“Don’t touch him!” Anthony screamed.
Yup, Jules was searching for him. Chances were the bastard would get Theo, Tabitha’s brother, to find him. Asshole hated him, and still blamed him for her death. Hell, Tremaine blamed himself. Still, she was the one who made him cast the damned spell.
Chapter 14
Eighty-two years ago, later that day…
Tremaine hid in the shadows, as a mountain lion. Seemed fitting since he knew a lion was on his way to try to rip him open and leave him for Jules.
He’d never shown anyone in HARP this form. His father had taught him to fight like a beast as well. He may not have the strength of a shifter, but he possessed the speed they lacked.
The scent of lion entered the cave. Tremaine held his position, perched on a rock against the cave wall, waiting to see what Theo attempted.
Jules followed in mist form, waiting for his move. Now he was outnumbered. He shifted back to human and sent a shockwave through the cave, knocking Theo against the wall.
He ran the distance and touched the lion’s shoulder, putting him into a deep sleep that would last long enough to deal with the bigger threat.
Jules materialized before him. “You lied to me.”
Tremaine nodded slowly. “I did. I lied to Anthony too. Or rather, I let him believe a lie.”
“You never loved him, did you?”
Tremaine shook his head slowly. “Honestly, I can’t stand either one of you. I’m not sure how you manage to call what you share love, but I want no part of it.”
Jules shot forward, and Tremaine slammed a palm into his nose, freezing the blood.
Covering his face, Jules stumbled back, whispering words to rid himself of the frozen mess.
“You’re still with the Council, aren’t you?”
“I’m certainly not with HARP.”
Jules circled, glaring daggers. “Why? I thought of you as a friend. Anthony screamed for me to save you. You would rip his heart out, wouldn’t you?”
“Which is it, Jules. Are you angry because I fucked your man? Or because I didn’t love him.”
“Both.” He dispersed into steam again and the vapor flowed toward him.
Tremaine shielded, and let lightning dance over him.
Jules flew away with a scream and re-formed. He threw daggers, and Tremaine shifted to a squirrel. He dashed under and around the rock, resurfacing in his human form as Jules stormed toward him.
Grabbing a dagger, he caught Jules in the thigh, yanking him down, slamming the blade between his ribs. “Your heart is black enough you’d survive your own damned curse.”
Tremaine dragged Jules toward the wall as he called on a rift to the dimension Rupert hated with a passion. Green mist rolled beyond the bubble that protected this realm from the other.
Before the rift, Tremaine pulled the dagger out and slammed it back into Jules’ chest. He shoved him beyond the wall of the cave, into the next dimension, where real monsters lived.
Stumbling back, he closed the rift and snapped up another dagger, embedding it in Theo’s back on his way out of the cave. Wouldn’t kill him but would slow him down.
* * * *
Tremaine stood outside, a wide grin on his face. Liz was much more tempted to tackle him and start a whole different kind of practice.
His brow arched, probably reading her expression. “None of that yet. Follow my directions, and I’ll let you have what you want after.”
She grinned. “And if I want to tie you up this time?”
“As long as it gets you on top of me, riding my cock, I’ll be a happy man.”
“Noted. Now, what am I doing?” Liz asked, reaching behind her head and tying her hair back.
“Shifting.”
She grinned. “What do you shift to?”
“A falcon, mountain lion, German Shepherd, and a couple other things if I need a certain size.”
“So, anything you want?”
He shrugged. “There are some I can’t manage. Domestic cats, though mountain lion was my first alternate form. I can’t do small birds or really anything but the falcon. I can’t accomplish a rabbit, but I have shifted to a squirrel to escape the notice of mages.”
A laugh bubbled up. “You, a squirrel? I’m sure you were a mischievous one.”
“No. I was too focused on escaping without having to resort to destroying them.”
“So you weren’t as bad as those files made you sound.”
“Sometimes. If I could avoid harming our own, I did. Unless they were corrupt, or I had a score to settle with them.”
“Were there many of those?”
“Yeah. Actually. And yes, I killed them. Most deserved it. A few of them I had a score to settle with.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “Only a couple I regret killing.”
“Trem, you were the first man I ever trusted. And you know my trust doesn’t come easily. Stop worrying about what I might think, because I honestly don’t believe there’s anything you could do to change my opinion of you.”
He nodded without comment. “Come on, let’s get you trained.”
“Where do we start?”
He grinned. “Embrace your animalistic side and shift to anything you want.”
Her brow arched. “You always do bring out the animal.”
His chuckle was low. “That’s not what I mean.”
“So, do you want me furry?”
“Right now, yes. I’d say feathery because flying away is sometimes easier than running. But you can’t while pregnant. Nothing that lays eggs.”
Ideas started to float around her head. Though, she needed some inspiration first. “Shift for me, Tremaine. Let me see you do it.”
He took a step toward her, bending forward, then he shifted into a great mountain lion. The magic called to something inside her. She grasped onto it, feeling it out as she knelt before him.
He purred when she ran her fingers through his thick fur. “I think I’ve seen you in this form.”
