Fragile Brilliance (Shifters & Seers)

by Blackwell, Tammy

  Liam leaned down so his face was only inches from Scout’s. “What makes you think that you’re going to be less scary than me?”

  Scout’s eyes widened. “What? Me? Scary?”

  The corner of Liam’s mouth kicked up.

  “Only when I want to be. I can be very nice and affable. After all, I got Maggie to come here, didn’t I?”

  “I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that Talley got Maggie to come here.”

  Scout looked around Liam’s shoulder, a scowl on her face. “Maggie, am I scary?”

  “Terrifying,” she answered honestly.

  “More or less scary than Liam?”

  Maggie took a moment to think about it. Liam looked like he could and would rip her apart with his bare hands. But the thing with Liam was, you would know he was coming. Scout was just as lethal, it was written in the muscles lining her body and the intensity in her gaze, but she would be subtler about it. If Scout wanted you dead, you would still be dead, but you might not know it until after the killing blow was delivered.

  “More,” Maggie decided. “But less intimidating.”

  Scout wrinkled her nose. “That doesn’t make sense.”

  “It does if you’ve met the two of you,” said Jase. “And for the record, those hamburgers are officially beyond salvation.” He jerked a thumb towards the grill where flames were licking up towards the roof of the pavilion. Liam barked a four-letter word and took off running.

  Talley caught Scout’s eye. “You know he’s probably going to do something stupid, like forget we have a fire extinguisher, and burn himself, right?”

  After muttering something about men and their stupidity, Scout also took off, which left Maggie with… a bunch of Seers and Shifters.

  Still, it felt like an improvement.

  “Sorry, they can be a little intense sometimes,” Talley said. “They don’t mean to be. It just comes with being Alphas.”

  Maggie nodded as if that made perfect sense, although not much was making sense to her. She didn’t know much about Shifters and Seers, only what her grandmother had told her when she was a little girl. At the time, she thought they were merely stories. Even a six year old knew boys couldn’t really turn into wolves and girls couldn’t really see things that weren’t there.

  But then she’d received her gift and learned magic does exist. When she asked her grandmother about the Shifter and Seer stories from her youth, she’d said, “But of course they were true, Maggie-Chan. Why would I make up such a terrible thing?”

  The stories her grandmother told her really had been terrible. The Seers in the story would find where “our kind” was hiding with their abilities, and then the Shifters would come and pull them out of their homes to hold trials. At the time, Maggie thought “our kind” referred to humans in general, but she later found out differently. The word Thaumaturgic literally means “someone who can do miracles”, but for some reason the Shifters translated it as “evil witch”. Thus, the trials they held were actual, honest-to-Arthur-Miller witch trials, and more often than not of the stake and flames variety.

  “I thought the Alphas would be older,” Maggie said to Talley, fastidiously ignoring the others gathered round. True, they all looked more eavesdroppy than murdery, but Maggie knew if she acknowledged their presence, her fight or flight response would kick in again.

  “Yeah, usually the Alphas are older and a little less Scout-like, but…” Jase shrugged off the end of the sentence, which left Maggie wondering about what had changed. “Listen, I know this went all sorts of wrong, but despite anything Liam might have said, we aren’t going to hurt you. Really. We didn’t even know you were a Thaumaturgic until like five minutes ago.” He tilted his head to the side and gave her a once-over. Even if Talley hadn’t been standing there, tethered to him by their interlocked hands, she would’ve known he was sizing her up instead of checking her out. “You are a Thaumaturgic, right? You’re not like some other crazy supernatural person running around that we’ve never heard about, are you? Because I’m not really ready to accept anything else at this point in my life.”

  “You have to promise me, Maggie-Chan. No matter what, this is our secret. This is a truth only the bearer can know. Your grandfather is a good man, but the power doesn’t live in him, so he doesn’t know it exists. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Sobo,” Maggie said, and at the time, she really thought she knew what she was promising. What did a twelve year old know about keeping a lifelong secret? “I won’t tell anyone.”

  “I know you won’t,” her grandmother said, placing her wrinkled hands on either side of Maggie’s face. “You are Sobo’s good girl. It’s why I’ve given you this gift.”

