Green shadow, p.7
Green Shadow, page 7
“Two reasons. First, as I said before, it gives me clearer visions of your future. I will be able to catch some disasters in enough time to prevent them. It helps me keep my hunters safe.” The shadow of hunters lost, passed over his eyes and settled a weight on his shoulders.
“The second is that the connection allows me to use my active talent. It provides me with the link I need to transfer what I see from clients to you. That information can be crucial on an assignment.”
When I first hired Mackenzie to hunt my niece, Curtis had given images he’d gleaned from the child’s favorite stuffed toy to her. The process Curtis spoke of was burned into my brain as if with dragonfire.
“The transfer’s not a pleasant process, is it?” I’d mocked Mackenzie for showing the amount of pain she was in, thinking her weak.
Curtis chuckled. “No. But some hunters handle it better than others.” Curtis’s mirth died. “Lucan, I will not force this bond on you. If you want, you may be a hunter without it. I’ve allowed it in the past.”
Part of me balked at taking this step. The ugly part of my mind whispered you already gave up your name for her. Begged a man who runs the same profession that murdered your father for a job to take care of the children. Now you’re forming a painful connection to a man you don’t know. When will it be enough?
I leaned forward and rested my chin on top of my clasped hands. Do I have a choice? I asked the voice. I’d lost every advantage I’d once possessed that would help me track Mackenzie down. I needed to have one ace up my sleeve. One avenue that offered me even a token guidance toward my potential mate. The answer was no. This was the best offer I was going to get, and I had to take it while I could.
Refusing to lose the opportunity by hesitating, I grabbed the knife from my waist and sliced it across my palm. Then, holding my hand out to him, I repeated the two words Mackenzie had spoken that day, months ago. “Hit me.”
Curtis mimicked the gesture and connected our hands.
“Bonded by blood.” We spoke in unison.
Tingling started where the lines on our palms connected, spreading until my whole body vibrated. The intensity increased. The tingling turned to burning, which transformed into a body-locking pain. My control faltered. My magic gushed out from me and passed through the walls, ceiling, and floor.
The door burst open, and people poured in, yelling. I couldn’t turn to see who it was. There was nothing. I was nothing, and only the pain existed.
Chapter 8
Lucan
Seconds felt like hours, before slowly the pain started to fade. I slumped out of my chair and onto the floor when it dissipated.
By the Old God, that was horrible.
Unfamiliar hands patted me down, assessing me for injury. I tried, but my arms wouldn’t wave them away, and my mouth wouldn’t form the words to tell them I was okay.
A woman’s voice penetrated the fog. “It’s okay, Lucan. It’s over now. Take a deep breath.”
I did.
“Good, now take another.” A strong hand squeezed mine. “I have to say,” she chuckled, “your magic sure packs a wicked punch.” The strain she was trying to hide, gave her tone a raspy note.
Chris helped me into a sitting position, and her guild pendant, usually tucked beneath her shirt, now hung on the outside. I looked closer. There, nestled next to the platinum sickle, was a gold band. Plain and battered, it must have meant a great deal to her to claim such a prestigious position.
Curtis looked worse than I felt. His brown hair clumped in various directions, his glasses sat skewed on his face, and stiff lines of pain lingered around his mouth. His pendant was also exposed. The leaf and sickle were each made of a different gemstone – emerald and onyx. A silver-colored ring encircled the two. I squinted. Next to his pendent, a battered gold ring rested on the chain.
I blinked between the pair for a moment. Chris, noticing the direction of my gaze, winked.
Surely not…?
I shook my head and put the thought aside. I didn’t need any more revelations in my life right now.
“Sorry.” I grappled with my magic, reeling it back in. “Despite your warning, I was unprepared for the level of pain.”
Curtis handed me a cloth handkerchief. “It was not an unexpected development. Most have a severe reaction to the process the first time.” A sad look crossed his face. “The only person to ever take it in silence was Mackenzie.”
