Chapter 5
Elijah stared up, watching Kaylan through the balcony doors. He knew he’d have to answer her questions, but part of him dreaded it. How would she feel when she found out how he'd truly changed? She might have seen the wolf, but she hadn’t seen the beast he’d become. Kaylan had no idea about the things he’d done.
Reluctantly, Elijah leapt up onto the balcony and knocked. Kaylan looked up in surprise, rose and opened the door. “What are you doing here?”
“I thought we should talk.”
She sighed. “I'd like to, but I can’t think of us right now.”
Elijah shook his head. “There can’t be an us anymore, Kaylan.”
She looked up, eyes narrowed. “Why? Because you change into a wolf?”
“It's more complicated than that. I…” He hesitated, unsure of how much to tell her.
“Look, I need to find Freya. I can’t sense her — and I’m afraid,” she admitted, wringing her hands together. “I know she was at the mansion, but I only felt a trace of her there.” Kaylan put her head in her hands as she slumped onto the bed. “I can’t lose anyone else I love.”
His heart ached for her, despite Geth’s warning, he sat down and took her hand. “I promise we’ll find out what happened.”
“How?” She sniffed. “I don’t know where to begin.”
Elijah knew it must be bringing back memories of when her parents had been murdered over a decade ago. He stroked the hair off her face, they stared at each other and he felt the familiar desire that had always burnt between them. He could so easily reach out and kiss her, but the thought quickly made him sober as he pulled away.
The beast clawed at the edge of his mind, fighting to get out. It didn’t want blood. It wanted – Kaylan. Elijah knew he had to get out there. He shouldn’t have come.
“There’s something I should tell you,” he paused. “I saw Freya last night.”
Kaylan’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell me right away?” she demanded. “Was she alright?”
“She seemed to be. I couldn’t stay there long before the guards came. I saw a woman trying to experiment on a man — she was using Freya’s blood to do it.” He ran a hand through his hair. “I think the drug is just a distraction. I think she was the one who turned me and I think she’s trying to do it again.”
“But why? What good would Freya’s blood do?”
“Let’s get the gang back together and find out.” Elijah felt surprised at his own suggestion, and regretted it the minute he said it.
Sierra and Geth came into the sitting room, Elijah’s anxiety rose. He couldn’t be around people. Not like this. His heart pounded and the beast within him demanded to get out. He glanced around the room in case he had to make a quick exit. Dark orange light crept through the cracks in the curtains from the lamppost outside, bathing the room in a dull gold light mixed with red.
“Elijah,” Sierra gasped and threw her arms around him. “You’re back!”
Elijah flinched. No one had touched him in so long he’d almost forgotten what the sensation felt like. Sierra smelt of lavender and cinnamon, yet the scent didn’t entice him the way it had done with Kaylan. He patted her back. “Nice to see you too.”
“Where have you been?” Sierra glanced between him and the others, frowned. “Am I missing something? Neither of you look surprised he’s back.”
Geth shifted from foot to foot but avoided the question.
“Geth already knew he was still alive,” Kaylan said, and Elijah caught the edge in her voice.
“You what?” Sierra gaped at Geth and put her hands on her hips. “How could you not tell us that? Or Kaylan for that matter?”
Geth flinched and looked to Elijah for support. “Enough!” Elijah snapped. “We’re here to talk about Freya. Not my absence.”
“Begs the same question. Where have you been for the past year?” Sierra demanded, eyes narrowed.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t!” The anger in Sierra’s voice brought his beast to the surface again. He heard a low growl at the edge of his mind, and clenched his teeth.
“Guys, we need to find Freya,” Geth added.
“They’re right. Sierra, now’s not the time for this,” said Kaylan. “I just want to find my sister. I checked on the body at the morgue – I’ve never seen anything like it. Another one creature attacked me at the hospice. He mentioned a book. Does anyone know what it might be?” Everyone shook their heads. She turned back to Elijah. “Tell us what Freya told you.” Her face appeared strong, but Elijah could see the pain in her eyes.
Sierra crossed her arms. “She said she’d met a new guy who liked practising dark magic. Someone Freya knew was the latest drug victim, so she went up there to see what she could find.”
“Didn’t anyone try to stop her?”
Elijah smelt the anger in the room; it excited his beast and heated his blood. Keep it under control, he told himself and clenched his fists, feeling his claws dig into his flesh. Geth was used to seeing him turn, but he didn’t want to shift in front of everyone.