After he had found her at Sinclair’s, they traveled on foot to the druid encampment. She never questioned how he hunted though she knew he carried no physical weapons.
He dipped his head, then nudged her face up with his snout before backing up.
Liz closed her eyes and imagined Tremaine’s female counterpart. The shift sent a tingle through her.
A rumbling purr rolled out of Tremaine as he brushed up against her side, rubbing down the length of her body. She returned the purr, leaning into his bigger body. Then he nipped her tail lightly and rubbed against her other side before darting into the forest.
Curious, she followed, until she realized she’d shifted for the first time and stopped in her tracks.
Tremaine only continued forward a moment before turning and coming back. He stopped inches in front of her and shifted to human, running his fingers through her fur. “Hey, I knew you could shift.” He rubbed her neck and she laid her head against his chest and sat, enjoying the feel of the firm strokes.
“Like that?”
She nodded against his shoulder.
He chuckled. “There are other animals to try. The mountain lion was always my go-to form.”
Content, she purred under his touch.
“Come on, Doll. Let’s try something else.”
She shifted back and scooted into his lap, wrapping her arms around him. “Is shifting supposed to be that easy?” she whispered. A thrill of fear rolled through the excitement.
“Yeah.” Nudging her chin up, he captured her gaze. “Don’t fear what you can do. That’s the first lesson.”
“One you admitted you never did grasp.”
He sighed. “Very few aspects of my magic scare me. Keep in mind, they wanted me to use the rift magic to destroy buildings, land, people.” He shook his head, looking away. “I can only pray you will never endure what I have at the hands of those monsters.”
“We’ll stand together and come through this, Tremaine. I have to keep faith. I can’t l
ose it. Not while I carry our child.”
He nodded. “Think Robert can handle not being all mage? I know there’s a lot going on, but it may still catch up to him.”
Liz frowned. “Yeah. I think he will. It didn’t take him much to accept any of us being hybrids. Though, if his mother was something other than mage, why did she put so much stock in being purebred?”
“It was supposed to be her role. And sometimes you pretend so hard and long you start to believe it. Trust me, I’ve spent most of my life with that mentality.”
“So, what’s your second favorite animal?”
He lifted her wrists and trailed his fingers up her palms to thread his fingers in hers as he stared into her eyes. Flecks of gold flashed in his warm brown eyes. “Promise not to laugh?”
She felt so connected that laughing didn’t seem like a possibility. “Promise.”
“Mink.” His smile softened, doubt crept into his expression.
“Why?” she asked with sincerity.
“When I was young, a family of them lived in the woods behind my house. I spent a lot of time out there, watching and wishing my family could be more like them.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His pain was palpable. Hoping to cheer him up, she imagined the furry ferret-like creature and shifted. She scampered up his chest, clinging to the fabric of his shirt.
A warm laugh sounded as his hands covered her, rubbing gently. “You always accepted your magic more easily than the rest. Even when you complained you could only destroy.”
She shifted back in his lap, winding her arms around him. “Only because I had an amazing mentor.”
He shook his head. “No. You’re a natural, Doll.”
She licked her lips, her head cocking to the side. “So no birds, but what about a bat?”
He laughed. “I’ve never known a druid to try a bat.”
“Can you think of any complications for that?”
* * * *
Tremaine shook his head in amusement. That was Liz all the way. Thinking outside the box. “No. And clever, because no one would ever suspect a bat.”
She gave him a dazzling smile. “Then I may have my escape plan.” She shifted, clinging to his shirt once again.
He couldn’t help but rub the top of her silky head. “Can you fly?” Tremaine teased.
Liz pulled herself away from him and flew around the trees. Opening up a new set of options gave him some relief.
Her tiny claws hooked into his shirt again when she landed against his chest. Another laugh escaped as she shifted back, her hands tangling in his sweater.
“Love you, Liz.”
“Almost wish Robert were here to see.”
“Why almost?”
“What if he freaks out?”
“It’s you, he’ll never freak out. You could do anything, and he’d accept it.”
“Eventually. Now, what else do you have to show me?”
“So much. You ready?”
“Certainly.”
Chapter 15
Eighty-two years ago, the next day…
Tremaine pushed the door open and made his way down to Draecyn’s office at his stronghold. No one was there to greet him. He collapsed at the hearth and closed his eyes.
He’d traveled from the moment he left the cave until he made his way to safety. Exhaustion settled in. For the first time, he’d failed a case. He couldn’t play the games anymore. He couldn’t pretend to love Anthony after killing Jules. It was too much to expect of him.
As much as he hated Anthony and Jules, he’d spent so much time getting to know them and they’d started to feel like friends.
Seeing Jules so torn up and hurt gave him a pang of guilt. Tremaine had devised their downfall. He ensured Anthony would self-destruct without him or Jules there to pick him back up. He’d built a friendship with Jules, tenuous as it was, and it hurt to see hatred staring back at him.
No way of going back. He’d burned his bridges and every chance he had to learn who the inner core was. Tremaine had killed one of the officers, and surely someone would take Anthony out. Most of HARP hated them. They’d ripped apart enough of their own operatives, and no one trusted them.
