I glanced at him thoughtfully, not understanding what these changes were. I had looked in the mirror before my second shower and I hadn’t noticed any of the changes Claire had mentioned—just same old Callie. “You knew all along it was me, though,” I accused.
He nodded. “I can see both.” He glanced down at his bong. “Maybe this experimental mix improved my perceptions,” he mused, scrunching up his nose pensively.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Well, it sure hasn’t improved your judgment. You could have just told Claire it was me.”
Starlight shook his head. “She wouldn’t have believed it. I think she needed to see it.”
He had put special emphasis on the word see, as if it was some kind of power.
I caught Cain too-casually glancing over the back of the couch to see what Claire was up to as she crawled about on all fours, flinging items around wildly. Cain looked on the verge of dusting off his chivalry lance to ask if she needed assistance in any way whatsoever.
I lifted up a piece of wood that had broken off the frame of one of the paintings we had knocked off the wall and calmly broke it over the back of his head. Starlight burst out in a panting giggle.
“Ow!” Cain snapped, flinging up his hands in a protective gesture for a second swat, dropping the remnants of his coffee onto the floor in the process.
I brandished the jagged piece of wood trim at him in warning. “Class. Get some. Or whatever you were considering doing to her, I’ll do to you. With this.”
His eyes riveted on the wooden stake, an uneasy grimace plastering his face. “Just window shopping.”
I hefted the stake in a threatening reminder, and he clammed up. “Clean up your mess,” I told him, pointing at the spilled coffee.
“Why? You’re being evicted tomorrow. Let’s trash the place some more,” he suggested, taking in the obvious damage from Claire and I duking it out earlier.
I gave him a level look, one my mom had given me many times over the years.
He grumbled something under his breath that sounded like he was reconsidering having a sister in his life. I let him continue to rant as Claire came bouncing back to the couch with her phone. Without explanation, she snapped a picture of me. Before I could speak, she held out the phone and showed me. My mouth fell open as I stared at…
A stranger. Long, dark hair hung down past my shoulders—except for a single white streak starting where I had felt the flash of heat upon Claire recognizing me—and my face was more of an apple shape with higher and broader cheekbones. My eyes were wider and darker, giving me an exotic flair. My skin was also a shade off-white, more bronze than normal. And I was indeed…fuller—broader shoulders, wider chest, and my torso did look longer—taller—than normal. Not significantly, but definitely enough to notice. It was downright eerie. I glanced down at myself, staring at my hand, trying to spot the changes with my own eyes.
Then I looked up at my friends, frowning. “I have no idea what that’s all about. I still look like me in the mirror.”
Cain piped up. “You still look like Callie to me,” he said, leaning over to stare at the picture for himself. I studied the long white streak in the picture’s hair, frowning.
Had Le Bone hit me with some magic power he had gained—or been given—in my absence? But Claire was right—it didn’t make sense to send vampires after me immediately after casting such a spell, and Cain hadn’t been physically altered. I snapped a picture of him with Claire’s phone, just to be sure. He had managed to fling up a middle finger close enough to the camera that it dominated the shot, but in the background, Cain was unchanged.
I turned to Starlight, handing Claire her phone as I went over specific details of what I remembered from Le Bone’s attack. Cain piped in with his experience, which was remarkably similar. Starlight listened raptly, nodding along thoughtfully.
Once I was finished speaking, he leaned in close to stare into my eyes, my face, even sniffing at my hair. “Not magic,” he said, absently. “Not that I can sense, anyway. But Claire is right, you look and smell like a demon. It’s unsettling to see both visions at the same time—Callie and not-Callie.”
With that simple comment, a new thought suddenly struck me.
I couldn’t simply walk up to Fabrizio or Roland anymore. Couldn’t show them that Callie Penrose lived. They would see this new me—a demon. I realized I was grinding my teeth.
