Green Shadow, page 15
“She’s not your toy to break, mage.” The cool, gravely words might have meant something if they hadn’t been followed with “She’s mine for this mission. Or did you forget you fucked up and lost the privilege?” He plucked the crystal from Ben’s frantic hand. “The scientists won’t be happy to know you’ve kept this.” Ben’s red face went white.
I tucked that tidbit of information away. It was always good to have ammunition to use against your enemies. And the fact that my captors scared the piss out of Ben – the golden boy – would be useful at some point.
Ask me if I had any sympathy for the turd.
Shadow released Ben, who crashed to the floor gasping. Then, without a backward glance, he approached me. Staring at me as if assessing my condition, he nodded and said, “Come.” Then walked past me and headed down the hall.
Holding in a ridiculous urge to say something stupid, like ‘Yes, master’ in my best snarky tone. I somehow managed to contain myself.
“We’ve been tasked to eliminate a rogue Fenris shifter. A coyote murdering humans. They’re not feral, just sadistic,” Shadow said as we entered the garage and made our way toward one of the carriages.
I nodded as he spoke. It had taken me a long time as a youth to break the mental conditioning the government had embedded in my mind because sometimes, they gave me jobs I didn’t mind doing. If only they hadn’t crossed the line to preying on innocents.
“I know you only speak to Psyche.” It took me a moment to remember that was Evie’s codename, and when I did, I raised an eyebrow. “But we need to arrange signals that I can understand.”
I thought for a moment. I could make this problematic for Shadow. But, despite figuring he was buttering me up for something, I’d already decided to see where it led. So, nodding, I raised my hand and started making signs in the non-verbal communication I’d learned as a child. It was limited but would function for anything mission related.
Shadow accepted the compromise, and I got a vague feeling that working with him might become a bright spot in this horrible hell hole.
Chapter 17
Mackenzie
Nausea rolled in my stomach, and the carriage rocked. Blinded by a veil of smoke, while a much better option than the stinky bag, I couldn’t even look out the window to distract myself.
Ten thousand eight hundred seconds after we’d started out. The carriage came to a halt. The veil lifted, and I had to squint against the light. It was too much stimulation after the all-consuming darkness.
Rubbing my eyes, I blinked a few times. Clear blue sky came through the window between the driver’s legs. Turning my head, I inhaled greedily through the open window beside me. Even if Shadow’s veil was preferable to the sack, it still felt confining. Nothing beat the first few deep breaths of clean, fresh air after being magically stuffed in a bag, even if that air came from a city and not a forest full of green things.
Shadow watched me with guarded eyes. He had spoken to me a few times, always mission-related, but now seemed content to sit in silence.
Reaching for my magic on reflex, I slammed up against a wall. Even after months of having it contained, with even a few trees and grasses in sight, it was second nature to grasp for it.
Where my magic should have been, bright and comforting, only a cold emptiness greeted me. Pain lanced through my head, and I resisted the urge to try and fight through it. Experience had taught me that nothing good would come of it. Out with a new partner, I would need all my wits about me.
Something of my attempts must have shown on my face because I noted a flicker of sympathy flash through Shadow’s onyx eyes. Schooling my features, I locked myself down even tighter. I couldn’t afford to grow close to the man across from me. By the Old God, the last thing I needed was to bond with one of my captors.
The carriage had stopped in an empty parking lot. The surrounding buildings were barely more than glorified piles of rubble, the towering high-rises having crumbled with the loss of synthetic materials.
Shadow got out and motioned for me to do the same. “We go on foot from here.” He trotted away. Confident I would follow. Because really, what choice did I have.
Curtis had taught me the ins and outs of his magic and, more importantly, what increased the chances of triggering his visions. He’d stressed that intent and emotion were vital. If I had any hope of reaching him through our blood bond, with my magic blocked, I would have to pull out all the stops. Focusing intently, I pictured everything I knew about where I was and what I was doing. Then, mentally packing the images into a box, I wrapped it in every emotion I associated with my Guildmaster. Respect, admiration, loyalty, and familial love wove around the pictures, and with a nudge, I sent the packet out into the universe. By the grace of the Old God, please let him get this.
