Under the Midnight Cloak

by S. Y. Thompson

  The din quieted reluctantly, but emotions still ran high. Two of the elders were especially upset and on the verge of shifting. Marie Tristan and Cole Verity both resembled their cats more than their human half. Muzzles had lifted and flattened and whiskers had sprouted. They were hunched forward slightly, incapable of sitting erect since their spines had lengthened in preparation of the change.

  Even Gail Henson, the most junior among her peers, was affected by the tense atmosphere, but the only sign of it was her elongated canines. Jamison mentally compared the young brunette to a vampire and would have laughed if not for the seriousness of the situation. The Council had summoned her because Dalton had registered a complaint.

  "Say that again," Darlene ordered him.

  Jamison recognized the warning in her mother's voice, but Aaron Dalton was too arrogant and sure of himself to notice.

  "I accuse Pieta Jamison Kessler of incompetence. Her actions last night have endangered our community. She is not fit to become an elder."

  Darlene's eyes narrowed and a spark of anger flared in them, yet she held onto her professionalism. Jamison wasn't as successful. Her teeth ground together in fury, but she intended to keep her mouth closed until the Council addressed her directly.

  "That is not your decision to make," Darlene said. "Nor is it within your rights to call the Council into emergency session."

  "Yet here we are." Dalton's lips twisted into a nasty sneer.

  Outraged that he'd address the senior elder, the Caber, who also happened to be her mother, with such contempt, Jamison spun toward him and snarled. Her lips pulled back and her teeth elongated into deadly spikes. It was Darlene's voice that kept her from attacking.

  "You forget yourself, Aaron. You have no standing here and the next time you speak to me or any other elder like that, I won't hesitate to discipline you."

  In other words, Jamison thought, she's going to pulverize you in front of the entire Council and leave you with a permanent reminder.

  Darlene could do it, too. Jamison's mother was a perfect example of Panthera; tall, sleek and muscled. Jamison compared her to Dalton, but in him she saw a jaguar who might be ill. He'd lost weight and was skinnier than usual. Dark circles rested under his eyes and a day's growth of stubble covered his cheeks. Unfortunately, the attitude remained the same.

  With a smarmy smile, Dalton bowed slightly. "My apologies, Elder. No disrespect intended."

  "Enough of this," Marie rumbled, her cat features slightly less pronounced. "These are serious charges. He must be heard."

  Darlene cast an apologetic look to Jamison, but as the lead representative she had to be fair. "Very well. All Council members in favor of hearing this twaddle signify by saying aye."

  Marie and Cole were the first to speak, followed closely by Lydia Booker.

  Jamison wasn't surprised. Marie had just risen to second in charge with Hank's death and had always been against her appointment as an elder. She believed it would give one family too much power over ruling decisions, or so she said.

  Lydia had a thing for Dalton that the whole town knew about. So far, he hadn't shown the slightest hint that he returned her interest, but that didn't keep her from trying.

  Cole was another matter. The man was in his fifties and had been a Council member for a long time, but was still fifth in line as far as seniority. He wasn't a dominant cat and tried to give all issues an unbiased hearing. Jamison thought, in his concern for impartiality, it was too bad he often allowed his opinions to be swayed.

  These three concerned her, and she was fairly confident on whose side they'd fall. Only Dominick Crane and Gail Henson remained quiet, signaling that they really didn't want to hear what the oaf had to say.

  "I must abstain from voting as these proceedings concern my daughter," Darlene said. "The majority rules and we will continue, but I'm warning you, Aaron, any inflammatory remarks will result in you being tossed out on your ear. You will limit yourself to the facts that can be verified. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, Elder Kessler. Those terms will be just fine."

  Jamison rolled her eyes. Even when he tried to be ingratiating he came across about as trustworthy as a used car salesman. The thought triggered a memory of Lee wanting to trade in her pickup.

  Jamison winced and forced her concentration back to the hearing.

  Dalton stepped forward until he was even with her, eager for the questioning to begin.

