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

by Lauren Jankowski

  “I don’t know, maybe because you talk like a fucking Martian,” Isis stated, stunned. “Oh my god, this is how I die, with a crazy stalker who has no idea how to interact with people.”

  “I am not insane,” Coop said, as he checked the rearview mirror again. Isis glanced behind the car seeing nothing but an empty road behind them.

  “You’re apparently paranoid, you talk like some kind of space alien or robot, and you’re wearing sunglasses at ten o’clock at night. You were wearing sunglasses in that club when we first met. Do you ever take those damn things off?”

  Coop took off his sunglasses and looked at her. “Satisfied?”

  “Fuck no! Who the hell are you?”

  “Someone who just saved you. You don’t have to be defensive,” Coop replied, remaining calm and collected. “Please try to calm down.”

  “Word of advice, buddy: don’t ever tell someone to calm down,” Isis snapped. “I want to see some ID.”

  “I don’t have any,” Coop said as he slid his sunglasses back on, glancing at the rearview mirror again.

  “Really not helping your case, dude,” Isis shot back, slipping her phone out of her pocket. Holding it at her side, she reached up and pressed the lights over the rearview mirror.

  Coop shook his head as he reached up to switch off the lights. “I was unaware I was on trial.”

  “I’m sure all stalkers say the exact same thing,” Isis muttered, inwardly smiling as she put her phone on her other side. She had gotten a few pictures of the mysterious man. Biting her lower lip, she considered sending them to Shae.

  “I haven’t been stalking you.”

  “No? Than how come it seems like wherever I turn, you’re there?” Isis demanded, composing a text message.

  “Maybe you’re stalking me,” Coop offered with a small shrug.

  “That’s original,” Isis scoffed, sending the text and slipping the phone back in her pocket.

  Coop steered over to the side of the road and stepped on the brake. After shifting into park, he took a cell phone out of one of the inner pockets of his jacket. He pulled off his sunglasses and tucked them into one of his side pockets.

  “I have a weapon,” Isis warned, watching Coop. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn’t sense any malice from the strange man. All she saw was indifference and perhaps a little sadness. There were few things Isis was sure of, but she was fairly certain that it was unlikely Coop was a threat. It was just a gut feeling.

  Coop didn’t react to her threat as he got out of the car, shut the door, and walked a few feet away. They had stopped in an open field, curling mists adding to the already perfect atmosphere for something out of a horror movie. Just one more thing to add to the list of wonderful elements of the evening that Isis was creating in her mind. She half-expected a werewolf to come charging out of the shadows and attack the car.

  Once Coop was a short distance away, Isis immediately began going through the car, searching for anything suspicious or something that would tell her who the man was. She was sure she would be in so much trouble if she ever made it back to the mansion.

  Outside, Isis could hear an owl hooting in the distance and the crickets were holding their own private little symphony. Every now and again the trees and grass would rustle in a stray breeze. Isis didn’t mind any of the sounds and found them to be soothing as she continued searching the car, hoping to happen across a better weapon than the baton she had with her. The car was completely bare and even had that new car smell. Shifting over to the driver’s seat, Isis could have kicked herself for never learning how to hotwire a damn car.

  “It’s me.”

  Isis glanced up when she heard Coop’s voice. He had left the driver’s side window partly open. She perked up her ears, eavesdropping on his quiet conversation.

  “You were correct in your concern. The assassin was after her, but we got there in time,” he said in his normal indifferent tone. “Well, she’s being difficult, which is to be expected.”

  Coop paused for a moment, listening to what the person on the other line was saying. “That was not my doing. She’s a rookie. You had me approach her in a club even when I warned you that was a bad strategy. In case you hadn’t noticed, exp . . . We’re not experienced in non-manipulative interactions. Please don’t shush me. Yes, she’s in the car now. I imagine that she is eavesdropping. It is not my fault. You asked me to help him and even though that wasn’t part of our original bargain, I did so. What else do you expect of me? I’m adaptable, but I was modified for battle and survival, not retrieval missions. Not most of the time anyway.”

