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

by Lauren Jankowski

  Electra scoffed and ran her fingers through her ponytail. “If we’re being observed, yes. I don’t really care for dresses and neither does my . . . our mother. Well, she does, but not the kind that meets the guidelines.”

  “Oh,” Isis said, turning her eyes back to the open door and suppressing her anxiety. After a moment, she turned back to Electra, who had fixed her eyes on the open door again.

  “My eyes,” Isis said, drawing the woman’s attention back to her. “They change color sometimes. I’ve got pictures where they look blue and others where they look green. At first, I chalked that up to them being hazel, but they don’t just absorb color. They actually change color.”

  Electra nodded. “You get that from Mother. It’s an extremely rare guardian trait. As far as Adonia knows, Mom and I are the only current guardians who have it. I guess you’re the third.”

  “Adonia?” Isis asked.

  “She’s our great grandmother and queen of the guardian women,” Electra said. It was obvious she was still getting used to Isis. She said “our” as if the word felt strange in her mouth. They were spared any further awkward small talk when Jade appeared back in the doorway.

  “All clear,” she reported. Electra gestured for Isis to go in, which she swiftly did. She moved right for the bedroom, listening for whether Electra or Jade was following her. When she was satisfied that they weren’t, she went to the closet and grabbed a duffle bag. She swiftly threw some clothes inside, along with a couple of her expandable batons. Her eyes fell on her dresser, where her cell phone was. Looking toward the hallway, Isis could hear someone flipping through a book and muted conversation. She reached forward and snatched the phone off the dresser, slipping it into her pocket. Moving back to the bed and zipping the duffle bag shut, Isis grabbed the tough woven handles and made her way back to the main part of the room.

  Electra was standing at the bookcase, thumbing through one of her books on mythology. Jade was on the couch, her arms stretched out across the back and her fingers drumming on the fabric. She glanced over at Isis.

  “Ready to go?” she asked.

  “I’m going to use the bathroom first,” Isis replied. Jade shrugged and Isis made her way to the bathroom, moving casually. She entered the bathroom and locked the door behind her. Pulling out her cell phone and turning it on, Isis felt her shoulders slump when the low battery warning flashed across the screen.

  You need to charge this thing once in a while, Isis, Steve’s words echoed in her mind. She always forgot to charge the damn thing, which was part of the reason she lost her first job come to think of it. Isis tried to dial Steve’s number, almost flinging the phone across the bathroom when the screen blinked and went dead.

  “Fuck,” she hissed in frustration, dragging her fingers through her short hair. She put her hands on the sink and leaned forward, her mind racing. Isis thought of a number of plans, each more ludicrous than the one before. Looking at the mirror, Isis considered breaking it and using the glass to draw some blood. But she wasn’t sure whether or not Steve would find it before these crazy people dismembered her and buried her who knew where.

  Biting her lip, Isis reached up to the cabinet above the sink and pulled it open. Moving some items around on the narrow shelves, Isis’ fingers brushed over something smooth. She grabbed a hold of it and found it was a Sharpie. Isis stared at it, wondering why the hell it was there in the first place. She did have a strange habit of leaving pens in weird places.

  Isis felt her eyes widen as a thought came to her and she quickly looked around the bathroom, searching for something to write on. She had to find somewhere that Steve would see it, but that involved a certain amount of risk. Thinking quickly, Isis flushed the toilet and turned on the cold water tap. She uncapped the pen with her teeth and began to scribble words on the mirror: HELP! SOS, I got in over my head! Massive castle at the edge of the road, hidden somewhere in the hills, easy to miss. Track my phone or something.

  Isis put the cap back on the Sharpie and placed it in the toothbrush holder. Now all she could do was hope that her friend noticed her absence and investigated. He’s a detective. It’s his goddamn job, she thought as she grabbed a few assorted toiletries and moved back out into the main area of the apartment, where the two women were waiting for her.

