Magaestra: Found: An urban fantasy series

by Katherine Kim

Once they were a few minutes down the road, Faith turned to him. She was chewing on her lip again, and sent him a concerned look.

  "I was afraid that you were going to, um... well. Vamp out or something back there."

  "I nearly did, yes," Aldric admitted. "I am not proud of it, but I will not lie to you. My emotions were close to unleashing my shift whether I willed it or not."

  "Does that happen often?"

  "No, fortunately. Just like you, one of the first things I was taught as a child was how to control myself. That form is for hunting and battle, not frightening innocent police detectives who are simply doing their jobs."

  Faith nodded and looked as if she was going to comment further, but then changed her mind. Instead she nodded slightly.

  "Do you, er..." she swallowed, and turned to look out the windshield. "Do you hunt often?"

  Ah, yes. If she was not educated on the paranormal world, then there were no doubt questions that needed to be answered. Beginning with how vampires fed.

  "I must feed on blood, at an absolute minimum, twice a month. Two weeks is as long as I can go without suffering the effects of starvation. I usually feed once or twice a week, from blood unusable by human blood banks due to age or some sort of unsuitability. I am not affected by human diseases, so unless the blood is severely tainted by another substance like a harmful drug, the blood has already been donated and it is better not to waste it, I feel. When I feel the urge to hunt, I go into the woods and track a deer. That way I can satisfy my needs and help feed my clan. I go once a month or so.“

  He could see her relax visibly, and smiled.

  "I see," she nodded. "That makes a lot of sense. Um, let's see... Obviously, I've seen you out in sunlight, so that's a myth. What else should I know?"

  "Garlic bread is one of my favorite foods. Marc makes it with a soft sourdough and some herb mix that he won't reveal to anyone," he made a sound of satisfaction. "If he had made it this evening, I might have waited until after we ate dinner to go to town."

  Faith laughed and the bright sound filled the truck and lightened Aldic's own heart.

  "Garlic bread, huh? And silver? Mirrors? You seem to be able to shave okay, although this five o’clock shadow you’ve got going on right now is not a bad look either,“ Faith's voice was full of her laughter, and Aldric could not stop his own broad grin.

  "Pickled garlic is also delicious. Mirrors are fine, so long as they are not the old style and backed by silver. Those are somewhat more difficult for me. There is a modicum of truth to that particular myth. Vampires and werewolves both have strong negative reactions to silver. Something about our nature is antithetical to the metal. It is not so strong as a poison, as in the movies, however it can cause a strong reaction and we try to avoid it."

  "Silver? Huh," Faith tipped her head to the side in thought. "I've heard of silver bullets for werewolves, but... I guess silver jewelry is out. How else would you come across it?"

  "Humans love silver," Aldric said ruefully. "I cannot find it in myself to blame them, it can be lovely. But it finds its way onto the pages or covers of books, as thread in clothing, even occasionally in health pills and supplements. It is sometimes difficult to avoid," Aldric shrugged. "It has also, as you suggested, been used as a weapon against the paranormal. Silver tipped projectiles can injure one of us more gravely and cause a longer recovery time. Silver blades are the same. Silver shackles and collars are expensive and often beautiful, and have been used to torture and even on occasion, permanently injure a paranormal. In the war many of us were locked in such things and left to die slowly, unable to access our strengths."

  "Holy crap," Faith's wide eyes and sharp hiss of breath conveyed her opinions on that.

  "Indeed," Aldric cursed himself for breaking the moment of joy. Kaylee had found many lighter moments today, but Faith was more anxious and needed it more. “A delicate silver chain can be as effective as a heavy steel collar in some circumstances.”

  Faith let the information settle for a moment before continuing the conversation. “What else should I know? Besides not to get out the good silverware for Thanksgiving?"

  She tried to make a joke, and Aldric appreciated it, and hummed in thought.

  "The werewolves are not forced to shift under the full moon, though they do enjoy going for a run in the moonlight. And they do not, in general appreciate go fetch jokes."

