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

by Lauren Jankowski

  Isis felt her eyes widen a little when she recognized the woman Coop had pointed out at the club: Onyx. Well shit, Isis thought as she tried to figure out how the hell she managed to attract so much trouble. If she managed to survive this, there was no doubt in her mind that Shae would never let her hear the end of it. It was then Isis noticed Onyx was holding her earpiece, which she closed her fist around and crushed.

  “You’re quick on your feet, baby protector,” Onyx complimented, running her fingers along the edge of the table as she approached Isis. “I must admit, I’m a little disappointed. I thought one with guardian blood would be taller. Perhaps a little more sparkly.”

  “Yeah well, I thought such a feared assassin would be decked out in leather or have an eyepatch or something,” Isis responded, making sure to keep space between them as she continued backing up. “Life’s full of disappointments.”

  Onyx smirked and then bolted forward, pulling herself up on the table and sliding across it, striking at Isis with a strong kick. Isis barely managed to leap out of the way, but was struck by the follow-up kick, which sent her crashing into a wheeling table. Isis grabbed a tray off the table and hurled it at Onyx, who slapped it away. She leapt off the table and ran at Isis, striking at her with a strong punch. Isis leaned away and pushed the punch past her, attempting to kick the assassin away. Onyx raised a knee, successfully blocking the kick, and pushed off the wall, striking Isis with a strong elbow.

  Isis soon found herself on the table with Onyx’s strong hand wrapped around her throat, strangling her. Isis clawed at Onyx’s arm, trying to break the solid grip.

  “This isn’t personal, you know,” Onyx growled from behind gritted teeth. “I don’t like destroying unique things, but unfortunately, someone is paying good money for the Key’s retrieval.”

  Isis gagged as she continued trying to break the tight grip, kicking at the woman’s legs. She couldn’t believe that she was actually going to die like this.

  Just when Isis was sure she would pass out, Onyx’s head was violently yanked back and Isis saw the gleam of a blade pressed against her throat.

  “Let her go,” a smoky voice ordered, pulling her head back further. “Now.”

  To Isis’ shock, Onyx’s grip on her throat slowly loosened and then disappeared. She rolled to the side, coughing and gasping as she struggled to get her breath back. Her vision was still hazy and for a moment, Isis worried she would lose consciousness. She raised her eyes and watched as the tall figure, concealed by a gray hoodie, dragged Onyx to the door and shoved her against the wall.

  “Run along back to whatever master you serve, unless you wish for me to color the walls with your blood,” the figure growled. Onyx glared at the figure for a moment, her yellow eyes flashing with rage.

  “Do not test me, child,” the figure threatened, rotating the knife around a few times with a fast wrist movement. Onyx smirked, her gaze sliding back to Isis.

  “Until we meet again, baby protector,” she called to her. Then she turned and disappeared down the hall. The figure turned back to Isis, who was still coughing and gagging as she attempted to get her breath back. In a few long strides, he was standing in front of her. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her head back and she almost fell over again. Grimacing in pain, Isis glared into his cold green eyes. Though the hood was up and the bottom part of his face was hidden behind some kind of mask, she could see he had reddish hair and a medium build. Doing her best to pick out distinguishing features, Isis continued holding his gaze.

  “Where is it?” he demanded, pressing the sharp blade against her throat.

  “Bit counterintuitive, isn’t it? To save me only to kill me?” she managed to gasp out.

  The man’s eyes seemed to light up a little before he plunged the knife’s sharp blade down between two of her fingers, causing her to flinch.

  “You seem to be operating under the assumption that I care whether you live or die. I can assure you that I do not,” he explained. “The flashdrive now. I won’t ask again.”

  Isis remained silent and made no move to comply with his demands. Inside she felt a little frightened, but she was determined not to back down. The man shook his head as he pulled the knife out of the table, swiping the blade over her leg. Isis flinched when she heard the fabric tear and out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man hold out his hand and catch the flashdrive when it dropped out of the tear.

