Split at the Seams

by Yolanda Sfetsos

  “Sure, sounds good.” I could definitely use as much protection as possible right now. I was still terrified by the things I’d seen this afternoon. Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to see and know about so many unnatural things, but being involved with the supernatural left me with no other choice.

  “Be careful,” Oren said a moment before slamming the car door shut. He stepped up onto the sidewalk but didn’t move.

  “Bye, Oren.” I stuck my hand out the window and waved, watching him in the rearview mirror for a moment. He hesitated for several moments before finally turning around and heading toward the station.

  I checked every lock inside the car and closed my window. It might get a little stuffy, but I didn’t want to risk anyone—or anything—having easy access while I quickly checked my phone. I pulled the mobile out from my pocket and found a bunch of messages from Ebony, most with files attached. There were also two voicemails from Jonathan, and one from a number I didn’t recognize. I decided to ignore everything else to take a quick glimpse at Mrs. Wicker’s file, noticing in the rearview mirror that Oren was actually walking down the street and had ignored the train station. He’d almost blended into the night, only his pale, long braid stood out.

  As I read what we’d already spoken about earlier on in the day, a flash of lightning illuminated the street and I realized just how totally alone I was. Not a single car, person or even train was nearby. The station seemed to be just as empty. Even Oren had disappeared into the shadows.

  When the rumble of thunder sounded, I decided to head home. I wasn’t a chicken, and it takes a lot more than a thunderstorm to spook me, but after everything I’d just discovered and what I went through with the Slevani brothers, I wasn’t stupid enough to make myself a bigger target than I already seemed to be.

  For whatever reason, there were people eager to get their hands on my power source and I had a responsibility to stay as safe as I could. Not to mention a responsibility to others too, because if any of these power-hungry lunatics got their hands on me, they’d cause a lot of damage wherever they could.

  Driving down the dark streets, expecting the rain to hit at any moment, I was surprised when only random flashes of lightning followed by thunder resulted. By the time I drove up my driveway, the thunder sounded as if it was actually receding, taking its false hope of a cool summer rain before the warm night was over.

  I switched the engine off, took the keys out of the ignition and opened the creaky door. Stepping out onto the concrete path, I felt a sense of something prickle my skin. It caused the hair on my arms to stand on end, but I ignored it by concentrating on mundane things like sticking my phone and wallet into my jeans pockets while I shut the car door and checked it was locked.

  All I had to do was race to the front door and I’d be fine.

  No monsters could get me if I didn’t turn to look at them. That’s how it went, right? Turn your back on evil monsters and they fade into oblivion because you don’t give them the power of your fear. At least, that’s how it worked in fiction. My life was a little more complicated.

  I doubted the Council would send someone out into the Sydney suburbs and risk exposure. They might be crooks and have evil intentions, but everything they did was very discreet. Image meant a lot to them. If not for their squeaky-clean image, hundreds of unsuspecting parents wouldn’t willingly hand over their young daughters and a nice wad of cash so the Council could help them deal with the irregularities.

  I hurried along the path. The front door was so close now.

  Shadows took shape and leapt out from the corner of my next door neighbor’s house. The impact didn’t feel like a shadow, but a very solid shape.

  The wind was knocked out of me as my chest hit the concrete, my face a mere centimeter from slamming against it. I used my arms to push my body up, but whoever had jumped me knocked me down again. This time, my arms failed to help the momentum of the slam, and my cheek hit the path with a painful thump.

  I couldn’t see who was on top of me, but because they didn’t speak or make any sudden movements to search my pockets, I suspected it might be a rabid animal. The constant hissing and growling near my ear and the feel of saliva dribbling onto the back of my neck only confirmed it. Strong paws dug into my spine as my upper body was lifted with the precision only a human could possess, but a beast seemed to be using on me now.

  I wanted to scream, do anything to get someone’s attention, but it was too late. I couldn’t get the words out, and sharp teeth were already embedded deep into my collarbone so hard I could feel them rubbing at my bones.