A chunk of lead formed in my stomach. “Please tell me that receiving your visions is less painful than this.”
“I won’t lie to you. It’s comparable.” He grimaced. “Most hunters develop tools to help them deal with the sensation.”
I caught a whisp of Curtis’s displeasure as I finally tucked the last bit of my magic away. It hurt the Guildmaster to cause his people harm, even if that pain was willingly taken.
My dragon surged with anger, and snapped at me, his teeth bared in a snarl. He hated the pain Mackenzie felt while taking the visions, and he hated me more for mocking her. Ashamed of my actions, he retreated further into my psyche.
While his anger at me had consolidated into an overall disgust at my behavior, he had a secondary target for his rage. Hijacking my vocal cords, he lashed out at Curtis. “Why the hell did you put Mackenzie in a position that exposed her pain?”
Curtis looked startled at the growl. Something entered his eyes, but he kept whatever he thought close to his chest. “It was necessary.”
Wanting to strangle the man, I took a deep breath. Then the impact of his words truly hit me. If Curtis had done that months ago to steer the present, how many other small nudges was he constantly making. Again, a shudder went through me. If Curtis ever went over to the dark side, we were all in deep gryphon dung.
The Guildmaster smiled, sly humor on his face. “We will have to work on your tolerance.”
With the pain gone, I noticed the number of occupants in the room. Every person in the guild must have come running when my magic burst out of me. I barely held back a flush of embarrassment. Chris noticed as I looked around, my face growing stony.
“Alright, you lot,” she waved at the gathered crowd. “Scat. It’s not like any of you handled it any better. Lucan’s magic simply made you all relive it.”
The sardonic quip got chuckles from the group. A few congratulated me as they left in ones and twos. Most chatted amongst themselves, more than one person boasting about their ceremonies. I’d passed some rite of passage, and a small bundle of the knotting tension in my gut eased.
“Welcome to Catch and Release, Lucan,” Chris said as she got up and patted me on the shoulder. She assessed Curtis, making sure he’d recovered, and left the room. Shutting the door as she left, I caught the first glimpse of a dagger clutched in her hand. If I had been attacking the other man, I had the feeling I’d never see my death coming.
A light cough came from the shadows to the left of the door. Quinn stepped out of the low light. His dark skin, hair, and clothing blended to the point I’d missed his presence. Saber sauntered out at his side.
Golden-bronze eyes broadcasting the beast within, this gryphon and I had tangled before. I held a deep loathing for him based only on the fact that he had, on multiple occasions, tried to beat the scales off me.
I nodded at Saber, who had wandered over and was staring at the turtle in the pond. Having Brooke and Connor forgive him must have bolstered the feline’s confidence.
“Quinn, good, you stayed.” Curtis met the man’s eyes, an apparent fondness emanating from him. Curtis cared for all his people but seemed to have a select few with whom he had a deeper connection.
The gryphon said nothing, and by the way Curtis clapped him on the shoulder, the silence didn’t bother him.
“I want you to pair up with Lucan and show him the ropes.”
He’s my new partner? No way! I crossed my arms, a scowl forming.
“I already have a partner.” Quinn’s voice was rich and deep, and his eyes narrowed when he glanced at me.
Curtis sighed. “I know, but I think Mackenzie would appreciate you taking him under your wing.” He pointed at me. “At least until she returns.”
Quinn’s gaze snapped off me, and he turned to his boss. His head cocked to one side—the bird nature of his beast bleeding into the man. “It’s set?”
Curtis shook his head at the question. “No. But Lucan is the best path.” Quinn nodded, like receiving cryptic statements was normal.
“Fine, I’ll do it. Come along, dragon, let’s get you sorted.” He motioned for me to follow.
I bristled at the commanding tone but went to take a step towards him anyway. Before I moved, however, Curtis held up a hand.
“One moment.” He moved around to the other side of his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled two items out. The first was a battered book, compact and almost an inch thick. Curtis handed it to me.
