by C. J. Pinard
Joshua gulped. “Yes, sir.”
Pascal dropped him to the ground. He walked to the staircase to go get some sleep, as the first bits of daylight were starting to split through the cracks in the window coverings. “Come on, love.”
Angel dutifully followed him up the stairs.
As the couple disappeared at the top of the stairs, Joshua made his way back to the couch and sat down, rubbing his neck.
“You’re stupid, dude,” Mike said, shaking his bald head. He had his elbows on his knees and was stroking his chin. “You can’t talk to the boss like that, seriously.”
Joshua let out a breath. “I know. I’m wiped out, and honestly still a little freaked out about Darius. He was my sire… I feel kinda lost, man. He was helping me adjust to this lifestyle. I still don’t have things under control. Everything is so… magnified. My hunger, my thirst, my sex drive... I feel like I’m going half-crazy most of the time.”
“It’s okay, Josh. You will learn to control things. You just have to keep to the rule that you don’t kill humans when you feed. That’s the most important restraint you need to learn.”
“But I thought the Treaty said it was illegal to feed from humans altogether?”
A smile appeared under Mike’s goatee. “It is. But if you do it right, nobody has to know. Human women are especially easy to manipulate, and they taste better, too.”
“Don’t I know it.”
∞∞∞
The shrill of Jonathan’s cell phone ringing caused his eyes to fly open in the pitch-black of his room. He rolled over and looked at his alarm clock’s obnoxious red letters: 4:18 a.m.
He probed around on the nightstand for the offending noise and pushed the answer button. “Jonathan Murphy,” he mumbled. Listening intently, he then sat up straight and ran his hand through his hair. “Don’t let ‘em leave, we’ll be there as soon as we can.” He ended the call and then quickly shot off a text message to Kathryn.
Pulling on a pair of jeans that were slung over a nearby chair, he swished down the hallway’s wood floors and knocked on Thomas’s door. He was told to come in. Thomas was reading by a bedside lamp.
“Can’t sleep?” Jonathan asked, pointing at the book.
Thomas smiled. “Not really. I got about five hours in, don’t really feel like I need much more these days.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re up, we need to go. Seth and Malachi have been spotted in a neighborhood on the west side.”
“Oh? Who called it in?” Thomas asked, snapping the book closed and placing it on the nightstand. He proceeded to get dressed.
“Old man Donaldson, he runs that corner gas station,” Jonathan answered.
“That’s right,” Thomas nodded.
The Immortals had secured paid informants in every neighborhood in the entire Portland area. They were paid one hundred dollars cash for every tip they turned in, and they never asked questions. In this case, thanks to technology, Thomas had e-mailed pictures of Seth and Malachi, the shapeshifters’ Portland Clan leaders, to every informant in the area when they had disappeared after kidnapping Serina a few months ago.
“Where’s Kathryn?” Thomas asked as he digitally locked the front door of the apartment with its external keypad. A new, more secure door had been quickly installed after Pascal and Angel had blown it off.
“With her latest flavor-of-the-month, I guess. She’s meeting us there with the van,” Jonathan answered.
“Good, I’ll drive,” Thomas replied.
Thomas parked the BMW in back of the gas station. They went in through the back door, which had been left unlocked per protocol by old man Donaldson. He and Kathryn, who had already arrived, were heading their way.
“Hi. I think the guys you are looking for are in the store. They are looking at beer and I think that’s their truck out there at the pump,” he whispered, pointing toward the front of the store.
Jonathan peeked his head around from the back stockroom and confirmed it by nodding at Thomas.
The Immortals all drew their weapons, which in this case, were Taser guns. Old man Donaldson eyed the weapons, and looked fearful, but said nothing. Thomas pulled a one-hundred dollar bill from his pocket and handed it to the storekeeper. He then whispered, “Stay back here. Understand?”
The old man nodded and swallowed thickly.