If Le Bone had been behind this, wouldn’t that have gone against Master Roland’s wishes? Because the only reason he would have invested the time and power to change me in this way was if he recognized who I truly was—which would have surely interested Roland. I doubted Le Bone just wandered around Kansas City, arbitrarily making people look like demons for entertainment.
Also, Le Bone was supposed to be dead. I hadn’t checked with Phix or Richard, obviously, but from the fact that Cain still saw me clearly, I was betting they would have as well, or they would have demanded an explanation. Maybe they couldn’t see the change because they had been beside me immediately prior to the attack. Hell, they could have been hit by the attack as well—just with different repercussions than I had suffered.
I knew it had to have happened before the vampire gang attacked, because the thugs had also called me demon a few times. Apparently, it hadn’t been a casual comment. They saw me as Claire had initially seen me.
There had to be another way to convince people who I really was, because it wasn’t conducive to a long life to challenge all my old friends to a fight in order to convince them who I really was.
“I need to go let the other bears know that you’re alive and well,” Starlight said.
I lifted a hand, stalling him. “I wasn’t able to make Gateways earlier. Or Shadow Walk. What’s up with that?”
Starlight nodded easily. “The red sky. The vampires have warded Kansas City from travel. No one in or out for the time being. We’re stuck here,” he said cheerfully. “Well, you are.”
Chapter 11
I almost fell out of my chair. That level of magic…the power needed to do such a thing on such a large scale…
I’d only seen one place with wards like that. The Vatican. And guess who used to work for those assholes? Roland—the new Master Vampire who had retained his wizard’s powers. I leaned back into the couch, both disgusted and impressed, recalling the red haze to the sky I had noticed earlier tonight. No wonder my Shadow Walking and Gateway hadn’t worked. Solomon’s Temple was still online for some reason, though, which was a huge relief. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have even been able to enter the city.
Claire piped up. “That’s why we were concerned when Phix disappeared. She used to stalk the streets at night, killing indiscriminately in search of you. It’s one reason for the intense security around the church. Well, both churches.”
I frowned. Phix had been off on an errand for Darling and Dear when I entered the Doors. Remembering that made my stomach flutter queasily—recalling her newfound fear of Darling and Dear. Had she done something to upset them? And how had she found me at Solomon’s Temple if traveling was currently on lockdown?
For that matter…
“If the city is warded, how do you plan on visiting the other bears? Are they here?”
He waved a hand dismissively. “I told them to stay in Alaska for the time being. And wards have never been much of a problem to me. I explore new galaxies on a regular basis,” he said, caressing his bong adoringly, “so a ward is a little…juvenile to me.”
I leaned forward abruptly. “Can you take others with you when you travel?”
He shook his head. “No can do, or I would have brought an army back.” I let out a frustrated sigh. “I think it’s fairly obvious what you need to do next.”
Cain gave him a very dry look, silently stating that it was not remotely obvious.
I agreed with Cain. “I was planning on visiting Fabrizio or Roland, but since I apparently look like a demon, I don’t think that option is on the table anymore.”
<
br /> Starlight cocked his head, seeming disappointed in my lack of mental capacity. “No, silly. You need to go see the Black Warrior. I hope you like turtle-snakes. I’ll let him know you’re coming. Don’t dawdle. He hates slow-pokes.”
With that, Starlight simply vanished. Him and his magic bong and the last pastry. Maybe that bong really did let him travel unmolested through the cosmos—like Dr. Who and his Tardis. Starlight had visited me in the Doors, after all. One day I would get some answers on exactly what his story was. A wizard who chose to become a bear—permanently, rather than shifting back and forth like the others in his Cave.
Claire was strangely silent, not looking the least bit surprised at his departure. Or by his suggestion. I narrowed my eyes. “Who is the Black Warrior?” I demanded, fearing I wasn’t going to like the answer one bit.
“Um…” Claire began, scrunching up her nose as if trying to figure out how to answer my question. “A lot has changed since you…left. Remember when you found that demon’s secret office and all his notes about Missouri being important—how so many beings were trying to get here?”