  Coop was silent for a few more moments. Isis could hear the barely audible murmur of the person on the other end of the line. The mysterious man rubbed his brow, his shoulders dropping ever so slightly, and Isis could tell he had lost the argument with whomever he was speaking with.

  “I will fulfill my end of the bargain and retrieve the assassin, as you asked, but after that my debt to you will be paid and I’ll be on my way. Now I need to drop the protector off at the mansion,” Coop said before going quiet again. “To the best of my knowledge she has not. Give me some credit. I will see you in an hour or so.”

  Coop hung up the phone and stood for a moment with his hands on his hips, just staring off into the distance. Isis wondered if he was going to hurl the phone across the field as she shifted back over to the passenger side, not taking her eyes off him. She watched as he tucked the phone into one of his inner jacket pockets before he turned and strode back toward the car, sinking into the driver’s side. He closed his door, not sparing Isis a glance. Reaching forward, he turned the key in the ignition and twisted in his seat, putting his arm behind Isis’ seat and looking behind them as he backed out of the field onto the quiet road. He spun the wheel, sat back, and shifted into gear. For a long while, neither spoke.

  “Who were you talking to?” Isis finally broke the silence.

  “No one of concern,” Coop answered in a flat tone that said the matter was closed. Isis sat back, observing the surroundings as they sped by. They soon turned onto the hidden road and Isis couldn’t help but wonder how Coop knew where it was.

  “I can only take you up to the gate,” Coop mentioned. “I would appreciate it if you kept my involvement in this a secret.”

  “What do I tell—?”

  “Say whoever it was wore a mask and dropped you off at the gate. If you have to, add in a gun or knife or some other weapon,” Coop responded before Isis had a chance to finish asking the question.

  Isis licked her lips. “You implied you knew something about the symbol . . .?”

  Coop raised an eyebrow. “Would you believe anything I told you at the moment? Without any kind of evidence that could back up what I revealed to you?”

  Isis hesitated, thinking. “No.”

  “Then I fail to see the point in telling you what I know,” he said as he turned the steering wheel and pulled up to the large gate. Once they reached the gate, Coop shifted into park and gestured at her door, motioning for her to be on her way. Isis reached for the door handle and Coop turned his gaze back to the street ahead.

  “Thank you,” Isis muttered. She rarely thanked anyone, but she felt she owed it to the strange man. He just continued looking at the road, giving no indication that he had heard her. She went to the gate, opening the box to reveal the handprint scanner.

  “Stay out of trouble,” Coop said just loud enough for her to hear. Isis rolled her eyes and twisted around a little, raising her eyebrow. He offered her a hint of a smile and shifted into drive, disappearing down the hidden road.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Jet paced around the indoor swimming pool, thinking over everything Isis had told him the previous night. He had decided to forego the inevitable lecture for the moment. She already knew that he was angry with her for doing something so incredibly reckless. However, he was more concerned with the altercation she’d had with Blackjack. He couldn’t figure out how the assassin had ma
naged to hide in the apartment without the guardians knowing. That was the second time the protection spell hadn’t worked when it should have. Another strange part of the story had been Isis’ discovery that the pictures she’d gone back for were missing again. What was going on?

  The sound of rippling water echoed around the large room. The clean liquid reflected wavy aqua-colored reflections on the soft gray brick walls. Jet’s footsteps echoed as he continued to pace up and down at the front of the pool. Droplets of sweat formed at his temple, but Jet paid them no attention. He brushed a hand through his black hair, glancing to where the four women were swimming before looking back down again and continuing to pace.

  Isis, Jade, Alex, and Shae continued swimming laps, moving through the water. Isis reached the end of the pool where Jet was walking back and forth and noticed his expression. She put her elbows up on deck and watched him. Here comes the Inquisition, she thought as she brushed a dark strand of wet hair behind her ear.

  “You’ve never seen his face?” Jet asked, looking over at her to briefly make eye contact.