  Unbearable pain tore through me just as my vision started to fade around the edges. Tears rose to my eyes and slid silently down my cheeks, but I still couldn’t scream. Hell, I couldn’t even move an inch. It felt like this creature’s bite had paralyzed me while it held my spine close to the front of its body.

  Someone, please help me.

  What a way to die. I had so many people after this damned power I’d inherited from a spook catcher and a witch, but was about to be killed by an animal. Then again, maybe this thing wouldn’t kill me. Maybe the Council had sent a demented creature out to put me in some sort of coma—similar to what Mara was in—so it could then take me to them.

  No, I couldn’t let them get me. Not so easily.

  I wasn’t sure if I was moving or not, but I imagined squirming in the animal’s harsh grasp, slowly working my body away from beneath its heavy bulk. While the sharp claws attempted to tear the skin off my shoulder, it seemed to be working. I could feel my T-shirt sliding up my stomach, my skin grazing against the concrete.

  “You’re not getting away from us this time, bitch!” The voice had an animalistic edge, but it was definitely male and slightly accented.

  The fight slipped out of me, literally felt like sweat pouring from my pores until I felt deflated and useless.

  Who could us be?

  I was about to pass out when a sliver of light caught my attention. I forced my heavy eyes to open enough to see someone running out the front door.

  Oren was right. I needed more magical protection around the house.

  “Get the hell away from her, you ugly bastard!” It was Papan, and he was yelling. A hard thump followed his warning and the whiny sound of a dog’s cry as I hit the concrete path.

  “Papan,” I whispered. But he didn’t come to me.

  The sound of a struggle continued around me. I could hear two sets of distinct growls this time. I tried to roll over, to see what was going on, but no matter how hard I tried, the pain and numbness confused my bearings and maintained my inability to act.

  “Papan…”

  I didn’t see or hear him move, but I heard him say, “I’m here, Foxy Lady. Don’t get any ideas about leaving me just yet. We’ve got a lot to talk about, you and me.”

  I chuckled—or gurgled—before passing out for a bit.

  The next time I opened my eyes, I was no longer outside and trying to move out of the path of danger, but was looking up at the familiar ceiling of my living room. Was I lying on the couch? I had to be.

  “Fox, you’re going to be okay, but you need to go back to sleep. I’ll take care of you.”

  I nodded, managing to turn my head enough to look at the chimney across from where I lay. Yes, this was my living room. There on the mantel sat the dying petals of the roses Jonathan had given me for Valentine’s Day, just over a week ago. And on the coffee table was the small, round pot filled with soil and a packet of sunflower seeds lying beside it.

  Papan’s gift had come with a note. I’d memorized what it said—Foxy Lady, please feed me and put me in the sun.

  I turned my head and closed my eyes because the combination of unbearable pain and exhaustion made it hard to keep my thoughts straight. Everything was blending together into mush. Only one thing was clear—I was once again in some deep shit.

  The swooshing of fabric caught my attention, followed by the air magically changing around me. The
abrasive feel of a dog’s tongue on my neck both tickled and made my injury sting. But I didn’t have a dog, so what was going on?

  All my questions vanished when I found myself tumbling into a peaceful slumber where nothing hurt, and no one was trying to hunt me down. Into a place where I could pretend Jason Papan wanted me as much as I wanted him.

  Papan, I need you.

  Chapter Five

  “Sierra…”

  Someone was calling my name and patting my cheek very lightly.

  Papan, is that you?

  As wonderful as it would be to wake up and look into his green eyes, I wished we were still lost in the golden field of sunflowers. Even while I was there I’d known it was a dream. A safe place for me to escape to because something really horrible had happened, but I didn’t want to leave. Not yet. Not now.

  Maybe not ever.

  “Sierra…”

  It couldn’t be him. He never called me by my actual name.

