Sere from the Green (The Shape Shifter Chronicles Book 1)

by Lauren Jankowski

  “You and I are hybrids, the only two in existence,” she began, a hint of bitterness in her voice. “Part shape shifter and part guardian. I’ll start with the guardians, because I know more about them. I was raised as a guardian and didn’t know I was only half until a few hours ago.”

  Jade cleared her throat loudly as she pressed on the gas pedal again, the interior of the car illuminated by green light. Electra glared at her with the most impressive side-eye Isis had ever seen before turning back to the conversation.

  “Guardians are similar to the deities you’ve undoubtedly read about in assorted mythologies, only less omnipotent and powerful. We’re . . . they’re not gods. They watch over things on Earth and keep it running as smoothly as possible.”

  “Like God?”

  Jade snorted. “Nobody is infallible. That concept was created by humans, best we can tell.”

  “Jade’s right,” Electra put in. “There is no omnipotent creator, as far as we know.”

  “Why don’t people worship you?” Isis asked, leaning forward, intrigued.

  “Because they don’t know about us and again, guardians aren’t gods,” Electra replied. “Guardians can only guide. All life forms have free will. The guardians gave them a nudge when it came to sciences and the arts. Humans created religions, charities, and different sorts of government.”

  “Mortality is a powerful motivator, makes people come up with all kinds of things, whether for good or ill,” Jade added, a hint of weariness in her voice. Isis looked between them, feeling more and more confused by the minute. Electra glanced at Jade, who kept her eyes on the road.

  “Anyway, there are not only elemental guardians but emotion guardians as well,” she continued. “Like the elements, there’s a guardian for every emotion.”

  Isis frowned. “Why?”

  “Well, if one emotion got out of control, it would be disastrous. For bigger things like water and plants there are many guardians, but almost every emotion only has one guardian. Keeping the Earth running smoothly is as dangerous as it is complicated. There are many who would love to get control of the Meadows and all her inhabitants because to do so would mean complete control of all the worlds out there. Good protects good, that’s the way it has always been. There are shape shifters whose job it is to protect the guardians, as well as the innocent on Earth.”

  “And that’s what,” Isis had to rack her brain to remember the woman’s name, “Jade is?”

  “Yes,” Electra replied. “Shape shifters are beings that are mostly human. The only thing different is that they can change into any animal at will.”

  “Like in the legends of the Sioux?”

  Jade twisted her hand a couple times and scrunched up her nose. “Not really.”

  Electra smiled and shook her head. “Shape shifters are found in many cultures and mythologies — every story is a little different, but shape shifters such as Jade are their own people and culture. They are not the beings found in myths.”

  Isis looked between the two of them, frowning. She was still having trouble believing what they were telling her despite having seen it firsthand. Glancing out the window, she wished Steve was with her. Really wish I had my fucking phone, she thought as she flopped back.

  “The shape shifters known as protectors do an amazing job,” Electra continued, glancing once more at Jade before turning her attention to Isis again. “They protect the guardians as well as innocents here on Earth at any cost. They have fought in many wars alongside humans, without humans even knowing, and some still do to this day. They put their lives on the line without a second thought every day, practically every moment they live.”

  “And how does this pertain to my supposedly being able to do this . . . shape shifting?” Isis asked, the words sounding strange in her mouth. She tried to figure out exactly when her life had become one giant conspiracy theory. The world was almost certainly fucking with her at this point.

  “I’m getting there,” Electra responded, arching an eyebrow. “Has anyone ever told you you’re extremely impatient?”

  “Call it a character flaw,” Isis replied. Jade chuckled as she braked smoothly at a stop sign and then made a right turn onto a quiet unlit street. Isis straightened up, not recognizing the area anymore. In the distance, she could see hills and it seemed like that was where Jade was heading. Hills are a perfect place to hide a body. Great, Isis thought.

  “The guardians have a book called The Book of Oracle,” Electra continued, frowning. “Jade, this isn’t the right—”

  “I’m taking a scenic route. Go on, continue your story,” Jade said as she leaned back in her seat. “The Book of Oracle.”