  “All right, let’s go,” she said as she opened the duffle bag and tossed the toiletries inside, moving toward the front door. Isis suppressed a breath of relief when neither Jade nor Electra asked to use the bathroom. It was a small bit of luck, but she would take whatever she could get.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Isis was in a somewhat better mood when they returned to the mansion. She even looked out the window to enjoy the scenery. It was a lovely summer day. The air was sweet and the sun was shining. It was a little easier to see the road that went through the hills, though Isis only noticed it once they were on it. As Jade drove up the long driveway, Isis looked at all the different trees that were scattered throughout the land.

  Jade pulled up in front of the mansion and shifted into park. “I’m going to let the two of you off here and pull into the garage. I’ll meet you inside.”

  Electra got out of the car and Isis followed close behind. She listened to the crunch of their footsteps on the fine mineral underfoot. Isis considered attempting to have a conversation again, but decided against it. Electra didn’t seem to be much of a conversationalist, at least not presently.

  They walked down the long path across the reddish gravel toward the towering wooden front doors. Electra reached up to the lion’s head, grasping the bronze ring it held in its mouth, and knocked it against the door twice. Then she stepped back and put her hands in her pockets, looking off toward the trees. Isis twisted her body to look behind her, wondering just how much land these people owned. The enormous mansion was impressive, but the vastness of their land was what really took Isis’ breath away.

  She heard the door being pulled open and turned back, letting out a shout of surprise at the familiar face that greeted her.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “Shae!?” Isis yelled. Her shout echoed off the surrounding trees and walls, causing Electra to jolt and stare at the two women, both of whom were almost too shocked to speak. The guardian looked between the two of them, waiting for one of them to fill her in.

  “Isis!?” her cousin exclaimed, stunned. Shae had obviously been working out. Her auburn hair was slick with sweat and she wore a dark blue athletic top with tight black pants. A strong wind brushed against Isis’ back as she continued to stare at her cousin, not believing her eyes. Electra cleared her throat and they both looked over at her, almost forgetting they weren’t alone.

  “You two know each other?” she asked. Shae looked at her before turning her gaze back to Isis, a small smile dancing across her lips. Isis finally spoke first.

  “Are you . . . do you know these people?” she demanded, feeling anger flare within her. If Shae was behind this lunacy, Isis resolved to never to speak to her again. And she was definitely moving, preferably out of the country, and changing her identity.

  “You’re Passion’s daughter? Oh my fucking god, that is brilliant. Oh, oh, I love my life so much right now. Thank you, world!” Shae shouted up to the sky before dissolving into giggles. Electra stared at her as though the woman had lost her mind, glancing over at Isis again.

  “You’re part of this? And why are you laughing?” Isis hissed, stress creeping into her voice. Shae snickered and shook her head, holding up a hand to prevent her cousin from having a conniption fit. She turned her sparkling green eyes to Electra.

  “We grew up together, as cousins,” Shae explained, studying Electra. “Wow, Jet mentioned you were identical, but this is just freaky. Hopefully you’re better with people than Isis is. At least one of you should have some diplomatic skills.”

  “Isis, you’re here,” a tall man came up the hallway behind Shae. He had sky-blue eyes and thick black hair. His voice was smooth with a hint of an Irish br
ogue and held the subtle intelligence that academics often spoke with. His eyes turned to Electra and he bowed respectfully.

  “Electra,” he stated by way of welcoming.

  She rolled her eyes. “You really don’t need to bow. It’s not like I’m full guardian.”

  “Excuse me, who the hell are you?” Isis demanded, looking the new stranger up and down as he straightened to his full height again. His bright blue eyes held a wisdom that contradicted how old he looked.

  “Oh, I do beg your pardon. My name is Remington and I’ll be your trainer,” Remington replied with a warm smile as he turned his gaze back to her and offered his hand, which she hesitantly took. She managed a polite smile as they shook hands, but inside she was screaming. Ow, ow, ow, ow! How the fuck did he get a grip like that? Isis thought, barely able to repress a sigh of relief when Remington released her hand from the almost bone-crushing grip he had held it in. Electra stepped past the three shape shifters and into the mansion without another word. Remington stepped forward and shut the door, his eyes turning to the two women still standing nearby.