  “Nope,” Isis said with a slight shake of her head, water sprinkling out of her dark locks at the slight movement. Shae popped up next to her, water beading off her skin at the sudden exit.

  “I think it’s a secret admirer,” she teased.

  Isis rolled her eyes. “And I suppose in your twisted mind being abducted was some kind of foreplay? Thanks for answering your text by the way.”

  “Uh, check your damn phone, Ice Queen. The picture didn’t go through,” Shae replied, grinning.

  “Secret admirer?” Jet asked, frowning as he looked between the two women. Alex and Jade had begun to race while Jet was speaking with Shae and Isis. They reached the wall, smoothly rolled forward, changed their direction, and tore off toward the opposite wall again, making almost no noise or splash.

  “Yeah, you know? Someone who likes you but doesn’t tell you,” Shae explained before turning back toward Isis. She shook her head and looked up at Jet, trying to read his expression, frustrated when she found she could not. Jet was good when it came to hiding what he was thinking and Isis still forgot that shape shifters stopped aging at a certain point in their lives. Jet and Lilly were a lot older than her even though they physically didn’t look it. Isis could only hope that he didn’t bring their short conversation up to Electra. If he did, she would have to figure out some other story to cover for the strange call her twin had overheard and she could only keep so many alibis and stories straight at once.

  Jet walked toward the glass door, opened it, and walked up the stairs that led up to the mansion’s main floor. The glass door clicked shut.

  Isis swam freestyle to the edge of the pool and hopped out, lost in thought. Shae, Jade, and Alex watched as she grabbed a towel, wrapped it around her waist, and sauntered back to the shower room.

  “What’s up with her?” Alex asked, running a hand down her face to brush off the excess water. Both Jade and Shae shrugged, neither knowing what was on Isis’ mind lately.

  *~*~*~*~*

  Isis sat in the open fields of the Meadows, allowing the calm environment to wash over her. A cool breeze brushed through the field of golden grass that stretched out before her. Behind her, Isis could hear the gentle murmur of water from Ocean’s lands. The calming sounds of the distant woodlands drifted to her ears. One of the mountain lions that guarded the Meadows was lying against a nearby tree. The large cat’s presence no longer bothered Isis. She had become accustomed to many of the odd things concerning shape shifters and guardians.

  After a few moments, Isis heard footsteps as someone moved through the grass. She slowly opened her eyes, watching as her twin approached her, pausing when she reached Isis.

  “How bad was he?” Isis asked, more curious than upset.

  Electra sat next to her, following her gaze across the field. “I heard you met Blackjack.”

  “He mentioned Roan,” Isis said as she leaned back so that she rested on her elbows. “Piqued my curiosity about him. Figured I might as well try asking you, seeing as how you’re the most likely to give me a straight answer and not tip-toe around anything.”

  Electra was quiet for a moment, licking her lips as a thoughtful expression crossed her face.

  “He was bad, Isis,” she finally answered, folding her long legs under her. “One of the worst. His name still strikes fear in many hearts and you’d be hard pressed to find a shape shifter who would willingly say his name aloud. He had a reputation for throwing his victims off high places, but Roan knew many different ways to kill . . . and torture.”

  Wonderful, I’m genetically related to a goddamn supervillain, Isis thought, thinking about her next question.

  “What happened to him? Nobody’s given me an answer about that yet.”

  Electra shrugged. “That’s because nobody really knows. He just disappeared. At least that’s what I’ve been told.”

  “Is it possible he’s alive?”

  “Possible, but unlikely,” Electra responded, shaking her head. “Assassins don’t often meet good ends.”

  *~*~*~*~*

  Passion hurried to the large meeting room of the Pearl Castle, late as usual. Trying to tie her moderately sweaty hair back, hoping to at least look somewhat presentable, she allowed herself a small secretive smile as her thoughts drifted back to her lover, who was still asleep in her room. What she wouldn’t give to be curled up beside her, snuggling beneath the warm covers. Passion couldn’t care less about what went on in the meetings and only made an appearance because she was required to or when her grandmother requested she attend. Discussing dull matters that were of little to no importance was not high on her list of priorities.