Satisfaction filled me with a sense of accomplishment. I may have agreed not to run, but I would do everything I could to stack the deck in favor of a rescue.
Twenty minutes after we set out, Shadow slowed. We were on the edge of a middle-class neighborhood. The homes were modest and well-maintained. Not that murderers didn’t come in pretty packages. As Ben clearly demonstrated, rot on the inside was rarely reflected on the outside.
Clare, a dragon shifter I’d fought months ago, was another example of beautiful on the outside and ugly psycho on the inside. After defeating her in a dragon duel, Lucan handed her over to the Triad for justice. Later, when I played his deadly arm candy at the summit, he’d let slip that she was dead. Euthanized for going feral. I hadn’t felt bad at all.
Shadow and I ducked into the backyard of a house. Crouching in the back corner of the yard and, obscured by the tall grass and bushes, he pointed out our target.
The quaint red brick ranch-style home sat on a neat lot. The house itself looked well cared for, the gardens tidy. Slowly moving my head from side to side, I assessed the visible escape routes, where ambush attacks were likely, and where traps might be hidden. I may have been metaphorically dragged on this mission kicking and screaming, but that didn’t mean I wanted to be killed for being sloppy.
Shadow silently moved even with me. When he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. “Here.” Moving a hand, he plucked something from the waistband of his pants and then held it out to me. When the light shifted enough to see what he held, I staggered back, bile rising in my throat and sweat beading on my skin.
Two gleaming black blades rested in his closed fist. Six inches of a magic metallic alloy veined with silver, designed to kill supernatural creatures. These knives were Terra’s signature blades. Iconic symbols of terror to the magical community. I’d thrown the original pair in the deepest crevasse I could find years ago.
Connor had based my tonfas off these blades. The alloy was effective, and I liked that the blunt weapons wouldn’t constantly remind me of the person I didn’t want to be.
I couldn’t refuse, not without significant repercussions. So, I reached out with shaking hands and took the blades from Shadow.
As soon as the metal hit my fingers, I wanted to drop them. But stubbornly, I closed my hand around the hilts. Then, with jerky movements, I tucked the blades into my belt. Once they were secure, I wiped my hands on my pants. But, unfortunately, it did nothing to take away the phantom tack of blood that coated my skin.
Shadow watched my reaction intently, and I realized I’d given away far more than I should have. Damn it all to hell.
I locked my emotions down. Determined to stop letting Shadow see glimpses of weakness. The man in question said nothing about my actions. He just turned back to the house and laid out the plan.
“We’ll block the back door.” He kept his tone low. “Then move around and attack from the front. The Bosses want this rogue to vanish, but the scene should leave no doubts about what happened.”
Cringing, acid gnawed at my stomach. If this really was a rogue, someone needed to stop them. That wasn’t my problem. Other than Shadow’s word, what proof did I have that this shifter deserved capital punishment? We should be detaining him with the intent to deliver him to the Alpha Triad, if not the Fenris Alpha himself.
Shadow ripped a board off the fence. It was loose and barely made a sound as the nails pulled free from the support post. Tucking it under the handle, he wedged it into place.
As we moved around to the front of the home, Shadow tapped into his power. Darkness coiled around us. It helped that dusk had fallen and there were no lights on this street to draw attention to our concealment. Thank the Old God, that meant less chance of collateral damage.
We split at the door, each taking a side. Then, ticking off a countdown on his fingers, we prepared to breach the home.
The door was unlocked and pushed open on silent hinges. We padded in, keeping our steps light. Rogues, Tribe members who broke the law and tried to escape justice, had both the cunning of their human brain and the strength and speed of their animal parts. The unlocked door indicated this rogue had gone feral. I slid my daggers from my belt despite my hatred for the weapons. I’d need them, as a feral mark would operate from rage rather than reason.
