my gaze locking on hers.

  “You asshole!” she dissolves into tears as I pull her into my embrace. There’s a crashing sound behind us, trees falling. Horkan, Xorlan and Zyla rush through the barrier. I sigh and pull Jasmine even closer to me.

  “I’m sorry, baby. I’m so sorry,” I say kissing her head.

  “What the hell happened here?” Zyla demands, strolling over to us, her sword out. She pokes at a few of the Reaper bodies that litter the ground. Her head tilts to the side.

  “Reapers,” Horacio snarls. Like it wasn’t already obvious.

  “These are not Reapers. If they had been... you would be dead.”

  “What?” I ask, sitting up more. My side is healing faster now but it still hurt. I grunt and shake my head.

  “What do you mean they aren’t Reapers?” I ask.

  “Come, I will show you.” Zyla walks over to the bodies on the ground. Using her foot she kicks one of them over. It looks like a fucking Reaper. I crouch down and watch as she slices into the meat of its arm. “It bleeds red. Reapers bleed black.” I jump up and snarl.