Why the hell did he feel guilty for destroying two men who were so hated?
A chill spread through him, and he lifted his hand to ignite the fire, curling into a ball, ready to sleep his life away. Everything faded to black
Some time later, he was re-dressed in soft clothes, under heaps of blankets. Draecyn sat watch in the chair beside the bed.
Tremaine groaned. “They won’t take me back. The face of HARP has been destroyed. Jules is dead. He was the leader. Anthony may have been his right-hand man, but without Jules, he’ll self-destruct.”
“You didn’t learn who is the core, did you?”
“Neither Anthony nor Jules knows. They are the only two I know of who have ever spoken to them. I don’t believe they’re of this world. Other than that, I have no clue what to tell you.”
“You’ve been through hell. I won’t make you go back.” Draecyn couldn’t have been more sincere.
Tremaine let his eyes droop shut.
“I don’t consider this mission a failure. You have severely hampered HARP. And if I had suspected Anthony would fall in love with you, I would have found another way. You’ve cut him deep. HARP has disappeared. Rumors insist the leaders were butchered. Though no one is saying by whom.”
“It’s over?” Tremaine asked.
“That remains to be seen. With the core still intact, I have to believe we’ll see them again.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No. Though, someone would like to see you. Remember, you can’t share the details of your assignment with him, or anyone.”
“Of course not,” Tremaine answered.
Draecyn motioned at the door, and it swung open. In walked Wilhelm, concern creasing his brow.
“It’s good to see you again, my old friend. I had begun to fear you weren’t coming back.”
“I’m a stubborn bastard. Nothing can keep me away.”
Wilhelm forced a smile, patting Tremaine’s shoulder as he took the empty seat. “I won’t ask for details. I’m only here to point out that you’ve earned some rest. You are welcome in my home anytime.”
“If Draecyn can stop sending me on missions that take years, perhaps I’ll get to visit soon.”
“I’ve already promised Robert you would be there,” Draecyn said.
Wilhelm grinned ear to ear. “My boy is looking forward to a camping trip with us.”
“Then as soon as I’m rested, I’ll be there.”
* * * *
Robert spent some time in his office, going through case files to make sure everything was assigned. Once they were redistributed, he slipped through Preston’s door.
His oldest friend was still on the phone, so he took a seat and waited semi-patiently. Thoughts drifted back to his earlier conversation with Liz and Tremaine.
Reality had shifted a hundred and eighty degrees overnight. His parents weren’t what they claimed, or maybe he never asked the right questions. Either way, if the math was right, he couldn’t be all mage. Something he never realized and had no experience with.
Maybe he should have given it more thought before now, but with HARP waiting in the wings, Tremaine worrying about what they’d want with Liz, and her pregnancy, he hadn’t had much time to stop and think about the fact he wasn’t what he believed. Funny part was it didn’t come as much of a surprise. Seemed everyone he knew was a hybrid.
Facts were facts. Christian was definitely a mystic. Since his parents were Robert’s brother and sister, the mystic blood came from his own bloodline. More baffling was that no one ever noticed.
The biggest question he had was whether or not James knew? Was he purposely trying to conceive a mystic with his twin? Somehow, he knew what Liz was, and expected he could use her power to bridge his broken connection to his own magic. He knew things about Sinclair and Liz.
How much had he known about his parents’ origins?
A shudder rocked through him. James had hurt so many. He’d never been so relieved when James was finally killed. The man who threatened everything he loved was now gone. Currently, there was a worse threat. One he didn’t fully understand.
What would HARP do if they ever got their hands on Liz and Tremaine? Not to mention him, or the rest of his family.
The longer he spent at headquarters, the more he doubted his decision to leave Tremaine and Liz to train. Maybe knowing what they were capable of would have been the wiser choice. Of course, it would look awfully suspicious if the Magister disappeared with a full case load. Reassigning his work made it appear as if he was taking a much-needed vacation.
Tremaine had brought up a good point. It was very possible there was, at least, an informant in the Silver Council ranks. Robert trusted only a few of them implicitly.
He needed to see Tremaine and Liz. Both were in danger. Tremaine was more worried about Liz, but there was a good chance HARP would take him as insurance to make Liz do what they wanted. That would lead HARP to use both. No matter how he looked at the problem, he could only see a bad outcome.
Robert thought about looking up Rift Benders in the archives, but that hardly seemed a wise idea. If there really were a group who hunted people too powerful within the Silver Council, his action would only tip them off. Besides, Tremaine had access to all kinds of books. He would possess more information on Rift Benders and Mystics.
Preston set the phone aside and leaned forward. “Why are you even here? You’re clearly distracted.”
“Work to do,” Robert offered as his lame excuse. “I’ve delegated it all to other enforcers. Not you. I’m counting on your help. I’m sure I’ll need it.”
“Nothing you can’t do remotely. Go, be with your family.” Preston grinned. “About damned time I can say that.”
“I’m worried. I can’t tell them how much. What if it all goes wrong?”
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