Reah cleared her throat and said softly, “Well. She does have a point uncle.”
Jared said, “I only meant that many people died and suffered from his actions.”
I nodded firmly in agreement, “And James, the true author of those crimes, paid for it. Those people found justice.”
Not that I overly cared about that. If they’d escaped justice in this life, they would have gotten it eventually. Karma works, but it works over lifetimes, so it isn’t easy for most to see. I seriously doubted James’ soul was done paying for those crimes anyway. Death is too easy a price for what he’d done.
Bob cleared his throat and tried to disarm the tension, “Well, you did say she was feisty boss.”
Jared said to me, “I supposed I did,” and took a bite of food.
I guessed that would be the closest that I would get to an apology.
I was ready to go though, before something else went wrong.
I almost groaned as I felt Ted’s soul approaching the restaurant. Jeez, if this last week and tonight was because of Karma I must have been a real bitch in a previous life. I kind of wanted to leave the city and go for a run in fox form, I needed to get my head straight right now. But I’d promised to be at Billiards and Beer right after dinner.
I’d just about had my plate empty when Ted walked in and made a beeline right for our table.
Ted stopped at the table and said, “I have news,” he glanced at me distastefully and his lips closed tightly.
Jared asked, “What is it?”
He glanced at me with distaste again, this time much more obviously.
Jared sighed, “Just spit it out.”
He looked mutinous, but he said in a low voice, “There’s been another mauling alpha. The police are baffled so far, but now with two of them so close together they’ll be under more pressure, if not quite ready to invite the FBI in.”
Jared growled, “Lion shifter again?”
Ted nodded, “Although they haven’t had a positive ID yet, it’s obvious by the pictures. This one was in our territory as well.”
Jared said, “See what you can find out, if the detectives get too close to the truth, contact the vampires to cover it up. I want this guy found now.”
Ted nodded, “I agree, except it was the same as last time, the shifter trail just ends. Even the rain earlier couldn’t explain that.”
Jared sighed, “Just… do what you can. And make sure the pack knows to keep an eye out for a lion shifter. Has Carly responded yet?”
Ted shook his head.
Jared ordered, “Alright, get to it. This bastard needs to die for hunting humans in our territory.”
Ted nodded, spared me another withering glance, and left the restaurant quickly.
“What’s going on? Lion shifter?”
Jared shrugged, “It’s a pack issue. The lion shifter has been killing on our territory, that’s more of a challenge to us than about the humans that died. Usually. The odd thing is the shifter seems to be hiding, which doesn’t track with what is normal.”
Reah expanded on that, “The whole point of a challenge would be to take our territory. Lone lion or tiger shifters normally don’t bother with that, but it’s been known to happen. Still, what’s the point in making a challenge and then hiding from the fallout. The lion shifter should be in our face right now, but it isn’t.”
Bob interjected, “Who’s up for desert?”
I shrugged, “I need to get going, but thanks for the meal. I’ll see you on Monday morning?”
I felt a little guilty eating and running, but this dinner had gone on long enough. I felt awkward.
Jared and Bob nodded, and Reah smiled.
“It was nice to meet you Miku.”
I replied in a softer tone, “You too Reah. Have you considered the lion doesn’t want to challenge, and killing humans is its point?”
Bob made a face, “That would mean he’s an insane shifter, which would be really bad.”
I sighed, “True, but it would also fit the facts a lot better. If hiding doesn’t fit a challenge, then it isn’t a challenge at all most likely.”
I left them with that not so nice thought, and left. It hadn’t been a total disaster, but I’d been hoping for so much more, which made it a huge relief to get outside. I went back to the coven first, and changed into some blue jeans, a red half shirt, and a pair of red boots. I slipped the knife sheaths on, and wore the sword as I went to Billiards and Beer.