Kathryn went into the store first. She kept her back mostly to Seth and Malachi while pretending to look at the display of condoms. Both men turned to look at her in the very short skirt and high heels she had purposely worn. Quietly, Jonathan and Thomas crept out like ninjas and instantly tased the two shapeshifters, who collapsed to the ground twitching, then fell still. Cuffs were instantly applied and Jonathan easily slung Malachi, the tallest one, over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carried him out to the awaiting white cargo van Kathryn had brought. Seth was carried by Thomas and Kathryn and placed next to Malachi. The cage of the van would come in especially handy since the shifters were starting to rouse, and so were the beasts inside of them.
∞∞∞
Newcastle, England – 1809
“Good morning,” Emma said, tracing a finger along Jonathan’s bare chest.
His eyes opened and adjusted to the milky face of the beautiful redhead in his bed. He smiled. “Good morning.” He kissed her lightly on her full pink lips.
“Father!” Marie gasped from the doorway, both hands over her mouth.
Jonathan instantly sat up while Emma pulled the thin bed coverings over herself. Jonathan was thankful he had had the wherewithal to put his pajama bottoms back on after their little tryst last night.
“Young lady, can you please give us a minute?” he ordered more than asked.
Marie turned around without saying anything and made her way to the kitchen to start breakfast.
Jonathan and Emma got dressed and went into the kitchen. Jonathan approached Marie, who was tying her apron around herself. He gently spun her around by the shoulder and could see tears standing in her eyes.
“Father, you and Miss Emma are not married. How could you…?” she said quietly.
Emma immediately interjected herself into the conversation. “I’m sorry, Marie, you are right. Sometimes adults do not always do the right thing.”
“Well, no time like the present, I guess,” Jonathan smiled at Emma. Then grabbing her by the hand, he looked into her big blue eyes and said, “Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Two small yelps could be heard from the front room. The younger children were laughing, squealing, and jumping excitedly.
Emma laughed. “I would be delighted, Mr. Murphy.”
Jonathan picked her up and hugged her tightly. “You make me so happy.”
Marie smiled slightly and wiped her tears.
∞∞∞
The Island of Nymph, Gulf of Mexico
She was nervously tapping her foot and biting her thumbnail as she sat in the heavy wooden chair in the center of the room. The ten colorful sylphs filed gracefully into the room. As nine took their seats, Elizabeth, dressed all in purple, remained standing. A tiny infant was strapped to the front of her body in a purple sling-type carrier and she was cradling it with her right arm.
“So, Emma, where have you been for the past ten years?” Elizabeth started, frowning.
Emma looked around nervously when she spotted her oldest sister, Grace, dressed all in green looking at her without any real emotion on her face. Emma’s face lit up.
“Gracie, can you please tell Mother that I am so very sorry to have been gone all this time? I’m really, really sorry.”
Grace had her arms folded. “Mother’s heart has been broken since you left home; father’s, too.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, looking down.
“Let us get to the business at hand, for after this little interruption, we have to plan the ceremony for my replacement,” Elizabeth said as her tiny bundle started to squeak. She began to sway back and forth to quiet it.
>
The sylph queens were none too happy with Emma Augustine. Upon turning eighteen, all sylphs receive a ceremony welcoming them to the large responsibility and privilege of being a sylph. But after her initiation ceremony, the young, rebellious Emma decided she wanted no part of the structured and chosen life of a sylph. She was the youngest of four sisters, and she figured she would never be a queen, as there were three in line ahead of her. Even though she thought she would make a great queen since she never, ever planned on having children of her own. Now the prodigal daughter had returned and she wanted something.
It was time to grovel.
“I would like to publically apologize to the Zie Council for my sudden and rude disappearance ten years ago. I have no excuses for my behavior and I have come to make amends not only with the council, but with my family as well,” she started, sliding a glance at Grace.
The room remained silent to allow her to continue.
“I have come with a peace offering, however. I understand that word has reached your ears about my vampyre attack in Newcastle.”
This time, the room erupted into gasps and low whispers.