I nodded, remembering Johnathan’s office very well.
“I think he was right. Before Roland’s ward went up, new…beings were moving here on a fairly regular basis. With the growing tension between the vampires and Shepherds, everyone was too preoccupied to notice them moving to town. I only picked up on it because I was practically knocking door-to-door to find anyone who might know anything about your disappearance since neither Fabrizio nor Roland had time to meet with me.” She closed her eyes for a moment, realizing that had sounded like a guilt trip. It was, but an honest one. “I picked up a lot of useless information, heard about a lot of new people in town. For the most part, they’ve all kept a pretty low profile, not wanting to get involved in the obvious war between Roland and Fabrizio.”
My mind raced with a dozen of the worst potential beings that might have moved here, wondering what kind of future problems they might create. That wouldn’t really matter if Fabrizio and Roland’s fight left Kansas City a pile of smoldering ashes, though. “And this Black Warrior is one of these new beings in town?” I asked, shrugging. “Who is he?”
“I’m pretty sure the Black Warrior brought ninjas to Kansas City. At least, I think that’s what they are. No one ever sees them, but everyone senses them watching from the shadows. I don’t think it’s an official title or anything, but people have begun calling them the unseen eyes,” she said, shivering.
Cain cursed, jumping to his feet at the mention of ninjas. “Motherfucking ninjas and a trouser-snake?!” he bellowed.
“Turtle-snake,” Claire said, drawing out the first word. “And I think he’s a god. Or the next best thing.”
“Ninjas?” I demanded, in the exact same tone Cain had used.
Claire nodded with a sickly look on her face. “I guess we’re about to find out.”
Cain climbed to his feet, muttering under his breath. “No matter how much some people have changed, I trust Starlight. He helped you in the Doors. If he thinks we need to speak to the Black Warrior and his ninjas, we probably shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
I nodded in agreement. Starlight, as kooky as he was, often had a method to his madness.
Rather than wasting time talking, I headed to my room to salvage an outfit from what had been left behind in my closet. It looked like it was a jeans and tank-top kind of day. And my Darling and Dear jacket, of course. Before jumping into the shower, I had hastily scrubbed off the most noticeable bloodstains from my fight with the vampires. It would have to do.
I was dressed and hurriedly stuffing a duffel bag full of my other clothes when I heard Claire come up behind me to help. As she reached for a shirt, I noticed the band of creamy leather adorning her wrist, etched with dark, unknown symbols—courtesy of Darling and Dear—that allowed her to withstand bullets. A type of Aegis, like Zeus’ shield.
Every item created by the pair of leather smiths was imbued with a magical property.
My boots could sense demons, tingling at the toes when facing one.
My coat could take a significant beating, protecting me like armor.
Both leather and boots could be modified in design and color with a simple thought.
After Phix’s terrified outburst at us for suggesting we bring her to Darling and Dear while she recovered from her wounds, I wasn’t entirely sure what to think of the self-proclaimed Armorers of the Apocalypse. I had thought they were friends of hers.
I had thought they were friends of mine.
I would continue using their gear for the time being, but Phix had some explaining to do when she woke. Right now, it was time to go see a ninja turtle-snake god and then find a way to wash off eau de demon.
My last experience with Ninja Turtles in Las Vegas had been…memorable.
Chapter 12
We took an old Jeep Claire had borrowed from one of the other bears in her Cave. They were all out in Alaska anyway and agreed it was safer for her to switch cars often since she was being hunted as a known associate of me—by both the vampires and Shepherds.
She was living a life on the lam as a result of being my friend—coming home to check on me because I hadn’t answered any of her calls. And then not being able to leave because the shield went up before she could get back out. Leaving her cut off from the other Kansas City bears, from Kenai. Which made me want to hit something.
Very, very hard.
