Death Be Shifted (The Terra Vane Series Book 6)

by Katie Epstein

  “I think that’s a utopian view if I ever heard one.” She smiled. “But it’s a lovely one to have. Hopefully, across the world, we’ll get it one day.”

  We reached the kitchens, and I helped her to prepare the drinks for the meeting we were to attend with Brent. It pissed me off she had to be on such a duty because she was the female. But I wouldn’t be a schmuck and let her do it by herself.

  Once we’d prepared it all, Anya handed me a tray of drinks to carry. She grabbed the other.

  “Now, let’s join the others for the meeting.”

  Caladonia Moor’s meeting cabin doubled up as their version of a town hall, large enough to seat around fifty shifters. Tall ceilings, a fireplace, and log-built walls made it all feel more like someone’s home. But the meeting was a small one, not filled to the rafters as I imagined it to be during their pack meetings.

  Only a few select wolves and a dragon shifter waited for us around a few tables pushed together. Zax had already set up his tech. But then I noticed the frowns on the faces of those in attendance.

  Brent, his Beta, Mikel, and Gamma, Judson, all impressive in their frame, waited impatiently.

  Brent sat at the top of the table his face softening when Anya entered the room. But Mikel and Judson looked like they meant business.

  Kaleb winked when he saw me. But I hid my smile. Showing weakness in front of such dangerous shifters wouldn’t do me any favors.

  Zax took his drink from the tray. “How’s Mayra?”

  “She’s sleeping. She can join us later if needed.”

  He lowered his voice and said to me, “How do you want to play this?”

  “Play what?” Brent snapped, having heard us.

  Zax he smiled sheepishly. “Sorry.” He looked at me in appeal, so I jumped in.

  “Can I have a word in private, Alpha?”

  “Agent Vane…”

  “Either we speak in private or not at all.”

  “The room you sit in now is private from anyone listening nearby on the outside,” Brent retorted. “But I trust all the wolf shifters here present with my life. Whatever you tell me, they will know anyway.”

  “I trust them, too, Terra,” Kaleb reassured me, and Anya squeezed my arm in comfort before sitting down with the wolves. I reassigned myself, taking a seat next to Zax.

  “Fine,” I relented. “But what I’m about to tell you all is high-level information. If any of this leaks out to your pack, or beyond it, then I cannot be made accountable for what the Consilium do when they find out you’re in our confidence. Do I make myself clear?”

  “It will not leave this room,” Brent replied, a growl rolling out after his words.

  I nodded. “Then know we may have an identity on who is attacking on your lands.”

  “We know it’s a reptile shifter.”

  “Yes. I know that. But we may know which one specifically.”

  “Then who is hunting on my lands?” Brent demanded.

  “Several weeks ago, our boss notified us of a breakout from Portiside Prison. Twelve prisoners escaped.” Gasps filled the room for those not in the know. “Our chief assigned The IET to either catch them or take them down.”

  “How many of you are there in the IET again?” Brent didn’t look happy.

  “Kaleb, me, Mayra, Zax and two more: a vampire, and a demon. Hopefully, they will join us shortly to help with the hunt. I trust they’ll be welcome?”

  “A demon?”

  “Yes. But don’t worry about her. I doubt any of your male shifters will have a problem with her rocking up on your lands.”

  Zax sniggered from beside me.

  “And why is that?” Brent’s brow furrowed.

  “She’s a lust demon. They’ll be too busy gawking at her fashion sense, or the scraps of material she calls clothes, to worry about her intentions. Trust me.”

  “Your bitchy side’s showing,” Kaleb said, so I threw him the finger. I understood if he wanted to come to her defense, but I didn’t have to like it. “Professional,” he added on a smile.

  “Yeah? How about you spin on it and dance?”

  Anya snorted, spitting out her coffee. “Sorry,” she murmured, grabbing a napkin.

  “Can we get back to the point?” Brent requested.

