Taken: The Pteron Chronicles

by Alyssa Rose Ivy

  “Because everyone is talking about her. Word has gotten out about the disappearances, and it’s known she’s the only one left.”

  “The only one left here. They aren’t dead.” Killing them would have been far easier than transporting them somewhere. Whoever pulled this off was strong. Frighteningly so.

  “I know that. You know that. But that doesn’t mean anyone else believes it.”

  “Have you heard from Veronica?” I hated to even think about that heinous creature.

  “No. Why would I have?” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “I don’t know. You were married to her. Are married to her. I can’t keep track.”

  “I have no clue what she’s doing. And that’s a problem.” He looked over my head at something. I followed his gaze to watch two guys fencing. Franklin’s parties were full of interesting sights.

  “So what are you going to do with the fedora guy if you find him?”

  “Interrogate him. Use my special skills.” He slipped his shades down partly. Sol would be able to get more information from him than most anyone. But he had to catch him first. Whoever the guy was, he was powerful. Catching him would be easier said than done.

  “And you plan to apprehend him empty-handed?”

  “I did. But now I don’t have to.” He grinned.

  “Yes, but I need time first. I am here on my own business.”

  “Right. Looking for Franklin you said?” He shifted his weight from foot to foot. “Well, that should be pretty easy.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “His daughter is sitting right there.” He nodded in the direction of the girl with the hat.

  “That’s Franklin’s daughter?” I looked at the girl again. It was definitely possible, but she was a whole lot more grown up than the last time I’d seen her. Given, that had been years before.

  “Yes. You can’t see it now, but she has his eyes.”

  “Last time I saw her she was six or something.”

  “She hasn’t been six for a long time.”

  “Evidently.” I hoped waiting as long as I had to see Franklin didn’t cause me problems.

  “Talk to her. Get what you need, then come help me. As you said before, we are all on the same side.”

  “Give me fifteen.” We couldn’t risk losing out on apprehending the fedora guy, but I also needed to guarantee Franklin’s help.

  “I’m going to keep searching. I’m sure you’ll know it when I’m ready for you.” Sol disappeared into the crowd.

  I walked back over to the girl. Galloway. “You’ve grown up.”

  “You haven’t aged a day.”

  I shrugged. “That’s being a Drago for you.”

  “And you ended up with a Pteron. Interesting.”

  “How is that interesting?” I rested a hand on the palm of the bright purple tree.

  “I don’t know. I guess it isn’t. Just seemed like a good thing to say.”

  “Your dad lets you come to his parties now?”

  “I’ve been coming to his parties for as long as I can remember.”

  “Yes. But it used to be with supervision.” She’d gone through an interesting assortment of nannies in the years I frequented Franklin’s parties.

  “I haven’t needed supervision for a while.” She lifted the brim of her ball cap, revealing a closer look at her eyes. They were brown with only the barest hint of a pupil. As Sol had said, just like her father’s. “Is it true what they’re saying?”

  “Which part?”

  “Hailey’s the only one of them left?”

  “Depends how you define ‘them’.” I studied Galloway’s face. “Do you know her?” I knew Hailey was well known, but not so well known as to be peaking so much interest.

  “I’ve never had the pleasure of meeting her, but I of course know all about her. Especially with that speech of hers at the conference.”

  “Yeah… it was a good one.” It had been Hailey as her real self. I knew she regretted upsetting Allie, but hopefully she didn’t regret the speech as a whole.

  “It was your fire, wasn’t it?” She changed topics.

  She didn’t tell me what she was referring to, but I knew she was talking about the hotel. “Yes. But I had no choice.”

  “Did I say you did?” Galloway pulled the brim of her hat back down.

  “No.”

  “Kind of poetic, don’t you think?” She leaned back against the trunk of the tree.

  “What is?”

  “You were the one to act on your mother’s orders. Her orders from way before your time.”

