Through Storm and Night (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 2)

by Lauren Jankowski

  “No, Passion. Tell me what the problem is.”

  She waved the bottle around slightly. “Nowhere near enough alcohol.”

  “No, but the guardians do have vastly superior wines.” Jet watched as she took a long swallow of wine.

  “But you can’t get drunk on them,” Passion countered in a singsong voice. “Earth is infinitely better at creating substances to numb the body and mind for short spans of time.”

  Jet watched helplessly as she strode from the kitchen, wine bottle and glass in hand. He looked back to the bustling kitchen, unsure of what to do for his friend.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Isis couldn’t believe someone had the gall to seat her across from Jensen. She had a sneaking suspicion Jensen would’ve found some way to sit across from her anyway. She sat in between Shae and Electra, trying her best not to look across the table at Jensen. The meal was passing with little incident. Electra was talking amicably and animatedly with her uncles, Jet and Lilly occasionally chiming in. Passion sat toward the head of the table, a bottle of red wine and a glass in front of her. She had already finished one bottle and Isis found herself wondering what a guardian’s alcohol tolerance was.

  Lilly was at the other end of the table, looking radiant as ever in a pine green dress with silver trim. Steve sat toward the end of the table with his girlfriend, Tracy, sitting next to him. She had been overly friendly when she first met Isis, which Isis ignored. Tracy was a small petite woman with dishwater blonde hair and intense dark eyes. She was wearing a dressy pink top and gray skirt. She glanced over at Isis and smiled. At least she didn’t wave, Isis thought as she smiled politely back. She was surprised Tracy had been invited, especially since Roan was likely to pop up in conversation. Shape shifters didn’t seem to use the classified label as freely as humans did. Then again, he was in the Meadows and his return was likely to be known soon enough.

  Isis picked up her glass of water, listening to Electra laughingly tell a story from her youth. The sudden feeling of a shoe brushing against her shin caused Isis to gasp loudly and go completely rigid, dropping her glass of water all over the table. All eyes turned to her and she felt herself flush bright red as she picked up the overturned glass, mopping at the water with her cloth napkin.

  “I’m sorry,” Isis muttered, attempting to kick Jensen under the table. He easily dodged the kick, giving her an innocent look that only added to her anger.

  “Passion, have any guardians spoken with Roan yet?” Ajax asked, thankfully taking the attention off Isis. Passion laughed humorlessly and took another long swig of wine from her glass.

  “Nobody’s spoken with your brother yet, aside from Adonia. We’re still waiting on approval from the High Council,” Jet answered. Ajax nodded and turned back to his food.

  “Are you five going to stay for a while?” Lilly asked from the other end of the table. Isis bit the inside of her cheek when she felt the same foot begin brushing against her other shin. She refused to embarrass herself again.

  “As long as you need us to,” the man who had been introduced to Isis as Malone replied. He and Devin seemed to be the quietest of the brothers. Malone struck her as the more intense of the two.

  “Wish I would’ve slept with you. Doubt you would’ve tossed a man off a roof,” Passion mumbled into her wine glass, causing everyone to turn and stare at her. Nero, the youngest Deverell, began laughing. Passion tilted her head back and finished off the glass.

  Jet grabbed the nearly empty bottle from in front of her. “Passion, please eat something.”

  Passion grumbled something under her breath and used her fork to move the untouched food around on her plate. Electra had her hands over her face.

  “Isis, how are things among the humans?” Nero asked. When Isis had first been introduced to him, she couldn’t help but stare in shock. He appeared to be only a few years older than she was, and yet she knew he was more than half a century older. Isis was still getting used to the concept of immortality being a real thing.

  “I still can’t get over the idea of being raised by humans and having no idea what a shape shifter was,” Tracy chimed in, smiling when she glanced at Steve.

  Isis was still in the process of dabbing up the spilled water. She shrugged in response, subtly palming something off the table.

  “Not really that weird. Both species occupy the same space,” Isis replied, placing the object she had grabbed under one of her slender legs. “You both inhabit the same planet, after all. You do pretty much the same exact things. You’re a lot more similar than you realize.”