“No one else has been able to get near the place. That bastard Thedric has spies all over the city,” Sierra replied. “We saw a way in, and Cedric agreed.”
“Why didn’t–” Kaylan’s jaw clenched. “Never mind. I’ve read Sierra’s notes. Are the string of recent deaths related to the Stardust drug too?”
“They were all users, but the drug didn’t kill them,” Geth answered. “They were all brutalised like today’s victim. Did they torture him?”
“I can’t be sure unless I did a full examination of the body,” Kaylan replied, “but they look like they were mauled.”
Elijah flinched, heart pounding. Had he lost control again? Usually, when the blackouts happened he woke up covered in blood or at least had a sign that he’d done something terrible.
“That reminds me. How did you get so close to the last body?” Sierra wanted to know.
“I found it,” Elijah admitted.
All eyes turned on him.
“Where?” Sierra demanded. “How did you know he was a user? He was brought in by the Glistans.”
That raised uneasy questions. Sierra didn’t know he had been turned yet.
“Elijah is a wolf,” Kaylan told her.
“A what?”
“He is a shifter now. He can change between man and beast,” Geth explained.
Elijah looked away, unable to meet their gazes. He didn’t want to see the scrutiny — or worse — pity on their faces.
Sierra’s eyebrows rose. “How–”
“Let’s just focus on Freya, shall we?” Elijah suggested.
Still, Sierra watched him warily. He couldn’t blame her for being afraid. If she and Kaylan knew just how dangerous he was, they’d be more scared.
“I’ve managed to befriend Flynn Zegan,” Kaylan told them. “But that doesn’t give me any quick answers.”
“I think we should go to the High Lord’s house and see what we can find,” Geth suggested.
Sierra’s brow creased. “We haven’t prepped for a mission and Kaylan hasn’t – well, you know.”
“Just because I left doesn’t mean I didn’t conduct my own missions,” Kaylan replied. “Let’s go.”
Elijah stared up at the towering spires of the High Lord’s house as the light poured out of every window. A pit of dread formed in his stomach. There was a good chance he was the killer they were looking for. He had no idea where he went or what he did during his episodes. Had he become a mindless slave, hell bent on doing the Order’s bidding? He already knew he’d killed people, but he thought he’d learnt enough to gain some control over his beast.
“I still think this is a bad idea,” Sierra murmured in their ears as she crouched next to Geth by a tree, and tried to find a weakness in the ward.
“Be careful, Elijah, you’re still a wanted man,” Geth said in a low voice so that only Elijah would hear.
H
e didn’t need reminding of that and had already pulled a glamour spell on to disguise himself. But his magic wasn’t as reliable as it once had been. Either it failed or didn’t work at all.
“This could take me days,” Sierra groaned.
“I’ll see if I can find another way in.” Kaylan kicked off and took to the air.
“I’ll help,” Elijah added. Gold light shimmered around him with the crack of bone and pop of muscle as he shifted. He stretched, trying to ease his aching body. The presence in his mind that he always kept locked in had been released and it felt good to be free. He wouldn’t let it take complete control of his mind or body.
“Holy crap!” Sierra exclaimed.
Elijah glanced back at her shocked expression before hurrying after Kaylan. He watched her hovering over the roof, and cursed when he kept losing sight of her. Kaylan? He hadn’t tried talking to anyone in thought since he’d been turned and had no idea if it would still work.
Yes? she replied.
Where are you?
Behind the right chimney stack. The ward extends over the roof.
I could get you in, he added.
How? Kaylan asked.
Come and pick me up, then carry me to a window. He looked up, trying to spot her silhouette in the haze of shadows.
The windows are warded, Elijah.
Yeah, but they're not warded against animals.
Kaylan swooped down, hair billowing behind her. “I don’t know if I can carry you that far,” she murmured. She bent down and wrapped her arms around him. He’d be embarrassed under normal circumstances, but this was more important.
Air whooshed past them and Elijah understood the exhilaration Kaylan felt. Flying was a rush as they flew over the rooftop.
“I think I saw an open window on the second floor,” Kaylan told him and descended. Elijah heard her grunt from the strain of holding him. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
She moved closer, static flared from the glass, signalling the ward. “I can’t open the latch.”