  “Oh-kay,” Electra said, her tone suggesting she was a little unsure about the new route. After a moment she turned her eyes back to Isis. “Anyway, the Book of Oracle contains prophecies, mostly things that may happen in the future. Several months after we were born, a prophecy appeared telling of what protectors refer to as the Four. Four shape shifter women who will save the Meadows, home of the guardians, and all the other worlds out there from a threat we don’t yet have a name for. Basically they’re going to change the future, hopefully for the better. We found three of the four and according to the leaders of the protectors, you’re the fourth.”

  “Protectors are one faction of shape shifters,” Jade put in. “The others you’ll learn about later.”

  Isis was silent for a moment, considering all that she had just heard.

  “Did Steve or Shae put you two up to this?” she asked, certain her friends were pranking her. Though that wouldn’t explain the near-death experience she’d had.

  “Who?” Electra asked, looking over at Jade. Isis ran her hands over her face. This is absolute lunacy. I’ve just entered the goddamn Twilight Zone, she thought.

  “I’ve never turned into an animal before,” she insisted.

  “Neither has your sister,” Jade countered. “You haven’t been trained properly. I’m sure you’ve seen signs though. Animals relax around you. Sometimes it almost feels like you know what they’re thinking. A longing to run free. One hell of a libido. Am I getting warm?”

  “Wrong on the libido thing. I’m on the ace spectrum, been Gray-A my whole life,” Isis stated, crossing her arms over her chest. “Very, very low libido. Pretty much non-existent.”

  “No shit?” Jade looked up at the rearview mirror, interest and amusement reflecting in her eyes. “You’re just all kinds of unique.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Isis asked, feeling more than a little defensive.

  “Asexuality is almost unheard of in shape shifters. It’s even rarer than it is among humans,” Jade explained, snickering as though she were remembering a joke. “Two members of the Four are ace spectrum, how very odd. It’s certainly going to raise a few eyebrows at the very least.”

  “Great,” Isis grumbled as she turned her gaze out the window, trying to see through the shadows. The road was starting to become curvy and she couldn’t see any houses or other buildings that would give an indication of where they were.

  “Jade said shape shifting is hereditary?” Isis mentioned, not directing the question to anyone in particular.

  “It is,” Electra responded. “Our father was a shape shifter. Our mother is part of the royal line and she’s the guardian of passion.”

  “Hence her name: Passion,” Jade added with a half-smile.

  “Where exactly are the guardians?” Isis asked, glancing around, half-expecting to see one flying next to the car.

  “As I mentioned earlier, they live in the Meadows,” Electra answered, leaning sideways against her seat. “You can only get there by Appearing.”

  “Appearing?” Isis was more skeptical than ever. Getting in this car was definitely not the wisest decision I’ve ever made, she thought as she toyed with the lock on the door.

  “It’s similar to what humans call teleporting,” Jade explained, shrugging when Electra looked at her. Judging from her man
nerisms, Isis wondered whether her twin spent very much time on Earth.

  “You mentioned our father. Is he in the Meadows?” Isis asked, a little uneasy when the two women exchanged a look that was not at all reassuring.

  “No. Shape shifters don’t live in the Meadows and it’s against our Sacred Laws for them to court guardians or enter into any sort of romantic relationship,” Electra answered. Isis raised an eyebrow at the vague response.

  “So what, Passion and . . . ?” she paused, waiting for a name. Electra looked to Jade again.

  “Roan,” Jade answered, squinting at the inky night just outside the windshield. After a moment, she turned the steering wheel and rather than running off the road, Isis was surprised to find the road continued on. Glancing out the window, she noticed she couldn’t see a road ahead or behind her at all.

  “Are they like Romeo and Juliet only alive or something like that?” Isis asked.

  “No,” Electra responded darkly, but Jade started chuckling, obviously finding the question rather funny.

  “I really like her,” Jade told Electra, smiling at Isis in the rearview mirror. Isis looked between the two women, picking up on the returning tension

  “Okay, what is the deal with this guy?”