  “Hey!” she snapped.

  “You’re brave, I’ll give you that,” he remarked as he slipped the flashdrive into a pocket in his hoodie. “But bravery is sometimes synonymous with foolishness.”

  “I’m not alone and I will personally hunt you to the ends of the Earth to get that flashdrive back,” Isis swore, mentally kicking herself for the lame threat.

  “I’ll be sure to watch my back,” the man replied in a tone that suggested he wasn’t all that worried about her warning. He was about to leave, but paused and squinted at her. Using the blade of his knife, the mysterious man pulled Isis’ charm out of her shirt and brought it closer to his face so that he could see it better. For a moment, Isis was scared he would demand she hand it over, but then he let it drop again and moved to the door of the room. Isis watched as he shifted into a black fox and then dashed off down the hall. Intending to give chase, Isis hopped off the table only to fall to the ground when her legs refused to support her.

  Hearing Shae call her name, Isis groaned and rested her back against one of the windowed walls. She had a feeling she was going to get an earful for this incident.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Jet looked around the woods. The trees shot up toward the clear afternoon sky, dappling the sunlight on the dirt ground. Somewhere nearby, Jet could hear a babbling brook. He snarled to himself as he continued to look around, ignoring his peaceful surroundings. He was looking for Sly and he was beyond furious.

  “Sly!” he yelled. His voice bounced off the trees and echoed back to him, startling any woodland creature that heard it. Jet continued looking around until he found her. She was sitting high up in a tree looking out over the forest. The sun fell on her, bringing out the sparkle of the dark blue backless top she wore. One denim-covered leg was pulled up so that it rested beneath her chin. Her other leg dangled off the branch, swaying back and forth, a clear indication that she was deep in thought. Her sleek black hair fell about her face, concealing it from him. Her expressive green eyes were blank as they fixed on the horizon.

  “Do I even need to ask?” Jet called up to her. She glanced down to him, grinning.

  “I do love hearing about the shenanigans you assume I get into,” she retorted, a little displeased with her peace and quiet being interrupted.

  Jet scowled. “Where is it?”

  Sly stretched out so that she lay on her stomach on the thick branch, letting out a relaxed sigh as she ran her fingers over the bark.

  “Say please,” she taunted.

  “Dammit, Sly!”

  Sly got to her feet and leapt out of the tree, landing weightlessly on the dirt ground in a crouch, absorbing the impact in her knees. If a human had jumped from the height she had, they would have broken their legs.

  “I don’t have it,” Sly answered as she straightened up and smoothed her jeans.

  “Really?” Jet replied, not believing her for a second. Sly looked up at him, fury flashing in her eyes. Jet didn’t often get a reaction out of her, but she would not tolerate being called a liar.

  “Believe what you want, but in case you hadn’t noticed, we’re in a forest. There aren’t a lot of outlets out here. Why the hell would I want a flashdrive?” she said, pointing out the obvious. “Especially one that assassins have such a keen interest in?”

  Money or power, Jet thought before responding, “Who took it then?”

  “Ah, now you believe me. Interesting.” Sly arched an eyebrow as she began to walk deeper into the forest, touching each tree she passed. Jet knew he had offended her, and as a result she would be even more difficult. I
f that’s even possible, he thought.

  “Sly,” Jet warned as he followed her.

  “I don’t know. I didn’t see them,” Sly answered as she hopped over a large log.

  “You didn’t see them?” Jet repeated, already knowing Sly had followed the Four to the museum. The mysterious woman seemed to be everywhere, hiding in the shadows. Jet couldn’t think of one human contact who had ever seen Sly. It wouldn’t surprise him if no human had ever seen her. She didn’t trust humans and avoided them as much as possible.

  “It was a very dark night and whoever it was obviously knew what they were doing,” Sly answered with a hint of annoyance, not happy that someone had escaped even her attention.