Elijah leant forward, trying to move the window further open with his paws, but no such luck. Instead, he leapt out of Kaylan’s arms, claws digging into the sill as he latched onto it. His back legs scraped behind him as he tried to pull himself up, but felt his grasp slipping.
Kaylan grabbed hold of him, grunting as she pushed him through the gap.
Elijah squeezed through the narrow opening, wincing as he did so. I wouldn’t be able to do that in my human form. A glance of the room revealed it to be a bedroom with dull beige walls, a small bed and a chest of drawers. Dust covered the floor in a thin white layer, along with his paw prints as he moved to the door. A quick scan revealed no one in sight as he stood on his hind legs and pushed the door open.
Kaylan floated in and hovered an inch from the floor. It always amazed him how she moved so easily.
“Geth? Sierra? Where are you?” she asked.
“Still trying to get in,” Sierra grumbled.
“Get here when you can. We’re going to look around.”
“Kaylan, you don’t know what you might be up against,” Sierra said. “And what about Elijah?”
“He can take care of himself,” Geth added.
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. Are you sure we can trust him?”
“I do,” Kaylan replied.
Elijah looked up at her, having heard the conversation. Hell, he wasn’t sure he trusted himself anymore. But he couldn’t imagine ever hurting her.
Now what? Elijah asked.
Kaylan murmured a revealing spell to show any signs of dark magic. The room flashed with red light. Next, she said a locator spell to find Freya. The sound of a door handle being turned made them both jump, he heard Kaylan’s heart beat faster.
He dove under the desk and Kaylan shot to the ceiling, pulling her glamour tighter to conceal herself.
The woman Elijah had seen the night before swept into the room followed by Freya.
Elijah heard Kaylan’s intake of breath at the sight of the unknown woman and saw the golden glow of an arrow forming where she’d been standing. Damn it!
Elijah, do you recognise that Glistan? Kaylan’s mind voice sounded low and fearful.
Glancing over at the leather clad stranger, he sniffed the scents of orange and cinnamon. She looks familiar, but I can’t place her.
It’s Ena. Spirits, I thought she was dead! What is Freya doing with her? Panic rushed through him, it took a moment to realise that it wasn’t his own panic —but Kaylan’s. The feeling raised his beast’s hackles, it fought to gain full control, making Elijah grit his teeth. He had no idea how he could be sensing Kaylan’s emotions. Perhaps his beast’s abilities were growing.
“I don’t understand why it won’t work,” Ena complained. “I thought your blood would be strong enough for my drug to make the transformation of permanent.”
“Avilion blood is powerful, but we need the blood of a true shifter to make more of them,” Freya replied. “I can’t wait to see the look on old Thedric’s face when we slaughter his family right in front of him.”
Elijah’s claws dug into the hard wood floor as the beast tried to get out. Ena had turned him, now she wanted to do the same to others. He glanced up at Kaylan, saw the shock on her face, despite the glamour concealing her.
Kaylan, I think Freya is working with Ena.
No, there must be a reasonable explanation.
Freya looked up at the ceiling, locking eyes with her sister and grinned. “Told you she’d come.”
Kaylan swooped down, kicking Ena in the head as she went. She muttered a curse and blasted the Glistan with fireballs as she landed.
He scrambled out and snarled at Freya in warning as she backed away from him.
Kaylan demanded Ena by the throat. “How are you still alive?”
Ena smiled, and screamed: “Avock!”
Kaylan yelped as a blast of light hurled her across the room.
“Kaylan, stop! Please!” Freya begged.
“What are you doing here?” Kaylan demanded. “I thought you were in trouble. Are you helping her to kill people?”
Freya shook her head. “It’s not like that. We’re trying to make a better future for everyone.”
“How? By hurting innocents?”
Ena flew at Kaylan, holding a knife to her throat.
Elijah snarled, feeling something inside him snap. Bone cracked and muscle popped as he shifted back. Instead of fully changing back into his human form, he became something else. Fangs sprang from his mouth and his fingers turned into talons as he lunged at Ena. This was the beast’s true form. He knocked Freya aside when the other sorceress made a grab for him and squeezed Ena’s throat. This was the one who’d turned him; the smell of her magic was too familiar and his beast recognised it. She’d dared to hurt what was his.
“Fool, you can’t hurt me,” Ena breathed, and sent him staggering backwards.
“You won’t hurt her,” he growled, and yanked Kaylan up, tossing her over his shoulder before leaping out of the window.