  "You've accused Pieta Kessler of incompetence while investigating the predator that murdered Elder Morgan. Explain."

  "Instead of doing her job, Kessler was on a date with a human. Morgan and those sheep were killed less than two miles from her house."

  Jamison felt guilt surge painfully through her chest. He was right. If she had been on patrol, Hank might still be alive.

  "Correct me if I'm wrong," Dominick said, speaking for the first time. "Wasn't your team on duty last night? From what I understand, you were less than one mile from the scene and you didn't get there in time."

  "Aaron and his men can't be everywhere at once," Lydia protested, brushing long blonde hair behind one ear as she smiled at Dalton.

  Dominick frowned. "But Jamison can?"

  "She was on a date," Marie pointed out forcefully. "With a human."

  Darlene cut into the heated debate in an effort to thwart Jamison's adversaries. "What do you think, Gail?"

  The thirty-something woman hesitated a little, considering the question. She was the newest Council member and Jamison worried that she could be easily influenced by her more aggressive peers.

  "I'm sorry, I just don't understand why the fact that Pieta Kessler was on a date is such a big deal, regardless if it was with a human or a Panthera. As Dominick already pointed out, Dalton's team was on duty and already in that area."

  Marie snorted at the comment, but Gail's friendly green eyes met her gaze and Jamison couldn't resist smiling back.

  "Cole, we still haven't heard from you," Darlene said to keep things moving along.

  The gray-haired man surprised them all by responding clearly and in a slightly aggravated tone. "I don't care if she had a date with a squirrel. It has nothing to do with whether or not she's incompetent. Get to the point, cub, or get out. We do have other issues to deal with."

  "I agree," Dominick said impatiently.

  "As do I," Gail added.

  Darlene tried to hide her smile, but was largely unsuccessful. She called on each elder in turn and all relented, including Lydia who nervously avoided Dalton's gaze. The sole dissenter was Marie.

  "I do not agree. Dating a human has the potential to publicly expose our kind. Where would that leave us? I'll tell you where. Persecuted."

  Those same humans could learn a thing or two from you, Jamison thought. Marie didn't care about the people one way or the other; what she wanted was to discredit Jamison and this trivial issue was as good as anything to do it. It just infuriated her to see Lee being used as a tool.

  "Your opinion has been noted, but the majority rules," Darlene said. "There are other humans who know about us, we don't live in a vacuum as much as we wish we did. Sheriff Macke is one of the few trusted with our secret and I agree that we should keep the knowledge of our presence restricted. However, let's explore this human's potential danger just to satisfy all parties concerned."

  Jamison didn't know where her mother was going with this train of thought and felt a brief surge of concern.

  "Jamison," Elder Kessler began, "please tell us who this person is and their relationship to our people."

  There was no curiosity in the Caber's eyes, just a hint of triumph. At first Jamison didn't understand, but then it hit her. Dinah must have already told her all about the woman living in Mafdet Manor.

  "Her name is Lee Grayson and she is Christine Mafdet's great niece. I've spent time with her and though I sense that she is half human," Jamison's irritated gaze focused on Aaron Dalton, "I also know that she is half Panthera."

  Stunned
silence reigned throughout the chamber until Marie spoke. For once she wasn't caustic or antagonistic, merely curious and hopeful. "Have you seen her shift? Do you think she might be like Chris?"

  Jamison saw the eager expressions of the Council. Chris had been very important to their community and since her loss it felt like a huge hole had been left behind. She wanted to be able to say what they needed to hear, but she wouldn't lie. This was too important.

  "No, I haven't seen her change. Lee was raised by her human father after her mother's death and I'm not sure she even knows about her heritage or us. If she does, she's never said."

  Disappointed murmurs passed around the table, but Cole leaned forward to ask the question that might brand Lee as an outsider.

  "And the other? Do you think she could be talented, like her aunt?"

  Jamison shrugged. "As I said, we haven't discussed it. I will tell you this, I sense something special about her and I'm not just saying that because I like her."

