A Crown of Blood and Bone: Paranormal Romance (The Shadow Walkers Saga Book 1)

by Sloane Murphy

  "Remy, we've had this conversation more times than I wish to count. The elders explain their actions to no one."

  "Well maybe just because that's the way it always has been, doesn't mean that's the way it should be. How much else are they keeping from us? What else are they hiding?"

  "Enough, Remy," Bauer says sternly as he steps out onto the porch. "We will not go through this again. Not right now. We have enough to deal with."

  "Fine. I'm going to check in on Dad," I say, and move past him in to the house, trying to keep the rage that's simmering beneath the surface in check. As I climb the stairs, more things click into place. My inherent dislike of the elders, my impatience of no-one ever questioning what we're told, or anything at all really. I begin to understand why it was so easy for me to fall in love with Kain, and with Roman if last night’s dream was any indication of a memory, which they so often are these days.

  I sit on my dad’s bed next to him. I wish I could just talk to him about it all, but the problem with remembering, is remembering how he didn't believe me. Or how he wouldn't listen to me, refusing to believe there was anything wrong with our ways or our unyielding laws and belief systems that were out of date and just wrong. I knew otherwise.

  Yes, some of the Dracul and the Lycans were out of hand. Yes, some of them attacked humans, hunted them, kept them as pets. Those ones, I would hunt to the ends of the earth. But the others, the ones who just wanted to live their lives with their families, experience the everchanging world in all its wonder. Those ones, I refused to hunt. If not outright to the elders, then in my own way. Would I find them? Of course, I'm good at what I do. I'm one of the best. But would I slaughter them, when they have done nothing but be born, or made, into a faction that wasn't my own? Not a chance.

  I pushed for us to be better, trying to bring others to my way of thinking without risking a blade through my heart, or the true death. But so many refused to see the truth, even with the world as accepting as it was among the humans in this lifetime, I could see it still in the Hunters I've met. That unwavering faith, the belief that the monsters are nothing but filth, pests to be exterminated to create a better Earth.

  It is the one time I have been glad of the struggle for Hunters to conceive. So that our numbers don't grow so much that that ideal might become a reality. Because the barbaric ways of this council of elders would do it if they had the opportunity.

  It hits me, the reason for the extra Hunters.

  It is not a precaution, but an opportunity for extermination. I scramble to pull my phone from my pocket and bring up Kain's number. I try to call, but am not surprised when it goes to voicemail.

  You need to get your people out. Quickly. Hunters gather. R

  I send the message and pray that his pride does not get in the way of protecting his people. I do not understand why he would bring his clan with him on a hunt. The warriors, yes, but the women and children. Were they as fierce as the men, yes, but so many would be put at risk. Maybe my thoughts are draconian, but having lost my mother, I can't think of a worse fate for a child to exist without theirs, regardless of who or what they are.

  It changes you.

  I take a deep breath and try to calm my racing heart.

  "Remy?" I open my eyes and gaze at my dad at the sound of his voice.

  "Dad? You're awake! Holy shit. I'll get you some water, hold on." I jump from the bed and rush to the bathroom, grabbing a glass of water. "Bauer!" I shout as I rush back to the room. I help my dad sit up and then hand him the glass.

  "Sip it." I scold him when he takes a gulp and he glares at me over the rim, but changes to sips of water. I might have issues with my dad, but that doesn't mean I'm not glad he's awake.

  Footsteps bang up the stairs as Bauer, Colt and Creek barge into the room.

  "You're awake." Bauer says, stepping forward.

  "Have I been out long?" he asks, his voice still croaking after being asleep for so long.

  "Not too long, a few days," Bauer answers him. "What happened?"

  My dad’s eyes harden, and his entire body almost shakes with rage. "We were betrayed."