  “You were some kind of photographer, right?” Jensen asked, raising an eyebrow. Isis glanced across the table at him, surprised. He swirled the dark red wine in his glass.

  “Uh, yeah. I worked for the local paper in town,” she replied. “How’d you know?”

  He smiled as he sipped wine from his glass. “Lucky guess.”

  “Actually, we have spoken with Steve on an occasion or two,” Devin said, glancing down at Steve with a friendly grin. He cleared his throat and glanced over at Isis, trying to gauge how angry she would be at the revelation. Isis could feel Jensen’s foot prodding her knee again, but she ignored it.

  “Well there’s a thought that’s going to keep me up for a year or two,” Isis replied a bit tensely. She didn’t like the idea that strangers had taken such an interest in her life. The thought of being spied on was still creepy.

  “They just wanted to make sure you were safe,” Steve explained. “Lilly and Jet said it was all right to speak with them.”

  “He’s right, Isis,” Jet added and Lilly nodded in agreement.

  Isis glanced at Steve and then back to her uncles before looking down at her food again.

  “Bloody hell!” Jensen suddenly shouted in surprise, jerking backwards. He reached down and rubbed his leg. He glared at Isis, his sky blue eyes narrowing in accusation. She smiled pleasantly back at him as she took a sip of water from her newly filled glass, her eyes daring him to say something.

  “Jensen, what’s wrong?” Jet asked, confused by the strange outburst. Lilly also watched him with concern. Jensen straightened his jacket and ran a hand over his hair.

  “Nothing. Just a leg cramp,” Jensen replied as he composed himself, smoothing the front of his nice shirt and adjusting his jacket.

  “Must’ve been quite painful to make you squeal like that,” Isis commented, innocently. Jensen’s only response was another cold glare and she merely smirked in response. Isis jumped a little when she felt Shae pinch her arm. She almost knocked into Electra, who stared at her sister’s odd behavior.

  “Behave,” her cousin warned under her breath. Isis rolled her eyes, but turned back to her dinner. She put the fork she had hidden under the table back in its original place.

  “So, will the lovely Sly be around later?” Nero asked.

  “I doubt it. She has taken a temporary leave,” Jet responded. “I’m not sure when she’ll be in contact again.”

  “No!” Nero dropped his fork and looked between Jet and Lilly. “What happened?”

  “Nothing,” Jet answered. “I will tell you later, if you wish.”

  “But Jade and her make such a great couple,” Nero continued, grousing. Isis looked down the table to her teammate. Jade grinned behind her glass of wine, taking a small sip.

  “We’re still together, Nero. You’re only interested because you want a three-way,” she teased. Nero looked at her and grinned mischievously.

  “Jade, your cynicism wounds me,” he replied, clutching his chest for dramatic effect.

  Both Malone and Devin chuckled at the repartee between the two. Most of the people at the table seemed amused by the conversation. Isis heard a soft buzzing toward the end of the table and glanced over to where Steve and Tracy were. Tracy reached for her purse and pulled out a small phone, frowning as she looked at the screen. She typed something and then put the phone back in her purse.

  “I’m sorry. I have to leave,” she s
aid, standing up. “My friend in the hospital needs me to bring something to her.”

  “Oh that’s too bad,” Jet said as she and Steve stood up. “It was nice meeting you, Tracy.”

  “Likewise,” Tracy said. “I had a lovely time. Isis, we should definitely find some time to get together again.”

  Isis stared at her, not sure how to respond. Tracy seemed relatively normal, but Isis wasn’t one for hanging out with strangers. Shae was better at socialization. She also knew Tracy wanted to make a good impression on Steve and Isis didn’t particularly enjoy being used. Still, she felt she owed it to Steve to at least make an effort.

  “Okay,” she replied. She figured it would be easy enough to get out of should she change her mind. Sipping her cold water again, Isis ignored Jensen smirking at her.