  "Pieta," he said, "is she living in the manor?"

  "Yes." Jamison felt that should be obvious.

  "And is she a photographer?"

  She scowled. These questions were too direct. Something else was going on. "She's a nature photographer, quite a good one from what I understand. Why do you ask?"

  "We'll get to that," he assured her.

  "If we're all agreed that who the Pieta dates is her business, I suggest we move on. Dalton, you accused Kessler of putting our people in danger. I, for one, would like to hear how."

  Darlene's eyes narrowed when Marie assumed control of the session, but Jamison was surprised when her mother kept quiet and everyone ignored her question. What was that about?

  "Agreed," Caber Kessler said, asserting her authority. "Aaron?"

  He didn't look as smug as earlier and Jamison arched an eyebrow, challenging him to do his worst. Everyone in the room had calmed over the last several minutes and resumed their fully human appearance. She took that as a good sign that things were going her way.

  "Uh, okay. Pieta Kessler left the sheep meadow to update Elder Morgan." Dalton regained confidence while he spoke and his voice grew stronger. "When she arrived at his home, she ran into this carnivore we've been searching for and did nothing to stop it."

  "What?"

  "You can't be serious!"

  "I don't believe it."

  The outburst was so jumbled Jamison couldn't be sure who spoke, but she kept her eyes pinned to the floor. She remembered being torn about what to do at that pivotal moment. Already preparing to go after the murderer, Jamison had let her worry for Hank override her instincts. Was it the wrong choice?

  Sensing an imminent kill, Dalton continued. "Instead, she let that animal go and rushed into the house to find the elder. Now, I'm as sentimental as the next guy..."

  Jamison sneered. As if.

  "...but her actions allowed a stone-cold killer to escape. There's no telling how many more will die because of her questionable judgment."

  Elder Tristan snarled at Jamison with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. "Is this true?"

  So much for things going my way. "Yes, Elder."

  "Explain yourself." Dominick's previous support had become hard-edged disappointment.

  "I saw Ha...Elder Morgan's door ajar and I was worried for his safety. Instinct told me the predator had already been in the house and the fact that the elder wasn't present led me to believe he might be injured."

  "So you chose to render aid to a friend in the hopes of capturing this rogue later. Is that correct?" Darlene asked.

  Jamison looked up at her mother, grateful for the carefully worded question that illustrated her actions in a more positive light. She appreciated what Darlene was trying to do, but it didn't change the facts.

  "Yes, Elder, but I made the wrong decision and I see that now. Instead of stopping all of this when I had the chance, I tried to save a man whose body was already cold."

  "Yeah, and you ended up puking your guts up in the backyard like a colicky cub."

  Dalton's comment washed over her and Jamison's ire rose like a tide. Then what he said fully registered and fury took control. Her head snapped back and Jamison's bones slid rapidly as they reformed. The shoulder seams of her shirt burst and split as pelt erupted from her pores and claws exploded from her fingertips. At the same time, Jamison spun and grabbed Dalton by the upper arms, her claws digging deeply into muscle and sinew as she slammed him against the wall.

  He cried out in pain and struggled to escape, but her animal strength allowed her to hold him six inches off the floor. Sharp teeth snapped together just in front of his face and the smell of fresh blood flooded the room.

  "Jamison, put him down!" Darlene ordered.

  "Caber Kessler," Marie shouted, "I really have to protest."

  It was all Jamison could do not to rip Dalton's throat out. For several long moments it was a close call. Her cat was at the edge of full realization and howled at being restrained in the instant of the kill.

  "Pieta Kessler put him down and explain your actions."

  Jamison recognized Gail's voice, but her jaguar considered the woman a submissive and refused. Had Cole given her a similar order, the result would have been the same. There was a single individual present to whom she'd concede.

  "Jamison, now!"

  She growled in Dalton's face, her fangs centimeters from his nose. She shook him hard and then pinned him back against the wall, but she did refrain from killing him. Dalton whined but stopped struggling to keep from being more seriously wounded.

  "He was there!"