  Maggie didn’t answer Jase. Her promise wouldn’t allow her to confirm, but she felt like it would have been just as much of an insult to her grandmother to deny it. So, instead of saying anything, she concentrated on the way the sun filtered through his hair.

  “No comment?” Jase guessed.

  “Is pleading the Fifth an option?”

  Joshua looked down at her, a smile on his lips. “For now. But you know I know, right?”

  Of course she knew. The bond between Immortals and Thaumaturgics wasn’t the same as the one between Shifters and Seers - Maggie’s grandmother said the two couldn’t exist without the other - but the ancient treaty between the two groups had become ingrained in the DNA of Immortals and Thaumaturgics. Maggie hadn’t met an Immortal until Joshua tackled her to the ground, but she’d known deep in her soul what he was the moment she saw him. She could only assume it worked the other way.

  Maggie tilted her head up, having to look pretty much straight up to see his face clearly. “I know that you promised to protect me.”

  “I did,” he said, his big eyes solemn. “And I will. I swear my never-ending life on it.”

  Chapter 6

  The hamburgers were beyond redemption. It didn’t bother Maggie as much as it did everyone else. For one, she was still so freaked out she wasn’t able to eat much anyway. And for another, she was a vegetarian.

  “You don’t eat meat at all?” Jase looked at her like she’d just announced a deep, passionate hatred of sunshine, sugar, and the Muppets.

  “None at all.”

  “No cheeseburgers?”

  “Nope.”

  “No hot dogs?”

  “Nuh-uh.”

  “No steak? No chicken? Not even fish?”

  “No meat.” She couldn’t believe this was throwing him even more than the fact she was a Thaumaturgic. Apparently, Scout had felt a “vibe” from her and they’d all thought she was a rogue Seer until Talley told them otherwise. How Talley knew, she wasn’t quite sure, but for all of her gentle meekness, Maggie was pretty sure Talley was a kick-ass Seer. “I don’t eat the flesh of animals.”

  Jase shook his head. “What about milk and cheese and ice cream. For the love of God, please tell me you eat ice cream.”

  “Vegetarian, not vegan.” Being vegetarian was hard enough. She wasn’t quite sure how vegans ever found something to eat. “It’s not an animal rights thing for me. I just don’t like the way meat feels in my mouth.”

  Jase made a noise, which might have been the start of a laugh, but he was drinking a Mello Yello at the time, so the noise that came out was more of a strangled cough. By the way his face was turning red, it might have been actual strangulation. Scout hit him on the back a couple of times, but the swats were fairly ineffectual since she was doubled over laughing.

  Maggie took a sip of her water as if she had no idea what the hysterics were about.

  Talley caught her eye from across the table. “You did that on purpose,” she accused.

  Maggie struggled to maintain a look of innocence. “Maybe.”

  She still wasn’t comfortable, but then again, rarely was Maggie comfortable around a large group of people she didn’t know. But it was her experience that with the exception of a handful of people (Jase quite possibly among them
), most people felt that way. At least she was at the normal I-don’t-like-people-I-don’t-know level of discomfort instead of the lamb-among-wolves place she’d been before. Everyone seemed to be making a big production of being super-nice to her and putting her at ease. Even Scout and Liam were putting in an effort, although they had to be reminded on occasion to not scowl.

  Actually, once she thought about it, she realized this was the most comfortable she’d been since pulling out of her driveway a week ago.

  Semi-comfortable while eating with a pack of Shifters. Maybe this was one of those trippy dreams she had when she took too much allergy medicine.

  “See? They’re not so bad,” Joshua said as if he could read her mind.

  “They’re the nicest Shifters I’ve ever met.”

  Joshua laughed, and it was the exact sort of laugh you would expect from a guy who was all big eyes and long limbs. The noise startled a bunch of ducks who squawked back at him as they left the pond en mass.

  “How did you get tangled up with the Alpha Pack, Joshua?” Shifters didn’t persecute Immortals like they did Thaumaturgics, but it was still strange to see one interacting with a pack of them like they were friends.

  “You can pick family, but not your friends.”

  “I think you said that backwards.”