  “You know your history.” I wasn’t surprised. If she was following in her father’s footsteps it would pay to be on top of things. “But then so did your father. Is he around?”

  “I wondered when you’d get to that question. He is around, but I assure you I can do whatever you need him for. I’m more efficient, and you can trust me more.”

  The last part threw me off. “Can I?”

  “I like Hailey.”

  “Even though you haven’t met her?” I understood liking Hailey, I loved her, but I was still suspicious.

  “Like I said, I know all about her.”

  “And you know all about me.”

  “You I’ve known all about for years.” Galloway smiled. “And you’re a good one too. Just not the same symbol of the movement. You know what I mean?”

  “Yeah. Hailey wears that better. You want the job? Okay. Let’s talk. I need to find an Allure, and it needs to be done quietly.” I’d start there and test Galloway out. Maybe she didn’t command such a high price—either way, time was of the essence.

  “To help Hailey?”

  “Yes.” Helping Owen was helping Hailey. Plus it was helping the next Emerald Dragon, which helped all of us.

  “Which Allure do you need?”

  “Can’t really talk out in the open right now, can we?”

  “Why not?” She inclined her head to the side.

  I looked around. No one seemed to notice us. “And you are your mother’s daughter as well. You’ve mastered that enchantment. Could have used you this morning.” Although I didn’t know her mother well, I knew she was a powerful witch.

  “Yeah, I’m better than Nadia. But she needs the work.”

  “You know her?”

  “Yeah. I feel bad for her. She’s always gotten the short end of things.”

  “Yeah…” Ordinarily I would have asked for details, but we didn’t have time for that.

  “What did the Seer want?” She nodded in the direction of Sol. He was presently moving in time to the music. I hoped he was trying to blend in and not giving up.

  “Help apprehending someone.”

  “That is going to help Hailey too?”

  “Listen. I’m glad you like Hailey, but why are you so concerned about her?” It couldn’t just be because of her speech.

  “You think you’re the only one who really knows what’s going on? Hailey is the best shot we have.”

  “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were a whole lot older than what you looked.”

  She grinned. “You mean I don’t look 106?”

  I returned her smile. “Not a day over 25.”

  “I chose that age because I liked the way I looked. It may be time to age up a little bit more though.”

  “That’s all your choice.”

  “And it’s not as if I can’t reverse it.” She lifted the brim of her hat again.

  “No. It’s not.” Galloway had inherited a lot of gifts from her father. The ability to change her appearance to any age was one of them.

  “Okay. Let’s help Sol, then I will help you track down that Allure.”

  “And no one will follow?” That was the main reason for needing her assistance.

  “No. Of course not. I’m very good at what I do. And despite the look I’ve chosen for now, I’ve been doing it a long time.”

  “Got it.”

  Further in the crowd I
saw him. The guy wasn’t wearing the fedora anymore. Not that I expected him to. But somehow I still recognized the Pteron-hybrid within seconds of seeing him. He put off some sort of energy. The kind of energy one only gets by using underhanded methods. Whatever he was up to, it wasn’t pretty.

  Sol and I exchanged looks. Obtaining him in the middle of Franklin’s party wasn’t going to be easy.

  “Doing business tonight, are you?” Franklin’s booming voice came from right beside me.

  I turned and smiled up at him. There were few people I had to look up to, but Franklin was easily seven feet tall. “Give me five, and I’ll fill you in.”

  “No, I’ll give you five now.” He snapped his fingers and everything in the room stopped. “That trick never gets old.” He pulled me into a hug. “Always good to see you, Wyatt.”

  “As to see you, although I wish it were under better circumstances.”

  “Don’t keep him too long, Dad.” Galloway tugged on his arm. “Hailey’s in danger.”

  Franklin rubbed his forehead with the heel of his hand. “Jim’s niece?”

  “I didn’t realize you knew Jim.” The supernatural world was getting smaller and smaller.

  “Of course I know Jim. I met up with him right before he left on another of his expeditions. Maybe two or three weeks ago.”