  Reaching the door, Passion pulled it open. Adonia was sitting at the head of the table and smiled in greeting to her granddaughter. The main guardian women were all there with their apprentices and heirs sitting behind them. All eyes turned toward Passion when she entered the room. Late again, Passion thought, ignoring the disapproving look Artemis shot her. She made her way to the empty seat next to Electra and sat down.

  “Good of you to finally make an appearance,” Electra teased and Passion swatted at her playfully with a quiet laugh.

  “As I was saying, Aneurin will be arriving tomorrow,” Adonia began.

  Passion closed her eyes and put her head back, not bothering to hide her annoyance. Aneurin was a guardian Passion didn’t particularly care for. Most of the guardian men didn’t do anything aside from nitpick anything and everything the guardian women did. Aneurin was especially harsh to Passion and she couldn’t stand him. He always found a way to follow her around when he visited. He looked over her shoulder constantly and made little noises of disapproval, which drove her crazy. The fact that he’d been the main proponent of her sentence, part of which involved giving up Isis, made her loathe him even more. Aneurin had made it clear to her on numerous occasions that had it been his decision, she would have been banished from the Meadows.

  “Mom, don’t make a scene,” she heard Electra whisper. She nodded to her daughter, assuring her that she wouldn’t lose her temper. Passion turned her attention forward again, held her tongue, and continued listening to Adonia.

  “He has a few things he wants to go over. Mostly issues about Blackjack and the mysterious figure that has been popping up all over,” Adonia continued. “Passion, I should warn you: he may want to speak with Electra and possibly Isis.”

  Passion’s whole body went rigid and she stared at Adonia in disbelief. “He wants to interrogate my daughters?”

  “Passion, relax. It’s not an interrogation,” Artemis spoke up.

  “He’ll turn it into one. You know how he is,” Passion insisted. Electra crossed her arms over her chest. The meeting had barely even begun and already her mother was getting worked up. That was never a good sign.

  “Passion, you know I won’t let him,” Adonia tried to assure her.

  “Why is it always Aneurin? Why ca
n’t Alister conduct these random observations?” Passion asked, trying her best to keep her tone respectful. She had promised Electra that she would keep her temper under control, but this was almost too much.

  Alister was one of the guardian men who respected the work the guardian women did. Whenever he was observing, he stayed out of the way and was able to finish his business causing little interruption. Though guardian women were a strictly matriarchal society and kept almost no records of their male relatives, it was well known that Alister was Passion’s father.

  “Alister is not available,” Adonia answered.

  “If Aneurin gets near my daughters . . .” Passion warned, her eyes briefly turning bright red.

  “Don’t threaten your elders, Passion. Settle down,” Artemis scolded.

  “Oh right. I forgot. I’m to act as an obedient subject who is just supposed to blindly follow authority,” Passion replied. “Why don’t you just throw me in the dungeons and get it over with, Mother.”

  “That’s enough from both of you!” Adonia slammed her hands on the smooth surface of the table as she stood from her chair. Passion continued glaring at Artemis, who returned the fierce stare. They were both stubborn, especially when they thought they were right, which they almost always did. The room went silent as all eyes turned to the guardian queen. It was incredibly rare that she raised her voice. Even Artemis and Passion remained quiet.

  “I’m tempted to throw you both in the dungeons if only for a night. Your bickering is endless and I know I’m not the only one who is tired of it,” Adonia continued, looking between the two of them. “Artemis, leave the past in the past. Passion, not many agreed with your sentence, your mother least of all, so stop holding a grudge. Can I count on you both to at least act civil toward each other tomorrow?”

  Passion and Artemis looked back at her and nodded.

  “Good. Does anyone else have any concerns?” Adonia looked around the table, nodding when one woman raised her hand. “Ocean, go ahead.”