by Ruby Loren
January’s eyes met Ryan’s across the table with sudden understanding.
He hadn’t quit his job at all.
He was still working for the Official Board of Shifters.
8
It was only once the plane had taken off and they were in the air above the clouds that January broke the silence that they’d maintained since they’d left the French café.
“Why didn’t you tell me about the Board of Shifters? Why didn’t you tell me there were rules when I agreed to lead the pack and made a huge mess of things?” She couldn’t keep the hurt from her voice. Just a few days ago she’d told him everything about herself. She hadn’t kept anything back, and now she’d found out that Ryan had been keeping a whole side of himself a secret.
“It’s complicated and all very secret. That’s why I’m not allowed to talk about it. If the Board found out that Theo was shooting his mouth off like that, they’d definitely put a stop to it.”
January felt like someone had stuck an ice cube down her back. “Are they going to find out?”
Ryan frowned and looked surprised. “No! Of course not! I’m not some soulless lover of death and violence. I’m more like shifter police.” He bit his tongue, clearly realising January could take that as criticism of her own lifestyle.
January kept her face blank and didn’t comment. The truth was, she had enjoyed killing all the vampires she’d dispatched. She was good at it, and it had given her a purpose. Things were different now, but as recently as under a year ago, it had been true.
“But, you are spying on me and the rest of the pack?”
There was an awkward silence.
“That’s not really how it is. It’s not meant to be spying, or being out to get someone.”
“Okay, you’ve been reporting things that have happened?” She asked, wanting to clarify exactly how much of a traitor Ryan was.
“Yes, I send reports. That’s the job I have, but really January, it’s not personal, and you’re doing just fine. I knew you’d be a great pack leader because I’ve seen so many of them. That was why I wanted you to take over when you got rid of Luke.”
January glared at him. Flattery wasn’t going to get him out of this one. “You can’t be that great at your job if you let Luke Bingley carry on the way he did. How come this ‘Official Board’ with their official rules didn’t bring their fist down on him?”
If it were possible, Ryan looked even more uncomfortable. “He wasn’t actually breaking any of the rules, per se. The pack was large and not very happy, but no one was making a scene in public. I was going to try and get him for the animal circus shows he was running at the bar, but so long as the public thinks that animals is all they’re seeing, even that is strictly speaking allowed.”
“The guy was using mind control to keep everyone under his thumb! How is that okay?” January screwed up her fists to keep from punching anything.
Ryan sighed and looked away. “It wasn’t okay, but something like that can be hard to prove. I’m not going to pretend I wasn’t afraid of him, either. At any point in time he could have found out I was an informer and made my brain leak out through my ears. Anyway, I doubt the Board would have been able to deal with Luke any better than I could. They’re just ordinary shifters. I had to wait and hope that there was something else that could save us.” He looked across at January, but her face stayed hard.
“You could have told me.”
“I was going to that night we went out to the witch bar. Then we went back home and I got a little distracted…” He gave her a slanted grin.
January just frowned even more. “I don’t even know these shifter rules, and how does the Board even get elected? Does everyone know about this?”
“Yes, they’re not meant to be a secret. The only secret part is that there’s at least one shifter working for them in every pack and there are employed scouts monitoring the formation of new packs. It’s all in place to keep everyone safe and secret. If it weren’t for the Board, humans with guns would have come after us long ago. After everything I’ve seen, I still think it’s a miracle we haven’t been outed.” He rubbed his chin, thoughtfully. “But then, whenever there is an accident, it’s cleaned up pretty well.”
January tried not to think about what ‘cleaned up’ meant.
“So, they know about me,” she said, feeling strange that this body in charge of all of her kind in the UK knew about her. But until today, she hadn’t known of their existence.
“Every shifter in the country knows about you. Every vampire, too, I expect. Just assume that in the supernatural world, you’re a celebrity,” Ryan said, flashing his teeth now that he was fairly sure he wasn’t about to be gored through the heart.
“Maybe I should write a book and do TV appearances,” January muttered, trying hard to see the funny side. “I guess it’s not so bad. Hopefully when people start talking about our showdown with the wolves and the weird magic bit, there might be someone who can give me some answers. Have the Board ever heard of another unicorn or any other shifter that’s not, you know - a normal animal?”
“No dragons or griffins last time I checked,” Ryan said, giving her a sad smile. “You’re one of a kind. But then, I always knew that.”
“Shut up. I am still very angry with you,” January told him.
“I’ve finally found some information I think can be trusted.”
January frowned at the phone. She’d just put it on speaker, so she could keep rolling out her date and apricot slices. Would it kill Gregory to start a conversation with ‘Hello, how are you?’
“It had better not be another chateau,” she warned him.
“I said information - not a lead. I’ve spent the last two weeks paying visits to the oldest known of my kind. The ones you haven’t killed yet, anyway. What I have now, is pieced together from what I could persuade them to share with me, and also the research I did to try to work out which half of the truth they were telling me.” Gregory sighed at the faults of his own kind, conveniently forgetting he was just as selective with the truth.