Elizabeth said, “Your vampyre attack? You were attacked? Where is this vile vampyre?”
Emma smiled coyly, “My fiancé stabbed him and saved my life.”
Grace jumped out of her seat, and in a flash of green was at Emma, pulling her into a hug. “That was you? Oh dear Lord in heaven, are you all right?”
She laughed, “Of course I am. I am better than all right. I am completely and utterly in love.”
All the sylphs sighed.
“I have come pleading with the Zie to help me reward my betrothed for his bravery. Is there anything you can offer him for saving my life?”
Elizabeth turned her attention to the group. “Do you remember the potion I was working on before the baby was born? Well, I believe I have finally perfected it. How about we try it on Emma’s husband-to-be?”
“That is a wonderful idea, Elizabeth,” a queen in pink said.
“What are you talking about?” Emma asked, confused.
“Sit down, dear,” Elizabeth commanded. “I have been working on a potion that has the possibility of making humans immortal like us. It has never been tested, but if it works – and I think it will – it would be a win-win for a select few humans, and for the council as well.”
“What does he have to do?” Emma asked, her interest very much piqued at the idea of Jonathan becoming immortal so she could be with him forever.
“If the spell works,” Elizabeth said, patting the little bundle she was holding, “then he would only have to drink the potion every few years to keep from aging. In exchange, he will spend the majority of his time keeping the vampyres and shapeshifters from hurting humans and sylphs.”
Emma frowned. “That’s quite a responsibility for one person.”
“We agree,” Elizabeth said. “He will not be the only human who receives this. But from what we have heard about your Jonathan, he is quite large and very brave.”
“Yes, he is. But he is also a widower and father of three. His life cannot be endangered in this way, for he must care for his children. They are not yet grown,” Emma said.
“The elixir will allow him quick healing and protection from diseases, in the event he is injured or gets sick,” Elizabeth said. “All that aside, we are not really giving you an option. You have been missing ten years, that alone is a punishable offense, but we are willing to forego the punishment in lieu of this request for your betrothed as our experiment.”
“Alright,” Emma sighed. “But first I’m going to have to break the news to him that I’m not human.”
“We will meet you back here in a week with your decision. And bring the human with you,” Elizabeth ordered.
“Yes, ma’am,” Emma answered. And with that, she was gone through her airy portal.
Elizabeth pulled the tiny baby girl out of her bundling and put her to her shoulder. The child’s large, honey-colored eyes were open wide, staring at the array of colors around the room.
Grace asked, “What did you decide to name her?”
Elizabeth smiled at her beautiful baby and said, “Malina.”
CHAPTER 5
∞∞∞
Portland, Oregon – Present Day
Malachi awoke to the feeling of cold metal assaulting his backside. He was being sloshed around and his eyes flew open and took in the sight of the van’s cold, gray ceiling. He looked over and could see Seth beginning to wake, then looked down at his hands, which were handcuffed. There was also a pair of leg irons around his ankles. These were shackled to a hook in the floor of the van. He twisted his body around to look toward the front of the van and could see a blonde woman driving.
“Damn,” he mumbled.
He then kicked Seth. “Wake up, man. We’re kinda screwed right now!”
Kathryn could hear the whispering. As she came to a red light, she turned around and grinned through the caged netting of the van’s partition and said, “Welcome to the land of the living. Did you enjoy your little puppy nap?”
“Bitch,” Seth sneered when he finally realized the gravity of the situation he now found himself in.
Kathryn just laughed as she stomped on the gas pedal, causing the shifters to slide on the van floor as it jerked forward. She then said with a laugh, “Speaking of bitches, where is your little panther, Sheena?”
Suddenly, she heard snarling and could feel hot breath on her neck. She snapped her head around to see a black wolf’s snout at the cage. Shackles clearly do not hold legs and arms that tend to shrink to half their size after a shift. Malachi was now biting at the cage, trying to tear it free so he could get to Kathryn.