  “I’d like to know why our world felt it fit to assign only six people to take out these escaped prisoners,” Judson boomed from across the table. Bald and scarred across the face he didn’t need to speak to intimidate. “And led by a human at that.” He pointed to Kaleb. “Why does a wolf shifter not lead them? Kaleb is the strongest by far.”

  “Kaleb doesn’t know Earthside,” I answered for him. “I do. And, no offense, but we’ve already either recovered or taken out five prisoners. More than the precious wolf shifter assigned to take down prisoners on this side has achieved. And I’m not here to tell you this information to justify myself. You all want to know what’s going on, so I’m telling you. And all you need to be concerned about is the reptile shifter hunting on your lands.”

  “A reptile shifter was among the escapees,” Kaleb explained, getting to the point.

  “What?” Brent directed the question at me, his eyes flaring.

  I bit back the retort of ‘don’t you think it’s obvious?’ because it wasn’t obvious. Even if a reptile shifter had escaped the prison, the odds of it treading onto the wolf lands of Totem Talamh were low.

  “Aside from the tooth we found in the lake, and Kaleb scenting something reptilian. I had a vision,” I told them. “I saw something hungry, needing to hunt, but he wept over its victim, even as he bit into his prey. He was a scared being, crying out for his mother.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Torroro of the Dark Hills is the reptile shifter who escaped from prison. We don’t understand why he was among those who escaped. The Evolvers believe he has a disability, one where he doesn’t have the mental capacity to shift—even though he could physically do so if he so wishes.”

  “You believe it’s him on our lands?”

  “Yes. And we don’t know why he’s here. It makes no sense. Not when his instincts would take him home or into the mountains if left on his lonesome. But I had an earlier vision of Torroro when I linked to his mother who still has a connection to him. It was a vision of him reluctantly biting into a man while others from the sidelines urged him on. We believe he was being kept, or controlled, by the other escapees until now.”

  “Until he’s shown up on my lands?”

  “That’s right. But we’re only going off my vision here. It could be something else. But I think that would be an even bigger reach.”

  “Torroro is one of the Reptarian species,” Zax said, looking up from his laptop. “Lizard species, in effect. But there are many breeds of lizard shifters, lizard being the general term.”

  “So what’s a Reptarian?” Mikel the Beta asked. His deep, gravelly voice oozed with power.

  “They’re one of the oldest clans of reptile shifters, purebloods who interbred and whose lineage goes back to the first settlers through the portal.”

  “How can we catch them?”

  “They’re fast,” Zax replied. “And they hide in places to disguise their scent, such as mud, in the underground, or underwater. Their claws and teeth are designed to latch onto their prey. They never appear human, even while in human form. Their human sides have green skin; their eyes are never changing. And they don’t shift into an actual lizard. Meaning they don’t take the whole shape of one.”

  “Imagine a human with scales, claws, and sharp teeth,” Kaleb told the unsettled shifters.

  “I don’t like this.” Brent drew out a breath. “There is no way in hell a reptile shifter would come to our lands and stay here. And he definitely wouldn’t want to hunt here.” He looked at me. “Are you sure it’s him?”

  “I’m not a hundred percent. I can only go off my vision. But the tooth found and the scent all backs up the theory. And Torroro won’t be like other Reptarians.
He’s confused, scared, and he doesn’t know what to do. But I’m also worried about him.”

  “You’re worried about him?” Judson scoffed.

  “Yes. He didn’t feel right in the vision. He’s struggling. And with each pang of hunger, with no one around to tell him he’s doing something wrong, he’s losing himself more to his instincts than ever before. He’s hungry. He wants to eat. And he’s holding back, waiting until the hunger pains him. If he fully loses the last small piece of humanity he has left…”

  “Total carnage,” Kaleb finished for me.

  “But one shifter?” Mikel said in disbelief. “Against all of us? Is he that much of a threat?”

  “You’ve lost one shifter,” I said, shocked. “Three injured. Torroro dragged one of them into the lake before any of you could react. I’d say he’s very much a threat.”

  “So what can you do that we can’t?”