  “Sierra, can you hear me?”

  Even though it made me feel as if I were trying to pry my eyelashes apart after being glued together, I eventually managed to get them open. It took several blinks before I could focus.

  “Jonathan?” I asked, staring into his brown eyes. His dark hair fell over his face in an adorable and boyish way that used to make my heart skip a beat. Now it just tickled my aching cheeks. I looked away, trying to keep my disappointment from showing. “Why does everything hurt?”

  “You were attacked, sweetheart,” he said with a sad smile. He ran the back of his fingers over my cheek and a tingle of warmth spread through me.

  I attempted to lift my elbows, hoping to prop my body up so he’d stop touching me, but as soon as I did the room started spinning.

  “Whoa, calm down, you need to take it easy.”

  I shut my eyes tight. “Papan, where’s Papan?” The question slid between my dry lips before I could stop it. I knew what effect it would have on Jonathan but I didn’t care, had to know where Papan was.

  “I’m over here, Foxy Lady.”

  Opening my eyes again hurt, but I wanted to see him.

  I had to see him.

  Jonathan clenched his jaw but didn’t move away. In fact, he grabbed a hold of my hand and intertwined his fingers around mine.

  “What happened to me?” No good asking Jonathan, he hadn’t been there. He wasn’t the one who picked me up off the concrete path and laid me down to rest on the couch. When I surveyed the area quickly, I found I was still lying in the same place.

  “You were attacked,” Papan said, finally coming into view behind Jonathan. He stood straight and tall, arms crossed over his chest and his green eyes shadowed as he looked at me. Judging by the angle of the sun peeking in through the vertical blinds, and the blond whiskers on his face, it was probably late afternoon. A bruise had mostly faded from his right cheek.

  I licked my lips. “I remember getting out of the car, and someone knocking me down.”

  “Not someone,” he said, shaking his head. “It was something.”

  “What do you mean?” I couldn’t stop licking my lips, wished I could take a sip of water. I was suddenly so thirsty.

  Papan unfolded his arms and pushed a hand through his hair, shoving it away from his face. “Fox, a person didn’t attack you. A beast did.”

  I caught Jonathan’s show of surprise. A brief flash that disappeared so quickly I thought I might have imagined it. His hand slid from mine and he said, “I’ll get you a drink of water.”

  Even a small nod hurt, but I managed it. I watched Jonathan leave the living room, hoping he would take his time in the kitchen. I really needed a moment alone with Papan, and it wasn’t just because of my dreams. He was the only one who could provide real answers about what had happened.

  “Do you want me to help you sit up?” he asked with a small quirk of his lips.

  “Yeah, thanks.”

  Papan closed the distance between us. He wrapped his arms around me and lifted me until my back was pressed against the cushions in front of the armrest. “Is that better?”

  I nodded, unable to talk when our gazes met and I read the concern in his eyes. He’d saved my life. If he hadn’t been here to scare away the animal—or beast—I might’ve died outside my own house. I took a shallow breath, taking in his very strong scent. He always smelled like a summer day in the woods and I couldn’t get enough.

  Unable to stop myself, I raised a hand and touched his face, letting my fingers rasp against the stubble on his chin.

  “You saved me, again,” I whispered.

  “I should’ve waited at the door for you.” He pressed his cheek against my hand and my pulse quickened. “Instead of waiting on the couch and falling asleep.”

  “Papan, don’t.”

  “I’m so sorry, if that beast had—”

  “But it didn’t,” I interrupted. “Thanks to you I’m fine.”

  He looked so serious, but none of this was his fault.

  “Do you know what animal it was?”

  “If I didn’t know better, I’d say it was some sort of canine hybrid. Except…they don’t exist.” He took my hand from his cheek and pressed the palm to his lips, where he kissed it. “You scared the shit out of me, Foxy Lady. You’ve gotta get some better protection spells, or I’m going to go crazy worrying about you.”