  “Oh. Right.” He offered her an Oatmeal Cream Pie from the snack cake assortment on his plate, and she took it. “These guys here,” he said, indicating the rest of their company with a wave of his hand, “are the good guys. Recently, they had to stand their ground against the bad guys, and since I’m not particularly fond of bad guys, I helped. It worked out so well, they offered me a position, and I accepted.”

  Maggie blinked. “You’re Alpha Pack?”

  “I’m a Stratego. Do you know what that is?” Maggie shook her head. “It’s like a general in the army. Most of these guys are at the same level of Shifter hierarchy I am, but no one outside of this group is above me.” She didn’t know what to say. Was he trying to scare her? Let her know he wasn’t really on her side after all? “Maggie, I’m an Immortal, and I’m one of the top ranking people in the Alpha Pack. This ain’t your mama’s Alpha Pack. Things really are different.” He looked around and Maggie did the same. No one was paying attention to them. They were all too busy talking and laughing… and in the case of Jase and Scout, arguing. “You could be a part of this,” Joshua said.

  “I’m not a Shifter, and I’m not a Seer,” she said, her attention caught by the older lady who was giving a man a firm talking-to. He was a good four inches taller than her and had at least fifty more pounds of muscle, but his expression was a blend of chagrin and fear. “I don’t have a place here.” And she didn’t want one. Not really. Her place was at Sanders College. Her future was at Sanders. That was more important than a place where she might be able to breathe and be her true self.

  As people began to finish their food, Maggie could tell something was wrong. She caught Jase, Joshua, Liam, and Scout all checking their phones with regularity. Conversation at the table where she was sitting started dying off, everyone’s attention somewhere beyond the horizon. Even though she didn’t possess enhanced hearing or sight, she knew the moment something changed because everyone else got to their feet at the same time. About ten seconds later, a boy popped over the hill behind the pavilion. He looked young, maybe thirteen, but he was running like an Olympian. He skidded to a stop a few steps in front of Liam and Scout. Maggie had never seen him before, but she felt certain his face wasn’t normally such a sickly shade of white.

  “The gym. Dead.” His words came in whooshing pants. “He’s dead.” And then he broke down into tears.

  Maggie decided she must have reached her shock quotient for the day because her only thought was that of all the reactions she was considering, taking off all her clothes wasn’t one of them. Scout, on the other hand, tore off her tank top and shorts before the boy had even stopped speaking. Her underclothes quickly followed, and before Maggie could mentally note how her lines differed from the selection of other naked bodies she’d seen over the last week, Scout was gone and a wolf stood in her place.

  The horizon dipped and wavered in front of her.

  “Deep breaths.” Joshua’s voice came to her from the other end of a tunnel. “Breathe in through your nose for four counts, and then out through your mouth for eight. Come on, Maggie. Stay with us.”

  Maggie tried to breathe. She really did, but there was a wolf standing where Scout was supposed to be.

  “You Changing, too?” Jase asked.

  “No, it’ll waste too much time,” Liam said. “I’m still not as fast as she is. I’ll run down with you guys. If she needs backup once we’re down there, then I’ll Change.” He grabbed onto the hair at the back of Scout’s neck and crouched down in front of her. “We’re coming behind you in the truck. Don’t do anything stupid until we get there.”

  She growled and the sound went straight to Maggie’s spine where it crawled around like a million little ants. And then Scout broke out of Liam’s hold and was off, sprinting across the field.

  “Jase. Talley. Joshua. Truck. Now.” Liam’s face and voice were completely devoid of emotion. His eyes, on the other hand, couldn’t hide the fear and anger raging inside him.

  Jase pulled on Talley’s hand, but she stayed rooted to the spot.

  “Tal, come on. Liam needs us.”

  Talley’s eyes were filled with tears when they met Maggie’s eyes. “I’m sorry,” she said. “You need to come with us.”

  “I need to what?” Maggie didn’t want anything to do with a dead body. “No, sorry.” But Jase didn’t let her refuse. He grabbed onto her arm and dragged her along behind him and Talley. She knew better than to try to pull away. The relaxed, cooler-than-cool Jase was gone. The person shoving her into the back seat of the Escalade was one of the highest-ranking members of the Alpha Pack. He expected his commands to be followed, and Maggie didn’t want to find out what would happen if life didn’t meet his expectations.