  “He’s a murdering bastard,” Electra snapped, and Jade ran a hand over her face. Isis’ eyes widened again and she looked between the two, waiting for one of them to expand upon the statement.

  “It’s not quite so simple. Remember those factions of shape shifters I mentioned earlier? Roan came from a family called the Deverells, one of the most decorated and respected protector lineages. But every family has its black sheep and Roan didn’t follow in his family’s footsteps. He was an assassin, the worst that we’ve ever known, perhaps the worst there ever has been. He murdered at least fifteen people and disappeared before the two of you were born. Jet and Lilly — they’re the leaders of the protectors — are still trying to find him but it is doubtful anyone will ever see him again. Your mother had no idea that he was a killer when they met,” Jade explained.

  “How did she find out? Did he try to kill her?” Isis asked in complete disbelief. Aside from getting on people’s bad sides, Isis was convinced that she was flypaper for dysfunction.

  “No, she saw him kill a mark,” Jade responded, her tone calm and collected. Isis went quiet again, shocked by the answer and the casual manner in which it had been delivered. After a moment, she swallowed and leaned forward.

  “If all you’re saying is true, why the hell was I never aware of any of this?” she asked after a moment. Jade glanced over at Electra, who was now leaning her elbow against the door and running her long fingers through her hair.

  “The guardians are run by a High Council. It is comprised of all the leaders of the major lands: nature, fire, light, day, water, night, and the royal line. Your mother, Passion, broke one of the most important Sacred Laws. It was decided that part of her punishment would be that she would have to give up one of her daughters to be raised as human. Since you were born second, you were the one to be given up.”

  Isis closed her eyes. “So, who left me at the door of the agency?”

  Electra glanced over at Jade, appearing to be curious about the question herself. Jade kept her eyes forward.

  “Jet,” she answered.

  “I assume that’s who we’re going to see now,” Isis said. Jade nodded once in response and Electra turned her gaze back out the window, mesmerized by the night. She rested her forehead against the window and closed her eyes.

  “Do shape shifter bodies vanish into thin air often?” Isis asked, noticing Jade stiffened and gripped the steering wheel a little tighter. Electra opened her eyes and turned her head, looking over to Jade.

  “Not often,” Jade responded. “But it does happen and it has happened for quite some time — throughout history in fact. Jet and Lilly hope the Four can figure out that mystery. Personally, I don’t see how it’s possible seeing as how it has been happening almost as long as we’ve existed. Even the guardians have no clue what happens to them.”

  Jade turned onto the side street that Isis hadn’t even seen, steering the car up a winding path. Isis looked out the window but couldn’t see anything in the night; no indication of where they were.

  “We’re currently traveling through the hills,” Jade explained when she noticed the questioning look on Isis’ face. “There’s a road hidden by guardian magic, one only protector eyes can see. The guardians created a special haven for the Monroe family, the protectors most loyal to them. Humans can’t find it, neither can most other shape shifters. Only the Monroes can teach shape shifters how to see it and even then, it takes a bit of time. Ah, there’s home.”

  Isis glanced out the window and did a double take, her jaw dropping as she stared at the sight that greeted her. An enormous mansion — more like a castle — could be seen in the distance. The architecture resembled some sort of Renaissance style and it was the biggest structure Isis had ever seen. It was surrounded by trees, bushes, and all sorts of plant life. There was a vast amount of land stretching out as far as the eye could see in every direction. There were more windows than she could count and a couple towers could be seen. Several lights illuminated the exterior of the building.

  “You live here?” Isis asked, her voice squeaky. She was still marveling at how large and beautiful the enormous home was. It was like something out of a history book or fairy tale. I don’t have my camera either! Shit, she thought.