  “That’s what we’re here to resolve. Unfortunately, I’m a vampire down. He could have matched Torroro’s speed. So, for now, we plan without him. He’ll be our back-up plan. Mayra is a witch, so once she’s rejuvenated, she’ll be able to help in casting a spell. We’ll bring her on board. But we also have a dragon shifter in our midst. Zax?”

  “I can shift into my dragon, and I’ll happily do so. But it will take a while. I also don’t move as fast as a reptile shifter in either form. And my acute hearing, my sight, I keep those in human form, so I think I’m better to you as I am.”

  “Okay. Then I’m thinking about a trap. Let’s set up a trap, lay out some bait, see if Mayra can perform a spell or something. We can do it tonight.”

  “You want to venture out there in the dark?” Judson asked.

  “I’m not waking Mayra until she’s ready.”

  “Then we’ll head out without her. Set up nets, spike traps. We know how to hunt, Agent Vane.”

  “I wouldn’t recommend it.”

  Brent pondered, looking to Kaleb for guidance. “What do you think?”

  Pissed, I shared a look with Anya. She shook her head briefly, pleading with me to keep silent. But the way Brent kept going over my head to speak to Kaleb kept adding brick after brick to my tower of frustration. Yes, I’d wanted him to believe Kaleb was the leader in the beginning, but now he knew the score it had turned insulting.

  “The more in your arsenal, the better,” Kaleb replied. “But if we take Mayra on board, we’ll need some shifters to watch her back. I’d say it’s up to you. And whether you want to risk it.”

  “Let’s gather up people to hunt,” Brent said on a nod. “We’ll lay the traps, our way. After that, if we need your witch’s help, we’ll do it your way.”

  “Her name is Mayra,” I bit out. Brent’s shoulders went rigid.

  I said nothing, rising from my seat and leaving them to do whatever the hell they pleased.

  24

  Once I reached the cabin, I threw on my sneakers I’d packed. I shrugged off my jacket and threw on my hoodie before heading out and jogging to Mayra’s cabin.

  Checking on Mayra, I found her snoring her head off, deep in sleep.

  After unpacking her bag, I visited the healing cabin to gather any magical supplies she’d left behind in her exhausted state.

  When I got there, the healer, Lysa, turned up with a pile of clean sheets in her arms.

  “Oh, hi Terra,” she greeted me. “I’m just changing the bed in the healing cabins. Do you need anything?”

  “No. I just came to get any belongings Mayra left behind.”

  “Oh, sure. I’ve put them all to one side in there.” She pointed to the cabin behind her. “She’s amazing you know.”

  “I know.” I smiled. “I’m so glad she could help.”

  “Help? She saved that boy’s life. And I sensed how close to death he was. But Anya is right to post a guard outside her door.”

  “Is there danger to her life?”

  “I wouldn’t go that far. But as wolves, we can scent death, and many of us know when someone has gone beyond the brink. That’s why my calling is in healing. I know when I’ve lost a person before they’re gone, and I knew Ethan was close.”

  “But?”

  “He wasn’t too far gone where his soul had crossed over. Mayra didn’t bring him back from the dead.”

  “She would never do that.”

  “I know. We had a good chat in between the lulls of spells during the early hours.” She smiled, shaking her head. “I never thought I would use the word ‘spells’ in a healing conversation. I’m all about herbal remedies and holistic therapies, in keeping with our traditions. But Mayra explained all about manifestation, intention, and how we’re very similar in that respect.”

  “She’s good at what she does.”

  “Yes. She is. And she brought him back from the edge that is something far beyond my skills after how much the infection had spread. But whereas I understand all of that, his mother, his family, Ethan, none of them care how he returned. There are others though…”

  “Others who what?”

  “Who are too ignorant to see the truth. Those who want to write the story as they see fit. They think she brought him back from the dead. They’ll see her as evil.”

  “Bevren?”

  “He’s leading the charge, yes. But I’ve known Bevren since he was a lad. He was very close to Varden. He looked upon him as a father after he lost his own. But the old school wolves, ones who don’t like Brent as Alpha, are filling Bevren’s mind with poison, and his anger is enough to drive it forward. Just keep an eye on her.”