As the home’s décor registered in my mind, horror iced over my heart. All the framed pieces were done by little hands. Family photos in silver frames showed how this family had grown over the years. I clenched my daggers tighter. This monster was stealing the identity of an innocent family—one likely murdered. It stole all thoughts of justice from my mind. Instead, I mentally drew back, allowing the darkness born in my youth forward.
A woman shouted from within the depths of the house, and faint footsteps raced in her direction. So, the monster was female, and she wasn’t alone. I slowed down, motioning for Shadow to take care.
Ignoring the increasingly frantic noise coming from deeper in the home, Shadow and I cleared the rooms slowly and methodically. Banging and the rattling of a knob echoed through the home. They were trying to escape through the back door. Muffled curses sounded, and I smiled.
That’s right. You can’t go that way. You’re trapped. The darkness inside me shivered in excitement. It made my blood run cold.
Suddenly, everything went quiet, too quiet. We froze.
Then with the utmost caution, we inched our way down the hall.
If this rogue had any brain cells left, she’d shift. Terran’s changed forms relatively quick, averaging around thirty seconds. The closer she was to going feral, the faster that transition would be. Less human emotions getting in the way of changing shape.
Fighting a human, and fighting an animal, required two very different skill sets.
Shadow took the lead, and I moved in behind to cover his back. As we inched forward, shadows peeled off the wall and coalesced around his fingers. They dissipated with a flick of his wrists, and a karambit rested in each hand. They were made of the same black and silver metals as my daggers.
Where the hell were those?
We rounded a corner, and a silver-blue coyote was at the end of the hall, hackles raised and teeth bared. Her head was low, and a growling bark escaped when she saw us. I tensed, ready for an attack, but something nagged at me. Glancing around, I tried to figure out what was triggering my senses.
I thrust the darkness back down into the depths of my mind as I remembered who had sent me on this mission. This wasn’t some gig that Curtis had vetted. This was the Government, and they didn’t do altruism.
Shadow wrapped himself in tendrils of his magic, creating an obscuring, smoky layer. It blurred him enough that the coyote had a hard time tracking him. Weapons poised, he ghosted forward.
The coyote rushed to meet him. Snapping at the darkness in a vain attempt to grab flesh. I could see through his magic and watched as he neatly avoided her lunge by shifting to one side. Lashing out in retaliation, shock ran through me when she avoided his blade by dropping flat against the floor.
I stayed back, just out of range. There wasn’t enough room for me to engage in the cramped corridor. So instead, I waited patiently for my chance to intervene.
The coyote dodged. Her small size was an advantage in the narrow hall. Her half-form might be more powerful if she could access it. But blended forms averaged over seven feet tall, which would hamper her mobility in this confined space. Her animal form was the right choice. At half the size of Shadow, she had plenty of room to maneuver.
The first few minutes passed with neither gaining the upper hand. The coyote was a skilled fighter. With all his training, Shadow couldn’t land a solid hit on the nimble creature. The wily animal even used the walls as springboards to help avoid Shadow’s blades.
Shadow’s shoulders tensed, his eyes hardened, and I could sense his frustration rising. If he let his emotions control him, Shadow would make a mistake, giving the rogue the advantage.
I winced as her teeth tore into the firm flesh of Shadow’s calf. It was a glancing strike, and Shadow moved to extract himself before his opponent could get a stronger hold. Shifting my weight on the balls of my feet, I flipped one of the blades around, grasping it by the tip. If I got a chance, I’d let it fly. I may not trust Shadow, but he was my handler right now, and even if the collar’s magic allowed me to do nothing, I didn’t want to imagine the punishment I’d receive if I got out of here alive and Shadow didn’t.
Shadow called over his shoulder, putting some distance between them, “What are you waiting for? Get her.” The minute shift in his attention cost him, and the coyote darted forward, managing to nip his wrist. It caused enough damage that Shadow dropped his blade.