I’d figured the dress was a bit much for where I was going next…
Chapter 4
I noticed there was a secondary effect wearing the sword. Humans didn’t really look at me, or their eyes slid right past me when they saw the sword. They saw me, but still looked away at the urging of the spell on the sword. It didn’t bother me, not really, but I’d have to leave it behind the bar when I worked at the clubs, or I wouldn’t be getting good tips.
I went into Billiards and Beer, and Lisa, Jerry, Eustice, and Daniel were at a couple of tables all the way in the back. There were also two others back there with them, I hadn’t met them yet, but I’d felt them. They were Mark’s turns, and now I supposed they were coven security.
I was able to soul skim their names. Cheryl had blue-black hair, green eyes, and looked about twenty-four, though in reality she was about a hundred and forty years old, twenty-four had just been when she was turned. Next to her was Joseph, he looked about twenty-one, and had been a vampire for about a hundred and thirty years. He was tall and a little thin, but as was typical with vampires, attractive.
Wait, I sort of had met Joseph, he’s one of the ones I hit with spirit lightning behind Pulse, and from the sour look he’d sent my way when I got close to the tables I’d say he was holding a grudge about it.
Lisa faux cheered when she saw me, “She made it out alive! What’s it like being surrounded by dogs?”
She shivered theatrically, she’d obviously had a few drinks already.
That seemed like a good idea actually.
“Not that bad,” I totally lied, but not for the reasons she assumed, “It’s going to take them at least two weeks to get Legends back up and running.”
I turned to Eustice, “That means I’ll only be waitressing weekend nights for the next couple of weeks. I need a drink, be right back.”
The bar wasn’t far from the back tables, and I grabbed a mixed drink and went back to the table. Then I watched while Cheryl lined up a shot, and missed.
Cheryl grunted, “The table must be crooked,” she smiled at me and winked, “It’s either that, or I suck at pool. I’m Cheryl, nice to meet you Miku.”
I smiled, “Nice to meet you too, how’d you know who I was?”
Cheryl tossed her head toward Lisa, “She told us you were coming. Don’t mind Joseph, someone pissed in his cereal this morning I think.”
I laughed and said, “I figured he was holding a grudge.”
Lisa snorted, “Nope, he’s just that sociable. Reliable though.”
Joseph glared at all of us, and we smiled back at him sweetly.
What followed was my attempt to learn pool, specifically they called it nine ball, but I was so bad at it I eventually gave up and played a game of darts instead, first with Cheryl, and then Lisa. I was much better at accurately throwing things that had pointy sharp ends on them, than I was at making the pool balls do what I wanted when I hit them. Even after a few drinks.
Cheryl was confident, brash, and said whatever was on her mind, usually in a twistedly humorous way. I figured we’d get along just fine.
Lisa dragged some more details out of me about my dinner with the pack alpha, his enforcer, and his niece. Outside of the personal stuff, I filled everyone in on the schedule, and mentioned the fact there seemed to be a lion shifter in their territory killing humans.
We also talked about things being quiet for the coven right this second, but no one really expected it to last too long. Still, I hoped it would be at least a few days before another jackass like Ja
mes or Mark came along. By the time we stopped for the night and went back to the coven, it was close to one in the morning. My head barely hit the pillow when I passed out.
The trees and shade surrounded me, as did the cool morning air as I ran through the forest. I’d woken up at six, without a hangover, which said to me I was right about not needing as much sleep anymore. I wondered about that, maybe Ceara didn’t sleep at all as I’d suspected? I also had a feeling with her healing so ramped up she probably couldn’t even get buzzed by having a few drinks.
No wonder old vampires were always so grumpy, they couldn’t relax.
Regardless, it felt wonderful being in my fox form and running through the woods. I’d parked on the outskirts of the forest, and was being careful to avoid humans. I’d also felt a few wolves a half a mile away to the north and veered away south east, next time I’d probably find a different place to run, I didn’t want to cause problems that way.
Still, it’d only been a week, but I’d missed this, the peace of the forest, the spirits of the trees and simple animal life. It gave me a chance to decompress, and I decided I’d do this once a week at least, there was no substitute for it. Not even a few drinks.