“I need some help here!” Kathryn yelled into her cell phone, which was on speakerphone on the seat next to her.
“Shit!” Jonathan spat from the other car. He could hear growling and snarling through the phone. “Only a couple more blocks, hang tight!” he barked into his iPhone.
The pit-bull and wolf were quickly making gain on tearing away a corner of the cage with their teeth. As soon as it was peeled back, Malachi stuck his long snout through the crack and sunk his sharp teeth into Kathryn’s neck. A spurt of blood blew through the caging and splashed both shifters in the face. She screamed and grabbed the Taser from her lap and zapped him with it, and then slammed her foot on the brake as hard as she could, stopping the van with a violent jerk. She threw the van in park and chucked the Taser to the floor, putting her free hand over the gushing blood at the back of her neck. Blood seeped through her pale fingers and dripped over her hand onto the dark gray plastic seat. She cursed when she saw all the blood.
Both animals were slammed into the cage, then went sliding to the back of the van where the doors flew open. They were quickly tased again by Jonathan and Thomas. Both shifted back into their human forms and lay again unconscious.
Kathryn came staggering to the back of the van, covered in blood. She was woozy, on the verge of passing out.
“Oh, my God, Kathryn!” Thomas said. He picked her up and put her back into the van next to Seth and Malachi.
“Holy hell, are you okay?” Jonathan asked, jumping into the back of the van and shoving the naked shifters to the side with his boot. He examined her wound. “Damn, he took a big chunk out of your neck. I think we need to take you to the hospital.”
“Noooo,” she moaned.
Kathryn hated hospitals and doctors. Since David’s death at the hospital in Los Angeles all those years ago, she never wanted to see another hospital and was grateful she rarely needed to visit one. “Leave me in here. Take the shifters to the cells and come back for me,” she whispered.
Thomas looked at Jonathan and he nodded. It was still dark out and he wasn’t comfortable leaving her, but they both were needed to carry the tall shifters inside before they awoke. They knew Kathryn wouldn’t die out here and they would be quick. Jonathan closed the back doors to the van.
> Thomas grabbed Seth and flashed into the Murphy Architecture building’s underground cells. Jonathan and Malachi weren’t far behind him.
Across the street, Sheena quickly exited her small black sports car, slunk into the front seat of the van, started it up, and drove off.
Kathryn twisted her torn and dripping neck around and looked toward the front cab and screamed. “Sheena, what the hell are you doing? Stop the van!”
Sheena threw her long neck back and laughed. “Thanks for leaving the keys, your Taser, and your cell phone in the front seat for me, sweetie!” She proceeded to wink at Kathryn in the rearview mirror.
Thomas threw a pile of clothes into the cell next to Seth and locked the cell door and flashed back outside to where the van was. A mask of confusion fell over his face. He could still smell the exhaust from the van but it was nowhere to be seen. With his hands on his hips, he surveyed the street to the right and to the left, and then turned white when he saw the car. Just then Jonathan came out. He looked at Thomas and said, “Where in the hell is the van?”
Thomas turned to Jonathan, and pointing across the street at Sheena’s black Corvette, he said, “The van is gone, and I smell a cat.”
∞∞∞
Newcastle, England – 1809
Two large trees were bowing to each other at the entrance to the forest. The floor was covered in soft leaves and needles. Slices of sunlight cut through the treetops and shone through onto a clearing in the middle where Jonathan and Emma were standing, staring at each other. Emma’s heavy cream satin dress lay around her bare feet in the leaves and a weave of white honeysuckle flowers adorned the braids in her long hair. Jonathan had on a simple black suit over his tall frame, his blonde waves combed neatly back over his head. His usual stubble was replaced with a sheen, smooth face. Marie was standing next to Emma in a pretty pale pink dress she had sewn herself, her younger sister wearing a matching one. Her five-year-old brother was sitting with his grandmother in the front row of benches that were lined up for the wedding. Emma’s three sisters and parents were also in attendance.