Leaving my apartment, I kept getting the nagging suspicion that I was forgetting something vitally important, even after I’d searched every room three times. It finally hit me—after I had eventually given up and walked out the door—that it was my cell phone. I’d drowned it in a pond while fleeing from Last Breath the morning I had entered the Doors, but the act of leaving my apartment had jogged my muscle memory, even after spending so long without one.
It was oddly invigorating to be free of that tether, although I kept finding myself subconsciously reaching for a purse or checking my pocket for it. I’d tossed my single depressing duffel bag of possessions into the trunk, nodding woodenly when Claire told me she would call a moving company to get the rest of my stuff in the morning. It wasn’t like I had anywhere for them to send my stuff, and any of the sentimental things had already been taken by someone. My money was on Roland, the creepy vampire overlord now known as the Red Pastor.
Just to be absolutely certain about at least one thing, before leaving my apartment I’d asked Claire to put on my boots and point the toes in my direction. When she admitted she didn’t feel a tingle, I almost shouted out in relief. Because it confirmed that it really was an illusion I was dealing with—not that I had somehow, at some point, actually been infected with demonic blood or picked up a hitchhiking possession, or that the Seal of Solomon on my finger was leaking demons without my knowledge. Although all of those fears had been unlikely, it had removed at least one persistent stressor on my mind.
Cain sat in the backseat, glancing frequently behind us as if expecting a tail. Or maybe hoping to catch a glimpse of these unseen eyes—the ninjas—Claire and Phix had mentioned. I didn’t blame him. Simply knowing they were out there made me feel like they were watching my every move.
Claire had told us that Starlight gave her the address to the Black Warriors home in the event she ever needed a place to lay low—a sanctuary if she was ever in danger—but that she’d never had the stones to visit a house full of ninjas.
So I let her do the driving. I stared out the window, taking in the familiar sights I used to drive past on a daily basis. But things were subtly…different. Buildings looked slightly under-maintained and there were a lot of For Sale signs staked in the wet grass—both commercial and residential. A lot of Regulars—even if they hadn’t known why—had decided to leave Kansas City. It was also the middle of the night, so the moonlight shining down upon the deserted streets added to the haunted vibe. Even still, there should have been a lot more cars: ride-share
drivers, teenagers screaming down the streets in embarrassing attempts at drag racing, adults coming home from the bars, or early shift people on their way to work.
Instead, we drove through very light traffic for a Kansas City evening.
I absently commented on the For Sale signs, still staring out the window.
Claire shrugged numbly. “Yeah. You get used to it.”
Her hollow tone—coupled with the knowledge that I had been the reason she was forced to live like a fugitive on the run from the law the past year—made me want to reach out and wrap her up in a hug. “I should have called you…”
“Oh, god!” Cain gasped dramatically. “It’s starting. I’m going to catch a virulent strain of estrogen, aren’t I? I can feel it creeping into that crusted, hollow shell I once called my heart! What do I do?!”
Claire had stiffened at my words, her grip flexing on the steering wheel for a moment, but Cain’s comment seemed to snap her out of it, a small smirk ghosting across her face as she loosened her shoulders and relaxed her fingers.
I clapped lightly at Cain’s performance.
“Thank you.”
Properly composed, Claire let out a forgiving sigh. “You told me about your quest, Callie. And everyone knows you can’t turn down a quest,” she said, a whisper of a grin making her dimples pop. “It’s not like you knew you would be gone so long, or that any of this might happen. I really can’t rationalize being angry at you. As much as I want to. And as much as I will still be angry with you anyway, in spite of logic.”
I laughed, nodding. “Deal.”
“I’ve had no one to bitch to for a long time. I try talking to Kenai about it all on the phone, but it’s not like either of us can do anything with the barrier between us. I can’t escape and he can’t come join me.” She wiped at her nose, blinking a few times. Finally, she shrugged. “It is what it is, you know? But you’re back, now. And you’re fucking alive, Callie. I hate to admit it, but even I began to doubt your return.”
Feathers and Fire Series Box Set 2 Page 59