  After Colt got the other Hunters settled in a hotel in the center of Salem's Bay, he came back with Nate and Maddie in tow. While he was gone, Bauer helped Dad about, getting cleaned up, while I sat and talked with Creek. I didn't mention the dream, because if it wasn't a dream, if it was real, then I’m sure he knows, and I have no idea how to tackle that. I don't know if we've ever discussed it before, in lives between then and now, and it’s making me feel anxious as hell.

  "Are you okay?" Creek asks me, watching me closely as I nurse my cup of coffee.

  I let out a huff and blow some hair off my face. "I'll be fine."

  I hope the answer is enough, but I don't have to worry, because Dad and Bauer appear in the kitchen, where the rest of us are seated, waiting. Being watched and analyzed, is not on my to do list today, hell none of this was, though I can't be anything but happy and relieved my dad is finally awake.

  He makes his way across the room, shrugging off Bauer’s helping hand, but Bauer moves like his shadow, just in case.

  "I am not decrepit, boy. I can walk," my dad scolds, but Bauer rolls with it.

  "I never said you couldn't, old man. But you've been out cold with no food for days, the likelihood of you falling is real, and considering how long you've been healing, I'm pretty sure you don't want to be sidelined again because you fall and break something." Bauer bites back, and I catch my dad’s smile before he wipes it away and sits down at the head of the table, exactly where he should be.

  Creek jumps up, and starts rummaging through the fridge, as if not knowing where he can help with this, and so, he'll feed us all. The room is quiet other than his movements for a few moments while everyone waits for my dad to speak.

  "Have you found out what they used to injure me?" His eyes roam the room, meeting each one of us until settling on Nate.

  "Not yet, but I'm working on it. I've been using limited resources, because I didn't know who attacked." My father nods at his words, and now that I know more, it makes sense that we kept this mainly in house, and why Colt was touchy about Dad still being asleep with the other Hunters here.

  "I brought the Bello's back with me from Africa. We need more man power here with the surge in numbers, I thought they would be best. Abel agreed to come," Colt tells him and my dad nods.

  "Good idea. They have been friends of ours for many years, I do not believe they would turn against us now."

  "You said we were betrayed?" I ask, since no-one else seems to want to say it.

  "I was attacked by a Hunter. I do not know who, the coward attacked from behind with the shots before I disarmed him, but his face was covered. I only know he was human from his eyes. No amber ring. No silver flecks." He bows his head as if ashamed before straightening.

  "Do you know why?" I ask, the rest of the room deathly quiet, and he shakes his head.

  "I have no idea, but for it to happen, so soon after knowledge of your Angel mark spread, I do not believe in coincidences." I suck in a breath at his words.

  "This is my fault?" He looks me in the eye, hesitating before shaking his head, but the hesitation was enough.

  "It is no one’s fault but those who sanctioned it, or those who carried it out. There has been unrest in our faction for many years now, but the splintering grows. The elders do not seem worried about it, but warring amongst ourselves, when our enemies grow in strength and number is not what we need to be doing. That said, I want to know more about the bullets, the blades he used. Maybe if we can find out what, we can discover who and why."

  "I'm working on it," Nate says.

  "I'm glad you're okay, Denny," Maddie says softly. "Now, how about for a change, instead of storming off to the depths of battle, we just celebrate that you're back with us and healthy. Creek is already cooking enough to feed an army, how about we bring Abel, Celeste and Gabriel back, invite Marie, Fallon and Rebel over. Make
a night of it."

  "Maybe he should rest," Bauer inserts but my dad shakes his head.

  "I think a night with my family, including our extended family, is exactly what I need." I read between the lines, knowing that my dad will speak to Abel, Celeste and Marie about what happened to him. Find out if anyone has heard anything. How better to disguise a meeting to our enemies, than as a revelry.

  But a spark of hope ignites in me, and I hold on to my father’s words. Dissent in the Hunters, while terrible, could be exactly what I have hoped for so long. Maybe others have discovered what I have, that not all is as it seems, that things do not have to be the way they are, the way we have been told they always were. The lies of the elder council poison us, and while no one seems to know why the change happened, I know that it did.

  Another thing for me to think about later.