“The Guild Charter for Lifers. You have two weeks to memorize its contents.” He gave me a stern look. “Do not destroy this book. You will need to return it. This book has touched the hands of every Lifer since I founded the guild.” A mischievous smile curved his lips. “The last person to read it was Mackenzie, and she made some interesting notes in the margins.”
I snatched the book out of his hands. Greed, fed by my dragon half, churned within me. He wanted me to open it then and there, and devour the words she had carefully written. Learn about this place through her eyes. Instead, I tucked the volume into my back pocket.
Curtis’s hand landed on my shoulder, bringing me out of my inner battle. When I looked at him, he held out a glass pendant on a leather cord. I’d seen the distinct leaf shape before. Mackenzie had the same charm.
“Your badge. Stamped on the back are your name and ID number. It will give you access to areas not accessible to the public, like the restricted stacks at the Hall of Records. You may also need to show it on hunts to validate your activities. I suggest becoming accustomed to wearing it always.”
Mackenzie had worn hers with pride, and I would strive to overcome my prejudicial nature and do the same. Slipping the cord over my head, I tucked the charm into my shirt.
“I know Chris said it earlier, but I will repeat it. Welcome to Catch and Release, Lucan. We are honored to have you.”
I nodded, but felt nothing. Too much had happened in too short a time to process it all.
Who knows. My dragon murmured. In time you might actually be happy to be here.
Quinn and I walked shoulder to shoulder out the main doors. Although the Gryphon and I were well-matched in height, Quinn’s shoulders were double mine. Saber split from us on the main floor, heading toward the cafeteria to do the Old God knows what.
I will get along with this man, I chanted as I ground my teeth. He’s Mackenzie’s best friend, a member of the family. And family was everything to this group.
Curtis had handed Quinn an envelope before we walked out. My flesh crawled at what it might contain. What orders he might have given. Deciding that worrying would get me nowhere, I asked, “What’s our first assignment?”
“Someone’s been killing shifters. We’re looking into it. Come to the house for lunch. Bring Brooke and Connor. Tyr and Alec would love to see them.”
That would lift the kids’ spirits, and it was something I could do, which pleased my dragon.
Pulling out my phone, I unlocked the device. Shock tore through me at the multiple messages waiting. My heart raced as worst-case scenarios sped through my mind. I smashed buttons to open the threads.
Alec: I don’t know if you have Tyr, so I’m checking in for both of us. And, so you know, you’re expected to let us know where you are two or three times a day. I will explain more next time I see you.
Connor: Hey, Alec filled me in. I’ll hold off on welcoming you to the family until you have a better idea of the insanity you agree to :P. FYI, Brooke and I are at the house packing. Check in when you have a sec.
Quinn read the messages over my shoulder and chuckled as I typed out his offer and an update to both boys. “You get used to it. Apparently, it’s a Mackenzie thing.” A relatively tame thing for her level of paranoia. “They’ve been worse since she left.” His humor died.
My heart hurt for the siblings as my phone chimed. Brooke and Connor expressed their enthusiasm at the idea, assuring they’d meet me there.
Quinn’s face softened as he read their responses. Then, as we moved again, he said, “Alec and I can take Brooke and Connor in if you want. We moved into a bigger place. It would be tight until the renovations are complete, but we could make room.”
I considered his offer. The other night, when he’d indicated his willingness to take the kids in, I rejected out of pride. Still, with our precarious housing situation, maybe it was time to rethink his proposal. Do what was best for Connor and Brooke.
Shaking my head, I stood straighter. I had income now. Housing would come. Deep down, in the same place my dragon lived, I knew I needed the kids as much as they needed me.
“Where to?” I asked instead of answering Quinn’s question.
“Follow me. It’s easier to show you than explain.”