  Faith's eyes grew huge just a heartbeat before she laughed again. Aldric was pleased that he could bring her joy back. It had been a long enough day for her, she deserved to relax slightly, and if that meant he had to poke a little fun at himself and his friends, then so be it.

  “And it is also quite difficult for me to find a good dentist," he said, dryly, and Faith giggled.

  "I can only imagine. Oh my god. Do you get cavities in your fangs? That has to be the worst! I suppose if you feed off too many people right after Halloween it could be a real problem."

  "Indeed. Brushing and flossing is a nightmare."

  She laughed again, and reached up to wipe tears from her eyes, which shone with good humor, even in the darkness of the truck. He grinned, his own heart lighter and he slowed the truck as they came through the last of the trees on the drive. Faith looked up and gasped.

  "Holy crap, that's the clan house?" Her voice was hushed as she gaped at the building. It was lit up artfully, subtle architectural lighting brushing across the rustic textures and highlighting the details. Outside the guest rooms, the lighting was more subdued, provided primarily by twinkling fairy lights strung along the railings, mostly to provide a bit of guidance and safety to those who were out and about after dark.

  "It's beautiful," Faith said. "I wasn't paying any attention when we left. I was just so worried about talking to the police that I didn't even look."

  "I am glad you like our home. We don't all live here, obviously. Marc and Jake and I do, and Tamika stays here so often that I tease her about breaking her lease in town. We have some clanmates who stay frequently, since it is easier for them to shift here and run in the woods than it is in the middle of an urban area. We own about six thousand acres of the wilderness here and try to keep it as wild as possible. Our private property butts up against the state park, and sometimes my shifter clanmates will run all the way up to the mountain. They sometimes stay here when they return, to rest from their long run and re-acclimate to their two legs."

  "That sounds amazing," Faith said, gazing up at the building.

  "I imagine it can be. I do not have the same needs, but I do enjoy the woods when I go out to hunt deer. It is a good place," Aldric said. He reached up and hit a button and one of the garage doors started to glide open. "I need to talk to Marc and Tamika about this dead vampire, and I think we both want to lay eyes on the children. And we also need dinner."

  Faith nodded, then added with a grin. "Maybe Marc made garlic bread after all?"

  11

  Faith sat on the edge of her bed and glanced around the room. It was a nice space, but not as warm as Aldric's room somehow. But, now that she was awake and recovered from her magic use, she couldn't justify kicking him out of his own bed. The guest rooms were lovely, decorated in muted neutrals and slightly bland in the way that nice hotel rooms were, but...

  She shivered, and crawled under the comforter. She had availed herself of a long soak in the bath after dinner, but couldn't seem to get warm. Where was Crissy? Was she safe and hiding somewhere? Had she seen those rogue werewolves? Was she less lucky and somehow gotten hurt? Was she lost? Had those asshole rogues caught her? Why? Why would they be after them in the first place?

  Faith's breath caught in her throat and she rolled over, trying to push down the panic that was building in her stomach. That just brought up the image of the dead vampire instead of the image of the monster attacks.

  Aldric had tried to shield her from the sight, but she saw anyway. It had been horrible. Bloody and nearly unrecognizable from the gouges where claws had raked down his body. What was
left of his throat... Faith clamped her lips together and tried to calm her stomach.

  She sighed and rolled over again. The lamplight fell gently over the pale green comforter and the curtains that were covered in swirling, looping lines in another green, almost as pale as the bedding, against a soft ivory background. It was nice, but her mind conjured the memory of the dark blue curtains down the hall.

  Not even twenty-four hours ago she had been snuggled into her bed at the cabin, listening to Crissy giggle at some dumb book she had picked up at the grocery store in town. She was always doing things like that, then saying that life was too short not to read fun stuff.

  Now Faith was curled in a bed in a house full of people straight out of a fantasy movie, eating venison-based pasta sauce and discussing whether it was one group or two separate groups rampaging through their territory and maybe kidnapping women.

  The dead guy was definitely not killed by a rogue werewolf, after all.