  Colt leaves the room, his phone to his ear, most likely calling Gabriel, while Maddie calls Marie. I pick up my own phone and see a message from Kain.

  A war is coming. We will not flee, when all we have dreamed of is within our grasp. K

  I steady my reaction, careful not to portray anything but mild disinterest at the screen, before I tuck it back away in my pocket. Hope swells in my chest, but I school my emotions.

  "Who is patrolling tonight?" I ask, since it has been so long since I've been out, but the opportunity to get out and speak to Kain feels within my reach.

  "Some of the Bello's cousins volunteered. After being stuck on a plane for way too long, they jumped at the opportunity to be outside," Colt says as he walks back into the room, and my heart sinks a little.

  "You're heading out tomorrow, so get your rest tonight. Your first solo hunt." He winks at me and I smile, feeling far more confident in my abilities than I have since my ritual.

  Twenty-One

  I leave my apartment on foot, I’m heading out of the city, but with the harvest festival coming up next week, parking here has been impossible. The colder air stings my cheeks, but I relish it. I’ve always been a fan of colder climates.

  My swords are tucked under my cloak, considering the crowds, I'm glad of my decision. Even if it were closer to Halloween, costumes aren't considered normal on adults around here. I make my way through the crowds of people for the four blocks it takes to reach my car, before jumping in and cranking the heaters on to full. The cold I like, freezing fingers, not so much.

  I start the car and set the location of the warehouse two towns out on my phone before making the slow drive in heavy traffic out of the city. With the increase in activity in the areas, our patrol borders have been widened. We're apparently the only Hunters on this half of the continent, which explains the amount of camping trips Bauer and Dad used to take, leaving Colt and I at home. Not that I was ever bothered, I am not a camping kind of girl. Can I slum it when needed? Yes, but would I choose to? Not in this life, or any other.

  The road’s clear, and the lights fade away, darkness creeping in, only broken by the lights of my car.

  A flash to my left catches my eye, and I slow the car to look. To make sure that I'm not being tailed. I look forward a moment too late to see a man in the middle of the road. I slam on the brakes but I know the collision is coming. My poor mustang. I brace myself best I can as I hit him, my car spins, hitting something else which flips it up into the air. The car rolls and I struggle to keep myself tucked in, but failing at the force of the movement. The car skids to a stop and I groan. Suspended upside down, blood running up my face, and my shoulder feels like it’s been dislocated. I touch it and grimace. Yep, definitely dislocated.

  I hear cheers around me and shake my head. I must have hit it harder than I thought. I clamp my teeth as I pop my shoulder back in, whimpering as I do.

  I try to reach for my phone, but the seatbelt pins me in place, and of course, I can't reach the blade in my ankle holster either.

  Fuck.

  The cheering grows louder and shadows appear on the ground as the light grows around me, flickering, as if it were firelight.

  I see feet at the window beside me before their owner crouches down and smiles at me through the space where there used to be glass. The smile chills my bones, and I try not to panic.

  "Pretty little Hunter we caught here boys. I think we should have some fun. Her blood smells delightful." His eyes glow silver, before he stands, and the door is ripped away.

  Lycans.

  Hollers and whoops cry out into the night, and I wonder how they found me, how they traced me, or was it sheer dumb luck on their part that I was headed out this way. They don't seem to know who I am, just that I'm a Hunter, but I guess my blood would give that away. My vision blurs as the world tilts, but I force myself to focus. Hands reach in and pull at the seatbelt, snapping it, grabbing me before I drop and wrenching me from the car.

  Dazed and injured I struggle against the man carrying me, but it hurts to breathe and I realize my ribs are likely broken, I just hope I haven't pierced my lung.

  I stop fighting, trying to gather some strength and take in my surroundings. The light I saw must have been the bonfire being lit that now sits in the middle of this field in the middle of nowhere. I look around and realize this isn't just a few Lycans. There are at least a dozen. What the fuck are Roman and his alpha's up to, letting a cluster of rogues grow to this size. Hunters are not the only ones who were meant to police the factions.