  “We call him Remy,” Shae told Isis with a mischievous wink. Remington glared at Shae, his expression reflecting obvious annoyance. She just smiled and shoulder checked him playfully. Isis stared at her cousin, wondering if there was anyone Shae didn’t like.

  “You know you love me, Remy,” Shae teased, beaming up at the trainer.

  “Yes, Shae,” he humored her before whapping the back of her head and smiling at the look of irritation she shot him. “My daughter, Alex, is already downstairs. Shae will take you and I’m sure Jade will join you soon. I need to have a quick word with Jet and Lilly.”

  Remington turned and walked in the direction of the study, down the long main hallway. When he was out of sight, Isis grabbed Shae’s arm.

  “Ow, hey!” Shae protested against the rough treatment. “Jesus Isis, you need to trim your damn nails or get a manicure or something, ow! You don’t need to grip me that hard. You’re worse than Remington.”

  “Shae, I swear to god, if this is one of your stupid pranks, I won’t speak to you again! If it’s true, why the hell was I never informed that our family could shape shift?” Isis growled, tightening her grip despite the yelp of pain from her cousin. “Is this another one of their let’s-fuck-with-Isis’-head-for-sport games?”

  “Honestly, you are such a drama queen at times. You were never told because they don’t even know. The last shape shifter in our family died centuries ago. The bloodline was dormant until I was born,” Shae answered, yanking her arm out of Isis’ grip and glaring at her. “Both my parents have a dormant shape shifting gene. And I assure you, this is very real. Even I’m not this creative.”

  Isis wasn’t sure whether she should be angry, happy, or both. She shook her head as the two traveled partway down the elegant hall until they reached a wooden door with a golden plaque that read Training Room in engraved letters. Shae opened the door and motioned for Isis to travel down the grayish blue stairs, which Isis promptly did. The staircase curved around a bend, various old weapons lining the brick walls — the railings keeping travelers a safe distance away from the gleaming blades.

  Isis and Shae reached the bottom of the staircase almost at the same time. Isis looked around the large room, once again finding herself awestruck at the sheer size of the mansion. Each room seemed to be twice the size of any place she had ever lived or visited. And yet, despite its massive size, it still had a very home-like feel to it.

  Different weapons and equipment lined the walls of the training room. The ceilings were high. There was a wooden door in the back marked with a black sign that said “opponent course” in raised letters. There was a boxing ring in the middle of the room. Punching bags and gymnastics equipment were in various places. The room was painted gray and blue mats covered most of the floor. The lights were located up in the ceiling and beamed down, illuminating every square inch of the room with a bright light.

  A woman Isis had never seen before was kicking a punching bag. The whack of flesh against the rough red vinyl was the only sound in the basement. The woman was slender yet fit, with long black hair that was held back from her face. She wore red and black workout clothes that were similar to Shae’s. Her hands were wrapped tightly in white tape and she held them in tight fists in front of her, protectively. She was sweating, but not as much as Shae. The cylindrical bag rattled violently on its chain every time the woman’s powerful leg made contact with it.

  “So, what about Remington?” Isis asked. Though they had just been fighting, it was quickly forgotten. She had never been able to stay mad at her cousin for very long.

  “Old Remy? He’s okay. He can be tough but it’s all an act. He’s a big softy,” Shae replied, glancing over at Isis. “Although, you have always had a downright impressive ability to get on even the most patient peoples’ bad sides.”

  Isis rolled her eyes over to Shae, not appreciating the jab. The lights above them buzzed, unnoticed by the women in the training room.

  “Remington actually reminds me of James Bond weirdly enough,” Isis mentioned, as she studied the large training room. She moved over to the nearest wall, examining the different blades.

  Shae snickered as she followed her cousin to the weapons wall. “I know. He really looks like him and he’s got the accent and everything.”

  “Bond was written to be British, Remington’s accent is Irish,” Isis pointed out, touching the hilt of a dagger. “Are we actually going to use these?”