  Shocked gasps filled the room and Lydia protested weakly. "Ludicrous."

  Jamison shook him again and dug her claws in farther until they insulted the bone. His blue shirt appeared black where blood poured from multiple injuries.

  "Are you sure?" Dominick asked slowly.

  She nodded and swallowed thickly. Her vocal chords had thickened with the change and speaking was a chore. "It's the only way he could know. I didn't tell anyone."

  "Maybe you forgot," Dalton whimpered.

  "Don't make me kill you."

  "That's enough," Darlene ordered. "Let him go and we'll listen."

  Reluctantly, Jamison lowered him to the ground, but getting her claws out wasn't as easy. They were designed for ripping and tearing, not releasing. She was pleased that taking them out caused as much pain as thrusting them in.

  Dalton mewled and said, "See, she can't even control herself in front of the Council."

  "Shut up. Speak out of turn again and you'll be removed and detained while we continue without you," Darlene said.

  Dalton grimaced but obeyed, rubbing at the wounds that were already beginning to heal. By this time tomorrow Jamison knew they would only be shallow scratches; not nearly permanent enough for what he had just tried to do.

  "Pieta, please continue."

  She looked at Marie, irritated that the woman was continually trying to usurp her mother's authority. As a result, she pointedly looked away from her and addressed Darlene.

  "Caber, I didn't tell anyone about running into the beast because Sheriff Macke was there. Though she knows about us and the fact that there is a killer loose, I'd never reveal details without the Council's approval. He," Jamison snarled, "could only know what happened if he was there from the start."

  Dominick stood slowly, obviously fighting the urge to take over where Jamison had left off. His hands were fisted at his sides and his teeth clenched. He took a careful breath through his nose before speaking.

  "Pieta Kessler went inside to check on the elder, but you could have gone after this predator. Instead, you let it escape so you could use what you saw against Jamison. Exactly whose judgment is in question here?"

  "But she--"

  "Silence!" Cole roared. "You were already warned by the Caber, now get out. Wait outside. When and if we decide to curse ourselves with your presence, we'll inform you."

  Dalton shot Jamison a sca
thing look and left the room, slamming the door behind. She knew it wasn't over. He wouldn't be stupid enough to say anything else in front of witnesses, but he was the type to hold a grudge. Injuring him, no matter how much he deserved it, would only make him want to return blood for blood.

  Jamison faced the Council with her head high. Her guilt wasn't completely alleviated, but knowing someone else had been there who could have gone after the creature helped mitigate it somewhat.

  "Pieta, you realize as an elder you will be expected to put the good of the community first at all times?" Darlene asked.

  "Yes, of course."

  "Then can you please tell us why you made the choices you did?"

  This was it, the only chance Jamison would have to make them understand. She didn't really care if they made her one of them or not anyway, and if she was going down it would be for who she was.

  "Hank Morgan wasn't just an elder of the Panthera community. He was my friend. Since my father left, Hank stepped in and watched over us. I owed him everything, including my loyalty above everyone else except my mother and sister. Like all of you, my honor defines me. When I saw his door open there was no other choice. Trust me when I say I will catch this killer, but in that moment Hank's welfare took priority. I won't apologize for that."

  When she finished, the elders shifted around and exchanged glances. She didn't know if she had gotten through, but they weren't prepared to discuss it in front of her.

  Darlene said, "We'll consider your argument in closed session. Now, there is another issue before us. Marie?"

  Tension rose thickly in the room and Jamison sensed the elders were uncomfortable about this other matter. Marie said, "Last night, shortly before midnight, the elders were in moracin.

  Oh no, Jamison thought. Ritual ceremonies were held in only one place. "You were at the temple?"

  It was really more of an outdoor shrine the Panthera established centuries ago at the original founding site. The temple was a holy place for them to reach out to nature and the elements. Mafdet Manor had been built on the grounds, a tribute to their kadin. The spiritual leader and their families had lived in the house ever since and Jamison understood the elders would continue with their customs regardless who lived there.