  “You’ve never worried about me before.” My voice sounded husky and the spot on my palm where he’d kissed me burned.

  “That’s a damn lie and you know it. I’ve been worried about you since the moment we met. You’re always catching someone’s attention.” He lowered his voice, his eyes darkening. “The organization is asking questions again.”

  My ears perked up. “The Council contacted you?”

  He nodded. “Don’t worry, I turned them down. I can’t exactly work while I’m trying to hide from that crazy bitch of a hunter.” Papan lowered my hand, squeezed my fingers and laid it on my side, still holding on. “So I gave them an associate’s number. They contacted him and are at it again with the hundred-and-one questions. It looks like they’ve got a hard-on for you because this time they wanted surveillance. You need to watch your back. And I won’t let you down again.”

  Instead of mentioning what Oren and I had found out while in the city and then after visiting Mara, I swallowed the lump in my throat and let the silence take over for a while. It was nice, just enjoying the weight of his hand on the back of mine while Jonathan had a murmured conversation with someone on his phone. Who was he talking to when he was supposed to be getting me some water?

  “What’s Jonathan doing here?”

  Papan rubbed my hand between both of his before letting go as he straightened, took a few steps back and lowered himself onto the armchair across from me. “I’m sorry about that, but I know he’s some hotshot healer and figured he could help you. I did all I could to stop the bleeding, but when you didn’t regain consciousness for so long and developed a fever, I called in anyone I thought could help.”

  “I’m sorry you had to see that—”

  “Don’t ever be sorry because I was here to help.” The glint in his eyes looked dangerous. “If that beast ever returns, I’m going to kill it. I’m willing to kill anyone trying to harm you, you know that, right?” His gaze darted toward the kitchen and he frowned. “Anyway, I called the old man to strengthen the shields and expand them outside. Then I got Jonathan over to heal you, and now you’re up. So everything worked out.”

  “I need to call Ebony, she must be worried. I was supposed to call her last night, but ran out of time.”

  “You don’t need to worry about her, either. I called and told her what happened. She dropped in earlier, but you were still out. She said she’d take care of everything at the office and attend some meeting you were both supposed to go to tonight.” He leaned back into the armchair.

  “What do you mean, tonight? The meeting she’s talking about isn’t until tomorrow tonight. It’s Thursday, right?”
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  Papan frowned. “Fox, you were out for over a day.”

  No wonder he’d called practically everyone.

  “What time is it?”

  “It’s almost two in the afternoon,” he answered. “Friday afternoon.”

  “Okay.” I took a deep breath. “That gives me enough time to rest a little more, take a shower, eat something and get ready for the meeting.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” Papan said with a shake of his head.

  “For once, I agree with him.” Jonathan strode into the living room with a tall glass of water in his hand. He handed it to me and I drank the whole thing in one go. He took the glass and placed it on the coffee table. “You need to stay here and rest until tomorrow at least.”

  “I can’t. I’ve already lost a whole day!”

  He glared at Papan. “You told her? I thought we agreed not to overload her with information?”

  “You decided, not me. I’m not about to baby Fox, or keep things from her like you seem to do.” He sat forward on the armchair, his hands on his knees as if he was ready to jump out of his seat at any moment.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Jonathan’s hands were balled into fists at his sides.

  Papan snorted. “I think you know exactly what I mean. Who were you talking to just now?”

  “None of your damn business—”

  Papan stood, took a step, until only the coffee table stood between them. They were getting into another pissing contest because of me, and I wasn’t going to sit there and watch. Not now, not when the paralyzing pain was starting to make every muscle in my body ache. Not to mention the throbbing sensation on my collarbone. It itched like crazy, and I knew it was where I’d been bitten.

  I swung my legs over the side of the couch and instantly felt like I was going to throw up. I took several quick breaths before I felt remotely okay again.

  “Fox, what are you doing?” Papan asked, but Jonathan crouched in front of me.