Twenty minutes later, our motorcycles pulled up to a disheveled two-story home on the edge of Gryphos territory. The property backed onto the grey zone—an area between Gryphos and Dracos territories that belonged to neither. It’s where shifters who mated outside the tribe tended to live. The southern end of the lot backed onto the neutral zone – the one-mile buffer that separated the Mythos Clan area from the Fenris Tribe’s land.
Vines climbed the stone siding, creating a carpet of green on the side of the house. Weeds and tall grass ran rampant. Whoever had owned the property had neglected it badly.
Quinn, noticing my assessment, grunted. “I’ve had my eye on this place for a while. The last owner passed away about a year ago, and the family finally decided to sell. We’ve gone back and forth for months.” He shrugged his massive shoulders. “It needs work, but I got it for a steal.”
I nodded at the evident pride on his face. But inside, jealousy raged. Maybe sending the kids to live with Quinn was the right choice. Better they come here than stay in some low-rent motel. But before making that decision, I had one more thing to try.
Closing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I took the first step towards a cordial relationship with this man. “Do you know anywhere in the gray zone that’s renting?” Each word caught in my throat. I solved problems, not the other way around. Even my dragon balked at asking for help. But I tamped down my pride.
“Why?” The big man was a gryphon, a powerful one, according to Mackenzie. And with powerful truthtellers, there was no such thing as an innocent question.
“When Jasper cast me out,” I said honestly. Sinking as much scorn into that statement as I could. “He liquidated my assets, canceled my pension, and passed it on to the new Protector. Tomorrow, Toban will evict us from Tribe territory. I have next to nothing.” I fought the rising nausea as the still raw hole in my soul pulsed with an icy fierceness. “Every favor I’ve collected is void.” This last came out in a whisper. “But I will not fail the kids.”
Quinn nodded. “Follow me.” He turned and headed down an overgrown path without waiting to see if I would follow.
Five minutes of walking later, and well out of sight of his new home, the trees cleared, and another house came into view. It was a modest place. One story, the exterior more rustic than the one we just left. It certainly didn’t look anything like the House of the Protector. But that wasn’t a bad thing. I’d lived too long judging people and places by their outer skins. A place like this could be a chance to truly embrace the person I was trying desperately to become.
“This lot is technically in the Grey Zone, and there is an access road from there.” He pointed to one side. “It’s up for sale, and if you like it, I’ll buy it.”
“I…” I started to protest, but Quinn silenced me.
“It will be yours in everything but name. Consider it a loan until you can pay me back. No interest.”
My throat closed, and irritation rose within me. I don’t want pity.
The nasty voice mocked. You don’t deserve generosity, either. When was the last time you helped someone for nothing?
That stopped me short. I was the Protector. Surely there were times I’d performed acts of kindness to others. I reached back in my memory and couldn’t think of a time in the last year that I had been kind to someone simply because it was the right thing to do. Shame engulfed me. So engrossed in my internal thoughts, I almost missed Quinn’s following words.
“You’ll pay a monthly rent. Then, eventually, I’ll sign it over.” He watched me as I approached the building.
So not pity, a helping hand extended to someone in need. A lesson to heed.
The plot on which the house stood was surrounded by ancient trees so large it would take two of me to circle them, and the wildflowers, poking up in the few patches where light penetrated the canopy, were just coming into bloom. There was a sense of peace here I’d never felt anywhere before.
Closing my eyes, I opened my empathic senses. My powers, geared towards sentient beings, didn’t typically extend to objects. But sometimes, potent emotions clung to the very air, and if I tried, I could feel them.
I blocked out Quinn, excluding him from my questing senses.
Love, peace, happiness, and joy permeated the air. Whoever had lived here lived a life full of wonder. So much so that it soaked into the very nature of this place. It became their sanctuary, their haven. And that was precisely what I needed right now, what Connor and Brooke would need to heal. What Mackenzie will need when we get her back, my dragon said. I frowned at the beast. If we choose her. He snapped at me and sulked.
“You have a deal,” I said. Seconds later, my phone rang, and Curtis’s voice carried from the other end.