  “Expeditions?” This wasn’t good. That meant he likely wouldn’t be home yet. I hoped Hailey could still find the key.

  “That upsets you?” Galloway studied my face.

  “Yes. But let’s stick to business. Any chance you’d help us apprehend a guy?”

  “What has he done? You know the rules of the party.”

  “He tried to kill my mate.” I stuck to the bare minimum of facts.

  “You took a mate?” A smile spread across Franklin’s face.

  “Not quite yet. But she will be.”

  “It’s Hailey.” Galloway crossed her arms. “You should know that, Dad.”

  “Oh. Yeah. Wow. Okay. Then I can bend the rules. Go get him. I’ll start time up again when you’re ready.”

  Sol and I nodded at each other. Being able to manipulate time can have serious advantages.

  8

  Hailey

  The fall didn’t end as painfully as I expected. Instead, we landed on top of a thick mat. The kind of mat usually found underneath gymnastics equipment.

  The room was dark, but I could see just fine. The walls were cinderblock. It was definitely some sort of basement, but it wasn’t any part of my uncle’s basement I’d seen on my previous visit.

  “A little help, Hailey?” Cade whined.

  “Oh yeah.” It was completely dark, which meant I was the only one who could see. I focused for a moment, and my body lit up. I looked down at my glowing abdomen. That was something I’d probably never get used to.

  “Man, that’s really convenient.” At least Cade was appreciative.

  I looked around at the mostly empty room. Aside from the mat we were on, the floor was bare. There was a mostly empty shelf across the room with a few tools on it—a hammer, wrench, that sort of thing.

  “What is this net we’re in?” Eloise tried to push it off.

  “I wish I knew.” I tugged on the metal netting, but it did nothing. “Hello?” I called out. I really hoped this was my uncle being careful and not realizing it was us.

  “I take it your uncle doesn’t like guests?” Eloise tugged again.

  Cad examined the metal netting. “This net is cool in theory, but not when we are the ones stuck in it.”

  “I know.” I did know. And I really wanted to get out of there.

  “Uncle Jim? Are you here?” Technically I might have been attracting an enemy, but this was Jim’s house. The most likely person to respond would be him. I heard footsteps. “Okay, guys. Let’s stay calm.”

  “Let’s get out of this net.” Cade tugged harder, visibly straining.

  “If you can get us out, please do it.”

  “Me?” He dropped the netting he’d been working on. “You’re a Lightness. You do it.”

  “And you’re a Pteron. We both have the strength, but physical strength isn’t working. This must be one of my uncle’s inventions.”

  “Fabulous.” Cade sighed. “Like I said, use your Lightness skills.”

  “Oh yeah. Because I understand what those are.” I closed my eyes, hoping something useful would come to me. Nothing did. “Hopefully that’s Jim we hear.”

  “And if it isn’t?” Eloise asked carefully.

  “Like I said, stay calm.” I’d been right about my luck running out. I knew it in the deepest parts of my being. Jim wasn’t going to walk through the doorway into this storage area. Someone else was.

  “I can’t believe we’ve been captured again. This is humiliating,” Cade groaned.

  “Tell me about it.”

  “You haven’t been captured.” A man wearing what appeared to be a police uniform walked in through the doorway. “Well, not in the ‘you’re a prisoner sense’. Technically you are captured in that net though.”

  I looked the guy up and down. The uniform said Crestview. I had no idea where that was. It certainly wasn’t Baton Rouge. He wasn’t local. “So this net wasn’t your doing?”

  “No. I’m just glad I avoided it personally.”

  “Who are you?” Cade moved around, moving me in the process.

  “My name is Noah.” He walked further into the room. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but I don’t think your hands are getting through that net.”

  “You could fix that by getting us out of that net. Please.” It couldn’t hurt to be polite.

  He smiled. “Right. Like I’m going to do that before I know if I can trust you.”

  “You can trust us.” I forced a smile. “I promise.”