  “Yeah, probably,” Shae responded as she looked over her shoulder and then back at Isis. “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?” Isis asked, frowning as she reached out and ran her fingers over the hilt of a sword. It looked old, maybe an antique, but the metal still shone as if it were newly forged. All the weapons were well cared for and shone in the lights. Briefly, Isis considered attempting to lift one of the blades to keep on her in case she needed to make a fast escape. She decided against it, since she didn’t have any experience fighting with a knife.

  “Identify accents like Remington’s,” Shae clarified, drawing Isis’ attention back to her. “You’ve always been able to do that. It’s really weird.”

  “I don’t know,” Isis replied with a shrug. “I just can. Guess it’s another one of my strange talents. I seem to have quite a few of those.”

  Shae laughed and twisted around when she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Jade soon came into view, dressed in a green camouflage tank top and dark pants.

  “Took you long enough,” Shae teased.

  “What’s the matter, sweetheart? Miss me much?” Jade said with a flirtatious raised eyebrow. “Have you introduced Isis to Alex yet?”

  “We were too busy talking about accents,” Shae explained, which made Jade roll her eyes and mutter something Isis didn’t catch.

  “Alex, come over here and join us,” Jade called. The rattling of the chain stopped as Alex turned her eyes over to where the three were standing, studying them for a moment. Eventually, she strode away from the bag and toward the small group. Jade waited patiently until Alex reached them. Isis couldn’t help but stare at Alex, who looked nothing like Remington.

  “Isis, this is Alex. Alex the aro-ace, meet Isis the Gray-A,” Jade introduced the two with a hint of teasing. Alex furrowed her brow a little as she turned her brown eyes to Jade, her expression reflecting surprise.

  “Two members of the Four on the ace spectrum? That’s unexpected,” Alex said and Jade smiled, shrugging. The woman turned her attention back to Isis, looking her up and down, raising her eyebrows.

  “She smells human,” Alex stated. Isis rolled her eyes. I’m sure that was meant to be an insult, she thought.

  “Be nice, Alex,” Jade warned. Alex shrugged and turned her attention back to Isis.

  “I meant no offense and I apologize if I caused any,” Alex said. “You really had no idea about your heritage?”

  Isis shook her head
and spread her hands, unsure if Alex was looking for some kind of explanation. Next to her, Isis heard Shae scoff and recognized it as a sign that her cousin was annoyed. Oh god, Shae, please don’t start shit, Isis thought, thinking about the weapons wall behind her.

  “Last time I checked, neither did you, Alex,” Shae commented, drawing a look from Alex that was nothing short of murderous.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” Isis began, hoping to prevent any further ugliness. “You’re Remington’s daughter? The guy I just met upstairs?”

  “His adopted daughter. Yes, even we uncivilized shape shifters have adoption,” Alex replied, not bothering to hide the hostility in her voice. Isis raised her hands in surrender and stepped back, unwilling to interfere any further. She definitely didn’t want to start a fight with someone who likely had much more combat experience.

  “Let’s not resort to pettiness,” Jade reprimanded as she stepped between the two as a kind of mediator. Alex glanced at Isis, but didn’t say anything further.

  “Jade is right. You four are supposed to work together as a team, not bicker like ill-mannered children.”

  Isis turned around, surprised to see Remington standing behind her on the bottom step. He had his arms crossed over his chest and was watching them with a passive expression. From the way he held himself, Isis estimated that he was just over six feet tall.

  “We have a long few months ahead of us, so I suggest we get started,” Remington continued as he crossed the training room, his voice loud enough that they could hear him clearly. He moved over to the boxing ring and removed a clipboard from the chalky white floor.

  “Today is just a beginning run-through so I can see how your skills measure up against one another,” he explained, his eyes traveling over to them. “Isis, you’ll be working with your sister for a while. She wants you to meet her outside near the Koi pond.”

  Isis looked over to Shae, not thrilled with the prospect of leaving familiarity to spend time with a complete stranger. She wasn’t comfortable with Electra, who seemed to be angry at the world. Shae shrugged and gave her an apologetic look. Isis sighed and turned, heading for the stairs.