  “Great,” Tracy beamed, flashing her perfect pearly whites. “Bye, everybody.”

  “I’ll walk you out,” Steve offered. They left the dining room.

  “Seems like a pleasant girl,” Ajax mentioned when they left. “I haven’t seen any of the Monroe children around tonight.”

  “They’re at the Lair,” Jet said, sipping his wine.

  Ajax’s eyebrows rose slightly. “The rebel club? Alpha doesn’t mind?”

  “We’ve negotiated an alliance with the rebels,” Lilly stated. “The Four were able to do so a couple nights ago.”

  “Alpha took quite an interest in Isis actually,” Jade mentioned.

  “Really? Thinking of going rebel, Isis?” Jensen asked.

  “Didn’t come up,” she responded evenly.

  Jensen leaned forward. “So then what was Alpha so interested in?”

  Isis shrugged, feigning indifference. “I don’t know. Maybe it was just my winning personality.”

  “What did she want, Isis?” Jet asked.

  “Just wanted to talk to the new girl,” she lied. Jet raised an eyebrow, obviously skeptical. Isis looked back down at her plate, remembering Alpha’s warning to keep her team in the loop. Steve came back into the room, taking his seat again. Isis tilted her head, noticing faint rings under his eyes for the first time. He noticed her looking at him and smiled in a way that was meant to be reassuring, but only made him look more worn out.

  “Steve, you’ve been sleeping on the job,” Jensen teased. “The rebels have corrupted young Isis here.”

  “What?” Steve asked, frowning in confusion.

  “How is the search for Coop going?” Ajax asked, changing the topic.

  Jet shook his head. “No trace. The man has disappeared.”

  “Perhaps Roan would know something,” Malone suggested. Jet nodded, twisting a fork in his hand.

  “I’ll ask when Lilly and I are granted permission to question him, though I doubt he’ll be forthcoming if he does know something,” he said. Isis looked back at her plate, wondering if they would ever find out anything about Coop. The man had disappeared without a trace, into thin air. The rebels called them ghosts because they moved through the world like shades, Alpha had told her. Isis barely heard the rest of the dinner conversation. She was lost in her own thoughts.

  *~*~*~*~*

  “What is that guy’s problem?”

  Jade looked up from the strawberry cheesecake Shae, Alex, and she were picking at. Isis sat on the opposite counter, head resting against the cabinet behind her. Behind them, the quiet sounds of dishes being washed was beginning to peter out.

  “Who? Nero? He’s an unapologetic flirt and can’t stop thinking about sex for more than two minutes. I daresay he meets the diagnostic criteria for nymphomania,” Jade responded before eating a small bite of the rich cake from her fork. The dinner had been over for a few hours. Electra had finally been able to convince her mother to return to the Meadows. Jet and Lilly were meeting with the Deverells and the Four had retired to the kitchen to pick at what would have been dessert. The Deverells had passed on dessert, much more interested in discussing the eventual questioning.

  “No. Jensen,” Isis grumbled. “The guy is a pretentious ass. It’s like he thinks he’s a gift to the world or something.”

  “Ah come on, Isis. He’s all right,” Alex responded.

  “He didn’t molest you with his foot for most of the evening,” Isis argued. Alex paused for a moment.

  “Well, you got me there,” Alex chuckled as she stabbed her fork into her designated slice of cheesecake. “He used to live here, didn’t he, Jade?”

  Jade nodded. “A long, long time ago. He came with Nat after their parents were murdered. Shortly before the Second World War, the Aldridge line was completely wiped out. They had always been the Monroes’ main allies in Europe. They went back quite some time, back before the Tudors come to think of it. Unfortunately, someone decided the line had gone on long enough. Someone had begun picking off the family and then one night, there was a brutal attack. The remaining Aldridges were slaughtered around the world in one of the most devastating coordinated attacks protectors have ever experienced. We’re still trying to figure out exactly who was behind the strike. Only Jensen and Nat managed to escape the bloodbath. Jet and Lilly had to pull a lot of strings and call in all their debts, but in the end, they were able to smuggle them over. Jensen and Nat actually arrived the night Cassidy and Hunter were born.”