  Liam had the vehicle in gear and moving before Jase even shut the door. They took off across the field just like Scout had, ignoring the paved paths and damage they were surely doing to the carefully manicured lawn. Scout was fast, but the Escalade was faster. They got there just in time to see her slip in between the doors that had been left slightly ajar. Liam didn’t even cut the engine. He just jumped out and trailed after her. Jase was reaching for the door handle when Talley said, “It’s not Charlie.”

  “You sure?” Joshua asked.

  “Positive.”

  Jase closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When that didn’t seem to help, he took another.

  “It’s okay.” Talley said quietly, her hand rubbing slow circles on his back. “It’s not him. It’s okay.”

  “Where the hell is he?” Jase asked through clenched teeth.

  “Probably still looking for Layne. Don’t worry. We’ll find him. Soon.”

  Maggie had no idea what was going on. Well, she was pretty sure there was a dead body somewhere and Talley didn’t think it was their friend, but beyond that, she was lost. Did this happen often with the Alpha Pack? Were dead bodies just a regular part of day-to-day life? Was this some elaborate scare tactic they were using on her? Were they just setting her up? Maybe planning on pinning some random dead body they’d already killed on her so they’d have an excuse to tie her hands and feet together and throw her in their lake or pond or whatever in the hell it was?

  She should leave. They were all distracted for the moment, so much so she decided they either were really upset a dead body was found on their property or they were the best actors she’d ever seen. She wasn’t sure enough to risk her life, and that is what she would be doing by staying there. She knew the smart thing to do was to jump back into the Escalade where Liam had conveniently left the keys, and drive as fast and as far as she could, but instead of being smart, she followed along behind Joshua as he led them into the barn.

>   Maggie had grown up in the south, but she was a city girl. Not that Monarch was really all that much of a city, but she hadn’t spent her childhood running around farms or anything, so she didn’t have a really good working knowledge of barns. She’d always thought of them as little wooden buildings with dirt floors and some horses or cows. The thing she walked into was at least twice as big as the house she grew up in, and there were no horses or dirt in sight. Instead, it looked like an exclusive, posh gym you might find on the upper west side of Manhattan. Or at least, it was exactly what Maggie assumed exclusive, posh gyms on the upper west side of Manhattan looked like. Brand new weight benches, stationary bikes, treadmills, and machines she couldn’t even fathom the purpose of filled the bottom floor. The loft - or what would have counted as a loft if this was an actual barn - only went about halfway across the length of the main level and had a glass wall so whoever was doing whatever it was they did up there with their wall full of medieval looking weapons could look down on the rest of the building.

  Or if you were on the bottom floor, you could look up and see the dead man suspended above the matted floor.

  Chapter 7

  Whenever Charlie found his nephew, he was going to kill him. His entire day had gone to hell the moment Lizzie sent him a text to say he needed to tell the teachers it was okay to let her grab Layne’s homework. He’d done as she asked, and then he’d gone out to find where in the hell Layne was if he wasn’t at school.

  Not that Charlie knew what to do with the kid once he found him. Most days Charlie felt like he wasn’t old enough to take care of himself. There was absolutely no way he was capable of taking care of a punk-ass thirteen year old with more issues than a former Disney Channel star.

  Over the past three hours Charlie had trampled over every inch of the farm. It would have been more efficient and caused his leg a lot less grief to take the ATV, but he’d abandoned that route after only ten minutes when he picked up on a strange, chemical scent. They were just a few days away from the new moon, so his nose wasn’t exactly at Superman levels, but it was strong enough to know it was one of those scent-eliminating things hunters used. He might have thought some poor guy had mistakenly wandered onto their property if anything had been in season and it wasn’t just a few feet from the house. Since he couldn’t follow the trail if the scent was overwhelmed by the smell of gasoline, he jumped off the four-wheeler and started walking the property. Knowing someone would purposefully mask their scent and then sneak onto Alpha Pack property was bothersome enough, but when he came across a second scent, Charlie got worried.