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

by Lauren Jankowski

  When she reached his apartment, Jade pressed herself against the wall and reached out to knock on the door. As soon as her knuckles met the wood, the door swung open. Jade immediately pointed the gun in front of her, her eyes scanning the immediate area. Then she cautiously stepped inside the apartment and kicked the door shut behind her. She moved through the front room and then started creeping back to the bedroom.

  Jade was debating whether or not to call out when she suddenly heard a strange thumping sound. She entered the small hall, which led to the bedroom. The room was dark, all the curtains had been drawn, but it was completely empty. There was a faint chill in the air and Jade shivered as it seeped into her flesh.

  “Dammit! It can’t be drywall. It’s tougher than solid steel!” a muffled voice came from the wall. Jade turned in that direction, frowning in confusion. She recognized Steve’s voice, though she was surprised to hear his frustration. In the short amount of time she had known him, Jade had never even heard him raise his voice. He was quiet and patient — which was why he had been assigned to Isis. Steve’s quiet personality complimented Isis’ fiery one.

  “Steve?” she called out.

  There was silence for a moment and then he shouted her name. “Jade!”

  “Jade! Thank the guardians!” Shae’s voice came shortly after.

  “Shae? Where are you guys?”

  “In the bathroom,” Shae responded. “It’s in the bedroom. Or it was.”

  “I’m in the bedroom and I don’t see a bathroom. You’re behind a wall?” Jade couldn’t keep the confusion out of her voice as she ran her hands over the smooth wall. She couldn’t find any trace of a door.

  “Tracy did something to it. She made the door disappear somehow, with some kind of . . . pink gunk or something,” Steve explained. Jade tilted her head as she continued to examine the smooth wall. The only thing she could think of that even resembled what Steve was explaining was alchemy. But that was impossible. Alchemy hadn’t been practiced since the eighteenth century. Jade herself had never encountered alchemy. She had only read about it in shape shifter and guardian lore. What the hell was this woman? The afternoon sun filtered in through the drawn blinds, casting everything in shadows.

  “Jade, please tell me you caught the bitch.” Shae’s sudden statement brought Jade out of her thoughts. She tucked the gun back in her pants.

  “I didn’t see her,” Jade responded. There was quiet for a moment and Jade could practically hear Shae’s ire rising. Jade was curious how Tracy managed to escape unnoticed. When she took the stairs, there had been no one in the elevators and when she reached the second story, none of the elevators had been called up.

  “Jade, there’s a chainsaw in the tool shed in the small garage around back. Think you could maybe saw a hole in the wall so we could get out?” Steve asked, exasperation clear in his tone.

  “Yeah, give me a minute,” Jade said, shaking her head as she moved out of the room and back down the stairs. Something strange was going on.

  *~*~*~*~*

  An hour and a half later, Shae and Steve were still in the bathroom. After the chainsaw failed to even make a dent in the wall, Jade had decided to call Jet and Lilly, who in turn told them to hold tight while they informed the guardians about the situation. The High Council wanted a sample of whatever Tracy had used, so they were sending Silver, the blacksmith of the guardian women. She made everything from the few weapons in the Meadows — which were mainly for decorative purposes — to the eating utensils and dishes.

  “So, do you two want to play a game or something while we wait?” Jade asked. She sat near the wall that had once been a door. Jade had pulled up all the blinds, allowing the natural light to pierce through the shadows. The light also seemed to chase away the lingering cold in the room.

  “Yeah, that’s a great idea!” Shae said with gusto. Jade hadn’t expected that response.

  “It is?” she asked suspiciously. Maybe she has finally lost her sanity, Jade thought as she continued to play with her fingers.

  “Yes, I love games,” Shae continued eagerly. “I already know what I want to play. I’ll start listing everything I’m going to use on that psychotic blonde demon when we find her and we’ll laugh and laugh.”

  “The cramped quarters have robbed you of your sanity,” Jade commented.