  Jade paused, pushing a bit of cheesecake around with her fork, thinking. “The protectors were all stunned. The Aldridge line was ancient, going back to the first protectors. They had survived numerous coups, battles, and other dangerous times. To have practically an entire line wiped out in a few short years — it was unthinkable. No one ever expected such a thing to happen. Protectors all over the world mourned the death of the Aldridge family, as did the guardians. Jensen and Nat lived at the mansion for a while, mostly for their own safety. Jensen was always restless, but Lilly convinced him to spend a few years at the mansion, where he was protected by guardian magic. The Monroes became like a second family to Jensen and Nat. Eventually, Jensen decided to go with Orion and the Deverell brothers to hunt down the people responsible for the death of his family. Nat chose to stay here.”

  Jade rubbed the bridge of her nose with the back of her hand, closing her eyes briefly. Isis glanced over at Jade, knowing the story of the original women thought to be the Four and how it was a sensitive topic for Jade. She had photographed the gruesome murder scene of one of the women, just before the body vanished.

  “You all right, Jade?” Shae asked, concerned.

  Jade nodded. “I’m fine. Right, Jensen. I’m not sure if he ever found all those responsible, but he decided to continue travelling with the Deverells, even after Orion’s death. They occasionally stopped by the mansion, but their visits became less and less frequent. I introduced him to his lover, Bryn, during one of their short visits. I haven’t seen him in ages and only spoke to him briefly to tell him what had happened to Nat and Bryn. He was never thrilled with his sister being part of the Four, but I think he was just concerned for her safety. I know Nat always worried about him, even though they spoke almost daily. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if he’d ever set foot in the mansion again. He loves the Monroes, but the loss of his sister was devastating.”

  Things went quiet in the kitchen. Isis shifted her weight and thought back to their time in the Lair.

  “I asked Alpha about Coop,” she blurted out. All three women stopped eating and looked over at her.

  “You what?” Jade asked, putting her fork down.

  “I thought it might be worth asking,” Isis explained. “Alpha had already figured out that I wanted to ask her something. I couldn’t think of anything else to ask.”

  Jade leaned back, checking the kitchen for any lingering staff, then looked over at Alex, nodding toward the open kitchen door. Alex walked over and kicked the doorstop out from under the propped open door. As the door quietly swung shut, she rejoined the other three at the counter.

  “How badly did I screw up this time?” Isis asked, dreading the response.

  “What d
id Alpha say?” Jade asked, sounding more intrigued than pissed off. Isis took it as a good sign. She hopped off the counter, leaning against it.

  “She said she hadn’t seen Coop, but two men with similar habits had been to the Lair before,” Isis began. “They wore sunglasses in the dark club, moved with an unnatural grace, but neither were regulars. She said one was able to affect electricity. The rebels called him Shocker because sparks sometimes shot off the top of his head.”

  Isis hated telling them that part. Judging from the looks they gave her, they found it just as ridiculous as she did. The scents of the meal lingered in the kitchen. The night was quiet and still outside.

  “She mentioned that the rebels called these men ghosts or glowing-eyes. They have been telling stories about similar shape shifters for centuries. They think they’re another group of shape shifters, one that isn’t recognized,” Isis continued. Shae moved around the counter and stood next to her cousin, resting her hip against the smooth surface.

  “Alpha warned me not to look for Coop on my own,” Isis finished with a shrug. “I figured I should bring up what she said.”

  “Did she tell you if the rebels know anything else about the glowing-eyes?” Alex asked, obviously interested in the story.

  “She mentioned that they tend to show up right before a body vanishes into thin air. Apparently a couple rebels thought they saw one at the celebration when the Grenich bank opened,” Isis answered, looking back at Jade. “Alpha also mentioned how searching for answers would lead me to encountering darkness unlike anything we’ve encountered so far.”

  Alex looked over at Jade. “Think she’s trying to rattle us?”