It also gave me the opening I was looking for.
Cocking my arm, I started my sequence for throwing a dagger. My vision narrowed to my target as I factored in Shadow’s movements. My arm drew back, the final move before I let the knife fly. The way she faced me, I had no option but to aim for a killing strike. Any other attack wouldn’t do enough damage. My stomach tightened in queasy knots.
Right before my fingers opened, movement registered in my peripheral vision. Crap, how could I lose track of my surroundings so quickly! Step it up, Mackenzie, unless you want to die before anyone gets a chance to rescue you. Turning at the last second, I blocked the attack with my other knife.
The descending broom handle cracked against my forearm, and a thud sounded at the impact. It hurt, but not as much as I expected.
A yip rose from behind me. Ignoring it, I faced my opponent. He was no more than four and a half feet tall, with shaggy blonde hair long enough to brush the tops of his moss-green eyes. The boy shifted his head, and a faint green shimmer rolled across the surface of his small eyes. By the Old God, he’s just a child.
With his cherub face scrunched in determination, he shouted, “I won’t let you hurt my mommy!” The kid’s hands changed position on the broom handle, and he hauled it back for another strike.
Staggering, I almost went to one knee with the weight of what almost happened. My gut had tried to warn me, tried to point out the inconsistencies between the mission facts and our surroundings. The front door, the cleanliness of the house, the lack of damage or blood. It all pointed to one thing, a setup.
For some reason, the government had sent us to kill this mother, this family.
Rage and shame tore through me. I’d fallen right back into old habits and the naivety of believing that the government and Dr. Smith cared about the people they professed to protect. That everything they sent me out to do, didn’t have some stupid political move attached to it.
Spinning in place, I launched myself forward. Then, tucking into a roll, I slipped under Shadow’s arm and came up crouched between the fighting pair. Smart move? No. But necessary if I wanted to keep them from killing each other.
Catching Shadow’s wrist as it arched down, blade extended to kill, I locked my elbow, preventing his strike from burying itself in my chest. At the same moment, agony lanced through my shoulder as the coyote, intent on her prey, bit down. I grunted, brushing aside the pain.
Shadow retreated instantly. “What the hell, Terra?” His tone was livid.
I met his gaze, then looked over his right shoulder at the boy still brandishing the broom. Shadow twisted enough to follow my line of sight without turning his back on his opponent.
The coyote let go and slunk back a few steps. She seemed to be waiting to see what we’d do. I didn’t need to be an empath to feel the fear radiating off her in waves. I would be scared, too, if multiple enemies stood between me and my pup.
Holding my hands up and tilting my head to the side, baring my neck, I tried to project a non-threatening aura. It didn’t work. Her eyes burned into me, a threat clear in her gaze.
Shadow let out a defeated sigh, and I turned my attention to him. “Why am I not surprised.” It wasn’t a question. His eyes hardened. “She’s still the target. Her pelt matches the photo I have.” I was right. This woman and her family had made the government’s hit list for whatever reason.
I realized something else. Her shifting was a no-brainer. Barring her half form, which would only hinder her in this tight space, her coyote form was the next best thing. She was faster, stronger, more agile, and naturally would take any advantage she could get to protect her child. I glanced at one of the photos along the wall. Scratch that, children. The boy had a sister around here somewhere.
Alarm sucked the air out of my lungs, and I closed my eyes, trying in vain to control the vicious spike of pain in my chest. They wanted us to kill her quick. That’s why they reported her as a rogue. Once we realized our mistake, the children would be collateral we needed to take care of to maintain our cover. I wrestled with my breathing, getting it under control. They wanted a massacre.
Too fricking bad. Never again would I have the blood of an innocent on my hands.
Planting myself firmly between Shadow and the coyote, I raised one of my knives. He would have to go through me to get to her. The collar tingled at my intent to harm my handler, but it was just a warning. It wouldn’t trigger unless I made a move.