  “I’m going to start with a chainsaw,” Shae grumbled, a lot less eagerly. Jade closed her eyes and put her head against the wall behind her. She had a feeling Shae was going to be a handful. The older protector could already hear the dark desire for revenge under the anger and that was a road they couldn’t afford to go down. They had lost too much already.

  “Jade?” She heard Lilly’s melodic voice out in the main part of the apartment.

  “Finally,” Jade muttered under her breath before calling out, “We’re back here, in the bedroom.”

  Lilly soon entered the bedroom, followed closely by Artemis and Silver. Silver had a nymph-like appearance. She had brown eyes, long flowing silver hair, and slender limbs. The guardian blacksmith wore a short gray dress that was tattered and burned around the edges, though it still looked lovely. The guardian had tied her hair back in a messy bun and there were goggles on her forehead, which glistened in the light.

  “Where was the door?” Silver asked. Her voice was high-pitched, but not annoyingly so. It was girlish in a way, though Silver herself was one of the oldest guardians in the Meadows.

  Jade jerked her thumb toward the wall next to her. “Right there.”

  Silver put the goggles over her eyes and moved over to the wall, drawing a long broad sword from the sheath she wore around her waist. The steel glimmered in the light, casting dancing light patterns on the wall. The pommel was decorated with small stones from different gem guardians. Silver ran a hand over the wall, studying it. She shook her head after a minute, glancing back at Artemis and Lilly.

  “This is ancient alchemy. I can barely see where the door was, even with these,” she said, pointing at her goggles. “It’s certainly not any kind that was practiced by humans or shape shifters.”

  “Can you cut through it?” Artemis asked, toying with a small silver charm she wore about her neck. Silver smiled and lifted her sword.

  “This can cut through anything, ancient magic or not.”

  She turned her attention back to the wall.

  “Everyone on the other side, stand back,” she ordered. Jade took a few steps back, moving to stand with Lilly and Artemis. All three watched as the small guardian forced the sleek blade through the wall. Sparks shot out from where the sword met the wall. It took some effort, but Silver’s weapon finally got through. Once it had, there was a strange crackling sound, almost like flames, and small orange sparks continued pouring out from where the sword and wall met. Silver pushed the weapon down and then withdrew it. The blade glowed and smoked as though it were white-hot. She continued to work on the area that had once been a door until she had finally cut an oval shape, large enough for Shae and Steve to step through. Steve blushed bright red when he saw Lilly, Silver, and Artemis and put his hands over himself as if he were completely nude. He quickly grabbed some sweatpants and yanked them on. Both Jade and Shae stared at him, amused at his attempt at modesty.

  Artemis stepped forward to where Silver was examining the wall. They conversed quietly as they searched for any sign of the substance that Tracy had used to meld the door and wall together. After a moment, Silver shook her head and disappeared in a flash of silver light. Artemis turned and approached the others.

  “Whatever it was, it somehow became part of the door and wall,” Artemis explained. “It could be alchemy, but it’s not any sort I’ve ever seen before.”

  A heavy silence fell over the small group, each of them lost in their own thoughts.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Jensen sat at his kitchen table, examining the envelope and the two objects that had been in it. He was sipping expensive scotch from an old-fashioned glass, occasionally grim
acing when the liquor hit his throat. The sound of glass being swept into a dustpan drew him briefly from his thoughts and he glanced to the side. Behind him, the Deverell brothers were cleaning up the apartment. Nero looked up from sweeping as Jensen turned back to observing the objects on the table.

  “Seeing as how this is your place, the least you can do is help a little,” he commented. Jensen made a noncommittal noise in response, which had become his trademark answer, and finished his scotch in one gulp. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and grabbed a pencil he had put on the table earlier, lightly shading the envelope. Nero approached and dumped a dustpan full of glass into the garbage, making a racket. Jensen’s attention remained focused on the envelope in front of him. His hand moved swiftly as he shaded over the paper.

  A week had passed since Isis had died. No questions had been answered, no body had been recovered, and grief still hung heavy in the air. Ajax had gone to check on Jensen that morning and found him at the table in the apartment, studying three objects laid out in front of him. His apartment was still in shambles. Jensen was normally insistent on cleanliness, but he had other things on his mind. Ajax, being a neat freak, ordered his brothers to help him clean up Jensen’s place.