  Aldric had taken Marc aside at one point, to tell him privately about Faith's family. She had agreed that since Marc was the clan's leader and was responsible for the safety of almost three hundred people, including children– not to mention the unaware and innocent humans that could get caught up in something by sheer unknowing accident– that he should have all the facts necessary.

  Marc had come back to the dining table and patted her shoulder as he walked past her, and not said a word.

  So. Now she was tossing and turning in a comfortable bed in a strange house surrounded by people she had only met today thanks to being attacked by bloodthirsty monsters. A hysterical laugh started to bubble up and Faith clenched her jaw and tried to swallow it back down.

  She sat up and rearranged the pillows and flopped back down to stare at the ceiling. The house was quiet, creaking just slightly once in a while as it settled. The breeze outside her window rustled the leaves and somewhere out there an owl called out. She snorted a soft laugh. At least now she understood why they heard wolf howls once in a while when they were up here.

  A quiet tapping at her door startled her out of her spinning thoughts.

  "Hello? Come in." She sat up and made sure that she was decent now that the door was already opening. Baggy t shirt, check. Yoga pants on? Check. Blankets that were pulled up to her waist? Check. Okay, nothing embarrassing was showing, unless she counted the Wonder Woman logo emblazoned across the front of her shirt.

  She didn't.

  "I saw the light on under your door and thought I would make certain that you are well," Aldric stepped into the room and stopped just past the threshold. He was holding some books under one arm. Paperbacks that Crissy would no doubt have picked up for herself.

  "I'm having a little trouble sleeping, and honestly I don't think I can turn out the lights tonight," Faith said. Aldric nodded sympathetically.

  "I, um. I brought you a few books. In case," he said. "I thought, maybe... perhaps you were uncomfortable. Or troubled after today. Perhaps a book would help."

  Faith blinked at him. Was he... was he nervous? It was adorable.

  "You can come in," she said. She pulled her feet up to sit cross legged under the blanket and patted the side of the bed. "Honestly, I could use the company. I don't bite."

  She grinned as the words tumbled out of her mouth and Aldric's eyes widened.

  "Well, I suppose I could, but I'm not as well equipped as you are."

  His eyes actually grew bigger. "Are you... teasing?"

  "Maybe a little. You look so uncomfortable," she said. She shrugged and patted the bed again.

  "I am not accustomed to people who know what I am being comfortable with me in their space. Or with them coming into mine. Marc does, occasionally, as does Tamika, but they are my closest friends," Aldric stepped closer. He moved so fluidly that Faith could understand where the myth of vampires gliding along came from. “Otherwise the clan mostly sees me in communal spaces, or in one of the offices.”

  "Well, I guess I figure that you wouldn't have gone to such lengths to help us out if you were going to attack me later," Faith shrugged again, then slumped. "I hope Kaylee is having a better time sleeping."

  "I looked in on my way past Jake's room. Kaylee is in the trundle bed curled around one of his teddy bears, and Jake is curled around her, and they are both sleeping peacefully. It looks like he saw her having trouble and climbed from his bed to comfort her. Werewolves are very tactile with people they see as family. Packmates."

  Faith smiled slightly at the thought of the kids puppy-piled to stave off nightmares. "I'm a little jealous. Think they'd mind if I joined them?"

  Aldric sat carefully on the edge of the bed. "Jake may not be comfortable. He does not know you as well. Children bond easily with other children, no matter what species they are. New adults are always more difficult for them, I have found. Miss Kaylee is quite unusual in that, but perhaps the circumstances of our meeting helped her trust us.”

  "True enough. And for the best, probably," she sighed.

  "Here." Aldric held out the books. They were, as it turned out, vampire adventure and romance novels, and she couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her if she had tried. When she looked up at Aldric, his face was bright red and he was staring at the wall over her head.

  "Is this a hint or something? Are you flirting with me, Aldric?" she giggled. God, it felt good to relax and laugh. She owed him thanks for that as much as for saving her life.