  “I will. Thank you, Lysa.”

  She nodded, lifting the sheets. “I’d better get back to it. Her things are in there.”

  “Thanks.”

  Once she’d walked away, I gathered Mayra’s belongings together with a heavy heart. I wouldn’t have her hurt. Not after all she’d done by coming here and saving the young boy.

  Mayra, always on the wrong end of judgment. Me, always thought of as weak.

  Anger crept inside, goading at my frustration.

  I needed to jog my ass off.

  After dropping off Mayra’s things, I hit the ground running, staying away from the trees and any water.

  I needed to clear my head.

  Brent.

  Stubborn. Pain in the ass.

  I didn’t want to take it personally. The species in our world often do whatever they damn well want to, pointing the finger at those who do the same. But the politics of it all annoyed me because of its hypocrisy.

  We must stand together, unite as one. But if we have power, we want to run things our way, no one—not a mere human—will ever tell us what to do, even if you have a badge of authority assigned to lead a team. “Assholes,” I muttered, my head chuntering away.

  Feeling the breeze on my face, I pushed harder.

  And Kaleb…

  I’m a shifter. I know these people. I’m a man. People trust me. I have muscles. People respect me.

  Cole should have made him the damn leader. He has the face for it. Diplomacy. Who am I at the end of the day?

  A psychic who no one believes in, that’s who. I have a gift people use when it benefits them, yet who chastise it when it doesn’t. Or when I tell them what they don’t want to hear.

  And what do I get after helping to take down the prisoners?

  You throw yourself into the line of danger, Terra. Stop keep putting yourself at risk, Terra. You’re just a human who will run out of luck one day, Terra.

  Well, they can all kiss my ass.

  I took out a Head of House Vamp.

  Ripped the wings of a raven shifter banshee shifter.

  Killed a serial killer.

  So I’d ended up injured at the end of most of it, the others having to save the day on some occasions. But still. If I’m such a weak human then how is it I can control people via their energy? Why can I force them to do things? To kill? To hurt themselves?

  Because you’re not human, the niggling thought came
unbidden. Lauz Magpie’s words a reminder of me having Fey blood in my veins. But both my parents are human. My father even had similar gifts to me. He was a definite human.

  Unless there’s something he’d never told my mom?

  No. If my dad had Fey blood in him and had known about it, then he wouldn’t have subjected himself to such bullying and abuse from my grandparents. He wouldn’t have tried to rid himself of his gift, and, eventually, his life.

  So what the hell am I?

  I’m a psychic who can manipulate the living. No one important.

  But at that, I had a thought.

  Of course! I could try to attach myself to the energy of Torroro. I could drop my shields and attempt to take hold of his energy. His cognitive ability would be like a rogue shifter, easy to manipulate, easy to control.

  Forgetting about all the earlier frustrations, I ran back to the cabin where they’d had the meeting. But when I got there, the place was empty.

  Turning on my heel, I jogged to Anya and Brent’s cabin, skidding to a stop when I saw the commotion.

  A group of people had gathered. Anya and Brent appearied on edge. Zax stood with them, his face worried.

  Approaching carefully, I tried to find Kaleb, but I couldn’t see him.

  There was excited chatter, some murmurs of respect, shifters standing to the side looking uncertain. Then the crowd broke apart.

  A shifter, tall and proud, with sandy hair dusted with gray falling around his shoulders like a lion’s mane, stepped forth. Gold and amber robes draped around his robust stature. His bejeweled hand was wrapped around a staff decorated with etched spirals and gems.

  “So this is the one,” he said, his eyes predatory settling on me. He waved me closer. “Come here, child.”

  Putting out his hand palm down, he offered me his hand.

  Does he want me to kiss it?

  Does he think himself royalty?

  I shook it instead, my eyes wary. He frowned. But seconds later, he smiled.

  “Terra,” Anya said, coming to my side. “This is Alpha Cipher of the Chamaya Moon Fields pack.”

  Oh shit.

  Kaleb and Cole’s father: a shifter able to turn my life upside down with the snap of his fingers.