  Jensen didn’t notice them when they dropped by. His attention was focused solely on the objects, which he knew were important. He had become obsessively relentless in his study of them. He barely ate or drank, and it showed. His already lean physique had begun to slim down to the point where he looked sick.

  “What are you looking for?” Nero asked. Jensen gave him a look that clearly told Nero to back off and leave him alone. Nero had been on the receiving end of that look before — he hadn’t cared then and he didn’t care now. Jensen twisted in his seat, looking up at his friend.

  “You’re not the slightest bit curious about this Grenich Corporation Roan talked about?” Jensen asked. “You don’t care about this Coop guy and his possible connection to Isis?”

  “I do care,” Nero argued. “But I’m also taking the time to grieve. Take a couple days off, okay?”

  Jensen shook his head and turned back to the envelope. “I will … after I get answers or a good lead. Or at least when I’m sure I’m on the right path — Hello.”

  He got up and moved over into the kitchen, holding the envelope to the light. When he stared at the sketch, Jensen felt ill. He had a feeling that was what he would find.

  There was the impression of a symbol, nearly invisible, on the envelope. The same symbol Isis had drawn in her spiral. The same symbol that had burned in the wall of his home, all those years ago. The same symbol that was on the back of the business card.

  “What are you?” Jensen asked under his breath. He had to find out the importance of the symbol. He knew it would lead him to the people responsible for Isis’ death. Jensen just had to figure out where to start looking.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Sunrise bathed the mansion in a healthy warm glow. The frost on the ground glistened like diamonds. There were no signs of spring in the forecast, but that wasn’t surprising. All the occupants of the mansion were asleep — there wasn’t much to do during the early hours of the morning. One shape shifter, however, was awake and he stood in the garage.

  Jensen pulled into the garage an hour after the sun rose. In the back of his Jaguar, two dark green duffle bags sat on the seat. He turned off the ignition and got out of the car. He was dressed in his normal fine clothing: jacket, vest, shirt, and trousers with a nice pair of shoes. He made his way down the row of cars and hurried into the mansion, bouncing his keys in his hand. Jensen strode down the silent halls, toward the Monroes’ study. He didn’t have to worry about any confrontations, as he was sure everyone was still asleep.

  On the way to the study, Jensen pocketed his car keys and paused in front of a particular tapestry. Selene in battle, the stunning guardian of night whose bravery was unsurpassed. Jensen gazed up at her, memories of Isis causing his eyes to well. Gently laying a hand on the soft fabric, the protector said a silent prayer to the guardian: Selene, please help me in my search for answers and justice. It was a bedtime story shape shifter parents told their children: the spirit of Selene would always watch over them, especially if they were ever afraid. Being orphaned at a fairly early age in a traumatic event, Jensen didn’t remember his parents telling him the story. It had been Orion who had told Jensen the legend, shortly before he had been murdered. The story had always stuck with Jensen, especially in his darkest hours.

  The protector dropped his hand and continued on his way, feeling a small amount of inner peace for the first time in a long while. Once he reached the study, Jensen withdrew a business-sized envelope from the inner pocket of his jacket and laid it on the large desk where he knew the Monroes would see it. Tapping it once with his finger, Jensen thought about Jet and Lilly. They had saved him and his sister, taken them in when they had nowhere to go, protected them and made them part of their family. Jensen owed them a great debt, one he could never repay. He knew they would understand why he had to leave. Hopefully whatever answers he managed to find could help them as well.

  Jensen hurried out of the room and jogged to the main stairway, leaping up two stairs at a time. Navigating the halls he knew like the back of his hand, Jensen reached the door he was heading for and took a deep breath before knocking softly. When he received no answer, Jensen pressed down on the handle and entered the room. The curtains were drawn and everything was bathed in thin shadows, including the figure curled up on the bed, her back to the door. She was wearing a silky raspberry sorbet-colored nightgown. Her messy auburn hair haloed about her head and her slender limbs were held tightly against her body.