  "Fancy trying to find dinner and stumbling across a Hunter boys. The huntress must be with us tonight," the man roars, and the cluster roar back. Just what I need. To be dinner. A few more steps, and the man holding me drops me to the ground. I groan as my bones rattle on the impact.

  I try to stand, managing to get to my feet, I rush the Lycan closest to me, grabbing the blade from my ankle to do as much damage as I can, before I start to run.

  Running from a cluster of rogue Lycans is probably the most idiotic thing I could do, they enjoy the hunt, the chase, just as much as the kill, but if I'm going to survive, I need to get the hell out of here.

  So I run, my breaths stabbing with each lungful of air I suck down, but I push through it. I am miles from the edge of Salem's Bay, and there is no traffic on this road. Likely why the Lycans chose to set up camp here.

  I tune into my hearing as I run, my eyes already scanning my surroundings, seeing further than I would usually to ensure I don't fall into any other traps. I hear them, so close behind me, so I push harder. Their speed typically is faster than mine, but not if they're not shifted, and the time it would take to shift would definitely give me chance to get away. I just have to hope they don't contemplate the shift being worth it.

  I see lights in the distance, relief flooding me, when I feel the blade bury itself in my thigh and I fall to the ground. The Lycans get closer, and I try to stand again, but I can put no weight on that leg. Fuck.

  A roar, louder than any I've heard tonight cracks through the silence and I wince, but the rushing footsteps behind me slow to a stop. I hear the rustle of the grass from in front of me when I see him.

  Roman Knight.

  He runs straight past me, half turned, and barrels into the group behind me, quickly followed by two fully shifted wolves. Screams cry out behind me, and it takes everything inside me not to sob.

  I put a leash on my emotions and shove them down as the screams and cries around me die.

  The two shifted wolves appear at my sides, scenting me before howling.

  "You're bleeding," Roman says roughly, kneeling beside me. He pulls the blade from my thigh and I clamp down on the scream that threatens. I hear, more than see him take off his T-shirt and wrap it around my thigh. "It has not hit anything important, but it is deep. You will need to see a witch."

  "Thank you," I say shakily and roll over, sitting up, careful not to knock the material on my leg.

  "What the fuck are you doing out here alone?" he roars down at me, and it raises my hackles.

  "Who the fuck are you to shout at me about being out here
! You don't own me, and you sure as hell don't get to dictate my actions."

  "Who the fuck am I? I swear to god Remy," he paces in front of me and pulls at my hair. His chest heaving as his anger rolls off of him. "Who the fuck am I... Do you not remember?"

  I just look at him and cross my arms, raising an eyebrow. I'll be fucked if I'm going to tell him. He might have just saved my ass, but he does not have the right to speak to me like that.

  "You must remember, you let me help you. Who the fuck am I... really? I'm just the guy who saved your pretty little ass." He rolls his eyes at me as he continues to pace.

  "Are you going to tone down your inner asshole, or are you just going to get the hell out of my face?" He barks out a laugh at my words and the two wolves beside me just whine, laying down and putting their noses beneath their paws. I'd laugh if I wasn't so focused on the man in front of me. The bigger threat, no matter our history.

  "Tone down my inner asshole, nearly get pulled to pieces by twelve fucking Lycans, but I'm the asshole." He cHunters away, as he paces, his movements slow as if he's working through the anger inside him, settling his wolf, as if tearing the other Lycans apart wasn't enough to let his wolf know I'm okay. Although his pacing does give me a chance to check him out properly, not that I should be right now. I have more than enough to deal with as it is and I mentally scold myself for potentially making things even more complicated than they already are, and curse past Remy yet again. "Fucking woman, doesn't understand. Yes, yes, she's alive, she's safe, but fucking hell."

  He pulls at his hair, his musings quietening before he stops and just stares at me.

  "You remember me? Who you are to me?" he asks, his eyes finally calm, no longer glowing.