“So, spill!” January said, spreading a layer of apricots on top of the crumbly shortbread, feeling strangely like she was in a teen movie, gossiping with a girlfriend.
There was a pause. Probably as Gregory tried to work out what substance he was supposed to be spilling.
“We need to meet. It’s not safe to talk about this on the phone.”
January sighed. She wasn’t convinced it was safe to talk anywhere. Whoever it was that was on their tail seemed to know everything before they did it. She was still spooked by the way her ex-employers had found out that she was back in Hailfield. They’d even managed to call her at home and at the tearoom without her telling them anything. What if they were always watching?
“Fine. I can do tonight. Shall I meet you at The Witchwood Wand?”
“No, that’s probably the first place our next bounty hunters will look. How about we meet in the park by the swings at eight?”
“Because no one expects a vampire to be hanging out in a children’s play area?” She asked, but was met with the sound of the line being cut off. Gregory could do with working on his conversation endings too.
Ryan walked into the kitchen, heading towards the coffee machine. He dodged Simon’s attempt at tripping him up and cast his eye over January’s latest baking project. “Looks good… you’re still practising for this competition, then?”
She nodded. “I know I might be dead before it even happens, but a girl can dream, right?” She’d meant it as a joke, but it came out a little morbid.
“We’ll be fine,” Ryan said, coming up behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist.
January relaxed back against his warm body, feeling some of the tension leave her.
“I don’t know how, but we will be.”
That’s less reassuring, January thought.
“The competition have given us two challenges to prepare for. But there’s another challe
nge, which is the technical one, and I have no idea what they might throw at us. This is meant to be a cake contest, so I think it’s more limited than Bake Off, but I’m still really worried that this could be where I fail. This is a one shot thing! One baking disaster and someone else will win.” She stared down at the congealing apricots and wished her magical powers extended to being psychic. Then she’d know what she was in for!
“You’re really taking this seriously, aren’t you?” Ryan said, sounding half-amused.
January chewed her lip, still focusing on the experimental date and apricot thing in front of her.
“Yes. You know what the prize is! It would be validation that this is something I’m actually good at. I want to be the best at something,” she said and thought it sounded silly and selfish. There were definitely other people in the baking competition who were more deserving winners than she was. Not necessarily because of their baking ability, but because of their life situations. She didn’t really need free rent on a baking shop when she could afford to buy the whole high street, did she? That’s not what it’s about! It’s about deserving it because of baking talent, she thought.
Unfortunately, she had much bigger things to think about.
She was about to open her mouth to tell Ryan about meeting Gregory that evening, but he got there first.
“I still think we should stake the vampire and buy ourselves a little more time. With him dead, you may even be able to negotiate your way out of ever killing again. Don’t you think that’s worth a shot? Waiting around here for something to happen just feels like waiting for the end,” Ryan said, unknowingly echoing Gregory’s words.
January’s warm and fuzzy baking mood evaporated in an instant. “There’s no guarantee that it would change anything. The likeliest outcome is that they’d still send the bounty hunters out, only then we’d be all on our own. We’ve gone too far down the rabbit hole to try and weasel out now. I know Gregory can be…”
“…a jerk,” Ryan filled in.
“Yes,” January agreed, “but he’s the only one with an insight into vampires. If that’s what we’re dealing with, we’ll do better if he’s still alive. We need his help.”
“Because he’s helped us so much this far? He stood and watched while I was getting torn to pieces. Then he let me walk straight into a trap that nearly killed me. How come you bite my head off when I suggest we get rid of him, yet he’s the one actively trying to kill me? Have you asked him why he’s doing that? I think Gregory may be out to do more than just save his own skin.”
January shoved the date and apricot tray bake into the oven, hoping Ryan wouldn’t see the colour of her cheeks. She had no idea what Gregory was thinking or feeling. Would a vampire ever develop feelings for a shifter? She doubted it. He was also over a thousand years old. ‘Having feelings’ probably didn’t really apply anymore. “I’m not happy about what he’s done and I have actually spoken to him about it.”
“What did he say? Did he promise to be a good vampire and not try to subtly murder your boyfriend?” Ryan said, turning the coffee machine off with way more force than was strictly necessary.
Simon hissed at him and Ryan growled back.
“How are things at the bar?” January decided that now was a good time to change the subject. Before this conversation, she’d been intending on inviting Ryan along to her meeting with Gregory tonight. Now she thought it might be best if the two men spent some time apart.
“Well, I think we’re getting the licence back, which is good. There’s a lot to do before we can open again. There’s still the name to think of. Even when we do open, I don’t know who’s going to come. I’m not even sure if it’s a good idea anymore, but I have to try. There are a lot of people who relied on that bar for their income. Now they’re scraping by with whatever jobs they can find around here. I have to get it back on its feet somehow.”