It also seemed that my eyes weren’t sensitive to light in fox form, which was probably a very good thing. I chuffed a laugh at the idea of a fox with sunglasses. I could run much faster than I used to be able to though, and I felt the blood thirst as well, it had been two days.
I wrinkled my nose when I caught the scent of carrion, but it wasn’t a scent I recognized and the fur stood up on my back as I slowed, and moved toward the source. It was just twenty feet off of the game trail, and it was mostly buried in leaves, dirt, and a fallen branch or two, but I saw a human hand and part of an arm.
When I got closer I saw that the arm wasn’t attached to anything, it had large deep gouges on the end, as if it had been mauled off. The scent though, told me the rest of the body was there, buried under the leaves. I had to assume this was the work of the lion shifter. I stood there frozen for a minute not sure what to do.
I could shift and call the coven, but this wasn’t our territory, and the wolves would investigate this and hide it from the humans just as we would. Decision made, I turned back toward the north and started to run. Hopefully, the pack would listen to me and not attack on sight…
There were five of them, and I only recognized the souls of two. One of course, just had to be Ted, the other one however was Reah. It wasn’t brain surgery to pick which one I should to talk to.
“Reah, it’s Miku. I’m about a half mile south. I need to show you something. Another mauled human body. Looks like the killer is up to three, just one hadn’t been found yet.”
Or more than one I thought to myself.
Reah replied in an alarmed mind voice, “Miku? What are you doing here? You can’t be here.”
I sent, “I was going for a morning run when I found the body.”
Reah sent doubtfully, “In the forest?”
I could sense her moving toward me now, one other wolf followed and it wasn’t Ted. Thank Inari for small favors.
I chuffed and my mind speech was humored, “You’ll understand when you get here. Umm, werewolves don’t kill foxes do they?”
Reah whined in surprise as she came in sight of me, I waved my five tails at her, turned, and ran south back to the body.
Reah asked, “Is that really you Miku?” as she and her unknown escort followed quickly.
I just hoped they were following, and not chasing.
I replied, “Yes, I’ll run further south next time, I didn’t mean to encroach on your territory. But when I found the body I figured better that than a human finding it and calling the police.”
Werewolves were fast in their wolf form, it didn’t take much longer before we were at the corpse.
Reah’s wolf was pretty, with reddish brown fur, she was also very large, as was her companion who still hadn’t spoken, but he was examining the area and taking in scents. I felt awkward, and decided to go.
That was me. Eat and run. Deliver a dead body and run. Reah is going to think I’m anti-social. Still, I had no desire to stick around until Ted, or even Jared got here.
I sent, “I’m going to go, good luck.”
The male growled and sent, “This is pack business and pack land, stay out of both.”
Well, that wasn’t quite the gratitude I’d been hoping for.
Reah whined a goodbye and I took off for my car at vampire speed, I wondered at the fact that it seemed I couldn’t stay out of trouble. I wasn’t a rogue magnet, since apparently it was just general trouble that found me. When I reached the car I shifted, and headed back to the coven.
When I got back and parked, I didn’t go inside but instead immediately back out and for a walk. I wasn’t really angry, or even upset. I had been on their pack land and it could have been much worse. This walk had a different purpose, it had been two days, and I was thirsty. I figured better to take care of it now. It would be my fourth feeding, and it already felt almost normal.
It was easy with soul reading to identify a lone good looking male that wasn’t in a hurry. Call me shallow, but I didn’t want to chow down on an old man. Just… eww. I made eye contact with him and mesmerized him into following me into the next alley. I did it lightly, just enough to do the job, he didn’t look like a zombie at all, and I felt the desire for blood rise sharply since I knew it was about to be quenched.
I pushed him gently up against the wall, and sunk my teeth into his neck. I sighed in contentment as I drank swallow after swallow. It was pure liquid pleasure, and the best thing I’d ever tasted. When I finished, I sighed softly as I watched his bite mark heal. I also hadn’t been wrapped around him at the end, like I had the last time.