  “You saying it doesn’t help.”

  Forget being polite. I was getting very annoyed. “What are you doing in my uncle’s house?”

  “Your uncle’s house?” Noah’s brow furrowed.

  “Yes. Jim is my uncle.” I may not have known him well, but that was the truth.

  “That doesn’t help anything. I have no idea if he has a niece.”

  “He does. And that’s me.” My hands balled into fists at my side. “Where is he?”

  Noah shrugged. “Not here.”

  “I see that. But that doesn’t answer my question. Where is he?”

  “I wish I knew.”

  “Why are you here?” Cade spit out. “How about you tell us that?”

  “I’m not sure I should tell you that yet.”

  “Why not? What are you waiting for?” I was sure I sounded as exasperated as I felt.

  “I need to make sure you are willing to work together before I say anything else.”

  “Work together on what exactly?” I struggled to calm down. Getting upset wasn’t going to help anything. I could already feel myself losing my cool.

  “By the way, awesome light.”

  I looked down. “Oh. That.”

  “What are you? I thought Jim was a Pteron.” Suspicion dripped from his voice.

  He thought? So he didn’t really know my uncle? “Let me change my question. What the hell are you doing in my uncle’s house?”

  “Hailey, he is law enforcement,” Eloise whispered.

  “Law enforcement for Crestview.” Not that any normal law enforcement mattered to us. “Where is Crestview anyway?”

  “Montana. But that’s beside the point. I’m not here on police business.”

  “Then why are you wearing the uniform?” Cade turned so he was leaning against me. “Or did you steal that?”

  “I did not steal it!” Noah yelled. Evidently Cade had hit a nerve.

  “Okay. Calm down. Everyone calm down.” If Cade wasn’t careful he’d shift without meaning to, which would make the net that much more uncomfortable for everyone.

  “I’ll calm down when he gets us out of this net.” Cade tugged on it. “I’m done with this game.�
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  “Do you know how?” Noah came closer.

  “Don’t you?” Cade asked.

  “I already told you. I’m not the one who set it.”

  “That doesn’t mean you don’t know how to release it.” Cade sighed. “Or are you completely worthless to us?”

  “I can try to figure it out, but no attacking me. I’m here because I was told Jim could help. He isn’t here, and I’m wishing I never came.”

  “Yet you are here in his house. How did you manage that?” Maybe I shouldn’t have been judgmental since we were close to breaking into a couple of houses too, but I still had no idea who he really was or what he was doing there.

  “I broke in.”

  “Obviously.”

  “Because I’m desperate.” He hung back about a foot from us.

  “Why?” Maybe I was getting somewhere. “Why are you desperate?”

  He moved his hands behind his back. The motion made me nervous. I wanted to be able to see his hands. “Because my brother never returned from his mission to The Society.”

  “So you’ve got missing people too?” I hoped we were on the same side of all this. “By the way, I can tell you’re a bear, but anything else mixed in?”

  “All Grizzly. I guess I forgot that part. I’m Noah Grizzly.”

  “If you are from Montana, what was your brother doing here?”

  “Ian shows up for a lot of the meetings. When he never called in I went down to New Orleans and saw the mess. I called around to everyone I knew, and they suggested I come here.”

  “Why was your brother at the meeting and not you?” Cade asked.

  “He’s the Alpha. I’m not. But what does that matter? I heard there were no bodies found on the scene, which means he was taken somewhere. We need to find him.”

  “I still don’t get why you’re in this house. No one in New Orleans even knows Jim. He’s considered crazy.” It was unfair, but it was the truth. He’d been cast out.

  “Not by the people I talked to.”

  “What people?” I wanted to know for more than one reason.

  “I was sworn to secrecy.”

  Cade laughed. “Oh yes. Sworn to secrecy. You’re not buying this crap, are you?” Cade bumped his shoulder into mine.

  I ignored Cade for the moment. “When did Ian leave?”