  “I’m not joking, Sly,” Jet warned.

  Sly turned to face him, her eyes serious. “Neither am I.”

  They stared at each other for another beat, and then Sly shifted into a leopard. Her muscles stretched and contracted, her pale flesh swiftly changed into beautifully spotted fur. Her expressive green eyes changed into round yellow ones. Her hands and feet expanded and formed into gigantic paws. The transformation took about thirty seconds and then she jogged off with a quiet growl, disappearing into the depths of the forest she called home.

  *~*~*~*~*

  “Are you absolutely sure that’s all you could see?”

  Isis sat on the desk, her back to Jet. He had already asked that question at least a hundred times. Even Jade shook her head and put her face in her hand.

  “Yes, for the millionth time,” Isis answered. “He was wearing a mask on the bottom of his face. I only saw his eyes and a bit of his hair, everything else was covered.”

  “Her throat was pretty badly bruised, Jet,” Jade put in. “She had been in quite a scuffle.”

  Jet shook his head, troubled. “It just doesn’t make sense. I don’t know of any new assassins in this territory, certainly none with that particular modus operandi. It definitely wasn’t one of you. Sly claims it wasn’t her. Anyone else would have used the flashdrive by now.”

  “Is it possible that humans could have found out about it? They’ve been known to act irrationally when trying to acquire more power,” Alex commented nonchalantly, but there was a hint of bitterness in her voice. Isis looked over to her, surprised by the rare sign of emotion from her normally reserved teammate.

  “No,” Jet answered, but he was beginning to wonder whether or not people did actually know about the flashdrive.

  “Sly probably knows more than she’s letting on. I’ll talk with her when I next see her, maybe get some more information,” Jade offered. Isis leaned back a little, interested in the mysterious source. Whenever her name came up, it was usually accompanied by irritation or exasperation. She must have some damn valuable information, Isis thought, more curious than ever about the elusive Sly.

  Jet sat with his hands clasped together, touching his mouth in thought. They had lost the flashdrive the previous night and he had just returned from meeting with Sly. The air in the corner of the study began to shimmer and Electra Appeared, looking around the room.

  “I take it things didn’t go as planned,” she observed.

  “Yes, that’s why I called on Adonia,” Jet responded. “Do the guardians know what happened?”

  Electra shrugged. “I’ve been told that we’re as stumped as you.”

  “Is it possible that one of the guardians is against us?” Alex asked. Isis looked over to Shae, who was tossing a blue racquetball up in the air and catching it. She was unusually quiet.

  “I doubt it. Our guards can sense evil intentions. A traitor would be in the dungeons before they knew what grabbed them,” Electra responded as she leaned against the wall behind her and lifted one foot up to rest on it.

  “Could the guardians even use it?” Isis asked her twin.

  “We could, but I don’t think we would. Guardians are not really into technology in the Meadows,” Electra replied as she brushed a hand through her hair.

  “Why did this mystery person tie up Onyx but not Isis?”

  Everyone looked up as Lilly entered the room.

  “It was probably someone who had a grudge against Onyx, or maybe even Adara. They’re both assassins after all. Both have their fair share of enemies,” Jet replied. “Whoever it was, he probably didn’t see Isis as a threat.”

  “Gee thanks,” Isis muttered. Shae snickered as she continued to toss the ball up and down.

  “Yes, but why not kill her?” Lilly pointed out. “I don’t think we should overlook that he did technically save her, even though he did also steal the flashdrive. I can’t think of any assassin who would do that. If he were an assassin, letting Onyx kill Isis would be an easier way of getting the flashdrive.”

  “If he were so concerned about my safety, he shouldn’t have threatened to kill me,” Isis stated bitterly as she hopped off the desk. She walked over to one of the shelves in the office and ran her slender fingers over the blue bindings of the books.

  “Does it really count as a threat if you were already half-dead, ice queen?” Shae chuckled, laughing even more at the withering glare Isis gave her.