Maybe it was because I hadn’t waited too long like last time, or maybe it was because I hadn’t just been around Jared so my libido wasn’t on fire. Either way, I was kind of glad. Still, he seemed rather excited about it, there were no doubts in my mind that humans enjoyed being a vampire meal pack.
I looked him in the eyes, “Go about your day and forget you met me, or what happened here.”
He nodded in a bit of a smiley daze, and then his face cleared and he walked off.
“What are you?” asked a young female voice behind me.
I frowned as I turned around, she hadn’t been there a second ago, I’d been getting into the habit of keeping at least a tenth of a mile awareness at all times, if not my full reach of a half mile. I wouldn’t get any stronger if I didn’t practice.
“Vampire, and spirit sorceress,” I said with an impish grin, to the small spirit of a young girl.
Her eyes widened, and I reached out to her spirit and read it.
She’d died in an accident ten years ago, been hit by a car going after a ball. A cliché way to die perhaps, but there was a reason it was a cliché, because it was all too common.
I removed her memory block, and watched as the past lives rushed into her. Her young eyes suddenly looked way too old and wise for her small stature, and she bowed to me before she slowly disappeared. She’d get another chance at life, and probably soon. Her last life had been short, and uncomplicated, it wouldn’t take her spirit long to process that and be reborn.
I walked back in the coven building through the front door, satisfied in both body and soul after my encounters. Matt was loitering behind the security desk and smiled at me when he saw me.
He asked, “Did you really want to help with training? Jerry is still waiting for that match too.”
I nodded, I was in a pair of yoga pants with a loose but clingy shirt anyway, it’s what I’d thrown on this morning before my run.
I grinned at the challenge, “Sounds like fun.”
Both would be. They needed to learn how to really fight, otherwise the increased speed wasn’t all that effective, outside of against a human maybe.
He motioned me around the security desk and went down the ba
ck hallway. I’d never been back there, and had wondered why exactly security needed the whole first floor. He led me to the second door on the left, which turned out to be a full sized workout and dojo area. Elemental air magic kept vampires in perfect health, but working out and training would still improve that by adding muscle mass.
Cheryl, Joseph, and another vamp I’d hit with lightning named Steven was in the room. As was the other three of Mark’s turns I hadn’t met at all yet, Kelly, Todd, and Andrew. As far as trainers, Jerry was also in here besides Matt of course.
Cheryl smirked at me, “Aren’t you kind of short and puny?”
I smiled and shook my head, “Keep talking, your running up a bill.”
Cheryl was just playing, but Joseph and Steven weren’t.
Joseph raised his eyebrow incredulously and he said to Jerry in annoyance, “She’s supposed to help train us?”
Steven smirked, “I don’t know, I’d kind of enjoy it. Unless she cheats with that lightning shit again.”
His tone of voice indicated he was hoping for some payback. I kicked off my shoes, put my sword against the wall, and walked out on the padding. I looked around at everyone.
“I’m the slowest and smallest person in this room, let’s see how much speed and strength really count when wielded without technique, any volunteers?”
I was doing this to help. There was no way they’d listen to me if I didn’t put them in their places first. I thought if I could teach them to think first, and not telegraph their moves, they’d be much better guards. They weren’t fighters right now, just… brawlers. That truly was my intent, to help them become better at protecting the rest of the coven.
But I’d be lying if I’d said that was the only reason. I looked forward to taking out a little of my frustration along the way as well. Not that my new life was bad, it truly wasn’t, it just wasn’t anything like I’d expected it to be. And I still felt cheated about my soul mate. I’d dreamed for over forty years about meeting him, so it was quite frustrating to find out he’d invited me to dinner as an information source.
It was hard not to hate my uncle and James for ruining those possibilities and stealing my future.
Lion's Claw: Spirit Sorceress: Book 2 Page 3