  Jensen approached the bed, hoping to be in and out of the room before she woke up. He laid a small note on the nightstand, just under the lamp, so she would see it. Turning, he started to make his way back to the open door, his footsteps silent.

  “Jensen?” asked a groggy voice, thick with sleep. Jensen grimaced, mentally swearing. He turned to the woman in the bed who had twisted around partway to look over her shoulder. She uncurled herself to sit up on the bed, running a hand through her messy hair.

  “Shae, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you,” he apologized. She rubbed her eyes, shaking her head with a dismissive wave of her hand. Judging from how red and puffy her eyes were, she had been crying.

  “You didn’t,” she lied, stretching her arms above her head. “What’s up?”

  “Go back to sleep. It’s nothing that can’t wait till morning,” Jensen replied. Shae looked him up and down, squinting as she scrutinized him.

  “You’re leaving, aren’t you?” she asked. Jensen’s shoulders slumped a little and he approached the bed again, sitting lightly on the edge. He tapped his fingertips together as he considered his words.

  “Shae, I was a thief for a short time before the Deverells and Monroes brought me to the mansion. I had to be in order for Nat and me to survive. I gave it up when Jet and Lilly were able to smuggle us out of Europe, but I still have connections. I have channels I can go through to get answers, but most of them are quite shady. I can do better on my—”

  “You really liked her, didn’t you?” Shae asked bluntly, smiling a little when Jensen looked over at her. “I see it in your eyes, just like I saw it in hers.”

  Jensen went quiet for a moment. “Those responsible, they’re not going to get away with what they did. I don’t care if I have to hunt them to the ends of the Earth. I will find them and they will answer for what they did.”

  Shae studied his face, nodding once. “I know. Good luck.”

  Jensen stood up. “It’s all in the note. I’ll call when I have a chance. And I’ll keep you updated on whatever I find.”

  He made his way to the open door and shut it behind him, leaving Shae to her sleep.

  Jensen next made his way to the kitchen. He grabbed a paper bag from under one of the sinks and moved over to the pantry. He borrowed some f
ood, already falling back into his thief habits. Moving over to the fridge, Jensen opened the door and grabbed a couple bottles of water, then left the kitchen. It was eerie how still the mansion was in the early morning hours, but it made things quite a bit easier.

  Jensen picked up his pace as he headed toward the garage again.

  “Leaving so soon, Jensen?”

  “Guardians have mercy!” Jensen jumped, so badly startled that he almost dropped the bag. Remington was stretched out on the couch in the front room, reading a book. Shakespeare, Jensen could see on the spine. The ancient trainer’s position gave him a perfect view of the garage door and Jensen was certain the trainer had seen him enter. Remington cocked a dark eyebrow as he marked his place with his index finger and looked over to Jensen, waiting for an explanation.

  “Dammit, Remington. You scared the living hell out of me,” Jensen breathed, leaning back against the nearest wall. He dropped his head back with a thump, still staring at the trainer. The lamp next to the couch was on, bathing the room in a brighter glow than the winter sun could.

  “My apologies,” Remington replied in his soft voice. Jensen wondered if Remington ever slept. He was sure he did … most likely hanging upside down from a beam in the attic.

  “I left a note,” Jensen protested. Remington nodded and turned his attention back to his book.

  “You’re a grown man, free to come and go as you like,” he replied, his attention never moving from the book. “I hope you find what you’re looking for.”

  Jensen nodded. “Me too.”

  He turned and opened the door that led into the garage. The hinges in the mansion never squeaked, something Jensen had always marveled at. He was glad his short trek through the garage was uninterrupted. Shivering at the winter chill that invaded the large space, Jensen fished his keys out of his pocket and opened the trunk, laying the bag inside. He didn’t anticipate getting hungry for quite some time and decided food in the front seat would just be a distraction. Slamming the trunk closed, Jensen began to make his way to the front of the car again when he thought he saw a ghost to his left, making him freeze in his tracks.