  “Where did you think we lived? A den?” Jade replied, a hint of teasing in her tone. She pulled up to a pair of elegant black gates, rolled down her window and flipped open the top of a nearby box, revealing a dark blue button and a handprint scanner. Jade pushed the button and pressed her palm against the scanner when it lit up. After a moment, there was a beep and then the gates swung open. Jade pulled the car in, checking the rearview mirror once again. Isis turned around, watching as the gates swung shut. No turning back now, she thought.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Isis glanced around the room that Electra and Jade had brought her to, which appeared to be a library or study. Bookshelves lined the walls; books with many different colored bindings sat in neat rows on the shelves. Toward the back of the room was a large wooden desk. A globe was to the left of the desk and in the front center of the desk was a bronze carving of a wolf. Behind the desk there was a large ornate red chair and behind the chair was a gigantic window that stretched from the floor almost to the ceiling, through which moonlight spilled. Outside the window was a large oak tree, coated in the night shadows. A few simple lamps sat on the small tables, making the room glow with warm light.

  In front of the desk, there were two chairs and a crimson chaise lounge was set behind them. Jade was stretched out on it and Electra stood nearby, examining the rows of books on one of the shelves. Isis decided to remain standing, though she leaned on one of the bookshelves. She figured she had a better chance of escaping if she were on her feet. Really wish I would have thought to stop at my car so I could have grabbed my other baton, she thought. Isis didn’t care what Steve said; she would have felt better if she’d had a weapon.

  Her body went rigid when the door lever was pressed down, but the two other women didn’t react. The wooden door swung open and a clean-shaven dark-haired man stepped into the room. He was wearing a dark green shirt and jeans that looked as though they’d been bought that day. Everything about his appearance was neat and orderly and he had a very confident stride. The man smiled at Isis and she couldn’t help but stare at his blue-green eyes. She was certain that she knew him from somewhere . . .

  “Isis, it is good to properly meet you,” the man greeted warmly as he strode toward her. “My name is Jet and I’m sure Jade or Electra has already told you about me. My wife, Lilly, will join us shortly.”

  “The morgue,” Isis exclaimed, snapping her fingers. Jet frowned as he stared at her, not understanding what she was talking about. Jade and Electra
looked over at her, confused by the random statement.

  “I bumped into you in the morgue parking lot,” Isis clarified.

  “Oh, yes. You did,” he replied with a quiet laugh. The amusement melted from his face when he noticed her neck. Isis turned her head, trying to hide the thin red marks from where the wire had cut her flesh. Jet glanced over at Jade, who raised an eyebrow.

  “It’s late,” Jet said as he stepped around her and toward the desk. “A room has already been prepared for you—”

  “Excuse me?” Isis said, not liking his assumption that she had any intention of staying. Jet looked over at her from where he stood behind the desk.

  “I assumed that you already knew you had to stay here,” he said, looking toward Jade, who shrugged and spread her hands.

  Jet turned his attention back to Isis. “I’m sorry, Isis, but I really must insist that you stay here. At least until you have completed your training.”

  Isis sighed and shrugged in defeat, already thinking of possible ways to escape. I should really get a hold of Steve, she thought, wondering where she could find a phone.

  “We shall talk more in the morning. Lilly will show you to your room,” Jet finished, gesturing behind her. Isis frowned and turned, nearly jumping a foot in the air when she saw a woman standing a few feet behind her.

  “Jesus!” she yelled, putting a hand to her chest. She hadn’t heard anyone else enter the room. Lilly smiled pleasantly, unbothered by the outburst, and gestured to the open door. Isis glanced around the study once more.

  “Lead the way,” Isis said, following the blonde woman out of the room. As they stepped into the large quiet hallway, Isis couldn’t help but admire the gorgeous architecture. Visiting old houses and castles was one of her favorite things to do. Unfortunately, she couldn’t entirely enjoy the beautiful mansion since she was surrounded by strange people and had no idea whether or not they meant her harm.

  Turning her attention to Lilly, Isis studied her for a moment. There was something ethereal about the quiet woman and she seemed more goddess than human. Or shape shifter, I guess, Isis thought. Lilly wore a modest dress that was the color of a rainforest. Her hair was the color of the sun. It touched the small of her back in a braid and her kind eyes were the color of sapphires. Her stride was graceful and silent, hinting at some hidden inner power.