  "I like them," he muttered, turning to look at the door now. "They're enjoyable and ridiculous and require little thought."

  "Hey," she said, her amusement dying down a bit to a simmer. She reached out and laid a hand on his arm and felt the warmth of his skin and the small ripples of his forearm muscles as he fidgeted with his fingers. "Thank you. They're perfect. Crissy would probably love them so much you'd never get them back."

  She smiled at him when he turned back, but the mention of her sister brought all her anxiety back to her attention, and she felt her smile wobble and tears start to sting her eyes. "I hope she's okay. What if she's not? Maybe she's out there in the forest, lost and cold and scared. Or one of those other guys grabbed her for some reason. Or whatever got that guy we found. What if she's dead? What would I do if my sister is dead? Oh my god. How would I tell Kaylee?“

  Faith was sobbing now and she couldn't stop it. She had managed to hold herself together all day, staying strong for Kaylee, trying to figure out their new reality full of werewolves and vampires and monsters that were real and not just boogeymen in the minds of children. Aldric gently took the books from her hands and put them on the bedside table, then reached over and drew her into his shoulder, wrapping his arms around her and stroking her back with gentle, soothing movements.

  "I'm certain she is alive, Magaestra. If she is as strong as you and Kaylee are, then I am sure of that much. I will make certain that anyone who has harmed her will regret it, and we will bring her home to you," Aldric said in a tone that spoke of promises.

  His warm, liquid chocolate voice washed over her ears almost the same way that his strong hands moved over her back, and both things combined to soothe her soul as he continued to mutter quiet reassurances and simply let her lean on him. After a while– it could have been minutes or hours, she lost track completely– her breath hitched and hiccuped but she reached up to wipe at her face.

  "Oh my god, I'm so sorry." She pulled back out of his arms and sat up, burying her face in her hands to hide. She heard a soft rustling, then water running in the attached bathroom. She swiped at her face again and cursed at the smeary mess she no doubt presented now.

  The bed dipped when Aldric sat back down. He pulled her hands from her face and gently wiped at her tears with a warm washcloth. Surprised, she just blinked up at him as he cleaned her up, then placed a cup in her hands. It was the cup that she had stuck her toothbrush in, but was now full of cold water.

  "Thank you." Faith wasn't certain she had said it out loud or just meant to, but Aldric just smiled
and nodded at the cup before getting up to take the washcloth back to the bathroom.

  Once she had swallowed all the water in the cup and put it down beside the books, she drew a deep breath to clear her lungs, pleased when it only hitched once.

  "I'm sorry I sobbed all over your shirt," she said quietly. Aldric just smiled and sat back down.

  "You needed it." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder and her breath hitched again. "You have been so strong. A determined protector, a leader for your niece. You have learned that the world is bigger than you imagined and has far more frightening things in it, and you carried it all through with grace and courage. I have known trained warriors to do less well. You and Kaylee both have deeply impressed all of us."

  Another tear escaped and started to roll down her face, but Aldric reached up and caught it with his thumb and wiped it away. Faith could only blink at him. She had seen him slice through two monsters as if they were barely animate, let alone living, breathing creatures. She had seen him turn himself into a terrifying monster that would put any special-effects makeup artist to shame and could no doubt haunt nightmares.

  But now, he was here, carefully tending to her, offering her his strength to lean on. She could see the honest concern in his eyes, and remembered the way he had cajoled smiles from her all afternoon. And then she stopped thinking so damn hard and just kissed him.

  It was clear that he wasn't expecting that when he froze statue-still. Faith didn't plan to seduce him into bed right this second. Hell, she didn't have a plan at all. Still, she melted with relief when he came back to life a moment later and his fingers slid up the side of her face to hold her gently in place.

  Neither of them moved to deepen the kiss, both just enjoying the contact. Aldric drew back slightly, then returned to kiss her again, then a third time, gently, before backing up. When Faith's eyelids fluttered open again he was still just barely a few inches from her face, his own eyes still closed and his fingers still softly caressing the side of her face.