January suddenly felt like she’d failed the pack. She’d been so wrapped up in her own problems, and even the baking competition, that she hadn’t been thinking about how the members of her own pack were faring.
“Listen, Ryan, I can help the bar to succeed. I know there are debts and things and I have money. Maybe we could sit down and look at it all together soon? This shouldn’t all be on you. I’m the leader of the pack!”
Ryan looked sceptical.
“I don’t mean I want to take over - you’re doing great - but if I can do something, I should do something.”
“Okay then,” Ryan said and January felt a rush of relief. At least this was one thing which was moving in a positive direction. “What about tonight?”
January tried to keep her face blank. “I’ve got a gig tonight.”
“Can I come to it? I’ve only half-seen you play when you played at The Bingley Bar. I’d like to properly watch you.”
January chewed her lip, thinking back to the last gig she’d played. The one when the bounty hunters had turned up.
“Do you think it’s a good idea I play at all?” She asked.
Ryan shrugged. “You could take Gregory’s advice and hole up here and never go out, but one way or another, trouble will come knocking at the door. All the more reason for me to come to the gig and keep an eye out.”
January nodded, secretly feeling pleased that Ryan was going to be in the audience. She’d just have to make sure her talk with Gregory was a short one, so she was on time.
“Then maybe we can talk about the bar after the gig. If you’re not too tired?” Ryan said.
“Sounds great to me.” She’d be able to share whatever Gregory had found out, too.
“I’ve got to go and see about that licence. See you tonight.” Ryan smiled at her and leant in for a kiss, ignoring Simon’s hiss.
January kissed him back, pleased that they seemed to be carrying on okay - despite the way the world was falling apart around them.
“Why are children’s playgrounds so creepy at night?” January said when she arrived at the swings. There was no discernible breeze, but the seats were still gently moving backwards and forwards.
“Where’s the oversized pussycat?” Gregory greeted her.
“He’s busy working at the bar. He couldn’t make it,” she lied, hoping Gregory wouldn’t ask any more questions.
She needn’t have worried. His mind was on other things.
“It’s been a long time since we were alone together.” Gregory said casually, but January wasn’t fooled.
“True. What have you found out about the Old Ones?”
Gregory grimaced like she was cutting his heart out. January decided she didn’t care.
“Right, yes. To business, I suppose.” He shot a hurt look at January, who merely thinned her lips a little more. “These vampires are akin to a scary bedtime story. Most of the vampires I’ve spoken to were fairly certain they don’t exist, but seemed to think they might have existed once. I’m sure you can see how it seems likely that these vampires not only existed but probably fabricated their own extinction - and rather successfully, too. All I’ve managed to find are threads and rumours of their past and what they supposedly were like. I don’t think much of it is of practical use.”
“I still want to know everything,” January said. You never knew when some small sliver of information could mean the difference between life and death.
“These old vampires are more than just powerful vampires, they’re meant to be the first of our kind. They’re like a founding family… and they’re more than just vampires. The story of our origin is that there was once a powerful coven of witches who wanted to live forever. They found a way in the form of a spell, that was really more of a curse. And that is how vampires were born.”
“So… that means they’re not only vampires, they’re witches too,” she observed, from that brief tale. It would tie in with their uncanny ability to know where she was and the magic writing on the wall of the club, that had started off her involvement with them. “Perhaps one of them is good at scrying. Maybe
that’s how they know everything about us - because they really are always watching.” Even as she said it, she felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. “I have to find out more about magic, so that we can work out what they may or may not be able to do,” she said.
Gregory nodded. “I agree. It could be our best chance before they decide to get involved.” January frowned at him and he gave her a bitter smile. “We’d be dead already if they’d decided we were really a problem. At the moment, they’re just sending out cannon fodder in the hopes that one of them tidies up. The moment they decide to take us seriously is the moment we need to really start worrying.”
January tried to take that in. She hadn’t thought it would be possible to be more worried than she was already. “If we had some way of contacting them, maybe we could talk to them. I still think that’s the best way out of all of this. All I want is to be left in peace. I’m sure you feel the same, too. There’s no need to try and wipe each other out. I don’t care about old, all-powerful vampires - so long as they aren’t trying to kill me.”
“Well, I guess we’ll just have to hope that they’re listening in to this conversation right now,” Gregory said, dryly. “Oh, and if you are listening, I don’t share her ‘live and let live’ opinion. I wish you were all dead.”
January opened her mouth to ask him why he’d say that, but never got the words out.
There was a strange whistling sound. Gregory shoved January to the ground. She rolled over in the freezing mud and looked up in time to see a metal object slice halfway through Gregory’s head.
“Gregory! No!” she shouted, pushing herself to her feet.
The vampire was holding his face with both hands, but still managed to growl at her to get back down and find cover. January set off at a crouched run, heading for the bushes in the opposite direction to where the flying sword had come from. Once under cover, she turned to face the playing field.