  Jet got up and moved to the door. He walked down the large hall, heading for the library. Lilly exited behind him, following him into the first floor of the gigantic library, and watched him for a moment as he examined one of the bookshelves.

  “Jet, is it possible that he’s back?”

  He frowned and looked over at her. “Who?”

  “Roan,” Lilly answered, glancing over her shoulder. “You must admit, Isis’ description did sound rather similar to him. And he would be bold enough to challenge Adara’s leadership. After all, this territory originally belonged to him.”

  Jet turned his gaze back to the books in front of him. “Anything is possible, but I very much doubt it. If it had been Roan, he would have killed Onyx and Isis. Mercy wasn’t exactly something he was known for.”

  Lilly moved over to an elegant red chair and sat, resting her arms upon the curved arm rests. The sun beamed down upon them from the windows, casting light throughout the library. Jet turned to face his wife, noticing the concerned expression on her beautiful face.

  “Lilly, it’s all right,” Jet reassured her, wishing he believed his own words.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Electra and Isis watched Shae and Jade practice sparring in the boxing ring. Alex sat off to the side, listening to her iPod while flipping through a large book about sword fighting techniques. Her head was bobbing as hard rock music thundered in her ears.

  “Isis, would you like learn to Appear?” Electra asked, turning to face her sister.

  Isis shrugged in response. “I guess. Does Passion want to meet me or something?”

  “She does, but she won’t admit it.”

  Isis’ ringing cell phone interrupted their conversation. She frowned, not recognizing the number displayed on the screen. After a moment of debate, Isis answered the call, holding the phone to her ear. Shae had taken her to get a new one a couple weeks ago, insisting that her cousin have at least some form of modern communication.

  “Whoever this is, I’m not interested in whatever you’re selling,” Isis answered.

  “Hello Ms. Benson. I’m not selling anything,” a masculine voice came from the other end of the line. Isis squinted, trying to place where she knew the voice from. The caller had a weird way of speaking, as if words didn’t feel natural in his mouth. There was nothing but silence in the background, leading Isis to believe that the caller was in a room in his home or a very quiet office.

  “Who the hell is this?” she asked, giving up trying to identify the voice.

  “It’s Coop from the club—”

  “Oh Christ, you have got to be kidding me,” Isis grumbled as she ran a hand over her face. She was definitely not in the mood to deal with him.

  There was a short pause before Coop finished, “And at the museum last night. Apologies, have I upset you?”

  “You somehow managed to get
a hold of a relatively new number, so yeah. It’s a bit concerning, seeing as how I’m fairly certain you’ve strayed into stalking territory at this point.”

  Electra looked at her twin, frowning. Isis waved her hand, indicating that she would explain the strange conversation later.

  Coop was quiet again for a moment. “I see. I’m afraid I do not know how to remedy the situation.”

  Isis leaned back a little. “You can drop the man of mystery act and just tell me why you keep approaching me. Or you could leave me alone. Either option works for me.”

  “Right. Well, the information I have, which would interest you, is not exactly something that should be discussed over the phone. However, I know you would be unlikely to agree to an in-person meeting due to the high rate of assault and murder of women who meet with strangers, particularly men.”

  Isis took the phone away from her ear and stared at it for a moment. “You don’t talk to a lot of women, do you?”

  “Interacting with people in general isn’t something I often do,” he admitted and she heard a sound like a foot scuffing the floor. Isis raised an eyebrow, somewhat intrigued. She wasn’t about to agree to a meeting with the man, but there was something about him that made her think there was a story behind his strange mannerisms. Maybe he’s a Martian, she thought.

  “Coop, unless—”

  “The symbol you’ve seen, on the flashdrive and at the warehouse — you won’t find it in any book,” he stated. Isis instantly straightened up.

  “What? What do you know about—?”

  “I have to go. I’ll contact you again if I can.”